The Belly, It's a Growin'

Well here I am, at week 36-ish, trudging along. Hauling around this belly is quite exhausting. I feel like an old woman sometimes, creaking and popping, limping around, wincing at sudden movements. As y'all could see on my Christmas Eve post, I am rather large. But I would also like to add that while I look ginormous, as of my last appointment (last Tues) I have only gained 24 pounds. And I swear, it is ALL right out in front. Which is a good thing, I guess, but it makes for a very uncomfortable stomach.

Heartburn has settled in for the duration. I'm eating my Zantac for breakfast and dinner, whether I think I need it or not. Anything spicy is off the menu- pizza, spaghetti, lasagna, etc., along with cinnamon (weird?), and some fruits like pineapple, and chocolate. I'm really only disappointed about the pizza and chocolate, but I've found if I take my Zantac at the right time, I can sneak a piece of chocolate in here and there.

We're all set for the baby. We've got everything we need for this baby: diapers, wipes, clothing, you name it. We shouldn't have to buy diapers or wipes for at least 6 weeks, but you never know. She could be a champion pooper. We're prepared enough that this little gal could come home today and we'd be fine. Which was my goal- to be ready enough with a few weeks to spare so I could spend the last weeks just relaxing and conserving energy. But then this little nesting bug came along, and lately I've been doing probably more than I should. I spend most evenings begging Brian to rub my cankles. My feet get so swollen these days that most of my shoes are too small!

This weekend I decided that I needed to stock up my freezer with meals that we could just pop in the oven to reheat. And so far it hasn't been too bad, but there's more I'd like to do. I just have to realize that I'm not Wonder Woman, and that it probably won't kill Brian to have to throw together a meal or two :) I've already got a batch of potato soup, a batch of chicken stew, and a batch of Santa Fe Soup in the freezer.

Today I managed to make 5 hashbrown casseroles, 36 blueberry muffins, 3 meatloaves, and put up 7 pounds of ground beef for spaghetti. Before it's all said and done, I'd also like to have a few chicken pot pies, maybe a couple of lasagnas, and a whole mess of pancakes and waffles. Anybody got any other suggestions for meals or entree's I could freeze up?

I'm very pleased with the fullness of the freezer. We could survive a meteor crash between what we have stocked up in the pantry and frozen in the freezer. And if the power goes out, no matter, because anything frozen would remain safely frozen outside...

Now hopefully I'll have a few days of rest. Which is wishful thinking, because lately I have been averaging about 5 really good hours of sleep at night. And that's if I take a Tylenol. I just can't get comfortable. That, and the little monkey just won't sit still, either. I think I'm going to move into the recliner for the duration of the pregnancy so that I can sleep on my back.

Only 23 more days!