Embracing the Bump

***Warning: pregnancy bitch ahead****

I am trying so hard to embrace the bump, but it seems at odds with me. I would like to meet these crazy women who don't know they're pregnant until the baby falls out because they must be the most fucking clueless people in the world. I'm only in month 4, and already I feel like an enormous cow. My thighs have definitely expanded, my arms are softer, and I have no waist to speak of. My skin, never a smooth, clear palette, is rebelling against me by erupting all over the place. Cause, you know, the weight gain alone is not enough to make you feel unattractive. My hormones are all over the place, one minute I'm fine and the next I'm blubbering about toothpaste commercials or giving my husband the evil eye.* I can't do any of my workouts because the minute my feet leave the ground I feel like I'm going to pee.** Half the time I feel like this baby is about to fall through my pelvis even when I'm just sitting around. And did I mention that it's only month 4??!! Ugh.

On top of all that this is our last week with the s-kids, so Husband is a moody bitch, and it's raining like crazy so there's not a whole lot we can take them out to do. I'm working on how to best arrange my preggo medevac back to the States, and just found out that I have to identify a dr and hospital before they can cut my orders. Not having given birth in the DC area, I don't even know where to start. The other 3 kids are back to school, thank goodness, but that means parent-teacher meetings (all of which have to happen sometime during work hours, natch), learning support meetings for A, and all sorts of other appointments that take me away from the office. High school kids here are required to have a laptop (cause in order to afford going to this school we must all be rich, right?) so we got her a cheap one that turned out to not be compatible with some of the software her teachers are using (like the special software for her Chinese class that only seems to be compatible with Mac). So we had to return it and shell out a shit-load of cash for a used Mac anyway. Because what I really wanted to do while buying all new baby gear*** and a short notice ticket and hotel arrangements for Husband to go back to DC to take the FSOA is shell out a thousand dollars for my 14-year old to get a new laptop. *sigh* Wah, wah, wah, wah!

Anyway, the good thing is that we're definitely on the slide out from out Manila adventure and getting ready for our next chapter.**** As much as I complain, I am so excited about this baby. I have so missed having a newborn, and I cannot wait to finally have a baby in my arms again. I am blessed to be healthy and active, and everything with the pregnancy is going along swimmingly.***** Things seems to be falling into place. W've made all the big decisions about who is going where and when in terms of medevac-ing and PCSing. I've made my list of things to do (as overwhelming as it is), so all that's left is to start crossing things off. And we've got a whole slew of trips already paid for in the wings. In two weeks we head to beautiful Malapascua, and while I won't be able to dive down to see the Thresher Sharks, I will be able to hang out, sans kids, with some very dear friends in one of the most gorgeous places on earth. Then we head up to The Farm for 3 days of pampering (a birthday gift from Husband) before we jet off for a family vacation with some dear friends and their kids at the Shangri-La Hotel in Cebu. And that's just in September, yay! We are determined to get in as much travel as possible before we leave the Philippines for good. :) Husband is getting ready to take a very challenging test/interview for a great job, but even if he isn't successful, he has an almost guaranteed job wherever we go thanks to his special designation with the State Department. We are very fortunate to be in such a position, as stressful as it may be sometimes.

See, I don't take my good fortune for granted, but that doesn't mean that I can't bitch a little...or a lot...if I want to.


*Even though he totally deserves it most of the time.
**and sometimes I do, so fuck off.
***after al, it has been 6 years, 2 counties, and 4 states since the last time I squirted one of these little monsters out. 
****Hong Kong here we come!
*****Genetic testing says: low risk for abnormalities