Pregnancy: Week 21 and 22 – My Calves are Mooing
Late into the night or just as the sun’s rising, I wake up screaming, struggling to find my breath and grabbing for a leg. My husband sleeps peacefully next time without noticing a thing. He would sleep through a war.
If Steve is awake during a leg cramp, he massages out the cramp. If he’s asleep, I have to beat him (literally) with the arm that isn’t clinching my leg until he “wakes up” to sleepily rub my leg for a few seconds before losing consciousness again and leaving me to fend for myself. The next morning Steve remembers nothing and I limp around for a few days. My calf returns to its full capacity just in time for the other calf to spaz out. More calcium, magnesium and potassium for Mommy.
Near the end of my pregnancy with Moanna, she would ball up against the outer wall of my belly or stretch her limbs out in all directions making my belly a hard ball. When my belly started tightening up a few weeks ago, I assumed Deuce had begun the balling up and stretching out routine. At least that’s what I thought. Then I read my little pregnancy book, and realized that no the hard ball belly wasn’t a trick of Deuce’s (or Moanna’s for that matter). Nope, the hard belly is what we call Braxton Hicks. I was reading about what little Deuce had been up to development wise in my belly and what new symptoms might be popping up soon when I read that Braxton Hicks kicks in around this time, and then it described what these “fake” contractions feel like. As soon as I read it, I was like “Ohhh that’s what that is.” Immediately, I felt like a complete and total idiot for having no idea that I was having Braxton Hicks.
Since we’re on embarrassing topics, now would be a good time to be honest about just how uncontrollable the eating has gotten. Last time I told you that my appetite was picking up in the evenings. That’s still true, but I’ve lost the will power to behave like a lady at the dinner table. I can out eat my everyone in my family. By that I mean, I can eat more than everyone else in my family combined. Moanna and the guys are done eating, and I’ m still chowing down on my third or fourth plate with crumbs and sauce splattered on my belly. Charming huh? At this rate I’m going to be a blimp by the time Deuce arrives. I need an intervention.
Time to come clean about the dreams. I’ve had a lot of bizarre dreams, when the calves aren’t mooing that is. Snakes, visits from friends that have died, babies that I’ve never met before, dance recitals I’ve never rehearsed for, events I forgot to book at my old job. I’ve had a wide range of crazy visit me at night. However, the pregnancy dreams that keep returning are about Steve having other lady friends. I’ve had at least four dreams about Steve having relationships with ladies that are not me. Each time it’s a different girl, and it’s never been someone that we know in real life. Also note that I’ve never witnessed any “activities” in these dreams. The day after one of these dreams, I am upset at Steve for cheating on me in my dreams. How could he do such a thing to his pregnant wife? Sorry I don’t have steamy sexy dreams to share with you like ever other pregnant woman out there. Instead I spend my dreams reminding Steve what happens to cheating husbands and warning hot-to-trot chics that my belly and I have no problem taking them down.
Despite all of the less than flattering developments, the past several weeks have been really enjoyable. The gagging and headaches are gone, and I’ve had so much energy I can’t use it all up. My house is reaping the benefits of the second trimester energy burst, Moanna is loving all of our recent adventures and the guys are gobbling up all of the food that I’ve been cooking. Deuce and I are loving the all of the above. It’s a great time to be pregnant.
Weeks 19 and 20
Weeks 17 and 18
Week 16
Months 3 and 4
Month 2
Month 1
We’re Having a Baby!
I’m so glad you’re feeling better! I never seemed to get my energy back until the days before I had my babies.
Thanks Tiffany. I’m glad your energy returned in time for the babies to arrive!
With my first baby, Tommy, I thought he was just stretching, too! It wasn’t until baby #2 that I realized they were something more. So, you’re not alone
Sometimes I still can’t tell the difference between a Braxton and a butt poking out.
I remember late in my 9 1/2 months of elephant pregnancy I would wake up every morning without fail having charlie horses in both legs. I was sooooo big and trying to jump up to stretch them out was like that elephant trying to balance itself on its tail. I don’t remember Braxton Hicks. I do remember Nic’s toes in my ribs however!
Toes in ribs – ouch! Moanna would stretch her leg out into my right side and her heal would stick out like a bizarre growth. After a while my teachers stopped asking me if I was OK if I would screech and reach for my side.
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