Maybe "They" Were Right

If you've ever been pregnant, you know who "they" are.  "They" are those people with two eyes that work, a mouth that works, and a brain that doesn't.

Or, at least, their brains never quite seem to work when they're around a pregnant woman.

I'm talking about the ones who find out you're pregnant "again" and can't help questioning whether you really know how that happens.

The ones who take one look at you and ask you if you're sure it's not twins, even though you're well past the point where someone would have noticed if it were.

The ones who feel the need to point out that it's two days past your due date and you're still pregnant.

The ones who have to let you know how glad they are they're not you when they find out you're due somewhere between July and September, because you're going to be so miserable being pregnant in the hottest part of the summer.

(These same people, incidentally, also always seem to feel the need to say, "Well, at least you won't be really big during the hottest part of the summer," if you're due at any other time of the year.)

With the first, I just smile and nod.  Yes, we will have three children 3.5 and younger.  Yes, we know how that happens.  In fact, we meant for it to happen that way.  Yes, we might very well be insane.  But we're happy, too, so it works out in the end.  And if it doesn't, well, that's going to be my problem, isn't it?

I haven't had to deal with #2 and #3.  (In fact, I've gotten the opposite of #2, which just makes me feel a little like I might not be eating enough for my baby to grow properly.  Thanks.  Like I wasn't already neurotic.)  For item #3, I was induced before my due date with both of my (sweet) little toddler terrors, so I never had to deal with going past.  (For reasons mentioned in this post, I might be dealing with it this time, though.)

With #4, I, again, smile and nod, although I tend to roll my eyes a bit.  I mean, come on.  Hot is hot.  If it's hot out, I'm going to be miserable, regardless of whether or not I'm pregnant.  Being pregnant isn't going to make it worse.

Right?  Of course.

But...then again.

It has been hot lately.  We're talking 90+ degree weather and 70+ percent humidity.  Miserable no matter how you look at it...but.  I've noticed a few things.

For one, if I spend about five minutes out in the sun, I become useless.  My temper frays, I sweat all over, my brain starts to overheat, and somewhere, a "check engine" light comes on.

For another, by the end of the day, my feet resemble the Sta-Puft Marshmallow Man as they try to ooze out of the tops of my shoes.  It is neither pretty nor pleasant.  For anyone.

And finally, I've actually found myself wanting to wear dresses and sandals.  Dresses and sandals.  Me.  (Sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder where I went.  And then I realize The Belly was just in my way, and I was right there behind it all along.)

So I've been wondering...were they right?  Is it really harder to deal with the heat and humidity when you're massively pregnant?  Or is it just that I can't handle much of anything right now that doesn't involve air conditioning, a cushy couch, and an ottoman?

I've been firmly convinced for so long that it doesn't matter whether you're pregnant or not, hot is hot and miserable is miserable, that it's difficult for me to even entertain the idea that it actually might make a difference.  But...I'm really starting to think that it does.

Does this mean I have to eat crow? (*)

If so, I'd better wait until after the Bumblebee is born, since it's probably on the list of Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy.  Or if it's not, it should be.

* Please excuse the wikipedia link, but I wanted to put that there since it's a fairly obscure saying now, and I didn't want anyone to think I was actually considering eating a crow.  That's just gross.