As we enter week thirty-two of this pregnancy, I begin to manifest symptoms I had hoped to conquer after the first trimester…excess fatigue, that lumbering feeling, and irrational anger.

Nathan has been coping very well with a wife who treats him abominably for an hour, and then purrs like a kitten in apology and adores him for six or seven. Until IT hits again. I am afraid that pretty soon he will stop acknowledging my apologies. Or stop coming home.

The Baby must be bulking up in there. Now when I turn over in bed, the groans are mere decibels short of a yell. There is a mug on the floor of my otherwise clean living room. I will not pick it up until I absolutely have too…probably when I see my first piano student pull in the driveway. Bending over is a joke. And it looks funny too. Did I mention that socks and shoes should be obliterated? Who can put out the effort to put them on? Maybe I should rethink the ‘pregnant during winter’ plan.

Well, those are my chief complaints for now.

Did I mention that I fell this morning in our driveway while running the recyclables out? I sat up, crossed legged, (in our wet driveway with cardboard all around) just in time for the recycle truck to come to our driveway, hoping that I looked like an unaffected bird watcher. Apparently the Waste Management dude didn’t buy it. He came over to see if I was alright. At which point (despite my throbbing rear and arm) I assured him I was, while giving my best “what are you talking about?” Look.

I imagine that seeing sweat-pant-clad (Nate’s…which I think might have been part of my problem) pregnant women tumbling about their driveway is a common enough occurrence for city employees. He graciously picked up all my cardboard mess, and even took my garbage can out. I just got my slippers back on..and walked…back to the house.

NOTE TO THE AUNTS: Don’t worry, I didn’t land on my tummy. All I got there was a scratch from the cardboard box that our recycled stuff is in (they haven’t gotten us a proper container yet). Just a couple of scratches on my hand and a bruise that isn’t showing yet….just feeling.  Yuck.