It's the simple things...

[Katico]

Yes, yes, of course our babies are the prize at the end of this race, but more and more I find myself thinking about all the little rewards waiting for me once this child is finally born.  The simple, daily pleasures we take for granted until they're impossible....  So, here is my little list of things that are keeping me going...

After this baby is born....

- I will be able to wrap a bath towel around myself again

- Beer.  Real beer. 

- I will have the space to eat a full meal instead of eating 1/2 a meal and being starving an hour later

- I can roll over in bed again

-  I can sit in a booth at a restaurant if I want, instead of having to request a table

- I can take a full breath and not have to stop halfway up the steps to pant like a 90 year old chain smoker

- I can wear my raincoat without getting soaked anyway - the belly provides a horizontal surface for the rain to hit and stretches the fabric which lets water through, leaving me sopping wet 

You?  

[Leiahs]

The bath towel thing seriously has me giddy with joy. 

I keep thinking I should be in love with the ease of rolling over in bed, but honestly, I stay on one side most of the night while Malcolm sleeps next to me.  I haven't really noticed the rolling over, in other words.

I can PUT MY SHOES ON BY MYSELF!!!

I can go 6 hours without peeing, if I want to!

I can stand in front of the sink or stove without getting burnt or wet!

I can reach critical areas while sitting on the toilet.  ;)

I can lay on my back without getting achey.

I can get up from sitting quickly, and without any aches or pains!  I can run across a room!

[Mama~Love]

Oh, most of those apply to me as well!

- being able to fit behind the steering wheel again

- not having to turn sideways while working at the kitchen counter & stove

[JoyfulWife]

Love this!

-I won't be nauseous 24/7 (seriously, after 9 months of constant nausea I am SO ready to feel normal again)

-I'll be able to hold my kids IN my lap to read them stories

-rolling over in bed won't entail sitting up, adjusting five different pillows and then laying back down

-my brain will come back? I hope? I am so ditzy these days it's not even funny!

-I'll be able to give the baby to someone else to hold while I go pee!!

[Carolyn R]

This thread was just what I needed, Katico! We are going in Tuesday for an induction, and I'm trying to remember all the things I've missed!

Putting on shoes ranks right up there - luckily it's still barely warm enough here that I can get by with flip flops for a few more days.

Going out in public without every person asking me if I'm sure it's not twins or telling me how huge I am. Thanks, people, it's called polyhydramnios and I wouldn't wish it on anyone!

Being able to be intimate with dh again - and actually enjoy it.

Walking without pain.

I am down to only a few pants and shirts that still fit, so I am looking forward to pulling out some regular clothes again (hopefully they will fit - I'm a little nervous to think how stretched out my belly is going to be after all this)

And most of all - having a baby!!!! I remember the newborn phase coming with lots of exhaustion, but also, so many positives and highs.

Best of luck to everyone!

[cbeclipse]

Wine!!!

Not having to feel like I have to pee every time I stand up or walk for more than a few minutes

Being able to get my undies and pants on without shooing pain up my crotch area....

[Katico]

This!!  I actually have to STAND up, rearrange the pillows and then coordinate my drop back into bed with the placement of pillows all in one move,,....because once I'm laying down I can't fix it! 
 

Originally Posted by JoyfulWife 

-rolling over in bed won't entail sitting up, adjusting five different pillows and then laying back down

Oh, and Mama~Love - getting behind the steering wheel!! yes!  With out pushing back so far you have trouble reaching the pedals!!

[Izzybelly]

I daydream about sleeping on my stomach again.  Or my back.  Or even on my side but next to my husband without 5 pillows between us - actually snuggling!

I really freaking want a rare steak in red wine sauce and a Guinness.  A deep, dark, freshly poured Guinness.  And sushi.  And just in general being able to eat without worrying about what's in it that I can't have.

Being able to walk without pain, or bend over without pain, or roll over in bed without pain.  Apparently when the baby exits there's a 50/50 shot that my compressed disc will heal on its own.  I'm pretty optimistic that it will.

No longer outweighing my husband.

Being able to see my privates again to be able to trim.  Along with the whole wiping issue, I just long to really feel CLEAN again.

Going out in public without total strangers feeling they have the right to ask me personal questions because I have a huge freaking belly (props to you, Carolyn, for not murdering anyone yet).

Eventually have sex without my husband looking like a circus contortionist trying to find an angle that works.

[nicolian]

I can't wait to

sleep on my stomach.

be able to really cuddle my boys on my lap.

not have to pee CONSTANTLY.

have an alcoholic beverage!

not have people feel like they can comment on my body and how big or small they think I am.

[puente]

Am I the only one who is having trouble believing any of these marvelous things are REALLY going to happen? 

I'd add:

- Besides being comfortable in bed, just fitting in bed with my husband and required bedding.  (Between my belly and the pillows it's a precarious thing to keep us all in bed all night.)

- People will stop asking when I'm finally having the baby

- Being able to sit on a squishy surface without pain or the inability to stand afterwards

- Reclining and not feeling guilty about making the babe go posterior

- Picking anything up off the floor won't be so crazy hard

[akayerich]

This is great!

Being able to sit on the floor and play with DS without being uncomfortalble.

Going to the grocery store (or anywhere)  without fear of spontaneous intense labor that leaves me unable to drive home.

Enjoying the fall weather- watching DS play in the leaves with baby in a wrap. 

Taking a walk because I want to and not because "it'll be good for me."

The rolling over in bed thing.  And also breathing sufficiently while laying down.  And not having baby feet in my ribs. 

Newcastle.  Oh how I miss that Nut Brown Ale.  And Samuel Smith this winter.

[RosemaryS-F]

--I must admit, I've enjoyed the occassional "wee beer" this pregnancy. But a whole one will be nice! And wine! Though I tasted wine a couple of weeks ago and it was gross

--Sitting back in a chair or squishy couch without the fear that I'll have horrid back labor to pay for it

--Holding and snuggling DS in my lap without him having to face me

--Taking long walks without the urge to hitchhike

--Being able to talk about the baby with strangers instead of my body.

[yellowdart]

Yes, reclining without guilt!  

I will have so many shirts to choose from!  Ahhh!!!  Right now I'm down to a few maternity t-shirts and two or three of DH's stretchiest XL t-shirts.  

Being able to roll over at night without having to wake up and flop my belly over manually, and probably getting up to pee then anyway.

GIN AND TONIC!!!  I also confess to having a little beer or wine now and then, but it's nothing to shake a stick at.  Ooo, beer and wine IN PUBLIC!  At restaurants!    And gin!

Fitting in shoes again.  Please let this happen.

Being mobile.  

[Trinket90]

I second just about all of this. Most specifically:

-Sleeping on my stomach

-Not having to dash for the toilet when LO moves on my bladder (and me trying to dash is not pretty)

-Getting up from the couch without an Olympic effort.

-The ability to buy alcohol. I turned 21 last month... but I can't even walk into a liquor store right now without someone calling the police on me!

-Being able to carry laundry baskets up and down the stairs without knocking everything off the walls.

And that's just to name a few!!

[lifeguard]

-not having to constantly tell ds to be careful of my tender belly.

-reaching the floor

-being able to hit the gym & the weights hard again (ok - I know this will take a couple of weeks but still)

-seeing actual weight loss again

-a change in my wardrobe - I've been seriously bored

[AKChix0r]

Can I chime in with what I've already enjoyed?

- When I urgently have to pee now, it's hours after drinking a 32 oz fountain soda and I go for what seems like five minutes. No more rushing to the bathroom every 30 minutes for a few drops!
- Wearing a seatbelt like a NORMAL person (not having to adjust and reposition it).
- Getting in and out of my husband's truck without assistance (for awhile he'd have to push me up into it).
- NO ONE TELLING ME NOT TO LIFT STUFF! Glorious.
- No longer dripping toothpaste and food onto my belly
- Less gas
- Eating. I had no appetite for the last few months, and it's like all the weird pregnancy cravings have hit me now. Lately I can't get enough double cheeseburgers from McD's and pepperoni slices and string cheese are my staples at the house.

[tank]

being able to snuggle with my DP in bed again without pillows in between us!  (there will probably be a baby in between us but still)

being able to put on my own shoes and tie them

not getting up to pee 5 times in the middle of the night and have to go so bad it hurts and only a TBSP of pee comes out.

no more back pain

not having to pop a million pills (zantac, papaya extract, tums) because of the AWFUL heartburn I have had.

being able to get up from the couch without a huge struggle

going back to the gym for weights class and kickboxing!

being able to have a beer and even purchace beer without dirty looks.

be able to have sex with DP in positions I actually enjoy and can climax in

[Izzybelly]

Oh yes please to a really stiff gin and tonic.  Or a lovely pomatini (yes, it's girly, but I've gotten over it).

And can I just say that I've missed out on all the guilt about reclining... I didn't know about that!  So that's why Izzy was posterior... luckily she seems to have turned - guess I'll find out for sure at tomorrow's ultrasound.

My latest guilt is because my doula said that the reason I'm so overdue might be because of all of my stress over my dog, and that once I put her down I'll go into labor.  So now I feel guilty, like I've put my dog in front of my baby, which is such a horrible feeling.  I'm seriously considering murdering my doula. 

It's possible that one of the things that I will enjoy post-partum is a decline in the urge to murder people.  But really, I will enjoy people not feeling completely free (hopefully)  to tell me things/ask me things that make me want to murder them.  Like - when are you due?  Last week.  My goodness, you know it's not very good to leave them in there too long!  Really, complete stranger to me?  Because being OVER a week late, with all the accompanying testing, discomfort, and general pregnancy hell is on purpose.  Yup, I thought it would be a good idea to just stay pregnant forever.  WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO ME???

Um, sorry, apparently my addendum to my simple things list (motivated by actually salivating at the mention of a gin and tonic) has turned into a rant...  whoops...

[RosemaryS-F]

You're funny, Izzybelly. Gotcha. And I have been meaning to say that I'm really sorry about your dog.

Gin and tonic: I was sad this summer when I couldn't have a g+t. So blue blood, so tasty. Not really my favorite wintertime tipple, but perhaps I could be convinced. 

I want to add that I would like to take a walk during the daytime. It doesn't seem to matter if it is cool and autumnal, I simply can't seem to be able to walk when the sun is afoot--it's been like this since early August...

[Mama~Love]

Another one: being able to pee at all! I got up this morning, having to go really bad, but I was unable to go! I went & drank a couple more glasses of water, and about a half hour later I was able to. I think my belly is squishing off the tubes! I don't know what else it could be!

As for the reclining, it's all I've been able to do for the last 5 months, due to my SPD. I haven't been able to sleep in bed for that long either. I didn't know it was bad to do, but I don't have a choice.