Funny story...

My friend, Michele, told me I should write the story of yesterday's adventure in my blog, so here goes...

Yesterday started out really relaxing--I got my hair cut first thing in the morning, and then I went grocery shopping at Whole Foods. I was tired after walking around the store, but nothing severe. I went home, put away the groceries, and lay on the couch for about an hour before leaving for our childbirth class. Chris and I went to the class, which lasted about 2 hours, and then decided to stop by Target to pick up an exercise ball for use during labor. We also ended up getting loads of snacks to pack in the hospital bag, but that's completely beside the point :-) After Target, we were both STARVING, so we decided to eat at this Thai joint in the West End. It was good, and as we left I noticed a Hancock Fabric store in the same shopping center. This was truly the beginning of the end!

I thought we could stop for just a minute to look at fabric, but no...I ended up walking all around the store full of excitement and ended up completely wearing myself out! I had to head on out to the truck while Chris checked out (poor Chris, having to check out with an arm full of fabric and thread). I relaxed for a while and then realized that I REALLY had to pee (surprise, surprise). I didn't want to walk ALL the way back into Hancock, so I waited for Chris and decided I would go at Home Depot when we stopped. We drove about 10 minutes to Home Depot (torture), and because we had the truck, had to park FAR away. As an added bonus, the bathroom at Home Depot is all the way at the back of the store. Not a big deal for those of you who are not 8 1/2 months pregnant, but a HUGE deal for me! I walked as quickly as I could to the restroom, did what I needed to do, and started walking back out to the front of the store. I started getting those darn pinching sensations in my crotch, which seriously stop me in my tracks. I had to stop every couple of seconds, pretend to look at something, and then walk a few more steps. The real excitement began when I got out to the parking lot!

Again, I had to stop every few seconds, but there was no merchandise to pretend to study. There was another couple getting into their car, and they just kept staring at me...I know they were thinking, "Oh, jeez! This lady's going to give birth in the parking lot!" I finally got to the truck, and I climbed inside (literally, I have to CLIMB into the truck). I left the door open for circulation (since the windows don't open), reclined the seat ALL the way back, and propped my feet up on the dashboard. Of course, my legs are spread apart to make room for my massive belly, so I now realize it probably looked to passers-by that I was about to give birth. Chris started walking back the truck after making his purchases, saw me there, and began RUNNING at full speed! He got there and just kept asking over and over again if I was okay...even HE thought I was about to push Ella out!

We finally came home and I crashed into the bed and had the best sleep ever. It was the first day I have ever felt "disabled" as a pregnant woman, and I realized that I usually forget that pregnant women are quite a bit more restricted than those who are not...and I now wish that every parking lot had "Expectant Mother" spaces!