"Are You About to Pop Soon?"

One of our male student workers apparently hasn't had a lot of mentoring in how to speak to pregnant women, because he asked me "Are you about to pop soon?" this week.  It was said in such an innocent and silly way that I just had to laugh.  He spent the rest of the week apologizing, and I gave him some friendly suggestions of how to better inquire of those of us who are with child (and permission to ask again in those exact words if he sees me again in August when I truly should be "about to pop"). 

But I must look really pregnant these days (sorry, I don't have any pictures), because I caught my supervisor half-smiling/half-laughing (kindly, of course) as she observed me talking to another colleague outside her office.  When I asked, she said that I look really pregnant.  I think that perhaps my belly was peaking out from below my shirt.  Since I'm all torso, this Baby Girl has plenty of room to move around (and she's quite a wiggler!), and leaves me feeling rather comfortable (no heartburn ever with Ella, and not so far with this pregnancy either).  But I do struggle to find clothes that will leave me totally covered.

I've also had plenty of people tell me--for a couple of weeks now--that it looks like she's dropped.  While my doctor confirmed that she is indeed head-down, I know that she hasn't truly "dropped" into my pelvic area.  Again, the long torso just gives that illusion, but the truth is, I just seem to carry low.  This also, apparently, goes against the old wives tale that it will be a boy if you are carrying low.

I don't "feel" like I'm that big, but I do know that I now weigh more--with six weeks to go--than I did when I gave birth to Ella.  I admit--I was about five pounds heavier at the time of conception, and I have indulged in ice cream and chocolate-covered-you-name-it throughout this pregnancy (though I've held myself to to the rule that I can only eat ice cream on days when I run...hence another reason why I keep running).  So perhaps I do truly look like I'm about to pop, in comparison to my previous pregnancy. 

Yesterday's blessing was the chance to go out to dinner with my dad.  He is in town for part of his sabbatical, and has been able to meet up with us from time to time.  We got to enjoy Ella's last day of swim lessons (she has come so far!), and finished the evening with frozen yogurt (yes, I ran yesterday morning...before it hit triple digits).  My family lives in California, and while I'm perfectly fine with living far away from them, it is still always such a blessing to be able to spend time with them.  We'll see him again tomorrow for church, and then he'll hike the Grand Canyon, and then return to stay with us for a few days next weekend.