32 and 34

The documentation of The Belly continues! First photo is at 32 weeks while we were back in Duncan and the second is from just this evening at 34 weeks. Somewhere between the two, I have certainly felt and noticed the growth in girth of waist, discomfort of movement and any attempts at bending, and a sharp increase of puffiness in my face, legs, and most everywhere else. Oh my. Starting to really feel pregnant now! Baby is feeling heavy now and is more active than ever and it's been quite comical and rewarding to sit and watch my belly for awhile, being pushed and thumped and molded from the inside. Still no gut feelings whether there's a girl or boy in there and so either will be a complete surprise. And either will be exactly what we were hoping for.

Today's been rather a strange and unexpected day though. Not what I anticipated when I woke up this morning. The swelling in my feet, ankles, and also up my legs more recently has been getting increasingly worse and so with my Doctor's appointment this morning I was surprised with the orders to stop work immediately. Not being able to elevate my legs at my desk job is only making the condition worse yet I wasn't prepared to be asked to go home this early. With mixed feelings, to be sure. Nice to have more time to prepare and to relax and yet I'm sorry and disappointed to be leaving so suddenly, without the 'last day of work countdown' I have been looking forward to. I had a bit of a cry tonight, after coming home from work, feeling a little ripped off and sorry that it wasn't the goodbye to my work friends that I know I needed.

Still, I was reminded by one of the ladies at work that, in coming to terms with the unexpectedness of today's events, she felt the same way about going in labor. Waking up that morning and never realizing that day was The Day. And that's just how life is sometimes, isn't it? Full of surprises.