Twenty-Two Weeks

Fetus at twenty-two weeks

This week, Michaela weighs a pound and is about eight inches long.

Eighteen or fewer weeks to go. I can hardly wait!

Pregnancy is hard work, and I'm really feeling pregnant these days. Before I was just feeling sick. Now I feel big (that's because I am!) and more uncomfortable. I'd post a picture, but it's not easy for me to take one of myself.

Some other noticeable things:

• Stuffy nose and nasal congestion - can't sleep without my Breathe Right Strips.
• Overly sensitive gag reflex - this is a really awful result of all the nausea and vomiting. Even though I'm not really nauseous anymore, I occasionally lose it just from clearing my throat due to the previously mentioned symptoms or from feeling too full. Yuck!
  
• Sore back and hips - some days are better than others. I had a prenatal massage the other day and that really helped.
  
• Crazy hunger - I need to eat lots of little meals all day long.
• Indigestion - burping all the time and taking Tums.
• Feeling short of breath - I can't speak in long sentences with ease anymore.
  
• Headaches - still having a couple of those every day, but they are manageable with Tylenol.
• Weird dreams - I dreamed my dad was a cocaine addict the other night.
• Limited movement - I'm having a hard time putting my socks on, and bending over to shave my legs. It's also hard to get up off the sofa.
• Weight gain - I'm up at least fifteen pounds from where I started.
  

I'm also feeling the need to prepare for Michaela's arrival. I have spent the last few days making an attempt to organize Michael's things and remove them from the back bedroom. I sent home most of the rest of his clothing with his brothers. That was hard to do, but I know it's the right and practical thing to do. One of his shirts had been put back in his wardrobe after he wore it. The sleeves were still rolled up and it smelled like him. That was bittersweet.

I am going back to work on Monday, and that has been a source of some anxiety for me. My concerns have been that I will get back and find the demands of the job too taxing for me, and I have been afraid that the migraines would return as a result of the stress.

But I decided that I would trust the Lord with the situation, and He really provided a fantastic solution for me. On Thursday I got a call from the human resources director, and she offered to provide me with a permanent substitute teacher for the remainder of the school year. Someone I could train to take over when I go out on leave again, but also someone who would be there on a daily basis to help me and to cover for me when I am not able to work. I know this must be in response to all the parent complaints about the substitutes, but I am thrilled to have the help. It will be like a team-teaching arrangement, and I really like the idea. I now feel like I can return to work and not be overwhelmed by all that entails. What a blessing!