The Bump

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while but it can’t really wait much longer.

The bump is out of control.

It’s officially in charge of me.
It determines the speeds I move at or whether I move at all. It decides what I wear in the morning. It decides what and when I eat. It decides whether I sleep or not and in what position. It decides where the car is parked (too close to a wall and I’m trapped!)

I shouldn’t really complain too much because I’m generally very happy being pregnant. I don’t balloon up and so far my arse hasn’t decided to compete with the bump in the size war. I have noticed some differences this time though. I have a few more aches and pains. I get sudden waves of exhaustion where i have to stop and generally at the same times every day. I’m not sure if it’s the added demands of having Cushla around this pregnancy or if it’s because last time I was at work and probably had all these symptoms but didn’t have time to notice them.

The local people here LOVE babies. LOVE LOVE LOVE them! A little bit too much sometimes. I’ve mentioned before that Cushla is a superstar. People stop and stare and point openly at her. The cross streets and walk into walls because they won’t stop looking at her. They will pinch, grab, stroke, pet, tickle and kiss whichever part of her is exposed. I often have to intervene when a stranger’s face gets too close and I see them puckering up towards her mouth!?! This new baby has no idea what’s in store for it when we return to Yangon in a few months. However, all the attention that Cushla receives means that so far the bump and I have managed to avoid too much attention. Until now! The bump is unmissable, unavoidable and a little ridiculous looking depending on the clothing. Now, the sight of Cushla and me with bump is just too much for some people. The other day a woman stopped right in front of me. Stopped dead and pointed at the bump then burst into a fit of laughter. Yesterday a shopping center came to a standstill when we arrived.

I have to admit that I’ve quite enjoyed the bump being left in the background since we’ve been here. When I was pregnant with Cushla I never could get used to strangers touching the bump. As much as I tried I could never help but be a little surprised and flinch when total randoms would put their hands on my abdomen. I was also exhausted of the endless appraisals of the size and shape not just of the bump but of my body in general. People seemed to have no problem telling me what they thought of the size of my arse, the changes in my boobs, the state of my skin or hair and I probably would have quite enjoyed all of the attention if it were positive. The only time since being here that I’ve had to endure any of this is when I meet with expat women and so it all begins again. I also wonder what makes people want to tell a pregnant woman their own horror stories about giving birth!??

Boy or Girl? We don’t know. We found out with Cushla and I would happily have found out again this time but we agreed not to and Don thinks the surprise will be nice. I think there are enough surprises where giving birth and babies are concerned. Plus, not knowing is interfering with my pre-baby spending. How can I shop if I don’t know my colour scheme?! It means nothing but I think it’s a girl. I just do. There’s a 50% chance I’m right.

The baby is a wriggle monkey. Cushla was the same. There are elbows and feet, hands and knees and all other teeny little body parts poking against me at any given moment. It’s truly bizarre to watch and I thought that second time round the novelty might have worn off but it really hasn’t. I’m fascinated all over again.

I officially have 8 weeks from today. Yikes! So much to do! First on the list is to get myself on a flight without incident. Two weeks today we hope to be climbing aboard a flight. I still have to book in to see a doctor here for a final letter to add to my collection all giving me the ok to fly. Keep your fingers crossed for me!