Ripe

I feel like a slightly freckled banana, or a soft juicy peach. That perfect time to enjoy the sweetness of a fruit before it starts to go bad... I look like I swallowed a watermelon. My torpedo of a belly is no longer "cute." I forget how large it is and run it into things like walls and doors that my mind's eye thinks I should be able to clear, forgetting that there's a ridiculously large protusion in the abdominal area that isn't ususally there. I can no longer wear most any of my clothes. I am stuck rotating the 5 things that still fit. I am not sleeping well. Each change of position requires a complete awakening, and I cannot stay on one side because the respective hip will go numb. I am waddling. Exercising is increasingly challenging. I tie my tennis shoes on the sides because I cannot bend down to tie them in the middle. I can balance certain items on the top of my belly. My belly button does not exist. I have a few stretch marks around the spot where my belly button used to be. I am physically and mentally ready, though I still have a "to do" list that really does require some attention. I feel perfectly ripe. Yet, the calendar tells me there are 13 days left. Suddenly, 13 days seems like a long time, and not just around the corner. I think God's purposely made it so that women are uncomfortable at this time of the pregnancy to prepare us for the pain. The attitude becomes - get this thing out of me no matter what it takes! I'll keep ya'll posted. My earliest predition is Monday, the 8th...