Wednesday, August 23, 2006

we're back!

Safe and sound! Everyone survived and had a fabulous time, including the wee monkey inside my belly.

I now feel confident providing a list of suggested advice for other pregnant women thinking about taking a trip, especially one that will require long flights and lots of walking at the destination. I wish someone had told me this before we left.

1. Forget the cute shoes. Seriously, just forget them. Within 2 hours of arrival your feet will hurt more than they've ever hurt before, and cute shoes will just make it worse. Trust me on this one.

2. Bring your most comfortable shoes, even if they are hideous. And bring more than one pair of ugly shoes, because if you try to wear just the one pair over consecutive days, your feet will start to hurt in certain specific spots that you never knew existed (my pinky toe is still a little numb).

3. Pack layering clothes. Your thermostat is a bit out of whack these days and can swing wildly from freezing to sweat running down your legs in the span of two minutes. It isn't pleasant.

4. Bring prunes, or stop at a grocery store and pick up something else resembling prunes. This can greatly impede your ability to walk around, and when I say GREATLY IMPEDE, I mean greatly. 'Nuff said.

5. Protect your belly when on a bus or subway or in crowds. Maybe some of you feel a natural urge to cover your belly with your hands in crowds, but I didn't. And then when someone accidentally falls into you on the subway and punches your belly, you won't dissolve into uncontrollable heaving sobs because they might have hurt your bayyyyybeeeeee.

6. Anticipate some crazy hormonal changes because of jet lag and exhaustion. Expect to have some trouble sleeping. Expect to start crying over something silly, in public, when you least expect it.

7. Make intelligent decisions about where to take your pregnant hormonal self. Perhaps visiting the Anne Frank House is not the best idea when you are incredibly sensitive. You should also avoid that exhibit at the Dutch Resistance Museum showing the babies abandoned in basements and churches and empty buildings by Jewish families sent to concentration camps, in the hopes that someone would save their children. Impending motherhood is not the best time for you to read and see these images. But if you do, bring buttloads of kleenex, and wear your most obviously pregnant shirt so that people are sympathetic.

8. Rest at every opportunity, especially when your body tells you it is tired. This may sometimes be less than an hour since your last rest stop, but who cares? Do it anyway. Take advantage of these stops to have a decaf latte, or a hot chocolate, or that delicious cheesy melted sandwich that guy is having over there, whatever it is. I'm still having dreams about my pain au chocolate from Brussels and my croque madame from Amsterdam. Mmmm.

9. Use every bathroom you find, even when you don't think you have to go. Go twice if you can, because if not, you'll get half a block down the street and have to pee. You might still get half a block down the street and discover you have to pee, but then your partner won't roll his or her eyes nearly as much.

10. Take tons of pictures, even if you feel huge in all of them! You'll love seeing your belly in pictures later, and you'll probably love how relaxed you looked before the baby was actually born.

11. Ignore random advice of strangers, including that person who sprinted across the restaurant to tell you not to eat that cheese.

12. Sleep a lot and shop a lot!

13. ENJOY YOUR BABYMOON! Even when you're tired and sore and your feet hurt and you have to pee and you're hormonal and cranky. You are still having a wonderful time, and you'll still look back on it fondly and wish you were back there!

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome home! I know you had a wonderful trip.

Colleen said...

#12 is my favorite. That would probably be my personal motto. Sleep alot and Shop alot! what else is there? Glad you had a great time!

Anonymous said...

TRA LAAAAAA! Welcome home! I am happy that you all had a wonderful time, and look! The Wee Little Monkey is such a globe trotting world traveller already!

Yankee, Transferred said...

Oh, welcome home! We sure missed you!

Girl said...

Oooo...very fun! I am glad you had fun and got back safely.

jo(e) said...

Welcome home!

What a great list. I am glad you had a wonderful time.

Anonymous said...

Welcome home! This is a very good and well-thought out list. ;)

Stacy said...

It sounds like you had a great trip even though you complained a lot. But, hey- that's what pregnancy's all about. Right?

mc said...

Yes, yes, pictures please! So glad you had a good time despite (and along with) the monkey!

Crunchy Domestic Goddess said...

welcome home! i'm glad to hear you are safe and sound and had a great time despite ppl falling into your belly. ouchy.
can't wait for pics. :)

Piece of Work said...

Sounds like a perfect trip!

KLee said...

Can't wait to see pics! I'm glad you had a great time, and I'm sorry you were riding the emotional roller coaster. Welcome to pregnancy! :)

Anonymous said...

love the idea of a "babymoon"

Anonymous said...

Welcome back!! Does wee baby monkey have a wee baby passport?! If I were the creative type I'd make one up for WBM!

ccw said...

Sounds like a great time! I love all of your advice. I would only add: keep hotel door locked to avoid flashing hotel eomplyees.

Maribeth said...

Great list. Glad you all had a good time! Did you se the show on Nagional Geographic where they showed real babies in utero floating around, sucking their thumb, etc? It's so neat. I hope you get a chance to see it?

Phantom Scribbler said...

I'm so glad that you're home! And even gladder that you had such a great time!

nancy said...

Welcome back! Glad you had a great time being pregnant. Oh, and on your babymoon too.

And I hear ya on #4 - DUDE!

Liz Miller said...

What a fabulous list. Glad you had a great time!

Joke said...

Welcome Back!

-J.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful time. We went to Disneyworld when I was pregnant with Mimi and had such a blast. I will always remember it fondly!