Life is normal?

Last night I was at a party sipping Pellegrino and talking to one of my guy friends whose wife is also pregnant.  During our conversation we were comparing notes on observations we've made about pregnancy, his from a husband's perspective, and mine from a preggo's perspective.  We noticed that everything we talked about always came back to the fact that life is pretty darn normal during pregnancy EXCEPT the fact that everything is just slightly exaggerated.   

I tend to strip clothing layers more readily and dress a little cooler while pregnant.  I get more winded on hikes or during physical activity.  I can normally miss a meal without any recourse and now my stomach just won't allow for more than three hours to pass without sustenance.  Exhaustion finds it way into my day more frequently, especially in the first trimester, whereas normally I don't recognize any sort of tiredness until I lay my head on the pillow at night.  I find minor aches and pains more of a nuisance and ever more present than normal.  My desire for a "sweet treat" at the end of a meal is now something my will power cannot over ride, it is a must.  And when I have to go to the bathroom, I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM.  All of these exaggerated normalcies are tolerable, humorous and sometimes charming side effects of pregnancy.  BUT... then there is the emotional state of pregnancy.  

You all know what I'm talking about, fellow preggos, family, friends, and husbands alike, the mind of the pregnant woman is as easy to figure out as trying to conquer a Rubik cube, blindfolded.   When I see a Purina Puppy Chow commercial I used to smile to myself thinking "those little yellow lab puppies are so cute", and now I find myself bursting into tears at the thought that our 5 year old golden retriever may not be with us forever.  When my husband asks me if I want a glass of water I think to myself, "how sweet", until he brings me the glass of water and it isn't in the type of cup out of which I drink water, "doesn't he know that by now?".  Or the honey do list that I put away after the last pregnancy, but have now pulled out, dusted off, and added:  clean out the mineral deposits in the shower head, change every door knob in the house & re-key, dust the 30 foot ceiling beams, vacuum out fire place and get wire mesh cover for top of chimney so birds won't fly down the chimney, call the alarm company and find out why the dog doesn't set off the motion detector.  OH, and then there is reality TV.  Normally, I would watch The Bachelor and think to myself, boy ABC really got their monies worth when they chose Jason as the bachelor.  But now I find myself cursing his name & thinking "that jerk, how could he do that to Melissa on national TV, he and Molly are never going to last, he is a disgrace to all single Dads searching for love, I'm going to write him a letter!"  Yes, the emotional status of a pregnant woman is that of a roller coaster.  

The good news is:  there IS a reason behind all of this.  Dr. B says that there are more hormones rushing through my blood right now than he could ever administer to 1 woman in 100 years of Hormone Replacement Therapy.  Phewww!  I'm not crazy.  So here's my plea to all you friends, family, and especially husbands out there:  cut Preggo a break!  Hand her a tissue during the Purina Puppy Chow commercial, give her a sweet smile and say "no problem sweetheart I will get you water out of the cup you like", do all of her crazy chores with a smile on your face, and help her find Jason's address so she can write him a letter telling him what a jerk he really is (although you may not want to let that one hit the mail).  Do all of this knowing that it is a small price to pay for the incredible gift you will be getting at the end of 9 months.  And to all you preggos out there, take notes, so you can later laugh at all of these comical quirks that come with pregnancy.  Or, share them here, it might make us all feel a little better about our own.