22 weeks

Let me set this straight: 22 weeks pregnant could have been a lot more enjoyable but the way things turned out  for me this week changed it all. Although I have to admit things did not seem so bad at first.....

With Germany like most of Europe lying on a beach somewhere sunny, nice and all inclusive, including my student, I had the week off work. Without having to go to work and still little friends in the area I first dreaded time to go by rather slowely. Looking back now I somehow did manage to do a pretty decent job at keeping myself busy though and got some stuff done. I bought cheap curtains which I turned into colorful twin friendly creative ones (pics to follow), discovered another second hand shop with lots of baby stuff, went swimming, visited an old friend and had a lovely time, then finally went to an amazing flea market where I found loads of useful and cheap as dirt items. Also, the stroller which I am buying of another twin mum is arriving this week so the list of stuff I need is getting smaller and smaller – great, great, great.

Then, middle of the week my mum (indian, conservative, traditional, with opinions from another planet at times) discovered my secret tatoos by accident and the mood went a bit down hill for a while. With a mum who can not open up to the idea of tattoos and secretly thinks they are a sin it was painful and at times I felt like being 5 again. I got the speech, the silent treatment, the looks – kind of funny looking back at it now but at the time I almost want to put myself on the naughty step. Yes, the joy of being back and living back with your folks after a long time in chinese homes with little comfort but hell of a lot more freedom and selfishness....At times like these not that great of a change.

Like me my dad had the week off work as well which was pretty nice as it not only meant my favourite foods were in the fridge at all times but it also brought us another step towards moving rooms. With a week full of time he finally managed to sort some of his shit files out. Rooms are getting more and more emptied out and organized, furniture is being looked at and ordered -  hopefully by next months we can start changing rooms. The baby beds also arrived this week  - all white and the way I wanted them to be – well, all good expect a little detail I must have missed while scanning the offer: they did not come with a matress.

End of the week I then got a phone call from my hero my gynagologyst saying that tests revealed an infection in my urine which meant he had to put me on antibiotics for ten days. Called me, said it, then went on holiday and left me with the consequences. Yeay, yeay,  I´ll do it. Whatever. Wait....No! No! Noooooooooo!!!!!!!!

Now, antibiotics are never fun to take. They ruin the joys of drinking, being exposed to direct sun light and restrict you in other fun areas in your life. During pregnancy, however, I find the heaviness of it all is being taken to another level. Maybe not for everyone but definitely for me: Female, 28 years old, single and currently carrying 2 more people. My body is screaming exhaustion. I feel more exhausted than when I taught 75 chinese teenagers from 9 to 5, five days a week during my first trimester of pregnancy which largely consisted of teaching Justin Bieber songs under a lot of nauseaousness. That was already bad enough but the combination of being pregnant with the side effects of the tablets: This is when the REAL fun begins, people.

Since saturday I have been feeling like a wreck. All weekend I have spent more time in bed than anywhere else. Heart burn has become my new best friend and not the good kind. It is driving me INSANE. After I take a tablet all I want is to lie down and not move. It is going to be interesting how I will survive to go to work every day for the next week! Unfortunately this is how long the tablets will be my new and very much unwanted friends. So far I am feeling a bit better today. Let´s hope this lasts at least until I get back from work.

All in all 22 weeks pregnant is not as enjoyable as it could have been. Before the unwanted friends entered my life and my bedside table I did come across a new element of pregnancy though: Being extremly clumsy and forgetful. Until I declaired my bed the new place to be I constantly bumped into things and people, forgot why I rode my bike into town for, drove up a one way street  - it is like my uterus is expanding that much that it is cutting off the oxygen for my brain. WTF? Ting bu dong.

On a lighter note there is lots of kicking going on inside me - especially in the evenings and mornings. I also found a midwive who will guide me until after I give birth and who will come around in a few weeks for her first visit. 22 weeks. 12, 14, 16 more to go? Who knows....Keep kicking tiny dancers and heart burn - please leave the room. Now. 

22 weeks