There Will Be Blood

16 weeks down, 24 more to go!

It's weird to think I'm almost to that half-way point, because it doesn't feel like it at all.  In fact, time seems to be flying by these days - so much so, that I'm freaked out there won't be enough time for everything that goes along with this whole baby thang.  There's so much going on these days - what with the big Move on the horizon, job-hunting for the boy, coordinating a yard sale,  looking for a ob/gyn near the new digs, deciding on midwife-assisted vs. hospital birth,  work work WORK - I almost forgot to schedule my next prenatal visit, and would have had my amazingly perceptive fiance extraordinaire not reminded me.  Multiple times.  

I'm not usually the type that has to be told something twice, but lately the first trimester symptoms of morning sickness have been replaced by a case of absent-mindedness, aka: the second trimester "dum-dums."  This dumb blond phase is something that all those pregnancy books mention, but definitely never something I thought I would experience. I mean, I'm a chronic list-maker.  At work, I know the names of mostly all our clients and their pets, and greet them as such (without checking the scheduler to confirm) as they walk up to the desk.  Cum laude graduation status aside, I think I pass for a pretty intelligent, "with-it" person.  But lately, I can't even remember to tie my own freakin' shoes before I walk out the door (and I CAN still reach them, damnit!)

However, there are other, more shocking, symptoms occuring lately...

For example, during pregnancy one forgets about the little monthly visitor usually bestowed upon us.  Other than the occasional glance at the unopened box of tampons under my bathroom sink (purchased a few days before knowledge of the Beast's existence came to light. Oh Creator, you are hilarious,) I had, myself, all but forgotton the terms "period" and "menstral."  That is, until one unsuspecting night I lounged on the couch, munching away on some Snyder's honey mustard pretzels bites and watching Modern Family.  I reached up to wipe away some crumbs that had, themselves, been lounging on my upper lip...only to stare at my hand in horror as I pulled it away.

I had finally gotten my period. 
And it was flowing steadily...out of MY NOSE.

I leapt to the bathroom, sending pretzels and sleeping kitties flying, and held my head over the sink while the blood oozed out.  At the same time, I'm grasping for any type of tissues and/or washcloth within arms reach and trying my best not to panic.  The last time I had gotten a nosebleed was in college: I had just gotten out of the shower, and Sean came over to my place for one of our first dates.  I remember vividly the look of horror on his face as he came through the door; me, in my robe, smiling happily and telling him it would just be a minute.  His reply of "Um...I think there's...something on your face." My response of a quick mirror glance and immediate mortification.  (In truth, I believe that it was, in fact, this exact moment that he fell in love with me and on which our entire present is based.)

Eventually, the bleeding slowed and my anxiety levels dropped.  I ended up following up with "What-to-Scare Yourself-Shitless-With-When-You're-Expecting," and found out the second trimester also contains a bevy of other possibilities - one being nosebleeds.  Apparently they can happen due to a combination of congestion/dry nasal passages and the surplus of blood my body is now pumping to fuel the Beast, and its placenta (every traveler should have a carry-on, right?)

Looks like I won't have to wait another 6 months to put those tampons to use, after all.