26 weeks and the shortest day

Today is the shortest day of the year.  On this day I always feel like I can breathe a bit of a sigh of relief – it’s all downhill from here.  From this point on the days grow longer, and next thing you know spring is here.  This is also the last week of my second trimester.  In a sense, it’s all downhill from here in my pregnancy, too.

Yesterday I started making a list of things that need to happen in the first three months of next year, and was a little appalled.  Now almost all of this is work related, not baby related – tons of tax stuff for the various businesses I’m involved in, plus getting my registration going, fliers distributed, information to the web, a video promo cut, etc.  It’s a lot that all has to happen in January alone.  As far as baby stuff, I have to start my registry (I’m assuming baby shower invites probably shouldn’t go out unless my registry is settled…and I haven’t even started it), I’d like to get a 4D ultrasound (was trying to hook this up before Christmas as presents for relatives, but never got it together), and I want to do some professional maternity photos.  Not to mention all the stuff that has to happen for my body – starting to exercise, taking birthing/baby classes, keeping up with the yoga, touring the hospital, plus all the third trimester ob visits/tests/etc.  So I am very glad I’ve done what I could do now, even though it’s stressful doing house projects/clearing stuff out around Christmas when you’re preoccupied. 

More women are giving birth on my March 2012 board.  So far the babies have survived and are doing well.  This blows my mind.  I would SO not be prepared to give birth right now!  Although some stats say as of next week he would have a 90% chance of survival and only a 10% chance of permanent disabilities.  The fact that my baby is already over a foot long and about two pounds – crazy!  Where is he?  I can’t believe he’s in my body.  I thought I’d be a lot bigger by now (Omar the Tentmaker photo notwithstanding).  I feel relieved when I think of next week’s trip to North Carolina – barring any sudden changes, I am not sick, in pain, or unwieldy.  Cross country stressful trip in a week?  Piece of cake.  It will be the last time I travel without a child in tow or worrying about a child left behind, so I am going to try to enjoy it as much as possible. 

So, what am I going to do for Christmas?  Well, I’ve had several invites, and will probably take people up on some of them just to be polite/social.  But part of me just wants to sit in bed and watch movies.  Christmas Eve & Christmas are some of the only days you can be lazy entirely guilt-free; banks are closed, post offices closed, nobody in the Judeo-Christian world answering e-mails or doing any kind of non-essential work.  So, why not just be a slob in my jammies for a couple of days?  Sounds like a Merry Christmas to me!