Officially in the twenties! This feels like a good milestone.

Another milestone I’ve reached: I am now visibly pregnant enough that strangers will ask me about it in public. So far, there has been no commentary about my size in relation to “it must be twins,” but I will brace myself for that inevitable future. I keep telling myself that if a stranger asks me if I’m pregnant or when I’m due, I am going to play dumb and act like I have no idea what they’re talking about. That’ll show ’em! Or I’ll respond with, “Due? When are you due?” In the moment, though, I lack the artifice to pull that off. If you catch me off guard, I can do nothing but answer honestly. Sigh. Yes, December. Yes, very exciting. Thank you!

The Babies are the Size of: Two Belgian endives, according to one app, and two bananas, according to another. That is starting to sound big to me!

How I’m Doing: I’m still tired a lot of the time and very thankful whenever I have the opportunity to nap and/or go to bed early. This recent trip really wore me out with its super-early travel mornings and late nights out. I am thrilled that it was the last trip I’ll be taking until after the babies are born. No more airport security pat-downs; no more dragging a suitcase from gate to gate; no more waking at 3:00 AM on purpose to catch a flight. Whew. From now on, my 3:00 wake-ups will be strictly for bathroom trips and/or Tums!

I have barely exercised in the last week and I feel like a huge lump. I did manage to get plenty of steps in while traveling, but I think a good yoga or barre3 workout would feel great right now. Soon, anyway. My round ligament pain hasn’t come back since my last chiropractic adjustment, so I am grateful for being able to walk and bike without that flaring up.

Movement: Lots! I think we are officially past the “gentle bubbling” stage and I am starting to feel a lot of stronger movements. A couple of days ago, I was sitting on the couch, having a snack and minding my own business, when I distinctly felt something that could only be described as a small limb reaching out and touching me from the inside. Sort of stroking me from the inside, actually. It was a lingering touch, and such an oddly distinct feeling. I’ve also frequently been feeling bigger movements like someone flipping around or readjusting his/her entire body. Last night my husband tried to see if he could feel anything from the outside of my belly, but he wasn’t sure if he could or not. I think that will happen soon, though.

Other News: School starts next week and I am both dreading it and looking forward to getting it over with. I don’t usually feel that way at the beginning of the semester, but this time I just have an odd feeling of anxiety about it. My 38-week due date is just 6 days after I give my last final exam of the semester — plenty of time to get final grades into the system, if the babies stay put in utero as long as we want them to. But in planning my classes, I have to leave room for work-arounds if the babies come early. What if they come in the days before I get grades turned in? Or during final exam week? Or during the last week of classes? Or earlier? I’ve marked out on my school calendar when I will hit 38, 37, 36, 35, and 34 weeks, just so I can have those dates in my head. I will have everything covered if I need to, but please, babies, stay put until 38 weeks. Listen to your mother who loves you.