Braxton-Hicks, Meet York High Class of '98

For those of you wondering what it is like to go to your 10-year high school reunion while 7 months pregnant, let me elucidate you: it is uncomfortable. You can't wear those really snazzy shoes (at least, I couldn't) because they don't allow the necessary amount of waddling to keep your back from spasming. You have to spend a lot of time excusing yourself from conversations to use the restroom (although, in the case of a few awkward conversations, this was a good thing). Among the pros, however, is the lack of desperate dieting in the weeks proceeding the reunion--any extra weight gain can easily be explained by the impending baby hidden like a bowling ball under your basic black dress.


Those of you not 7 months pregnant, feel free
to get your groove on!
The reunion itself was...well, exactly like I thought that it would be. My friend Joanna really wanted to go, and she even came down from New York with her incredibly supportive boyfriend...so we went. All the people I expected to be there were there...you know, the people who actually liked high school the first time around. There were a few other people who showed up out of sheer moxy (myself included, I guess). The awkwardness faded as the about 30 couples attending did their best to empty out the cash bar (minus yours truly; I had a Diet Coke and considered myself rebellious...it made me have to pee a lot).

Overall, though, I'm glad that we went. Aaron, the saint that I married, accompanied me. The baby also did a wonderful job, and slept most of the time (it's usually more awake during the day and kicks only a little bit at night)--at least until the end. I suppose I had been standing around too much, not drinking enough water, but at about 10:30, the Braxton-Hicks contractions really started.

Joanna, me, Jeff --just like highschool with one
BIG difference
For those of you who haven't been reading on-line pregnancy guides (or have actually gone through a pregnany), Braxton-Hicks contractions aren't real contractions. Nothing comes of them. It's just your body's way of getting ready for the "real thing." According to a website I read, BH contractions are not painful and you shouldn't even notice them. The person writing this was obviously male, because I have heard (and experienced) stories to the contrary. BH contractions might not hurt, but it's basically a muscle spasm--so if you've had a muscle spasm, you know that it usually does hurt. Mine tend to go away rather quickly, but can get distracting when I'm trying to do other things.

So I drank a ton of water. This didn't help a lot, and moreover--the contractions started to make the baby mad. I can understand; I don't think I would like my home being intermittantly squeezed, either. The baby starting kicking with a vengeance, which on top of the contractions made me decide it was time to go home. But I made it to almost 11:00, which I consider an accomplishment, even if it it is the earliest I've ever left a high school dance before.