The final countdown

36 weeks. My cheesy little ticker on the side of my page is down to the 20s. It's mid-July, for God's sake. Is this really happening?

For most of my pregnancy, it always seemed like everyone else that was pregnant was farther along than me. If you've been pregnant before, you know exactly what I mean. Every blog I read, every pregnant friend I had, every stranger I met -- they were all where I wish I was. And now, with a month to go, it's safe to say that I am that person! I am the pregnant woman that all early- to mid-pregnancy women wish they were! Wow!

I've officially answered the "how are you feeling" question at least 8 times so far today. Honestly, I know people are just trying to be nice, but it's annoying. And I wonder, do they really want to know? Because if I wasn't so polite, I would give them the REAL answer, which goes something like:

How am I feeling? Well, let's start with the fact that it's 85 degrees and I'm carrying around 30 extra pounds. My hands are swollen, my feet throb when I stand still for more than 45 seconds, and turning over in bed should win me an Olympic gold medal. I get 9 hours of sleep each night and still can't make it through the afternoon without dozing off in meetings. My unmedicated allergies are going full throttle, and every time I cough, sneeze or blow my nose, I pee my pants a little. Did I mention that I currently have the worst heartburn of my life? Thanks for asking!

Seriously, I don't mean to complain, because I'm happy to have made it this far and know there's just a few weeks to go. But I hate having to answer "OK" every time someone asks the dreaded question, because, well, how do you think I'm feeling? Uncomfortable!