I sat next to a very sweet woman in the waiting room as we both waited to get our blood drawn for our glucose test this morning. Her name was Emily, she was with her mother whose name I didn't catch, and she quickly made small talk comparing our pregnancies.
"You're so small!" She said immediately after I sat down. I never know what to say to that because most women make comments like this to me while looking down at their own bellies, or thighs, and the statement always feels passive aggressive to me as if my (small) existence somehow makes them reflect on their own body shape. I like the comment "You're so small" as much as Emily probably would've liked the comment "You're so big" had I said it to her--which, I didn't, because I would never say that to someone and secondly she wasn't big.
I laughed it off and watched her and her mom look me over a few times before one of them asked, "When are you due?"
"February 22." I said, and again Emily looked down at her belly before volunteering that she was due a few days before me. We discovered both of us are having girls, our second child, and we both have boys at home.
She disclosed that she wasn't at all sick for her first pregnancy and was quite sick for most of this one. I told her I was the exact opposite, bedridden with my son and feeling swell with this little girl.
She asked me if I had any complications with this pregnancy--a weird question, isn't it?--and I said shyly, "Well, I had to have surgery last month because I have thyroid cancer." Emily and her mom scooted to the edge of their chairs intrigued and began asking question after question about how I found the cancer and what the surgery was like and how I was holding up.
I regretted getting so personal with them, but I have this thing where I become an open book when someone asks me a question. The simple answer would've been, complications? No.
As I was called in to do my blood work I thought I probably should've asked Emily for her phone number or something, but we left it with a maybe I'll see you in the hospital when we deliver!
The rest of the appointment went without a hitch as usual. I've gained 14lbs so far and the baby sounds great and measures just fine.
Afterwards I drove to my father-in-law's house to pick up Dylan and he made me the best ham and cheese sandwich and we sat around chatting until nap time. Not a bad way to spend a morning if you ask me.
