I wish I could quit you, caffeine

As I previously mentioned, I have a huge weekend coming up: my little sister's bridal shower and bachelorette party is on Saturday! SO. EXCITED.

I swear she is my little sister, I'm just really short

 I'm spending this week preparing in the traditional ways. More importantly, I'm abstaining from all caffeine until the big day. That way, I can have all of my weekly allowance while partying, if needed. It's hard enough trying to keep up with girls in their early 20s in your 30s to begin with. Add in simultaneously trying to create life, and it's a recipe for falling asleep on the dance floor. I plan to keep up a steady regiment of diet cokes in order not to miss any fun.

Fun. #proof #primeofmybeaver

I don't have to worry about staying awake to drive though, because we have a limo taking us out on the town. I've been in limos only a few times in my whole life, and I think the only time I had an extended limo experience was my junior prom, which turned out to be pretty sub par. This will obviously be much better. Imagine a prom picture posted here, except I don't have any and it was back before digital cameras existed (at least in my world).

Unrelated, but it took me a really long time to find appropriate pictures to post.

I found a dress that fits, and also accentuates the blessings that pregnancy brings to your body, and I mean that literally. Bonus - I already own it. It still fit this past Saturday, so let's all cross our fingers for just four more days.

I've given up caffeine several times during this pregnancy. You would think I would just quit it entirely, but I really, really love coffee, and I swear I can tell the difference with decaf. I've learned that cutting down from tons of caffeine to only a tiny bit is shockingly easy. Cutting back from that little tiny bit to nothing is horrible and results in like 5 days of withdrawal. I keep doing it to myself because I don't learn.

In the same vein, this morning I did have to quit my run. I've complained excessively about how running is uncomfortable, but this time it was making everything feel really tight and crampy, and it just didn't seem right. I turned around after half a mile and ran/walked back home, and then did 20 minutes on the elliptical. Dr. Google diagnosed me with Braxton Hicks contractions. I thought those were supposed to hit when you're about ready to pop, but the internet said they were normal in the second trimester, so add that to my list of surprises.

The tight, uncomfortable feeling persisted throughout the school day, which I mention because it seems that a lot of commenters have been pregnant and can tell me if it's normal. It seems dehydration can cause it, and I find there's only so hydrated you can get in a small 90 degree classroom with 24 kids. Lying down seems to alleviate things as well, which also isn't an option during the workday, so I'll take this as God punishing me for not marrying rich. It wasn't painful, just annoying, and yet I still reserve the right to whine. Oh, and one other thing, now average sized meals leave me Thanksgiving level full. Normal?

Another fun thing going on this week is that Bank of America called me yesterday to inform me they were canceling my debit card. Apparently a merchant that I used it to purchase something from is under investigation for a breech of security. Which merchant is a huge secret and they refused to tell me, so I'll cross my fingers that none of you shop there. So now I have no debit card for this upcoming weekend out of state. Do you think I can work it enough to get free diet cokes all night?

Furthermore, I really wanted to read "This American Wife" but it's only available in the old fashioned paper version? There's no kindle version available. I may have spent over 20 years reading books that way, but once you go electronic, you can't go back. So now I don't know what to do.

On the bright side, I can now see kicks from the outside, so I spent a significant portion of my three day weekend just staring at my belly. He seems to sense as soon as I call Eric over to see and stops right away. Tricky.

What was the last occasion that called for a limo in your life?