Tapering.

When you're waiting for something big to happen like, for example, the birth of your second child, you tend to become boring. It's a result of fixating on the big thing and all the whens, hows, and what ifs of that thing. All that fixating sorta takes over.

In my case, that means I can barely find room in my brain to think up a less-than-average dinner, I have repeatedly tried to put the milk away in the pantry and I've fallen behind on answering emails, blogging (obviously) and keeping up on the ol' Facebook.

But I am all kinds of on top of the grocery shopping (although my choices have grown increasingly odd and heavy on the cereal), laundry and other things domestic. In other words, I'm a (slowly) walking cliche. You know, the wack-a-doodle preggo lady getting the house all ready for the arrival of baby. Yeah, that would be me.

Only I feel like I'm just hanging out and waiting. The iron pills have boosted my flagging energy a bit and I'm still going for walks and enjoying my 30 minutes routines with the gals on Exercise TV. Other than that? I'm waiting. And waiting. And questioning every little twinge. Googling every symptom, real or imagined.

In other words, fixating.

To put it in runner terms, I feel like I'm in some sort of other-wordly taper. The pregnancy taper. Gathering energy for the big marathon of birth. And feeling antsy while doing it.

Like marathoners who ache to keep putting in the miles on rest days, I long to get going. I would love to head out for a long run or tackle some hills or nail a half-dozen 400s. But the body won't allow it and I know that's for the best and I honestly don't mind. I'm gearing up, people. Gearing up.

About a week to go . . .

~ Felice