How To Make a Pregnancy Fly By

Today, I am exactly 34 weeks pregnant. But to me, the whole pregnancy has gone so fast I feel like I should not be even halfway done yet. I am at the point where most pregnant women begin to go crazy waiting for the due date to arrive, and yet I still don't have a crib set up or my hospital bags packed or anything. I am impressed with myself. 

Granted, this is not my first child, so the first time excitement and obsessiveness is not quite the same. But I don't think that is it for me. The key to my seemingly super-quick and easy pregnancy? Getting involved with something outside of home that is all consuming.

I have been working with a couple other teachers at my school to direct Grease. I teach a drama class as an elective, but I have never actually directed a full length play, let alone a musical, and I have no theater background. It's a pretty big job. I scheduled the performance date for a month before my due date, in case I have the baby early, but at this point, I think if the performance had been any closer to the baby's arrival, I would not even have time to pick out a middle name or hug my pets and firstborn before running off to the birth center.

Pregnant women tend to have crazy nightmares about their babies, the delivery, family problems, their changing bodies, and anything else that might relate to pregnancy. I, on the other hand, dream almost exclusively at this point about what could go wrong in my play. What if someone falls off stage? What is an actor is sick and I have to fill in? I have dreamed about the other directors and all the students in the play. I guess it doesn't end when I wake up--the other day I almost sprinted out of the bathroom dripping wet after a shower to make a To Do list of 4 things that occurred to me while I was washing my hair that I just COULDN'T forget about (except Mommybrain of course made me forget one anyway). With all this, who has time to obsess about being pregnant?

So, pregnant ladies of the world, I suggest you find something overwhelming and chaotic to keep you busy while you are pregnant. It doesn't have to be directing a play--you could organize a fundraiser, plan and host a family reunion, or run for political office. Anything that keeps your mind off your belly. Then, when the chaos dies down and you have a few short weeks to go, all will seem perfect. At least, that is what I hope happens for me once my directorial debut is over.