7.20.2009

Quite a Feet

Growing up if one of us had a clutzy moment, you could generally count on my mom asking one of two rhetorical questions:

"Didja have a nice trip last fall?" or "Today the first day with your new feet?"

Uuuuhhhh...

Thursday I completely missed the bottom step on the stairs in our apartment building, turned my ankle and managed to carpet burn the top of my foot in the process. No one saw it or heard my loud, "Ouch!" as I limped out to go get groceries.

Friday I followed Charlie quickly across a wet lawn at the Princess Diana Memorial fountain to get a hold of his hand before he got to the little slope that I just knew he was going to fall down because he was headed there too fast. I caught his hand just in time for me to slip on the slippery slope - one leg went down the hill and one leg folded under me in a way that it should not fold, and my butt landed hard in the grassy mud. Same ankle twisted, again. It was in the center of the whole park, on a rise, so lots of people saw. Yes, yes, thank you very much. Saved the two-year-old from slipping. Did you see that?

Saturday morning I tripped over the corner of the coffee table in the living room and bruised my knee cap. I seriously thought I was going around the table, but I guess I can't see where things below my belly really are. I will just say that that trip hurt really, reallly bad.

Then I went for a little lunch date with Henry and we walked around a bit looking in shops and getting gelato and trying to find a double decker bus that would take us home and suddenly I realized that I felt both feet flapping against the pavement with every step I took. By the time I got home, both feet were puffing out of my shoes and Henry asked me why they were so big.

I started crying. I've never retained water until after giving birth, there is not a feeling I hate more than that smack-smack tight feeling in my feet, and I also started freaking out about preeclampsia and having to be induced and my husband is not even here and blah, blah, blah, waaa, waaa, waaa.

I took a few deep breaths and started drinking lots more water, I've tried to keep walking a bit so my one ankle won't get stiff and my blood will circulate better.

Sunday, I even got Calvin and Henry to each rub one foot. They need a little more practice, but it was sweet and made my feet feel a little better. They are still getting puffy at the end of the day and my one ankle is still sore and a little blue, and my knee cap is stiff, but I'm waddling around all right.

Today I am just waiting for the day when I can see my feet again and have some sense of balance.

I can't wait until the first day with my "new" feet. Hopefully I'll be able to walk on them a little more gracefully.

7 comments:

Real said...

Yeah, you're center of gravity is way off with that watermelon taking up residence in your pelvis. And since it's growing and moving every day, you really don't even get a chance to adjust to it! My husband tells me he can always tell when I'm pregnant because I'm always falling down the stairs!

Also, I love it--Charlie and Henry are you little ante-partum doulos (that's my husband's term for male doulas!) Good mama. Teach 'em while they're young!

Code Yellow Dad said...

I remember reading somewhere that it takes your body about six months to readjust its spatial perceptions after a big growth spurt (think klutzy teen age boys). So if you just stay hugely pregnant for about six more months you will return to your normal graceful, agile self.

Speaking of feet, I can't wait for baby feet. There is absolutely nothing cuter then itty-bitty tiny round baby feet.

Linda said...

oh... that's just mean... I can't even imagine wanting to be pregnant 6 months after you're due just so that you can adjust to spacial differences... HOWEVER... I can totally commisserate on the falling down thing. I fell down the marble staircase at the Portland Temple a few weeks ago. I was extremely grateful no one was around to hear my pitiful, 'ouch...' and my whimper as I picked my little self off of the stairs. And I'm not even pregnant!

If it makes you feel even a tiny bit better, I have bruises on my legs and arms that I have self inflicted, and I have no idea how.

Not too much longer though... and keep those feet elevated. It helps a lot. A nice soak in some epsom salts helps too. I had really swollen feet with my last pregnancy. It was the pits. I'm sorry you have to endure them.

Andrea said...

So sorry about the feet and the falls. Keep those boys massaging them and enjoy.

MotherT said...

Oh please be careful! And keep coaching those boys on massage techniques!

NOBODY said...

"Did you see that?" Made me LAUGH!!

I'm sorry about your feet and whatnot. If Code Yellow Dad hadn't been so cute about itty bitty baby feet, he might have to pay for the mere SUGGESTION of 6 more months! :)

I thoroughly enjoyed the image of C and H massaging though. Very cute.
WV: faten

Scott said...

Not much longer, but here are some easy exercise tips to get the endorphins flowing and feeling good http://www.diyfather.com/content/Exercise_Fitness_and_Pregnancy