The grass is greener for the other belly?

So we've all heard of the phrase, "The grass is greener on the other side". This is true to some, like me for instance...and this coming from someone who's not prone to jealousy or envy. Really, not all of us are green eyed monsters ;)

Recently I got to know a lady from Cameroon and she's pregnant too, about 3 weeks behind me. I figured that it'll do me good to finally be able to talk about pregnancy woes with another pregnant women who can actually empathize. Plus, she's also new in Stavanger. Things can't get any better or so I thought....

We decided to meet two Saturdays ago over hot cocoa and I must say that I was excited about finally being able to have adult conversations. Yes, I do love chatting with Elyas but you have to admit, the vocabs are limited and so are the topics hehe! Anyway we met, did our formal introductions and quickly dived into the infamous topic - pregnancy! It started out pretty well but 5 minutes into the chat, I was beginning to think that apart from the bump that she was showing, she's probably not pregnant after all! Ok, I'm being a little dramatic but seriously, there I was sitting on the most uncomfortable chair at the local cafe, shifting my weight from one butt cheek to the other trying to avoid my butt from falling asleep, wishing I had pillows to lean on because my lower back was killing me while I listened to this lady talked about how GREAT and WONDERFUL she's feeling despite being 33 weeks pregnant!! This was how our conversation went.

Me: So how are you feeling?

C: Oh I feel great! I can't believe it's this easy.

Me: The pregnancy you mean? (Shifting to another butt cheek)

C: Yea! I was told that it was going to get uncomfortable in the last trimester but I feel great...more then GREAT!

Me: Uh-huh, well good for you! Not many women are this lucky. How was the first trimester? Any morning sickness? *Trying to fish out some "normalcy"*

C: Not at all!!! I could eat just fine and I didn't even feel nauseas. I was beginning to think that I was not pregnant and was really wishing to get morning sickness.

Me: Oh trust me, you don't want to wish for morning sickness. It's dreadful and....

C: *Interupting* Oh but I really do! I want to feel all the awful symptoms that everyone's been complaining about.

Me: *Frowning* Seriously, you should be thanking your lucky stars that you felt good during the first trimester...not wishing for something that's obviously hard on most pregnant women. That's why they call it "sickness" *weak chuckle*

C: Yes I suppose so. But still, I want to feel it all you know?

Me: *Thinking to myself* No I don't know!

So basically that was how the conversation went. Me "complained" about being tired and achy while she complained about feeling the lack of it. Trust me hunny, I would trade my aches for your sense of well being anytime!

Anyway, she called me last evening to ask how I was feeling. Not having learnt anything from our previous meeting, I started to complain about the lack of sleep due to the pain in my hips and also the swelling of my hands and feet...to which she replied, "Oh swelling and hip pains? How come I don't have any of those and you do? Perhaps you're not exercising enough?" To which I almost replied, "Not exercising enough? Would you like to try and take care of my son for a day? I bet you won't last an hour!"...but I managed to bite my tongue. So I allowed her to go on fretting about not being able to experience such things while I calmly reminded her that she should thank her lucky stars for feeling good at this stage and that every pregnancy's different from one person to another.

Seriously, after we ended the conversation, I was beginning to doubt myself and wondered if I was becoming a wuss, a whinner - you know? Perhaps I was complaining too much about my aches and pains when it isn't that bad after all. Nah, who am I kidding? It IS bad and there's no denying the fat hands and feet! Lol!

To be fair, apart from the pregnancy talk, she's really a nice person and I am glad to have met her. I just wished she'd be more subtle in rubbing her smooth pregnancy in my face, if you get me. It just makes me envious. I don't envy her in an evil kind of way. Just in a "I wish I could trade my aches with her non existence aches for a day" kind a way. Really, I'm NOT a bad person nor do I have any jealousy streak in my vein :) Maybe it's just the hormones talking but if I were to hear another beep of, "Oh I feel on top of the world, why aren't you?" line from her....I just might have to tell her to SOD it! Ehehe!