Holding pattern

Word to the wise:

You have a friend who is VERY pregnant. By all means call her and ask her if she wants to get together because she is probably climbing the walls. She cannot concentrate on anything. She's accumulated everything she needs. She's filled the freezer with meals that just need to be reheated. She's organized all the drawers and cupboards. She's got 5 different books going so she can switch between them when her mind begins to wander.

She's starting to feel that she will be pregnant for the rest of her life and just wants that baby out and, yet, she is completely terrified at the thought of such a dramatic life change. As she climbs in to bed every evening she thinks to herself, "This might have been my last night without a baby." Eating out she opines, "This might be the last time I get to eat out without worrying about keeping the baby happy and quiet." Then, just as certainly as she is a little sad that her life could be drastically different by morning, she is worried that her life will not be different at all. "I could go on like this for enough 2 1/2 weeks and still be under the curve," she thinks to herself with horror.

So, as I said, by all means give her a call to shoot the breeze or ask her if she wants to get together but don't ask her if she's still pregnant or to refresh your memory as to her due date. Don't comment (unsolicited, anyway) that it looks like "the baby's dropped" or hasn't or whatever. Distract her from her pregnant state. It's already more real than anything ever has been.