"I'm not fat, I'm big-boned!"

I just got back from my weekly check-up. All went well, as far as I can tell. I had the Strep B test done and will get a phone call sometime in the next week with those results. My blood pressure, weight, etc. are all good and the baby is measuring right on at 36 weeks and had a heartbeat of 140. That's the lowest it's been yet, but it's still normal so no worries. I saw Dr. Farr this week and he's always a nice a guy and actually talks to you about stuff, unlike some of the other doctors I've had to see that just rushed through the entire thing. He did, however, deliver a crushing blow to my already fragile ego...

*Warning: Total girl rant ahead*

He looks me over and then says "I see you're having some swelling with your ankles." As he's saying this he reaches out to grab my ankle and when he does he just stops in his tracks and goes "oh...." and looked embarrassed as hell. Yeah, that's right - my ankles are NOT swollen. I just kinda fake a smile and say "No, I guess I just have big ankles." and that was that. I've had multiple people (four, to be exact - or I guess five now) comment on my "swollen ankles" throughout this pregnancy. They'd say something like "oh dear, your poor ankles look so swollen - how are you feeling?" or something like that. I even had one person say this to me when I was like 15 weeks pregnant! Every time I'd have to respond to them with something like "oh no, my ankles aren't swollen... They're just fat." Maybe not the nicest response I could make, but I'm sorry, do NOT comment on my ankles (or any other part of my body, for that matter). They are not swollen and I have yet to experience any swelling at all during this pregnancy. I hate to quote Cartman here, but "I'm big-boned." I really am! Not just a convenient excuse... Therefore I have larger ankles than a "normal" girl. Not FAT ankles by any means, they're still bony and all that - they're just wider and there's nothing I can do about it. It's not a feature that has ever in my entire life bothered me, I never gave it any thought. But now I suddenly have all these people commenting on them and it sucks. At least if my ankles really were swollen it's something that would go away after pregnancy - but big ankles won't. So thank you people for making me self conscious about my stupid ankles - that's just what I needed! I don't get people. I don't understand that just because I am pregnant that it's suddenly okay to comment on my body in any way, shape, or form. I'm sick of hearing how "big" I am or how "small" I am. Yes, I hear both and I often hear both on the same day. What the heck am I supposed to take from that? I can't be both big and small! I'm sorry to go off the deep end with this, but it's just tiring. Like I don't already feel like a ginormous whale, now I have to have people, usually people I hardly even know, comment on my body. Anything short of "you look great" just shouldn't be acceptable. Can I flick people in the forehead when they say crap to me or something? I know people mean well and that usually these comments are the result of not knowing what to say, so they just say anything that comes to mind, but c'mon!

While I'm in rant mode, I do have one other issue that has always bothered me... Why is it when you're at the doctors office and the nurse takes your blood pressure, she doesn't just TELL YOU your blood pressure?! Am I weird in wanting to know? I certainly can't be the only one... I just hate that she checks it, goes "uh huh..." and then walks away. I always have to be like "Soooo... What's the damage?" or make some other stupid remark like that. This isn't just with one nurse either, it's every nurse I've ever had in my entire freakin' life. I've never had one just tell me! I've always had to ask. Same with when the doctor measures me and checks the baby's heartbeat. Every single doctor just does it and then writes it down, never saying a word. I always have to ask. WHY?! TELL ME! Sure, I could be a stupid sheep and just assume everything is alright - but I just simply do not function that way. I want to know everything. This is my (and my baby's) health! I just don't understand why it isn't standard practice to divulge this information as it's taken. Bah. Whatever...

Now I'm all worked up. Great. lol. Anyway, my next doctors appointment is next Wednesday with Dr. Waters. Hopefully he won't make any comments on my "swollen ankles." *rolls eyes*