Pregnancy in Corvallis

Thanks to a comment by Charlotte the other day (thank you very much! I love hearing from people back in California!), I was thinking about all the things available to pregnant women now, and what it's like to be pregnant in Corvallis (which is, surprisingly, very different from other areas). I have been fortunate enough to find several little "cheats" that are working really well for me (to share my experiences with some of you who can use them in the future). First of all, my mom recommended something called "Preggie Pops". These are suckers (you can get just lozenges, as well) that are naturally flavored--ginger, mint, sour lemon, etc.--and help to ease nausea. Though I had my doubts, I was shocked at how well they work. I would be just on the extreme edge of morning sickness in an inconvenient place (such as riding in the car), and would pop one of these in my mouth and begin to feel better almost immediately. The other fabulous product I have found is the "Tummy Sleeve" by Motherhood Maternity. This is simply a nylon spandex band that fits over your tummy and the top of your pants, so that when your waist no longer fits in your pants, you can still wear them unbuttoned with no one the wiser. In fact, it rather looks like you're simply layering. In the eleven-week picture below, I am wearing one. I have to say, I love the styles right now--they work so well with pregnancy! I've already gotten a couple of non-maternity shirts that are perfect for letting me grow. And my mother-in-law bought me my first maternity shirt the other day, and it's one I can wear from now until much farther along.
And now, for my musings on Corvallis. I never really thought about it, but I'm rather a minority here. There are perhaps a handful of people my age that are pregnant. It's nothing like Roseville, where people almost seem to go there to have kids. Rather, it is often difficult to find things available to pregnant moms around here. I have looked for water aerobic classes and other things, but the only pregnancy resources available are through the hospital. This is actually because it is a small college town. Because there are very few jobs available to those who graduate and want to remain in Corvallis (at least, very few well-paying jobs), most students leave right after college. Those who do return do so only after having children. On the other end of the spectrum, it seems as though the more educated the population, the higher the age of the parents when they have children. Having an enormous number of professors in town means that we have quite old parents. My doctor even made a comment on how people in Corvallis have children abnormally late. But when you have such high education, no one wants to let their schooling stagnate while they have kids, so they go into their field immediately and establish a career before having children. This does mean, however, that there are many activities going on for small children. So my kids will be highly stimulated, but I may have a hard time getting on with 40-year-old mothers of infants (and yes, I am absolutely serious). Oh, well. At least that means that I get more attention at the hospital. Without so much competition, I get great service! And, being the only one in our group of friends to be pregnant, I get lots of attention! (Who, me?) So, maybe this will be a boring post for those of you reading it, but it was an interesting time of musing for me!
P.S. For those of you wondering about my car, it's supposed to be in any day. The dealer called 10 days ago and said a week to 10 days. I'm having a difficult time with patience, though. I feel like praying and saying, "Lord, didn't we do this patience thing already? I'm okay--I don't need more of it!"