My thighs are sore from my pathetic run yesterday

I'm starting to think that the baby weight is not going to come off all by itself (it was so promising when I lost 17 pounds in the first week) so I've recently come to the conclusion that it's time to start e & e (excersing and eating right). Much like an r&r in the academic world, it seems exciting until you actually start doing it and then you just want it to be over. So I was trying to think of things that I could do with Kirk to address the first "e" (the second "e" is going to be harder because I am so hungry which they say is related to the breast feeding. Of course I could work a little more to avoid the leftover halloween candy from the children that never came to the door). We are fortunate enough to have exercise equipment in the house (well the guest house) but Kirk is not at the stage yet where you can count on him to be out for an hour so I decided to try running with him in the stroller. He likes the stroller so I figured that would be a good bet. Plus it would probably be more interesting for him. So there I am...getting excited for my old tunes on the ipod, digging out the running shoes and sports bra...and off I go! First I walk a bit just to ease into it and then whoo hoo, I'm running! This is a weird feeling...I don't think I've ran in over a year....yep, not in 2010 that's for sure. It's kind of exhilarating...except I don't think I remember it being this hard to pick up my legs. And I'm pretty sure my butt didn't jiggle like that before. Oh yep, there's a cramp...ok gotta slow down...lets walk for a bit. How long was that? Um 30 seconds. This was how my run went for the next half hour. I tried to run harder by my neighbors out in their garage. Like they care about the post-pregnant lady huffing by with a stroller. But it was a small boost of motivation. And today, my thighs are sore. Unbelievable. Not so long ago my husband and I were thinking of re-joining a soccer team (just before I got pregnant). I am a long way aways from that.

Kirk's first smile!

Today we got our first smile! First social smile that is. He had smiles since day 2 but today I actually got him to smile back at me...twice!

1 month old

I can't believe Kirk is 1 month old already. He's in his swing right now. We are all adjusting pretty well to the changes. The first two weeks was harder but now he knows the difference between day and night (yay) and I am getting better at figuring out what he needs. So going back to the day he was born...

The pushing part actually lasted an hour which isn't really that long (it can take 2 to 3 hours for first time moms) but it's not like on tv when you think you just give it a couple good pushes and he comes flying out. I actually felt like I was running a marathon (not that I've ever done that....but I have done a short triathlon and it was something like that. You just keep going even though you don't feel like you're making any progress). I would push anytime I had a contraction so when I wasn't having a contraction I actually got a pretty good break when I didn't feel any pain and could get some ice chips (I was super hot and really thirsty during all of this. Although my husband told me later it was like a refrigerator in their). We tried a few different positions. The nurse wanted me flat on my back, holding my legs but I really didn't like that. For awhile I was squatting on top of the bed with a squatting bar. THat was comfortable for me but the baby wasn't tolerating it well so I leaned back a bit and wrapped a sheet around the squattting bar with the doula holding one side and me holding the other. Then when I went to push I held myself up by pulling the sheet and she held the other end like a tug of war. That worked pretty well so that was the position I stayed in. The doctor doesn't come in until the very end (the crowning).

Part of the difficulty of pushing is the fear associated with it (the harder the push the faster this is over with but it also means it will hurt more). But the whole time I just kept thinking I need to push him out....although I honsetly felt like it would never come. At one point the nurse brought over a big mirror so I could see my progress. It helped a little. But then as it go really close I just had to shut my eyes and focus on pushing as hard as I could. I'm not going to lie...it hurts like a mother the momment the head comes out (I had 2-3 degree tears) and you feel the "ring of fire" (code for the burning sensation you feel as your tearing) but I was also so immensely happy that as soon as he came out I honestly didn't feel any pain at all and felt awesome. My husband and I were both crying (and so was Kirk!) and it was the best momment ever. He laid on me for awhile and eventually they took him to get weighed (6 lbs 3 ounces (11th percentile), 19 inches (20th percentile)) and then wrapped him up for me. At some point I breast fed him and he latched right on. It was the coolest thing. I delivered the placenta by the doctor pushing on my stomach a bit and then she stitched me up. The numbing shot and the pushing hurt a little but I was so excited to have Kirk that it was very bearable. Eventually the nurse had me get up to the bathroom to get cleaned up and they sent my husband and Kirk off to the nursery for his first bath. I then was sent to my recovery room. Unfortunately I had to share a room with someone (who happened to have about 10 visitors when I got there) but the hospital gave us each a $100 gift certificate to spend a the gift shop for the inconvenience (which I used to buy a bunch of breast feeding supplies).

My mother and father in law stopped by just as I was getting into the recovery room so they went down to the nursary to watch outside the glass (only the father is allowed in). I remember feeling like it was taking them forever to come back! I just wanted time to look at Kirk and hold him for awhile. I couldn't believe he had such red/blonde hair. We had a couple other visitors at the hospital and were able to get checked out the next day (Sunday). We were all excited because with all of the commotion at the hospital (sharing a room plus having nurses/doctors coming in every hour) we didn't get much rest at all (did I mention my husband and I had to share a little hospital bed?). So we were excited to leave. It was kind of scary driving with him on the way home (plus we had quite a lightning storm to drive in).

That first night home was really hard. I remember a friend wisely gave me the advice that the first night home is the hardest and I can attest to the fact that it is so true! I kept trying to feed him but he just kept crying and it seemed like nothing we could do would help. In hindsight, it seems like he was probably hungry (I found out later that I don't have a big milk supply). As it is, you don't get your milk in for 3-5 days (you have colostrum instead). We had a doctor visit with our pediatrician the next day. We really liked him which was good because we hadn't had time to pick one out ourselves. I really like how he has his own practice and it's small so you don't have to wait out in the waiting room to be seen. When we got in we found that Kirk had lost 9 ounces already (down to 5 lbs 10 ounces) so that wasn't great. He also has a bit jaundice. The pediatrician felt that we probably should have gotten the UV light treatment at the hospital but unfortuantely we had just gotten under the cut off point (I say unfortunate because we ended up checking back into the hospital the next day). So Monday and Tuesday we monitored his billirubin levels (which was traumatic enough taking him to get the heel pricks and blood draws) and then the doctor determined we should go back to the hospital (in addition to being jaundice he was now also dehydrated). At the hosptial he had to go for UV light treatment for one night. That was hard because he was only allowed to have a diaper on and we could only take him out for feeding. It was really cool in the room so I was nervous that he was going to freeze (even though they kept taking his temperature and telling me he was fine). The next morning his billirubin had dropped, but he was still dehydrated. My husband and I were ready to take off but they made us stay another night. At this point they were threatening putting an IV in him so I finally broke down and decided to supplement him with formula after breastfeeding. It was a hard decision because I really wanted to breast feed him and I was nervous giving him the bottle would create latching problems - but those fears were unnecessary. The formula allowed him to get his weight back up and for us to leave the hospital. We are still supplementing him with formula, because he still seems hungry after I feed him. Honestly I'm not sure if that will change or not, but the doctor seems convinced that he is getting mostly breast milk (as evidenced by his poopy diapers) and that in any case he is getting all of the benefits associated with breast feeding. So we'll see how that goes.

At Kirk's one week check up he was 6 lbs 1.5 ounces - so we were very happy to see him almost back up to his birth weight. At 4 weeks he was 7 lbs 15 ounces (16th percentile) and 21 inches (32nd percentile). Today was the first day I put on his 0-3 month size clothing. He finally outgrew his newborn sizes (well just in length). It was kind of sad but exciting at the same time. Now he is just a perfect little baby.

I have a baby!

OK I know this is almost 2 weeks late but did I mention I had a baby? I had no idea how hard it is to find time to do anything (even though everyone says "they sleep all the time"). I'm finding that I have to prioritize everything (e.g., do I want a shower OR breakfast) but today I am up, showered, fed, and he is still sleeping. So finally I can tell you the rest of what happened...but yes, getting to the punch line, I had the baby.

I'm actually using the birth story my doula wrote up for me to cheat a little to fill you in on the rest of the details (although I did notice some of her details were a little off as well) it's just so strange how you forget things! Everything is kind of in a blurr, but especially the concept of time. My husband, doula and I were all trying to figure out the order of when things happened so anyway....this is the best that I can remember!

My doula wrote a lot about us discussing the concept of inducing with the doctors. It actually was a pretty long drawn out process because they really just wanted to go ahead and induce (and thought it was strange that I didn't want to) but I just really wanted to have a natural labor and ultimately, no c-section. But another thing I learned about the birth process is you have to be flexible because things aren't always going to be able to go the way you want them, and ultimately, I want to have a healthy baby. So we started with the cervivil (the thing that softens the cervix) which was supposed to stay in for 12 hours (at that point they can put another one in, or else try something different). The cervidil actually looks just like a tampon (it even has a string) and it fizzes at the end to soften your cervix that way. Well it worked really well on me (probably because I was already having contractions on my own - they said they were about 2-4 mins apart when they hooked me up to the fetal monitor, although I couldn't really feel them) and my water broke at midnight. The funny part was that I was so confused (because I had been sleeping) that I thought I just wet the bed....and then I was like "oh, my water must have broke because I'm still dripping all the way to the bathroom". So at that point they had to take the cervidil out. They told me that it didn't do much in the short time that it was there (they could get their finger through the cervix though now). But at this point I notice my contractions are a lot harder (this happens once your water breaks because the cushion isn't there anymore). So I start trying to do my relaxation techniques (e.g., using the birth ball, walking around). I ask the nurse if I can get into the shower (the suggestion of my doula over text) and they come back and tell me no :( At this point the doctor comes in (around 2am) and tells me she wants me to stay in bed. Um...what? How am I supposed to manage the pain if I'm strapped in bed? (For some reason, the place where it feels the worse is laying in bed) but they were concerned that since my water had already broken and that his head was still high in the pelvis that the cord could get trapped in betweem (likely? Probably not...but these were the doctors I had to work with). The doctor also tells me that she wants to start Pitocin to increase my contractions (at a low dose) rather than have me labor on my own. With the Pitocin and the bed bound orders (with the Pitocin they also had to put an IV in which restricts your movement) the doctor convinced me to get a "walking epidural" (it's an epidural that doesn't paralyze you and actually allows you to walk around although they don't let you do that). At the time I felt defeated about it, but at the same time I was worried if I didn't progress with my water already broken that it would end up in a c seciton which would be worse. So at around 3:45am I get the Pitocin and Epidural (I can't remember which happened first but it was all around that time. In any case, the epidural wasn't placed properly so I didn't actually get the epidiural at all until 6am when they re-did it and put in a new one). When I got the 2nd epidural it was good because it actually allowed me to sleep a little bit. I still didn't call the doula to come back yet because I wanted to sleep (if I could) as much as possible and I felt like at this point there wasn't much she could do.

Although I had the epidural it definitely did not take the pain away! So for any of you thinking this is the easy way out it is definitely not (although much easier than nothing at all). I could still feel all the contractions and I still had to use my yoga breathing through each one. The best I can describe is that it takes the edge off of it. At about 9am the doctor came back and told me my cervix was "paper thin" and about 3 cm (she said 3-4 when I looked really disapointed). She acted really excited about it but all I could think was all that time and I only got a few cm??? She also told me that she thought my pelvis was narrow and that I might have difficulty pushing him out (great). But that there was more room in the back (whatever that means) so it was still possible. I told this to my doula so she could help come up with a good position to push him out. The nurse told me she'd be back to check me again at 1pm so I text my doula to tell her I'll probably get her to come then.

At 11am I start feeling the contractions change and I start feeling this urge to go to the bathroom (as in, number 2). So at first I was confused and thought maybe I really did need to go to the bathroom (I think this is how women have babies in the toilet) but then realized that it probably meant the baby's head was moving down. I told my nurse this and she said that it was a good sign and meant the labor was progressing. I text my doula and tell her to come - even though I don't know how far along I am I get this feeling that things are going to start changing soon. When the nurse comes back I tell her that the feeling is getting stronger and she says she'll check me. When she does she finds that I'm 7 cm and in transition! Whoo hoo. She's really surprised though and asks why I didn't tell her early (um...yeah, I thought I did). Ten minutes later the urge gets even stronger so she says she'll check me again (she hadn't left the room yet) and finds that I'm actually 9cm (it only goes to 10 so it is geting close now). She says she's going to call the doctor and not to push (although you really get this super strong urge to push. So when I'm contracting I actually have to "hold" it).

In the meantime, my husband and I had realized in our haste to pack that we both had forgot phone chargers. Since we knew we would want to call people and let them know the news once the baby came we were trying to come up with ways to get a phone charger. At 10am (after we found I was only 3 cm dialated) my husband considered driving home to get them (good call that he didn't because we live an hour away) but then I thought that our friends Tanya and Aaron (the couple that just had their baby 4 weeks earlier) might have the same charger (it's a simple usb charger). So we had called them and they were on there way to drop it off. I kept wondering what was taking them so long (and my doula for that matter) and when the nurse came in and told me I was going to push in 10 minutes I thought that no one was going to make it. Just then my mom called (and then freaked out when I told her I had to go because I was pushing the baby out in 10 minutes) and then Aaron walked in with the charger. He said he and Tanya were taking turns coming in (they had the baby with them) so by the time Tanya came in I was already pushing. My doula wasn't there yet so she asked if she should stay to help until she got there. So that's what she did, and she did a pretty good job! My nurse wasn't the best so Tanya was really great at getting me a cool face cloth and anything else I needed. When the doula finally ran in she actually had to sit down and Tanya ended up staying for the whole thing!

Ok...baby is awake :) I'll save the next post for the "pushing" part of the labor...stay tuned!

Blogging from the hospital!

Yes I'm in the hospital and yes my DH brought a laptop. I must admit that I was not impressed when the laptop went in the car with the rest of the baby gear but now it is coming in handy.

So as you know I've been having contractions since Sunday. Yesterday I got a bad headache so I almost went in to get checked out (a sign of preeclampsia and with my swollen feet, they wanted me to come in) but I went home from work and drank a lot of water and it went away so I held out for my 10am Dr appt this morning. I almost got out of the appointment without anything eventful until he asked me if I had any fluid leaking. I wasn't sure so he did an ultrasound and discovered my AFI (the fluid around the baby) was only 4 (normal range is from 5-22). At this point in pregnancy the thing they do to fix that is to deliver (because technically the baby is full term). So off we go (after a quick stop at Mimi's....after all, who knows when I'd get to eat!) and try to pack what we can when we got home. I had the baby's bag ready (packed that last night. After all those contractions I figured I'd better get it together!) but not my stuff so it was hard to remember to get everything (incidentally, I forgot my toothbrush). Our doula met us here at the hospital which was great because although I wasn't in labor, I really needed the help making the decision whether to induce and how to speak with the doctors about my birth plan. At first they just wanted to induce me right away but I managed to convince them to do another u/s to check the fluid (incidentally, they think he is about 6 lbs 12 ounces). The fluid was a little better (6) but still in the low range (some doctors want to deliver below 8 but apaprently below 5 is the universal cut off). So after a lot of discussion (mainly balancing what would really change in a couple days vs the risks to the baby if he isn't getting the food he needs from the placenta) we decided to stay. They gave me something to soften the cervix at about 5:45pm (that's to get it "ready" for labor) so right now we are hanging out and seeing how that works. Hopefully by morning I'll be a couple centimeters dialated and we can talk about what to do next (e.g., pitocin or some other drug to jump start labor). As it is, I was already having contractions without the cervix softener (although I couldn't actually feel them) and now they are a bit stronger. Still not much happening though so I think I will be here a long time! They said about 1 to 3 days until baby comes. I am worried about my risk of having a c-section increasing but at this point it's somewhat out of my hands because they think I'm pre eclamptic (my liver function came back just a touch high) so yeah....here I am...having a baby.

Send me good vibes! Will be back to send an update when I have more.

38 weeks

This could be my last 2-week photo update which is just crazy! Of course you could still see me on here in 2 weeks because that's just how these things go....but to give you an update, as of last Thursday I am 80% effaced (that's how thin the cervix is - it needs to get to 100% for pushing out the baby) and the baby's head is in station -2 (which means his head is 2 cm away from the cervix. That part was weird when she told me she could feel his head...wait, there's really a baby in there?!?). Then she said, so you're basically ready for labor so if you want to be induced we can do that now. Um...no that's ok...I'll wait. So yeah, it could be now or it could be a few weeks from now. It doesn't really give you any kind of timeline other than that it's "ready". Well that was enough to get me thinking seriously about it, so last night we finally packed the baby bag (stuff that the baby will need at the hospital). I still have to think about the stuff that I want for me (any clothes you bring they tell you might get ruined/cut off of you) but I did update my ipod last night so I could get some "labor songs" downloaded on there. We also had our last shower on Sunday (my DH side of the family in Tucson) and Friday (with my friends from Phoenix) so after I did an inventory of the loot (and there was a lot!) I went to Babies r us and started buying things that we still need. Yesterday I got the swing we wanted (which is very awesome. My DH put it together last night and we tried it out. Well, no one was in the swing (the dog was spared this time) but we had the music going - including hooking it up to my ipod which was very cool. We can make whatever mix of songs we want for the baby and not get sick of the defaults on there) and today I am going to pick up the mattress for the crib (why am I doing these separate trips you ask? A. Have you seen my car?, and B. They have these 20% off a single item coupons that can only be used once per day. Speaking of, I am really bummed because Bed Bath and Beyond won't send me their store coupons to my PO box! Totally annoying because I'd like to buy some of our bedding from their sister store Buy Buy Baby because target and Babies R Us only carries it online. So I've been trying to convince my friends to give me theirs :)). We also get a 10% off your whole registry on a one-time shopping day, but I'm not sure if I want to save that until after the baby gets here. There are some little things we still need (a grooming kit, thermometer, cover for the changing pad, etc.) but I know there's probably other stuff we need that I'm not thinking of. Like we only have 1 newborn size short sleeve onsie (I know, with all of the clothes we got, how did this happen? And actually, that onsie was one that I had bought myself several months ago). But some people have told me that the 0-3 month size will work just as well (it's only slightly bigger) so I'm thinking I'm going to wait to see how big he is when he gets here to determine if we need more (because I think we have about 10 of the 0-3 month size). I think people are hesitant to buy the newborn size because they either think, a. everyone is buying you newborn stuff, or b. your baby is going to come out bigger than that to begin with (newborn size is about 5-8 lbs).

My other update is that I started having contractions. That started on Sunday, which was a little unfortunate because we had a meeting with my doula in the morning and then our shower in the afternoon so I felt like I couldn't give either my full attention because these contractions kept happening all day (kind of like you're about to get your period but a little more intense vice-grip squeeze). I had a few more during the night and then again yesterday but nothing regular. They have since pettered out - so it's hard to say if they are Braxton Hick contractions (the practice ones that don't do much of anything) or the early stages of labor (which can also go on for days to weeks but at least it's starting to open your cervix). I'll find out more when I go to my appointment on Friday. But either way, it's definitely gotten me panicked into getting my stuff together at work so that I can leave whenever is necessary. So my goal for this week is to get the materials together and sent off to the people who are covering my class. I'm really hoping to be able to teach up until Oct 6th (next Wednesday) so then I won't have to cancel or postpone any classes. So that just means a week and a day this baby needs to hold out!

That's it for now. I included a photo of Brad and I at the wedding. I was going to include a full length shot but for some reason the camera kept making my feet look really swollen :)

Back from the wedding of the year!

Got back late last night from NYC/Jersey (we actually did get to stop in mommentarily at ground zero and check out the new development and monument but most of the time was spent in New Jersey). The weather was perfect (only rained/stormed when we first got in) and everything turned out flawless! Ok, maybe it was a little crazy and rushed, and I'm sure the bride can recount everything that didn't go off exactly as planned, but no one is the wiser that's for sure. I will definitely be posting up some pics soon as my DH took over 300 of them. That's right - 300. He was the paparazzi, which is good practice for when the baby comes. The wedding was DIY all the way which was a first for me. There was so much to do to set up but it all turned out super cool. I was especially in love with the photo booth which I tried to do for my wedding, but was executed so much better for this one. The guys that ran the book literally printed off a series of 4 photos for you to keep, and an extra copy he pasted into a scrap book (complete with fun stickers) and you signed your message for the bride and groom right then and there. This was very fun and captured some very fun momments (including a few new matches made....). Of course the bride was stunning and I was super excited to have been there when she found THE dress.

My dress turned out well but I'll let you be the judge when you see the pics :) I am hoping to get a few more wears out of it before it won't be necesary (the extra panels that is. My MIL has offered to take those out and sew it back to normal so that I can wear it normally again - which I think I might do. Although I might wait a few months to see what my new post-baby size will be). Speaking of, as you know I've been getting away with wearing non-maternity wear for awhile now. Well, those times have ended. Everything is either starting to feel really tight or those huge maternity tops aren't so huge anymore. But not too much longer now (as everyone likes to remind me).

Remember how I mentioned doing photos pre-post baby? Here is the link to a friend of a friend of mine of the photos she did for new baby Matthew. http://emilypiraino.wordpress.com/

36 weeks

The belly is bigger and the hair is fluffier, although I don't think they're correlated (don't mind me, I just finished prepping my class tomorrow on correlations). I had my 36 week appointment today and everything looks good! The baby is still about the same size (26th percentile) and is weighing at about 5 lbs 9 ounces (plus whatever error. Man, I really can't get out of statistics mode). So at this rate (they are gaining about 1/2 pound a week) it looks like he'll be about 7 1/2 pounds if I go to full term. Ok, this still sounds like statistics so I need to switch gears....

I got my doctor's note for the plane (just in case) although the midwife I saw today said it was "none of their business" when I was due so she wouldn't write down my due date because "pregnant women can fly on airplanes". So needless to say, she doesn't have any concerns about me flying! She also said my iron level was really high (a good thing) which I was shocked at since in my non-preggo state I feel like I boarder on anemia (must be all those prenatal vitamins and extra B12 pills). But she said it was a good thing especially for breast feeding (apparently you can't have too much iron). I also know that he is facing head down - which is the good way to come out. Lately my gall stones (or whatever they are) have been a lot better and I haven't had that sciatic pain in weeks so I'm pretty excited since I know this wedding will be c.r.a.z.y (crazy fun of course...but crazy). My dress got tailored back in so it doesn't look so tent like and I have a couple different shoe options.

We also got our ac fixed today! Yeah....it was broken for 3 long days and nights. Luckily it has cooled off in the evenings so we could keep the doors open (but screen doors shut) and have the fans going. It was manageable....and interesting. I learned that there are donkeys, roosters, and one annoying and neglected dog in our neighborhood. But 5K later, we have a nice cool house. We also have been busy with other house projects. I don't know if it's nesting so much as panicking that we thought we had a lot more time to get all this stuff done (it really annoys me when people keep pointing out that next week I'll be considered "full term". Not. helping.).

We took a preparation for childbirth class on the weekend which was basically a 3-week course condensed into one super long day. It was good though. I think we learned a lot and it made me less apprehensive about a lot of things (I guess information is power....plus after you watch those graphic videos 3 or 4 times it starts to dampen your stress response). We also hung out with our friends that recently had a baby (he was one week on Saturday) so we got to practice holding him and watching him pee in the air when his diaper came off (they did not have the pee pee tee pee's).

Something I realized I have to make a decision on is should we get newborn pics? You know the ones they take a couple days after they're born? And what about couple photos with the belly (i.e., before the birth)? I was originally thinking no but I saw someone's the other day and they actually looked pretty cute. Plus I have this stretch-mark free belly that people tell me also may not last (depending how much longer I'm pregnant and how big he gets). Thoughts? We did decide to get photos done with our wedding photographer at christmas - but he'll be about 2 1/2 months by then so obviously not the same as newborn photos.

We leave for Newark on Thursday morning and won't be back until late Sunday night so I'll be offline for awhile. I'll let you know if anything dramatic happens!

34 weeks

Technically I'm 35 weeks today but the photo is at my 34 week mark (it's been a long week!). We got back from Sioux Falls last week and then I had a mild preeclampsia scare. Well not really. I had one symptom of it (this sharp pain in my ribs on the right side, which apparently is where your liver is) but it was enough that my doctor wanted me to be tested for it. So that's where I spent Thursday evening, in the Phoenix hopsital, contemplating what I would do if they made me have this baby (that's the only cure for preeclampsia....and if you don't do it, you could die). I mean, I was pretty sure I didn't have it (because there are a lot of symptoms and I only had the one) but after a few hours I started second guessing myself (did I really not have any headaches, am I really not seeing stars...?). Turns out, I have gall stones (women, pregnancy, and those approaching 40 are the highest risk group for gall stones...I prefer to think of myself as in the first two categories). So the good news is it won't kill me (literally the doctors words), the bad news is is there really isn't anything they can do about it (and it should go away once I give birth). But now that I know what it is it really doesn't bother me as much. It's weird how pain is like that. Also, my feet are no longer swollen like they were - so that's good. That means real shoes for the wedding (I got a back up pair of green flip flops at target for $2.50!). Speaking of, my MIL got my altered dress back to me. As predicted, the bottom part flared out like an a-line skirt. Not only was it not cut straight down but it actually continued to get wider at the bottom. wtf. Luckily my husband was there to help me convince her to take it back in. We got a compromise on it (and after a few jokes of my knees not getting any bigger) so we'll see how it looks when I get it back again. But in any case, the dress fits and looks good (I just don't want to have the hoola hoop bottom....that is SO 19th century). And I actually think it didn't make me look AS pregnant (well to me anyway).

I saw my doctor on Friday and I was so sad to here he is retiring! Like literally his last day is next Friday (which would be my normal appt but I have to re-schedule since I'll be at the wedding). It just is really unusual to see the same doctor all the time (since most doctors are part of clinics they usually rotate around so you see a different one all the time) but I get too because he's the only one that comes up to Casa Grande to do "outreach" (I still find that term hilarious....like I'm one of his pregnant teens). And he tolerated my lack of cooperation with them whenever they wanted to run their "routine" tests. So yeah...I'm a little sad. But I guess my pregnant time is almost over anyway, and the doctor who will ultimately deliver the baby will be there all of ten minutes (or so I've heard).

I decided to hire a doula and gave her the down payment on Saturday. I'm excited about it because she has so much experience in the hospitals and it'll be nice to have someone always there that can suggest different things to make me feel comfortable. My other pregnant friend (who was 6 weeks ahead of me) had her baby on Friday. I visited her in the hospital on Saturday and it was awesome. Both to see the baby, but also to check out first-hand where I will be in approx 5 weeks. I even got to listen to the breastfeeding lesson the lactation consultant gave during my visit. Plus she had a pretty good birth story so I wasn't too scarred (not that it was easy...she definitely didn't downplay the pain...but that at the end she had the baby and everything was fine).

Next stop....Sioux Falls!

Nope, the travelling does not stop here folks! In just 3 short days I will be on a plane to visit my grad school bff (also a former BM) and her DH and my God child. This time my DH will be travelling with me so that will be fun (and also handy, for getting the carry-on in and out of the overhead bin). I am bringing a doctors note with me for this one just in case. You never know and I want to make sure I get on! Plus it was super easy to get the note - they pretty much have these forms all ready to go and they just fill in your due date and check the box that says you are fit for travelling. My doctor also mentioned that I should walk around at least once during the flight and take a baby asprin before to prevent any deep vein thrombosis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_vein_thrombosis). Not that it's likely, but just to be extra safe (hello, why didn't anyone tell me this when I flew to India? That gave me swelling that didn't go down for days).

Speaking of swelling, my swollen feet are pretty much my only remaining pregnancy symptom (I mean, annoying symptom. Obviously I've got this persistent kicking in my uterus) and since I figured I probably couldn't get away with teaching in flip flops (my first day back is on Wednesday!) I decided to invest in some flat foot wear. For those of you that haven't worked with me, this is a big step. I have never worn flats to teach in. But my swollen feet are not fitting so well in my cute teaching heels so...off to Nordstrum's rack I went this weekend and purchased 4 pairs of shoes! They are awesome. None of them are green however so I forsee another shoe purchase in my future. We also went to IKEA and the container store and invested in some major re-organizing projects. I would call this the "nesting" instinct kicking in but since it's all been headed by my DH I don't know what to call it (do men get that instinct??). But I love things to be organized so I am on board. It's mostly been restricted to re-organizing our laundry system and the cabinets in our bathroom (which are all being places into labelled bins/baskets, rather than randomly stored on a shelf).

Also, I think we have found a doula (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doula)! The one I had originally interviewed was great but had no experience doing hospital births so I ended up getting a recommendation for another doula. This one has been to over 100 births and has even worked with clients who have gone to my clinic (I guess if you have been to over 100 births in Tucson you probably know all the doctors) so she knows how each doctor works (and hopefully, they will recognize and have more trust with her). Basically, I would really like to try for a natural childbirth (aka, no IVs, no continuous fetal heart rate monitoring, no forceps/vacuums/episiotomy's, and no pain meds). This is all in hopes that I will avoide a c-section. A doula is there for help with pain management/relaxation but also to help be your advocate with the doctors and nurses. All for the low low fee of $600. Seriously though, I think it is a good deal considering the training they help you with before and after (with breastfeeding, etc.) which doesn't even include the actual labor itself. My DH and I went to a preparation for labor class on Saturday at one of the yoga studio's I go to and it was really good. It really helped increase my confidence that I can actually do this. We'll see of course (I mean, if I feel like I'm dying I'm getting the drugs!) but I feel like I at least have the tools I need to have a natural childbirth if I want one.

32 Weeks

I can't believe I'm officially 8 months pregnant! And the baby is now about 3 lbs 8 ounces which is in the 28th percentile for weight (isn't crazy how they know all this stuff???). The average weight at this point is 4 pounds so he's on the smaller side but still within normal range. At this point they gain about 1/2 pound a week (so why do I need to gain about 1 pound a week? I don't know) so it's unlikely that I'll have a 10 pound baby (phew!) but he can also change his percentile in the next 8 weeks (3 weeks ago he was in the 26th percentile). Nothing much else new to report, my back pain is pretty much gone and the heart burn has been taken care of with a little tums (what a great invention) so things are good.

My DH and I are taking a couples prenatal yoga preparation for childbirth class this weekend (includes some massage techniques!) so I'm excited to be actually doing something about the labor part (I guess it's time to start thinking about that). I also have decided to hire a doula and try the au natural route (how hard can it be, right?...right?). We haven't decided THE doula yet (the one we were originally talking to only has been to 5 births and only 1 hospital birth which was an unplanned c-section at the last minute. So no experience with going through the whole labor in the hospital) but I have some recommendations so I feel like we're getting close. We also signed up for some childbirth education classes with the head doula in Tucson (who doesn't do births anymore but does good classes). That won't be for another month but that'll probably be good so it's more fresh in my mind.

I'm getting ready for the wedding (only 4 more weeks!) and went down to see my "tailor" (i.e., my MIL) on Monday about the dress. Amazingly, I can still get it on and zip it up! Ok, yes, it looks a little like I could be friends with Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman (at the beginning of the movie) but still....I could get it on! So the alterations are actually pretty simple. The top will be untouched, and she's just adding side panels at the seam on each side (she found this black material that pretty much matches perfectly). I am a little worried that it won't look exactly the same as the other BM dresses (aside from the huge tummy that is) because I was trying to tell her she needs to bring the seams back together after the tummy (so more like a side diamond piece then a panel all the way down to the bottom) but she didn't really get it and really wanted to make an A-line cut (if anything, it seemed to be getting wider). Hmm...ok so it's just going to go out and out and never come back in??? Anyway, I told her what I wanted so we'll see what it looks like soon (I think she is doing it this week). I know, beggers can't be choosers (she is doing this for free) but it's hard not to be a chooser. My next plan is to find some alternative green shoes to the awesome pumps that I have. Just so I can have something to change into (post-wedding ceremony) that will draw less attention to my sausage feet.

Bachelorette party #2!

I'm back from DC! It was a whirlwind trip (literally stayed at a different place each of the 4 nights) but lots of fun. And luckily my scaita held out (whoo hoo!) so maybe this means the baby is in a good spot and won't role back. I mean, I can still feel it when I move a certain way, but the shooting pain has definitely subsided and I am back to walking at normal speeds. I learned my lesson, no more lifting up heavy boxes! I got to hang out with 3 different friends who still live in DC, and did the shower/bachelorette festivities on Saturday. I only wish I had of gotten to spend more time with the bride...but she says she's coming to visit me for Halloween (yes I'm still having my party!). Speaking of....any cool suggestions for Halloween costume's? I need to incorporate the baby in some way but so far I haven't come up with any great ideas. Maybe I can dress up as one of the girls from Teen Mom.

I thought I would include some photo's to give you a flavor for the weekend. The fancy hat party for the shower was so much fun (any excuse to wear a fancy hat is awesome in my book!) but I probably won't be wearing that dress again. One of the girls told me I looked "so much better without clothes on" when she saw me back at the hotel later post pool. Ummm...compliment? I guess that stretch mark cream is paying off. The only downside was that my feet swelled up like a 400 pound man but they subsided by the time the bachelorette party came around (I don't know what is up with that...my feet randomly swell and then go down again). But it made me realize that I should probably get a second pair of green shoes for the wedding - just in case I don't want to be in my heels all night. And yes, I am going to the wedding! Of couse all of you know this, but that was the question du jour at the shower. By the time the bachelorette party came around I was so tired of people asking me that that when one of the girls asked, "so are you going to the wedding?" I was like "um ye-ah!" (in a snarky tone). I regretted that later, because I mean it wasn't her fault, but I really had no clue that people honestly thought I wouldn't be going. It gave me a better appreciation though for the fact that people must be bringing this up to the bride all the time. So aggrevating. I'm not really sure where it comes from either (do people think it causes labor? Or that it's bad for the baby?) because the only restriction comes from what the airline will allow. And all of the American ones allow you to travel up to between 36-38 weeks (and sometimes past that if you have a doctors note). Ironically (or maybe not so ironically) when I was debating going to the wedding in Seattle on Nov 6th, the girls on the Vegas trip (all moms themselves) seemed to think that I could go without problems if I wanted to (which seems crazier to me since it's only 3 weeks past my due date, which is not the actual birth date, and the doctor recommends waiting until they're 4 weeks old before taking them on airplanes). But I think when you have had children, or just go through being pregnant, you become more relaxed about these things. Anyway, I am leaving for the wedding in 5 weeks so it'll be a mute point by then!

In other pregnancy news everything seems to be going much better this week. The heartburn is not so bad either (but this could be because I didn't know if it was safe to take Tum's before and now that I have the go-ahead, it seems to work pretty well). I've started to forget though what it felt like to NOT be pregnant. Yesterday I bent down at work to get a fork on the bottom shelf and I was thinking, was there really a time when I could just do this and not feel it? It's not like it's painful or anything...you just feel like an overweight, out-of-shape, 400 pound man. Well, I mean, I'm guessing that's what it feels like :)

30 weeks

Can you believe the fetus turned 30 weeks yesterday? I can't. But here he is as of last night!

I finally finished packing for DC (early flight tomorrow - 6:45am!). It always takes longer than I think because I have to figure out the jewelry and the shoes that go with each outfit. So it involved trying everything on before it goes in the suitcase. Do other people do this? I wish I could just be one of those people that throws things in a bag and can go...but I'm not and I can't even blame this on pregnancy.

So now I am about 21 pounds in and the baby should be about 3 pounds. I'll find out for sure in 2 weeks. Last week he was 2 pounds 4 ounces which was a bit on the lighter side (but still within normal range) so they want to see him again to make sure he's getting enough belly fat (his brain, bone growth, organs, etc. are all fine). This was definitely a case of "is this too much information?" for me last week as I would not have even had this 2nd ultrasound if it weren't for the fact that the clinic I go to is high risk. Since I'm low risk, normally I would've just had my 20 week one (which was normal) and that would've been it. So is it too much information? I don't know....but I'm not confident enough just to let it go and not go back for the follow-up ultrasound. But it made me put some things in perspective regarding weight gain. The other day a friend of mine (who I don't talk to all that often) asked me how much weight I gained. And before I could answer guessed 15 pounds. I said, "more like 20" and she thought this was hilarious. I was a little confused why she thought it was funny (does she think it's funny because I gained too much weight?) so I explained that it is right on track and if anything, is on the low side since I only have 8-10 more weeks left. But it just kind of made me annoyed in general about how we are so preoccupied with body image and this is a case where you don't want to mess around. I mean, I'm growing a human life here! This is not the time to pass on the extra granola bar to save a pound. From what I can tell, people have quite a range of weight that they gain during pregnancy and it's not something you can really control (unless you start becoming a frequent customer at Dairy Queen) so you just need to trust your body and eat when you're hungry because you/the baby needs it (what a concept, eh?).

In other news, the sciatic pain that's been following me around post-Vegas is a killer. The only thing that really helps is yoga. So I was sure to find a studio I could do to while in DC. Aside from workout plans I will be seeing the lego architecture exhibit at the building museum, "the importance of being earnest" play, davinci's translations to inventions exhibit at the national geographic museum, and an art fair. And that's all in addition to the wedding fun (did I mention a fancy hat shower AND a bachelorette party???). So it'll be a packed weekend....send me good vibes that my sciatic nerve will hold out!

Bugaboo

One more thing....I got my dream stroller! Second hand (craigslist) but it looks brand new! And I'm not just saying that, it seriously looks like no one ever spit up on it. Here it is....

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2742350


And I managed to get it for $390! That included the car seat adapter so I can put my infant seat on it (would be an extra $45 new) and an extra car seat base for little red (would be an extra $80). And let me tell you, it was hard to get it second hand. I spent all day yesterday emailing people back and forth and these strollers were flying out the door like hot cakes. So I totally feel like I just won! I couldn't even sleep last night because I kept imagining someone was going to buy it before I met up with her this morning (one of my other options fell through when she sold it at 10:40pm last night when I was supposed to meet her this morning!). But this red one was my first choice anyway (well technically my first choice was navy blue but couldn't find one second hand), it is very vibrant and I love it (this is what happens when you get pregnant....you get excited about baby things). Now my new dilema is whether to return my navy blue infant seat for a red one to match or not. I'm going to try it out tonight and let you know what I think.

pregnancy travels

It's hard to believe but I feel like I just got back from Vegas and am about to go to DC (2.5 more days!). I pretty much just dumped all of my clothes in the laundry and left the suitcase open in my bedroom to be filled back up. Overall, the trip to Vegas was AWESOME. First of all, I have never been to a spa before. I thought that I had, but then realized that Gadabout doesn't count. There are places that exist soley for lounging around all.day.long. It doesn't matter that you have booked one treatment (e.g, a facial, massage), you can go back and forth all day long to take part in the *spa* (which may include, steam rooms, saunas, various jacuzzi tubs of differing temperatures - including cold plunges, lounging chairs, waterfall showers, bathrooms complete with all hair supplies necessary, fruit/juice, and unlimited magazines). So of course once I discovered this on day one, I made sure to book myself for a "treatment" at another spa for day two. I am totally addicted. I didn't even make it to the pool (which used to be my Vegas highlight). When you can lounge at a spa, and when it's over 100 degrees outside, nothing competes. Now that I know that they exist, I am in big trouble. Anyone that wants to come visit me next time is going to be dragged to one of the spas in Phoenix (I'm sure they have them just as fabulous!). I have to mention that the highlight of my prenatal massage (yes I found a spa that could do them) was that I could lie right on my belly. They have these special foam things with a stomach cut-out that allows you to lie essentially flat. Totally awesome. I completely forgot I was pregnant for about 60 minutes (was brought back to reality when she mentioned my flaming hot feet and swollen ankles).

Other than the spas, it was a great weekend. I was able to keep up for the most part but I did realize that being pregnant does take it's physical toll. One day the girls wanted to walk back to the hotel....which took over an hour and a half (in Vegas, everything looks 5 mins away). I thought I could do it but paid the price later on in the night when my feet swelled up like a puffer fish and both sides of my uterus was sending me shooting pains. Plus I think I put the baby into a temporary coma, he didn't kick until the next day. So it was still fun for me, and hopefully not too annoying for everyone else (I did make them take a 5 min break on the walk back). Not being able to drink/eat sushi was much more bareable once I realized all the $$ I was saving. I can't even write down the dinner bill totals because it was insane. And it was pretty much all alcohol related. At $16 a drink, it gets expensive! Next time I go to Vegas (and when I'm not pregnanct) I'm totally bringing alcohol to have in the room (even though it's not allowed).

So this weekend starts out EARLY on Thursday. So early in fact, I'm going to bite the bullet and park at the airport instead of metroing. But I get to hang out with some friends before getting into the shower/bachelorette festivities which starts on Saturday. No details here as it is a surprise, but it should be a fun-filled weekend (including wearing fancy hats for the shower....that part is not a surprise, and in fact, was *suggested* by the bride). Then on Sunday is recovery/spending time at the art festival in town and back home on Monday! There are actually some cool things going on in DC this weekend (a lego architecture exhibit, DaVinci's translations into inventions, "the importance of being earnest" play) and I plan on taking in them all! Well not everything, just those things in the brackets. That is one thing I really miss about being in the city - all the cool exhibits! So I really want to take in as many things as I can while I'm there. Plus, being pregnant kind of sucks the fun out of shopping in Georgetown. And I really can't do a ton of walking anymore (or at least very fast) due to the new symptom that has crept up on me....sciatic nerve pain! On the left side, but it only really comes when I'm trying to motor it or when I'm sleeping at night and try to move a certain way. So I'll try not to do that this weekend!

28 weeks

I didn't forget - the baby was 28 weeks old yesterday. Here is what the size of this 7 month old fetus is (on the inside he's over 2 pounds and 15 inches!).

Tomorrow I am heading to Vegas! You can be sure I'll have my outfits posted when I get back. I've been getting heart burn just about everyday now so I made sure to pack my papaya enzyeme pills (they are a natural digestion aid....so I'm not popping the tums every day), and all the other Vegas esstentials (sequence, trashy magazines, flip flops, sunglasses).

Voila! One handmade hooter hider.

And you all doubted my skills...ok so it was mostly me that doubted my skills. I got the materials last night on my way home from yoga. It ended up costing me a little more than the $8 the tutorial quoted. Mostly because the aqua/bird material was $8 alone (it was not on sale, and since I am not on Joann's hit list, I did not have a coupon) but since I also wanted material for the back it upped the cost. However, I got the back material for $3 on sale (so it looks reversible....but it probably isn't really reversible because the corset boning in the front actually curves so you can look down and see your baby....at least this is what I assume it is for), and the boning, D rings, and thread (yep, had to get all the basics) brought it to a grand total of $17. So not quite the deal most people could do it for, but considering the original bebe au lait's cost $35 (and for just one side of material) it's still a bargain. Plus, I got to pick my own fabric which looks pretty awesome if I do say so myself (the pictures do not do it justice). And it only took a half of a day and a few quick online tutorials to get me re-acquainted with my sewing maching (luckily, my sewing machine is an old basic singer). I had to adapt the pattern quite a bit because I wanted to do it double sided (which involved sewing most of it inside out) but it had the added bonus of increasing my confidence in my sewing skills. I found some other fabric on sale that I loved so stay tuned....you may find some other projects popping up over the next couple of months...

Hooter Hiders

I have a lot of creative and crafty friends. I used to think that I was creative and crafty but I realized that the world has moved past my skills that led me to win a poster competition in the 4th grade. However, I have recently been motivated by all of the cool DIY projects that have been going around. Particularly, when I realized how much this baby stuff costs - and how easy (at least at first appearance) it would be to make it! So.....my first project is going to be a hooter hider (aka, a nursing cover). I really liked the "bebe au lait" style that a friend of mine sent me and then after a quick search found that someone went to the trouble of posting a tutorial on how to copy this exact style!

http://blisstree.com/live/free-pattern-to-sew-your-own-nursing-cover/comment-page-3/#comments

So, my plan is to try and hunt down the materials (I'm going to get fancy and try to do a reversible cover) and make it happen! If it doesn't work, you'll discreetly notice that the real babe au lait has made an appearance on my registry.

weddings, etc.

I've been meaning to write a blog about this for awhile and since I'm on my off week for photos (27 weeks today) I figured now is as good as time as any to tackle this one. Weddings. Because no matter what, in the course of your 10 months of pregnancy (yes, it's actually 10 months when you do the math. You're in your 9th month for approx 4 weeks so that's not really 9 months of pregnancy) something important is going to conflict. In my case it's weddings. Two of them actually. But I'm actually IN one of those. So this creates issues for both the pregnant bridesmaid, who has to worry about fitting into a non-maternity dress and how to make a basketball in her spanx look slimming, and the bride, who has been slaving over creating the perfect wedding for months and is less than thrilled at the prospect of you ruining her photos and ditching BM obligations (unless she realizes that if she stands next to you she'll look amazing). But I actually have had the experience of knowing brides who considered dis-asking someone to be in their wedding because of their pregnancy. And that was a FSIL. That didn't happen in my case but it does create some anxiety (and major alterations) all around. My bride actually has a wedding blog and dedicated a post to this issue (http://behindthegreenveil.blogspot.com/2010/05/everybodys-got-one.html).

In my case, I am actually really excited to be in this wedding (she is a wedding planner in the making so it's all fancy fancy. At least a DIY version of fancy fancy) and am planning on doing all of the wedding stuff. That's right. A trip to DC for the shower and night on the town 7 1/2 months in. And don't think I'm skimping on the shoes, I've got a good 2 inch heel planned to walk myself down the aisle on the big day. Am I crazy? Maybe. But it's just pregnancy people. It's just an extra 20 pounds or so, it's not like I'm actually carrying a screaming child down the aisle. But here's the thing, whenever I tell people I'm in the wedding, and the timing (technically I'll be almost 37 weeks, or 9 months, pregnant) I always get the wide-eyed silent stare down (translation: you are crazy). And then I say, well my DH will be there so if anything happens it's not a big deal. To which I get an even bigger stare down. It's just New Jersey, it's not like it's China (side note: I actually have a friend due the same time as me that is having a baby in China. Apparently when you give birth there you get 2 free nights accomodations and a champagne breakfast). Granted the bride wouldn't be thrilled if I had a baby during her wedding, but my point is that there's not a big risk to me going. There is no danger to me or the baby from being in an airplane (other than it being uncomfortable) and chances of me having a baby on the plane is nill to none. It's a direct flight that lasts 4 hours, hate to break it to you if this is news, but it takes much longer than that to have a baby. So I promise if I'm in labor, I won't get on the plane. But somehow this doesn't assure people. Either that or they think I'm crazy for risking having a baby in NJ (I haven't been there myself but it can't be that bad). To be honest, I am really dreading having a bunch of people clamoring to get down to the hospital before my water breaks so part of me would be secretly thrilled if we could run off and have a baby somewhere and then show him off later, once I'm showered and done screaming.

But the hardest part of all of this is that sadly, I have to admit that there are limitations that even I cannot will myself to overcome. This was illuminated very clearly to me over the course of planning my trip to Vegas next weekend for the bachelorette party for wedding #2 (the one that I am not in, and probably won't be able to make as it is 3 weeks after my due date and my doctor doesn't think it's a good idea to expose babies to insulated flying germ machines until after they are 4 weeks old. Longer for formula feed babies). The obvious limitation is alcohol (although I went out Friday night with some friends and met another fellow pregnant lady who told me she drinks a half of glass a wine a week. It sounded fine until I saw her with the wine in hand and I have to say that with the protruding belly it made me want to look away a little bit). Limitation #2 came when we all decided to share a room (2 queen-sized beds + 1 couch = 5 girls). I had to be the pain and ask not to be the one to sleep on the couch (it doesn't fold out and I already have major sleeping option limitations) and although they did accomodate they weren't super thrilled. Limitation #3 came when they wanted to go to the salon. No hot tubs, sauna's, steam rooms, for me. That's fine. I'll bring a book and stick my feet in a bucket of ice. The organizer of the bachelorette gave us a choice of 3 different salons. I was excited to see that 2 of them offered preggo massages, but in the end I was out-voted and so instead I had to opt for a "special" facial (special because apparently I can't put a bunch of stuff on my face like Retin-A & essential oils). Finally, limitation #4 came when they told me our big night out would involve dinnner at a AMAZING sushi place. For those of you that know me, this is the biggest limitation of them all. So in the end, will this bachelorette trip to Vegas be worth it? We'll see. But I am determined at the very least not to let other peoples negativity stop me from trying (and just wait until you see the outfits I have planned...words cannot describe a gold sequenced tank top stretched over an expectant tummy).

Do you really think you should be doing that?

My new pet peeve (you know, I have a lot of them) is the judgement you get from other people regarding what you should and shouldn't do. I know people love to have opinions about everything, including other people, but it is frustrating when it's pretty obvious that you know more than they do about what's going on these days with regards to safety during pregnancy (and there's a lot) that they can't trust that you will do what's best. For example, this past weekend my DH and I took a trip a few hours north to get out of the heat (at least that's why I was going, he'll probably tell you it's because he had two races) and I was really excited about going bike riding. We both bought bikes the week before (basic comfort/hybrid bikes from target and a yard sale) and I have been DYING to go bike riding. Of course biking in Arizona this time of year seems impossible (110 degrees and rising) but if you drive a few hours North you get the the relief of a whopping 30 degrees! It is beautiful. Plus there are trees. Not the things people around here call trees (which are more like twigs with some moss-stuff on it) but actual bark and leaves. And grass! Further, I've been wanting to buy bikes for the two of us to go bike riding together for a long time (I actually thought about getting it for us as a Christmas gift) so it seemed to be a perfect anniversary gift for each other (2 years on July 5th!). We live in a pretty rural neighborhood, so there are lots of places to go biking and it's paved but without traffic. But anyway, back to our trip this past weekend...

Once we got to the cabin we were staying at (my DH's whole family was there to watch the racing) people learned about the different things that I can and can't eat. And people are always surprised (so am I for that matter) about how many things are "unsafe". I mean, a lot has changed in a few years and if you're not up on the research (and why would you be, there's plenty of other more fascinating things going on in the world) than this would be news to you. So they learned that I can't eat cold cut meats, runny eggs, the good cheeses, honey, meat that isn't cooked through all the way, and alcohol (ok, they knew about that one). You would think that knowing I am careful about all of these things that I would be careful about being safe. But I still got lots of comments. Ranging from "make sure you don't fall!" to "in my day we weren't allowed to go bike riding" (well in your day you thought aids was transmitted through skin-to-skin contact). To clarify, we weren't biking up a mountain or anything. We went to a park and drove around a flat, paved, bike/walking path. I think I have high heels that are more dangerous than that. I mean, hello?!, I used to ride in triathlons. It's not like I wanted to go learn HOW to ride a bike! So some advice (see, we all have our opinions, but mine's in a blog so it's ok), don't ask a pregnant lady if she should be doing whatever it is she's doing (exceptions can be made for binge drinking and scuba diving). It can be overwhelming with all of the things that we can't do so give us some credit when we want to do something we CAN do.

26 weeks

Ok so I'm a few days past 26 weeks but this photo was taken at 26 weeks. I had some minor computer virus issues which slowed me down but I am back in business! And decided to make it more interesting and post some nude pics. Well nude belly pics that is. That way you can track my tattoo growth and stretch marks (none so far but I hear it's inevitable). I actually just bought this new stretch mark cream (love shopping online at Sephora's!) and the reviews swear by it so we'll see. In any case, who doesn't love lotion? And your belly does get really itchy all the time which is weird (I don't like to think about that it's probably because it's stretching out).

As you can see, I have officially entered into the 3rd trimester! And like clockwork, some of those pesky third trimester symptoms started to show up (just when I thought pregnancy was easy and all those other women were a bunch of complainers). The most annoying is the heartburn. I guess I never had this before because I have never experienced anything like this. And it pretty much happens anytime but especially at night. Last night I had to prop myself on 4 pillows just to keep the burning down (I didn't know it actually felt like burning, turns out, it does). The other new fun thing is these searing calve cramps. I also never had this before. Foot cramps, sure, and the odd leg cramp here or there while doing yoga, but nothing feels quite like the waking-up morning stretch followed by an immense stabbing sensation in your calf. And since I never had this before, I had no idea how to stretch it out (didn't stretching it just cause the stabbing pain?). Since the baby is getting bigger all the time he's starting to crowd out other organs (which makes sense for the heartburn, not so much for the leg cramps) which also includes my lungs. I actually fainted once (luckily I was sitting the whole time. Well sitting, then passed out flat, then sitting again) but other than that I just feel really light headed/short of breath sometimes. But not all the time. It's weird, I guess he just lays on my lungs once in awhile, and then rolls over to my stomach. Today, when I was laying on my back (not totally flat, you're not really supposed to do that) I actually saw him kicking my stomach and my stomach moving up and down. It is seriously like there's a little alien in there. If I didn't know I was pregnant (which I don't know how you couldn't at this point, although some people claim they don't) it would be seriously freaky to watch your stomach move like that. But other than that, I still feel pretty good. I'm getting less "you look so good" comments and more "you look pregnant" comments but that is fine with me. I mean, you have to get big at some point (actually in my prenatal yoga class this week I saw a girl who was 32 weeks pregnant who was SO skinny and not looking pregnant at all. At first I thought it was her loose tank top but then when she did the poses I saw her bare belly and it was barely sticking out. I couldn't stop stealing glances at her in the mirror but then I didn't want her to think I was a baby snatcher or something so I had to make myself look away). In 2 1/2 weeks we'll be getting another ultrasound (reeking the benefits of being low-risk but going to a high-risk facility) to see more detailed structures of the baby (check his heart, lungs, etc.). Very glad because my DH can go this time, and also it'll be fun to see the baby again! I mean, I think they pretty well look the same at this point but it'll still be cool to see him moving around in there.

My first stranger comment!

I had a dentist appointment today, which is never fun, but it's extra not fun when you're pregnant. One of the side effects of pregnancy is bleeding gums. And I'm not just talking about once in awhile when you floss. I'm talking every time you brush your teeth. It's very annoying. And gross. But, one of the things they recommend you do at least once during your pregnancy is to get your teeth cleaned. So there I was, waiting for my own torture when a very old woman (who had pigtails....in braids...) was on her way out of the office when saw me from across the room and smiled. I smiled back (I thought she might have been a bit crazy to be honest) and then she said the magic words, "your first?" Oh...that's why she was smiling at me. Anyway, not only was she brave enough to assume that I'm pregnant (old people probably don't know/care when they're offensive) but she also must of thought I was young enough to look like it was my first! Double bonus. This means I am finally out of the just looking fat stage (it was a very long stage...) but it leads me to thoughts on belly touching. You know, the number one thing pregnant people complain about. When random people coming up to you and touch your belly. Now granted this hasn't happened to me yet (probably the next stage after recognition) but this is where I really don't see eye to eye with the rest of my pregnant ladies. I really don't get what the big deal is. It's not like people are grabbing your ass, or worse, your growing bust line. But this whole united front on it is annoying because I feel like it's scared people off, even friends, from experiencing one of the coolest things about pregnancy. At least for me, I want to feel my belly all the time (becasue quite honestly, it is REALLY weird. I still can't get over how it feels like a hard rock, and then the fact that it moves is just really weird/cool. On Wednesday in my yoga class when I was in table top position, I could actually see that his head/butt was sticking out on the left side of my body). So of course, I like to subject anyone else around to the weirdness (akin to..."you should taste this...isn't it gross?" Ok...not the best analogy...but the point is it is definitley out of the ordinary and you want other people to share in this experience). So now I feel like I'm one of those annoying people asking people to feel her belly all the time (my husband gets it the worst. I make him put his head on my belly pretty much everyday. But I think it's so cool that he can actually hear the heart beat in there). Most people seem excited when I ask them to (or at least they haven't said no) so this confirms my suspicion that pregnant women have scared people off from touching pregnant bellies. It's a shame really. I'm telling you, it really never gets old.

24 weeks

Since feeling the baby move a couple weeks ago I now feel him all.the.time. Definitely everyday and sometimes during odd momments (like when people are talking to me and I forget that they can't tell that there are things moving around in me, interupting me when I'm trying to have a conversation). But it's good. It's very reassuring just to know that he's still alive in there (ok I know it's a sick thought but this is how I think).

So far I have gained 10 pounds since getting pregnant. I think I'm pretty much on track - with lots of room for the remaining 14-16 weeks. If I keep to the pound a week rule I should be good. But I could tell I was starting to pick up the pounds in the last couple weeks because my appetite has increased like crazy. Literally my stomach is growling mid morning if I don't have a snack. And I can completely finish whatever is on my plate (we're talking a full size burrito at chipotle). So it's not a mystery how the pounds get added on. At this point he is about 1 1/4 pounds (sounds like a burger) and 8 1/2 inches. And his face is fully formed! So if we got a pic of him in there we'd know what he looks like. More or less...I mean even when they're born it's kind of hard to tell what they'll look like in a non-baby form. But I have been thinking about getting a 3D ultrasound. They're not that expensive and it could be cool....or creepy....hard to say.

I included here a pic from my baby shower in Halifax. This was the game where people guessed how big I was with a piece of string. People were not very good at this game. My sister cut a piece that barely went around her own waist. And several people refused to get up and measure against me once they realized how huge they had cut it. But nevertheless, one of my cousins got it right on. I didn't measure it but I did save it somewhere. The shower was very fun (special thanks to my two former bridesmaids!), despite many of my relatives not being able to make it, we had a good turn out. I thought I would make things easier by not doing a registry in Canada - since I knew I needed everything I figured a few duplicates here and there wouldn't be a big deal (since you pretty much need everything in multiples). However, I did not anticipate everyone having the same idea. Blankets seemed to be the theme (who knew this was such a popular baby gift?). Although I got all different kinds of blankets, for different kinds of uses, I ended up with 10 different blankets (did I mention I had 13 people attend the shower?). Kind of funny considering I live in Arizona but if the baby is as cold blooded as me he'll probably need it. I was really glad that I gave a "theme" suggestion (animal saffari) because most everyone followed this and hence I thought everything was really cute (really, how can monkeys, giraffe's, elephants, and lions get old....oh wait, maybe the 5 foot long wooden zebra I got was a bit much. But still, cute). It was fun getting stuff for the baby though and it felt a lot less awkward than when I opened gifts for my bridal shower - maybe because it's more practical and not as much "I really would love a kitchenaid mixer". I am really lucky in that I have TWO more showers coming up. One in Phoenix (with my work friends) and one in Tucson (for my husbands family and our friends there). So that will be really helpful as it is kind of overwhelming how much stuff you need for a baby. Most things are inexpensive on there own, but there's just so much of it. And I keep forgetting things that I might need (like baby nail clippers). Not that I can't take the baby home from the hospital without it...but still, it makes me panic a little.

My mom bought us a car seat as a gift and we picked it up this weekend. I'm looking forward to trying it out in my car. Cross your fingers as if this doesn't fit it may be the end to Little Red. I just can't justify keeping the car if my child won't fit in it. Because even if my husband and I coordinate vehicles (did I mention we also bought a brand new car 2 weeks ago so that we could at least have 1 4-door vehicle?) there's going to be times when I'm going to want to run out of the house to go get something or go somewhere last minute. But I'm holding out hope that we'll get it to work.

22 weeks and kicking!

A lot has happened since 20 weeks. If you would like to compare and contrast the photos you will see that I am monumentally huger (is that a word?). My mom saw me around 20 weeks so when she saw me yesterday (oh yeah, I'm in Halifax right now) she said "oh you really look pregnant in that tank top". me, "this black tank top?" "yeah" "yeah, it's not the tank top." Yeah, if you look pregnant in a black tank top chances are you're pretty huge.

Also, I finally got to feel the baby! After all that travelling on the plane I finally felt him just before landing in Halifax. I was pushing on my stomach (mostly because I was just really uncomfortable after becing squished in airplane seats and airport chairs for 14 hours) and then I felt like a rolling sensation. Then since then I've felt little pokes here and there off and on during the day. Not exactly kicks, more like someone blowing bubbles in my internal organs. Yeah, you know how that feels. I also have started to feel more pregnant in the fact that it kind of hurts to put my shoes on without sitting down. No more hopping around and bending over at odd angles. It's pulling out a chair time.

Anyway, so it's been an exciting time - except of course that my DH isn't here to experience all this with me :( Lots of time for that though.

Yoga

So I've been going to a prenatal yoga class a few times now and I actually like it quite a bit. A regular yoga class is fine for now as well, but I like to avoid the whole having to tell the instructor about my "condition" that requires me to modify poses the rest of the class can do just fine. As much as I don't want people to think I'm just fat, I also don't want people to see what the pregnant girl is doing.

One thing you notice when you see a group of pregnant people together in the same room, is how different people look. So this has helped ease my anxiety on what I should be looking like and what I will become at each stage of pregnancy. The three girls in the front row were all technically at full-term (between 38 and 40 weeks) and all looked VERY different. One could have been carrying twins (except she wasn't) and another one was so small she could still get away with wearing her old family reunion t-shirt. The other one was somewhere in the middle. And it doesn't seem to matter how big they are to start off with - so I'm not really sure of the science behind it. I guess everyone is just different (the ultrasound lady did mention I have wide hips because the baby can still fit length ways and hasn't had to turn yet - nice that they finally are good for something). But I do really wish I could feel the baby kick. Most people feel it between 18 and 22 weeks. So I still have a week and a bit to be in the "normal" range but it still makes me paranoid. I keep trying to feel it with my hand once in awhile in case that is more sensitive than the inside of my body (which sounds weird, but who knows?). One person told me it feels like a little bird scratching on the inside, and someone else told me it feels like blowing bubbles. The book says the first kicks feel like flutters. None of those things so far, so I will let you know.

Other than yoga I have been taking full advantage of the pool. Been in it almost everyday and it is awesome. Who knew it was a good idea to be pregnant in the middle of summer while living in Arizona?

Burberry I love you

But why do you have to be so expensive???

Ok I'm in love. First we met online, and then when we met in person I fell even deeper. We spent a good 15 minutes together in the store, and then I had to go. So sad.

Any of you ever heard of a pushing present??? No, it doesn't involve drugs. This is a new concept where husbands buy wives a nice gift for "pushing" out the baby. I am a fan of this trend. I tried to "push" the idea of the burberry purse on the DH but so far....he didn't seem that excited about it. Also, he hadn't heard of the pushing present so I probably should have planned out two separate conversations. Anyway, here is the apple of my eye...



I know I know. It's ridiculous to spend that money on a purse. But it's for the baby. And seriously, it goes with everything.

20 weeks

2 new photos for you this week. I had to take one in my new shirt sent to me as a surprise from a friend and the other just for consistency (although the only consistency you'll see is that it's black...not actually the same shirt). But that's what I wore to work today so that's what you get. Also, you get a shot at my new hair cut. But keep in mind it was in a pony tail all day so it can look much better than this.

The last picture is at my party - with my friend who is 6 weeks ahead of me.

Happy birthday to me, it's a....

boy!

As if you didn't know. Had the ultrasound on Friday and everything went really well. It was really cool to see more stuff since the one at 12 weeks. She could even point out that he was drinking and peeing by the liquid (a black spot on the screen) in his stomach and bladder. Yes, he's drinking and peeing out of the same fluid but apparently it's ok and gets recycled every 20 minutes. At one point he turned and looked at us - which was kind of freaky and cool at the same time. We could see my placenta was in a good spot (at the top, and not covering the cervix) and we could see his little feet kicking. At this point he weighs about 9 ounces (not really sure how she determines this) and I have gained about 1 pound total (remember I had some loss followed by gain). By next appointment (at 24 weeks) he'll be 50 percent viable if he were to be born.

So being that it was my birthday weekend and my mom was in town, we did some shopping. At first I was thinking that this would not be too much fun given my state of things at 20 weeks now (whoo hoo - half way through!) but surprisingly so many "normal people" clothing looks just like maternity wear. Seriously. I've been in maternity stores and you cannot tell the difference (with a lot of tops anyway...the elastic band pants kind of give it away) except for the price and less cuteness. I never got around to writing a blog dedicated to maternity wear shopping but I can sum it all up for you here - someone must think people who are pregnant are about 40 years old and want to blend into the background. All of the regular stores that carry maternity wear (i.e., target, kohls, jc penny) have the most plain, boring, and generally age-inappropriate clothing. And I figure I'm at the older end of having a baby. At least in my town (where we actually have the high school with the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. Yes, that's right. We're number one!). I did eventually go to a higher end maternity store (including designs by Heidi Klum) which is much more cute but you pay the price. And all I was willing to pay for was a good pair of jeans, a super soft green tank top, and two tops I can wear to work (one is actually a nursing top although I haven't figured out what makes it good for nursing). Aside from these pieces, I learned that I'm set to shop in regular clothing stores. Shopping with my mom I found some really good finds at Marshalls (some ridculously long tank tops that are guarenteed to last the whole pregnancy) and Nordstrom's rack. So I saved a few bucks and can also feel good about wearing these after the pregancy is over (because really, who will wear maternity clothes when they're not pregnancy even if they do look normal). Now some people have told me that they can't even look at clothes they wore while they were pregnant - maternity or not - but it makes me feel better to buy clothes that I don't think have an expiry tag on them.

My birthday was actually on Sunday - but I had my pool party on Saturday (I did manage to find a cute black maternity bathing suit at Target. A good investment considering I'll be pregnant all summer long and discovered that swimming is great exercise for back pain). It was the exact same party as last year except everyone was sober. So in other words, it was completely different. Still fun mind you (the volley ball game actually stepped up a bit and moved into "keeping score" which was new) but nothing got broken, no one hit on underage girls at the corner store, and no new names for shots were made (Mexican banana cream pie anyone?). Next year, I'll have to put my DH on baby duty because it's just not a party unless someone's keys get put in the toilet or Senor Bob ends up on the bottom of the pool.

I decided to cut off my hair. Not really short but it does feel pretty short to me - you'll see it at my next photo update which is actually today. I like it better straight than curly so I'm imagining my hair will be worn straight a lot this summer but currently it is curly so stay tuned. Thanks to everyone for the birthday cards/wishes!