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!