Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Holy Heartburn Batman

The heartburn started a little this past weekend and hit high gear on Monday. It has been a long three days. Drinking water gives me heartburn. It comes and goes throughout the day, but when it is there it is not fun. Now, this is happening because sweet babygirl is pushing up on my stomach and I have increased hormones again at this stage of the pregnancy. Apparently, it might go away and it might stay till the end...I'll keep you posted.

Babygirl is also much bigger now. She now makes large movements that feel different than before. She is starting to feel like a little baby in there as opposed to kicks and punches. I also just feel heavier these days. M says I get bigger everyday. She also says I am still cute...which is a good thing.

Speaking of M. She has been great with everything. I know that it is hard to be her sometimes. She has a lot of the physical work around here and I know it is tough for her, but she takes it in stride and does great. Additionally, she was great last night when we had to attend a work dinner. She is a great partner and an excellent trophy wife.....cute, funny, charming, and smart -- it was fun to show her off to my peers.

E-

Sunday, February 24, 2008

poked and prodded...and other tidbits

When E and I decided we were ready to pursue having a baby, I agreed to a full physical since she's having the baby. She has been poked and prodded by many doctors and nurses, so it only seemed fair. I had my physical last week. I hadn't been in for a few years and my doctor decided to be pretty thorough. She did the normal checkup, inspected all my girly parts, and declared me fit as a fiddle. Most of my family has high cholesterol, but I came away with 155...my lowest ever. E says it's because I'm happy. I would agree. I think the worst part was that she decided I needed a tetanus shot. (Ouch! I had no idea it would hurt for days.) I also had a mole on the side of my neck that sometimes got irritated and I asked about getting it removed. Silly me, I thought she would refer me to a dermatologist or something. Nope. She seemed quite gleeful to snip it off herself. The actual act of having it taken off did not hurt very much, but putting on and ripping off the bandages has left my sensitive neck skin irritated. It's almost healed now and feels much better.

E is doing great. She's feeling good and looks great. We visited a friend of ours who is in the hospital because she went into preterm labor at 30 weeks. She has maintained a very good attitude and hopes to go home soon after two weeks in her little room. E and I feel very fortunate to be sailing through (it's going sooo fast!) the pregnancy so easily.

We had our first baby shower yesterday. My sister hosted it at our house for my female family members. It was a great time. We played a couple games and mostly just sat around and talked. There were lots of good baby stories. Of course, we also got some very cute clothes and wonderful gifts. It's kind of odd to just sit back and get gifts. We're more used to exchanging presents for holidays or birthdays, but we'll get used to it. ;)

m

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

28 weeks

What's it like to be 28 weeks pregnant? It's still great. I feel good. I passed my glucose test and I am glad I did. I was very nervous about it, but it all turned out fine. I can't walk as fast as I used to prior to pregnancy. I am not waddling yet, but I think I am close. I pee twice a night and on a bad night, three times. I am exhausted by 8pm, but I try and make it till 9pm. My back aches more each day, but nothing that isn't bearable. Babygirl continues to amaze me with her movements and cycles.

M has continued to be great. She rubs my feet or head or back every night, she talks to the babygirl, and she giggles when she feels her kick me. She also shovels mountains of snow and ice on a daily basis. And, of course, she deals with a pregnant woman all the time. I love her.

My mom's visit was very good. We got to talk a ton and she helped us to figure out want we wanted in a variety of areas. She survived a winter storm as well...ice, freezing rain, snow...nasty weather. We are excited to see her again when babygirl arrives.

E-

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Feeling the Baby move

I couldn't sleep the other night because babygirl was moving around. While I was laying there I started thinking about how she feels inside of me. I discovered that she has a variety of movements and I mentally started working on the following list:

1. Tiny rolls: These were the very first movements around 18-19 weeks. I felt them mainly at night when I was reading. They were small, quick and felt like a little ball the size of a ping-pong ball rolling in one spot. Some people call these flutters.

2. Kickboxing: This is when either arms or legs (I can't tell the difference yet)just punch and kick. It is usually on opposite sides of my belly and they can be seen by someone sitting next to you. They literally jump out at you. I have looked down and thought, "damn, did a foot come out that time?"

3. Ballet: This feels like she is rubbing the inside walls of my uterus. It is slow and steady. It can't be felt or seen on the outside. It feels like she is sliding around inside of me.

4. Big rolls: I felt these for a few weeks, but they have gone away. I don't think there is enough room for her to roll in there now. It literally feels like a large ball is rolling inside of you. You can almost see a ripple across the belly when it happened.

5. Slow push: This is when she just gently pushes on the walls of the uterus and they are very sweet because they are so gentle.

6. Earthquake: This is her current favorite move and the inspiration for this post. Babygirl has a tendency to move/jump/turn so quickly that it literary can cause my entire body to move. It feels like she is trying to turn, but something is stopping her and then all of a sudden something happens and the pressure that was built up is released and she jumps and moves at the same time.

7. Mini-Earthquake: Same as the earthquake, but not as intense and usually a little deeper.

Other news:

A. I am totally fine after the car accident. I wasn't even sore the next day. My poor car is not is great shape, but that can be fixed. Thanks for all the kind words and thoughts.

B. My mother is flying into town on Friday and we are super excited. She is coming to visit and to check me out all pregnant. My belly will not disappoint. We can't wait for her get here. And, she has never in her whole life seen the amount of snow she is about to see. I tell her it is like living in a freezer that needs a serious de-frosting.

E-

Monday, February 11, 2008

not our best day

We are on track to break the all-time record for snowfall here. Up until today, it has been at times beautiful and at times (back-breakingly) painful. Today, it just became too much. E was concerned about me driving in my little car on crappy roads, so she insisted on following me. I told her not to, but..... I made it to school just fine, but E got in an accident.

The snow piles are so high at intersections that you can't see over them. A truck didn't see her coming and pulled out in front of her. She had the unenviable choice of hitting the truck or veering off and hoping for the best. She veered off, hit a patch of ice, and slid into a school bus. Fortunately, she and the baby are fine. We went to the doctor and all was well. She did make the right decision in sliding into the bus. Hitting the side of the truck head-on obviously would have been much harder on her and the baby. Her car did not fare as well and is now in the body shop while she drives a rental.

I had just gotten to school when she called me. At first I thought she might be calling to say she made it okay, but the second I heard her voice I knew something was wrong. It took us about 45 minutes of phone tag to determine that she was in the accident and was okay, but couldn't drive her car. I was very anxious to leave school and go get her and I did as soon as I had subs for my classes and work laid out. I feel very fortunate to work with great people who were very understanding and willing to help. I felt a little guilty for missing school, but I think is what sick days are made for.

***

We had a couple hours to make phone calls, etc. before we could get into the doctor's office. I used that time to go to the dentist's office. In the midst of my fun weekend of working on the baby's dresser, I broke one of my molars (eating chocolate candy). The dentist did all the usual numbing and drilling...well, most of it was usual. In the course of drilling my tooth, he slipped and the drill went into my upper lip. I was a fish on a hook. He apologized profusely, saying he had never done that before. Of course, it was almost the only part of my face that wasn't numb. Oh well, my lip's a little sore, but at least I can eat solid food again.

So, a few more inches of snow are on the way tonight and we'll head off to school in the morning. I hope E doesn't scare me again. I can't take it.

m

Sunday, February 10, 2008

weekend project

E thinks I'm nesting. I have been having a great time doing baby projects every weekend. I had an old dresser that was really pretty unattractive; however, with a little elbow grease (and help from dear old dad) it will make a great dresser/changing table. I sanded the dresser, put on a little primer, and painted it. The knobs were from the local big box store and are a perfect fit. My dad is making a frame for the top of the dresser that will hold the changing pad. Here are before and after pictures.

Everything old...




...is new again...






I had a great time...and I can't wait to fill it with BabyGirl's things.

m

Welcome to the 3rd Trimester

We are officially at 27 weeks. In pregnancy math that means we have completed 27 weeks and are working on week 28 and all that means we are in the 3rd trimester. Two down and one to go.

My belly is completely rounding out and it is a little more difficult to move and my feet seem to be moving further and further away, but overall I still feel great. My weight has stabilized and I have hovered around a total gain of about 18 pounds for the last week or so. I have no doubt it will go up again. I have also developed crazy night sweats. I woke up last night dripping with sweat, my tank top was soaked, and I got up to pee (of course) and sweat was dripping down my legs. Nuts. According to Google it is due to hormonal changes and lots of women have them during pregnancy. It reminded me of being on Clomid.

The Chair:

I have been looking for a chair for the nursery since we found out we were pregnant. I am not comfortable at all in the traditional glider with glider ottoman. We have one in our living room and I rarely sit in it. I am almost 5'9" with legs that go on forever so comfy chairs are hard to find. M, as you know, has driven me all over the southern part of our state in search for the perfect rocker/glider/ottoman combination. I counted and we went to over 10 stores and sat in plenty of chairs. Yesterday M sent me out on my own to look for the chair which was a great decision. I found one that I thought was great, but it wasn't at all what I was looking for in the beginning. I came home and took M back to the store to see what she thought.

While we were there picking out the fabric and pricing it, I realized that I hate all gilders. I like to rock - not glide. M said she wished I'd figured this out sooner....oh well...here is the chair that we love and my generous older sister has bought for us..... it rocks, swivels, and you won't believe it -- it's a Lazy-Z-Boy....



Finally, M has an excellent project that she has been working on this weekend. I am sure she will post her pics when she is done. It is super cute and perfect for our sweet BabyGirl.

E-

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Another Snow Day

Yesterday it snowed, again. It snowed 14 inches. It also blew and drifted. School was canceled. M and I shoveled early hoping to cut down on the work. It didn't work. It all just blew shut again. I also over did it, got a lecture about over doing it, and was told not to shovel anymore. Fine. M took on the great challenge of shoveling/snow blowing 12+ inches of snow. I thought she would pass out, she was working so hard. She did a great job and we are officially dug out.

We are 3 inches away from the snowiest winter on record. I can't wait to tell my daughter about the snowiest winter ever, when I was pregnant with her.

I am reading Oprah's book club book, The Pillars of the Earth. It is quite good and I am totally addicted, which is strange because I usually don't like her book choices. However, The Pillars of the Earth is 900+ pages and when I lay in bed it sits on top of my belly bump. Babygirl does not like that at all. She kicks and rolls and makes her feelings known and as she does that she moves the book. The book literally jumps up and down and it is quite difficult to read when it won't be still. Needless to say, I can't read too long.

E-

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

a good day for practice

NOTE: You might find parts of this gross.

As E blogged yesterday, our dog ate a bandage off her leg sometime on Sunday night. Our worst fear was that she would have issues passing the bandage and need some help from the vet. Well, this morning assured us that she wouldn't need any help. She was quite anxious to get going on her walk. She took care of business and I thought it was over.

E went to get a haircut after work, so she wished me well on arriving home to no presents from the pup. Not so. Even sick, our pup is amazing. She always goes to the farthest corner of the basement (which is not finished...concrete floor) when she is sick. I called the vet who said as long as she is acting normal and has normal energy, she could have ground beef and rice and would probably be fine. I made her dinner and headed to the basement to clean up. I got upstairs, mixed her dinner together and walked over to turn on the tv. Of course, she had gotten sick on the carpeting. Arghhh!!! So, I cleaned that up with the little carpet cleaning machine. (The same scenario happened this summer, and when I called E to tell her she laughed so heartily that I almost hung up on her.)

Then, it was back to the kitchen to clean the cleaning machine, clean up the dishes from the dog dinner and super duper cleaning of all the kitchen counters.

So, I guess this is a good day for practice as a mom.

****

E has been a little unlike herself.

Evidence #1:
It's true that she "made" me drive her for over an hour to a small town to look for a chair. When we stopped for lunch, I said I couldn't eat because I was so anxiety-ridden from the white knuckle drive. Let's just say she wasn't happy with me. She has been looking for a swivel/rocker/glider with ottoman for the nursery for months. We didn't find the chair, so we turned around and headed home. The plows and salt trucks had been out and the roads were wet instead of slippery. That was when I decided to stop and eat lunch. I think E was ready to leave me there and drive herself home.

While E has no problem telling me what to do, she is usually quite aware of how I feel and doesn't push too hard. I think baby hormones are changing the landscape for a while.

Evidence #2:
I was getting ready to walk the dog yesterday when E got home and came to wave goodbye to us from the front window. She walked into the room and just looked different. I asked what was up and she said, "I was sad on the way home" and started crying. I asked why and she said, "I don't know" with a smile and tears. While I wanted to comfort her, it was also very funny. She stood there with a silly smile on her face and tears streaming down her face. She rarely cries.

Again, the baby hormones.

***

In other news, we are looking forward to our third snow day of the school year, which is just unheard of. However, I doubt we'll be going tomorrow given that the prediction is for over 10" of snow, the heaviest in the morning.

m

Monday, February 4, 2008

Run Silent, Run Deep

It happened again today. Babygirl gave me a little morning kick when I first woke up and about noon today I realized I hadn't felt her move in hours, which is not normal. I usually feel her on a very regular basis. I try to remain calm and talk myself out of the paranoia. Finally, a few tiny movements and by the time I got home from school she was moving around -- not kicking, just moving. I know that she is perfect and doing great, but I can't help but worry a little. She is now awake and moving and playing with my bladder, but not kicking.

I have a theory about these "quiet" times. I believe they are growth spurts for babygirl. I am usually hungrier than normal and she obviously sleeps more when she is on "run silent, run deep." So, that is my theory.

I love carrying this child. I love taking care of her. I even love worrying about her.

I also have to confess that my sweet love, M, has been wonderful with me. I have been somewhat hormonal lately, and she has been patient and kind. I know that she would prefer to tell me to snap out of it, but she knows I am trying. She even drove me to a small town to look at a chair in the middle of a snow storm. She is amazing and she will be an amazing mother. I am proud to share my life with her.


E-

P.S. Our great puppy has a sore on her right paw. We wrapped it so she wouldn't lick it. She wore the wrap all weekend and wasn't happy about it. This morning we woke up and it was gone. She ate it. The entire wrap. We are hoping it comes out the other end...soon...

Saturday, February 2, 2008

26 Weeks

We are now officially 26 weeks pregnant. Things that I notice:

* Babygirl has cycles of alertness. She will be awake for an hour or two just kicking, playing, feeling, rolling, etc... It is an amazing feeling. At night, I can put the tv clicker on my belly and we can watch it jump around. In the middle of the night when she is really trying out for the kickboxing team, I have M put her hand around my belly so she can enjoy the show. Then, at times, she is silent and I assume asleep and happy.

* All maternity pants suck (sorry mom, I know you hate that word). They all ride either too high or too low. I actually still wear my regular jeans with my bellaband, which means I leave them unzipped, but the bella band holds everything together very snuggly. I wear my bella band almost every single day.

* When I am in maternity shirts I feel cute and pregnant. When I am home in my sweats I just feel large. We went and bought a mens sweatshirt in pink that I now wear at night when I get home. M now calls me "bubblegum."

* I snore now. Well, that is what I am told. This apparently is quite normal, but I am sure it isn't fun for M to listen to me and the dog snore all night.

* I make a lot of grunting noises as I move around. Getting in and out of the car, picking things up, and getting out of bed.

* My feet swell a little bit, but not everyday.

* People no longer just say hi to me, they all check out my belly everyday. It is fun to watch peoples eyes and watch them say hi and then see their eyes go directly to my belly. It is quite cool. I totally understand why people do that. The only people who don't are the ones that I see hourly. My best friend, with whom I work every hour , looked at me on Monday morning and said, "man, you are looking really pregnant....and your boobs are huge..." it's all true.

E-