I've been really active this pregnancy on the BabyCenter.com March 2008 birth board. Back in December "our" first baby was born, and now every time I refresh the page there's a new birth announcement (or two, or five) waiting to be read. Because I'm a sucker for a baby story, I read them all, and I've been stunned at how many women had no idea they were in labor:
"I went in for my prenatal appointment and the doctor said, 'What are you doing here? Go to the hospital, you're at 5cm already and your contractions are 3 minutes apart!' I didn't even realize I was having contractions!"
"I thought they were just more Braxton Hicks, but when I went in for my non-stress test they said I was already at a 6. I couldn't believe it."
It's had me thinking a lot lately, because I don't remember at all what contractions feel like. With Abby, I was doing my hypnobirthing stuff and very comfortable--it's not like I didn't feel them, I felt a LOT, but it wasn't pain, just pressure. But even the memory of what that pressure is like has been completely missing.
Until last night!
4:21 AM. Lying there, wide awake as usual, because 4 AM seems to be my body's get-up-and-party time. I started to feel my belly tighten and thought nothing of it, since I've been having weak contractions on and off since the weekend--until the sensation got stronger and stronger and I realized, "Oh my gosh, an honest-to-goodness makes-you-dilate kind of contraction!" It completely took me back to those seemingly endless last couple weeks of Abby's pregnancy, to sitting in the theater watching Chronicles of Narnia, to the nights I spent sleeping in the recliner because it was the only place I was comfortable, to The Big Night, December 27, when they finally settled into a pattern and we realized at 10PM that this was really It.
Last night I probably had 4 or 5 of these real-thing contractions between 4:21 and 6:30. At my appointment on Tuesday Michelle said the baby was oblique, with its head off to the left of my cervix, and during the contractions the sensation is MUCH more powerful in that area--not sure if it's because the baby's head shouldn't be there, or what. I'm doing everything I can to encourage him/her to shift over a bit, but so far no dice, at least I don't think so. Pray s/he moves soon!
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Yum!
(Fair warning: this post may contain what is considered "too much information" by those of you not that interested in reading about the more intimate details of birth. Read at your own risk.)
So my kitchen smells like Thanksgiving right now. It NEVER smells this good because I don't cook--at least, I don't cook anything that requires me to add seasoning that doesn't come prepackaged. The reason for the delicious smell that is making me more and more hungry with every passing minute is that I am making...here comes the too much information part...crotchcicles! Otherwise knows as sitzbath peri pads to use after the birth. To make them, you steep a handful of uva ursi leaves, yarrow flowers, sage leaf, comfrey leaf and root, garlic, witch hazel leaves, and sea salt (all those leaves and roots and flowers are dried, by the way) in 1.5 quarts of boiled water overnight, then soak heavy duty sanitary pads in them, wrap them in plastic wrap, and freeze them in a bowl (to make them curved). Super soothing to the girly parts after the trauma of birth! I remember reading on one of my parenting forums that a mom there used to bring her newborn into the bath with her, which she doused with this same kind of herbal concoction, and that he spent his first few weeks smelling more like dinner than baby. Now I know why. Not a bad way to smell, lemme tell ya. Though I'm sure I'd end up eating all day long because of it.
So I've been having contractions, both Braxton-Hicks and the real thing (though weak), on and off like crazy all weekend. While we were in Ventura I did a lot more walking than usual--we brought Abby's new trike and pushed her around the neighborhood, which is much easier to do there because Dan's parents don't live on a hill like we do. I think all that walking is what did it. And today I was SO TIRED. I slept with Abby while she took her nap, and she's the one that woke me up after an hour and a half--I could have kept going for who knows how long. I'll have to go back into the archives of this blog to see when I first started feeling real contractions that were worth timing back when I was preggo with Abby. I remember timing them through "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" when Dan and I went to see it in the theater. Tough to do in the dark; I was trying to remember the times in my head because I couldn't see to write them down.
Baby's still bopping around in there. It feels like s/he's pushing on my pubic bone. It actually feels kinda good, I don't know why. We're still stumped for a boy's name. Suggestions?
So my kitchen smells like Thanksgiving right now. It NEVER smells this good because I don't cook--at least, I don't cook anything that requires me to add seasoning that doesn't come prepackaged. The reason for the delicious smell that is making me more and more hungry with every passing minute is that I am making...here comes the too much information part...crotchcicles! Otherwise knows as sitzbath peri pads to use after the birth. To make them, you steep a handful of uva ursi leaves, yarrow flowers, sage leaf, comfrey leaf and root, garlic, witch hazel leaves, and sea salt (all those leaves and roots and flowers are dried, by the way) in 1.5 quarts of boiled water overnight, then soak heavy duty sanitary pads in them, wrap them in plastic wrap, and freeze them in a bowl (to make them curved). Super soothing to the girly parts after the trauma of birth! I remember reading on one of my parenting forums that a mom there used to bring her newborn into the bath with her, which she doused with this same kind of herbal concoction, and that he spent his first few weeks smelling more like dinner than baby. Now I know why. Not a bad way to smell, lemme tell ya. Though I'm sure I'd end up eating all day long because of it.
So I've been having contractions, both Braxton-Hicks and the real thing (though weak), on and off like crazy all weekend. While we were in Ventura I did a lot more walking than usual--we brought Abby's new trike and pushed her around the neighborhood, which is much easier to do there because Dan's parents don't live on a hill like we do. I think all that walking is what did it. And today I was SO TIRED. I slept with Abby while she took her nap, and she's the one that woke me up after an hour and a half--I could have kept going for who knows how long. I'll have to go back into the archives of this blog to see when I first started feeling real contractions that were worth timing back when I was preggo with Abby. I remember timing them through "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" when Dan and I went to see it in the theater. Tough to do in the dark; I was trying to remember the times in my head because I couldn't see to write them down.
Baby's still bopping around in there. It feels like s/he's pushing on my pubic bone. It actually feels kinda good, I don't know why. We're still stumped for a boy's name. Suggestions?
Friday, February 29, 2008
Reality check
We're in Ventura for the weekend visiting Dan's parents one last time before the baby comes. Gary, Dan's dad, is afraid I'm going to pop while we're here. I keep telling him, Nah, no chance...but then again I have noticed a slight increase in mild pressure waves ("contractions" for all you non-hypnobabies folks)...
I brought my pregnancy photos and album when we came up here because Abby always ends up running off with Greena to play dress-up with all Greena's jewelry, and since we're not home I don't have to worry about the dishes in the sink or the messy living room or the laundry that still hasn't been folded from the beginning of the week. So when she pulled Greena off to the bedroom--in about three minutes flat after walking through the door--I pulled out my materials and started to work.
I've had the album and coordinated papers and photos all ready and waiting for ages. It's just been one of those projects that I was afraid to undertake because I thought it would take me hours and hours to complete. I couldn't get the inertia going. But I figured I'd be happy if I could at least get the pages and photos laid out; I could always come back to it to finish the journaling.
But here it is, not even 10 PM on the first day we're here, and the album is complete. Laid out, taped down, journaled and everything. I'm stunned! Why do things always seems like they're going to take longer than they actually do? If I'd known I could whip through it this fast I'd have done it ages ago.
'Course as I was doing the page for week 36, it dawned on me that there was only one pregnancy picture left to be taken--the one from the day I actually go into labor. And then I realized, oh my heavens, in four days I will be 38 weeks along. THIRTY-EIGHT WEEKS. That's officially full term, folks. And then I thought, Oh crap.
Another baby.
Midnight (and 2 AM and 4 AM and 6 AM) feedings.
Sibling rivalry.
Labor.
Actually having a natural birth.
It's this last one that's really getting me. I have no doubt that I'm going to end up with my VBAC, which makes me really happy on the one hand, and completely scares the you-know-what outta me on the other. I know I'm prepared, I know I can do it, but that whole fear-of-the-unknown thing is really starting to get to me.
So I'd like to ask for your prayers. Pray I don't freak out. Pray my hypnobabies practice pays off. Pray nothing happens that necessitates a transfer to the hospital. Pray it's a textbook delivery that takes less than, say, 18 hours. And pray that, between now and then, I'm able to maintain the peace I've felt for the majority of the pregnancy. It would suck to start to lose it now.
I brought my pregnancy photos and album when we came up here because Abby always ends up running off with Greena to play dress-up with all Greena's jewelry, and since we're not home I don't have to worry about the dishes in the sink or the messy living room or the laundry that still hasn't been folded from the beginning of the week. So when she pulled Greena off to the bedroom--in about three minutes flat after walking through the door--I pulled out my materials and started to work.
I've had the album and coordinated papers and photos all ready and waiting for ages. It's just been one of those projects that I was afraid to undertake because I thought it would take me hours and hours to complete. I couldn't get the inertia going. But I figured I'd be happy if I could at least get the pages and photos laid out; I could always come back to it to finish the journaling.
But here it is, not even 10 PM on the first day we're here, and the album is complete. Laid out, taped down, journaled and everything. I'm stunned! Why do things always seems like they're going to take longer than they actually do? If I'd known I could whip through it this fast I'd have done it ages ago.
'Course as I was doing the page for week 36, it dawned on me that there was only one pregnancy picture left to be taken--the one from the day I actually go into labor. And then I realized, oh my heavens, in four days I will be 38 weeks along. THIRTY-EIGHT WEEKS. That's officially full term, folks. And then I thought, Oh crap.
Another baby.
Midnight (and 2 AM and 4 AM and 6 AM) feedings.
Sibling rivalry.
Labor.
Actually having a natural birth.
It's this last one that's really getting me. I have no doubt that I'm going to end up with my VBAC, which makes me really happy on the one hand, and completely scares the you-know-what outta me on the other. I know I'm prepared, I know I can do it, but that whole fear-of-the-unknown thing is really starting to get to me.
So I'd like to ask for your prayers. Pray I don't freak out. Pray my hypnobabies practice pays off. Pray nothing happens that necessitates a transfer to the hospital. Pray it's a textbook delivery that takes less than, say, 18 hours. And pray that, between now and then, I'm able to maintain the peace I've felt for the majority of the pregnancy. It would suck to start to lose it now.
Monday, February 25, 2008
The Home Visit!
Today Michelle the Super Midwife and her trusty sidekick Carly came to the house for our home visit. Sheridan, doula and hypnobabies instructor extrordinaire, was also on hand, as was my wonderful Abby-entertaining mother. I have the best birth team ever!
I almost cried in the middle of the meeting, it was just so cool. Show me an OB who has ever said, "Okay, so tell me what role you'd like me to play in your birth. Tell me what your expectations are, what you'd like the experience to be like. How can we help you have the birth you want to have?" I almost didn't know what to say in response; I wasn't expecting to be the one in charge of everything. I thought Michelle would say, "So here's what we do, here's what to expect once we get here," etc.--and I would have been totally and completely cool with that, because I trust her to do only that which is absolutely necessary and to be pretty hands off otherwise, that's just what her approach is. But to be handed the reins and told that she trusts me to know best what I need was so empowering. It gave me that much more confidence that this birth would be what I wanted it to be.
After I told everyone what I expected of them (which felt really weird, I have to say; I didn't want to sound demanding or bossy or something!), Michelle went over the whole "when to call us" thing, and then we did my prenatal exam, which is pretty low-key--blood pressure, baby's heartbeat (in the 140s), fundal measurement and checking the baby's position. S/he is still head down, thank you God!! S/he flipped to the right side, which is fine, and s/he has really been pushing that little tush and feet out. At one point it looked like something was going to pop right through, a little foot, I'm guessing. Very weird. But I know from experience that, regardless of how eager I am to have him/her in my arms, I'm going to miss the kicks and rolls and stretches inside.
Mom, Dan, Abby, and I went to dinner afterwards, and I was just so jazzed. All I could think about was going into labor. The home visit really made me feel like everything was official, like the baby was cleared to come any time s/he was ready, and I--
--oh hey, contraction, I think!--
kept saying, "I'm just so excited! I can't wait!"
Sheridan loaned me a DVD of a bunch of hypnobabies births to watch. They were SO cool. Hers was on there, too, and it made me cry it was so great. It was really encouraging to see it in practice. I'm going to be getting together with Tina, my hypnobirthing instructor from Abby's birth, to watch a bunch of hypnobirth births, too. Even though the approach is different, the end result is the same: mothers who are ultra-relaxed, births that are calm and peaceful and beautiful to watch. I want to fill my head with as many of these positive birth stories and images as possible.
I have to be honest, though, and admit that I'm getting a little nervous about the whole pushing-the-baby-out part of the birth. Labor doesn't bother me--I've done that already and it went great, and I have no reason to think it won't go great this time around, either. I haven't gone through transformation (hypnobabies-speak for transition) so I'm a bit apprehensive about what that will be like. I know it's really intense for some women, but I think hypno-moms tend to have less dramatic ones because their system is so relaxed. It's just fear of the unknown, really. But the pushing bit is the part that has me a little more nervous. When I make myself analyze what exactly bothers me, I realize that it's just the idea of it, more than any specific facet of the process. And once I remind myself that a bazillion women have done this before me, most of the nerves dissipate, so I just need to focus on that and stop letting the concept of it all overwhelm me.
So tomorrow I'm 37 weeks--we're in the home stretch! We've been talking a little more with Abby about the baby. Michelle suggested not only getting a gift for Abby from the baby, but a gift FROM Abby FOR the baby as well. I mentioned it to her tonight when she commented on the co-sleeper and how it was where the baby would take a nap, and she said, "Present for Mommy, too!" Such a sweetie. :) Anyway, I think I may take her to Target this week and let her pick out something and help her wrap it and everything. Maybe store it in the co-sleeper. As far as what to get Abby, we'd talked about getting her a new baby doll and some baby gear--a stroller, a bassinet, etc.--but never officially decided on that. I need to talk to Dan some more and see if he has any other thoughts. Seeing how much she loves her trains, getting her another GeoTrax set would probably be just as welcome, if not more so. But she does exhibit some great maternal instincts, and I'd love to nurture that.
Tomorrow I go to Burke Williams Day Spa for a maternity milk bath and an EIGHTY MINUTE massage. Just the thought makes me go limp. Yesterday I got my nails done; now I just have to keep them up so they're pretty in the pictures of me holding the new baby. The house gets spring cleaned by Merry Maids on the 5th. Tomorrow the electrician puts in a new ceiling fan in the bedroom, among other things. And then sometime in the next three weeks we'll have a new baby. :)
Me at 36 weeks!
I almost cried in the middle of the meeting, it was just so cool. Show me an OB who has ever said, "Okay, so tell me what role you'd like me to play in your birth. Tell me what your expectations are, what you'd like the experience to be like. How can we help you have the birth you want to have?" I almost didn't know what to say in response; I wasn't expecting to be the one in charge of everything. I thought Michelle would say, "So here's what we do, here's what to expect once we get here," etc.--and I would have been totally and completely cool with that, because I trust her to do only that which is absolutely necessary and to be pretty hands off otherwise, that's just what her approach is. But to be handed the reins and told that she trusts me to know best what I need was so empowering. It gave me that much more confidence that this birth would be what I wanted it to be.
After I told everyone what I expected of them (which felt really weird, I have to say; I didn't want to sound demanding or bossy or something!), Michelle went over the whole "when to call us" thing, and then we did my prenatal exam, which is pretty low-key--blood pressure, baby's heartbeat (in the 140s), fundal measurement and checking the baby's position. S/he is still head down, thank you God!! S/he flipped to the right side, which is fine, and s/he has really been pushing that little tush and feet out. At one point it looked like something was going to pop right through, a little foot, I'm guessing. Very weird. But I know from experience that, regardless of how eager I am to have him/her in my arms, I'm going to miss the kicks and rolls and stretches inside.
Mom, Dan, Abby, and I went to dinner afterwards, and I was just so jazzed. All I could think about was going into labor. The home visit really made me feel like everything was official, like the baby was cleared to come any time s/he was ready, and I--
--oh hey, contraction, I think!--
kept saying, "I'm just so excited! I can't wait!"
Sheridan loaned me a DVD of a bunch of hypnobabies births to watch. They were SO cool. Hers was on there, too, and it made me cry it was so great. It was really encouraging to see it in practice. I'm going to be getting together with Tina, my hypnobirthing instructor from Abby's birth, to watch a bunch of hypnobirth births, too. Even though the approach is different, the end result is the same: mothers who are ultra-relaxed, births that are calm and peaceful and beautiful to watch. I want to fill my head with as many of these positive birth stories and images as possible.
I have to be honest, though, and admit that I'm getting a little nervous about the whole pushing-the-baby-out part of the birth. Labor doesn't bother me--I've done that already and it went great, and I have no reason to think it won't go great this time around, either. I haven't gone through transformation (hypnobabies-speak for transition) so I'm a bit apprehensive about what that will be like. I know it's really intense for some women, but I think hypno-moms tend to have less dramatic ones because their system is so relaxed. It's just fear of the unknown, really. But the pushing bit is the part that has me a little more nervous. When I make myself analyze what exactly bothers me, I realize that it's just the idea of it, more than any specific facet of the process. And once I remind myself that a bazillion women have done this before me, most of the nerves dissipate, so I just need to focus on that and stop letting the concept of it all overwhelm me.
So tomorrow I'm 37 weeks--we're in the home stretch! We've been talking a little more with Abby about the baby. Michelle suggested not only getting a gift for Abby from the baby, but a gift FROM Abby FOR the baby as well. I mentioned it to her tonight when she commented on the co-sleeper and how it was where the baby would take a nap, and she said, "Present for Mommy, too!" Such a sweetie. :) Anyway, I think I may take her to Target this week and let her pick out something and help her wrap it and everything. Maybe store it in the co-sleeper. As far as what to get Abby, we'd talked about getting her a new baby doll and some baby gear--a stroller, a bassinet, etc.--but never officially decided on that. I need to talk to Dan some more and see if he has any other thoughts. Seeing how much she loves her trains, getting her another GeoTrax set would probably be just as welcome, if not more so. But she does exhibit some great maternal instincts, and I'd love to nurture that.
Tomorrow I go to Burke Williams Day Spa for a maternity milk bath and an EIGHTY MINUTE massage. Just the thought makes me go limp. Yesterday I got my nails done; now I just have to keep them up so they're pretty in the pictures of me holding the new baby. The house gets spring cleaned by Merry Maids on the 5th. Tomorrow the electrician puts in a new ceiling fan in the bedroom, among other things. And then sometime in the next three weeks we'll have a new baby. :)
Me at 36 weeks!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
24 hours left to vote!
If you haven't done it yet, get off yer duff and do it: the polls are almost closed for the "Guess the Baby's Stats" contest. Click here to read the hints and then leave a comment with your prediction. Remember there are books to be won! No more guesses will be taken as of Tuesday morning, so do it now!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
35 weeks!
Unbelievable--in one week I will be technically full term! Woohoo!!!
Today I had a midwife appointment. I love Michelle, I really do. She's such a sweet person. And I really loved her today because she assured me that the baby has flipped out of breech and is officially head down and in the "optimal fetal position"! What a huge relief. Though now I'm stressing about keeping the baby that way, since it has yet to descend into the pelvis and could thus flip right around again if its little heart desired. I've been having some very serious talks with it the last couple weeks, so it knows how important it is to stay put, but you know how kids are. Any suggestions for encouraging descent are welcome!
My next appointment with Michelle will actually take place here at the house during the home visit. By then I have to have all my birth stuff purchased and organized. I have most of it, but there are still some random things that we have around the house (receiving blankets, socks for both baby and me, etc.) that need to be rounded up. Once I get everything laid out nicely I'll take a picture so you can see how little is really needed for a home birth!
The one lousy part of my appointment today was weighing myself and discovering I'd gained FIVE POUNDS since my last appointment two weeks ago. Egads. I kept sliding that stupid little weight over the bar thinking, "No, it's not possible, I can't have gained this much." But apparently I did. So that sucks. And it's not like I've been eating like a madwoman or doing nothing but carbs--though I guess maybe I've been a little carb heavy, but not THAT carb heavy! This is the same rate at which I gained weight with Abby. I'm basically at 40 pounds gained right now; I was hoping that would be it for the whole pregnancy. *pout*
My nesting urges have been slowly kicking in, meaning I actually notice when the house is a mess now. SO MUCH HAS TO BE DONE! Everywhere I turn there's another mess, and it's driving me batty. I really need to clean out Abby's closet so we have a place for all the new baby's clothes. I really need to get my office straightened out since that will probably be a sort of "staging" area for birth supplies and such. I really need to get the last wall of the bedroom painted and all the extra furniture moved out so we have room for me and Dan and the doula and Michelle and her assistant(s?). Plus the whole house needs to be picked up so we can get a cleaning service in and a carpet cleaning service in. Can you say 'overwhelmed'?
Today I had a midwife appointment. I love Michelle, I really do. She's such a sweet person. And I really loved her today because she assured me that the baby has flipped out of breech and is officially head down and in the "optimal fetal position"! What a huge relief. Though now I'm stressing about keeping the baby that way, since it has yet to descend into the pelvis and could thus flip right around again if its little heart desired. I've been having some very serious talks with it the last couple weeks, so it knows how important it is to stay put, but you know how kids are. Any suggestions for encouraging descent are welcome!
My next appointment with Michelle will actually take place here at the house during the home visit. By then I have to have all my birth stuff purchased and organized. I have most of it, but there are still some random things that we have around the house (receiving blankets, socks for both baby and me, etc.) that need to be rounded up. Once I get everything laid out nicely I'll take a picture so you can see how little is really needed for a home birth!
The one lousy part of my appointment today was weighing myself and discovering I'd gained FIVE POUNDS since my last appointment two weeks ago. Egads. I kept sliding that stupid little weight over the bar thinking, "No, it's not possible, I can't have gained this much." But apparently I did. So that sucks. And it's not like I've been eating like a madwoman or doing nothing but carbs--though I guess maybe I've been a little carb heavy, but not THAT carb heavy! This is the same rate at which I gained weight with Abby. I'm basically at 40 pounds gained right now; I was hoping that would be it for the whole pregnancy. *pout*
My nesting urges have been slowly kicking in, meaning I actually notice when the house is a mess now. SO MUCH HAS TO BE DONE! Everywhere I turn there's another mess, and it's driving me batty. I really need to clean out Abby's closet so we have a place for all the new baby's clothes. I really need to get my office straightened out since that will probably be a sort of "staging" area for birth supplies and such. I really need to get the last wall of the bedroom painted and all the extra furniture moved out so we have room for me and Dan and the doula and Michelle and her assistant(s?). Plus the whole house needs to be picked up so we can get a cleaning service in and a carpet cleaning service in. Can you say 'overwhelmed'?
Saturday, January 26, 2008
8 months!
Unreal. 32 weeks!
I got my birth kit in the mail the other day. All sorts of stuff in there for me to organize. Seeg as 13 babies have already been born on my BabyCenter March Birth Board, I suppose I should get myself organized sooner rather than later; you never know when baby may decide to come early!
Speaking of the baby coming, all you lurkers need to come out of the closet and post your predictions for the birth!
We're taking inventory of what we still need for this new kid, and really it's not much given we have so much stuff from Abby. ('Course we'll need a lot of clothes if it's a boy!) But one of the things we do need is a diaper bag. We had a duffel-type bag last time, and it was just a giant black hole. No organization whatsoever. Drove me crazy. This time I wanted pockets galore. Well, yesterday I was looking online and found the perfect bag. A million pockets. A sling-like diagonal strap (so much comfier than a backpack when you have narrow shoulders like me). And so freaking durable we'll be able to use it as a get-the-heck-outta-Dodge bag when the country goes to pot and we need to get off the grid to keep our liberties. :) It's the Lunada Gearslinger from Maxpedition, maker of "hard use gear." Military folks use their stuff! We're getting it in OD Green. I'm so pumped. And Dan won't be embarrassed to tote it, either!
I got my birth kit in the mail the other day. All sorts of stuff in there for me to organize. Seeg as 13 babies have already been born on my BabyCenter March Birth Board, I suppose I should get myself organized sooner rather than later; you never know when baby may decide to come early!
Speaking of the baby coming, all you lurkers need to come out of the closet and post your predictions for the birth!
We're taking inventory of what we still need for this new kid, and really it's not much given we have so much stuff from Abby. ('Course we'll need a lot of clothes if it's a boy!) But one of the things we do need is a diaper bag. We had a duffel-type bag last time, and it was just a giant black hole. No organization whatsoever. Drove me crazy. This time I wanted pockets galore. Well, yesterday I was looking online and found the perfect bag. A million pockets. A sling-like diagonal strap (so much comfier than a backpack when you have narrow shoulders like me). And so freaking durable we'll be able to use it as a get-the-heck-outta-Dodge bag when the country goes to pot and we need to get off the grid to keep our liberties. :) It's the Lunada Gearslinger from Maxpedition, maker of "hard use gear." Military folks use their stuff! We're getting it in OD Green. I'm so pumped. And Dan won't be embarrassed to tote it, either!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Absolutely beautiful
Found this video on one of the Gentle Christian Mothers forums. THIS, ladies, is what birth can be like. No, you're not going to see the actual birth, so don't skip the link. She's not naked, either, so don't worry. She's singing the 23rd Psalm--THROUGH TWO STRONG CONTRACTIONS--with her husband accompanying her on the guitar. She has the voice of an angel. It's amazing. Imagine being born with this voice guiding your journey...
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
The Second Morrow Baby Prediction Contest!
**POLLS ARE CLOSED!** Feel free to read and make a mental guess anyway. :)
Today I'm officially 3/4 of the way through the pregnancy--that's thirty weeks, for those of you who are mathematically challenged. I thought this would be a good time to post the clues for the baby prediction contest. For those of you who weren't around when I was pregnant with Abby, here's how it works: Using predictors (mostly old wives tales) thought to tell you if you're having a boy or a girl, you'll decide what you think we're having. Leave your prediction in the comments, INCLUDING your prediction for the day of the birth, the time of day (AM or PM), and the baby's length and weight. Entries will be accepted until week 38 (March 4).
This year the winner gets two prizes! The first is a copy of the excellent first release from Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines. The second is your choice of either of my currently released books OR an "IOU" for my third novel, releasing in 2009. (I know, I know, it's soooo far away. Sorry.)
Alrighty kids, here we go...
1. Alison is carrying Baby Morrow:
a) High (girl)
b) Low (boy)
Answer: Baby Morrow is riding low!!
2. Alison sleeps with her pillow to the:
a) North (boy)
b) South (girl)
Answer: Her pillow is always firmly placed at the south end of the bed.
3. Alison's feet are:
a) Colder than before pregnancy (boy)
b) The same as before (girl)
Answer: Alison's feet are definitely colder. Oddly, my general body temperature doesn't seem to be rising like it did last time!
4. When it comes to bread, Alison:
a) Refuses to eat the end of a loaf (girl)
b) Prefers the end of the loaf (boy)
Answer: Not sure how much this tells us, since Alison always refuses to eat the end, regardless of whether or not she's pregnant!
5. Darling husband Daniel is:
a) Gaining weight right along with Alison (boy)
b) Keeping the scale steady (girl)
Answer: I believe the scale is keeping steady.
6. Alison's mom's hair color when Baby Morrow was conceived was:
a) Gray (girl)
b) Not gray (either naturally or dyed) (girl)
Answer: Mom's quite fond of highlighting her hair, so I think that counts as dyed--although we're not sure what her hair has to do with Alison's pregnancy!
7. Alison had morning sickness early in her pregnancy:
a) Yes (girl)
b) No (boy)
Answer: No morning sickness for Alison--just ravenous hunger! (This was the same way she answered last time, too!)
8. Alison's complexion is looking:
a) Particularly good during pregnancy (boy)
b) Not so good (girl)
Answer: Thankfully pregnancy seems to agree with her when it comes to her complexion.
9. During pregnancy, Alison's chest has:
a) Dramatically changed (girl)
b) Changed very little (boy)
Answer: This time around Alison's belly is the one doing the growing, not her chest--making ome of those maternity tops look a little silly.
10. Alison's age at time of conception: 31
Conception took place in the month of: June
Mother's Age
- # of conception month
Odd number = girl
Even number = boy
Answer: 31 - 6 = 25--odd number! (The same exact number as when pregnant with Abby!)
11. Alison has been craving:
a) Sweets (girl)
b) salty/sour food (boy)
Answer: This hasn't changed much from pre-pregnancy, either--her whole life Alison has been a big fan of sugar!
12. Alison has also been craving:
a) Meat and cheese (boy)
b) Fruit (girl)
Answer: Protein! So that most likely translates to meat and cheese.
13. Alison's nose has:
a) Grown wider (boy)
b) Stayed the same (girl)
Answer: Her nose has stayed the same.
14. Baby Morrow's heart rate is:
a) Above 140 beats per minute (girl)
b) 140 or less (boy)
Answer: The heart rate has been 150 or higher every time!
15. Alison's feelings towards Orange Juice:
a) Doesn't like OJ (boy)
b) Must have OJ every day (girl)
Answer: Alison has never liked OJ, and it hasn't changed since she's been pregnant, either.
16. Alison has been getting headaches:
a) Yes (boy)
b) No (girl)
Answer: Yes, she has--not many, but a few.
17. Alison's belly looks like a:
a) Watermelon (girl)
b) Basketball (boy)
Answer: Basketball! (Such a nice change from the first pregnancy!)
18. If Alison shows someone her hands, she:
a) Shows them palm up (girl)
b) Shows them palm down (boy)
Answer: Palms up.
19: How does Alison pick up a mug?
a) By the handle (boy)
b) By the body of the mug (girl)
Answer: Usually by the handle.
20: Alison is carrying her pregnancy weight:
a) All out front (boy)
b) Around hips and butt (girl)
Answer: All out front, thank heavens. Not that she hasn't added a wee bit o' junk to the trunk, but NOTHING like the last time!
Bonus info: Three different online Chinese Lunar Predictor charts all listed the baby as being a girl.
FINAL SCORE
Girl:10
Boy: 11
And just for the record...
The final score while pregnant with Abby was Girl: 14 and Boy:7, and the Chinese lunar charts all said girl as well.
So, what do you think? Cut and paste this into your comment and add your prediction:
SEX:
DATE OF BIRTH:
TIME OF BIRTH (AM OR PM):
LENGTH:
WEIGHT:
Looking forward to seeing what y'all think!
Today I'm officially 3/4 of the way through the pregnancy--that's thirty weeks, for those of you who are mathematically challenged. I thought this would be a good time to post the clues for the baby prediction contest. For those of you who weren't around when I was pregnant with Abby, here's how it works: Using predictors (mostly old wives tales) thought to tell you if you're having a boy or a girl, you'll decide what you think we're having. Leave your prediction in the comments, INCLUDING your prediction for the day of the birth, the time of day (AM or PM), and the baby's length and weight. Entries will be accepted until week 38 (March 4).
This year the winner gets two prizes! The first is a copy of the excellent first release from Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines. The second is your choice of either of my currently released books OR an "IOU" for my third novel, releasing in 2009. (I know, I know, it's soooo far away. Sorry.)
Alrighty kids, here we go...
1. Alison is carrying Baby Morrow:
a) High (girl)
b) Low (boy)
Answer: Baby Morrow is riding low!!
2. Alison sleeps with her pillow to the:
a) North (boy)
b) South (girl)
Answer: Her pillow is always firmly placed at the south end of the bed.
3. Alison's feet are:
a) Colder than before pregnancy (boy)
b) The same as before (girl)
Answer: Alison's feet are definitely colder. Oddly, my general body temperature doesn't seem to be rising like it did last time!
4. When it comes to bread, Alison:
a) Refuses to eat the end of a loaf (girl)
b) Prefers the end of the loaf (boy)
Answer: Not sure how much this tells us, since Alison always refuses to eat the end, regardless of whether or not she's pregnant!
5. Darling husband Daniel is:
a) Gaining weight right along with Alison (boy)
b) Keeping the scale steady (girl)
Answer: I believe the scale is keeping steady.
6. Alison's mom's hair color when Baby Morrow was conceived was:
a) Gray (girl)
b) Not gray (either naturally or dyed) (girl)
Answer: Mom's quite fond of highlighting her hair, so I think that counts as dyed--although we're not sure what her hair has to do with Alison's pregnancy!
7. Alison had morning sickness early in her pregnancy:
a) Yes (girl)
b) No (boy)
Answer: No morning sickness for Alison--just ravenous hunger! (This was the same way she answered last time, too!)
8. Alison's complexion is looking:
a) Particularly good during pregnancy (boy)
b) Not so good (girl)
Answer: Thankfully pregnancy seems to agree with her when it comes to her complexion.
9. During pregnancy, Alison's chest has:
a) Dramatically changed (girl)
b) Changed very little (boy)
Answer: This time around Alison's belly is the one doing the growing, not her chest--making ome of those maternity tops look a little silly.
10. Alison's age at time of conception: 31
Conception took place in the month of: June
Mother's Age
- # of conception month
Odd number = girl
Even number = boy
Answer: 31 - 6 = 25--odd number! (The same exact number as when pregnant with Abby!)
11. Alison has been craving:
a) Sweets (girl)
b) salty/sour food (boy)
Answer: This hasn't changed much from pre-pregnancy, either--her whole life Alison has been a big fan of sugar!
12. Alison has also been craving:
a) Meat and cheese (boy)
b) Fruit (girl)
Answer: Protein! So that most likely translates to meat and cheese.
13. Alison's nose has:
a) Grown wider (boy)
b) Stayed the same (girl)
Answer: Her nose has stayed the same.
14. Baby Morrow's heart rate is:
a) Above 140 beats per minute (girl)
b) 140 or less (boy)
Answer: The heart rate has been 150 or higher every time!
15. Alison's feelings towards Orange Juice:
a) Doesn't like OJ (boy)
b) Must have OJ every day (girl)
Answer: Alison has never liked OJ, and it hasn't changed since she's been pregnant, either.
16. Alison has been getting headaches:
a) Yes (boy)
b) No (girl)
Answer: Yes, she has--not many, but a few.
17. Alison's belly looks like a:
a) Watermelon (girl)
b) Basketball (boy)
Answer: Basketball! (Such a nice change from the first pregnancy!)
18. If Alison shows someone her hands, she:
a) Shows them palm up (girl)
b) Shows them palm down (boy)
Answer: Palms up.
19: How does Alison pick up a mug?
a) By the handle (boy)
b) By the body of the mug (girl)
Answer: Usually by the handle.
20: Alison is carrying her pregnancy weight:
a) All out front (boy)
b) Around hips and butt (girl)
Answer: All out front, thank heavens. Not that she hasn't added a wee bit o' junk to the trunk, but NOTHING like the last time!
Bonus info: Three different online Chinese Lunar Predictor charts all listed the baby as being a girl.
FINAL SCORE
Girl:10
Boy: 11
And just for the record...
The final score while pregnant with Abby was Girl: 14 and Boy:7, and the Chinese lunar charts all said girl as well.
So, what do you think? Cut and paste this into your comment and add your prediction:
SEX:
DATE OF BIRTH:
TIME OF BIRTH (AM OR PM):
LENGTH:
WEIGHT:
Looking forward to seeing what y'all think!
Saturday, January 05, 2008
29.5 weeks!
Okay, okay, I *totally* fell off the map there for a while. Sorry about that. I'm a lazy blogger, what can I say? :)
I had my second official midwife appointment this past Wednesday and was pleasantly surprised to see I'd only gained 5 pounds since my Dec. 11 appointment. I haven't been weighing myself because someone took the scale out of my bedroom and I never think to go searching for it, so I really had no idea what I was in for. Given all I ate in Maui and over the holidays, I figured the damage would be much worse. Five pounds ain't that bad, though, and it puts me at a solid 30 pounds gained so far. By this time, with Abby, I'd gained 50. Much improved, wouldn't you say?
I continue to love love love Michelle the Super Midwife. She gave me my "30 week" packet of info this week, which included some post-partum instructions. The back page of that particular document had a whole list of Bible verses for moms to pray through if they find themselves struggling with PPD. I thought that was really cool.
The baby *was* head-down, but I don't know that s/he has stayed that way. The movement is so all over the place it's hard to tell, and I'm totally lame when it comes to mapping the baby's location just by feeling around. Not that I'm worried; still plenty of time for the baby to flip!
Oh yeah--we had our 3/4-D ultrasound the day after we got back from Maui. Here are a couple photos:
So what do you think: boy or girl? I'll be launching the much anticipated Guess the Gender And Predict the Birth Stats contest in my next post, so start thinking about your entry!
I had my second official midwife appointment this past Wednesday and was pleasantly surprised to see I'd only gained 5 pounds since my Dec. 11 appointment. I haven't been weighing myself because someone took the scale out of my bedroom and I never think to go searching for it, so I really had no idea what I was in for. Given all I ate in Maui and over the holidays, I figured the damage would be much worse. Five pounds ain't that bad, though, and it puts me at a solid 30 pounds gained so far. By this time, with Abby, I'd gained 50. Much improved, wouldn't you say?
I continue to love love love Michelle the Super Midwife. She gave me my "30 week" packet of info this week, which included some post-partum instructions. The back page of that particular document had a whole list of Bible verses for moms to pray through if they find themselves struggling with PPD. I thought that was really cool.
The baby *was* head-down, but I don't know that s/he has stayed that way. The movement is so all over the place it's hard to tell, and I'm totally lame when it comes to mapping the baby's location just by feeling around. Not that I'm worried; still plenty of time for the baby to flip!
Oh yeah--we had our 3/4-D ultrasound the day after we got back from Maui. Here are a couple photos:
So what do you think: boy or girl? I'll be launching the much anticipated Guess the Gender And Predict the Birth Stats contest in my next post, so start thinking about your entry!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
24 weeks!
Yikes, it's been awhile since I posted. Sorry about that, all three of you who are reading. :)
So yesterday I hit 24 weeks and 20 pounds gained. The holiday season is already killin' me on the weight issue! But I don't care. I'm still way ahead of the game compared to last time.
We have officially decided to hire the midwife, and my first appointment with her is the 11th, the day before we leave for Hawaii. The timing sucks--it takes at least 45 minutes to get there, and the appointment itself is at least an hour long, possibly 1.5 hours, so I'm looking at around 3 hours or more of my day down the drain when I will most certainly have twelve million things to do for the trip. But oh well.
I was at the chiro today getting my butt pummeled. My stupid muscles are SO JACKED UP. Sitting hurts, standing hurts, walking hurts, lying down hurts. Except when it mysteriously doesn't. There's a new prenatal yoga series starting at the new studio in town; I'm going to get some info and see if maybe that helps. What really sucks is that tomorrow Dan and I are taking the entire day to clean out the garage, and I just know I'm going to be of NO help to him whatsoever. I feel so bad. The last time we did a big garage clean I was pregnant and had the same issue. Why do we keep doing this when I'm quasi-paralyzed?!
So yesterday I hit 24 weeks and 20 pounds gained. The holiday season is already killin' me on the weight issue! But I don't care. I'm still way ahead of the game compared to last time.
We have officially decided to hire the midwife, and my first appointment with her is the 11th, the day before we leave for Hawaii. The timing sucks--it takes at least 45 minutes to get there, and the appointment itself is at least an hour long, possibly 1.5 hours, so I'm looking at around 3 hours or more of my day down the drain when I will most certainly have twelve million things to do for the trip. But oh well.
I was at the chiro today getting my butt pummeled. My stupid muscles are SO JACKED UP. Sitting hurts, standing hurts, walking hurts, lying down hurts. Except when it mysteriously doesn't. There's a new prenatal yoga series starting at the new studio in town; I'm going to get some info and see if maybe that helps. What really sucks is that tomorrow Dan and I are taking the entire day to clean out the garage, and I just know I'm going to be of NO help to him whatsoever. I feel so bad. The last time we did a big garage clean I was pregnant and had the same issue. Why do we keep doing this when I'm quasi-paralyzed?!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
It's official!
Well, I made the call yesterday to hire the midwife--we are officially doing a homebirth! I am so excited. The midwife is tremendous--a sweet disposition, obviously extremely knowledgeable and experienced (she's caught six HUNDRED babies!), and a strong Christian to boot. And I started thinking last night about how different it will be do do this at home as opposed to the hospital: how I'll be free to do pretty much whatever I want and not treated like I'm sick, how I won't have to deal with people who don't get the hypnobirthing thing (like the second nurse we had who barged in, turned on the lights, and started rearranging the room while talking a mile a minute and completely ignoring Dan as he tried to clue her in to the kind of environment I wanted to stay focused), and how I won't have to worry about the staff automatically thinking, "Well, she's *trying* for a vbac" as though my chances are slim and they're just humoring me. Michelle (midwife) is confident I can. (In fact, her transfer rate for vbacs is 2 people over the course of the 15 years she's been doing this!) And *I* of course am confident that I can, or else I wouldn't be doing it!
So I chatted with the baby a bit last night and told him/her about our plan and how cool it would be to do this here, and how I really needed him to cooperate. I think s/he was understanding. :)
So now I have the unpleasant task of announcing to my OB that I'm leaving her practice. To say I'm dreading that conversation would be a VAST understatement. Michelle does well woman care as well, so I won't have to go back to Dr. Robinson, like, ever. Which is sad in a lot of ways because, truly, she's a lovely and wonderful woman, and an excellent doctor. But I need to be cool when we talk because I want her to be my backup in the extremely unlikely event that I get transferred. So yeah, that'll be fun: "I don't want you to deliver this baby, really, but I do want to keep you in my back pocket just in case. You're my second choice, really." everyone just loves knowing they're your second choice.
So I chatted with the baby a bit last night and told him/her about our plan and how cool it would be to do this here, and how I really needed him to cooperate. I think s/he was understanding. :)
So now I have the unpleasant task of announcing to my OB that I'm leaving her practice. To say I'm dreading that conversation would be a VAST understatement. Michelle does well woman care as well, so I won't have to go back to Dr. Robinson, like, ever. Which is sad in a lot of ways because, truly, she's a lovely and wonderful woman, and an excellent doctor. But I need to be cool when we talk because I want her to be my backup in the extremely unlikely event that I get transferred. So yeah, that'll be fun: "I don't want you to deliver this baby, really, but I do want to keep you in my back pocket just in case. You're my second choice, really." everyone just loves knowing they're your second choice.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Paradigm Shift
I signed up for my hypnobabies class. Have I talked about that on here yet? Those of you who joined us for our last pregnancy probably remember that I took hypnobirth classes and couldn't stop raving about how awesome they were. They got me through 20 hours of labor PAIN FREE. Well, one of the women in my book club is a certified hypnobabies instructor, which is a different program but still a self-hypnosis program that helps you have a pain-free or nearly pain-free birth. She's giving me a break on the tuition for the classes so I'm taking those this time around, just to add some different tools to my arsenal.
So anyway, I signed up and she sent me the information packet, and on the last sheet she had a list of "cool" OBs and midwives. The midwife thing started me thinking. And y'all know how dangerous that can be.
Anyway, after some mulling, I started to realize a few things:
1. My OB, who told me at my intake appt that I was a great VBAC (vaginal birth after ll be, "Oh, she's *trying* for a VBAC. But she couldn't deliver last time, so..." And then, the minute the birth stops looking textbook, they'll start in with the "Well, you tried, you gave it a good effort, but it looks like you're just not meant to do this." Which is crap. But hey, they have to get that bed cleared so they can get someone else in there. And a c/s means payday for the anesthesiologist, the surgical team, the OB...
3. My c/s last time was unnecessary. There was no distress for either Abby or me. I dilated to 9.5 cm, so it's not like I wasn't progressing. Basically, the doctor and the nurses just didn't know what else to do for me. When things stop going according to plan, their arsenal is pretty much "break water--pitocin--epidural--c/s." No one stopped to say, "Hey, the baby seems to be doing fine, the mom has progressed, there's just *something* keeping the baby up there. Why not try changing her position?" (They had me on my back on the bed the whole time.) "Why not try changing the baby's position?" (Turns out that probably would have worked--the only problem was that she was was tilted at the entrance to the birth canal.) Nope, they just said, "Sorry, you tried, but it ain't working."
Okay, so, mulling over, I found myself pretty depressed. It's not so much that I'm DYING to have a natural birth, so much as it's an issue of me NOT wanting ANOTHER UNNECESSARY major surgery. Especially since I don't get to come home and lie around with a baby--I have to come home and take care of a toddler who isn't going to get why Mommy can't lift her up, plus will probably be a little irritated with this squalling, squirming blob that gets to nurse when she, Abby, doesn't get to anymore. Oh, the issues!
But, there is definitely a great desire to have a natural birth. My body was built by God to do it. It's an experience I very much want to have.
So when I saw the list with midwives on it, I started thinking. Women who birth with midwives have a much lower occurrence of c/s, and far fewer medical interventions. One of the area hospitals has two midwives who work there, one of whom a number of my friends go to and who comes highly recommended. The wheels began to turn.
And then I saw the third midwife name on the list. Next to it was the acronym HBAC. As in "homebirth after cesarean."
Homebirth.
I've never, never considered a homebirth before. But suddenly it seemed to me to be the absolute ideal. The privacy, the freedom, the simplicity--how could I not give this a try?
On November 12 we have a consultation with this midwife, Michelle Freund. She called me yesterday and apologized for not returning my call sooner--she caught three babies in 24 hours over Wednesday and Thursday so she'd been, shall we say, a little preoccupied. She's located in Oceanside, about 40 minutes south of here. I've been emailing Dan with links to various sites that discuss the practical side and safety of homebirthing, and a short discussion today revealed that, while not enthusiastic about the thought, he *is* supportive of it if it's what I really want to do. I think that the meeting with the midwife will clarify a lot for him.
So at this point, I think it's safe to say that my chances of an HBAC are much better than my chances of a hospital VBAC. I don't relish the thought of telling my OB I'm leaving her practice--I'm strongly tempted to just send her a letter--and I'm not expecting any support from my girlfriends, not that they'll be vocally unsupportive, but I will get weird looks and feel like no one realizes that I've actually done research on all this and didn't just wake up one day saying, "Hey, here's an idea, let's just stay home!" But they already think I'm nuts and crunchy, so oh well. It would be nice to have them gush and fawn and emphatically agree that this is how a baby's entrance in the world is supposed to be, but they won't and I'll get over it. I've got enough barely-contained excitement to last me awhile.
So anyway, I signed up and she sent me the information packet, and on the last sheet she had a list of "cool" OBs and midwives. The midwife thing started me thinking. And y'all know how dangerous that can be.
Anyway, after some mulling, I started to realize a few things:
1. My OB, who told me at my intake appt that I was a great VBAC (vaginal birth after ll be, "Oh, she's *trying* for a VBAC. But she couldn't deliver last time, so..." And then, the minute the birth stops looking textbook, they'll start in with the "Well, you tried, you gave it a good effort, but it looks like you're just not meant to do this." Which is crap. But hey, they have to get that bed cleared so they can get someone else in there. And a c/s means payday for the anesthesiologist, the surgical team, the OB...
3. My c/s last time was unnecessary. There was no distress for either Abby or me. I dilated to 9.5 cm, so it's not like I wasn't progressing. Basically, the doctor and the nurses just didn't know what else to do for me. When things stop going according to plan, their arsenal is pretty much "break water--pitocin--epidural--c/s." No one stopped to say, "Hey, the baby seems to be doing fine, the mom has progressed, there's just *something* keeping the baby up there. Why not try changing her position?" (They had me on my back on the bed the whole time.) "Why not try changing the baby's position?" (Turns out that probably would have worked--the only problem was that she was was tilted at the entrance to the birth canal.) Nope, they just said, "Sorry, you tried, but it ain't working."
Okay, so, mulling over, I found myself pretty depressed. It's not so much that I'm DYING to have a natural birth, so much as it's an issue of me NOT wanting ANOTHER UNNECESSARY major surgery. Especially since I don't get to come home and lie around with a baby--I have to come home and take care of a toddler who isn't going to get why Mommy can't lift her up, plus will probably be a little irritated with this squalling, squirming blob that gets to nurse when she, Abby, doesn't get to anymore. Oh, the issues!
But, there is definitely a great desire to have a natural birth. My body was built by God to do it. It's an experience I very much want to have.
So when I saw the list with midwives on it, I started thinking. Women who birth with midwives have a much lower occurrence of c/s, and far fewer medical interventions. One of the area hospitals has two midwives who work there, one of whom a number of my friends go to and who comes highly recommended. The wheels began to turn.
And then I saw the third midwife name on the list. Next to it was the acronym HBAC. As in "homebirth after cesarean."
Homebirth.
I've never, never considered a homebirth before. But suddenly it seemed to me to be the absolute ideal. The privacy, the freedom, the simplicity--how could I not give this a try?
On November 12 we have a consultation with this midwife, Michelle Freund. She called me yesterday and apologized for not returning my call sooner--she caught three babies in 24 hours over Wednesday and Thursday so she'd been, shall we say, a little preoccupied. She's located in Oceanside, about 40 minutes south of here. I've been emailing Dan with links to various sites that discuss the practical side and safety of homebirthing, and a short discussion today revealed that, while not enthusiastic about the thought, he *is* supportive of it if it's what I really want to do. I think that the meeting with the midwife will clarify a lot for him.
So at this point, I think it's safe to say that my chances of an HBAC are much better than my chances of a hospital VBAC. I don't relish the thought of telling my OB I'm leaving her practice--I'm strongly tempted to just send her a letter--and I'm not expecting any support from my girlfriends, not that they'll be vocally unsupportive, but I will get weird looks and feel like no one realizes that I've actually done research on all this and didn't just wake up one day saying, "Hey, here's an idea, let's just stay home!" But they already think I'm nuts and crunchy, so oh well. It would be nice to have them gush and fawn and emphatically agree that this is how a baby's entrance in the world is supposed to be, but they won't and I'll get over it. I've got enough barely-contained excitement to last me awhile.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Week 20--so much news!
Yay! Halfway there! We had our big ultrasound smack on my 20 week "anniversary" and the baby performed splendidly. The tech kept saying, "Beautiful anatomy!" and gushing over how well placed s/he was. The only tiny thing is that one of the waste-removal tubes in one of the kidneys was measuring slightly too big--but the tech said that it fixes itself in 90% of cases. We may get called in for another ultrasound in a month to see how it's doing. We're not stressing, given how slight the anomaly was.
Here are a couple photos of the little bean!
Lovely little head!
Lovely little foot!
Lovely little hand!
My total weight gain so far is 14 pounds--exactly where I should be. :)
Here are a couple photos of the little bean!
Lovely little head!
Lovely little foot!
Lovely little hand!My total weight gain so far is 14 pounds--exactly where I should be. :)
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Week 19
Can't believe we're almost halfway through with this pregnancy! I've only gained 13 pounds, and I'm still feeling really good. And the baby is MOVING! Really rolling and kicking. I love this part! S/he gets really active when I lie down at night in bed, and quite often jumps and jives in the middle of the night.
My ultrasound is next Tuesday at 11:30. Dan's still having headaches, but they've settled into an every other day pattern, so provided he sticks to that (or stops having them altogether) he should be fine that day. He missed Abby's big u/s because of the headaches, so he really, really wants to be at this one.
I kind of feel like I might be getting sick again, but I don't know if it's an actual cold or just a reaction to all the smoke in the air. It's worse today; even with the house all sealed up I could smell it quite strongly when I got up this morning. Abby's nose has been runny, too, and we're all sort of sneezy and congested. Abby's nose was making all sorts of odd noises last night while she was sleeping!
My ultrasound is next Tuesday at 11:30. Dan's still having headaches, but they've settled into an every other day pattern, so provided he sticks to that (or stops having them altogether) he should be fine that day. He missed Abby's big u/s because of the headaches, so he really, really wants to be at this one.
I kind of feel like I might be getting sick again, but I don't know if it's an actual cold or just a reaction to all the smoke in the air. It's worse today; even with the house all sealed up I could smell it quite strongly when I got up this morning. Abby's nose has been runny, too, and we're all sort of sneezy and congested. Abby's nose was making all sorts of odd noises last night while she was sleeping!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
17 weeks and we're having a boy! Maybe!
Okay, so I blimped a bit this week. I've gained a total of 11 now, but that's still not bad, right?! And my boobs TOTALLY exploded in the last 48 hours, so at least one of those pounds has got to be on my chest, and I"m pretty sure that's not affected by food.
Tomorrow is my next appointment!
Let's see, what else. Oh, yes, the boy thing. So here's what happened. I was just about to fall asleep the other night when the baby gave a walloping kick, especially given how I've hardly felt any kicks at all. But this was strong enough to move my hand! And the first thing that came out of my mouth, totally unbidden, was "Wow, that was quite a kick, little guy!" Then I was like, "Did I just say 'little guy'?" And then--and yes, this is weird, I know--it was like a voice in my head said, "Yes, because it's a boy." And then there was this instant bond with the baby, which was just amazing because I've felt so unconnected. So yes, it's totally possible that I'm off my nugget and we're NOT having a boy, but now I'm totally psyche for one. And if I'm wrong, that's okay, too--I'd love to have another girl. I can't lose!
Tomorrow is my next appointment!
Let's see, what else. Oh, yes, the boy thing. So here's what happened. I was just about to fall asleep the other night when the baby gave a walloping kick, especially given how I've hardly felt any kicks at all. But this was strong enough to move my hand! And the first thing that came out of my mouth, totally unbidden, was "Wow, that was quite a kick, little guy!" Then I was like, "Did I just say 'little guy'?" And then--and yes, this is weird, I know--it was like a voice in my head said, "Yes, because it's a boy." And then there was this instant bond with the baby, which was just amazing because I've felt so unconnected. So yes, it's totally possible that I'm off my nugget and we're NOT having a boy, but now I'm totally psyche for one. And if I'm wrong, that's okay, too--I'd love to have another girl. I can't lose!
Friday, October 05, 2007
It moved!
Okay, I'm totally feeling little tiny kicks right now! Woohoo!!!! And yet, it STILL doesn't feel real that I'm pregnant. I swear, the kid's gonna be in my arms before I finally go, "Oh, wow, we're having another baby!"
I hit the 4 month mark on Tuesday, and have still only gained a total of 9 pounds. Let me tell you, I'm over the moon. I was 20 pounds by this point last time. TWENTY POUNDS people. Insanity!!!
Still no "feeling" about whether it's a boy or a girl. Though I did have my first baby dream! I dreamed we went in for the "big" ultrasound, and they gave us the baby right there and then, all swaddled up, but said that it technically hadn't been born yet, we still had 20 weeks to go. I was like, "But I don't want to know the sex until it's actually born; how am I going to live with it for 5 months and not find out?" The tech said, "Well, when it's time to take off the diaper, one of you hold the baby in the air with your eyes closed, and the other person can change the diaper from behind." So then it flashed to Dan and I changing the baby, with him holding it and me staring at its little baby butt trying to figure out how to put the diaper on this way, when it hits me, "All I have to do is peek and I'll see the sex!" Then I said to Dan, "Let's just look!" "No, we waited with Abby, we can wait this time!" he insisted. But his eyes were closed and he couldn't see what I was doing, so I peeked--and it was a girl! And then I felt so bad because I knew there was no way I could admit I'd looked, but I knew he'd be so happy to know it was another girl, and I just sat there with the diaper in my hand, feeling horribly guilty. And then I woke up.
Ooooooooooookay.
I hit the 4 month mark on Tuesday, and have still only gained a total of 9 pounds. Let me tell you, I'm over the moon. I was 20 pounds by this point last time. TWENTY POUNDS people. Insanity!!!
Still no "feeling" about whether it's a boy or a girl. Though I did have my first baby dream! I dreamed we went in for the "big" ultrasound, and they gave us the baby right there and then, all swaddled up, but said that it technically hadn't been born yet, we still had 20 weeks to go. I was like, "But I don't want to know the sex until it's actually born; how am I going to live with it for 5 months and not find out?" The tech said, "Well, when it's time to take off the diaper, one of you hold the baby in the air with your eyes closed, and the other person can change the diaper from behind." So then it flashed to Dan and I changing the baby, with him holding it and me staring at its little baby butt trying to figure out how to put the diaper on this way, when it hits me, "All I have to do is peek and I'll see the sex!" Then I said to Dan, "Let's just look!" "No, we waited with Abby, we can wait this time!" he insisted. But his eyes were closed and he couldn't see what I was doing, so I peeked--and it was a girl! And then I felt so bad because I knew there was no way I could admit I'd looked, but I knew he'd be so happy to know it was another girl, and I just sat there with the diaper in my hand, feeling horribly guilty. And then I woke up.
Ooooooooooookay.
Friday, September 21, 2007
From panic to bliss in 3 minutes flat.
I FINALLY had a prenatal appointment yesterday. It feels like forever since I'd been in for one, and in reality it had only been, like, 5 weeks. But lately I've been feeling so NOT pregnant that I'd been counting the hours until I could hear the heartbeat.
And then the doctor couldn't find it.
She's all calm, shoving the little doppler thingie around and explaining the sounds we're hearing, though all I'm thinking is "Yes, but it's NOT THE HEARTBEAT." Finally after a couple minutes she says, "Well, I think we ought to try an ultrasound."
*Panic*
See, in the past, getting an ultrasound has meant getting a script from her, and then either making an appointment (as though there's any way I'm going to mentally last another 24 hours, much less 2 or 3 or 4 days depending on how busy the ultrasound office is) or going to the ER and weathering THAT environment for however long it takes for someone to spare five minutes to check you out. But then she said she'd finally gotten an ultrasound machine, so we could just hop over to the other room and take a look-see. Hallelujah! And what did we see?
A head, a spine, a hand, two thigh bones, and a heart beating around 140! Now obviously those aren't the only bits and pieces the kid has so far, it's just that, given its position (which was squished up to the top of the uterus, which is why Dr. Robinson couldn't find it) things were a little hard to see. Plus, at 14 weeks, the baby is just a wee thing of 3 or 4 inches, so it's hard to see much else anyway. But it kicked and squirmed away from the pressure of the ultrasound thingie, and we just sat and looked at the heart doing its thing for a few minutes. Lovely.
So I went from not only total panic but also from a sense of disconnect from this pregnancy to feeling very much the expectant mom again. Dan and I talked on the way home about how neither of us has much of a sense of what the sex might be, whereas the first time around we had such definite (and right on!) impressions, but I wonder if, now that I've seen it, I'll start to bond more. Regardless, I'm just relieved to know that all is well. :)
And then the doctor couldn't find it.
She's all calm, shoving the little doppler thingie around and explaining the sounds we're hearing, though all I'm thinking is "Yes, but it's NOT THE HEARTBEAT." Finally after a couple minutes she says, "Well, I think we ought to try an ultrasound."
*Panic*
See, in the past, getting an ultrasound has meant getting a script from her, and then either making an appointment (as though there's any way I'm going to mentally last another 24 hours, much less 2 or 3 or 4 days depending on how busy the ultrasound office is) or going to the ER and weathering THAT environment for however long it takes for someone to spare five minutes to check you out. But then she said she'd finally gotten an ultrasound machine, so we could just hop over to the other room and take a look-see. Hallelujah! And what did we see?
A head, a spine, a hand, two thigh bones, and a heart beating around 140! Now obviously those aren't the only bits and pieces the kid has so far, it's just that, given its position (which was squished up to the top of the uterus, which is why Dr. Robinson couldn't find it) things were a little hard to see. Plus, at 14 weeks, the baby is just a wee thing of 3 or 4 inches, so it's hard to see much else anyway. But it kicked and squirmed away from the pressure of the ultrasound thingie, and we just sat and looked at the heart doing its thing for a few minutes. Lovely.
So I went from not only total panic but also from a sense of disconnect from this pregnancy to feeling very much the expectant mom again. Dan and I talked on the way home about how neither of us has much of a sense of what the sex might be, whereas the first time around we had such definite (and right on!) impressions, but I wonder if, now that I've seen it, I'll start to bond more. Regardless, I'm just relieved to know that all is well. :)
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Week 14!
Well, I was a little late checking my weight for this month because we were up in Ventura visiting Dan's parents, but this morning I checked and I'm still only 7 pounds up! Unbelievable! I *knew* my last weigh-in was a fluke. Though I would not have been surprised to find I'd gained 2 or 3 pounds this week, given the way I've been eating (an entire order of Papap John's cheese sticks, anyone?)
On the way back from Ventura yesterday we stopped at the Camarillo Outlet Mall because they have a Maternity Works there. When I dragged out my stuff before the trip to get out some long-sleeved stuff (it's in the 60's up there, though we're getting there here, too! Yay for autumn!) I realized a great chunk of it is missing. I honestly have no idea where it all is. Upon further rumination it struck me that the clothes in the bags I'd been digging through were the things I'd been wearing in the months after Abby was born; I think that a lot of it got boxed/bagged before she even arrived because much of it was warm weather stuff and much of it I simply outgrew because I was a giant honking blimp. But given the current state of our garage there is NO way I'm going to find those things until we completely clean, which we hope to do soon, but until then I am woefully unprepared, clothing-wise. But the great thing about the outlet store, especially when it's having a giant sale, is that you can get a decent amount of stuff for a little over a hundred bucks. Which is what I did. Cute stuff, too; I think I'll be better dressed while pregnant than when not!
On the way back from Ventura yesterday we stopped at the Camarillo Outlet Mall because they have a Maternity Works there. When I dragged out my stuff before the trip to get out some long-sleeved stuff (it's in the 60's up there, though we're getting there here, too! Yay for autumn!) I realized a great chunk of it is missing. I honestly have no idea where it all is. Upon further rumination it struck me that the clothes in the bags I'd been digging through were the things I'd been wearing in the months after Abby was born; I think that a lot of it got boxed/bagged before she even arrived because much of it was warm weather stuff and much of it I simply outgrew because I was a giant honking blimp. But given the current state of our garage there is NO way I'm going to find those things until we completely clean, which we hope to do soon, but until then I am woefully unprepared, clothing-wise. But the great thing about the outlet store, especially when it's having a giant sale, is that you can get a decent amount of stuff for a little over a hundred bucks. Which is what I did. Cute stuff, too; I think I'll be better dressed while pregnant than when not!
Saturday, September 08, 2007
One down, two to go
I'm a little late posting this, but as of Tuesday I am officially done with my first trimester! Woohoo! It's about time. Man, that went slow.
My total first trimester weight gain was seven pounds. That's it!!! I'm stunned, and totally stoked. Heck, even if I gain 10--or, heaven forbid, 15--for the next two trimesters, I'll be in SUCH good shape. What a relief.
I did a prenatal yoga workout the other day. I bought a DVD off Amazon called "The Divine Mother." It sounds totally cheesy, but it was actually really good. The woman that leads it is 36 week pregnant, and she's joined by two other women who were, like, 17 months and 20-something months. Anna, the lead woman, narrates over the video of them doing the exercises, rather that speaking while doing them, and she has a beautiful, calming voice. She'd be great for reading hypnobirth scripts! The relaxation parts were sooo lovely, but the workout parts totally kicked my hiney! I did it two nights ago and I was more sore this morning than I was yesterday, but still not as sore as I expected to be, so that's encouraging. My chiropractor has also written me a script for physical therapist-led pilates, which I hope to start soon. I just have to find out how much my insurance is going to cover. Hopefully between that and the yoga I won't have the muscle issues I had last time. Though today I really started feeling the ligament pain that crippled me 3rd trimester last time--that's WAY earlier than it was last time, and that's a little discouraging to think I'll have to deal with it for so much longer this time. This is one of the reasons we got adjustable beds, however: so that, when I'm pregnant and start having the ligament issues that relegated me to the recliner for the last month back in 2005, I'd be able to stay in our bed. We just have to shift Abby over towards Dan's side and get her used to sleeping there instead of between me and the bed rail, which I have to remove to adjust the bed.
So I've been giving myself a little cereal treat every Tuesday night to celebrate another week down. I bought one of thoe 8-box variety packs that had, like, Cocoa Puffs and Golden Grahams and Cheerios and--the box I'm saving for last--Lucky Charms. It's been perfect, really; it gives me something to look forward to, satisfies my sweet tooth for the night, and helps me to curb my cereal craving for the whole week. What a change from my 2-bulk-boxes-a-week addiction when I was preggo with Abby!
My total first trimester weight gain was seven pounds. That's it!!! I'm stunned, and totally stoked. Heck, even if I gain 10--or, heaven forbid, 15--for the next two trimesters, I'll be in SUCH good shape. What a relief.
I did a prenatal yoga workout the other day. I bought a DVD off Amazon called "The Divine Mother." It sounds totally cheesy, but it was actually really good. The woman that leads it is 36 week pregnant, and she's joined by two other women who were, like, 17 months and 20-something months. Anna, the lead woman, narrates over the video of them doing the exercises, rather that speaking while doing them, and she has a beautiful, calming voice. She'd be great for reading hypnobirth scripts! The relaxation parts were sooo lovely, but the workout parts totally kicked my hiney! I did it two nights ago and I was more sore this morning than I was yesterday, but still not as sore as I expected to be, so that's encouraging. My chiropractor has also written me a script for physical therapist-led pilates, which I hope to start soon. I just have to find out how much my insurance is going to cover. Hopefully between that and the yoga I won't have the muscle issues I had last time. Though today I really started feeling the ligament pain that crippled me 3rd trimester last time--that's WAY earlier than it was last time, and that's a little discouraging to think I'll have to deal with it for so much longer this time. This is one of the reasons we got adjustable beds, however: so that, when I'm pregnant and start having the ligament issues that relegated me to the recliner for the last month back in 2005, I'd be able to stay in our bed. We just have to shift Abby over towards Dan's side and get her used to sleeping there instead of between me and the bed rail, which I have to remove to adjust the bed.
So I've been giving myself a little cereal treat every Tuesday night to celebrate another week down. I bought one of thoe 8-box variety packs that had, like, Cocoa Puffs and Golden Grahams and Cheerios and--the box I'm saving for last--Lucky Charms. It's been perfect, really; it gives me something to look forward to, satisfies my sweet tooth for the night, and helps me to curb my cereal craving for the whole week. What a change from my 2-bulk-boxes-a-week addiction when I was preggo with Abby!
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