I don't know where this week has gone. Work actually picked up, we are packing for our move in 2 weeks, and meanwhile the kicking and movement inside me has gained momentum. The books lie when they say you may feel less!!
Add to this visitors last week for a shower (my son is so spoiled already!) and I'm trying to get back to a "normal" routine for meals again.
This is what happens when hermits have contact with the outside world.
So, never fear, there will be more to my alphabet posts, and of course pictures of the cat if the sun comes back as he has taken to sunning himself when not peeping at the people walking by - which is a whole post on its own.
We have a little less than 9 weeks to go on this journey of ours if someone keeps to his schedule and it's coming fast...
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
N is for Nasal Issues
My nasal issues have been the one pregnancy symptom I can honestly say I've had almost from the beginning.
Not so much the bloody noses. There's been 1 real case of that, and it was over before I knew it had happened.
No, we are talking about not being able to breathe. And waking up wondering if the baby is getting enough oxygen with my nostrils feeling as if they were stuck shut. Meanwhile, they are completely dry - just feeling shut.
I've taken to drinking a large mug of herbal tea each morning. Not only does it help with my daily water allotment, but I get the added benefits of warm steam helping to relax things. Between that and a hot shower, I feel human until the next morning.
This has got to be the oddest symptom of all. I get that things are swelling and blood flow has been increasing, but what does this have to do with my nasal passages?
And is the baby still getting enough oxygen?!?!?!?!
Not so much the bloody noses. There's been 1 real case of that, and it was over before I knew it had happened.
No, we are talking about not being able to breathe. And waking up wondering if the baby is getting enough oxygen with my nostrils feeling as if they were stuck shut. Meanwhile, they are completely dry - just feeling shut.
I've taken to drinking a large mug of herbal tea each morning. Not only does it help with my daily water allotment, but I get the added benefits of warm steam helping to relax things. Between that and a hot shower, I feel human until the next morning.
This has got to be the oddest symptom of all. I get that things are swelling and blood flow has been increasing, but what does this have to do with my nasal passages?
And is the baby still getting enough oxygen?!?!?!?!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
M is for Maternity Leave
While living in CA, I knew that I had time before and after the birth thanks to state paid disability and then my company's plan on top of it. I had always looked forward to taking every last minute they would pay me to stay home and take in the new baby smell and tiny feet.
Things are different on this side of the USA.
There is no state paid disability. And my company's plan only allows for 6 weeks, with no extra clause for c-sections.
Can you feel my frustration?
The biggest advantage I have is working from a home office. I can get up, be with him, feed him, and keep working without it impacting too much.
I called the short term disability people and they confirmed that if the doctor says I need to extend my leave they will do it and continue to send us checks. So, at least if I need it for whatever reason I know it's there.
But still.
6 weeks.
This is one of the rare moments where I am thinking having the baby in CA would have been better...
Things are different on this side of the USA.
There is no state paid disability. And my company's plan only allows for 6 weeks, with no extra clause for c-sections.
Can you feel my frustration?
The biggest advantage I have is working from a home office. I can get up, be with him, feed him, and keep working without it impacting too much.
I called the short term disability people and they confirmed that if the doctor says I need to extend my leave they will do it and continue to send us checks. So, at least if I need it for whatever reason I know it's there.
But still.
6 weeks.
This is one of the rare moments where I am thinking having the baby in CA would have been better...
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
L is for Laughter
Even after 6 years of knowing one another, we still laugh daily.
Whether it's at jokes we tell, television we watch or quote, or just at each other and our foibles, we laugh. A lot.
I remember after high school that one of my closest friends kept in touch with some others I had known, though not as well. One of them married shortly after graduating, and soon had a baby boy. My friend was always telling me about how she was so happy to be pregnant, was always smiling and laughing, enjoying every moment.
And her son was born smiling and laughing.
I don't know for certain how much of anything the baby is absorbing. But if our actions now are molding how he will come into the world, how he will see it, and how he will deal with things, then I think we are doing it right.
We are both so happy to be starting a family, and I hope that he knows that.
For now, we will continue doing what we have been doing: enjoying the changes, loving each other, and laughing our way through life together.
Cause you can never have enough laughter in your life.
Whether it's at jokes we tell, television we watch or quote, or just at each other and our foibles, we laugh. A lot.
I remember after high school that one of my closest friends kept in touch with some others I had known, though not as well. One of them married shortly after graduating, and soon had a baby boy. My friend was always telling me about how she was so happy to be pregnant, was always smiling and laughing, enjoying every moment.
And her son was born smiling and laughing.
I don't know for certain how much of anything the baby is absorbing. But if our actions now are molding how he will come into the world, how he will see it, and how he will deal with things, then I think we are doing it right.
We are both so happy to be starting a family, and I hope that he knows that.
For now, we will continue doing what we have been doing: enjoying the changes, loving each other, and laughing our way through life together.
Cause you can never have enough laughter in your life.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
K is for Kegels
I remember being in my late teens / early twenties and reading about doing your Kegels in a Cosmo magazine.
Did I do them?
Yes. It was one of those things that no one ever knew you were doing, and while working in a theme park and standing around it was something to do.
Yes, I am weird.
Now the pregnancy books and apps on my iPhone are constantly mentioning doing this. That it will help with incontinence. And labor. Let's not forget that.
I still find myself doing my exercises while working, but no with the regularity or intensity recommended. In fact, if we were being graded on attendance and performance I'd be failing and looking at making it up in summer school.
Joy.
Now that the c-section talk has been had with the Colonel, I am starting to wonder if I lucked out or if I am being punished for not doing my exercises each day. That whole universe calling the shots thing is what I really do believe in most of the time, so maybe that's it. That's why I didn't do them!
But just in case, I will be working on strengthening muscles while I can so recovery later will be easier.
Especially since SOMEONE has discovered my bladder....
Did I do them?
Yes. It was one of those things that no one ever knew you were doing, and while working in a theme park and standing around it was something to do.
Yes, I am weird.
Now the pregnancy books and apps on my iPhone are constantly mentioning doing this. That it will help with incontinence. And labor. Let's not forget that.
I still find myself doing my exercises while working, but no with the regularity or intensity recommended. In fact, if we were being graded on attendance and performance I'd be failing and looking at making it up in summer school.
Joy.
Now that the c-section talk has been had with the Colonel, I am starting to wonder if I lucked out or if I am being punished for not doing my exercises each day. That whole universe calling the shots thing is what I really do believe in most of the time, so maybe that's it. That's why I didn't do them!
But just in case, I will be working on strengthening muscles while I can so recovery later will be easier.
Especially since SOMEONE has discovered my bladder....
Monday, March 14, 2011
A Year Ago
It's been a year since I saw most of my friends gathered together in one place.
They sang Happy Birthday to me.
Then serenaded me with the Beatles version on Rock Band - while stinking drunk.
I miss them all so much, but I look at the life we've carved out so far and I don't regret the decision to leave.
Life here is so much different, is about to be even more of a challenge with the addition of our son. My family here has never once made me feel like an outsider, and has included us both in every gathering and piece of news.
So today I am 37 and almost 29 weeks pregnant. I've told A that I wanted nothing but a night off from cooking as our focus is on moving to a new apartment in 1 month and preparing for a baby the month after that.
I can honestly say I am content with where my life has taken me so far, and while I miss my mom, brother, sister, and all 3 nieces, this was what we needed to start our lives together.
Now to see where the next year takes us...
They sang Happy Birthday to me.
Then serenaded me with the Beatles version on Rock Band - while stinking drunk.
I miss them all so much, but I look at the life we've carved out so far and I don't regret the decision to leave.
Life here is so much different, is about to be even more of a challenge with the addition of our son. My family here has never once made me feel like an outsider, and has included us both in every gathering and piece of news.
So today I am 37 and almost 29 weeks pregnant. I've told A that I wanted nothing but a night off from cooking as our focus is on moving to a new apartment in 1 month and preparing for a baby the month after that.
I can honestly say I am content with where my life has taken me so far, and while I miss my mom, brother, sister, and all 3 nieces, this was what we needed to start our lives together.
Now to see where the next year takes us...
Friday, March 11, 2011
J is for Jumping Jacks
Before you wonder what kind of exercise I am doing, please don't fear. I walk when I need to, do things around the house, but otherwise take it easy.
Yes, I still worry that overdoing things will hurt the baby. This is paranoia of the oddest kind.
I've babysat kids and helped raise nieces, so once he's born I will be fine. It's this growing of a new person inside that makes me anxious about certain activities.
But while I'm not active, my son has decided that he needs to be in shape for his first marathon this Fall.
I joke about him having Restless Leg Syndrome, but mainly it's because I really never expected the type of movement I feel. And while I've been proud of his thoughtful quiet time at night, that ended recently as well. The jumping was happening every time I woke to make a bathroom run, and when the cat decided that I shouldn't be in bed past 7 on Saturday, the baby seemed to agree.
The Colonel has said that this is a sign of healthy baby, and so I encourage the jumping. I've also taken to sitting next to A on the couch, with one of his hands on my bump, so he feels what I feel. The reactions have gone from uncomfortable over the strange thing inside me to laughing about what it must be doing to my organs.
The best one: The cat insisted on laying on me in the middle of a kicking session and got to feel it as well. That face he made was the most classic thing ever, and almost had me peeing my pants....
Yes, I still worry that overdoing things will hurt the baby. This is paranoia of the oddest kind.
I've babysat kids and helped raise nieces, so once he's born I will be fine. It's this growing of a new person inside that makes me anxious about certain activities.
But while I'm not active, my son has decided that he needs to be in shape for his first marathon this Fall.
I joke about him having Restless Leg Syndrome, but mainly it's because I really never expected the type of movement I feel. And while I've been proud of his thoughtful quiet time at night, that ended recently as well. The jumping was happening every time I woke to make a bathroom run, and when the cat decided that I shouldn't be in bed past 7 on Saturday, the baby seemed to agree.
The Colonel has said that this is a sign of healthy baby, and so I encourage the jumping. I've also taken to sitting next to A on the couch, with one of his hands on my bump, so he feels what I feel. The reactions have gone from uncomfortable over the strange thing inside me to laughing about what it must be doing to my organs.
The best one: The cat insisted on laying on me in the middle of a kicking session and got to feel it as well. That face he made was the most classic thing ever, and almost had me peeing my pants....
Thursday, March 10, 2011
28 Week Ultrasound
Yesterday we once again went to the ultrasound office and saw our baby boy.
I love to see him moving. It honestly makes my day. Plus the techs and doctors there recognize us, so it's easy to talk and laugh while everything is happening.
What I don't like is this stubborn streak that appears to not be letting up.
We have had every anatomy part cleared as normal except his nose and mouth. Every.single.time. they swing the wand anywhere near where his face is, he either lifts his hand up to cover it all or he happens to have his hand IN his mouth, blocking it.
Add the umbilical cord falling in the way, and the doctor had to laugh.
We'll be going back in 4 weeks to try again, and hoping that with the limited room he will be forced to show us what we are looking for. But they all agreed that this child will find a way to make life difficult.
What did we learn for certain today?
His stats put him in the 93rd percentile for growth. While I am 28 weeks as of the appointment, he is measuring 30 weeks, weighing in at 3 1/2 lbs so far. The Colonel mentioned c-section last week, and at this point I think we will be heading that route. But I plan to hold solid to him staying put until at least 37 weeks if not longer. If we aren't in danger, there is no evidence of my body starting labor on its own, and things are good, then I don't see the need to pull him out a second earlier than necessary.
Now if I can just make sure the Colonel completely agrees with me we'll be all set!
I love to see him moving. It honestly makes my day. Plus the techs and doctors there recognize us, so it's easy to talk and laugh while everything is happening.
What I don't like is this stubborn streak that appears to not be letting up.
We have had every anatomy part cleared as normal except his nose and mouth. Every.single.time. they swing the wand anywhere near where his face is, he either lifts his hand up to cover it all or he happens to have his hand IN his mouth, blocking it.
Add the umbilical cord falling in the way, and the doctor had to laugh.
We'll be going back in 4 weeks to try again, and hoping that with the limited room he will be forced to show us what we are looking for. But they all agreed that this child will find a way to make life difficult.
What did we learn for certain today?
His stats put him in the 93rd percentile for growth. While I am 28 weeks as of the appointment, he is measuring 30 weeks, weighing in at 3 1/2 lbs so far. The Colonel mentioned c-section last week, and at this point I think we will be heading that route. But I plan to hold solid to him staying put until at least 37 weeks if not longer. If we aren't in danger, there is no evidence of my body starting labor on its own, and things are good, then I don't see the need to pull him out a second earlier than necessary.
Now if I can just make sure the Colonel completely agrees with me we'll be all set!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
I is for Inoculations
How is that for a big word, huh?
Since the moment we met the Colonel we have been asked about our shots.
By some luck, A had all his updated at the time of his physical back in May of 2009. My physical in August, which happened 3 weeks before my last cycle began, had me updated with everything. And thanks for flu shots in November, we have made it through the Winter without any problems.
No flu. No colds. Nada. Nothing. Zilch.
Of course it has helped that we don't go out. Neither of us likes crowds, and were on a budget for the holidays, so there was no worries of contamination by being among throngs of people.
I know this ends soon. Children get sick, it happens, and our chances of avoiding anything he may catch are pretty small. But we did have discussions about his shots and there will be needles in his future.
We both were subjected to that, and we managed okay. We've also both played outdoors in dirt as small kids, and I think it has added to the strength our bodies have had to fight things off as we grew.
For now, I'm enjoying a few more months of living with only the threat of allergies. And trying to remember to stock up on supplies for this Winter and what we know to expect...
Since the moment we met the Colonel we have been asked about our shots.
By some luck, A had all his updated at the time of his physical back in May of 2009. My physical in August, which happened 3 weeks before my last cycle began, had me updated with everything. And thanks for flu shots in November, we have made it through the Winter without any problems.
No flu. No colds. Nada. Nothing. Zilch.
Of course it has helped that we don't go out. Neither of us likes crowds, and were on a budget for the holidays, so there was no worries of contamination by being among throngs of people.
I know this ends soon. Children get sick, it happens, and our chances of avoiding anything he may catch are pretty small. But we did have discussions about his shots and there will be needles in his future.
We both were subjected to that, and we managed okay. We've also both played outdoors in dirt as small kids, and I think it has added to the strength our bodies have had to fight things off as we grew.
For now, I'm enjoying a few more months of living with only the threat of allergies. And trying to remember to stock up on supplies for this Winter and what we know to expect...
Monday, March 7, 2011
H is for Hair
Between Shadow, A, and myself I am seriously surprised we haven't killed the vacuum a few times over the years.
We all shed. And shed and shed and shed.
I remember when the pregnancy books first mentioned the potential of growing hair and nails faster at the beginning of the pregnancy. They also mentioned that some women may not have this happen, and when it didn't last Fall I was pretty happy.
I keep my fingernails trimmed in order to be able to use the laptop keyboard with low errors. And my hair was trimmed in early October, in honest anticipation of growth.
But neither grew, and the shedding continued as before.
Until about 2 weeks ago.
Apparently, the norm is that pregnant women have fuller hair because of a change that stops the hair loss. Again, not something that everyone may experience, but I am actually enjoying it right now.
There isn't as much to sweep up, it's obvious on our light carpeting that there isn't a small hair animal growing, and we haven't had to seriously invest in Drano for some time. With my hair having a natural curl, I actually like how full it is all looking.
Of course this condition normally reverses itself about 3 months after the birth. Which means that I will be getting haircut in May, as close to delivery date as possible, so that I'm not dropping hairs on my son and he doesn't have a wad of it wrapped around his little fingers everyday.
Another thing to add to the list of things to do before delivery...
We all shed. And shed and shed and shed.
I remember when the pregnancy books first mentioned the potential of growing hair and nails faster at the beginning of the pregnancy. They also mentioned that some women may not have this happen, and when it didn't last Fall I was pretty happy.
I keep my fingernails trimmed in order to be able to use the laptop keyboard with low errors. And my hair was trimmed in early October, in honest anticipation of growth.
But neither grew, and the shedding continued as before.
Until about 2 weeks ago.
Apparently, the norm is that pregnant women have fuller hair because of a change that stops the hair loss. Again, not something that everyone may experience, but I am actually enjoying it right now.
There isn't as much to sweep up, it's obvious on our light carpeting that there isn't a small hair animal growing, and we haven't had to seriously invest in Drano for some time. With my hair having a natural curl, I actually like how full it is all looking.
Of course this condition normally reverses itself about 3 months after the birth. Which means that I will be getting haircut in May, as close to delivery date as possible, so that I'm not dropping hairs on my son and he doesn't have a wad of it wrapped around his little fingers everyday.
Another thing to add to the list of things to do before delivery...
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