You guys know the line, don't you? It's from the movie Private Parts. Howard's wife is very pregnant and feeling very unsexy and compares her pregnant body to the cartoon elephant Babar. Of course he tells her she doesn't look like Babar....
That's my life right now. I feel like Babar. I feel humongous. I feel like I've grown more in the last two weeks than I have the entire nine months. I got actual verification of this fact today at the doctor. Last time I was there I was almost 35 weeks and my uterus was measuring 35 cm. Today I am almost 36 weeks and am measuring 37 cm. So in two weeks I've grown 2 cm. I know a centimeter doesn't seem like a lot but it sure does look and feel like a big growth! It is really getting tough to carry this belly around. I am really tired and uncomfortable. But I keep telling myself to calm the F down because I've got 2-6 weeks to go and it is only going to get worse.
I am scheduled for an ultrasound on July 12 and will hopefully get an estimate of how big the baby is right now. I have been hoping throughout my pregnancy for a nice 7-ish pound baby but as I see my belly grow and am feeling more stretched and "full" I'm starting to realize that I may end up with closer to an 8 pounder. Jeebus help me if he's bigger than 8 pounds. Eek! That's so scary to me.
It probably doesn't help my body image issues right now that people, in general, have no filter on the things they say to pregnant people. I went to Marshall's this afternoon to look for a nightgown to pack in my hospital bag. The lady behind the register looked at me then looked at the nightgown and asked me if I was on my way to the hospital. Uhhhh... yes, I decided to stop in Marshall's and check out the bargains on my way to give birth. Seriously?! I also had several other random strangers tell me today that it looks like I could give birth any minute. It is almost embarrassing to tell them that I'm 4 WEEKS from my due date and see the look of sympathy and horror on their faces.
I'm ready though. If baby came today I'd be happy. Obviously I want him to stay in as long as it takes and be healthy and fully developed when he finally makes his debut but I think I'd much prefer to be holding him in my arms instead of having his feet permanently lodged in my ribs. You guys should see how I have to drive. I am at my peak of discomfort when driving. It sucks because I have to have my seat positioned so that I can reach the steering wheel and pedals and see out all the mirrors but it also must be the most uncomfortable for baby because he kills me when I'm driving. I have to drive with my right arm lifted up over my head and draped down the back of the seat. It gives just enough stretch to give me a little relief from his rib jabbing. I'm almost afraid he's going to be born with a permanent dent in his little foot because I keep pushing down on my belly where he's kicking me.
I guess that's enough whining for now. I am going to try to toughen up. I have to. Because I know that as miserable as I am right now, when the baby comes my life is going to get a trillion times harder. I know that having my sweet baby boy is also going to make it a trillion times better too but I'm sure the discomfort I'm feeling right now is nothing compared to what I'll be going through soon.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Ready or not
5 more weeks. On one hand, it will be great to not be pregnant anymore. I am getting pretty uncomfortable. My back has been killing me, my ribs are sore from the daily river dancing on them, I pee constantly, can barely roll over in bed anymore, and I’ve begun grunting anytime I stand up, sit down, or have to bend over. Riding in the car for longer than a half hour is a pretty miserable experience between the back pain, the rib kicking and the restless leg syndrome that has popped up recently. I’m just overall tired and grumpy. I am sure that I have not been fun to live with.
On the other, I am not prepared for baby. The room is ready, the clothes are washed and put away, the car seat bases are installed but as far as how to care for the baby? Not ready. I know the basics about holding and diapering and giving a bottle. But, the routine of things has me a little freaked. I know there won’t be a schedule at first but when the baby wakes up in the middle of the night do I change him then feed him, get him back to bed and then pump? I haven’t done my breast feeding class yet and I hope that will help educate me about that process but I’ve heard breastfeeding can be an uphill battle. I want to try to make it work for us, I just have no idea how it is going to go. But, even with all those concerns, I’m sure we’ll be fine. Look at all the idiots out there who have children. If they can do it, I’m sure we can. We’ll figure it out. It’ll just take time and making mistakes to learn what works best for us.
I am getting excited to meet Evan. As I was going through the clothes putting them away I started to picture him wearing the different outfits. I still can’t picture his face. Is it weird that I can’t yet? I’ve had some dreams about having a baby but the baby starring in the dreams is always someone else’s baby. The other night it was some random co-worker’s grandson. His red-headed grandson. LOL But mostly he’s just this faceless blob that I can’t quite picture. He’s like a hypothetical baby, not a real one. I know I’m so weird.
I was thinking the other day about future family vacations and all the places I want to take Evan someday. I thought about us in New York City going to a Yankee game and to see the Statue of Liberty and to just introduce him to the sheer size of Manhattan. And I can’t wait to take him to the Grand Canyon. Seeing it in person took my breath away and I can’t wait for him to have that experience. And the Keys to see the beauty of a Key West sunset. Or even just to the zoo to watch his first glimpse of a giraffe or an elephant. I really can’t wait to see him discover the world.
I want so badly for him to be a good person, a gentleman who knows his manners and when and where to use them. I also want him to be a man’s man who knows how to fix things and kill spiders and throw a proper punch when needed. Creative and self-motivated, not afraid to speak his mind or to stand up for what he believes in. I want him to take chances and make mistakes but to reflect on those mistakes and learn from them. I want him to love his momma and not be embarrassed to give me a hug and a kiss even when he’s bigger than me. I want him to be able to talk to me and tell me what he’s feeling or if he’s having a problem. I want him to be responsible and to take pride in himself and the work that he does.
So along with learning how to bathe him and when to change him and how to read and respond to his cries I also need to learn how to culminate a good, contributing member of society. Tall task. I hope to not place too much pressure on him and to lead by example and just hope that every lesson we try to teach along the way will be stored in his little “vault” so he can look back later and say, “I get it now”.
I know we’ll never be fully prepared to bring home a baby, there are just too many unknowns. But as long as we show him all the love we’ve been saving up for him over the last six years, I’m sure he’ll be just fine.
On the other, I am not prepared for baby. The room is ready, the clothes are washed and put away, the car seat bases are installed but as far as how to care for the baby? Not ready. I know the basics about holding and diapering and giving a bottle. But, the routine of things has me a little freaked. I know there won’t be a schedule at first but when the baby wakes up in the middle of the night do I change him then feed him, get him back to bed and then pump? I haven’t done my breast feeding class yet and I hope that will help educate me about that process but I’ve heard breastfeeding can be an uphill battle. I want to try to make it work for us, I just have no idea how it is going to go. But, even with all those concerns, I’m sure we’ll be fine. Look at all the idiots out there who have children. If they can do it, I’m sure we can. We’ll figure it out. It’ll just take time and making mistakes to learn what works best for us.
I am getting excited to meet Evan. As I was going through the clothes putting them away I started to picture him wearing the different outfits. I still can’t picture his face. Is it weird that I can’t yet? I’ve had some dreams about having a baby but the baby starring in the dreams is always someone else’s baby. The other night it was some random co-worker’s grandson. His red-headed grandson. LOL But mostly he’s just this faceless blob that I can’t quite picture. He’s like a hypothetical baby, not a real one. I know I’m so weird.
I was thinking the other day about future family vacations and all the places I want to take Evan someday. I thought about us in New York City going to a Yankee game and to see the Statue of Liberty and to just introduce him to the sheer size of Manhattan. And I can’t wait to take him to the Grand Canyon. Seeing it in person took my breath away and I can’t wait for him to have that experience. And the Keys to see the beauty of a Key West sunset. Or even just to the zoo to watch his first glimpse of a giraffe or an elephant. I really can’t wait to see him discover the world.
I want so badly for him to be a good person, a gentleman who knows his manners and when and where to use them. I also want him to be a man’s man who knows how to fix things and kill spiders and throw a proper punch when needed. Creative and self-motivated, not afraid to speak his mind or to stand up for what he believes in. I want him to take chances and make mistakes but to reflect on those mistakes and learn from them. I want him to love his momma and not be embarrassed to give me a hug and a kiss even when he’s bigger than me. I want him to be able to talk to me and tell me what he’s feeling or if he’s having a problem. I want him to be responsible and to take pride in himself and the work that he does.
So along with learning how to bathe him and when to change him and how to read and respond to his cries I also need to learn how to culminate a good, contributing member of society. Tall task. I hope to not place too much pressure on him and to lead by example and just hope that every lesson we try to teach along the way will be stored in his little “vault” so he can look back later and say, “I get it now”.
I know we’ll never be fully prepared to bring home a baby, there are just too many unknowns. But as long as we show him all the love we’ve been saving up for him over the last six years, I’m sure he’ll be just fine.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Preparation
Joe and I had our prepared childbirth class this weekend. I have to be honest, we really weren't looking forward to it. I mean, why would we? It was 8 hours on a beautiful Saturday that we were scheduled to be inside learning about all the gory details of labor and delivery. But, it wasn't that bad. Actually, it was really good and we're both glad that we did it.
There were only 5 couples in the class and of the 5 there was only one other married couple. The other couples seemed much younger and one was in the "16 and Pregnant" range. But, everyone seemed nice.
Our teacher was a labor and delivery nurse who has four kids of her own so she shared personal and professional stories and experiences. She started the class talking about the length of labor, the different phases and when you should come to the hospital. That led up to the dreaded video. You know what video I'm talking about. The video that everyone who has ever taken a childbirth class tells you horror stories about. It was the video that shows real births. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty scary. It was definitely not like watching "A Baby Story" on TLC. And even though I know that technically they were made for that purpose, I kept thinking that a vagina should not be used for that. I mean, wow.
Once we got past that trauma we talked about pain management options, relaxation techniques, inductions, the things that could go wrong, and just overall coping. I think it was helpful for both Joe and me to learn different ways he can be helpful and to really just have some kind of idea about what to expect. Obviously I realize that once I'm actually in labor and feeling the pain all these wonderful techniques and lessons could go out the window but just having the knowledge makes me feel more at ease now. We did kind of have an "aha" moment during class. We've been preparing the house and buying things to make baby comfortable when we bring him home but I don't think either of us really gave much thought to the fact that the baby has to come out of me and how that would happen. Seems like such a "duh" moment but we just hadn't really thought that much about it.
After our all day class yesterday we had to squeeze all of our chores and relaxing into today. We got up super early and hit the grocery store and got home in time to do laundry and clean up and mow the grass (well, Joe did) before the family showed up for pool time. It was a beautiful but very hot day so it felt super awesome to hang out in the pool for a couple hours. Its so fun watching the kids jump and swim and laugh and have fun. Even baby Nate got in the pool and lounged for a while. After we wrapped up pool time, Joe and I ran out to Target to put a dent in some of the gift cards we received at the shower my co-workers threw for me last week. We ended up with just a hamper and a basket for his bookshelf for little toys and miscellaneous stuff. I also did a little online shopping at Babies R Us and will soon be receiving Evan's crib sheets. I'm still on the hunt for the best mattress deal but think I'm closing in on "the one".
I finally remembered to take a belly picture!! Its been 5 weeks since the last picture at my baby shower and you can really see how much I've grown over the last month. With only approximately 7 weeks to go it'll be interesting to see how much bigger I'll get. I'm officially up 25 pounds and at the rate I've been gaining I think I'll be looking at a total weight gain of about 35 pounds. Much better than the 60 I was afraid of gaining! I am anxious to get back to my diet and exercise after the baby comes. I definitely won't rush it but I am really looking forward to taking ownership of my body again.
There were only 5 couples in the class and of the 5 there was only one other married couple. The other couples seemed much younger and one was in the "16 and Pregnant" range. But, everyone seemed nice.
Our teacher was a labor and delivery nurse who has four kids of her own so she shared personal and professional stories and experiences. She started the class talking about the length of labor, the different phases and when you should come to the hospital. That led up to the dreaded video. You know what video I'm talking about. The video that everyone who has ever taken a childbirth class tells you horror stories about. It was the video that shows real births. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty scary. It was definitely not like watching "A Baby Story" on TLC. And even though I know that technically they were made for that purpose, I kept thinking that a vagina should not be used for that. I mean, wow.
Once we got past that trauma we talked about pain management options, relaxation techniques, inductions, the things that could go wrong, and just overall coping. I think it was helpful for both Joe and me to learn different ways he can be helpful and to really just have some kind of idea about what to expect. Obviously I realize that once I'm actually in labor and feeling the pain all these wonderful techniques and lessons could go out the window but just having the knowledge makes me feel more at ease now. We did kind of have an "aha" moment during class. We've been preparing the house and buying things to make baby comfortable when we bring him home but I don't think either of us really gave much thought to the fact that the baby has to come out of me and how that would happen. Seems like such a "duh" moment but we just hadn't really thought that much about it.
After our all day class yesterday we had to squeeze all of our chores and relaxing into today. We got up super early and hit the grocery store and got home in time to do laundry and clean up and mow the grass (well, Joe did) before the family showed up for pool time. It was a beautiful but very hot day so it felt super awesome to hang out in the pool for a couple hours. Its so fun watching the kids jump and swim and laugh and have fun. Even baby Nate got in the pool and lounged for a while. After we wrapped up pool time, Joe and I ran out to Target to put a dent in some of the gift cards we received at the shower my co-workers threw for me last week. We ended up with just a hamper and a basket for his bookshelf for little toys and miscellaneous stuff. I also did a little online shopping at Babies R Us and will soon be receiving Evan's crib sheets. I'm still on the hunt for the best mattress deal but think I'm closing in on "the one".
I finally remembered to take a belly picture!! Its been 5 weeks since the last picture at my baby shower and you can really see how much I've grown over the last month. With only approximately 7 weeks to go it'll be interesting to see how much bigger I'll get. I'm officially up 25 pounds and at the rate I've been gaining I think I'll be looking at a total weight gain of about 35 pounds. Much better than the 60 I was afraid of gaining! I am anxious to get back to my diet and exercise after the baby comes. I definitely won't rush it but I am really looking forward to taking ownership of my body again.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
What a week!
This week... has been a doozy. My very uneventful pregnancy had two scary events almost back to back. After my slip and fall last weekend, I ended up with some kind of stomach flu on Thursday.
I had a great doctor appointment on Wednesday and rewarded myself on the way home with a chocolate shake from Steak and Shake. My belly was feeling a little off but I thought the shake was just too much sugar or something. I wasn't really hungry for dinner but ended up having some soup just to get something in me before heading off to bed. Around midnight I woke up feeling nauseous and a little achy and just generally uncomfortable. I went back to bed hoping I'd wake up feeling better. The alarm went off at 5:30 and I still wasn't feeling great. I decided to call in late to work and get a little more sleep. I slept for another hour but when I woke up I was still feeling crappy. I had a meeting at 9am that I had to be at so I showered and tried to put myself together. I was doing okay until I started brushing my teeth and ended up throwing up.
At first I thought I was having morning sickness. I've heard it can come back in your third trimester. I stopped at the grocery store on the way into work to pick up some saltines and gingerale hoping that would help me make it through the day. But after almost throwing up in the middle of my meeting, I knew I wasn't going to make it. I came home and crawled right into bed. I was in bed for about a half hour when I felt the urge to throw up coming on again. I got up and ran to the bathroom and threw up all the crackers and gingerale I had eaten earlier. After that I started feeling really horrible. I had chills and body aches and was so exhausted. I slept off and on all day. I wasn't able to eat anything and was just barely keeping water down. My fever got up to 101.6.
I called the doctor again to see if they had any advice for me and the news wasn't great. If I couldn't manage to keep food or liquids down for 24 hours, I would have to take another trip to the hospital. Joe made an emergency trip to the grocery store to stock me up with all the essentials... Gatorade, bread for toast, bananas and Tylenol. I took two Tylenol and started sipping some Gatorade and woke up sweating profusely. The fever had broken and I started to feel a little bit better. I made some toast and moved from the bed to the couch. I still wasn't feeling great after the toast but I was glad to have something stay put in my stomach. The fever and vomiting stayed away through the night.
Friday I woke up feeling better but still pretty crappy. I was achy and just felt exhausted. I still wasn't ready for real food so I stuck to toast and Gatorade and water for most of the day. I was finally comfortable enough by lunch time to have some white rice and by late afternoon I graduated to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The doctor's office was happy with my progress and told me to make sure I was getting plenty of fluids so I didn't get dehydrated. I lost 4 pounds in two days, I'm sure a combination of the throwing up, not being able to eat, and being dehydrated.
I've been trying really hard to get back to normal yesterday and today and feel like I'm finally getting there. My latest aggravation is heartburn which seems to have come on with a vengeance over the last two days. Holy crap, it is killing me. I've battled heartburn before so I'm not new to this but I'm usually able to combat it with a glass of milk. Not now. This heartburn thumbs its nose in the face of milk. I hate Tums with a passion but I might just have to look past my hatred and start devouring those chalky little tablets.
Besides the illness, this weekend was pretty good. The mural got done last weekend but Joe put the sealant on it this weekend. It looks really good. It has a slight sheen to it now and the colors really stand out. We sent pictures in to the website we purchased it from and entered into their contest so cross your fingers for us!! Joe and I finally ventured out of the house today and met the Newman's in Port Orange for a little lunch and shopping at Home Goods. We got a floor lamp for the nursery, some hangers and a few other little things. Now its back to the couch to relax before we jump into another work week.
I know I said we were going to try to be better about taking belly pictures but we have forgotten yet again to take a picture this weekend. I'll have to try to remember to take one after work one day this week. Until then...
I had a great doctor appointment on Wednesday and rewarded myself on the way home with a chocolate shake from Steak and Shake. My belly was feeling a little off but I thought the shake was just too much sugar or something. I wasn't really hungry for dinner but ended up having some soup just to get something in me before heading off to bed. Around midnight I woke up feeling nauseous and a little achy and just generally uncomfortable. I went back to bed hoping I'd wake up feeling better. The alarm went off at 5:30 and I still wasn't feeling great. I decided to call in late to work and get a little more sleep. I slept for another hour but when I woke up I was still feeling crappy. I had a meeting at 9am that I had to be at so I showered and tried to put myself together. I was doing okay until I started brushing my teeth and ended up throwing up.
At first I thought I was having morning sickness. I've heard it can come back in your third trimester. I stopped at the grocery store on the way into work to pick up some saltines and gingerale hoping that would help me make it through the day. But after almost throwing up in the middle of my meeting, I knew I wasn't going to make it. I came home and crawled right into bed. I was in bed for about a half hour when I felt the urge to throw up coming on again. I got up and ran to the bathroom and threw up all the crackers and gingerale I had eaten earlier. After that I started feeling really horrible. I had chills and body aches and was so exhausted. I slept off and on all day. I wasn't able to eat anything and was just barely keeping water down. My fever got up to 101.6.
I called the doctor again to see if they had any advice for me and the news wasn't great. If I couldn't manage to keep food or liquids down for 24 hours, I would have to take another trip to the hospital. Joe made an emergency trip to the grocery store to stock me up with all the essentials... Gatorade, bread for toast, bananas and Tylenol. I took two Tylenol and started sipping some Gatorade and woke up sweating profusely. The fever had broken and I started to feel a little bit better. I made some toast and moved from the bed to the couch. I still wasn't feeling great after the toast but I was glad to have something stay put in my stomach. The fever and vomiting stayed away through the night.
Friday I woke up feeling better but still pretty crappy. I was achy and just felt exhausted. I still wasn't ready for real food so I stuck to toast and Gatorade and water for most of the day. I was finally comfortable enough by lunch time to have some white rice and by late afternoon I graduated to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The doctor's office was happy with my progress and told me to make sure I was getting plenty of fluids so I didn't get dehydrated. I lost 4 pounds in two days, I'm sure a combination of the throwing up, not being able to eat, and being dehydrated.
I've been trying really hard to get back to normal yesterday and today and feel like I'm finally getting there. My latest aggravation is heartburn which seems to have come on with a vengeance over the last two days. Holy crap, it is killing me. I've battled heartburn before so I'm not new to this but I'm usually able to combat it with a glass of milk. Not now. This heartburn thumbs its nose in the face of milk. I hate Tums with a passion but I might just have to look past my hatred and start devouring those chalky little tablets.
Besides the illness, this weekend was pretty good. The mural got done last weekend but Joe put the sealant on it this weekend. It looks really good. It has a slight sheen to it now and the colors really stand out. We sent pictures in to the website we purchased it from and entered into their contest so cross your fingers for us!! Joe and I finally ventured out of the house today and met the Newman's in Port Orange for a little lunch and shopping at Home Goods. We got a floor lamp for the nursery, some hangers and a few other little things. Now its back to the couch to relax before we jump into another work week.
I know I said we were going to try to be better about taking belly pictures but we have forgotten yet again to take a picture this weekend. I'll have to try to remember to take one after work one day this week. Until then...
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