39 Weeks

39 weeks? Hey-oh! Only one week to go. It all seems surreal to think our lives will change so dramatically in the next couple of weeks. Am I excited to meet the little one I've been incubating for 9.5 months? Ecstatic. Am I scared out of my mind, not just about labor and delivery, but all that follows? Petrified. But, I finally feel ready, which sounds trite, but up until this past week I was very not ready. Seriously, who is 37 weeks pregnant and thinks, "the baby can just stay put for a while?" I was obsessed with finishing stuff around the house and at work. Then I realized how that stuff wasn't very important; the baby was coming regardless of time lines and deadlines. Nature runs her course, and at this stage in my pregnancy, that is a pretty comforting thought.

Also, I really, really can't wait to see Dr. R. as a father.

And now let's take the quiz!

How far along: 39 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Seriously, people loose weight during pregnancy?

Maternity clothes: Hate them!

Stretch Marks: Nope.

Sleep: Following the advice I get from just about everyone and savoring every minute of it.

Best moment this week: Finally feeling ready to have the baby.

Movement: As Dr. R. says, the baby is still doing the alien belly dance.

Food cravings: Watermelon.

Gender: Boy. No girl, no its a boy, definitely boy. I think. Seriously, there's a 50:50 chance of guessing correctly, so I might just flip a coin. Then again, that Chinese predictor quiz said boy...

Labor signs: Nothing too obvious, but here are my stats from the last doctor's visit: 1 cm dilated, 80% effaced. Things are happening!

Belly button in or out: 100% pure outie.

What I miss: Seeing bone structure in my feet.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting Baby A, duh!

Weekly wisdom: Me: "How can I stop the swelling in my feet and ankles?" Nurse: "By having a baby,"

You just can't fight 200,000 years of human evolution.

I admit, it was a little ambitious of me to start this blog with the intention of updating it regularly. In the beginning it wasn't so bad, but then the house-hunting got serious. Then there was the move. Followed by the home renovation projects.

For the record, pregnancy hormones + home renovation projects =

It wasn't until the past month or so that we were finally able to get settled into the new place and its been a sprint ever since. And damn if those tales of nesting aren't true, because that whole thing hit me hard. All of a sudden there were never-ending lists of things that needed to purchased, cleaned or organized prior to Baby A's arrival. Rationally, I know that 85% of the things on said list are not necessary, but they were still keeping me up at night . Dr. R. has been a champ putting up with the insanity. As he told my OB/Gyn when she asked him how he is dealing with my random nesting urges, "You just can't fight 200,000 years of human evolution." Damn straight.

(Also, have I mentioned that Austin has had 23 days and counting over 100 degrees F? That is double the normal number for an entire year. When do I get my pregnancy merit badge for surviving this?)

All that being said, my apologies for not posting regularly. At this point, I'm two weeks away from the due date. Baby A is still riding high, but at least s/he is head down. My cervix is still closed so I probably have a while. I've made my last planned trip to Babies 'R Us. We now own a couch. I've promised Dr. R. to stop making lists. Oh, and the baby's room is complete. Have a look!

Welcome to Baby A's nursery. We chose an owl/forest theme for the room. Funny story about the glider. I came home to a quiet house and searched around for Richard. After checking all the other rooms, I found him snoozing in the chair. He approves.
Another view of the room. Note the newly painted walls and carpet:
The area where the stinky stuff happens:
The gorgeous quilt made by my mom. It was the inspiration for the entire nursery:
Nature-inspired number cards found on Zulily:

The bookshelf showing some owl-themed books from Auntie J and fuzzy penguin booties knitted by a long-time friend:

The only thing missing is Baby A!

Nursery A-Go-Go

I've burst into my third trimester like a pregnant lady in an ice cream shop. However, after seeing my weight at my 28 week check-up, I will be avoiding the ice cream shop. Let's just say the weight gain slope showed a significant increase during the last 4 weeks so I'm trying to slow things down. My doctor was convinced the culprit was salt and water retention- I have noticed Dr. R curiously poking at my cartoonish feet. I also blame my old nemesis: sugar. It has been my main craving during this pregnancy, which is unusual since I kicked the habit after my junior year in college (what, snacking on bags of bulk bin sour patch kids and jelly bellies while studying for my o-chem final will fund my dentist's ski lodge and cause my grandpa to comment on my chubby cheeks?). The cravings have come raging back in the form of dreams about all-you-can-eat desert bars and the inability to pass by the bakery section of the grocery store without breathing in the sweet scent of the doughnut case. But alas, I must resist. Now baby A will enjoy a nice piece of fruit instead of that glazed old fashioned.

On to a lower calorie topic: the nursery. As I type this, our house has the acoustics of a medieval castle since all the carpet as been ripped out and we are temporarily living on bare concrete. Tomorrow the painter arrives to begin repainting the whole interior of our house. Once he is done, our new floors (hard wood in the living areas and carpet in the bedrooms) will be installed, and Dr. R and I will finally be able to settle into our nest, (and hopefully stop hemorrhaging money for a while). I'm eager to get the nursery put together.

The theme for the nursery is owls and trees. My mom has already made a gorgeous quilt that I am using as the basis for the nursery design. She did such an amazing job, that I cried when I saw it at my baby shower. Its adorable, full of bright colors and just perfect. I've also begun to collect some owl-themed decor and received some cute gifts at the shower that will be great accent items. To compliment the pops of color from the quilt and the wall decor, I'm keeping the color of the furniture fairly neutral. Here's a mix of stuff we've already bought and what we are planning to purchase in the next few weeks:

1. Crib- Babyletto Modo: Purchased on Amazon and sitting in a box in our garage. I love the modern style.

2. Goldfield by Benjamin Moore: I'm not sure of the exact hue of the paint we choose for the nursery, but this is pretty close.

3. Shelves from Ikea: Basic and affordable.

4. Table lamp from Ikea: I'm thinking the wood look will work with the nursery theme.

4 (oops, there are two #4s). Sheets from Dwell Studio: Currently on my diapers.com registry. I may have to splurge on these because I love the design. I'm not planning on going with a bumper since everything I've read advises against it, but yet I see them over and over again in nursery design photos. Maybe there is a safer alternative?

5. Dresser from Ikea: Again basic and affordable. We haven't purchased this yet, but it should work.

6. Tryp glider from Best Chairs: We ordered this in a light blue color. Another splurge, but new moms tell me its worth it.

There you have it. Hopefully in a month or so, I'll have pictures to share. I'm open to suggestions about what I should change or add (other than for the crib, glider or paint color since those are already purchased).

27 weeks (I am alive)

Sheesh, have I really not updated this blog for 8 weeks?! Aside from sheer negligence, Dr. R. and I have been settling into our new nest which until yesterday has not had internet service. As I discovered, the iPhone is not good for blogging. Now that we are officially on the intertubes, I'll try to be better with the updates. That's not to say we don't have a minor mountain of other stuff to do, oh yes, in addition to preparing for the tiny new human who will soon rule our lives. April has been filled with business trips for Dr. R and I, preparing for updates to the new nest (which include replacing flooring, painting walls and changing light fixtures), sprucing up the yard surrounding the nest, boring adult stuff (taxes, life insurance, etc), and acquiring the infinite oodles of loot that will be needed for this tiny thing thing that is currently no more than 2 lbs and lives in my uterus. More on that last topic in future posts.

Anyway, here is a brief photo recap of the belly growth during the past few weeks:

21 weeks:

25 weeks (on location in Portland, OR):

These past few weeks have been pretty big for belly growth. I've stopped: 1) trying to squeeze into my regular pants and 2) caring that my belly button pops out like a beacon no matter how many layers I'm wearing. I also feel like I need to make a conscious effort not to waddle. I'll had current picture later this week.

At my last doctor visit baby was doing great and we're still on track for an end of July due date. Since its been a while here's my latest survey responses:

How far along: 27 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: ~20 pounds. I'm breaking ground, not just from walking around but in the numbers I've seen on the the scale category.

Maternity clothes: Had a minor meltdown over the weekend when I realized that none of my shorts or capris fit and the weather in Austin is entering the 'it's like a pleasant stroll on surface of the sun' season. Remedied the issue with a brief shopping spree this evening.

Stretch Marks: No, but being vigilant.

Sleep: Yes please, especially after investing in a fancy body pillow. Sure, it falls into the "if it's made for a pregnant woman the price is marked up 200%" category but it keeps the hips and mama happy.

Best moment this week: When Dr.R. asked me if the store had any prosthetic babies to hold while he tested out some gliders for the nursery.

Movement: Lots of it. Sometimes I'm sitting in a meeting at work and I wonder if anyone else just saw my belly jump.

Food cravings: Sugar. I'm back to my old ways of craving sweets. And seeing all of the new innovations in Easter candy at the grocery store isn't helping. I'm trying to stay strong and enjoy dried mango or frozen yogurt as a treat. OK fine, last night I had some Ben and Jerry's courtesy of Dr. R. I need my calcium!

Gender: Leaning towards girl. Yesterday Dr. R announced he thought it was a boy.

Labor signs: Thank goodness no, but having lots of dreams about labor.

Belly button in or out: Officially an outie.

What I miss: Having a cold beer on a hot day.

What I am looking forward to: Heading home to WA for my baby shower this weekend!

Weekly wisdom: When the feet feel tired, put them up!

19 Weeks

Sorry for the lack of recent posts. Dr. R. and I are officially closing on our house on Friday so we've been busy working out last minute details and looking into buying new appliances and flooring. All the excitement hasn't kept Baby A from growing bigger and bigger. Here is an updated picture of the bump:

Last week I broke out the Bella Band to squeeze into my regular jeans and today I hit a new milestone by wearing one of Sister A's maternity tops. The cut is way more flattering and comfortable than my normal clothes. This weekend I think I'll bite the bullet and shop for maternity pants- never has an elastic waistband sounded so enticing. Any recommendations for where I can find cute and affordable maternity clothes, especially pants for work?

17 Weeks

Can you hear that? The wierd stretching sound? Its the sound of my belly, it is growing. Behold:

Me and my regular clothes don't have too much time left, so we're spending some good, snug, quality time together. Thanks to my generous sister A I have a box of maternity clothes to turn to when the time comes, but I'm still holding out.

Other than the disappearing waistline, Dr. R and I have been busy with closing on our new home. If all works out, we'll officially be homeowners on March 7! Just in time, since this mama bird needs to start building a nest.

Here's a weekly survey I stole from sister A's blog:

How far along: 17 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +9 lbs a week ago...and I'm only getting bigger!

Maternity clothes: Not yet.

Stretch Marks: Checking daily and no.

Sleep: Still glorious with the exception of the nightly trip to the toilet.

Best moment this week: looking in the mirror and thinking, "damn, I really am pregnant!"

Movement: Hard to say if the flutters I sometimes feel at night are the baby or just gas.

Food cravings: Frozen yogurt.

Gender: I've always thought boy, but everyone else is thinking girl.

Labor signs: No!

Belly button in or out: Ever flattening.

What I miss: Wine and salami.

What I am looking forward to: Feeling definite movement.

Weekly wisdom: Bigger is better.

16 Weeks

We had the 16 week check-up bright and early yesterday morning. It wasn't too exciting but Dr. R joined me (Dr R: "they should coffee in these waiting rooms") . There was no ultrasound, but we got to hear Baby A's heartbeat for the first time on the Doppler device and it was holding steady in the 140 beat-per-minute range, exactly where it was at the 12 week ultrasound. Old wives be damned because 140 bpm is right on the border between indicating that I'm carrying a girl or a boy. Not that there is any scientific basis to that tale, but it's still fun.

Speaking of the sex, we've pretty much decided that we aren't going to find out in 4 weeks at the 20 week ultrasound. We've already gotten the token "oh, you're one of those people" responses when we tell others, but we don't mind; its fun to do things different. Plus, I'm going to need that extra excitement in the labor and delivery room.

Everything else looked great at the check-up and I'm tipping the scales at +9 pounds so far in the pregnancy. That should explain why my bump seems to have really popped in the past week or so. I'm still not in maternity clothes, but some of the pants are definitely getting tight. Also, note to self: do not buy a selection of shirts with horizontal stripes just prior to getting pregnant. Sheesh! I might even get brave in the next week or so and post a picture of the bel(ly).

Nesting

I'm taking a break from recapping the past 16 weeks to post a few photos from our major nesting project. We are currently under contract for our first home. Today we had the inspection so I had to the opportunity to snap a few pictures of our (hopefully) new nest. We love the neighborhood and bones of the house, but it will take some work to bring this place into the 21st century. Ideas about how to update and renovate are more than welcome!

The kitchen (the dishwasher is ca. 1976, but still works!):

Living room/Family Room - looking out from the kitchen (bottom) and entryway (top):

The dining room with a view of the entry-way. What an elegant chandelier!:

Hallway to the bedrooms (looking back to the kitchen and living/dining area):

Master bedroom:

Master Bathroom (sweet wallpaper!):

Bedroom 1 and second full bath (again, note the terrific wallpaper):

Bedroom 2:

Bedroom 3 (mirror image of bedroom 2):

And now I think I'll watch an episode of Laverne & Shirley.

The Nub

16 Dec 2010 (8 weeks)

The day of my first OB appointment. I was prepared for all the questions, the urine test, the blood tests, the epic list of stuff you can and can't eat. I anxiously waded through it all, not really thinking anything was real, until the doctor rolled in the ultrasound to check the age of the baby.

In the dark, with 'the wand.'

Dr. G: "There is your baby!

Dr. C: "Oh my gosh, really?"

It was, perhaps the highest high. To see the little kidney shaped nub, its little heart beating away inside of me, was simply the best. The weeks of worry finally melted away and I felt pregnant, I felt like a mom. I can't tell you how many times Dr. R and I looked at this blurry, back and white photo and felt like Christmas came a little early.

It's in my DNA

27 Nov 2010 - 15 Dec 2010 (weeks 5 through 8):


Has time ever moved slower? Perhaps not since Christmas eve, 1988. The days crawled by as I anxiously waiting for my first doctor appointment as well as any sign of pregnancy, other than those two pink lines. On a daily basis I scanned my body for any hint of the textbook pregnancy symptoms. I woke-up hopeful that this would be the day, the day the horrible pregnancy symptoms hit! Did I feel nauseous? Nope, not even if I hung out near the butcher at the grocery store. Have my tastes changed? I'm still craving olives. Am I more tired than normal? Well I gave up caffeine, so yes, but I never had a caffeine-free baseline so that was inconclusive. Am I peeing more frequently? Sensitivity to smells? Feeling dizzy? Food cravings or aversions? No. No. No. No. The internet searches only made it worse.


I (shockingly) worried. Was I really still pregnant?

Baby A: The early days

The beginning: 26 Nov 2010, A studio in Austin, TX, 5 weeks

Dr. R: "I'm really looking forward to making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight."

Dr. C: "Me too. Oh, by the way, I think I might be pregnant."

Dr. R. "Well, I guess you should take a pregnancy test."

A quick trip to the grocery store followed. Did anyone sense our irritation in check-out line as we not-so-patiently waited while the woman in front of us in the checkout line insisted on going back into the store to retrieve a forgotten gallon of milk? Perhaps. Did I feel as embarrassed about buying a home pregnancy test as a pre-teen buying tampons? Absolutely.

We couldn't get out of the store fast enough. Back to the studio, me into the studio bathroom. I knew I had to pee, but why couldn't I at that moment? Finally. And then, the wait. Looking for two pink lines, I only see one. Oh, that's the control (every good experiment has a control). I burst out of the bathroom.

Dr. C: "Well, there is only one line so I guess I'm not pregnant."

Dr. R: "Really, let me see."

Dr. C: taking a second look "Wait, there is a second line."

Dr. R: "Really? Are you sure."

Dr. C: "Take a look."

Dr. R: "Whoa, that looks positive to me. It looks like we're having a baby.

Dr. C: The false positive rate is > 99%.

Hugs and Kisses

Dr. R: "Did you know a home pregnancy test is really just an ELISA test on paper?"