36 week journal

Hey babe...
That time that you shall arrive is drawing closer every day, and you're getting BIG.  I have this lovely rounded belly on top because your rump (and feet tucked behind it) are resting there.

I've been testing my blood now for over a week, and while I can never get my fasting levels below 95, they are consistently below 100, and I don't have a problem with any other number. I actually am eating less carbs than they 'suggested' and my numbers have been lower as a result. I think that they were telling me to eat too many (65 for lunch and dinner with two 35 carb snacks) and as a result I was eating things I didn't want to eat to just get enough carbohydrates. Also, since I have to couple the carbs/protein together...it was just too much food.

We are so ready for you to arrive.  The nursery is done. I have been awful at studying my meditations and such, but your bag is sort of packed. Actually...I bought you this adorable newborn outfit, so could you please fit into newborn clothing for at least one day of your life?  Thanks!!


How far along: 36 weeks

Size of baby: A honeydew...although who knows how big you really are

Gender: girl

Movement: Yep...still moving lots. We had lots of fun last night poking you and then watching you move in annoyance.  It's fun to annoy you!

How I'm Changing: This belly...it's freaking ridiculous.  If I said I felt pregnant and waddly before, I LIED.  I have noticed that less sugar means my feet hurt soooo muchhh less!!

Maternity Clothes: Ha...I tried to wear a non-maternity t-shirt yesterday (I really should have just grabbed one of dad's) and it was ridiculous.  I had to wear the bella band (I hate) with it just so it wasn't indecent.

How I'm Feeling: I go through days where I'm utterly exhausted and then some where I have some energy. Today I was tired but went to the mall with my friend and walked quite a bit.  I am finding that I need more naps in the afternoon and tend to feel better afterwards.

Sleep: So, the earplugs lasted maybe 5 days. I just kicked him to the guest room. I miss sleeping with him, but I was getting up every 2 hours and wasn't able to fall back asleep. I think I've felt better the last few days because I can fall back asleep so much faster if I sleep alone.

What I miss: I'd say sugar and not counting carbs, but I'm enjoying learning new things about food.  Perhaps I miss not walking into things with my belly.  It happens all...the...damn...time.

What I'm Eating: a lot of protein.  I start my day with a peice of toast with pb, and finish my day with a 50g protein shake.  Lots of protein.

Cravings: I have to say...I would love a cupcake, but the overwhelming need for sugar, and my permissiveness in allowing myself to have it is gone.

Best Moment this week: This week has been full of fun! On Monday my grandmother came to visit with her sister in law and brought you beautiful blankets (one is from Aunt Ricki, and another grandma made).  We had a lovely time.  Then we had a nice laid back Christmas, followed by having friends over all weekend.  I'm sorta tired...but it was lovely to see people!


Love you babe...so many people can't wait to meet you!!!

Mom

baby belly with a kitty. It's not the picture, my belly is pretty
permanently to the right thanks to your placement. 

Three generations! 

35 week journal/update

My love,

I was really good about keeping this up without missing a week, but last week and this week were both hectic, and at times discouraging.  The general gist of it was that I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes after (barely) failing 2/4 of the blood tests in the 3 hour panel.  I now get the honor of weekly sonograms (which are REALLY boring this far along as all you see are ribs), a strict diet, checking my blood sugar 4 times a day, and potentially having to battle with the birthing center for the privilage of being able to birth there instead of being sent to the hospital. And to top it off, this diet isn't helping me lose weight...I'm still gaining faster than they are going to like. To put it mildly, my happy pregnant glowy bubble was a bit burst.  I was already sick of people harassing me constantly and my reward for that was to suddenly have ten times more attention than I ever wanted.

  Yes, I know this isn't some death sentence. Yes I know that I'd do just about anything for a healthy kid.  Yes, I know that gestational diabetes isn't a rarity, and in fact that dietitian told me how surprised she was that I hadn't developed it before now because of my history of PCOS.  Yes, I'm aware that most of this could be seen as straight up whiny. I do however think that I've reached the 'stabby' stage of pregnancy and if I want to complain I can.

Alright kiddo...and world. That's my update for now. It's Christmas next week but I have appointments most days. I'm super excited to see my grandmother on Monday though!!  It will be your first time meeting her!


How far along: 35 weeks

Size of baby: A coconut! Although our sonogram showed that she's around 6'9 already.  Who really knows how accurate they are though.

Gender: girl

Movement: Oh yes...you move. Anddd it's starting to get a lot less pleasant as you run out of room. You're still a roller and stretcher, not a kicker.  

How I'm Changing: I had some seriously emotional crying days.  Especially Monday...I basically spent all day Monday crying...and then felt awesome on Tuesday.  It was odd.

Maternity Clothes: Yeah...my belly is a bit ridiculous.

How I'm Feeling: I was feeling fine for the most part, but I've been getting sinus headaches because the weather goes from 30-70 degrees in 24 hours.  It's a bit hard on my sinuses.  

Sleep: I started sleeping with earplugs to block out dad's snores and magically started sleeping in 4 hour blocks. It's MAGIC.

What I miss: Hm...being left the heck alone?  My ribs not feeling like they've been kicked?

What I'm Eating: exactly what I'm told to eat when I am told to eat!  Actually I'm enjoying pulling dad into this diet and trying to get him to eat more regularly.

Cravings: Meh...I could always use a spoon and apple pie, but that's not happening for a long time.

Best Moment this week: My little frog wrap arrived, and I've been working on breaking it in most of the evening. I also got to go out on a date with my best friend's little sister. Having a teen around is so much fun.


Love,

Mom

The belly is getting ridiculous.  I know she's head down and her rump is the big bump. 

33 week journal

I'm late, as usual, and don't have a picture this week. See, that would require actually getting dressed and I'm not feeling it today.

How far along: 33 weeks

Size of baby:  One website is saying pineapple (which was last week) and the one I usually use is saying durian fruit.  Um...really people? Do I want to compare my child to a fruit that's outlaws on subways because it smells so foul? sigh.

Gender: girl

Movement: I can sometimes make you move under my hand, if your facing the right direction. It's so cool to feel your arms or legs under my hand.  You *were* head down, but I'm not sure what position you're in now.  You've been moving in ways that cause more pain (perhaps contractions?) lately, especially if I lean forward.  You also apparently like to get nice and active while I'm driving.
Also...you get the hiccups like 3 times a day, which is pretty hilarious.

How I'm Changing: I'm trying to nest, or at least get the nursery and your clothing prepared.  Notice the use of the word 'trying' because it's not really happening.

Maternity Clothes: When I actually leave the house, I'm a fan.  I may be over the leaving the house thing though...

How I'm Feeling: I'm napping more, and occasionally just lose it and need to cry on Aaron's shoulder when the anxiety gets too much.  It's not like I can turn it off, or that it's there constantly, but some days are much worse than others.

Sleep: Sorry dad, I hope you like the guest bed, because your snoring is interrupting my already fractured sleep schedule.

What I miss: Probably the luxury of time.

What I'm Eating: After my baby shower on Sunday, lots of cake...

Cravings:  I'm not sure I'm really craving anything.

Best Moment this week: Sunday was my baby shower. It was almost stormed out with snow and sleet but some brave souls managed to make it, and we colored onsies, opened gifts, ate lots of cake and had fun.  I'm hoping to get some pictures of the onsies up soon.  It turns out that my friends are really creative and came up with some wonderful, and adorable ideas.


Love you Ada, and we can't wait to meet you. I'd just kindly ask that you don't make your appearance until after the holidays. Believe me, you'll thank me for this one.

Love,

Mom


<where picture would be if I'd taken one this week>

The best gift, the gift of literacy

Growing up, some of my fondest memories were of my dad reading to me.  I was too young to understand them, but he still read (and answered my questions) about books like Watership Down, Gulliver's Travels, and anything by Roald Dahl. When I got old enough, I'd read to him when he worked on his car. I still remember sitting by a tree one summer reading him Journey to the Center of the Earth while he changed his brake pads. This is a vast change from a kid that had to go through an extra year of school between kindergarten and first grade because she couldn't read (in my defense, I should not have started school at age 4).  

Now, I love books, as does Aaron.  The fact that we turned our front living room into a library should give you some semblance of that.  Some people are really hardcore about making sure that their growing fetus listens to music every day. Well, I prefer listening to audiobooks, so this child is going to be born with an appreciation for audiobooks already ingrained in her.

This made it all the much sweeter and more wonderful when, a couple of months a package showed up.  It was from my college freshman year roommate, Margaret, who recently moved to Georgia, and inside was a beautiful book (The Legend of Blue Bonnet which I hadn't read before, but loved).  A few days later, another package with another book (Guess How Much I Love You) showed up! Apparently the first two books were supposed to arrive on the same day, but our postal service it seriously sketchy (it once took a MONTH for a postcard to arrive from Oregon). Since then, almost every week a new book has arrived. When I was having a bad week, she sent You be You, and it cheered me immensely.

The collection below are almost all of the books from Margaret, plus a couple of Sandra Boynton (a personal favorite author I discovered while a nanny) books that my mom gave me, plus a few from other friends.  So far Ada is off to a great start.  I'd like to also point out that none of these books are terribly obnoxious to read many times over. I actually already have half of them memorized from when I was a nanny.

Margaret, I can't thank you enough for the thoughtful, and thought provoking gifts.  I love that I already have a collection of books for Ada that should last her through the chewing on books stage into an actual appreciation for literature.  Like both of us, I hope she can look back fondly upon some of these titles and remember them being read to her over...and over...and over (ad nauseam) as a small child.

Why yes, I did take this picture on a bed, and that *is* my knee.  Thanks for asking.  

What were your favorite books as a kid? What should we add to our collection?

32 week journal

Ada,
Sorry I'm late!  As usual, I have loads of ideas of what I want to write, but then forget to actually sit down and write them.  We've had a busy week.  We started out last weekend by going to IKEA and buying a kitchen table, some chairs and all of the things we need to put up your curtains. We've (okay...mostly dad) continued to put together your nursery.  Love your dresser, child. Love it, because we both HATE it.  It's taken hours to put together because there are hundreds of pieces to a dresser that just isn't that big.  Then after our IKEA trip, we hosted a fakesgiving for our friends, where we made turkey and all the fixings, but on Sunday instead of Thursday.  For Thanksgiving we were invited to a friend's house, where we had a wonderful time. The same people invited us over for their annual latkes party that Saturday...so we were busy!
How far along: 32 weeks aka 8 months

Size of baby:  Squash
Average size: 15.2- 16.7 inches, 2.5-3.8 lb. By squash they must mean that squished feeling I now feel in my lungs.

Gender: girl

Weight gain: Uh...I need to get back to counting calories because Thanksgiving and an abundance of pie did a number on the scale...and my butt.

Movement: You're in there...moving, stretching and occasionally learning how to run using my right hip to practice on.  We did physical therapy and BOOM! someone turned around, immediately. *yey* for being in the right position!!

How I'm Changing: My belly is getting bigger/rounder. My ribs are spreading.  While I'm happy it took 30 weeks for this to happen, it may be my least favorite part of this entire process. Well that and the can't take deep breaths part.

Maternity Clothes: Um...yes!  My non maternity shirts are just too short, and look somewhat ridiculous with tanks under them at this point.  I'm loving my sweats when I'm home but I change into maternity jeans when I go out so I look somewhat respectable.

How I'm Feeling: I can't sleep particularly deeply anymore and am up at least 4 times per night, but I could sleep till noon. I'm becoming a night owl, even more than before it seems but I'm a bit of a lump before noon.  I'm starting to feel the physical restrictions of being 8 months pregnant, like the breathing, I realized I can't cross my legs anymore, my knees ache a bit, yoga is hard etc.  Luckily my lower back generally has held out surprisingly well.

Sleep: I get up 2 times to pee. Sometimes I don't need to actually pee, but when I'm laying down I can't tell, so I have to stand up to find out and at that point, what the heck.  This different feeling bladder has thrown me for a loop. I feel like I go to the bathroom out of boredom.

What I miss: Being 50 lbs lighter and much more active. Putting on a bra shouldn't count as aerobic activity.

What I'm Eating: Food...

Cravings: I wanted brie cheese, but I don't know if that was a craving so much as a 'hmmm that sounds delightful!'

Best Moment this week:I wrote about all of the awesome stuff this week up top. I think however that reading to your dad while he puts together your nursery is pretty awesome.  I'm looking forward to your shower next weekend, and lots of friends.  Also.... I FINISHED YOUR BLANKET....but your dad thinks I should make it bigger. I think he should shaddup and learn to crochet himself if he wants it bigger because as simple as this pattern looks, it is ridiculously time consuming.  Sorry kid...you're going to be stuck with a small blanket (not like you don't have another 20 of them).

Oh I'm getting so impatient to meet you!!

Mom

Seriously dad...you cut off half of the blanket in this picture...

If you haven't noticed, I love this shirt. It was like
$5 from Old Navy and is so warm and comfy.