Oops

I forgot to post that on Thursday my husband passed the second portion of his A+ certification exam... Well, he did! What a clever partner I have, hooray for him!

35th Week Appointment

Today's prenatal appointment was uneventful - which is good. The CNM didn't do a cervix check this time; she agreed that the contractions I'd been having this week weren't anything serious and she thought that since I'd come this far with no further dilation or effacement then I should be ok. My blood pressure and baby's heartbeat were once again fine. I gained two pounds this week, which puts me at a total gain so far of 36 pounds! My uterus was measuring 36 weeks, a few days ahead, and the CNM confirmed that baby is in fact head down. She said that next week when I do hit 36 weeks that I can get up and return to life as normal! Five more days of this! Then I can start to prepare for this little one's arrival.

My sister and her husband took me to the appointment, as it had been rescheduled for earlier in the day and my husband couldn't accompany me. Afterwards we had her husband take pictures of us outside for our mom's birthday present. We are both 35 weeks pregnant with little girls, my parents' first grandchildren. That was fun, except the wind blew my door shut and locked us out of the house! Luckily my inlaws live right next door and have a key to our house, and I was able to hunt down my father-in-law and borrow his keys.

My New Favorite Joke!

A man walks into a doctor's office, and says, "Doctor, I think I'm a moth!"

The doctor replies, "Well, I think you should go see a psychiatrist for that. I'm just a general practioner."

The man says, "Yeah, I was on my way to see one, but then I saw that your light was on!"



Hehehehehehe!

Maternity Pants Woes, Continued

I have reached a new stage in this pregnancy, a stage where my ever-expanding belly rebels against all forms of pants. Below-the-belly styles do a better job of staying up now; unfortunately this is because they are digging painfully into my flesh. The pants with the giant belly panel are now my best friend. I have two pairs of these, but one of them also cuts into my belly. So I have one pair of semi-comfortable pants and a dozen that are ouchy. Well, there is also this pair of capri pants that are wearable, but I feel like a dork wearing them because they have shin pockets. Yes, shin pockets. I don't know who likes to stash things in pockets located on their shins, and I really don't know who in the world thought a pregnant woman would want/be able to bend over and rummage around in them. I guess they're just supposed to look cute.

(I bought a huge amount of used maternity clothes cheap from a mama at the preschool where I used to work; I didn't actually pick any of this stuff out for myself!)

Wonderful Homebirth Movie

Here is a wonderful flash presentation of a homebirth that I would like to share:

Welcome Jude Roman Fairbanks

There isn't any nudity (well of course the baby is naked but you don't see much) but there is some music. The music makes it better in my sentimental-pregnant-lady opinion. I cry every time I watch it! The expressions on the family's and attendants' faces are what I find particularly striking.

Contractions Update:
Still having weak, irregular contractions today; I was yesterday as well. I don't think these are going anywhere soon... I think I'll probably be experiencing these up until showtime. We shall see!

Hip Hip Hooray!

Three cheers for my husband, who passed the first portion of the A+ certification test today! I am quite proud of him. He so often impresses me with his intelligence. He's taking the second half of the test on Thursday and I think he'll do just fine on it too.

Contraction Watch '05

My uterus has been contracting away today... nothing regular or very strong, but I'm feeling more activity than I have in a while. I guess it's been a week or two since I've even had more than one in a row while just sitting around doing my couch-rest thing, and I've had several such instances today. Nothing major, but definitely an increase. Baby has also been pretty still... for her. Oof, of course she pushes her butt as far out as she can while I write this.

Moon

Last night's full moon made its arc with no effect on my womb. The last full moon was when I started having contractions strong enough to send me to the hospital, so I was half-expecting the same thing. It was a quiet night this time around, thankfully. However, I do have a strange new pain in my belly. Not sure what's going on there... Never a dull moment with this pregnancy thing!

Another Prenatal

Today's visit with the CNM went well once again! No weight gain to speak of, urine and blood pressure and baby's heartrate were all fine, and my cervix hasn't dilated or effaced any more. All good news! I am still measuring at 35 weeks, which is fine as I'm not quite to 35 weeks yet.

She said that since my cervix had stayed the same for the past few weeks it is looking likelier that I will make it to my due date. Which is good! I was kind of worried that all the activity of the past week had stirred things up but it doesn't appear to have done so.

I asked her about ivs and amniotomies during labor, two things that were portrayed as routine by the OB nurse during our recent labor & delivery class. I was hoping we would have things a little differently with our CNM than the couples delivering with the OBs. I was pretty satisfied with the answers she gave when I asked if those were things that could be avoided. So I am not so worried about my veins being stabbed and waters being broken the minute I'm in a hospital gown anymore. All in all I am feeling pretty good about giving birth in this hospital, though I would prefer to do it elsewhere. This time I think it will be ok.

More Spring Fun

My wisdom teeth are driving me completely insane today. I guess I should go take some tylenol but I just absolutely hate taking medicine; I never do unless it's really necessary. The wisdom teeth on my right side keep cutting in and out, in and out, every few days, and have been forever, but I've been sort of pregnant for a while... waiting for that to be done with before I get them taken out.

Also when I wrote about my last prenatal appointment I forgot to mention that my CNM told me I could come off of bedrest at 36 weeks, since I would then be considered full term and they won't try to stop labor if it happens after that point. I'm about 34.5 weeks now, so not a whole lot longer to go! I can't wait. In some ways I have enjoyed this period of relative calm and inactivity, but enough is enough. And I have definitely had enough of bedrest.

Nesting

Today I have a huge amount of energy and a distinct urge to get things done - it's been impossible to sit still. I guess this is the nesting instinct that kicks in at the end of pregnancy! I cleaned and cleaned out the fridge, and gathered trash out of the car, as those are things I can do mostly sitting down at least... and just now I was cleaning up the bedroom in preparation for rearranging it and setting up the baby's cosleeper but I was having some little contractions so I figured I'd better rest. Don't know how long I'll be able to stay down though, I need to DO stuff!!

Frighteningly True

"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders....All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger." - Hermann Goering

Tie Dyes

On Saturday my sister and a couple of friends came over and we had a tie dying party. They brought some delicious snacks and we spent the afternoon folding, tieing, soaking, dying. We did mostly baby stuff but some grown-up clothes too. I spent a great deal of time rinsing and washing my tie dyes; some of them turned out good and some of them turned out not so good. It was a lot of fun and I'd like to do some more sometime.

Some notes: Rubber bands do indeed affect where the dye does not go, if they are tight enough. Don't be stingy with the dye, especially at the center of designs.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Another Good Visit

We had another prenatal appointment this afternoon and it went well. No changes to my cervix, and I didn't gain any weight! I was kind of worried about that, having eaten a whole pan of brownies in a span of three days, minus the three that my husband ate. My blood pressure and the baby's heart rate were good as usual, and I was measuring a week and a half ahead. Baby is growing good. I like my CNM because she always compliments my expanding belly.

So I left the appointment feeling less like an overweight stretch-marked blob and more like a healthy pregnant person.

Then went to Target and then we ate Mexican food and then we went to the bead store! And we attempted to go to the library but they were closing. So I consoled myself with a delicious millkshake.

When You're Pregnant Your Pants Don't Stay Up

It's an unfortunate fact (for me at least). Maternity pants either have a panel that covers the entire belly, which irritates me enough to only wear them when everything else is dirty, or fit below the waist and do not stay up, leading to constantly hitching them up. Or not hitching them up, and walking around with plumber crack, which is made worse when you can't wear undies because you have outgrown them (don't worry I'm buying more tomorrow). This is what I was doing yesterday and my husband saw me and laughed at me. He thought it was really funny that he could see my crack. Ha Ha. Actually I thought it was pretty funny too.

The perfect solution to this problem is suspenders. Unfortunately the only person I have encountered who wears suspenders is my high school math teacher and in my gravid state I would resemble him and his huge beer gut far too closely for comfort so suspenders are right out. (Hmmm, I guess his beer gut is what caused him to wear suspenders, because like a pregnant woman, his pants wouldn't stay up! Fascinating!) Overalls are a sort of more fashionable answer but unfortunately my regular overalls don't fit at all anymore, even with all three side buttons undone, and I opted to buy a cute denim jumper rather than maternity overalls and the jumper just doesn't work so well with the bedrest lifestyle.

So yeah, plumber crack.

Boredom Sets In

Ho hum, nothing to do. I'm tired of the internet. I finished my crocheted jacket and I think it is quite awesome, I just need to get some beads to put on the end of the ties and then I will take pictures of it and show it off. I've been sewing flannel and terry together to make cloth wipes for baby, but I've been doing it by hand and my fingers feel pretty raw, so I'm giving that a break. I guess I could crochet some baby stuff but that just seems dull after the exciting jacket project. I might resort to that though. My sister and some friends are coming out here probably this weekend to tie-dye baby clothes, so I have that to look forward to. And Friday I have a prental visit so I'll get to go to town then. But in the meantime, boredom.

33 Weeks

Today makes 33 weeks and I'm glad I'm this far along. My CNM said I probably would not make it to my due date of June 1st, but I waver between agreeing with her and thinking that she's wrong. I think I may just have a problem accepting the fact that I have a good chance of having a premature baby because I want so badly to have a full-term, healthy baby. I guess we'll see.

I'm still having the occasional contraction while just sitting around, and still am guaranteed to have them if I'm on my feet. So I'm staying off them as much as I can. When Scott is at work I have to fetch whatever I need for myself, and in the evenings I get a little stir-crazy and take a walk around the house, but other than that, yeah, I'm staying put.

My belly is growing and growing. The stretch marks on my lower belly are quite prolific but I don't feel much angst over them anymore, though I wish they weren't there. Lately my belly has been itching so I think we're having a growing spurt here! It really feels like there's a baby in there now. I mean, I know there's always been a baby in there, but now it feels like there is a BABY in there. I can distinguish body parts and have a better idea of what she's doing when I feel movement. I dig it.

In other news that has little if anything to do with pregnancy, I planted some basil seeds in starter cups the other day and am somewhat concerned about them. I know they need warmth to sprout, and it's been rather cool lately. So if I planted them and it's too cool it will just take until it's warm for them to sprout, right? I hope I haven't killed them or anything. I'm envisioning huge bountiful bushes of basil from which I will gather leafy handfuls during the summer and use to make pesto sauce. I really love pesto.

And I toyed around with the sidebar, added a flickr badge (flickr is way neat! three huzzahs for flickr!), rearranged some stuff, etc.

Fetal Psychology Article

This article is a bit old but still an interesting read.

Fetal Psychology

I'm always wondering what it's like for baby in the womb so I like to read a lot about fetal development and such. The most interesting thing in this article, I thought, was the fact that from about 32 weeks on, unborn babies act just like newborns. I was watching a video clip of a new baby recently, laying quietly awake and moving around, and I thought, "That's what it feels like my baby is doing!"

I mentioned recently that her movements have changed recently. I am also finding it a lot easier to tell how she is positioned. Mostly she stays head down, and by feeling my belly I can tell is her butt is on the right side or the left, as it'll be sticking out under my ribs. I can curve my hand around it and even push it down but I generally leave her alone unless she's hurting my ribs. If I can't feel her butt and back I assume she's facing outward and often I can feel a little foot pressing outward. Yesterday she turned a little and was more sideways! She was stretching at least one leg out and I could distinctly feel her foot with my hand, and see it making the side of my belly bulge out. Depending on how's she's laying my husband and I can also hear her heartbeat with our fetoscope, and that is really neat.

Overabundance

I was putting away the baby clothes that have been laying strewn about on the guest bed since my siblings' visit, and I really, really, have a lot of newborn-3mo sized clothes!! I think I went a little overboard! That's okay though, the less laundry we have to do in those early days, the better, if you ask me. I have much less stuff in bigger sizes, just three outfits for 3-6mo... and one dress set in 9 mo that I'm going to return because I'm retarded and bought a summery outfit for a stage where it will be winter! Yeesh. I don't think about that sort of thing because I've been the same size no matter the season for a long time. But babies grow like weeds, silly me.

Yawn

Today was a pretty slow day, surprise, surprise. Bedrest isn't exactly full of fun and excitement. I've been doing a lot of crocheting, and I've been sewing some flannel and terry cloth wipes. I had a hell of a lot of contractions today, more so than I've had all week, due to yesterday's internal exam and trip into town I'm sure. None of them were anything major though, just the same old contractions...

Baby's movement has changed within the past week. I feel less bops and thumps and more turning, shifting movements, and limbs strrrreeeetttching out. I think she's getting a bit more cramped in there.

For the Rest of the Pregnancy

I had an appointment with my CNM today and was told that I could expect to be on bedrest for the duration of the pregnancy, which, she says, she would be very surprised to see go all the way to my due date. I don't have to lay down, I can stay sitting up at least, but I am not to be getting up and around, not to go anywhere other than my appointments, not to have sex. I am very, very bummed.

She did an internal exam and found that I had not dilated or effaced anymore, which is good, but she still said that the fact that I had dilated and effaced as much as I had, plus having two recorded spells of regular contractions, was very serious at this early point. Hence the continued bedrest.

I had gained three pounds since last week, and was measuring a week ahead. Baby's heart sounded good as always.

So that's my suck-ass news of the day. I was really expecting her to tell me something better. I guess it was just wishful thinking. Intuitively I do not think the baby will be making an appearance real soon, so I am not freaking out about having a premature baby, but I still would rather not have one. So, I'll follow her orders until baby is full term. Maybe by then or even before then I'll have made so little progress that I can be given the go ahead to do normal things.

Breaking Bedrest

Yesterday evening I couldn't take it anymore, I had to go outside. So I took a little walk around the yard and saw all the new things budding and blooming. It's not fair that I have to miss out on these first lovely days of Spring.

The whole time I was walking around my belly was rock hard so I guess I still need to be taking it easy.

Here are some delicate little leaves unfolding on the Japanese Maple we planted over the winter:

And some blossoms on the cherry tree in our yard:

Contractions, Contractions, Go Away! But Please Come Back at the End of May.

How cute and rhyme-y am I?

Yeah, still having contractions. Definately when I stand up and walk, more likely when I am sitting up, but not quite as frequently when I am just laying down. I had a pretty quiet day yesterday, uterine-wise, and thought, hey, maybe the yootie-eye is gone, maybe the contractions are over! And then I had a few. Boo.

Today is much like yesterday. I'm not really having periods of contractions like I was before they told me not to lay on my back, but I think it might be just the same if I was laying on my back, so really I don't think anything has changed.

Anyways, something funny happened today, I just laughed and laughed. My dear husband has been waiting upon me during this time when he is home, and I asked him to make me some grits, two servings! So he goes in the kitchen and is cooking away, and he asks if I want honey or anything on them, and I say, blech, no, I like them with butter and salt and pepper. So in a few minutes he brings in a bowl and I send him back to the kitchen after a napkin and a spoon that would actually fit in my mouth (I'm so demanding). Now I've been vaguely aware that there is something strange about these grits but it took an astonishing amount of time to realize what it was - they weren't grits! It was MALT-O-MEAL!! I shrieked that those were not grits and then proceeded to laugh and laugh. A double bowl of malt-o-meal topped with salt and pepper! I dumped a bunch more butter and brown sugar in and managed to eat about half of it, I could still taste the pepper though. Yuck. It was pretty funny.