and no sign of baby coming out into the world.
my midwife visit on monday evening was less than eventful. i haven't dilated any further and i'm only 30% effaced. yes, that's 30% more than i was before, but still, not much. you'd think that all the contractions, raspberry leaf tea, and yes, even sex, would have led to something by now! not to mention the head being so far down in my pelvis -- we're totally going to have a coneheaded child.
i had my midwife strip my membranes, but it didn't do much of anything for me except give me some more false contractions. i was prepared for that, so it didn't bother me. i was just hoping it would help move things along.
so my due date is tomorrow, and there's nothing happening! i'm sad... and uncomfortable. and sick of the waiting game. my next midwife visit is monday, and if there's nothing happening by then, we will schedule the baby's non-stress test and "discuss my options." ugh. i'm really hoping that i don't have to be induced. but we'll see.
dave and i are laying low tonight. ordering in thai, watching a movie, drinking some cava. nothing much. i have a migraine, so that's not going to help with the discomfort at all. but we'll also be praying that something major happens... i'm ordering a green curry dish to try to push things along!
anyway, even though i'm in a grumbly mood, i wanted to wish everyone a happy new year. in the end, i know this year will bring much more than we've ever experienced before -- and change our lives forever.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
to keep me laughing
just got this from my friend jothan, and couldn't help but post it up here. it's hysterical!!! thanks for the laugh jothan. i needed it. =D
just click on the image to see it larger (and readable).
just click on the image to see it larger (and readable).
don't want to post...
so, i'm in a bad mood most of the time these days, because baby block just refuses to come out. contractions? sure! cramping? absolutely. backache? no problem. but actual labor? NO.
i'm very uncomfortable most days, and i can't seem to get myself together. i'm trying almost every natural induction method available, short of castor oil and running up and down stairs. today i'm going to ask my midwife to strip my membranes, and hopefully that will move things along.
on the good side, we had christmas at our place this year. both christmas eve and christmas day. and it was great! christmas eve was sort of a trial run, since my mom and brother did most of the cooking for that day. but i was up a lot cleaning and serving and washing... maybe i should have sat down more, but i didn't want to. christmas day was my day to cook, but it was also a much smaller group to cook for. and both dave and i were really happy about the way it went. we figure that next year, holding christmas eve here "for real" will be a lot easier than we thought. yay!
i'm very uncomfortable most days, and i can't seem to get myself together. i'm trying almost every natural induction method available, short of castor oil and running up and down stairs. today i'm going to ask my midwife to strip my membranes, and hopefully that will move things along.
on the good side, we had christmas at our place this year. both christmas eve and christmas day. and it was great! christmas eve was sort of a trial run, since my mom and brother did most of the cooking for that day. but i was up a lot cleaning and serving and washing... maybe i should have sat down more, but i didn't want to. christmas day was my day to cook, but it was also a much smaller group to cook for. and both dave and i were really happy about the way it went. we figure that next year, holding christmas eve here "for real" will be a lot easier than we thought. yay!
Friday, December 26, 2008
39 weeks -- baby block is a BIG FREAKIN' BABY!
according to babycenter, this kid is a watermelon. i could have told you that! yes, this child is a stubborn watermelon-sized baby who wears me out, doesn't let me sleep (sign of what's to come?) and refuses to leave his/her cozy little space. oy.
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing: Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath. See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing: At each of your now-weekly visits, your caregiver will do an abdominal exam to check your baby's growth and position. She might also do an internal exam to see whether your cervix has started ripening: softening, effacing (thinning out), and dilating (opening). But even armed with this information, there's still no way for your caregiver to predict exactly when your baby is coming. If you go past your due date, your caregiver will schedule you for fetal testing (usually a sonogram) after 40 weeks to ensure that it's safe to continue the pregnancy. If you don't go into labor on your own, most practitioners will induce labor when you're between one and two weeks overdue — or sooner if there's an indication that the risk of waiting is greater than the risks of delivering your baby without further delay. While you're waiting, it's important to continue to pay attention to your baby's movements and let your caregiver know right away if they seem to decrease. Your baby should remain active right up to delivery, and a noticeable slowdown in activity could be a sign of a problem. Also call if you think your water may have broken. Membranes rupture before the beginning of labor in about 8 percent of term pregnancies. Sometimes there's a big gush of fluid, but sometimes there's only a small gush or a slow leak. (Don't try to make the diagnosis yourself. Call even if you only suspect you have a leak.) If you rupture your membranes and don't start contractions on your own, you'll be induced.
Friday, December 19, 2008
update... nothing...
well, after my checkup yesterday, i've discovered that nothing has progressed. we had all good signs last week, but this week there has sadly been no change. which is shocking to me, since i've had a fair amount of false labor in the past 7 days. but alas, it has apparently done nothing. so, the baby is still very low (good), and my cervix is still very soft (good), but i haven't dilated any further (sigh...).
so we're still in baby limbo! which is quite normal at 9.5 months, and i know i'm no more uncomfortable than any other woman at this stage. but i will say that i'm sick of it! the only thing that is keeping me on an even keel is that there's a good shot that the baby won't be born until AFTER christmas, which at this point is a good thing. i would hate it if our poor child had to share his/her birthday with the biggest holiday of the year.
so i'm spending all my time sitting and "relaxing", as well as getting ready for the holidays. at least we have christmas and hannukah to look forward to.
so we're still in baby limbo! which is quite normal at 9.5 months, and i know i'm no more uncomfortable than any other woman at this stage. but i will say that i'm sick of it! the only thing that is keeping me on an even keel is that there's a good shot that the baby won't be born until AFTER christmas, which at this point is a good thing. i would hate it if our poor child had to share his/her birthday with the biggest holiday of the year.
so i'm spending all my time sitting and "relaxing", as well as getting ready for the holidays. at least we have christmas and hannukah to look forward to.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
38 weeks -- baby block is a leek
how about baby block is sitting on my pelvis and won't come out?
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)
See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:
For many women, the next couple of weeks are a waiting game. Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of necessary tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps, catch up on your reading, and spend uninterrupted time with your partner while you can. Some swelling in your feet and ankles is normal during these last weeks, but call your practitioner without delay if you notice excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, any swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, or have a sudden weight gain. Also let her know immediately if have severe or persistent headaches; visual changes (such as double or blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, light sensitivity, or a temporary loss of vision), intense upper abdominal pain or tenderness, or nausea and vomiting. These are symptoms of a serious condition called preeclampsia.
Monday, December 15, 2008
yep, still here. =(
hey there in baby-block world!!
well, i'm 37.5 weeks and counting. i'm uncomfortable as all get out (yes, i just wanted an excuse to use that phrase). the baby is sitting really low in my pelvis since the head is engaged, and i get cramping, contractions, and braxton-hicks contractions to varying degrees on a daily basis. so basically, i'm ready to get this baby out of here!
while we wait, there's still a myriad of duties to complete. i am finally doing my shower thank you notes, some of which will go out today. we got the christmas tree this weekend with grandma maria and grandpa hank, so now we have to decorate it. and we have food shopping for the holidays to finish up. overall, not the longest list, but still stuff.
i'm going to be doing ye old labor trick, going for a long walk, in just a bit. i wanted to get photos to the upholsterer to get an estimate on recovering one of our chairs (the one above), so i need to get over there. it's within walking distance of the house, but it's a nice long walk. so i'm getting myself out there so that i can try to get this baby moving! wish me luck!
Friday, December 12, 2008
we think this kid wants to come out...
no, i'm not saying i'm having our child right now. but there are several signs of going early. which is ok, now that i'm 37 weeks, done with work, and have my bag packed!
i'm dealing with some discomfort, so i'm working on finally doing my shower thank you's before this kid gets here.
that's my update for now! fingers crossed that we get to pick up our tree tomorrow!
i'm dealing with some discomfort, so i'm working on finally doing my shower thank you's before this kid gets here.
that's my update for now! fingers crossed that we get to pick up our tree tomorrow!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
37 weeks -- baby block is swiss chard?
um, they're really running out of options. this one is for the length only...
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.
Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.
See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:
Braxton Hicks contractions may be coming more frequently now and may last longer and be more uncomfortable. You might also notice an increase in vaginal discharge. If you see some "bloody show" (mucus tinged with a tiny amount of blood) in the toilet or in your undies, labor is probably a few days away — or less. (If you have heavier spotting or bleeding, call your caregiver immediately.) Also be sure to ask your caregiver about the results of your Group B strep culture. That way, if the result isn't yet on your chart when you get to the hospital or birth center, you'll be able to give the staff there a timely heads-up if you need antibiotics.
It may be harder than ever to get comfortable enough to sleep well at night. If you can, take it easy through the day — this may be your last chance to do so for quite a while. Keep monitoring your baby's movements, too, and let your caregiver know immediately if you notice a decrease. Though her quarters are getting cozy, she should still be as active as before.
While you're sleeping, you're likely to have some intense dreams. Anxiety both about labor and about becoming a parent can fuel a lot of strange flights of unconscious fancy.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
36 weeks -- baby block is a crenshaw melon!
yes, yes, we've hit 36 weeks! so, officially i'm 9 months along, less than a month away from my due date, and officially 4 weeks out. this is really quite strange, though after monday's scare, we are a bit more prepared on what to expect.
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.
See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:
Now that your baby is taking up so much room, you may have trouble eating a normal-size meal. Smaller, more frequent meals are often easier to handle at this point. On the other hand, you may have less heartburn and have an easier time breathing when your baby starts to "drop" down into your pelvis. This process — called lightening — often happens a few weeks before labor if this is your first baby. (If you've given birth before, it probably won't happen before labor starts.) If your baby drops, you may also feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen, which may make walking increasingly uncomfortable, and you'll probably find that you have to pee even more frequently. If your baby is very low, you may feel lots of vaginal pressure and discomfort as well. Some women say it feels as though they're carrying a bowling ball between their legs!
You might also notice that your Braxton Hicks contractions are more frequent now. Be sure to review the signs of labor with your practitioner and find out when she wants to hear from you. As a general rule, if you're full-term, your pregnancy is uncomplicated, and your water hasn't broken, she'll probably have you wait to come in until you've been having contractions that last for about a minute each, coming every five minutes for an hour. Of course, you'll want to call right away if you notice a decrease in your baby's activity or think you're leaking amniotic fluid, or if you have any vaginal bleeding, fever, a severe or persistent headache, constant abdominal pain, or vision changes.
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.
See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:
Now that your baby is taking up so much room, you may have trouble eating a normal-size meal. Smaller, more frequent meals are often easier to handle at this point. On the other hand, you may have less heartburn and have an easier time breathing when your baby starts to "drop" down into your pelvis. This process — called lightening — often happens a few weeks before labor if this is your first baby. (If you've given birth before, it probably won't happen before labor starts.) If your baby drops, you may also feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen, which may make walking increasingly uncomfortable, and you'll probably find that you have to pee even more frequently. If your baby is very low, you may feel lots of vaginal pressure and discomfort as well. Some women say it feels as though they're carrying a bowling ball between their legs!
You might also notice that your Braxton Hicks contractions are more frequent now. Be sure to review the signs of labor with your practitioner and find out when she wants to hear from you. As a general rule, if you're full-term, your pregnancy is uncomplicated, and your water hasn't broken, she'll probably have you wait to come in until you've been having contractions that last for about a minute each, coming every five minutes for an hour. Of course, you'll want to call right away if you notice a decrease in your baby's activity or think you're leaking amniotic fluid, or if you have any vaginal bleeding, fever, a severe or persistent headache, constant abdominal pain, or vision changes.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
our not-so-fun monday
dave and i had a lovely thanksgiving weekend. it was a bit hectic, but in a good way. and i rested up as much as i could.
unfortunately, monday it all went awry.
i woke up several times during the night sunday into monday. this is pretty much par for the course these days -- baby block likes to kick mommy awake, or sit on my bladder until i have to pee again. but i got up at 5:30 in the morning the last time, and that was a bad wake-up. i wound up throwing up and waking up poor dave, who heard me and came in to check on me and take care of me. anyway, i went to lie on the couch for the rest of the morning and try to relax. but of course i was uncomfortable and ill, and couldn't get much water into my system.
dave got up, checked on me, and got ready for work. before he left, at about 8:30, i started to get stomach pains. they really felt like bad gas pains, and i thought they were related to whatever was going on with my stomach at the moment. dave offered to stay home with me but i told him i'd be fine and to go to work. and i laid back down to try to sleep. but these pains persisted, and didn't let me sleep. eventually, i realized that i was actually in a lot of pain, and something else might be going on.
i called aunt inna to clarify if what i was feeling could be contractions. when she said that it sounded like contractions, i called the midwives. while waiting for them to call back, i threw up again, and then called dave to come home. when i spoke to midwife kristen, she told me that it sounded like i had the nasty stomach flu that was going around and that the dehydration was causing contractions. kristen advised me to get gatorade or something else with electrolytes into my system to stop the contractions from coming. so i asked dave to pick up gatorade on his way home. when he got back, i downed a bottle, and then we began to time the contractions which were still coming. they were pretty steady -- about 10-13 minutes apart. when they got to be 7 minutes apart, i began to get nervous. so we called back the midwives, and midwife kristen told me to head to the hospital. she wanted me to be put on IV to get enough fluids in me to stop the contractions.
of course, at this point we were pretty freaked out. frankly, we weren't ready for this baby to show up! especially not me. i am still scheduled for work until the end of next week, and i hadn't lined up anyone to take over my projects if i were to go early. i also hadn't purchased everything needed for the hospital yet, so we'd be essentially going with nothing. that's minor in the end, but still mattered yesterday, since we were so unprepared.
so i showered, changed, and we went to the hospital, hoping that they could work their magic and stop these contractions. after waiting for a while to get admitted into triage, we finally got in there. the nurses got me all ready and took blood and stuff, and then midwife anne came in to take care of us. i was hooked up to the fetal monitor, which confirmed my contractions but also confirmed that the baby was doing just fine (whew). they ran their tests and hooked me up to the IV (ouch). i had 2 bags on IV before the contractions stopped and they could send me home. but the good news is that they did indeed stop. i'm also not dialated as of yet, and the culture they ran to check on if the baby might go pre-term came back negative. so i guess the rest of my body is saying that it's not ready. for which i am very grateful.
we also found out that the baby's head is in fact very low, which explains why i always feel like he/she is trying to break out of there! maybe it will help in a few weeks when i'm actually ready to go. ha!
we went home after all this, and i was still feeling pretty beaten up by the virus and the days events. i forced down some more gatorade and a bagel, and laid on the couch with dave as long as i could handle it. my back was spasming from the day's problems. so we went to bed early, and dave rubbed my back until we could both sleep. i'm still kind of out of it today, and suffering from a migraine as a result, but i'm much better than i was.
a few great things came out of the otherwise stressful day:
1. we're both better prepared for the real thing now. dave did an AMAZING job at making me feel better, keeping me calm, and even laughing through the pain and confusion. and i now know what contractions feel like, so i'll be much more aware when it is really time to go.
2. i get contractions! this sounds silly, but it's not. my mom had a hormonal imbalance that kept her from going into labor, including when she was induced. she has no idea what a contraction feels like, and me and my brother were both c-sections. i was a bit concerned that i'd have the same problem, but now we know that i do in fact get contractions. that's a huge thing for me.
3. i now have backup -- a couple of good friends who are also designers said that they could take my projects if necessary. which makes me feel so much better.
4. we now know what has to get done for our real trip to the hospital, and we will make sure we get all that done by the end of the week. grandma maria and i are going to target on friday here in bk, to do one-stop-shopping for my hospital stay, and dave and i are getting all the things returned to buybuy baby that need to go back on saturday. after that, we'll be in much better shape.
so i'm home, and baby-free, which is good. i'm resting and working at the same time, and trying to make myself feel better.
unfortunately, monday it all went awry.
i woke up several times during the night sunday into monday. this is pretty much par for the course these days -- baby block likes to kick mommy awake, or sit on my bladder until i have to pee again. but i got up at 5:30 in the morning the last time, and that was a bad wake-up. i wound up throwing up and waking up poor dave, who heard me and came in to check on me and take care of me. anyway, i went to lie on the couch for the rest of the morning and try to relax. but of course i was uncomfortable and ill, and couldn't get much water into my system.
dave got up, checked on me, and got ready for work. before he left, at about 8:30, i started to get stomach pains. they really felt like bad gas pains, and i thought they were related to whatever was going on with my stomach at the moment. dave offered to stay home with me but i told him i'd be fine and to go to work. and i laid back down to try to sleep. but these pains persisted, and didn't let me sleep. eventually, i realized that i was actually in a lot of pain, and something else might be going on.
i called aunt inna to clarify if what i was feeling could be contractions. when she said that it sounded like contractions, i called the midwives. while waiting for them to call back, i threw up again, and then called dave to come home. when i spoke to midwife kristen, she told me that it sounded like i had the nasty stomach flu that was going around and that the dehydration was causing contractions. kristen advised me to get gatorade or something else with electrolytes into my system to stop the contractions from coming. so i asked dave to pick up gatorade on his way home. when he got back, i downed a bottle, and then we began to time the contractions which were still coming. they were pretty steady -- about 10-13 minutes apart. when they got to be 7 minutes apart, i began to get nervous. so we called back the midwives, and midwife kristen told me to head to the hospital. she wanted me to be put on IV to get enough fluids in me to stop the contractions.
of course, at this point we were pretty freaked out. frankly, we weren't ready for this baby to show up! especially not me. i am still scheduled for work until the end of next week, and i hadn't lined up anyone to take over my projects if i were to go early. i also hadn't purchased everything needed for the hospital yet, so we'd be essentially going with nothing. that's minor in the end, but still mattered yesterday, since we were so unprepared.
so i showered, changed, and we went to the hospital, hoping that they could work their magic and stop these contractions. after waiting for a while to get admitted into triage, we finally got in there. the nurses got me all ready and took blood and stuff, and then midwife anne came in to take care of us. i was hooked up to the fetal monitor, which confirmed my contractions but also confirmed that the baby was doing just fine (whew). they ran their tests and hooked me up to the IV (ouch). i had 2 bags on IV before the contractions stopped and they could send me home. but the good news is that they did indeed stop. i'm also not dialated as of yet, and the culture they ran to check on if the baby might go pre-term came back negative. so i guess the rest of my body is saying that it's not ready. for which i am very grateful.
we also found out that the baby's head is in fact very low, which explains why i always feel like he/she is trying to break out of there! maybe it will help in a few weeks when i'm actually ready to go. ha!
we went home after all this, and i was still feeling pretty beaten up by the virus and the days events. i forced down some more gatorade and a bagel, and laid on the couch with dave as long as i could handle it. my back was spasming from the day's problems. so we went to bed early, and dave rubbed my back until we could both sleep. i'm still kind of out of it today, and suffering from a migraine as a result, but i'm much better than i was.
a few great things came out of the otherwise stressful day:
1. we're both better prepared for the real thing now. dave did an AMAZING job at making me feel better, keeping me calm, and even laughing through the pain and confusion. and i now know what contractions feel like, so i'll be much more aware when it is really time to go.
2. i get contractions! this sounds silly, but it's not. my mom had a hormonal imbalance that kept her from going into labor, including when she was induced. she has no idea what a contraction feels like, and me and my brother were both c-sections. i was a bit concerned that i'd have the same problem, but now we know that i do in fact get contractions. that's a huge thing for me.
3. i now have backup -- a couple of good friends who are also designers said that they could take my projects if necessary. which makes me feel so much better.
4. we now know what has to get done for our real trip to the hospital, and we will make sure we get all that done by the end of the week. grandma maria and i are going to target on friday here in bk, to do one-stop-shopping for my hospital stay, and dave and i are getting all the things returned to buybuy baby that need to go back on saturday. after that, we'll be in much better shape.
so i'm home, and baby-free, which is good. i'm resting and working at the same time, and trying to make myself feel better.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
happy thanksgiving!
wow. so we've made it to thanksgiving! only 5 weeks left of this pregnancy, and i can hardly believe it. our holiday baby will be here so very soon!
a few things i'm grateful for:
1. my wonderful husband and soon-to-be daddy. dave is the best thing that can happen to this kid. and to me. =)
2. our family and friends, for their love, support, generosity, and serious excitement for these past months. i know they're just as excited as we are to meet baby block and to see what he/she is like.
3. elevators. man, do i hate stairs these days.
4. the movement of baby block. feeling him/her is the one amazingly bright spot in this pregnancy -- and i feel her several times a day, every day. it always makes me smile.
5. that this pregnancy is almost over!! ok, so i'm not the biggest fan of being pregnant. but really, i just want to meet our baby. i'm getting more excited every day.
happy thanksgiving everyone!!!
a few things i'm grateful for:
1. my wonderful husband and soon-to-be daddy. dave is the best thing that can happen to this kid. and to me. =)
2. our family and friends, for their love, support, generosity, and serious excitement for these past months. i know they're just as excited as we are to meet baby block and to see what he/she is like.
3. elevators. man, do i hate stairs these days.
4. the movement of baby block. feeling him/her is the one amazingly bright spot in this pregnancy -- and i feel her several times a day, every day. it always makes me smile.
5. that this pregnancy is almost over!! ok, so i'm not the biggest fan of being pregnant. but really, i just want to meet our baby. i'm getting more excited every day.
happy thanksgiving everyone!!!
35 weeks -- baby block is a honeydew!
not exactly timely for thanksgiving, but fun nonetheless!
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.
See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:
Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your other internal organs, too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and may be dealing with heartburn and other gastrointestinal distress. If you're not grappling with these annoyances, you're one of the lucky few.
From here on out, you'll start seeing your practitioner every week. Sometime between now and 37 weeks, she'll do a vaginal and rectal culture to check for bacteria called Group B streptococci (GBS). (Don't worry — the swab is the size of a regular cotton swab, and it won't hurt at all.) GBS is usually harmless in adults, but if you have it and pass it on to your baby during birth, it can cause serious complications, such as pneumonia, meningitis, or a blood infection. Because 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women have the bacteria and don't know it, it's vital to be screened. (The bacteria come and go on their own — that's why you weren't screened earlier in pregnancy.) If you're a GBS carrier, you'll get IV antibiotics during labor, which will greatly reduce your baby's risk of infection.
This is also a good time to create a birth plan. Using our form will help you focus on specifics — like who'll be present, what pain management techniques you want to try, and where you want your baby to stay after you deliver. It will give you a starting point to discuss your preferences with your medical team. Childbirth is unpredictable, and chances are you won't follow your plan to the letter, but thinking about your choices ahead of time — and sharing your preferences with your caregiver — should take some of the anxiety out of the process.
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.
See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:
Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your other internal organs, too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and may be dealing with heartburn and other gastrointestinal distress. If you're not grappling with these annoyances, you're one of the lucky few.
From here on out, you'll start seeing your practitioner every week. Sometime between now and 37 weeks, she'll do a vaginal and rectal culture to check for bacteria called Group B streptococci (GBS). (Don't worry — the swab is the size of a regular cotton swab, and it won't hurt at all.) GBS is usually harmless in adults, but if you have it and pass it on to your baby during birth, it can cause serious complications, such as pneumonia, meningitis, or a blood infection. Because 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women have the bacteria and don't know it, it's vital to be screened. (The bacteria come and go on their own — that's why you weren't screened earlier in pregnancy.) If you're a GBS carrier, you'll get IV antibiotics during labor, which will greatly reduce your baby's risk of infection.
This is also a good time to create a birth plan. Using our form will help you focus on specifics — like who'll be present, what pain management techniques you want to try, and where you want your baby to stay after you deliver. It will give you a starting point to discuss your preferences with your medical team. Childbirth is unpredictable, and chances are you won't follow your plan to the letter, but thinking about your choices ahead of time — and sharing your preferences with your caregiver — should take some of the anxiety out of the process.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
pediatrician, bugaboo, and all other things baby
so i'm trying my damdest to get things done today, since i wasn't feeling well over the weekend or yesterday (cold). i seem to be succeeding, which is exciting!
first of all, if you guys didn't know, we had a huge issue with our bugaboo cameleon stroller that FINALLY got resolved. basically, the company it was ordered from shipped us our stroller and fabric, or so we thought... the box that was supposed to contain our stroller parts was missing the chassis and wheels. basically, the stroller part of the stroller! after over a month of going back and forth between the company that it was ordered from and bugaboo's nyc headquarters, we finally received the chassis and wheels last week. i had the opportunity to take them out today, do some minor assembly, and try it all out. it's so great to have all of it, and it's so awesome! thanks again barb!
second, i got the opportunity today to call for a pediatric consultation. we're going with dr. cao at park slope pediatrics, who comes very well recommended and is supposed to be wonderful. the consultation is friday, dec. 19th, so i'm hoping that goes well -- it's so close to the due date!
now i'm just getting my thank you notes ready to mail out, washing the baby's clothes and blankets, and trying to just get everything put away in this apartment.
just about 5 weeks now kids! scary!
first of all, if you guys didn't know, we had a huge issue with our bugaboo cameleon stroller that FINALLY got resolved. basically, the company it was ordered from shipped us our stroller and fabric, or so we thought... the box that was supposed to contain our stroller parts was missing the chassis and wheels. basically, the stroller part of the stroller! after over a month of going back and forth between the company that it was ordered from and bugaboo's nyc headquarters, we finally received the chassis and wheels last week. i had the opportunity to take them out today, do some minor assembly, and try it all out. it's so great to have all of it, and it's so awesome! thanks again barb!
second, i got the opportunity today to call for a pediatric consultation. we're going with dr. cao at park slope pediatrics, who comes very well recommended and is supposed to be wonderful. the consultation is friday, dec. 19th, so i'm hoping that goes well -- it's so close to the due date!
now i'm just getting my thank you notes ready to mail out, washing the baby's clothes and blankets, and trying to just get everything put away in this apartment.
just about 5 weeks now kids! scary!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
midwife visit today, and the handing-over of the birth plan
so i'm finally handing over a birth plan to my midwives today for review. should be interesting... i'm hoping to get their input on some things.
the hospital tour went really well. it was very informative and really helped our confidence level with the process -- the staff was great, friendly, and very willing to answer our questions in an honest but amusing way, which i really appreciated. the birthing rooms at methodist are quite nice (well, for birthing rooms). they try really hard to make them homey and welcoming, with traditional-wood-faced furniture that hides all the equipment and such. they're quite large too. not that i need all that much room, but it's nice to know that i can walk around and not feel cooped-up or claustrophobic.
the maternity nurses were great and the nursery looks sweet and welcoming. methodist is also very "pro-baby", so they're good about encouraging breast feeding, rooming-in, etc. it's nice to know i won't have to fight for any of that.
wow. only 6 weeks. panic is starting to set in...
the hospital tour went really well. it was very informative and really helped our confidence level with the process -- the staff was great, friendly, and very willing to answer our questions in an honest but amusing way, which i really appreciated. the birthing rooms at methodist are quite nice (well, for birthing rooms). they try really hard to make them homey and welcoming, with traditional-wood-faced furniture that hides all the equipment and such. they're quite large too. not that i need all that much room, but it's nice to know that i can walk around and not feel cooped-up or claustrophobic.
the maternity nurses were great and the nursery looks sweet and welcoming. methodist is also very "pro-baby", so they're good about encouraging breast feeding, rooming-in, etc. it's nice to know i won't have to fight for any of that.
wow. only 6 weeks. panic is starting to set in...
34 weeks -- baby block is a cantaloupe!
i love cantaloupe! especially with prosciutto. mmmmm....
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.
See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:
By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
drumroll please... office/nursery photos, complete with crib!
yay! the crib arrived! when mom and dad purchased it for us, mom ordered assembly with the delivery -- so the gentleman arrived today and assembled it for us. it's all together and looks awesome in the room.
since dave and i have done so much work on the office/nursery space in the last couple of months, and i hadn't taken any photos yet, i just decided to take pics of the whole room together. there are a few things left to do, like getting the graphic for the wall above the crib and finishing off the closet so we can store more items in there. but other than that, we're done! and i am so happy with how it came out.
check it all out below!
a look inside the office/nursery from the living room.
when you open the door, you see my work space directly in front of you. we got a new desk to fit in the smaller space, and i scored a great chair that i'm totally in love with. the area rug is made up from floor tiles from FLOR. it worked out perfectly.
if you turn to your right, you'll see the baby's chest of drawers in front of you. the curtains are on both the windows and the closet, since there wasn't enough space to constantly open/close a door. all the curtains and the chest are from ikea.
putting together the items on top of the chest has been fun! the lamp was mine in the space already, and has a fun drawn city scene on it. the piggy bank is from aunt loren, the growth chart is from aunt carrie. the dark basket on the left is filled with books, all of which are from the syracuse girls. and the basket on the right has our froggy and duckie sock puppets in it (thank you uncle howie and aunt helene!) as well as a couple of other fun items from the shower.
YAY!!! OUR CRIB!!! i'm so excited about this. the crib is the oslo crib by berg. we got it in a cognac finish with white gates and nobs (that's a storage drawer underneath, handy for bedding and blankets).
the crib skirt and crib blanket (which is backed by a soft fleece) are custom-made by etsy seller swell-by-stephanie. the fabric is from ikea. i just love that it's gray and white, nice and neutral and looks great with all the colors in the room. thanks for the bedding aunt joan!
this shot is just to show what's left to do -- the wall above the crib really needs the graphic. as soon as we get that, we'll be set.
i'm so excited to have this room together, and it looks even better than i thought it would. yay!
since dave and i have done so much work on the office/nursery space in the last couple of months, and i hadn't taken any photos yet, i just decided to take pics of the whole room together. there are a few things left to do, like getting the graphic for the wall above the crib and finishing off the closet so we can store more items in there. but other than that, we're done! and i am so happy with how it came out.
check it all out below!
a look inside the office/nursery from the living room.
when you open the door, you see my work space directly in front of you. we got a new desk to fit in the smaller space, and i scored a great chair that i'm totally in love with. the area rug is made up from floor tiles from FLOR. it worked out perfectly.
if you turn to your right, you'll see the baby's chest of drawers in front of you. the curtains are on both the windows and the closet, since there wasn't enough space to constantly open/close a door. all the curtains and the chest are from ikea.
putting together the items on top of the chest has been fun! the lamp was mine in the space already, and has a fun drawn city scene on it. the piggy bank is from aunt loren, the growth chart is from aunt carrie. the dark basket on the left is filled with books, all of which are from the syracuse girls. and the basket on the right has our froggy and duckie sock puppets in it (thank you uncle howie and aunt helene!) as well as a couple of other fun items from the shower.
YAY!!! OUR CRIB!!! i'm so excited about this. the crib is the oslo crib by berg. we got it in a cognac finish with white gates and nobs (that's a storage drawer underneath, handy for bedding and blankets).
the crib skirt and crib blanket (which is backed by a soft fleece) are custom-made by etsy seller swell-by-stephanie. the fabric is from ikea. i just love that it's gray and white, nice and neutral and looks great with all the colors in the room. thanks for the bedding aunt joan!
this shot is just to show what's left to do -- the wall above the crib really needs the graphic. as soon as we get that, we'll be set.i'm so excited to have this room together, and it looks even better than i thought it would. yay!
NYC shower pics!
ok, the much awaited NYC shower photos are finally here! sorry for the delay -- it's been ridiculous around here in the last two weeks. but i stole some time today and i'm ready to post.
these are not ALL the photos that were taken -- and of course, a lot of them came out blurry. but it's a good smattering of images from the day to tell the story. enjoy!
carrie and loren putting together the centerpieces -- flowers in colored baby bottles. fun!
kelly and suzanne's gift -- a HUGE diaper cake with all sorts of goodies. kelly made it herself.
centerpieces.
centerpieces.
my kick-ass cake. if you can't read it, it says "welcome to the block!" hehehehe... lucy came up with that. and it was super-yummy too.
my pile o' gifts. there was a lot to get through. everyone was TOO generous.
enjoying the opening.
my shawl (a gift from carrie last summer) matches the wrapping paper! funny!
the blanket from the bedding that i had custom ordered, and aunt joan bought. the fabric is from ikea.
the piggy bank from loren. it's orange with white polka dots!
my mom had already given us a gift (she purchased the crib for us), but she decided to give us a more "adult" present at the shower. ha! i think this one was really for dave. =)
tara, rachel, and me.
loren and carrie taking the opportunity to do a snapshot with my camera. =D
danielle, jen, me, and michelle.
inna, loren, me, and carrie.
mom and i took photos together at her house after the party, in front of my bassinet (which is still at her house). i really enjoyed the series of photos...
thanks again mom. it was a great day.
there are some special gifts that are missing in these photos, such as a handmade knit turtle from michelle, a growth chart from carrie, and a scrapbook/album from aunt susan. of course, the pics of the crib from mom and dad will be taken as soon as it gets here!
these are not ALL the photos that were taken -- and of course, a lot of them came out blurry. but it's a good smattering of images from the day to tell the story. enjoy!
carrie and loren putting together the centerpieces -- flowers in colored baby bottles. fun!
kelly and suzanne's gift -- a HUGE diaper cake with all sorts of goodies. kelly made it herself.
centerpieces.
centerpieces.
my kick-ass cake. if you can't read it, it says "welcome to the block!" hehehehe... lucy came up with that. and it was super-yummy too.
my pile o' gifts. there was a lot to get through. everyone was TOO generous.
enjoying the opening.
my shawl (a gift from carrie last summer) matches the wrapping paper! funny!
the blanket from the bedding that i had custom ordered, and aunt joan bought. the fabric is from ikea.
the piggy bank from loren. it's orange with white polka dots!
my mom had already given us a gift (she purchased the crib for us), but she decided to give us a more "adult" present at the shower. ha! i think this one was really for dave. =)
tara, rachel, and me.
loren and carrie taking the opportunity to do a snapshot with my camera. =D
danielle, jen, me, and michelle.
inna, loren, me, and carrie.
mom and i took photos together at her house after the party, in front of my bassinet (which is still at her house). i really enjoyed the series of photos...
thanks again mom. it was a great day.there are some special gifts that are missing in these photos, such as a handmade knit turtle from michelle, a growth chart from carrie, and a scrapbook/album from aunt susan. of course, the pics of the crib from mom and dad will be taken as soon as it gets here!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
so much to do, so little time...
ok. i'm now 6.5 weeks away from the due date. and i definitely feel like i'm running out of time to do everything that needs to get done. besides baby-readying to do around the house, i have about 5 projects to tend to, as well as other things to get done.
dave and i did a lot of work around the house this past weekend, which i'm still rounding out. we put up some more artwork, finished patching the wall in the nursery (which i've since painted), put up the curtains in the office/nursery, etc. i'm still painting our shoe rack in the entry way so that it's colorful and bright. and tomorrow the crib arrives!!! this is why we really wanted to get some of this big stuff done and out of the way, in time for the crib arrival. when it's here and set up, i'll take pics. =)
we have our hospital tour this evening at 6. i'm pretty happy to be doing this -- we have to get it done, and i have a lot of questions that need to be answered. such as...
1. how much does a private room cost?
2. do you have an easy way to donate cord blood?
3. where do we park/enter on our arrival for easiest access?
4. can we put in an immediate request for a lactation consultant (either now or upon our arrival) so that we can have one right away as soon as the birth is over?
5. are there any forms that we can fill out ahead of time so that we don't have to do it when we arrive?
6. rules for family/friends/general visitors?
7. what kind of birthing equipment is available (birthing ball, squat bar, bath in room, etc.)
i already know that there are questions about my hospital stay that i'll ask my midwife about, such as intermittent vs. constant monitoring, eating, etc.
does anyone else have ideas of what to ask tonight?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
33 weeks -- baby block is a pineapple
ok, we like pineapple. not very seasonal, but...
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. See what your baby looks like this week. How your life's changing:
As your baby fills out even more of your belly, lots of things might start to change: Whereas before you were sashaying, you may find yourself waddling. Finding an easy position to sit in — let alone sleep — is becoming more of a challenge. And bumping into chairs and counters is par for the course.
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. See what your baby looks like this week. How your life's changing:
As your baby fills out even more of your belly, lots of things might start to change: Whereas before you were sashaying, you may find yourself waddling. Finding an easy position to sit in — let alone sleep — is becoming more of a challenge. And bumping into chairs and counters is par for the course.
Monday, November 10, 2008
baby shower yesterday!
i will be back later with details and photos from my NYC baby shower yesterday. but i wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who attended and made the day so special. and a BIG, HUGE thank you to my mom for throwing the shower. she is clearly a proud and excited grandmother and i'm so grateful to her for everything she has done.
thanks mom. you're the best. =D
thanks mom. you're the best. =D
Thursday, November 6, 2008
32 weeks -- baby block is a large jicama.
aw... too bad this is not a very ethnic child. LOL...
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.
See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:
To accommodate you and your baby's growing needs, your blood volume has increased 40 to 50 percent since you got pregnant. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and crowding your stomach, the consequences may be shortness of breath and heartburn. To help relieve your discomfort, try sleeping propped up with pillows and eating smaller meals more often.
You may have lower-back pain as your pregnancy advances. If you do, let your caregiver know right away, particularly if you haven't had back pain before, since it can be a sign of preterm labor.
Assuming it's not preterm labor that's ailing you, you can probably blame your growing uterus and hormonal changes for your aching back. Your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, changing your posture and putting a strain on your back. Hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
i think baby block is secretly saying this today...
... in the womb. that's right. chip off the ol' block...
Sunday, November 2, 2008
only 2 months out...
yep. we're only 2 months away from welcoming baby block. i can't even express how excited and scared we are at the same time.
lately i've been doing a lot of watching of my belly. you can watch the baby move around in there, trying to get comfy. it's really very entertaining! i never ever get sick of feeling baby block move, kick, or hiccup. if i could feel her every day since the beginning, it would have made this whole roller coaster ride a lot more enjoyable. =)
i'm growing all the time now, and so begins the things pregnant women speak of all the time. i'm having trouble putting on socks for my shoes -- and most of my shoes worn now are slip-ons so that i don't have to bend over too much. ha! i'm not able to see my feet when i look straight down. there's a little one constantly sitting on my bladder, which is a pain at night. and i'm certainly getting tired more easily, and small things wear me out that never would have worn me out before.
overall, i'd say i'm still kinda small, but apparently not to everyone. the other day i went into motherhood maternity to get a couple more items for the winter, and grandma maria joined me. there were only 2 other people in the store -- another fellow preggo and her aunt. at one point, i stepped out of the dressing room with one of the tops i was trying on, and the aunt looked at me and said it wasn't good, because it accentuated the belly. i'm 8 months pregnant, of course it accentuated the belly! so i laughed that off... but THEN, she asked how far along i was. when i told her, she said, "wow, you're HUGE!" you can imagine how my face fell. the poor fellow preggo in the dressing room next to me started to yell at her aunt, and apologized to me for her. but damage was already done... i pouted my way around the store for the rest of the time. =(
here's a good lesson -- never tell a pregnant woman she's huge! i in fact know i'm not, and that i've been carrying rather small overall. but still, it hurt. stupid woman...
anyway, i'm feeling rather nervous most days now about what's coming. dave and i have a lot of studying to do, and we have a lot of questions to ask. but we're moving forward -- as if we have a choice -- and are really looking forward to meeting our little one.
2 months!
lately i've been doing a lot of watching of my belly. you can watch the baby move around in there, trying to get comfy. it's really very entertaining! i never ever get sick of feeling baby block move, kick, or hiccup. if i could feel her every day since the beginning, it would have made this whole roller coaster ride a lot more enjoyable. =)
i'm growing all the time now, and so begins the things pregnant women speak of all the time. i'm having trouble putting on socks for my shoes -- and most of my shoes worn now are slip-ons so that i don't have to bend over too much. ha! i'm not able to see my feet when i look straight down. there's a little one constantly sitting on my bladder, which is a pain at night. and i'm certainly getting tired more easily, and small things wear me out that never would have worn me out before.
overall, i'd say i'm still kinda small, but apparently not to everyone. the other day i went into motherhood maternity to get a couple more items for the winter, and grandma maria joined me. there were only 2 other people in the store -- another fellow preggo and her aunt. at one point, i stepped out of the dressing room with one of the tops i was trying on, and the aunt looked at me and said it wasn't good, because it accentuated the belly. i'm 8 months pregnant, of course it accentuated the belly! so i laughed that off... but THEN, she asked how far along i was. when i told her, she said, "wow, you're HUGE!" you can imagine how my face fell. the poor fellow preggo in the dressing room next to me started to yell at her aunt, and apologized to me for her. but damage was already done... i pouted my way around the store for the rest of the time. =(
here's a good lesson -- never tell a pregnant woman she's huge! i in fact know i'm not, and that i've been carrying rather small overall. but still, it hurt. stupid woman...
anyway, i'm feeling rather nervous most days now about what's coming. dave and i have a lot of studying to do, and we have a lot of questions to ask. but we're moving forward -- as if we have a choice -- and are really looking forward to meeting our little one.
2 months!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
31 weeks -- baby block is 4 navel oranges
ha! guess they're running out of singular items that are the same size...
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.
See what your baby looks like this week.
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.
See what your baby looks like this week.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
happy birthday dave!
cross-post warning! but it's dave's birthday, so i don't care...
i love this card, and i wish i had seen it in time for my wonderful husband's birthday.
happy birthday dave! i hope it's everything you want it to be. (and enjoy your last birthday before parenthood!!)
card from etsy seller letterary press.
i love this card, and i wish i had seen it in time for my wonderful husband's birthday.
happy birthday dave! i hope it's everything you want it to be. (and enjoy your last birthday before parenthood!!)
card from etsy seller letterary press.
Friday, October 24, 2008
work after mommyhood
this relates to a comment left by my friend and fellow stationer, erin mccall, on my post below. just so everyone knows what she said:
Hey Nic:
I'd love to hear what your plans are (business-wise) for when the baby comes. As a fellow indie designer, I'd love to know what you will be doing. Are you going to tell your clients you're off for a while? Work right away after he/she is born? It's not something I have to deal with now, but it's something I've often wondered about. "The logistics of being self-employed as a designer while raising a baby/child!"
Take care,
Erin
this is something that i thought an awful lot about before we even decided to try for a baby. my work is very important to me, even though i don't have a monetarily successful business right now. but i'm proud of the work i do, i want it to grow, and i have an INCREDIBLY supportive husband who is willing to continue with the sacrifices we've been making so that i can continue to move forward.
thankfully, we have families on both sides that are just so excited for the arrival of our child. and my mom, being both nearby and awfully generous, offered a long time ago to help with childcare during the week so that i could take a few days to work.
so we have a plan. i'm going to stop working in early december, since i'll be in my 9th month during holiday season (which i feel will be stressful enough without also working on top of it). i've let my clients and my collegues know this, so that i won't surprise anyone. there will also be a notice put up on my blog and on my website.
until then, i'm working with my clients to finish their jobs in time, as well as working on my own stationery for my etsy store. i want to get enough stuff in my store that could be purchased from me while i'm on "maternity leave" -- which, since i work on my own, is clearly an unpaid leave. hopefully that will help us have some extra funds in the beginning. additionally, i'm going to be launching a new "base" website in the new year to bring new and more diverse design work my way, to grow the business potential.
and yes, i'm taking a leave from work. i have enough kids in my life to know that getting back to work right after childbirth is just not in the cards! i need time to bond with our baby, get the kid on a schedule, and figure out how to function with a new little life in our home. however, i'm hoping that my leave can be ended in march, when i can get back to work in time for wedding season. and a couple of my current clients will be holdovers until the spring for some other items, so that will also help. in getting back to work, i'm not sure how long it will take to be on a 3 day schedule, but as soon as i'm ready for that my mom will be helping out by taking the baby off my hands for those days -- so i can concentrate and get my work done without baby block crying in the background.
in the end, i just want to make sure that i keep certain parts of my identity. my work and my willingness to grow as a professional is very important to me. but so is being a present mom. i'm actually hoping that having just those 3 short days a week will actually propel me forward in my career -- doing it for myself as well as to be a great role model for my kid. and at the same time, i can keep quite a flexible schedule so that i can spend a ton of time with baby block, take her to school and pick her up, etc. it's ideal if we can make it work, so dave and i are going for it.
Hey Nic:
I'd love to hear what your plans are (business-wise) for when the baby comes. As a fellow indie designer, I'd love to know what you will be doing. Are you going to tell your clients you're off for a while? Work right away after he/she is born? It's not something I have to deal with now, but it's something I've often wondered about. "The logistics of being self-employed as a designer while raising a baby/child!"
Take care,
Erin
this is something that i thought an awful lot about before we even decided to try for a baby. my work is very important to me, even though i don't have a monetarily successful business right now. but i'm proud of the work i do, i want it to grow, and i have an INCREDIBLY supportive husband who is willing to continue with the sacrifices we've been making so that i can continue to move forward.
thankfully, we have families on both sides that are just so excited for the arrival of our child. and my mom, being both nearby and awfully generous, offered a long time ago to help with childcare during the week so that i could take a few days to work.
so we have a plan. i'm going to stop working in early december, since i'll be in my 9th month during holiday season (which i feel will be stressful enough without also working on top of it). i've let my clients and my collegues know this, so that i won't surprise anyone. there will also be a notice put up on my blog and on my website.
until then, i'm working with my clients to finish their jobs in time, as well as working on my own stationery for my etsy store. i want to get enough stuff in my store that could be purchased from me while i'm on "maternity leave" -- which, since i work on my own, is clearly an unpaid leave. hopefully that will help us have some extra funds in the beginning. additionally, i'm going to be launching a new "base" website in the new year to bring new and more diverse design work my way, to grow the business potential.
and yes, i'm taking a leave from work. i have enough kids in my life to know that getting back to work right after childbirth is just not in the cards! i need time to bond with our baby, get the kid on a schedule, and figure out how to function with a new little life in our home. however, i'm hoping that my leave can be ended in march, when i can get back to work in time for wedding season. and a couple of my current clients will be holdovers until the spring for some other items, so that will also help. in getting back to work, i'm not sure how long it will take to be on a 3 day schedule, but as soon as i'm ready for that my mom will be helping out by taking the baby off my hands for those days -- so i can concentrate and get my work done without baby block crying in the background.
in the end, i just want to make sure that i keep certain parts of my identity. my work and my willingness to grow as a professional is very important to me. but so is being a present mom. i'm actually hoping that having just those 3 short days a week will actually propel me forward in my career -- doing it for myself as well as to be a great role model for my kid. and at the same time, i can keep quite a flexible schedule so that i can spend a ton of time with baby block, take her to school and pick her up, etc. it's ideal if we can make it work, so dave and i are going for it.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
30 weeks -- baby block is a head of cabbage
yep, this kid is getting big!!
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)
See what your baby looks like this week.
Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.
How your life's changing:
You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsier than normal, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, but the concentration of weight in your pregnant belly causes a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, thanks to hormonal changes, your ligaments are more lax, so your joints are looser, which may also contribute to your balance being a bit off. Also, this relaxation of your ligaments can actually cause your feet to spread permanently, so you may have to invest in some new shoes in a bigger size.
i would like to note that i am indeed ridiculously klutzy these days. i have, in the past couple of weeks, fallen pretty badly, dropped a glass, and cut my finger pretty deep. at this rate, i don't know what i'll look like come delivery.
from babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)
See what your baby looks like this week.
Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.
How your life's changing:
You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsier than normal, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, but the concentration of weight in your pregnant belly causes a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, thanks to hormonal changes, your ligaments are more lax, so your joints are looser, which may also contribute to your balance being a bit off. Also, this relaxation of your ligaments can actually cause your feet to spread permanently, so you may have to invest in some new shoes in a bigger size.
i would like to note that i am indeed ridiculously klutzy these days. i have, in the past couple of weeks, fallen pretty badly, dropped a glass, and cut my finger pretty deep. at this rate, i don't know what i'll look like come delivery.
Monday, October 20, 2008
just politics? or spreading prejudice?
ok, ok. this is our baby blog. but a lot of what i've been seeing lately from this political race is disconcerting for baby block's future world.
finally, someone said it. said what dave and i have been shouting at the television like crazy people for weeks. colin powell, after coming out with an endorsement for barack obama yesterday morning, said that he was troubled by the racist and prejudiced tones coming from the republican side.
from the AP:
Powell also said he was troubled that some Republicans — he excluded McCain — continue to say or allow others to say that Obama is a Muslim, when he is a Christian. Such rhetoric is polarizing, he said.
finally, someone said it. said what dave and i have been shouting at the television like crazy people for weeks. colin powell, after coming out with an endorsement for barack obama yesterday morning, said that he was troubled by the racist and prejudiced tones coming from the republican side.
from the AP:
Powell also said he was troubled that some Republicans — he excluded McCain — continue to say or allow others to say that Obama is a Muslim, when he is a Christian. Such rhetoric is polarizing, he said.
"He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America," Powell said. "Is there something wrong with some 7-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?"
i feel as though no one -- no media, no one from the obama campaign -- no one has said this before. at least not outloud.
yes, barack obama's color has been brought up, and how the phrase "paling around with terrorists" plays into people's fears. and of course, all of that is true. but why oh why has no one said, no, he's not a muslim, but who cares if he was? to that woman who stood up at the mccain rally and said, "he's an arab," john mccain said that he's not, and said that he is a good man. i'm glad he finally said something to these crazy people. however, the phrase "he's not an arab, he's a good man," doesn't exactly give a ringing endorsement to arabs. since when are arabs NOT good people? well, for some, arab=muslim=terrorist, and to not put that comparison down is a way of fueling that fear. be it conscious or unconscious.
obama has to worry about losing voters due to racism and prejudice. but clearly, it's not just a black thing. it's a muslim thing. it's an arab thing. and i think that it's very sad but very true. and i fear for the way our children will be taught to see things.
dave and i will make sure we give the gift of diversity to our child. it's hard to escape, since we've chosen to move into a neighborhood that is extremely diverse. kensington and ditmas park are populated by pakistani muslims, orthodox jews, black, white, asian, etc. last tuesday night our pakistani neighbors down the hall had a celebration for breaking the fast for ramadan, and the next night an orthodox jewish gentleman actually came to our door and did a succot blessing with me, leading me in a prayer and explaining the ritual. i thought, wow, i hope all of this happens again next year when baby block is here! but not everyone is so fortunate to have so much cultural diversity in their lives. and i hope those people reinforce equality with their children. because the betterment of our world depends on it.
no matter who you choose to vote for, republican or democrat, i urge you -- for my kid's sake as well as yours -- to fight this prejudice. remind everyone around you that muslim or arab does NOT equal dangerous. remind them that this country is built on the ability for everyone from every background to have a chance at something great in their life. that does not exclude muslims, arabs, middle easterners any more than it would exclude jews, catholics, asians, black, white, etc.
and thank you, colin powell.
Friday, October 17, 2008
nursery wall art
oy. my ongoing issue in our home is wall art. what to hang? should i make it myself? this is a problem everywhere in our home, and it has now extended into the office/nursery.
we only have one wall to worry about -- the wall above the crib. i definitely want to put something on there, but what? pictures in frames would be too easy to reach or fall when the baby gets bigger. a mural is too difficult for me to paint right now. so, that leaves us with wall decals.
i was going to design my own wall decal, but i'm quickly running out of time and energy. so today i did a quick hunt for wall decals and found some really great ones. maybe we'll go with one of these?
where has the week gone?
.jpg)
it's actually been a tough week on my end. a bit of stress here, a bit of stress there. my back is really starting to bug me, which is bothersome -- i can't find a comfortable sitting position for any length of time. and since growing YET AGAIN, i'm having a harder and harder time moving around and doing physical things.
but, in all of this, there are a number of silver linings.
first, baby block is stronger and more active than ever. i love that. feeling him/her bounce around in there is such a great thing. so nice to have company during the day too!
second, we did continue to receive some wonderful gifts, and i put a couple of them together -- our swing-seat and sleep sheep were purchased for the baby from aunt pearl, and i put the seat together. and as formerly stated, we had received our high chair, and i put that together myself this week. it looks so great in the dining room! and it actually matches really well -- totally unplanned, mind you, but perfect.
also, we received the carpet tiles that we ordered for the office/nursery rug from flor. this was totally the best way to go! the room is about 8.2 ft wide x 12.8 ft long. so an 8x10 rug would have covered the room unevenly. plus, we couldn't find a rug that would go with our nursery color scheme without being too drab, or within our price range. so i decided to try flor carpet tiles. i received some samples first of some of their most economical tiles in the desired colors -- rust, blue, green, and charcoal grey. dave and i liked how they all looked together, and i designed the rug online to fit our room size and theme. it was so perfect for us -- we ordered a rug that will be 6.5 ft wide x 9.8 ft. long when put together, which will be large enough for the room but still leaves our hardwood floors visible underneath. perfect!
the floor tiles arrived this week and they're awesome. the basic scheme for the rug is in the image above. we'll put them in the space tomorrow and have everything in the room ready to go so that whenever the crib comes in, the room will be ready for it.
i will take photos of all our fun new stuff this weekend and post them.
now, if only i could straighten out the issues with our Bugaboo stroller, life would be great (long story, to be told at another time).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)