Pregnant gifting (Christmas or otherwise)

Evidently some pregnant people are not in to it.

5 Gifts NOT to Get a Pregnant Woman

Here's another blogger chiming in:

A Word of Advice: Gifts for the Pregnant Lady

After nearly nine long months of giving up so many things for the little person inside and with years of sacrificing for children ahead, I just wanted some stuff for me, dammit! I feel the same way this year. At eight-ish months along there are many things I still need for KID B but I want stuff for me!

I can see that I guess for kid #2, but the plainly stated "I want stuff for me!" is just crass. Ugh.

I totally disagree. I do not need stuff to move from one residence to another in a few weeks. I don't want fragrant things or spa days. Maybe for guajolote #2 something like a gift certificate for a fancy haircut would be appreciated.

This being the first baby however, I don't have even a onesie for him/her. They are super cheap and, in my opinion, inherently thoughtful.

I wonder if this kid turned around?

Sitting in this chair, I had my arm resting across the top of my belly - and the Guajolote totally kicked me off!

That's the very top of my uterus, and it was (relatively) powerful so that's why I guess it was a foot instead of a hand. But what do I know.

Kinda cute though.

When the midwife put the doppler on my belly to listen to the heartbeat today, he* kicked her too.

5th Prenatal Visit

Weight (mine): 154.5 lbs

Heart beat (Guajolote's): 120-130

This is way lower than all the previous times. Also, I feel like the baby is moving much less the last few days than prior to our minor scare. So I don't feel great about that, but the midwife said it didn't mean anything and it's all normal. But still... she said if we are worried, then to be on "cervical rest" for two weeks and heh heh "do it" again and see what happens. Wait, what? TWO WEEKS? Not enthused.

I took the glucose test tonight. Results, if not good, by phone tomorrow. I think they'll be fine though.

Additionally, we are supposed to schedule another ultrasound (yay?) because the last images, when reviewed by a radiologist, don't adequately show the "major arteries": the aorta and something else (not good).

We haven't actually worried about that yet. The midwife said that since the baby has grown, the ultrasound tech will get better/clearer images of these little but important components and everything is probably fine.


PS. 154.5 lbs? holy crap! I'm already more than 20 lbs heavier than I started out!!

PPS. christ I hope that's the least of my worries with this kid.

This baby is a pain in my butt!

My self-diagnosed sciatica was confirmed tonight. It's the only unpleasant symptom I've had in this pregnancy, so I can't complain too much. It is annoying sometimes though:

• sometimes there is no getting comfortable when trying to sleep
• getting out of my chair to walk any amount at work is not nice at all
• I spend way too much time with my left hand on my own ass
• If I am lying on my back, it takes both arms and a concerted effort to turn over.

This causes the "turtle effect": The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe says I look like a turtle rolled over onto its back. My limbs are waving in a vain attempt to turn myself over, because I assume I should be able to just roll over and sit up.

Cure? Um, give birth. Right, getting on that...

Distorted reality

I have no clue what size I am now. I have 2 pairs of maternity pants and the same maternity shirt in 6 colors - and that's my uniform.

Yesterday, tucking my pants into my winter boots, I thought: "Oh, kinda like skinny jeans!"

NOT. Not at all. My maternity pants just fit so dang well. Which is a good thing - but it fools me. I've got clothes I've had since junior high (not kidding) and they still fit (until August this year). I just don't change that much, so it's hard to realize that I am, in fact, different.

A la Foxworthy:

You might be enormous if...

you see yourself in the mirror and think, "My butt looks pretty good in these [maternity] pants."

Sex *is* allowed

...but one way or another it might freak out all involved.

fair warning: bodily fluids, and my sex life, discussed below

Since the ultrasound, I feel that THCSITU has been physically pretty distant. Additionally, since closing on the house, we have been crazy busy - and that's only going to get worse. Anyhow, sex isn't coming as readily as it did, say, two months ago.

Last night, I successfully changed that, at least for the night. We had a *very* good time. But

That's the first time that's happened for us during pregnancy. Fortunately, I've read enough to know that is par for the course. I reassured THCSITU that the books mention this and it's OK. It rattled me a little though - all night I kept checking, "Is he moving? Oh good." I slept less than 4 hours, I'm sure.

The next morning the nurse sounded very attentive over the phone, but the midwife called back and said as long as the color was getting darker and stopped within a day that it's normal.

So, non-pregnant people, file that one away somewhere in your noggin. Because, per the link above, I didn't find a reputable source in my googling while waiting for the midwife to call back.

The question remains: can I convince THCSITU that it's OK to touch me in that way again before, say, this kid is 3 months old?

Dress up or, does that come as a muumuu?

Last night was The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe's office Christmas party. This is not just any office party - it is super fancy, mean age is under 30, and the girls are skanked up good. I knew there were going to be 2 other pregnant people there (out of ~200 people), so at least I wouldn't be the only Violet.

I tried ordering formal wear.

Looks OK, right? WRONG. Wrong wrong wrong. It felt like a sack, that horrible heavy polyester grossness that choir robes are made out of. And in the back - there's a reason they don't have the back image! It might's well've been a house dress! It was like a tent.

So it got returned (thank you, 48-hr-try-on policy!!) and the same night I convinced THCSITU to go to Marshall's and help me find a dress.

THCSITU: "Maybe this one"

Me: "Um, that's a size 14..."

THCSITU: "Well, I don't know if they have one bigger..."

I ended up with a range of stuff, from sweater dresses in size S to things in a 14. 3/4 of them fit, and I took about 2/3. Two of those were possible "nice" dresses for this occasion. The next day I took one to the tailor to make it fit the non-belly parts of me and went for a hair cut. The dress had sequins! I never wear sequins.

Given how much he charged, they didn't work the miracle I was hoping for, but with some heels I thought it would be alright. I went in to the party with some confidence... but the pictures we took after belied the truth. I didn't look cute and pregnant, especially in the low lighting of the event. I just looked... chunky. Sigh. :(


PS. the more-pregnant-than-me one I didn't see there, but the other has a due date the same week and she looked both way cuter and more pregnant than me. :(