Lightening

This baby's a-droppin'

Lightening during pregnancy

I realized yesterday that this kid has dropped somewhat. I don't know if there's more to go (before making the Final Exit, that is) since I haven't experienced this before. In the past week or so I have been kicked in the ribs far less and haven't experienced any heartburn, despite a few incautious late night food choices.

But yesterday I realized the whole baby/belly just feels like it's hanging down. When I sit, I can sort of lift it up, which I couldn't before. When I go up the stairs, my thighs smack into the bottom of my belly.

And, surest sign of all - I can eat. A week ago I would fill up after half a normal-for-me serving and go back and eat more an hour later. But today I ate 6 pieces of French Toast no problem. (Hey, that had 2 eggs in it and nearly a cup of milk! Those are sanctioned foods!)

Other, even-less-sexy sign of new baby location: I feel like I have to pee essentially all the time. But when I go sit, very little or nothing comes out.

Sex dreams

No, not that kind.

I had a vivid dream that the baby was a girl. Actually, her girl parts weren't on display in the dream, but she was born already and known to be a girl.

In the beginning of the dream she was brand new, still slimed up and lying on top of me. I couldn't see her face, just the top of her head and her tiny naked body. Then somehow we were at my dad's house in the de facto "guest room" which had two twin beds. The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe got up and went to another room, and I picked the baby up and tried to feed her - but she wasn't biting (metaphorically). I started thinking about what I've read about breastfeeding and considering what to do to convince her, but then a bunch of people showed up to visit "the baby" and I felt really frustrated that we were interrupted and worried that she was hungry. :(

When I told my dad the next day, he said "Sorry to disappoint you, but it's a boy." Everyone is totally sure this baby is a boy, so much so that we sort of tend to believe them. Cuz we hear it every day.

Long time, no see.

How's it going. This belly has only gotten wilder as the month went by. Due to some connectivity problems and being outrageously busy, posting went way down. But I feel there is some stuff I should write down that I might forget.

Stabby

The guajolote smuggled a knife in there, or what? There is an occasional sharp pain, sometimes bad enough that it stops me in my tracks. The midwife said that could be due to slight separation of my pelvis, and a nerve getting pinched in there. One night I asked The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe to get the car to pick me up from work because it was taking so long to walk due to my stopping every 3rd step. Lesson learned: don't climb up and down off of tables in the 3rd trimester.

Crazy undulations of the belly

THCSITU has finally felt some of the weird stuff from the outside that I've been feeling for months on the inside. It freaks him out sometimes. He asked the midwife at our most recent visit if that was "normal." She was pretty impressed with the show she saw when trying to pin the baby with the doppler - Guajolote was having none of it! A close cousin who is a high-risk OB says that fetal activity correspond to post-birth activity levels and recommended that I "have my running shoes on" Ulp!

Sleep vs pee

There is no more sleep. I realized I was lying awake in the middle of the night - I had to pee so badly that I couldn't really tell anymore, but then I couldn't sleep. Also then I can't really let it out, only a tiny bit and then 5 min later I have to go again. In the course of six hours, I either get up 3 times to pee (every time I realize I have woken up) or I only get up twice and lay there awake thereafter. I am sure it is adversely affecting THCSITU's sleep as well, since he has 165 lbs of monster crawling over him every 90-120 min.

Maternity clothes are also too small

At the beginning of February, all the maternity clothes fit my perfectly. Now I have an inch and a half of belly peeking out the bottom, and still a month to go (and, presumably, grow). Ew.

Size impresses

THCSITU, coworkers, and random people now stop to comment on belly size. I don't mind it.

Pregnancy clumsiness: it's the belly, stupid

Several have asked if I am more clumsy. I think my hand-eye coordination is unchanged: THCSITU tossed a pen at me from across several cafeteria tables this weekend and I caught it just fine. However I do knock things off of tables/counters with my belly, or slightly impale myself on frying pan handles, etc. By now I've mostly figured out that I can't squeeze past anyone or anything. Either I get a wide path, or I just stand there and wait for things to clear out before lumbering along.

Other confessions

• I quit cooking months ago. This now extends to weekend breakfasts (my favorite to cook). We are too busy. At least half the week we are getting home at 11pm, we volunteer all day Saturday, all the other days/nights we are at Home Depot for this neverending house project, or Babies R Us to look at equipment to later order online, or someplace. I have to try for at least 6 hours of sleep and if I make dishes there is no WAY they are getting washed because we are never here.
• Sex is one day a week. And that is it. This is, I think, mostly for the same reasons I quit cooking. We are problem-solving through the time we brush our teeth and then it's 12:30 already and usually I have to get up by 7, THCSITU is asleep by the time I finish flossing, etc.
• I SHAVED MY LEGS oh joy that was nice. Well it wasn't nice but it was nice to have that done. We have a shower stall and it is not possible to shave in there any more. But we spent a night at my dad's and he's got tubs so hallelujia soap lather still works same as it did when I was in high school. It was the first time in at least a month, and possibly the first time since Christmas. Not kidding.

I'm sure I'm leaving stuff out but there you have it. 3 weeks and 6 days to go...

Alien attempts escape!!

Guys, this is what I mean. He/she is seriously trying to get out!

You can scroll through, I added titles before and after the most move-y parts so you don't have to sit and stare at my striped belly for the whole video length.

15 minutes later I rolled onto my right side and he/she started with the dancing again.

This sort of thing is constant - if I am still for a bit or eat, the belly-twitching begins. I silently hope that whoever I am talking to at work at that time doesn't notice.

Every night I am hollering "Come check this out!" at The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe but of course it's only a few seconds or maybe a couple of minutes at a time. By the time he comes over, or finishes his paragraph and looks up, the Guajolote is still again. A friend with a blog said she posted video, and it finally dawned on me to do the same thing. THCSITU can see it, and might's well share here too.

7th prenatal visit

Heartbeat (Guajolote's): 150s (I think?)
Weight (mine): 160

Darn babies!

This appointment was supposed to be a week ago, but about an hour and a half beforehand, the office called and canceled because the midwife on duty was at a delivery. Today, they called in the early afternoon: same problem! The earliest they could get me in at a time I could make it was a full week later. I'm supposed to see them every 2 weeks, this would have put me at a whole month between appointments! Then they called back an hour before my rescheduled appointment today and said the woman had delivered so the midwife would come back and see me.

This rescheduled appointment was too early for The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe to make, so it was the first one he's missed. There is a CNM-in-training in the office now, so I got two ladies attending to me.

My only question was: why have I felt kicks, motion, etc. EXCLUSIVELY on one side of my body (the right side) for the last 3 weeks? Sometimes by the end of the day I am really sore on that side, other days it is just noticeable but not so "bad". The midwife said the guajolote must just be comfortable how he/she is positioned and doesn't see need to change spots. So I guess it's OK.

She offered us a 34-week ultrasound, but I said no. No sense in peering in there again - we know there's something in there for sure!

Quiet panic...

30 weeks today.

People ask us about names. I just pray they don't ask if we have considered car seats, cribs, breast pumps, swings, bassinets, or anything else. The physical reality of this baby is limited to its current living space. Zero, ZERO planning has gone into its environs "on the outside." This is because my mind is occupied all of the time with the larger environment i.e. the house in which we thought we would bring this baby home to...

It can't all possibly get done.

First:

• gas lines replaced
• last details of kitchen plumbing installed
• buy gravity damper for stove vent
• get it installed somehow... masons won't be back for 2 weeks...
  
• Have bathroom vent installed BEFORE any inspections are made
• Check w municipality for approval on casement window instead of double hung
  
• order kitchen window
• order cabinets

Next:

• rough inspection of plumbing
  
• have kitchen electric finished
• buy the can lights?
  
• order bathroom window
• get water line replaced (don't they have that permit yet?)
• find some tile for kitchen floor so that can be started once electricians are done in the kitchen
• who is going to build and tile the tub walls?
• Who is going to install the bathroom window? masons, or the guy who does the tile?
  

After that:

• rough inspection of kitchen electrical so the kitchen can progress.
• rough inspection of kitchen window too
• hopefully framing is complete for inspection
  
• buy stove and microwave
• buy ceiling fans for bedrooms so electrician can install them
• who is going to patch the holes the electrician makes?

So, hopefully all of this happens in the next two weeks. Time's a-wastin'...

After that, the question that wakes me up at night,

How will the plaster dust and lead paint dust get removed from the premises, since I probably shouldn't be the one cleaning it up?

It doesn't usually rain in January

Baby Shower for second baby... Yes or No?

This is our first baby, but I gotta agree with the general points in this post. Except in my case, I have declined invitations to showers that I didn't feel right attending because I didn't feel I knew the mom well enough - but I have genuinely enjoyed the various showers I have gone to. It's fun to give baby presents. :)

Also, props to The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe's best friend for having showers for each of their kids that were actually fun for all who attended.

But for me, I agree with the blogger. I just cannot envision myself having a party whose sole purpose is to demand that everyone who receives an invitation must spend money to bring me things, which, by the way, I will have laid out in advance via a registry so please just get what I tell you. I have never felt wrong about participating for someone else, and I see the value. But it feels freakin' weird to contemplate orchestrating such a thing for my own benefit.

Maybe the problem is YOU, gentle reader. The people I am closest to are so damn generous already. Ridiculously generous. I have to ban them from giving us things. So having a shower on top of that? Sick.