Week 28 November 30, 2010

Oh, hello third trimester! It’s very nice to see you. 🙂

This week, the big news is that Baby Girl has eyelashes. I really, really hope that she has Rob’s long eyelashes. His lashes are so long, they look like little fingers coming out of his eyeballs. 🙂 Her big job now (besides growing long eyelashes!) is getting fat. That’s right, from now on she’ll get a little longer each week, but mostly just fill out that pink, wrinkly skin of hers. She’s about 14.8 inches long and approximately two and a quarter pounds — like a head of chinese cabbage. Is that the same as bok choy? The picture that I see looks the same, but I’m not sure.

The Babycenter email updates I receive each week say that I will graduate to bimonthly appointments at this point. I have to say, I chuckled a little to myself, since I’ve been doing that from, oh, week four. 🙂 I’m happy to put in the extra time so that everything goes smoothly.

Tonight, Sam got out his little pretend cell phone tonight and called Baby Sister. “Baby! What are you doing in there? It’s time to come out!” He told her about his day (toy store! Bananagrams! peanut butter and jelly!) and said it was time for her to be all done in there. I couldn’t agree more. 🙂 It’s very cute to hear him talk to her.

He also informed me that Santa was going to bring him “books! And a lantern!” Books were on the list. A lantern wasn’t. Maybe we could wrap up one of the two lanterns we already have in the house… do you think he’d notice? Probably. He’s rather observant.

Anyway, 83 days left until 2/22. Woo!

A New Stage November 29, 2010

Thanksgiving brought not only a MN version of the stomach flu (we escaped unscathed!), but the beginning of the “But why?” stage. Sam asks “why?” about 76 times a day. Sometimes he asks about why things work, sometimes he asks why Mommy or Daddy has made a decision for him. “Why Sam can’t jump off the couch?” “Why that tree so tall?” “Why Sam not hungry?” On and on and on, ad nauseum. We have already used the line “Because I said so.” Sam’s response? “That not an answer!” I had to explain to him that, he’s right, it’s not a good answer, but that Mommy and Daddy have learned a lot of things while growing up and sometimes just know best. He said, “But why?” So I replied that someday Sam will be a big grown-up with a little kid who wants to know why, and his answer will be “because I said so.” He seemed satisfied — or at least mystified — with that response.

I have a feeling that this stage is going to last a long time and be periodically frustrating. But, mostly it’s cute, and I just love his curiosity about absolutely everything!

Week 27 November 23, 2010

Welcome to the end of the second trimester! This is officially the last week of the middle — and now we’re on to the end. I love the end. 🙂 This was a benchmark week for me. Last time, I was made to quit work because my blood pressures had started to climb. This time, at my appointment today, my BP was 120/76 with no rest. I went right from the parking lot into the waiting room. This is fabulous news! It was a solo appointment (Rob couldn’t be there) and Sam was a rockstar. He was so patient in the “dark room” (the ultrasound room), and happily sat quietly while I talked to the doctor in the “bright room” (exam room). He was especially charming with the staff today. I always think he’s adorable, but sometimes it’s nice to hear others say they think he’s great, too. It makes my Proud Mommy Heart swell just a little more. 🙂

This week, Baby is about two pounds and 14.5 inches long. Her brain is developing more and more. She sleeps and wakes on a sort of schedule (I’ve noticed this for a couple of weeks), and can open and close her eyes. During the ultrasound today, it looked like she was talking as she opened and closed her mouth. It was very cute. The little weasel is still in the breech position and I’m really hoping she makes the flip on her own. Soon, please, Baby. Not only would it make for an easier delivery, it would stop her from kicking me in the bladder eighteen times a day! I’ve talked with the doctor about options if she doesn’t flip around. She said there’s nothing to worry about until week 36 and at that point, if she’s still breech, then they can try to flip her around. Bleh. I’ve heard that hurts! Oh well. There are nine long weeks left for her to come to her senses and flip over on her own.

Also, I’m starting the process to donate Baby’s cord blood to the public bank. I’m so glad that St. Joseph’s Hospital is involved in public cord blood banking. I think it’s so important to offer my little bit of cord blood so that someone out there can pool it with other donations to help save their life. It’s a little bit of a soapbox issue for me, so I’m not going to go on and on about it (too late!).

Next week — third trimester! 🙂

The Great Pestilence of November November 22, 2010

First, we survived. You should know that. Sam started throwing up on Friday, I started on Saturday, and Rob spaced it out to Sunday night. Needless to say, we had a wonderful weekend.

I spent all of Saturday in bed, sleeping, puking, and sleeping some more. Rob coaxed me out of bed at 6:30 p.m. with, “Honey, why don’t you come downstairs for a change of scenery? Oh, and “Elf” is going to be on. We can all watch that.” So I came down. Reluctantly. Last night, Sam’s stomach rebelled and tossed up all the food he ate that day. Both Rob and I marveled at how quickly you can push down your own sick feelings to help your sick child. Sam and I slept in the guest room last night so Rob, the freshest sickie, could have some space to do his thing. We were eating bunny crackers at 4:00 this morning. Sam was trying to convince me to read books. I was trying to convince him that wasn’t a good idea. I won. We finally went to sleep, curled up together, a small hand on my cheek, and slept until 10:00 this morning.

All in all, an amazing weekend. And not that good kind of amazing. The I-can’t-believe-we-survived kind. 🙂

Sweet, Sick Boy November 20, 2010

Last night, we went to the Toledo Zoo to see the Lights Before Christmas display. Sam was so adorable. We were barely out of the car when he saw all the lights and said, “Mommy! Daddy! Look at all the beautiful lights! Can we see them?” He spent the night running from tree to tree to lit-up animal talking about the “beautiful lights!” Near the end of the evening, he danced with a few other little kids to a light display that blinked to Christmas music. He was having a blast until…

…he ran over to us and coughed, sputtered, and threw up all over the sidewalk a few times. He started crying. I ran for napkins, Rob carried him to a bench to sit down. While I was away getting water and napkins, Sam said to Rob, “I’m sorry I made a mess on the sidewalk.” That was his biggest concern — that he’d made a mess. He didn’t want anyone to see it or step in it. He talked about his “mess on the sidewalk” the rest of the night.

He threw up a few more times in the car on the way home (thank goodness Toledo is less than an hour from home!). Each time, he said, “Mommy, what is it? Why Sam do it?” More puke at home and a looong night of little sleep. Especially for Rob. I started feeling sick and went to the guest room (though it may have been that it was 1 am and I had slumber-party feeling). I guess Sam flailed about all night and Rob kept waking up to make sure he didn’t flip himself out of our bed. So Sam and I are sitting on the new couch (that’s covered in a blanket, just in case), sipping water and watching Thomas the Train, while Rob sleeps.

Here’s hoping whatever was bugging him is over! Yikes!

Whew! November 18, 2010

I passed my glucose tolerance test! Thank goodness. It’s one more thing to check off the list as we march toward delivery.

But my hemoglobin is low. (Hemoglobin carries iron in your blood.) My level is 10.4 and the normal range is 12-15. It’s not much of a surprise, given my strong aversion to meat during this pregnancy. So, since I won’t be gulping down steak (unless of course it’s cooked hibachi-style!), there will be lots of spinach and beans in my very near future (like at lunch today). Tomato sandwiches with spinach instead of lettuce. Cheese and spinach sandwiches. Baked beans. Dried apricots. Not all at the same time, mind you. 🙂

I’ll be thinking high-iron thoughts as I try to eat turkey on Thanksgiving, too. Yes, my meat aversion even applies to my favorite meal of the year. 🙂

Week 26 November 16, 2010

Week 26! Right now, each week feels like such a baby step toward the 40-week goal. I know time will start moving faster after Thanksgiving, when Rob is super busy with work and Christmas is fast approaching. Only 14 weeks (or a little less??) until the big day. We haven’t really started preparing for the baby yet. Her clothes are hung up by size, but not washed. We need to buy only two things before she comes: a new Pack and Play and a new (smaller) car seat. Those are still in the “Oh yeah, we need these things” category. We’ll get around to it soon enough.

This week, Baby Girl’s ears are more developed and can hear conversations, not just my voice. And, big news, she’s inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid! I am all about healthy, developed lungs, so she can practice all she wants. Last night, she had the hiccups at midnight. They were big ones — so big that I couldn’t fall asleep! She’s still fattening up and weighs about 1.67 pounds and is about 14 inches long, like an English hothouse cucumber. The produce references still crack me up.

Now it’s time for me to start the daily breakfast battle with Sam. He is his father’s son: doesn’t care to eat breakfast. Usually, I can get a piece of toast or a yogurt into Sam in the morning, but it’s always a challenge. Wish me luck!

Seating for All November 15, 2010

Our new sectional finally came! This means we now have seating for people when they come over. I feel like such a grown-up. 🙂 The goal was to have it here before the baby was born, so visitors wouldn’t have to stand or drag kitchen chairs into the family room. So, now that the sectional is here, the baby can come.

In preparation for the sectional’s delivery, we moved the existing furniture out of the family room to various places in the house. The couch went to the living room, the green chair went to Sam’s room. The glider was moved into our room. Seeing the glider back in our bedroom makes it so real to me that a baby is coming. I told Rob that last night and he said, “Uh, there are a lot of things that make it real that the baby is coming, honey.” Like my ever-expanding midsection, the pink clothes that keep showing up, the reading of toddler-appropriate books about baby’s arrival. I am not in denial about Baby’s existence, but that glider… it brings back so many memories of rocking Sam in the middle of the night, singing so many songs to him that I started choosing hymns so as not to repeat too often. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that we’ll be doing that again — very soon! — with a new little creature. Someone to get to know, to learn her likes and dislikes, her quirks, her every little facial expression and grunt. I can’t wait!

Sam Felt the Baby Today! November 12, 2010

It’s true! We were upstairs snuggling for nap time and Baby Girl decided to do some karate. I put Sam’s hand on my belly and his eyes got really big. She kicked him a few times, then stopped. Sam said, “Do it again.” I asked if he wanted to poke her and see if she would poke him back. He said yes. So we poked my belly — and she poked him back! He giggled, and I said, “Sam, she’s playing with you.” He said, “Sam poke her again.” She poked him back, and he smiled, saying, “Sam playing with his baby sister.”

It’s a glimpse into the future, huh?

Why Did I Worry?

Another great doctor’s appointment! My BP was 120/70, and the baby looked good. She’s now measuring a little above average, but the doctor’s not worried, because (as she gestured to Sam), “You make tall kids.” Oh, ok. It was funny. They measured the fluid around the baby, which is plentiful and makes the doctor very happy. 🙂

I had my glucose tolerance test drawn. The results should be back next week. Here’s hoping I don’t have gestational diabetes. I’m not concerned about it, but I would like to be able to check it off the list, you know?

Do you know what the best part of my appointments are? I love all three doctors! I don’t care who I see, because I know that whoever walks through the door will be great. How nice is that?

My next appointment is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving — more specifically, before we start traveling to Minneapolis for the holiday weekend. It’s the dreaded week 27. I just have to remember it’s all going well and 27 is just a number. 🙂