Happy New Year!
Neither Jim nor I were sad to see 2009 go. It was a good year. No, honestly. Jim and I got closer than we've ever been before and our marriage evolved into this amazing relationship that we both feel good about every day. We decided to try to have a baby and got pregnant in the first month of trying. Jim got to go on a "business trip" to a school to learn a portion of his job that he could actually do for the rest of his life (whereas the portion he normally does he doesn't want to do at all). I ran the marathon. We paid off all of our debt. I finished the coursework for my Master's and am just lacking 3 of 4 parts of my comprehensive exam to graduate. We both determined what we wanted to do, career-wise, in the future (which determined the other degrees we both want to get in the future). We truly discovered ourselves and each other's personalities and quirks, in a new and wonderful way that helped us to be sure that our little girl and any other future children would admire our marriage and love for each other and be proud of us.
But of course you all know why all of those good things didn't matter so much as of 27 November.
But it's a NEW YEAR! There's NEW HOPE. We are hopeful for a NEW HOME and a NEW FUTURE and a NEW PLACE to live where we won't have a closed off room that makes us sad or an awkward run-in with people who knew we were expecting a baby. If Jim gets his transfer from work we'll be going to a place where we have family nearby and old and new friends alike. As thankful as we have been for our AMAZING support system here, it will be good to be able to call my mom or sisters when I need to talk without worrying about the time difference, and to meet my one of my brothers for lunch or dinner when I need a good distraction, and to call my dad when I need a big bear hug or a kind word. It will be nice to be able to go to the grocery store without worrying about whether or not I will see one of the other 6 people from our childbirth class that had a beautiful, healthy baby. It will be great to be able to go places and not have to worry about the language barrier or the crappy Yen rate or the fact that I can't just go out for good Mexican food whenever I want (it's the important things, people!). It will be wonderful to be able to finally put down some roots, at least for longer than a few years, buy a house, get some dogs, get our car back from storage and figure out what I'm going to do with my life now that I'm not a stay-at-home mom like I had planned.
We'll never get over losing our baby, and we'll never stop grieving losing her and we'll NEVER be able to replace her or forget about her, even if we wanted to (which we will never want). But a NEW YEAR and NEW HOPE and a NEW HOME and a NEW PLACE might help us to be able to move through this tragedy to the side of things where we can start looking toward a NEW NORMAL and figure out how to get along in this NEW LIFE that we thought would include her but doesn't.
So HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone. I hope you all have an amazing, wonderful and beautiful 2010.
jueves, 31 de diciembre de 2009
viernes, 25 de diciembre de 2009
Merry Christmas?
I hope you've all had a wonderfully merry Christmas. For us, this time of year is so mixed. It's usually our favorite time, but this year we were expecting to share our holiday with our precious little girl and so our celebration went out the window, with no stockings hung or tree erected and decorated, no carols sung or Christmas morning cheer. Instead, we spent the morning together and the afternoon with friends, sharing love and ourselves with each other and with friends and their children and holding back the tears that inevitably fell for the loss of our daughter upon our arrival home. It just wasn't supposed to be this way.
It was hard not to think about how we were supposed to be wheeling a stroller up the incline to the base of our friends' apartment building this afternoon, and to not picture our beautiful Angel in the Christmas outfit we had bought for her, or to think about how beautiful she would have been with the Christmas bow I had picked out that would have been clipped to her headband or hat. It was hard not to miss her when I held our friends' children, and saw them with their parents. It was hard to fight back the tears when I realized how much we were missing by her not being with us. It just wasn't supposed to be this way.
It was hard not to hear the grief and uneasiness in the voices of our family members this morning who were having a hard time celebrating, especially since we are so far away and it's difficult for them to be able to offer sympathy to us the way they might want, because they feel the loss of their niece or granddaughter or cousin. It just wasn't supposed to be this way.
It was hard not to have an emotional reaction at things as simple as soothing the whines and cries of our friends' children, or watching them play, smile, laugh and move - things we never got to see and never will experience with our little girl. It just wasn't supposed to be this way.
We were watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone yesterday (in an effort to make some new tradition this year that we could conceivably carry on in future years, we thought we'd start watching all of the HP movies each year between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - we made it through 3 movies, but not all 6) and in the part where Harry has been caught by Dumbledore gazing into the mirror of Erised again, Dumbledore offers some sound advice to his protegé. He tells Harry, "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." This hit home for me because I have been living so much in the last four weeks, rather than incorporating the memory of Angel into the life that must go on without her. While I feel like the world has been moving a million miles per hour and Jim and I are standing still with our hearts in ruins, I know that we must attempt to not just look toward the future and hope and a life that will be okay (but not always great) without our daughter here, but to actually move into that future and hope.
Though it wasn't supposed to be this way and our hearts break daily for our little girl who would have been four weeks old today, we know that she's better off, does not have to live in fear or pain or frustration, and that we can be so thankful for the time we did get with her because 39 weeks is longer than many get with their children. Though it wasn't supposed to be this way, we still have a lot to celebrate and a lot for which to be thankful, and her birthday each year will fall in the holiday season to remind us that though she's gone, she lives on in our hearts, we will see her again in Heaven someday, and we have our own personal advocate and guardian Angel up there each moment of our lives. Though it wasn't supposed to be this way, we can be thankful that we never had to discipline our sweet girl, be embarrassed by her, show anger or frustration toward her, or argue with her, never had to see her cry, never had to see her sad or disappointed, and never had to show disappointment in her choices, actions or words - we never had to break her heart, and ours breaking is a small price to pay. Though it wasn't supposed to be this way, our lives are truly complete with our faith in God and our strong and ever-strengthening marriage, and adding to our family was just a bonus, not something we need to survive. Though it wasn't supposed to be this way and we have holes in our broken hearts where she belongs, she will always be in our hearts, and we can take comfort in all that her short life accomplished in ours - making us strive to be better, smarter, stronger, and helping us to learn to work together better. Though it wasn't supposed to be this way, our Angel was wonderful and perfect and amazing, and will always remain that way in our thoughts, memories and hearts. Though it wasn't supposed to be this way, it is. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live; we cannot look to what might have been and refuse to focus on what is and what will continue and what will be in the future.
It was hard not to think about how we were supposed to be wheeling a stroller up the incline to the base of our friends' apartment building this afternoon, and to not picture our beautiful Angel in the Christmas outfit we had bought for her, or to think about how beautiful she would have been with the Christmas bow I had picked out that would have been clipped to her headband or hat. It was hard not to miss her when I held our friends' children, and saw them with their parents. It was hard to fight back the tears when I realized how much we were missing by her not being with us. It just wasn't supposed to be this way.
It was hard not to hear the grief and uneasiness in the voices of our family members this morning who were having a hard time celebrating, especially since we are so far away and it's difficult for them to be able to offer sympathy to us the way they might want, because they feel the loss of their niece or granddaughter or cousin. It just wasn't supposed to be this way.
It was hard not to have an emotional reaction at things as simple as soothing the whines and cries of our friends' children, or watching them play, smile, laugh and move - things we never got to see and never will experience with our little girl. It just wasn't supposed to be this way.
We were watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone yesterday (in an effort to make some new tradition this year that we could conceivably carry on in future years, we thought we'd start watching all of the HP movies each year between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - we made it through 3 movies, but not all 6) and in the part where Harry has been caught by Dumbledore gazing into the mirror of Erised again, Dumbledore offers some sound advice to his protegé. He tells Harry, "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." This hit home for me because I have been living so much in the last four weeks, rather than incorporating the memory of Angel into the life that must go on without her. While I feel like the world has been moving a million miles per hour and Jim and I are standing still with our hearts in ruins, I know that we must attempt to not just look toward the future and hope and a life that will be okay (but not always great) without our daughter here, but to actually move into that future and hope.
Though it wasn't supposed to be this way and our hearts break daily for our little girl who would have been four weeks old today, we know that she's better off, does not have to live in fear or pain or frustration, and that we can be so thankful for the time we did get with her because 39 weeks is longer than many get with their children. Though it wasn't supposed to be this way, we still have a lot to celebrate and a lot for which to be thankful, and her birthday each year will fall in the holiday season to remind us that though she's gone, she lives on in our hearts, we will see her again in Heaven someday, and we have our own personal advocate and guardian Angel up there each moment of our lives. Though it wasn't supposed to be this way, we can be thankful that we never had to discipline our sweet girl, be embarrassed by her, show anger or frustration toward her, or argue with her, never had to see her cry, never had to see her sad or disappointed, and never had to show disappointment in her choices, actions or words - we never had to break her heart, and ours breaking is a small price to pay. Though it wasn't supposed to be this way, our lives are truly complete with our faith in God and our strong and ever-strengthening marriage, and adding to our family was just a bonus, not something we need to survive. Though it wasn't supposed to be this way and we have holes in our broken hearts where she belongs, she will always be in our hearts, and we can take comfort in all that her short life accomplished in ours - making us strive to be better, smarter, stronger, and helping us to learn to work together better. Though it wasn't supposed to be this way, our Angel was wonderful and perfect and amazing, and will always remain that way in our thoughts, memories and hearts. Though it wasn't supposed to be this way, it is. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live; we cannot look to what might have been and refuse to focus on what is and what will continue and what will be in the future.
jueves, 17 de diciembre de 2009
Home
Our little girl's ashes arrived home today. It's harder than I expected it to be to have her back in this form. I know she's not really in there, that it's just what remains of her human form and that our Angel is safe in Heaven with Jesus and the angels and she's having a blast with her great-grandparents and all of the other kids up there, but it's still hard to see the box that her urn is in (we want to keep it in the box until we have a safe place for it to go) sitting here in our living room.
I have so many incoherent thoughts right now. Primarily I can just think that I am in such pain right now, but I am so thankful I got to have her in my life for as long as I did - it's a lot more than some parents get. She was beautiful and wonderful, and now she gets to live forever in my heart, even if I don't get to hold her again until I get to Heaven.
I have so many incoherent thoughts right now. Primarily I can just think that I am in such pain right now, but I am so thankful I got to have her in my life for as long as I did - it's a lot more than some parents get. She was beautiful and wonderful, and now she gets to live forever in my heart, even if I don't get to hold her again until I get to Heaven.
sábado, 12 de diciembre de 2009
2 Weeks
Our Angel was born two weeks and one day ago. Jim and I are doing okay. Life is so different than we imagined it would be at this point, that we're still in a state of shock sometimes, realizing that she's not going to be here, she's not going to cry from the next room, and we don't get to hold her again. We have had amazing support from local friends, the hospital staff and some of the other agencies in our area, as well as from some of our family members and globally located friends via telephone and Internet. The blessings poured upon us during our time of grief has been amazing and incredibly humbling.
The loss of our Angel is not something I envision us being able to wrap our heads around soon, if ever. I know that the normal we once knew is never going to come back, and that the new normal will not necessarily be comfortable. I know that in 5, 20 or 50 years we may still break down in tears at the drop of a hat or when we remember how it felt to kiss her cheeks or wipe the tears we cried upon her from her brow. But her short life meant so much to us both and our love for her cannot be measured. It's amazing to me how much I can love someone I knew for such a short time. The love I have for my daughter is more amazing and more powerful than I thought possible. It's so different from the love I have for Jim, and yet, so powerful. It's wonderful to me that God has given me the capacity to love so much. Angel's life meant a stronger marriage for Jim and me - a closer bond between us; a confirmation that love comes in all shapes and sizes; faith that is truly blind and a calm that is God-sent in the face of a situation that could cause so much anger and frustration; a drive to be better individually - to achieve great things our children of which our children would be proud; a positivity I didn't know existed inside of me - that hopes for the future, wants only the best, seeks the good in the bad situation; and a spirit that never gives up.
Angel also gave me an even greater appreciation for my amazing and wonderful husband. Without Jim to be by my side during this horrible and devastating loss, I don't think I could make it through. If I could spare him the pain and grief I would in a heartbeat, but I cannot do that, and knowing that he will hold me when I need him, and giving him the same assurance in return gives us each individual strength and makes us stronger as a couple, too.
Thank you all for your love and support, your wonderful letters, cards, calls, e-mails and messages, your thoughts and prayers, the meals that have helped us to leave one thing from our minds each day (sometimes two), the company and laughter when we need distractions, and so much more. We will make it back to where we can function a little more normally eventually, but we appreciate so much knowing that you will all support us and continue to offer care and compassion as long as we are still struggling, no matter how long it takes.
The loss of our Angel is not something I envision us being able to wrap our heads around soon, if ever. I know that the normal we once knew is never going to come back, and that the new normal will not necessarily be comfortable. I know that in 5, 20 or 50 years we may still break down in tears at the drop of a hat or when we remember how it felt to kiss her cheeks or wipe the tears we cried upon her from her brow. But her short life meant so much to us both and our love for her cannot be measured. It's amazing to me how much I can love someone I knew for such a short time. The love I have for my daughter is more amazing and more powerful than I thought possible. It's so different from the love I have for Jim, and yet, so powerful. It's wonderful to me that God has given me the capacity to love so much. Angel's life meant a stronger marriage for Jim and me - a closer bond between us; a confirmation that love comes in all shapes and sizes; faith that is truly blind and a calm that is God-sent in the face of a situation that could cause so much anger and frustration; a drive to be better individually - to achieve great things our children of which our children would be proud; a positivity I didn't know existed inside of me - that hopes for the future, wants only the best, seeks the good in the bad situation; and a spirit that never gives up.
Angel also gave me an even greater appreciation for my amazing and wonderful husband. Without Jim to be by my side during this horrible and devastating loss, I don't think I could make it through. If I could spare him the pain and grief I would in a heartbeat, but I cannot do that, and knowing that he will hold me when I need him, and giving him the same assurance in return gives us each individual strength and makes us stronger as a couple, too.
Thank you all for your love and support, your wonderful letters, cards, calls, e-mails and messages, your thoughts and prayers, the meals that have helped us to leave one thing from our minds each day (sometimes two), the company and laughter when we need distractions, and so much more. We will make it back to where we can function a little more normally eventually, but we appreciate so much knowing that you will all support us and continue to offer care and compassion as long as we are still struggling, no matter how long it takes.
martes, 1 de diciembre de 2009
Blessings
We have been amazed and astounded at the outpouring of love and support from family and friends. In addition, the people who have helped to take care of us deserve special recognition. We are so thankful for the wonderful blessing of these people coming into our lives, even despite the horrible situation which brought them here. To protect the identities of these people on such a public blog, I will use pseudonyms. If they ever read it, though, they will know who they are.
Lola - Thank you for staying with us through the whole labor process, extending your already very long night by several hours to be in the OR with us, and taking such amazing care of our little girl after the whole ordeal. Thank you for asking to be our grief counselor so that we could have a wonderfully loving and friendly face to turn to in our time of need.
Dr. Taft - Thank you for doing everything in your power to make sure both me and the baby were safe for as long as possible. Thank you for helping us through the beginning of the grieving process and for grieving with us the loss of our little girl. Thank you for not deserting us after the surgery and being such a wonderful support for both my physical and our emotional needs.
Dr. Ranger - Thank you to you and your pediatric team for working so hard to bring our little girl back. Your efforts helped us to know that love for a child is not limited to her parents, but to all who are involved in her well-being.
Mr. Dericson - Thank you for your support in helping with the coordination with the mortuary affairs office. Although I have known you for awhile, your compassion never ceases to amaze me, and your support through this situation is amazing.
Mr. Vachan - Thank you for taking such good care of our little girl in the mortuary affairs office and the morgue. Loving and caring people like you help the families of those who have passed on know that their loved ones are being supported, cared for, and respected. You are a wonderful friend, and though I never hoped to know you professionally, you are a very respectable professional in a very difficult job.
The Runners - Thank you for embracing us with both arms. Thank you for everything. The Runners brought two different sets of bouquets to the hospital, set up meals for us well past the middle of December, provided for us without invading us, offered compassion, love, support and so much more.
The Clay family - Thank you for taking care of the little things. From offering to go to the grocery store for us to offering us rides back and forth from difficult appointments, you have embraced us with open arms taking care of the big, small and in between. Thank you for you care and for being more like family than friends.
The White family - Thank you for visiting us at the hospital, acting as a liason on our behalf with so many offices and agencies, and for always offering a helping hand or an ear to listen. Without you in our corner things might be much more difficult for us.
To everyone else who has embraced us and may or may not fall into one of these categories - we appreciate all that is being done to support us. The love we've received is more than overwhelming. I know that so many of you walked through the pregnancy journey with us and mourn the loss of our Angel as well. We are beyond blessed to have such a wonderful support system, especially with our families so far away physically. We are thankful for the Internet support system as well, formed by family and friends all over the world. Knowing that prayers and thoughts are being lifted up on our behalf from locations around the world is such a blessing and such a comfort. Thank you all for everything you do, big or small.
Love, Jim and Tara
Lola - Thank you for staying with us through the whole labor process, extending your already very long night by several hours to be in the OR with us, and taking such amazing care of our little girl after the whole ordeal. Thank you for asking to be our grief counselor so that we could have a wonderfully loving and friendly face to turn to in our time of need.
Dr. Taft - Thank you for doing everything in your power to make sure both me and the baby were safe for as long as possible. Thank you for helping us through the beginning of the grieving process and for grieving with us the loss of our little girl. Thank you for not deserting us after the surgery and being such a wonderful support for both my physical and our emotional needs.
Dr. Ranger - Thank you to you and your pediatric team for working so hard to bring our little girl back. Your efforts helped us to know that love for a child is not limited to her parents, but to all who are involved in her well-being.
Mr. Dericson - Thank you for your support in helping with the coordination with the mortuary affairs office. Although I have known you for awhile, your compassion never ceases to amaze me, and your support through this situation is amazing.
Mr. Vachan - Thank you for taking such good care of our little girl in the mortuary affairs office and the morgue. Loving and caring people like you help the families of those who have passed on know that their loved ones are being supported, cared for, and respected. You are a wonderful friend, and though I never hoped to know you professionally, you are a very respectable professional in a very difficult job.
The Runners - Thank you for embracing us with both arms. Thank you for everything. The Runners brought two different sets of bouquets to the hospital, set up meals for us well past the middle of December, provided for us without invading us, offered compassion, love, support and so much more.
The Clay family - Thank you for taking care of the little things. From offering to go to the grocery store for us to offering us rides back and forth from difficult appointments, you have embraced us with open arms taking care of the big, small and in between. Thank you for you care and for being more like family than friends.
The White family - Thank you for visiting us at the hospital, acting as a liason on our behalf with so many offices and agencies, and for always offering a helping hand or an ear to listen. Without you in our corner things might be much more difficult for us.
To everyone else who has embraced us and may or may not fall into one of these categories - we appreciate all that is being done to support us. The love we've received is more than overwhelming. I know that so many of you walked through the pregnancy journey with us and mourn the loss of our Angel as well. We are beyond blessed to have such a wonderful support system, especially with our families so far away physically. We are thankful for the Internet support system as well, formed by family and friends all over the world. Knowing that prayers and thoughts are being lifted up on our behalf from locations around the world is such a blessing and such a comfort. Thank you all for everything you do, big or small.
Love, Jim and Tara
sábado, 28 de noviembre de 2009
Baby Girl
Dear Friends and Family,
On Friday, November 27, 2009 at 6:27am, the most beautiful baby girl was delivered by cesarean section to two very proud and ecstatic parents. God chose that same moment to call our little girl home to Him. A pediatric medical team tried for nearly an hour to bring her back to us, but our baby girl was already gone.
We ask that you respect our privacy as we mourn this terrible loss. We are now home, but will not be accepting many visitors, nor fielding many phone calls. We know that we will eventually come out on the other side of this tragedy, but we don’t yet know how. We covet your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. We know our little girl is looking down on us and watching over us from heaven. We have decided to call her Angel.
Love and Blessings to you all, Jim and Tara
On Friday, November 27, 2009 at 6:27am, the most beautiful baby girl was delivered by cesarean section to two very proud and ecstatic parents. God chose that same moment to call our little girl home to Him. A pediatric medical team tried for nearly an hour to bring her back to us, but our baby girl was already gone.
We ask that you respect our privacy as we mourn this terrible loss. We are now home, but will not be accepting many visitors, nor fielding many phone calls. We know that we will eventually come out on the other side of this tragedy, but we don’t yet know how. We covet your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. We know our little girl is looking down on us and watching over us from heaven. We have decided to call her Angel.
Love and Blessings to you all, Jim and Tara
jueves, 26 de noviembre de 2009
Thankfulness
Today I wanted to relay a few of the things for which I'm thankful. There are many more people and things for which I could give thanks, and do daily, but here I'll just touch on a few of them.
1. Jim. I am so thankful for a husband who loves and supports me, cares for me, doesn't take any crap from me but still holds me when I'm crying, provides for us, encourages open lines of communication, is my exact opposite in so many ways that he balances me out, helps calm me when I'm wound up or upset, understands what I'm trying to say when I just can't find the words, wants to be married to me - doesn't just stay because he has to or because he's been made to think he has to, wanted to procreate with me and thinks I'm beautiful when I'm in day-old makeup or none at all and his sweats.
2. This beautiful baby. We got pregnant really easily, which was a blessing in and of itself, and I know that not every couple is so lucky. I am so thankful for this little girl. I wanted a boy so badly until the ultrasound tech told us it was a girl. Now I just can't wait to meet her, hold her, hug her, kiss her, help her through life, teach her to be independent, encourage her and see her into adulthood, as much as all of that letting go stuff makes me well up with tears. She's going to be the perfect addition to our family, and I am so blessed to be carrying her and so thankful for her.
3. My family. This includes my in-laws and other extended family. I have a father who never ceases to amaze me with his love and strength, a mother whose happiness and craziness is contagious in a very good way, a step-father who makes my mother happier than I've ever seen her in my life, and four incredible siblings who make being 8,000 miles away really difficult because they are so very much a part of me. In addition I have in-laws who love us and are excited to see us succeed, grandparents who give without taking, and so many other family members to love and appreciate that it would take a 25-page blog to list them all, and I'd still probably forget someone.
4. My friends. I have very few close friends, and I like it that way. I have been burned by more friends than I can even remember, and the hurt that I've had in my life because of that is sometimes overwhelming. But I'm so thankful that I have friends here I can count on, people who hug me, people who listen when I need an ear, people who respectfully disagree with me instead of just putting me down for my opinions, people I can count on, people who I know will be here for me, and people who I think will be a part of my life for a very long time. Even those friends who have already left Japan, I know that I could catch back up with in a heartbeat and still have their love and support.
5. My cat. I know this might seem silly to some, and that I'm the first one to say that I am not a cat person, but Sakana is just wonderful. She's so sweet, and so crazy, and I'm so thankful that we found her.
6. A home. God truly blessed us by giving us the ability to have a nice, comfortable home in a place so far away from familiar. Even with the noisy upstairs neighbor, the neighbor who smokes on their patio and the wind blows it right into our living room, the dirty, inconsiderate neighbors that leave trash and other messes in the elevator, the lobby and the stairs to the parking lot, I like our little apartment, and it's been good for us. Love grows best in little houses, right? Well, this one is small and cramped and sometimes it feels like the walls are closing in, but it's home.
7. Material items. I know this might make me seem very of the world, but we have been so blessed to have everything that we need and the grand majority of the things we want. God has blessed us financially, and blessed us with the ability to manage our finances and control and eliminate our debts in a way that allows us certain luxuries. It's not like we have brand new stuff all the time or the best of everything, but we do have what we want and beyond everything that we need. We were able to purchase the things we needed for our baby and were blessed with many gifts from friends and family. We don't want for much, besides extravagant items that we just can't justify (and probably wouldn't want to). I am so thankful that we are in this position.
There are so many other people and things for which I am thankful that I could list, but I'll stop here. Above all, God has blessed us so much and so well that I can only thank Him for everything that we've been given. Life is good for our family, and my hope is that wherever life leads us next, we will be able to continue to find happiness, joy and to recognize the blessings in our lives.
1. Jim. I am so thankful for a husband who loves and supports me, cares for me, doesn't take any crap from me but still holds me when I'm crying, provides for us, encourages open lines of communication, is my exact opposite in so many ways that he balances me out, helps calm me when I'm wound up or upset, understands what I'm trying to say when I just can't find the words, wants to be married to me - doesn't just stay because he has to or because he's been made to think he has to, wanted to procreate with me and thinks I'm beautiful when I'm in day-old makeup or none at all and his sweats.
2. This beautiful baby. We got pregnant really easily, which was a blessing in and of itself, and I know that not every couple is so lucky. I am so thankful for this little girl. I wanted a boy so badly until the ultrasound tech told us it was a girl. Now I just can't wait to meet her, hold her, hug her, kiss her, help her through life, teach her to be independent, encourage her and see her into adulthood, as much as all of that letting go stuff makes me well up with tears. She's going to be the perfect addition to our family, and I am so blessed to be carrying her and so thankful for her.
3. My family. This includes my in-laws and other extended family. I have a father who never ceases to amaze me with his love and strength, a mother whose happiness and craziness is contagious in a very good way, a step-father who makes my mother happier than I've ever seen her in my life, and four incredible siblings who make being 8,000 miles away really difficult because they are so very much a part of me. In addition I have in-laws who love us and are excited to see us succeed, grandparents who give without taking, and so many other family members to love and appreciate that it would take a 25-page blog to list them all, and I'd still probably forget someone.
4. My friends. I have very few close friends, and I like it that way. I have been burned by more friends than I can even remember, and the hurt that I've had in my life because of that is sometimes overwhelming. But I'm so thankful that I have friends here I can count on, people who hug me, people who listen when I need an ear, people who respectfully disagree with me instead of just putting me down for my opinions, people I can count on, people who I know will be here for me, and people who I think will be a part of my life for a very long time. Even those friends who have already left Japan, I know that I could catch back up with in a heartbeat and still have their love and support.
5. My cat. I know this might seem silly to some, and that I'm the first one to say that I am not a cat person, but Sakana is just wonderful. She's so sweet, and so crazy, and I'm so thankful that we found her.
6. A home. God truly blessed us by giving us the ability to have a nice, comfortable home in a place so far away from familiar. Even with the noisy upstairs neighbor, the neighbor who smokes on their patio and the wind blows it right into our living room, the dirty, inconsiderate neighbors that leave trash and other messes in the elevator, the lobby and the stairs to the parking lot, I like our little apartment, and it's been good for us. Love grows best in little houses, right? Well, this one is small and cramped and sometimes it feels like the walls are closing in, but it's home.
7. Material items. I know this might make me seem very of the world, but we have been so blessed to have everything that we need and the grand majority of the things we want. God has blessed us financially, and blessed us with the ability to manage our finances and control and eliminate our debts in a way that allows us certain luxuries. It's not like we have brand new stuff all the time or the best of everything, but we do have what we want and beyond everything that we need. We were able to purchase the things we needed for our baby and were blessed with many gifts from friends and family. We don't want for much, besides extravagant items that we just can't justify (and probably wouldn't want to). I am so thankful that we are in this position.
There are so many other people and things for which I am thankful that I could list, but I'll stop here. Above all, God has blessed us so much and so well that I can only thank Him for everything that we've been given. Life is good for our family, and my hope is that wherever life leads us next, we will be able to continue to find happiness, joy and to recognize the blessings in our lives.
miércoles, 25 de noviembre de 2009
Nursery
The nursery is finally complete (as complete as it can get) and I have uploaded photos to our Picasa album. Click here or on the photo below to go to the album. The pictures are at the very end, complete with extensive captions. :) There aren't very many captions; it's a small room.
sábado, 21 de noviembre de 2009
39 and READY
38 WEEKS PREGNANT - 39TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Oh my goodness. Do you realize that not only have we been "full term" for a whole week, but we're less than 2 (TWO!) weeks away from our due date? I'm SO READY to meet this little girl, but not until she's done cooking - I want her to be the healthiest possible, and if not for the stabbing pains and the intermittent contractions, I would be waiting it out a LOT more patiently. :)
Little Girl is probably about 7 lbs (about the weight of a mini-watermelon) and stretching about 19-21 inches long these days. She is forming new skin as she sheds her old skin.
This week:
-She's still gaining a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth.
-Her brain development is still continuing to go strong, something we're really excited about and that will continue through the first three years. We know she'll be so impressionable, and we plan to take every opportunity to teach her all kinds of stuff. I don't know if she'll be quite the geek that we have both turned out to be, but we're hoping!
-Her skin is probably less pink and more white in color, which probably won't change much after birth if she's anything like me - pale pale pale! But maybe she'll get her dad's beautiful olive-colored skin - we can only hope.
As for me:
-I have a doctor's appointment on Monday to see if I'm progressing at all. I really hope that all of these pains I've been experiencing mean I am, but I know that 2 weeks is a long time, and she might even be late since she's my first.
-We had our breathing class last Sunday and learned some techniques for relaxation and a little more about how the beds in the labor & delivery ward work and what our options will be for when I'm laboring. We have a follow-up class this Sunday.
-I have still had a lot of nausea this week, but only one really bad incident, and some headaches and nosebleeds, which are old symptoms that have returned to greet me.
-This baby just feels heavy. I don't think she's dropped too much, but maybe she has a bit, because my heartburn, while still going strong, has lightened a bit.
-I've been having intermittent contractions, but nothing too strong or consistent, so I think they are just Braxton Hicks contractions increasing in frequency.
The bags are packed and by the door, there's a list of last-minute additions to pack on the fridge, and we're ready and waiting for our little girl's arrival. I have been very busy this week, despite being extremely exhausted, trying to get ready to come home after she arrives. I have made 9 meals that are now frozen and have about 5 more to go to help us eat without a lot of fuss. I painted the cradle from my childhood that my mom kept and my dad sent to us and we plan to put it together today. I'm trying not to overdo it, but by the end of every day I am exhausted and my poor feet and back are killing me. I have been staying on top of the housecleaning, rather than try to do it all at once. We're having some friends over tonight, so I will be doing a bit more than the usual day to get ready for their visit, but normally I keep it to one or two chores maximum so I spread out the cleaning through the week and I don't wear myself out. All in all, we're just patiently (Jim) and not so patiently (me) waiting to meet our girl!
A lot of you have been asking how Jim's holding up through all of this, and the short answer is: amazingly. The longer answer is that he's incredibly calm and collected, patient, helpful, low-stress, uncomplaining, and not at all nervous or anxious about the delivery or becoming a dad. The only thing that gets to him is when I'm in pain, but he handles it very well, tries to help me through it and tells me to relax when he knows I'm overdoing it, and has just been incredible any way you look at it. I know he will be a great coach and partner through my labor and delivery and recuperation. He's going to be a great dad (and is always a wonderful husband)!
Anyway, that's all for now! I promise to post pictures of the nursery when it's complete, but there are still a couple of little additions and details to finish before I reveal it. :) Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers - keep 'em coming!
Oh my goodness. Do you realize that not only have we been "full term" for a whole week, but we're less than 2 (TWO!) weeks away from our due date? I'm SO READY to meet this little girl, but not until she's done cooking - I want her to be the healthiest possible, and if not for the stabbing pains and the intermittent contractions, I would be waiting it out a LOT more patiently. :)
Little Girl is probably about 7 lbs (about the weight of a mini-watermelon) and stretching about 19-21 inches long these days. She is forming new skin as she sheds her old skin.
This week:
-She's still gaining a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth.
-Her brain development is still continuing to go strong, something we're really excited about and that will continue through the first three years. We know she'll be so impressionable, and we plan to take every opportunity to teach her all kinds of stuff. I don't know if she'll be quite the geek that we have both turned out to be, but we're hoping!
-Her skin is probably less pink and more white in color, which probably won't change much after birth if she's anything like me - pale pale pale! But maybe she'll get her dad's beautiful olive-colored skin - we can only hope.
As for me:
-I have a doctor's appointment on Monday to see if I'm progressing at all. I really hope that all of these pains I've been experiencing mean I am, but I know that 2 weeks is a long time, and she might even be late since she's my first.
-We had our breathing class last Sunday and learned some techniques for relaxation and a little more about how the beds in the labor & delivery ward work and what our options will be for when I'm laboring. We have a follow-up class this Sunday.
-I have still had a lot of nausea this week, but only one really bad incident, and some headaches and nosebleeds, which are old symptoms that have returned to greet me.
-This baby just feels heavy. I don't think she's dropped too much, but maybe she has a bit, because my heartburn, while still going strong, has lightened a bit.
-I've been having intermittent contractions, but nothing too strong or consistent, so I think they are just Braxton Hicks contractions increasing in frequency.
The bags are packed and by the door, there's a list of last-minute additions to pack on the fridge, and we're ready and waiting for our little girl's arrival. I have been very busy this week, despite being extremely exhausted, trying to get ready to come home after she arrives. I have made 9 meals that are now frozen and have about 5 more to go to help us eat without a lot of fuss. I painted the cradle from my childhood that my mom kept and my dad sent to us and we plan to put it together today. I'm trying not to overdo it, but by the end of every day I am exhausted and my poor feet and back are killing me. I have been staying on top of the housecleaning, rather than try to do it all at once. We're having some friends over tonight, so I will be doing a bit more than the usual day to get ready for their visit, but normally I keep it to one or two chores maximum so I spread out the cleaning through the week and I don't wear myself out. All in all, we're just patiently (Jim) and not so patiently (me) waiting to meet our girl!
A lot of you have been asking how Jim's holding up through all of this, and the short answer is: amazingly. The longer answer is that he's incredibly calm and collected, patient, helpful, low-stress, uncomplaining, and not at all nervous or anxious about the delivery or becoming a dad. The only thing that gets to him is when I'm in pain, but he handles it very well, tries to help me through it and tells me to relax when he knows I'm overdoing it, and has just been incredible any way you look at it. I know he will be a great coach and partner through my labor and delivery and recuperation. He's going to be a great dad (and is always a wonderful husband)!
Anyway, that's all for now! I promise to post pictures of the nursery when it's complete, but there are still a couple of little additions and details to finish before I reveal it. :) Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers - keep 'em coming!
domingo, 15 de noviembre de 2009
Belly Pictures
Today my fabulous friend, Michelle, took some pictures for us to commemorate the pregnancy. We went down near the river this morning and took some outdoor shots, then Jim and I went to take some indoor shots later in the day. She did an amazing job, and I'm SO pleased with the results. The shots attached to the link as of today (15 Nov 09) are just the sneak preview she e-mailed, but more to come after I get the CD of photos. For more shots by Michelle or her husband, Kevin, visit strikingshot.com. They are truly amazing photographers!
This one's one of my favorites. :)
Click on the photo or here to see the web album. Thanks, Michelle!
This one's one of my favorites. :)
Click on the photo or here to see the web album. Thanks, Michelle!
viernes, 13 de noviembre de 2009
38 - Oh my goodness!
37 WEEKS PREGNANT - 38TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
(By request from my good friend Michelle, I'm wearing the shirt that makes my belly look "awesome." Thanks, Michelle!)
Well, Baby Girl Geekling is now officially full-term and could come at any time. Yikes! We went to the doctor Thursday and everything looks good. I'm not making any progress toward labor yet, but the baby's head is down and she's in the right position for delivery. The doctor estimated that she was about 6-6.5 lbs right now, which should be right on target for my goal of 8 lbs or less on the due date. Hopefully she doesn't get a whole lot bigger, but since my genes are more dominant in that area and I only weighed just over 7 lbs, I'm fairly confident that she won't be too big for me to handle (besides, I'm going to be on drugs that partially numb the part of my body that would care how big she is, so I won't care until afterward anyway). According to the Internet, Baby Girl is right below the average weight-wise (the Internet says most babies are about 6.8-7 lbs this week), and should be about 19.5-20 inches long now, or about the length of a leek.
This week:
-Her organs have matured and are ready to function outside the womb
-She's continuing to shed her vernix and lanugo
-She's also producing surfactant, a substance that will prevent the air sacs in her lungs from sticking to one another when she starts to breathe
-She has a firm grasp now, and we can't wait to test it when we get to hold her hands
-She's been moving around like crazy and kicking harder than ever
-Her little feet seem to like to be up under my ribs. Usually I can handle it because I can recline back a little bit to give her more room, but when I'm sitting up straight, like in the car, it's not fun.
As for me:
-I've continued having a lot of nausea, but not nearly as much "active" nausea this past week (knock on wood)
-This kid seems to be balancing right on my bladder, which seems to have gotten a lot smaller these days
-I've been having contractions, especially after my doctor's appointment yesterday, which is good, but they are frequent or strong enough to start counting. Up until now I've only had mild Braxton Hicks contractions, though, and I can definitely tell the difference as they get to be more like real contractions, so it's good that they are starting out so slowly (although I am well aware that they get very painful and hard to handle).
I've been working hard on the nursery, and it is mostly complete. We have some generous friends and family who have given us so much (check out the thank you page)! We just have to finish sanding and finishing the cradle from my childhood, and we're waiting on a few last touches to come in the mail, and then we'll be ready. But everything is complete enough now for us to bring her home if she decides to come. My bag is packed and in the entryway ready to go (with some last-minute additions required), and tomorrow I'm going to put the car seat in the car, so we'll really be ready. This is my favorite new addition to the nursery:
The picture of it is a little blurry, but you get the gist: the elephant is trying to push the boulder. We bought it from Nerdy Baby and it's a perfect combination of Jim's and my personalities. Above the elephant it says "Force = Mass x Acceleration" then around the boulder it says "Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force" and under the elephant, on the ground it says "All forces occur in pairs, and these two forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction." Newton's three laws of motion! I couldn't find a poster frame online for a price I deemed acceptable, and would have had to give my left arm as payment to have one made (expensive!), so I had the poster matted (about $13) and then hot glued the matting to a piece of cardboard, and made a faux frame of ribbon to hang it on the wall. I'm pretty proud of the result. It's hanging just over the crib, and it's the perfect addition to our sweet girl's room. I sure hope she likes elephants!
We went to a childbirth class tonight and in addition to me being more freaked out than ever and Jim being as wonderfully calm as usual, we got to watch a video that showed the stages of labor (including two births), got a briefing from one of the OB nurses who gave us a lot of great, in depth information, and took a tour of the Labor and Delivery ward (or, as they call it here, Family Care Unit). Several people in the class were interested in a two-part breathing class, as well, and since all but two of the seven women in our class are full-term and one is 40 weeks and one is 39 weeks, the nurse scheduled the first part of the breathing class for Sunday, and the second for a week later. So off we venture further into the world of learning about labor. I'm so thankful to have calm, low-stress Jim by my side. It's going to be great to have him there with me to help me calm down and be my coach and cheerleader, even with the epidural.
Hope you're all happy and well. I'll post more after our first breathing class. Soon enough we'll be posting pictures of our sweet little girl on this blog!
(By request from my good friend Michelle, I'm wearing the shirt that makes my belly look "awesome." Thanks, Michelle!)
Well, Baby Girl Geekling is now officially full-term and could come at any time. Yikes! We went to the doctor Thursday and everything looks good. I'm not making any progress toward labor yet, but the baby's head is down and she's in the right position for delivery. The doctor estimated that she was about 6-6.5 lbs right now, which should be right on target for my goal of 8 lbs or less on the due date. Hopefully she doesn't get a whole lot bigger, but since my genes are more dominant in that area and I only weighed just over 7 lbs, I'm fairly confident that she won't be too big for me to handle (besides, I'm going to be on drugs that partially numb the part of my body that would care how big she is, so I won't care until afterward anyway). According to the Internet, Baby Girl is right below the average weight-wise (the Internet says most babies are about 6.8-7 lbs this week), and should be about 19.5-20 inches long now, or about the length of a leek.
This week:
-Her organs have matured and are ready to function outside the womb
-She's continuing to shed her vernix and lanugo
-She's also producing surfactant, a substance that will prevent the air sacs in her lungs from sticking to one another when she starts to breathe
-She has a firm grasp now, and we can't wait to test it when we get to hold her hands
-She's been moving around like crazy and kicking harder than ever
-Her little feet seem to like to be up under my ribs. Usually I can handle it because I can recline back a little bit to give her more room, but when I'm sitting up straight, like in the car, it's not fun.
As for me:
-I've continued having a lot of nausea, but not nearly as much "active" nausea this past week (knock on wood)
-This kid seems to be balancing right on my bladder, which seems to have gotten a lot smaller these days
-I've been having contractions, especially after my doctor's appointment yesterday, which is good, but they are frequent or strong enough to start counting. Up until now I've only had mild Braxton Hicks contractions, though, and I can definitely tell the difference as they get to be more like real contractions, so it's good that they are starting out so slowly (although I am well aware that they get very painful and hard to handle).
I've been working hard on the nursery, and it is mostly complete. We have some generous friends and family who have given us so much (check out the thank you page)! We just have to finish sanding and finishing the cradle from my childhood, and we're waiting on a few last touches to come in the mail, and then we'll be ready. But everything is complete enough now for us to bring her home if she decides to come. My bag is packed and in the entryway ready to go (with some last-minute additions required), and tomorrow I'm going to put the car seat in the car, so we'll really be ready. This is my favorite new addition to the nursery:
The picture of it is a little blurry, but you get the gist: the elephant is trying to push the boulder. We bought it from Nerdy Baby and it's a perfect combination of Jim's and my personalities. Above the elephant it says "Force = Mass x Acceleration" then around the boulder it says "Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force" and under the elephant, on the ground it says "All forces occur in pairs, and these two forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction." Newton's three laws of motion! I couldn't find a poster frame online for a price I deemed acceptable, and would have had to give my left arm as payment to have one made (expensive!), so I had the poster matted (about $13) and then hot glued the matting to a piece of cardboard, and made a faux frame of ribbon to hang it on the wall. I'm pretty proud of the result. It's hanging just over the crib, and it's the perfect addition to our sweet girl's room. I sure hope she likes elephants!
We went to a childbirth class tonight and in addition to me being more freaked out than ever and Jim being as wonderfully calm as usual, we got to watch a video that showed the stages of labor (including two births), got a briefing from one of the OB nurses who gave us a lot of great, in depth information, and took a tour of the Labor and Delivery ward (or, as they call it here, Family Care Unit). Several people in the class were interested in a two-part breathing class, as well, and since all but two of the seven women in our class are full-term and one is 40 weeks and one is 39 weeks, the nurse scheduled the first part of the breathing class for Sunday, and the second for a week later. So off we venture further into the world of learning about labor. I'm so thankful to have calm, low-stress Jim by my side. It's going to be great to have him there with me to help me calm down and be my coach and cheerleader, even with the epidural.
Hope you're all happy and well. I'll post more after our first breathing class. Soon enough we'll be posting pictures of our sweet little girl on this blog!
domingo, 8 de noviembre de 2009
Date Night
Last night we traveled to Central Tokyo for a dinner date at the New Sanno Hotel. About 4-5 times a year they have a special dinner called the Escoffier Dinner and we went in September and loved it. Last night was no different. It was our last fancy date night before the baby gets here. Of course between now and her arrival there will be lots of dates to McDonald's and Taco Bell and Chili's, but this was our last fancy night out together for awhile, and the last one where we don't have to worry about paying for a babysitter!
And yes, I do realize wearing that high of a heel was probably not the smartest idea, and my feet definitely paid the price later (although Jim was sweet enough to give me a foot massage). But look at how cute those boots are! :) I just couldn't resist. I haven't worn heels in about 6 months!
And yes, I do realize wearing that high of a heel was probably not the smartest idea, and my feet definitely paid the price later (although Jim was sweet enough to give me a foot massage). But look at how cute those boots are! :) I just couldn't resist. I haven't worn heels in about 6 months!
viernes, 6 de noviembre de 2009
37!!!
36 WEEKS PREGNANT - 37TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
This post is going up a bit early this week, but I don't think anyone will mind. :)
This week the baby will be full term! Yay! That means that anytime she comes now will be safe for her lungs (and the rest of her). She should be approximately 6 1/3-6 1/2 pounds and about 19 inches long, or the length of a Swiss chard.
This week:
-Baby Girl Geekling will continue to pack on about 1/2 a pound a week in preparation for her arrival
-She's still in practice mode, getting ready for life outside the womb: sucking her thumb, blinking, turning from side to side and inhaling and exhaling her amniotic fluid
-I still think she's head down, because of the pressure on my bladder and lower back, and because of the way she kicks me, but I can't know for sure
As for me:
-Of course I'm still experiencing a lot of nausea and heartburn - there's no hope of either of those letting up at this point
-We'll get to see next Thursday (12 Nov) how I'm progressing and if I'm in pre-labor or not
-I've been having a lot of what I hope are Braxton Hicks contractions. The doctor told me not to worry unless I'm having more than 5 per hour, and last night I was having a lot of them, but not so many I needed to worry.
-I've also been having a lot of very sharp, downward pains, which I understand are normal, but are really painful!
-We've been in preparation mode, but I don't want to do any solid preparing until after my appointment next week, since I have no idea where I am at this point. We decided our mode of information distribution and I bought a calling card we can use from the hospital, and I've been gathering stuff to pack for the hospital, but we haven't officially packed "the bag" yet. We'll probably put the carseat in the car next weekend, after the appointment and I'm officially full-term.
We have our last official weekend away before the baby comes this weekend. We're going to the DOD hotel in Central Tokyo for another fancy Escoffier dinner. I'm really excited; I know this will be our last chance to go to Tokyo sans kid for awhile, and that even when we take her, this is our last time to go without the extra baggage and the expense of in-hotel babysitting.
We are so excited to meet our little girl and can hardly believe it's so close!
This post is going up a bit early this week, but I don't think anyone will mind. :)
This week the baby will be full term! Yay! That means that anytime she comes now will be safe for her lungs (and the rest of her). She should be approximately 6 1/3-6 1/2 pounds and about 19 inches long, or the length of a Swiss chard.
This week:
-Baby Girl Geekling will continue to pack on about 1/2 a pound a week in preparation for her arrival
-She's still in practice mode, getting ready for life outside the womb: sucking her thumb, blinking, turning from side to side and inhaling and exhaling her amniotic fluid
-I still think she's head down, because of the pressure on my bladder and lower back, and because of the way she kicks me, but I can't know for sure
As for me:
-Of course I'm still experiencing a lot of nausea and heartburn - there's no hope of either of those letting up at this point
-We'll get to see next Thursday (12 Nov) how I'm progressing and if I'm in pre-labor or not
-I've been having a lot of what I hope are Braxton Hicks contractions. The doctor told me not to worry unless I'm having more than 5 per hour, and last night I was having a lot of them, but not so many I needed to worry.
-I've also been having a lot of very sharp, downward pains, which I understand are normal, but are really painful!
-We've been in preparation mode, but I don't want to do any solid preparing until after my appointment next week, since I have no idea where I am at this point. We decided our mode of information distribution and I bought a calling card we can use from the hospital, and I've been gathering stuff to pack for the hospital, but we haven't officially packed "the bag" yet. We'll probably put the carseat in the car next weekend, after the appointment and I'm officially full-term.
We have our last official weekend away before the baby comes this weekend. We're going to the DOD hotel in Central Tokyo for another fancy Escoffier dinner. I'm really excited; I know this will be our last chance to go to Tokyo sans kid for awhile, and that even when we take her, this is our last time to go without the extra baggage and the expense of in-hotel babysitting.
We are so excited to meet our little girl and can hardly believe it's so close!
lunes, 2 de noviembre de 2009
Baby's First Halloween
Baby Girl and I went to a Halloween party on Saturday night at the home of some great friends, Kevin, Michelle and Brookston.
Kevin was corn, Michelle was candy, and Brookston was candy corn. Get it? :)
I decided to dress as a baseball field, in green and brown, and Baby Girl was a baseball.
We had a great time, and there was lots of yummy, yummy food! Thanks to the B family for hosting a great party!
Kevin was corn, Michelle was candy, and Brookston was candy corn. Get it? :)
I decided to dress as a baseball field, in green and brown, and Baby Girl was a baseball.
We had a great time, and there was lots of yummy, yummy food! Thanks to the B family for hosting a great party!
sábado, 31 de octubre de 2009
36!?!
35 WEEKS PREGNANT - 36TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Oh my, less than 5 weeks to go! Our little girl is between 18 1/2 and 20 inches long, and weighs around 6 lbs (about the weight of a crenshaw melon). These are all estimates, of course; I will ask at my next appointment on 12 Nov how big they think she is.
This week:
-Little Girl Geekling has soft bones and cartilage to help her through the birth canal
-Most of her systems are ready to go, except for her digestive system, which has been in practice mode for a while and will not start its active mode until after birth when she eats for the first time
-She has shed most of her downy covering of hair and a waxy substance called vernix caseosa that have both protected her skin while in the womb. Icky alert: she swallows these substances and they will come out in the form of meconium, the black, tar-like first bowel movement that newborns have.
-She is hopefully head down by this time, so that she's ready for me to deliver when she's ready to come out; again, I won't find this out until my ultrasound at my appointment on 12 Nov. I think she is head down, by the way I've been getting kicked.
-She's been kicking and moving a lot, which always makes me smile, even when it keeps me awake or hurts. I can actually feel what I think is a foot or a knee pressing up into my hand on either side of my belly. I love it when she moves; it makes me happy and keeps me sane, knowing she's okay in there.
As for me:
-No let-up on the nausea, of course, but it's as manageable as always. I'm SO ready for that symptom to go away!
-No let-up on the heartburn, either, but my combo of Zantac and Tums is still working
-My lower back has been giving me a lot of trouble lately, making it hard to sit, stand, lie down or anything else. I guess the pressure of the belly finally got to me.
-My poor feet are really swollen, a symptom not helped by the fact that fall in Japan has consisted of 70 degree weather so far. I'm really really ready for it to get cold outside, especially since they turned off our air conditioner.
We've been working really hard on the baby's room, and despite some pains with the paint colors (the color we need to touch up the ceiling - where I had messed up with the blue and Jim tried to touch up with the beige - doesn't seem to exist anymore), it's finished being painted and officially in the decorating stage. We're going to buy a rocking chair and some wood stain today, as well as a power sander (lucky Jim, although it means a lot of work in the next couple of weeks). We received my cradle from my infancy from my dad (my mom had kept it all these years) yesterday, and it will be sanded down and stained as well. We aren't going to use the cradle as a cradle, though, because it's really low to the ground (mom and dad, how did your backs not break!?); we will instead use it as a toy box, which is what it was for me up until I was a teenager. We are also going to get the crib mattress today and I will be able to put the bedding in the crib (Sakana will LOVE that). I can hardly wait until the room is done and I promise to post pictures of it in all of its elephant-themed, brown and pink wonder. Really, I'm just ready to have a wiggly baby girl to put in the nursery. I know parenthood is no walk in the park, but I'm so excited for the next step, and not just because I'm SO DONE with this part - pregnancy has not been fun for me! We're really excited about meeting our baby girl, and I know you're all excited to see her, even if it's just through computer technology for a while.
Love and hugs to you all!
Oh my, less than 5 weeks to go! Our little girl is between 18 1/2 and 20 inches long, and weighs around 6 lbs (about the weight of a crenshaw melon). These are all estimates, of course; I will ask at my next appointment on 12 Nov how big they think she is.
This week:
-Little Girl Geekling has soft bones and cartilage to help her through the birth canal
-Most of her systems are ready to go, except for her digestive system, which has been in practice mode for a while and will not start its active mode until after birth when she eats for the first time
-She has shed most of her downy covering of hair and a waxy substance called vernix caseosa that have both protected her skin while in the womb. Icky alert: she swallows these substances and they will come out in the form of meconium, the black, tar-like first bowel movement that newborns have.
-She is hopefully head down by this time, so that she's ready for me to deliver when she's ready to come out; again, I won't find this out until my ultrasound at my appointment on 12 Nov. I think she is head down, by the way I've been getting kicked.
-She's been kicking and moving a lot, which always makes me smile, even when it keeps me awake or hurts. I can actually feel what I think is a foot or a knee pressing up into my hand on either side of my belly. I love it when she moves; it makes me happy and keeps me sane, knowing she's okay in there.
As for me:
-No let-up on the nausea, of course, but it's as manageable as always. I'm SO ready for that symptom to go away!
-No let-up on the heartburn, either, but my combo of Zantac and Tums is still working
-My lower back has been giving me a lot of trouble lately, making it hard to sit, stand, lie down or anything else. I guess the pressure of the belly finally got to me.
-My poor feet are really swollen, a symptom not helped by the fact that fall in Japan has consisted of 70 degree weather so far. I'm really really ready for it to get cold outside, especially since they turned off our air conditioner.
We've been working really hard on the baby's room, and despite some pains with the paint colors (the color we need to touch up the ceiling - where I had messed up with the blue and Jim tried to touch up with the beige - doesn't seem to exist anymore), it's finished being painted and officially in the decorating stage. We're going to buy a rocking chair and some wood stain today, as well as a power sander (lucky Jim, although it means a lot of work in the next couple of weeks). We received my cradle from my infancy from my dad (my mom had kept it all these years) yesterday, and it will be sanded down and stained as well. We aren't going to use the cradle as a cradle, though, because it's really low to the ground (mom and dad, how did your backs not break!?); we will instead use it as a toy box, which is what it was for me up until I was a teenager. We are also going to get the crib mattress today and I will be able to put the bedding in the crib (Sakana will LOVE that). I can hardly wait until the room is done and I promise to post pictures of it in all of its elephant-themed, brown and pink wonder. Really, I'm just ready to have a wiggly baby girl to put in the nursery. I know parenthood is no walk in the park, but I'm so excited for the next step, and not just because I'm SO DONE with this part - pregnancy has not been fun for me! We're really excited about meeting our baby girl, and I know you're all excited to see her, even if it's just through computer technology for a while.
Love and hugs to you all!
domingo, 25 de octubre de 2009
Japan Shower
Some of my wonderful friends threw us a shower today, which was so much fun. Thanks, everyone, for coming and for your amazing generosity. Here is a photo array that Michelle made of some of her photos from the party:
To see all of the pictures, follow this link: picasaweb.google.com/JTDAngelo/JapanBabyShower?feat=directlink.
All photos were taken by my awesome friend and favorite photographer, Michelle (strikingshot.com).
To see all of the pictures, follow this link: picasaweb.google.com/JTDAngelo/JapanBabyShower?feat=directlink.
All photos were taken by my awesome friend and favorite photographer, Michelle (strikingshot.com).
sábado, 24 de octubre de 2009
Mid-thirties
34 WEEKS PREGNANT - 35TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Our precious baby girl is about 18-20 inches long this week and weighs between 5.25-5.5 pounds (about the weight of a honeydew melon - wish they were in season, that sounds great!). She's coming along!
This week:
-Her movement is steady, but she's not doing many flips anymore, since she's plumping up and running out of room
-Her kidneys are fully developed and her liver can process some waste products
-Her basic physical development should be complete!
-Still in development is her brain, which continues to develop at a rapid rate
-Hopefully she's head down in the right position; I think she might be, because my bladder is feeling the strain, and most of the movement I feel is up top, indicating that might be her little feet kicking me
As for me:
-My cold/cough/flu or whatever it was is dissipating, but I'm not out of the woods yet. I had to wear a mask and refrain from holding or touching the sweet little boy my friends had this week, which was hard! Making things worse, I think Jim may have caught what I had, but hopefully his won't be so severe since his immune system is strong, and mine seems a bit weakened by the support it's giving to the little one growing inside of me
-My nausea, too, has not subsided, and at this point I'm not thinking it will, I'm just hoping it won't hinder my labor and delivery
-It's hard to breathe sometimes, and I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions, but not so many that I need to worry
-The only symptom that seems to be escalating is my heartburn; now I have to top up my Zantac with Tums
-I've also had a lot of sharp pains down very low, which is not fun, especially when the pain hits me in public and I have to either grip through it so no one notices, or stop and breathe through it (which makes people think I'm in labor or something)
-I had my first total stranger belly-touching experience this week, which was humorous and unstoppable. I was waiting for the elevator in our building and the little Japanese janitor who cleans the lobby, elevators and basement every day came up and started rubbing my belly. I tried to tell her when I was due and that it was a girl, but I'm not sure if my Japanese was comprehensible. It was funny.
-I don't think the baby likes when I cough, because she's been very still the last few days. I've been pushing on and moving the belly around trying to get her to move. She moves a lot when I drink cold milk, so I've been drinking a lot to reassure myself that she's fine.
The biggest news from our household this week is that I finished all of the requirements for my Master's! I took my comprehensive exam on Thursday (my college has an option for eCampus students to take a comprehensive exam instead of writing a thesis, which I opted for since I didn't think I could complete my research for a thesis over here and I didn't want to have to spend a few months in the States just to do it). Provided I pass the test I should be a graduate school graduate! Hopefully I'll get my diploma in the mail in the coming months and everything will be copacetic. A belated Happy Birthday to my wonderful dad, who celebrated his 52nd birthday (sorry, Dad, I can't lie) on Thursday. We miss you and love you so much!
Our precious baby girl is about 18-20 inches long this week and weighs between 5.25-5.5 pounds (about the weight of a honeydew melon - wish they were in season, that sounds great!). She's coming along!
This week:
-Her movement is steady, but she's not doing many flips anymore, since she's plumping up and running out of room
-Her kidneys are fully developed and her liver can process some waste products
-Her basic physical development should be complete!
-Still in development is her brain, which continues to develop at a rapid rate
-Hopefully she's head down in the right position; I think she might be, because my bladder is feeling the strain, and most of the movement I feel is up top, indicating that might be her little feet kicking me
As for me:
-My cold/cough/flu or whatever it was is dissipating, but I'm not out of the woods yet. I had to wear a mask and refrain from holding or touching the sweet little boy my friends had this week, which was hard! Making things worse, I think Jim may have caught what I had, but hopefully his won't be so severe since his immune system is strong, and mine seems a bit weakened by the support it's giving to the little one growing inside of me
-My nausea, too, has not subsided, and at this point I'm not thinking it will, I'm just hoping it won't hinder my labor and delivery
-It's hard to breathe sometimes, and I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions, but not so many that I need to worry
-The only symptom that seems to be escalating is my heartburn; now I have to top up my Zantac with Tums
-I've also had a lot of sharp pains down very low, which is not fun, especially when the pain hits me in public and I have to either grip through it so no one notices, or stop and breathe through it (which makes people think I'm in labor or something)
-I had my first total stranger belly-touching experience this week, which was humorous and unstoppable. I was waiting for the elevator in our building and the little Japanese janitor who cleans the lobby, elevators and basement every day came up and started rubbing my belly. I tried to tell her when I was due and that it was a girl, but I'm not sure if my Japanese was comprehensible. It was funny.
-I don't think the baby likes when I cough, because she's been very still the last few days. I've been pushing on and moving the belly around trying to get her to move. She moves a lot when I drink cold milk, so I've been drinking a lot to reassure myself that she's fine.
The biggest news from our household this week is that I finished all of the requirements for my Master's! I took my comprehensive exam on Thursday (my college has an option for eCampus students to take a comprehensive exam instead of writing a thesis, which I opted for since I didn't think I could complete my research for a thesis over here and I didn't want to have to spend a few months in the States just to do it). Provided I pass the test I should be a graduate school graduate! Hopefully I'll get my diploma in the mail in the coming months and everything will be copacetic. A belated Happy Birthday to my wonderful dad, who celebrated his 52nd birthday (sorry, Dad, I can't lie) on Thursday. We miss you and love you so much!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to my good friends Eric and Patty on the birth of their precious baby boy, Alejandro! Big Al (he weighed more than 10 1/2 pounds!) made his entrance on Tuesday, October 20. I'm so glad I got to go through pregnancy with such a good friend and that our babies will be able to be good friends, too. They'll be stroller buddies when we can both run again!
lunes, 19 de octubre de 2009
Alien Child
From Geekling 1209
I took a video of Baby Girl Geekling moving around in my belly. I was trying not to breathe, so you can see me take deep breaths every once in awhile. But it's a pretty funny sight, her wiggling around in there. It's kind of an odd angle, taken from my point of view.
I took a video of Baby Girl Geekling moving around in my belly. I was trying not to breathe, so you can see me take deep breaths every once in awhile. But it's a pretty funny sight, her wiggling around in there. It's kind of an odd angle, taken from my point of view.
Congratulations!
Congratulations to my friends (and family of my family) Daniel and Marcy on the birth of their baby girl, Amelia Mae! Sending hugs your way from halfway around the world.
sábado, 17 de octubre de 2009
34th Week!
33 WEEKS PREGNANT - 34TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Oh my goodness, we're in the 34th week! That's so crazy to me. Our baby girl will grow this week to about 4.75-5 lbs, or about the weight of a cantaloupe. She may be about 18-20 inches long now.
This week:
-Her fat layers are continuing to fill out, so she's getting rounder
-Her fingernails have probably reached the end of her fingertips
-She would probably be just fine if she were born after 34 weeks, but we're hoping she holds on a bit longer than that
-Almost all of her organs and everything are developed enough for her to live outside of the womb
-Baby Girl Geekling has gotten a lot stronger this past week and has begun moving a lot no matter whether I'm sitting, standing, lying down or moving. Before recently she was only moving enough that I could feel it when I was sitting or lying down.
As for me:
-My vision might start blurring, which I hope my contacts will correct enough, and my eyes might start getting more dry
-Still no let up at all on my nausea; I had to get a refill on my anti-nausea medication
-The insomnia, too, hasn't subsided, but Tylenol PM is a good friend to have at bedtime
-My belly button has started to pop; it's most noticeable when I'm lying on my back or sitting down
-I caught some nasty virus that's been going around base. I'm hoping it's not the flu or H1N1, but I really don't think it is. My nose has been more stuffed up than usual (since I've had a sinus infection for the last 7 months) and my throat constantly feels like it's on fire. I'm hoping to kick it in the next couple of days. I've been miserable since Thursday morning, so it hasn't been long-standing, it's just a great annoyance on top of my pregnancy symptoms.
-I finally broke down on asking Jim for help with the little things, asking him to tie my shoes for me when I need my running shoes to go for a walk. It was a sad concession, but of course he's happy to help.
Baby Girl and I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and everything looked good. Geekling's heart rate was about 140-145bpm, and the nurse said the baby felt like she was lying crossways in my belly. I can't tell; this little wiggle worm kicks, punches and squirms all over the place. Our next appointment will be on Nov. 12. At that appointment we'll have another ultrasound to estimate the baby's size and check her position. If she's not head down they can attempt to turn her manually. I'm hoping she'll be cooperative. I signed up for, but haven't been able to schedule yet, our birthing class. That should be sometime in November, and we'll get a consultation with the Labor & Delivery staff and a walk-through of the Family Care Unit. That should make everything more real!
Quick shout-outs to Marcy and Daniel who will be having sweet little Amelia on Sunday, and to Patty & Eric, who will get to meet Aloysius (nickname) sometime next week. Good luck and lots of long-distance hugs to Marcy and Daniel, and good luck and a loud I can't wait to meet him or her to Eric and Patty! It's a baby explosion all around the world!
Oh my goodness, we're in the 34th week! That's so crazy to me. Our baby girl will grow this week to about 4.75-5 lbs, or about the weight of a cantaloupe. She may be about 18-20 inches long now.
This week:
-Her fat layers are continuing to fill out, so she's getting rounder
-Her fingernails have probably reached the end of her fingertips
-She would probably be just fine if she were born after 34 weeks, but we're hoping she holds on a bit longer than that
-Almost all of her organs and everything are developed enough for her to live outside of the womb
-Baby Girl Geekling has gotten a lot stronger this past week and has begun moving a lot no matter whether I'm sitting, standing, lying down or moving. Before recently she was only moving enough that I could feel it when I was sitting or lying down.
As for me:
-My vision might start blurring, which I hope my contacts will correct enough, and my eyes might start getting more dry
-Still no let up at all on my nausea; I had to get a refill on my anti-nausea medication
-The insomnia, too, hasn't subsided, but Tylenol PM is a good friend to have at bedtime
-My belly button has started to pop; it's most noticeable when I'm lying on my back or sitting down
-I caught some nasty virus that's been going around base. I'm hoping it's not the flu or H1N1, but I really don't think it is. My nose has been more stuffed up than usual (since I've had a sinus infection for the last 7 months) and my throat constantly feels like it's on fire. I'm hoping to kick it in the next couple of days. I've been miserable since Thursday morning, so it hasn't been long-standing, it's just a great annoyance on top of my pregnancy symptoms.
-I finally broke down on asking Jim for help with the little things, asking him to tie my shoes for me when I need my running shoes to go for a walk. It was a sad concession, but of course he's happy to help.
Baby Girl and I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and everything looked good. Geekling's heart rate was about 140-145bpm, and the nurse said the baby felt like she was lying crossways in my belly. I can't tell; this little wiggle worm kicks, punches and squirms all over the place. Our next appointment will be on Nov. 12. At that appointment we'll have another ultrasound to estimate the baby's size and check her position. If she's not head down they can attempt to turn her manually. I'm hoping she'll be cooperative. I signed up for, but haven't been able to schedule yet, our birthing class. That should be sometime in November, and we'll get a consultation with the Labor & Delivery staff and a walk-through of the Family Care Unit. That should make everything more real!
Quick shout-outs to Marcy and Daniel who will be having sweet little Amelia on Sunday, and to Patty & Eric, who will get to meet Aloysius (nickname) sometime next week. Good luck and lots of long-distance hugs to Marcy and Daniel, and good luck and a loud I can't wait to meet him or her to Eric and Patty! It's a baby explosion all around the world!
sábado, 10 de octubre de 2009
33 already?
32 WEEKS PREGNANT - 33RD WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Oh my goodness, 8 weeks doesn't sound like a lot, but that's all we've got left! Baby Girl Geekling is still between 17 and 19 inches long but will grow to weigh a whopping 4 lbs (about the weight of a pineapple) this week. She's been moving like crazy, even when I'm standing sometimes, which was rare until this week, and getting stronger, by the effort behind her kicks.
This week:
-Her skeleton is hardening (except for her skull, it won't start fusing until after birth to help her head conform to the shape of the birth canal and accommodate her brain as it grows - did you know your brain doesn't fully fuse until early adulthood?)
-She's filling out even more and probably looks more baby like and less like a wrinkled little alien
-She is absorbing my antibodies as her immune system continues development so that she'll be able to fight those mid-winter germs upon her exit into the world
-She's getting stronger, and also getting low on room, so her kicks feel stronger, her movements sharper, and sometimes when she moves it's just painful!
-She'll continue to gain about half a pound a week for the rest of her time in my belly
As for me:
-My third trimester insomnia kicked in hard core this week. The earliest I made it to sleep at all this week was 1:30am and the latest I stayed up was until about 4:30am last night. People keep telling me it's my body's prep for sleepless nights, but I'm hoping Baby Girl won't be up until that late every night (of course I won't mind if she wakes up at 4:30, but I don't want her up until 4:30!)
-I have still had nausea and heartburn a lot this week, but I've been feeling a bit more mobile, and took a long walk the other night which felt really good
-Another strange symptom I've been feeling is random numbness in my hands and upper stomach area. Apparently this is normal, but it strikes me as strange, just as leg cramps while sleeping do.
-I'm still not waddling, and I was told on three separate occasions this week that my belly looked small, so I'm rebelling against not being able to walk properly for as long as possible!
-However, it is difficult to get up from the floor, couch or bed. And putting on my socks has been proving to be one of the most difficult tasks of my daily routine. Good thing all my favorite and most comfortable shoes just slip-on!
I have a doctor's appointment (check-up) on Thursday this week and I have a class on Friday called "Bundles for Babies." Fun fun!
Oh my goodness, 8 weeks doesn't sound like a lot, but that's all we've got left! Baby Girl Geekling is still between 17 and 19 inches long but will grow to weigh a whopping 4 lbs (about the weight of a pineapple) this week. She's been moving like crazy, even when I'm standing sometimes, which was rare until this week, and getting stronger, by the effort behind her kicks.
This week:
-Her skeleton is hardening (except for her skull, it won't start fusing until after birth to help her head conform to the shape of the birth canal and accommodate her brain as it grows - did you know your brain doesn't fully fuse until early adulthood?)
-She's filling out even more and probably looks more baby like and less like a wrinkled little alien
-She is absorbing my antibodies as her immune system continues development so that she'll be able to fight those mid-winter germs upon her exit into the world
-She's getting stronger, and also getting low on room, so her kicks feel stronger, her movements sharper, and sometimes when she moves it's just painful!
-She'll continue to gain about half a pound a week for the rest of her time in my belly
As for me:
-My third trimester insomnia kicked in hard core this week. The earliest I made it to sleep at all this week was 1:30am and the latest I stayed up was until about 4:30am last night. People keep telling me it's my body's prep for sleepless nights, but I'm hoping Baby Girl won't be up until that late every night (of course I won't mind if she wakes up at 4:30, but I don't want her up until 4:30!)
-I have still had nausea and heartburn a lot this week, but I've been feeling a bit more mobile, and took a long walk the other night which felt really good
-Another strange symptom I've been feeling is random numbness in my hands and upper stomach area. Apparently this is normal, but it strikes me as strange, just as leg cramps while sleeping do.
-I'm still not waddling, and I was told on three separate occasions this week that my belly looked small, so I'm rebelling against not being able to walk properly for as long as possible!
-However, it is difficult to get up from the floor, couch or bed. And putting on my socks has been proving to be one of the most difficult tasks of my daily routine. Good thing all my favorite and most comfortable shoes just slip-on!
I have a doctor's appointment (check-up) on Thursday this week and I have a class on Friday called "Bundles for Babies." Fun fun!
sábado, 3 de octubre de 2009
What's a jicama?
31 WEEKS PREGNANT - 32ND WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
What's a jicama? Well, whatever it is (Wikipedia says a yam or Mexican turnip...), that's about how heavy our baby is this week, weighing in at between 3 3/4 and 4 pounds. She's also between 16.7 and 19 inches long - not much more to go (or any, maybe) in length!
This week:
-Baby Girl Geekling is practicing the skills she'll need outside of the womb, like swallowing, breathing, sucking and kicking
-She can suck her thumb, a skill she'll lose in the first few months of her life outside, at least until she gains enough motor control to hold her hand to her mouth
-She's gaining about 1/2 a pound a week these days, fattening up now that she's almost as long as she'll get
-She has toenails, fingernails and real hair (and a lot of it, apparently, because my heartburn has not let up one bit!)
-Her skin is turning more opaque (at least as opague as mine, which is still pretty translucent, as pale as I am)
-Baby Girl's digestive system is all ready to go, should she arrive early, but we're hoping she'll hang on for about 2 more months; for now she'll continue to receive her nutrients from the umbilical cord
-I think she's positioned head down, but I won't have another ultrasound until late October or early November to be sure. For now I can't tell if she's facing my front or my back, and I haven't been able to identify specific body parts. Perhaps that will be easier to do after I see her on the next ultrasound.
-She is pretty calm throughout the day, kicking and squirming a bit, but mostly reserving her primary movement for between 6pm and 11am. I'm supposed to be evaluating her movement now (kick counts - counting up to 10 movements each hour), but since she likes to sleep - just like her dad - she isn't very cooperative. Instead I just antagonize her with excessive pushing on and moving of the belly when I haven't felt her in awhile (poor girl) and then rely on her active time to get a feel for her activity levels. She still pretty much only moves when I am sitting or lying down, hardly ever when I'm standing.
As for me:
-No let up on the nausea (thanks for your support, though, everyone! you've been great!), but I think I finally found the magic combination of medication and timing to allow me to feel okay in the mornings and sleep through the night without the nausea and heartburn waking me up
-My Braxton Hicks contractions are escalating, but still not painful most of the time
-I've been having a lot of cramping and strange pains, but nothing that makes me worry
-It's still difficult to get a lot of sleep, but I'm trying; poor Jim has to put up with my restless legs, hot flashes and waking up to use the bathroom every couple of hours
-I'm still trying to swim a few days a week, aiming for 3-4 times
-My back pain is escalating, and moving all over my back, but it's not unbearable (since the super painful pinch went away about a month ago)
-I'm having more and more trouble standing up when I'm lounging; sometimes Jim has to help me get up from the couch
-I have a lot of shortness of breath, especially when there's a lot of heartburn or when I'm swimming, but I'm okay overall
I'm trying to stay positive as things just continue to progress. I'm definitely on the downhill slope and I can't believe we're in the single digit week countdown! I can't wait to meet our little girl. Jim's been painting in the nursery and we're hoping to start setting stuff up in the next week or so. I've got about three more weeks left of school before I'm done, which is great and scary at the same time. Jim's been super busy with work and school. So things around here are going on as normal. Hope everyone is well.
What's a jicama? Well, whatever it is (Wikipedia says a yam or Mexican turnip...), that's about how heavy our baby is this week, weighing in at between 3 3/4 and 4 pounds. She's also between 16.7 and 19 inches long - not much more to go (or any, maybe) in length!
This week:
-Baby Girl Geekling is practicing the skills she'll need outside of the womb, like swallowing, breathing, sucking and kicking
-She can suck her thumb, a skill she'll lose in the first few months of her life outside, at least until she gains enough motor control to hold her hand to her mouth
-She's gaining about 1/2 a pound a week these days, fattening up now that she's almost as long as she'll get
-She has toenails, fingernails and real hair (and a lot of it, apparently, because my heartburn has not let up one bit!)
-Her skin is turning more opaque (at least as opague as mine, which is still pretty translucent, as pale as I am)
-Baby Girl's digestive system is all ready to go, should she arrive early, but we're hoping she'll hang on for about 2 more months; for now she'll continue to receive her nutrients from the umbilical cord
-I think she's positioned head down, but I won't have another ultrasound until late October or early November to be sure. For now I can't tell if she's facing my front or my back, and I haven't been able to identify specific body parts. Perhaps that will be easier to do after I see her on the next ultrasound.
-She is pretty calm throughout the day, kicking and squirming a bit, but mostly reserving her primary movement for between 6pm and 11am. I'm supposed to be evaluating her movement now (kick counts - counting up to 10 movements each hour), but since she likes to sleep - just like her dad - she isn't very cooperative. Instead I just antagonize her with excessive pushing on and moving of the belly when I haven't felt her in awhile (poor girl) and then rely on her active time to get a feel for her activity levels. She still pretty much only moves when I am sitting or lying down, hardly ever when I'm standing.
As for me:
-No let up on the nausea (thanks for your support, though, everyone! you've been great!), but I think I finally found the magic combination of medication and timing to allow me to feel okay in the mornings and sleep through the night without the nausea and heartburn waking me up
-My Braxton Hicks contractions are escalating, but still not painful most of the time
-I've been having a lot of cramping and strange pains, but nothing that makes me worry
-It's still difficult to get a lot of sleep, but I'm trying; poor Jim has to put up with my restless legs, hot flashes and waking up to use the bathroom every couple of hours
-I'm still trying to swim a few days a week, aiming for 3-4 times
-My back pain is escalating, and moving all over my back, but it's not unbearable (since the super painful pinch went away about a month ago)
-I'm having more and more trouble standing up when I'm lounging; sometimes Jim has to help me get up from the couch
-I have a lot of shortness of breath, especially when there's a lot of heartburn or when I'm swimming, but I'm okay overall
I'm trying to stay positive as things just continue to progress. I'm definitely on the downhill slope and I can't believe we're in the single digit week countdown! I can't wait to meet our little girl. Jim's been painting in the nursery and we're hoping to start setting stuff up in the next week or so. I've got about three more weeks left of school before I'm done, which is great and scary at the same time. Jim's been super busy with work and school. So things around here are going on as normal. Hope everyone is well.
sábado, 26 de septiembre de 2009
THIRTY-ONE
30 WEEKS PREGNANT - 31ST WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Oh my goodness, I'm 30 weeks pregnant. Holy cow! That's very scary and exciting all at the same time! Only 10 weeks to go (give or take). Crazy!
Baby Girl Geekling weighs in at about 3-3.3 lbs (about the weight of 4 navel oranges) and is about 16-18 inches long. She'll hit another growth spurt soon, so she'll really start to plump out.
This week:
-She will be able to turn her head from side to side
-Her arms, legs and body are starting to plump out as she gets her much needed baby fat
-Her brain is making more connections and she is learning to process information
-Baby is now tracking light and perceiving signals from her other four senses as well
-She is also sleeping for longer stretches, which I've definitely noticed from the outside
-She sometimes will play a fun game with Jim where she moves or kicks, he pushes on or squeezes the belly and she responds with more movement; it's a fun game, but she doesn't entertain us on demand very often
As for me:
-My nausea and heartburn have not at all subsided, but I'm well medicated, so that's working in my favor
-I have had a lot of nausea in the mornings and into the afternoon, which has hindered my ability to work out as much as I'd like this week (since the pool's not open all day for laps); I prefer swimming these days because too much walking stresses my hips, but I am going to try to walk more and see if they just need more activity
-It's hard to eat as much as I'd like these days since my belly's so squashed
-I've been feeling her move less and less during the day, but she's still pretty active when I'm sitting or lying down; I feel a lot less little kicking and more big movements
-I've also been having a lot more of what I think are a lot more Braxton Hicks contractions, when my belly gets really tight, my breath sometimes shortens and the belly feels really heavy
Other than growing a baby, things are pretty normal around here. Jim and I are both busy with school and Jim's busy with work. I've only got a few weeks of school left, so I'm really trying to study hard! I can hardly believe we'll meet our little one in just about 2.5 months!
Oh my goodness, I'm 30 weeks pregnant. Holy cow! That's very scary and exciting all at the same time! Only 10 weeks to go (give or take). Crazy!
Baby Girl Geekling weighs in at about 3-3.3 lbs (about the weight of 4 navel oranges) and is about 16-18 inches long. She'll hit another growth spurt soon, so she'll really start to plump out.
This week:
-She will be able to turn her head from side to side
-Her arms, legs and body are starting to plump out as she gets her much needed baby fat
-Her brain is making more connections and she is learning to process information
-Baby is now tracking light and perceiving signals from her other four senses as well
-She is also sleeping for longer stretches, which I've definitely noticed from the outside
-She sometimes will play a fun game with Jim where she moves or kicks, he pushes on or squeezes the belly and she responds with more movement; it's a fun game, but she doesn't entertain us on demand very often
As for me:
-My nausea and heartburn have not at all subsided, but I'm well medicated, so that's working in my favor
-I have had a lot of nausea in the mornings and into the afternoon, which has hindered my ability to work out as much as I'd like this week (since the pool's not open all day for laps); I prefer swimming these days because too much walking stresses my hips, but I am going to try to walk more and see if they just need more activity
-It's hard to eat as much as I'd like these days since my belly's so squashed
-I've been feeling her move less and less during the day, but she's still pretty active when I'm sitting or lying down; I feel a lot less little kicking and more big movements
-I've also been having a lot more of what I think are a lot more Braxton Hicks contractions, when my belly gets really tight, my breath sometimes shortens and the belly feels really heavy
Other than growing a baby, things are pretty normal around here. Jim and I are both busy with school and Jim's busy with work. I've only got a few weeks of school left, so I'm really trying to study hard! I can hardly believe we'll meet our little one in just about 2.5 months!
sábado, 19 de septiembre de 2009
30th Week
29 WEEKS PREGNANT - 30TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Baby Girl Geekling is still between 15-17 inches long now and weighs about 3 pounds, about the weight of a head of cabbage.
This week:
-She is surrounded by about a pint and a half of amniotic fluid, but as she gets bigger that volume will decrease
-If she were born right now she would only be able to see a few inches in front of her face; by the time she's born she'll be able to see about 8-10 inches in front of her face, so her eyes still have some developing to do
-Her brain mass is growing daily and is starting to look like a real, slimy brain with grooves and wrinkles, which help her brain tissue to develop. Our geeky girl is going to be smart!
-She can now regulate her own body temperature a little better and will start shedding the lanugo, the downy body hair that has covered her body up to now. Most, but maybe not all of the lanugo will be shed before she is born
-Baby Girl's bone marrow will take over production of red blood cells, which will help her ability to thrive outside of the womb
As for me:
-This was a pretty rough week, as far as pregnant weeks go
-My nausea is still holding strong, compounded, I think, by my rampant acid reflux and heartburn
-My weight gain was nonexistent over the past two weeks, in fact I had lost 1/2 a pound, so I was happy about that. I've gained too much already (5 pounds more than the limit that was set for me at my first appointment), and the doctor's scale makes it seem even worse (they went by the at-home weight that I wrote down on my paperwork, rather than weighing me at my first consultation appointment, and their scale is 8 pounds heavier than ours at home). So I'm good with gaining as little weight as possible from here on out, even though I'm supposed to be gaining now.
-I've been swimming as much as possible, but my acid reflux has been making that difficult, so I only went twice this week. Hopefully with the Zantac I'll be able to go more often next week.
-I took an infant/child CPR class this week and am now certified to save an infant or child, ages 0-12 from choking, resuscitate them if they are not breathing and able to perform CPR when necessary. Next week I am taking a first aid class, and the week after that I am taking an adult CPR class. It was more cost effective to take all three than to just take the infant/child class ($30 for one class, $40 for all three), so I signed up for all of them.
We had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and everything sounded great with the baby and with me. Baby Girl Geekling's heart rate was 155bpm, so she's holding steady. I passed my second glucose test and my iron levels are good. The doctor gave me a prescription for Zantac to help my acid reflux and it has helped immensely. I got my RhoGAM shot (because I'm Rh negative), which was not as bad as I thought it would be; it felt like a wasp sting and then the injection spot on my hip was sore all day. If the baby is negative, too, I won't have to have another shot, but if she's positive (they'll test her cord blood after birth) I will have to have another one after her delivery. My next appointment is not until 15 Oct, when I'm almost 33 weeks along; our next ultrasound won't be until I'm about 35-36 weeks, so the end of Oct/beginning of Nov. Before that I am taking a class called Bundles for Babies, and then I'll take my infant feeding/nursing class in November. After 32 weeks we can take our Labor and Delivery class at the hospital and get a tour of the Labor and Delivery floor. It's hard to believe in just a few months she'll be here!
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Baby Girl Geekling is still between 15-17 inches long now and weighs about 3 pounds, about the weight of a head of cabbage.
This week:
-She is surrounded by about a pint and a half of amniotic fluid, but as she gets bigger that volume will decrease
-If she were born right now she would only be able to see a few inches in front of her face; by the time she's born she'll be able to see about 8-10 inches in front of her face, so her eyes still have some developing to do
-Her brain mass is growing daily and is starting to look like a real, slimy brain with grooves and wrinkles, which help her brain tissue to develop. Our geeky girl is going to be smart!
-She can now regulate her own body temperature a little better and will start shedding the lanugo, the downy body hair that has covered her body up to now. Most, but maybe not all of the lanugo will be shed before she is born
-Baby Girl's bone marrow will take over production of red blood cells, which will help her ability to thrive outside of the womb
As for me:
-This was a pretty rough week, as far as pregnant weeks go
-My nausea is still holding strong, compounded, I think, by my rampant acid reflux and heartburn
-My weight gain was nonexistent over the past two weeks, in fact I had lost 1/2 a pound, so I was happy about that. I've gained too much already (5 pounds more than the limit that was set for me at my first appointment), and the doctor's scale makes it seem even worse (they went by the at-home weight that I wrote down on my paperwork, rather than weighing me at my first consultation appointment, and their scale is 8 pounds heavier than ours at home). So I'm good with gaining as little weight as possible from here on out, even though I'm supposed to be gaining now.
-I've been swimming as much as possible, but my acid reflux has been making that difficult, so I only went twice this week. Hopefully with the Zantac I'll be able to go more often next week.
-I took an infant/child CPR class this week and am now certified to save an infant or child, ages 0-12 from choking, resuscitate them if they are not breathing and able to perform CPR when necessary. Next week I am taking a first aid class, and the week after that I am taking an adult CPR class. It was more cost effective to take all three than to just take the infant/child class ($30 for one class, $40 for all three), so I signed up for all of them.
We had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and everything sounded great with the baby and with me. Baby Girl Geekling's heart rate was 155bpm, so she's holding steady. I passed my second glucose test and my iron levels are good. The doctor gave me a prescription for Zantac to help my acid reflux and it has helped immensely. I got my RhoGAM shot (because I'm Rh negative), which was not as bad as I thought it would be; it felt like a wasp sting and then the injection spot on my hip was sore all day. If the baby is negative, too, I won't have to have another shot, but if she's positive (they'll test her cord blood after birth) I will have to have another one after her delivery. My next appointment is not until 15 Oct, when I'm almost 33 weeks along; our next ultrasound won't be until I'm about 35-36 weeks, so the end of Oct/beginning of Nov. Before that I am taking a class called Bundles for Babies, and then I'll take my infant feeding/nursing class in November. After 32 weeks we can take our Labor and Delivery class at the hospital and get a tour of the Labor and Delivery floor. It's hard to believe in just a few months she'll be here!
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
sábado, 12 de septiembre de 2009
29!
28 WEEKS - 29TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Little girl geekling will grow to a weight of about 2.5-3 lbs this week (about the weight of a butternut squash), and a length of about 15-17 inches. She will start to slow down in length growth and start to gain weight instead.
This week:
-She's packing on the pounds in preparation for her arrival. She'll at least double, and maybe almost triple her current weight in the coming weeks. I'm hoping she keeps it between 7-8 lbs, for my sake, but I just want her to be healthy.
-She's still kicking a lot these days, but her kicks are getting more controlled, and I know that's because she's running out of room. She'll be kicking less and poking more in the next few weeks as she gets even bigger and outgrows her little temporary home
-Her muscles and lungs are continuing their swift development, and her head is getting bigger to accomodate her geekling brain
-Her bones are absorbing about 250mg of calcium a day, in addition to her body soaking up protein, vitamin C, folic acid and iron from my daily diet.
As for me:
-My heartburn has not let up at all, and I've had a bad bout of acid reflux lately, which is not fun at all
-I've been really nauseated this week and didn't make it to the pool to swim laps nearly as much as I wanted
-I've also been really tired this week, something I know I need to deal with that won't get any easier; as exhausted as I've been, I haven't been able to get to sleep at night, so I'm just that much more tired every day
-Baby Girl has been in a weird position lately on my bladder, making things difficult for me
-I've been craving mashed potatoes, but I've been trying to balance out my intake of those with fruits and veggies
Last weekend we got to go into Tokyo for a fancy dinner at the New Sanno Hotel. It was great fun and a great way for us to get away from home and the hustle and bustle of our lives here. It's a quarterly event, and we've already signed up for the next dinner, scheduled for 5 Nov. I had my second (and hopefully last) glucose test done yesterday, and I'll find out the results next week. I feel like I'm okay, so I'm not really worried about having gestational diabetes or anything, but I guess we'll see. At my next appointment I also get to get my rhogam shot. We got our jogging stroller this week, and I'm really excited about that. I found it 10% off from a website that already reduced the price about that much, plus free shipping. And my awesome friends Kevin and Michelle sold us their infant seat attachment, so we got that about 50% off from what we would have paid for it new. We're trying to get prepared - only 12 weeks left!
Little girl geekling will grow to a weight of about 2.5-3 lbs this week (about the weight of a butternut squash), and a length of about 15-17 inches. She will start to slow down in length growth and start to gain weight instead.
This week:
-She's packing on the pounds in preparation for her arrival. She'll at least double, and maybe almost triple her current weight in the coming weeks. I'm hoping she keeps it between 7-8 lbs, for my sake, but I just want her to be healthy.
-She's still kicking a lot these days, but her kicks are getting more controlled, and I know that's because she's running out of room. She'll be kicking less and poking more in the next few weeks as she gets even bigger and outgrows her little temporary home
-Her muscles and lungs are continuing their swift development, and her head is getting bigger to accomodate her geekling brain
-Her bones are absorbing about 250mg of calcium a day, in addition to her body soaking up protein, vitamin C, folic acid and iron from my daily diet.
As for me:
-My heartburn has not let up at all, and I've had a bad bout of acid reflux lately, which is not fun at all
-I've been really nauseated this week and didn't make it to the pool to swim laps nearly as much as I wanted
-I've also been really tired this week, something I know I need to deal with that won't get any easier; as exhausted as I've been, I haven't been able to get to sleep at night, so I'm just that much more tired every day
-Baby Girl has been in a weird position lately on my bladder, making things difficult for me
-I've been craving mashed potatoes, but I've been trying to balance out my intake of those with fruits and veggies
Last weekend we got to go into Tokyo for a fancy dinner at the New Sanno Hotel. It was great fun and a great way for us to get away from home and the hustle and bustle of our lives here. It's a quarterly event, and we've already signed up for the next dinner, scheduled for 5 Nov. I had my second (and hopefully last) glucose test done yesterday, and I'll find out the results next week. I feel like I'm okay, so I'm not really worried about having gestational diabetes or anything, but I guess we'll see. At my next appointment I also get to get my rhogam shot. We got our jogging stroller this week, and I'm really excited about that. I found it 10% off from a website that already reduced the price about that much, plus free shipping. And my awesome friends Kevin and Michelle sold us their infant seat attachment, so we got that about 50% off from what we would have paid for it new. We're trying to get prepared - only 12 weeks left!
sábado, 5 de septiembre de 2009
28th week
27 WEEKS PREGNANT - 28TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Well, here we are, in the 28th week. 12 more weeks and counting! Let me just say that while I know that the hard parts are far from over, I'm so ready for this baby to come out. I have had such a hard pregnancy that it makes me admire and stand in disbelief of women who have done this more than once - voluntarily or not. And did you hear that the Duggars are expecting their 19th child now? Holy cow, that woman is either admirable or crazy - or a combination of both! (I must say, though, that their show on TLC is one of my newest guilty pleasures.)
Anyway...
Baby girl geekling will grow this week to about 14.8-16 inches long and weigh around 2.25-2.5 lbs (about the weight of a Chinese cabbage).
This week:
-She can blink her eyes, which now have eyelashes surrounding them (hopefully long, dark ones like Jim's!)
-She now enters the REM cycle of sleep and might be dreaming already, too. Hopefully her dreams aren't as crazy and vivid as mine, or we're going to have a lot of middle of the night waking up after she gets here.
-Her lungs are almost fully developed, but we're still hoping she'll hold out to be born on time so they have time to get stronger.
-She's developing billions of neurons in her brain.
-She's adding more body fat in preparation for her entrance into the world.
As for me:
-My nausea has not let up, but I'm learning how best to deal with it and when to avoid the triggers of active nausea.
-My headaches seem to have slowed down a bit, although they have not yet subsided completely.
-My weight gain is okay, even though I've still gained more than I should have at this point. I'm hoping that regular exercise will help to slow the weight gain, since the third trimester is when I'm supposed to gain a lot.
-I saw the doctor on Tuesday and I was measuring right at 27cm, so just a little big. This may just mean I'm measuring a little big, or it may mean I'm actually a few days ahead of where they put my due date. I guess we'll see when she arrives!
-Little girl's heartbeat was 145-150bpm, which means it's starting its gradual slowdown (it's been about 150bpm every visit since my first ultrasound in April!) in preparation for her arrival.
-I have been suffering from restless legs syndrome, another common symptom which is almost as weird to me as the leg cramps.
-This week I get to go in for some blood tests and my second one-hour glucose test. My next doctor's appointment is on 17 Sep.
-I also set up a bunch of classes in our community for this month, so I'll go to the Baby Care Basics, Infant CPR and First Aid classes. Then in October I'll go to the Bundles for Babies, breastfeeding/infant feeding and labor and delivery classes.
Jim and I are headed to central Tokyo tonight for a fancy dinner and stay at a nice hotel. We're really excited to get away, even if it's just for a night. Hugs to you all!
Well, here we are, in the 28th week. 12 more weeks and counting! Let me just say that while I know that the hard parts are far from over, I'm so ready for this baby to come out. I have had such a hard pregnancy that it makes me admire and stand in disbelief of women who have done this more than once - voluntarily or not. And did you hear that the Duggars are expecting their 19th child now? Holy cow, that woman is either admirable or crazy - or a combination of both! (I must say, though, that their show on TLC is one of my newest guilty pleasures.)
Anyway...
Baby girl geekling will grow this week to about 14.8-16 inches long and weigh around 2.25-2.5 lbs (about the weight of a Chinese cabbage).
This week:
-She can blink her eyes, which now have eyelashes surrounding them (hopefully long, dark ones like Jim's!)
-She now enters the REM cycle of sleep and might be dreaming already, too. Hopefully her dreams aren't as crazy and vivid as mine, or we're going to have a lot of middle of the night waking up after she gets here.
-Her lungs are almost fully developed, but we're still hoping she'll hold out to be born on time so they have time to get stronger.
-She's developing billions of neurons in her brain.
-She's adding more body fat in preparation for her entrance into the world.
As for me:
-My nausea has not let up, but I'm learning how best to deal with it and when to avoid the triggers of active nausea.
-My headaches seem to have slowed down a bit, although they have not yet subsided completely.
-My weight gain is okay, even though I've still gained more than I should have at this point. I'm hoping that regular exercise will help to slow the weight gain, since the third trimester is when I'm supposed to gain a lot.
-I saw the doctor on Tuesday and I was measuring right at 27cm, so just a little big. This may just mean I'm measuring a little big, or it may mean I'm actually a few days ahead of where they put my due date. I guess we'll see when she arrives!
-Little girl's heartbeat was 145-150bpm, which means it's starting its gradual slowdown (it's been about 150bpm every visit since my first ultrasound in April!) in preparation for her arrival.
-I have been suffering from restless legs syndrome, another common symptom which is almost as weird to me as the leg cramps.
-This week I get to go in for some blood tests and my second one-hour glucose test. My next doctor's appointment is on 17 Sep.
-I also set up a bunch of classes in our community for this month, so I'll go to the Baby Care Basics, Infant CPR and First Aid classes. Then in October I'll go to the Bundles for Babies, breastfeeding/infant feeding and labor and delivery classes.
Jim and I are headed to central Tokyo tonight for a fancy dinner and stay at a nice hotel. We're really excited to get away, even if it's just for a night. Hugs to you all!
domingo, 30 de agosto de 2009
27th Week
26 WEEKS PREGNANT - 27TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Baby girl geekling will grow to about 15 inches long and about 2 pounds this week, about the weight of a head of cauliflower.
This week:
-She will begin sleeping at regular intervals (hopefully to continue after birth)
-She should be opening and closing her eyes
-She may start sucking her thumb or fingers
-Her lungs are immature but should be functioning (she would probably be able to breathe with medical help if she were born now, but hopefully she'll hang in there for another 13 weeks or so)
-If she has the hiccups I might be able to feel it; so far I haven't felt any hiccups, but I do feel regular movement, and sometimes a lot of it
-Her brain tissue is continuing to develop and her brain is very active now
-All signs point to this being the ideal time for us to start reading to her and/or singing to her since her ears should be able to hear our voices and her brain development is so rapid
-Her heartbeat is strong enough now that if Jim were to stick his ear up to the belly he might be able to hear it; I can often feel her heart beating in my abdomen or an echo of it in my chest or shoulder as I'm lying in bed at night
-Her tastebuds are very developed now and and if I eat super spicy food she might respond with hiccups after tasting it in the amniotic fluid (funny, because when I eat super spicy food I sometimes get the hiccups)
As for me:
-My indigestion, heartburn and nausea have not let up
-My back pain gets progressively worse, but I'm working through it instead of lying in bed all day in the one position I've found that doesn't hurt
-I've been swimming laps three times a week for my exercise; it's proving to be really good. I'm getting better at it and my endurance is getting higher, even though it does wear me out and I get out of breath easily
-I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so hopefully everything will continue to check out
-I think the weirdest pregnancy symptom of all is leg cramps; it's so weird to wake up in the middle of the night and have to remind myself to relax my leg muscles
-My feet are swelling on a regular basis and it might be time for me to stop wearing my engagement ring, as much as I hate to think about that. The ring on my right hand and my wedding band are still okay
We successfully cleaned out our storage area to accommodate everything we wanted to store, and cleaned out the guest room and bought paint so Jim can get started on the transforming of the room into the nursery. We sold our guest bed and our extra dresser, and just have to get rid of our extra TV. I need Jim's help getting it to the car and then to the donation place. I wanted to sell it, but everyone that expressed "interest" in our ad didn't really seem to want it badly enough to make the effort to set up a pick up time. I just have to go to the base self-help store and pick up some tape, drop cloths and extra brushes (and light bulbs, but not for the same room) so Jim can get started. I'm very excited! If I didn't know Jim would get mad I'd start painting myself, but I know it's something he wants to do, and I know it's not exactly safe for me to do it either. :)
My great friend Megan set the date for my shower this week, and I'm so excited! If you're local, it will be on October 25. Details to follow. There's a baby sale on base next week, so I might be deleting stuff from our registry, you know, just in case you look one day and then the next day it's gone.
Well, I'm off to sit with a heating pad on my back and an ice cream sandwich in my hand (the hot and cold offset each other). :)
Baby girl geekling will grow to about 15 inches long and about 2 pounds this week, about the weight of a head of cauliflower.
This week:
-She will begin sleeping at regular intervals (hopefully to continue after birth)
-She should be opening and closing her eyes
-She may start sucking her thumb or fingers
-Her lungs are immature but should be functioning (she would probably be able to breathe with medical help if she were born now, but hopefully she'll hang in there for another 13 weeks or so)
-If she has the hiccups I might be able to feel it; so far I haven't felt any hiccups, but I do feel regular movement, and sometimes a lot of it
-Her brain tissue is continuing to develop and her brain is very active now
-All signs point to this being the ideal time for us to start reading to her and/or singing to her since her ears should be able to hear our voices and her brain development is so rapid
-Her heartbeat is strong enough now that if Jim were to stick his ear up to the belly he might be able to hear it; I can often feel her heart beating in my abdomen or an echo of it in my chest or shoulder as I'm lying in bed at night
-Her tastebuds are very developed now and and if I eat super spicy food she might respond with hiccups after tasting it in the amniotic fluid (funny, because when I eat super spicy food I sometimes get the hiccups)
As for me:
-My indigestion, heartburn and nausea have not let up
-My back pain gets progressively worse, but I'm working through it instead of lying in bed all day in the one position I've found that doesn't hurt
-I've been swimming laps three times a week for my exercise; it's proving to be really good. I'm getting better at it and my endurance is getting higher, even though it does wear me out and I get out of breath easily
-I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so hopefully everything will continue to check out
-I think the weirdest pregnancy symptom of all is leg cramps; it's so weird to wake up in the middle of the night and have to remind myself to relax my leg muscles
-My feet are swelling on a regular basis and it might be time for me to stop wearing my engagement ring, as much as I hate to think about that. The ring on my right hand and my wedding band are still okay
We successfully cleaned out our storage area to accommodate everything we wanted to store, and cleaned out the guest room and bought paint so Jim can get started on the transforming of the room into the nursery. We sold our guest bed and our extra dresser, and just have to get rid of our extra TV. I need Jim's help getting it to the car and then to the donation place. I wanted to sell it, but everyone that expressed "interest" in our ad didn't really seem to want it badly enough to make the effort to set up a pick up time. I just have to go to the base self-help store and pick up some tape, drop cloths and extra brushes (and light bulbs, but not for the same room) so Jim can get started. I'm very excited! If I didn't know Jim would get mad I'd start painting myself, but I know it's something he wants to do, and I know it's not exactly safe for me to do it either. :)
My great friend Megan set the date for my shower this week, and I'm so excited! If you're local, it will be on October 25. Details to follow. There's a baby sale on base next week, so I might be deleting stuff from our registry, you know, just in case you look one day and then the next day it's gone.
Well, I'm off to sit with a heating pad on my back and an ice cream sandwich in my hand (the hot and cold offset each other). :)
sábado, 22 de agosto de 2009
Not sure if this is tacky...
... but we registered at Target. The information is on the Registry page at the upper right. Just so you're aware...
Tara
Tara
viernes, 21 de agosto de 2009
26th Week
25 WEEKS PREGNANT - 26TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
In the 26th week, our baby will grow to about 14 inches long, or the length of an English hothouse cucumber, from head to toe, and more than 9 inches from head to rump. She will grow to a weight of almost 2 pounds! Hopefully she doesn't gain more than about 5 more! (I know, I know, I shouldn't hope to stifle her growth, I just really don't want to have to give birth to a baby who weighs 8 pounds or more!)
This week:
-Our girl geekling's eyes will be fully developed under her eyelids and she should start to open her eyes
-Loud noises and bright lights very near the belly might cause her to move around more
-She is more sensitive to our voices, so the more Jim and I talk around the belly, the more used to our voices she'll become
-She is now both inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is helping the crucial development of her lungs and helping her practice for taking her first gulp of air
-She's also continuing to put on baby fat; here's hoping she'll be super cute and chubby!
-Her movement is getting stronger and she's starting to move around a lot more; I could feel her yesterday when I was standing and walking for the first time. These movements are helping her practice for movement when she emerges from the womb. Her strongest movement for now seems to be against my bladder, but I'm sure in no time I'll be getting kicked in the ribs.
As for me:
-My primary concern this week is back pain, which has become so bad on the left side that I can't get comfortable sitting, lying down or standing. Unfortunately none of the massage places on base or nearby off base do prenatal massages, so I'm kind of out of luck.
-Besides that, my heartburn and indigestion are constant, along with regular nausea (but I haven't had any active nausea in more than a week... knock on wood).
-Per my doctor's orders I have been working out more this week. I swam 12 laps on Monday and 15 laps on Wednesday. It's a short walk to and from the pool, but I have been walking instead of driving just to give myself some extra movement. I had homework I had to finish up this morning, so I didn't get to go to the pool, but I plan to go back tomorrow morning. Funny story, though, I used a swim cap on Wednesday to try to limit my hair's exposure to the chlorine (my hair gets really dry and breaks if it is damaged; plus it used to turn green from the chlorine when I was little and I'd like to avoid that in my adulthood), and I forgot to put on sunscreen, so I had a sunburn line across my forehead. Cool.
In other news, this week we received the rest of the big stuff we ordered and since I couldn't wait, I already put it all together (except the high chair, I do have some restraint). So now we have a stroller, car seat, swing and pack-n-play in our living room. (Plus I ordered our jogging stroller, even though I was going to wait on that, because it was 10% off!) Really livens everything up! I also have been working really hard on the guest room in an attempt to get it in order to make it the nursery, and I finally finished everything I could do today. I took a pile of stuff to donate, and a pile of stuff to the trash, cleaned out the closet, sold our extra bed and television and posted our extra dresser for sale, and got a pile of stuff together to put in our storage room (my next project, so that everything I need to go in there will fit). As soon as everything is ready, Jim will paint the room, and then we can start making it into a nursery! Can't wait. I know it's early, but I really just want to get everything ready that I can so I don't have too many loose ends when I'm too big to be helpful.
Not much else to report from here. Just school for me and work for Jim (he's on a short break from school). We're getting into a groove with me not working and I'm starting to figure out how to manage my time so I'm productive and not just a bump on the unemployed log. :)
In the 26th week, our baby will grow to about 14 inches long, or the length of an English hothouse cucumber, from head to toe, and more than 9 inches from head to rump. She will grow to a weight of almost 2 pounds! Hopefully she doesn't gain more than about 5 more! (I know, I know, I shouldn't hope to stifle her growth, I just really don't want to have to give birth to a baby who weighs 8 pounds or more!)
This week:
-Our girl geekling's eyes will be fully developed under her eyelids and she should start to open her eyes
-Loud noises and bright lights very near the belly might cause her to move around more
-She is more sensitive to our voices, so the more Jim and I talk around the belly, the more used to our voices she'll become
-She is now both inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is helping the crucial development of her lungs and helping her practice for taking her first gulp of air
-She's also continuing to put on baby fat; here's hoping she'll be super cute and chubby!
-Her movement is getting stronger and she's starting to move around a lot more; I could feel her yesterday when I was standing and walking for the first time. These movements are helping her practice for movement when she emerges from the womb. Her strongest movement for now seems to be against my bladder, but I'm sure in no time I'll be getting kicked in the ribs.
As for me:
-My primary concern this week is back pain, which has become so bad on the left side that I can't get comfortable sitting, lying down or standing. Unfortunately none of the massage places on base or nearby off base do prenatal massages, so I'm kind of out of luck.
-Besides that, my heartburn and indigestion are constant, along with regular nausea (but I haven't had any active nausea in more than a week... knock on wood).
-Per my doctor's orders I have been working out more this week. I swam 12 laps on Monday and 15 laps on Wednesday. It's a short walk to and from the pool, but I have been walking instead of driving just to give myself some extra movement. I had homework I had to finish up this morning, so I didn't get to go to the pool, but I plan to go back tomorrow morning. Funny story, though, I used a swim cap on Wednesday to try to limit my hair's exposure to the chlorine (my hair gets really dry and breaks if it is damaged; plus it used to turn green from the chlorine when I was little and I'd like to avoid that in my adulthood), and I forgot to put on sunscreen, so I had a sunburn line across my forehead. Cool.
In other news, this week we received the rest of the big stuff we ordered and since I couldn't wait, I already put it all together (except the high chair, I do have some restraint). So now we have a stroller, car seat, swing and pack-n-play in our living room. (Plus I ordered our jogging stroller, even though I was going to wait on that, because it was 10% off!) Really livens everything up! I also have been working really hard on the guest room in an attempt to get it in order to make it the nursery, and I finally finished everything I could do today. I took a pile of stuff to donate, and a pile of stuff to the trash, cleaned out the closet, sold our extra bed and television and posted our extra dresser for sale, and got a pile of stuff together to put in our storage room (my next project, so that everything I need to go in there will fit). As soon as everything is ready, Jim will paint the room, and then we can start making it into a nursery! Can't wait. I know it's early, but I really just want to get everything ready that I can so I don't have too many loose ends when I'm too big to be helpful.
Not much else to report from here. Just school for me and work for Jim (he's on a short break from school). We're getting into a groove with me not working and I'm starting to figure out how to manage my time so I'm productive and not just a bump on the unemployed log. :)
sábado, 15 de agosto de 2009
25 - First of the last?
24 WEEKS PREGNANT - 25TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
According to some books and websites the 24th week is the end of the second trimester. According to others I won't get there until the 28th week. Either way, I'm pretty close, with only 16 weeks left to go. I can hardly believe in about four months we'll have a baby!
I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and the doctor was optimistic. She noted that my ultrasound from last month looked "beautiful" and that everything was on track. The ultrasound showed I might be a few days farther along than they thought, but that they would keep my due date the same. And I was measuring right at 24 inches, so that was on track. She also said that all of my tests came back normal, another blessing. The baby's heartbeat was 150bpm (it's been about the same every time), and the nurse thought it was pretty funny that baby girl kept kicking when she was trying to find the heartbeat. The doctor also wasn't too concerned about my weight gain (although I was) although she said that it might be contributing to my lack of energy. She said that I should try harder to exercise at least 3-4 times a week and that it would help with my energy. Of course, it's so hot here that yesterday morning I went for a walk and it just made me so tired I could barely move. I think I'll try swimming. The outdoor pool is open for another 3 weeks and it's open for laps for 5 hours in the morning, so I should be able to find a quiet time when the lifeguards will be very attentive to a bad swimmer like me.
Anyway, on to the update.
This week:
-The geekling is 13 1/2 inches from head to toe, 9 inches from head to rump, and weighs more than 1 1/2 pounds. She's about the weight of a rutabaga, or four juice boxes.
-She is starting to gain some baby fat, looking less lean and more chubby
-She is growing more hair and it is becoming pigmented, so we'll see in a few months if she's blonde or brunette
-Her skin is growing pinker and less translucent, in part due to her capillaries filling up with blood
-This week the blood vessels in her lungs will fill with blood, developing them further, but they are still too underdeveloped to work on their own
-The baby's nostrils are starting to open this week and she will start taking practice breaths of amniotic fluid
-Her kicking is getting stronger and stronger; hopefully Jim will be able to feel it from the outside soon. In about a month she will not have as much room to kick, making it feel harder (and more bruising) as she gets stronger.
As for me:
-My hair is supposed to be fuller and more lustrous. To me it just looks more brown. Although, I was able to go almost 6 months without a trim, so I guess it is healthier these days.
-My indigestion and heartburn are almost unbearable and cause a lot of late-night issues if I don't finish eating by 6pm (and sometimes even if I abide by that rule). I get heartburn and indigestion no matter what I eat or drink. Tuna sandwich? Heartburn. Decaf frappaccino? Heartburn. Diet coke? Indigestion. It's ridiculous.
-My headaches got bad enough to ask for a prescription, to which the doctor obliged.
-My nausea was also more of a concern to the doctor this late in the game and she gave me a medication for it that she asked me to use sparingly (apparently it's very expensive and the military doesn't really like to use your tax dollars to pay for it).
-I survived my first week of not working, but I have to work on my scheduling so I don't waste away reading and watching TV instead of doing housework and homework.
-People I didn't announce the pregnancy to are starting to notice the belly and ask if I'm pregnant. This is good, because I've been asked once before when not pregnant if I was, and it's much easier to answer the question when it's true.
-My appetite is really touch and go. Sometimes I don't want to eat anything, and I hold off eating until baby girl gets impatient and hungry and starts kicking me. Other times I'm very very hungry.
-My doctor acknowledged my concerns about the frustrations I'm having with pregnancy and said, "Pregnancy sucks." That about sums it up. For all of you wonderful women who had easy, carefree, non-symptomatic pregnancies - I hate you (lovingly, of course). I'm thinking more and more that this will be my one and only naturally-born child.
Anyway, that's about all I have for this week. :)
According to some books and websites the 24th week is the end of the second trimester. According to others I won't get there until the 28th week. Either way, I'm pretty close, with only 16 weeks left to go. I can hardly believe in about four months we'll have a baby!
I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and the doctor was optimistic. She noted that my ultrasound from last month looked "beautiful" and that everything was on track. The ultrasound showed I might be a few days farther along than they thought, but that they would keep my due date the same. And I was measuring right at 24 inches, so that was on track. She also said that all of my tests came back normal, another blessing. The baby's heartbeat was 150bpm (it's been about the same every time), and the nurse thought it was pretty funny that baby girl kept kicking when she was trying to find the heartbeat. The doctor also wasn't too concerned about my weight gain (although I was) although she said that it might be contributing to my lack of energy. She said that I should try harder to exercise at least 3-4 times a week and that it would help with my energy. Of course, it's so hot here that yesterday morning I went for a walk and it just made me so tired I could barely move. I think I'll try swimming. The outdoor pool is open for another 3 weeks and it's open for laps for 5 hours in the morning, so I should be able to find a quiet time when the lifeguards will be very attentive to a bad swimmer like me.
Anyway, on to the update.
This week:
-The geekling is 13 1/2 inches from head to toe, 9 inches from head to rump, and weighs more than 1 1/2 pounds. She's about the weight of a rutabaga, or four juice boxes.
-She is starting to gain some baby fat, looking less lean and more chubby
-She is growing more hair and it is becoming pigmented, so we'll see in a few months if she's blonde or brunette
-Her skin is growing pinker and less translucent, in part due to her capillaries filling up with blood
-This week the blood vessels in her lungs will fill with blood, developing them further, but they are still too underdeveloped to work on their own
-The baby's nostrils are starting to open this week and she will start taking practice breaths of amniotic fluid
-Her kicking is getting stronger and stronger; hopefully Jim will be able to feel it from the outside soon. In about a month she will not have as much room to kick, making it feel harder (and more bruising) as she gets stronger.
As for me:
-My hair is supposed to be fuller and more lustrous. To me it just looks more brown. Although, I was able to go almost 6 months without a trim, so I guess it is healthier these days.
-My indigestion and heartburn are almost unbearable and cause a lot of late-night issues if I don't finish eating by 6pm (and sometimes even if I abide by that rule). I get heartburn and indigestion no matter what I eat or drink. Tuna sandwich? Heartburn. Decaf frappaccino? Heartburn. Diet coke? Indigestion. It's ridiculous.
-My headaches got bad enough to ask for a prescription, to which the doctor obliged.
-My nausea was also more of a concern to the doctor this late in the game and she gave me a medication for it that she asked me to use sparingly (apparently it's very expensive and the military doesn't really like to use your tax dollars to pay for it).
-I survived my first week of not working, but I have to work on my scheduling so I don't waste away reading and watching TV instead of doing housework and homework.
-People I didn't announce the pregnancy to are starting to notice the belly and ask if I'm pregnant. This is good, because I've been asked once before when not pregnant if I was, and it's much easier to answer the question when it's true.
-My appetite is really touch and go. Sometimes I don't want to eat anything, and I hold off eating until baby girl gets impatient and hungry and starts kicking me. Other times I'm very very hungry.
-My doctor acknowledged my concerns about the frustrations I'm having with pregnancy and said, "Pregnancy sucks." That about sums it up. For all of you wonderful women who had easy, carefree, non-symptomatic pregnancies - I hate you (lovingly, of course). I'm thinking more and more that this will be my one and only naturally-born child.
Anyway, that's about all I have for this week. :)
domingo, 9 de agosto de 2009
Twenty Four - Last of the Second
24TH WEEK OF PREGNANCY - 23 WEEKS PREGNANT
Our little girl geekling is going strong this week, weighing in at about 1.4 lbs and growing to a length of about 12 inches, about the size of an ear of corn. I'm sure with our genes she'll be cracking corny jokes in no time.
This week:
-Her body is beginning to fill out proportionally so that she can start to get all cute and chubby
-Her brain is growing quickly; we can't wait to fill it with all of our both useless and useful knowledge after her birth. We're hoping she'll be quite stuidous and geeky (and with us as her parents her chances are good).
-Her taste buds are continuing to develop.
-Her lungs are developing branches and cells that produce surfactant that will help her air sacs inflate for that first, wonderful, reassuring cry after birth (and all of the middle of the night crying after that).
-Her skin is still thin and translucent, but will start to change soon.
-Much of the weight she will gain this week comes from the growth of her organs, bones and muscles.
-Her face is almost fully formed and her eyelashes, eyebrows and hair are in place.
As for me:
-My nausea is still running rampant, and I'm just praying it will end soon. I'm almost to the end of my second trimester and I'd like to enjoy a bit of this pregnancy before things start getting super uncomfortable.
-My headaches, also, are not subsiding and are still quite forceful several times a week.
-I found my first stretchmarks this week. It was a very disheartening discovery, as I hoped that I would be able to skip that part of pregnancy.
-My belly button might "pop" soon, something else I'm not looking forward to. My stomach has been very tender already, and I know that as our little girl gets stronger it will only get worse.
-My uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball. Wow, that really puts things into perspective. It's so weird that she has all this room to roam around in there right now but will fill out that space pretty soon.
-I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday. I'll get to hear the baby's heartbeat and just a general check up. It should be uneventful. The doctor will order any other testing that will need to be done, but I don't think I have to have any more tests or blood drawn until about 28-30 weeks. I am, however, going to request some prescription headache medication. I think that the nausea, even active nausea a few times a week, and the indigestion and the heartburn are more manageable than feeling like someone is sitting on my head for 2 days straight!
In other news, Friday was my last day of work! I am now officially unemployed and couldn't be happier about it. I start my new (and last!) term of school tomorrow. I should be finished with my Master's about the end of October. SO EXCITED!
And finally, this week marked two big birthdays in our family. So to both Terry and Ruth, we hope you had wonderful birthdays! We love you!
Our little girl geekling is going strong this week, weighing in at about 1.4 lbs and growing to a length of about 12 inches, about the size of an ear of corn. I'm sure with our genes she'll be cracking corny jokes in no time.
This week:
-Her body is beginning to fill out proportionally so that she can start to get all cute and chubby
-Her brain is growing quickly; we can't wait to fill it with all of our both useless and useful knowledge after her birth. We're hoping she'll be quite stuidous and geeky (and with us as her parents her chances are good).
-Her taste buds are continuing to develop.
-Her lungs are developing branches and cells that produce surfactant that will help her air sacs inflate for that first, wonderful, reassuring cry after birth (and all of the middle of the night crying after that).
-Her skin is still thin and translucent, but will start to change soon.
-Much of the weight she will gain this week comes from the growth of her organs, bones and muscles.
-Her face is almost fully formed and her eyelashes, eyebrows and hair are in place.
As for me:
-My nausea is still running rampant, and I'm just praying it will end soon. I'm almost to the end of my second trimester and I'd like to enjoy a bit of this pregnancy before things start getting super uncomfortable.
-My headaches, also, are not subsiding and are still quite forceful several times a week.
-I found my first stretchmarks this week. It was a very disheartening discovery, as I hoped that I would be able to skip that part of pregnancy.
-My belly button might "pop" soon, something else I'm not looking forward to. My stomach has been very tender already, and I know that as our little girl gets stronger it will only get worse.
-My uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball. Wow, that really puts things into perspective. It's so weird that she has all this room to roam around in there right now but will fill out that space pretty soon.
-I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday. I'll get to hear the baby's heartbeat and just a general check up. It should be uneventful. The doctor will order any other testing that will need to be done, but I don't think I have to have any more tests or blood drawn until about 28-30 weeks. I am, however, going to request some prescription headache medication. I think that the nausea, even active nausea a few times a week, and the indigestion and the heartburn are more manageable than feeling like someone is sitting on my head for 2 days straight!
In other news, Friday was my last day of work! I am now officially unemployed and couldn't be happier about it. I start my new (and last!) term of school tomorrow. I should be finished with my Master's about the end of October. SO EXCITED!
And finally, this week marked two big birthdays in our family. So to both Terry and Ruth, we hope you had wonderful birthdays! We love you!
domingo, 2 de agosto de 2009
Mango Baby
22 WEEKS PREGNANT; 23RD WEEK OF PREGNANCY
Our little girl is really growing. I can feel the weight of her more and more when I roll from one side to the other in bed. She is now about 11 inches long and a little over a pound in weight (about the weight of a large mango).
This week:
-She can feel me moving now, so if I were to go dancing (hardly likely, with my lack of rhythm) she could sway to the music with me.
-She is also more able to hear sounds, so we can help her get used to loud noises like the vacuum (and the noisy upstairs neighbor) and it won't affect her so much after birth. She'll also get more used to our voices and know us after she arrives.
-The blood vessels in her lungs are preparing her for taking her first breaths.
-Her skin is quite saggy now, but she'll start to fill out as she packs on the pounds in the coming weeks.
-Her organs and bones are visible through her translucent skin, which is a reddish tone because of the veins and arteries that are developing underneath. Her skin will become less transparent in the coming weeks, but if she has my fair skin tone her veins will still be visible through her skin as purple and blue lines.
-Her grip has developed and she might have taken to holding on to her umbilical cord, since there's nothing else to grab on to.
-Her sense of sight is more developed and she can now perceive light and dark through her fused eyelids (but of course she primarily lives in darkness).
-Her eyelashes and eyebrows have formed. I hope she has my eyebrows and Jim's eyelashes (no offense, Joe, on me not wanting her to have your family's eyebrows :).
-The hair atop her head should be continuing to grow, and if my heartburn is any indication (if the old wive's tale holds true), she will have one full head of hair. Right now the hair lacks pigment and is bright white. We'll just have to wait and see if she has blonde hair like the majority of my family or dark brown hair like Jim's.
As for me:
-My nausea has not eased a bit, and neither have my headaches.
-My heartburn has increased along with my indigestion (which doesn't help the nausea). I am still popping Tums as often as is safe, and I'm drinking a lot of milk to try to push everything back down.
-Water retention might start becoming a problem, as will circulation as I begin retaining water. Exercise should help with circulation, but I'm always so tired and/or nauseous that exercise is hard to accomplish.
-My skin is reddish and blotchy a lot more often, a side effect of pregnancy thatcan change skin pigmentation. It looks as if I'm flushed or overheated a lot, but I'm not.
-My water intake has been steady, so I'm definitely hydrated enough. My eating habits are still touch and go, but I eat when I can stomach it and I eat as much as I'm able, which is generally about half or a little more than half of the size meals I used to consume.
This will be my last week of work and I couldn't be more thrilled. I am so tired in the evenings when I get home from work that my last term of school was a near disaster, with my striving at the last minute every week to turn in my homework. So being able to focus on homework during the day will be great. Plus I'll have time to exercise while still fitting enough sleep in and should have enough time in the day to do some housework as well (provided the housework I choose doesn't nauseate me). I know that there are many women out there who have had rougher pregnancies than mine, but being nauseated by so much, and having been nauseated every day for the last 14 weeks is hardly ideal. Plus my headaches and the exhaustion debilitate me and make me rather worthless at being able to accomplish anything. I don't know how women do it with more difficult pregnancies and working full-time and going to school or running a family or both. I have the utmost respect for women who can make it work; I am not one of them! So needless to say, quitting my job early is the best option for me, for my sanity (and for Jim's) and for my schooling not to suffer.
Our little girl is really growing. I can feel the weight of her more and more when I roll from one side to the other in bed. She is now about 11 inches long and a little over a pound in weight (about the weight of a large mango).
This week:
-She can feel me moving now, so if I were to go dancing (hardly likely, with my lack of rhythm) she could sway to the music with me.
-She is also more able to hear sounds, so we can help her get used to loud noises like the vacuum (and the noisy upstairs neighbor) and it won't affect her so much after birth. She'll also get more used to our voices and know us after she arrives.
-The blood vessels in her lungs are preparing her for taking her first breaths.
-Her skin is quite saggy now, but she'll start to fill out as she packs on the pounds in the coming weeks.
-Her organs and bones are visible through her translucent skin, which is a reddish tone because of the veins and arteries that are developing underneath. Her skin will become less transparent in the coming weeks, but if she has my fair skin tone her veins will still be visible through her skin as purple and blue lines.
-Her grip has developed and she might have taken to holding on to her umbilical cord, since there's nothing else to grab on to.
-Her sense of sight is more developed and she can now perceive light and dark through her fused eyelids (but of course she primarily lives in darkness).
-Her eyelashes and eyebrows have formed. I hope she has my eyebrows and Jim's eyelashes (no offense, Joe, on me not wanting her to have your family's eyebrows :).
-The hair atop her head should be continuing to grow, and if my heartburn is any indication (if the old wive's tale holds true), she will have one full head of hair. Right now the hair lacks pigment and is bright white. We'll just have to wait and see if she has blonde hair like the majority of my family or dark brown hair like Jim's.
As for me:
-My nausea has not eased a bit, and neither have my headaches.
-My heartburn has increased along with my indigestion (which doesn't help the nausea). I am still popping Tums as often as is safe, and I'm drinking a lot of milk to try to push everything back down.
-Water retention might start becoming a problem, as will circulation as I begin retaining water. Exercise should help with circulation, but I'm always so tired and/or nauseous that exercise is hard to accomplish.
-My skin is reddish and blotchy a lot more often, a side effect of pregnancy thatcan change skin pigmentation. It looks as if I'm flushed or overheated a lot, but I'm not.
-My water intake has been steady, so I'm definitely hydrated enough. My eating habits are still touch and go, but I eat when I can stomach it and I eat as much as I'm able, which is generally about half or a little more than half of the size meals I used to consume.
This will be my last week of work and I couldn't be more thrilled. I am so tired in the evenings when I get home from work that my last term of school was a near disaster, with my striving at the last minute every week to turn in my homework. So being able to focus on homework during the day will be great. Plus I'll have time to exercise while still fitting enough sleep in and should have enough time in the day to do some housework as well (provided the housework I choose doesn't nauseate me). I know that there are many women out there who have had rougher pregnancies than mine, but being nauseated by so much, and having been nauseated every day for the last 14 weeks is hardly ideal. Plus my headaches and the exhaustion debilitate me and make me rather worthless at being able to accomplish anything. I don't know how women do it with more difficult pregnancies and working full-time and going to school or running a family or both. I have the utmost respect for women who can make it work; I am not one of them! So needless to say, quitting my job early is the best option for me, for my sanity (and for Jim's) and for my schooling not to suffer.
sábado, 25 de julio de 2009
22 - Big Week!
21 WEEKS PREGNANT - 22ND WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Hi, everyone!
This week:
-Our little girl geekling will grow to about the size of a spaghetti squash (11 inches long from head to toe, 8 inches from head to rump) and a weight of about 1 pound. We're out of the ounces and into the pounds!
-Her lips, eyelids and eyebrows are becoming more distinct and she's developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums
-Her eyes have formed, but her irises still lack pigment (blue or brown, we'll see!)
-Fine hairs called lanugo cover her body and she has deep wrinkles on her skin that will go away when she develops a padding of fat (can't wait for a chubby little baby!)
-Inside her belly her pancreas is developing, helping the production of important hormones
-She can now perceive light and dark, hear our voices and my heartbeat as well as the gurgling of my stomach and the sound of blood as it circulates through my body
As for me:
-My uterus stretches to about an inch above my belly button; I guess I'm making room for the growing little one
-I have definitely been feeling the geekling move, now, there's no doubt about it; she seems to punch my bladder hardest when it's full - I know, it's just a precursor of the strength she'll gain to injure me from the inside out later on
-My back pain is accelerating at a high rate; we bought a back massager today to attempt to curb some of the pain. I cannot find a comfortable position in which to sleep so I'm barely getting any, not to mention the three or four times a night I have to get up so I can use the bathroom
-My headaches have all but subsided - I only get one or two a week now, and they rarely last longer than 12 hours
-My nausea has not subsided - still crossing my fingers that it will actually go away at some point during my pregnancy. Only a few active incidents this week, but I feel like rather than slowing down the nausea is escalating; indigestion is plaguing me now, too, so I'm downing the maximum dosage of Tums every day
-I got lots of good advice on how to deal with unsolicited advice this week - thanks to Michelle for the best advice of all! ;)
We got the chance to go away last night to the recreation area our base owns for our anniversary. The manager is a business friend of mine and hooked us up with the DV (distinguished visitor) Suite. It was really nice, and even though it was just a night, it was great to get away from home, have some quiet away from the base, have a fancy dinner, and not have to clean up after ourselves. We played Monopoly and watched movies all evening - it was great! Tomorrow marks SIX years of marriage. Some may say we're just getting started, but I feel like we've come a long way. Six years is pretty significant in a world where 50% of all marriages end in divorce and many give up as soon as the going gets tough.
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Hi, everyone!
This week:
-Our little girl geekling will grow to about the size of a spaghetti squash (11 inches long from head to toe, 8 inches from head to rump) and a weight of about 1 pound. We're out of the ounces and into the pounds!
-Her lips, eyelids and eyebrows are becoming more distinct and she's developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums
-Her eyes have formed, but her irises still lack pigment (blue or brown, we'll see!)
-Fine hairs called lanugo cover her body and she has deep wrinkles on her skin that will go away when she develops a padding of fat (can't wait for a chubby little baby!)
-Inside her belly her pancreas is developing, helping the production of important hormones
-She can now perceive light and dark, hear our voices and my heartbeat as well as the gurgling of my stomach and the sound of blood as it circulates through my body
As for me:
-My uterus stretches to about an inch above my belly button; I guess I'm making room for the growing little one
-I have definitely been feeling the geekling move, now, there's no doubt about it; she seems to punch my bladder hardest when it's full - I know, it's just a precursor of the strength she'll gain to injure me from the inside out later on
-My back pain is accelerating at a high rate; we bought a back massager today to attempt to curb some of the pain. I cannot find a comfortable position in which to sleep so I'm barely getting any, not to mention the three or four times a night I have to get up so I can use the bathroom
-My headaches have all but subsided - I only get one or two a week now, and they rarely last longer than 12 hours
-My nausea has not subsided - still crossing my fingers that it will actually go away at some point during my pregnancy. Only a few active incidents this week, but I feel like rather than slowing down the nausea is escalating; indigestion is plaguing me now, too, so I'm downing the maximum dosage of Tums every day
-I got lots of good advice on how to deal with unsolicited advice this week - thanks to Michelle for the best advice of all! ;)
We got the chance to go away last night to the recreation area our base owns for our anniversary. The manager is a business friend of mine and hooked us up with the DV (distinguished visitor) Suite. It was really nice, and even though it was just a night, it was great to get away from home, have some quiet away from the base, have a fancy dinner, and not have to clean up after ourselves. We played Monopoly and watched movies all evening - it was great! Tomorrow marks SIX years of marriage. Some may say we're just getting started, but I feel like we've come a long way. Six years is pretty significant in a world where 50% of all marriages end in divorce and many give up as soon as the going gets tough.
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
jueves, 23 de julio de 2009
It's a...
GIRL!
We're SO excited about our little one. The ultrasound result was the same today as 6 weeks ago at our appointment in Denver, so with two seasoned ultrasound techs making the same assessment we're pretty confident we can go pink and purple buying crazy. :)
She was moving around, had a strong heartbeat of 153bpm and was punching and kicking like crazy. I'm only feeling light punches/kicks and vibrations of her moving, but at least I'm feeling something!
Hope you're all well!
We're SO excited about our little one. The ultrasound result was the same today as 6 weeks ago at our appointment in Denver, so with two seasoned ultrasound techs making the same assessment we're pretty confident we can go pink and purple buying crazy. :)
She was moving around, had a strong heartbeat of 153bpm and was punching and kicking like crazy. I'm only feeling light punches/kicks and vibrations of her moving, but at least I'm feeling something!
Hope you're all well!
sábado, 18 de julio de 2009
21 - Halfway there... in theory
20 WEEKS PREGNANT - 21ST WEEK OF PREGNANCY
This week:
-The baby will grow to about 10.5 inches long from head to toe, about the length of a carrot, and to about three-quarters of a pound
-He or she has begun to taste everything I eat by swallowing a bit of amniotic fluid every day for nutrition, hydration and digestion practice; hopefully when he or she gets a taste of fresh fruit and vegetables I can start eating them again without getting nauseated
-I should start to really feel the "flutters" this week; which for me hopefully means being able to identify the "flutters" as the baby moving
-If I can feel he or she kicking I should be able to pick up on a pattern, as he or she works into regular movement
-The baby's eyebrows and eyelids are present now
-If it's a girl her vagina has begun to form
As for me:
-I might start getting stretch marks soon, something I'm not too excited about and I hope won't happen for awhile
-I also might start getting varicose veins, another something I hope doesn't happen
-I am still experiencing nausea every day; now, I know that certain women experience different things, but are you kidding me? Nausea at 20 weeks? Give me a break!
-I think I had some Braxton Hicks contractions the other night; I awoke at 3am with extreme pain in my lower abdomen that lasted for a few minutes. I was thinking that I might need to go to the hospital, but since the pain went away I didn't go. If it comes back I will definitely go to the hospital.
-Lastly, and most controversially, I'm sure, I have also been receiving mass amounts of unsolicited advice along with the advice I actually ask for. I'm so sick of people telling me what is going to happen, because they experienced it (but they can hardly believe that in the second trimester I have daily nausea and I'm not having the time of my life). No offense to everyone, but I know things are not going to get easier, and I know that it will only get harder and I know that the third trimester and getting kicked from the inside and the labor and the first few months/years of the baby's life are going to be hard and that when my kid is a teenager I will want to strangle him or her at times, but I don't need people to tell me all of that - I know! I have had a lot more difficult pregnancy than I thought I would and it's been really frustrating for people to tell me it was only going to get harder when I know that because that's what I've been experiencing. I'm not counting on things getting easier (especially because when things were supposed to get easier they didn't); I'm not naive. I ask for advice when I want/need it, and I'm so very appreciative of all of the people who have been supportive or friendly or helped me out when I needed it or given me advice when I've asked for it. But please please PLEASE don't tell me how easy I've had it so far and how much worse things can/will get. I need support, not for people to try to scare me or make me feel worse. Sorry for the aside, it's just getting more and more frustrating and with my added hormones and emotions it's not helping.
:)
In other news... We have an ultrasound on Thursday morning and I am so excited I could scream! Since I, apparently, am not going to feel the baby moving around to reassure me that everything is okay, it will be nice to see him or her moving around on the screen.
Hope everyone is having a good week!
This week:
-The baby will grow to about 10.5 inches long from head to toe, about the length of a carrot, and to about three-quarters of a pound
-He or she has begun to taste everything I eat by swallowing a bit of amniotic fluid every day for nutrition, hydration and digestion practice; hopefully when he or she gets a taste of fresh fruit and vegetables I can start eating them again without getting nauseated
-I should start to really feel the "flutters" this week; which for me hopefully means being able to identify the "flutters" as the baby moving
-If I can feel he or she kicking I should be able to pick up on a pattern, as he or she works into regular movement
-The baby's eyebrows and eyelids are present now
-If it's a girl her vagina has begun to form
As for me:
-I might start getting stretch marks soon, something I'm not too excited about and I hope won't happen for awhile
-I also might start getting varicose veins, another something I hope doesn't happen
-I am still experiencing nausea every day; now, I know that certain women experience different things, but are you kidding me? Nausea at 20 weeks? Give me a break!
-I think I had some Braxton Hicks contractions the other night; I awoke at 3am with extreme pain in my lower abdomen that lasted for a few minutes. I was thinking that I might need to go to the hospital, but since the pain went away I didn't go. If it comes back I will definitely go to the hospital.
-Lastly, and most controversially, I'm sure, I have also been receiving mass amounts of unsolicited advice along with the advice I actually ask for. I'm so sick of people telling me what is going to happen, because they experienced it (but they can hardly believe that in the second trimester I have daily nausea and I'm not having the time of my life). No offense to everyone, but I know things are not going to get easier, and I know that it will only get harder and I know that the third trimester and getting kicked from the inside and the labor and the first few months/years of the baby's life are going to be hard and that when my kid is a teenager I will want to strangle him or her at times, but I don't need people to tell me all of that - I know! I have had a lot more difficult pregnancy than I thought I would and it's been really frustrating for people to tell me it was only going to get harder when I know that because that's what I've been experiencing. I'm not counting on things getting easier (especially because when things were supposed to get easier they didn't); I'm not naive. I ask for advice when I want/need it, and I'm so very appreciative of all of the people who have been supportive or friendly or helped me out when I needed it or given me advice when I've asked for it. But please please PLEASE don't tell me how easy I've had it so far and how much worse things can/will get. I need support, not for people to try to scare me or make me feel worse. Sorry for the aside, it's just getting more and more frustrating and with my added hormones and emotions it's not helping.
:)
In other news... We have an ultrasound on Thursday morning and I am so excited I could scream! Since I, apparently, am not going to feel the baby moving around to reassure me that everything is okay, it will be nice to see him or her moving around on the screen.
Hope everyone is having a good week!
sábado, 11 de julio de 2009
Baby Banana
19 WEEKS PREGNANT - 20TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Wow, look at that belly! This week was kind of rough. My nausea got the better of me several times and it was just an altogether unpleasant week to be pregnant. Baby must be moving a lot, but I still can't tell if I can feel it. I think I've been feeling him/her move this week, but I'm not sure. It's not consistent, and I know I'll know it when I feel it.
This week:
-The geekling will grow to be the size of a banana, about 6.5 inches long from head to rump (length calculations have all been from head to rump until now; next week, in the second half of the pregnancy - oh my goodness! - the calculations will be from head to toe), about the length of a banana
-He or she will grow to weigh about 10.5 oz
-If we are having a boy his testicles have begun to descend from his abdomen to his scrotum (and he will kill me someday for typing this)
-If we are having a girl her uterus is fully formed and her ovaries are holding about seven million primitive eggs (much to her dad's chagrin, I'm sure)
-He or she is swallowing more now, giving his or her digestive system lots of practice
-He or she is producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion (the tar-looking substance that will come out in his or her first diapers - ick!)
As for me:
-My hair and nails are growing faster and stronger thanks to pregnancy hormones and increased circulation
-My appetite should kick in as soon as I'm done being nauseous for half of every day; for now I'm eating smaller meals than usual, but I get hungry more often (which is good anyway). Unfortunately I'm still not completely past the baby's aversion to healthy food. I say the baby's aversion because I am craving a big fat salad and I just know that if I eat one it will come right back up
-My weight gain will start to pick up at this point, which is scary, but I'm working on it. I've started working out again, after a hiatus that was induced by my fear that I was going to shake the baby out and continued by my extreme exhaustion and my extended vacation
-I put in my resignation this week at work; I will officially be done on 7 Aug. For those of you that haven't heard the plan, I will quit working in August to finish up my Master's without the added stress/time restraints of a full-time job. I should be able to finish up my coursework in the August-October term, take my comprehensive exam in October, and, provided I pass the exam, be a December graduate school graduate! Can't wait!
Well, that's about all there is to report from the home-front. Hope you're all having a wonderful week!
Love, Tara
Wow, look at that belly! This week was kind of rough. My nausea got the better of me several times and it was just an altogether unpleasant week to be pregnant. Baby must be moving a lot, but I still can't tell if I can feel it. I think I've been feeling him/her move this week, but I'm not sure. It's not consistent, and I know I'll know it when I feel it.
This week:
-The geekling will grow to be the size of a banana, about 6.5 inches long from head to rump (length calculations have all been from head to rump until now; next week, in the second half of the pregnancy - oh my goodness! - the calculations will be from head to toe), about the length of a banana
-He or she will grow to weigh about 10.5 oz
-If we are having a boy his testicles have begun to descend from his abdomen to his scrotum (and he will kill me someday for typing this)
-If we are having a girl her uterus is fully formed and her ovaries are holding about seven million primitive eggs (much to her dad's chagrin, I'm sure)
-He or she is swallowing more now, giving his or her digestive system lots of practice
-He or she is producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion (the tar-looking substance that will come out in his or her first diapers - ick!)
As for me:
-My hair and nails are growing faster and stronger thanks to pregnancy hormones and increased circulation
-My appetite should kick in as soon as I'm done being nauseous for half of every day; for now I'm eating smaller meals than usual, but I get hungry more often (which is good anyway). Unfortunately I'm still not completely past the baby's aversion to healthy food. I say the baby's aversion because I am craving a big fat salad and I just know that if I eat one it will come right back up
-My weight gain will start to pick up at this point, which is scary, but I'm working on it. I've started working out again, after a hiatus that was induced by my fear that I was going to shake the baby out and continued by my extreme exhaustion and my extended vacation
-I put in my resignation this week at work; I will officially be done on 7 Aug. For those of you that haven't heard the plan, I will quit working in August to finish up my Master's without the added stress/time restraints of a full-time job. I should be able to finish up my coursework in the August-October term, take my comprehensive exam in October, and, provided I pass the exam, be a December graduate school graduate! Can't wait!
Well, that's about all there is to report from the home-front. Hope you're all having a wonderful week!
Love, Tara
viernes, 3 de julio de 2009
19th Week
18 WEEKS PREGNANT - 19TH WEEK OF PREGNANCY
This week:
-The baby will grow to about the size of a mango or an heirloom tomato, about 6 inches long, and will grow to a weight of about 8.5 ounces
-The baby will develop a greasy white substance all over his or her body called vernix caseosa that will protect him or her from "pickling" (according to babycenter.com - a weird thought) in the amniotic fluid
-His or her arms and legs are in the proper proportions to each other and the rest of his or her body now
-His or her kidneys are continuing to make urine
-His or her scalp is beginning to sprout hair (which I hope her or she will retain after birth, because I was bald for a LONG time)
-The baby's sensory development is really racing this week, and his or her brain is designating specialized areas for all five senses; he or she should be able to hear all of the talking we've been doing to the belly bump and the music we blast in the car (this kid is going to either love or hate Billy Joel and Elton John!) and at home
-He or she should also be moving a lot this week, although I'm stil unable to feel any movement (I know, it's supposed to feel like gas bubbles, but I don't feel those either)
As for me:
-I should be feeling round ligament pain even more clearly now; although my abdominal pain has been pretty steady for awhile
-I also am getting some numbness and tingling in my extremities, which is apparently normal; in addition I've been having some swelling in my feet
-My skin also may experience some reddening, my freckles, moles and scars may become more pronounced with the changing skin tone
-I also have to be more careful about skin exposure; like my pasty white skin can handle any more potential damage! I'd better stick to the SPF 30+, huh?
-I have still had quite a lot of nausea, and I have a very weak stomach, getting nauseated very easily (something I never really had before)
-My headaches are also not getting any better; I have at least 4 or 5 headaches per week, usually lasting more than 12 hours at a time, and sometimes longer (meaning I pretty much have a headache every day, whether it's leftover from the day before or not)
Not too much else to report! We're giving a lot of thought to the things we'd like to purchase for the little one, and have already bought a few things. I ordered some maternity clothes this week, which was exciting, especially since I can't zip any of my pants. :) And we picked out the baby's name this week, narrowing our list to two wonderful first names and a middle name that goes with both. We will wait to meet our child before we determine the final name. Even though it's likely that we'll reveal the baby's sex to you all, there's no chance at all of us revealing the name(s) we have picked, so don't even bother pestering us. :)
Hope you have a wonderful week!
This week:
-The baby will grow to about the size of a mango or an heirloom tomato, about 6 inches long, and will grow to a weight of about 8.5 ounces
-The baby will develop a greasy white substance all over his or her body called vernix caseosa that will protect him or her from "pickling" (according to babycenter.com - a weird thought) in the amniotic fluid
-His or her arms and legs are in the proper proportions to each other and the rest of his or her body now
-His or her kidneys are continuing to make urine
-His or her scalp is beginning to sprout hair (which I hope her or she will retain after birth, because I was bald for a LONG time)
-The baby's sensory development is really racing this week, and his or her brain is designating specialized areas for all five senses; he or she should be able to hear all of the talking we've been doing to the belly bump and the music we blast in the car (this kid is going to either love or hate Billy Joel and Elton John!) and at home
-He or she should also be moving a lot this week, although I'm stil unable to feel any movement (I know, it's supposed to feel like gas bubbles, but I don't feel those either)
As for me:
-I should be feeling round ligament pain even more clearly now; although my abdominal pain has been pretty steady for awhile
-I also am getting some numbness and tingling in my extremities, which is apparently normal; in addition I've been having some swelling in my feet
-My skin also may experience some reddening, my freckles, moles and scars may become more pronounced with the changing skin tone
-I also have to be more careful about skin exposure; like my pasty white skin can handle any more potential damage! I'd better stick to the SPF 30+, huh?
-I have still had quite a lot of nausea, and I have a very weak stomach, getting nauseated very easily (something I never really had before)
-My headaches are also not getting any better; I have at least 4 or 5 headaches per week, usually lasting more than 12 hours at a time, and sometimes longer (meaning I pretty much have a headache every day, whether it's leftover from the day before or not)
Not too much else to report! We're giving a lot of thought to the things we'd like to purchase for the little one, and have already bought a few things. I ordered some maternity clothes this week, which was exciting, especially since I can't zip any of my pants. :) And we picked out the baby's name this week, narrowing our list to two wonderful first names and a middle name that goes with both. We will wait to meet our child before we determine the final name. Even though it's likely that we'll reveal the baby's sex to you all, there's no chance at all of us revealing the name(s) we have picked, so don't even bother pestering us. :)
Hope you have a wonderful week!
sábado, 27 de junio de 2009
Eighteen
17 WEEKS PREGNANT - 18TH WEEK OF PREGNANCY
Our little geekling is growing by leaps and bounds (or by fruits and vegetables). This week s/he will grow to about the size of a bell pepper, about 5.5 inches long, and will weigh about 7 ounces. My uterus is now about the size of a cantaloupe.
This week:
-He or she will be flexing his or her muscles; I'm just aching to start feeling this movement - move away, Baby!
-His or her blood vessels are visible through his or her thin skin
-His or her ears are now in their final position, but are standing out from his or her head a little bit
-A protective covering of myelin is starting to form around the baby's nerves, and will continue its formation in his or her first year of growth out of utero
-If the baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable now and we would be able to see them in an ultrasound
-If the baby is a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place
As for me:
-My uterus continues to grow to accomodate the growing geekling, and I can feel it each week getting higher
-I felt confident enough to wear maternity clothes for the first time this week; I wore maternity jeans on Friday to work, and the jeans a maternity t-shirt to run errands today. My belly isn't quite big enough to fill it all out, but it definitely is sticking out, and the pants were pretty comfy (not any more comfortable than my regular jeans with a belly band, but since there's not button/zipper, the maternity jeans have a little less lumpyness)
-My headaches are continuing, almost every day, but since I have learned the secret of having some caffeine at the onset, and I bought children's chewable tylenol so I wouldn't have to try to swallow the pills
-The nausea has also continued; after thinking I was in the clear with 10 days of no active nausea I threw up the other day. Since then I've just had the regular short gag reflex and some bad days of all day nauseated feeling
-My appetite is back in full force, but I'm not overdoing it; I eat more often, but I don't think I'm eating as much as it maybe seems/feels like. I am still only up 2-3 lbs, depending on the day/time of day. I'm pretty happy with that amount of weight gain
-I haven't been getting up to go work out this week - I know, it's bad. I have really good intentions, just not a lot of motivation
We bought a crib a couple of weeks ago; it was on sale (regularly $230, we bought it for $112!). We're waiting on most other things for awhile, not the least of which is because we have to get rid of the bed, dresser and tv in the guest room first, and I have to organize the closet in the room to make space for all of the baby stuff. We picked out the bedding, it's got elephants on it (you can serach for it at JCPenney.com; it's by Carter's)! We're just waiting to find out if we should buy the pink or green set. I have been searching for the other things we need, but can't find a lot that we won't have to buy from the States. There are a lot of things that we will have to buy on-line and ship elsewhere before it is shipped to us. It will be a pain in the rear to pay double shipping and to inconvenience a family member (thanks, Terry!), but it's better than buying things locally that we can't read the reviews for (all in Japanese) or buying something lower quality just because it's more readily available. Anyway, that's all that's happening this week. Crazy to think we're this far already; less than three weeks till the halfway mark!
Our little geekling is growing by leaps and bounds (or by fruits and vegetables). This week s/he will grow to about the size of a bell pepper, about 5.5 inches long, and will weigh about 7 ounces. My uterus is now about the size of a cantaloupe.
This week:
-He or she will be flexing his or her muscles; I'm just aching to start feeling this movement - move away, Baby!
-His or her blood vessels are visible through his or her thin skin
-His or her ears are now in their final position, but are standing out from his or her head a little bit
-A protective covering of myelin is starting to form around the baby's nerves, and will continue its formation in his or her first year of growth out of utero
-If the baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable now and we would be able to see them in an ultrasound
-If the baby is a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place
As for me:
-My uterus continues to grow to accomodate the growing geekling, and I can feel it each week getting higher
-I felt confident enough to wear maternity clothes for the first time this week; I wore maternity jeans on Friday to work, and the jeans a maternity t-shirt to run errands today. My belly isn't quite big enough to fill it all out, but it definitely is sticking out, and the pants were pretty comfy (not any more comfortable than my regular jeans with a belly band, but since there's not button/zipper, the maternity jeans have a little less lumpyness)
-My headaches are continuing, almost every day, but since I have learned the secret of having some caffeine at the onset, and I bought children's chewable tylenol so I wouldn't have to try to swallow the pills
-The nausea has also continued; after thinking I was in the clear with 10 days of no active nausea I threw up the other day. Since then I've just had the regular short gag reflex and some bad days of all day nauseated feeling
-My appetite is back in full force, but I'm not overdoing it; I eat more often, but I don't think I'm eating as much as it maybe seems/feels like. I am still only up 2-3 lbs, depending on the day/time of day. I'm pretty happy with that amount of weight gain
-I haven't been getting up to go work out this week - I know, it's bad. I have really good intentions, just not a lot of motivation
We bought a crib a couple of weeks ago; it was on sale (regularly $230, we bought it for $112!). We're waiting on most other things for awhile, not the least of which is because we have to get rid of the bed, dresser and tv in the guest room first, and I have to organize the closet in the room to make space for all of the baby stuff. We picked out the bedding, it's got elephants on it (you can serach for it at JCPenney.com; it's by Carter's)! We're just waiting to find out if we should buy the pink or green set. I have been searching for the other things we need, but can't find a lot that we won't have to buy from the States. There are a lot of things that we will have to buy on-line and ship elsewhere before it is shipped to us. It will be a pain in the rear to pay double shipping and to inconvenience a family member (thanks, Terry!), but it's better than buying things locally that we can't read the reviews for (all in Japanese) or buying something lower quality just because it's more readily available. Anyway, that's all that's happening this week. Crazy to think we're this far already; less than three weeks till the halfway mark!
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