Photo update

Ok so here we go. As I try to type and eat carrot cake (yes, latest craving is carrot cake. I doubt it's the carrots that I'm seeking... and if this continues I'm going to need to learn how to make it myself. Any recipe suggestions?)

The shirt arrived. I love it!

From body changes

From body changes

From body changes

Aside from the excitement of new clothes, I must say that I'm digging the maternity pants. I'm not wearing any of the trousers I bought with the full belly panel - I still don't have enough belly to hold them up. So I'm largely wearing the ultra low rise elastic band pants. They're wonderful because: look Ma, no zippers/buttons/anything holding me back from doing what I need to do when I run to the loo every hour or so.

Last night, I convinced a not enthused DH to go out dancing with me. We'd not been out for over a month and I'd been listening to salsa music all afternoon, so I really felt the need to get my dancing shoes on. Not to mention a little worried about whether or not I'd outgrown the bloody expensive things! We had a nap (my second one for the day!) to get ready. It was almost impossible to get him out the door after that - he was a very sleepy boy and made me promise we'd take a cab home while we were walking to the club (he forgot so we didn't).

We danced quite a bit, though we can't dance merengue or reggaeton like we normally do, hip to hip, as the growing belly is getting in the way now. But we had a good time, goofing around, him pretending to dance just with my belly, and both of us enjoying being out of the house together for the first time in awhile (other than journeys to the immigration office, which don't really count).

The lovely dance shoes were really beginning to hurt my feet just as he got his second wind and was wanting to dance to every song. Sigh. So I put my regular shoes back on, we danced a bit more, finished our drinks, said goodnight and walked home.

Oh, and last night was the first time someone touched my belly unasked/uninvited without being my husband or a midwife or doctor. It didn't bother me as I'd expected, as it was someone who I really like and trust. But it was a bit weird nonetheless. The belly touching thing is something I'm dreading. I think it'll mostly bug me when it's someone I don't really like or a stranger... We'll see!

More images to come - we're doing another ultrasound this Friday and might get to find out the sex of the baby.

OK people, I'm 35

I can't count how many people to whom I've told that I'm pregnant, and sometime before or after they start congratulating me, they stop to check that I'm happy about it.

I'm 35 years old. I'm fairly familiar with how birth control works, at least as much as the user needs to know. And if I did get pregnant by accident, I more or less would know what to do about it, and ferchristsakes, I wouldn't be announcing it (a) on facebook nor (b) at work. Seriously.

On the other hand, I thought this was cute: the young woman (early 20s I would guess) who was doing some of my initial getting checked in at the birth center seemed surprised at something I said that indicated we had been trying to get pregnant. I noticed she asked in a really vague way about the date of my last period (do you remember around when the first day of your last period may have been?), and seemed surprised when I gave her a very precise date. I said I wrote it on the calendar, as I was keeping track and we had been trying for several months. She said trying? Like, trying to get pregnant?

I guess she doesn't hear that a lot. But, yes, definitely, this is a planned baby.

Speaking of things you do on purpose, The Shirt arrived today. It is absurdly cute. Can't wait to wear it!

Linkage

The web log, or 'blog format was initially supposed to be a bunch of links and discussion about the links. I'm sort of tired and cranky and thinking that going to bed early on a Friday night sounds delicious.. so I'll post a couple links:

Article about the Orgasmic Birth movie: I haven't seen the movie yet but it's definitely on my list now. That's what I'm talking about. I'm not assuming I'll have an orgasmic birth, but the attitude that it can be beautiful, empowering and doesn't have to be outrageously painful, that's the attitude I'm cultivating. And no watching the bloody TLC Baby show either.

Geek Inside t-shirt: Thank you whomever thought this would be a good idea. Thank you. The only way you could improve on this, as Staci pointed out, is that if it said Geek Salsa Dancer Inside, but that would be a bit much to ask unless it were custom made.

That's it. My belly, I keep looking at it, going are you for real? And really, it's tiny compared to where it's going to be.

Two weeks from today, we're going in for another ultrasound - the tech should be able to say if it's probably a boy or a girl. If it's a girl, I'm going to have to get more serious about names.

And I'm sorry, not sure why I can't get the font of this post to look right. Something funny happened on the way to the Title line with the ALT TAB combo I use, one of many to avoid using the pointing device. Did someone say geek? This is a tired geek who is taking her kickypants to bed. After a good flossing at any rate.

Today I went to the birth center for the first time. But also, and in some ways more excitingly, I realized that I’ve been feeling the baby kicking for the past few days.

How is it, you might ask, did I just clue in today what I was feeling for the past few days? Well that is a fine question. Remember I tend to have a bit of irritable bowel and being pregnant hasn’t made that better. I’ve actually been a bit more gassy (sorry, I couldn’t think of another way to say it, not a fan of flatulent) than normal since getting pregnant.

So, I felt something that might have been bubbling in my lower torso, and I figured gas, whatever. But a weird gas, where I never thought I had intestines… kind of where I thought my womb is… Two or three different people attending to me today asked if I’d felt the baby kicking yet, and I kept saying no. Then at home this evening, I was working on a bit of homework, leaning over to pick something up off the floor. And there it was again, a little jab that I’d been calling gas. My little p-brain (short for pregnancy brain) finally put two and two and two together and got four… it’s baby! My goodness.

Then my little p-brain was trying to decide how to communicate it with the world first: call someone, tweet, blog or facebook? I can only imagine how different the technologies that this child will be using (and maybe I’ll be condemning/disparaging/envying) down the road…

Right, so that’s the baby kicking story. Little kickypants, here we come.

Recalling back to the story where I confirmed my suspicions about my OBGYN practice, I went to the local birth center for the first time. It’s kind of far on public transit – I had to take both a train and a bus. However, it’s a short drive and extremely close to the houses of several of DH’s friends, should we want them to come visit or whatnot.

Every single person who works at the birth center with whom I spoke was absolutely great – super friendly and reassuring and mellow. The facility is a bit shabby where it’s not critical – needs some new doors and chairs outside of the birth rooms – but the birthing rooms are great – super nice, with big bath tubs and sofas and beds… Lovely!

Questions that got answered about giving birth in the birth center:

• Yes, they do water births.
• No, they don’t have an anesthesiologist so epidurals and drugs in general are not available.
• Yes, you can eat and drink as you like during labor.
• No, I’m not depriving someone else who couldn’t afford to go to a private birth center by using this public facility. (The midwife I asked that thought it was cute that I was concerned about it)
• Yes, they have childbirth classes as part of their service.
• (Can’t think of any other nos…)
• Please yes, you are expected to move around while in labor. Why wouldn't you?
• Yes, they’re hugely in favor of breastfeeding and will do everything they can to support me getting it right.
• Yes, they encourage pregnant ladies to use doulas and will provide one if I don’t bring my own.
• One more no: No, we don't do routine continuous fetal monitoring. Just intermittent, no worries.
  

I must check that the lights in the rooms are dimmable but it seems like they have everything else covered. Including an emergency exit to which an ambulance can back up and get to the hospital in ten minutes.

Overall though, I’m really happy with what I saw today. Amusingly, the midwife who did most of my intake interview knows the OBGYN whom I last saw. She was surprised that his c-section rate was so high.

Oh and I'm totally into the trousers with elastic or extremely low waistbands. No going back now.

what to eat, what to wear, it's all quite a pickle, and OH Gifts!

My cravings are extra goofy right now. All I seem to want to eat is dairy products and fruit. There are certainly worse things to be eating, oh yes, but every salad or meat dish I look at, or think about, makes me feel a bit queasy.

Not to say that I'm only eating dairy and fruit - I'm still eating lots of vegetables and I try to choke down some chicken, figuring it's good for me - but I'm not enjoying it by any stretch of the imagination.

Actually I had a lovely Greek salad that I didn't hate for lunch today - I think the huge pile of vinegar made it more palatable. Note to Canadians: in the US, a Greek salad is a pile of lettuce with some cucumber, tomato, onions, cheese, olives, etc. But a large part is lettuce. Weird eh? Note to Americans: in Canada, we don't usually put lettuce in Greek salad. You should try it... I think it's more fun that way.

I wore jeans to work today. It's a Wednesday. That's kind of unheard of, other than when I'm sick. I have so few trousers that are work appropriate that fit right now, it's crazy. A lot of my cotton collar shirts that are so easy to wash and wear have been outgrown, in the *ahem* bust. Crikey. Pulling at the buttons, the gals are.

I got home from work and class last night and noticed in the mirror as I was changing my clothes that my belly really is protruding now. How cool is that! It made me feel a bit more pregnant and not just pudgy.

And speaking of pants that don't fit, about five or ten times each day, I realize I need to visit the ladies' room, and as I'm walking over there, I realize that my waistband of my pants are too tight. Once I finish in the loo, they're no longer too tight. What is up with that? I guess it's just that I'm skirting the boundaries of these pants are almost/really too small for you... It's fine, after the visit to the loo - until next time!

I need to give a shout out to Degan for sending us the first congratulations, you're having a baby card. Thank you, it's lovely! Also to my cousin Wendy for sending Gallop!, the baby's first book. I've already spent a good bit of time enjoying it - I'm sure the little one will too.

Finally: we're looking for a place to go on vacation in May when I'm finished school where we can relax, maybe sit on the beach, get decent medical care if (ojala Dios no quiere) I need it. I've been thinking Puerto Rico but don't know anything about the island: what's great, what's iffy, etc. Recommendations about PR and other spots that come to mind welcome. Just to mess with you, I'm also thinking north, like Montreal or something... So, essentially I'm open to suggestions at this point...

And, Staci: awww!

A post without a theme or possibly even a point

So it's Sunday again - where did the week go? There was a bit of weather issues Tuesday and Wednesday which made things exciting. Everyone was telling me how I had to be really careful not to slip and fall on the ice.

I guess I had a clue about this, what with all the talk about how right now, skiing and horseback riding is not allowed, but I was surprised at how many people were worried about me every time I stepped outside. At any rate, I managed to inch along like a granny on the ice and not bail out, much to everyone's relief.

Speaking of things that surprised me, I am a teeny bit surprised at how many of the people to whom I initially emailed when I set up this blog apparently either didn't read my message or didn't pay any attention to the URL. Really. There have been at least five or six people who expressed surprise at hearing the news in the last few days... but I emailed them to tell them a few weks ago! Well, what can you do.

Friday, I took a class field trip to Boston and it was great. I was crazy tired when I got home, as my flight left at 6:30 am and the return landed at 9:30 pm... I took a later than necessary flight home so I could visit with a good friend from the old days.

Saturday I had a makeup class for one which was cancelled for inauguration. Afterwards, I was doing laundry - my usual exciting Saturday morning activity. It's kind of a time consuming thing, because I live in an apartment where we share a laundry room in the basement, rather than with everyone having their own machines in their suite. I can't wait to be living in a house again...

At any rate, my work clothes and my big baggy jeans were all being washed, and hung up to dry... and I couldn't fit into the trousers I usually wear to do laundry (need pockets for my laundry card, keys and mobile phone which I use as a timer to remind me to go and move things around). I had nothing with pockets that fit! Well, I did, but I wasn't expecting to actually be wearing my maternity jeans yet. But I put them on, and while I don't yet have a belly to fill them out (and hold them up), they were bloody comfortable. It'd be nice if they had suspenders or belt loops, but I'll figure something out, as this problem won't be going away for awhile.

I'm watching the Super Bowl as I type this - the Boss - sweet! mostly because I usually watch trashy TV on Sunday nights when I do my nails, though it's usually a home makeover show and then a night time soap... This is a bit less girly but the advertisements are fun. I wish I knew where I was suposed to have acquired the 3D glasses though...

My mom had always told me that she hadn't breastfed my little sister and I because her milk made us sick. I always thought that sounded fishy, and even more so now that I'm reading more about it. It sounds like breastfeeding certainly isn't easy and there's loads of problems you can run into, but fairly unusual that otherwise non-lactose intolerant people would be made sick by mother's milk... but you know, it's what my mom told me, so it wasn't questioned. However, I asked my step-dad (my sister's dad) about it, and he told me it was true that we were sick when she tried to breastfeed us. He also said, though, that it was due to her diet, not some flaw in us or her. She lived on Oreos (tm) and Dr Pepper (tm). Seriously. So, yeah, I'm not worried about my breastmilk anymore.

Oh yeah, one other thing - so I'm like 15 or so weeks pregnant now, but it seems like the morning (ha! anytime of day) sickness, which did seem to be going away, has come right back and is possibly even worse... and I've got this almost chronic metalic taste in my mouth. Nasty. All for a good cause of course.