maybe i'm a koala

Lafayette, IN, has reached summer. Summer here is thick moist air and oppressive heat. Every year, you try to get used to a layer of sticky moisture coating your skin. Imagine that while being 9 months pregnant. Ick. We do not have central air in the little old cottage-like ranch house we rent, so I keep a box fan on me whenever possible.

Yet today, despite the dense air and 90 degree heat, we went to the Indianapolis zoo with our friends Tain & Ingrid! Luckily Indiana sacrifices trees and hills for wind, so we did have a hearty breeze to provide some relief. The day at the zoo was terrific, though, regardless of weather. I saw a handful of other pregnant women, all who I swear weren't suffering the heat and baby weight as much as I, but I suppose it's probably just a perspective thing. I also had the opportunity to watch all sorts of moms and dads with their children of all ages, which becomes more and more fascinating as the big day approaches.

Here are some pics from the zoo!





In other news:
I had my work baby shower yesterday, and that was very nice. It was so generous of my boss and his wife to throw the shower for us, and I was actually very touched to see so many people show up. My office is a quiet one with limited staff, and I'm a part-time student worker, so I sort of feared that no one would come and it would be terribly awkward. Despite the fact that it's always weird to be the center of attention at something like this, and that I was socializing with co-workers outside of the workplace, it was a really really nice event. So thanks for that!

That's about it for now. The little guy who lives in my belly seems to be having fun switching sides, which is strange because he's so big now. He had been camped out in one position for weeks and weeks, and over the past few days he seems to alternate sides daily. His head remains down though, so I don't think it's cause to worry, but it is funny to watch my lopsided midsection move back and forth.

Though I still feel enormous and continue to grow, I realized at my last doctor's appointment that I've gained about 26 lbs from my initial weigh-in. That sounds like a lot, but they recommend gaining 25-35 lbs during pregnancy, so it seems I'm doing OK after all. And no stretch marks yet, but I sort of feel they are gonna spring up on me in the last week or two, or perhaps not appear until after the birth. We'll see!

nesting, strep b, lamaze

Well I thought I was missing the nesting gene, but I think I actually have a little bit of nesting in me after all! It has been so fun to wash all the new baby clothes and think about the arrival of our little guy. Aaron and I have pretty much rearranged every room and cleaned the place top to bottom, but with us, all our art projects, and two dogs, big cleanings are needed regularly!

In other news, I got the call from the doc about the Strep B test (I swore she said I'd hear next week but I guess I was mistaken). Anyway, bummer is I tested positive. Ick. Makes me feel dirty or something, but I guess it's a very common bacteria that lives in the intestines and sometimes the vagina. In any given perfectly healthy woman it may be present at one time and absent at another. They test around 36 weeks to see if it is likely that the bacteria will be present during birth. If it is, there is a possibility of infection in the newborn. So to prevent the infection, they give you a dose of penicillin. There is of course a lot of debate as to whether it's better to use these antibiotics or not, so I find myself hopping either side of the fence depending on which article I read. Consequently, I will just go with the doctor's orders.

And we had our second lamaze class tonight. I don't know if I want to continue taking these classes!! First part was alright, we did some somewhat awkward but ok ice-breaking exercises. Then we watched a video that discussed the stages of labor and showed some parts of a live birth. Man, the placenta is huge! No wonder bellies have to be so big to hold the baby, placenta, and all those fluids. Anyway all that stuff was good to see, but the second half we started breathing exercises. It was so awkward!! She played this really strange instrumental cd of songs like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star while we were all lying down on gym mats in the dark and she told us to concentrate on the music. Then we had to start these relaxation exercises where couples faced each other, breathing in and tensing a body part, and breathing out and relaxing. Ok, that all sounds fine, but she starts by having us tense up our face muscles. SOO Aaron and I are lying there facing each other listening to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, breathing in and scrunching up our faces into weird frowns or big grins and we're NOT supposed to laugh??? Well, I lost it in a giggle attack while everyone seems to be peacefully practicing just like they are supposed to. I felt like I was a 12-yr-old school girl or something. I don't know. I finally regained my composure and Aaron and I struggled through the rest of the exercises, trying to keep our cool. But she says things like "if you didn't bring a focal point, focus on your husband's nose"... I dunno... this lamaze class might not be for me. Next week we do the hospital tour which I'm excited for so we'll definitely go to that, but I don't know about the last two weeks. Seems Aaron and I might do better coming up with our own relaxation techniques...

pictures!

Here are some pics of the garden. Yeah, we've got weeds and things are randomly placed, but we just wanted to see if things would grow. Guess what? They are! Check out that pumpkin! (We had thunderstorms all night so everything is muddy and wet).





And here I am trying to take a picture of my 36 week belly. It's hard to get a good angle. And please forgive the wet hair :)

36 wks - doc update

Went to the doc today! All is healthy and well!! I am measuring just 33 cm I think, but doc says that's OK because he has ENGAGED!! Meaning I was right, he has dropped into the lower pelvic cavity in preparation for the big day. She said I am even 1 cm dilated so that's cool!! Doesn't mean too much -- birth could still be five weeks away, but it's still neat to know that my body is doing what it needs to do to make this thing happen. I had my Strep B test today and will get the results for that next week or so. I will now start seeing the doc every week.

Thursday is our second Lamaze class. Maybe I will finally remember to bring my camera somewhere and have some pictures for you. I forgot to mention the guy in my class that is JUST like Eugene Levy so Aaron and I are excited to watch him this week.

And two more exciting bits of news:
Our friends Ingrid & Tain are staying in Lafayette for at least another year!! Tain got a cool job for the Nanotech something-or-other dept. at Purdue and they are stickin' around. AWESOME.

AND...

Aaron got into grad school! CONGRATS TO AARON!! He is going to start his MFA in ETB (electronic and time-based media) at Purdue in the fall. He will get to quit his mind-numbing office job! WAY TO GO DAD!!

So lots of exciting news here in W Lafayette. We also bought a snazzy red arm chair and are finally getting the house to be a little bit less like a storage unit and more like a home.

lamaze and i think i dropped my baby...

Last night we had our first lamaze class! Aaron was still sick but feeling well enough to come along and I'm so glad he was there. I didn't count how many couples were there -- maybe about 10? We have the earliest due date of the bunch, though there was one other couple due less than a week after us. Our instructor is a little flaky but alright, and I think the class will be fun even if it is a little awkward. Haven't done many breathing exercises yet, basically she just gave an intro into signs for labor and all that jazz. And guess what?? I am not huge after all!! I think my belly compared nicely with the other pregnant ladies and I should be more "advanced" than the rest of the bunch anyway. Hopefully I can hang on to this confidence! We will meet weekly for four more sessions. Should get the hospital tour during my 37th week so I should get to see the birthing suites before I actually am using one -- I hope!

Other big news -- I *THINK* that the little boy has dropped! For those of you reading this who don't know about pregnancy, that is one of the preparations for birth where the baby moves down lower into your pelvis, getting ready for the big day. I can take deep breaths now and I've been having these ligament pains and twinges deep in my pelvis. I can't tell for sure if my shape has changed (usually you can see it) so I'm not entirely convinced that he's dropped, but I think it seems likely. Today I do have more pressure in my pelvis, but seems that stuff sometimes changes day to day anyway. Still, I think it's a definite possibility and I am pretty excited. That means he is gonna be ready to arrive soon! I read that usually the baby arrives within four weeks of dropping (aka lightening) but it can definitely be more or less. Maybe the little guy will be a June baby after all. We'll just have to see! Next doctor appt. is June 3rd, she'll check my cervix then to see how things are progressing. Then we start meeting every week. I guess this is going to happen after all! So exciting! I need more exclamation points!

35 weeks

So I feel like I'm into a real countdown now. I'm feeling huge, and so is he, with clearly restricted movements and more forceful kicks. Aaron and I seem to be able to make fairly educated guesses as to which parts are poking out here and there and it just makes us so excited to meet the little guy. I can't believe that it would be healthy and ok to meet him in as little as two weeks! Though I am feeling confident I've got to wait at least five more. And actually, that's probably good because Purdue's new family leave policy will only be available for parents who give birth after July 1st. Cuttin' it close!

Last night I had my breastfeeding class. It was really good! The instructor was great and she offered lots of resources for help if (or, more likely, when) we have trouble breastfeeding. I've been a little concerned about breastfeeding -- worried about whether I'll be able to provide, how I'll deal with going back to work, etc. etc. But I feel confident that I can make it all work even if it is a bit of a challenge. I have also decided for sure which type of pump I want to get since I still anticipate going back to work, so that's a relief too! Aaron was still sick so we decided he probably should just stay home and not cough all over the pregnant ladies. There were a few of us preggo ladies unaccompanied and I knew he was there with me in spirit. He's still sick but tomorrow we have our first lamaze class so hopefully he'll feel ok to come to that!

I think I'm starting to get my end of term food cravings. I hadn't really had any, but lately I'm realizing that all I want to eat are sugary breads and dairy products! Can't imagine what I'll see on the scale next week! But I can't help it, bagels and cream cheese, ice cream, bread and peanut butter, cereal, cookies -- I just can't get enough. I have to consciously make an effort to make veggies a regular event in the diet as well. I also have feelings of being constantly hungry, but then when I eat to satisfy the urges I quickly feel stuffed. I probably need to be drinking more fluids. Heartburn is also a regular occurrence these days.

One last baby observation: He gets the hiccups every other day at least. I feel bad for the guy. He's so big now it's not like a little flicker low in my pelvis, I can feel his whole body jolt. It must be so frustrating! But I guess it means he's learning to use his lungs so that's exciting! Just a couple more weeks little guy and I'm ready whenever you are!!

last day out

So except for Aaron coming down with a cold, today has been a nice day. We went to breakfast in the morning and then walked around this little art fair that Lafayette was having, then checked out some yard sales. It is a beautiful day with sunny skies and a nice breeze. Yet I'm calling today my last day out because I have now reached the pregnant stage where everyone seems to feel obliged to comment on my growing belly and tell me how it looks like I'm going to give birth any day!! Ok fine, but it isn't any day now! I have at least three weeks to go!

Today's comments (Equally harmless but they sure can add up to making you feel pretty self conscious!):

1) Long wait at the restaurant for breakfast, so the waitress made a joke about how we probably thought I'd go into labor before the food arrived.

2) Man: "Have you got a boy or girl in there -- or both?"

3) Woman: "When are you due"
Me: "July 2...still got a while to go!"
Woman: "I was gonna say, looks like you're gonna give birth any day!"

Then two other women asked due dates and such and stayed away from commenting on my size as they each had daughters or sons expecting babies in the next month or two.

Sigh.

I keep trying to convince myself not to think about my size, but society is there to bring it back to the front of my mind. This morning before we left the house I was even telling Aaron how I didn't know why I worried so much about my body during this pregnancy, after all, from what I can tell I'm completely normal! Yet when strangers feel comfortable commenting on my body, size specifically, I can't help but just feel weird.

So we went to Walgreens and got cold medicine and ice cream. Screw it. If I'm gonna be a blimp, I might as well enjoy it. And I've vowed to stay home for the rest of my pregnancy, ha ha.