Only a few days to go and I'll be in the second trimester. Who knows though, because Little One measures big, I may be further along than calculated. I woke up this morning and thought I had so much energy. I was going to Wii Fit! Then the Hemo clinic called and asked me to come in early for my shot. This changed everything! We have to fix the air conditioning in the truck and Jeep!
I got my shot then went to get lunch at a new express Japanese place in Jacksonville (reasonable and delicious!). While I was in the restaurant, it started raining. I ran by the Credit Union, then had to go by Ross to pick up some shorts for Jimmy. I get parked (an ordeal) and the rain is just pouring! I had on Tevas and Tevas and rain DON'T mix. After trekking into Ross and exploring their men's section, I discover there are no suitable shorts for my husband to wear to work. They had some denim shorts with embroidered pockets which I can't imagine him ever wearing. I leave and go across the street to Marshall's. Thankfully, they had several pairs that worked and I got great deals!
When I got home I was exhausted. I think it was mostly the heat. I took a short nap, but it really hasn't helped and I haven't gotten anything done except cook and clean up supper. My poor husband.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
To Non-Pregnant Persons
I stole this from BabyCenter.com and I'm putting it out there so you can't say you weren't warned. It's snarky, VERY snarky, but it covers all the bases of rude things people do when women are pregnant.
Dear Non-Pregnant Person,
I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women, as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, she surely doesn't mean me, then you should probably read this twice.
1. The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is, "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes ou a jerk.
2. Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the parents, not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, never use the phrase "my baby."
3. ON the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth, and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.
4. The body of a pregnant woman should be treated as the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix, or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
5. Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight, ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about to pop, must be having twins, looks swollen, or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is, "You look fabulous!"
6. By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes. Nor do we need to know how badly you will feel for us because we will be pregnant during the summer andhow glad you are that YOU will not be pregnant this coming summer.
7. There is a reason that tickets to Labor and Delivery are not sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is not actually a public event. It may sound crazy, but women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL, or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. You weren't invited to be there when the baby was created, you probably won't be invited to be there when it comes out either.
8. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are not invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital, and the parents' home. you do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out." If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
9. If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules, and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
10. The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.
Sincerely,
All the Pregnant Women in the World
Dear Non-Pregnant Person,
I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women, as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, she surely doesn't mean me, then you should probably read this twice.
1. The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is, "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes ou a jerk.
2. Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the parents, not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, never use the phrase "my baby."
3. ON the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth, and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.
4. The body of a pregnant woman should be treated as the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix, or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.
5. Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight, ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about to pop, must be having twins, looks swollen, or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is, "You look fabulous!"
6. By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes. Nor do we need to know how badly you will feel for us because we will be pregnant during the summer andhow glad you are that YOU will not be pregnant this coming summer.
7. There is a reason that tickets to Labor and Delivery are not sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is not actually a public event. It may sound crazy, but women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL, or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. You weren't invited to be there when the baby was created, you probably won't be invited to be there when it comes out either.
8. Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are not invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital, and the parents' home. you do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out." If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.
9. If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules, and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.
10. The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.
Sincerely,
All the Pregnant Women in the World
Sunday, July 17, 2011
-28 Weeks
IT LOOKS LIKE A BABY!
Friday we had our 12 week appointment. It seems like these first 3 months have been very long. Everything went pretty well. We had our ultrasound first and it was really awesome that my dad was able to come! He was coming to visit us for the weekend anyway and so we invited him to meet us at Duke that morning to see the baby. Jimmy and I opted to do the first trimester screening, which is why we got another ultrasound. I didn't realize the tech was going to do 3D pictures! She was so sweet and after getting several good shots with the 2D, said, "I think I'm going to do some 3D just in case." What a difference! Everything is going fine. They weren't able to pick up the heartbeat on the doppler yet, but we saw it on the ultrasound. And when I heard monthly growth scans I thought that meant every visit from here on out, but they actually come later. We have our next appointment in 4 weeks, but our next ultrasound in 6 for anatomy. We're still planning on not finding out the gender.
I think we either got some insight into this baby's personality or s/he was sleeping. The tech tried to get the little one to move by pushing on my stomach with the probe and the baby would wave an arm or a leg. When she switched over to the 3-d probe, the baby covered up his/her face! My brother Patrick was very proud of this. If you know him, you know he hates pictures.
I'm going to "borrow" a format from a friend's blog...I really like the layout and questions.
How Far Along: 12 weeks, 3 days
Size of Baby: About 2 inches, crown to rump
Movement: Not feeling any yet, but I'm hoping by the next visit at 16 weeks!
Cravings: Acidy things: orange juice, tomato juice, margaritas (non-alcoholic of course), SweetTarts
What I miss: I really can't think of anything...yet!
Sleep: Yes please! There are still a lot of days where I need a nap. Yesterday we were out in the Croatan National Forest. Dad and Jimmy were target shooting and I sat in the car and took a nap! I also started sleeping with a body pillow, which helps.
Symptoms: Occasional heartburn, some sciatica in my right thigh (tingles, not pain), tiredness, occasional nausea, and my arms go to sleep if I sleep with them above my heart. I'm also hungry a lot, mostly for small meals more often. I learned my lesson that if I eat too much or too fast I get heartburn.
Best Moment This Week: seeing the baby again on the ultrasound
What I'm Looking Forward To: Feeling the baby move for the first time, nesting, and having more energy!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Ramblings
Today has been pretty eh. I did enjoy tutoring my sweet student this morning, but had to battle some major nausea to get through it. I am so thankful for preggie pops! I made an amazing vegetable risotto last night, but it was the only thing I could consider eating for breakfast and it still didn't go down well. I put on a tshirt that I've never had an issue fitting, but it was so snug in the chest area. And I'm outgrowing one of my few good-fitting bras.
When I got home, Jimmy was in a grumpy mood and that's never fun. He told me the reason medieval people died was because they tried using vinegar to kill germs. After I picked my jaw up off the floor I had to laugh and tell him they DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT GERMS in the middle ages. And anyway, that bottle is clearly labeled "Degreaser," not "Antibacterial" and I have a separate antibacterial spray for killing germs. I fixed him breakfast anyway. After our meals and folding a load of clothes, I was exhausted and took a nap. I didn't sleep well, and my hips were sore when I woke up. I'm hoping it was just because I had on shorts with pretty thick seams. It is way too early for me to be uncomfortable! Again tonight everything sounded gross for dinner, except for some pizza. I've probably had more frozen pizza during this pregnancy than I normally do in a whole year.
All day today I've felt heavy in my mid section...well, maybe not heavy, but different. This has happened a few times. I don't know if it's my uterus pushing on everything else or the density of the uterus, but I can definitely tell it's there and something is different. It's a nice feeling. At first I didn't think I'd be interested in a fetal heart monitor at home, but now I'm wondering. I would freak out though if I couldn't find a heart beat due to Baby's positioning, so it's probably better not to get one. 11 weeks in about 30 minutes!
When I got home, Jimmy was in a grumpy mood and that's never fun. He told me the reason medieval people died was because they tried using vinegar to kill germs. After I picked my jaw up off the floor I had to laugh and tell him they DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT GERMS in the middle ages. And anyway, that bottle is clearly labeled "Degreaser," not "Antibacterial" and I have a separate antibacterial spray for killing germs. I fixed him breakfast anyway. After our meals and folding a load of clothes, I was exhausted and took a nap. I didn't sleep well, and my hips were sore when I woke up. I'm hoping it was just because I had on shorts with pretty thick seams. It is way too early for me to be uncomfortable! Again tonight everything sounded gross for dinner, except for some pizza. I've probably had more frozen pizza during this pregnancy than I normally do in a whole year.
All day today I've felt heavy in my mid section...well, maybe not heavy, but different. This has happened a few times. I don't know if it's my uterus pushing on everything else or the density of the uterus, but I can definitely tell it's there and something is different. It's a nice feeling. At first I didn't think I'd be interested in a fetal heart monitor at home, but now I'm wondering. I would freak out though if I couldn't find a heart beat due to Baby's positioning, so it's probably better not to get one. 11 weeks in about 30 minutes!
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