Mamas Tell All: The Perfect Mama [Blog linkup]

I was still in high school when I started learning about "The Perfect Mama," via Bible studies on Proverbs 31. During pregnancy and as a new mom, lots of people had advice for me. I've written before about how this advice - even so-called expert advice - doesn't always agree. It's impossible to be absolutely perfect because perfect according to Expert A is harmful according to Expert B. Even if they did agree, we all know that no one will ever achieve perfection. However, an idea of what perfection is will give us a goal to work towards.

At my baby shower for Nate, I was given a small scrapbook. Before they gave it to me, they passed around a few of the pages for the attendees to write parenting advice for me. There were a lot of sweet blessings and "cherish every moment" (which is impossible - some moments aren't cherish-able!). But there was also much more than that. What I see in this advice, and I what I've learned through experience, is that perfection as a mom is not so much in what we do, but in our faith in God, in our sanctification in Christ, in our eternal perspective. The things we do are important, but the good things will flow out from God at work within us when we are disciplined followers of Jesus.

Here is my favorite advice, some which helps me identify what I want to be like, and some which was just very helpful during the infant stage.

Patience is the one thing I learned right off the bat. Patience with labor, crying, husbands, countless diapers.

Never be afraid to hold and rock your baby as much as you want. Many times when a baby cries, he just needs warmth and comfort that only you can provide. You won't spoil him!

Always look to God for guidance. He has wonderful plans for you.

The most important thing I can think of is to love your children. Spoil them with love, and I know you will bring them up to love the Lord Jesus. 

Truly the greatest gift God has given me is the privilege to be a wife and a mother. I have learned so much about the character of God through the lives of my children. One of the things I have learned as a mother is that God loves my children even more than I do...He is trustworthy! He will give us wisdom concerning our children, as well.

Remember that the Scripture says, "Raise up your child in the way he should grow and when he's old he will not go away from it." Because I'm the oldest one at your shower, please let me encourage you to begin early to teach your child the Word and prayer. The Word will get him through life, prayer will help him have a personal relationship with Jesus. These will take him through his entire life no matter what comes.

that day...

It's no big secret that I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day (click that link - it's pretty funny). It's been several years since I was alone on Valentine's Day, but still. I make my husband heart shaped egg-in-toast all the time. Why have a holiday for this? I have no idea. I find it silly and unnecessary.

Rodgers likes Valentine's Day. He's very sentimental like that. I think it disappoints him a little that I'm not more festive, so I make an effort for him. I'm ok with using the holiday as an excuse for a date because I love going on dates with Rodgers, but the date won't be on February 14. We always have to schedule for a more convenient time. Really it's a normal date, which we do when we can anyway.

My favorite Valentine's Day by far was 2011, which I don't think I blogged about because it was still a secret. We had not yet told anyone that I was pregnant with Ben. My first doctor appointment was the week before Valentine's Day (at 8 weeks pregnant). Rodgers was working the 3 pm - 11 pm shift then, and he worked every weekend. I was unemployed at the time. Thus, Nate was not in daycare. We used Rodgers' work schedule + Valentine's Day as an excuse for the babysitter. Rodgers could go with me to my first appointment, and we could have a lunch date.

They always do an ultrasound that first appointment, and I wanted Rodgers to be there to see the baby with me. Then we headed to CVS, with my treasured Zofran prescription. As we waited, we picked out Valentine's cards for each other, exchanged them, read  them, and put them back on the rack. We grabbed some snacks (which we did actually purchase, unlike the cards). I had Dove dark chocolate. After I took my meds, we went out to lunch together, where I was able to eat a full meal for the first time in two weeks. I didn't even feel like puking, thanks to the Zofran, and that was oh, so romantic.

in the meantime

I am writing this post in advance, scheduling it to be published tomorrow, September 15.


Today is the day! BB should be born any minute now. I will be publishing his beautiful baby pics as soon as I care about my blog again, but in the meantime, for your viewing pleasure, here is a slideshow of my growing baby belly, which should be (mostly) gone by the time you're reading this. :)

From 12-18 weeks, I was excited enough to be taking pictures weekly. From 20-34 weeks, I was tired, lost enthusiasm, and only took pictures every other week. The last month, I took pictures weekly again because I was growing exponentially...



And a comparison: (left) the night before Nate was born, 41 weeks; (right) the night before BB will be born, 39 weeks.

last week

Not as in the week preceding this one, but as in the last week of pregnancy. It's here. At once it seems too fast and like we will never make it to Sept 15. 

I suddenly feel huge. This is what I think of as the "beached whale" phase. My big chair + ottoman + 6 pillows is about as comfortable as I can be at this point, but it's going to take me awhile to get up! It's a series of wiggles and flops until I work myself to the edge of the chair and lean over until my weight is all on my feet. Nate is frustrated because he wants me to hold him and rock him in the rocking chair before bed, but I have no where to put him. This would be a really great time for him to have a big boy bed because we could just lay in his bed and cuddle, but he's still in the crib. The majority of my maternity clothes no longer fit. Shorts and capris don't fasten; tops aren't long enough. It's a good thing I only have a week to go! But don't be surprised if I wear the above outfit every day for the next 7 days. It's very stretchy. :)

I was just reading my post from 38 weeks last time. It's pretty much the same this time, except that I am sleeping better than I was then. Not sleeping great, but I'm not up all night like I was before Nate was born. So that's a plus. Also, I haven't gained as much weight but at this point, the difference in weight gain = what I didn't lose between pregnancies.

Anyway. I'm ready.

In other news (and this is about bathroom stuff)...

I've learned a lot about cloth diapers. I am working on building up a stash. I have a few different types and brands already, and a few more coming in the mail. I was a bit reluctant when we decided that this really would be the best thing, but now I'm actually excited about it! (Of course I'm excited about the shopping and new stuff, but I don't think that's all I'm excited about.) Also, Mom wants to make me some covers, and that's exciting, too!

Nate is making progress in daytime potty training. He says "pee" and "potty" now, but he doesn't tell me he needs to go. He just says "pee" if he sees himself peeing, and he says "potty" if I ask him if he wants to sit on the potty. I have a few pull on training pants for him, which will make sitting on the potty less trouble, but we aren't using them because I haven't washed them yet. I've just been letting him sit on the potty before I change his diaper. He tries to pee every time, even if he doesn't really need to, because he LOVES peeing.

getting closer!!

Apologies if you receive this in your reader twice. I tried to schedule the post last night so that I could just add my picture and updates today after my Dr appt, but Blogger decided to disregard the date and time I'd chosen for posting and posted it immediately. Ach!

How Far Along 35 weeks 6 days
How Big is Baby He could be 6 lbs and 18-20 in long. He should be pretty close to his birth length/height now, but will be packing on some baby fat in the coming weeks. This is why I feel like his legs are too long to possibly grow anymore.
Total Weight Gain 27 lbs
Sleep For the past few weeks, I feel like I'm carrying BB lower. The implication of that is twofold: I have an easier time breathing than I did with Nate because he's not under my ribs so much, and my bladder is more squished. I've been getting up two times a night to pee more and more often. Usually I fall asleep again fairly quickly, since I drug myself up with Benadryl at bedtime.
Best Moment this Week Nate and I sorted through BB's clothes (again), adding some new ones and making sure the NBs were separated from the 0-3s. I need him to start wearing these clothes. Once some are dirty, we have room for all of them. Nate "helped."
Movement He's a mover, but more laid back than Nate was. He does move often, and he is strong. People can see him moving through my clothes, from across the room, so that's kind of fun. He has been a frequent hiccupper, which indicates practice breathing, but last night I was able to feel a rhythmic rise and fall of practice breaths, with my hand resting on his little booty.
Belly Button Pretty much an outtie, and it has migrated to the underside of my belly. I have to crane my neck or look in the mirror to see it.
What I Miss Has it ever been springtime? It's been swelteringly hot for as long as I can remember. I think there was such a thing as cooler weather, and if that is true, that's what I miss. :P
Weekly Wisdom Letting your mom come stay with you to take care of your toddler and clean your house is a good idea!
Milestones The c-section is on the calendar: Sept 15. I will be 39 weeks 1 day. This is exactly 2 weeks earlier than Nate was born (41 weeks 1 day), and it's his 20 month birthday. Both my boys will have birthdays on the 15th of the month.

Having the c-section scheduled has a lot of people asking if Nate was born by c-section. With certain people I just say, "No, but it would have been better for us if he had been." I go more into details for other people. It brings a lot of pity that I had such a hard recovery after his delivery. It was miserably painful and would have been nice if I didn't have to experience that, but I know that the damage done to my body was a direct result of saving Nate's life. What happened was entirely unpredictable, as everything related to birth is. No one could have known that Nate would have so much trouble with my labor or that he would be strangled by the umbilical cord. Even if we had known what the fast delivery would do to me, we had to assume that an emergency c-section would take longer, putting Nate more at risk for brain damage and death from not getting enough oxygen. We still would have made the decision to pull him out with forceps in a hurry in order to save him.

That said, we're planning a c-section this time to prevent any additional damage to my pelvic floor. Knowing that anything's possible in giving birth to a child, that our bodies and our babies don't always follow our plans, we recognize that I could go into labor before the c-section. If I am progressed too far by the time we get to the hospital, we may not have time for a c-section. It's not ideal, but it could happen. Scheduling it 6 days before my due date gives him enough time to fully develop while also being early enough that I'm less likely to go into labor beforehand.

more comparisons

Being pregnant twice so close together makes it easy to compare things. It's all still fairly fresh in my mind. Plus, if I don't remember something, I can go back and look at my past blogs because I posted a lot about pregnant stuff last time, too. What's most noticeable is that, in general, I feel so much better this time around than with Nate. So I was perusing my past posts for more detailed comparison and found the symptoms list I'd posted last time with my comments...

_x_ moodiness I have more trouble being patient with Nate and Rodgers, and today I cried for most of an hour just because I was mildly upset, and then couldn't stop crying.
_x_ swollen feet/cankles I've been instructed to not tell people my feet/ankles are swollen. I typically have extremely bony feet and ankles, but right now they are more normal looking. Quite swollen for me.
_x_ outgrowing wedding rings Much earlier this time than last time, but when I increased my water intake, my finger swelling went down a lot. I still can't wear my wedding rings on my ring finger, though.
_x_ outgrowing maternity clothes I've only outgrown a few, not as drastic as last time, but I never even fit into my early maternity clothes from last time this time.
_x_ crazy weight gain I've gained way less than last time (so much less that I weigh less this week than the first time I was 34 weeks pregnant), but I'm still above average on the weight gain curve. I'm an overachiever, what can I say?
_x_ morning sickness It lasted until the day Nate was born last time, but only through 24 weeks of pregnancy this time. Wahoo!!
___ melasma
___ acne My complexion is awesome this time, not so much with Nate.
_x_ heartburn/indigestion/acid reflux More and more
_x_ Hemmorhoids Did not have them until after delivery with Nate, but I didn't luck out this time.
_x_ gas that could clear a room
_x_ going to the bathroom every 10 minutes I think I pee more often this pregnancy, but I'm also carrying this baby lower than Nate. 
_x_ peeing yourself So much more than last time.
_x_ fatigue
_x_ insomnia Not as drastic as last time. I am still sleeping pretty well just taking 1 Benadryl at bedtime.
_x_ shortness of breath
_x_ general aches and pains (ribs, back, etc)
_x_ waddling I'm more of a waddler this time, but I attribute that to carrying lower.
_x_ restless leg syndrome
_x_ sciatica I did not experience this last time.
_x_ Braxton Hicks This started much earlier. I had my first timeable contractions at 38 weeks with Nate, 34 weeks with Baby Brother. 
_x_ itchy skin
_x_ stretch marks I think they're the same ones Nate gave me, though.
___ varicose veins
___ gestational diabetes
___ high blood pressure
___ Preeclampsia
___ PUPP Thankfully I haven't had any of these last few issues with either pregnancy!

left: 34 weeks with Nate (this was from our official maternity photo shoot which we used on our Christmas card)
right: 34 weeks with BB (I love how the doorknob lines up with my belly button so that it looks like I have an extreme outtie.) And my hair is darker now, except for the hairs that have turned gray.

QOTW: Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

32 weeks

Kind of sloppy this Friday night.

How Far Along 32 weeks 3 days
How Big is Baby over 3.5 lbs and about 16" long
Total Weight Gain 23 lbs.
Sleep Sleep has been better since I started taking Benadryl at bedtime. I have been waking up uncomfortable more often this week, but I'm sleeping very well in between those wake ups. Also, I'm having tons of odd dreams.
Best Moment this Week I thought Rodgers would make me wait until delivery to decide Baby Brother's name, but we had the talk this week, and we have a name! It's still a secret, but at least I know who this is now that's poking me with his tiny pointy elbows and knees.
Movement His movements are as frequent as always, but slower now. He can't stretch out all the way anymore. He has had his head in the lower left part of my belly. Then one day it was lower right. The next day it was upper right. Then, all in a matter of minutes I felt him flip and squirm and wiggle back to having his head on the lower left. He's filling up his space, but apparently still has room to explore.
Food Cravings I haven't had any really strong cravings lately.
Belly Button More out than in, but not quite an outtie
What I Miss Climbing the stairs without being out of breath
Weekly Wisdom If it's over 100 outside, it will not be under 80 in our apartment, even with the a/c running constantly. So drink more water!
Milestones I'm starting the 8th month, that's pretty significant! This month, the c-section will be put on the calendar. I'm about 7 weeks away from having 2 under 2.

Bonus pic of my #1 son:

pregnancy update

How Far Along 28 weeks 3 days
How Big is Baby over 2 lbs and almost 15 inches long
Total Weight Gain 18 lbs
Sleep I have had some trouble sleeping - waking up in the middle of the night super hungry, waking up just to be alert, getting charlie horses in my legs. It doesn't happen every night, but enough. Dr said I should start taking Benadryl.
Best Moment this Week Sorted through and washed NB and 0-3 clothes. I chose outfits to take to the hospital with us. The 0-3 outfit is the one Nate wore in his announcement pictures, but since he was born in January, that's really the only time it was worn. The NB is a new onesie we bought that has Sesame Street characters on it. We thought Nate would love to see Baby Brother in an Elmo shirt.

Movement This kid is active. It's starting to hurt now. He also gets the hiccups several times a day.
Food Cravings I craved sweets this week, then had my glucose test on Thursday and failed. Ooops. I have the 3 hour glucose test on Tuesday, and I'm trying to be good this weekend.
Belly Button It's huge and fairly flat
Labor Signs I have about 5 contractions per day, not painful, and not in sequence. Dr says that actually even though I drink water all day long, I'm probably dehydrated because it's been so freaking hot.
What I Miss I am preemptively missing having a carefree diet, bracing myself for being put on a gestational diabetes diet.
What I'm Looking Forward To Seeing Nate with Baby Brother
Weekly Wisdom I should always tell Rodgers when I'm feeling irrationally emotional. He's very good at making me feel better. He has the gift of encouragement, you know.
Milestones I am now in the third trimester. Wahoo! Now I have Dr appts every 2 weeks instead of every 4. Plus the extra glucose test, plus Nate's 18 month checkup = I actually have appts every week in July.

going to the bathroom alone is overrated

Alternate title: why I like peeing with the door open
Disclaimer: with a title like that, I think you know what this post is about...

Nate takes Black Monkey to daycare with him. The black one has had the voicebox removed. He leaves Orange Monkey at home. The first thing he does when we get home is look for Orange Monkey. He is inevitably carrying Black Monkey, snuggled on his shoulder, when we walk through the door.

While he looked for Orange Monkey this afternoon (saying, "wheresit?") I went to the bathroom.

I'm pregnant. I pee every 30 minutes.

Nate found Orange Monkey and joined me in the bathroom before I was finished. He crawled up in my lap, holding one Monkey in each hand, and snuggled his face into my chest. I hugged him, and we just sat there cuddling for a few minutes (but not quite long enough for me to need to go again).

Is it weird to cuddle someone while you're peeing? I think probably yes. But, of the squillion times I peed today, that one was the best!

comparison...

26 weeks 4 days pregnant with Nate

25 weeks 6 days pregnant with Baby Brother

People keep telling me how small I am, but I was sure that I'm bigger than I was at this point in my first pregnancy. I needed to look at pics to compare. There it is. Not exactly exactly the same point. The closest picture I could find to today is actually 5 days from now. I could wait and take a pic in 5 days - as if I would remember...

updates all around

Nate started daycare this week. It's rough because he doesn't know them, he's not used to their schedule, etc... Tuesday (his first day), they said he cried all day long. Each day got progressively better, though. Today, they told me he was upset at first, but after lunch (he arrives right before lunch) he was happy and played a lot. By the time I got there to pick him up, he was crying, but he usually is grumpy around 5ish even when he's at home - he's getting hungry for supper. The teacher said he had only been crying a few minutes.

Rodgers is consumed with thoughts and plans for Full Life. We officially have the address: facebook.com/abunchofgrapes. We're working on scheduling times to speak in churches, Bible studies, or anywhere, really. I'm doing a horrible job of keeping the blog updated. Just about every day, Rodgers scours the internet, looking at rent houses (we'll be renting when we first get to Kenya next year) and land.

Baby Brother and I are doing better than ever. I haven't puked since Tuesday! It's amazing. I hardly know what to do with myself. I saw the Dr on Wednesday. She said that I am "allowed" to gain 40 lbs, since I started out so light. Well, considering I was 10 lbs heavier at the start of this pregnancy than my first, and my first Dr was always getting on to me about my weight gain, I was quite pleasantly surprised. I am feeling better than I have ever felt while pregnant. With Nate, I remember feeling generally horrible most of the time. Not so much this time. If not for the dance party in my tummy, I would almost feel normal. I have very much been enjoying Alphamom's pregnancy calendar, especially since the author wrote it during her second pregnancy.

The stats, etc:
How Far Along 24 weeks 2 days
How Big is Baby just over 1 lb and about 1 foot long
Total Weight Gain 15 lbs (I'm quite pleased and surprised by this)
Sleep I'm still sleeping well, just having trouble going to bed on time because I get so wired at night.
Best Moment this Week We watched a movie yesterday. Baby Brother was a swirling vortex of activity throughout the entire movie. He's still small enough that it doesn't hurt yet, so it was super fun.
Movement Um...see above. This kid is active, like his big brother.
Food Cravings I'm at that point now, where any food mentioned automatically becomes my craving. I rarely have an original craving.
Belly Button flatter, bigger around. It's now what a call a castle-and-moat belly button.
What I Miss I miss my former agility. Bending over, getting out of chairs, all of these kind of things are getting more difficult. Also, I miss my feet not hurting.
What I'm Looking Forward To Since we live in a 2 bedroom apartment, Baby Brother will stay in our bedroom until he's sleeping well enough to not disturb Nate, then they'll share. This very well could mean that he's staying in our room until sometime after we move to Kenya, depending on what kind of a sleeper he is. Anyway, I got a closet hangy organizer thingy and have started putting our (3) NB outfits and (many) 0-3 outfits in it in our closet. Now I'm really looking forward to dressing this baby.
Weekly Wisdom Watermelon is a diuretic. Summer heat during pregnancy can cause swelling. Watermelon can reduce this. Is it a coincidence that watermelons are abundant in the summer?
Milestones 24 weeks means Baby Brother is now a viable fetus. This is a major developmental milestone. His chances for survival (with extensive medical intervention) outside the womb have more than doubled in the past week. I always feel like I have to put a disclaimer when I say things like this, such as: I'm not trying to have a micro-preemie. I don't want him to be born early. I'm simply acknowledging the milestone. :)

My belly:

20 weeks - "halfway"

I had my 20 week Dr appt this morning. Baby Brother was awake and swimming around while the nurse practitioner attempted to find his heartrate. He tried to get away, but she got it in the end: 164 bpm. I have gained 6 lbs since 16 weeks, and she approved of that. :) We aren't measuring me yet or doing anything else exciting. Anyway, everything is going just as it should. She feels sorry for me that I still have morning sickness, but since I'm gaining weight, there are no worries about that.

This outfit really emphasizes the bump. Plus, I grew a lot this last week. Probably half of my weight gain from this month was in the past 7 days...

The stats, etc:
How Far Along 20 weeks 1 day
How Big is Baby 10" head to heel; 10.5 oz
Total Weight Gain 11 lbs
Stretch Marks No new ones, that I can tell, but who can really tell amid the roadmap of stretchmarks Nate left me with?
Sleep I'm sleeping well, which is excellent because I am super tired!
Best Moment this Week Not pregnancy related - the best moment is that we're celebrating Rodgers' 35th birthday today! Pregnancy related - Baby Brother now kicks hard enough to see from the outside.
Movement Feeling actual kicks and rolls now.
Food Cravings I have been seeing the purple bag of Wild Berry Skittles in the snack machine at work for weeks now. I've never had that variety of Skittles, but I've been craving them. Finally gave in this week. It was worth it. They are awesome.
Belly Button It is really flattening out, but still an innie.
What I Miss Not having to schedule puke time into my morning routine. I am glad that the morning sickness is now strictly morning sickness, as opposed to the all day misery of the 1st trimester, so I'm not really complaining about my daily morning puke. But, still, it's inconvenient. I also miss being able to remember things.
What I'm Looking Forward To Will I have a memory again one day?
Weekly Wisdom Buying Poise instead of Carefree liners seems intimidating and embarrassing, but it's really not so bad, and they really do help so much more.
Milestones We are halfway there! And, since my Dr won't make me be past due again, I know for sure that I have no more than 20 weeks to go. YES!

QOTW: If I had known I was gonna meet the president I would've worn a tie. Look at me, I look like a schliemiel.

a little late with this one...

To my faithful blog followers who don't know me IRL (in real life) or through Facebook, this is for you.

Nate will be having a baby brother!

We had a lovely ultrasound, watching the little guy swim around. He's a healthy baby! He has all of his organs, fingers, and toes. This ultrasound was done by a tech (Nate's was done by a Dr). The Dr only popped into the room after reviewing the pics to say that everything is great!

He's a bit big, like Nate was at the ultrasound, but still within the realm of normal, so they are keeping my due date at Sept 21. If I've told you the due date is Sept 22, I don't know why I keep doing that. It's the 21st. For sure. If you go by averages, he was measuring 19 weeks and 2-4 days, and I was 18 weeks pregnant. His head circumference, though, was 20 weeks even. I think Rodgers must come from a people of large skulls.

We haven't settled on a name yet, and when we do, I won't be telling. With Nate, we told the name as soon as we left the ultrasound (my choice). We changed the middle name right before he was born, and kept that secret. Rodgers likes keeping things secret, so we're keeping the name to ourselves this time. I will say that it will be a boy name and will not be yooneek. :)

For now, he's going by "Baby Brother." I ask Nate, "Where's your baby brother?" And he points to my tummy, sometimes going so far as to lift up my shirt and reveal my belly, which he finds endlessly amusing.

gender prediction :)

In less than 2 weeks, we will be looking at this baby bean via ultrasound. As long as s/he cooperates, we will know if s/he is a he or a she!

For the record, here is what the old wives say:

Carrying high and wide, girl; low and all out front, boy :: I'm not sure whether I'm low or high, but definitely out front and not at all wide yet. This one leans toward BOY

Wedding ring on a string moves in a circle, girl; side to side, boy :: I just did this test - it was side to side. BOY

Heartrate faster than 140, girl; lower than 140, boy :: The first time, it was 170. This week it was in the 160s. GIRL

Bad morning sickness, girl; minimal morning sickness, boy :: If that's the case, this is the kind of girl that you'll see on Toddlers and Tiaras one day. GIRL

Looks: round face, bad acne, significant boob growth, girl; hair growing faster on legs, wider nose, cold feet, minimal boob growth, boy :: I've got a little bit of acne, but not very bad; I'm still wearing the same bra size; and my feet are cold. I think we're leaning towards boy on this one. BOY

Cravings: sweets, fruit, OJ, girl; salty foods and protein, boy :: Before reading this, I just had to have a leftover piece of pizza with an OJ and Sprite cocktail. That's a little of both...um...one-of-each-TWINS?

Previous kids' first words: if Nate said Mama first, girl; Daddy first, boy :: We know he's a Daddy's boy! BOY

If a toddler boy expresses interest in a pregnant woman, it's a girl; if he ignores her, it's a boy :: We have a few friends with toddler boys. They seem to like me. GIRL

If a woman prefers to lay on her right side, girl; left side, boy :: GIRL

Tally that up. I think it's a tie.

Then there's the Chinese gender chart, which is complicated because you have to figure out your lunar age and the lunar month of conception. Lucky for you, I did the math. It says: GIRL.

QOTW: You're a frog! You're supposed to have cold feet!

12 weeks

I had my 12 week prenatal appointment this morning. I met my new OB for the first time. My former OB moved to the Middle East. I was sad, but the new one seems like a good fit for me, too.

She could not find the baby's heartbeat with the doppler, which was scary, but she brought in the ultrasound, and everything is fine. The baby was sort of squished over to one side and doing acrobatics. Even with the ultrasound, she couldn't get a good "lock" on the heartbeat because the kid would not be still. Finally, s/he settled down, and the heart rate was 170. That's in the "girl" range according to old wives' tales, but then, even a boy would have a higher heart rate after that kind of work out.

Due date: September 21.

And here's a creepy picture of the baby's face, from my bonus ultrasound this morning:

Face is in the center. The oval to the right is the tummy.

Ack! I forgot QOTW:
I see you're drinking 1%. Is that 'cause you think you're fat? 'Cause you're not. You could be drinking whole if you wanted to.

oh, then there's this other thing...

but with more of a "yahoo" and less of an "aw, crap" [source]

baby weight

How often have I heard "9 months on, 9 months off?" While a nice theory, it's not very realistic. Realistically speaking, I don't expect to lose all of my baby weight, even though my starting weight is less than 10 lbs away. Neither do I expect to wear most of my old clothes ever again, as my hips and pelvic bones are completely rearranged.

I wore a size 2 for many years. The year before I got pregnant, I gained a few lbs and was starting to wear more clothes that were size 4 and less size 2. My weight at my first prenatal appointment, at 6 weeks pregnant, was 113.8 lbs. I was 156.5 lbs by Nate's due date, which is a gain of just under 43 lbs. (He was born 8 days late, but I wasn't weighed after the due date.)

Nate was a big baby, and I had a lot of water weight, so by the time he was 2 weeks old, I had lost 27 lbs. My original weight loss goal was 32 lbs, but when I saw that so much came off so fast, I changed my goal to 37 lbs. I had to buy new clothes to go back to work when Nate was 6 weeks old. I got rid of all my size 2 clothes, but saved the size 4s in the top of the closet. I bought mostly size 8 and a few size 6 slacks that are generous in the hips. The tops I bought were all small or size 6. I'm still wearing all of them. My size goal is to be a solid 6, though if I happen to shrink enough to fit into my old size 4 clothes, I won't complain.

Nate will be 9 months old on Friday. My weight loss goal is within reach! I have lost 35.5 lbs. My size 8 slacks are starting to get wonderfully roomy, and I can almost always wear a 6 when I try on new clothes. I'm nearly there! :)

41 weeks and a treat

baby betting

Several days ago, I took some bets on when Nate would be born. Here's an overview:

Jan 6 - 1 bet
Jan 7 - 1 bet
Jan 8 - 3 bets
Jan 9 - 6 bets (including mine)
Jan 10 - 2 bets
Jan 11 - 2 bets
Jan 15 - 2 bets

Wednesday is the most common day for babies to be born. In the US, there are 15.4% more babies born on Wednesdays than on the average day.

Sunday is the least common, with 35.1% fewer babies born on Sundays than on the average day.

Eleven of us were wrong. Six are still in the running. Will any of them win?

life after the due date

I was reading today that, technically, "past due" is after 42 weeks of pregnancy. From what I've heard, no doctors let women be pregnant that long. They induce, at the latest, at 42 weeks. My doctor induces at 41-41.5 weeks, unless the due date isn't firm, then at 42 weeks. Fortunately, my due date is firm, so I won't have to wait till 42 weeks. Yay!!!

In the meantime, lots of people have given me ideas for getting the process going. There are lots of old wives' tales and such which tell tricks for starting labor. We're trying some of them, especially the ones that call for eating certain things. In the past week, my insatiable appetite has returned. We've walked a lot as well. So far, nothing.

This baby is entirely too comfortable in there. He's still just kicking, punching, stretching, rolling, sticking his butt out, and enjoying his own little world. Not for long, baby boy. Not for long.