24 weeks!!!!!

I am SO happy to be 24 weeks. I hear that at this point, if something weird were to happen (ie: premature labour), that babies born this early have a very good chance of surviving. I really hope that doesn't happen, but it's nice to know that I've entered some sort of safe time zone. In fact, I met a baby that was born 3 months early and he seems perfectly normal and happy and growing well! I am still feeling fine, but if I don't get enough sleep, I feel SO tired and zombie-like. Like last night....I got to bed much later than usual due to dinner with a friend in town, and woke up a bunch in the middle of the night, which is really nothing new, but today I am SO tired. My legs are also really sore from some walking up a few flights of stairs (went to the horse races (won $124.00!) which ended up being a lot of up and down to different viewing levels) I did on Saturday, which was no big deal, but I guess I am really out of shape! I think we're doing our maternity tour tomorrow night, and my prenatal yoga classes start next week!

zits and classes

I have a million zits on my face. They have been coming and going for months, I guess about 6! Normally I have pretty good skin, but it's been SO oily and these zits are killing me. They're not even normal, they're more like red spots that I can't even squeeze. Major bummer. I guess I should be lucky that I have been blessed with good skin, and if this is a price to pay for having a baby, I'll gladly pay! Speaking of paying, I signed up for birthing classes today. I'm doing them at Real Birth, which comes highly recommended by many. My husband and I will be taking "Comprehensive Childbirth", which is like school, but it's on the weekend. 2 days, 7.5 hours each day. Ouch! Then I will take breastfeeding alone, which is a mere 3 hour class, and then I will take newborn care alone, which is also a mere three hours. My husband doesn't seem to be interested in this one, so I guess he knows all about the basics of diapering, soothing techniques for a crying baby, establishing normal sleep, bathing and dressing, how to take a temperature, choosing a pediatrician and when to call them, what's normal in newborns, postpartum family adjustment and what helps. I sure as hell don't, and while I'm sure some of it will be self-explanatory, but from what my friends that have gone tell me, it's very useful, so I am looking forward to it and I am glad to give up a mere three hours to learn these things.

We've finally decided on a crib. It's the one in the image to the left, and it's an Amy Coe crib from Babies R Us. I really like that it has a drawer....although I can tell you that our bedding won't be pink! I am psyched to have this crossed of the list - although we still need to order and get it! We've also decided on the stroller situation but not yet the stroller itself. We're going to get a stroller frame that a car seat sits on, and then after it's born, get a proper stroller. Being that it's going to be born in the freezing cold winter of January, the visits outside will be somewhat limited initially, and we can use the frame or a carrier! Decisions are being made and it makes me feel good - a little more relaxed. Now I just need to get the ball rolling on our hospital tour and birthing center tour and birthing classes! I kind of want to take hypnobirthing too - which is not as weird as it sounds. I've only heard amazing things about it, and I HATE hospitals, and I have problems relaxing, so this sounds like exactly what I need!

general update

I am almost 6 months pregnant! Holy crap. I don't know why, but that feels SO far along....I guess because it is! It's funny though. I am 23 weeks, and 20 weeks is the halfway mark, and that doesn't seem as far as 6 months...anyway. I am still feeling good and feeling more kicking also! I don't think I am showing as much as I could be, and I can't decide if that is a good thing or a weird thing. I am not yet at the point where I am obviously pregnant, unless you already know - but strangers don't seem to be aware. I am wearing maternity pants full-time, which is lovely. My husband is jealous of them and their stretching abilities! I am working with my friends to sort out plans for a baby shower, and I have started registering! We had a doctor's appt last week and she listened to the heartbeat and said that it's strong and that it sounds good, and confirmed that all our test results (anatomy scan, spina bifida etc) are fine....so...things seem to be progressing well and I am happy!

names

We are not finding out the sex of our child until it is born, so we have to have a boy name and a girl name decided on. We are 100% decided on the girl's name, and have been for ages, maybe even before we got pregnant, but this boy's name is eluding us. We have it whittled down though, and our fridge list only has a few names left on it. I am hoping for a name that is somewhat original, that not 4 other boys in the class will have...so no Spencer, Tyler, etc. ...actually I like those names, but my husband denied them...for good reason though. He crossed off my Sam and my Max, but we're left with a few good ones and I think we'll have a decision made soon. It's funny. Parts of the baby process have reminded me of the wedding process. When I was planning our wedding, once we had a date and a location, I was able to relax and not worry for a while. This feels similar. Once we have names and a crib and stroller picked out I feel like I will chill out a lot!

cribs and strollers

Johnny and I went on another baby products excursion on Saturday. We went to mini jake, Giggle and Schneiders. We are researching cribs and strollers and I hope to have these decided on soon! The cribs are making me crazy. I like a pricey Oeuf one, the "Sparrow" - and I like this Amy Coe one from Babies R Us, which is mid-range and then there is the basic Ikea "Gulliver" crib for 99$. That is a TON of price range, and then you still have to spend 200-300 for a crib mattress, which is really where you need the quality! Argh!!! I am sort of going nutty trying to decide, and I think we need to go to Ikea and check their cribs out. Are they good enough? Are they sturdy enough? Do we have enough Ikea in our home (yes). I think we will decide between the Amy Coe and the Ikea and be done with it. The Oeuf is a nice designy piece, but I'd rather get something a little less pricey.

PS> The crib pictured is my "dream" crib, but it's also a ridiculous $2500!!! Forget about it! I could by a car for that.

It seems like murphy's law, that as soon as I post something saying the baby is kicking a TON, that the kicking slows down. It figures! After a couple of days of plentiful kicks, the kicking is now very sporadic and not happening too often. I'm not worried since everything I've read says that I have a few weeks to go before it SHOULD be more consistent, plus I know that my placenta is on the front, so there is a big cushion between the kicking and feeling the kicks. I am convinced that it's just not facing out and that's why I'm not feeling it. Either way, we have the doctor on Wednesday, so I will ask her opinion on when it should be more consistent.

In other news, I somehow twisted my back the other night and I stand and walk crooked. I was in SO much pain yesterday that I didn't leave the house and I just napped and tried to remain comfortable. Now I have a bad back, but this was some of the worst pain I've been in in a very long time. It feels a bit better today, and better once I walk for a bit. I had a hunch that I should have at least goen for a walk yesterday, but I didn't. That probably would have made things feel a whole lot better. Here's to hoping it goes away soon!
PS> I'm 22 weeks....5.5 months!

kicky mckick's-a-lot

The baby is officially kicking. My husband even felt it the other night. It feels SO strange....but it's so nice to finally have my own kind of knowledge that there is a living, growing being in there! It's strange...I felt it in Chicago, then not for a couple of days, then I felt it a lot one day , and then not for another 24 hours, and today I am feeling it a lot. I read that it gets more consistent as it grows and there are even patterns to be felt after about 24 weeks! neat-o! I was on the subway yesterday and felt a massive kick that it actually made me jump! Yesterday I barely felt it at all, so that was a pleasant surprise. I've renamed it "Kicky".

On another note, we're going to have another baby store adventure this weekend. A couple of weeks ago we went to Babies-R-Us and Buy Buy Baby. This weekend we're going to go to The Stork Store, Schneiders, and Mini Jake. My goal for this month is to have a glider purchased and also a new rug for our living room...oh and to have appointments made for our hospital tour and the "intro to the birthing center" class so I can see if it's a place I want to be! I think setting goals like this is key in the coming months. I also want to decide which crib to get and which stroller/car seat to purchase too, but I don't know if I need to do those things this month. We shall see!

health and eating

I find that on weekends, I sort of take a holiday from eating 100% healthy. Not everything is thrown out the window, and maybe this weekend was particularly sugary, but if I don't go out, I eat at home, and I don't have any fish here and I haven't been in a salady mood. In fact, I've been just wanting sugar. I made cookies tonight to surprise my husband and maybe to satiate my love for raw cookie dough a bit too. I am POSITIVE that I haven't gotten enough protein this weekend, so I know that tomorrow I am going to get a salad with salmon on top....and later in the week I'll get my salmon teriyaki. I just feel like weekends are lazy time! I also meant to do my prenatal yoga each day, and guess what - I didn't. Ugh. I don't think exercising at home is meant for me. I think I will research a class that I can go to - maybe even pay in advance! ha! I will do that this week. Actually, I know there is a weekend class near my house, so I will aim to try that on Saturday! Maybe if I set this goal now, it will be more likely to become reality. I just keep hearing that giving birth is like running a marathon - the amount of energy it takes and god knows I can't run a marathon now - or ever!

friday links and news

I added a couple of links to the link section, cool mom picks and pregtastic. I want to say something about Pregtastic though...this is the BEST podcast ever. Seriously. I listen to my ipod every morning on my way to work, and normally it's music, but since I discovered this show, I downloaded all of them and listen religiously. It's usually 2-5 ladies in the San Diego area, all of which are pregnant (except the host, but she has 2 kids) and they discuss their "ups and downs" and there is a weekly topic. There are often knowledgeable guests, like Dr. Sears and the woman who invented hypnobirthing...Anyway - I gush, but I have learned a LOT from this show and I have found it so unbelievable helpful and I never tire of it! HIGHLY recommended.

Oh, and here are three news stories I found interesting...
-Questions remain about BPA safety

-Mom's reactions to baby's first cry post-birth different vs. C-sections and vaginal births

-toddler vaccinations set record

what a week!

Phew!!! What a week. I went to Chicago for work - no problems there, fine time, great town, and then I came back and it was labor day weekend! That meant a quick 2 night trip to Long Island to see the in-laws and my sister and brother in law and my godson, and it was a busy weekend! Thank god I had Monday off, and yesterday was my 20 week anatomy scan! YAYAYAY! That took place at the hospital I will deliver at, St.Lukes-Roosevelt in Manhattan which provided us with a great opportunity to get our bearings, as thankfully I have never been to a hospital in NYC. It seemed like a nice clean place, and I really only saw the fetal maternity ward or whatever you call it, and not the actual maternity ward. For that I need to schedule a tour (note to self: schedule tour!

Anyway - we filled out a piece of paper, waited in the waiting room (bring a magazine or book if you're going, there were NONE there), and then went into a room with a nice gal who was the ultrasound technician. I pulled my pants and undies to just below my pubic bone and off they went! It was about 25-30 minutes and she looked at pretty much all aspects of the growing baby...the head, arms, legs, feet, hands, heart, spine, you name it! She spent a lot of time on the heart, which I guess because it's important to watch it work and make sure things are working well. We told her we didn't want to know the sex, and she said "ok, I'll let you know when I get to that area and you can look away", but she didn't - or didn't tell us to look away and we were none the wiser, which makes me think it's a girl - because maybe there's nothing to see - at least nothing resembling a penis! Ha! After she was done, she gave us 3 photos and then a doctor came in and reviewed everything super fast and said everything was fine and that they would send results to my doctor. And that was that! Painless and supposedly normal! I'll call the doc on Friday to check in about the results anyway.

PS> I'm 20 weeks!