Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Weeks 37 & 38

Week 37
8/13/2012 - 8/19/2012
Sorry, I didn't get a real belly picture in this week.  We've been crossing off the weeks on this chalkboard as we count down to my due date.  Note that there's room to add negative numbers if need be.
Milestones: Happy Full Term to meeeeee!!!!!  She can now come anytime between now and the next 5 weeks and be considered full term.  I want her to make her arrival when she is good and ready to be here, but I certainly won't complain if it's on the earlier end of that 5 week spectrum.
Size of Meatball: During the home visit this week, one midwife estimated that she's maybe around 7 pounds right now.  I'm going to get a pool going during labor to see who can most accurately guess her weight.  Email me if you want in on it.  There might be a prize involved.  Or there might not be, depending on how motivated I get between now and then.
Baby Position: She was flipping around between LOA and LOT during my appointment.
Labor Signs: Baby has definitely dropped.  I know this because I was able to eat a HUGE lunch the other day.  Also, the "lightening crotch".  Every time she shifts around down there it's like someone is sticking a cattle prod on my cervix.  Lots of zingers!
Symptoms: Unfortunately my blood pressure was elevated during my appointment this week.  Hopefully it doesn't become a trend, as that can potentially risk me out of the homebirth.
Exercise: A few walks around the "neighborhood alps" (we live in the middle of a very hilly area), and the 8k run.
Weight gain: A couple of pounds.  I'm well over the 30 pound mark now, darnit.
Other random crap:
- Ken and I have both been having dreams about baby girl.  And in both of our dreams, she is a newborn, but the size of a big chunky 6 month old.  This has me only slightly worried.
- Now that all of the big baby projects are completed, I am nesting in very odd ways.  Such as baking more than 14 dozen cookies to stash in the freezer.  Or cutting up over 30 diaper liners out of fleece fabric, even though we already have a ton of liners.


Week 38
8/20/2012 - 8/21/2012
Milestones: I had my first episode of "is it pee or is it amniotic fluid" this week. Since I haven't gone into labor, I bet you can figure out which it was.
In happier news, the results of my Group B Strep (GBS) swab came back NEGATIVE!!!  GBS is a normal bacteria found in about 25% of all women, but it is recommended that if you test positive, that you receive a dose of antibiotics during labor to prevent infection in the baby.  Since I'm not keen on being strapped to an IV during labor, and I despise the side effects of antibiotics, this was very welcomed news this week.
Size of Meatball: Because my fundal height measurements have been so large, we ended up having an ultrasound to check the amniotic fluid levels (they turned out to be perfectly normal).  Baby girl was estimated to be at almost 7 pounds.  At a midwife appointment later in the week, they estimated her at 7.5 pounds.  So she's measuring right on track!
Baby Position: Head down (yay!) but face up (boo!).  Chances are also good that she'll wiggle around once I go into labor.  But to encourage proper positioning, we've been doing moxibustion (under the direction of my acupuncturist) to try and turn her from posterior.  Ken thinks it's silly that holding burning sticks of mugwort next to my pinky toes will do anything, but he humors me anyway.  It has a really high success rate, and in any case, it can't hurt!
Labor Signs: Lots of "fake" contractions, still mostly at night.  I've had some other common signs that labor is just around the corner, but I'll spare you the gory details.  But just this once because I'm in a good mood...don't get used to it.  Things are definitely getting close!
Symptoms: Just the labor signs noted above.  Thankfully I've been able to keep the swelling and blood pressure in check this week.  Unfortunately the heartburn hasn't gone anywhere, but I guess I can tough it out for another few weeks.
Exercise: Lots of walking and bouncing on the exercise/birth ball.  And one day of 12+ hours of standing in the kitchen processing 100 pounds of peaches.  See "other random crap" in week 37 regarding my strange nesting habits these days.
I am no longer running.  :-(  But really, it was no longer enjoyable, and I was potentially doing more harm than good to things like my pelvic floor muscles and joints.
Weight gain: A few pounds.  Water weight, no doubt.  I have the most disgusting pocket of fluid in my lower belly.  It's like a floppy pouch just hanging out, flapping away down there.  I'm thinking of naming it.
Other random crap:
- I've turned into a nut regarding keeping the house picked up.  I want things nice and clean for after baby gets here, sort of like how it's so nice to come home from vacation to a clean house.  Since we obviously have no idea when she is going to arrive, I go to bed each night thinking it might be my last chance to tidy up.
- But...my energy levels are starting to take a major nose dive.  So I mostly just pace back and forth trying to decide what I want to work on, ultimately not getting much of anything done.  I wander around feeling very frustrated and unsettled.  I'm going to assume this is normal late-pregnancy behavior.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Weekend Inspiration: The Runners Blessing

This weekend is the annual Hood-to-Coast Relay (my first time not participating in 5 years), as well as Ironman Canada.

The Runners Blessing

May you have cool, still nights
and the promise of clear, endless morning.
May the sun rise to greet you with open arms;
and the horizon bow deep beneath your feet.

May you always have water to quench your thirst,
Air to fill your lungs and joy to lift your heart.
May your feet carry you wisely
Swift or slow, towards home.

May you always have heart for your fellow travellers,
and the rhythm of the road to guide you;
May you know the sweetness of victory,
The sorrow of loss and the surrender of both.

--Hannah Broom

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Race Report: Salmon Creek Sunset Run 8k


Salmon Creek Sunset Run 8k
Date: 8/18/2012
Finish time: 1:27:21 (17:35/mile)
* They lost my bib during packet pickup, so I was issued a replacement.  And now my chip time isn't showing up on the race results, but this is the time of the friend I ran/walked with the entire time.

I said in my last race report about a month ago that I was done with running events until post-pregnancy.  Well, I lied.  I totally suck when it comes to peer pressure and races.  I think it's a medical condition.  My girlfriend Jessica is training for a half marathon and wanted to do the 14k at this event as a training run, and she asked if I wanted to do it too.  So I totally blame her.  (I can also be good at not taking responsibility for my actions...just ask Ken.)
For a small local race, this event was pretty decent.  They had great communication via email in the days leading up to the race, the location/parking/logistics were easy, the music was good, there were plenty of aid stations, and they had lots of water and Jamba Juice at the finish line.  I only have two minor complaints:
1) They need to have more pointers directing the runners.  People were confused about which side of the road to run on, and the turns sound like they weren't very obvious for the 14k runners.
2) There weren't any porta-potties on the course.  But then again, I doubt anyone besides me really needed them.

An awesome co-worker had also signed up and she stuck with me the entire time.  Since I was in dead last most of the time, it was great to have some company.  We ran about the first mile, then walked/ran the rest of the time.  I guesstimate that I ran about 2 miles of the course and walked the other 3.  Baby has dropped recently, so while I have regained some of my lung capacity, running/walking really is taking a toll on my lower back and girly bits.  Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, but I paid for it later that night.
Oh, and I need to mention that I came in DEAD LAST at this event.  I suppose it was bound to happen some time.  I'm just grateful that it occurred at a race of only 73 people while I'm 8 1/2 months pregnant.  Glad to get that out of the way...

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Maternity Photos

A few posts ago, I linked to a preview of our maternity photo session with Jim + Ravyn Photography.  We have the final edited photos now, and I feel so lucky that we stumbled across such talented photographers.  Ravyn will also be attending our homebirth (hopefully in the next few weeks!!!), as well as doing the newborn session once baby girl is a couple of weeks old.

Here are some of our favorites:







Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Weekend Inspiration

I'm late again on the "Weekend Inspiration" post.
Did you see this Nike commercial during the Olympics?  Love it.
Find YOUR greatness.  (My greatness is obviously not getting blog posts up in a timely manner...)

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Weeks 35 & 36

Week 35
7/30/2012 - 8/5/2012
Wait, what?  It's August already?
Milestones: My birth blanket is finished!  Some fabulous girlfriends came over one night and did most of the work.  Despite lots of war wounds from trying to poke needles through 2 sheets, 1 blanket, and a layer of plastic, we had quite a blast.  Thanks ladies!  (Note: A birth blanket is basically visqueen and a blanket sandwiched between some sheets. It can be picked up and moved around the house, depending on where I end up laboring and birthing. It protects the carpet and/or furniture and then can be wadded up and thrown away afterwards.)
Size of Meatball: My fundal height is back up to over 5 weeks ahead.  But this type of measurement has a huge margin of error, so the important part is that things are still growing consistently.  Consistently large, but still consistent.
Baby Position: Little girl is head down and has been that way for over a month.  She has been ROT (right occiput transverse) at the last two appointments, meaning she is head down with her head facing my hip, and with her butt up in the top right of my belly and feet sticking out towards the left.
Labor Signs: No signs of labor yet, thank goodness.  Just some minor contractions every once in awhile.  Typically at night when I'm trying to sleep, of course.  The midwife calls it a crabby uterus.  I'm crabby too, so I don't really blame my ute one bit.
Symptoms: My belly is soooo ITCHY!  Damn stretch marks.
Exercise: Things are really slowing down on the exercise front.  Only 3 walks and 1 swim this week.  No strength training because it's too hot to do TRX in the garage, and well, I'm too lazy to drive the 1 mile to the gym to use their weight machines.  Oh, and one exhausting day at the river playing with friends and trying to stay cool.  Oh yes, I'm giving you another preggo bikini pic.  Be glad that the bottom half is underwater.
Weight gain: I really don't know why I keep this category in here.  For the sake of honesty, I'll admit that I'm up a total of 28-30 pounds now, depending on how swollen I am when I step on the scale.  This heat is a bitch, yo.
Other random crap:
- I got up to pee 6 times one night. SIX TIMES.
- Baby girl loves her some hip-hop music.  I have regular dance parties with her (well, me and my belly) all the time.  Her current favorites include Eminem, Pitbull, Nicki Minaj, and of course a little bit of Kanye.

Week 36
8/6/2012 - 8/12/2012
Milestones: Nothing.  Although I did hit up the Nordstrom sale and splurged on some comfy jammies for the post-partum period.  I know that's not really a milestone, but it's been on my "to do" list for awhile.  I LOVE crossing things off my list.  Other things I crossed off this week, with assistance from the husby:
- Organized all of the homebirth supplies
- Detailed the cars
- Installed the carseat bases and carseat
- Sewed burp cloths
- Started getting a "just in case" hospital bag together
- Wrote a "just in case" birth plan for the hospital
- Finished up the baby room - pics coming soon!
- Lots of random cleaning and organizing
There are still a handful of items on the list, but it's getting smaller.  And if baby showed up today, all the essentials are taken care of.  What a great feeling!
Size of Meatball: Supposedly over 6 pounds and around the length that she'll be once she's born.
Baby Position: I didn't have a midwife appointment this week, so I'm not quite sure.  She's either ROA or ROT.  She's definitely still head down with her little tushy pushed into the upper right corner and her feet kicking into my ribs on the left side.  But despite my best poking around, I can't tell which way her head is facing.
Labor Signs: Still not much.  The Braxton Hicks are gaining strength and are almost painful at times.  The cramps/contractions are still coming on occasionally, and mostly at night.  People keep mentioning that it looks like baby has dropped a bit, but honestly, I can't really tell.  Maybe a little bit!
Symptoms: Wow, the bloat monster made an attack this week.  I could hardly even get my flip flops on one afternoon.  The round ligament pain is pretty brutal too.  Sometimes I'll forget that I'm pregnant and try to hop out of bed or something, and holyhellf*%ingcriminy, I'll get these sharp shooting pains down low.  I also learned a new term this week - ECP.  It stands for Evil Crotch Pain.
Exercise: 2 swims, 2 walks, 1 strength, and one marathon day of nesting.  I think I might be done with spin class until after baby is here.  Maybe I'll try it one more time, but the thought of smooshing my bits onto the bike seat with my knees smacking into my belly around doesn't sound very appealing.
Weight gain: Nothing really this week.  Holding steady at a total gain of around 30.
Other random crap:
- An older dude said to me "I feel your pain.  My wife carried twins during the summer too."  You'll recall that there's only one in there, so the only pain he was about to feel was his gonads being relocated into his stomach region.
- My sincere apologies to the checkout gal at Joann Fabrics who was on the receiving end of a gushing fountain of angry pregnancy hormones.  It was probably justified, but I'm still not proud.
- FOUR weeks until my estimated due date!!!!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Weekend Inspiration - Pinterest Edition

A day late.  Again.  But "better late than never" certainly applies when it comes to inspiration, right?  This version comes courtesy of Pinterest.  LOTS of fun little quotes and photos (and funnies) on there to get your butt moving out the door for some exercise.  Here's a little of each.