22 Weeks

Skin 
Pale and tight...still. the belly button is rising to the surface. I showed it to two of my coworkers today, though that was probably weird, because it is just.so.weird.

Weight/Clothes
Feeling pretty good, some days I feel bigger than others, and at different points of the day I feel different than others. 


I feel like my face still looks the same when I look in the mirror, but then looks fat in photos...reverse anorexia body image? Or maybe I just don't care as much about sorority posing my face as I used to? Either way, the fat face photos have got.to.stop.


I think I am finally at the point where I am gonna have to break down and get some maternity dress pants. Oy.  Also, the belly seems to be shifting...lower? But I thought it was supposed to get higher? I am confused. 

Cravings/Aversions 
Pretty good. I still like healthy foods, and the smell sensitivity is almost completely gone... though for realz a student almost knocked me out with his cologne the other day. Wowza.


Still loving Mexican food, and really wishing for a margarita lately. 


Cramps/Pain
Weirs, random and doesn't linger. Something will hurt and then just be gone. Weird yo. When do Braxton-Hicks start? That will be hella weird.

Sleeping
Either really great, or really bad. Mostly I wake up because of acid reflux burning my throat. AWESOME. 


Or, I wakeup because I am SO HOT RIGHT NOW OMG GET THESE COVERS OFF ME.


But a few nights ago I slept like a rock for 8 straight hours, woke up, had pushed the pregnancy pillow out of bed, no covers and my hair was a straight wreck. It looked like I had just won a fight. Go figure.


Mental State
Great! I am feeling really good about where we are, the fact that the weeks keep seeming to fly by is weird-o though. When I was newly pregnant it seemed to crawl, and now it is all like "Whoops, there goes February," and "oh? I am at week 22? I didn't even read my weekly baby update for 21 yet!" Yikes.


In other body image news, other than my face feeling fat, I think I look damn good preggo. I caught myself admiring my body for the first time in a while the other night in front of the mirror. Pregnant body, you are all curvy and awesome and wondrous and I love you...until the stretch marks appear, then we are OVER. Seriously though, how amazing are human bodies. Craziness.

Heartburn

So.much.better on meds...when I remember to take them. 

Nasal Issues

SO over it. I am almost to the point where I want to argue picking your nose in public while pregnant is totally socially ok. I JUST WANT TO BREATHE PEOPLE. Don't worry, I'm pregnant, it's ok.

The Girls

Measured my bust the other day with a girlfriend at work, like you do for dress sizes, over the bra and boobs. My measurement? 40 inches. Are you KIDDING me? between the expanding ribcage, which was already big to begin with, and the girls...this is getting a little ooc.

Fetal Movement

Moving and grooving all the time. This morning I got to "see" my first baby movements, and since then my belly has looked a little slanty, so there may just be a butt jutting out or something. 

Sidenote, baby kicking or elbowing or heading the bladder? not.cool. Move up baby! That belly made all that room for you!

Weird Stuff

That my abs can still totally move my belly. weird. Also, being out of breath, all the time. When I was presenting in my interview today I kept getting out of breath and all the women were like, "oh yes, the diaphragm not being able to expand...I remember that well"

At least it's a sisterhood.

Bonus picture! This is what a pregnant lady looks like when she interviews and none of her suits fit:

Hello overexposure! My office was really bright! But you get the drift...

I am actually a little perturbed by this because my makeup looked smokin' and you can't see any of it. 

Oh well. The outfit is hot though, right?

22 weeks, 1 day along

...and I can't wait to get out of my office and enjoy this weather. Please stay 70* until at least 7 pm Hampton Roads!

Cute Stuff, Part 3

I was so excited the other day when I saw this board - this is the original color palette I had in mind for our nursery with a few twists. But there is plenty that I can integrate from here!

via http://laybabylay.com/

(which if you are not already stalking, you should be)

Staying at home...

Here's the deal folks. I love the comments on this blog. ALL of them. And since this is sort of my pregnancy journal, I am super brutally-honest-Wednesday about all of the stuff rattling around in my head. Keep commenting, even if you disagree with me. I live for it. <3

And now to continue this string of discussion inducing posts about Mayjah Life Decisions.

One of the swiftest thoughts to pop into my little noggin' when those two lines turned pink was this, "Will I continue working? or will I stay at home?"

Of course, financially this is a decision that all families have to make on their own, and I feel privileged and blessed in a  thousand different ways to be able to even entertain the choice. That isn't to say that we are banking my salary every month (my shopping and eating out habits contribute to that), or that it wouldn't be hard, but we know we can live without my salary. Right now. 

We also know when A's promotions come up, and the exact date we will see increases in pay, and exactly how much they will be. Thank you military pay chart tables. This is certainly a unique situation for most people (so long as A stays in the military and has no hiccups in that direction - knock on wood, since he wants to be a lifer). 

So, financially it would be hard, but doable.

What this means is...it comes down to my choice. Thanks to the fact that my husband is an awesome and supportive person.

Had you asked me when I was 18, my little feminist feeling self would have said, heck yes I will be working! Career woman, huzzah! All those women worked so hard so that we could have these careers! Burned their bras! How could I not fulfill that charge?...and, I will be making more money than my husband, so there. 

Had you asked me in graduate school or now, I would say that I still have that feminist zeal in my heart, but I now truly believe that women fought so that we could have the choice. That was the difference. These women wanted the opportunity and the choice to do the things they wanted to do. And to be honest? I want to stay at home with my kids (at least when they are little). 

Whether that is actually my choice or is a product of mass media and socialization intervening in my life is a discussion for another time. Duly noted.

But Courtney, you may be wondering, why the heck did you go to graduate school and go into all that student loan debt if you really want to be a SAHM? Well, at the time I made that choice, I knew that I had a passion for working with students and wanted to fill my mind with the best brand of knowledge that was calling me. Graduate school was an amazing experience that opened my mind and provided me the opportunity to meet many interesting people. That decision was one of the best I have ever made. I got into a competitive program and I knew that it would challenge me in a hundred ways intellectually and emotionally, and it did just that. I would never take it back.

With all of those feelings, I still have had an ongoing war in my head about staying at home vs. continuing to work when Baby G is born.

My mom stayed at home with us while we were young. She was available to be involved in all sorts of aspects of our lives...Girl Scouts, Boy scouts, President of Little League, you name it, she did it. And I loved that. You don't get those moments back.

On the other hand, I am a pretty independent person, always have been, always will be (first child syndrome). When it comes down to it, will I actually be able to handle the monotony of staying at home with kiddos, or will I want to go running for the hills (or the nice quiet of my office) after a few weeks? And that money honey. Though we don't need it (in a technical we can pay all our bills and eat and such sort of sense), I certainly will not be indulging in J.Crew anymore when that paycheck stops coming.

Ongoing debate.

I was leaning one way more than the other, based not on the money that my job brings to me right now, but the worth and value that it brings to me. Let's just say that if I had a job where I felt inspired every day, and was able to have the relationship that I want to in partnering in student development, it would tip the scales of worth in a completely different way. It's not that I don't appreciate my job (especially in this economy), but for my own sake, I have to consider...

When I begin missing the moments that I inevitably will miss when working full time, will I be able to reconcile that sense of loss with the sense of value obtained from whatever I was doing at that moment?

I am reserving the right to make my final decision until I am actually holding Baby G in my arms. I am humble enough to know that I can even imagine what that will feel like, and I am hoping that the experience of mothering a being outside of my body will make my decision making process a little easier. Luckily, I have the job flexibility, and maternity leave, to be able to do that. 

Yay for procrastinating on Mayjah Life Decisions. 

Oh, BUT WAIT! Did you hear that?!?! 

That was a wrench being thrown into the works.

A few days ago, I was offered the opportunity to interview (this Friday) for a position I applied for in....AUGUST. 

Pre-Baby G, Pre- rolling the dice, Pre - Italy. 

This position would definitely be a step up into a role that I have wanted since obtaining my graduate degree, or even before then. It is still at the same place, and there are a lot of questions to be answered regarding flexibility/salary/support from the institution, etc. That being said, it is an interesting evolution in this whole process at a time when I was starting to feel like I was settling into a possible decision.

All that I can do is put my best foot forward and give myself the chance to explore this opportunity. No "what-ifs" for this mama.

And if I happen to be offered the job, well, we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

And if not? Well then it may make my decision that much easier.

Stay tuned.

21 weeks, 5 days along

...and there is nothing quite like having all these MLD's come at you in a quick fire span of 9 months. 

21 Weeks

Check those pale legs. Yeesh. Springtime come soon!

Nausea
I am taking away this category...knock on wood that it never has to come back!

Skin 
Pale and tight. It is beautiful and sunny today and I long to be outside soaking up some Vitamin D. Perhaps tomorrow I will set up a lawn chair in my still dead back yard and read Ina May. I LOVE YOU SUMMER, PLEASE COME SOON. KTHANKS.


In other news, tight skin. Who knew your belly button could hurt? The skin around the outside of my belly button is getting taut as the inside of my belly button rises close to the surface. Oy. I am going to look like a popped turkey timer, and I totally understand that, but already? I am making an effort to keep my abdominals tight and sit upright at work this week because it makes the ol' belly button a little deeper.


I have been applying this stuff liberally. No stretch marks yet - if they are genetic then I should just get prepared now. But, my old stretch marks on my hips, from that overnight time in 7th grade when my hips popped out and I had to transition out of juniors sizes, (which thankfully are all faded and barely there) have started to become noticeable again. 


I wish I could grab a tan. (I know, I know, tanning is bad...but 20 minutes enveloped in naked warmth sounds delectable to me right now...)

Weight/Clothes
Staying around the same. Though things are continually shifting, I feel like the belly has slowed its growth for a while here. Thank Goodness. Maybe this is because I "got to" pop so early? Who knows. But, I like everything the way that it is now, we can definitely take a breather in this range for a while.

Cravings/Aversions 
Weird moments of cravings here and there, yesterday afternoon I adamantly wanted a sausage and cheese biscuit (which used to be my hangover food of choice) at around 3pm. After about 15 minutes it went away. It's not so much weird foods as things popping into my mind that I want right.now.

Cramps/Pain
Round ligament pain is still my bff for life. Apparently it is sticking around, though it is not nearly as common as it was for a while there. Growing babies means muscles stretching. Yay!

Sleeping
Not great. I keep waking up in the middle of the night and being totally awake. Like, not a sleepy consciousness, but from deep sleep to eyes wide open.


Also, dreams. Weird. The other night I dreamed that I was hanging out with my preggo pal Andria from Illinois and she had made us what seems to be the most delicious looking barbecue chicken I have ever seen. As I cut out a big nice piece of juicy white meat and brought it to my mouth...the alarm went off.


I woke up salivating.


Mental State
Pretty good. Preggo hormones definitely make my mood jump up or down a level quicker than normal, but I am feeling pretty ok. We are checking stuff off the list, and when we aren't  I spend time online shopping and spending money I shouldn't to feel like I am accomplishing something. Should I be worried about this? I don't think so. Retail therapy, mmm.

Heartburn

So.much.better on meds.

Nasal Issues

I am ready to be able to breathe for realz again. Herman the Humidifier is still in our room, misting away.

The Girls

Are hurting again, new bras are imminent. 

Fetal Movement

Serious movement this week still mostly down lower than it seems like it should be based on where my belly is, but whatevs, and A got to feel his first "bump" last night. Yay! So fun.

Weird Stuff

Some symptoms are not presenting in me at all. I am still totally losing as much hair as I was pre-pregnancy, etc.

Also, now that we get to have another ultrasound at the next appointment I have no idea how I am going to make it through without finding out the sex of the baby AGAIN. Oh yeah, I never did a post on that ultrasound. Here ya go.

---------------------------------

Long story short, it was hard not to find out the sex, especially when the tech was all smiley and said, "Now I have a secret!" and when A (who is supposed to be the strong one) said right before we started "Should we just find out and not tell anyone?" GAH. Tempters. 

Everything looked all good and cute and all the bones were measured (seeing baby skeleton = weird), heartbeat looked great, etc. BUT, baby's head was so far down in my pelvis that they couldn't quite get all the angles they wanted of brain shots and face shots. So, we have another long ultrasound scheduled to measure everything up at our next visit. 

Hopefully we will have some cute stills to post after that. We have decided to not post the video though, mainly because we have too many friends in the medical/birth profession! We are pretty sure that what we cannot identify on the video someone else may be able to. Ack. That would be ridic. 

So, you will have to wait.

---------------------------------

And that was our 20 week ultrasound story.

And another photo, just for fun...

21 weeks, 1 day along

...and though I desperately need to save the days, I may or may not have tried to convince my husband to call in sick with me today so we could stroll around in the sunshine.

On fighting while pregnant...

And now to follow a lovey-dovey post with one...not so lovey-dovey.

Fighting with your spouse.

It happens.

Before we conceived this little being inside of me, I could count on one hand the amount of times that A and I fought. In ten years.

Now, this is not to say that we don't bicker from time to time, but I am talking about the sort of thing that you don't get over in 20 minutes or that doesn't resolve itself by a good song coming on the radio and you both start singing along and all is forgotten. That sort of stuff happens all the time...well not all the time, but more often than actual fights.

Since being knocked up, the crazy pregnant hormones may have made fighting a bit more common. Twice last week, A and I had fights that ended with me in tears (and remember folks, I am not a crier). Mostly about preparing for baby. Physically, not emotionally. I mean, people, these were fights about curtain rods, and organizing closets, and getting things done. Stupid fights.

Eff You, Hormones

But, they were real in the moment.

Here are the basics:

1. I am not very busy at work right now, so I spend a lot of time in my day planning and researching and planning some more about baby stuff. You all see some of the fruits of it here, but not all. You would truly think I had lost it. Trust.
2. Part of me planning involves me making lists of tasks. Let's call this "The Most Monstrous List of Honey-Do's Evah." or "The Monster" for short.
3. I cannot physically do a lot of the things required to complete The Monster. I know, I know, non-toxic paint would be fine blahbity blah. Here is the deal - Some of these tasks are things that we prepared for before getting pregnant so we went with the cheap paint. Not the healthy paint. Whomps. A freaked out when I stood on a chair the other day to change a light bulb. I assure you that in a house with 11 foot ceilings, you need to stand on a ladder or chair or lift heavy things (like furniture) from time to time to get things physically done.
4. Because I cannot physically do a lot of these things, it may seem to some (coughcoughmyhusbandcough) that my driving need to get these things done has turned me into the worst kind of task master. Sigh.

A has been working so hard at work ever since the second trimester (and my energy) have arrived. The Navy has kept him on 3 section watches, which means every third night he spends the night on the ship and works for 24 hours (weekend or not). On the days he isn't on watch he is pretty much working 12 hours a day. I kid you not, the man leaves at 5:30 am and does not return until well after 6 pm, most times around 7pm. Thanks to this schedule we usually go about 36 hours without seeing each other 3 times a week. AWESOME.

So, who can blame him when he is home that all he wants to do is take a few precious hours to relax, and go to be early? Not I, that's for sure.

But all of the tasks, and the approaching deadline of baby being born and us being-in-charge-of-a-human-being, and all of the staying silent about it finally bubbled up last week.

So, there have been some raised voices. And I may not have the patience that I once had (ha.) for these sort of "discussions". Though my hair is no longer red - the temper is flaring just as hot at certain points - and then come the hot flow of uncontrollable tears, gulping sobs (I am not, never have been, and will never be a pretty crier) and the frustration that I am crying (Why am I crying? This is so stupid!) comes right along with them.

Clearly this is something we will get past. We already have, in fact. My saint of a husband came home Sunday morning from watch all day Saturday and jumped into project-ing. I was an excellent assistant, if I do say so myself and the outlook seems to be great for us being a team again and being on the same page.

And then, then my hunky partner in life and love came home with flowers on Valentine's Day. They are beautiful (and from an expensive florist to boot), but the best part was the note.

"Love, like a house is strong; 

but sometimes needs upkeep.

You are always at the top of my list.

I love you."

Then I cried again.

21 weeks pregnant today!

...and this came in the mail this week. Eeek! Exciting!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I saw this via one of my favorite blogs this morning...

Love her face.

It got me thinking. I hope that A and I will be the parents that make our children make these faces. I certainly used to be this little girl with my own parents. 

I clearly remember one time when I was about 13 or so, and I walked into the kitchen where my parents were kissing and giggling and I immediately said, "Ew. Get a room!" (as you do when you are 13 and know better than anyone...)

Without a second thought, my dad turned and looked at me and said, "Get a room? This is our room. Every room in this house is our room. Because we are the parents, and we own this house. You get a room."

Nicely said daddy-o.

Regardless of the gross out factor, there was never a doubt in my mind that my parents loved each other and that came from their open affection with one another, and with us. I feel so lucky now to have had such easy going and easily loving parents. 

They lavished us with love and attention and I probably took it for granted until I found out other parents weren't always the same. So thanks mom and dad for not lacking in the "I love yous" or the kisses and hugs or in the couch cuddling...which I may or may not still do with my mom at the ripe old age of 26.

20 weeks and 4 days along

...and I can't wait to gross out our kid with our love for each other and for them <3 

20 weeks

Snapped quickly on our way to the ultrasound...hence why I look all nervous, 

but everything was fine yo! I am just a worrier. It's what I do.

Nausea
Nada. Have succeeded in grazing. Huzzah!


Skin 
Doing ok,I need some humidity in my life, like now. Everything is so dry. Blech.

Weight/Clothes
Doing ok actually. I started a nutritional tracking excel spreadsheet this week (I love excel and setting up formulas...I am a dork) and I feel like I have been eating so much healthier! I feel great. I have been striving to get as much water as I should. This one is so hard for me! But, today I have already drank 1.5 liters of water and am about to drink more. Huzzah for me and my own personal Mt. Everest.


P.S. That shirt is a J.Crew Medium (I know, right?) that was way too big for me when it came after I bought it on final sale online. LOVE IT NOW THOUGH!


I didn't get weighed at the ultrasound yesterday, but I think I am doing ok. The ultrasound tech looked at me when I mentioned something and said, "You let us worry about your weight - you just worry about growing and loving that baby." Have I mentioned how much I love this practice?

Cravings/Aversions 
Nothing really, though I am actually starting to crave water now that I have been drinking it...weird. Also, I have been cooking summer foods lately, a la strawberry/blackberry shortcake. BRING ON THE HEAT!

Cramps/Pain
lower abdomen pain a lot lately. But, as the nurse happily pointed out yesterday after chatting about ultrasound, that is probably because Baby has decided that his or her head belongs there. Oy.


(Also, as a side note...where are the gender neutral singular pronouns greater society? We talked about it years ago in grad school as an LGBTQA issue...and I would really love to be able to use some right about now.)


Sleeping
Oy. Sometimes sleeping great, sometimes not. The way of a pregnant lady.



Mental State
Doing well actually. I checked many things off my list this week. Got all signed up and ready for birth classes and made a huge list of to-do's with A. We will start getting stuff done ASAP. 


Also, I bought my herb seeds already for my herb garden this year. Yay! I am getting them started early inside this year so I can have basil sooner. MUST HAVE BASIL.

Heartburn

Got approved for Zantac! Yayyyyy Zantac. I love you. That is all.

Nasal Issues

Over being stuffy. Though I like being able to breathe, so it's not as bad as it could be.

The Girls

Oy. Growing every day it seems.

Fetal Movement

Yay for baby movements! I love it and smile every time I feel it.

Weird Stuff

Non-pregnant friend comments. Most are super supportive. Some just strike me as odd. 

The other day a coworker looked at me and said, "Courtney, you are just growing every day it seems!" 

And I was like, well yes. 

That's sort of the point.

20 weeks, 1 day along....

and I am going to see if I can get some ultrasound video clips up in hurr.

Thoughts on a Nursery

We are one day away from the big ultrasound, and I am finally ready to revel some of what has been rattling around in my head about the nursery for Baby G.

Have you heard of the site Polyvore? If not, I suggest you jump on it now. If nothing else it is a great place to collect some thoughts from different places you have scoured on the internet.

Mostly, people use it to throw outfits together, some folks use it for interior design. I have used it for more of the interior design side of the house, though mine are much more like storyboards and clippings than setting up a whole room. People are SUPER talented with making things look like a real room! Craziness.

Anywho, there are a lot of things still to consider and many thoughts that I haven't begun to materialize yet, but here is the start of it. I will keep everyone up to date once the actual work and purchasing begins. (Also on A's emotional state as his man room gets transformed...weep for him, will ya?)

Nursery Thoughts 2 by NavybratCR on Polyvore.com

This encompasses a couple of things I have seen elsewhere. The infamous YHL crib, which was also used by another blogger I follow here. Besides all of the environment-friendly, non-toxic stuff, I like the look, super like having good reviews from others, and it has a drawer. All things I want. We would get it in the all dark color here, though my heart lusts after the white and dark wood look...but alas, someday this will have to be in Navy housing, where we are not allowed to paint. Therefore, on principle, I try to stay away from white furniture.

The dresser I already own, and it is actually stripped to bare wood, soooo I can make it whatever color I want. No decisions yet though. The walls will either be off white or a blue/gray that will play off the fabrics... which I will show you in a second! Calm your horses! (something my mom used to say, ha!)

I am in love, love, love with that glider. I will do a separate nostalgic post about why I need and want to rock my babies to sleep (having mostly to do with watching my grandmother rock grandbabies to sleep), but I want to. And, I would like it to be in a chair that could live on in other parts of my home. Since it is from PB this would definitely be the biggest splurge, but I am hoping maybe the grandparents will want to chip in on this? Hint, hint, nudge, nudge. (subtlety is my strong suit, dontcha think?)

What else? Oh, these prints are from an Etsy shop I flagged a long time ago as being my fave. The prints come in different colors, and I may go with some of her prints with children and animals in them, rather than all animals when the time comes to order...but I love these. Depending on what color I choose to do the walls when the time comes will then decide the color of the prints. Plus, French in baby's nursery. Done and done.

I have a few other thoughts on things that I want for the room - such as an antiqued wooden ladder leaning up against the wall with quilts hung on the rungs...how cute does that sound? And of course a bookshelf for books and odds and ends. Also, a floor lamp of some sort.

And now for bedding. I can't find anything I really, really love, with the palette that I am looking for out there in the world. So I am making my own. After combing fabric sites, and stores in Hampton Roads as well as Richmond, This is my favorite palette (so far):

Nursery Thoughts by NavybratCR on Polyvore.com

That central fabric would find a new home as a crib skirt and the others will somehow come together in pillows and crib bumpers. I know, I know, crib bumpers are evil, ack! But, i will have them, they will be removable as the need arises, etc. Calm yourself, Iago. (Anyone else pull out that phrase? Nope? Ok, just me and my sis then.)

So, these are the thoughts.

Again, nothing has been purchased, but I think this is the start of something really beautiful that could serve for a boy or a girl without being too matchy-matchy or too, "look how I got all of this stuff in one box!" You know, like the pop up Christmas trees in SkyMall that are already pre-decorated. (=Lame)



19 weeks, 6 days along

...and tomorrow is the big ultrasound - I am super excited but starting to get that anxious feeling that I get before every appointment. Hope everything is going well in there Baby G! Your daddy and I can't wait to see you move around!

This photo...

made me giggle.

{via}

19 weeks, 5 days along

...and I may print this photo out.

Alert

Some of you have already caught on, (so savvy) but in case you haven't noticed...the poll is up!

Over there --->

Vote away.

Please?


19 weeks, 4 days along

...and a leetle part of me is secretly hoping the ultrasound tech makes a mistake and uses an identifying pronoun on Thursday at the ultrasound. Eeek!

19 weeks

Out for date night with A...on our way to see The King's Speech at the Naro

**Haven't taken the photo yet, thanks NAVY for having my hubby on watch on my weekly turnover day. Sheesh. Will take tonight.**


Nausea
I have succeeded in making myself nauseous this week by either waiting too long in between eating or being starving and then overeating because I think my stomach can fit as much as it used to when I was starving. Well, back then there wasn't a baby squishing all my innards together. Sheesh.


Lesson - I need to learn to graze, and plan on bringing smaller more plentiful amounts of food to work.


Skin 
Doing ok, if only the sun would come out I think I would feel so much better. Dear Spring, where are you?

Weight/Clothes
After the midwives spoke about huge babies and the mommas that "did it to themselves" I have been striving to eat healthier and stay active. I did my prenatal yoga DVD last night, but it was a little less stretching and a lot more yogaerobics. It was a weird combo, but I will rock it out!


We did have one 0* day this week and A and I took full advantage doing a quickly paced walk through our neighborhood. I love our neighborhood, and wish it would get warmer sooner so I could walk it more!

Cravings/Aversions 
Healthy stuff is still appealing, thank goodness! I have had more salads in the last week or two than I had throughout my whole first trimester. Yay veggies!

Cramps/Pain
Not too much lately, yay!


Sleeping
Difficult. I feel guilty that I am starting to really enjoy when A is on duty and I get the whole bed to myself...with the dog and Snoogle of course. So far those are the nights I wake up 2 or 3 times instead of 6-8.



Mental State
Enjoying being pregnant and spend the days planning a lot of things, but when I get home just want to snuggle on the couch and lay still so I can feel the baby move. 


Also, as I was searching the interwebs for birth stories this week I accidentally stumbled upon an all photo one. When I clicked on it there was a huge picture of the baby fully crowning real up close and personal with my face to the computer screen. 

Thank you Ginny Weasley for conveying my emotions.

Ok, realistically, maybe it was more like this:

Ha. Then I went home and told my husband (irrationally) that that photo made me, "Want to run away, but I can't run away because wherever I run the baby is with me."


And then he laughed. Let's move on.

Heartburn

Tums are my new bedtime snack. That is all.

Nasal Issues

Pretty good actually.

The Girls

I think I may need to invest in some good sleeping bras here shortly. Apparently constricting sports bras are not good for the girls and I will need to upgrade to something allowing a little more flow.

Fetal Movement

Definitely rocking after the workout last night. So fun.

Weird Stuff

Being pregnant is like an automatic icebreaker. It's weird. People chat me up in public all.the.time now. I mean, I like talking to people, so whatevs, and so far it has all been positive - "You're how far along?! Girrrrrl, you look so good!" (thanks random ladies in the checkout line!)

As this progresses I will be interested to see if I get the "You look like you are going to give birth right here and now" a la Katherine Heigel in Knocked Up.

*******

In other news, just for fun, since our BIG ultrasound is next Thursday (!!!) I am going to put up a poll in the sidebar to see who thinks we are having a boy or a girl. Yay! Vote for fun.

Most people are already telling me their preferences, including random people at Walmart at 11pm, but I would like to see some stats.

19 weeks, 2 days along

...and I am alternatively scared out of my mind and seriously so pumped to birth this baby. Good thing birthing classes start soon.

Midwifery Center tour

As I previously blogged about in my midwife appointment summary, our practice has 4 OBGYNs and 4 Midwives {as well as a myriad of nurses, lactation consultants, etc. Bonus! if you give birth in the midwifery, the lactation consultants will see you fo free even after you leave the hospital}.

They all practice together as one large practice at a local hospital. A small part of the practice is referred to as the Midwifery Center. They are revamping their website so check back if you live in Hampton Roads and are looking into information about them.

If you want to give birth in the Midwifery, which includes rooms with queen sized beds and huge jacuzzi tubs, you have to let them know ASAP {they have recently had to put a cap on how many new patients they take in a given due-date month, and they never turn away moms who have given birth there before} and then, so long as you are not high risk, you complete 3 things:

1. Midwifery Center intro and tour
2. One of the three approved childbirth classes in the area
3. A third trimester class put on by the midwives themselves

This week A and I attended out tour. Woot! I was pretty pumped to finally see this place and get a feel for the midwives that I hadn't yet met.

As we followed the crowd to the midwifery {hmmm, look a whole big group of preggos, all arrived at the same time...could it be we are all here for the same reason?} we got our first glance. Now the midwifery is really small, and on the same floor as L&D (the OR is right around the corner should an emergency anything be necessary). As you go down the hallway you enter a clearly different place.

It goes from blue walls that look very hospital-y to a small semi-circle of rooms with bay footprints all over the walls. Either pink or blue, and with names, dates and measurements written below. Here and there you see vines drawn from one foot print to another indicating siblings. So cute!

We all signed in and sat around waiting for the show to begin. Soon, two of the midwives, Blair and Nell, came out in their turquoise scrubs and got the show on the road.

Blair did most of the talking and was both matter-of-fact and hilarious. I loved them both. They spoke a lot about the idea behind the midwifery, the history, etc. Mainly what made me feel comforted is they did not look the other way about some of the stuff we all had heard regarding medication free birthing.

Blair clearly stated, "This is for you if you do not risk out. If you risk out, we will take you around the corner to L&D. We will still handle your birth, but with a little more care. If you risk out, we will not look the other way because you want to be here. We appreciate that, but your baby has it's own path into this world and you need to walk that path."

Love.love.love.

The best thing about a situation like this is I know that these women will not make me feel bad if something happens and I do need to move to L&D. Plus it is literally steps away, and they go.with.you.

Hearts and stars and unicorns forever. I love you people.

Ok so, back to the facts. They only have 3 rooms in the midwifery - the blue room, the pink room, and the small room. The small room is still larger than our bedroom at home, so take that name with a grain of salt.

Each room has a queen sized bed, a huge birthing tub that looks like a freaking hot tub that could fit 6 people comfortably, and a private bathroom with "awesome" showers. That is a quote from Blair. A went into the showers to see how awesome they were and seemed satisfied, so...that's good right?

So far, in their 11 year history, they have never had a patient arrive to labor and find all of the rooms full. But, it varies. As their popularity has grown, they have had to move people to an L&D room for recovery on day 2 (since most insurances cover a two day stay). But, sometimes there is one mom all by herself down there and she can stay in the midwifery center room for the full two days. It just depends.

Also, good to know, if the mom is a second time mom with the birthing center, and she got moved early the first time, they are not moving that momma until she chooses to go home. I love that they value their repeat customers.

The way they can keep this cycle going, of course is that they have put the limit on how many moms they will take at the same timeline of due date. I am frankly surprised at how few moms are taking advantage of this place! Crazy.

A personal takeaway from this conversation for me was eating healthier and being active. They touched on being able to tell who their athletes were when they were pushing.

Ack. Me = kid who spent more time reading than playing, and volunteered to sit out or third base coach when playing little league.

They mentioned, in a totally nice but upfront way, that when a woman spends hours and hours laboring and trying to push out a 10 lb baby, and then they have to stitch that woman up (who has had no pain meds mind you) they secretly think "well honey, you did this to yourself".

TAKEAWAY - stay active and eat healthier for realz. I am an overachiever and will need them to think I did great, not that I was clearly a weak willed woman overindulging in Mexican food who stopped by McDonald's for a milkshake on the way to this very tour. Oy. Uphill battle. (on that note though, this comes today!)

Blair also touched on family, visitors, and people in the room during labor. Her theory and rule is as follows:

• She doesn't care how many people you have in the room, so long as they are there to support you through the labor and be there for you the momma, and they are not just there waiting for a baby. If they are the latter, she will eject them from said room.
• She is aware that everyone will want to see the baby right away, but all the baby cares about for that first hour is bonding with its parents. So, when the baby is born, send the family out to get you food, and then when they come back they can hang with baby while you eat.

Isn't that the best? Love it.

After she chatted for a while, they opened for questions and let us wander around the suite. We chatted with Nell and had a few questions and then we peaced out for some dinner already. This preggo lady was hungry.

19 weeks along

...and I also randomly came across a birth story from the midwifery center. You should read it and laugh if you are into reading birth stories. Like me.