Welcome to Nine Months. I will be blogging here for
the next nine months about what it is like to be pregnant and take care of a young child!
I have one daughter who was born in January of 2002. Now I am expecting our
second (and final!) child the first week in December 2003.
Friday, October 31, 2003 The Latest (34 Weeks 3 Days)
God bless you women out there who love pregnancy. I know that I have complained about not being a big fan of it here before, but I am going to do it again! Aside from all of the third trimester discomforts, I seemed to have developed some type of sinus issue this week. I am not sick. I just have lots of phlegm for some reason. Perhaps allergies? Maybe it's another one of those pregnancy related things? Who knows. But it's rather disgusting. Right after breakfast this morning, I started gagging because of it. And then, I actually lost my breakfast. I feel like I am in the first trimester all over again. And of course the old back pain is starting. I feel like an old lady. You know the ones that do nothing but complain that this hurts and that hurts. Geez, I hope I'm not like that when I get old!
On a more positive note, I finally got my 55 gallon tank and stand so I can move the turtles out of the baby's room. I got quite a deal! It came with a lighted hood and a cabinet stand for $50! I found it in the Pennysaver ads online. So, now I just need to get a super-duper filter that will let me go months without emptying it. This thing is a monster and it's going to take two people to clean it.
Sunday, October 26, 2003 Getting Nervous And Hating Maternity Clothes (33 Weeks 5 Days)
I feel so close. Close to those horrible contractions, the epidural, the pushing and the healing. I make my palms sweaty with the thoughts of what's to come. It won't be long now. All I have left is November. And the way October flew by, it will be gone in the blink of an eye. It's a little more nerve-wracking this time. Now, I know what to expect. The first time was all hypothetical. I knew it would hurt but now I know just how bad it will. I know that I should stop thinking about it. What's scaring me is that I could go as early as 3 more weeks! Yikes!
Towards the end of my pregnancy with my daughter, I felt good. I never complained that I hoped that it was over soon. I felt healthy and energetic. This time I am tired, exhausted and uncomfortable. I'm ready. I want my body back. (although it won't completely be mine until the baby is done breastfeeding!)
On another note, I have a tip for any of you pregnant moms that are going to be buying maternity clothes soon. You know those cute hip hugger style maternity jeans that places like Motherhood Maternity sell for $34? DON'T BUY THEM! They don't stay up!! I don't know what they were thinking when they invented these jeans other than a pregnant girl could still feel a little in style. I don't know how you are supposed to feel that you are dressed cool when the crotch of your jeans is hanging towards your knees! Even a belt doesn't help much. It's a joke, don't waste your money!
Wednesday, October 22, 2003 No Sleep Again?! (33 Weeks 1 Day)
I really believe that life is preparing me for a newborn. I was sleeping so well up until a few weeks ago. Other than not sleeping well due to discomfort, our motion sensor light was activated in out backyard last night at 2:00 am. As far as I know, that's never happened before. It went out and came back on again a few minutes later. My husband looked outside, but couldn't see anything. It was more than likely an animal that set it off. Even though I am sure that was the case, I couldn't get back to sleep for the longest time. And when I finally did, my daughter wakes up at 6:30 (she always sleeps until 9:30) screaming "more shopping" and "more baby sock". So I went into her room for a minute and explained to her that it was still night time. She laid down, I covered her and everything was fine. I think she may have had a dream and was cold. But, of course I am not going to go back to bed this late in the game! So, here I am...
Saturday, October 18, 2003 Sleepless Nights (32 Weeks 4 Days)
It's starting already...the sleepless nights. I remember this happening to me a few weeks before my daughter was born. I have to get up so many times to use the bathroom and I am just simply uncomfortable when I sleep. There is no comfortable position for an 8 month pregnant woman to sleep in. (or at least I haven't found it yet) I often wake up and my hands are asleep. Sometimes after I get up to empty my bladder, the baby wakes up too and kicks me like crazy when I am trying to get back to sleep. That's what happened this morning. I never get up before 7:30 but this morning at 6:30, I just couldn't go back to sleep. I am actually up before my husband which is rare. It's really a bummer that this happens to me in late pregnancy since I will be getting no sleep after the baby gets here! Oh well, I guess I should just go with it and enjoy this sleepless time as time by myself.
Tuesday, October 14, 2003 Still Hungry... (32 Weeks)
Even though I am gaining more weight this time, I haven't seemed to have the severe hunger that I had the first time I was pregnant. Until recently... Since I have started to be a little more strict about my eating, due to the sudden weight gain and water retention, I have been hungry like a beast! With my first pregnancy, I was very careful with the way that I ate. This time, I tend to be a bit more relaxed about it. And I guess it shows... Since I am supposed to avoid salt and I am trying to avoid sweets, I snack mostly on fruit. Well, fruit does nothing for hunger! It tastes wonderful, but 10 minutes later I am starving again! And what's really tough is that we took our daughter trick-or-treating at our friend's camp and now we have all of this yummy candy sitting around the house!!! Ahh! I better go to my exercise class now and get my mind off of food!
I went to the doctors on Friday and according to their scale, I have gained 5 pounds in 2 weeks. I'm not too thrilled about this but as it turns out, it's actually water that I am retaining. Apparently this is common in pregnancy. This did not happen to me with my first. My ankles are slightly swollen and my socks leave a big imprint on my legs when I take them off. It's quite gross, actually. My blood pressure is and has been good so the doctor was not concerned about it. She just advised me to drink lots of water, try to sit with my feet up often (yeah, try doing that with a 20 months-old around!) and consume less sodium. The last one is a bummer for me. I LOVE salt. If you put a plate of nachos and cheese and a slice of chocolate cake in front of me, I'm going for the nachos!
Monday, October 06, 2003 Bogus Scale (30 Weeks 6 Days)
I don't know why I always step on my in-laws scale every Sunday night when we are there. I really should start avoiding it now. Usually when I do step on it, it's late in the evening after a big meal and after a weekend of pigging out. (I usually let myself eat more junk food on weekends) Well, last night their scale told me that I weighed 7 pounds more than I did at the doctors a week ago!!! How can that be?! And not to mention that the weight that it said I was is a pound heavier than I was when I delivered my daughter...
I feel bigger this time. When I was pregnant with my daughter, not a soul asked me if I was expecting. This time, many strangers have approached me to find out when I am due. I guess they aren't kidding when they say that you get bigger with your second?
I had a dream last night that I was in the hospital delivering the baby. I was in so much pain that I was out of my mind. I think the doctors gave me drugs because I remember feeling out of it. I also remember screaming a lot and getting the epidural. The dream was strange though, I never got to see my baby. I just remember laying there being thankful that it was all over.
Wednesday, October 01, 2003 Fourth Quartermester (30 Weeks 1 Day)
Okay, I know that there is no such thing as a quartermester, but if there was, I am now in it! I feel like I am in the homestretch now and the pressure is on! I still have no turtle aquarium. I have a feeling that I am going to break down and buy one new. My mom doesn't think that there would be a problem with the turtles sharing the room with the baby for a while, but she's never heard them when they start getting rambunctious! Other than that, we are pretty much ready.
I bought a white shirt and some paints for my daughter today. We are going to make a "I'm a Big Sister" shirt for her to wear to the hospital. I want to prepare her as much as I can prepare a 20 month-old. We have all the story books about new babies. There is a newborn that comes to the gym that I take her to. She just loves him. I think that she'll be okay with it. She also has five baby dolls that all have names and she likes to drag them around everywhere. I wanted to take her to a siblings class, which helps prepare children for the arrival of a new sibling, but the hospital having it said that it was for 2-1/2 year olds and up. We talk about the baby all the time. She'll even kiss my belly and tell the baby that she loves him/her.
My belly seems to be changing lately. It almost looks as though it has dropped, or just got bigger out front. I started dropping with my daughter around 32 weeks and I delivered her when I was 37 weeks. I wonder if this one will come a little early too? I have a heart shaped uterus and from what I have read about it on the internet, it is common to deliver earlier since the uterus cannot grow as well. I have a feeling that I will be expecting to go early again and that isn't going to happen. Then I'll be sitting around wondering every day from 37 weeks on if it's ever going to happen!
I had a doctor's appointment on Friday. I have gained 22 pounds since my first visit. I'm pretty happy with that. I started to feel a bit panicky in the doctor's office while I was waiting for him to come in. It won't be long before they start examining me on these visits! In fact, I already start going every two weeks for visits now!
