30 weeks...and all's COOL!

I took the plunge earlier this week and changed OB/GYNs! This was hard for me. As I said in my earlier entry, I didn't want to switch to yet another OB/GYN this late in the game; but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was something I needed to do. I mean this could be my last pregnancy...I'd like to look back with fond memories! ;) His name is Dr. Kuhl (pronounced, I kid you not, Dr. Cool). That's the real rason for the change, I just wanted to say, "I'm seeing Dr. Cool." He came highly recommended by my neighbor, Lisa (but my previous OB/GYN came highly recommended by several girlfriends, too). I met him yesterday for the first time. I can say after one 15 minute session, I feel like I already have more of a rapport with him than after two months with Dr. Jacobs. I guess it's personal preference. I'm a talker--relationship means a lot to me. If anything else, I've learned that about myself through this experience.

Here are the numbers from my 30-week appointment (which is confusing because I hit 31 weeks today--my appointments are on Fridays and my swap-over day is Saturday):

• Blood pressure: 98/64
• Weight gain: Just over 25 pounds so far
• Fundal height: 29 cm
• Baby Girl's heart rate: 163 bpm (he repeated several times, "strong heart beat")
• I guess my blood sugar is normal because they didn't say anything about my glucose test (I meant to ask).

We did talk about what I call my nesting-induced insomnia. I'm having problems getting back to sleep when I wake up in the middle of the night to change position or go to the bathroom. For about 10 days now, I've averaged between 5-6 broken hours a night (and I'm an 8 1/2 hours-a-night sort of gal). I fall asleep no problem--I'm so exhausted, then wake up at 2 or 3 o'clock with my mind racing. I lie in bed for awhile then decide I might as well get up and do something productive--like type on my web log or surf the net for nursery ideas and birth plans. ;) He suggested hot tea, a hot bath, exercise or, if all else fails, Benadryl--you've got to love such a universal drug. His take? It's been around for a long time, if there were going to be side-effects during pregnancy, they would've surfaced by now.

Baby Girl is a mover. I think she's much more "roley" than Nate--Nate kicked me (jab! jab!..."oooh!"). She gurgles around massaging every internal organ (then kicks me). It's about time to start counting this movement, I suppose. I was never very good at that with Nate.

I also mentioned my short stretch of moderate/severe indigestion last week. I think I actually caught this stomach bug that's going around here in SA. I had that in the first trimester, too--terrible stomach cramps that I attributed to pregnancy...until I took my temperature.

Nursery Status:
I knew it would be an undertaking to transform the craft/storage/miscellaneous room into a bonifide nursery. I mean this is where I stash the booty in my life that I neither want to deal with nor have proper storage for. That being said, I'm making slow progress. Jason put the shelves up over break and I've started purging. That's step one. However, it will be a continual growth process. I've decided on a nursery theme--it's mostly a color scheme: black furniture, white walls and pink accents (bedding, valances, baskets, wall art and even the pink shelf from IKEA). I think I labeled the over-all feel "shabby-Parisian-harlequin-chic." Step two, "check!" I picked out the bedding, too. Initially my mom was going to make the crib bedding, but I found a set on clearance for a lot less time (and probably less money) than my mom could have made it for. Plus, I couldn't find the right fabrics. Everything in the stores is pink and brown right now. Mom is going to add some frilly details like ribbons and bows to give it a less sterile feel. Crib bedding: step three complete. Jason primed the crib for it's coat of black paint today. We're holding off on the final coat of paint, however. Apparently, there will be a NO-VOC paint on the market by the end of the month (as opposed to the low-VOC paints out now). For a baby's crib, the paint master at Home Depot couldn't stress the benefits of waiting enough. OK, we'll wait.

As for my cravings? white starches again--cake, donuts or the delicious raspberry scones Jason and I shared last night on "date night;" hot tortillas with butter; cereal; fruit snacks; and cottage cheese with walnuts and tomotoes or strawberries also rank as one of my go-to snacks.

Crazy Side Effects of Pregnancy

I had my 28-week appointment yesterday (but just hit 29 weeks...Fridays seem to work best with our schedule). I've packed on 23 pounds so far. I also got stuck with two needles--one for my glucose test an hour after I drank my orange soda/syrup and one for my RhoGAM (since I'm A-). My time with the OB was still lacking at best. She doesn't seem very personable. If I hadn't already switched doctors half-way through this pregnancy and I wasn't 11 weeks away from D-day, I'd consider doctor shopping (again). I was spoiled with my first pregnancy in Okinawa. "You're not going to have what you had with Ann," Jason reminds me. It's certainly nice having your best friend as your OB-GYN. I remember one night when she called me up at home, "I want to see your baby--come on in tomorrow so we can peek!" Hmmmm....definitely isn't working that way this time around! Ann, if you're out there reading this, expect more phone calls over the next few weeks! :)

On to my crazy pregnancy side-effects:

1) HYPERCOLOR BELLY. Do you remember those Generra Hypercolor T-shirts from the late 80s? That's what my belly looks like. There's a constant, subtle red hue to it at all times. When I place my palms on my belly, they leave white palm prints. I'll try to get a photo. I had hypercolor belly with Nate, too. Great party trick--except I've noticed that many people have no desire to see the naked skin of a pregnant woman's belly. Little bumps can be cute under a shirt, I guess; but, please, no skin. (Here, finally a photo at 36 weeks:)

2) MYSTERIOUS BELLYBAND RASH. I woke up last week with a rash around the belly band. Just tiny red bumps around the protruding parts of my abdomen. It didn't itch any more than my pregnant belly normally itches. It lasted about 4 days, then disappeared as quietly as it arrived.

3) BEAUTIFUL FINGER NAILS (if you catch them at the right time). My finger nails grow super fast, but break easily (perhaps because it's so dry). But when they break, I'm not too upset because they grow so fast--do you see the cycle?

4) SNORING. Between this pregnancy rhinitis (swollen nasal membranes causing congestion) and "cedar fever" (I think my allergies are the worst they've ever been here in San Antonio), I haven't smelled in months. This congestion, fatigue, and perhaps little extra weight has led to a bad case of snoring. It can be so bad that Jason, a light sleeper, has gotten in the habit of sleeping in the guest room on nights I scare the Richter scale. That doesn't bother me, he certainly needs rest for his surgery rotation; but when it's our newborn Baby Girl waking us up in the middle of the night, I certainly hope he realizes it takes TWO to tango! I've tried the Breathe Right Strips, but can't keep them on my nose. I think I pick them off at night.

5) MOMMY METRONOME. That's what I like to call Baby Girl's hiccups. She gets them quite frequently. It's like having a built-in tempo keeper...if I ran marathons or played in a garage band this nuance could perhaps be useful.

I think that about covers the fun side effects of incubating a baby. The Braxton-Hicks contractions (practice for the big day) have subsided--I still get one or two a day, but nothing like the dozens or so I was getting upon our return from Christmas travels. I now make it a point to just sit, put my feet up and drink some peppermint tea throughout the day. I was having some moderate cramping earlier in the week, too. Both times, it happened at around 6:00 pm, after a full day on my feet. My self-treatment was to lie down, apply a heating pad to my lower pelvis and drink some water. The cramps went away after an hour or so. Dr. didn't seem too concerned about it. Baby Girl has also been doing quite an in utero performance these past few days--tumbling, twisting and thrusting in every direction. Maybe I'll sign her up for gymnastics NOW!

I've been having fun wearing the few pieces of "cold weather" maternity clothes that I had hovering in my closet--black cords, light sweaters, thick canvas pants, etc. Julie and Jill sent me home from Minnesota with a few borrowed maternity pieces, so I've had fun putting them in my fashion rotation. When we returned to San Antonio the first week in January, temps were already back in the upper 70s. I was afraid I'd missed my opportunity--that "winter" was gone. I'm not saying I love the current weather--it's mid-to-upper-30s and raining--but I do get to bundle up. Pros & cons.

I've graduated to OB appointments every-two-weeks. Hopefully more frequent appointments will lead to more frequent updates. We'll see. But, until then, I must fold the family laundry--a pregnant lady's work is never done! ;)

Auld Lang Syne

Happy 2008!

This is it! The year that our Baby Girl arrives in this world. In fact, the official date is only 12 weeks away! I'm not ready. That statement covers my mental state (can you ever be ready for those all-night "cry...feed...poop...repeat" marathons?) as well as the physical state of affairs in the Goodwin house (mainly the status of the nursery, big brother's baby book, etc.)

Baby Girl rang in her first New Year snug inside my belly at her Uncle Jeff's house in Minnesota. We made it until midnight playing Trivial Pursuit--watched the ball drop and everything (sans champagne toast, of course--but we did get a kiss from her Daddy!) She also went sledding, ice fishing, curling and, of course, got spoiled by her Minnesota Aunties at the Breyen Christmas celebration--including her first book, "Goodnight Gorilla" from Jill and a precious pink & white baby frame for her new nursery from Ju-ju. Grandma & I spent a few days searching the fabric stores in the Bemidji area for just-the-right-fabric for her crib bedding set. I'm thinking pink & white gingham, but can't find the right shade of pink in the scale I want.

Julie took some awesome maternity photos while we were up there, too. She brought her equipment and set up a quasi-studio in the basement. She got some of Baby Girl & me in a few different outfits, some with me and Jason cracking up at each other, some of Nate kissing his sister inside my belly and some family shots. I'm really happy with the selection. Best of all...we had fun doing it!

I'm about to begin my third trimester (wow! that went fast!) She is an active baby--mainly at 10:00 pm as I hunker down for the night, throughout the night and after meals. I've also been heavy on the Braxton-Hicks contractions the past few days. I'm sure it's from the traveling--go! go! go! and dehydration--it was so dry in Minnesota. I need to just sit, drink fluids and put my feet up...but there's so much to do!

Cravings in Minnesota: Cheetos, sugar cookies with almond frosting, Dad's homemade baked fries with ketchup, apples, clementines, milk, ice cold water (the ice cube trays were very accessible on the deck--they stayed frozen pretty well at 15 degrees below 0!), anything the boys (my dad and hubby) made in the kitchen, and chocolate!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Baby survived the Christmas chaos at the Goodwin home in New Braunfels! It was a full house--she was surrounded by Great-Grandmother & Granddaddy; Granna & Papa; Uncle Todd; Uncle Scott, Aunt Heather, cousin Katie & cousin Skyler; and Mom, Dad & Nate! She made quite a haul, too! My mother-in-law enjoyed looking at cute, frilly baby girl clothes (she's a purple gal). Then she had fun wrapping them and addressing the pretty boxes to her top choices for Baby girl names:
*Jeanie Ranae: Baby's grandmothers (Jason's mom, my mom)
*Jewel Louise: Jason's two grandmothers
*Victoria Lynn: Lynn is my middle name
*Naomi Ruth: a cute Biblical name to match "Nathaniel"
*Callie Rae: Bill's Grandmother & 2 of Baby's great-grandpas
*Melody Faith: Jeanie's girl's name when she was expecting

Baby Girl also received a purple baby blanket that her Granna hand-crocheted and heirloom white silk booties & sandals that her Great, Great-Aunt Ree knit. The inside story is that these were actually passed down from Jason. Jeanie was SURE Jason was a girl--granted she didn't have an ultrasound, but was going off pure instinct. So sure, that she brought a purple dress to the hospital (with said baby blanket) to take "Jason" home in. How many little girls can say they inherited their purple baby layette from their Daddy?! :) (And like my Dad said, "How many Dad's would want that known?!")

I've been in intense nesting mode lately! We decided to put Baby in our "extra" room when she arrives (currently a 10'x11' area serving as a guest room with queen-size bed, craft room and extra-large storage shed!) So, the day after Christmas, Jason and I took a road trip to the IKEA north of Austin (about 90 miles) to help this plan come together. We were looking for some smart shelves to help with this transformation to nursery/craft room. The guests will have to sleep on the futon out on the landing. And this clutter I've been storing? We've been BUSY cleaning & purging! We brought several big boxes of extraneous clutter to Goodwill, several boxes to consignment, a big trash bag of garbage to the curb, etc. (This process is hard for a baby pack rat like me!)

We did find the shelves--two black and a pink shelf. Jason let me buy a PINK shelf! My grand vision is to keep the walls white, use black furniture and splashes of light pink as an accent color (crib bedding, storage boxes on the shelves, lighting, etc.) I think the look I'm going for is shabby-chic-boutique. (I made that up...I'm still not sure what the official label is.) Cute story: while we were putting together the shelves, Jason told Nate we were setting up sister's room. Nate responds, "Not sister's room, it's both our room. We going to share."

All is well with Baby--still kicking her way around my belly. As you can see from the countdown bar, I'm in double digits! Baby will be here before you know it! After our trip to Minnesota for "The Holidays: Part 2;" it's work, work, work! My ultimate goals? To finish the nursery (though we're opting to keep the bed up for a little longer so Jason will have a separate place to get a good night's sleep during his upcoming (and demanding) surgery rotation for the next three months), finish Nate's baby album (I'm half-way through), and start walking more while keeping up with my yoga routine. I think that's doable.

Well, we're leaving on a jet plane Saturday morning for a proper winter in Minnesota. Our bags our packed and we're ready to go. Unfortunately, it's an early morning--7:00 flight, 4:30 wake-up (after a night of celebration for my father-in-law's big 6-0 Birthday Bash)! Arghhh. Now? We just need to make sure the DVD player is charged up for the airplane! Enjoy!

HAPPY 2008!

Ballet in My Belly

Jason and I went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra last night (a combination stringed orchestra, 80's metal band and Christmas concert). It was quite a performance! We were entertained by the sensory overload for more than 2-hours--fire, lasers, deep bass, "snow," twinkling lights, electric-guitar & violin solos (complete with 80s stage antics) and the narrator's story. The fun part was taking Baby Girl! She got into it, too. I'd tap the rockin' rhythms on my belly or hum the carols in my head and she's start dancing inside me (or maybe she was fist-pumpin' and screaming, "Freebird!") She was quite active for 10:00 at night!

They say she's practicing all kinds of moves in there in preparation for life on the outside--including dancing (apparently) and pedaling against my belly, a sort of prewalking skill. As she gets bigger and stronger, the movements are certainly becoming more powerful…and occasionally, even jolting--"Oooh! Wasn't expecting that!".

I'm officially 26 weeks tomorrow (I think). That's two-thirds of the way through this gig! And [key sad violin music] my belly button is starting to make its break toward the outside. Again, They say this is perfectly normal. My growing uterus swells enough to push my abdomen forward, making my navel pop out like a timer on a well-done turkey (even though I have a way to go before Baby is "well done"). This happened with Nate, too. My belly button did revert back to an "innie" a few months after delivery (though it had more of a stretched-out, "lived in" look!)

Tomorrow is Christmas! (Time to go wrap gifts!) To answer a few questions about our Christmas card (the above family photo), it was taken over Thanksgiving. I was 22 weeks pregnant, or so. I hope you all have a wonderful celebration--wherever you are or wherever it takes you. Enjoy the memories you'll make this season! :) Merry Christmas!

Pregnant During the Holidays...blessing or curse?!

So, I had the 24-week OB appointment on Tuesday the 18th (yes, I started this entry before the appointment but didn't get back to it until now). Remember we switched insurance (and therefore OB/GYNs) last month. This is only my second visit with Dr. Jacobs; we're still working on building a rapport, I guess. I was a little frustrated because she answered my 4 questions/concerns with one-word answers or just listened to me talk (in silent non-responses) until I eventually babbled something about what I think the problem is or what my course of action will probably be. Then she'd nod. Hmmmmm. I guess I am experienced, having had one baby and all...

She didn't tell me what the heartrate was, she just said, "strong heart beat." I should've asked, but I was distracted (and maybe she was, too). Jason wanted to meet her (since she's the doctor who will most-likely be bringing our daughter into this world), so we brought Nate to the appointment and made it a family event. He was pretty well-behaved (Nate, that is), but wanted to turn the table light on & off or hide in the dressing room most of the appointment--distracting.

The two things I took away from the appointment is that my next appointment will be longer--more bloodwork & tests AND I've gained 18 pounds. (I'm not obsessing about my weight gain, just keeping track.) That's a few pounds more than I'd like. I'm blaming it my Holiday baking craze for my cookie exchanges, luncheons and Christmas parties--almond-cornflake wreaths, peanut butter blossoms, fantasy fudge, magic bars and the various samples I took home from said parties. Yummy! This leads me to my question. Is it a blessing to be pre-pleasantly plump with Baby during the one-month open Holiday buffet? I think it makes popping that extra cookie easier ("I'm eating for two!"); but, on the other hand, it's harder to stay accountable ("Baby wants just one more cookie, what can it hurt?!") Hence the "few pounds extra."

I'm doing very well physically. I've had no joint pain or nerve pain...yet! I'd love to be doing a little more aerobically (I'm out of breath a little more quickly these days), but the yoga is still keeping me flexible and strong. I was having some intense round ligament pain (when the belly ligaments stretch to accommodate my growing uterus) for a few days, but that's subsided for the time being. She's starting to kick a lot more inside there. I love this phase. "Hey, Mommy! Here's another love tap to let you know I'm here!"

As for cravings--cookies (see above paragraph..."Betcha can't eat just one!"), pickles, lemonade, cereal, crisp apples, crunchy baby carrots, cookies, ice cold water (I am always thirsty), and cookies.

That's life at the 24-week mark (give or take a few days).

The Reaction

Thank you for the great words of advice and congratulations that y'all shared upon the announcement of our Baby Girl arriving in April. My mother-in-law, Jeanie's, reaction was as expected--pure joy! We arrived at the lake house Wednesday evening for the Thanksgiving Holiday. After our greetings J asked, "Nate, what's inside Mommy's belly?" Nate yells, "A SISter!" (high, squeaky emphasis on "sis"). Jeanie was caught off-guard and asked him to say it again. "A sister," he repeated (this time a little hesitantly...like he thought he might've gotten it wrong the first time). It was cute. Nate performed his "trick" perfectly. (We practiced it throughout the 4-hour car trip with mixed results. We initially asked, "Nate are you going to have a brother or a sister?" And he kept answering "brother." I think he thought we were asking are you a brother or a sister?" He seemed quite confused when we corrected him; so we just changed the wording.) Hugs and stories ensued after they realized they were actually going to have a little baby girl in the family after two generations of boys (including the story of Jason's purple newborn dress.) Later that evening, the family watched Baby Girl's ultrasound on DVD--including her tiny heartbeat, a couple of kicks and the finale when she blinks her eyes then sticks out her tongue for the "camera."

And, yes, we do realize that there's the possibility that this "girl" could arrive in this world as a boy (i.e., the ultrasounds could be wrong)! Like I said, there's something about the second technician's confidence and pointing out of the labial folds (instead of just saying, "there's no winky, so it must be a girl") that we feel like putting a little emotional investment in the color pink. If it is a boy, we'll deal with that when God drops it in our lap; but, in that case, we're set! We have blue clothes, plenty o'cars and even a boy's name. We're in a good position!

Here's something fun--let's see what the wives' tales say about the possible sex of our baby:
* The Chinese birth calendar says GIRL (my sister thinks there's really something to this).
* If you're carrying just in front, it's a boy; wide, it's a girl. I'm carrying in front = BOY.
* A heart rate of 140 or higher means a girl; lower, a boy. Her last measurement was in the 150s (but Nate's was always a little higher, too) = GIRL.
* With a boy, you'll crave salty foods and meats; with a girl, you'll want sweets. I craved a lot of cake and donuts during my first-trimester nausea; while with Nate I had an intense craving for salami in the later stages = GIRL.
* If you get hair on your belly, it's a boy. Well, unfortunately, I'm a little fuzzier = BOY.
* Bad morning sickness means you're having a girl. Well, it wasn't bad compared to a lot of my girlfriends' stories, but this pregnancy was worse than with Nate = GIRL.
* If your skin is chapped, it's a boy; if you break out, girl. Arghhhhh...another zit?! GIRL.
* If you prefer to lie on your right side when resting, it's a girl; left, boy. I definitely prefer right (despite the recommendation to lie on your left while pregnant) = GIRL.
* If your hair has reddish highlights, you're having a girl. In fact just today my neighbor said, "your hair is looking more red. Did you color it?" GIRL.
* If you're carrying high it's a girl; low, boy. I've been told several times I'm carrying high and she's definitely is easier to find (higher) on the ultrasound than Nate was = GIRL.

Wow. 80%, huh? Perhaps there is something to these theories!