"Nursery" progress!

We finally got a chance to put together the crib and dresser/changer over the weekend! And can I just say how much I love them? They're much nicer in person than they looked from the website, and the quality seems great. I didn't know that the crib had a drop-side AND teething guards, although now I see that both are listed right in the online description. I had also forgotten that we ordered them in the cherry color, which is very pretty in person and matches our bed almost perfectly. We've had them for almost 2 months but hadn't even opened the boxes, so these were all nice surprises. Here are some photos:

Kailen being silly:

















Pitsie checking out construction progress:


Pretty toile drawer liners I added (really just a roll of nice wrapping paper attached to the drawer bottoms with spray adhesive):


























Putting the last drawer in place and the last screw on the crib:














Voila! The finished product:

Just an FYI...

..."Hi, chubby" is NOT the proper way to greet a pregnant woman (or anyone for that matter)! I don't think I look particularly chubby these days, and if I did, said chubbiness certainly wouldn't be up for discussion or OK to comment on. I don't get why some people think it's okay to openly pass judgment on pregnant women's sizes when they most certainly wouldn't say the same things to a non-pregnant person. And equating pregnancy with obesity? I really don't get that one.

In fact, this is probably the first time in my entire life that I haven't had any negative body image issues to deal with. I'm amazed at what my body is doing, all on its own - building a whole human being, from scratch! When I'm out and about and I see another pregnant woman, I grin and think to myself "you are AMAZING!"

I have so much respect for my body right now that there's simply no place for self consciousness. When I look in the mirror I feel nothing but a sense of awe!

Goodbye back pain!

I had two appointments with a chiropractor this week and for the first time in recent memory, I woke up without ANY back pain over the weekend! Hopefully it will last, but if not, now I know what to do - go see Dr. Moss! I was her last appointment today, and apparently she just loves giving massages so she kept me an hour longer than my actual appointment time and, after a few minutes of adjusting my sacrum which has been pulled way out of alignment, gave me the most amazing massage I've ever had. It was wonderful. Thank you Dr. Moss! She also told me that she plans to give me another massage as close as possible to my due date, and that if I'm interested, she can do a few tricks to help my labor start.

On a not-so-good note, I failed my 1-hour glucose test by 3 points so now I need to have the 3-hour test to rule out gestational diabetes. I'm sure I don't have GD and that failing the test was due to what I had eaten beforehand (an apple and a grapefruit), so it's a bummer to have to go back. Especially since the 3-hour test involves having my blood drawn 4 times in 3 hours.

Here I am at 29 weeks:



















And as for baby Zokay:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

28 weeks

Just a quick update this time. At yoga this week our regular instructor (who is also a doula) was away at a birth so we had a substitute. It was Mireille, OUR doula! That was a nice surprise. She has a midwifery conference in mid-March and may not be able to be with us if I go overdue but she has arranged a great backup doula for us. I feel that we are in very good hands with Mireille. We start our 9-week Bradley Method childbirth prep class this Monday. Things are moving right along!

Here's me at 28 weeks:





















And according to babycenter.com:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

3 months to go

Somehow I seem to have crossed into the 3rd trimester today while I wasn't paying attention. How the heck did that happen? On Monday I'll have exactly 3 months left until I bring our baby into the world (if she's on time, that is). Of course I can't wait to meet her and hold her and see what she looks like, but I know that these last 3 months will fly by and then the entire thing will be just a blur behind me. It's been a fun ride so far. Her movements are so strong now that they can be seen easily from the outside, and she must be getting pretty big because I can feel them on opposite sides of my belly simultaneously. She's also started waking me up at night with her kicks and punches. I guess she's trying to train me me for all those midnight feedings and diaper changes I have to look forward to.

Here's me at 27 weeks:





















And according to babycenter.com:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Cooking with Grandma-to-be

I came across a couple belly shots while uploading photos Kailen took of my mom and me cooking for Thanksgiving last Thursday. I think these are kinda cute even though they're blurry:

Narrowly escaped karma slap

After my last post, my awesome (if slightly twisted) friend Shenoa sent me the following email:

"Baby Zokay?"














Here is the conversation that followed:

Me: Aaaaaaaahhhh!

Shenoa: It was kinda scary, wasn't it? ;)

Me: Just a little bit! I sure hope the real deal is cuter than that...otherwise we may have to leave it on the mountaintop like the Spartans did...now I feel guilty for saying that, and am afraid I will be damned with a non-cute child as punishment.

Shenoa: Don't worry about it, you'd only get a karma slap if you really believed it!

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Even if our child IS born looking just like a hairy rutabaga with a face I'll still love it. Of course, I'd rather it be born looking more like an adorable - or at least human - baby.

The good news is that at 26 weeks, the hairy rutabaga comparison is a thing of the past and we are now squarely within the territory of a different and more attractive vegetable. According to babycenter.com:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of herlungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.












Unfortunately I was too busy gorging myself on Thanksgiving goodies to take a belly picture this week, but you can rest assured that it has grown. Whether it's because of all of the gorging or because of the baby growing is yet to be determined. I can tell you one thing though, Thanksgiving is a dream come true for a ravenous pregnant woman!

Kicky McKickerson, AKA an average rutabaga

I've been trying to post updates every Friday but last week I was at a conference all day so I didn't get a chance. I never got around to taking a belly pic anyway. But I'm officially back in business this week! I had my 24 week appointment on Tuesday (from here until 32 weeks I'll go in every 4 weeks, then every 2 weeks) and got to hear the heartbeat for the first time since my 13 week appointment. I could never get sick of that sweet little "whoosh-whoosh" sound. While we were listening, baby ZoKay kicked the doppler! It made a loud noise and made my OB and I both laugh. That reminded me that she can definitely hear outside sounds now, and that Kailen and I should start talking to her. I've been feeling LOTS of kicks this week, which has been really fun and has spawned my new nickname for the baby, Kicky McKickerson.

On the not-so-good side, I've been having a lot of pain in the back of my hips...I think it's from sleeping on my side, which I am not used to doing. I'm probably just going to get more uncomfortable from here on out, but the reward will be worth it. To try to help with the pain, I tried a new prenatal yoga class with my friend Nazy on Wednesday at the place where Kailen and I will be taking our birth prep course starting next month. It was wonderful being in that cozy little room surrounded by beautiful pregnant women. At one point near the end of the class, the instructor mentioned something about how amazing it was that there were 19 people in the room, but that we could only see 10. Something about that made me get all choked up. I forget sometimes that I'm carrying around a whole, brand new human being - just a little one!

So here's me at 25 weeks:




















And according to Babycenter.com:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Major pregnancy milestone

Today I got my first comment from a stranger. It was really sweet, so I thought I'd share. I stopped by Zanotto's (nice little grocery store near my office) to grab a sandwich for lunch, and as I was getting ready to pay for my stuff the man at the checkout counter asked how we were doing. I thought he was referring to me and the lady who was bagging the groceries and was confused at first, but then he clarified and said "no, I mean the two of YOU!" I told him that "we" were both doing just fine, and that he was the first person to mention it who didn't already know. He said his daughter was also having a baby and asked when I'm due. Apparently she's due a couple of weeks after me. Then he said "well you look great, keep up the good work!" It totally made my day. Thanks, nice Zanotto's checkout guy!

Feeling prepared thanks to Sarah and Jeff!

So last weekend Sarah and Jeff and their cute little brood came to visit us for lunch, and brought us a literal vanload of baby stuff including a swing, co-sleeper, snap-n-go stroller and a big bin of receiving blankets, clothes, etc. And that was only what they had for us that would fit into the first load! I feel very lucky to have friends like them, and am feeling very spoiled right now. Thanks Sarah and Jeff...you're awesome!

We also picked up our crib and dresser/changer, and over the week the monitor, crib mattress and pad that we ordered were delivered. It feels really good to have so many items checked off our list, even though we aren't planning to start setting them up just yet.

Kailen also felt the baby move for the first time this week during yet another episode of hiccups. It was a sweet, memorable moment for this li'l family-to-be.

All in all, it's been a pretty good week. Not the least of this was, of course, watching the election coverage on Tuesday night. It felt like Christmas, only WAY better. I've been very emotional and anxious about the election and I'm so glad it turned out the way that it did. The world feels like a better place now, one that I feel more comfortable bringing a new life into. Of course due to the passing of Prop. 8 there are still plenty of reminders that the world remains a very unfair place and that people can be very ugly. But I feel confident that this was just a temporary setback...

On a lighter note, apparently baby ZoKay is now being compared to fruits and veggies in terms of weight, not length (so why continue to include the quarter? I'm just sayin'):












According to Babycenter.com:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

And here's me at 23 weeks, back-rolls and all!

22 weeks and hiccuping right along

We're back from Oregon with our new (to us) car! We had a great time, but I wish we could have seen a few more friends and spent more time with the ones we did get to see. Even though the drive home was ridiculously long, it was the most comfortable I've ever been on such a long trip. Here are a couple of pictures of our new ride:

In other news, we ordered our crib and dresser/changer last weekend and they've already arrived at the store...sweet! The future occupant of said crib is now kicking her mommy a lot and as far as I can tell, has had hiccups for the past two nights. It feels funny, like a little jolt in my belly every few seconds. She seems to get them right after I eat dinner.

Here's my belly photo for the week. Getting bigger and bigger!

And according to Babycenter.com:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

21 weeks and we're off to Oregon!

We're flying to Portland in a few hours for a whirlwind weekend visit. We'll be driving back on Sunday since Popi has generously agreed to let us use his car while he's overseas. Said car just happens to be a red BMW 5 series station wagon - hello new styley mommy-mobile!

I can't wait to see everyone again! Garrett and Robin are picking us up at the airport and taking us out to dinner, and then we're going to Adeline's pumpkin carving party. Tomorrow we'll have breakfast in Portland with Todd, Megan, Halen and baby-#2-to-be, and then going to Eugene to spend the night at Marisa's place with her, my mom and Madylan. And possibly even Irene! Then Sunday morning we'll hit the road after breakfast, and hopefully get home early enough to get a decent night's sleep before we start the week all over again. Should be a lot of fun, but I fully expect it to be an exhausting weekend.

In case you're wondering, baby ZoKay (as Kailen's niece and nephew, Shasta and Jevria, have dubbed the baby) is now as long as a carrot and weighs in at around 3/4 of a pound.












According to Babycenter.com:

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better.

Here's what that carrot translates to:

Halfway there! Where did the time go?

Today marks the halfway point! I'm 20 weeks exactly, and feeling sentimental about it. It's hard to believe that half of this pregnancy is already behind me. I wish I could stop time so that I could enjoy being pregnant forever. I always thought I'd be one of those women who just LOVES being pregnant...like it's how they were always meant to be, and once they are, they are truly in their element. While it's been different from what I expected, for the most part I do feel like one of those women. Yes, there are random aches and pains and weird annoying symptoms like round ligament pain and ever-present nasal congestion, but I wouldn't trade this feeling - that I am creating a new life inside my own body, that I can now feel moving around - for anything. Granted, my pregnancy has been really easy so far and I know I've been incredibly lucky in that respect. I'm not sure I would feel the same way if I was dealing with crippling nausea 24 hours/day.

Here's the belly as of yesterday morning:
















And according to Babycenter.com:











Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against her torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of her head to her bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, she's measured from head to toe.) She's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in her first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

19 weeks today, and happy birthday to me!

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom - about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Excuse me, but "pickling"? Couldn't they have come up with a better term than that?

Last night I went to my first prenatal yoga class with Stephanie and Nazy. It was great, though it reminded me of how out of shape I am. The three of us are going to try to go every week. It will be fun watching our bellies grow throughout the course of the class!

Speaking of bellies, here's mine as of yesterday morning. Getting a little rounder, and helloooo back flab. All for a good cause though I suppose...

















Today also happens to be my 31st birthday. It occurred to me that this is my last birthday ever without kids. Which means it's also my last birthday ever that matters at all, since it's all about the kids after they arrive. I'm not too concerned though. I can't wait for those sweet little kid-made birthday presents. Glitter-sprinkled macaroni glued onto construction paper, a lopsided something molded out of clay...that will be the best!

Feeling movement

I started feeling actual kicks a couple of days ago. I've been feeling flutters here and there for a few weeks now, but wasn't 100% convinced that it was the baby and not just...um, digestion. Also, this morning I felt her kick from the outside for the first time! I felt a couple of stronger kicks, and put my hand where they were coming from. Sure enough, a couple of seconds later I felt a tiny little tap on my hand! I wasn't expecting this to happen for at least another month, so it's very exciting. I can't wait until K can feel her...it probably won't be long now.

According to Babycenter.com:











Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin, and her ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from her head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Did I just pop?

UPDATE: Here is a photo taken this morning. I think I popped since the last one!

Big ultrasound! It's a...

We had our "big" ultrasound appointment yesterday, and everything is moving along right on schedule. We got lots of great pictures, and we found out that "it" is now officially a "she"...that's right, we're having a GIRL! A very long-legged girl, apparently. She takes after her daddy already. Here are some pics from the appointment:

In this one, she's curled up with her knees up by her face, with her little hand behind her knees. Our kitties do this exact pose all the time when they're sleeping!


Here's a straight-on one of her face, with her elbow up above. I think her hands are both behind her head. Chillaxin' to the max!


And now for one of the goods!


And finally, here's me as of two weeks ago (why can't I ever seem to have more recent pictures lying around?)


They bumped my due date up by two days based on the new measurements, so mark your calendars for March 6th! I'm starting to feel a few kicks here and there, which is just amazing. I can't wait until the movement is more regular. More updates to come!

In case you haven't heard...

...we're having a baby! I'm almost 14 weeks along, already into the 2nd trimester and I can't believe how quickly the time is passing. If all goes according to schedule we'll get to meet the little one on March 8, 2009.

Today was our NT (Nuchal Translucency) Scan, where they take a measurement from the back of the baby's neck and based on that, give you your odds of Downs and a couple of other genetic issues. It went great! Best of all, they were able to give us a DVD of the entire procedure! So if you'd like to check out our little bebe-to-be in action, I posted part of it on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFuz-acV3B4

Here is me as of 2 weeks ago. A baby bump or just the usual belly flab? I'm undecided.



More updates as they come!