"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!