Twenty-seven Weeks

 
This week: Wolverine Baby is 14 1/2 inches long and weighs 2 pounds. The two size charts I looked at said this was the size of a rutabaga or a head of cauliflower.  I'd like to point out that these were the veggies of reference a couple of weeks ago, so maybe it's later in the season and we're getting bigger vegetables???

Development: This week, she is sleeping and waking at regular intervals (and based on her movements, I'd agree with this statement).  More brain tissue is developing, so her brain is very active.  Her lungs are still not fully developed, but they could function with medical help if she were to arrive today.

Are you craving anything? At this very moment, chocolate milk.  But the little store on the Lower Level closed at three, so I'm out of luck.

Is there any food that turns you off? Wings.

How do you feel? Uncomfortable.

How is your sleep? Pretty good in spite of the fact that I have a hard time rolling from one side to the other.

Most surprising thing you've noticed or experienced:  Last night, I was lying on my back.  I attempted to sit up using only my abdominal muscles (instead of the much-less-graceful moves I've been using to get out of bed or off the couch, which usually just involves rolling off the side).  When I engaged my abs, my stomach took on the most bizarre shape I've ever seen.  Here's a very scientific drawing of what I saw from my point of view:

 

It was so completely weird that I called Ray over and made him watch.  I asked, "WHAT IS THAT?!?!" And he suggested it was Wolverina.  I explained that she was moving off to the side, so it couldn't be her.  I'm sure it has to do with my abdominal muscles stretching and moving to accommodate the pregnancy, but that is so weird-looking! 

Something you're surprised you haven't noticed or experienced: Nope.

Favorite/most comfortable article of clothing: A Gap Maternity tee shirt.

How is Ray doing? He's worn out from working long hours because of Tropical Storm Debby, and he's worried about what the storm will have done to the scallops this year.  Other than that, he's great.

Twenty-six Weeks

This week: Wolverine Baby is fourteen inches long and weighs 1.67 pounds.  That's about the size of an English hothouse cucumber or the weight of a head of lettuce. (By the way, I had no idea what an English hothouse cucumber was, and neither did Ray.  He remarked, "She's getting into vegetables we don't know!")

Development: This week, she's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is good practice for her breathing when she's born.  Her immune system is starting to develop as she soaks up antibodies from me, and her eyes are starting to form.  She'll start opening them soon.

Are you craving anything? I really wanted protein this morning.

Is there any food that turns you off? Not today.

How do you feel? Really tired and very sore.  My hips and lower back ache pretty much all the time now; my movements are far less than graceful; and my feet and ankles are now slightly swollen by the end of the day.  Yesterday in the gym, I realized I wasn't able to do any sort of movement that really contracted my abdomen without having some pain.  This was really frustrating, but I'm going to reach out to other CrossFit Moms and see what they did to work out abs as they started to get larger.

How is your sleep? It's okay.  I feel like I have to do a three-point turn to roll over, but I am getting decent sleep, so that's nice.

Most surprising thing you've noticed or experienced:  When I got home from prenatal yoga Monday night, Ray was on the phone with his Aunt Donna.  He was telling her how the pregnancy is progressing, and he said, "She's really starting to get big."  I found myself smiling at this, and that was completely surprising.  I've really struggled with having zero control over my body since getting pregnant, so I think I expected to be hurt or angered by that kind of statement.  However, Ray said it with a smile and excitement, so I think it felt like an exciting thing than a criticism, so maybe that's why I was okay with it?

Something you're surprised you haven't noticed or experienced: Based on how giant I've been feeling these days, I'm surprised I haven't found five million stretch marks.

Favorite/most comfortable article of clothing: A Gap Maternity tee shirt.

How is Ray doing? Excellent.  There are not words to describe how grateful I am to have him here.

Twenty-five Weeks

This week: Wolverine Baby is thirteen and a half inches long and weighs a pound and a half.  That's about the size of a rutabaga or a head of cauliflower.

Development: This week, she's starting to put on more weight so she's not so long and skinny, and her hair is really starting to grow.  If we could see inside, we'd be able to discern both the color and texture of her hair.  (Because I'm a crazy pregnant woman, I am convinced that she has dark brown, very fine hair.  I have no idea why I think this.)  Additionally, with her newly developed sense of equilibrium, she can tell which way is up and which way is down. 

Are you craving anything? Not really.

Is there any food that turns you off? Not today.

How do you feel? Pretty good, but I did observe this weekend that getting out of chairs/sofas is much more challenging than it used to be.

How is your sleep? Thanks to Benadryl last night, I got great sleep.  The night before was awful because she was somewhere/somehow on my right hip, and it hurt a lot.  I tossed and turned for hours, and poor Ray didn't get any sleep either.

Most surprising thing you've noticed or experienced:  Seeing her move was super surprising.

Something you're surprised you haven't noticed or experienced: Not that I can think of

Favorite/most comfortable article of clothing: Whatever doesn't cut into my stomach.

How is Ray doing? He is phenomenal.  He's really stepped up in terms of making the decisions on nursery furniture when I couldn't decide what was best, and he has been incredibly patient and calm.  

What is Wrong with Children's Programming??

This morning, my friend Katherine was discussing children's music and programming with me while we were eating breakfast.  Katherine's boyfriend has a nine-year-old daughter, so Katherine is getting a lot of exposure to both children's music and programming these days.   She was expressing her frustration with both, and shared examples with me.

First, she sent me this song, which apparently plays on a Sirius children's music channel frequently:

36 seconds, people.  That's all I could take of this.  Perhaps I am jaded about children's music because as a child, I learned lots of songs about passing gas (and killing people with it) from Aunt Betsy.  Maybe those songs about passing terrible smelling gas makes me less tolerant of songs where monsters are having identity crises.  But, seriously, why is this monster song on the radio?  And they made a whole video for it?  I can handle some of Hannah Montana's music (see "Hoedown Throwdown," thanks to Rachel, June, and Allison at cheer camp/practice), and I've seen all three "High School Musical" movies and was able to get through them (thank you, June and Allison on the Junior Trip) without once wanting to hurt myself or others.  The songs from these things, while terribly cheesy, are tolerable.  They tend to be catchy and maybe not necessarily deep, but far better than "I think I'm a bunny."

Then Katherine sent me this from "Yo Gabba Gabba."

I was able to make it all the way through this video, but it still made me feel like hurting someone.  I get that it's supposed to get children to want to eat healthy foods.  But why do I feel like the characters in this show might all be on crystal meth?  Sure, Snuffleupagus might have been on some downers, but at least he was relaxed.  Who wants to get their kid all jacked up from watching a show about eating good foods?  I feel like Wolverina would watch this and then run into the kitchen screaming, dancing, and waving her arms around while asking me for some carrots.

Of the current children's programming out there, I think I can handle "Blue's Clues" and "Dora the Explorer" fairly well.  As much as I hated watching Barney when I babysat Rachel, I find him preferable to these Yo Gabba Gabba creatures.

To make myself feel better and to remind myself that there is good children's programming available (even if it's just on youtube), I went and found this video from my childhood:

While I think Grover and the rest of his Sesame Street pals may have, indeed, been on some drugs, I think they're far better drugs than the bath salts today's characters are clearly snorting.

One last video to share.  Adrianne, who sadly is a big fan of "Yo Gabba Gabba" and is therefore proof that childbirth ruins your judgement in quality children's programming, sent me this Mr. Rogers remix. 

Mr Rogers + Autotune?  How could it be wrong?

Major Changes

This weekend, there were some major changes/developments in the pregnancy.

First, I noticed that I'm starting to have some serious limitations and discomfort.  I can no longer bend at the waist to pick something up off the floor like I used to.  My stomach simply doesn't allow for that anymore - it's in the way.  This was such a weird thing to realize.  With the exception of when I was dealing my back injury, I've never had a problem bending over.  Now, to have some part of my body that stops me from being able to move as I've moved for the past 31 years because it's too large is just odd.  Also, I'm starting to have some low back pain.  Sometimes, it's just an aching in my lower spine.  Other times, my hip joints hurt.  I know this is to be expected, but it really all seemed to happen overnight.  I went from just being sort of generally uncomfortable to having serious aches.  When I find a position that's comfortable for my back, my hips start to ache or Wolverina doesn't seem to have enough room, so she starts kicking me to get me to change positions.

The second major development this weekend is that I can now see Wolverina move.  For the past several weeks, I've been able to see my stomach move when she gave a good kick.  But last night, I looked down at my stomach and noticed that the right side was protruding more than the left.  I thought, "Hmm, that's different."  And then I watched her move to the left side!  I couldn't actually see any part of her (I've had several friends and family members talk about seeing feet and hands and whatnot), but I watched the lump move to the left side.  A little while later, I felt a pressure under my left breast, so I kind of pushed on it some, trying to massage out whatever the problem was.  Um, it wasn't a problem.  It was Wolverina.  I watched my her move from high on my left side to a lower, more central location.  This was simultaneously the most awesome and most bizarre pregnancy experience I've had so far.  It is so amazing to watch your child move around inside you, but it is also so strange to watch that and realize that there's something alive in your body!

Twenty-four Weeks (Six Months!)

This week: Wolverine Baby is a foot long (so about the length of a nice ear of corn) and has gained four ounces since last week.

Development: Her taste buds are continuing to develop, and her skin is continuing to become more opaque.  Her lungs are developing also, and cells that produce surfactant (a substance that will help air sacs in her lungs inflate when she arrives) are forming.

Are you craving anything? Oreos right now, but I really wanted protein after the gym last night, so I ate a ton of cheese.

Is there any food that turns you off? Not today.

How do you feel? Mostly good.  Although, I have noticed that the joints in my lower back are starting to ache at the end of the days, now.  And last night, my hips were aching.  I'm sure this is normal, but it's not comfortable at all.

How is your sleep? As long as I can get comfortable, I sleep well.  But there have been a couple of nights recently where it's been hard to find a comfortable position.  I'm concerned this is only going to become more frequent.

Most surprising thing you've noticed or experienced:  Wolverina finally (finally!!) decided to allow Ray to feel her having her dance party Monday night.  He was able to feel three really good kicks.  I think he might have been a little surprised at how strong they were.  The little bit she's cooperated before were only tiny kicks.  It's been several weeks since he's been able to feel her, and she's kicking hard enough now that I can see it pretty much all the time.

Something you're surprised you haven't noticed or experienced: Not that I can think of

Favorite/most comfortable article of clothing: I got some new clothes (including a pair of shorts!) this weekend in Jacksonville, so I'm feeling a little better about my wardrobe.  But I still don't really have a favorite thing to wear.  I mainly feel huge in pretty much everything I wear.

How is Ray doing? He is great.  He's been reading a book on babies that our friends Austin and Katrina gave us, and he's educating me about what he's learning.  It's a strange situation when your husband knows more about breastfeeding than you do... :)

Prenatal Yoga

I had just started taking hot yoga when I found out I was pregnant.  I really enjoyed the instructor, Jeff at Quest Yoga, and the challenge of the hot class.  The hot class offered the good things about traditional flow yoga but was more difficult because of the heat.  While I cannot imagine ever giving up CrossFit to do yoga as my primary mode of exercise, I have found that yoga gives me something CrossFit does not: forced meditation and forced stretching.  CrossFit certainly allows me to push myself physically and mentally (your body is capable of so much more than you realize), but it doesn't allow me to ever just be still and clear my mind.  It's too frenetic.  And while we're all supposed to stretch pre- and post-WOD, let's just be honest here.  Most of us don't.  Furthermore, if we do stretch, it's usually only because it's written on the whiteboard as a mobility WOD.  So I was disappointed when I realized I couldn't do hot yoga while pregnant.  The regular yoga classes didn't fit in with my schedule during Session, so when Katherine let me know that Quest was starting a prenatal class, I was happy to sign up.

I missed the first class because I was too nauseated to go anywhere.  My first experience at prenatal yoga was the group's second meeting, and I have to say that it was not like any other yoga class I'd ever experienced.  For starters, our instructor that was technically the assistant instructor because the main teacher wasn't able to get there on time (something about keys to another studio?).  So the assistant instructor introduced herself (she's a doula with five kids that she home-schools, bless her heart) and told us her goal for that night's class (abdominal stretching).  As she started to lead us through the practice, she confessed that she didn't know how to use her iPod (so a student went and got the music started) and then confessed that she didn't know all the names of the poses.  I thought this was a little strange, but figured I'd just go with it.  To make a long story shorter, I will just list the oddities of this class:

• We began with "ohms."  I have never actually had to "ohm" at a yoga class.  Ever.  But that's how we began our class.  It was awkward because there were only the four students and the instructor, but I managed to get through them without giggling.
• We did some very basic poses (Warrior 2, child's pose, the easiest version of triangle, cat, cow, etc), but we also spent a lot of time in corpse pose.  I definitely didn't feel like I was doing much abdominal stretching.  
• After going through the series of poses, she then told us that we were at the part of the class she was looking forward to the most.  And then she launched into an explanation of her philosophy of self-healing and the power of energy healing.  I'm not one to judge.  If this woman believes in those things, and they help her, that is fantastic.  But as someone who has had a massage therapist try the Quantum Touch method on me after a car accident, I have to say that it's not for me.  Anyway, because she was such a believer in those things, she wanted to share with us the:
• Mayan Abdominal Massage.  I have tried very hard to find a youtube video of this, but I can't find one that's what we did.  But here's her explanation... If your uterus is out of alignment (which can be the result of strenuous exercise), you can do this massage every night for 30 days, and it will realign your uterus.  You can do it lying on your back or standing, so do whatever works for you.  Essentially, there are six points (sternum, left upper rib cage, left hip, pubic bone, right hip, and right upper rib cage) on your body that you will use as starting points, moving clockwise around your body.  You will move the energy from each of those points to your belly button on the exhale of three consecutive breaths.  So, starting at the sternum, inhale deeply, and on the exhale, use your fingers to move the energy from your sternum to your belly button.  Repeat twice.  And then continue on around the circle.  30 days later, your uterus will be all aligned, YAY!
• She closed the class by asking us to join her in song.  We were going to sing "May the Long Time Sun Shine Upon You" three times: once to ourselves, once to our babies, and once to our community.  I don't know if any of the other students had heard this song before, but they abstained from joining in.  I didn't know the words and was trying so hard not to die laughing that I didn't trust myself to even try to sing along with her.

Needless to say, the lack of any challenge in the poses and the fact that I spent a lot of the class wondering if I was trapped in this SNL sketch, I didn't get what I was looking for.  Truly, it was the most bizarre yoga class I'd ever attended, and I realized that if my first experience with yoga was that class, I'd probably never return.  But I decided to go to one more class to see if there was anything I felt like I could glean from it.

Last night's class was run by the lead instructor, but there were still only four students.  However, this class was much more challenging.  The poses, while still pretty basic, were held longer and were given with more modifications so we could really get the most out of the pose.  There were no ohms, no Mayan massage, and no songs.  There were some affirmations ("I believe in birth," "My baby will come at the right time," and "I trust nature"), but nothing else out of the ordinary.

I left feeling very relaxed and with the realization that I need to do more stretching.  Also, I realized that everything is harder now.  I'll be six months pregnant tomorrow, so my stomach is really starting to stick out.  Between the weight that I've gained and the fact that my stomach protrudes significantly now, everything, even the most basic squat, is much more difficult than it used to be.

Based on what we did last night, I plan to continue going to the classes.  I'm just hoping for more classes like that one and fewer like the one led by the assistant. Namaste!

Registry Adventures

This past weekend, we finally registered for items for Wolverine Baby.  Ray and I are both planners, so we did extensive research before registering, and I think that was helpful in a lot of ways.  We looked up the big items like the stroller and car seat on www.consumerreports.com, and we solicited advice from our friends who've had kids recently.  Honestly, the most useful advice we got was from friends who not only told us what they thought we should get but also included their own review of items they'd received.

Just sitting down to go over what we needed for the baby was kind of overwhelming to me.  How can something so tiny need so much stuff?  I guess you could say that she doesn't need that much stuff.  All she really needs is a place to sleep, a car seat so the hospital will let us bring her home, and diapers.  But in trying to come up with a list of items we should get her, I got overwhelmed on more than one occasion and pulled a Scarlett O'Hara.  I have dreamed several times that Wolverine arrived and expressed her disappointment that we were so woefully unprepared for her.  (I frequently dream that she has arrived with a full set of teeth and the ability to talk to us as if she is already an adult - pregnancy dreams are bizarre!) 

Ray, on the other hand, seemed to be much more comfortable with process.  He informed me one night that he intended to be the commanding officer of the baby registry, and I was to act as his NCO.  When I asked for clarification about what exactly that meant, he said, "I'll come up with the master plan, and you'll be the NCO who executes the plan perfectly."

So, after compiling a list of things we needed to register for, we headed to Babies R Us.  Let me tell you, those people take registering for a baby very seriously.  They have a special desk set up, and they wanted all sorts of information (including whether or not this was our first child and if we were adopting).  After what felt like a twenty-minute interview, they handed us a registry gun and sent us to the back of the store where the larger items are. 

As we worked our way to the front, we divided up the labor.  I had the checklist, and he had the gun.  On the car accessory aisle, I noted that we needed some sort of snuggler head cushion thing for when Wolverine is still an infant.  So we began looking at those, and all of the sudden, Ray exclaimed, "The Snuzzler!  We have to get that!  That name is awesome!"  And that's pretty much how we worked through every aisle.  We did have occasional discussions about which sheets were softest or which diaper genie we should go with, but for the most part, I called out items we needed, and Ray selected the version he liked and scanned it.  I noticed, though, as we progressed through the store, that he consistently picked out very pink, very girly things.  This really sort of surprised me.  Ray is a good guy, and I have no doubt that he will be nothing short of fantastic as a father.  But he doesn't really do pink or girly.  He even said we "need pink washcloths" so that he didn't mix them up with the white ones he uses for the boat.  Truly, the only item he insisted be unisex was the diaper bag.  He said emphatically, "I don't want it to look like a woman's purse." That seems like a reasonable request to me!

When we got to the wall of bottles, I stood there for about 30 seconds just staring and then finally said, "I cannot do this.  I have no idea what kind of bottle to get.  We'll have to come back to this."  I realized then that none of our friends had offered advice about what kind of bottles to use.  (And when I consulted three of them later, I got three different answers, so I'm no closer to knowing now...)

We registered at Target a couple of days later, and that was a totally different experience.  They sent us over to the registry computers where we entered our data quickly and then took the proof of registry to the customer service desk.  They handed us a gun with the simple instruction of "scan the barcode on the product, not on the shelf!"

At Target, we filled in what we had missed at BRU without any major problems.  Ray did get a little frustrated because their gun didn't work as well as he wanted, but we managed to get it worked out.  There was really only one moment that we (okay, I) struggled.  We were trying to register for things for Wolverine to wear right when we get her home.  We'd already scanned sleep sacks, and then I suggested that we also get some of the long-sleeved, long-pants pajama onesie things.  Ray said, "But we just got some sleep sacks.  Do we need these, too?  Isn't she going to sleep in the sleep sack?"  He was asking because he was genuinely curious.  But the plain and simple fact was that I just didn't know.  So I said, "I don't know.  I don't know what she'll sleep in, but I just want her to sleep."  And then I began crying because I felt completely inept and unprepared.  I want so badly to know exactly what to do to take care of her and to make sure she's safe and happy and healthy, but I realized that I don't know right now how to get her to sleep.  Ray handled this meltdown just like he's handled all the others - like a champ.  He gave me a hug and told me it'd be okay and we'd figure it all out.  And then he scanned the pajamas.