Tuesday, January 31, 2012

AHAT (anticipated Hannah arrival time) = less than 9 weeks!


We are now in the SINGLE DIGITS in the countdown to Hannah time! Holy smokes. When I think about the time I have left with my womb-mate, I can't tell if it seems long or short. In terms of weeks (single digits!), it seems short. But, when I think about it in terms of months (2 more, eek!), it seems lengthy.

Here's what I currently look like in my yellow tank top:
31 weeks 
Here's what I currently feel like in my yellow tank top:

Big Bird

Today's unnecessary pregnancy remark tally is actually relatively low quantity-wise, but one comment made up for that in quality.
  • Size (i.e. "You're huge/large/big!"): 2 comments
  • Multiple babies (i.e. "How are the twins?"): 0 comments
  • Early birthing (i.e. "There's no way you're making it to the due date!"): 0 comments
  • Co-worker getting off the elevator, spotting me, and loudly shouting "Hey, here comes the FAT lady!": 1 comment
Yep, that happened.

Fortunately, I'm in good spirits today, so despite the small lecture I gave him about how women - regardless of their impregnation status - never want to be referred to as "fat," I emotionally recovered quickly. The good spirits may be related to the fact that my sweet and wise husband responded to my pregnancy gripes yesterday with flowers, a card, ice cream, and a movie rental...he's good, he's very good.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Tally

Tally ho
I am starting a daily tally of how many comments I get about my pregnancy in the following categories: size, multiple babies, early birthing.

So far today the tally is as follows:
  • Size (i.e. "You're huge/large/big!"): 3 comments
  • Multiple babies (i.e. "How are the twins?"): 2 comments
  • Early birthing (i.e. "There's no way you're making it to the due date!"): 3 comments

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Nipples.

niiiipple

Look, I don't care how old I am or how mature I'm supposed to be now that I'm having a baby. The word "nipples" is hilarious. Nipples. Nipples. Nipples.

I actually hesitated to register for bottle nipples because I am slightly weird with someone buying me a nipple. They should pack all the nipples up into a box and name it something not awkward, like "feeding paraphernalia" or "bottle toppers" or maybe even "teats for the eats."

"I have nipples, Greg. Can you milk me?"
I saw a lot of nipples tonight. I went to breastfeeding class at my intended delivery hospital because I think I'm going to give that whole job a whirl. I don't see foreign nipples that often, and I'm wondering what quality info I missed because I was distracted by the variety in front of me during the videos they played in class. All shapes, sizes, colors. It was a nipplefest. I thought nipples were a dime a dozen. My world? It has been rocked.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

OMG

"OMG!"

That's a phrase I've been hearing a lot lately, both out of the mouths of others and amidst my inner dialogue. When someone greets you with "OMG," it's not always a good thing. And in my case, it's because I look like this:
30 weeks, OMG face
Typically, when someone says "OMG" to me these days, it's followed by something along the lines of:
  • "You have how many more weeks to go?!?!"
  • "You look like you're about to explode."
  • "Any minute now, right?"
  • "You sooooo biiiiiiig!" <-- from the mouth of a random Hong's Jewelry employee, whilst rubbing my stomach like a genie lamp and telling me I must be having a boy because I'm so big
  • "I can't believe how close you are!"
  • "Are you ready for labor? It hurts, but you look like you're in pain already."
When I say "OMG" to myself, it's often for one of these reasons:
  • My maternity pants are too tight.
  • I just walked upstairs and I can't breathe.
  • Something reminded me that the baby still has to come out.
  • I saw a picture of myself.
  • The alarm is waking me up for work and I realize I saw every hour through the night.
  • Lifting myself into my Honda Pilot has become complicated and kind of dangerous.
Hannah is probably saying the same phrase to herself, wondering where all that womb room went. She is no longer my little plum, able to swim the backstroke in her sweet fallopian utopia. Nope. She's a cramped head of lettuce sized 18" 3.2 lb baby girl. She probably wants out just as badly as I want her out.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Isn't that sweet?

I don't care what anyone says about how rewarding it is to be a giver...I also find receiving to be pretty darn gratifying! And just when I was feeling down and needed it most, I've had some pals cheer me up this week with their generosity.

On Tuesday, Jason sent me a cute little e-card thanking me for carrying his Hannah. It was such a nice gesture and it made me feel happy on the inside of my soul. He has been a good husband and a very good dad so far. He's been working hard on getting Hannah's room ready and helping me plan for her arrival, and he even bears with me and encourages me when I cry about my discomfort, which lately has been a bit more often than in previous trimesters!

Then, last night, my friend Lara surprised me with a gift of a fantastic Baby 411 book.


Expert-making book
 I started reading it last night and it appears to be a great guide for a bunch of the things I don't know about parenting. I'm excited to crack into this and basically become an expert and a perfect parent (ha ha)!

Finally, today, my friend Shayne from work brought me an AMAZING cupcake to help cheer me up since I've been very pregnant this week!

Delectable Reese's cupcake that makes you forget how to hate
 I may have already eaten half of it. I cannot confirm or deny this. What I can confirm is that it is such a great mood enhancer to have people surprise me with their acts of kindness!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Somebody call a waaaaambulance

I'm not having a good pregnancy day. And because this is my blog, I'm going to gripe about it here. And if that is going to bother you, then you are free to leave and head over to something more pleasant, like this terrible site filled with adorable fluffy kittens: http://thedailykitten.com/

Hannah is now a butternut squash. Meaning: I have a butternut squash in my stomach. A butternut squash is not small. It looks like this:
Butternut oxygen stealer
The butternut squash, also known as a butternut pumpkin (a pumpkin, for the love of...), is a large winter squash that does not fit whole in small spaces, like stomachs. Therefore, the stomach, when displaced by objects the size of butternut squashes, does things like expand and hate you. Your stomach actually hates you. And it retaliates in hatred by smooshing other innards, like your lungs, which normally help you breathe, but instead they squish up too (because they are being squashed) and then you cannot inhale. You try, but you can't.

Here's what it looks like when your squashed stomach plumps up like a pumpkin and combats your clothing:
Dear God...
Nope, that's not a beer gut. That's a small child the size of a butternut squash residing all fetus-y in my stomach, forcing my non-maternity tank top to rethink its need for all of its threads to remain threaded together. I am Spongebob Squashpants. I am the pineapple that needs to be dropped down to the bottom of the sea for the next 10 weeks until it's time to resurface and take this baby out. I am the epitome of uncomfortable, and apparently my baby is still supposed to gain several more pounds and somehow I'm supposed to walk upright.

My work keyboard hits my stomach.

My belly button can turn my steering wheel.

My lungs feel like they've been pushed up into my armpits.

Did I mention my back hurts?

I need to go to bed now.

Wanted: Z's


The sheep are now counting me.
 I am looking for some zzz's and I can't seem to find them. I've decided that this phase of not being able to sleep at night is God's way of preparing me to not sleep through the night again for a very long time. I'm so stinking tired. I've counted sheep and there are 7,203,326 of them. The sheep are even worn out from watching me try to count them, so now I think they are counting me and then going to sleep themselves. I can't blame them. There are several issues keeping me up at night: trips to the bathroom, congestion in my nose that appears to be unrelated to a cold but completely related to just being pregnant, my arms keep falling asleep, my hips hurt so I have to roll over, it gets too hot, sometimes the baby kicking wakes me up, and then, of course, there's my dog wandering around the bed at all hours of the night. Yes, I have a body pillow and that sometimes helps me get comfortable...I just don't stay that way. I feel like I've tried just about everything! What I wouldn't do for a good night's rest. (I know, I know - get used to it, right? Ugh.)

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Yu is the one!


Hannah has a pediatrician! Jason and I had a meeting after work today with one Dr. Cecilia Yu, a pediatrician affiliated with Mercy and the Pediatric Associates of O'Fallon. We wanted to meet with Hannah's prospective doctor to get a vibe for her personality and approach, as well as understand the office hours, off-hour emergency policy, etc. What we ended up doing was enjoying a bit of evening entertainment...Dr. Yu was hysterical! At some point during our meeting the phrase "goats mating in the corner" was stated. Jason and I were checking the room for a tip jar! Beyond having a great personality, the office is the only one around that has extended hours and availability 7 days a week. Pretty fabulous. Yu da bomb!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Cabbage patch bump

Cabbage patch Hannah

Hannah is the size of a small cabbage! Approximately 17 inches, 2.9 lbs. We're 28 weeks + 2 days...only 11 weeks and 5 days until the due date. Holy smokes.

Week 18
Week 28

I remember when I was at 18 weeks and I thought my stomach was big. HA! Now I'm trying to figure out how 11 more weeks of pregnancy is going to fit in that shirt. Eek.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Baby Julia is here!

Julia, the beautiful

I am beyond words ecstatic about the arrival of Julia Shaw Klasing, the beloved new daughter of our friends Neal and Emily! Baby J was born into this world at 8:39 a.m. today and started her life at 7 lbs 8 oz and 21.5 inches. I'm in such awe of Emily - she mastered labor without an epidural! Julia doesn't quite know this yet, but her best friend Hannah is only a couple of months away. Holding Julia tonight was such a blessing. Her sweet little baby noises. Her tiny features (except those nice, full lips...watch out boys!). Her magnificent head of black hair. Exactly how God wanted it to be. It was fascinating to see my friends as they tried to take it all in, too. They are so proud, and I'm so proud of them. I can see how in just a matter of hours their entire world has been prioritized to center around this perfect little gift from God. I'm certain there is nothing more wonderful to live for.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

word vomit

Can't a girl have a beer gut?
It is very true that when you become a pregnant person, you are automatically fair game for unsolicited advice and inappropriate comments. Some advice is good, particularly as it relates to superior products and baby-calming methods. However, I think some people see the baby belly and decide that it's OK to say.......whatever comes to mind.

Here are some examples of weight-related word vomit from the mouths of people without filters:
  • Are you sure there's only ONE baby in there?
  • I don't see how you're going to make it all 9 months already being that size.
  • Get ready to get fat!
  • My sister started out your size and wound up on bedrest her entire third trimester!
  • Your body will never be the same.
  • You look uncomfortable.
  • I saw your stomach turn the corner 5 minutes before the rest of you!
Early in the pregnancy, I was treated to a long list of horrific miscarriage tales. Then, I was delighted by a medley of awful stories related to pregnancy: aches, lengthy bedrest incidents, sleep deprivation, freak symptoms. Now, I hear the joys of labor. And by joys, I mean near-death experiences. Weeeeeeeeeee!
I think pregnancy is like the weather. Anyone who endures it will talk about it to anyone who will listen. We have it in common. And we all feel it a little differently.

What I do enjoy is hearing happy things about how great parenthood is, the joys of being responsible for this cute little person, and what a positive, life-changing experience becoming a parent can be. I realize it's not all roses, but why would you hand someone a handful of poison ivy if you had other options?

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Blossoming [cauli]flower!

Our sweet Hannah Sophia has grown into the size of a head of cauliflower...
head of Hannahflower
That is 16 inches and 2.5 lbs. She's a busy little cauliflower too...visibly kicking and waking me up in the morning. Remind me that I said this when I am sleep deprived after she's born, but I don't mind getting interrupted from my sleep when it's because of her cute little kicks!

Here's the latest comparison pic:
Week 17 vs. week 27
We had our doctor's appointment yesterday and things appear to be progressing quite normally. Heartbeat was in the 140-150 range and it was nice, solid, and loud. I had to get a RhoGAM shot yesterday because I'm RH-negative and it would be bad news if I were to develop antibodies to fight the baby's possible RH-positive blood. So, one shot down, more to come, but no biggie. I can't have my body fighting against itself or other little baby bodies!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Welcome to 2012!


Each year brings about its share of praises, but I have high expectations for 2012. I will get to welcome into my life somewhere in the neighborhood of SIX new babies! Any minute now, I am expecting a notification from our friends the Klasings that their beautiful girl Julia has decided it is time to make her debut. Then, within the next couple of months Jason and I get to welcome our niece Mykenna into this world and become a first-time uncle/aunt. After this, we will be very ready for Hannah to join us in March/April, which will give us the most blessed new title to add to our resumes: PARENTS. Finally, late spring/early summer we get to meet our friends the Minders baby as well as expand our uncle/aunt-ness by meeting the identical twins my brother Jesse and sister-in-law Monica are having. OH MAN - that's a lot of awesome baby action in the first half of the year! 2011 was neat but how can it compete with what 2012 is bringing?