Ripe Grape Photos

Garrett bought some black sheets and set up a little photo backdrop in a corner in the nursery. Here are some of my favorites that he has taken. He's a talented guy (I love him so much!!).

A note about this photo... One of the first things my mother said after she saw my first tattoo, a little panda on my belly, was about how cutely and hugely it would stretch when I got pregnant. Here you go mom, proof you were right--it has almost doubled in size! I didn't really notice the transition until we took this picture since I haven't been able to see it for some time. It's on the dark side of the moon.

The Home Stretch

*Update: Chrissy had her baby girl on labor day! She is healthy and adorable and resting with her mom.

I would first like to congratulate our dear friend Chrissy, whose water broke about 7 hours ago. Her due date is two weeks before mine, so she is a little on the early side. Woo!

According to the 40 week schedule, I am on day 257 of this pregnancy. 36 weeks and 5 days. That leaves only 3 weeks and 2 days until my official due date. Babies born week 37 and after are considered full term. So here's how we're doin'...

Baby:

Baby should be around 13.8" in length and should weigh in around 6.3-6.5 pounds. To give you an idea of size, when I wrap a standard bath towel around the largest part of my belly, there is only about 2 inches of terrycloth overlap. He will gain about a pound over the last month(!)

He has been head-down (that's the normal exit position) for some time now. His feet kick out to my left, and his bottom is positioned under my right lung. When his foot is outstretched, a little two inch wide bump can be seen on my belly, sometimes from across the room. During my last exam, the midwife declared "Well, his head is right down there, isn't he!"

He hiccups for a several minute period every day, which I feel down and to the right, probably where his little shoulders are. It is an unmistakable feeling, a bit like having the hiccups yourself. He practices breathing too, and when I am still, sometimes you can see my belly heaving with his tiny little rhythmic breaths.

He seems to be asleep for large portions of the day, but can sometimes be startled awake by noise or music or movement. He usually responds to a belly rub by nudging back with his little appendages. At least once he has seemed agitated (taking large frequent breaths), he might have even 'crying,' which many babies do in utero. He seemed to calm down with cooing and belly stroking.

Symptoms:

I seem to have been very fortunate with this pregnancy. I have avoided most of the seriously unpleasant symptoms many women experience, and any pain or discomfort I have felt has been very manageable.

Sleeping:

I have been able to sleep well. Although I wake several times a night I can usually get back to sleep easily. I almost think that Garrett's sleep patterns have been more disturbed by my frequent risings than mine. I had about a month during which my stomach had difficulty retaining its contents while I was lying down, and I would wake up sputtering sometimes. Sleeping on my side propped up at a 30° angle and trying to go to bed with a near empty stomach helped. Either due my changing habits or the baby moving down, I don't seem to have this problem anymore.

Contractions:

I have been experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions for some time, but a few days ago they changed character significantly. At first they were just a tightness that spread over my belly and then dissipated after a minute. Now they feel stronger, just like menstrual cramping. The first couple of nights I had them, they were evenly spaced over 15 minute intervals over a few hours in the evening. Last night they came again, but were spaced differently. They seem to change or stop if I walk around (which is one way to distinguish them from actual labor).

Clothes:

Pants and seatbelts are pretty uncomfortable now. Sarongs are really comfy, but I only have two. They are pretty garish, bought to be used only as summer bathrobes, so I feel a little hippy dippy out in them in public. So, for the stylish metro/homosexual at the wine bar before birth class the other day that shot me that disgusted look: I am sorry that my bright orange and yellow butterfly skirt with turquoise tank top offended your urban gray monochrome sensibilities and highlighted my enormous girth. Just remember that my kid's taxes will be paying your medicare bill someday, so learn to appreciate a breeder even if you can't look at her directly because her clothing is too bright.

Cravings:

We have been going through milk at an astonishing rate around here. I'm trying to back off sugar and balance carbs. I think sugar might be winning.

Nesting:

So far I have knitted 1 and 3/4 diaper covers and a stuffed elephant, recovered all the chairs in the kitchen, sewn 3 receiving blankets and a dust cover for the kitchenaid, moved all the furniture around in the nursery again, and accumulated enough towels, clothes, and toys to support this child well into toddlerhood. The house is not clean enough still. The last time I cleaned the floors, a few days ago, would have been comical to see. I can't bend over, really, so after sweeping up little piles everywhere I have to do a sort of pregnant woman ballet grand plie to sweep them into the dustpan. After a few plies, I am quickly out of breath. Then I go sit down for a spell, get up and gather some more piles. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The bassinet (aka pack-and-play) is set up next to the bed now so that we can get used to fumbling around it in the dark.

Books:

Thank You, Dr. Lamaze (a wonderful and entertaining look back at the origins and practice of real Lamaze, not the watered down substance free 'birth philosophy' dreck they peddle now to sell the brand) My mom sent me this book, and I think it was my favorite...

What to Expect the First Year, The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-shooting Tips, and Advice on First Year Maintenance, Wall-to-Wall Baby Blues (the comic strip, for giggles), Baby's first year : growth and development from 0 to 12 months (a cool Norwegian childcare book by Paulien Bom and Machteld Huber), Baby Tips 9 to 12 months

I almost read Natural Childbirth, The Bradley® Method, but I was too irritated by all the little registered trademark symbols to bother.

About a million different issues of Parenthood, the Early Years and American Baby

Movie:

Orgasmic Birth (unfortunately titled, but not useless, this film documents the birth experiences of several families and a couple of nutty hippy families. If you want to see squishy wet little bundles of life wriggling their way out of their incubation pods, this one's for you.)

Infant Care

What does an infant need? There are so many opinions and books on the subject that just asking the question can drive you batty. There are psychologists and parents alike who espouse their own theories on infant care--sometimes trademarked theories, like the 'Brazleton Touchpoints Approach(tm),' or Dr. Sears's 'attachment parenting,' and who could forget Dr. Spock (not the pointy-eared one, the pediatrician). Trendy parenting terms like 'Kangaroo care' or 'natural infant hygiene' are bandied on online bulletin boards and in magazines.

All these must surely have their advantages and are surely helpful to some. Hell, I'll buy into them, it's not like I know any better, but the sheer verbosity in these piles of theories can overwhelm anybody and potentially clutter up what's really important. Also, one must take care when reading, as use of these terms in common conversation is often viewed as the first recognizable symptom of Over-Read Parent Disorder--a serious disorder that is currently overlooked but likely soon-to-be classified by the psychoanalytic community in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. I jest.

So all this emotional and psychological development and all these intangible love and attention setting parenting styles are surely important; but, for the sake of simplification and for my own sanity, I figure that the most important things that an infant needs boil down to the purely physiological at the most basic level (I'll distort Abraham Maslow's heirarchy here):

• food
• sleep
• air and shelter (the most obvious to account for)
  

The indicators that show whether these needs are being met sufficiently can be measured as :

• poop
• pee
• growth (weight/height/milestones)
• body temperature (homeostasis)

(Note: Maslow calls these needs too, but he's dead. I'm not even addressing safety needs and emotional needs here. Those are important, sure, but they aren't physiological needs. Pay attention. Jeez.)

So I figure, based on anecdotal evidence I have gathered haphazardly, that it is WAY TOO EASY for parents to fall into infant care habits that strain all the interfamilial relationships, especially that singular relationship that launched two consenting adults into parenthood in the first place.

I also figure that the easiest way to avoid slipping into those habits would be to have a clear outline of when and how baby's basic needs are being met. With a clear record, patterns can be identified, solutions can be devised to attack problems that arise, and the whole mess can be much more adaptable in the event of a breakdown somewhere.

Of course, a clear record means a chart. I like charts. It is an inherited trait.

I made one today on the Great Computer, so now I have a simplified system for encoding, down to 15 minute increments: feeding times and delivery methods, milk expression outside feedings, poops, pees, and sleeping patterns. There is also space for notes about milestones, poop character, weight (to be taken with a digital fish scale), length, or temperature. I am way too proud of myself.

Since baby is eating a lacticized version what I eat, I will also try to document what I consume during the day. We'll see how long that lasts.

A wise friend of mine giggled when I told her about my Brilliant Chart Idea. I told her how fool-proof and simple it would be, and how much easier our lives would be, how our scientific approach would surely pay off. She said to me, between snorts, "That's a pretty good plan, but you're forgetting something."

"What's that?" I said innocently.

"There's going to be a monkey in your laboratory."

Pregnancy Progression

19wks 5days
Mother's Day, May 10




25 wks
Anniversary at Disney World, June 16

27wks 2days
In the Nursery, July 02

30wks
Flowers Just Because, July 21

Heat Wave!

The heat wave is over! Last week, the temperatures in the Portland Metro area soared to a whopping 107!@&! or so, and since our corner of the universe has such mild summers, we have no air conditioning. We survived by sipping ice water, swimming at the gym, and I slept in wet clothes. My manly hunter husband went out and caught us a used air conditioner from some Very Dear Friends that carried us through the tail end, but the first few days were pretty fun.

The heat wave was rough for the other pregnant ladies I know, too, and there seem to be a lot of those around. My neighbor is pregnant, another neighbor has a four week old, and our dear friend Chrissy is pregnant too. I think this pregnancy thing must be catching.

So it turns out that the 'bun in the oven' thing is true--I am an oven. At 32 weeks pregnant, I am hot all the time, even without the heat wave. Last night the temperature dropped low enough that my husband curled up under the comforter, but I slept half covered by just a sheet with two fans running. Under normal conditions I would have been warming my icy feet on his legs (poor babe).

But, throughout the heat, I did not swell up excessively and had no major negative symptoms, so I count myself very lucky that we survived just fine (though I'm sure my husband could have lived with less whining ;)

How We Spent Our Summer Vacation, or, Edema can be Fun!

Today I am 28 weeks and 6 days along. Garrett calls me huge-iful now, which is a much nicer size indicator than stepping on a scale (which, despite my efforts to be scientific about this process, I generally choose to avoid these days. I had a chart, once, but it just got too depressing to maintain).

In June, we went to Walt Disney World. Garrett had never been before, and my wonderful brother Erik had managed to reserve a week through my wonderful parents' time share system. By luck, we were there for our anniversary. Upon checking in, we were given giant pink buttons proclaiming the occasion so that all the terminally happy employees could congratulate us at every turn.

Because of 'my condition' we could not ride the big kid rides, so we just stuck to the senior citizens' tour. I tried to talk Garrett into at least riding Splash Mountain, but he would not leave my side, proving, yet again, that I have the best husband in the universe. We did manage to 'ride' the Star Wars ride--at least, the disabled version. This means they shut off the hydraulics on the simulator and just ran the movie while we tried to imagine how much fun it would be. For this, we were able to cut in front of the entire line and got the whole simulator to ourselves. It was very romantic, if not a little bit silly.

It was very hot and humid throughout our stay (about 95F/95%), but we still managed to have a fabulous time. We saw Cirque du Soleil there, which was absolutely magnificent, watched a gospel group at Sunday brunch at the House of Blues, went snorkeling in a giant fish tank, went on a 'safari', saw some tapirs and hippos and giraffes (oh, my!), rode all the ‘dark rides’ we could, and ate a marvelous anniversary dinner at a fabulous African inspired Buffet, where, of course, we were wished a very happy anniversary by the staff.

The whole trip was an altogether magical experience, just like the brochures promise.

Edema--Not just another lovely 'unique' girls' name like Chlamydia

There was one pregnancy detractor in all this magical anniversarial bliss. Something about the weather or the travel or standing in lines or all-of-the-above triggered some pretty unpleasant non-pitting edema for me. In other words, my ankles swelled to tree trunk diameter. A bit of research revealed what it was, and revealed some easy things I could do to alleviate it, which worked magnificently. Here is where this entry becomes a tad didactic.**

Edema in pregnancy is often caused by the uterus pressing down on and restricting flow through the inferior vena cava, a huge blood vessel that carries deoxygenated blood from the legs back up to the heart. Not all pregnant women experience this, but it is quite common can be pretty bothersome. The restricted flow causes fluids to accumulate in the ankles. Other, rarer dangerous complications, like preeclampsia or blood clots, can cause edema, but usually it is just a nuisance. With all that fluid accumulation, you can imagine the strain on the other blood vessels. I felt some twitchy discomfort in my legs along with this, and also developed some redness, but since my edema was non-pitting (meaning the swelling did not retain an indentation when poked with a finger) and more or less even on both sides, there was even less of a chance that anything really bad would happen. Be warned, the following section is 100% proselytizing, so skip it if that kind of thing annoys you.

Proseletyzing Section: How To Whoop Edema**

SWIM. If you have access to a pool, use it as often as you can. After getting out of the pool the first day on the trip, my edema had completely vanished (temporarily) in less than a half hour. The water alleviates the pressure on the vena cava because the buoyant force of the water counteracts the weight of the pregnant belly, lifting the belly off that vein. This is part of why water birthing is gaining popularity these days--all that blood flow and buoyancy probably helps with labor pain. The activity of swimming helps get the blood flowing too, so all around it was the best treatment for me. Although the results are only temporary, they mean a world of difference. If you don’t have access to a pool, get in a tub, but try to sit upright and maybe wiggle your legs around or flex the muscles. I found that if I sat up in the tub and elevated my legs, the blood flow was better. Flexing the muscles in my legs sequentially upwards from my ankles seemed useful, too.

MAKE YOUR OWN BELLY SUPPORT BAND OR BUY ONE These are available all over the internet and at maternity stores, but if you’re trapped at Disney World or don’t want to buy one (they can be pretty expensive), this worked great for me: Fold a sarong in half diagonally from corner to corner, like a bandana. Roll it up to about a 3 or 4 inch width. Starting from the middle, wrap the sarong under the belly (like a sling), wrap around to the back, cross over at the small of the back, wrap around to the front, twist at about mid chest (at the breastbone), wrap the ends around your neck and tie at the nape. You should tie it tightly enough so that you can feel it lifting the belly, but not so tight that it causes discomfort. This works quite well and hides pretty well under clothes. Also, unlike the pregnancy support bands from the store, it comes in pretty colors so you don‘t mind that you can see it above the neckline of your shirt. IMHO, this around the neck style gives much more relief than the bands that just go around the lower back, but I haven't tried the other style. My edema is mostly gone these days, but I wear the band anyway because I find the added support really comfortable.

KEEP MOVING Avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time. If you must wait in line for Pirates of the Caribbean for an hour, do lunges or squats or dance like a monkey or 'Do The Freddie'*, ignoring the surprised and quizzical expressions of on-looking tourists. If necessary, cast the glance back at them and they will retreat to tend to their whiny 3 year old. If you must sit, try to elevate your legs. If possible, elevate them so your feet are as close to the height of your heart as you can reasonably get. If you are sitting somewhere where leg elevating is unlikely, you could try exchanging your chair for a giant exercise ball. Not only is this theoretically good for posture, and supposedly for baby positioning, but moderate bouncing can‘t hurt your circulation. Take breaks and walk around.

SLEEP with a pillow between your legs on your side like all your nurses and doctors and midwives and other professional people have told you to already. Some say the left side is best because of the position of the vena cava.

WEAR LOOSE FOOTWEAR Don't give in to the instinct to stick your feet in tight laced shoes and hiking socks like I did. Though it kind of concealed my swelling from prying eyes, it made things worse. I wore loose sandals exclusively after that, and subsequently the redness improved and the discomfort was very much reduced.

DRINK TONS AND TONS OF WATER This is key for all kinds of pregnancy health issues, for this it keeps your blood thinned out for better flow. Camelbacks™ are perfect for this, but since they are expensive and you probably forgot to pack one, you'd probably be better off spending ten bucks at Walmart for a ‘hydration bag’ in the camping isle. Hang that from the hand loop on the back of a backpack with a carabiner or a key ring or a paperclip and zip up the bag leaving the sippy end out. Excellent! Now you look almost as nerdy and weird as I did, and as a bonus, you will have cold water around all the time. Using one of these, I managed to consume at least 3 liters a day. Take that, dehydration! With ice it also kept that apple crisp and cool for snack and kept my back chilled out in the Florida swamp. Low sodium, healthful foods are of course of High Importance. Salty stuff makes me puff up enough under normal conditions.

*DO THE FREDDIE! This is so obviously beneficial it needs no clarifying exposition. What more, the song is snappy and sure made those fifties tweens scream! I'd skip the jumping part. See the video below!



**Legal disclaimer. I am not a doctor or health professional and make no claim to know what is best for anybody. I'm sharing what I learned via research and what helped me. Be sure to talk to your provider about your edema. 'The Freddie' has not been tested or approved by the AMA.

Buddha Belly 5/12/2009

20 Week Peanut, 5/14/2009

Peanut Profile (see nose, mouth, etc on right)

Peanut Spine

Peanut Paw

Peanut at 20 Weeks, 5/14/2009,


Fetus Sexing

Facing front, both arms framing cute face

Peanut legs

Peanut Cross-section

Close up of Peanut Legs on March 12, 2009

Peanut on March 6, 2009 (legs left, head right)

Peanut on March 6, 2009 (legs to the left, head to the right)

Peanut on February 17, 2009 (kind of a blob next to an egg sac)

Trimester in Review

Peanut as of March 12, 2009

Here we are, starting off week 18. Time to review the first trimester. There were tests and nausea and there was book reading. There were ultrasounds and new underwear. This whole thing only goes for 40 weeks, so that means we're almost to the halfway mark, where we will find out the Sex!

Baby:

As it stands now, the little tike weighs 8.5 oz (!) and is about 6" long (!!) from crown to rump! I can feel little kicks and have been for the past few days, which is startling but wonderful to feel. The babe is seemingly completely constructed and looks like a baby-arms, legs, ribcage, head, major organs, eyes and ears and face in place. By the end of this week the little one should be able to hear!

Symptoms:

The Nausea: HAS ENDED! I can declare this now with certainty! (Knock on wood) This is a relief and a wonderful feeling. More than that, my hunger pangs, which at one point were like thunderingly monstrous earthquakes of nausea and pain, have now subsided back to their normal human hunger level. That means no more peanut butter next to the bed and no more emergency hamburger rations at six o'clock in the morning.

My Clothes: No longer fit! I made a sort of early run to Ross to stock up on maternity pants and shirts (CHEEP) and got some very nice presents of cute maternity clothes from very caring folks. My new duds look great, so I don't feel bad about not fitting into my old stuff, which I have packed away. Around week 12 or 13 I also had to upgrade a size in underwear--an abrupt change that took place over a couple of frightening days, not weeks. Since I got clothes a little early, I have not felt like I had to squeeze into one thing. That is very important. If I had waited until I really needed new clothes, I am sure I would have been miserable for the short time when nothing fit and probably would have developed weird body issues. As it is, I'm really digging my new pregnant figure, even my oblong belly button. I am limited on pants quantity, though, so if you notice pants not rotating through the daily selection very quickly, have some sympathy, ok? :)

My Boobs: Are going through a growth spurt of their own. My husband seems to appreciate it, but I continue to warn him that Pride comes before the Fall. One might say their natural frequency has noticably increased as well.

My Teeth: Though this may seem like some fantastical fantasy to all y'all, to my Mother and I this is no joke. I got my first-ever cavity and first-ever filling last week. This cavity, on the chomping surface of a rear molar, is a direct result of my pregnancy. I know this is true because the same thing happened to my mother (on similar teeth) for both of her children, and the rest of her life has been generally cavity-free. Hormones do crazy things. From what I understand, this is not as clear cut a relationship for most as it is for my mother and myself. However, it is well accepted that for most women pregnancy can be associated with an increased risk of gingivitis and cavities (according to my illustrious dentist).

Reading List: From the Hips, What to Expect When You're Expecting, and Diaper Free.

Movie List: The Business of Being Born, Pregnancy for Dummies

First Trimester Screening:

During the first trimester, around week 11, a screening test for genetic disorders (such as Downs and Trisomy) is made available to new parents. We did tons of research on this test, and determined that its worth as a test is very questionable. In it, they measure a thickness of tissue behind the baby's neck in an ultrasound. This is called the 'nuchal translucency'. This measurement, when combined with the results from a blood test, puts you in either a 'high risk' bin or a 'low risk' bin. The results should not be considered reliable at all, really. In practice, this tool is used mainly to determine who among parents might want to get amniocentesis later (a genetic test done on withdrawn amniotic fluid) or CVS (a weirder test for the same stuff using cells scraped off the placenta)--both of which are painful procedures that present a significantly elevated risk of miscarriage. YIPE. The results for those two tests are accurate enough to be taken seriously, but even they are not immune to error.

As it turns out, in this first test, the 'high risk' bin only indicates that your infant has about a 10% chance of being abnormal. That means a whopping 90% of 'high risk' kids are fine. What's more, the 'low risk' bin carries a percentage risk of genetic disorder too, just somewhat lower. Since I'm relatively young, we figured that my eggs are probably well inside their shelf life, meaning I'm at a low risk for passing on such genetic disorders. Risking my baby's health to test for something I am unlikely to carry seems like a bad idea.

Since this nuchal translucency/blood screening is harmless, even if nearly useless, we decided to get the test anyway just to satisfy our curiosity. The stipulation we set out beforehand was this: under no circumstances would we avail ourselves to further genetic testing. Why? Simply because I'm a lower-risk age group and we would probably never consider termination anyway, especially since even amniocentesis is not correct 100% of the time. If we came out 'high risk,' we declared we would simply disregard the screening results entirely. If we came back 'low risk,' we would breathe a little easier. I would suggest the same to anybody else in the under 30 age category. In the end, we came out in the 'low risk' bin, so we just aren't going to worry about it. Building up to that decision was a little strenuous, but we are sure we made the right choice for us.

So here we are. Miniature-sized Baby kicking, and mom back to normal-ish. Time to get back on that patent agent course I keep claiming I'm studying.