Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Bed Rest Day 62 - I'm on the 'see-food' diet

Turkey Day was good. Ate lots & lots. My appetite has doubled in the last 2 weeks. I'm eating everything in sight - much worse than before. Its a good thing, though. Peanut is growing in leaps & bounds. My belly seems bigger everyday. She must be getting big & strong because she's gives me some kicks sometimes that practically cripple me. I feel bruised on one side.

I go to the doctor tomorrow & hopefully they'll take me off this terbutaline & tell me I can start walking & stuff (tee-hee) to bring on labor. Corey & I are determined to get this baby out before Christmas!

Saturday we're going to see the Rockefeller Tree & visit Santa at Macy's in Herald Square. I can't wait. Hopefully, I'll have the okay from the doctor & won't have to make the trip in a wheelchair. :(

I'll be sure to post pictures!! For now I'll share these:

My massive belly:


My massive belly wearing a hat (check out my chipmunk cheeks! Yikes!!):


Miss Mimi VanWhiskerhausen - Santa's Helper:

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Bed Rest Day 55 - Don't piss off my girly bits

Now in addition to my incompetent cervix, my uterus is irritable. Ha!

Spent the morning in labor & delivery. Started having contractions last night & they didn't stop like they usually do and they weren't spacing out. I hardly slept. When I "woke up" this morning, I was still having them & was certain I was in labor & gonna give birth to a Thanksgiving turkey!

So, Corey & I trek to the hospital - I get monitored. Turns out, I'm slightly (1 cm) dilated & 80% effaced AND I'm contracting every few minutes. Hmmm...sounds like labor to me. So, doc decides to be slightly aggressive & gives me a nice healthy dose of terbutaline. Let the shakes begin!

Contractions slow down, pressure subsides. Home I go - shaking worse than Michael J. Fox after a trip to Starbucks.

One more week of this terbutaline - they promised. I hate it. It makes me feel like crap. My heart is pounding out of my chest. I'm shaking. My belly is tight & I'm incredibley uncomfortable.

I just hope this little one leaves me some room in there to stuff turkey & dressing in there tomorrow.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY EVERYONE!

Friday, November 17, 2006

Bed Rest Day 50 - We're ALMOST Ready!

Okay - so the "nursery" is done. We didn't do a whole lot with it - just hung some pictures, etc. When we move, I'll paint her room *pink* of course!
Here are some pictures - sorry they're small.

First is the small dresser. The picture above it says: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away. " It was a wedding gift & I just thought it was perfect for her room. Right below that is my baby bank and Corey's baby bank.



Here are two dresses from when I was little. The one on the right is what i came home from the hospital in & the one on the left was a gift from my dad's mom. I put them in shadow boxes (Mom's idea).



Her wee bookcase loaded with books courtesy of Aunt Kelly.


Her crib. It was given to us by one of Corey's old elementary school teachers. Its beautiful. I love it. Her bedding is pink toile with a coordinating stripe on the blanket & floral on the bumper.


The other dresser with diaper changing essentials and the love seat from Corey's college days. I have to slip cover it - right now its a hideous camel color - but I thought it would be perfect for feedings & diaper changes.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Is this what i have to look forward to?

Bad Delta! Bad!
Granted, it was a 22-month old which, in my opinion, is a BIT old for breast-feeding. If they can ask for it - it's time to stop. That aside, she still has a right to feed her child.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Bed Rest Day 47 - Baby Shower Awesomeness

Saturday was my baby shower and it was the most awesome baby shower ever. :) Kelly did an awesome job of organizing it & I cannot thank her enough. I appreciate everyone that came & all the goodies our little girl has to start out her life.
Corey's mom & step-dad were up this weekend, too. They worked so hard in our spare bedroom (aka - the nursery). Cleaning out the nursery was no small task. It was full of tons & tons of crap - mine & Corey's - from when I moved in. Now it looks like a pept0-bismol bomb went off in it because of all the pink! We threw out a lot of stuff, reorganized and it almost feels like we're ready for baby Parker (name of the week).
I'm feeling fantastic. Is this the calm before the storm? I've been practicing my breathing and labor positions. They get me through the contractions I have at night and take the pressure off my belly. I swear I've doubled in size since last week.
Corey & I also installed the car seat base in my car. That was a sight to see. Neither one of us had any idea what we were doing. It was great. We got it in, though. Our little one will be secure.
Less than two months to my due date! Can you believe it?? I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving! Where does the time go?

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Bed Rest Day 42 - and it burns, burns, burns...

Cervix = ring of fire? WTF? I've seen this reference several times in my pregnancy books, on websites and now on my three-legged-puppy-dog shows (what Corey calls the birthing shows I watch that make me cry). It seems that when the baby starts to crown & push through your cervix, it burns. Bad. Like someone stuck a hot poker up your hoo-ha. Great. My poor cervix - first it was horizontally challenged and now the baby is going to light it up. We had our second Lamaze class last night. No graphic videos this time. I actually learned a lot - actually, mostly it was stuff I already knew but didn't know I did. Know what i mean? Basically, she discussed relaxation techniques. Positions I could get into during labor that would help ease the pain & discomfort. My favorites were the 'slow-dancing' (basically hugging Corey with my arms around his neck as we sway back and forth) and the birthing ball (basically squatting on a yoga ball). She also taught us stuff Corey could do to help me. Things like pressing on my knees or my back and even lifting my belly (sounds weird, but feels awesome). Even though I think I've found a few things that may work for me - breathing patterns & positions - but I can't tell yet. When I'm in labor those things may annoy the ever loving shit out of me. Guess I'll have to wait to find out.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Bed Rest Day 41 - Mine Doesn't Stretch Like That!

So, I must discuss this video that Corey & I got to watch at our first Lamaze class last week. It was titled: The Stages of Labor. It basically went through the various stages of labor & described exactly what you might experience, yadda, yadda, yadda.
I don't really remember that much of the video because it was so damned graphic!
First of all - almost every woman on the video delivered in the nude. Yup - nekkid as a jay bird.
Here I'm thinking: when I'm in labor, with my hoo-ha up in the air for all to see, the last thing I want is my boobies hanging out, too. If you've ever watched a show on childbirth you see the amount of people that are running in and out of your labor room. I told Corey, I'm just going to cut the seam in the crotch of my jeans and deliver through that - fully clothed! Ha!
So, now we're watching this video - naked women, screaming in pain with their hoo-ha's exposed - and then it happens. One of these lovely women begin to crown. Does the camera-man pan out? No...he zooms in...on her hoo-ha. So, now the television screen is full of hoo-ha and there is something black coming out of it. I've seen childbirth before - just never so graphically.
My thought: Mine doesn't stretch like that!
So, as this head is ripping this poor woman from asshole to appetite the doctor says to her: "Your baby is coming! Reach down and feel the head! Its right there! Reach down & feel the baby!!"
I have found this to be a popular practice today. Um...no thanks. There is a 7 or 8-lb monster (at the time) ripping its way through my vagina - I DON'T WANT TO FEEL IT. GET IT OUT.
Then there are the ones where the doctor allows the mother to actually deliver the baby. No thanks - that's what my health insurance is paying you for.
I've also noticed the 'mirror.' The 'mirror' is just that - a mirror that they pull down so you can watch yourself give birth. I've given Corey explicit instructions: if they pull down the mirror when I'm in labor - tell them to put it right back up. I cringed at this stranger's hoo-ha being stretched beyond limits on TV, what makes you think I want to see mine do that? I already told you - mine doesn't do that.
So, baby pops out after much pushing & screaming and the screaming, slimy newborn is practically thrown onto mom's belly.
Am I ready for this miracle of birth? Yes. I am quite ready & quite excited. Watching this video just made me long for the day when they'd knock you out and when you woke there was a nice clean, quiet baby laying in a bassinet next to you.
Let me live in the little world I've created where the stork is going to come & deliver my little angel. Let me think that for now.
Can I arrange that as part of my birthing plan?

Friday, November 03, 2006

Bed Rest Day 36 - In through the nose...Out through the mouth

Corey & I had our first Lamaze class on Wednesday.
All the couples seem to be about our age - 3 of them due the same day as me.
What completely amazes me is how quiet everyone is.
For example - we had to go upstairs in the hospital to watch a video on the stages of labor (more on that later). So, Corey, myself and 3 other couples get in the elevator - no one says a word. I looked around to possibly make eye contact with someone and these chicks are all standing around looking at their feet (if they could see them over the bellies). The dads - or 'support partners' - are standing there looking at the mom. It was bizarre.
So, then we get into this room where we're to watch the movie and everyone gets a seat. Now, this is a small room & Corey and I are sitting right across from 2 other couples. They're maybe 7 feet from us. We have to wait a few minutes for the video to get going and again I attempt the eye contact. Nope. The women sat there looking down at their hands or playing in their purses or something, ANYTHING to avoid any semblance of personal contact with anyone in the room other than their 'support partner.' WTF people? How do you make friends?
I don't know - maybe its because I'm cooped up in the house all day that I'm CRAVING interaction with other people. Maybe next week will be better. There was ONE couple that showed a glimmer of possibility. Think we'll sit near them next week.
Don't MAKE me make brownies, people!