A Brief Glimpse at a Softer Side

It's easy to get caught up in the moment and lose sight of the big picture.  It's easy, at least for me, to be overcome with my thoughts and emotions in any given situation.  I obsess, I overreact, I over analyze, I freak out.  That's just me.  It doesn't happen all the time.  Most of the time I feel pretty easy going and can take things as they come (the influence of my husband), but in those other moments things get hairy.  And it isn't just pregnancy.  It's just my life.  For example, I've been frustrated with a situation in which someone is constantly discussing me with others.  It isn't necessarily spiteful or nasty, but it's uncalled for and gets under my skin a bit.  Some things I like to keep private.  I would like the option of sharing with whom I want to share.  Instead, I get, "Oh -- told me..."  Annoying.

All that to say that I was reminded this weekend of what is really important.  I woke up Sunday morning to an Easter basket and my husband urging me to "go find some eggs."  I have to say I had a blast hunting all over the house for my candy filled eggs (and I'm pretty sure I had eaten a several of them before the hunt was even over).  Then, I found the last one and opened it.  It was not candy filled, but instead jewelry filled.  Rocky bought me a baby charm for my bracelet... my "push present."  And for the 100th time this week I was reminded of how lucky I am to be married to such a wonderful person.  Not because he buys me presents, but because he remembers to remember me (even when I'm not being loud and obnoxious).  He takes time to call me during the day, he text me silly messages, he makes me call him when I get to work because at 9 months preggo he worries about my focus, he makes me laugh every single day.  It's all the little things and I understand now how you can love someone even more than you did the day before.  When you take the time to appreciate the little things, you can't help but be just a little more connected.  There is no doubt in my mind that we will grow old together.  I can't imagine going on this adventure with anyone else...and when you find someone who puts up with your crazy and loves you anyway, you really should hold on.  Now if we could just find a way to get this baby out!

Good Friday

So Thursday was my last day of work!  I am more than a little excited.  I have also decided that it is fine if Jake wants to be a little late (it would appear he is taking after his two aunts and uncle in the punctuality department) ... but I'm looking forward to sleeping in a few days before his arrival.  Yesterday I made a visit to the chiropractor who fixed me up!  After one visit my back pain is minimal and I slept better than I have in months!  I should have been doing this all along.  I'm going for daily visits until baby for some work on my hips which should help with labor and delivery also.  Now if he could only do something about my achy feet!

My Good Friday was spent cleaning.  I figured I should give the house one more top to bottom cleaning before it is neglected indefinitely.  I had to stop in the middle for a nap:) but now everything is put away and shiny clean.

I'm going to visit my other favorite doctor this afternoon for a natural approach toward treatment of my pesky gall bladder.  My ob is talking surgeons and since I don't really trust her with my who-ha, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to take her advice on having an internal organ removed.  Seriously.

I did, in fact, skip the doctor this week so I don't know officially that we haven't progressed any, but I'm going to go ahead and say we haven't.  This baby is lazy.  My contractions have all but stopped and I think he's settled in for the long haul.  At this rate we're going to have to hire a tutor to go up there when it's time for him to start kindergarten.

Tonight, Rocky and I are going to dinner and a movie... probably our last for a little while.  Maybe to see the Hunger Games.  I loved the book and have heard really good things about the movie so we shall see.  Because I really want o see it and enjoy an evening out (in addition to sleeping in for a few days) Jake will probably make his appearance tonight... just my luck.  

Strange Things

First off, my ob is stupid and I hate her.  It's a little late in the game to switch doctors so I'm just avoiding her and I have told the baby he has to come on a Thursday because that is her day off.  I would rather have a complete stranger deliver my baby than my ob and that's saying a lot.  I think she has forgotten that she is treating emotional pregnant women, not farm animals or men.  I appreciate her straight talk and no nonsense approach.   That is what made me stick it out with her in the beginning, but at this point I am a little over her bedside manner.  Just for that, I am not going in next week for my appointment.  The baby is doing great and I'm pretty sure I'll survive one week without her sticking her fingers up my vagina while insulting me.  After delivery, I will schedule all my appointments with my original nurse practitioner whom I love and hopefully never see her again.

Anyway, off that rant.  So last night, after an annoying doctor's visit, Rocky took me out to eat at our favorite hole in the wall.  In the spirit of trying to induce labor, I decided I should order something spicy since that is an old wives' tale I haven't tried.  There wasn't anything on the menu so I hesitantly ordered a side of jalapeños with my meal.  They came all diced up which I decided made them easier to pile on each bite.  After a few bites I complained to Rocky that the stupid jalapeños weren't hot at all and the experiment was a bust.  He piled a few on his enchilada to see for himself and had barely chewed when he grabbed for his water, his face turning bright red and his eye tearing up.  "Those are really hot!" he tells me.  "Maybe I just got a few bad pieces," I reason, although I had eaten half the bowl already.  He begins to fork specific pieces onto my plate.  "Try this one," he says as he passes me one full of seeds.  Down it goes.  Nothing.  He tries a similar piece at the same time and downs half his glass of water in seconds.  We go back and forth like this a few times until he finally declares my taste buds jacked up and surrenders.  It was the weirdest thing because I am usually super sensitive to spicy food.  Maybe the baby is sitting on that nerve ending...

Get this Baby OUT!

It's been a while since I posted!  Partially because nothing too exciting has happened and partially because I am too tired and lazy to actually log on and put two sentences together.  For those of you interested, here is the week 36 belly picture in all it's glory.

And here is the week 37 baby picture! Poor guy has his mom's cheeks!  But I do have to say he looks much cuter than his alien picture at 18 weeks.  What a fatty!  He currently weighs 6 pounds 11 ounces.  I'm pretty sure he's going to be an 8 pounder, which is fine.  I'm good with anything below 9!   

At our last check up I was 50% effaced and only dilated to a 1.  This is very discouraging, but there's little we can do but wait.  But that didn't stop me from trying out a few old wives tales.  Yesterday I hit a whole new level of  miserable so I spent part of the afternoon googling.  

After work Rocky and I went to dinner at Maggiano's where I had Eggplant Parmesan which several women on one baby blog said did it for them.  I also read cleaning the kitchen floor on your hands and knees can do it.  I assume it is more the position and motions so I cleaned the bathtub instead and then look a long hot bath.  I spent the last part of the night bouncing on my exercise ball.  Exhausted I finally went to bed hoping to wake in the middle of the night to labor.  

Instead, I woke up at nine o'clock having slept better than I have in months, but still pregnant.  On today's agenda: primrose oil, a long walk, and high heels.  

What's Wrong with Your Belly?

I work with older elementary students for a reason.  Not necessarily because they have more common sense, but because those little ones scare the bejeezus out of me.  Today, both worlds collided.  My morning started off in the front office where I ran into a friend from last year who is now in 5th grade.  I see this kid regularly in the halls, it's a very small school, but apparently he hasn't noticed me in a while.  A long while.  As I stand there talking to a teacher someone mentions something about the baby and due date, blah blah blah.  Out of no where my 5th grade friend (who is in the office waiting to go to in school suspension) yells out, "Mrs. Kelley!  You didn't tell me you were having a baby!"  I look at him and I am about to make some sarcastic comment when I see his face.  He is visibly hurt that I kept this secret from him for 8 whole months.  I walk over and sit on the bench with him.  "I didn't tell you?" I asked him.  "Are you sure?"  He is shaking his head before I finish my sentence.  "No.  You didn't, " he tells me.  Honestly, I should be touched by his concern, but it was all I could do not to laugh out loud.  Instead (because I am a fantastic teacher who always considers students' feelings...please hear sarcasm) I apologize that he is the last to know and confirm that I am indeed having a baby boy.  This soothes his hurt feelings and we are apparently on good terms again. 

I leave the office and head down the first grade hall toward my classroom.  There is a line of about 6 first graders standing in the hall, one of which I see every single morning when I check  him in for our behavior program.  I stop for a second to remind them of hallway expectations because they are a little rowdy and their teacher hasn't made it out of the classroom yet.  As they get in a line and turn their voices off my little behavior friend points and says, "What's wrong with your belly?"  I look down and he is pointing at my large almost 8 months pregnant belly.  Without thinking I say, "Nothing is wrong with my belly.  There's a baby in there."  Seriously.  This was my response to a seven year old.  They all start to giggle and whisper.  I'm regretting my decision to stop and reinforce hallway behavior expectations at this point.  "A baby?  How'd you get a baby in your belly?" he asks.  I realize my mistake and look for an out.  There isn't one.  They are all looking at me expectantly.  I grab the first out that comes to my mind.  "We are not supposed to be talking in the hall!  Those are the rules.  Get in your line and wait for your teacher." And with that I all but sprint down the hall (which of course, is breaking another hallway rule. 

One Hot Mama

When I started telling people I was pregnant, everyone kept saying, "Oh you're so lucky you won't be pregnant during the summer because your hormones will give you hot flashes."  Well I have spent the entire winter freezing my butt off (and yes I know it's Texas so it isn't that cold) waiting for these hot flashes to kick in.  I sat in my pitiful little classroom in an uninsulated portable building from 1978 wrapped in a snuggie wondering when I might feel my fingers again.  I cranked up the heater at home before Rocky got off work and sipped hot cocoa just to take the chill off my bones.  I slept in pajama pants and long sleeves snuggled under the covers all night and took hot showers the next morning trying to store up some heat for the long cold days.  I put on layers of clothes, scarves, and jackets before facing the day.  Finally, I decided that my internal heater was broken, and I gave up hope of every lighting the pilot.  

Be careful what you wish for.  About a week ago, I woke up one night sweaty and gross so the next night I slept in a tank top and shorts.  Again, I woke up sweaty and gross.  We tried turning the air down, but I still woke up sweaty and gross in the middle of the night so I stripped off my pj and tried sleeping al naturale.  My husband was pretty excited about this approach, but it didn't work.  Nothing worked.  This continued night after night so I decided last night I would stopped sleeping under the covers all together.  I piled them at the foot of the bed and fell asleep.  This morning... I woke up sweaty and gross.  So, it would seem that my heater did finally turn on.  Now, does anyone know how to turn if off?     

I Stole Milk from a Kindergartner Today

So I officially have a problem.  I've mentioned before that I crave milk in a ridiculous way.  Rocky jokes that we should buy a cow because it would be cheaper.  Last weekend we bought 2 gallons at Costco and although we were out of town all weekend, they are still long gone.  So I stopped at HEB yesterday afternoon to buy another gallon and I noticed this morning that it is more than halfway gone... and Rocky is out of town so it is all me.  Still, I wasn't too worried about it until this morning when I realized I have hit an all time low.  This morning I hijacked a couple of kindergartner in the hall who were returning the breakfast bags to the cafeteria.  "What's in your bag?" I asked the first one.  "Breakfast," she answered, clearly confused.  As a teacher I should know that it's the breakfast bag.  "I know, but do you have the food bag or the milk bag?"  Without waiting for a reply I rip open the top and find a bag of individual cereals.  I dismiss her and move on to the second kindergartner who isn't sure what to think about the crazy teacher raiding the breakfast bags.  I don't even bother to talk to her about her bag.  I just pull it open to reveal a bag o' milk.  "Bingo!" I announced as I snag a milk.  I barely make it around the corner before it is open and I am chugging straight from the gross little cardboard box.  My only regret was that I didn't grab more than one. 

What's Your Sign

Since this little guy is constantly moving, I thought I would check out his astrological sign and see what we are in for once he arrives. I definitely don't live by the zodiac, but I have found that the descriptions of the signs are interesting and usually pretty accurate. If he arrives on time, he will be an Aries.

"Aries are fire signs and those born under this element are regarded in astrology as adventurous, active and outgoing. Aries is a uniquely naive sign. Although they are independent, outgoing and assertive they are also surprisingly trusting, often innocently walking into the lion's den at times. No matter what upheaval, challenge or triumph they confront - an Aries has a wonderful ability to bounce back. Their faith in life and the future remains untouched by hardship. Their gift is that they are always children at heart and the world is always a magical place for them. Many famous sports people are born under this sign. Aries is regarded as the most physical sign and because of its Mar's rulership it is also one of the most highly charged masculine energy signs in astrology. For the Aries male, a woman has to be a real woman to deal with him, because he is looking for many balancing component traits (his true feminine side) in his partner.

Aries people are 'doers' rather than 'talkers'. They are the impulsive, act first, ask questions or have doubts later, sign of the zodiac. That's why their lives are often filled with many dramas and sometimes even accidents! Their ability to live life close to the edge provides them with a wealth of 'real experience' to call upon. When an Aries person talks about something or somewhere they've usually done it or been there, rather than simply read about it in a book. Being active people Aries can't adapt to any kind of restriction, particularly possessive relationships. They often travel to escape any feelings of being stuck or possessed. Aries people love challenges. In fact, if everything is running smoothly, they are quite capable of going out and doing something (sometimes quite foolish) to rock the boat. Aries love to race in where angels fear to tread."

According to the Chinese calendar he will be a Dragon.

"The Dragon is one of the most powerful and lucky Signs of the Chinese Zodiac. Its warm heart makes the Dragon's brash, fiery energy far more palatable. This is a giving, intelligent and tenacious Sign that knows exactly what it wants and is determined to get it. Dragons possess a certain natural, charming charisma that ensures they can always influence their peers and often find themselves the center of attention in social situations. Its ego can get in the Dragon's way, but even so, this larger-than-life creature has a knack for initiating projects and keeping the troops motivated. According to Dragons, it's their natural born right to lead the way -- because who else could do it so surely and so well? The role of leader is the only one the Dragon wants, the better from which to give orders and be king of the hill. They make solid leaders, too, knowing instinctively what needs to be done to stay on top. Crossing the Dragon is never a good idea -- this beast can singe! A valuable life lesson for this clever creature would be to absorb the principles of flexibility, compassion and tolerance. If Dragons can learn to balance their quest for success with an appreciation for the little things, their life will be more than worthwhile."

So regardless, it sounds like we are in for some trouble with this one. 

He has nipples, let him do it...

We finally attended our breastfeeding class and being that I'm really not that modest, I didn't think anything about it until we arrived.  There were boobs everywhere and frankly it made me a little uncomfortable.  Boob posters, rubber boobs, boob handouts, even knitted boobs.  Then there were the weird boob contraptions: nipple shields, pads, tubes and of course, the videos.  To make matters worse, our instructor kept demonstrating with her own boob which was weird on a whole other level.  It was like porn for babies.  Rocky and I giggled through the entire class, clearly demonstrating our maturity as parents.  And if I need boobs as big as the ones in the video, our baby is going to starve.  Those things were huge!  She literally could stand at the side of the crib and hang it over into the baby's mouth.  Dear Lord, please don't let my boobs get that big.  I don't think I could support them.  We also established that absolutely NO ONE will be allowed to stay in the room at feeding time once Jake arrives.  Holy cow!  I can do without the audience now that I know what a production the whole thing is.  In fact, I think I'll let Rocky handle the feedings.  He has nipples, let him do it. 

Pineapples, Butter, and Peeing

The belly now qualifies as ginormous!  Holy cow.  I can't get up off the couch without a push from Rocky.  I have to roll out of bed and I'm trying really hard to teach Aisha how to tie my shoes.    

Belly at 31 Weeks (in a different tank!)

I have entered the bargaining phase.  I have offered this baby just about any and everything if he will make his appearance during spring break.  37 weeks... perfect timing.  My new craving is fresh pineapple.  I eat about 1 every few days.  I am polishing one off right now as I type one handed.  Interesting because I just received and email saying my baby is the size of a pineapple.

This pineapple is apparently taking up so much room there is none left for my bladder.  I got up a whopping 4 times last night to pee.  I pee and then when I stand up to pull up my pants, I already need to pee again.  I try to keep my eyes closed while peeing so that I don't fully wake up, but then I start to wonder if I am actually peeing in my bed in some kind of dream, which completely wakes me up.  I now  also have to limit myself to 2-3 squares of toilet paper each time, otherwise we'd go broke just buying toilet paper.  

Oh and then there is the nipple cream.  As if having to put "belly butter" on every day wasn't bad enough, I now have to lube up my nipples to prepare them.  Prepare them for what?!  I'm pretty sure no amount of attention is going to get them ready to turn into utters.  They are already pornographic, but now they get to be shiny and smooth.  Arg.  I need a full time assistant just to slather on all the butters and creams I have to put on in a day.  And while they're at it, maybe they could run the vacuum.