Week 35

 Week 35

How far along? 35 weeks
Maternity clothes?  I went to the wedding of a childhood friend on Saturday and the occasion required a dress.  I found a simple black maternity dress at a consignment shop for under $15.  Score! The pictures proved that black is slimming.  :)
Have you started to show?  I'm starting to feel like a freak show.  Strangers are now commenting.  I've had one "you look like you are about to pop" and a lady who was chatting with me through the changing room wall in the spa locker room.  I was there to get a prenatal massage (best baby shower gift ever!) and as I was getting undressed I hear a voice through the wall, "when are you due?"  Umm...why are you talking to me while I'm naked??
Symptoms:  During the wedding on Saturday I noticed some pain building in my chest, just below my heart.  I figured it was bad acid reflux, which I've had trouble with more and more in the past couple weeks.  We left the wedding early and I tried to sleep it off.  By morning I was feeling better and we ran to Babies R Us to try to pick up the last few things from our registry.  While we were there the pain returned.  I laid down when we got home but it seemed to be getting worse.  I called my OB's after hours line.  She suggested I try maalox but only gave me an hour to wait for it to kick in.  If not, it was going to mean another trip to the hospital.  And after the whole kidney stone ordeal, I really did not want to go back to the hospital.

But just over an hour later, that's where I found myself.  And I obviously was not enjoying my stay.

Going to the hospital ended up being a very smart decision.  And I'm so thankful that my doctor was onto something and only gave me an hour to see if the maalox would work.  Turns out it wasn't just heartburn.  After an EKG ruled out a heart attack (at least I wasn't crazy in thinking something was wrong with my heart.  I doubt they would have done an EKG just for funsies), an ultrasound ruled out gallstones.  When the pain in my chest radiated up into my right shoulder and arm and my blood pressure started to climb, the doctors started throwing around terms like "a form of pre-eclampsia" and "only cure is to deliver."  That's when my OB showed up.  Late on a Sunday night.  My mom (who was at the hospital with us and is a nurse) was the one to realize that things were getting serious if my own doctor decided she needed to see me and not just leave it to the senior resident.  I was realizing that the night was taking a strange turn when there was nothing they could give for the pain.  I was begging for the drugs they had given me during the kidney stone.  I didn't understand why I couldn't have anything until my doctor arrived.  My doctor is amazing and her calm demeanor kept me calm as she explained the diagnosis of HELLP Syndrome.  While she never said it, after Googling it later, we realized it is a life threatening diagnosis if not caught in time.   Meanwhile, Megatron was as happy as could be.  I was taking a serious turn for the worse yet he was just hanging out with good vitals and movement.  So I knew my doctor wasn't taking my condition lightly when she suggested that in order to keep him happy and healthy and to prevent me from getting sicker, I needed to deliver and I needed to deliver soon, even though it was 5 weeks too soon.

You could have scraped my jaw off the floor.  After going in for what I though was acute heart burn and to be told it was time to deliver a baby, I was stunned.  That was not even on my radar.  Ever since the ultrasound at 20 weeks revealed he was a pretty big baby, I've been worried about delivering a "monster baby."  And for the first time, I was incredibly thankful for how big he already was.  Delivering 5 weeks early, while still really early, was the best decision for my health and his. At that point, the risk to me staying pregnant far outweighed the risks of having a pre-term baby.

And so on Monday, July 15 at 8:01 am, The Pilot and I became a family of three with the addition of Megatron.

6 pounds, 20 inches

I'm still processing all that happened and not quite ready to dive into the rest of that story but I will share more about Megatron's arrival into the world soon. For know though, we are both doing much better!

As for Megatron's name?  No, that isn't his legal name.  Sorry but we won't be sharing that on the blog.  We didn't want him to Google his name later in life and come across all of his mother's confessions about parenthood.  Very much like the reasons I don't share The Pilot's name on the blog.  We didn't want to reveal too much about our family on the internet.  I mean, someone might want to run for office one day and we don't need any incriminating evidence floating around. ;)

Week 34

Week 34

Rather than looking at the camera, I was looking at The Pilot who was most likely making faces at me trying to get me to laugh.  It usually works...and then we end up with some strange out takes

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How far along? 34 weeks
Maternity clothes?  I'm really determined to not have to buy anymore work appropriate pants...even though things are getting a little snug.  I might have to wear the same 2 outfits for the last couple weeks of my pregnancy.... Another item I really don't want to have to buy more of?  Bras.  Unfortunately that isn't something one can "make do" with wearing the wrong size.  Sigh.
Have you started to show?  Yes, I ate a watermelon seed and this happened to me!
Symptoms: My hands and feet are starting to get a little puffy.  It's probably not noticeable to most people (unless they see my ring digging into my finger).  I have really narrow feet and skinny fingers so the fact that they have swollen a little is really only noticeable to me (though The Pilot could see it a little in my ankles the other day).

Baby boy's head is still down and has been putting pressure on my pelvic bone.  It's like he's pushing his head against the bone and pushing out.  Not painful, but certainly not comfortable either.  He's also had his feet up in my ribs/lungs a few times.  I usually get winded (even when sitting) or I can't even lean forward because he seems to be wedged.
Activity:  Does playing Uno with The Pilot and a cat count as activity?

Yeah, that happened.  We've had lots of hot, stormy weather here lately.  Which seems to have zapped the little energy I have left.  It was getting "late" (8 pm...because that's my style now) but I was waiting on some laundry to finish up before bed.  We didn't want to get involved in watching TV so we opted for a game instead.  We joked that we should pack the cards in my hospital bag in case we get bored (you know, in between contractions...riiiiight).  The hospital staff would probably make fun of us for being so old school.  We don't have smartphones so we resort to good ol' fashioned fun! :)  We did have fun...and obviously it was such a wild time that the cat needed to take a nap...right there.
Best moment this week:  I had my 34 week check up on Monday and got to hear his heartbeat again.  It's amazing how loud and strong it sounds!  It's starts as this whirling sound in the early scans and now its more of a thumping sound. I also got a pedicure with my mom on Monday.  It was wonderful!  Especially since it's really challenging to paint my own toes now.  Hopefully this will last until delivery day! 
Miss anything?  Pelotonia is a big cycling fundraiser in Ohio and is next month.  That means the cyclists are out in full force around town training for the ride.  And seeing the hoards of cyclists is making me jealous.  I pull into the garage and see my bike hanging on the wall and I swear it looks sad that it hasn't been ridden since last fall.  I'm also missing seeing my training friends each week.  They threw me a baby shower this week and it was perfect timing.  I was really missing their smiles and encouragement! 
Movement: I recently noticed I can tickle the little man.  My belly itched (yeah, that fun has returned) and I was lightly running my fingernails over my belly when little man sort of rolled.  I didn't think much of it until my friend mentioned she would do that to her baby when he was still cooking and he'd do the same thing.  And she said that when she runs her fingers on his back now (he's almost 4), he does the same rolling movement he did while he was still on the inside.  So I tried again.  I ran my fingers across my belly where I was pretty certain his back was and sure enough, he rolled and squirmed.  It's mind-blowing to me to think that everything I do, he experiences..and vice versa (as he must be stretching in this very moment and is wedged in between by rib cage and my pelvic bone because I can barely reach the keyboard).

He also got really sluggish the other day.  Enough for me to call the doctor's office.  As uncomfortable as some of his kicking can be, when there was an absence of kicking, my anxiety level went through the roof.  The nurse told me to wait it out another hour or two, that he was probably sleeping.  Sure enough, later in the day he started dancing a little jig on my bladder. and has been pretty active ever since.  I've never been so relieved to almost pee my pants.   When I was in the doctor's office a couple days later she reassured me that I did the right thing by one, noticing something was different and two, calling the office even though I was paranoid that I was being a nervous nelly.  She told me to just keep doing my fetal kick counts twice a day and call when something is off.  Sure I've done everything I can to keep myself and little guy healthy but I think that "parent worrying about their kid for the rest of their lives" thing kicked into full gear that day.
Food cravings:  A pound of strawberries was put away in the last 24 hours...  There was also some Pop Tart consumption.  I've also eaten a lot more salad in the last week.  The Pilot planted lettuce in his garden and it went bonkers!  We have tons and tons of lettuce.  It's pretty nice to be able to walk out the back door to grab some!
Gender:  Mister Man!  I think our friends and family are getting more and more excited to meet him but mostly because they want to know what his name is!  I think it's driving some of them a little nuts that we are keeping the name a secret until he arrives.
Looking forward to:  Seeing my feet while standing.  Being comfortable.  I'm basically uncomfortable 24/7 at this point.  I can't seem to get comfortable in bed, in a chair, standing, anywhere.  Basically I'm just looking forward to meeting our little man.  I've also been told that while I won't sleep much in those first few weeks/months, the sleep I do get will be much more comfortable that what I've got going on now.  I'm hanging onto that right now.
Not looking forward to:  I can't possibly get any more uncomfortable....riiight??  As I walked out the door yesterday for work I told The Pilot that I have no idea how women with more than one kid manage to look after kids while they are pregnant.  I feel like I'm barely able to get myself up and out the door some days!  And the people I know who have carried multiples, holy smokes I have all the respect in the world for you (not that I didn't before, I just have a whole new respect now!).
Milestones:  I'm about to start my weekly doctor visits already!  It's crazy how fast this pregnancy has gone so far.  I won't lie, the last couple weeks have gone really slowly.  It fits the saying that the "days are long but the years are short."  I'm uncomfortable and each day seems longer and longer but the weeks keep ticking by so quickly.

Baby boy was also serenaded again by his mama.  Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby is a classic and little man must learn about music sampling...and DETROIT AVENUE. (C'mon, anyone between the ages of 25 and 40 probably just sang along with that.  Admit it.)

Crazy Dreams/Nightmares

They say pregnancy can make women have some crazy dreams/nightmares and that's a symptom I have not escaped.  In the 1st trimester, it was mostly nightmares.  Like the kind that you can't seem to wake yourself up from and then when you finally do, you aren't sure if the nightmare was real.  There were several nights I woke up from a nightmare and reached for The Pilot to make sure I was back in reality.  Of course he wasn't always there which was distressing.

The second trimester was pretty quiet in terms of weird dreams and nightmares but now as I get closer to the end of the third trimester, the crazy dreams have started.  Luckily these are more weird than disturbing.  Well....I would consider this one disturbing but I didn't wake up confused and out of touch with reality.

I was going about my business when I realized the world had been taken over by zombies.  This is even more strange because the whole zombie craze is lost on me.  I hate those kinds of movies.  Anyways, I was running from zombies when I came across a survivor who was also running and needed my help.  It was Justin Bieber.  This is the distubring part.  I really don't like that punk.  I should have let the zombies eat him.  Being the nice person that I am though,  I kept trying to help him but as we were running he kept falling down and asking me to carry him.  Um...no.  You little weenie.

I then realized that gravity was "working in reverse" (WTF?) and I kept telling him that we could "skydive" if we just jumped high enough in the air and then the wind would carry us away to safety.  Except he couldn't jump because he hurt his ankle when he kept falling down.  Probably because his pants were sagging to his knees and he was wearing sneakers that weren't tied.  Again, what a punk.

And then I woke up.

Week 33

Week 33

How far along? 33 weeks
Maternity clothes?  Yeay for hand-me-downs!  The Pilot's cousin (in law) passed along a few things from her pregnancy last year.  It's been nice to have a few more comfy pieces to pull into the rotation!
Have you started to show?  I'm feeling rather....round.
Symptoms:  I've never been all that graceful but my clumsiness has hit an all time high lately.  I drop things.  I bump into things.  I lose my balance and kind of wobble but, like a weeble, I don't fall down.  Thank goodness because I'd be stuck on the floor for sure.  Why I continue to sit on the floor from time to time is beyond me.  It's SO difficult to get back up.  But the cats love them some head scratches and they are close to the floor.  I need to work on getting them to come to my level instead.  I also sat on the floor while putting together a baby seat...and then sat there and stared at the completed baby seat pondering how I was going to get off the floor.
Activity:  There was the hissy fit inducing walk around the block over the weekend and then some "swimming" on Monday.  There were also a million errands to run over the weekend that left me overheated and exhausted when I returned.  I'm not exaggerating.  I came home, dropped my bags on the floor, pulled my shoes and socks off, put my feet on the air conditioning vent and then dozed off on the couch for a little while. 
Best moment this week:  Getting a hug from The Pilot after being apart for 5 days.  That was a loooong stretch but should be the last long trip before the baby arrives.  He requested to only work 1- and 2-day trips from now until my due date.  Fingers crossed I go into labor when he's home!
Miss anything?  Still missing my bike a lot.  My old body....I've never been so thankful for my formerly doughy self.  I'll never take it for granted again...hopefully I will at least regain that!  The other night I commented to The Pilot that I look forward to being able to just flop into bed and be automatically comfortable...or laying on my stomach.  Arranging a million pillows to support my numerous achy body parts is a chore.  So is rolling over with said pillows.  And getting up out of the bed requires some feats of strength.
Movement:  I thought for sure the movements would have slowed down by now (the doctor warned me about this since he's big and running out of space) but not so much.  His kicks and jabs are as strong as ever.  And now, when he rolls over, my entire belly moves.  Still the most bizarre thing I have ever felt or seen.  And it's still just as amusing.  I almost always start laughing when I look down and see something rolling around.  If The Pilot also witnesses it?  I find this even more hysterical.  I can't explain it. 
Food cravings:  I had some itty bitty strawberries...the last of the season from the local farmer's market.  Boo.  I randomly wanted Velveeta salsa dip the other day but luckily we don't typically keep processed cheese in the house.  We'll see if I can keep that craving at bay.  I did succumb to a Pop Tart craving....a couple times over.  Darn it!  I've also eaten a pound of carrots this week.  Hopefully I don't turn orange.
Gender:  Each week I get more and more excited to meet the little man.  The waiting recently made me think of being a kid and going to my grandparents' house on Christmas Eve.  There were always presents under the tree from my grandparents as well as from my aunts and uncles but we couldn't open anything until after dinner.  I used to be under foot in the kitchen while my grandma made dinner and would whine that I "couldn't waaaaait to open presents".  Grandma would just smile at me and say "well, you are just going to haaaave to."  This is like Christmas times ten.
Looking forward to:  Being able to tie my own shoes.  I actually had The Pilot tie my shoes for me the other day.  I can still do it...it's just uncomfortable and slow.  We needed to leave and he was standing there.  Such a good sport.  I also randomly thought about giving our baby zerberts again.  :)  And of course there is that "new baby" smell.  I'm not talking about the "baby just filled his diaper" smell but the"oh my gosh the world hasn't tainted you yet, fresh and clean" smell. 
Not looking forward to:  I feel like it is a matter of time before I get stuck in bed like a turtle on its back.  Luckily The Pilot will be home more nights from now until little man arrives but there are still a few nights I'll be on my own...someone check on me if you haven't heard from me in a day or two.  :P
Milestones: Teaching baby boy about the great works of U2?  Via singing to him in the car while stuck in traffic.  He's been exposed to many of U2's greatest hits (in my opinion) in the last week.  Hopefully he appreciates his parents' taste in music when he is forced to listen once outside of my body.  If not, we may disown him.  I kid.  Sort of. ;)

Swimming....or floating

I stuffed the baby belly into a swim suit last night and went swimming!  Now it wasn't exactly swimming laps and my heart rate wasn't up so I wouldn't necessarily call it a workout.  But, I was using all my limbs and I wasn't sitting on the couch eating Pop Tarts (like I kind of wanted to do) so I would call it a success.

My friend Lisa joined me over at my parents' house (it's their pool).  While I was jealous of the fact that she RAN to my parents' house while I had to drive (I only live about 3 miles from my parents and Lisa is just over 2 miles door to door), it was nice to catch up with her.  We floated around in the pool for about 40 minutes while chatting.  The sun was already low so the pool was shaded (yeay for this pale girl!) and the water was warm.  It was like sitting in a bathtub that I actually fit in. :)  It was WONDERFUL to feel weightless for a little while.  It took the pressure of all my achy joints.  Plus, baby boy must have enjoyed it too because either he was asleep or just chilling.  Usually he has a dance party on my internal organs all evening but for the short time in the pool, he was still.  Such a relief for me!

Around the Block

After a really long week for both me and The Pilot (his last long trip before the baby arrives was made longer after bad weather and broken airplanes stranded him away from home a night longer than expected), we couldn't wait for the weekend.

On Friday evening, when I got home from work we grabbed some dinner and then were surprised at how nice the weather was after dinner.  It's been stupid hot here lately (just made worse by my pregnant state) so taking a walk after dinner has been out of the question (for me at least).  We decided to take a walk around the block. 

I really wanted to go to a group training on Saturday morning (I miss my training buddies!!) despite the doctor telling me to avoid activities that aggravated the hip pain.  Basically, anytime I am in the same position for more than a couple minutes, my hip pain is aggrivated.  So why bother avoiding walks?  I figured I'd go to training, walk 2 miles and go home and rest.  I decided the walk around the block could be a "warm up."  Make sure all the parts still work or something like that...

Not so much.  That walk around the block was a workout. The block we opted to go around is just over 1/2 mile.  And about 1/4 mile into the walk, I could have sat on the curb to take a break.  I was winded.  I was hot.  My fingers felt like they were swelling (they weren't really).  We could SEE our house when I got a cramp in my belly.  Blah.  I waddled the rest of the way as The Pilot practically tripped over his feet from walking so slowly. 

As soon as we got home, I laid down on my left side (that is the place to be when you are prego) on the couch.  The cramp went away immediately. I could have had a meltdown right then and there to be honest.  I'm a marathoner dammit.  A 1/2 mile walk at a snail's pace just left me exhausted and winded.   Blah.

I know that my body is using all of its resources to grow a human but it's hard to accept that this is my current reality.  Even though I know it is only temporary, it's still tough when you are normally a really active person.  I know it will all be worth it but for now, it's just frustrating.

Week 32

Week 32

How far along?  32 weeks
Maternity Clothes? I've actually outgrown a few things.  That makes me sad.  I'm also getting strangely sensitive to how things fit.  I really don't like having anything tight fitting.  I basically run upstairs when I get home from work to change out of my work clothes and put on my "fat man" t-shirt and cotton shorts.  I mumbled to The Pilot that I might have to go pick up another giant t-shirt.  I had to wear a different one the other day when my favorite was in the laundry and my belly was poking out the bottom.  Some might be ok with that, I am not.  No one needed to be seeing that business back when I wasn't pregnant and they certainly don't need to see it now!
Have you started to show?  There is a baby the size of a squash (nearly 4 pounds!) in there...you can't hide a squash!
Symptoms: The heartburn has come back.  As did some nausea last week.  My doctor thinks it is the combination of the heartburn and the baby squishing my stomach that is causing it.  I've started trying to eat smaller meals more often and that seems to help a little though my schedule doesn't always allow for that.

Weight gain.  Sigh.  My pregnancy weight gain was pretty gradual at first.  I think I only gained a pound in the first trimester.  Even as I appeared bigger each week throughout the second trimester, the weight gain was pretty gradual.  And then I got to the third trimester.  I'm trying not to get on the scale too much (for my mental well-being) but I've certainly noticed the pounds are increasing more rapidly.  It doesn't help that I'm at the doctor every other week now so I'm seeing the number more frequently.  I also recently read that it's common for women to start gaining about a pound a week in the last couple weeks of pregnancy.  Say what?!  I keep trying to tell myself that I'm still well within the normal range of weight gain and that I've got a pretty good reason to be gaining weight but as I quickly approach my "number," I'm getting more self-conscious.  The "number" I refer to is something that every formerly overweight person has.  Their heaviest weight.  The weight they vowed to never see again.  I lost and kept off about 30 pounds six years ago.  I've worked hard to keep it off.  And now as I start to get closer to that number, it is certainly a head trip.  Just like with the other symptoms and general uncomfortableness, I try to keep my eye on the prize as it will all be worth it in the end.  I'm still eating healthy.  I haven't turned into a complete couch potato.  My baby is still growing and is healthy and I'm doing everything I can to keep it that way.  I'm also trying to convince myself that it will make the work I'll put in once I've recovered from delivery even more rewarding.  I've already started plotting my "comeback."
Activity:  I would say that laundry and cleaning the house are the biggest workouts I'm getting lately.  And while those are most definitely a challenge due to being exhausted, awkward and big, it's not the same as getting in a sweaty workout outside.
Best moment this week:  The Pilot's family threw me a beautiful baby shower!  The majority of his family lives out of state so we don't see them as often so it was great to see them before the baby arrives.  Even better was that The Pilot's cousin-in-law was a co-host and made all the yummy food.  She's also the one who made our wedding cake.  The wedding cake that some of our guests (The Pilot and I included) still comment on and dream about.  It was sooooo good.  So when I walked into the shower and saw one of her cakes sitting there, I knew it was going to be a good time!  She also made biscuits with strawberries from her garden.  I nearly died and went to heaven...and then stole some for the road trip home.
Miss anything?  I'm definitely really missing my workouts.  I miss my bike.  I miss my training group.  I miss being able to move around without feeling so awkward.  It's certainly all worth it but for someone who is used to being really active, it's been a challenge to just listen to my body and chill out.  Relaxing has never been one of my strengths.  Even though I have a pretty good "excuse" right now, it's still difficult.  Especially when working out was my primary stress reliever.
Movement:  I was cracking up the other night while I was sitting on the couch.  I looked down and there was a little round bulge in my belly.  I poked at it (because that's a natural reaction, right?) and it moved.  I think it may have been baby boy's little butt.  It was round and big...and I know for a fact that it wasn't his head (the doctor confirmed he's still hanging out head down).  So naturally I poked at it again and it moved.  He's not even born yet and getting annoyed by his mama.  The Pilot wasn't home but I knew he was on the ground and still awake so I had to call to tell him about it.  :)
Food cravings:  While the strawberries are still pretty dang tasty, nectarines are now rocking my world.  This is probably more due to the fact that strawberries are starting to come out of season and nectarines are in full force.  I've also noticed an increased craving for junk food like potato chips and french fries.  I try to curb those cravings but sometimes a pregnant woman just cannot be denied!
Gender:  He's all boy...bouncing boy!  He's still wiggling up a storm in there.  It's working out great for us and we have a lot of friends/family with boys.  The Pilot has a male cousin (in high school) who passed down some Legos to us.  A cousin-in-law is letting us borrow some "boy" cloth diapers that her son used as a newborn.  And one of my besties had a boy recently...except he was monster baby (he came out nearly 2 feet long!!) and couldn't wear any of the newborn or even some of the 3 month clothes that someone had passed down to them.  So she shipped the clothes to me!  Now, I'm on target to have a monster baby but we'll see what fits when he gets here!
Looking forward to:  In the last week or so I've started to get really excited to meet him.  Of course I want him to bake for a little longer in there but I'm looking forward to meeting the little human who has been jabbing my internal organs.  I'm getting more curious as to what he will look like and what his personality will be like.
Not looking forward to:  I'm in a constant state of HOT right now.  And summer just started so I assume it will just get worse.  I'm going to be a sweaty mess for the next 8 weeks.  Please don't judge me if you see me in person and I look a little (a lot) disheveled.
Milestones: The Pilot experienced another rite of passage when it comes to being a parent.  We received one of the car seats we registered for.  It's the seat we intend to use once little man outgrows his infant seat but we wanted to make sure it fit in both of our cars.  And so The Pilot experienced the joys of installing a car seat.  I've actually already done this a couple times.  I used to keep a seat in my car for my niece when she was little.  It was always like wrestling a bear in the back of a small car.  I wasn't in the garage when The Pilot was working on this but I didn't hear any cursing in the house so it must not have been too bad.  I went out and checked out his handy work and he did great.  That seat didn't budge when I gave it a shake.  While the seat fit in both cars,  I will lose the entire back seat in my car.  We plan to keep the seat in the middle for as long as possible (they say that is the safest) but because I have a small car (Honda Fit), it eats into the other two seats so much that I think the only person that would fit back there is my skinny 5-year-old nephew.  And that wouldn't even work because he still needs a booster seat.  I can see why people end up getting bigger cars when kids come along!  We are going to do our best to make do with the cars we have though.  Especially since both are paid off and run great!