Whoa. To say it's been a while would be an understatement. I'm not sure where all the time has gone. I realized that not only has the past month flown by, but 2010 flew by. I'm having Thanksgiving and Christmas recollections that cannot possibly be from last year; it seems too soon. As I pondered why this year is different, I realized that apart from the first four months of 2010, I've been pregnant this entire year. Ziggy has consumed everything and also made things seem unimportant that I may have otherwise spent more energy on. That must explain why 2010 has been a total blur, save for the ever-important ultra sounds, heartrate updates, and prenatal tales of those who came before me on this journey.
So, to bring things to date, this past month has been full of wonder and awe. Since we last touched base I have been through so many changes. I will start with Ziggy, otherwise known as Kung Fu Panda and/or Giant Baby. So my munchkin can no longer be compared to a fruit. Weighing in at almost four pounds (3.12) and 15.2 inches, I've got a real baby hanging out in my belly...upside down. My torso has been overtaken and now it looks like I have a watermelon stuffed into my shirt. At first glance it looks like a basketball, but if you look closely you can see that it goes all the way up my torso, with an oblong shape. I feel kicks just below my lady lumps and always on the right side.
Kung Fu Panda has found a home on the right side of my uterus, which, coincidentally would be the same side s/he came from in the first place- my right ovary. A random fact? I know, but it's what the doctor said. Anyhoo, I am now getting nothing short of beaten up on a daily basis. I love every minute of it, too. My sweetie is so super active it's not even funny. I won't bore you with every little detail about my baby, but I will give a summary of what the heck has happened since my last post.
Maternity pics- uber fun and cute! My sister-in-law took them and did an awesome job...I totally love them.
Halloween- I took my niece trick-or-treating and dressed up as a man. Yep, I really am that obnoxious ;-)
Mural- Ziggy has a real nursery, with an adorable mural, courtesy of my friend Tina.
Baby Shower- with the help of some of my gal pals, my friend Nikki outdid herself in a wonderful book-themed celebration of our munchkin. It was a couple's shower so Weldon was there too...awesome-ness!
4D sonos- interesting. Firstly, we did not like the idea of these because we always thought they were creepy, overpriced, and inaccurate. BUT, when we walked into the doctor's office, the sonographer said she couldn't resist and gave us the pics totally free! I must admit, my heart melted when I saw my boopie's little lips and cheeks. I salivate just thinking about them!
Two-week doctor visits- yep, I'm in my third trimester, which means I go to the doctor every 2 weeks now.
Weight gain- My total now is 24 pounds. People say they don't know where it is hiding, but I'm here to say, it is in my belly and my lady lumps. I have two half-gallon jugs and a watermelon (previously mentioned) that collectively weigh 24 pounds, I swear it. You know who else swears it? My back. And lungs. And heart. I am now a cross between biggie smalls (the rapper who breathed heavily on a couch proclaiming 'more money, more problems') and a waddling toddler. I try so very hard not to waddle but goodness, it makes things so much easier. I give myself a few footsteps a day to cheat (waddle). I consider walking with my usual gait a workout that must be done in order to stay strong.
Speaking of waddling, my opinions on childbirth have drastically changed over the past month. I now am not scared of an epidural (I privately planned to go natural bc I was terrified of that needle). Braxton-Hicks contractions have now scared me in a different way so epidural, you have now made the list of possibilities. Inducing seems like a medical miracle (because it rescues people like me from a life of heavy breathing, waddling, and back pain). Finally, C-sections are wonderful gifts that should never be considered anything less. If I get a healthy baby home sometime in January I won't care if they had to cut it out of my nose. That's how desperately I want to see my baby.
In other news, I'm starting to feel a twinge of guilt about being a working mom. Honestly, I always felt like I was too much of a busy body to stay home, which I still think. But lately I've been feeling badly about leaving my baby with someone else. I picture them asking me why I'm leaving and not having a good reason to justify it. Money just seems so trivial now. Jees, it's trivial, but important enough for me to get over these fleeting thoughts and focus on the matter at hand: keeping a roof over Zig's head and all the essentials spoken for. Wellie and me are both teachers, so staying home is not an option. I'm hoping that this is just a phase and I will be able to shake this sudden guilt that I've been feeling.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed a few pics of my whereabouts this past month. I will also leave you with a list on how to torture a pregnant lady, if ever you feel compelled to collaborate with the devil.
1. Make her get dressed repeatedly.
2. Make her tie her shoes more than once a day.
3. Make her paint her toenails. Period.
4. Leave her with no toilet paper.
5. Make her sit down for more than 30 minutes.
6. Make her stand up for more than 10 minutes.
7. Have her try on boots...that have no side zippers.
8. Tell her to put lotion...on her legs.
9. Hold her hand while walking more than .5mph.
10. Make her reach across a table to get, well, anything.
11. Tell her to shave her bikini line.
12. Make her bend down to retrieve something off the floor from either a sitting or standing position.
Repeat this list as much as you want and you are certain to be torturing a pregnant lady.
Until next time...
