39 Weeks: The Time Has Come!

Well, it's official: Doc says baby has dropped so labor is imminent. Could be a few days, could be a few hours but the time has finally come. Holy cow! Can you even believe it? I'm excited and nervous but really, more excited than anything else. That was my prevailing feeling at my doctor's appointment today. It's maybe the first time I've felt it this whole pregnancy - pure happiness and excitement. Mostly, this experience has been a mishmash of emotions and a lot of them have centered around apprehension and intimidation. But today, I'm just excited and I'm just going to "be" fully in that feeling. I'm overwhelmed and overcome but in a such good way!

This last week has been super productive and we've accomplished a ton of things. There was a lot of last minute baby shopping to do including getting a car set (can you say brinksmanship??!!), projects to complete (work and baby-related) and we're down to just the last few little things now that we'd like to get done but that won't be overly critical if we don't. It's a good place to be and a relief to finally feel like I've got things under reasonable control. We even have a pediatrician lined up which turned out to be a lot easier than I thought it would be. Don't know why I put that off so long but now it's done!

Anyway, I feel about as prepared as we can be now. I wish I had a couple more weeks to re-read the parenting books I read earlier on but it's okay. I have them for reference and surely they will keep me company during midnight feedings when I'm trying to figure out why they made so much sense to me during pregnancy and so little sense to me when baby finally showed up. Ha ha!

Of course, this last week of getting everything under the sun done and ready wouldn't have been complete without a little excitement. Saturday night my car, which was parked in front of our condo building, was hit and almost totaled in a dramatic motorcycle crash. I watched the aftermath from our window (I think the cyclist was okay but the paramedics did take him away strapped to a board) and when the damage to my car was assessed it took some creativity and used parts on the part of the body shop mechanic not to have it be a total loss so that's been a bit of a touch-and-go process. Meanwhile, we have a four door rental car and Johann's out there right now putting the car seat in it so we'll be ready to rock when labor starts. Still, you've got to laugh at how these last-minute dramas crop up. Of all the crazy timing! I'm just grateful I wasn't anywhere near the car when it all happened. Thank heavens for small miracles.

So, I think this may be it for the pregnancy blog. People have asked if I'll continue blogging after baby is born and I said I would if there's interest in hearing about life with baby so you all will have to tell me if there is. You know I would still be offering my frank opinions so no candy-coating on the realities of parenting. You decide if you can hack it. :P Still, it might be intriguing to have a record of baby's life and all the things that come along with it. So, we'll see what I decide to do. I still have to figure out how to breastfeed and survive on two hours' sleep first!

Name, gender and, of course, birthdate will be forthcoming so stay tuned to your cell phones, email and Facebook. And wish me luck in the delivery room. I can use all the good "push" thoughts you can send me!

Love,
J.

Week 38: Done with Work and Still Knocked Up

As luck would have it, I’ve made it all the way to Week 38 with baby still safely in-utero. I say that since a lot of the women in my family, of course, deliver a bit early. Man, I have needed this time, though. Work took me an extra day to wrap up (Monday instead of Friday) and I’ve still got two projects to complete by the end of this week before I can officially say that work, of all varieties, is finished. However, the big obstacle – work at the office – is done. My replacement, Shauna, is awesome and if she takes all the training and advice I gave her and combines it with her talent, intelligence and interest, she’ll do that job better than I ever could have. And that's what I wanted all along - to leave the company better than I found it. I think I've accomplished that goal.

By Friday I was beyond tired, though, I have to say. I was almost dreading the Bringing Baby Home workshop Johann and I signed up for over the weekend – eight hours on Saturday and then eight more on Sunday. I was so beat. But, this being the last and most intensive of our pre-parent training, I found the will and went and I’m glad I did. Unlike the other classes we’ve taken that have been more in the practical realm of training and preparedness, this class was about nurturing our marriage and this new child we’re bringing into our lives. I’ve always thought that Johann and I had a wonderful relationship – and especially, a friendship that is the most treasured of my whole life – but even we had things we needed to work on. So, this workshop was both a reinforcement and an eye-opener and definitely one of the most valuable 16 hour blocks of time we’ve ever spent together. We have a lot to offer our baby but the one thing I wanted to give him or her more than anything else was parents with a harmonious relationship. Now I feel that we have the tools to really do that and do it well. I’m so grateful we went.

My doctor’s appointment this week was the usual upbeat and fun experience that Dr. Kurachi makes it. I really do think she’s the perfect doctor for us. Isn’t it funny how losing my other two doctors got me to just the right one? Anyway, as usual, we laughed our way through this appointment and reveled in hearing baby’s slightly increased heart rate (160) due to the spicy lunch I had before the appointment. So funny to think that a little Tapatio got my little chalupa’s heart going so much! Baby’s head is lower in my pelvis than ever but my cervix still isn’t budging so no dilation yet. Dr. Kurachi isn’t worried, though. As long as the head is dropping, that’s the most important thing. She’ll check me again next week and see where I’m at. Perhaps, by that point, I will have “dropped” (where the baby gets super-low in the pelvis and labor is imminent) and things will really be ready for D-Day. It’s exciting to think that it could be anytime now!

Meanwhile, we have our official tour of the childbirth center this Thursday and our hospital bag is 2/3 of the way packed so we’re on our way to being 100% prepared to at least go to the hospital. Heaven help me, I still need to find a pediatrician. I’m starting to think this chore is the new bane of my existence and I HAVE to have one when we show up at the hospital. So, as soon as work projects wrap up this week, I’ve got to get someone on board to take care of baby. Otherwise those nurses who check us in at the hosptial when I’m in labor are going to give me “the look” of "you're busted!" and I don’t want that look!!

Overall, it’s nice to be on my couch right now with my feet up on a pillow. It’s nice to only have a bit more to do to be ready for baby. We’re getting our car seat this weekend and I’m especially tickled to get to take all the clothes we received at the shower and wash and put them away in baby’s dresser. I’m almost even a little misty-eyed about it, actually. I know I have a huge baby belly which should really say "reality" to me but it’s still amazing and mind-boggling to me that a little person is going to come out of there in a few days and I’m going to love it so much I won’t even know what to do with myself.

As I always say, it’s wild. I never seem to get over that feeling.

J.

Week 36 and 37: The Shower and the Launch Position

Our big OB appointment went well. I kept expecting that the doctor would have some objections to the things we had in our birth plan but I think between her open-mindedness and our reasonable expectations, there really wasn’t anything in the plan to edit when all was said and done. Of course, just because we would like things to go a certain way doesn’t mean they will. There are so many variables on D-Day that can change that a birth plan, no matter how well-thought, is really just a set of guidelines for the best case scenario. Should anything interesting happen, we basically just said we want to be part of any and all medical decisions and want all the information to make the choice that’s right for us. The rest, as they say, is details. When the big day comes, we'll really just have to see what happens but at least we've left almost all options open and that's the best way I think we could go.

Overall, baby is doing great and so am I. I only put on 2 lbs this last two weeks which is a relief since at this point everyone said I’d be packing on the pounds and at the weight I’m at, that’s just not a desirable thing. Baby could live off my current store of body fat for three months, I’m sure – no need to put on a bunch more! Anyway, baby’s heart rate was in its normal range (150), my blood pressure was down in the 106/67 range (my normal range) and baby’s head has officially assumed the “Launch Position”. Well, that’s what I’m calling it anyway. My cervix was 25% effaced (so, 75% of the cervix still needs to thin before baby can come out) so progress is being made. No cervical dilation yet so doc says baby’s still on track for my due date. Considering all that I still need to accomplish before birth, though, that’s reassuring, though. I need all the time I can get!

Our baby shower on the 2nd was super fun. The co-ed affair was great – wish there were more showers where dads could attend and feel so comfortable. It was delightful to see all the family and friends who were able to come and overall, I just felt so happy to be there celebrating this little person who will be coming into a community of people who are eager and ready to love him/her. It was really neat.

We were overwhelmed a bit at the generosity of gift-giving – it was about three Christmases in one, I’d say – so I’ve got a ton of thank you cards to write now. It’s helped us be a lot more prepared for the baby and that has really been wonderful. All we need is a car seat and a swing now and baby is set. Oh, and I guess we need to figure out how to take care of baby although with all those books and classes we’ve taken you’d think we’d know by now. Ha ha! I’ll tell you, that’s just one gift nobody could wrap up and give us (even if we did receive a humorous if not informative book called Baby: The Owner’s Manual). It’s the one thing we’ll have to learn all on our own. But that’s all part of the fun, right?

This week is all about training my replacement at work now and getting out of there on Friday. I’ve worked a dizzying number of hours already in anticipation of leaving work (so much to wrap up, so little time to do it!) and I know this week will feel like the longest week ever since I’m already tired going into it. The payoff, though, will be worth it. And of course, it will be strange to leave a job and go home to wait for my life to change. Complicated as my work situation always was, I knew how to handle it day in and day out. This new life with baby is coming with a huge learning curve and takes me right out of my comfort zone. I wonder if I’ll look back at work nostalgically and think THAT was the easy part of life. Should be interesting. :)

J.

Week 35: Birth Plan, the Gender Debate and Moms to the Rescue

My last doctor visit a week and a half ago went well. Baby’s heart rate was 145 so essentially continuing to stay in its normal range. I learned that a woman’s baby belly should measure roughly in centimeters what week she’s at gestationally. So, being at 34 cm as I was, was in fact, perfect. My blood pressure, despite several trying weeks of crazy work and other situations, was at my pre-pregnancy norm of 110/72. Can’t complain about that. Next time I go in I’ll be tested for Group B strep virus which they’ll treat with antibiotics during labor if I have it. Hopefully, though, I won’t. One less tube stuck into me at the hospital on D-Day would be nice.

New complaints have cropped up since my doctor’s visit, though, most especially round ligament pain in my left side (pelvis). With baby being about 5 lbs at this point, it’s just natural that it’s going to exert pressure and weight on my uterus and the ligaments are stretched to the hilt trying to stabilize it. The result is a fantastic quality of pain on my left side when I roll over in bed at night or sleep in anything but the “perfect” position. From what I’ve read online this is completely normal and many women experience it, especially those who are on their feet a lot. I’ve been on my feet, bending and moving things at work this week (not heavy things but things that still needed to be picked up) so Tuesday night after all that activity was particularly excruciating. I’m going to discuss this all with my doc when I see her this coming Tuesday but really, I’ll bet she says it’s just par for the course. I think I just have to go with the flow of having four more weeks of this…and trying to not overdo things AND sleep in just the right position at night. I keep reminding myself when I yelp out in pain that this will be worth it in the end. So far, I’m still convinced it will be. :)

That upcoming appointment with Dr. Kurachi on Tuesday is our big “OB Talk” which loosely translated means the time when Johann and I discuss our birth plan with her. Much to my dismay, a birth plan cannot just be, “Knock me out and pull out the baby. Wake me up when it’s over.” I get the distinct feeling that I will be expected to go through the process of labor pains and push when the time comes. Dangit! :) And, as I’ve learned, I come from a long and storied tradition of women on both sides of my family doing just that, mostly without drugs. Most of the women who are mothers in my family never even went in for as much as an epidural, let alone a c-section. Probably this should boost my confidence. I just read my cousin Stefanie’s story of her baby’s birth (again, no drugs) and for all the pain, she seemed to endure it amazingly well. Genetically, it all looks like I should be able to do this like a champ.

But just in case…I will have that clause in the birth plan to hit me with the epidural at 5 cm dilation if the pain is at epic proportions. After feeling my incredible ligament pain this week, I realize that my belief that I have a fairly low pain threshold seems to be more fact than fiction. I have no desire to be an over-achiever. Nobody’s down there at the hospital handing out gold medals to the mothers who deliver naturally and without a stitch of meds so there’s no point in trying to be a hero. My goal is to get the baby out, period. However that can be accomplished is how it should go. It’ll be crazy. It’ll be intense. But it’ll be okay no matter how it happens.

Now, how to write THAT into a birth plan…

As we close in on the last four weeks of baby-baking, the gender debate continues to rage amongst the family and friends. The Girl Camp, which used to be a tiny vocal minority, has gained much in the way of numbers the past few months and essentially rivals the Boy Camp in size now. In other words, there’s absolutely no consensus and no one really has any idea what gender the baby is. Ha! But seriously, I think Johann might be at the point where he’s being driven a little crazy by it all. No doubt the suspense is killing him – hell, it’s pretty much killing me and I LOVE suspense – but I think he’s probably heard about one zillion too many opinions without anyone really knowing what they’re talking about. I, on the other hand, still find it amusing. People are always so sure of their belief in one gender or another as if it’s somehow the unquestionable truth. It cracks me up.

Finally, in an announcement which makes me only too happy to make, both Johann’s mom and my step-mom Cathy will be coming, at different times, to help us out with baby post-birth. The relief I feel over knowing that we will have their support makes me cry. Yeah, yeah, I know – it’s the pregnancy hormones. But seriously, it means the world to me to know they’d take time of their lives to come help us with baby and laundry and even just getting dinner on the table. I feel like I’m working with a safety net now; like when things don’t go perfectly or I’m just frazzled, there will be a mom who’s been there to give some support and words of wisdom. I know Johann will also feel better about going back to work knowing I’ll have a mom there to help me get started with baby on my own. We’re both so grateful and so relieved.

It makes me laugh to think that for as tough and weathered as I am, all it takes is a little baby to intimidate me. It’s crazy! But it’s reality. So, thank you moms for making the time to come and help. You are amazing and we love you and I know baby will love spending these first few days and weeks with you. It’s going to be so wonderful and all because of you. :)

So, we’ve got our big OB appointment on Tuesday and after that I’ll schedule our hospital tour so we'll know what we’re doing when the big moment happens and we have to get to the hospital ASAP. The shower’s next Saturday. My last day of work is the following Friday. Our last set of parenting classes is the weekend of the 9th and 10th. And then, as my husband has requested, I put my feet up and just wait, I guess.

That is if I ever get the 25 things left on my to-do list done…

J.

Weeks 33 and 34

First off, y'all probably want to hear about NYC so I'll start with that.

Our "babymoon" trip was a great one and I'm so glad we went. It's frustrating to be so physically limited, though, because no matter how dilligently I set a "reasonable" sightseeing agenda, I so wanted to see everything and there was just no way my feet, ankles and tummy were going to let that happen - at least not pain-free. We did tons of things, though - a Circle Line Cruise around Manhattan, a Broadway show, the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island, MoMA and various fabulous lunches and dinners including killer Korean BBQ, drinks at the Oak Room in the Plaza Hotel and dinner for restaurant week at the famous Le Cirque.

So, I didn't miss out on a thing. We even took a side trip to Hoboken, NJ and saw Carlo's, the famous "Cake Boss" bakery and had a fun Cuban dinner whilst there. I was suffering throughout the trip - from the puffiest ankles anyone has ever seen - but not from lack of getting to see and experience wonderful things. I feel so lucky that we got to have this great trip. It makes me sincerely miss our world travels and long for being on the road. I guess I can't help it; I'm a traveler at heart. And New York is such an amazing place. No matter how many times I go there I know there is always more to see next time. I hope we'll get back there someday soon. Until then, I'm just going to be impressed with myself that for eight months along, I did as much as I did. Go pregnant me!

As for me, physically, everything was great when I went to the doctor before I left. (I'm due back to see her on Tuesday since I'm on the every two weeks regimen now.) Baby's heart rate is still up in the 150s which is perfect, my tummy measures well and my blood pressure was 122/70 so even that was fine (considering the stressful day I was having that day, it's almost a miracle!). Baby has been head-down for the second visit in a row (I think it's been at least six weeks that way, though, from where I've been feeling kicking ). So, fingers crossed, baby will stay that way and will hopefully also be facing toward my back so delivery will be as easy as possible...as if any delivery is easy. Ha! Anyway, doc says everything looks good and she hasn't even commented on what a whale I am as I'm up a good 35 lbs now. And yes, just typing that makes me faint especially considering I'm likely to put on another 10 before baby shows up. Yeesh!

Grateful that all things with baby are going wonderfully, I will admit that I'm finally to that phase of the pregnancy where some level of discomfort is a part of daily life. I'd had the occasional experience of this leading up to now - some aches here, some pains there - and really, the experience of being pregnant is an uncomfortable one overall so it's hard to avoid feeling not quite right in your skin no matter what phase you're in. I had a pregnancy massage a few weeks ago and man, you just don't realize how "unhappy" your body is in this state until you experience something that makes it "happy". That was a real eye-opener. Pregnancy is rough!

Anyway, now it's really the feeling of being "full up" with baby that's a daily discomfort. I am incredibly grateful, after hearing stories of girlfriends with bruised and battered bladders or cracked ribs from active, kicking babies that I can really only complain of feeling some gingerly kicking feet in my ribs from time to time and a head that likes to use my bladder as a pillow. I'm not in pain at all - but I do feel like I am going to be relieved when I don't have to share my space with a little someone who's likely feeling the pinch of the shrinking real estate him/herself, too. There's only so much body frame for us to share and space is coming at a premium now.

I have also been working with my doctor on a separate issue - RLS. It's something I experienced maybe three or four times pre-pregnancy and nothing that a little getting up and stretching or having a little snack couldn't resolve. But, as the doc says, with the pregnancy hormones likely playing a big part, the twitching in my legs has become a nightly thing after I lay down. She gave me some meds (oxycontin of all things which is apparently decidedly safer than even taking an ibuprofen - who knew?) which a fellow OB/GYN of hers took when she was pregnant and had RLS and they work blessedly well. Those twitchy nerves calm down within an hour and I can get to sleep which is great. The doctor says any small risk associated with taking such medicine right now is far outweighed by the benefits of me getting adequate sleep. She says she wants me rested for labor and delivery and that's her #1 priority. So, I've got my marching orders now...or rather, sleeping orders and I'm on it. Rest up. That I can do. :)

Beyond that, I am assailed multiple times daily by heartburn, which most pregnant women complain about and man, they do because it's a valid complaint. It sucks, completely. I somehow even managed to aspirate a bit of it into my windpipe one night on the trip and had a wild gagging/coughing fit that almost made me throw up. It was crazy and weird and like nothing I've ever experienced before. Meanwhile, no antacid known to man will touch the stuff so I tend to resort to eating yogurt and such things to try to cool it down which, thankfully, usually provides some relief. But when you've got a baby squishing your stomach, you're going to have acid reflux and this is just life. Thankfully, we're at the end now and I don't have to go too much longer before my stomach can go back to occupying its usual space. Whew!

Invites went out for our shower this week and I'm SO excited! Is it silly to be this jazzed over a party for baby stuff? Well, I am. It's like I'm a kid and it's Christmas and it's super fun. And it's a co-ed shower to boot so Johann and his guys get to be there which makes me happy (and him, too). Those fussy all-girl affairs seem to me to be so needlessly exclusive. Dads are involved these days; they're right there with us as the whole pregancy, birth and beyond happen. So, it's about time we started having them at the shower and making it the kind of party that's fun to be at. So, as the girls put it, it'll be a cocktail soiree with tasty noshes and baby gifts. Just how I like my parties - simple, delish and fabulous. It's going to be such a blast!

Well, I can't believe I'm saying it but there's only six weeks left, give or take a few days. That seems like a ridiculously short amount of time to prepare, I have to say. But all projects are in the works so at least most of the important things have a pretty good shot at getting done pre-baby. Even the interview process to replace me at work is going well. I'm calling people tomorrow to schedule interviews, the first round of which I'm doing personally. It's a bit nerve-wracking, knowing that I'm leaving quite a bit of chaos to a new person but I'm glad the time has finally come to do so. It's going to be exciting to turn over this new leaf in my life and live from a whole new point of view, mothering this incredible and intriguing little person who's about to come into the world. Makes the chaos of work life almost seem a little boring by comparison. ;)

And maybe, just maybe, by the time baby comes, we'll have picked a name for him/her off our epic list of names. Cross your fingers....

J.

Week 32: The Fab Nursery and the Name Game

We've been busy this week, as usual, getting ready for baby. Our super fab nursery, which has been mostly finished for a while now, finally got photographed as you can see here.

We also finally got our baby registries completed (at Babies R Us and MyRegistry.com, respectively) at the behest of Chelan who's throwing the baby shower so we're doing our part to be prepared for it. Tough work but somebody's got to do it. (Ha ha.) Hopefully, we put the right stuff on there. We're such newbies at this no matter how much good advice we get. Guess we'll find out soon enough!

Now we've moved on to the naming process. As I suspected, Johann and I are pretty far apart on the spectrum of the kinds of names we like. Our lists are long (well, mine is pretty epic, actually) and interesting. It's hard to rule out names because most of them, to some degree, have merit. Still, we must at some point come up with a short list of names, however, so we'll have to get serious about this or baby will end up being "Baby J" on its birth certificate!

When we get back from the trip I'll be hunting down a good pediatrician. Apparently you have to have one chosen prior to the birth and it's a bit of a process meeting with them and making sure they have privileges at the hospital you deliver at. So, I need to get on that asap. Hopefully the search will go smoothly and we'll find one we really click with so baby will have good care.

Beyond our productiveness this week I got to spend some quality time with my girlfriends on a couple of nights this week and it made me wonder how much life will change when baby is here and I have to factor a little one into my social life. Then I realize - what social life? I do wonder if it will even exist when baby comes but I guess many first time parents worry about that. What will life look like when baby gets here and changes everything? Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, we're living it up. Our flight for NYC/Newark leaves at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning. I'm so excited! I'm looking forward to having some alone time with J, of course, and seeing wonderful things together. We also have coveted restaurant reservations at Le Cirque with our friends on Friday night so that will most definitely be the foodie highlight of the trip. Mostly, though, I just appreciate the adventure this will be. It will be a long time before we do something like this again - although I believe that, at some point, we will figure out family and parenting life enough to do so again (hey, I'm an optimist!). Until then, the fun of this trip's gotta last us so I guess we'd better make it memorable!

I'm off to the doctor tomorrow afternoon to check in before we leave. Hopefully all will be fine as usual (I can hope to step on the scale and have only gained two pounds but I'm learning such things are just pregnancy pipe dreams...) She's got me set up with compression stockings for the flights and I picked up a maternity belt to help keep me from cramping when I walk a lot. I feel like I have a lot of whacky gear now - this pregnancy thing will get you wearing some crazy stuff, I tell ya - but I feel good knowing that I've got the right equipment to help me keep going on the trip and having fun even at this late stage.

Well, here's a link to more great photos of Johann's beautiful nursery design. http://www.flickr.com/photos/johanngomez/sets/72157624835654306/ I'll post a shot or two from NYC when we get back. And yes, I'll be sure to get the belly in there, too. It's really starting to look impressive!

J.

Weeks 29, 30 and now 31: It’s All Been a Blur

If you’ve tuned in for the past several weeks you’ve noticed that I’ve been MIA. It’s not my fault and yet, really, I guess it is. A lot has been going on. There’s been drama. There’s been travel. There’s been a lot of marking off items from the baby to-do list. Mostly, though, it’s all been a blur and I predict it will continue to be until I find myself in labor…in t-minus nine weeks.

Yes, only nine weeks to go. Tick-tock goes the clock. I’m excited that there’s only two months left but daunted, as always, by the long list of things I’d still like to get done to prepare for baby’s arrival. Our birthing classes are going well. We’ve learned breathing and pain management techniques that we accept will likely not be all that helpful in labor. But whatever. At least we’re feeling more prepared for a labor situation that will essentially be out of our control. False security is better than no security, right? We also took a BabySafe class so now we know all the perils baby can find its way into and how to head him/her off at the pass (or help him/her in the event of an emergency). We also learned a bit of infant CPR so I’d say we’re relatively prepared for disaster…if anyone ever can be.

Work for me got especially dramatic a couple weeks ago with my boss, who’s in ailing health, going back into the hospital for two weeks for extensive surgery and recovery. It’s been hard not to worry about him, the future of the company and the viability of my replacement doing well under such tough circumstances. The company is really struggling right now. The last few weeks have been a good lesson in letting go and accepting that the company will swim, sink or float, somehow, without me. And seeing as how “checked out” I feel lately (who can focus on work when there’s a baby to plan for?) maybe this is a good mindset for me to have so I can leave without emotional ties.

Still, it will be hard to give up 18 years of life in the working world, even if it was work I never really loved. And when I start to miss it (and miss a paycheck) I can always start writing again which I do love. This is, at least, what I tell myself and so far, it’s keeping me sane. My last day in the office is October 8th. After that, I guess I need to start re-defining myself and thinking about who I am going forward. It should be an interesting revelation of a whole new self.

My girlfriend Chelan emailed me this week about the baby shower she’s throwing for me and Johann. It, too, is a reality check but a very good one. Baby is really on its way! The shower is October 2nd and I’m so excited. I look forward to getting together with family and friends to celebrate the little bun. It reminds me of what a special – and fleeting – time this is in our lives. I hope we’ll remember to treasure it.

I received my first gift of baby clothes when I went up to Victoria to visit my Canadian friends. The gal I stayed with, Renee, who’s like a great aunt to me, gave me the softest pima cotton baby onesies from Peru. So sweet, so cute. Again, a reality check. Soon there will be a baby to fill these little outfits. I think I’m still trying to fit that into my brain!

I met with my new doctor, Dr. Kurachi, last week for the first time. I already love her. She’s cool and laid back yet smart and knowledgeable. Despite my underwhelming-looking baby belly, she assures me that I’m measuring perfectly. (That’s two doctors and an ARNP who’ve all measured me now and say the belly is just fine so people can quit is with the “You look small” comments already! :P) My blood pressure was at an ideal 110/69 so I couldn’t have asked for better numbers. (I could have on the scale, though. Heavens, I’m a whale these days!) She gave me the thumbs up to travel until mid-September, too, so everything’s good with my general health and that of the baby whose heart rate was up in the 150s and sounding perfect. Not sure which direction baby is pointing now – that seems to be the next big mystery to solve – but I get kicked a lot in various directions so my sense is that there’s still enough room to move around in there. Soon enough, though, we’ll see if baby gets into ideal head-down position and ready for take-off!

Speaking of taking off, Johann and I will be jetting out next Wednesday for our official “babymoon” to NYC. We’re staying with his best friend, Dyronne (best man at the wedding for those who remember him) and his wife Mayra in New Jersey for a week and making jaunts into the city to see some sights. Yes, I realize I’m a little nuts to take what will be my 8 months pregnant self to the Big Apple but we know to take it easy and set reasonable sight-seeing goals along with reasonable napping goals. I think it will work out well and I’m excited to get to the City before baby arrives. Going there later with a little one would be a lot more complicated and we thought we’d save our runner up “babymoon” idea of SFO/Napa Valley for that since it’s a lot more do-able with a little one.

So, I’m excited for this “last hurrah”. I have to laugh that world travelers like us always seem to bite off such big hunks of life but we’re about to change our lives entirely so it’s a good excuse, right? Then again, with what jetsetters my parents are, and that I am, baby is likely to just be a third-generation traveler him/herself. I think it’s just genetic pre-disposal. :)

That’s all that’s been going on in a nutshell. Well, that’s all that’s fit to report, anyway. My emotions have been up and down like a roller coaster dealing with lots of things (that have nothing to do with baby). It’s just been a tough month for family and friends and my workplace so I’m trying to handle it all sanely, knowing that the pregnancy hormones make everything more intense than it would normally be. But I’m hanging in there and keeping life in perspective. Johann, as usual, is the best support partner I could ask for and things like massages have been coming in regular intervals to keep me calm and help me cope with the drama. What a guy, I tell ya. Baby’s lucky to have such a great papa.

Hoping to write another blog before I leave but at least I will when I get back. I’m swinging by the doctor the day before we leave so, fear not, I’ll be leaving with her blessing and any orders she might have. Can’t wait to get traveling and enjoy being on vacation. Woohoo!

J.