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I don’t think I’ll ever tire of hearing Moon’s heartbeat at our prenatal appointments.
Today our MW poked me and then told us where to feel for the head, then the legs…and then Moon started moving around and running from us. When the doppler went on, Moon’s heartrate was the lowest it’s been – 120bpm. For the first time Moon kept moving away from the doppler and as it did, the heartrate increased. What an amazing thing. We activated (err, rather agitated) our baby so that we got to hear the heart beat at a resting state and then move to an active state.
Our midwife said everything is right on track. The baby is sitting just below my belly button, which makes the growth right on target. I’ve gained some weight and my MW was happy about that. It’s hard to say how much because at my first prenatal visit I was two pounds more than at my second, today I was two pounds above the first visit. So I’ve either gained two or four pounds. I think she was just glad I’ve gained. I feel like I’ve gained ten.
We talked a little more about childbirth classes. And I learned that A. has been researching and may have a plan in place that will fit our ridiculously complicated schedules. I had no idea … because I’ve been working crazy long days and she planned to tell me this weekend. I am just glad there may be a way for us to make it to some classes. It’s pretty hard when two to three week nights and weekends are unavailable – from now till the first week of January. Um yeah.
A. has not only been trying to figure out our childbirth classes, she’s also been taking care of my life. She’s booked a get-a-way weekend for us in a few weeks. This is our rescheduled trip that we canceled over my birthday weekend due to morning sickness. She also scheduled a prenatal massage for me for tomorrow (thinking about it was the only thing that got me through today). And I know she’s been doing other things that I don’t know about to make me life as easy as it possibly can be right now. Oh…how could I forget, she’s also been busy trying to orchestrate our much talked about move to live near family…as I looked out at the hills tonight, it occurred to me that this may be our last fall in the Valley. I want to live near family, I really do, but I am not sure I was ready to start thinking about ‘lasts.’ Especially as we enter my favorite season here.
Soon, I will return to being a human, capable of making my own phone calls and appointments…very soon as in maybe by midweek next week. But for now, it’s Friday night, and I have two days off. And I plan to relax and enjoy some much needed time with the best wife in the universe.
A. and I have been having a very serious conversation. My emotions are mixed. Is it bad that the idea of not having our midwife for future ttc endeavors is my greatest hesitation to this move?
This is the first weekend A. and I have been home, together, in over a month. We decided we’d ‘play it by ear.’ I knew I wanted to hang out with her and stay close to home, as I’ve been super busy with work lately. We made plans to go to a movie, but when the day started out with a morning trip to the farm to pick tomatoes, herbs, and flowers, we ended up home, getting a jump start on our canning.
The heat and humidity today was a sore reminder that fall is more than a month away. I am ready for the crisp fall weather to enter. In that spirit, I started in on my first canning project of the season and also made a red and a green salsa. It was over 90 degrees out so the AC was on, and my use of the gas stove all day sure made the AC work over time. You can see many pictures on Flickr, and here are a few:
Our big ultrasound is scheduled for September 12th. That’s in a little more than two weeks.
A. has known for a while that she wants to find out the sex. I have wavered back and forth from day one. There was a time when I joined her in the ‘want to know camp.’ For a time I really wanted this baby to be a girl, and she nearly had me when she said, “don’t you want to find out so that if it’s not a girl you can get used to the idea of a boy?” But since then, I have come to a place where, while I think having a girl would be really cool, I am equally excited to have a boy. I am not sure how this happened, but all of a sudden one day I cared less and less about needing to have a girl. And I no longer felt the need to find out.
It’s making A. crazy that I can’t decide. When people ask her if ‘we’re finding out’ she has started telling people she wants to but I don’t know and may not know till the day of the ultrasound. Which could very well be true. I am 95% sure I DON’T want to know. The reasons are both personal and political – isn’t everything. And then last night, I realized I don’t want to find out at the ultrasound, yet another medical process in our journey. Me always on the table on my back, with people poking at me. And I don’t want a medical professional telling us. If i am going to find out, I want it to be special and I only want to share the moment with A. Perhaps if we did not get pregnant through various medical interventions, I wouldn’t feel this way, but I am just sick of all these people involved in us making a baby.
And so we’ve finally made a plan (funny, because we’ve already made several plans about this, but I keep changing my mind). We’re not going to find out at the ultrasound. We are going to ask the perinatologist to write the sex down on a piece of paper and slide it into an envelope. And we will decide when and if we find out. Perhaps we’ll take that envelope with us in October on our little get away to our paradise in the White Mountains, or as A. suggested, maybe we’ll open it on Christmas (although at that point, why not wait another month to find out?).
I am the most happy with this plan and A. is just happy we have a plan.
I think I can feel the baby move! It started after I posted last night and just now I felt it again while sitting at my computer! Totally amazing! I can’t wait for A. to be able to feel it too!
It’s time for my ‘every other week’ belly shot. Today I am 18 weeks pregnant. And I am starting to show for real. I think I managed to hide my belly long enough to be the one to tell my student interns when they arrived this past Monday…at least they all seemed surprised when I told them. but even since then my belly seems to have gotten bigger. Still no movement, but I am not rushing it – I know once it starts I will long for the peaceful days when the baby does not kick me all the time, especially when I am sleeping.
We’re flip flopping on finding out the sex again…shocking I know! We really have to figure this out before our ultra sound on the 12th of September. And with out further ado here’s my belly:
7 weeks & 18 weeks
Or to be more accurate, catching my breath!
The last week has been a whirl wind! A. and I worked a half day last Friday to get a jump start on the Cape traffic. Thankfully we were successful. Our host student did not end up coming with us. We were sad but also relieved since this was turning into a family weekend and it just would have been hard to have her there. Saturday we enjoyed a peaceful day on the beach and headed back to the house in time to shower and get dressed for our baby shower.
The shower was so much fun. I felt like a kid at Christmas opening all those gifts, but even more special was how excited everyone was to come together to celebrate the baby we are having. People are truly excited and want the very best for us. We were amazed that several family members drove long distances through summer Cape traffic just to celebrate. Here are some pictures (Flickr friends can see identifiable pictures):
We spent the next day on the beach as well. All day. It was amazing. The time finally came when we had to pack up and leave the beach. We showered and hung out at my parents house for a late dinner. You see, our strategy was to leave late to avoid the traffic. The only problem was, about 6 zillion other people had the same idea. We made it over the bridge with out a problem, thanks to my native Cape navigation skills which make it possible for us to avoid the highway. But once we got over the bridge and onto the highway we were dead stopped. I am talking 5 to 10 mph for two and a half hours before I started to loose it. By then we’d been traveling for three hours, it was 10:30pm, and I was tired, cranky, and pregnant. Oh and I needed a bathroom.
We pulled off to assess our options and use a bathroom. Not far in the distance was a hotel and I was seriously starting to consider forking over the money for a bed. Only problem, we travel with cats…our boy needs meds everyday and it’s (usually) easier to take them with us than to get someone to come in everyday and hope he will cooperate. So now we need a hotel that permits pets. Great. The only hotel chain I knew of that would allow our cats to stay with us is Red R@@f Inns. We got back on the road looking for such a hotel.
I nearly cried when I saw a somewhat familiar red sign…we pulled off and got a room for the night. A. claims it was the worst hotel she’s ever stayed in -to give you an idea- it took them FOUR tries before checking us into a room that was ready for guests (the first three had dirty towels on the floors and the beds were not made up). Once in our “clean” room we noticed the window was cracked and then tapped over. But it had a bed. That was all I wanted!
We both slept horribly. But we were horizontal, and not driving. We got up early in order to continue the last two hours home in time to shower and make it to work. Of course we were exhausted. And A. may have even called in sick for two days (she’d gotten Harry Potter over the weekend) but she did spend one of the two days painting my office – which has made more difference than I ever knew it could!
The week has continued to be crazy. I am prepping for my busiest time of the year. Today began the long days – I put in 10 hours today and the next two weeks will be at least 12 hours days. I have this weekend off and while I really just want to SLEEP and lay in my bed and recover and prepare my body for the next couple weeks, I also really want to meet my new nephew. So I think I will wake early tomorrow and do a 24 hour visit so as to come home early Sunday – avoid traffic and sort of get a day at home.
I’ll be MIA in blog land for a while. After labor day, I’ll return, and a new academic year will open. God I hope I am ready!
Baby Boy M. (still unnamed) has arrived! He was quick – it only took 20 minutes to push him out! I really wish I could borrow SIL’s body – she has the easiest labors! He’s 7lbs. 7oz., 21 inches and has lots of dark hair! My brother sent me a picture less than an hour after his birth via camera phone, and A. and I remarked how, two years ago when our first nephew was born and we were away at a conference we had to wait to see him in person! How things change in two year!
Now I really want to go back to the Cape, for the second weekend in a row to meet this guy!
Soon…I will post about last weekend’s trip and our baby shower.
My brother and SIL are at the hospital…getting ready to deliver baby #2! They said their goodbyes to their other son (2 years old) this morning and told him they were going to the hospital. As my mom drove away with my nephew he said to her, “Mommy and Daddy going to the movies?” She replied, “Something like that.” He has no idea how his world is about to change! I can’t wait to meet my newest nephew and to finally learn his name!
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