31 Weeks, February 13-19, 2011

Milestone: I used to be able to force bending at the waist a little. That's not really happening anymore.
What I miss the most: Being able to put on my shoes, or get out of bed, without groaning. Having the option not to waddle. Being able to drink water without feeling it burn with acid reflux.
Craving: Lots of hydration. Juice. Protein. Sleep. Sometimes I want a huge cup of coffee, but I never have more than one regular size cup a day and often none.
Anti-craving: None.
Symptoms: I think this week I learned why sometimes it's called acid reflux and sometimes it's called heartburn.I experienced it as "heartburn" once and it felt like my chest was on fire for no reason. Like stop, drop, and roll.
Baby-size: Four navel oranges, but since we know our baby is big, this might not be very accurate
Weight gain: Still 30 pounds.

We've been trying to go to museums on the discount days to soak in culture while we can, so on Sunday we went to the Frick Gallery. We drove into the city and parked but I'll confess I was extremely whiny during our five block walk to the museum. It was cold and windy and my fastest-paced waddle wasn't getting me there fast enough. The gallery is lovely and pleasantly small so it might have been the perfect pregnant field trip. It even has a little indoor garden so it is especially nice in the winter.

Monday we went out to dinner for Valentines Day at a Long Island restaurant called Bob's Restaurant. I took advantage of being dressed up to take a belly photo for your amusement. Now remember, I'm only five feet tall so I will surely tip over before this pregnancy is over. Also notice that my stomach is still square-shaped because my waist is fighting every step of this growth.


31 weeks and 1 day
Tuesday was Kevin's real birthday. Since we had already celebrated his birthday on Friday, and just gone out last night for Valentines Day, we kept it low-key.  I made him a big breakfast and we ordered Chinese for dinner so neither of us would have to cook and he could eat what he wanted. I also attempted to not complain about anything all day though I'm not sure if I made it or not. My memory is hazy.

Thursday and Friday we had unseasonably warm weather in the 60s so I got out both days. Thursday we met with two different pediatricians' offices and probably picked one, but we want to meet with one more before we definitely decide. Then we hit the local diner, which is dangerous for me because they have huge servings. Is it sad that I like going there because it reminds me of Tiffany's in Ramsey, New Jersey?

Friday Ash came over and it was warm enough to walk over to the nail salon in flip flops and get manicures and pedicures. I was excited about getting a pedicure because I can't reach my own toes comfortably enough to do it myself, but the pedicure chair was broken and I got stuck in 45 degree angle with the massage function set to torture. (See above comments about how I cannot bend at the waist.) It probably lasted less than a minute, but I thought I would die waiting for the jaws of life to get me out.  Ash and I spent the better part of Saturday on the couch watching a Lost, Season 1 marathon.  Though we did make it out for a pizza-ice cream-cookie-candy takeout run.

Kevin's 31st Birthday 2011

To celebrate Kevin's 31st birthday, a few of us went to BXL Cafe for Belgian food and Belgian beer on draft. It was all very adult and mature probably because we're officially old. At least we had an immature blowout for Kevin's birthday last year. Belgian beer is always great, unless you're pregnant, and then it just makes you jealous. The food was ohhkay though the cheese croquets were so awesome that I will definitely go back just for that.Afterward a few of us went to Jimmy's Corner for more beer for the boys and a little abuse from the staff there. That's how it's done in Manhattan.

Everyone at dinner


The two of us

Off to Jimmy's Corner...

For his actual birthday today, I made him bacon, eggs, and toast for breakfast, I tried to not complain about anything. The evening is the best though, we ordered Chinese and we're watching The State dvd his mom sent him. It feels like my birthday too now. Happy birthday, Kevin!

30 Weeks, February 6-12, 2011

Milestones:  We had our 30 week sonogram this week! It turns out my bumpy Quasimodo belly is not the baby's head pushing out parts of my belly but the baby's butt. He's already upside down and probably has been for about two weeks.  According to our baby book, he should be "just over 3 pounds," but the sonogram technician estimated his weight at 4 pounds 6 ounces. My friends who have had babies all advised me that this estimate might be off by a pound, but the catch is-- it might be off in either direction.

Baby's sonogram is 3D so I have already started to attribute family characteristics.  I think he looks like Kevin's maternal grandfather George plus the Clou nose plus maybe a dash of my maternal grandmother's pout.  At least right this second he does. Also, he already has hair. I figured he'd be born with hair, but I'm surprised he already has enough to be visible on a sonogram. 

Baby Clou's pouty nap face at 30 weeks and 5 days

Previously, I would wake up at night to change positions, for bathroom trips, or because of trouble breathing or acid reflux.  Now I have new reasons to wake up!  Leg cramps! And the baby is himself strong enough to kick me awake. Cute but not helpful.

The baby book also says his brain is developing more this week. I wonder if he knows what he's up to...

What I miss the most: Nah, I'm cool. 
Craving: Lots of hydration.CEREAL. Salad. Fruit. Red meat. Grape juice. Ice cream without chunks of anything- plain vanilla, plain chocolate, etc.
Anti-craving: Smoke. I know this is not something you consume, but the windows have to be open if Kevin is cooking something because I feel like any cooking smoke is suffocating me.
Symptoms: This probably started a long time ago, subtly, but at this point I am full on waddling all the time. Hot flashes if I leave the apartment. The sonogram technician said that when she was pregnant she had acid reflux that she thought she would die from. I'm not anywhere near that yet, but I'm afraid. The Tums are helping.
Baby-size: Cabbage
Weight gain: I'm up to like 30 pounds. I don't wanna talk about it.

He doesn't even have a beer belly. 30 weeks and 5 days.

It was an eventful week otherwise. Michele came to visit me in Long Island and we had sushi (all cooked for me) and cake while we watched Puppy Bowl. Shut-up, you're jealous.  Kevin and I also went to visit mom in her new apartment and took her to dinner at a local Chinese restaurant with an Italian name. Confusing.  And after our 30-week sonogram, we celebrated Kevin's 31st birthday with dinner with a few friends (more on that in the next post).

Living Room 2011

Here's the new living room furniture.  Hopefully the baby will enjoy the stain resistant fabric and dark color for many years to come. It's very comfy and relaxing here now.

Couch

Love seat and new plant in the corner

Over-sized chair, faces away from the TV but it can be turned around easily

29 Weeks, January 30, 2010

Baby stuff first. I've been trying to avoid anything that's not "natural" but this week I resorted to Tums for the acid reflux because the doctor was definite that it's safe and "not medicine." It worked great the first time, but it's already starting not to cut it. Despite milk, Tums, and three propped up pillows, I wake up choking sometimes. Blah.

Milestones: The baby's head continues to stick out of my belly usually on my right side, but sometimes on the left.  He shies away from people trying to feel him move or kick.  He's stayed high up all week.  Ever since other moms on Facebook started asking me if he's hiccuping yet, I've been on hiccup alert but I really can't tell. Sometimes I feel what could either be gentle kicks or hiccups but it's not for very long or very regular so there's nothing definitive about it.
What I miss the most: Sleeping every night. Every other night I can only nap for four hours before I'm up. On the off nights I sleep through the night because I'm too exhausted not to.
Craving: Lots of hydration. Pad see ew with beef. Poor Kevin brought home pad thai with chicken instead. Disaster.
Anti-craving: Chicken.
Symptoms: Lots of trouble sleeping, ACID REFLUX, achy left knee, Sleepiness that causes evening grumpiness
Baby-size: Butternut Squash
Weight gain: Took the week off from weighing myself, but I can see the belly getting bigger. It's so big it's scary but it's still dented where my waist is. Still.

The week started a little sad with mom's move from my hometown of Ramsey. I think the new town and apartment will be good for her though.

Our old apartment is the second door

Later in the week we got some living room furniture delivered which was exciting since I spend so much time in the living room these days. Pictures in the next post.

Winter Snow on Long Island 2010-11

All the good snow event names were wasted last year on DC's wussy snow fall. Snowmagedon, Snowpocalypse, even SnOMG. There's been nothing cute and clever to describe the constant snowfall in New York since Christmas. Snownami? Here's the rundown.

December 26-27th: Blizzard of about 2 feet in Floral Park. We got stuck in Massachusetts because of the snow, so we missed the main action. But there was plenty of snow left when we came back.

January 7th: Dusting during the day

January 7-8th: About 4 inches

January 11-12th: About 10 inches- Snow Day for Kevin! He spent the morning shoveling while I slept in.

January 21st: Dusting during the day

January 26-27th: About 20.0 inches plus THUNDERSNOW! More shoveling for Kevin!

January 28-29th: Dusting of snow, calls for just a little maintenance shoveling.


January 31-February 1st: Dusting

February 2nd: Around the country this storm was referred to as the "Monster Storm" and actually involved snow. Here is was all sleet and freezing rain with icy roads. Kevin elected to take the train to work. Unfortunately, the train doesn't work in bad weather either so it took him 3 hours and 45 minutes to get to work. The 6:20 a.m. train was supposed to get to his school at 7:45 and got there at 9:35. He was not pleased at all. At least he didn't have to shovel this time.

They're threatening more snow this weekend, but Kevin is betting it will be too warm and it will turn to rain. We'll see.


End of 28 weeks- Snow makes a good backdrop for belly pics.
Update: It didn't snow that weekend, and the next time it did was February 21, about 3 inches, but no shoveling required!

Third Trimester 2011!

28 Weeks, January 23-29, 2011

Kevin had off this week and offered me more babymoon and stabymoon opportunities but I was pretty depressed. It felt like the loss of my grandmother made the loss of my father more difficult. I spent as much time or more crying over him. And the end of the week was dedicated to helping mom move out of Ramsey which was also sad.

Milestones: The baby's head sort of sticks out of my belly sometimes. It's a definite small smooth round bump that protrudes, usually on my right side.  The baby generally seems to be higher up than he's been.  He kicks less but wiggles and pokes frequently.

What I miss the most: Sleeping every night. Every other night I can only nap for four hours before I'm up. On the off nights I sleep through the night because I'm too exhausted not to.
Craving: Juice, Ice cream
Anti-craving: Mildly spicy food makes my acid reflux burn to new levels. It feels like my throat is on fire.
Symptoms: Lots of trouble sleeping, ACID REFLUX, achy left knee, I alternate between being full after a few bites and being suddenly starving, evening grumpiness
Baby-size: Still an eggplant
Weight gain: 25+. I was hoping to gain only 25 pounds for the whole pregnancy, but now I'm in the please-no-more-than-35 camp. At 5 feet tall, I'm going to be a living beach ball. Or maybe I am already. You be the judge.

28 Weeks, and my bump is still square-shaped