Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Action!

7pm, 12/08/08-- Lost mucous plug--- realizing it may or may not mean anything, started making sure I was feeling ready. Stayed up too late doing some last minute work things that needed doing.

1:30am, 12/09/08-- Woke up with serious backache and realized I was having contractions. L joined us in bed and I was able to fall back asleep.

3:30am, 12/09/08-- Contractions woke me up again. Got up to do some stretching and reading. You know, "when do I go to the hospital?" After flipping through The Birth Partner and finding a stopwatch (didn't know my cell phone had one!), I timed things and realized I was still pretty far off. I was very glad to realize this as we were in the middle of a bad ice storm (lots of school closings today) and I didn't want to have to drive in the night on ice or have to call a friend to come over to stay with L in this weather. Wandered around the house a bit and went back to bed by 4:30.

7am-- Woke up to stronger contractions that required a bit more concentration. Still spaced out and pretty short but hadn't told L yet and didn't want her to wonder what was up. Did the normal morning thing and had my tea and toast and all that. Was getting anxious for S to take L to school. I really wanted to be alone and able to focus. Also feeling like this was the last time I would see her for a while or at least as an only child. Getting very emotional about the changes she is about to experience. Just love her so damn much.

9am-- They were gone. Got back online to send off a few more emails. Did that whole "I am away from work" auto-reply thing. Felt very liberating.

Now (noon)-- Just been nesting hardcore. I am in the middle of a million little projects. Our suitcase is packed as is L's for her "slumber party". Not wanting to answer the phone or talk to anyone. Haven't even called the two friends who will be helping-- one with labor and one with L. Should do that to let them know things are happening but I am so protective of this time and wanting to just be alone.

Friday, December 5, 2008

No Baby Yet

The baby seems content inside me and I feel the same way. I have had a couple of fabulously enjoyable days lately. Given myself the gift of not being productive. Have a million things "to do" before this baby shows up-- mostly having to do with cooking and freezing food and cleaning and moving furniture.

Instead, I have had tea with friends, taken long baths, gone shopping for snow boots, gone out for 3 hour breakfasts. Yesterday, 3 of my best gals came over and did a belly cast! It is gorgeous and was SUCH a cool experience. It felt like a very necessary stepping stone to hang out with these other mamas, all raising 2 children and ask them questions and to hear their stories... all while I sat naked on a chair and they laid cool strips of wet plaster across my nipples!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Food for Baby Thoughts

Cravings:

  • Dry Cheerios. That was my go-to food during those early weeks of nausea (definitely won't call it morning sickness as this is a serious misnomer). I have eaten hundreds of bowls of Cheerios during this pregnancy (no other brand can cut it-- not the crazy expensive organic "oat cereal" and not the Spartan brand).
  • I have eaten 2-3 Arby's Roast Beef sandwiches (with original Arby sauce of course) during this pregnancy... this is more fast food than I have eaten since 2000 combined.
  • I had a few weeks a month or so ago when I craved HARDCORE really horrible fatty food-- specifically Double-stuf Oreos and Ruffles potato chips generously dipped in Hidden Valley Ranch chip dip... it passed (mostly, although my weakness for Oreos is an on-going lifetime battle)... I decided that some serious brain development was happening that week and the baby needed all the fat it could get.
  • Corned Beef. Yep! I cooked one on Sunday with cabbage and carrots and the works and it was so salty and gross and divine.
  • I have just been SOOO hungry. On numerous occasions, I have gotten up in the night for a bowl of cereal and then gone back to bed. Even if I am not that hungry, I generally eat a bowl of cereal before bed just so I can avoid this midnight snacking. It's cold in our house at night!

Other than that, I think I have been eating healthier and taking better care of my body. I think this is due to the fact that we really try to model good eating in front of L. I would say that since she started eating with us, we all eat better. Even with all of the above infractions, Stephen and I eat better than we normally would on our own. We really only reserve our horrible habits for after she goes to bed. If she only knew what we did after 7pm!