My ticka!

21 weeks

Yes folks, I am now 21 weeks.. In 2 short weeks the transition from fetus-baby will occur.. Meaning should anything happen post 23 weeks, I would go into labor vs something else. I believe that the baby starts out as am embryo then a fetus then a baby... Some people say I am showing, others do not- but I felt the bebe's head or the foot (you cant really tell) near the top of my stomach. My top half of my stomach was hard, but this spot was almost like a bump (like the baby was trying to push out) and even harder.. I kept rubbing it and talking to it.. It was tres cute. I have another OB appt next Wednesday, one day post Super Tuesday (I would be to nervous to go on Super Tuesday!), and we shall see how things are going.. Basically right now I am contining to clean/throw away and get ready for my move. Its just exciting to know that when I move I will be 6 months pregnant!! I am not there yet, but I am starting to understand the "just want my baby here thing." Perhaps whoever designed pregnancy, made womyn want their bebes sooo bad, that labor and delivery is just something people want to get out of the way so they can get their child!

I haven't bought anything new since last weekend, but thats mostly b/c I haven't had the time!!

Btw, those that read this :) :) I am registered at both Target and Amazon.com :) *wink wink*

today

So as my stomach has gotten bigger, its been harder to get out of tight spaces and as a result I have to squish my stomach in, ie squish my baby!! But I have to get out the spaces, so its hard. I have to learn how to reconfigure space- to make sure I have more room in general for things. So I was at petsmart today buying food/litter for my 2 cat children today, and what happens to be right next door???? Babies R' Us! So I had to go in of course.. And I saw the world's cutest outfit- ready???





Cute huh???? Its for a 6-9 mos old child- but eventually it will fit and be hip and stylish! :)

Ultrasound pics!

Face, Chest, arms and legs on the bottom

Face Profile

Here are ultrasound pics as promised!

gender

Well, after many years and months and weeks and days and hours and minutes of counting and waiting- its a BOY. I have to say I teared up when she told me. I had a feeling it was about a month or two ago, but today after nearly an hour of ultrasounds, I had my little baby boy. I am tres excited. Its really very awe-like feeling and just a contentment and yayness... and the bebe has 2 hands, 2 legs, a good heart :)

And the baby is breech and is like in a upside down position on my stomach, like he is buried in there, enjoying mama's stomach. I am exhausted from the anticipation but I am very glad to know and the waiting is finally over!

20 weeks, 1 day down- 19 weeks, 6 days to go!

20 weeks

So, I am 20 weeks today.. awwww... the thing that I am most excited about of course is the ultrasound tomorrow and getting to know the gender! I am trying to bring down expectation level (can you tell I have worked in campaigns before ;)) and not expect to much just in case I don't get to see something. But I am sure that as I enter the building tomorrow and wait in the waiting room, my level of excitement will be going up!

In terms of have I been feeling the baby kick? I think so... I didn't get the "bubble" thing or the fluttering, or maybe I have.. already to distinguish.. But I think I felt the baby twice today on the right side of my stomach.. Coo huh!!??

So ya, I shall update tomorrow!! in 23 1/2 hrs I will know!

Parent Thoughts #2

Food. This was another one that was constant thread through my life. I became a vegetarian in middle school and was set to make my own meals for quite a while... Also, I was on the train the other day and a group of middle schoolers came on the metro eating junk food basically... Am I against junk food- no... Am I against the child making an individual choice in terms of what they eat or dont- no (although eating meat/non kosher would be an issue, but other than that I am ok :))... I think I just want to make sure that I offer all the possibilites of a wide range of food for them to get full, complete meals and make sure they don't go hungry. Which means appropriate protein, veggies/fruits, fats, carbs, etc...

I want to eat well and pass along the skills of knowing how to create, make, bake, cook food so if I am not there, they will know how to do that. I semi see that as a basic survival skill. Which means a commitment from me to keep the kitchen stocked with flours, yeasts, fruits, veggies, beans, fake meats, herbs, spices, etc. There should be no reason that my child has a meal full of fat when there is food available. It also means that I need to arm myself with more recipes, items and ideas to prepare quick but filling meals. I wish also I had a chance to grow a garden, so I could show the direct connection btwn how things get here, etc.

Parent Thoughts #1

For a while now I have been struggling with the whole TV thing. When I was younger I was addicted to soap operas and tv shows- and while I do think its important to have some time to relax and "veg out"- I feel that I missed out on alot of life, and as a result have little desire to get out and "do."

When I was in LA recently, I sat in Griffith Park and made a list of things kids can do other than watch TV. I am semi-modeling this desire after a family that I babysit for, they allow there kids some basic tv during the week but mostly are allowed 1 movie on Saturday nights. And as a result of there being no TV the girls play violin, have excellent grades, read alot, join Shakespeare clubs, go to acapella concerts, go to symphonies, go on ski trips, get involved w/youth group and so much there. I don't want life to have to compete with TV.

I believe that for the first 6-9 months of life my child won't be watching TV, as that I don't think is something that they can grasp and most likely during the long nights, I will want to watch tv to pass the time. BUT, I really don't want TV to be center in their lives. Certainly there are millions of other things to do.... So thats my first thought... Once they start crawling TV starts diminishing... :)

Belongings

As I transition to mommyhood (19 weeks preggers tomorrow) and get ready for my move to Hotlanta, I realize that I have alot of "stuff." You know like old posters from when I was a teenager, books I haven't touched in years, non kid appropriate stuff. I remember growing up thinking that my parents had nothing from their youth save some old college papers stored in a box in the basement and a small collection of records (which I later took to add to my own collection) and I always wanted them to show me more of who they were/are. So now as I start packing/cleaning, I have to face that same question- what do I want to give to my children as my "legacy", my existence pre-child? Would they want my Beatles posters? Are they interested in the books I read? The things I do?

When I babysit, I always look through people's bookshelves for interesting books to wile away the hours with.. But some houses have TONS of books and thats great but not when you have a 1-3-5-7-9 year old running around. Those books are great for when you child starts getting great literature or historical masterpieces or whatever but later on in life. So I am just semi-torn, what to keep- what to donate?

I am not going to fully get rid of everything that is important or has had an importance to me but I want to balance it so both mine and my child's needs both space and intellectually are met for the next decade or so. And since I hope to have 3 children, space, energy and reading commitment might not happen until later :) I have decided I am going to write down (here on blogspot) what I think my parenting techniques are and then in a year from now (g-d willing) I am going to review them to see if I lived up to 'em!! Quite a challenge eh??

Sooo be on the look out :) t- 9 days till we find out gender!!!

Gender

Alright, well the time of getting to know the gender is coming!! And not to mention I haven't seen bebe in about 6 weeks at this point, 8 by the time I get my next sonogram- I'm excited. But I wanted to talk a moment about the gender of the bebe. I really don' t know. I have read/heard tons of stories about people who were sure they were having "X" (generally a girl) and found out they were having a boy. And then they have to deal with it or vice versa. I have to say I am happy that there is no pressure on me to have either a boy or a girl, so thats kinda nice. I don't have to conform to anyone's thoughts abt it or them portraying their hopes :)

I can tell you I originally thought it was gonna be a boy, then I was for sure its gonna be a girl, and now I am back to boy again (it seems that alot of bebes being born in mid-June are turning out to be boys). Frankly I am more worried that my child is going to be a Gemini, b/c apparently Geminis are indecisive... But also some of our Presidents are Geminis, so I guess that can't all be bad :)

So I have gone around for the last week or so asking semi strangers and friends what gender they think the bebe will be.. I've gotten basically mixed- b/c I'm not really showing yet (well to me I am) so I am not hanging "high" or "low" and some people didn't even know I was pregnant!

OB appt

So I had another OB appt today! Got my AFP test scores back (downs syndrome, chromosonal tests)- very low chance for downs syndrome.. They give you odds on it- so I was 1 in 10,000 and for most of the chromosonals I was 1 in 10.000.. so yay on that! The baby had a nice strong heartbeat of 150. I have actually LOST 3 lbs since I got preggers but doc says that okay and no need to worry.. What else... Hmmm, I have my sonogram where I find out gender, in about 3 weeks so thats gonna be exciting. It's so weird that I have only DAYS left (presuming bebe allows us to see "goods" or not) before I know if its a he/she.. So weird huh? There is a child growing in me w/a gender! It becomes much more real at that point. The bebe at this point is right under my belly button and the doc said I wouldn't be showing for another 2 months or so.. I was like "oh.." So I guess I have a while before I really start to show thanks to already belly there and being taller.

So all went well! Yay :) Ttys!

Craving

Well I thought I had lost all my cravings in the 1st trimester, but you should be happy to know- they are back! And with a venegance.. Sometimes its something from my past, and its so delicious but I just can't pinpoint it. But then I was like "bagel, bageeeeelll" and I have been getting cinnamon raisin w/onion chive cream cheese and its practically g-d sent. Just thought I would mention that :)

I have an OB appt on Wednesday and get to hear bebe's heartbeat (g-d willing) :) ttys!

17 weeks, 4 days

happy new years!

Well I am 17 weeks today :) I just came back from Miami/cruise and Los Angeles, had a total blast! I tried to not overexert myself there and eat healthier (Cali is a good place for that) and get rest. But it was a bit hard, but I think I did okay :) I think that was my last plane ride while I am preggers- better to stay on the ground for a while. I think the more preggers I get, the more I am adjusting to some of the things I have been fighting or really just learning that this is the way its gonna be for a while. It's a compromise so-to-speak. I am eating less salt, striving to get more bedrest, just overall not pushing myself- in effect making this pregnancy everything I had always wanted it to be- a peaceful one. I had some tough times during the beginning of the pregnancy, but now that I am nearing the middle of my pregnancy (wow huh???), I think I can kinda just go with the pregnancy flow-so to speak..

So the next big steps are I have an AFP test next week in which I will be getting some genetic tests along w/the Downs Syndrome test and making sure all is well w/bebe. I go for the test on Wednesday and I am thinking its going to take a week to get me the results, so thats gonna kinda me nerve-wrecking so I will do my best to keep myself busy during that time. Maybe I will make a list of things for me to do during that space. Then after that I get another sonogram where I find out the gender of the baby! :) :) I'm not supposed to have that sonogram until at least 20 weeks so I have at least 3 weeks before that and its only if I can make an appt. If I had to guess I won't be finding out till end of this month, but thats okay.. I'm not in any rush.

Also in terms of labor and delivery, I think I am gonna start prenatal classes when I move back to Atlanta around week 25 or so. That way I will be local and get to know the people there. The more I think about it- I am not really nervous, b/c I know it has to happen, I just want to feel prepared w/a birthing plan- and I want a doula, for sure, no doubt. But I am always trying to find out what a midwife does and how its different during the labor/delivery process...

In terms of pregnancy symptoms, I bleed more when I blow my nose/brush my teeth b/c I think that its b/c of a higher blood flow, I have occasional "hits/stabs" of gas in my stomach, I am still slightly in the tired phase- but overall I am doing well. This 2nd trimester is supposed to be the good one and thus far I am going out it :) The hormones balance themselves out a bit and your body gets more used to it.

I will let everyone know when I feel my first kick! Although I also don't think that will be till later this month! :)