Raising Eyebrows since 1986

I know I am about two weeks behind here; I apologise to anyone who was expecting week 33 to be up by now.  I’ve been a bit caught up over the past couple of weeks - cars breaking down, weddings, birthdays and other random events around here have meant that my little tumblr has fallen by the wayside for a little while.

Over the past few weeks, I have discovered I have “pregnancy induced sciatica”, whch essentially means I can’t walk around for more than a few minutes without limping with a sharp pain going from my left hip all the way down my leg.  Some days its fine, others I want to saw my own leg off.

Also, I have sent my partner into a panic with a six hour false labour that made me remember why I wasn’t looking forward to the part of the pregnancy where the baby tries to make its way out. On the bright side, this precludes me from major house work for the next two weeks, as my OB has told me to lie down as much as possible until the baby is old enough to come home from the hospital with me once shes born.  This means our new milestone is 36 weeks - as long as she can hold on until then, I’ll be a happy lady. 

As for the little munchkin, despite being told at our last ultrasound that she is slightly below average, our OB is determined that she is “a very decent size”.  She is about 40cms long now, and 1.7kg (thats almost 4 pounds). 

Only ten weeks left!

I have noticed the little munchkin trying to punch her way out all week - it seems like she never sleeps in there!  She is definitely running out of room, and my belly is pointing further and further outwards.  My belly button is still an innie; I thought I would point that out since it is, for some reason, the most common question people have been asking me this week.

We finally got around to a final baby shopping spree this week, and we now have everything we are going to need when she finally makes her appearance.  You have no idea how much more relaxed this makes me feel.   Knowing that I’m not going to have to make a last minute dash in a few weeks from now, trying to remember everything I need and hope that I don’t rush her out in the process - babies have a strange habit of making their entrance at the exact moment you NEED to get things done.  Now all I have to do is transform the spare/junk room into some kind of baby haven. 

This week, we had a 3d ultrasound, at which she decided to be entirely uncooperative and stare at my spine the whole time, meaning we didn’t get a picture of her face until the last minute - even then it involved me rolling over onto my side, the nurse pushing into my stomach in all kinds of awkward directions, and still only resulted in a basic profile.  Sigh.  Stubborn like her mum, it seems.

She is officially 1.3kg and 39cms long, and they are estimating quite a small 6 pound baby at birth.  She is a little below average in size; not anything to be concerned about, but enough to mean I’m not trying to push out a huge head.  Always comforting.

This week, things seem to have evened out again.

Apart from my body suddenly deciding that it can survive on about four hours sleep a night, things seem to be relatively the same this week.  The aches and annoyances are still there, but they aren’t getting any worse.  At this point I’d like to address a point that was made to me a few days ago - I seem to be focussing more on the things ‘going wrong’ in this pregnancy than anything else.   I honestly don’t think its that Im focussing more on those things, just more that this time around it seems that I have developed every pregnancy symptom there is to have.  My last two pregnancies were fairly “boring”, whereas this time around every week there is something new going on, something I haven’t experienced before.  Its just unfortunate that those things are mostly uncomfortable at best. 

My mind is moving more and more to the baby whirlwind our house is going to turn into in a few weeks.  We have made arrangements for the two older kids in the week leading up to my due date, and I have started irrationally panicing about all the things we still have to buy and do before the big day comes.  To be honest, we have been a bit slack up until now; I remember having everything done so quickly the first two times, that it was just a matter of sitting around and waiting for months.  This time around, what with taking so long to digest the idea that we are actually. having. a. baby. and both of us working full time, the most we have done is talk about what to do with the older kids and collect a few billion baby clothes.  As the day gets closer, I am realising how much I have to do, and that I can’t be sure how much longer I have to get it all done.

As for the little munchkin, this week she is about 1.1 kilograms and 38cms long.  According to my doctor, her weight is going to start increasing pretty rapidly from this week, but her length is going to slow.  We have a 3D ultrasound this week, and will get to see the little munchkin in all of her dancing glory.

And so ends another week in the world of pregnancy.

I have reached that stage now where it feels like I have been pregnant forever, and it feels like it’s never going to end.  I have just gotten used to the bump, and the backaches and the sore feet.  I keep forgetting that this is going to end, and that at the end of it all there will be a brand new baby in the house.  Its surprising how daunting that idea is, since I have been through it twice before - it has been five years since I have really had anything to do with babies, and Im so worried that I have forgotten everything it took me so long to work out the first two times.  It really is like starting all over again.

The aching in my feet seems to have spread upwards, and I find myself with weird leg aching that resembles those horrible growing pains you get when you’re young.  The man has been absolutely amazing though, doing everything that involves climbing stairs so that I don’t have to, and dishing out massages on the daily. 

The weather is turning hotter by the day, and I am feeling really hot and uncomfortable already.  Despite this, though, I have gone into a major nesting phase and spend a majority of my days running around the house cleaning every wall, floor and surface I can actually still reach. 

As for the little munchkin, she is just over 1kg and about 38cms long now.  My belly feels like its constantly on the move, and we can even make out little foot bumps and elbows as she moves around.  It still surprises me how strong and active she is in there - most of the time it feels like shes either dancing or trying her best to make a break for it. 

I know I have been focussing entirely on the pregnancy for the past few weeks. 

Its an easy thing to do when you’re pregnant - pretend that everything else doesn’t exist, and spend 40 weeks almost holding your breath.  Everything is exactly the same as it was, but somehow you feel like you’re standing still the whole time, and just waiting.  Everything else is on hold, and all you can focus on is how many weeks/days/moments are left, how many more things do you need to buy before you’re ready, how long its going to take before this becomes ‘real’. 

More than anything, you dare not start anything new.  There is too much newness already.  There are already too many plans, too little energy.

I started my maternity leave this week, and now I have a whole lot of time on my hands.  The man immediately told me I should get a hobby - he knows me too well.  I have the next year of not working, and I should really find something to keep myself occupied, and to keep my momentum as it were.

All I could think of was - I want to be more creative.  I want to make more music, take my photography more seriously, start writing more.  I want to start being creative with a purpose.  His response?  Why not. 

Its one of the many reasons why I love him.  While I will sit and think of a million reasons why I shouldnt, he will give me a million reasons why I should.  He completely believes that there is something in me that will make it work.  He completely beleives that the reason I want so badly to do these things, is because I NEED to do these things.  And so I will.

Expect to see a lot more going on around here.

Week 27 has sped on by.

This week, the two little men were visiting their grandparents, so we got to relax for the most part.  I did a bit more relaxing than I had planned - I had to take most of the week off of work, because it seems I have developed PUPPPS; a pregnancy rash that affects about 1% of pregnant women.  Its not dangerous, and its not too horrible, just more unfortunate than anything else. 

The little munchin is getting stronger and stronger - her daddy has *finally* felt her kicking, and you can now see her getting comfortable instead of just feeling it.  This still weirds me out as much as it did the first two times. 

The little munchkin is now 2 pounds (875grams) and 36.6cms.  According to doctors and pregnancy books alike, she has developed a sleeping-waking cycle, which seems to be her wide awake from 730 in the morning until midnight. 

I have to admit, this week has been pretty good to me.

I officially can’t see my feet while standing anymore, even if I try to lean over and look past the belly.  Also, I am trying to avoid bending over too far or sitting on a chair with no armrests, lest I never be able to stand up again.  At work, I have had to take to asking people to pick things up for me, because the last place I want to have to ask someone to help me up is in the office.

The only problem I have really been having this week is toothaches - the tooth I chipped last week hurts on and off, and I think I have a wisdom tooth coming through.

Apart from that, things seem to have evened out a bit - I still get backaches and sore feet, but they dont seem to be getting any worse, and I actually think I’m starting to get used to it.

The little munchkin is now about 36cms and 760 grams.  She isn’t a wiggly as she has been in past weeks, but she seems to be getting the hiccups quite alot.  My stretchmarks have flared up this week, which isn’t an attractive look, but it’s all part of it so I can’t complain. 

There isn’t much new to report this week really - it seems I have hit my stride in this pregnancy now, so to speak.

This week I have noticed that the most common statement from people asking how far along I am is “Wow, not long to go now!”…I am at the point where I want to slap all of those people.  To everyone else, this pregnancy is just flying by, and three months isn’t that long.  However, thats easy to say when you don’t have a long summer sporting a pregnant belly to look forward to.  It still seems like forever until the little Munchkin shows her face. 

I must admit though, that I am more grateful than ever to still be pregnant.  With two premature labours under my belt, I have been very aware that every week that goes by is a huge milestone.  I was so relieved once we passed the 24 week mark, because now if anything does happen a little too early, at least we know she has a good chance.  This week was a close call - I started having contractions at 8 minutes apart on Wednesday.  We had an ultrasound yesterday to make sure everything was still going according to plan and, thankfully, she looks like staying put a while longer.

Apart from that this week, things are going pretty well.  I haven’t been as exhausted as I have been the past few weeks, although I can feel everything being pushed upwards.  This is not pleasant for people like me who have to climb stairs everyday - my lungs just arent functioning the way they should if I have to exert myself too much. 

One unfortunate side effect of pregnancy is tooth issues - one of my teeth has chipped badly, which is annoying me no end.  Though, another not-so-nice thing about being pregnant is that I can’t get it fixed until after the baby is born, because my OB doesn’t want me being given any local anesthetic. 

The Munchin’s movements seem to have slowed a little as she runs out of room, but they are just as strong as ever.  Right now, she is almost 700g and 35cms long.  As for me, of that 2.5kg I had put on up to last week, I have somehow managed to lose 1kg.  So, thats a 1.5kg gain so far.  I’m beginning to think I’m going to be thinner when this is over than when I started….one can only hope.

Also this week, we have had our first influx of baby clothes; it reminds me just how tiny newborns really are.  Its funny how quickly you forget.

My own style seems to be hanging in there, although its becoming harder and harder to find outfits that actually fit *and* look good.  But I am trying my best not to end up being one of those pregnant women who look like they’re walking around in a tent.

And we have hit the 24 week mark.

I am still at work, unfortunately.  It is getting harder and harder for me to wake up in the morning, let alone make it through the whole day.

My ankles have disappeared into a swollen mess, my lower back feels like someone is constantly standing on it, and my belly is getting harder to lug around the office without leaving me waddling like duck from about lunchtime onwards.  Are you getting a visual on that?  Yes, it isn’t pretty.

Im seriously reevaluating my promise to stay at work until December.

On the upside, apparantly Im looking the best I ever have…so at least the strain isn’t showing.  And I will admit my hair has been looking fabulous lately, and the “teenage skin” I developed earlier on seems to be clearing up quite nicely.

The little Munchkin is officially 600grams and 30cms long, and kicking away like a professional soccer player.  The two boys were rollers, but I don’t remember them being quite so strong in letting me know they were there.

I have to admit, the third one is a killer.