How far along: 26 weeks, completed 7/3/2012

Weight gain: After my quick weight gain in the last month, I’ve been more aware of what I’m eating and what quantities I’m eating. Not in an obsessive way–but (for example) I had a chance at fries once, and turned it down.

Can I get a HOO-HAH! from anyone out there on this major accomplishment?

Merci beaucoup.

Clothes: I really do need to go to a thrift store and get some more dresses. The hideous heat wave doth continue, leaving me no alternative but to cycle through the 6 dresses I can wear with my pregnant belly, that also don’t require me to wear leggings or camis underneath. The bottom line is that I’m starting to feel like I’m wearing the same dress every single day. Unfortunately the heat also prevents me from washing these dresses at the non-air-conditioned laundromat, where the heat index is probably topping 120 degrees as we speak. So the layers of sweat are accumulating, and soon, when the dresses are good and stinky and completely unfit to be worn, I may just have to hibernate in my bedroom, naked as the good Lord made me, until the fall.

“Where is Jenna?” my boss will wonder after I fail to show up at the office. And the sad answer will be–she ran out of clean, weather-appropriate clothes.

Okay, obviously that’s a horrible plan.

Which brings us to this: shopping seems to be the only real and practical solution. (Feel free to “HOO-HAH!” that one too)

Purchases: Nothing new this week, but Salvation Army/Plato’s Closet beware!

Body: I learned a TON at our 3rd Bradley class about the different stages of labor and what to expect–it was the best class to date, and I feel so much more prepared for this whole shindig. During the class I also learned that I’ve been experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions for quite some time now! I had mistakenly thought that when I felt that pressure on the lower part of my uterus, Alice was just pushing against me. But no! That’s a practice contraction. Who knew!

And comments from strangers continue. Saturday night, as I was going to and from a dinner party, four different people made comments–four!

One commenter is a 50-something neighborhood staple who hangs out on the sidewalk with his Lincoln Navigator pretty much 24/7. We call him “Condo Man” because when we first moved in 3 years ago he approached us about buying a condo or something–very confusing at the time. Anyway, as I was making my way to the train station and walked by him, he said, “You’re looking fine! I’ve been noticing, you’ve been dressing real nice! Now you know if something happens, you know I’ll take care of you and that baby!”

I was hard pressed to say anything but “Oh! . . . well, um, . . . thanks.” Looks like I have a back-up Baby Daddy if something happens to my husband.

Heh heh.

A little further down the street, a group of guys (possibly Condo Man’s friends) said “Oh, she’s pregnant! How far along are you, sweetie?”

“6 months!” I replied, smiling and continuing to walk on by.

Friendly calls of “You so small, girl!” and “Lookin’ good!” and “You take care of yourself now!” followed me down the sidewalk.

On the El ride home after dinner, a guy offered me his seat (which I turned down–way too hot to sit!), but then got up and made small talk with me. “So!” he said “Are you going natural or getting an epidural?” I can’t believe a random man asked me this, but he was very sweet, so I told him I intended to try for natural. “That’s great, if you can do it that’s great!” he encouraged me, “but that’s what my mama said and once the pain hit she was like–bring me the meds!!”

Then as I walked from the train back to the apartment, a guy walking towards me looked at me appreciatively for a handful of seconds before suddenly exclaiming in surprise, “She’s pregnant!”

I almost laughed out loud at this point.

Anyway, being pregnant in the city is quite the experience so far. Apparently everyone–and not just the womenfolk as I expected–has something to say about it.

And by the way, the freaky disappearing belly act continues!

Here’s everything as it stands naturally:

And, wait for it . . .

Let’s face it–I’m a circus freak.

Sleep: Great! Lovin’ every sweet second of it.

Best moment(s) of the week: I’d have to say the Bradley class. Three hours to talk and think about labor and delivery, with my wonderful husband taking all kinds of notes–it was just really great to have that focused time to learn together and think about what’s coming our way in three short months.

Movement: Alice finally deigned to perform! She always moves for my husband but tends to get inordinately quiet whenever someone else has a hand on my belly. But at my girls’ night dinner party on Saturday, at exactly the right time, she started thumping up a storm so that the entire circle of women could see my belly move. Yay! I love sharing her movements with others.

Food cravings/aversions: I’ve upped my fish intake–that is one recommendation from the nutritionist that I’m excited to undertake. I loooooove a perfectly cooked piece of salmon or tilapia.

Symptoms: Feelin’ hot hot hot . . . It’s hot. I’m sweaty.

I normally hate being hot anyway, but with the increased blood in circulation during pregnancy, I think I’m getting hotter more easily than the non-pregnant population. You can send your Hallmark sympathy cards to my office address*.

*And an accompanying batch of cookies would not be turned away at the door. Most definitely not. Just sayin’.

Emotions: Feeling pretty darn stable–excited, happy, the works.

Hopes and dreams: I’m looking forward to seeing Alice again during my 2nd ultrasound on the 16th.

What I miss: The large variety of summer clothes that used to be at my disposal.

What I’m looking forward to: Potentially having my mom come to help me shop for Alice’s room and set everything up, after our big move mid-August. Getting a room ready for my baby girl, I think, will make this whole thing come even more alive for me (emotionally speaking).

Husband update:  He also really enjoyed the Bradley class. I think he feels much more prepared with this arsenal of info–who wouldn’t? 

Anyway guys, have a great rest of the week. Stay hydrated and happy and all that good stuff!

Over and out!

How far along: 24 weeks completed 6.19.2012

Weight gain: ?? I’ll finally have an answer for you (and for myself) next week! My final guess: 6 new pounds, for a total 10 overall. What do you think–am I shooting too low or too high?

Clothes: I got some fabulous advice from Annie, who left a comment on my 23 weeks post (in response to my frustration at the clothing limitations descending on me). She said: pack up the stuff you can’t fit anymore! Out of sight, out of mind! (I paraphrase)

I realized this was exactly what I needed to do. Why remind myself constantly of all the stuff I can’t wear?

So over the weekend I said my final goodbyes to my skinny jeans and filled a big garbage bag with most of my pants and many skirts, which I stashed away until the fall. As I discover more things that don’t fit, I have a second garbage bag ready and waiting that I will fill gradually.

Purchases: My first baby registry gift arrived from Target–a jeep stroller. I had no idea who could have purchased this, and was totally surprised when it showed up at the door. I tore open the packing slip, and lo and behold the generous gifter was none other than Suzie Shaw! Thank you so much Suzie. I’m still in awe that this first gift came from a blogging friend whom I’ve never met in real life. It’s just another testament to the generosity of the women who inhabit this crazy blogging world that I belong to.

I also hit up a yard sale a couple buildings down from us. It was a big sale that a bunch of families were participating in, and there was a table full–I’m telling you FULL–of baby girl and little girl clothes. It was amazing. All the little outfits were divided into Ziplocs with the age/size and price marked on the outside. The ladies assured me everything had been washed before the sale, and that in fact most of the outfits had never been worn. This sounded too good to be true–but as I inspected the clothes, that was exactly the case! Some still had the original tags on them. Wowza. At $2.50 for three-piece outfits (matching leggings, dress, onesie), I went . . . a little wild. I spent $60, but guys–I came away with at least 30 little outfits (and I’m estimating low–I think it may be more). Incredible. If I were a good blogger I would have taken pictures–but as it is, just envision little sleepers . . . a little jean dress . . . polka dot leggings . . . a tiny cream colored kit cardigan . . . in sizes ranging from 3 months all the way up to 2 years. I can’t even describe how much fun this shopping experience was, with the yard sale ladies all hovering around me, helping me pick through the awesome selections, and giving me all kinds of advice about what Alice might need or not need.

It was another thrill to go through all the purchases first with my husband, then with my mother-in-law, reveling in the cuteness of it all.

Body: The belly is getting bigger and bigger . . .

. . . though I can still do the disappearing belly act!

(I wonder how long that can last? I guess we’ll find out together. It kind of scares me that I’m able to do this. What does it all mean????)

(and by the way, the dress I’m wearing here is another fabulous Rummage find that I picked up for a couple bucks–thought I’d put that out there)

Sleep: Denyse, our Bradley Method instructor, recommended sleeping on your side, bottom leg fully extended, top leg bent, rolled onto a stack of pillows. This takes the pressure off of the lower hip, which receives the brunt of your weight if you bend both legs around the pillows. Who knew!

And sleep is still my BFF–I’m almost invariably out like a light as soon as I hit the body pillow.

Best moment(s) of the week: Having alone time with my husband Saturday afternoon–it was divine. Sorely needed. Revitalizing. Encouraging. Etc.

Movement: The first part of the week, all the time! Wow, you guys. I don’t know what she was doing in there, but she was obviously having a party at least every couple hours. This week she moved around especially during church and Bible study, which I find interesting since both times I prayed that God would be teaching her as he teaches me. I wonder if God woke her up and her flips were in response to whatever he was speaking into her heart? Really. I wonder.

The second half of the week, when it started getting really hot, she started moving less–I wonder if the heat makes her sleepier?

I find it mind-boggling that her senses are so developed already. Her taste buds are fully formed (!?), she can hear noises outside the womb and will wake up if they’re especially loud, she can sense her position inside me (her inner ear is developed, giving her spatial awareness). She can feel my movements, if I’m walking or dancing or whatnot. She can sense light, and will react to it if I shine light on my belly (I have yet to test this at home, hee hee). And soon, her eyes will start to open just a little when she’s awake.

Food cravings/aversions: Still craving that sushi. Spicy Salmon Rolls . . . Spider Rolls . . . anything with shrimp tempura and avocado . . .

Symptoms: Same old–peeing a lot. And pelvic pressure as little Alice descends to her favorite spot and digs in. It’s quite uncomfortable for me, so when I feel her go down there and press, I try and jiggle her about so that she moves off my pelvic floor. This usually works, and she floats on up to where it’s a little more comfortable for moi.

Emotions: It’s been interesting thinking more about the actual birth experience. My husband and I really enjoyed our first Bradley Class with Denyse, and it gave us a platform to start talking about the delivery process, and what we want. We’ve been doing the relaxation exercise she assigned to all of the couples: the pregnant mama tenses and relaxes all her muscles in turn, starting at the feet and moving up to the face. Her partner observes what she looks and feels like when she’s tense, and what she looks and feels like when she’s relaxed, verbally encouraging her to relax.

The idea is that a lot of the birthing pain (and inefficiency in labor, which lengthens the process) is caused when the woman tenses. So one of her partner’s big jobs is to identify when (and where in her body) that tension is happening, and help her to relax.

Hopes and dreams: I’ve started praying about my birth experience. I know the birth is a small part of this journey, and what counts the most is the baby you hold in your arms when it’s all over. But all the same–I want supernatural power to relax! To not be afraid! And I have a God who can give me exactly that–so why not start calling on him now?

What I miss: Nothing!

What I’m looking forward to: I’ve started thinking about my pre-birth culinary plans. Once we get settled in our new place and everthing is in its spot, I want to cook and freeze meals for use during those first few weeks of sleeplessness, when I’m told I will become Zombie Jenna. I’m planning on making a huge batch of Chili-Cheese Etouffée. Frijoles Charros, Split Pea Soup, Black Bean Soup, Lentils and Sweet Potatoes. Tomato Sauce. Indian Curry with Chickpeas. Tikka Masala. All the old favorites! This new kitchen won’t know what hit it.

I will stack everything in flattened ziploc bags. I will make the most beautiful stacks of food you have ever seen. And then I will sit in a chair with a cup of tea and just gaze at the stacks in quiet delight.

Ever since reading Little House in the Big Woods, the idea of gathering food and preparing for winter has fascinated me–so this is my chance.

Husband update: We celebrated Father’s Day on Sunday–his first one!

It was really meaningful to take the time to recognize my husband as a father, and to remind him throughout the day of how much I love him and how much I trust that he’s going to be a great dad to little Alice (and already is, by being so good to her mama!).

Love you guys! Thanks again for all your kind words and encouraging comments, and have yourselves a fabulous weekend!