March 2004

27w1d
This is copied from my blog - I don't have the energy to write about it twice.

<<So today was my 3 hour glucose test. Which basically means I didn't have anything to eat from 6:30 last night until after the test today (approximately 11:08 am). Unless you count the 2 bottles of ghastly orange drink that I had to have for the test. And I do not count them.

So running on basically no blood sugar, I get up at 6:00 am, scramble to get us all ready (which means watching M and A eat breakfast!) and out the door by 7:00 am. Plan to drop M at school, take A to a friend's house and get to the OB's by 7:45. Not a problem. Until we get to school and M realizes he left his suit coat at home - and since he has a job interview at 8:00 am he really kind of needs it. So back home we go. And yes I was rushing. Going a little fast. Just a little. And of course, all those fates that were conspiring against me - I get stopped by a cop who was going in the opposite direction. Urgh! He is immune to my tears (which come on over nothing these days, let alone this added stress and total lack of food) and my explanation of job interview, suit coat, child to sitter, 7 months pregnant, diabetes, doctor's appointment. So I get a ticket. And it's not even that simple. No simple pay X amount. Oh no, I need to haul my pregnant butt and 2 year old toddler to court on March 29th to find out how much exactly I get to pay.

So now it is 7:30. We run back home, get suit coat, drop M at school, run to L's house, drop A off and zoom to the OB's. I arrive at 7:59 am - one minute to spare or they would have canceled the test as they won't do them after 8:00 am. If I had just gone through all of that for naught I think I would have melted into a great big screaming blob of pregnancy tears on the waiting room floor. But no, I made the cut and got to drink my orange drink and get my blood drawn 4 times in 3 hours.

All in all, the test is not as bad as it seems. I had 3 hours to myself. I slept for one of them on a very comfy couch and then read a trashy novel for the other two hours. I can't remember the last time I had such a relaxing morning. Well, at least relaxing after I arrived at the doctor's office. It's kind of sad when you have to go to the doctor's office for a little peace and quiet!

Oh well. Today is done. Hopefully tomorrow can't be any worse.>>

Other than that my appointment went well. I met a new midwife who wasn't as concerned with my weight gain/measuring ahead. She said it's a normal time for a big leap in weight gain and that my overall weight gain is still well within normal. I'm up 2 more pounds in the last 2 weeks - for a total of 23 according to the midwives or 30 lbs according to me.

Shockingly, after a morning like that my blood pressure was pretty normal 104/60. I couldn't believe it.

Poor baby. Your heart was beating so fast after I drank those 2 bottles of nasty orange drink. It was a bit disconcerting to hear your heart going so fast on the doppler. But then it slowed down into the 150s. Talk about a sugar high!

My belly was measuring 29 weeks, so still big but the midwife said they don;t worry or do additional checks unless it is 3-4 weeks ahead. And since I still think my dates are wrong...I'm trying not to worry too much. Hard for me, but I'm trying.

The aches and pains in my legs are much less, no extreme pain or aches to complain about right now. Even my hot spot is better. I did mention to the midwife that you are much quieter in utero than your big brother and ever since then you have been kicking up a storm! You are going crazy in there big guy!

Still need a name for you. Still have no clue.

I love this stage of pregnancy. Big enough to have a great looking belly, but not too big that I look like a beached whale. I know that is coming soon though!

A woman at the library asked me when I was due and looked shocked when I said end of May. She was due at the end of this week. Guess who's belly was bigger? Substantially bigger? Um, yes. Mine. Oh well. I guess I just grown 'em big!

28w4d
I continue to get random big belly comments. Why do people think pregnancy is a public commodity, one they can just comment on as they like? Hello, I am pregnant, I still have feelings! Ugh.

You are much more active now baby. Michael and I were quite entertained by my belly movements last night. I would press on one spot and you would respond with some sort of rumble or roll and my whole belly would move. Such a bizarre feeling.

You were down low for awhile there but you've moved back up again. The hot spot is back and it made driving home really hard. I had to keep stopping to get out of the car and walk around to get you to move. But of course you wouldn't! I was practically in tears at points of the trip. I guess that is what happens to short torsoed women with big babies!

Still feeling pretty good, just big. A few leg aches and pains have come back but nothing too bad like before. Having a hard time getting up from a lying position but that is as expected.

I am an indecisive freak. Pregnancy has completely stolen any decision making capabilities I ever had. Poor Nan. I walked your 82-year-old great-grandmother all around Babies-R-Us last week. could not for the life of me decide if I needed a double stroller or not. And whether or not I get a double stroller determines what carseat I buy. Back and forth back and forth. Carseat in the cart, carseat out. After about and hour, no stroller or carseat was bought. I did get you a very nice bouncy seat though!

29w0d
I am seriously getting concerned that my belly is too big. I am seriously huge. And uncomfortable. You are so high and to the right baby. Bending over is impossible and even sitting up hurts because it shoves you further up under my ribs. I'm scared about getting you out.

29w2d
Confirmation that I am huge. Weighed in up 34 or so pounds today. That would be 4 pounds gained in 2 weeks. WTF? I don't eat a ton, and I eat pretty healthily. I am seriously afeared. Belly measured 30-31 weeks, and this midwife wasn't concerned, she said that is a normal "ahead" measurement. So we're just waiting to see what happens. Her view was that as long as the baby is not posterior we have a good shot at a VBAC regardless. Hopefully the docs feel the same way. I see a doc next appointment so we'll see. Other than that not much to report - baby's heartrate was in the 140's and had some accelerations during movement while she was listening with the doppler so that was all good. My blood pressure was 112/70 so still good.

I have had to take my rings off. I need to see when I did that with Alec. They haven't been too tight, except the mornings. I just don't want to take any chances that they would need to be cut off. Love my rings. With Alec I was horrified not to wear them, hated feeling like an "unwed" mother. Now that seems so silly. I guess I've grown up :) Or I have too many actual important things on my mind to worry about what people may or may not think.

30w0d
30 weeks! Where has this pregnancy gone? And why is it taking so long! Honestly, sometimes it feels like I just found out I was pregnant, others like I have been pregnant for freaking ever. The thought of the baby arriving in about 8 weeks is absolutely terrifying though. You would understand if you could see my house. I have 2 community yard sales to get through at the end of the month and a bunch of stuff currently selling on EBAY. Needless to say I have pile so crap everywhere! Alec needs a big boy bed, all baby items need to be washed and gone through, etc, etc. Oh and all important, must get professional belly photos taken like we did with Alec. Very important.

Physically feeling fine. I'm reading an amazing book by Ina May Gaskin about Childbirth. It is making me think that I might actually be able to birth this baby and helping me realize that there was very little chance I could have birthed Alec vaginally under the circumstances of his birth - lying on back, epidural, no move to rotate the posterior baby. So I am somehwat optimistic about this birth now, even looking forward to it.

I am becoming an expert on pain, that is for sure. It feels like my pelvis is being split in two, even worse when I walk. Ouch. Softening ligaments are no fun.