Another Pregnant Day

Yesterday we had "fake labor" from about 9:45-2:00ish and I was ready to run a mile grandpa-style if it would have kept it going. It left me exhausted and I just hope that somehow this is helping the actual process along and isn't just discomfort torture.

J is working from home today so that helps me relax just knowing that he's in the other room and I can yell out funny comments - not so lonely during the day.

:-) Prayin' for action over here

Labor & Delivery Phone Msg

J and I are signing up for a service called "Calling Post" in which we dial in and leave a message with information on CC's arrival and the automated service dials each of you and plays the message for us.  It shows up on called ID as "Calling Post" and I believe it has a 408 (san jose) area code prefix on the #, just in case you are screening calls, it will leave a voice mail.

Please be patient with return calls - of course we are going to love to hear from everyone but we will have our hands and hearts full.

High School Teacher vs. Domestic CEO

Ahhh... today is the first day back at work for my teacher friends.  Well...let's get serious, most of them have ALREADY been working for awhile, but today it's official and I have to admit that I miss it.  Well...not the job or the administration crap per se, but the people.  I miss my teacher friends, talking about all the worldy events from  Darfur to Britney Spears. I miss laughing about ridiculous things like "WAD" and "Chilpanchango", talking with a hamburger hand...  Most of all I miss my students.  I swear to god they have already grown even more over the summer - which I have really only been able to witness from my teacher facebook.  Every summer since college I have felt a lack of purpose without teaching - without knowing I was making a difference.  I know that very, very soon, I will be making a difference in my own son's life and CC, I can hardly wait to hold you (minus all that labor stuff). I feel very, very fortunate to have this time with my husband and baby at home, I know it will be the greatest gift.  In the meantime, with waiting, I think it's okay to miss my old teaching job.

Room 403 - You will be missed.

Fake Labor is the ENEMY

Yesterday we had Braxton Hicks...big time and yet when we went to the doc today- no progress. It doesn't mean much, we could go into labor any time regardless of progress but still, a little dilation for so much discomfort please folks!!! J worked from home today though so that was a little bonus. More updates to come soon!

No News - 17 Days to Go...

No Baby news at this house...although I would swear up and down multiple nights that SOMETHING must be happening because I've felt so out of it - No such luck.  We went to the OB last Monday and there was no change - we go back tomorrow but I'm not getting my hopes up this time....arrrrg.

J and I are embracing the opportunity for more time together and went to the Burlingame Art & Wine Festival yesterday.  Lots of walking around (hopefully gravity will do it's thang) and good shopping.  Later we went out to our favorite Adult resturant, Kingfish and it was delicious! 

Cook, Who Me?

Anyone with simple recipes, send them on over.  It's no secret I can't cook and after a long day yesterday at the OB, grocery store (I hate hunting for products I've never used before and that seem to be place on illogical aisles), girlfriend drama, kitchen clean out, and a too-short nap I started making  dinner....

Trying a new (new to me but really family recipe) trying to impress my husband only to find out he doesn't like meatloaf!

Check with hubbie first...lesson learned.

3 Weeks 3 Days to go :-)

My pre-natal fitness instructor keeps reminding us that a due date is not an "expiration date" and that around 40% of women or so actually deliver AFTER their due date....well that sucks. I'm hearing the message though.  3 weeks or so to go and I'm feeling pretty good about it.  J is home without any more travel until the baby and I can't explain how much of an emotional relief that is for me.  He's excited and ready for the baby to come TODAY.  I'm pretty even keel trying to prepare myself for the road to be a little longer but also nesting like crazy.  I'm in the phase of making a larger mess to get organized because I can't just shove things in my closet now that my baby is coming! I have to clean that closet out! Thus the re-org is everywhere. CC's room though is organized perfection...imagine that :-) Somehow, at least for now, it's more fun to clean his room.

J is a crazy working man and worked all day and most of the night Sat. but snuck out with me all day Sunday to the city for some shopping, out to lunch and to the new Kevin Costner movie, Swing Vote.  We actually had a bit of a wait at the ghetto theater, where it was waaaay too hot in the waiting area, so we snuck in to see a 1/2 hour of Step Brothers which was hilarious!  After that it was a little tough to transition to Swing Vote, I think Jose would have rather watched 1/2 of step brothers, but the message of the movie overall is good. Which reminds me....I need to change our address on our voter registration!

The young actress in the movie is adorable and reminds me so much of my H.S. BFF...miss you.

Making it work when it all seems like it might fall apart...

My husband has to go to LA for work, there's no way around it and I could have this baby any day now. I'm terrified that I'll go into labor with him in So. Cal and that he won't be back in time or that I'll have to labor a long time without him. So....I'm packing my hospital bag and a few essentials and going with him. If CC chooses to come out and play, he'll be an L.A. baby....

To be continued

Our trip to LA was eventful :-) J is working is butt off trying to keep clients happy and quiet which can be impossible.  We were able to grab some couple time at the W and then some good food around LA but it could never compare to SF for me :-) 

The photo above is from the Getty museum which is absolutely beautiful.  I would definitely reccommend it and would have liked to spend more time there but CC started acting up.  We saw a great photog exhibit and a nice section on impressionists, including my fav, Monet, which is always exciting.

 No baby news during the trip although there have definitely been some wierd sensations that signal we're in a whole new stage now...I'll keep you posted.  The hospital bags are packed!

The Last Meal vs. The First Meal :-)

I love to eavesdrop on random conversations on topics including what people would choose for their hypothetical "last meal".  Lately the preggie boards are booming with what people will choose to drink as their "first drink" alcoholic of course, post baby.  I find myself day dreaming about the first meal...especially since I learned that the hospital starves you during labor.  I know...starves sounds dramatic.  They don't want you to puke or have any problems if they have to put you under in an emergency...therefore clear fluids only.

I could barely get myself out to walk  tonight but convinced myself to do laps around the farmer's market downtown.  It was there that I discovered VANILLA MOON BAKERY.  

How could I have not known about this place? It's a tiny little bakery that resembles a family owned "citizen cake" with a bazillion different delicious cupcakes...so many that I couldn't decide! I think post baby it should be an auto order of 2 doz mix!  My entree would be a toss up between Refuge's cheeseburger and Town's flank steak Mmmm.  To drink you ask?  My old standby, a malibu and coke...but there is that stigma about hard alcohol and breastfeeding.  I'd probably have to go with a glass of percico, a sparkling wine that Jose and I recently discovered...similar to a champagne but so much better!

Any Day Now...

I love that everyone (including complete strangers) likes to comment on how CC could make his arrival "any day now"....if I only had a dollar for every time I heard that one - CC's college fund would be nice and fat.

The general discomfort, emotional bouts, and crankiness have set in with 38 days to go.  Most of my friends are saying "it's about time", J I think is just proud I've made it this far.  I'm ready to reclaim my body and hormones or at least get that process started. Today is officially my 1st week at my new position - Domestic Affairs CEO.  (J likes to note that he is CIO :-) I don't know quite what to do with myself. My to do list is long and yet a nap always sounds like a good idea these days.

This week is again full of appointments including the car seat fitting inspection at LPCH, a *free* infant/child cpr class I found through my preggie fitness class and trying to nail down a time to meet our pediatrician who is pretty booked.  Friday we go back to the OB and will see if she will clear me to fly with J in his upcoming trip - as of last week CC is head down but no other progress indicators.  She likes to comment on what a big baby he is becoming which is getting annoying - I explained to her that most of my siblings and I were 8-9lbs (I was 9 lb 8 oz) to which  she just says - you don't want a 9lb baby, maybe he'll come a couple of weeks early. Sounds good to me :-)

7 weeks / 2 days to go

But who's counting? It seems as if summer is flying by with or without me and yet I'm anxious to hold my baby boy. J and I barely had time to breathe in June with all the events and (his) travel. I'm happy we're into July with a slower pace now. J and I spent the 4th putting together what we could in Charlie's room and setting up things like the diaper genie so it's less of a cluster when we first come home. Don't get me wrong - I expect a full cluster - just trying to prep a few things to make it easier on ourselves. I think a sign of strength in a marriage is whether or not you can effectively put together a bunch of stuff with picture instructions and a gazillion parts without having someone sleep on the couch afterwards :-) Normally I would find something else to do in another room but J and I did so well this time around and that makes me feel proud, that's right, I don't mind saying it!

On Sunday we ventured into the city to twin peaks and fort point (under the golden gate). Twin Peaks boasts almost panoramic views of SF and I HIGHLY reccommend it - never even heard about it before this weekend! Fort point was amazing and scary and beautiful - it brought a whole new perspective. In the park shop we stopped for lunch and Jose discovered several children's books that we decided CC MUST have. Not only am I anxious to meet this baby but I am soooo anxious for him to know his Daddy who I love more than anything in this world.

31 Weeks

According to fitpregnancy.com we have 10 weeks/0 days to go...
You baby weighs between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 pounds. She continues to gain weight at a faster pace than she lengthens, which will give her those cute chubby cheeks. She's about fourteen to sixteen inches tall, although individual growth rates vary. Your baby begins to run out of room as she puts on weight. You should feel about ten kicks an hour. Some care providers suggest keeping a "kick chart" by writing down how many kicks you feel in an hour, so that you are aware if there's a decrease in activity. Other care providers may advise that as long as it feels like the baby's active, there's no need to keep notes. If you do sense a decrease in activity, try drinking a large glass of juice. If that doesn't make the baby energized, or makes her less energized than she usually would be, call your care provider.

By now your sleep is likely compromised, big-time: You probably need to go to the bathroom several times a night and you're also having trouble sleeping because there isn't a comfortable position that works. The "nesting" instinct is likely to kick in soon, if it hasn't already, as you attempt to get everything done while you still can, from tying up loose ends at work and reorganizing closets to baking cookies and sorting socks. Take advantage of your pregnant form and get others to pitch in.
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Last night CC started "thunder kicks" which feel more like a small earthquake then the teenie kicks we started with or the more recent olympic kicks. I don't know if he's rolling around or what is going on in there but I think he's pretending he's on the show "Prison Break".

J and I both like our new OB and we're getting comfortable with the idea of delivering at our neighborhood hospital. We had our gestational diabetes test so keep your fingers crossed for us - otherwise all is normal and healthy. The gross sugar solution was torture enough! Someone should tell you that it might make you sick...I felt like I needed someone to drive me home.

I'm a crazy nester now and frantic about having EVERYTHING the baby could need. I'm trying to finely focus on the absolute necessities but let's face it my mind is a-boggle.

Father's Day & New OB

Happy Belated Father's day to all of you. J and I celebrated yesterday quietly after we got home t after spending a full weekend with family. Unfortunately I have a really bad head cold so I wasn't able to treat J as much as I would have liked to :-( CC and I gave the expectant father a new - super tool set so that he can be Mr. Fix It and Mr. Put it together. He tore it apart and put it all back together like a kid at xmas and I loved every minute!

Last week we met our new OB so we can officially change over and deliver at Sequoia Hospital. We both really like our new doc and will miss our old team but we're making good changes.

Summer school has started today and J is uber busy at work so we're just trying to keep up for now. More soon...

The Update - 29 Weeks Pregnant

12 weeks & 0 days to go!
Oh Baby CC- how I love you already my little Alien friend. I can't wait to hold you...

For weeks I have been reading that babies during this time period develop their own active/resting cycles and Charlie certainly has his. He thinks it's quite funny to be active (roll and kick) at my bedtime (9-11ish pm) and again at 4:00 in the morning every day now. When J has his arm around me he gets kicked too which I think is only fair :-) CC goes to sleep usually by 5:30 and wakes around the time that I'm instructing my students which creates a lot of laughter as I have to ask them to read back to me what I just said. While we don't see footprints yet you can definitely "see" his kicks through my stomach wall which is a trip.

As far as the "how are you feeling question"... I'm slowing down a bit, definitely more tired and emotional with the end of the school year. I'm hoping a week off and the start of summer school will give me a fresh focus. I'm really looking forward to our baby shower

P.S. We're going to see a new OB next week so we can deliver at our choice hospital - keep your fingers crossed for us!

27 Weeks Today - Baking a 'lil pot roast

13 weeks 6 days to go!

Here's the update for our week from fitpregnancy.com:
Your baby weighs about two pounds and is about 12 to 15 inches long, about the size of a small pot roast. If your baby were born now, he would have an excellent chance (85 percent) of surviving. He still isn't fully formed and would probably not be able to breath by himself. He would need to stay in an incubator to keep his body temperature regulated, and he would have a weak liver and immune system. (Fact: Babies have more taste buds at birth than they will have later in life. Newborns can sniff out and tell the difference between their mother's milk and someone else's.)

Baby CC is definitely an olympic soccer player these days. We started with adorable flutter kicks and now the big boy kicks have started. :-) For quite awhile as soon as J would try to feel his kicks CC would stop - this funny little game continued until late last week and now Jose catches his big kicks all the time.

For the most part I'm still feeling good though it's getting less roomy and uncomfortable as Charlie grows. Sleeping has been a struggle lately but when J is home I do considerably better. The old bulb tv in our room finally went out so I'm trying new coping strategies to go to sleep :-)

24 Weeks Pregnant

16 weeks, 1 day to go according to our updated due date and handy prego calendar on fitpregnancy.com (great site for other preggies). We had a pre-natal appointment with our OB yesterday and I know we are getting to a smooth place because J and I have have so few questions at this point. I'm sure the questions will ramp up as we get closer but we are all doing really well right now. Because I am young and healthy we don't get to have many ultrasounds which is where the real joy in going to the doc lies because we can see our boy dance and do flips. Now we can still hear the heartbeat on the doppler though and Baby CC thought it would be fun to punch/kick the doppler yesterday which was quite amusing. Our doc got all wide eyed and said "Did you feel that"? Umm....Yeah - sorry about that!

We did also talk about delivery time lines as I have recently come into contact with many women who delivered really premature babies (all of their babies are healthy, thank goodness). I think J (Hubbie) almost fell out of his chair when she said babies are viable after 32 weeks and no longer "premature" after 37 weeks. Yeah - 32 weeks - that's July....all the more real :-)