29 January 2009

the weekly update

I always assumed the pregnant waddle came from ladies' big bellies but I think I was wrong. My particular waddle comes from the shooting seering pain in my hip or my tailbone or right in the middle of an ass cheek. Sciatic nerve, why do you hate me? What did I ever do to you besides that fateful canoe trip back in college where I balanced precariously on a stack of life jackets because there was no extra seat for me and let's face it, you made me suffer for a year after that so we should be even. Jerk.

24 weeks seems like a lifetime. And I have definitely been eating the sweets recently - hello Fruit Loops - and now I can officially blame the boy child. Can I also blame the fact that I have NO CLUE what is going on with Lost on the baby? Because I really have no idea what's going on - yeah, I get the time travel but why is Desmond dressed so dapper (no, Marcel won't let me name our child Desmond despite my best efforts) And where is that crafty Sun, she's got a doozy of a story coming, I can feel it. Anyhoo ...

Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about 99g since last week. His skin is thin and fragile but his body is filling out and taking up more room in your uterus. He may also be developing a weakness for sweets. Taste buds are now forming, and, believe it or not, acquiring a sweet tooth is all part of it. The other big milestone your baby reaches at this stage of pregnancy is that she may now survive, with special care, if she is born prematurely -- otherwise known as becoming 'viable'. Her brain is growing rapidly, and she is starting to fill the space in your uterus. From crown to heel she could measure 30 centimetres.

27 January 2009

nothing new

I just realized today that I hadn't taken the time to look up my new due date. Still not 100% sure if it's my set due date or not but I'm running with it because it's 4 days earlier and earlier is better. So here are some of the notables for the 23rd of May:

1813: Richard Wagner, German composer, was born
1859: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, English writer of the Sherlock Holmes stories, was born
1907: Sir Laurence Olivier, legendary British actor of stage and screen, was born
1946: George Best, Irish footballer, was born
1969: Apollo 10 photographed a bird's eye view of the moon
1970: Naomi Campbell, British supermodel, was born
1978: Katie Price (aka 'Jordan'), British model, was born

All very exciting - I've always been a Naomi Campbell fan but Katie Price makes me want to stab my eyes out so I'll just ignore that one.

Had a bit more of the sciatica acting up but it never lasts more than a day or two, then pops back up somewhere else. But now I have some acid reflux, which makes me miss the golden old days of plain old heartburn where at least everything stayed in its place and didn't cause me to vomit or burp up unsavoury things. I'm hoping this is just another symptom that will stick around a few days then go away like everything else.

No new news to report, just thought I'd check in. I need to update my picture since my belly has continued to expand. I'm doing a bit of cooking this week - for some odd reason when I don't feel well I always want to cook a lot. Very strange. Will keep you posted if manage anything yummy.

22 January 2009

the grandest week ever

I may or may not be starting my 6th month today. I'm going with the May 23rd due date, which makes Fridays my new weekly update now but some books/websites have 23 weeks as the beginning of the 6th month and some have 24 weeks. I don't know.

Little boy is very very active these days - bumping, kicking and dancing all the time it seems. Still doesn't wake me up at night and it scares me a lot less than it did when he first started. Still a bit bizarre (he's just started shifting around right this second after a while of peace & quiet, which makes me think he knows I'm talking about him - creeeeepy). I woke his ass up at 3.30am to watch the inauguration live with me, even took the blanket off of me on the couch so he had a better chance of hearing what a great speech sounds like. Congratulations by the way, America - you done good!! WE done good!!

AND you would think that being the political lover that I am, my week could not get more exciting than such a fantastic historical day but you would be wrong, bozo. Lost is back this week too!!! AND it's a long weekend for us for Australia Day!!! So I'm feeling smug now that the world respects us again and I'm getting my Lost on tonight and I can sleep in for 3 days and have some yummy BBQ food on Monday.

But back to pregnancy, my only current complaints besides feeling like Jabba the Hut from time to time are the sciatica (currently shooting down the right side of my tailbone every step I take) and my stretching stomach ligaments (intense pain when I'm standing and then my tummy is magically bigger the next morning) but none of my symptoms seems to last more than a few days, then I'm fine for a few days then I get something new & random. Very strange this pregnancy nonsense.

Anyhoo, here's my update:

Fetal development - 23 weeks pregnant
Your baby now weighs a little over 500 grams and measures about 29 centimetres from crown to heel. Her hearing is well established and she can make out a distorted version of your voice, the beating of your heart and your stomach rumblings. Loud noises often heard in utero, such as the barking of a dog next door or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother your child when she hears them outside the womb. Numerous studies seem to indicate that the unborn prefer classical music, especially Vivaldi. Play The Four Seasons for your child and pay attention to her movements. Does she quieten down during adagio sections and speed up for the allegro portions? You may have a budding conductor in your womb. In addition to advances in your baby's
hearing, her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing. She's swallowing but she normally won't pass her first stool (called meconium) until after birth.

If your baby were to be born now, she would have a small chance of survival (about 16 per cent) with the right care. Every day in the womb makes a difference at this stage. If she was born at 24 weeks her chance of survival would rise to 44 per cent.

19 January 2009

all mixed up

My ultrasound technican woman gave me a changed due date of 23 May instead of the 27th I was going by, then my midwife said the 22nd. So now I don't know how far along I am. I'm going with the 23rd for now, which means I get my weekly update on a different day and that's throwing me off completely:

The baby now weighs about 430 grams, measures nearly just over 27 centimetres long from crown to heel, and is proportioned like a newborn, albeit a thinner version since her baby fat hasn't yet developed. Although she's getting heavier every day, her skin still appears wrinkled because she needs to gain more weight. The lips are distinct and the eyes are formed, though the iris (the coloured part of the eye) still lacks pigment. The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. Even this early, the first signs of teeth appear in the form of tooth buds beneath the gum line. Before you know it, your baby will be born, and soon after, her first teeth will come through.

All is good. I was so exhausted I could barely move over the weekend but that was just fine with me - I enjoyed some library book reading and read more of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory to my little boy wonder. I also got a bit of a sweet tooth over the weekend, which Fruit Loops helped to fill.

He's pretty darn active these days - kicking and rolling around quite a bit. I had a huge laughing fit on Saturday night (is there where I have to admit how much I enjoy Funniest Home Videos?) and he seemed to enjoy that so I'm hoping that means that means he shares my sophisticated sense of humour. I'll have to watch Three Amigos or Police Academy: Citizens on Patrol this weekend and see what he thinks of that.

Nothing else to report I guess. My mom was ever so kind to send me some Olive Garden salad dressing since I miss that place greatly. Too bad customs confiscated my precious dressing unless I can provide a letter from OG headquarters on their letterhead stating how much egg content is in the dressing. So I have a 4-page quarantine report (yep, my dressing is in quarantine) instead of satisfying my Olive Garden cravings. I have to say I'm lucky not being pregnant in America where I would gorge myself at all my favourite restaurants. Don't get me wrong, they have good ones here too but not the addictive kind (except Thai ... and fish & chips) and it's too expensive to eat out that often. I don't cook well enough to crave anything that comes out of my own kitchen. That's probably the only reason I haven't put on too much weight so far.

15 January 2009

you take the good, you take the bad

My, it's been a very busy baby week. We'll start with the good news today - we felt the baby kick!!! Like from the outside. I was taking a bath and had my feet kicked up and my hands folded on my stomach when someone kicked my hands very boldly. I squawked for Marcel who came running and he got to feel kick number two a few seconds later. Pretty awesome & pretty strong for such a little guy. Marcel pointed out that he may have not appreciated being boiled in a vat of liquid lava but the bath was really not so hot, just warm. In any case I got out just in case I was overheating the young sire.

In bad news, the cankles are here to stay. They started at 11am today and even my 2 1/2 litres of water didn't touch them. I now have a large plastic box under my desk to hoist my feet up all day so it feels better and I think they've gone away then I look down and the puffiness is still there. Honestly it looks like someone took two rectangles of pasty coloured molding clay and just bent the bottom for feet. Who knew I'd miss ankles so much? I was going to take a picture so you could laugh but it's just not funny - it's soul-crushingly sad.

Okay, I'm off to drink more water to hopefully ward off future swelling, read a chapter of Willy Wonka to my son and keep my hands on my belly for any future kicks, hits or headbutts. Nighty night night!

14 January 2009

the saga continues

Had myself a tragic afternoon. No air conditioning in our office at work and today was stinky hot so I was miserable all afternoon (I'm cranky in heat without being pregnant so you can imagine the crank factor while great with child), then I dashed to the train station with one minute to spare to catch my train. The air conditioning felt like heaven but it was so full I would have had to stand so I decided to be logical but annoying and leave that train and wait for the next one. The next one is 30 minutes later but that was supposed to be no big deal because it actually comes 20 minutes early so I thought it would be perfect to sit on an empty air conditioned train, reading my book & waiting for my journey home. But noooooo, for the first time ever my train didn't show up until 6.40pm - 10 minutes late. So then I had to crowd on with all the late-coming bozos but at least I had a seat ... BUT NO AIR CONDITIONING. I've never had one of the intercity trains without air conditioning until today. 1 1/2 hours in a train that doesn't have opening windows & no air con. Needless to say I had swollen feet tonight. 

But on to the happy stuff ...

Week 21: Banana
Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Your baby could measure about 27cm from crown to heel. Her eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed and her fingernails now cover her fingertips. Watch what you say from now on because she will probably hear you. You can communicate by talking, singing or why not try reading aloud? Some studies suggest a newborn will suck more vigorously when you feed if you read from a book frequently heard in utero. Choose a children's classic, take a look at some of our parent's favourites or use one of your own books -- whatever you prefer.

I don't think I mentioned that I started reading Charlie & the Chocolate Factory to the baby a couple of weeks back. Don't get too excited, I've only read two very very short chapters. But now that he can actually hear me, I'll be doing that every night. AND forcing awesome food down my gullet so he'll be born with a cosmopolitan palette. What's that, young Mr. Eisele? More paneer saag? Sure, here you go. He's still going to be a turd who hates reading and foreign foods, isn't he? Oh well, it won't be my fault.

I think I had other things to tell you about but I can't remember them. Still no progress on a name but I think we've created a safety backup name in case we can't come up with anything else. I'm not telling you what it is in case we actually use it then you think we're morons who couldn't come up with anything else. I'm still waiting for your name submissions, by the way.

09 January 2009

the outcome

It's a boy!! We're very happy and have a few scan photos that we'll have to get online as soon as possible so you can see our soon to be son. He looks very cute so far - little button nose, pouty lips & HUGE FEET. The woman who did the ultrasound thinks we're going to have a tall son and referred to him as Sasquatch so that scares my poor lady parts that will have to push that thing out.

We've already gone out & bought a bunch of blue & green clothing. All just pajamy/onesie crap at this point so I'll have to branch out to other colours soon. Also had my first taste of swollen feet last night. When I got home from work, I took my shoes off and almost cried. I've never had particularly dainty ankles so I always joke about my cankles but lord almighty, I'll never complain about my normal ones again. It was terrible. I kept my feet elevated all night and they're fine today. I blame the little tight "invisible" socks I was wearing with my ballet flats - they were too tight and I just knew it was going to be a disaster. Like Forrest Gump, I must take care of my feet ... or were they just talking about socks? I don't know.

So there, big day on our side of the world. Now I can pull together a nice nursery for my boy. I do look forward to calling him "son" but not in a loving caring way, more of a Jay-Z way. This is going to be fun!!

08 January 2009

One day more

Nothing new & nothing relatively exciting to report. Very happy that we'll find out the sex tomorrow as it seems to be about the only major milestone in this neverending pregnancy. Actually, I just got paranoid so I called to confirm my appointment. I'd feel like a dumb turd if I showed up all excited only to be turned away.

Anyway, that's all the poop that's fit to scoop from my end. Baby has become very active in the mornings, which I hope stays the case so it doesn't keep me awake during the night at the end of the pregnancy. I've heard horror stories. Still can't feel the squirrel kicking from the outside but the inside twirling sensation still freaks me out a tiny bit.

Have a happy Friday and I'll be sure to post the big announcement tomorrow when we get home from buying a lot of pink or blue onesies.

07 January 2009

Baby is a cantaloupe. Mama is a tank engine.

Hmmm ... 20 weeks & lots of talk about what will be in our baby's diaper. I also don't appreciate these people comparing me to a tank engine.

20 Weeks
Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!

How your baby's growing -- Your baby's putting on weight now and has turned into a slippery little thing -- a greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats the entire body to protect the skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. Some babies are still covered with this whitish goo when they're born.

How your life's changing -- Out of breath? Most women start to feel a bit like Thomas the Tank Engine, huffing and puffing up a short flight of stairs. Some breathlessness is normal and may get a little worse as your expanding uterus pushes up against your lungs, but tell your midwife if it gets out of hand. Also, make sure you're getting enough iron. Your baby measures about 6.5 inches/ 16.5 centimetres from crown to rump and is steadily gaining weight. The baby's swallowing more this week, good practice for the digestive system. After your baby takes in amniotic fluid, his body absorbs the water in the liquid and moves the rest into the large bowel.

Did I already tell you that we bought some stuff? Toys R Us is having a big sale so we got our "cot" (crib), which is a lovely cocoa bean colour. Also got a ruffly bassinett for beside our bed for the first few months. I will later dedicate a blog to the world of bassinetts (I don't know how to spell it) because it is a dark, scary, ruffly world that one. We chose the least of evils but it's still evil. Also got a Baby Bjorn. I know, I know.