7.12.2011

somewhere between 29 and 30 (weeks)

I started this blog post last week with the intention of Karl taking some stellar 29 week pregnancy photos.

Then he left for LA for a week for a work conference. Within the first HOUR of his departure, my dog knocked over the trash can and consumed an ENTIRE LOAF of bread. (Roxy. Clearly.) Nate also emptied an entire canister of flour onto the counter. I'm ashamed to say that, instead of cleaning it or even scolding him, I let him play in it for a solid 30 minutes while I cooked dinner. I'm pretty sure some of it is STILL stuck to the sink.

So, good intentions on the photo but, uh, you get this awkward iPhone shot instead:

That shirt is one of my REAL PREGNANT looking items! AND, erm, I had just polished off some pizza, and, um, JESUS I LOOK PREGNANT.

So, yea, about this BABY that is SUPPOSEDLY coming out. I'm not sure it's really happening. Like surely, it's not, right? Because when I tell people I could (potentially) have a real, live OUTSIDE HUMAN BEING in about eight weeks, I start to sort of hyperventilate. This pregnancy has been a weird mix of vomit (ittttttttttt's baaaaaaaaaack) and exhaustion and bad skin and normal pregnancy anxiety but I'm not sure that means I'm ready for it to be over so soon. If I remember correctly, pregnancy anxiety takes a backseat and becomes a mere distant and fleeting memory when you have to concentrate on, oh you know, keeping a newborn alive and happy.

So, what do you guys want to know? I just started swelling a little bit - the 100 degree temperatures and 110+ heat indexes this week MIGHT have a little something to do with that. I'm chugging water like a CHAMP and continuing my pledge to, if at all possible, remain near a body of water if outdoors.

I see my midwife tomorrow and I think it's my last monthly visit - we'll move to every two weeks from here on out. I will also see my OB one more time before the ejection. In other medical news, I failed my one hour Gestational Diabetes test and had to sit for the dreaded 3 hour test (which takes four hours plus and which I passed with flying colors apparently). My blood pressure is still higher than I'd like to see but it's been consistent so no one (as of yet) is concerned about it. I also take it regularly at home and it's always lower here so Karl fully believes I have a bit of white coat syndrome. The baby continues to kick me with an intensity that I did not believe was possible from something that weighs between 2 and 3 pounds. I still love the movement - though I've had some killer kicks to the ribs in the last week or so that promise to become a little more uncomfortable.

The plan is, as of this moment, to birth this baby in our home (I haven't picked a specific ROOM yet but you can sure as hell bet it won't be the 4x4 smallest room in our house!). I (obviously) can't predict what will happen but I hope that turns out to be the case. He or she is already in an excellent head-down position and we're hoping he or she stays that way! (PELVIC TILTS Y'ALL!) We haven't decided what exactly to do with Nate while I'm in labor but, most likely, he will go to Karl's mamas.

Several people have asked if I think this baby will arrive early like Nate (38 weeks, 4 days) and I just don't believe that will happen. Mostly because Karl got this invite to a developers conference in Kentucky that is "ALWAYS" in November but, magically, this year begins September 26. When he got the invite, he said "Maybe you'll go early" thereby SOLIDIFYING the fact that I will most definitely, 100% make it to my due date and beyond. Nevertheless, I've started my walking regimen for the 3rd tri - dubbed "Walk the Baby Out" and is an attempt at a minimum 1 mile per day. It's not quite as easy this pregnancy as any form of walking in this heat starts up the contractions so I'm more cautious and WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY slow.

Other than moving Nate into his "big boy" room we still have nothing purchased and nothing set up. We continue to discuss names we hate instead of names we might actually use. As most of you know, our girl name for Nate was Nora Kate and it's still a contender. Neither Karl nor I have a good feel for the baby's sex - we thought girl all along but as it gets closer, I'm thinking perhaps this child has boy parts.

What do you guys think? Should I just call the ultra sound tech and have her pull our images and find out?


11 comments:

Aubrey said...

You look adorable, Kat! I hope the "ejection" is easy peasy and takes place in a timely fashion. As a lady who carried two babies to 42 weeks (is it an ELEPHANT or a human??), going late is not fun at all.

Richmond Rookie said...

You DO look adorable. Love this post. Love you!

Maria said...

I love the way you document life. I think you look great. Speaking of "ejection," I pray you do go closer to 40 weeks than 42, but only because I went to 41+6days and think having to do that during the summer instead of winter would DRIVE ME NUTS!

sdhorton said...

You know I would be calling the nurse but that's me the impatient one. I think it's cool that your waiting. I love Nora Kate. We have had our girl named picked but still throwing around ideas for a boy name. If you need us to watch Nate some when the baby comes we would love to! Nash would really love it. It goes by so fast. You look great by the way!

Panamamama said...

You look awesome! Who is your midwife? I had a homebirth with Jac and it was so beautiful. :)

Kaitlin said...

You look fantastic!!

Kate said...

I feel like I look twice the size of you. You look fantastic, woman.

It all gets so mentally freaky-deaky towards the end, doesn't it? I'm not ready yet!

I vote Kate Nora, of course. ; )

Lauryl Lane said...

Nora Kate! Nora Kate! ;-)

Anonymous said...

You look wonderful! Take care of yourself.
Love you
Mama Q

Jax said...

You are so adorable, lover!!

nicole said...

You look GREAT! My husband and I (you know, us non-pregnant, non-parent people) always say we'll "wait to find out" the gender, but it's seems so exciting to know and to plan accordingly. Good luck! He or she will be precious, just like big brother. xo.