Playing Catch Up

Where to start...well, after two weeks of staying with my favorite non-blood related family, I'm back in my house which is both nice and awkward. I've already adjusted to the lack of walls among other things. Life in the office isn't as bad as I thought it would be though it is exhausting, and I'm having a hard time doing anything else productive with the remainder of the day. I'm going to try to join a gym tomorrow which should help me further lock down a routine.

My belly has grown to where it is definitely obvious that I'm pregnant and not just a beer and cheesesteak binger. The belly band is working out okay for now but I have to watch it because after sitting for a while, it slides up in the back and leaves my rump hanging out if I don't do a quicky check when I stand. I did end up with one pair of hand-me-down maternity pants which I am looking forward to wearing tomorrow. They're very wide-leg gray slacks--just my style. And they fit perfectly which is awesome for hand-me-downs. That elastic band at the top makes them so comfy, that I'm not sure why anyone wears regular pants. I'm ready to forgo the button and zipper forever. That said, eventually I will quit my "no buying maternity clothes" ban and do a little shopping...but for right now, we're broke (and I hate shopping so refuse to do it until absolutely necessary).

The hand-me-down pants came from a gal in my prenatal yoga class which I started last Sunday. The first 3 classes are just for me, but the last 3 are for couples. I loved the first class--very relaxing and positive and focused on movements and poses that should come in handy when Hannah decides to make her debut. It also has a relatively tribal element which I like. We did some goddess squats while chanting out the vowels (ahhh, eeee, ooooo).

Speaking of Hannah's debut, I'm on the hunt to find her an appropriate stage...it's not as easy as I'd hoped it be in a big city like Baltimore. Mom and I visited a birthing center in Annapolis on Monday (there are only 2 birthing centers in this area and both are down in Anne Arundel County which is a 30-45 minute drive, more in traffic). I was thinking that since the baby won't come popping out anyway, the drive is no big deal, but I wasn't thinking about the fact that I have to drive my butt down there every month for appointments...not cool. The rooms are great though, very homey which is exactly what I want. They have double beds with comforters and fluffy pillows, normal bedroom furniture, recessed lighting on a dimmer, private baths with nice big tubs...That's the atmosphere I'm looking for. But in addition to not being thrilled with the drive, the staff weren't the greatest either. The receptionist lady was flat out rude, and the midwife was fine, but just not particularly fuzzy.

Tonight Mom and I visited Mercy Hospital because a doula friend of Amy's recommended it as a very baby friendly/non-invasive place to deliver. Also, that's where her (the doula's) midwife delivers. I called yesterday and made an appointment with that midwife for May 11 then got myself and mom on the list for tonight's tour. It was okay...not as cold and sterile as most hospitals which is nice, but the rooms are not what I'm looking for. They're small and have typical hospital cots which look uncomfortable. They do have chairs in the room that fold out so Eric has a place to rest, but they don't look comfortable either...I love the double bed idea so much more. Everyone there was very friendly though and they seemed very flexible with baby care--it was stressed that the mother's preferences would be abided when it came to caring for the baby. Oh, and this place is only 3.5 miles away. But the garage cost me $5 for a 1/2 hour of parking!!! What the heck!!

Anyway, I've started entertaining the idea of a home birth. It was never anything I was interested in before, after all, it just seems messy, but I can't find what I want, and the more I think about it, the more I think it would be really nice to just be at home with my stuff, in my bed, rather than having to pack a bag and schlep everything somewhere and add discomfort to what I imagine will already not be the most comfortable experience. I was talking my neighbor (a different Amy then the one mentioned above) about it this evening, and she said she was the birth partner for her best friend who did a home birth and that it was the most beautiful, relaxing, awesome experience ever and that there was no mess at all--they put down plastic and when it was over, they just rolled it up and threw it away. Of course, when I mentioned home birth to Eric I could hear his jaw drop on the other end of the phone so I imagine that if I do decide that's what I want, I'll have quite a bit of convincing to do to get him on board.

Even though I'm now leaning toward home birth, I'm still going to meet with the midwife who delivers at Mercy, and I'm going to look into some other area hospitals in addition to talking to some midwives who do homebirths...I'm annoyed that the search is still not over and that this item has been lingering on my "to do" list for weeks now, but I think it's worth it to spend some time looking into all my options.

In specific baby news, I am 24 weeks today. I haven't read about what happens during week 24, but I did manage to catch up on weeks 21-23. The only thing that stood out during that reading was that Hannah is now about the size of a Barbie doll (though hopefully not so strangely proportioned) and weighs about 1 pound. Also, I think I feel her moving now...I can't be certain since I don't know exactly what I'm feeling for, but the strange movements and fluttering I'm feeling are not my usual gas and digestion flutterings. Whatever it is, it's calm now which is just as well because I'm exhausted. Bed time.

Baby Hannah in the Belly

"H" is head, "B" is body, "A" is arm...not sure what "I" is--spine???

Hellooooooo Hannah Jane!!

It's a girl! So the majority of you pollsters were correct! Who voted boy (other than Eric)? Just curious...

We have a TON of pictures from the sonogram (our sonogram lady spoils us). We'll scan and upload later this weekend but right now I'm tired and want to relax a bit.

In other less fun news, I have my first yeast infection. I've been pulling an Al Bundy all week scratching myself so I figured I'd mention it to the midwife while there. According to her, there was no way for me to prevent this--being preggers lowers the acidity levels down there which fosters a welcoming environment for baking bread. Wonderful. Eric laughed and said I have two buns in the oven...haha. I've been lucky to not have the morning sickness or the constipation or other stuff most pregnant women complain about, but this baby has sure worked a number on my piping.

Oh, and Aunt Earlene, I'll keep you posted on the baby shower! My friend Laura is planning one for sometime this summer....more on that later!

Cravings and ramblings

I'll try to keep this update focused more on that thing I'm growing in my belly...out of laziness though, I'm going to start by copying my answer to this question that Erin emailed to me earlier in the week: "How is Baby Kellogg treating you these days? Cravings, naps, insomnia?" My answer, to those of you who have been dying to know: "Baby Kellogg is being pretty kind these days, just creating a lot of gas...I've been weaning off my naps since those days are about to be long gone. No insomnia but I wake up every 2 hours to pee,which probably explains why I'm always tired. Cravings do seem to be starting...pastries. Oh my gosh am I loving pastries. Cookies and muffins and cake and donuts...I realized this weekend that it was starting to be more of a daily craving so I vowed to lay off. Yesterday I only had one cookie..."

I believe my mom ate a lot Krumpe's donuts when she was pregnant...My dad once told me that he used to get up in the middle of the night and drive to Krumpe's to get her a dozen glazed which she polished off quickly. Not sure which pregnancy that was, but if it was with me, how interesting that my cravings are the same! However, my mom and dad seldom agree on how a thing happened and more often than not have two totally different sides of the same story. I haven't bothered to fact check this with her because if I know my mom, she'll share her side in the comments :)

I haven't read about week 21 yet so I don't know what's happening with the inner growth, but my back sure has been aching lately. Maybe this is that relaxin hormone stuff Libby was talking about...And while doing the breast stroke the other day (in the pool you pervs), my left hip did a weird little achy thing every time I kicked my leg out like a frog (I ignored it of course). And also, if I lay on my back on the floor now, when I get up, my lower back is pretty stiff and achy. I guess I need to start folding a blanket up under my knees during sivasana...or stop laying on my back since the book said to stop weeks ago. Sigh. Oh, speaking of sivasana, I signed up for a 6-week prenatal yoga class at Baltimore Yoga Village. The last 3 weeks are for couples so I get to bring Eric.

Well, my napping days are limited so I'm going to go lay down and try to enjoy one of my last free afternoons before I return to the world of working stiffs...

Your Weekend Update

It's so nice outside today! I'm (impatiently) waiting for Eric to finish mowing, weed whacking (spelling???), and grass-clipping blowing the yard so we can go play. This morning when we woke up I suggested hike and he added "botanical gardens." I've never been there and to be quite honest, I'm really not sure what makes a garden "botanical," but I'm a big fan of the word "botanical" and as long as it involves being outside, I'm guessing we can't go wrong.

Amazingly, I woke up today feeling well-rested. This was a nice change from Friday and Saturday, both of which I awoke feeling completely exhausted. That's no fun. I also woke up with super sore ankles, feet, and lower legs; they were so sore that it hurt to walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Not sure what the deal is with that, but it could be related to the events of our long weekend which began on Wednesday when we rented a box truck, loaded a bunch of my stuff and other miscellaneous stuff that we needed to clear out of the garage and drove to Baltimore. The little bro was supposed to meet us there to help us unload but family drama kept him at home until the next morning so after a quick dinner, Eric and I got started alone. It's possible that walking up and down all those stairs with all those boxes may be the reason for the achy feet--we're in a rancher here in Virginia Beach so I haven't done much stairing it lately. After a couple loads, Amy and Nate, our super sweet and wonderfully awesome neighbors, noticed that 20 week pregnant terri was moving things she probably shouldn't and came out to help us finish the job (which included moving a queen size box spring thorough a second story window). Prior to that, I kept reassuring Eric that, "we don't need anyone; we got this!" His reply was always the same: "no Terri, we need help." After help came, I realized he was right. We crashed pretty hard that night.

The little bro was there bright and early the next morning to help Eric rip up the floors while I set to work cleaning the bathroom and bedroom. That turned out to be an all day job....ugh. In between it all, we had estimators for installing central air conditioning and for refinishing our original hardwood floors. It was an exhausting day.

The end results: although the floors are too gnarly for the first two floor estimators, the third said no problem and had a price we were quite happy with. He'll be there Tuesday with his guys so that I'm safe to move in on Sunday. Of course, that meant Saturday we had to move EVERYTHING out of the first floor. The loveseat fit upstairs, but everything else (fridge, stove, couch) is sitting on the back porch and back patio in true Hampden fashion. Moving that stuff was no fun either, but this time, Mary Cate (our other neighbor) had our back. I love our neighborhood!! After taping up the stairwell to prevent dust from the floor sanding from ruining my freshly cleaned upstairs, we hit the road. Traffic was terrible so the drive was longer than usual, but it felt great to lay on the couch and veg out in front of the boob tube last night. We ended up sleeping about 10 hours which is probably why I feel so good today.

Alright! The hubby is inside making a sammy. Time to google directions to the garden of botanics and go play!!!! Wahooo!!!

No news on the pregnancy front except that I feel fine, and we find out Friday if "it" is a boy or girl!