Telling this story to Heather today reminded me that I need to blog it so that it stays recorded for our daughter to read someday. Can't trust my pregnancy amnesia to retain anything these days.
The other evening, Lyra was full of the dickens. Kicking, punching, and more kicking... Rick and I were amusing ourselves by watching me "belly dance" w/o moving. She pelted him a couple times really hard when he put his hand over her kick zone, so we knew she was wound up. Rick decides it would be fun to see what she'd do if he blew a zerbert on the area. (You know, where you put your lips on skin and blow and it makes a farty noise?) The first time he does it, she gets really still for a minute. He does it again. She starts shifting around and turning her feet towards the side he's zerberting. He does a third one. More shifting and tentative poking at the spot with a toe... Eventually, she gets one foot up against the area and starts puuuuuushing. So Rick leans over and blows one directly against where the sole is pressed. The foot shoots backwards away from my skin immediately - I felt her entire lower body shift away in one movement. (We're giggling uncontrollably by now.) There's a moment of silence, then as we're both watching, she delivers one enormous strong kick right where his lips had pressed. My belly probably popped out a good inch in that spot, she kicked so hard. We laughed a bunch. She was SO definite about, "Don't DO that! Bad daddy!"
She's grown a load in the past few days. I'm sure she's pushing 3lbs now. I can feel every movement she makes, and little bulges happen on the surface more often than not when she's rolling now. I'm getting ever bigger. Tonight at our tour of the birthing center, one of the other gals mentioned she's due about a week before I am, and is having twins. She was only slightly larger in the belly than I am. No wonder I keep getting questions about that...
Any which way, we are now into week 28. Third trimester a-go-go!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Next ultrasound and some biology
Today we had another ultrasound visit, and got to see our daughter bouncing around as usual. She's active and then some! We also got some 3D shots in addition to the regular images; I'm sure Linnea will post more details soon.
Interesting post today on Boing Boing about cellular connections between mothers and children - fascinating to read. Fair warning, may cross some people's ick threshold. "Our Selves, Other Cells" http://boingboing.net/2012/01/03/cells.html
Interesting post today on Boing Boing about cellular connections between mothers and children - fascinating to read. Fair warning, may cross some people's ick threshold. "Our Selves, Other Cells" http://boingboing.net/2012/01/03/cells.html
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Norm, Hiccups, and Insomnia?
I have nicknamed this baby "Norm." Short for "enormous."
If you have seen my Facebook page, you can see the recent pictures of me at 22 and 24 weeks. I am significantly larger in just 2 weeks. And, like the song says, it doesn't show signs of stopping.
Someone reminded me the other day that I should be keeping track of the little funny/odd/random things that go on with this pregnancy, because I won't remember them all and they will make great stories later. Possibly to embarrass her in front of her boyfriends. Heh.
- For starters, last night Rick and I entertained ourselves during one of her bouts of dancing by balancing the tv remote across my bellybutton and watching it dip, bounce, and wiggle.
- I have been comparing her with both the Aliens chest burster and the scene in Constantine where the demon tries to escape through the gal's abdominal skin. Some days it feels like the skin is bubbling up in repeated lumps when she gets going on a tumbling run.
- Baby hiccups TICKLE. Not my favorite sensation, but somewhat entertaining when she's lying high enough up to feel the bounce w/less tickle. When she bounces her hiccups off my bladder and groin for 10 minutes, it is absolutely creepy-crawly all over the place.
This next one is a TMI, so anyone who is mildly weird about natural processes, you may look away. Also, you should probably stop reading this blog altogether, since I am a "sharer."
- So... nipple crusties. That was new. And kind of gross (in a fascinating way). You know, like how you get little eye crusties in the corners of your eyes when your eye gunk dries there overnight? It seems that colostrum will do the same thing occasionally.
- I have no idea how she does it, but she still responds to Rick. His voice, his hand on my belly, she always moves towards him. Even when we very carefully swap hands in identical positions, as soon as it's not my hand, she stops moving... tests the area, usually by a light kick/punch or pressure... then moves directly into the area he is touching. We don't know if it's a pressure or temperature difference, or if she can feel his electromagnetic field, or what! No matter how sneaky or quiet or careful we are, she unfailingly picks out where he is. Once I had my hand and his on the belly together. She settled under his hand, then kicked mine. HOW DOES SHE KNOW???
- I've also joked that I'm gestating the reincarnation of Shiva, because she seems to keep sprouting extra limbs.
- She's been doing morning calisthenics lately, mostly with her feet just left of my bellybutton. If I say nothing and move carefully, I can get Rick's hand over onto the spot she's kicking while she's in the middle of a series of impacts. He's felt her kicking so many more times that way. If she's not alerted, she will complete the set of kicks before she realizes it's dad and settles down.
- Don't know what the difference is, but when her feet are upward and she's mostly kicking me at bellybutton level or higher, it doesn't hurt or annoy as much. Less nerve endings in the surrounding guts, I guess? She tends to settle head down in the pelvic cradle at night, then kick me high in the mornings before I get out of bed. Once I'm up and moving, she drops down and lies either sideways or head up. Then the kicks are low and against my groinal area or bladder. That's always fun. Plus, they can actually hurt if she gets a good one in against a sore hip or tired ligament.
- I read somewhere that most uterus (uterusses? uteri?) tend to slant to the right, so baby will often lie to mom's right side most often. Naturally, that means this baby has spent her time mostly on my left. She's already a weirdo. Guess that suits for parents like Rick and me.
- I feel so bloody huge all the time, and I know I've still got a LOOOOOONG way to go, belly-wise. Though it is interesting to finally be to the point where we can watch my skin ripple as she rolls over, and tell where she's lying by which side of me is asymmetrical.
- Pregnancy amnesia is bizarre. Things that are routine become challenging. Trying to think of the word "amnesia" one day, all I could come up with was, "Pregnancy... insomnia?" Mostly it's been forgetting words or losing track of what I was saying or doing. The worst (and funniest) occurrence so far has been in the restroom at the college. I exited the stall, headed for the sinks. I pulled a paper towel out of the dispenser. I stared at it for a good 10 seconds. I said out loud to myself, "You can't wash your hands with this, Linnea." I set it down, got some soap, and washed my hands. THEN I picked up the paper towel and dried them. *sigh*
I'll try to remember to add more as they occur to me, but with all the pregnancy insomnia, it's hard to say when. :D Baby has been awake and kicking as I've typed this, and I think would like me to get up and move around a bit. So I'm going to go help Rick work on prepping the 2nd bathroom for installation! Yay!
If you have seen my Facebook page, you can see the recent pictures of me at 22 and 24 weeks. I am significantly larger in just 2 weeks. And, like the song says, it doesn't show signs of stopping.
Someone reminded me the other day that I should be keeping track of the little funny/odd/random things that go on with this pregnancy, because I won't remember them all and they will make great stories later. Possibly to embarrass her in front of her boyfriends. Heh.
- For starters, last night Rick and I entertained ourselves during one of her bouts of dancing by balancing the tv remote across my bellybutton and watching it dip, bounce, and wiggle.
- I have been comparing her with both the Aliens chest burster and the scene in Constantine where the demon tries to escape through the gal's abdominal skin. Some days it feels like the skin is bubbling up in repeated lumps when she gets going on a tumbling run.
- Baby hiccups TICKLE. Not my favorite sensation, but somewhat entertaining when she's lying high enough up to feel the bounce w/less tickle. When she bounces her hiccups off my bladder and groin for 10 minutes, it is absolutely creepy-crawly all over the place.
This next one is a TMI, so anyone who is mildly weird about natural processes, you may look away. Also, you should probably stop reading this blog altogether, since I am a "sharer."
- So... nipple crusties. That was new. And kind of gross (in a fascinating way). You know, like how you get little eye crusties in the corners of your eyes when your eye gunk dries there overnight? It seems that colostrum will do the same thing occasionally.
- I have no idea how she does it, but she still responds to Rick. His voice, his hand on my belly, she always moves towards him. Even when we very carefully swap hands in identical positions, as soon as it's not my hand, she stops moving... tests the area, usually by a light kick/punch or pressure... then moves directly into the area he is touching. We don't know if it's a pressure or temperature difference, or if she can feel his electromagnetic field, or what! No matter how sneaky or quiet or careful we are, she unfailingly picks out where he is. Once I had my hand and his on the belly together. She settled under his hand, then kicked mine. HOW DOES SHE KNOW???
- I've also joked that I'm gestating the reincarnation of Shiva, because she seems to keep sprouting extra limbs.
- She's been doing morning calisthenics lately, mostly with her feet just left of my bellybutton. If I say nothing and move carefully, I can get Rick's hand over onto the spot she's kicking while she's in the middle of a series of impacts. He's felt her kicking so many more times that way. If she's not alerted, she will complete the set of kicks before she realizes it's dad and settles down.
- Don't know what the difference is, but when her feet are upward and she's mostly kicking me at bellybutton level or higher, it doesn't hurt or annoy as much. Less nerve endings in the surrounding guts, I guess? She tends to settle head down in the pelvic cradle at night, then kick me high in the mornings before I get out of bed. Once I'm up and moving, she drops down and lies either sideways or head up. Then the kicks are low and against my groinal area or bladder. That's always fun. Plus, they can actually hurt if she gets a good one in against a sore hip or tired ligament.
- I read somewhere that most uterus (uterusses? uteri?) tend to slant to the right, so baby will often lie to mom's right side most often. Naturally, that means this baby has spent her time mostly on my left. She's already a weirdo. Guess that suits for parents like Rick and me.
- I feel so bloody huge all the time, and I know I've still got a LOOOOOONG way to go, belly-wise. Though it is interesting to finally be to the point where we can watch my skin ripple as she rolls over, and tell where she's lying by which side of me is asymmetrical.
- Pregnancy amnesia is bizarre. Things that are routine become challenging. Trying to think of the word "amnesia" one day, all I could come up with was, "Pregnancy... insomnia?" Mostly it's been forgetting words or losing track of what I was saying or doing. The worst (and funniest) occurrence so far has been in the restroom at the college. I exited the stall, headed for the sinks. I pulled a paper towel out of the dispenser. I stared at it for a good 10 seconds. I said out loud to myself, "You can't wash your hands with this, Linnea." I set it down, got some soap, and washed my hands. THEN I picked up the paper towel and dried them. *sigh*
I'll try to remember to add more as they occur to me, but with all the pregnancy insomnia, it's hard to say when. :D Baby has been awake and kicking as I've typed this, and I think would like me to get up and move around a bit. So I'm going to go help Rick work on prepping the 2nd bathroom for installation! Yay!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
22 Weeks And On The Downhill Side
Had our monthly prenatal checkup today. Baby is doing marvelously. She had a beautiful strong 150bpm heart rate, because she decided to start rolling around as they got out the doppler. Rick got to run the wand while Jana timed and counted. She had a hand on my belly just as baby rolled towards dad, and was startled and happy that she got to feel it this early.
Jana says everything sounds wonderful, I look good, and confirmed that baby is big and wiggly. Apparently she measured in the 69th percentile for size at 18 weeks. Can't imagine what she's gonna end up, since she started out exactly on target for size and keeps outgrowing her stage. Whoof.
Yesterday was a bad one; uterine stretching always leaves me nauseated. I'm more than an inch above my belly button now. No wonder I got kicked in the bottom of a lung yesterday. And baby has been stretching out as far as she can. She's gonna be a terror for a while when my uterus stops growing and she fills out the space in there.
The nausea and the round ligament pain have been the worst of the last week. Oh, and the fatigue, which seems to be back in full force. (In fact, I think I'll go take a nap after this post.) I've managed to get one or two things done around the house - caught up a bit of laundry and started clearing a bit out of the bedroom - but mainly I rest. I am so tired right now I don't know what to do w/myself other than sleep. Living room is still dirty, no holiday decorations or tree up yet. Rick and I (mostly Rick) did get the lights hung on the outside of the house, yay! And I've made about half of the Christmas cards for this year. I was hoping that stamping cards would be a fun way to feel accomplished without having to expend much energy. At this moment, even focusing that much seems too difficult.
Annie opens Friday. I'll be spending every evening this week in tech rehearsals. I suppose with that going every night, I can cut myself some slack for daytime energy, right? Right. Naptime!
Jana says everything sounds wonderful, I look good, and confirmed that baby is big and wiggly. Apparently she measured in the 69th percentile for size at 18 weeks. Can't imagine what she's gonna end up, since she started out exactly on target for size and keeps outgrowing her stage. Whoof.
Yesterday was a bad one; uterine stretching always leaves me nauseated. I'm more than an inch above my belly button now. No wonder I got kicked in the bottom of a lung yesterday. And baby has been stretching out as far as she can. She's gonna be a terror for a while when my uterus stops growing and she fills out the space in there.
The nausea and the round ligament pain have been the worst of the last week. Oh, and the fatigue, which seems to be back in full force. (In fact, I think I'll go take a nap after this post.) I've managed to get one or two things done around the house - caught up a bit of laundry and started clearing a bit out of the bedroom - but mainly I rest. I am so tired right now I don't know what to do w/myself other than sleep. Living room is still dirty, no holiday decorations or tree up yet. Rick and I (mostly Rick) did get the lights hung on the outside of the house, yay! And I've made about half of the Christmas cards for this year. I was hoping that stamping cards would be a fun way to feel accomplished without having to expend much energy. At this moment, even focusing that much seems too difficult.
Annie opens Friday. I'll be spending every evening this week in tech rehearsals. I suppose with that going every night, I can cut myself some slack for daytime energy, right? Right. Naptime!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Calmer.
Sometimes, like earlier this week when I flipped out in the middle of the night, this pregnancy just gets to be too much for me. I'm sorry that I'm a complainer. I also appreciate all the support you guys give me when I do whine about something that I am fully aware that I chose to do.
In the aftermath of my massive breakdown, apparently Lyra wore herself out. She gave me two whole days of relative quiet and calm before resuming her schedule of kicks, rolls, and general obnoxious behavior. And even more fortunate, those two days of recovery worked for both of us. I've found the amusement value in the wiggles again. She's really putting on the weight and size now, so I'm feeling very distinct thumps when a teeny foot or fist connects. It makes me giggle at times, especially when they're timed in ways to seem like responses to a comment or a song or the dogs barking. (Ok, that last one may be actually true.)
Speaking of interactive baby, not only does she move toward Rick if he talks to/touches my belly for any length of time, but she's beginning to respond to me a lot more directly. The other day, I was resting between songs at Annie rehearsal. Unthinkingly, I dropped both hands and thumped my palms into the sides of my belly... and startled the baby. She jumped so hard, I almost jumped too! I felt bad, but couldn't help laughing.
She's wiggling around right now. It's mind boggling how much more of the small movements I'm beginning to feel. No wonder it drove me crazy for a couple days. Glad I'm adjusting, even if it does mean occasionally wanting to scream from annoyance and nausea, heh.
I'd imagine the fact that it has finally started snowing and sticking has helped my disposition somewhat. Yay, snow!
In the aftermath of my massive breakdown, apparently Lyra wore herself out. She gave me two whole days of relative quiet and calm before resuming her schedule of kicks, rolls, and general obnoxious behavior. And even more fortunate, those two days of recovery worked for both of us. I've found the amusement value in the wiggles again. She's really putting on the weight and size now, so I'm feeling very distinct thumps when a teeny foot or fist connects. It makes me giggle at times, especially when they're timed in ways to seem like responses to a comment or a song or the dogs barking. (Ok, that last one may be actually true.)
Speaking of interactive baby, not only does she move toward Rick if he talks to/touches my belly for any length of time, but she's beginning to respond to me a lot more directly. The other day, I was resting between songs at Annie rehearsal. Unthinkingly, I dropped both hands and thumped my palms into the sides of my belly... and startled the baby. She jumped so hard, I almost jumped too! I felt bad, but couldn't help laughing.
She's wiggling around right now. It's mind boggling how much more of the small movements I'm beginning to feel. No wonder it drove me crazy for a couple days. Glad I'm adjusting, even if it does mean occasionally wanting to scream from annoyance and nausea, heh.
I'd imagine the fact that it has finally started snowing and sticking has helped my disposition somewhat. Yay, snow!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Perpetual Motion
She never sleeps.
Let me rephrase that: Unless she's like the dogs and runs when she dreams, she never sleeps.
I settle in bed for the night. She does handstands on my bladder 10 min after I've gone pee and necessitates another trip downstairs to the bathroom. Then she kicks me when I climb back up the stairs. She kicked & rolled all the way to Polson and back today. She's kicking & punching me as I type this. There is constant motion, frequent pressure, and right now I'm wide awake again in the middle of the night when I'm so tired I could scream and all I want to do is rest and she won't stop moving-kicking-punching-wiggling-pushing-stretching long enough to let me and I'm so frustrated and nauseated from all the upward pressure that I'm almost puking and in tears and still she NEVER SLEEPS.
How can a little half pound of nothing, who is so loved and SO wanted, be such an absolute misery to my body? :(
Let me rephrase that: Unless she's like the dogs and runs when she dreams, she never sleeps.
I settle in bed for the night. She does handstands on my bladder 10 min after I've gone pee and necessitates another trip downstairs to the bathroom. Then she kicks me when I climb back up the stairs. She kicked & rolled all the way to Polson and back today. She's kicking & punching me as I type this. There is constant motion, frequent pressure, and right now I'm wide awake again in the middle of the night when I'm so tired I could scream and all I want to do is rest and she won't stop moving-kicking-punching-wiggling-pushing-stretching long enough to let me and I'm so frustrated and nauseated from all the upward pressure that I'm almost puking and in tears and still she NEVER SLEEPS.
How can a little half pound of nothing, who is so loved and SO wanted, be such an absolute misery to my body? :(
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
I Have An Announcement To Make
...Ahem.
It's a girl. :)
(Yes, we snuck in an appointment with the ultrasound tech at the hospital today. We didn't say anything because of the chance of not seeing the gender anyway, plus we wanted the surprise if we did see it. Pictures to be posted later.)
It's a girl. :)
(Yes, we snuck in an appointment with the ultrasound tech at the hospital today. We didn't say anything because of the chance of not seeing the gender anyway, plus we wanted the surprise if we did see it. Pictures to be posted later.)
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