new acquisition

I've acquired a big bouncey exercise ball. It isn't that the big poofy couch or comfy chairs were hurting or not doing their thing, but the ball is just better. I needed something were I could sit upright with my knees down... it's like straddling a horse and it feels dreamy on the lower back. I wish I could fall asleep like that. But now I can talk on the phone with a light bounce. I think Aiden likes it already.

pucker pictures

I just want to pucker up and kiss right back at this cute little kisser. He was moving his mouth all around and we could see his big wide eyes starting right at us (a little alien). I wish we had a good shot of his little foot all the way up by his mouth.

Big smile right at the camera:

Legs from the bottom (feet at top of this shot) - look at those muscles just like daddy:

Big feet:

Side view of his long legs:

You can see his little heart beat blur in this one:

understanding big

We had our follow up ultrasound because Aiden was being a shy guy last time. This time he was blowing kisses at us and literally eating his big toe. The ultrasound technician we've had is very even keel and doesn't seem like the excitable type, UNTIL you show her an ultrasound of our "extremely long" and "acrobatic" baby. Then all of a sudden she starts expounding on how she is curious to know how long this baby is when it's born, because he sure is tall and "loooook at those toes!" His little foot was over 3/4 the size of his head, so his toe looked bigger than it's nose... Oh, let's not forget his bulging thigh and calf muscles. She couldn't get over how his muscles were so well formed for 24 weeks. She went as far as to compare me to women she sees "that are over 28 weeks along." Ok, so for a second I think, oh good, I'm so glad he's healthy and clearly getting enough nutrition to build strong muscles. Then, the next second I'm thinking, oh crap, how is it possible that this big guy is going to come out!? Everyone I see at work clearly can tell I'm pregnant now, and they inevitably ask, when are you due? - when I respond November I usually get a "oh, I thought you were farther along" or "wow, big baby eh?!" This has led to a complex reaction of mixed emotion. I want to prepare myself for all the options.

I went back to the doctor this afternoon after the morning ultrasound, and I was hungry for information. I was peeking at all the handouts in the little wall caddy even if they didn't really pertain to me. I wanted to know about this big baby and whether it was normal or could become normal eventually. The doctor's reaction wasn't entirely reassuring, but she was adamant that I have nothing to worry about. She said that she's seen the biggest babies of her career delivered naturally by petite women and the baby may slow down in its growth. The part that wasn't really reassuring is that I felt like she was treating me like I was being a crazy person for asking about things so far in the future. She didn't seem to think it was relevant for me to ask about her philosophy on c-sections, and whether your arms are strapped down (which they are! ick, but if I mentally prepare myself for that I'm sure I could be ok with it). She was playing this little game where she would joke with J that he's going to have to continue to deal with this for 17 more weeks - AAAH, I felt like screaming I am not that crazy woman you are joking about. She also kept telling me not to go on a diet - uh, yea, not a problem, I absolutely have NEVER been on a diet in my life and I promise to eat as well as I can. I don't think she really understands my motivations, but I'm hoping that eventually over the many appts she will start to understand me better.

curious kids

Somehow we ended up with a free subscription to Parenting Magazine... who knows what lists we are on now, but I think the company I bought my dreamy preggo pillow from sells off addresses, but I forgive them because their pillow is puurrfect. We have some sort of baby junk mail everyday - mostly about cord blood banking. The magazine usually just sit around until I snag it to take it on a plane, but this one sparked my interest. There is an article about how to answer tough questions your kid may have..."But Why? Easy answers to tough questions." Why doesn't my teddy bear have a penis? That was the article's lead question and some of it was informative (2 years=labeling questions like what's that / 3 years=understanding what I see like why is it / 4 years=world outside of immediate experience answered with how does questions...) J and I played the ask-me-a-kid-question which had me gut laughing to the point that J got to feel some real Aiden bouncey action. He even got kicked in the head. I guess Aiden liked his answers.

sweet tooth

Oooh, I have the fiery mama sweet tooth that I've read about online. I've been resisting too many sweets, but when we were out shopping this weekend I needed a boost so J and I shared the sweet nectar of nestle goodness in their double chocolate milk. I can't stop thinking about it. In my dream last night I worked in the milk factory where they had us wear heavy camel sacks on our backs to taste test the chocolate goodness. I think that dream combined my minor back pain with my chocolate milk fantasies - impressive imagination. I've been keeping an informal food diary to make sure I have some sense of how much I'm eating and how much variety I'm managing to get. I hadn't gained much weight as of my last appointment, and I don't feel bigger accept for my belly. I don't have a scale right now, so I'll see what comes up at the doctor this week. I'm amazed at how much weight you gain that isn't fat! Based on my height and weight before getting pregnant this is my precise breakdown of the ideal weight gain:

Maternal:
Uterus
2.82 lbs.
Breasts
1.17 (couldn't this be more!?)
Blood
3.64
Water
4.89
Fat
9.74
Subtotal
22.26

Fetal:
Fetus
7.5
Placenta
1.89
Amniotic Fluid
2.32
Subtotal
11.71

Total
33.97

what aiden will like

I like to fall asleep thinking about things that Aiden will like to do... some of which I'm sure he'll reject and after a dejected attempt to convince him it is fun I will have to laugh at my naive outlook that kids aren't stubborn. Or maybe I'll just have one of those happy go lucky kids...there goes the naive-crazy again. all brands of crazy i promise.

Weeeeh, ok, 1-2-3-, jump, go boom... I bet he'll like swinging from his arms between mom and dad as we walk down the street to the playground. I wonder how many times he'll get excited as soon as he sees the playground and go running across the field? Squealing with joy...oh, the jubilee (I know, don't vomit at my mommy over-joy-ous-ness. Just soak it up or go eat a popsicle or something other than read my blog)

Going on mystery trips with daddy to the Burger King with a playground. Oh, I can remember making so many guesses before actually figuring out that my dad would take me there almost every time. I also remember making fast friends on the playground - "Hi, my name is Lauren, what's yours?" "Do you wanna race down the slide?"

Building forts with blankets and pillows... jumping from couch to couch to avoid the alligators.. running through the sprinkler on hot summer days (I swear when we bought new lawn sprinklers that other day I nearly had tears in my eyes)... playing motor-boat-go-so-fast in the pool... riding a big boy bike with skidded training wheels up so high they're just there for a sense of security... Breakfast club on Saturday mornings... I wonder if Aiden will have the equivalent of Willoughby-world's-best-pancakes to get excited about?

ramps

Oh my ramps! I went to a minor league ball game with a group of students and teachers that are part of an outreach program we're running at work last night. It had been a long day of running around campus for meetings in the rain, but the weather had cleared and the game was packed. My back has mastered stairs since I get caught on those at work so often, but ramps aren't around much. I had a very active bouncey baby that thought he would jump with every step I took. It was as if he was in an elevator jumping as it descended to see if he could float. (But eh, he's always floatin around in there.) He's definitely packing a punch now and can press through the skin, but I think I notice this much more than other people even though it seems so obvious to me. I was up in front of a group speaking the other day and I was convinced this one women could see him moving... or she couldn't stop staring at my belly. She didn't believe I was due in November, and I'm starting to not believe it either.

hospital hopes

We're signed up for birth and caring for baby classes (5 sessions total, three in one Saturday). We also have a Grand Tour and So Much More class to top it all off (still not sure what so much more could be?!). These classes are very popular and they take into account your due date, so the sessions will be spread out from the end of Sept through mid October. They are smart enough to have comfy chairs, right?! I had a flashback of terror that it would be like going to RISD class for three hours perched on a stool. I wish they were earlier and I may still try to bump them forward if people cancel.

Our hospital is a well known place to have a baby, and I've cruised through portions of it while photographing doctors and students for work...but I had no idea how popular this place is: "The primary teaching affiliate of Brown Medical School for obstetrics, gynecology and newborn pediatrics, Women & Infants is the tenth largest obstetrical service in the country with more than 9,700 deliveries per year." That's over 26 babies a day! Fit Pregnancy magazine named Women and Infants one of the top ten hospitals in the country to deliver a baby. Now there is a way to set high expectations!

I've been warned that since it is a teaching hospital you may end up with a big audience if you don't ask them to limit the number of students in the room (or you can ask for none at all). I'm all about giving people good learning experiences, but I do want our moment to be our moment (or Aiden's moment) without too much distraction.

I know this is all pretty far off, but time is already flying by. The last 20 weeks or so have been so full of activity it's hard to imagine that we have around 120 days to go!

jabbing

I was wearing a post-preg long dress today (probably for the last time) and you could see Pip poking through the snug belly. Watching my tummy wiggle and punch out in spots is better than trying to work on a Monday, better than watching fireworks, better than anything in my opinion... He was really jabbing at J which brought a smile to his face as he said, "Hello, it's your daddy Aiden..." It's a smile I hadn't seen from him before and it made me tear up a little bit. He said there was no mistaking that movement as muscles tensing. Yeah, since my muscles don't usually morph straight out of my belly button.

belly theories

Top 10 Big Belly theories - most not so scientific, some just for ramblings sake:
1. I'm drinking plenty of water. This water is being retained, especially towards the end of the day, making belly a big reservoir - which seems to have a tidal current sometimes.
2. Aiden is the best fort maker ever and will eventually become an architect making little houses in the desert around Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesen. He'll be sure to invite mommu and daddoo to visit.
3. Formerly-inverted-uterus (I like to try to say that as one word or better yet it's like the-artist-formerly-known-as-Prince) pushed everything around and decided to stand up at attention making me pop sooner.
4. My stomach muscles have split in four pieces now sitting at each corner of the belly. Proof are these muscle lines on each corner and when I laugh the middle of the belly is somehow not connected to anything. The corners just pulls the belly button around like a marionette without the strings.
5. My office chair and office has some magnetic force (that kills three hard drives in three months - no kidding) that is drawing my magnetic belly button out to hit into my desk.
6. Since I ate almost a whole pineapple, it has reformed and nested next to Aiden's pocket so that he can plug in for some of that addictive sweet nectar whenever he wants.
7. Aiden was hiding his little camera shy sibling from all three of the ultrasounds we've had already and there are somehow twins in there!
8. What my doctor calls the perfectly placed placenta has it's own appetite and is taking over its own space. It is manufacturing bubble gum which it gives to Aiden so it can steal his food while he's distracted chewing.
9. The hair follicles that are popping out on my belly need space for their roots. It's only peach fuzz, but ew, I have enough hair already.
10. My belly was trying to make sure that I never traumatized it again by putting on one of those ridiculous fitting room stuffed bellies to see if a shirt would look good three months from now.
These are in no particular order because I'm not pretending to be David Letterman.

gestational gab

I went to lunch with a pg friend (I swear she was a friend before we both became pregnant at the same time) this week. It was so refreshing. She has a two year old already, so she was able to tell me her whole story. I think we have the same mentality about being huge (she's due Oct 23rd so she wins the big belly contest, but just barely) and it was so good to commiserate over egg salad. As the riley Johnny Rockets waiter cleared our plates, he said, "I'll just clear these plates out of your way, so you continue to catch up on your gestational development." We giggled a bit, and he smiled because he was proud of his funny little joke. Oh, you clever guy, go dance on the counter to some bad Beach Boys song.

rockin jeans

Or maybe they should be described as boulder jeans?! It's bigger than a rock, but smaller than a boulder. Details. Regardless I am sooo excited about my new Old Navy stretchy panel jeans that actually fit AND feel good. After almost two months without jeans (and I swear I wasn't even wearing my jeans that tight or high waisted. i swear.), I am excited. At first I thought that I wouldn't really bother getting maternity jeans. I could get away with stretchy pants and work pants, but it was getting old. Once I decided I wanted jeans, I thought it was going to be impossible to find a pair that actually fit. AND the stretchy panel isn't boring black, but hip two color blue print, and the jeans are actually a cool color/texture. Oh, I might just sneakily wear these jeans even after Aiden's here. I love these jeans more than any other jeans (even the pair that literally melted away after almost 7 years). I think Aiden can feel the love.

Here is tough belly/Aiden's first fort at 22 weeks sporting the new rockin jeans (I will spare you my rant on how big my belly is, but for the third time in this pregnancy I can't stop thinking there are twins in there - although rationally I know that isn't possible because she spent so much time searching around during the last ultrasound):

bubbles

Somehow Aiden got a hold of some bubble gum. He has been blowing bubbles all day. I will feel the munching and chewing, then all of a sudden a bubble will slowly form. It feels like an airy wave as it pops, and then every once in a while the gum must fall out of his mouth. He shifts around, sometimes nipping trying to get it back in his mouth. We all know that Pip likes to nip, but he's also a very good bubble blower. I told my sister about this and I said that sometimes it feels weird when the bubbles pop - she replied, only sometimes?! It is something that I did start to get used to, but then he'll blow in a different spot and it surprises me. I think he's swallowing more or something. He had a full tummy and a full bladder last time so he's sipping on something. All this activity = sleep deprivation = good preparation for early baby days.

I'm so easily amused:

baby firsts

There have been so many firsts already with our first baby on the way. The first kick and the first leak being some of the most eventful so far. Never thought about how significant those firsts would be, but I'm sure there are even more to come. So much to look forward to...first...
* sleep/nap
* bottle/breast feed
* diaper change
* dressed in his first outfit
* ride in a car seat
* smiles
* bath
* trip out in the buggy
* solid food
* teeth
* sitting up
* drinking from a cup
* feeding himself
* crawling
* walking with the furniture
* steps/walking on his own
* hair cut
* halloween, christmas...
Those of you already enjoying these moments, I hope you look forward to the next first. You know I love the stories.

do your trick again

Good eats and a visit to the Mystic aquarium filled our day today. Visiting the penguins (which was a close second to the beluga whales) was a highlight. They were sorta huddled just out of my view over this large tank. I had my belly pressed against the glass wall and suddenly a penguin cruised over to us and was all about head butting the glass in front of my belly. I was frantically taking his photo and the nice penguin watch women slowly said, "oh you must have, down there, a..." I turned towards her thinking for sure that she was going to say a baby belly, but instead she says, "oh, yea I thought so, the penguins love the folds and ruffles on your shirt" I laughed and told J I thought for sure that the penguin must have known that I was pregnant - to which J laughed at me saying of course the penguin is trained in obstetrics. Then he asked if I could "do my trick again" to get the penguin to come over and be our friend. Penguins hanging out avoiding us: My penguin close encounter trick (that's my ruffle belly through the glass in white):

The next preggo moment was waiting in line for the 3D motion experience which didn't come with much explanation. We weren't even sure exactly what it was, but there was a quick line. The line lady approached us and awkwardly asked me if I had seen the precautions associated with this ride as she glanced down at my belly, not saying anything definitive about whether I was pregnant until I said it. I said oh well, but she had a solution that I could still enjoy the ride but I'd have to sit in the out of order chair for fear that I would fall out of my seat. Now at this point J was excited to go on this ride, and I was curious but really hoping that out of order really meant no movement (oh no the crazy again - see sting ray story on the other lb blog). J's plan was that I would tap him if I was moving and he would rescue me off the chair (which is a lot less dangerous than just slipping off of it, riiight). As the ride started everyone started jerking and vibrating and I wasn't even sure if I was moving or not. I was still humored to watch the 3D action and hear the room of screaming people react. Very strange addition to an aquarium. It was nice to visit a new place. I can't wait to see little Aiden's reactions to the beluga - maybe even next summer?! Does a 7-8 month old care about penguins and big fish?

baby beat

J felt the second kind of baby beat right after dinner tonight. If I hold my hands over my head he can feel and see the baby rumble right under the skin. I think Aiden was trying to give him a high five, which is so cute I could wretch. Or maybe that sensation is because a baby is beating against my belly. He only moves that much every once in a while. Most of his movement is pretty subtle, tingly, and comforting.

belly heartbeat

I read online today that if your husband presses his ear against your tummy he can hear the baby's heartbeat if it's in the right position. On his second try J was able to hear Aiden's quick little beat. I think it was one of the more special moments for him so far. He hasn't felt a definite kick only baby rumbles. He holds his hand on the tough belly and usually starts feeling his own pulse in his fingers. He was massaging my belly button and said that there is less and less button each day. But I think it's more and more of a button ;) But what really constitutes a button anyway?!

babyproofing

A friend of mine gave us this book somewhat jokingly saying that J would have fun searching for fallacies and I could hyper analyze it. Turns out it's really not too serious, but as you paw through it you find funny little anecdotal stories that give you something to talk about. We usually laugh and think about how we'd react in that circumstance. Talk about good pillow talk.

normal routine

So much seems normal now that just a few weeks ago was so alien. My body has changed - and nothing prepares you for how significant this feels. The baby bubbles are now caused by a little guy that is over a pound (bigger than average right now). I wake up at least once, usually twice each night. Besides just the baby changes, it seems normal to drive to work with J, to come home with room to spread out, to have access to my crafts and sewing machine again, to never have to deal with the kitty litter, to clean laundry more often without competing for the machines, and to not lug our groceries up three flights of stairs. We have a good routine that works for us. I wonder what will seem normal or routine to our baby. This is the first house he will know and I'm glad that this week he's growing some eyelashes to keep the pollen dust out of his eyes. It's something fierce this year. Let's not forget those little kissy lips. Aw, I hope mwah is his first recognizable noise.

Knocked Up

J and I went to see the hilarious, seemingly unrealistic, yet realistically acted, Knocked Up movie this weekend. They delivered one liner type comments without the scene cutting out, but with awkward silence and real life responses. I’d had friends tell me not to see it until after the baby was here and others said I would love it. I was honestly not too worried by the bits and pieces they show. The gratuitous glimpses (I think three total) of her actually crowning where nothing compared to the alien feeling I was having a few weeks ago. Now that I’m passed that alien feeling and all the movement, emotions and leaking seems normal now, I’m feeling really good about being pregnant. I think in a delirious moment I even told J that I’d like to be pregnant over and over again like those crazy people with 15 children. I know I can live off a lot less sleep than my rock solid over 8 hour sleeps of the past. Bottom line is I know I can do it. Another serious lesson learned from this not so serious movie: Don't set too many expectations for the actual birth because it will just go however it goes - just gotta do whatever is safe.

barbecue with babies

Our friends came over this weekend with my current favorite two year old, Luca, and their two month old, Carla. The two month old has literally doubled in size since we saw her last. She is in between sizes of diapers so she literally leaked a big brown stain up her back. J almost doesn't flinch at pee and poo now (this was unscented poo!) and these aren't even his own kids. J got the barbecue going and he'd made his death by chocolate brownies where he can't help but add more chips. It's really not quite the same as having folks over for dinner B.C. (before children). Our B.C. days are numbered, but there is something that excites me about never knowing what to expect with kids.