October 22, 2009 -- Nathaniel David Moore is Born

At 38 weeks and 3 days in utero, weighing 7 lbs. 11 ounces at 21.5 inches, Nate emerged into the world at 2:50 pm, mewling like a kitten. He is healthy and beautiful and we love him more than anyone or anything in the whole world. I know you're jealous.

It is now about a day and a half since I started this post, and I'm finally able to finish it. Now, you're probably not so jealous. But you should be. We've now had more than two days with Nate, full of ups, downs, and sideways-es. We are tired as all get out and couldn't be happier.

If you check out the expectnet.com poll, it looks like my coworker and friend, Josh, was the big winner. Good job, Josh! We were all, clearly, a bit off on the birth date.

We've got all kinds of pictures to share, once we have the time to upload them. So, maybe in 18 years....

Week 38 -- Ok, We're Getting Antsy Here

You guys are gonna be so bored after last week's picture/video extravaganza. I got nothing here. Except I feel way more pregnant-y by the day, and I know by next week, I'm going to want this kid OUT!

Ok, I do have some fun news from my doctor's appointment last Wednesday. I hadn't updated until now because I'm debating about how much TMI-type info I want to share on here. I mean, this is going in an album for Bagel. He probably doesn't want to hear about my cervix. So I'll just use medical lingo and see how that goes.

Anyhoodle, I am definitely progressing! I am 1 cm dilated and the doc says he's very low in my pelvis. So that's great. He's moving down and getting ready to make his way out. I am not effaced at all yet. See? Medical lingo. If you don't know what that means, you can either look it up, or you probably don't want to know anyway.

This does not mean I'm going into labor tomorrow or anything. I could be 1 cm dilated for weeks. But it's a good sign that things are as they should be. Most importantly, Bagel is facing my back, which is fabulous. If he were facing upwards, or "sunny side up," labor would be more difficult and it causes back labor, which is crazy painful. Even more crazy painful than regular labor. NO THANK YOU BAGEL.

I've got my next appointment on Wednesday, so we'll see if Bagel and I have progressed any further then. Wednesday is also a big day for another reason. Rob and I have decided to have one last hurrah just the two of us and go out to a nice dinner in DC that night. It will probably be the last chance we have to do something like that for a while.

Meanwhile, we're just sitting around anxious for the Bagel to get here already. Rob is so ready that he hasn't been sleeping well. He keeps joking that he'll be the first father in history to get more sleep after the baby is born. I, meanwhile, am totally bored. I'm ready with everything! Hospital bag is packed and we're putting it in the car with the carseat tonight. Nursery is ready. Financial stuff is squared away. I even took a Red Cross class on basic first aid and CPR so I know what to do if Bagel starts choking on something. Like a bagel. Actually, I took an online class. The in person component is this weekend (although, being hugely pregnant, I may not be able to participate so much). I just know the next 2+/- weeks are going to DRAG. Sigh.

I think Bagel is getting antsy too. But he's still got some stuff to do. He's busy shedding the fine hair covering his body (lanugo) and the whitish coating on his skin (vernix). If he were to pop out this week, he'd have no trouble surviving on his own, though his lungs are still maturing, even now. He probably weighs about 7 pounds or so. He's also building up meconium in his intestines in anticipation of that first poop that will make Daddy so proud.

Week 37 -- I'M FULL TERM!!!

My due date is still three weeks from today, but today I am "full term." That means if Bagel comes today, his lungs should be fully mature and he'll be able to adjust to being an outside baby with no issues. So, I'd better be ready for this kid.

I usually would wait to post until Wednesday, since I have doctor's appointment then, so I could update you. But I really just want to brag about all the stuff I've gotten done this weekend in anticipation of Bagel making his grand entrance. I might update later in the week with the doctor stuff.

All the stuff we need immediately for baby? Check! I went out this weekend and used my completion coupons and other coupons and went a little bit nuts. We've got sheets. We've got diapers and wipes. We've got burb cloths. We've got the changing pad and covers. We've got the pack 'n play. Wanna see?

I put it together myself! I figure Bagel and I will be kickin' it in the living room a lot when I'm on my maternity leave, since that's where I like to hang when I'm home. So I set it up there so I could use the changing table and maybe the bassinet if he'll just nap there. We now officially have no room for more baby stuff in the living room.

Nursery? Check. I put up the wall decals that we ordered. See?

HOW CUTE ARE THOSE? I also put together the bookshelf and loaded it up. We now officially also have no room for more baby stuff in his nursery. This could prove to be a problem. It's a little cramped in there. Let's just call it "cozy," shall we?

I've organized all his clothes and put them away. I've started packing the hospital bag (I really need to finish that). I'm working on finishing the border of his baby blanket. As I type, I'm making sure both cameras (reg and video) are charged up and ready to go. I've weeded the patio and cleaned up stray fall leaves. I've put things in the attic. I'm a prepping machine. So, kid? If you decide to come early, don't even think that you've got the drop on me. You don't. I. Am. Ready. For. You.

Well. I've got all the stuff for you, anyway. Whether I'm ready to go through labor and then bring a child home and be expected to actually care for it as its parent is another question entirely. Let's talk about that later, shall we?

How am I this week? I'm great. I just went for a long walk with a friend, so I'm still moving around with no problems. Aside from feeling like my belly skin is stretched to max capacity, I'm really feeling pretty good. Bagel is kicking around in there like a champ, and I'm really going to miss that once I serve him with his eviction papers. Plus, I love the hands-free carrying system that pregnancy entails.

Bagel's doing really well too, so far as I can tell. This week he is...drum roll please...a watermelon! His final fruit comparison! I'm so proud. And I love watermelon. I'll sprinkle a little salt on him when he comes out, since that's how Rob likes his watermelon. I also found a site that says he's about the length of a stalk of Swiss chard. Yum! I'm guessing that he's really packing on some poundage (on average, about half a pound a week), because I have finally started feeling really hungry. A lot. I wish it was manifesting itself in healthier meals, but I'm doing my best. Also, this week, he can now grasp with his fingers as his dexterity improves. N'awww!

I've been pretty stingy with the pictures lately, so you want one? Ok, here:

That was actually last week -- 36 weeks exactly -- on my birthday. Rob snapped a pic right before we went out for a lovely dinner.

Not enough for you? Fine, how about some video? That's right. VIDEO. We've been trying to get Bagel on camera doing his dance in my belly. He seems to be pretty camera shy, but we finally caught a bit of the action the other night. You can see his foot move down and to the left.

WARNING: this video contains the image of my huge, bare belly (don't worry, nothing else is bare). If you think this might cause you to want to gouge your eyes out, do not press play:

Week 36 -- Trying to Cram Everything In

While I would love it if Bagel was like his Mama and very punctual, even, say, a couple days early, I'm starting to worry that he'll come way too early for me to get everything done! There's still so much to do to ready the house for this little guy. I now have a ton of clothes (thanks Kate!), but I still need to put them away. We've ordered wall decorations for the nursery, but have yet to put them up (how cute is this and this?). And I just bought a little bookshelf at Target, but have yet to put it together. So everything is a mess and very in transition.

But I'm trying to just take it one step at a time and get things squared away. A few days ago, I spent a few hours cleaning and organizing the linen closet between our bedroom and the nursery. It looks awesome. And it fit the baby bath stuff too. And Grandpa will be happy to hear that the toxic stuff is all on high up shelves now (even though it will be months before this kid can even roll over, let alone get into the closet). I may have to snap a picture for you guys later.

I know what you're thinking. Why is she whining about putting away clothes when we were promised amazing stories about her first internal exam at the doctor's this week? Oh, fine. It wasn't really all that exciting. They took swabs of things and tested for whatnot like they did at the beginning of the pregnancy. They also took more blood to check out my platelets, so we'll see how I'm doing on that front when I go back next week (I'm doing weekly appointments now!). I'm not dilated at all and the doc says Bagel has already started to descend into my pelvis, which is great. Looks like he's in a good position. His back is on my left side now, with his little hip jutting out to the left of my belly button and his little feet pedaling away on my right side (as several of you have now felt). Rob even felt his head last night, which was cool. I believe the doc described the situation as "perfectly normal" or something to that effect. Good job, Bagel!

I then went into the doctor's office and he went into mini lecture about what all to expect in terms of when to call, when to come in to the hospital, how long they let things progress before talking c-section, etc. Two good things stuck in my mind. One is that they don't do routine episiotomies. I do not want one of those. The second is that this doctor (who isn't my regular doctor, she was on vacation this week) is so supremely boring that I may not need an epidural because he can just talk to me and I might fall asleep.

I told the doc that I had started the Evening Primrose Oil as directed by the midwife. I also started drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea, which is supposed to strengthen my uterus, and which the midwife said was not discouraged by the practice. The doctor said he didn't necessarily believe that either actually was beneficial, but that they wouldn't hurt and to go ahead and take them if I wanted. So I'm going to keep taking them and see what that gets me. I also told the doc that my acid reflux was getting really unbearable, so he said to go ahead and take some Zantac. So far, I am loving it.

Before I left, the doctor gave me a handout titled "Procedure Education Literature," which was sort of a summary of the spiel he had given. At the top it says "Vaginal Delivery" and under that it says, "Definition -- Vaginal = pertaining to the vagina; Delivery = to send." o_O

Clearly this is a handout for beginners who didn't take the super special intensive childbirth class.

This is Bagel's last week as a Honeydew and his last week before we're full term! He weighs about 6 pounds now (this is a very rough estimate), and he's growing rounder every day. About 15% of his total weight is now made up of fat. All his organs are developed and ready, though his lungs are still going through some fine-tuning. His bones are still quite soft so that he can fit through that doorway out into the world. They'll harden over the first few years of his life. His growth will now slow down so that he can store up his energy for the craziness that is being born.

Update: Here's a picture of the linen closet all organized. Jealous? I know you are.

Week 35 -- Happy 35/35!!!

Today I am 35 weeks pregnant and I have only 35 days until our due date! It seems to be both an interminable period and like it will just fly by. We still have so much to do.

Well, we got one thing out of the way this weekend, and that was our childbirth class. Yes, the instructor actually showed up this time. Though not without informing us that she was actually the director of the program and our usual instructor was now no longer with the program. Hmm....I wonder why? The class is a one day intensive class that's 9 hours long with some breaks. For the most part, Rob and I found it pretty informative, if unnecessarily long. The regular classes are about six weeks long for three hours each. We never would have made it through that. Of course, most of the information, I was already aware of, due to my reading up on all this stuff. And neither of us process information well by having someone just talk at us. We both like to read. So Rob read through all the hand outs and booklets that we were given at the class, and he felt pretty set from those. The most helpful part was probably the hospital tour. We found out where we come in and when and got a look at the rooms (though I had already seen one of the labor and delivery rooms). Of course, the best part of the class is that it was free, because of the debacle two weeks ago.

I have to give a shout out to the woman sitting next to me during the class, who wins the award for the stupidest question asked in 9 hours. She asked whether, when you have a c-section, they remove your organs and your intestines and then put them back in after they remove the baby. That was quite entertaining. I now have a visual of the doc pulling your intestines out hand over hand like a clown pulling handkerchiefs out of his mouth.

After all the shower excitement, I felt like Bagel and I were getting so spoiled, but we were even more spoiled this past week. My coworkers surprised me with a mini shower when we were down in Richmond for our hearing! Bagel got his tummy time mat (Monkey Island!) and a gift card and a really cute and snuggly outfit. It was so nice of them to do that. Despite the fact that there isn't a whole lot going on in Richmond, Bagel and I had a nice time down there. We ate lots of fried green tomatoes and even had some fried okra to almost rival Mimi's. While Bagel isn't keen on vegetables, he seems to enjoy the fried part quite a bit. :)

This week, Bagel is continuing to fatten up like Hansel and Gretel. His body has gone from 2% fat at about mid-pregnancy to more like 15% fat. Can't wait to cuddle that chub. We learned at the childbirth class that one reason I am continuing to fatten up as well is to grow some fat stores to get me through labor, since the lame doctors won't let me eat. Anyone who knows me knows that I do not do well with not eating. So I'll try to pack on some poundage to get me and Bagel through the horrific time when I can't eat anything. Bagel is still rocking the honeydew size. He's about 5.5 pounds this week (allegedly). He is still quite active, and I can feel his little feet pushing out quite a bit on my right side.

Next week will be quite exciting. I'll have my first internal exam at the doctor's, and then I start weekly appointments.

I know you guys feel so spoiled as well with all the pictures I posted from the shower, but I'm feeling just so generous. Here are some belly shots that Aunt Julie took at the shower. So these are 33 (almost 34 week) shots.

Here is Bagel with a few bites of his namesake:



And here, I'm showing Bagel how much I love him:

Week 34.2 -- Shower Time!

As promised, here are some pics from the shower last weekend:


Mmmmm....cake love. It was delicious! We had a fantastic spread:


There was lots of family in attendance:






And good friends:




We played the toilet paper game, where they tried to guess how rotund I've gotten:


Lynn won!


We also played a game where everyone brought a children's book and I had to guess who brought which book. It was so hard!


We also decorated some adorable onesies for the Bagel. Well, other people decorated adorable onesies. Mine were terrible. Thankfully, there are no pictures of those.






And everyone brought wonderful gifts for Bagel.






I know that last pic was blurry. But it's a good belly shot. I'd love to say that Bagel loved all the attention, but he slept through most of it. Stinker.

Week 34 -- Bagel is Showered With Love

At our baby shower! We had such an exciting and exhausting week/weekend. Grandma and Grandpa were here for a visit, which was all kinds of fun, and now they're off jaunting around Italy. Such a rough life.

Saturday was the baby shower, and it was fantastic. Thanks to Grandma and Aunt Julie for a fun and delicious shower. We had great food, fun games, and lots of time spent with family and friends. Everyone got to guess how fat I am now, and everyone brought a book for Bagel and I had to guess who brought which book. I was terrible at that game. But now we have some great books. We also decorated onsies. You can tell which ones I made, because they're awful. You can tell which ones Julie and Kate made, because they're awesome. Bagel got some wonderful gifts, including several adorable outfits, a car seat, snuggly blankets, and a hand knitted hat, kimono, and blanket from Auntie Laura, which are beautiful.

I know you're all scrolling down, looking for the pictures. They're coming! I'll update with pics later when I get them from Jules. She chronicled the day with her fancy camera and even took some cool belly shots of me. I'll put them in a separate post, even. :)

I also had a doctor's appointment yesterday. Well, it was supposed to be a doctor's appointment, but my doc was stuck in the OR, and my appointment was with the nurse/midwife in the practice instead. I had never met with her before. She. Is. AWESOME. She just spent way more time with me than a doctor ever would. We took a listen to Bagel's heartbeat, and she stayed on it for a good long while, because she could tell I was enjoying it. He was thump thumping along at 141 bpm. She also took the time to point out where all his little parts were in there. She showed me where his head was (still down!), and his little tush, and his kicky feet. Then we went in her office to discuss my questions and whatnot.

Apparently, in August, my platelets were 138K. The midwife said that's ok, and they'll test again next appointment, since they'll be taking blood then anyway. My next appointment is in two weeks, and it's going to be a biggie. That's when they start doing internal exams to check how things are progressing and when he might come out (even though it doesn't really tell you when he's ready to come out -- he'll get here when he gets here). They'll test me for a bunch of stuff too. The midwife suggested that, at 36 weeks, I start taking Evening Primrose Oil. It's supposed to soften things up for the baby to come out. She said it shortens labor. Bring it on! After that appointment, I'll be seeing the doctor weekly. I've already set up all my appointments through November 4th (in case Bagel decides to show up late to the party). I can't believe it's all flying by this quickly!

This week, Bagel is still rocking the honeydew, which we enjoyed at the shower. He's also about the size of a 5 lb bag of flour. So we could make bagels out of Bagel. But please don't.

He might be so big now that he's taking up all the available space in there and can't just float around. He might even be all tucked up. I don't think he is though, because I can feel his little feet all stretching out into my ribs (fun!). This week, his adrenal glands are producing hormones and his skin is becoming less red and wrinkly as he fattens up. Also, his testicles are probably descending this week. What a milestone! I'm still waiting on mine.

Week 33 -- Silbley FAIL...and WIN!

I was looking forward to logging on yesterday and blogging about our super special one day intensive labor and childbirth class at the hospital where Bagel will come into the world. On Sunday, Rob and I got up super early for our 9 am class because the national triathalon was that day and totally blocking all the roads to the hospital (AWESOME). We got there at about 10 minutes before class started and were the only ones there. Couples started to trickle in. And trickle in. And wait around. And get restless. And wonder where the hell the instructor was. And complain to hospital personnel.

About half the men felt they needed to "do something." So they all went and moved their cars to find street parking so they wouldn't have to pay so much for Sibley's expensive lot.

After an hour, a woman finally came in, apologized profusely, and told us that the class was canceled. They just could not get a hold of our instructor. No one had any idea where she was or why she wasn't in contact. She said we could take any other class and they would schedule us in whether the class was full or not (they offer this class every weekend). So we left feeling not so confident in the hospital where our precious Bagel is entering this world. But Rob was happy that he got to watch Week 1 of football.

The head of the program called me yesterday, rescheduled me to the date I wanted (the 26th), and said they were refunding the entire class price! Confidence restored! Now we get a free class and it won't interfere with football. So it all works out in the end.

My stress level seems to be ratcheting up with each day closer to my due date. I just feel like there's so much left to do before he gets here. I'm starting to resent having to go to work every day because I just want to be home cleaning, organizing, and putting together furniture. It's making me realize that our daycare option in my building at work was a good call. I certainly wouldn't want to be feeling resentful like this for the next few years, wishing I were home with the baby instead of working. This way, Bagel will be just down the hall. At least until preschool.

Despite the stress, I've got so much to look forward to, in addition to our childbirth class. Grandma and Grandpa are currently winging their way across our great nation and will be here this evening for a visit. Hopefully, they will get to see some belly dancing from Bagel while they're here. We've also got my shower this Saturday! I can't wait to celebrate Bagel with friends and family and feed him some cake. He'll love that!

Bagel's no longer a squash! I am now officially in Month 8 and he is a honeydew. Yum! He's between 17 and 19 inches and more than four and a half pounds. If he's been a shortie until now, he could actually grow a full inch or more this week alone. Gadzooks! My amniotic fluid has reached its max amount this week, so I now have more baby than fluid now. That means that it's a lot easier to feel all his moving about (which he's doing right now). He now opens his eyes when he's awake and closes them when he's sleeping, and he can tell night and day. This is because my belly is stretched like crazy, so he can see all the light shining in through the skin. He definitely has his sleepy and awake times. He's generally up and kicking when I'm on the metro on my way to work. And sometime between 2 and 4 am, he likes to spaz out and practice field goal kicks. I think he's already worked his way up to a 50 yarder. The best thing this week is that he's developed his own immune system to protect him from mild infections.

Week 32 -- The Best Nest

I am in serious nesting mode. I know it's something that's supposed to set in just prior to when you give birth, but I think I'm a prodigy. I've been going nuts with the house cleaning and organizing. It's not big things like mopping floors and scrubbing toilets. I keep noticing these tiny little things around the house that bug me and I just have to fix. NOW. Like scrubbing the walls for fingerprints. And getting down the paint from the attic and touching up corners and baseboards with it. It got to the point that I saw a woman walking a snow white dog the other day and I got very anxious wondering how she kept him clean. Stop the madness!

We've put up curtains in Bagel's room now. They're navy, which butches up the purple walls rather nicely. See?

Ok, that's a terrible picture. It's too sunny in there and no flash on the iPhone. Here's a linky.

I had a breastfeeding class at the hospital last night. I learned a lot and, most importantly, learned about the breastfeeding resources at Sibley like the lactation consultants and the cart that comes around and they can fit you for nursing bras. Now, if they can work a dessert cart into the rotation along with that, then I'm all set. Sadly, Rob couldn't make it as he's in La La land doing a deposition. But he'll be back in time for our intensive full day childbirth and childcare class this Sunday. Let's hope the cafeteria is actually open this time. That's right. I was in a 7 pm class full of pregnant chicks and the cafeteria was closed. Nice planning, Sibley.

Bagel is (air quotes) definitely head down! I had a doctor's appointment today with the other doctor who might deliver Bagel, and he said the little guy has made his way into a good position there. Much more helpful than his mother in that respect. I've thought for a few weeks now that he was head down, because when he gets the hiccups, I can feel it very low down. He has, however, flipped over from my left to my right side. So maybe what I thought was a knee the other day was actually his little hip. Of course, it's possible that all of this is wrong and despite the doctor saying he's head down, he's not head down, as certain people can attest to from past experience. Shout out to Jeremy, who surprised the L&D medical staff by attempting to come out tush first.

The appointment today was relatively boring. The doc muttered something about my platelets being fine and I think I heard him say 136, so I guess they haven't changed since last time really. He didn't take more blood this time. He said it would be normal if I was having 6-8 Braxton Hicks contractions a day at this point, though when I said I hadn't felt any, he said that was normal too. Though I have felt some intense pressure a few times, I thought that was just Bagel pressing somewhere uncomfy. Who knows.

What else is normal this week? Bagel should be about 4 pounds and about 19 inches long. Though at least one of you thinks he'll be shorter than that. He's just kinda doing more of the same at this point. Putting on some blubber and practicing his kicking, sucking and swallowing. This is our last week as a squash. Next week, we get to move up to honeydew. Much better!

Phew, this has been a long post. To reward you all for your patience, here's a belly shot:

Week 31 -- I'm 3/4 Done!

Ok, I was actually three quarters of the way done being pregnant last week, but I forgot to mention it. So happy belated 3/4 to me! Only 9 more weeks to go, and it feels like we still have so much to do. Perhaps because of this, I have been nesting like crazy. Last week, we got our new windows put in and I spent the weekend putting the blinds back up and cleaning like a mad woman. I went a little nuts with the 409. You could even lick our walls without fear of infection. Maybe I'll get some of that snozzberry wallpaper.

How do the windows look, you ask? Gor-GEOUS! I'm kind of sad that the blinds are back up, because all their glorious sparkle is all covered up now. They do all kinds of fancy things with tilting in and they slide up so beautifully.

As you are probably worrying that I will spend this entire post blabbering about my new windows and not about anything actually baby-related, I've decided it's time to make this waiting game a little interesting. That's right. It's time to place your bets. We're talking delivery date and time, weight, and length. There's even a spot to guess the gender (if you don't get that one right, you have some reading comprehension issues -- no offense). For the fewest points, there will be an overall winner and a winner in each category, with points assigned the further away you get from the correct guess. Got it?

Don't go putting your guesses in the comments now. I'm not going to be tabulating your wild guesses and stabs in the dark post partum. I've got a handy website to help me out! So go check it out here. I'll put a link up in the "Relevant Links" area of the blog, as well. These should take you right to the game. If you somehow end up at the home page, at the top left, there's a box for "Invited Guests." Just type the name of the game in the box and hit Go! The name of the game, you ask? Duh, silly. It's BAGEL. That will take you to the game. I've already entered a guess to get you all started. To enter your guess, just click on the "Enter a Guess" link at the top right. This may seem like a lot of unnecessary explanation but, quite frankly, some of you just aren't that smart. Don't worry, I don't mean you.

Now that I'm both willing this time to drag by so I can get more done and willing it to hurry up so I can meet this baby already, he's just taking his own time and cooking in there as he needs to. So what's he up to this week? He's a good 18 inches tall now* and weighs more than three pounds. The connections between his individual nerve cells are growing like crazy. He's doing things like hiccupping, swallowing, pedaling along my uterine wall, and maybe even sucking his thumb. Let's hope he doesn't get too attached to that....



* Um, I just started paying attention to this length thing on the WTEWYE website. 18 inches? Really? That could be the ending length altogether! This is clearly a rough estimate.

Week 30 -- We Want a Pitcher, Not a.... Well, Me

So much to talk about today!

If you didn't guess from the title of this post, my new ailment is an itchy belly. Not all the time, but every once in a while. I guess my skin is as stretched out as it wants to be. Oh, well.

I had a doctor's appointment today! Bagel is measuring well. The doc says his back is hanging out on the left side, with his arms and legs on my right side. He is definitely transverse, meaning he's stretched out sideways, rather than being head up or head down. He's on his way there, I guess!

The good news first -- I passed my gestational diabetes test from my last appointment. She said my numbers were great and there were no issues there at all. Good job, Bagel. The bad news -- my platelets were low again. Sigh. The doc and I discussed this at length today. When I first came in and was pregnant, my numbers were below normal, and so the doc has been testing my blood periodically to make sure they're coming up. That means I've had a needle in my arm almost every appointment I've gone to. Good times.

What does this mean? Well, if my numbers are crazy low, my blood won't clot properly. Doc says if it gets below a certain number, they won't give me an epidural during labor because they worry that I'll bleed from the needle. Hold. The. Phone.

Yeah, you read that right. It's possible I might not be able to have the sweet, sweet drugs I've been looking forward to in the delivery room. Let's break down the numbers. A normal range for platelets is 140K - 480K. The doc says they really will be concerned about my levels if they go below 50K. They won't do an epidural below 90K. Three weeks ago, my platelets were 136-138K (I can't remember which). So we're not talking anything too far below normal. When I first had my platelets tested, it was 125K. It later went up to around 144K. So the doc is not too concerned, because my numbers are hovering around normal and aren't changing all that drastically. This may just be how my body responds to being pregnant. I got more blood drawn today and we're going to keep an eye on my numbers.

My next appointment is in two weeks. At that appointment, I'll get to meet the other doctor in the practice who could deliver Bagel if my doc isn't available.

Now, before you go telling me to eat spinach like my mom (LOL, Mom), you can't replenish your platelets through diet. It's not like iron or calcium. If they get really low, they can do a platelet transfusion. But so far, it doesn't look like I'll need anything like that.

My doctor mentioned today that she was happy that we're back in even weeks, because she's into numerology. That surprised me, since she seems a no nonsense sort of woman and not into airy fairy notions (shout out to Val's mom) like numerology. Since this week seems to be all about numbers, let's break some down:

Number of times morning sickness has made itself, uh, evident: 0. Go Bagel!

Number of times I have been ill this pregnancy: 2. Not so great. Let's cross our fingers that there will be no more instances of that here, shall we?

Number of stretch marks: I was all excited to put 0, but I think I might be getting one! Lest you chicks reading out there think you can prevent stretch marks with lotion or something, please realize that, due to my eczema, I have the most well-lubricated skin known to man. I put lotion on all over 2-3 times a day. Seriously.

Number of scary low points: 1.

Number of elated high points: Where's the infinity button?

Number of pounds I've gained: Yeah right, nosy! Let's just say I'm on track to gain exactly as much as I'm supposed to gain. Though I've definitely been packing on more this trimester. Gotta fatten up Bagel.

Number of times Rob has felt Bagel kick: Countless! Bagel's actually starting to push a lot more than kick, and you can see my belly dance around. His favorite game right now is to make my belly go all crazy, and then when I say to Rob, "quick, look!" he stops. Hilarious.

Number of hormone fueled BST (I'll let you figure that out) moments: 1. I had my first earlier this week. I would tell you that you can ask Rob all about it, but he probably doesn't want to relive it and would immediately go into the fetal position and start sucking his thumb. Where did all those hormones come from?! I felt like I was fifteen again. The upside is I was happy to realize I'll never be fifteen again.

Now that the numbers have aligned with the planets, or whatever, let's see what Bagel is up to in there this week. He's growing all kinds of grooves and ridges in his brain now, and his bone marrow has taken over production of red blood cells. This means he's better able to thrive on his own once he's an outside baby. That furry coat he had before is starting to come off, now that he's getting nice and fat, and his brain and that precious blubber are now regulating his body temperature.

Ok, that was exhausting. Please, no pictures.

Week 29 -- I'm Sick...Again

I came down with another cold this week and worked from the couch for a few days with some soup. Let's hope that does the trick. I just hope this cough doesn't linger for weeks on end like the one I had back in March. That was just awful. No more bruised ribs, please. I think Bagel got tired of my coughing, because he seems to have migrated lower down. This would be fantastic news, as it means he's moved away from my diaphragm. But the congestion isn't really letting me enjoy that. Plus, he's started using my bladder as a trampoline again. Good times.

I've started noticing that Bagel has a tickle spot. If I lightly rub my belly button, he'll start squirming around a bit. It's pretty cool. This is not an invitation to lift up my shirt and rub my belly button. Let's have some boundaries here, people. The other day, I was doing that, and this huge lump emerged to the right of my belly button. I've seen it again since then. I'm pretty sure that's either his head or his butt, I just can't tell which it is.

I had an interview appointment with a pediatrician today. For the most part, it went really well. They have separate sick and well waiting areas, an on call nurse 24/7, nurses available to answer phone questions at any time, 2-3 lactation consultants, about half their appointments are same day sick appointments, and they take both my and Rob's insurance. The only problem is the doctor was 20 minutes late for my appointment. The problem with that is that they close for lunch every day, and I was the first appointment after lunch. I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she took a few minutes to look at a last minute sick kid or two before she came and talked to me. The doc answered all my questions and seemed pretty cool, but I don't think I'll really know how I feel about the place until I walk in there with a baby. I think I'm going to stick with this place and see how it pans out.

You would not believe what size the baby is this month. He's the size of a squash! Seriously? First they give me eggplant and then squash? I hate squash! Except butternut and spaghetti. So let's pretend it's one of those. He weighs nearly three pounds this week and measures about 17 inches. This month, all five of his sense are fully functional, and his brain and nervous system are going through major developments. What are those major developments? The website I was reading didn't say. It's a mystery. According to another website, my amniotic fluid has reached its maximum amount -- about 2 pints. Drink up kid!

I've started doing kick counts this week. This means that twice a day, I have to count every movement Bagel makes until he hits ten, and that should take less than an hour. No problems here so far, except half the time when I remember to do them, he happens to be napping, so not a lot is going on and it takes a while. Other times, like this morning, I catch him during an active period, and it takes all of 5 minutes.

Who wants pictures? I had Rob take a few of me before I went over to the pool with Kate and Erik and Jeremy this weekend.

Of course, I couldn't just pose nicely, I had to play around like a doof. Kinda like this:

And this:

Whooooaaaa! What am I doing? And this:



Then I finally settled down and took a normal photo. You can't really tell how big my belly is though, because of the angle. Oh, well.

Week 28 -- Diana's Belly Becomes a Canvas...For Food

A few weeks ago, my mom asked me if I'd started spilling food all over my belly yet. Despite the fact that such behavior sounds like me even without being pregnant, I told her I didn't know what she was talking about and told myself that just because it happened to her didn't mean it would happen to me. Well, nevermind. Not a day has gone by in the last 4 or so when I haven't spilled some sort of food all over my belly. Maybe Bagel is like a food magnet and is trying to attract food through my skin. Eating through osmosis? Maybe I'm just a slob. So far, today's masterpiece has been created with chicken salad and chocolate.

I reached another milestone this past week: my last air travel until after Bagel arrives. I had an awesome weekend in Seattle at a fun farm wedding (why yes, I was just in Portland, what of it?). Bagel and I went hiking by the ocean and checked out an art festival, as well. Here's a picture of the awesome view on part of my hike:

And here's a picture of a cool slug I saw:

Jealous? I know you are.

I'm excited to have no more travel plans, other than a quick drive down to Richmond in September, until Bagel arrives. No more dealing with airlines. No more sitting for 5 hours of turbulence. No more empty fridge because I didn't have time to shop for groceries. It's time to spend the next few months feathering my nest and hopefully enjoying close proximity to a bathroom, since Bagel has started using my bladder as a trampoline in earnest this time. TMI? DWI (deal with it).

He also seems to have moved, or rather his growing is growing upwards. I can tell because I can't breathe as well anymore. I read that this is normal as he's starting to push on my diaphragm. It's definitely starting to slow me down in terms of my activity level. My sporadic jogs at this point are more like walks and I'm far more likely to cut a workout short if I'm not feeling up to it. The pool is really feeling great these days. I can still move pretty easily and Bagel is well supported in the water.

The downside is that maternity suits are not made for lap swim. Even Speedo finally started selling maternity suits, but they're tankinis. Too much dragging fabric. So instead, I just bought a suit that's way too big for me otherwise. It's like a 16. I look hilarious in this thing. It's way too huge in the butt and the chest. I look like a freak in it. But whatever gets the job done....

Now that you know how Mama is doing this week, how's Bagel? We're in the final week of eggplant! Actually, I just read somewhere that he's the size of a Chinese cabbage, whatever that is. He's between 2 and 2.5 pounds and is 15 to 16 inches long. His fat cells are increasing, so he's putting some meat on those bones and prepping to be a little Michelin baby. Until now, Bagel's brain was smooth, but now, it's starting to form grooves and indentations. I remember from psych classes in college that the smarts are in all the grooves. That's why (arguably) smart species like humans have groovy, bumpy brains, while the dumber ones, like rats, have smooth brains. So wrinkle away, Bagel. Cram some smarts into those grooves.

Week 27 -- Into the Home Stretch

I'm officially in my third trimester! Let's take a moment and savor that, shall we? I can see the finish line off in the distance.

I had all kinds of excitement with my doctor's appointment today. First, I'm no longer measuring small. I was 27 cm, exactly where I should be. Way to grow, Bagel! I also got my rhogam shot so Rob's Rh positive blood doesn't mess me up. Finally, I got my glucose test for gestational diabetes. I don't have my results yet, but I told my doctor I was really hungry (I had to fast for the test, so I didn't eat breakfast). She said that meant I probably didn't have it. Good news there. And I heard Bagel's heartbeat thump thumping away. He's hanging out on my right side today.

From now on, the doctor's appointments will be closer together. I've got one scheduled for three weeks from now, and then I'll have three more that are two weeks apart. Two appointments from now, I'll meet the other doctor in the practice who does deliveries.

Still in the eggplant month (yuck), this week Bagel is measuring in at over two pounds and about fifteen inches (this is because he's more fully formed, so he's now measured from head to toe, rather than from head to booty). He can suck his thumb now, and can also cry, though we can't hear him, of course. I'll enjoy that while I can. His hearing is getting better, and he might be able to recognize my voice and Rob's. Also, his taste buds are very developed now, and in fact, he has more taste buds now than he'll ever have once he's an outside baby. I'll have to make a concerted effort to get a wide variety of flavors in there for him.

I didn't even notice until it was pointed out to me that the name poll has closed! Thirty days was just way too long for that poll. But the winner is (drumroll please)....Diana Jr.! Thanks to all who voted. We will be considering our options, and Diana Jr. will now definitely be near the top of the list. There's something about the name that just sounds nice to me. I can't figure out why....

I know what you're thinking. "We were promised pictures! Where are the pictures?!" I finally took one! Here ya go:


Also, note that I updated last week's post with some pictures of my Portland trip. There! You are practically swimming in pictures.

Week 26 -- It. Is. HOT.

I'm in Portland for a hearing, and it's been about 105 degrees. And it felt like it. Thankfully, today was a cool, breezy 98. For the most part, I've felt that people are full of it when they give you that sympathetic tripe about being pregnant in the heat of summer. First, I was happy to be pregnant at all, and would gladly have carried him to term on the surface on Venus, if needs be. Second, I've decided I'm much happier with summery maternity clothes. They're flowy and cool and easy. Bundling up in seven layers when I'm pregnant sounds awful to me. However, being a human incubator today is probably making me feel even hotter in this apocolypic heat wave. No fun.

But Portland has been great. I've had some wonderful seafood and even picked some fresh blackberries on a walking trail outside our hotel the other day. Reminded me of summers back home when we'd pick blackberries across the street. For weeks we'd have blackberries on our cereal. In pies. In tarts. In cobblers. Great, now I'm dying for some blackberry pie again. That would be the second time this pregnancy. Maybe I can find it somewhere to satisfy my craving this time.

Speaking of fruit, what size is Bagel this month? Apparently, he's the size of an eggplant. Ew. They just had to go there. I hate eggplant. So you don't have to picture a such nasty foodstuffs, I'll tell you he's about 2 pounds and measures more than 9 inches. This month, Bagel is soaking up my antibodies, getting his imune system ready to be INVINCIBLE (knock on wood). Bagel is also starting to have a distinct sleep/wake cycle. I haven't paid close enough attention to the exact times, but he does tend to be a lot more active about 10:30-11pm and then very early in the morning. I think he just does whatever he wants though. I was just out with my friend Amy, and he was just not interested in kicking when she had her hand on my belly. Punk.

His eyes are also starting to open! I hope it looks nice in there, Bagel. I read that if I shine a flashlight on my belly, he might kick in response. I may try this just to annoy him. His iris doesn't have much pigment yet, so it's too early to guess his eye color, though it's most likely to be brown given Mom and Dad's eye color.

I wish I had pictures or something awesome for you guys, but I'm not equipped for that out here in PDX. Maybe when I get back, I'll update with a picture of the bald eagle my parents and I saw on our river lunch cruise. That was awesome.

UPDATE: Here are some pics from the Portland trip. Better late than never!

Here's the bald eagle we saw. It was so cool. If you squint, you can see the white feathers on its head.

Mom and I were so excited, that we went crazy with some bloody marys. Ok, virgin bloody marys. They were good, but they really could've used some vodka.

Week 25 -- OMG where are the pictures?!

See, I say that because I know I spoiled you all last week with so many pictures. Sorry, I got nothing for you today. Maybe next week. Though I must say, my belly is getting quite pronounced. One of my coworkers just told me he thinks I'm bigger since he saw me last Wednesday. I think he may be right. Of course, I also just ate a chicken burrito. But seriously, I'm already growing out of some of my maternity clothes in the belly. Time to shop again!

I actually had my first comment from a stranger trying to tell me what to do with my body. Very interesting, but a far more positive experience than I would have thought. We were leaving the airport parking lot, and the cashier said, "Are you pregnant? How far along are you? Should you be flying?" I told her I was due in November and was fine to fly, and she just laughed at herself for trying to be my doctor. It was pretty funny. Far better than if some stranger had said, "you shouldn't eat that" or something along those lines. I keep expecting someone to say something obnoxious at the gym or something. But so far, nothing. As an aside, I'd like to point out to all you friends and family that this paragraph is aimed solely at stranger comments. If you see me eating something that contains toxic waste, I'm not going to chew you out for informing me about it.

Rob and I had a great time this past weekend in Charleston with the whole family. There were lots of games, lots of good food, and lots of baby tickling. Gaby entertained us all with a game that involved giving out and taking away tennis balls (I'll have to see if I can find the home edition in stores), and Chloe had fun shrieking and trying to rip my face off. We can't wait to see everyone again in a few short months.

And how is Bagel this week? He's great! He has been kicking up a storm the past two days or so. Mostly aiming at my bladder. Thanks buddy! I got some more of those big pushes out on my belly last night that felt like an alien trying to break out. Pretty cool. This week, Bagel is a little more than a pound and a half and almost 9 inches long. I've read that this is a bit taller than two juice boxes stacked one on top of the other and almost as heavy as four juice boxes. In your mind's eye, please confine your images to boxes that contain 100% juice. We're not talking Capri Sun here, tasty though it may be. Bagel gets only the best and most nutritious juice boxes, and I don't want him bouncing off the walls (aka my internal organs) on a sugar high.

This week, Bagel's skin is turning pinker because capillaries are forming under the skin and filling with blood. Later this week, blood vessels will also develop in his lungs, bringing him closer to being able to breathe on his own (but not there yet). His nostrils are also starting to open. For all I know, he's practicing picking his nose. Let's hope not. I'd rather you leave your temporary home as spic and span as it was when you got there, Bagel. He's now taking practice breaths, though they are of amniotic fluid rather than air.

The most awesome change this week? If you put your ear to my belly, you might be able to hear Bagel's heartbeat. Rob and I tried it this weekend with no luck, but it was still a bit early. We'll try again soon. Rob has also been talking to Bagel quite a bit, saying hey, it's your daddy and I love you and all manner of vomit inducing things. It's sweet and could be the reason for the kicking increase. Maybe Bagel wants to break out and come meet his dad. :)

I know, I know. You're still pissed after reading this whole big post with all these scary, complex words like "capillaries" and "burrito" without any picture to look at as your reward. Ok, fine. Here's a picture:

Week 24 -- HAPPY V DAY!!

No, not that V Day. V Day is Viability Day. At 24 weeks, it's more likely than not that, if the baby were to come now, he would survive. Of course, I've also read 23 weeks and 27 weeks, but 24 seems to be the most common number to use. Yay! Coinciding with V Day, Bagel has gotten much more active lately, or at least I can feel it a lot more now, usually in the middle of the night. It seems around 4 am is his favorite time for Tae Bo.

So many things to post about today! First, I had a doctor's appointment last week, which went very well. The doc didn't seem too concerned about my fall, with the happy results of my ultrasound in front of her. I asked her if I could keep running and she told me as long as I still felt comfortable and had no cramps or shortness of breath, I could continue without a problem, but that this wasn't the time to push myself. While pushing myself is just part of who I am, I have been very mindful of this and have already started to cut back a bit and do shorter runs with more and longer walk breaks.

We learned from the ultrasound that Bagel is breech right now. But the doctor says they usually don't flip over until a few weeks out from the due date, so we've got some time.

For the first time this appointment, the doc measured my belly with a tape measure. You're supposed to be approximately the same number of centimeters as you are weeks along, and I was a bit more than 2 cm small, so she told me I'm "measuring small." Given that I just had an ultrasound on the previous Saturday, she wasn't too concerned. She knew the amniotic fluid was good. But she was annoyed that the ultrasound I got didn't tell her how big baby was measuring. I don't think she was worried about it, just wished she had all the information in front of her. She said we'll probably do another ultrasound after my next appointment, just in case. That would be a month from now. I also read online that women with good muscle tone can tend to measure small anyway, so it could just be my abs of steel causing all this fuss. To be on the safe side, I'm downing the liquids like Chevy Chase in ¡Three Amigos!

I asked if I was gaining enough weight, and it looks like I'm on the low side of normal. The doc said I was doing "ok" and "could do a little better." So I've had a few cheeseburgers since last Wednesday. :)

Our next piece of news is that we put the crib together!


Ok, I put the crib together. As poor Rob stood in the doorway on Sunday, about to leave for several more hours of work, he said, "you know I would do that for you, but I think you'd be really upset." And I would be really upset! I love putting together furniture. It's like a puzzle! Now I know what you're thinking. How did she get her carpet so beautifully clean? I did that with our wonderful new vacuum, which I bought that morning. Ok, I know, not baby related, but I'm excited about it nonetheless.

And what's the Bagel up to this week? He's starting to produce white blood cells, so he can fight off infection, like cooties (it's an epidemic). He weighs about a pound and a half and is about eight and a half inches long. So I'm about to pass the point that I can mail him in a standard envelope for visits. He can hear our voices, which Rob is taking advantage of by putting his hand on my belly and saying, "baby, if you love me, kick your mommy." They're already ganging up on me.

I'll leave you with some belly shots, since you haven't had any in a while:

Week 23.2 -- This is So Funny, it Needs Its Own Post

Rob and I ever so briefly considered William as a name, and then decided that two lawyers naming their kid Bill Moore would just be too cruel.

Week 23 -- A Scare Turns Into Some Good News

So apparently pregnancy has turned me into a huge klutz (although most of you know I was already a huge klutz). I was jogging on Saturday morning (read: waddling/shuffling), and I tripped over a brick sticking up in the sidewalk and fell. My arms caught the brunt of the fall (you do NOT want to see my elbow), but I did partially hit the left side of my belly. ::screams and tears out hair in fright!::

Of course, I spent the next half hour berating myself because I seemed to be under the false impression that I now have some sort of magical maternal instinct that would give me superhuman strength and allow me to contort my body such that my precious belly would not touch the ground. Um, yeah, that didn't happen. Anyway, it wasn't a hard fall by any means, but I called the doctor to be sure and she said she'd feel more comfortable if I came in for an ultrasound. So I spent half my July 4th in the hospital. Happy Independence Day!

First of all, everything is fine. Bagel is wonderfully perfect. The placenta didn't go anywhere, I have a ton of amniotic fluid, Bagel was moving and kicking around, and his heartbeat was steady. While this was an awful and scary experience, some good did come of it. I got to see the labor and delivery area of the hospital where I'll be delivering. The room was really big with a tv and big bathroom. The nurses were incredibly nice. I absolutely loved the ultrasound tech I had.

Most importantly, the cysts we found out about three weeks ago appear to be gone. I told the ultrasound tech about them and he took a look for me and couldn't find evidence of them. He said it's usually pretty easy to see them, and when I told him how small they had been (less than 4 mm), he wasn't surprised that they had disappeared. If nothing else, the hours in the hospital were worth it for the peace of mind on that subject. If you couldn't tell, I much preferred this ultrasound tech to the radiologist at my last ultrasound. This guy knew what he was talking about (e.g. actually knew the name for the cysts) and just generally made the experience a good one. So thumbs up for Sibley.

Oh, and if anyone was wondering, it's definitely a boy. No question. None at all. :)

I'm not going to stop running, if you were wondering. I could have done the same thing walking, or rushing to catch the bus, or going up the stairs. I will try to be more careful. But I don't want me or Bagel to miss out on all the benefits of staying healthy and active with weight bearing exercise. Plus, I only run once or twice a week. I'm still using the elliptical, swimming, and doing yoga, as well. On the other hand, I have decided that my bike riding days are over. Clearly, I'm not as smooth as I once was (ha!). If this fall had been off my bike, it could have been really bad, and I'm just not comfortable with risking that anymore. It's going to be tough. I love riding my bike, and I miss it already. But I'm looking forward to some trail rides with Bagel in a bike trailer over the next couple years.

This week Bagel weighs about a pound and is about 8 inches long. As I told you last week, the websites aren't giving me any more fruit comparisons. A couple websites say he now looks "like a perfect little doll." If you've finished with that vomit inducing comparison, you can go ahead and speculate what kind of foodstuffs he looks like now. Maybe a small butternut squash? I read that I can now hear Bagel's heartbeat with a regular stethoscope. Anyone have one I could borrow? That would be awesome.

I also just read that Bagel's weight is supposed to double over the next four weeks. Woah. I would like to take this opportunity to ask both my and Rob's families to not allow me to eat the entire cities of Charleston and Portland, respectively, in the next few weeks. Thanks.

I will leave you with something really cool. We've been feeling Bagel kicking and punching for several weeks now. Last night, I was laying on the couch with my hand on my belly, and I felt this mound pop up and move across my belly under my hand. I'm pretty sure it was a knee. It was the first time I could feel what could be an identifiable body part and it was pushing out and moving around rather than kicking or punching. It was bizarre and awesome all at the same time. Like Alien without all the screaming and death.

Week 22 -- Ok, I Get it, I'm Pregnant

I'm finally starting to feel really pregnant. I get now why I'm supposed to be sleeping on my side, rather than my back. On my back, I get a bit breathless and just feel bad. Of course, I wake up every morning with ridiculously sore hips. Side sleeping sucks. I'm dealing with it by using a mountain of pillows that Rob has to push me over so that I can get up to use the bathroom. It's getting somewhat more difficult to bend over. Also, I went on a great bike ride yesterday, and for the first time, noticed a bunch of people staring at me. That was interesting.

You might think that people would be jumping up on the bus and metro to offer me a seat in the mornings. Not today! So on behalf of all the pregnant women out there, I'd like to offer a round of applause to all the jerks in this city who either purposely don't look up to see if someone needs their seat or stare straight at my belly and then look away. You're awesome. Glad you can live with yourself. Of course, when anyone does actually offer me their seat, usually I think it's so nice that they even offered that I'll refuse. I'm still pretty stable on my feet on the metro.

Rob and I went and registered this weekend, which was fun. We ended up getting a bunch of frog themed things. This was for obvious reasons on my part (I was a frog in my last life), but Rob was really loving the froggy stuff too. Don't ask me what my nursery theme is or my colors. I am not a colors or theme kind of person. Bagel's room is going to look like a lived in kid's room with a bunch of kid's stuff in it. That's all I can tell you. Well, that and we've decided not to repaint, so the walls will remain purple. We won't be in this house long enough to want to bother with repainting. We've decided to get new windows instead. Something the whole family can enjoy!

I've got devastating news for all of you: the weekly fruit and vegetable comparisons are no more. Well, at least on the site I was using regularly. I may be able to find other comparisons here and there each week, but The Bump has moved on to only monthly fruit/vegetable comparisons, rather than weekly. But anyway, this month, Bagel is the size of a papaya. I'm actually not a huge fan of papaya. I also found another site that says he's the length of a box of sugar. I love sugar! He can now hear sounds outside the womb. So Rob, stop making that buzzing noise on my belly to try to make him kick. Maybe you can just ask nicely instead. His facial features are pretty much set and he's able to grip things, including the umbilical cord. He also is growing hair, but it has no pigment yet, so it's all white. Perhaps like the occasional hairs I find on my own head.

Also, he is now kicking up a storm. I feel him kicking around in there a lot of the day. Much of it can't be felt from the outside, as he's usually kicking my bladder or some other random internal organ. Thanks Bagel!

Update: I meant to include in this post a paragraph about how pregnancy brain has truly set in but, ironically, I forgot. Pregnancy brain is no joke, people. The other night, I went down to the kitchen to do something and then stood there for 2 minutes trying to remember what I had come down for before going back upstairs and finally remembering. I was typing in my sister's email address yesterday and her married name popped up and I thought, "who the hell is that?" It's a real problem.