Body changes

If you've ever had a baby and were seeing an OB on the journey, you know that they weigh you at every visit. I'm at one visit every two weeks now, and after my next visit, every week after that til the Baby comes. So, for the past few weeks, I've been able to track how much I gain in 2 weeks.

Every time I go for my appointment and it's time for the weigh-in, it's like a show. The receptionist who weighs me always gets a good laugh at how low she has to tip the scale, and I laugh along with her, because I'm the only pregnant patient my doctor has had for whom she has written down a two-digit weight. When my doctor checks my file, we talk sarcastically about how I need to watch myself and take control of my horrendous weight gain.

Yesterday, it was confirmed that I weigh the same thing I did at the end of my last pregnancy. So this means from here on out, I'm going to be the heaviest I've ever been.

I weigh 110lbs right now.

Now, before your jaw falls off your head at how heavy I really am (HAHAHAHA...this is me being sarcastic, BTW), I want to explain that this 110lbs is doing a number on my body. My legs hurt, people! Also, I'd like to remind you that I'm only 4'7.5" and if I wasn't pregnant and this was my weight, I'd be considered overweight, according to my BMI (Body Mass Index...look it up and look up yours if you don't know what I'm talking about).

Also, all this weight gain means heavier baby, and heavier baby means bigger baby (although we're at the point where the baby isn't getting longer, he's now filling in), and bigger baby means bigger belly, and bigger belly means... ... ...

STRETCH MARKS.

I didn't get them with D-nut, but this time around, I've got them and it is taking a lot out of me to be okay with them. I only found them on Sunday and yesterday I found more. And this is all after telling my sister and friend that I didn't think I had any :(

Oh well, Mr.S and I have decided to call them "The Battle Scars" of this pregnancy. Sounds epic, right? It just goes to show that I have physical proof that this pregnancy has been the most challenging thing my body has ever had to take on...and remember, I'm a marathon runner. They're the marks that show that my body is surviving this and doing what it needs to do to make sure this baby gets here safely and soundly.

That doesn't mean I love them though. I was Googling "Bio Oil" last night to find out how to get rid of these things once my body stops stretching!! Until then, I'm rubbing my stick of cocoa butter on my belly until that thing is finished.

Being grateful - 20120303

I am grateful for ultrasound technology.

With my "gestational diabetes"*, Mr.S and I went to the hospital for a biophysical profile, which basically assesses, via ultrasound, the size of the baby, and other measurements, just to make sure the baby isn't mammoth-sized or anything crazy like that, which can often  happens with babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). It was a quick appointment (yay to paying the minimum for parking at the hospital!) and everything was fine. Apparently I'm having an average-sized baby. What that means, I'm not entirely sure, but I'm sure average here is smaller than average in say, China where you hear about 19-pound babies and such. I think around now, week 33-34, average is around 5 pounds. D-nut was just under 6 pounds, so we're likely looking at a baby who'll probably be a bit over that.

*I never updated -- so I've sorta been "kicked out" of the GDM program because my blood-sugar levels have been fine and so I haven't had to do as much testing, and no more meetings with endocrinologists, dieticians and nurses!

Being grateful - 20120208

I am grateful for pillows.

I overate at dinner. My stomach's been weird lately. It seems to be going back to earlier on in the pregnancy where I feel full until I eat again (and I'd only be eating again because it was about time to eat again), and when I start eating my next meal, that's when I start to feel hungry. And then I don't feel full until I realize just how much food I ate, and half an hour later, I feel so full, I'm practically immobile. I think the hormone that tells you you're full isn't kicking in at the proper times. It's probably also got to do with the fact that I have to keep my blood-sugar levels at around the same area all day so I feel like I haven't stopped eating since Christmas.

And so, having ate too much at dinner (which, when I think about it, isn't more than I usually eat when I'm not pregnant), I was full well into when it was time to go to bed. I felt like I had just eaten. And with heartburn city growing in my body, I didn't feel like I could sleep. I was tired though.

So, I retired to my bed. Or I should say my pillows that just happen to have a bed underneath. I sleep with a ton of pillows. I just need them. I need to sleep on a slight incline to avoid getting heartburn. (How much does it suck to wake up in the middle of the night because of heartburn? More than it sucks to wake up for the 3rd time because you have to pee!) That means I sleep on 2 or 3 pillows. Then I need a pillow on either side for under my belly and between my knees otherwise my hips and back are going to kill when I get up for all the bathroom trips I make. And sometimes the discomfort makes me go back to bed instead of going pee...and that's okay because sometimes I don't really have to pee, I just feel like I do because this little guy won't get off my bladder. Then I have another pillow along the bottom, because sometimes I like to straighten my legs but still need something between my knees.

I don't think I need to explain any further why I'm grateful for pillows.

So I was thinking...

...and that's not necessarily a good thing... Ha. Ha.

So I was thinking about how even though we're not buried under mountains of snow, and even though it hasn't been that cold of a winter, I'm almost ready for spring and summer to creep in. And then I was thinking about how nice it'll be to have a waist again. Even though I don't have much of a waist, it'll be nice to have a waist again.

Because when I have a waist again, it means that I'll have a bouncing baby boy to sit on my hip just below my newly rediscovered waist and a bigger baby boy to wrap his arms just below that begging me for cookies or something he shouldn't be eating, and as blessed as I am, a husband who'll be happy to see that the waist didn't abandon him forever.

It'll be nice to have a waist again.

Porn for Preggos

Got these from here. L to the O dot L dot!!

Your Delivery in One Word

I read this article recently and found the first word that came to my head about when I delivered D-nut was "numb" (I'm referring to the wonders of having an epidural). I know it's not the best word to describe it, but it was the first word, followed by "speechless", "awe", "new" and a few others.

This brings me to the point of my post - to do the drugs or not to do the drugs this time around?

I think about this at least twice a day these days.  I've told myself that I can take pain. I know I can. It's the weakness that takes place during pain that makes me feel like I can't handle it. But I know if I step back and look at myself, I know myself and I can take pain. And I've also told myself that I'm going to go drug-free with at least one of my pregnancies. Will this be the one?

Mr.S and I have had several conversations about this. I don't know why I feel I have to feel what it feels like at least once in my life. I think it's about:

• first and foremost, feeling the miracle of delivering a person into the world, and if that feeling includes pain, then that's what I have to do endure if I want to know what it feels like;
• seeing if I can take it. I know, a crappy reason, but I like challenges, and this'd definitely be a challenge!
• knowing, so that next time, if I really don't want to feel that again, I can opt for the epidural if time/circumstances allow.

So I've tentatively decided that, if I'm not induced again, I'm going to go ahead and do this naturally...unless I'm in labour for like, 12+ hours.

That's what I'm saying now. Ask me again in 3 months.

Oh this happened a LONG time ago!

I subscribe to emails from whattoexpect.com and found this in my inbox this morning.

Skin-to-Skin

One of the many, many things I'm looking forward to when this baby is born is our very first skin-to-skin contact. For those of you who haven't had children yet, one of the first things they do after you deliver the baby is put the baby on your bare chest. It's amazing (complete understatement right there). (And honestly, at that point, you don't care that your boobies are out and about for the world to see!)

I remember when D-nut and I were first introduced skin-to-skin, he wasn't even crying, he was just looking around, with his head down. The nurses and doctor were saying "Wow, he's so quiet", and of course, my reply was, "Yeah, just like his father." He was so slippery and sweet. He had our full attention so much that we didn't even know I was delivering the placenta and whatever else was happening "down there".

Ugh, I'm so excited to feel all this again.

Here's a story I read this morning about a skin-to-skin miracle. Be armed with your tissues, people.

Next time

Maternity Leave

I'm marking today as my first day of maternity leave. My last day of work was on Friday. I'm proud of myself -- I got most of my work done (i.e. all the reasonable stuff on my 2010 To Do List that I could actually finish). My last week of work was a whirlwind. I was training people all week and at the same time wrapping up work, referring my clients to their new contacts, finishing up contracts, going to appointments, ugh, it was crazy. BUT, I also got to lunch with my friends (and my coworker-friends tomorrow...because we didn't get to last week) and had one last lunch with my sister on my last day (we work together). There was also a surprise baby shower for us too!! And Mr. S was there, which was the biggest surprise of all (and it's very hard to surprise me...I admit, I sorta knew about the office shower, but that didn't take away from the fun of it at all!). It was just a really great week at work and had me feeling a little sad to go, which I didn't expect.

This weekend, we finished up our prenatal class. At the end of it, we had made some friends, but also we had to write down the things we found most helpful on an evaluation form. To be honest, I felt like I knew most of the stuff already, thanks to all the stories I've heard from sisters, cousins, mothers, aunts and other female friends, but I think Mr. S learned a lot....and to my benefit. On the evaluation form, I put down two things:
1. Comfort measures
2. Birthing and labour techniques
i.e. The things that Mr. S can do to make my life easier. HAHA!

It turns out that one of the things we learned came into play in the middle of the night last night. I had my second (ever and hopefully last) leg cramp. We learned how to effectively get rid of it, together (other than me having to flex my foot until it disappeared). I felt it coming, woke up and said (note: I did NOT yell!), "Oh no! Oh no! Leg cramp! Leg cramp!" and like he was doing it in his sleep, Mr.S got up, did this thing, and when it was gone, gave me a kiss and plopped back down on his pillow. That, in itself, was worth the money we spent on the course (I don't remember how much that was, now that I think about it).

This weekend was also our baby shower, thrown for us by our families. It was a crazy but oh-so-fun day, with it being our families and close friends...around 150 people. Yes, we're THAT big. It was so nice to see everyone and although we missed a few people, we remembered them all day. I can't even begin to express how wonderful a day it was, and to top it off, Canada won the hockey game, giving Canada the most number of gold medals by a host country and EVER! The evening was closed at our house, opening the gifts and watching the closing ceremonies together...OH, and MORE EATING.

Yesterday, Mr.S took the day off so we could put away all the gifts, do some shopping and finally finish up the baby's room. We had a bunch of errands to run as well and were also wickedly tired, so we didn't finish, but it's nice to know we've got everything and just need to find homes for it all. We got so many amazing baby gifts from everyone and have yet to play with everything, but that's what the next few days/weeks are for...heehee...

I've got my first massive load of baby laundry to fold (in addition to our own laundry!), so I better get on with my day.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

At night

Mr. S and I decided that since this little boy is up whenever we decide to go to bed, that we'd read to him or talk to him (we talk to him more often than that, but Mr.S makes a point to talk to him specifically at bedtime). Some nights he reads kids books, some nights he reads from our baby/parenting books, sometimes he reads from the NBA website. Really, it doesn't matter what he reads because this little boy becomes quite active when he hears his father's voice.

And so, that's what the new picture on the top left is. It's my favourite time of day.

It's a picture of Mr.S reading a book that we got from my sister and her family and again from his cousin and her fiance. It's so cute, it only makes sense to have it twice!

And here it is again.

Prenatal fitness

With the snow on the ground now, I've closed my prenatal running for this pregnancy. Although I didn't get to do it as often as I initially intended, it was quite an experience. When I started, it was pretty easy, but over the past month, I found it increasingly challenging. The extra weight on my knees wasn't easily welcomed and so I had to taper it off. I never did run a long distance; the goal was to incorporate cardio into my regime, not to achieve longer and longer distances, as I'm accustomed to. I have to admit though, that it was so tempting to tack on a bit more each time. I know next time I'm pregnant, if it happens to be the right time of year, I'd like to participate in at least a 5k. I know I'm capable.

Now though, I've got more time to do more prenatal yoga. It's a bit different from regular yoga in that there are a lot more easy asanas, more meditation, more stretches and more focus on breathing. Perhaps the biggest difference, though, is the emphasis on getting in touch with the baby. My favourite asana is sukhasana, with one hand over my heart and the other over my belly. I admit, the first time I did it, I cried. It's such a nice pose, and of course, quite easy.

The baby really likes exercise. Nearly every time, when I'm done, there's a LOT of movement. I guess it's entertaining from the inside. Maybe it's like being inside a working machine or something.

THR33

So I had my usual appointment with my doctor today and I was weighed, as usual. Guess what?

For the first time in my life, I finally weigh

3 digits!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hyperactive S.

I've been feeling movement in my belly for several weeks now. I think I mentioned before that it's more distinct...not gas-like. I know the baby's sleeping patterns for the most part, so I sorta know when I'm in for some rumblies in my tumbly. Well, in the past two or three weeks, this child has really been moving. There was one night on my way home on the subway when I could swear this child knew that there would soon be less room to play, and so saw it fit to do somersaults. It was quite a strange, but welcomed, sensation. I imagine that if I had the opportunity (or the audacity) to watch my belly on that ride home, it'd look like my belly had been invaded by an alien. (I watched the V mini-series on TV when I was a kid, and now that it's a regular TV show and I'm pregnant, all sorts of memories from the 80's series are coming back to me.)

It would seem that this child has a real sense of humour. He must know that I enjoy feeling movement so much, I won't get angry at what I feel, and so he thinks it's funny to kick me in funny places. Mr. S says he thinks the baby has his sense of humour.

"Funny place" #1: my bladder

I know that not too long from now, I'll really be spending more time on the can or looking for one because he'll be sitting on my bladder, but for now, he likes to kick it. It seems that he knows exactly when to kick it too because it often happens when I have to pee. Maybe he thinks it's too full and is crowding his space and thinks if he kicks it, it'll go away.

"Funny place" #2: my colon

This feels WEIRD. Unlike with my bladder, this is pretty random. He's probably actually just kicking downward and all my guts and stuff happen to jiggle my colon. I don't know exactly how close he is to it. Luckily, I've got my colon-control intact, and so this doesn't make me have to go on emergency potty-runs...or have potty runs (ew!).

At the same time though, I think he's learning to distinguish between my baby-talk and my stop-kicking-my-_____-talk. Or at least, he knows what, "Hey! Stop that! You think that's funny?" means. I'm teaching him early ;)

I’m not THAT weepy

You know how they say not to mess with pregnant women because they’re all emotional and full of unstable levels of hormones? I’d like to say that I don’t think I’m all that bad, although, some may beg to differ. I admit though that I was a tad off (that’s what I’m calling it) in the earlier stages of this pregnancy.

I do understand what they mean though when they say that pregnant women are weepy. I don’t know how it is/was for every other pregnant woman, but I don’t find that I break down more often or anything. I’m not an emotional wreck. In fact, I find that I’m feeling more expressive and more cheerful in general. I mean, what do I really have to complain about?

But, as I said, I understand what they mean by weepy. In the odd instance when I do find myself feeling sad or frustrated and start crying, it’s quite a challenge to stop. I sit there, wondering why my tear ducts are so hyperactive and if this is what makes some women look older after they have kids; that the tears are so plentiful that they wrinkle women’s faces.

Poor Mr. S, after thinking I’m fine after a crying bout goes back to his business and then finds me crying again the next time he looks at me, thinking, “you’re STILL crying?” but trying his hardest to console me…AGAIN. It must be a trying thing to be the partner of a pregnant woman.

But I swear, I’m not THAT weepy.

How I Woke Up This Morning

The baby woke me up this morning. I know I have a lot of mornings like this in my future, but right now, I really don’t mind at all. I welcome it with open arms.

I’ve had the fortune of feeling plenty of activity in my belly lately. It’s such an amazing feeling and is just another thing to add to why I love being pregnant (I’ll get back to that in a sec).

One of the good things about the movement now is that it has become distinct from the feeling of gas. I know, it sounds horrible, but the first movements really were easy to confuse with feelings of gas. Now, I get why the books and some women say it feels like butterflies. It’s such a nice feeling. It's even better when you can feel the movement from outside your belly as well as inside. Mr. S gets really giddy.

So this morning, I woke up to kicking or punching (or maybe stationary running!)…thankfully not from Mr.S, since he was already up getting ready for work. What a wonderful way to start the day. I didn’t even mind that this meant I was up almost half an hour before I usually get up.


And oh yes, I love being pregnant. I understand now, post-morning sickness, why women don’t mind getting pregnant over and over again. Even though I’ve heard that the last few months are uncomfortable in another sense, I hope I can continue to be as enthusiastic as I am now.

Katrina + 6

No no, not 6 kids, 6 POUNDS.

Yes, the weight gain has begun, Friends. The last time I was weighed was in September and I had only gained 1 pound since first being weighed after it was confirmed I was pregnant. This was toward the end of my first trimester.

Yesterday, I went to the doctor and got weighed again and lo and behold, I’ve gained 6 pounds! WOOHOO!!!! I’m ALMOST at three-digit weight, which I’m quite excited about since I’ve never been a three-digit weight, something I’ll probably only achieve with pregnancy.

Now that I’m in my second trimester, I’m enjoying myself. Morning sickness has subsided (can I get an ALLELUIA?!?!), cravings are settling in and I’m feeling good. I’m working towards gaining more weight, but of course, all healthy weight.

Now that I’m spending time in the washroom to pee most of the time rather than toss my cookies, it’s certainly helping. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to “get sick” and it’s a really nice thing. Seriously. I got to a point where I thought I’d never feel normal again and I was drowning so badly in self-pity, God was probably laughing at me while I begged him for mercy because the picture was probably hilarious. But you know, I did ask Him for this and I knew that there must be something really good coming that’d make me forget because women all over the world, for years and years, have been having more than one child, WILLINGLY. I kept that in mind…most of the time.

And now, here I am. I have a lot more energy and so I’ve gone back to cooking (I think I’m starting to develop secret powers in the kitchen or something because I’m learning to break apart dishes and make them from scratch or imagine a taste and turn it into dinner! ALRIIIIIGHT!!! My husband’s very happy about this BTW), back to cleaning (my husband is glad that this can be split again and my house is pleased with me), and well, back to doing stuff! I can go out more, which is nice, because staying in because I wasn’t feeling well wasn’t really fun.

I’m also becoming more active, walking more and beginning to run again. Slowly but surely, that’s the key. It’s quite a challenge to force myself to pace myself because much of my usual running was push, push, push. I’m happy to be back to pounding the pavement though. Scratch that. I’m ECSTATIC to be back. AND, just in time for my favourite time of year to run (provided the rain steps aside). I have to say though, I look pretty ridiculous in my running getup. Thank God for 4-way stretch!! (I’m not big enough yet to fit in my maternity active-wear.)

Now, after all that hard work, Momma’s HUNGRY, and well, even when there is no hard work (haha). Everyone’s been asking what I’ve been craving and really, my cravings can be summed up in one word (repeated): KARE KARE (find out what it is here. Note: I don’t do tripe). I cannot seem to get enough of the stuff. When I fill up on it, I think I’m done, but after around 12 hours, I’m thinking about it again. My intake of bagoong has also increased, and I’ve even been finding myself eating it with rice after all the meat and veggies are gone and all that’s left is sauce. I’m crazy.

I’ve been having other frequent but less intense cravings too. One is Pandesal. I love it anyway, but I’ve been finding that one bag is not enough. I think I either need to make really good friends with the people at the local Filipino bakery or perfect the recipe myself (I tried once and FAILED). Another is Smartfood (OMG I love Wikipedia)...and er, well, snacks with processed powdered cheese in general. There was one day I ate a whole bag of Smartfood by myself in about 10 minutes…and then I ate a bag of Cheetos. I had to ask my husband to eat some Cheetos with me so I wouldn’t feel so horrible about eating so much junk. But really, Smartfood does it for me (I’m eating some right now).

Okay wait, I should also mention that for the most part, I'm eating quite well still. I think I've got a more balanced diet now (only I've also incorporated Smartfood haha!!) than before I was pregnant.

Anyway, Life is good.

What a nice guy

For the first time this pregnancy, someone gave up his seat for me on the crowded subway.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Ask me!

Go ahead, ask me the question everyone has been asking me since “When are you getting married?” and “How are the wedding plans going?” became obsolete. Go ahead, ask me!

Know why? Because my answer is different from the last time you asked me.

Yes, we’re expecting. We. Are. Ex. Pect. Ing. It’s true, it’s true, it’s true! And you know what else? It feels good to finally let it out after three months of keeping it a secret, telling our closest family and friends in batches and now, finally letting it (and my belly) out.

This is definitely a whole new leaf. COMPLETELY. I’m going through a million changes and with none of them have I had any sort of personal insight. I’ve been told about a few of the changes, but so far, I feel completely clueless, especially because I’ve had so many questions but couldn’t yet approach my A-team (i.e. my sisters) since we hadn’t told them yet.

This is an absolute adventure. Life has come along and given us well, more Life! Days are sweeter. Sunny days are sunnier. Rainy days aren’t so gloomy. Food tastes better.

I’ve decided to post the posts I’ve written over the past few months relating to my sentiments so far, all tagged under “Pregzilla” or “Pregchilla” or something along those lines, so feel free to go back and check those out. I know I sound pretty unbearable in some of them but I promised myself that I’d catalogue as much of my pregnancy as possible and take you along for the ride…complete with pictures. Laugh at me all you want. I don’t care. At the end of this, I know I’ll be laughing at myself anyway. Or at least, all you experienced mothers will be laughing at me while those who haven’t treaded these waters before will be on the sidelines with their knees quivering.

Enjoy! I will!

Yes, but how is HE doing?

My husband is an all-star. He’s dealing with this whole thing very well. He’s a very patient man and so I’m very happy he doesn’t bite me back every time I have a swift mood swing or become whiny to the point that even I would want to punch myself.

He’s an amazing father already. I knew he’d be a goodie a long time ago, but seeing it slowly come to fruition even before the baby is actually born is so refreshing.

When he decided he wanted a pregnancy book for himself, the man researched the ones out there for soon-to-be-fathers before he made the purchase. What an educated consumer! Now, every night, he reads it while I attempt to fall asleep. Every so often, he tells me what it is he’s reading, things I should know that I haven’t yet covered in my book because well, I find it a huge challenge to sit still and read. Because I’m often off to Sleepyville while he’s sharing his newly-found knowledge, I only pick up some words and only remember them the morning (or a few mornings) after when I’m at work. Then I call him up or email him at work and ask, “Did you say something about bacon last night or was I dreaming?”

I think he will be expanding his repertoire in the kitchen too. He’s begun cooking more often because these days, when I try to cook, the smells bug me too much or I need to lay down half way through food prep. I’m telling you, I’m a mess and he’s cleaning me up. I’m sure it’s also interesting for him to find something to cook that I’m willing to eat. I’m so picky these days.

One of the best things he’s adopted is including our Little One in little things he does. In the morning, he leaves around an hour before I do because he starts earlier. When he wakes up, he kisses me good morning and then pulls up my shirt to kiss my belly. “Good morning Momma. Good morning Baby.” And with all this, he tries to do it without waking me, but I sleep so lightly these days, I catch it, and I’m glad I do. And before he leaves for work, he says Bye to us and wishes us a good day, followed by kisses, kisses and more kisses.

Throughout the day, he likes to give us a rub, he talks to the baby (often begging him/her to be nice to Momma so that she can stop feeling so nasty), and sometimes he checks out my belly button to see if it’s gotten any shallower since last time or my belly to see if it’s gotten bigger.

When we’re driving in the car, sometimes instead of reaching for my hand, he likes to put his hand on my belly, and in that way, it’s like he’s holding both of us at the same time.

At church, he makes sure that at the Kiss of Peace, he kisses me and shakes my hand and “shakes hands” with the baby too.

When night time comes, he closes off the day in the same manner he began it and says his I love yous to the both of us. He’s such a goodie.

I know I’m doing the carrying and all that other stuff, but I owe him big time. He’s just the best.

His fortune from when we were on our anniversary trip.

The "Learn Chinese" word was, "Father".

The fortune read,

"Many pleasurable and memorable adventures are in store for you!"