Are We There Yet?

The attached picture gives new meaning to the term "labor pains". These are baby porcupines!!! Look at their little hands and feet!!!! :-)

So, lately this overwhelming feeling of "can this be over already" has taken hold with me. Feels like I've been pregnant for a year now! I've been looking on www.BabyCenter.com at other pregnant women's postings, and most seem to have the same feelings by this point. What is scary is that a regular pregnancy isn't 9 months, it is 10 MONTHS. So I'm sure I'll get the comments when I'm 9 and 3/4 months pregnant (in early March)... You're HOW far along? We'll wait and see!

We had our 33+ week appointment yesterday. Very interesting experience. The doctor (who I had not met yet... Seems to be a different doctor each time we go) was a young, VERY OBVIOUSLY GAY male. He came complete with large hoop earrings and a ponytail. He was very quick with us (good thing we didn't have too many questions). Doug seemed to think his demeanor and appearance weren't very professional, with which I would have to agree. Keep the hoop earrings at home, buddy!

I don't see how this belly can get any bigger without popping! No stretch marks so far, but I have a feeling that will be changing in the VERY NEAR future. I've gained 18 lbs so far. Right on track with what the doctors would like, I suppose. They want me to gain 30 lbs total, which I hear is pretty average (they say between 25-35 depending on your original weight). It is seriously crazy to think that someone could NATURALLY gain 1 lb per week for two months, but that is what doctors suggest in the last two months of pregnancy. Weird how your body changes to let these things happen... You would think that you would be eating mass-quantities of everything in sight, but that doesn't seem to be the case with me. I think that God must work it out so that a pregnant woman's metabolism just falls off the face of the earth...

The baby is measuring right on par with the # of weeks we are pregnant. As of today, the baby should weigh more than 4 lbs. Very strange to think about this little (okay not so little!) being inside of me, swimming away...

HEARTBURN IS STILL KILLER, but Zantac is a MIRACLE PILL! We LOVE Zantac!

I'm back to the exercising, FINALLY. I took about a month off, during the holidays. I'm back to walking briskly on the treadmill (on an incline, also) to get the muscles back in shape. I am hoping that by doing so my body will be more well-prepared for labor. We're three days for three, so I hope to keep the ball rolling! I consider myself fortunate to even be able to do this, as most of the women on www.BabyCenter.com seem to not be able to exercise. They say they get nauseous when doing anything strenous, feel the urge to pee when they exercise, or are on bedrest, etc. I guess I'm very lucky! Not pushing it... Just trying to keep the "bodies" movin'!

Doug saved some lives last night! He gave blood at our local Red Cross. They keep hounding him to give blood, and he finally gave in. He is A+ blood type and also CMV negative. CMV (cyto-megla virus?) is a virus which most people unknowingly have. Oddly enough, Doug and I are both CMV negative, which means the blood we give can be used on newborn babies, who cannot tolerate the CMV virus (in regular blood that is CMV+). They told Doug that his blood can help up to three people. He's such a good bleeder! The unfortunate part is that we wait for over an hour before they even take us back to give blood. Not sure what their deal is... We're in it for the free Nutter Butter cookies!!!

Tonight is our final class we're taking before the baby is born. We're going to attend an "Infant CPR and Safety" class, to be given by Kaiser Permanente. We're elated that we won't have to go to any more classes. From here on out, I'll just get to "nest" and get freakishly-obsessed with cleaning the house before the baby is born! ;-)

Thanks for stopping by to see how we're doing. We hope you are doing well and enjoying the New Year!

With love,
Shelly