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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

30 weeks

almost 31 weeks- wow. In two days, we'll also be exactly two months's from little love's due date. Blows my mind.

So when I last wrote I was still loving pregnancy and enjoying Italy I see... things have slightly changed since.

The day I was to leave Italy, I had the worst back pain. Like nerve pinching pain, which made me really dread the thought of my 12+ hr journey ahead. I got to the airport in pain, not wanting to draw attention to myself which may preclude the airline from letting me fly. Lo and behold I got offered a complimentary upgrade, hallelujah. It was like my prayers were answered. The flight back was slightly more comfortable as a result.

NY since my return has been absolutely scorching. It's been in the 90s every single day with high humidity. To me it feels like I'm living in an oven. It's unbearable. Our office is freezing (for normal people) so it feels like heaven to me, but the walk to/from work has been unbearable and my apartment even with both AC and fan on, feel oppressive. Past two nights, I keep getting up in the night because of the heat. I don't know how I'll deal with this for two more months! Ready to cry right now at the thought.

The heat has affected everything- I feel swollen (even though husband doesn't think so) and am moving so so slow. I feel constantly in a bad mood due to the heat. My back has consistently been acting up and it's been painful getting through a work day.

So much for the loving being pregnant bit... or atleast I should be thankful that lasted 30 full weeks. I have the feeling the next 10 are not going to be so much fun.

So that is this cranky lady's update. :(

Hope the rest of you are faring better.

Friday, June 18, 2010

29!

How far along: 29 weeks

Total weight change: no clue! I have no scale here and frankly I don't want to know. I've been eating so well here-last night we were taken for a 7 course dinner, not to mention the amazing gelato and thin crust pizza and cheeses.. I'm in heaven!

Maternity clothes: my attitude remains the same, no thanks. Though I still love the $20 maternity leggings I got from Motherhood Maternity a while back- they've been one of my top two pregnancy purchases.

Stretch marks: no

Sleep: so so lately. But not because of any sleeping issues- just haven't had time. We start meetings at 8am, and go until 6pm. I have been coming to my room and getting on email/conducting work calls until 7-8pm, and then heading out to dinner or sight seeing afterwards with colleagues, and not back in my room until midnight. It's been really hectic, and though I don't feel tired, I realise I should be getting much more rest! Husband's threatened from now on I need to actually take it easy for the next 10 weeks, and I think I may agree.

Movement: little love is still hyper active. I love it! We have our secret interactions, and sometimes even in the midst of a super serious work meeting I feel her kicking and it puts a smile on my face. Lately I can really see her moving in my belly from the outside which is really really amazing. I LOVE it. If the end result of pregnancy wasn't to have my little girl in my arms, I may want to stay pregnant forever :)

Best moment this week: so many to count. My little love is a nomad like her mama I can tell. She seems to love Italy and has given me no trouble. In my 30 years, I've traveled to 30 countries and been a handful of them in Asia and Europe 5 or more times. So I love travel. I can tell my little girl has that same spirit already. I wrote an email to the husband today saying I think she wants to be born Italian.. he didn't respond ;)

Food cravings: nothing really, though I am still really enjoying food. Still having some nausea a few times a week and daily heartburn, but it's nothing a little tums doesn't help.

What I miss: nothing much. I love this much more than anything I could miss.

What I'm looking forward to next: being back in the US over the weekend and seeing my baby daddy. I miss him so much when I travel. Baby girl and I were meant to head to Geneva next for another week of meetings, but I'm heading back to NY instead (despite however well I'm doing, I realise I shouldn't be overdoing it, and travel is tiring). So that's what I'm looking forward to- reuniting our small family and seeing my husband.

ps: I was seriously worried about the glucose test and had this nagging feeling for a long time that I'd fail it given my PCOS and IR- but since the test on Monday the doctor hasn't called back yet. I'm going to call her once I'm back to make certain but she had said she'd call the next day with results if anything showed up...

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

hi from Italy!

so baby girl must love Italy, because I've been feeling great.

Tons of energy, no jetlag (despite the 6 hr time difference), and overall just great.

It's interesting to me how different cultures respond so differently to pregnancy. Maybe it's New York, and not the US, but you're treated as if things are just same old same old while pregnant in NY. Yes, people offer you a seat on the train/bus but other than that no fuss is made. My doctor also makes it all seem very normal, and has a very matter of fact approach. Probably because of all of this I've been functioning as I always have- working long hours, eating the same healthy food in the same amount as before, walking everywhere as I always have, seeing friends frequently etc.

But it all changed the moment I stood in line at the Air France counter at the airport on my way here. The staff pulled me to the front of the line, and changed my seat to give me one with extra leg room. They placed a "priority" tag on my luggage so I wouldn't have to wait. I'd also gotten distracted responding to emails on my iPhone, and was waiting in line to board. Several French passengers motioned that I should be boarding priority. I hadn't even thought of that. So off I marched to the front of the line. Where someone was more than eager to help me place my bag in the overhead bin... All without me asking for any of it.

Similarly, in Italy I've been treated like a princess. Every one insists you take it easy, not so much as fetch your own tea... People on the streets make way, the lunch lady insisted I take a complimentary box of milk with my lunch... People seem surprised I'm still flying, working, traveling (although my US doctor said international travel was fine until 34 weeks.. so I technically could still fly until the end of my 8th month).

Which has me feeling all the more pregnant and conscious of my being pregnant. Which I often "forget" back in the US.

I have to say I love the special treatment and the "celebration" of my being with child. As the man sitting in the airplane (who was very hiphop and the comment coming from him was all the more poignant): this is so special. Yes dear stranger on the plane, it is. I wonder if it's the low birth rates in this part of Europe that makes it so, or the non-denial of women being women... but I've found a profound difference in the way being pregnant is treated. And I have to say I love this way far more.

Friday, June 11, 2010

28 weeks

How far along: 28 weeks

Total weight change: 25 lbs gained since the start

Maternity clothes: ick, no thanks. Still buying regular empire waist dresses a size larger and loving the look.

Stretch marks: no, thank goodness

Sleep: has been great lately. Last night I layed down around 9pm to read and fell asleep, sleeping a solid 10 hours!!

Movement: my little love must be hyper active. She constantly kicks, and moves. I just giggle picturing the little dances she must do in there. Lately you can sometimes see her movement from the outside- it looks like twitching. Husband loves being able to see that. She still won't kick when he has his hand on my belly though.

Best moment this week: we were playing around with the music, alternating between my musical taste and the husbands, which really is at opposite ends of the spectrum. She seemed to love his music, and not so much mine :)

Food cravings: nothing really, though I find myself pretty ravenous. I eat smaller meals to ward off the heartburn, but my eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach is these days.

What I miss: nothing much. Maybe bending over? Or easy movement. I've been carrying my round belly with pride. I might just be one of those women who LOVES being pregnant.

What I'm looking forward to next: my glucose test is Monday, and then Monday night baby girl and I fly off to Italy for a week for work. Did I tell you I lived in Italy 6 years while growing up? I haven't been back in the past 15 years, but am super excited. This also marks baby girl's third international trip in utero on 3 continents. She's a rockstar I tell you!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Finally catching up on my blog reading... and was so excited to read the news that Preslie is here!!

Congratulations Kelli!!!!

27 wk... third trimester

My third trimester arrived with a bit of a scare.

I was in Washington DC all of last week for work. I had a packed schedule, requiring a lot of running around the city, hailing taxi cabs trying to make it in time for various meetings, all the while lugging my heavy purse and laptop bag. Not to mention DC was 100F the entire time I was there. Ugh.

Wednesday late morning I noticed a dark brown spot on my panties but being in the midst of busy meetings, I barely thought about it. Especially since it was a one time spot and not increasing.

Thursday early afternoon I notice another dark brown spot. While on lunch break I was on the phone with my husband and nonchalantly mentioned it. Especially since baby girl was moving and I had no accompanying cramps, I didn't think it was anything serious. Husband freaked out and insisted I was taking it too lightly. He scared me into calling the doctor's- which is a first for me. I haven't called to ask anything outside of my appointments. I spoke with the nurse who assured me if it wasn't bright red in color and if I didn't feel cramping, I was most likely ok. The "most likely" part didn't sit well with me. I asked her what to do, and she said if it continued past 5 days I should come in to have it checked out. I thought this was really flippant- if anything were wrong, even given a miniscule chance of that, waiting 5 days didn't seem like a good idea.

I changed my train ticket and came back to NY late Thursday night, all the while semi-panicked. I called the doctor's again on Friday and insisted on seeing the doctor. The nurse once again tried telling me it wasn't neccessary. I insisted. She relented.

I was literally a mess as the clock ticked Friday morning. They let me do a sono, and I got to see baby girl moving per usual. My placenta was fine, and the cervical plug was fine too. I then had a visit with the OB who did an internal exam and found the source of the spotting: a polypse on my cervix- strange!

I was sent home with orders to rest and abstain from any love making for a few weeks.

Phew. A relief. I cannot tell you how relieved we were.

I took the afternoon off and went for a manicure-pedicure, and met my girlfriends that evening for dinner and Sex and the City. I've been definitely working too hard lately, and not taking good care of myself. The weekend was devoted to just taking it easy and reminding myself that baby girl (and thus my health) is priority number 1.

Sometimes we need these reminders.