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| Me and Ken at the Big Night Out |
What a loooooooong week! With my business finally slowing down, I thought I would be so happy...I mean, I thought I would miss the time alone with associates to train and coach and perfect. But it turns out that after a day or two of that, I've got the Christmas withdrawals. Suddenly I missed the chaos, confusion and exhaustion? (Yeah. Don't ask.) But with all that craziness gone, it left Ken and I a lot of time to focus on the pregnancy. BAH! Whatever! It left us a lot of time to focus on me!
As you all know, I am so lucky/blessed (whatever you wanna call it...) to have a husband that is obsessed with me no matter what shape or size I am. And believe me, he has seen me at 115 pounds right on up to my heaviest at 170...that was non-pregnant by the way. So, now, when I feel like a walrus and not so much like a gazelle, all he wants to do is take pictures of me. He's like, always there with the camera. Always.
And whereas that can be/is a huge pain in the rear, 29 weeks was pretty good to me (no matter how long it ended up being). So I let him have at it! This week has been one big photo shoot. Starting with a trip to Gap Maternity where I got TONS of stuff for less than $100. I mean, come on people, you can't beat that! My final inventory on that particular spree: 2 lightweight sweaters, 2 black dresses (one for our special night out and one for my baby shower), 1 long sleeve t-shirt and a basic white cami (a must for any pregnant woman). All that for under $100. Yeah, I pretty much rock. Ken loved me in the clothes so much, that again, there he was with the camera! Surprise, surprise. And at first I was not excited, but then, I realized that even if I feel like a beached whale, I don't necessarily look like a beached whale. So here's our mini-shoot:
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| Picking out some goodies |
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| Big Night Out Dress |
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| Looked a lot better in the pic than in real life...believe me. |
Tip of the week straight from me to you? I will not shop anywhere but Gap Maternity for clothes. I have been unimpressed with the selection at places like Motherhood Maternity and Target...those stores take me to a bad place with bright lights and prods and really scary people dressed in elastic waistband pants with fat feet. (Did that description seem over the top? I didn't think so...) And I have been shell shocked by stores like A Pea in a Pod and the boutique-style places that charge an arm and a leg for a friggin' t-shirt. (Yeah, I'm probably not going to pay $40 for that pair of underpants...I'll figure out another way to CMOA...) So, if you want stylish maternity clothing at a decent price (that will hold up through enormous amounts of laundering...), shop at The Gap. Bam. Tip of the week.
Ken and I decided go out for New Year's Day to one of our favorite places...The Melting Pot! We've gone there through the years for special occasions and we figured that "special occasion dinners" might be seeing a slight decrease in the days/months/years to come. So, why not make it a special occasion, get dressed up and go out?!
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| The Final Result |
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| And in heels... |
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| Big Daddy and Me |
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| The cheese is the best part! It was a combination of fontina, brie and gruyere with bacon, cream, white wine and chives! YUM! |
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| Ken's favorite part is the main course...and we didn't like it at all. |
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| Ken and the camera |
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| Again... |
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| Once more please! |
Thought of the week: "I used to dance all night in these heels...but honey, can you carry me to the car?" Add about 50 pounds to your body and suddenly those FMP's (if you need clarification as to what FMP means, let-me-know...) seem like a better doorstop than a fashion statement.
On a more serious note, there are a few things that I need to document:
1) This baby moves ALL THE TIME! He dances around in my belly day and night. Ken holds me at night (which is better explained in #2) and tells me how much the baby kicked and stretched all night long. It's the coolest thing ever. And I have to say that I am relieved! 'What to Expect' tells you to do fetal movement tests in the morning and at night. But I haven't had to really "do them" because he moves constantly. Thank, God!
2) My back pain at night is getting pretty severe. Since our mattress topper is not here yet (...thanks to the jerk-faces at Amazon!) and I have this idea that the mattress topper will alleviate of all my aching back pain, I have had to get creative. I sleep in a fetal position with a pillow between my legs...it kinda looks like this (except I'm not a man...) and then I have Ken support me from the back my spooning me really hard so as to apply a good amount of pressure to my sagging spine (Gee. I bet my spine wouldn't sag if I had my super-cool memory foam mattress topper, now would it, AMAZON!?!?! Do ya think we can get it here BEFORE I have this baby!?!?! Do ya!?!? Huh????)
3) I can no longer work 5 days in a row. 4 days in a row on my feet is all I can handle. 5 days in a row with, let's face it, an hour break if you're lucky...just ain't cuttin' it. By the third day my hips are practically disconnecting and my feet are like broken clay pots. Not a pretty picture. So, I have to be careful with how I make the schedule at work from now on.
4) I got this AMAZING book on nursing at Barnes and Noble! It's called The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International. For any moms who are considering nursing, this is a great book! It is also completely supportive of natural childbirth without medication. (And I am not going to lie. I have been FREAKING OUT! about natural childbirth and labor in general.) There is an amazing line in the book about how a woman's body will only do what she can handle during labor. Since contractions are muscle movements, any woman's muscles will only contract to the point where our bodies can tolerate it (...just like when you work out and lift heavy weights, you can only push your muscles so far before they give out). It's not like you will pass out from the intense pain. And I think it is so important to trust your body. When women start being induced or medicated, a chemical is added to your body that makes your body do what it is not ready to do. Of course, I understand the need for medication. But in 99% of childbirths? Really? Is that necessary or is it just convenient? Anyhow, I found all this information extremely reassuring and comforting. "By trusting my body and my labor coach (Ken), this pregnancy will be a natural, non-medicated success" (this is my mantra for the next 2-3 months...).
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| Me at Barnes and Noble with my Chai Tea Latte...and what-do-ya-know!?!? Ken's there to capture the moment! |
5) My breasts are leaking! Which means they are getting ready to nurse! I am excited about this for a couple of reasons:
1) My itty-bitty-titty-committee tatas serve a purpose! They work! I told Ken that I feel fertile...I feel alive and purposeful. Ok, I even told him that I feel like the Mesopotamian Valley at the begining of civilization because...
2) I am going to feed my child as God intended (God willing...) and as women have been doing for thousands upon thousands of years. There is nothing more primal than knowing you can nourish your baby. I read stories and excerpts from women who have nursed and I cry every time. They are so touching...because the connection between You and Baby becomes real and tangible. I pray that there are no hiccups when my baby arrives and that I am able to breastfeed him. It is a blessing to be able to share that with your child.
Ok! Alright! I guess I'll be done now! I feel like I have covered everything (and more!) that anyone could ever possibly need to know about my 29th week. I go for my gestational diabetes test on Tuesday...I hope all goes well...and I am sure it will because the only reassuring thing my doctor ever tells me is that I'm a pleasure because she doesn't have to have the heart-pressure/poor health convos every time I come in for a visit. But you never know! And the insurance insists that you play it safe, so be it.
I hope everyone has an amazing New Year!
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