Today we had our first baby shower. Mom (my mom) threw one while me and a couple of friends were in Miami. I invited my very good friends in to visit as well, which led to interesting conversations. We'll get to that in a few.
First of all, parties at my family's house get LOUD. I mean, seriously. You get a dozen people around drinking and it doesn't take much for passionate discussions to ensue. I think this is why I didn't get much baby movement today. He seemed quiet. But he head was sticking out on top all day. No feet kicking, no rolling arm against my side. Not even sitting on the bladder. I didn't mind, his head did move around. But it was almost as if he were standing up and trying to figure out what was going on all day. That's pretty interesting.
I also noticed that the shape of my stomach was changing based on his position. When his head was dead center, I had a nice pointy looking belly. But when he slid off to one side, the belly looked lopsided. It was neat and a little disturbing at the same time. I had a couple of people tell me that would happen, but it's still weird to watch your body change shape without you doing anything specific to cause it. Wacky.
So once my girlfriends got there, we were laughing and carrying on. That was tremendously fun. I noted for them at the time that his head had been high and poking all day. We were laughing about how he must be trying to hear. I noted for them that I could feel the head and see my belly moving and they were a little surprised. I told them that soon he'd be big enough where you might see the shape of an appendage in my skin. Or that he would sit in the belly and put his face against the side and it would look like one of those music videos in the 80s where people were trying to press their faces through the rubber and you could see all their features smooshed against the plastic. Now, I didn't just explain this, I demonstrated it with facial movements and sound effects. I'm not really sure that any baby could produce quite that effect in a belly, but that's just the visual that's popped into my head. My friends flew off in fits of hysterical laugher. They couldn't imagine anyone else thinking of their baby that way. Later on, one of my visiting friends from VA said that it seemed quite a reasonable analogy to her. At least it's not just me.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Baby with a tail? It's just a dream
Ok, I had my first wacky delivery dream last night. And it seemed really long. It's a bit disturbing so I'm rating it PG-13.
So, I wasn't in labor, so it wasn't painful, but for some reason my sister T was coaching me on delivering. We were on a couch so I could kneel on it and squat and it all seemed a bit premature to me. I went along with it anyway. There was some crazy male nurse there. It was taking a while so he told me to go home but I was like... uh.. it's nearly out! I could feel that the baby was... uh... crowning? What's it called when the head is in the canal? Cause that's where I was, and walking around. It was lunacy, I know. It's a dream. So I went to the nurse and he wouldn't help. So I went back to T and she said, "Well, just keep going then." And so we did and out he came.
He was nearly full sized (which is weird considering it was premature) and he started breathing right off. I had been worried that stuck in the canal while I was getting help he was getting deprived of oxygen. T cleaned him up and handed him over and he was just too cute, but a little pointy. Very sharp chin, hard cheekbones for a baby, and slit eyes. The weirdest thing was the tail. He had a short tail extending from his bottom, perhaps 3 - 4 inches long. It wagged and extended from his tail bone. I was not particularly worried, I associated it with his being premature. T assured me it would fall off on it's own. It was REALLY very strange.
So I spoke to him. I told him it was all right, that mommy was here. (I've given up on the mama business, I just can't get myself to call myself that. Funny.) He opened his eyes and looked at me and started talking back. So I took him in this huge communal bath thing and warmed the water and cleaned him up. We talked the whole time. I told him I was excited to have him here and that he looked like a neat cross between B and I. He was a slightly darker shade of caramel than I am with black curly hair which was thin and soft like mine was when I was a baby, only mine was straight. It took a little while for the curls to develop.
After the bath, we went somewhere else. There was a fair and some crazy activity happening with a flying train. It was very strange. I don't remember much of that part only that I was helping to catch a bad guy and that DJ was with me or very near by the whole time.
Hey, I told you it was weird. It was only in the last month and a half or so that I've even had dreams where I was pregnant in them. I'm still more than 3 months away from my due date and I'm having dreams about delivering. It wasn't a scary delivery though, I was very calm. Which is a little comforting.
Before bed, I was listening to some classical music. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik was supposed to play. I think I passed out before I heard it though. I was hoping it would calm DJ down at bed time. Uh, not so much. We wasn't punching my bladder or doing the superman, but he was jamming and dancing nonetheless. At least the music helped me pass out anyway.
So, I wasn't in labor, so it wasn't painful, but for some reason my sister T was coaching me on delivering. We were on a couch so I could kneel on it and squat and it all seemed a bit premature to me. I went along with it anyway. There was some crazy male nurse there. It was taking a while so he told me to go home but I was like... uh.. it's nearly out! I could feel that the baby was... uh... crowning? What's it called when the head is in the canal? Cause that's where I was, and walking around. It was lunacy, I know. It's a dream. So I went to the nurse and he wouldn't help. So I went back to T and she said, "Well, just keep going then." And so we did and out he came.
He was nearly full sized (which is weird considering it was premature) and he started breathing right off. I had been worried that stuck in the canal while I was getting help he was getting deprived of oxygen. T cleaned him up and handed him over and he was just too cute, but a little pointy. Very sharp chin, hard cheekbones for a baby, and slit eyes. The weirdest thing was the tail. He had a short tail extending from his bottom, perhaps 3 - 4 inches long. It wagged and extended from his tail bone. I was not particularly worried, I associated it with his being premature. T assured me it would fall off on it's own. It was REALLY very strange.
So I spoke to him. I told him it was all right, that mommy was here. (I've given up on the mama business, I just can't get myself to call myself that. Funny.) He opened his eyes and looked at me and started talking back. So I took him in this huge communal bath thing and warmed the water and cleaned him up. We talked the whole time. I told him I was excited to have him here and that he looked like a neat cross between B and I. He was a slightly darker shade of caramel than I am with black curly hair which was thin and soft like mine was when I was a baby, only mine was straight. It took a little while for the curls to develop.
After the bath, we went somewhere else. There was a fair and some crazy activity happening with a flying train. It was very strange. I don't remember much of that part only that I was helping to catch a bad guy and that DJ was with me or very near by the whole time.
Hey, I told you it was weird. It was only in the last month and a half or so that I've even had dreams where I was pregnant in them. I'm still more than 3 months away from my due date and I'm having dreams about delivering. It wasn't a scary delivery though, I was very calm. Which is a little comforting.
Before bed, I was listening to some classical music. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik was supposed to play. I think I passed out before I heard it though. I was hoping it would calm DJ down at bed time. Uh, not so much. We wasn't punching my bladder or doing the superman, but he was jamming and dancing nonetheless. At least the music helped me pass out anyway.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Superman in Utero
Last night my son was pretending to be superman. How do I know this? Well, I was laying on my left side getting ready to go to sleep. I felt a quick flutter and then two bumps - a very forceful bump on the lower quadrant of my stomach (thankfully not my bladder AGAIN) and one on the opposite upper quadrant of my stomach. It was as it he had his feet down on the bottom and stretched his arms above his head and then jumped! so that he would shoot the short (probably not much longer than he actually his) distance from one side to the other.
Of course, this is seriously distracting from my ability to sleep.
So I called in reinforcements.
I got out of bed, walked to the top of the stairs and called down to where B was watching cartoons in the living room.
"Honey, your son it trying to be superman in my stomach! I need you to come up here and tell him to go to bed."
At first, I got a laugh, and then an assurance that my back up was on it's way. I settled back down into my spot and B came to sooth the savage beast in my tummy. After some petting and chatter, DJ settled down and seemed to go to sleep too. Didn't hear much of a peep from him during the night, so I think B did his job well.
Of course, this is seriously distracting from my ability to sleep.
So I called in reinforcements.
I got out of bed, walked to the top of the stairs and called down to where B was watching cartoons in the living room.
"Honey, your son it trying to be superman in my stomach! I need you to come up here and tell him to go to bed."
At first, I got a laugh, and then an assurance that my back up was on it's way. I settled back down into my spot and B came to sooth the savage beast in my tummy. After some petting and chatter, DJ settled down and seemed to go to sleep too. Didn't hear much of a peep from him during the night, so I think B did his job well.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
A Test of Wills
For the first time, Dylan and I had a disagreement. All day yesterday he was DETERMINED to lay right on my bladder, and elbow it repeatedly. This was horribly uncomfortable. First, it was heavy in the lower belly region, which is not a happy feeling. Second, it made me feel like I needed to pee all the time, also not a happy feeling. The third was the worst - he would thump my bladder producing a feeling that I can only describe as seeming like he was strumming my urethra like a guitar string. That REALLY made me feel like I needed to pee or I would leak everywhere. Most of the time, there was nothing in there. It was painful and annoying.
I tried to reason with him. I tried spoiling the belly. I tried pressing on other parts of the belly in order to attract him (hoping that he would follow the pressure points like he was following the waist band of those pants that were too tight the other day). I tried pressing right on him to get him to move. That was the worst idea of all, as he responded to force with REPEATED blows to the bladder.
Alas, we had our first fight over my body. And he won.
By the end of the day I was lying sideways on the couch hoping that gravity would do for me what I could not do for myself. It worked temporarily. He slide right back into place on my bladder as soon as I stood up. ugh. What good is having 0 buoyancy if you don't use it?
I tried to reason with him. I tried spoiling the belly. I tried pressing on other parts of the belly in order to attract him (hoping that he would follow the pressure points like he was following the waist band of those pants that were too tight the other day). I tried pressing right on him to get him to move. That was the worst idea of all, as he responded to force with REPEATED blows to the bladder.
Alas, we had our first fight over my body. And he won.
By the end of the day I was lying sideways on the couch hoping that gravity would do for me what I could not do for myself. It worked temporarily. He slide right back into place on my bladder as soon as I stood up. ugh. What good is having 0 buoyancy if you don't use it?
Friday, March 14, 2008
Early Morning Wake Up Call
I forgot about one really cute event, but I was reminded of it this morning. Let me start with the first instance. A few nights ago, I was going to bed. Even before I got preganant, I would ask my husband to come in and say goodnight to me. It reminded me of the way my dad used to tuck me in at night. I don't get the complete mummifying treatment that dad used to give (he would literally tuck the sheets in all around me so that I was cocooned or mummified in the sheets), but a kiss goodnight still makes me feel loved. Since B stays up so much later than I do, we usually don't get to fall asleep while snuggling, so this is a fair substitute. Sometimes, I even get a snuggle for a few minutes. It's a nice time together.
Anyway, now that I have a big belly, I get a lot more snuggles. I'm also immensely fluffier and more cuddly with the padding so it makes it extra nice. So B came to say goodnight and gave me a bonus snuggle. We usually spoon but this time we put the belly between us and hugged. That way my belly and the baby was sandwiched between us and pressing gently against his tummy. Well, DJ started to move about, and gave a kick, nudge, bump as he does more frequently now. I let out a bit of a yelp, which is quite common for me. Then B said, "Oh, I felt that." It was so neat. We could simultaneously share the experience.
Last night, B had accidentally taken a nap after a big dinner and realizing he wasn't coming out of the bedroom, I went in and went to sleep. I've been having some serious insomnia lately and the opportunity to fall asleep in mid-cuddle is too good to resist. (We're very snuggly.) He woke up after a little while longer and tooled around on the computer, as usual. I kept sleeping. So this morning, very early, B was coming to bed and I was sleeping very lightly, having already had plenty. I got up to go to the bathroom after he was done brushing his teeth and prepping for bed. We met on the way between going in opposite directions and I hugged him. He was restless because naps throw off his internal clock even more than its usual twisted nature.
Between the movement and the talking, DJ woke up and proceeded to start dancing. Of course I don't know if he was dancing, but with all the kicking and bumping and weird grabby feelings, I suppose that's a good estimate of what he was doing. After my bathroom trip, I came back and cuddled B while we talked a bit. Throughout our conversation, DJ made his presence known. B felt him move against him several times. After a little while, B slid down to hold the belly and talk to the baby. He rubbed the belly and spoke softly and DJ stopped moving almost entirely. Apparently, B felt some movements that I didn't, which doesn't entirely surprise me. But for the most part, he stopped. As soon as B moved away, DJ got busy kicking.
I think B was kind of disappointed that DJ wouldn't move while he was holding the belly. I have a crackpot theory as to why this is happening. I find B's voice very soothing and calming, particularly when he's speaking quietly and in a snuggly mood. It would seem that DJ's perception, what he can get from his position at this point anyway, would be molded by my reactions. Even if he can't hear my thoughts or voice, there are unconscious physical responses that he can't help but pick up on. My body is his universe and my heart rate is intrinsically connected to that universe. He's going to pick up on the physical responses to my emotions faster than my mind will perceive that my feelings have changed. Who knows, maybe he will come out and want to be soothed by Daddy when he's hurt and upset, if only because I am and have been since the beginning of his life so calmed and soothed. Interesting theory, don't you think?
Anyway, now that I have a big belly, I get a lot more snuggles. I'm also immensely fluffier and more cuddly with the padding so it makes it extra nice. So B came to say goodnight and gave me a bonus snuggle. We usually spoon but this time we put the belly between us and hugged. That way my belly and the baby was sandwiched between us and pressing gently against his tummy. Well, DJ started to move about, and gave a kick, nudge, bump as he does more frequently now. I let out a bit of a yelp, which is quite common for me. Then B said, "Oh, I felt that." It was so neat. We could simultaneously share the experience.
Last night, B had accidentally taken a nap after a big dinner and realizing he wasn't coming out of the bedroom, I went in and went to sleep. I've been having some serious insomnia lately and the opportunity to fall asleep in mid-cuddle is too good to resist. (We're very snuggly.) He woke up after a little while longer and tooled around on the computer, as usual. I kept sleeping. So this morning, very early, B was coming to bed and I was sleeping very lightly, having already had plenty. I got up to go to the bathroom after he was done brushing his teeth and prepping for bed. We met on the way between going in opposite directions and I hugged him. He was restless because naps throw off his internal clock even more than its usual twisted nature.
Between the movement and the talking, DJ woke up and proceeded to start dancing. Of course I don't know if he was dancing, but with all the kicking and bumping and weird grabby feelings, I suppose that's a good estimate of what he was doing. After my bathroom trip, I came back and cuddled B while we talked a bit. Throughout our conversation, DJ made his presence known. B felt him move against him several times. After a little while, B slid down to hold the belly and talk to the baby. He rubbed the belly and spoke softly and DJ stopped moving almost entirely. Apparently, B felt some movements that I didn't, which doesn't entirely surprise me. But for the most part, he stopped. As soon as B moved away, DJ got busy kicking.
I think B was kind of disappointed that DJ wouldn't move while he was holding the belly. I have a crackpot theory as to why this is happening. I find B's voice very soothing and calming, particularly when he's speaking quietly and in a snuggly mood. It would seem that DJ's perception, what he can get from his position at this point anyway, would be molded by my reactions. Even if he can't hear my thoughts or voice, there are unconscious physical responses that he can't help but pick up on. My body is his universe and my heart rate is intrinsically connected to that universe. He's going to pick up on the physical responses to my emotions faster than my mind will perceive that my feelings have changed. Who knows, maybe he will come out and want to be soothed by Daddy when he's hurt and upset, if only because I am and have been since the beginning of his life so calmed and soothed. Interesting theory, don't you think?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Daily Update
Nothing much interesting happened today. I have been having some trouble with insomnia, which is rather unfortunate. He didn't move last night, but I could feel him sink to one side again. I have another visual for the feeling. You know how those pens are with the water inside and they have a picture or some thing that floats slowly down the pen when you tilt it. That's how it feels only in my stomach. Like he's slowly floating down. It's neat.
Well, this morning he was fussy or something. He didn't seem to like the waistband of my pants at all. He kept punching or kicking at it. Forcefully too. I tried moving the waist band up to my navel then back down under the belly and he followed it around and kept after it. I tried to calm him down by talking to him and rubbing him to no avail. What's a mom to do? Grin and bear it I guess. I was talking to my mom on the phone at the time. He kept kickboxing my tummy for most of the day.
We had our baby check up today as well. Everything seems hunky dory. Other than the active poking, things were great. now that it's late he's quiet so hopefully I'll be able to get to bed at a decent hour today. Let's hope, right?
Well, this morning he was fussy or something. He didn't seem to like the waistband of my pants at all. He kept punching or kicking at it. Forcefully too. I tried moving the waist band up to my navel then back down under the belly and he followed it around and kept after it. I tried to calm him down by talking to him and rubbing him to no avail. What's a mom to do? Grin and bear it I guess. I was talking to my mom on the phone at the time. He kept kickboxing my tummy for most of the day.
We had our baby check up today as well. Everything seems hunky dory. Other than the active poking, things were great. now that it's late he's quiet so hopefully I'll be able to get to bed at a decent hour today. Let's hope, right?
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Cradling the Baby & Tummy
Last night I had the coolest experience. I went to lay down in bed and I could feel DJ fall over to my left side, which is the side I was laying on. It was really weird because as I had the sensation, I could see the little baby in my belly in my mind's eye asleep and drifting from the middle of my tummy to curled up in the side of my belly. I could feel his head right next to my skin and the image in my head was very vivid because the sensations were amazingly clear.
My husband came into the bedroom to say goodnight and I told him about the feeling. So he curled his hand around the side of my belly and was surprised that he could feel a large head like lump in my side. So he got to feel baby, even if the baby wasn't moving. After a few minutes, he let me try to get to sleep.
When he left I put my hand around DJ's head and held him. He wasn't moving, which bothered mea little. He fell in there kind of like a big lump. Well, between the two of us jostling him a bit, he seemed to rouse and I could feel all four of his limps wriggling inside and poking me. His arms seemed to move just under my skin, and his feet were poking a familiar "bottom of the uterus" part. Not sure what he's poking down there, and it isn't particularly comfortable, but it was really nice to finally be able to identify the movement that was causing the feeling. So far I was just feeling it and wondering what shenanigans he was perpetrating in there.
With the added sensation of limbs, I got a full 3D picture in my head of what he might look like and what his body felt like in mine. It was incredibly vivid and beautiful. With that, I held my tummy/his head as I fell asleep and felt as though I was cradling him to sleep. This is the closest I've felt to him so far.
Date: 3/11/08
Week: 22-23?
My husband came into the bedroom to say goodnight and I told him about the feeling. So he curled his hand around the side of my belly and was surprised that he could feel a large head like lump in my side. So he got to feel baby, even if the baby wasn't moving. After a few minutes, he let me try to get to sleep.
When he left I put my hand around DJ's head and held him. He wasn't moving, which bothered mea little. He fell in there kind of like a big lump. Well, between the two of us jostling him a bit, he seemed to rouse and I could feel all four of his limps wriggling inside and poking me. His arms seemed to move just under my skin, and his feet were poking a familiar "bottom of the uterus" part. Not sure what he's poking down there, and it isn't particularly comfortable, but it was really nice to finally be able to identify the movement that was causing the feeling. So far I was just feeling it and wondering what shenanigans he was perpetrating in there.
With the added sensation of limbs, I got a full 3D picture in my head of what he might look like and what his body felt like in mine. It was incredibly vivid and beautiful. With that, I held my tummy/his head as I fell asleep and felt as though I was cradling him to sleep. This is the closest I've felt to him so far.
Date: 3/11/08
Week: 22-23?
Saturday, March 8, 2008
General State of Affairs
Well, I'd been waiting patiently to be able to feel the baby. I thought I was starting to feel something. People said it would feel like gas or worms (WORMS?! really? C'mon!) and stuff... and then... blip. Nothing. That was frustrating. I ran to the OB and the happy midwife told me I was crazy to think I could feel something before 20 weeks. Thanks Lady.
So I went about my business and had my second sonogram. Big, wriggly baby. HUGE really. It was so cool. And then we found out why I wasn't feeling anything. Wow, that's a nice, fat ass placenta that about as thick as your baby is and parked RIGHT in the front of your uterus. You aren't going to feel SQUAT through that thing for a several more weeks. [pout] So I waited some more.
Then one night I was squashed into the corner of the couch all reclined and getting ready to attempt to extract myself (lead with the belly) and ooh! I felt what could only be described as an elbow (or a knee) running along the bottom of my uterus. WOW! I felt something! Woo hoo! My husband grabbed the belly hoping to share and he got nothing. Poor thing.
Not to worry! The very next night the kid was doing flips, spins or jumping rope with the umbilical cord (what crazy shenanigans are you pulling in there?!) and he was bumping up against my right side (which I would say is his favorite now) and he did it enough that B could feel it. Well, until DJ started tickling me and then I was laughing too hard for B to feel anything.
That happens a lot. Random poking results in me squeaking or giggling. I think he's going to figure out how to tickle me and start doing it regularly. It's nice to know he's there though. I'm glad I'm getting that now. It makes me feel like when I'm talking to him, he's really around to hear me. I got several hours without feeling anything still, but when I do get the boot I'm not mad about it. Even if it's a boot to the bladder. (Hey! Quit jumping in there!! What in the *#&$@! are you doing in there?!)
So I went about my business and had my second sonogram. Big, wriggly baby. HUGE really. It was so cool. And then we found out why I wasn't feeling anything. Wow, that's a nice, fat ass placenta that about as thick as your baby is and parked RIGHT in the front of your uterus. You aren't going to feel SQUAT through that thing for a several more weeks. [pout] So I waited some more.
Then one night I was squashed into the corner of the couch all reclined and getting ready to attempt to extract myself (lead with the belly) and ooh! I felt what could only be described as an elbow (or a knee) running along the bottom of my uterus. WOW! I felt something! Woo hoo! My husband grabbed the belly hoping to share and he got nothing. Poor thing.
Not to worry! The very next night the kid was doing flips, spins or jumping rope with the umbilical cord (what crazy shenanigans are you pulling in there?!) and he was bumping up against my right side (which I would say is his favorite now) and he did it enough that B could feel it. Well, until DJ started tickling me and then I was laughing too hard for B to feel anything.
That happens a lot. Random poking results in me squeaking or giggling. I think he's going to figure out how to tickle me and start doing it regularly. It's nice to know he's there though. I'm glad I'm getting that now. It makes me feel like when I'm talking to him, he's really around to hear me. I got several hours without feeling anything still, but when I do get the boot I'm not mad about it. Even if it's a boot to the bladder. (Hey! Quit jumping in there!! What in the *#&$@! are you doing in there?!)
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