Week 29 brings more heartburn, back pain and restless/crampy legs. But it also brings more kicking. And it brings us a week closer to meeting this little girl in person!
Here's this week's update from www.babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to accommodate his brain — which is busy developing billions of neurons. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester. To keep yourself and him well nourished, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid, iron, and calcium. (About 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in your baby's skeleton — which is now hardening — every day.)
15 inches long ... no wonder she keeps getting caught in my ribs!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Songs for Spike, Part VIII: The Final Installment
Here we go … the final three songs on my compilation CDs for Spike.
30. Watershed by Indigo Girls.
Click here to hear this song.
Up on the watershed
Standing at the fork in the road
You can stand there and agonize
Till your agony’s your heaviest load
You’ll never fly as the crow flies
Get used to a country mile
When you’re learning to face
The path at your pace
Every choice is worth your while
I find this song pretty inspirational. To me, it’s about taking life as it comes, at your own pace.
Here’s a section that I love:
And there’s always retrospect
(when you’re looking back)
To light a clearer path
Every five years or so I look back on my life
And I have a good laugh
You start at the top
Go full circle round
Catch a breeze
Take a spill
But ending up where I started again
Makes me wanna stand still
I do love looking back on my life and seeing how far I’ve come.
After all, five years ago (2002) I was living in Baltimore, having not yet considered the possibility of moving to Los Angeles, dating a series of really wrong men, feeling angry about the way my life was going and wondering if it was going to get any more satisfying. I was literally catching breezes, taking spills, and ending up right where I started again!
If I look five years before that (1997), my life was even MORE different—I was married to my first husband and figuring I’d be spending my life as a housewife in Winchester, Virginia!
Now, my life is so unbelievably different. Thank goodness I can look back and laugh. I promise you, Spike, that there will be days that will be so tough that you’ll think the world is ending. These are the days that will make you laugh later on. I promise. I know you don’t believe me, but it’s true.
31. Wildflowers by Tom Petty. This blog is based on the lyrics to that song. (Click here to hear the song. Don’t ask me about the video! I just found it randomly.)
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
You belong with your love on your arm
You belong somewhere you feel free
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong somewhere close to me
Far away from your trouble and worry
You belong somewhere you feel free
Tom Petty said that, when he wrote this song, he just sat down and played it without writing it—the words and music just flowed. That’s what I want for you, Spike, to always be able to run among the wildflowers—somewhere you feel free. Somewhere life can just flow through you and wash over you.
32. You Make Loving Fun by Fleetwood Mac.
Click here to see Fleetwood Mac perform this song. (Note to my niece, Miriam: Yes, there is another woman in Fleetwood Mac besides Stevie Nicks. Her name is Christine McVie. :-))
This song was written for Christine McVie’s boyfriend back in the 1970s, but it could have easily been written for you, Spike.
Sweet wonderful you,
You make me happy with the things you do,
Oh, can it be so,
This feeling follows me wherever I go.
I never did believe in miracles,
But I've a feeling it's time to try.
I never did believe in the ways of magic,
But I'm beginning to wonder why.
I know things won’t always be easy—that there will be days when you can’t stand that I’m your mother and days when I am so frustrated with you that I cry—but I hope I will always remember what a miracle you are to me, baby girl. I love you so much and I haven’t even met you in person yet.
30. Watershed by Indigo Girls.
Click here to hear this song.
Up on the watershed
Standing at the fork in the road
You can stand there and agonize
Till your agony’s your heaviest load
You’ll never fly as the crow flies
Get used to a country mile
When you’re learning to face
The path at your pace
Every choice is worth your while
I find this song pretty inspirational. To me, it’s about taking life as it comes, at your own pace.
Here’s a section that I love:
And there’s always retrospect
(when you’re looking back)
To light a clearer path
Every five years or so I look back on my life
And I have a good laugh
You start at the top
Go full circle round
Catch a breeze
Take a spill
But ending up where I started again
Makes me wanna stand still
I do love looking back on my life and seeing how far I’ve come.
After all, five years ago (2002) I was living in Baltimore, having not yet considered the possibility of moving to Los Angeles, dating a series of really wrong men, feeling angry about the way my life was going and wondering if it was going to get any more satisfying. I was literally catching breezes, taking spills, and ending up right where I started again!
If I look five years before that (1997), my life was even MORE different—I was married to my first husband and figuring I’d be spending my life as a housewife in Winchester, Virginia!
Now, my life is so unbelievably different. Thank goodness I can look back and laugh. I promise you, Spike, that there will be days that will be so tough that you’ll think the world is ending. These are the days that will make you laugh later on. I promise. I know you don’t believe me, but it’s true.
31. Wildflowers by Tom Petty. This blog is based on the lyrics to that song. (Click here to hear the song. Don’t ask me about the video! I just found it randomly.)
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
You belong with your love on your arm
You belong somewhere you feel free
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong somewhere close to me
Far away from your trouble and worry
You belong somewhere you feel free
Tom Petty said that, when he wrote this song, he just sat down and played it without writing it—the words and music just flowed. That’s what I want for you, Spike, to always be able to run among the wildflowers—somewhere you feel free. Somewhere life can just flow through you and wash over you.
32. You Make Loving Fun by Fleetwood Mac.
Click here to see Fleetwood Mac perform this song. (Note to my niece, Miriam: Yes, there is another woman in Fleetwood Mac besides Stevie Nicks. Her name is Christine McVie. :-))
This song was written for Christine McVie’s boyfriend back in the 1970s, but it could have easily been written for you, Spike.
Sweet wonderful you,
You make me happy with the things you do,
Oh, can it be so,
This feeling follows me wherever I go.
I never did believe in miracles,
But I've a feeling it's time to try.
I never did believe in the ways of magic,
But I'm beginning to wonder why.
I know things won’t always be easy—that there will be days when you can’t stand that I’m your mother and days when I am so frustrated with you that I cry—but I hope I will always remember what a miracle you are to me, baby girl. I love you so much and I haven’t even met you in person yet.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Isn't it Amazing How a Baby in Your Ribs Impairs Your Ability to Breathe?
(Here's a picture taken of me today, at almost 29 weeks. I'd look more pregnant, but the shirt is very baggy.)
Dear Spike,
Oh, baby doll. Right now one of your precious body parts is stuck in my rib cage area, and it's very uncomfortable. I missed the end of Daddy's baseball game last night because I just couldn't bear to sit on that stadium bench for a minute longer. I got home and got on my side, then the other, and tried to dislodge you. Then I drank a little caffeine this morning to try and pep you up so you would move. You moved, but not out of my rib cage! You are certainly stretching out, because I can feel the opposite end of your body pressing into my pelvis.
But you know what, Spike? Feeling you in my belly is still the most magical feeling I've ever known. Even when it interferes with my breathing.
Friday, June 1, 2007
I'd Write More, But I Need to Go to the Bathroom
When I was a kid, I never met a bathroom I didn't use. The running joke in our family was that I knew every bathroom in every place we went. I knew that my bladder would seem even smaller while I was pregnant. Wow. During the course of my day today at the office, I visited the bathroom eight times. That's once an hour. Wow. At night, I get up every other hour.
Now, I am drinking a lot of fluid. My doctor recommends at least 64 ounces of water a day. But heck, it seems like I am peeing more than 64 ounces! www.babycenter.com says:
Why do you suddenly need to go all the time? It's mostly because the amount of blood in your body increases dramatically when you get pregnant, which leads to a lot of extra fluid getting processed through your kidneys and ending up in your bladder. Eventually, you may also feel pressure on your bladder from your growing uterus.
You may notice that you need to get up to pee more often during the night in particular. That's because when you lie down, some of the fluid that you retained in your legs and feet during the day makes its way back into your bloodstream and eventually into your bladder.
A lot of times, Spike will kick me right in the bladder and I need to run to the bathroom immediately. It's pretty amusing--like she's playing a game with me. But the other kicks are very, very nice, so I'm willing to overlook the punches to the bladder.
Now, I am drinking a lot of fluid. My doctor recommends at least 64 ounces of water a day. But heck, it seems like I am peeing more than 64 ounces! www.babycenter.com says:
Why do you suddenly need to go all the time? It's mostly because the amount of blood in your body increases dramatically when you get pregnant, which leads to a lot of extra fluid getting processed through your kidneys and ending up in your bladder. Eventually, you may also feel pressure on your bladder from your growing uterus.
You may notice that you need to get up to pee more often during the night in particular. That's because when you lie down, some of the fluid that you retained in your legs and feet during the day makes its way back into your bloodstream and eventually into your bladder.
A lot of times, Spike will kick me right in the bladder and I need to run to the bathroom immediately. It's pretty amusing--like she's playing a game with me. But the other kicks are very, very nice, so I'm willing to overlook the punches to the bladder.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Babycenter.com Update: Week 28
I went to the doctor today for my 28-week checkup. All is well. My glucose test came back normal, so no gestational diabetes. I'm gaining plenty of weight--like we thought that would be a problem! My blood pressure is good. The baby's heartbeat is strong. She's kicking like crazy! So all is well--just heartburn, leg cramps and sleep issues. I'll take 'em over worse stuff anyday!
Here's this week's update from www.babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing: By this week, your baby weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures about 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open her eyes — which now sport lashes — and she'll turn her head toward a continuous, bright light from the outside. Her fat layers are beginning to form, too, as she gets ready for life outside the womb.
Here's this week's update from www.babycenter.com:
How your baby's growing: By this week, your baby weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures about 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open her eyes — which now sport lashes — and she'll turn her head toward a continuous, bright light from the outside. Her fat layers are beginning to form, too, as she gets ready for life outside the womb.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Songs for Spike, Part VII
28. Trouble Me by 10,000 Maniacs. When this song came out, I thought it would be appropriate for my grandmother, Bubby, who always keeps her emotions inside and never wants to burden anyone with them. (If you watch the video by clicking here, this thought is even more poignant. I'd never seen the video until a few minutes ago.) As I listen to the song now, I realize that it is really about my job as a mother.
Trouble me, disturb me with all your cares and your worries
Trouble me on the days when you feel spent
Why let your shoulders bend underneath this burden when my back is sturdy and strong?
I'll tell you something, Spike: Your grandmother, Poppy, has always been this person for me. I only hope I can do as good a job with you.
29. The Waiting by Tom Petty. Tom Petty says he wrote this in response to seeing Janis Joplin on television, talking about performing onstage, and how the waiting to go on was the hardest part. For me, the chorus is about my journey to find you, baby girl. (click here to watch the video).
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Plus, you can never go wrong with a Tom Petty song, right? You'll have to wait until number 31 for the third (and final) one.
Trouble me, disturb me with all your cares and your worries
Trouble me on the days when you feel spent
Why let your shoulders bend underneath this burden when my back is sturdy and strong?
I'll tell you something, Spike: Your grandmother, Poppy, has always been this person for me. I only hope I can do as good a job with you.
29. The Waiting by Tom Petty. Tom Petty says he wrote this in response to seeing Janis Joplin on television, talking about performing onstage, and how the waiting to go on was the hardest part. For me, the chorus is about my journey to find you, baby girl. (click here to watch the video).
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Plus, you can never go wrong with a Tom Petty song, right? You'll have to wait until number 31 for the third (and final) one.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Babycenter.com update: Week 27
I can't believe I'm getting ready to enter the third trimester--only 13 weeks to go and nine weeks before my last day of driving into the office! (Speaking of that, I really need to set time aside to clean out my office so people can actually find things while I'm out.)
This morning I looked at my reflection in the mirror and felt such joy. I just never thought I'd get to experience pregnancy, and now I'm nice and round and feeling kicks and I'm so thrilled. This is truly a miracle. With some help from science, of course...
Here's this week's update from www.babycenter.com. I have to say that I'm relieved to read that the baby's lungs would be capable of functioning (with assistance) if she were to be born prematurely. Of course, I am not advocating that, but it does give me some relief. And while I'm not feeling hiccups, I am feeling a lot of kicking!
As you'll read below, leg cramps are common, and they are definitely a part of my days and nights. And, predictably, my back aches. I made an appointment for a pregnancy massage on Friday after my glucose test at the hospital. Heck, I might as well pamper myself while I can, right? As much as I'm looking forward to Spike's arrival, I'm also cherishing days without diapers, the ability to just run into a store without it being a whole production, and naps on weekends.
How your baby's growing: This week your baby weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn't bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. Wonder what he's thinking?
How your life's changing:
Your body is gearing up for the final lap, so you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They're carrying extra weight, after all. They may also be aggravated by sluggish circulation and compressed nerves caused by your growing uterus. (As your uterus expands, it puts pressure on the blood vessels that return blood from your legs to your heart and on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs.) Unfortunately, the cramps are likely to get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. When a cramp strikes, stretching the calf muscle (by straightening your leg and then gently flexing your toes back toward your shins) should give you some relief. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.
This morning I looked at my reflection in the mirror and felt such joy. I just never thought I'd get to experience pregnancy, and now I'm nice and round and feeling kicks and I'm so thrilled. This is truly a miracle. With some help from science, of course...
Here's this week's update from www.babycenter.com. I have to say that I'm relieved to read that the baby's lungs would be capable of functioning (with assistance) if she were to be born prematurely. Of course, I am not advocating that, but it does give me some relief. And while I'm not feeling hiccups, I am feeling a lot of kicking!
As you'll read below, leg cramps are common, and they are definitely a part of my days and nights. And, predictably, my back aches. I made an appointment for a pregnancy massage on Friday after my glucose test at the hospital. Heck, I might as well pamper myself while I can, right? As much as I'm looking forward to Spike's arrival, I'm also cherishing days without diapers, the ability to just run into a store without it being a whole production, and naps on weekends.
How your baby's growing: This week your baby weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn't bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. Wonder what he's thinking?
How your life's changing:
Your body is gearing up for the final lap, so you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They're carrying extra weight, after all. They may also be aggravated by sluggish circulation and compressed nerves caused by your growing uterus. (As your uterus expands, it puts pressure on the blood vessels that return blood from your legs to your heart and on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs.) Unfortunately, the cramps are likely to get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. When a cramp strikes, stretching the calf muscle (by straightening your leg and then gently flexing your toes back toward your shins) should give you some relief. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.
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