Where Art Thou Balance?

Week 25

Wow, what a crazy week! I’ve noticed that I’m finally experiencing slight mood swings. My tolerance for stupid shit has been a bit low, especially on the home front. I’m trying to work through it. The only problem is that my schedule is now revolving around the kids and that’s been tough to deal with. It’s a huge adjustment from me being able to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted to only getting stuff done when nobody is around or when the kids are in bed.

Of course with the pregnancy and nicer weather, the kids are going to bed later and by that time I’m ready to crash myself. The baby isn’t even here yet and already I’m missing my alone time with Dave. He’s been busy with writing tons of essays for college and I’m dead to the world by the time he’s available to me. Welcome to “marriage” and motherhood, eh? LOL

As for the pregnancy symptoms, it’s like I’m starting all over again. The nerve pains, needing to pee all the time, eating like a pig, not feeling comfortable sleeping and of course, the farting (that’s the worst).

Under The Weather
Week 26

Getting up early every day is taking its toll on me. I feel like I can’t function well unless I wake up after 7:30am, but with all the responsibilities I’ve taken on, that’s not going to happen anytime soon. I am needing to take naps during the day again, however, I can’t seem to fit any in and when I actually have time, I don’t fall asleep. I’m bummed about that, big time!

This past week I felt like I was coming down with a cold. It only affected me one day, but I was pretty miserable. With all the changes in the weather, my body is reacting and not favorably. I wish it would just stay Spring-like so I wouldn’t feel so up and down. It’s affecting my moods and all I want is some stability.

My belly is starting to get in the way of life these days. I’m finding difficulty trying to vacuum the corners in my rooms without screaming in pain due to pinching nerves. Shaving my legs and putting on socks has also become a chore. I can’t reach anything anymore! LOL Unfortunately summer is abound and I must find a way that’s comfortable for the shaving. When I told Dave to gear up and help, he looked at me like I was living on Mars. So I guess I should count him out on that one.

On a lighter note, my little guy is very active. I’m starting to feel him poking me right around my rib cage. It’s kind of weird. It hurts a bit when I’m laughing if he’s right there. Any time the baby kicks or moves, my stomach is doing all sorts of funky shifts. That’s one of the coolest things about being pregnant, in my opinion.

I have my next OB appointment on May 1st. I have to take that Glucose test where I have to swallow this orange crap in 3-5 minutes, then get my blood taken. I’m not looking forward to that, however, I’ve heard that it’s a breeze and I have nothing to worry about. I’m also going to find out when my next ultrasound is. I don’t think I have one for a while. I believe that I start going to my appointments every 2 weeks in June and then July is every week. I can’t believe how fast this pregnancy has gone! I will be holding my little man before I know it.

Getting Adjusted

Weeks 22 & 23

This past week has been pretty uneventful with regards to the pregnancy. I feel my little guy moving and kicking regularly. I’ve had a couple of crappy nights of sleep because he’s keeping me awake and giving me a hard time with getting comfortable. It doesn’t matter how many pillows I have or which position I try, it seems like he’s awake 24/7.

The funny thing is that he must know when a hand is placed on top of him. I think he can sense light and darkness pretty well. When I feel a kick and try to push back, he moves to a different spot. It’s like a cat and mouse game with this one, lol. I can feel the kicks inside and out now so it’s only a matter of time until Dave will get his turn. Trenity got lucky the other day and was able to feel a small kick from her little brother. The pure joy on her face was simply precious. I wish I had a camera because it really was a Kodak moment.

My feet aren’t hurting as much these days and I’m giving Dave a break from rubbing my feet every night. I think it’s because I finally used my brain. I’m wearing footie socks, a cushy pair of slippers and bought new shoes. It’s saving my life and going up and down 2 flights of stairs every day was really killing me. At least it’s giving me plenty of cardio action. I was starting to get real winded, but now I’m feeling much better with all that excersize. I should’ve started a regimine much earlier in the pregnancy, but better late than never right?

I’m doing great emotionally, but now I’m mentally preparing myself for the child birth process. I still have a lot of fear, but trying to manifest things to occur the way I want them to. I did that with the pregnancy and it’s worked thus far so let’s just hope I get my requests granted for B-Day. I’m realistic though. I’m certain that I may need the drugs, but everything in my body is screaming “No, don’t do it!” I’m not exactly sure why. I know this sounds silly, but I’m trying to find my center and meditation method that may block out some of the physical pain. Mind over matter.

This week Trenity had her very first soccer practice and game! It was so exciting to watch her play and she did very well. The other little girls were very nice to her and I think this was a very good decision made by Dave and myself to put her in. We had Halle’s birthday party on Saturday as well. She’s going to be 4 and is growing incredibly fast. She was very happy with her presents, especially the spring and summer clothes. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, but we’re finding some balance now.

Week 24
Finally, a good night’s rest!

Yesterday and today I was able to sleep in until 8 and 9am, woo hoo! It was really nice and now I’ve found my comfortable place in the bed. I’m hoping that this 4:30am wake-up stuff is in the past for now. I really didn’t realize how important sleep is during pregnancy until last week. I watch my girlfriend’s daughter during the week and take her to school, so pretty soon I’ll have to be up at 6:30am again.

I’m doing a bit of Spring cleaning with my computer’s hard drive and tieing up loose ends with my old apartment. It’s so nice to finally be free of some of the crap from my old home and life. I’m still going through boxes and a bunch of “little” stuff left from the move. My organizational skills have been in the dumps where work is concerned. I’m going to spend more time on that this week.

Dave and I are taking advantage of the walking path, now that the weather is getting better. The path goes 25 miles and the scenery is gorgeous. I did a mile and a half the other night and I’m going to slowly increase each week. Dave is on a walking program through work and it’s nice to have someone to do this with, especially since he can get some cash out of the deal.

I have my next OB appointment on Thursday. It’s nothing special, although I am seeing a new doctor in the practice. As far as I know, they’re just going to weigh me, take my blood pressure and check the baby’s heartbeat.

A lot of people have been asking, but I still have not named the baby yet. I really do need to wait until he’s born. Dave and I only agree on one name, but I don’t know if it’ll suit him yet. I think that once I see him, the right one will just pop in my head.

It's A BOY!

Sorry I haven’t posted in a little bit. I’ve been really busy due to the move and the Easter holiday. We’re all still getting adjusted to the new place and I finally have time to write because this baby woke me up at 5:30am this morning. I just started week 22, but I‘m posting weeks 20 and 21 for you all.


Week 20

Dave and I went to my OB appointment for B-Day (March 13th), which is what my friend Stacy was calling “Boy Day”, LOL. I’ve been so adamant about this boy thing and from the very beginning and every time I tried to imagine a girl, I just couldn’t. Well I was right, we’re having a little BOY!

Dave doesn’t generally show much emotion about anything other than sports, so watching him squirm on his chair while the doctor was measuring the baby made me giggle. He kept inching closer and closer to the edge, fists clenched just waiting for her to announce the sex. At first glance the baby’s legs were crossed and my poor boyfriend looked defeated. After a couple of tries she said, “That looks like a scrotum…there‘s a penis…oh yeah, it’s definitely a boy”.

I thought he was going to take a flying leap as if he were at a Chicago Bulls game and his favorite player just scored a 3 pointer to win in overtime. For a second I thought he was going to let out a huge “YEAAAAHHHH”, LOL. Of course he called everyone and their mother to tell them to good news and that he’s going to decorate the baby’s room with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Chicago sports gear. Now that we’re having a boy he cares about the décor. That’s a man for ya.

Check out my photo album for a couple of ultrasound pictures and updated ones of my belly!

That same day we picked up the keys to our condo. It was a pain in the ass because we had to wait all day since they didn’t have it ready. Apparently the last tenant really trashed the place. We ended up getting the keys really late and weren’t able to start our move until the next day. All the big stuff got moved that Saturday the 15th and we’re still in the process of getting stuff out of our apartments. My old place is looking pretty good and all that’s left is the cleaning. Dave, on the other hand, has a lot more work to do on his old apartment, but he still has until April 1st.

Week 21 - The Power Bloat

One of my best friends, Dawn, got her 17 week ultrasound and check-up. She found out she is having a boy, but her doctor saw a mass on his lung. She had to go to the hospital to get a 3-D scan and they told her the baby has a benign tumor that is pushing the baby’s heart to the left side. Although her baby’s organs are functioning well, she now has to get a fetal MRI next week and ultrasounds every 3 weeks to monitor the tumor. If it grows too quickly, the baby could go into cardiac arrest and she’ll lose him. There is a chance that it won’t grow and he’ll be fine. I’m praying like crazy for her. It’s so difficult for me to be happy for myself when this is happening.

As for me, I’ve been trying to get back into the swing of things after the move. Working has been a bit difficult due to Easter and having Dave’s kids. They’re very excited about all this change and went kind of nuts running up and down our stairs, unpacking their toys in the playroom we made for them. All that Easter candy didn’t help either, lol. My cats are having a difficult time adjusting to their new surroundings. Angelica is pretty pissed at me for subjecting her to Dave and the kids, lol. She’s the most needy, territorial cat I’ve ever seen!

This week my ankels and feet have really swelled. It’s so bad that I need to go buy new socks and shoes, ugh! My feet are in so much pain, but it’s very hard to just sit around and do nothing since I have a ton of stuff to get done around here. I’m still unpacking boxes and it seems like I’ll never get done. I’m trying to pace myself and hopefully I’ll have the majority of it cleared up.

The other issue is that I’m having a hard time finding a comfy sleeping position. It doesn’t matter how many pillows I have. As a matter of fact, that makes things worse. I almost knocked poor Dave off the bed last night because there’s not enough room for the pillows, him and my big, pregnant ass.

Other than the power bloat and sleeping situation, I’m feeling pretty great. I’ve noticed the baby’s movements and kicks more consistently and I think it’s very cool! Dave told me yesterday that I’m looking real pregnant finally. My belly has grown a bit more in the last couple of weeks, but I’m not having any trouble moving around and bending over, thank God.

Love Is In The Air

Week 19

I’m almost to the half way point in my pregnancy, yay! I’m getting really excited for my OB appointment next Thursday. This once a month check up thing sucks as I get a little paranoid if I don’t feel the baby move consistently. I know it’s not supposed to right now, but I’ve gotten used to the feeling. I guess it’s common for first time mommies to freak out once in a while. I am getting better with keeping myself calm though.

Thursday my friend Dawn S and I went out to lunch then to the nail salon for pedicures. OH THANK GOD! My feet were horrendous! It was the best one I’ve ever had. They spent a good half hour rubbing our feet at the end of the session. I’m going to make it a point to have this done at least once a month. I may even consider bi-weekly sessions. My feet have been sore for a while now since I’m starting to blow up. That’s right folks, the cankles are on the way, UGH.

Friday night Nikki, Dawn and I enjoyed a ladies’ night. We went to dinner and bowling. Since my life is going to change dramatically next week with the move I wanted to spend some quality time with some of my friends. I’m sure I’ll be able to do it more often than I think before the baby is born, but I still needed to get out of my apartment. I didn’t bowl as well as I did on my birthday, but I had a blast anyway. Now it’s time to get back to reality with work and packing, but I‘m having trouble keeping balance between the two.

I believe that my libido has been healthy for the last couple of months, but I’ve put Dave in the “have sex with me, it’s your only job” box lately. It’s funny to see the look on his face when he comes home and I don’t even care how his day went. He’s genuinely surprised every single time and that cracks me up. Sometimes I wonder about that boy, LOL. Love is in the air and I’m taking full advantage while I still can!

JUST 6 MORE DAYS UNTIL WE FIND OUT THE SEX! I’m very very excited!!! Week 20 here I come!

Alive and Kicking!

Week 18

I started week 18 on Sunday with the expectation of feeling my baby more often and that’s exactly what I got! The movements slowed down a bit last week so of course I started to get paranoid. I only feel it early in the morning and after 8pm at night, which is fine as long as I feel something. I still get the flutters, but they’re stronger now and it also feels like the baby is rolling. I can locate my uterus easily, no matter what time of day it is. I think that’s pretty cool. Getting these sensations has been the best part of my pregnancy thus far.

My face is starting to break out just a tad bit, but I’m not looking gross. Thank God! It still doesn’t even come close to my PMS symptoms. I’m still wondering why that is. Shouldn’t I have crazy hormonal imbalances? I can count on 1 hand how many times in the last 4 months I’ve felt overly emotional. It’s good for Dave I guess, lol. I’m not happy with the fact that my face is looking tired all the time, even though I’m not sleepy. It’s also blowing up and making me look fat! Perhaps I need to invest in some good make-up. I’m starting to wonder if a fabulous pregnancy equals a nasty child birth session. Let’s hope not!

I took my weekly belly shot yesterday, but this morning I woke up to a much bigger bulge. It’s amazing how things can change over night! Just 2 more weeks until Dave and I find out the sex. We’re getting really excited about that. I want to stop calling my baby “IT”. We’ll be finding out the same day we start our residential move so then we can start buying baby crap and designing the room. I’m pretty stuck on having a boy since I haven’t had ANY girl dreams or visuals in the last 2 months. What do you all think?

As for the name, I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to make a decision until after the birth. Dave still hasn’t come up with anything, so yay. I really want to be the one to name my child since he had that luxury with Halle. It’s my turn, damnit! So far the votes are in alignment with my first choices - Dominick Angelo and Destiny Rae. Please click on my baby name list and cast your vote!

Pregnancy Symptoms This Week:

* Growing belly
* A couple of zits (eww)
* Difficult time getting to sleep
* Feeling the baby move

So Much To Celebrate

Week 17

I hit 17 weeks on Sunday and I’m really grateful. I honestly feel like I’m out of the woods and can relax about this pregnancy. I’ve been feeling the baby move a lot lately and it’s so exciting! It started in week 14 or so, but by last week this kid was making its presence known pretty often. It’s calmed down a bit now though and I’m finding myself trying to get it to move again, lol. Dave and I only have 3 1/2 weeks until we find out the sex and start the moving process. I have so much to celebrate.

I’ve been taking weekly pictures of my belly’s progress and I’m starting to see the changes in my body more frequently. It’s expanding outward, not width wise yet. It’s not just my uterus though. My face has bloated out a bit in the last week, ugh! At the end of 16 weeks I had what they’re calling “round ligament pain”. It wasn’t too bad and it only lasted an hour or so. This week I’ve got normal stretchy cramps, but now I’m feeling it in my tummy region. My face is still clear of acne, yay!

I’m learning so much about myself while going through this. I’m not reacting the way I originally thought I would, which is obviously a great thing. I was so anti-pregnancy, but now that I’m here, I’m really looking forward to raising my child. I’m not looking forward to childbirth though. I’m still terrified and hope I pass the hell out and not remember a damn thing about it, lol.

At this point I’ve got a lot to do to prepare for this life change. It’s not just the pregnancy, but moving in with Dave and the girls. I’m really stoked because our new place is fabulous and now we have more to offer the kids in the long term sense. I’m starting to clear out more crap and clutter so I can pack and be prepared by March 13th. Dave is a bit on the lazy side when it comes to this stuff though. He’ll be doing things last minute, but as long as I have my stuff in order, I’ll be fine.

Pregnancy Symptoms This Week:

* Stretchy cramps
* Morning gas
* Uncomfortable sleeping
* Stuffy nose

Baby Name List

Check out my tentative baby name options and vote yay or nay. I probably won't be able to decide until I see the baby after it is born, but I thought this would be fun. I will add names as they come to me.

My Baby Likes Rap Crap!

Week 16

Here is a picture of me when I woke up this morning and no, I didn't bother to brush my hair, lol. You can finally see my baby bump!




I’ve made it to week 16 and all is well. My belly is growing and I’ve been documenting with pictures. Check out my photo album to see the comparison shots. I still don’t have enough maternity shirts so I’m going shopping this week. There’s nothing more annoying than not having anything to wear. I’m sick of bumming it every day. I’m going to weigh myself at the end of the week because I’m worried that I may be gaining too much, even though I don’t feel or look it. I’m starting to get some of my energy back this week. It’s nice to be able to work hard and not need a nap by 1pm. Today I woke up at 5am so I will be taking one just to keep my body balanced.

Last night Dave and I were watching part of the Grammy Awards because there really wasn’t anything else on. When Kanye West was performing, I felt the strongest kick/movement I’ve ever gotten so far. I’m guessing this child was reacting to the music. Actually, I did like the song he was performing, but I’m not normally a huge fan of rap. Now I understand why it drove my mother nuts when I was a teenager. I will say, however, that my “old school rap” was much better than the “Move bitch, get out the way!” BS blaring from top 40 radio these days.

We finally told the kids about the move and the baby. They were really excited and happy, which I knew they would be. Dave’s ex-wife turned our situation into a “poor me, you have everything and I have nothing” cry session. Literally, she had to hang up on Dave because she was bawling her eyes out. Unbelievable! At least everyone knows and we can move on with our lives. It’s onward and upward for me, bitches!

I’m going to start packing since I know Dave will need some help. I want to be ready on time for the move because I’ve always been a last minute everything in the past. Last minute packing, Christmas shopping or anything else that requires me to get off my lazy butt, with the exception of work. I already started going through my home office to see what I can get rid of. I found a ton of pictures that I should no longer have in my possession. Pictures of my ex-fiancée don’t belong in my home. I couldn’t believe I missed those when I moved out of state. I also have some furniture with imprints of my ex’s I have to dump. I really can’t wait for this move!

Pregnancy Symptoms So Far This Week:

* Fairly frequent urination
* Growing belly
* Mild stretchy cramps
* Feeling hungry a lot (it’s back!)

That’s all for now. I may post another entry at the end of the week if anything new comes up.

xoxo,
Cristin