The Registry Process

Last week Aaron and I set aside a day to register at buybuybaby and Gaga (a local Austin boutique). We started bright and early, 9am to be exact, at buybuybaby. Like most people we had never been a part of the registration process so we walked in a little overwhelmed and unsure of what to expect. Immediately the 'Registry' lady stated that they offer a personal shopper, an employee to guide you through the store and answer any questions we may have. Of course this would have required a previous appointment so we decided against it because we were in the registry mindset. Aaron and I like to figure things out on our own but I have to admit the overwhelming amount of baby products and our lack of baby knowledge kind of made me wish we had known about it sooner. But alas, I filled out some paperwork with all our contact information while Aaron looked through the goodie bag provided. We were handed over a scanner and a checklist and sent on our way.

We were completely lost without that checklist (click on the link to see the massive checklist we were given). We started at the top and worked our way down, which unfortunately wasn't organized in corresponding store organization. This made for dozens of trips around the store, with me slowing hobbling behind Aaron (damn you, sciatica). Right from the very beginning we realized how little we actually knew. "What is a receiving blanket?" I asked Aaron, "I have no idea" was his response. Grrreat. We had to go find an employee and ask them what it was, and where we could find them. Whats a "nursing stool"? We still haven't figured out what a "splat mat" or "bath support" is, we got sick of asking so we are hoping these aren't essentials. We had to ask so many questions that those employees probably thought we were going to be the worst parents in the world.

As we worked our way throughout the store the we found ourselves not registering for at least half of the stuff the checklist suggested. We didn't register for any clothes (people usually cant resist buying tiny baby clothes and if not, Ill set Aaron free in a few baby stores, then I know she'll be set until she is at least 3 years old). We aren't going to be using a traditional crib or a changing table so we omitted those as well. Registering for baby proofing products seems a little premature to me, she wont be walking for a year so we will cross that bridge when we get there. And do people actually register for "Breast pads, shields, and cream"? We all know that these things are necessary if breastfeeding is planned but do you really want other people buying these things for you? I do not. Here is a bottle of cream for your sore nipples and a pad so you don't leak milk through your bra...umm, no thank you, we will be handling that on our own. We only registered for items we feel are necessary (except for the humidifier, we still don't know if we absolutely need that, I'm fairly certain I didn't have one as a baby and Aaron definitely didn't have one so a little more research is needed). We will not be those people with tons of baby crap that we never use laying around the house. We are minimalists and are going to stay that way, otherwise my OCD will fuel a mental breakdown.

Sciatica... Again!

I feel as though I have had the perfect pregnancy. The only challenge I have come across, which has been of recently, is Sciatica (link to my first sciatica post). The sciatic back pain I have been experiencing for a few weeks now doesn't show any sign of letting up. At my last prenatal appointment the midwife said that Penelope's head is resting on my pubic bone. "No wonder your limping around, poor thing" was her response to Penelope's positioning. 

Like I mentioned before, I have never been held back physically in my life. My mindset is that I can do anything physically if I put my mind to it. I lead a very healthy, active lifestyle so this newly acquired ailment has been both mentally and physically draining. Unfortunately my job requires me to be on my feet running (or hobbling) around for six hours straight, sometimes longer. After much struggling, Aaron was finally able to convince me to cut back on my shifts at work. I was working five, now I am down to three. I am still not happy about the decision but if this was to in anyway affect Penelope I could never live with myself. If I am going to have a healthy, strong baby I myself need to be healthy and strong. 

Am I dreaming?

As my due date nears I cant help but be in complete shock. Shock that this is really going to happen. I look at other women with their babies and it still doesn't seem real. I will actually have a baby. I have wanted to start a family for as long as I can remember and my dream is coming true. How did I get so lucky? 

I moved to Austin from Seattle almost five years ago with absolutely nothing but my two best friends (and my crazy ass cats). I had sold everything I owned and literally started completely over. We slept on blow up mattresses and furnished our apartment with hideous furniture from the apartment community dumpster. Fast forward...and now I have the worlds greatest life partner, a baby on the way, two dogs, the same two lunatic cats, and an apartment we are turning into a home.  I would have never guessed that all of these wonderful things would have been waiting for me in Austin. I am so glad that I took that leap and tried something new, something some people thought I was crazy for. I had no idea what was in store for me here in Austin but it sure did turn out amazing. 

Goodbye Sleep

Its 6am and I am awake, with no possibility of going back to sleep. Not because I'm not tired or don't want to but because my aching body wont let me. During pregnancy women are to sleep on their sides, not on the stomach for obvious reasons and not on the back because the added weight puts pressure on spine, intestines, and major blood vessels. Before I got pregnant I was a back sleeper. Since then I have been using a large pregnancy pillow designed to help keep me from rolling onto my back. It worked pretty well until about a few weeks ago. 

Now I can only be in one position for a short amount of time, then my hips and shoulders start aching. Aching is such a mild word to use, I think excruciating pain gives a more accurate description. Once this happens I automatically wake up and the task of flipping over to the other side must begin. It is not an easy task. I have to maneuver the giant belly with me as I slowly turn, grunting and moaning the entire time. Then all the damn pillows must be put back into place. Ugh! Its exhausting. Poor Penelope, she gets tousled from one side to another. I can always feel her move after I switch positions, she is getting situated as well. 

My nights of 10 hour sleeps are officially over, for the rest of my life. I honestly didn't think this would begin until Penelope was actually born. While I still have another 6-8 weeks, she needs to bake as long as possible, I am more than thrilled at the idea of having my body back. I shall lay on my stomach, and my back and have a grand ol' time! (Of course, while waking up every 2-3 hours to feed my giant Penelope).

Week 31 Photos

I am not one of those girls that carries a camera with them wherever they go. In fact, over the past couple of years I have been majorly slacking on documenting our lives together. Maybe its because we have a really crappy digital camera from like 5 years ago that takes blurry photos (hint hint Aaron!). Or maybe its because Aaron sat on our good digital camera on our trip last summer to Seattle, breaking the lens. Nonetheless when I got pregnant I wanted to take a lot of photos. I want to be able to show Penelope what I looked like when she was a little nugget. Also, I think pregnancy is incredibly beautiful and I want to be able to look back at this amazing time.

Some of you might remember my Week 22 Photos, the mid-way point, if not click on the link to refresh your memory. I thought I had a big belly at the time. I remember by the time I received the photos from the photographer my stomach had at least doubled in size.

Roughly two weeks ago I went to the same photographer and had some more photos taken. This time with a truly large belly. Although, Aaron says I am bigger now. I don't know how its possible to get any bigger. I also forced, and yes I mean forced, Aaron to be in a few photos with me. He doesn't think he is photogenic, I have to admit he does need a little help in the smiling department. And he thinks the photos would be super cheesy, which some are (sorry, but per Aaron's request these wont be making a public appearance). At least it'll give Penelope something to laugh about when she is older.

Here are my week 31 photos, these are the first pictures I have taken since my very crooked Linea Nigra became visible:

Dreaded Sciatica

Today I am 33 weeks 3 days, for those of you who don't know a typical pregnancy is 40 weeks (usually 1-2 weeks longer for first time moms). That means I have 6 weeks 4 days until my due date. AH! I feel like I just found out I was pregnant and like Ive been pregnant forever, all at the same time. As far as pregnancies go I have had it super easy. A lot of friends and acquaintances tell me of their sicknesses and hardships, none of which I can relate too. I am a low-risk patient, never got morning sickness, test results were all normal, normal blood pressure, no bed rest and so on. I was able to finish the spring semester of school while working my normal work hours, this was an incredible feat for myself. School was the last thing I wanted to concentrate on and being a waitress really takes a toll on ones feet and back. Any pregnancy ailments I have felt have been from my own doing, pushing myself too hard. About a week or two ago I felt the twinges of Sciatic nerve pain. 

I took this information off whattoexpect.com:

Sciatica During Pregnancy — What It Is

Shooting pain, tingling, or numbness that starts in the back or buttocks and radiates down the backs of your legs. Sciatica is most common in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Sciatica During Pregnancy — What Causes It

At various times throughout your pregnancy, your expanding uterus might put pressure on the sciatic nerve in the lower part of your spine, which causes lower back pain during pregnancy (which often travels throughout the body). When the baby starts to shift into the proper birth position in the third trimester, it can rest directly on the nerve, causing a major pain in the butt (and back, and legs).

Sciatica During Pregnancy — What You Need to Know

Sciatica can be constant or intermittent, depending on whether your baby changes positions. And you might not just experience this lower back pain during pregnancy — it can also stick around for a little while after you've given birth.

I have never had back problems in my life so when the Sciatica started I was completely taken off guard. Its amazing how it affects everything you can and mostly what you cannot do. Physically I have never been restricted before, so it has taken its toll emotionally. Aaron has to force me to lay down or to work less because otherwise I would be go-go-go nonstop, thus hurting myself more. I don't think I will ever be 'okay' with restricting myself physically but as of right now I don't really have a choice.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Its been awhile since I have been able to do some blogging. Since my last post we have completely moved out of our old apartment! We were very excited to only have spent 5 hours cleaning as opposed to the 8 hours it took us in our previous place. We are cleaning machines.

As of right now our new apartment looks like a war zone, as most do right after moving in. Everything got piled near the front door so its a maze to actually get in. Most boxes are open as we shuffle through all our stuff trying to find everyday things, like cups and plates. Our new washer and dryer isn't fully set up yet so the dirty clothes pile is larger than me, and damn that's big! 

However, through the horrible mess its actually very cozy. No more traffic noise. No more hospital noises, ambulances and helicopters oh my! And since we are on the top floor we don't even hear the neighbors. Ahhh! City living is a lot of fun but it was definitely time for a change.

Birthday Happiness

Last week I celebrated my 27th birthday! Its hard to believe I am 27 already, it seems so old in some aspects and so young in others.  I didn't realize it at the time but my 26th year was my last year as just being Emma, from now on Ill have the added extra title of Mom. Weird.

I was able to finish my last paper of the semester the day before my birthday so I could nothing but relax and enjoy the day, something I haven't been able to do since probably December. Aaron and I woke up early to take the dogs to the greenbelt, we like to get there before everyone else. We had such a nice hike, it was sprinkling and smelled so good. The dogs enjoyed getting covered in mud.

That evening Aaron took me to Wink. They print their menus daily so I had one especially made for me, it was really sweet. The food was delicious and I got to wear the maternity dress that Aaron got me for Christmas.





"Its a boy, right?"

In the past few weeks I have come into contact with many people who truly believe in the old wives tales of pregnancy. While I think they are fun and amusing I do not specifically believe in them. One particular tale has become more apparent as I now have a unmistakable giant pregnant belly, that the size and shape of a pregnant belly somehow represents the sex of the child. Since getting pregnant I have not gotten much wider, the belly just very prominently sticks straight out. Apparently an old wives tale says that this belly shape means I am having a boy, while having a girl would have made me wider. This assumes that every woman and every pregnancy is the same, which we all know is far from the truth. My pregnancy differs extremely from that of my friends and acquaintances. I have come into casual contact with four woman who, in passing, gaze at my belly and say "Its a boy, right?" Um, no she is a girl. One woman even had the nerve to tell me I was wrong. Thankfully I have some control over my Third Trimester Rage otherwise this woman would have gotten a piece of my mind.

All of these comments started to get to me. As part of our Birthing Center experience only one ultrasound is offered, at 20 weeks.  During our one and only ultrasound Penelope was moving around like a mad woman and every time we got close to seeing her female parts she would put her hand between her legs so we couldn't see anything. My modest little girl. But the inability to get a clear photo of her made us feel slightly unsure, even though the ultrasound technician assured us with a 90% accuracy rate.  Recently, I was considering going to an independent 3-D imaging facility and paying extra for the photos, DVDs, etc. just to verify that I was having a Penelope and not a Gael (Ga-el). Although, because we signed up for a natural pregnancy and birth process I felt as though getting that extra procedure was cheating ourselves. But as with most things, Aaron's calm and reassuring nature, made me decide against it. We cannot control the outcome either way so there is no need to spend extra mental energy or money on it.

Besides, having a Penelope themed baby shower for Gael would make for a lifetime of good stories and laughs.   

Happy Mother's Day

It has been far too long since I have written a blog. But with this semester finally over I feel like I have a moment to breathe, just a moment though because we are moving in three days. We got the keys to our new apartment yesterday and Aaron, with the help of some amazing friends, immediately started painting. While I like the idea of personalizing our space I wasn't too keen on the whole painting aspect. It takes a LOT of work and a LOT of money. And not being able to help, due to the fumes, really aggravated my 'need to control' buttons. But alas I let go. Having a space that we will be comfortable in for the next two years is very important, especially since we will be spending so much time at home with Penelope. And while possible, comfort does not come easily in the cheapest, ugliest, uniform apartment paint.

We have taken 'before' photos so when we get all settled, which seems will never happen, I will post our interior decorating skills for you all to see.

Weight Talk

Obviously, pregnancy is new to me. I didn't know anything at all when I began this journey and I still feel as if Ive only brushed the surface of information available. There are so many differing views, so many options, beliefs, etc. But there is one thing that really stands out, something I was not expecting to be a hot topic of pregnancy whatsoever, the dreaded weight discussion.

I mentioned before that I read pregnancy forms, not actively participating however. I stick with two that are available as free apps on my phone, Baby Center and What to Expect. I browse through the posts once every few days, just to see if anything relates to my pregnancy, which it usually doesn't.  After 7 months of browsing through these I can safely say that the most talked about subject on these forums is weight. How much weight have you gained? Have I gained too much weight? Do I need to gain more? The responses to these posts turn into a 'who has gained the least amount of weight?' contest. Women who gain very few pounds are then congratulated and put on a perfect-pregnancy-body pedestal. It saddens me that even through pregnancy, a time when gaining weight is necessary, the main focus women have is the number on the scale. Forget about growing a happy, healthy baby. All pregnant women are going to gain weight differently. It all depends on body type and nutrition levels. A heavier woman might have less weight to gain than the woman who was underweight to begin with and needed to catch up on calorie intake.

Also related is the never ending discussion of celebrities and their post-baby bodies. How fast did Angelina Jolie lose the pregnancy weight? Jessica Alba was back in a bikini 4-weeks after delivery! This constant emphasis placed on post-pregnancy thinness takes away from the importance of psychological as well as physical health after delivery. It seems to me pregnancy has become a contest of who can gain the least amount of weight and then lose that weight the quickest once the pregnancy has ended. Aren't there more important things to worry about? Like spending time with your infant and family. Nutrition and fitness are extremely important, don't get me wrong, but they are important for reasons other than getting back into your bikini. They are important for your health and overall well-being.

As a society we are failing women, once again. Lets reroute the unhealthy thin emphasis and place it on nutrition, health and family. Topics which are much more deserving of our time.