Week 33 begins...

Baby's gaining weight almost as fast as you are these days (averaging out to about half a pound a week), which puts the grand total so far at more than four and a half pounds. Still, your baby has plenty of growing up (and out) to do. He or she may grow a full inch this week alone and may come close to doubling in weight by d-day. And with that much baby inside your uterus now, your amniotic fluid level has maxed out (there's no room for more fluid now). Which explains why those pokes and kicks are sometimes extremely uncomfortable: there's less fluid to cushion the blows. Antibodies are also being passed from you to your baby as your little one continues to develope his or her own immunity system. These antibodies will definitely come in handy on the outside and will protect your baby to be from many of those playground germs.

Let it snow let it snow let it snow

This afternoon on my lunch break I went outside for my daily mid-day walk (it's the only way i can be this pregnant and work a full shift). I made it 1 block from the door and said to myself "self, this is WAY too cold!" and I turned around and went back to eat mashed potatoes and warm up. When i got back to our building I went downstairs to tinkle (as i do a million times a day these days) in the time between walking in and going down to the bathroom and coming back up the stairs it started to snow! I was so surprised and wasn't expecting it that i went out to the street and said to a total stranger "I'm sorry but my eyesight is really bad...is it SNOWING?!" to which he said "i was wondering the same thing...I think it is!". Awesome! I love snow! So i skipped back to my desk with mental pictures of playing outside in the pretty snow with my husband and wee dog.
I called Cheyenne to see if it was snowing in Beaverton (where his office is) and sure enough it was, we both decided that he should leave and pick me up early so as to avoid what was sure to be a traffic nightmare (god forbid the people of Portland realize that driving in the snow here in the valley is EXACTLY THE SAME as when the drive in the snow on the mountain every weekend when they go skiing and snowboarding).
Cheyenne left his office at 2:45pm and didn't get to mine until 3:45pm (this normally takes 10-20 minutes depending on traffic). Then it took us (brace yourselves) 4 entire hours to get from my office to our driveway (instead of the usual 15 minutes)!!!!!!!!! A combination of pregnancy hormones and having to tinkle (again, 1 million times a day folks) means that i spent 3.75 of those hours fantasizing about shooting my fellow Portland drivers in their faces with a rifle.
We made it home safe and sound (because, seriously you guys, there is 3 inches of snow on the ground...it ain't no blizzard) and got to play with the dog which is all very nice and our neighborhood looks like a winter wonderland.
I'm still pretty bitter about that commute though.

Have a holly jolly christmas

Our Christmas was wonderful as always. We went over to my mom's on Christmas eve for her 2nd annual Christmas Eve get together and it was lovely, good food and we got to hang out a little bit with my "aunt" Julie & her awesome husband John whom we hadn't seen since our wedding, my dad was there, and we got to meet some of my moms friends that she has talked about forever but we had yet to meet.
On Christmas morning Cheyenne and I got up and opened our gifts to one another and gifts from Chey's mom & sister who couldn't make it up from Reno. I got him a remote control helicopter, a book for dads (it has nursery rhymes, stories, games, and the like that dads should know and it's pretty cute), and a device to listen to and record the baby's heartbeat. He got me an amazing full body prenatal massage from a fantastic local spa which is worth it's weight in gold these days with my 3rd trimester backaches and he got me the footies duvet shoes from Restoration Hardware that i have been wanting all winter long and plan to take to the hospital with me when I'm walking the halls during labor.
Christmas afternoon and evening we had 8 of our friends and family members over for dinner and gifts (mom, dad, Dave, Tom, Meegan, Mike, Holly, & Jonathan...aka the usual suspects). I made a ham, potatoes au gratin, maple roasted butternut squash, balsamic & pancetta Brussels spouts, cider-cranberry relish, and rolls with a gingerbread buche de noel cake for dessert (for those not in the know it's the yule log looking cake in the pictures and a french Christmas tradition which we have stolen the last 3 or 4 Christmases). Everyone ate far too much and enjoyed wine, Spanish coffee, and meegan's homemade whiskey apple cider (i had sparkling pear cider sans alcohol).
After dinner we all opened gifts and had a great time...the best was the crown of thorns that Meegan made for Holly (our resident 1/2 Jew and total good sport).
It was a cozy and lovely holiday but i tell you, I'm glad to be done hosting for the season....i need the rest!
Cheyenne's birthday was the next day (yes yes, give him the pity he craves) and it was just what he wanted. We got up and went out to breakfast at the Cadillac Cafe and had a delicious meal. The day was cold and crisp but clear and sunny so in the afternoon he and Dave went out for an 18 hole round of Frisbee golf while i stayed home and took a nap with the dog. I've been told that it was cold as can be in the shade but a blast nonetheless. I got Cheyenne a robotic arm that he had to put together and it moves and grabs things and the like (no year passes without him getting at least one science nerd toy from me that he goes ape for) he spent all of Sunday putting it together by the way (no surprise, he's trying to get it to goose me). That night we went out with our friends (Holly, John C., Tom, Meegan, Amanda, Dave B., and Dave P.)to our favorite hole in the wall bar (since there is no smoking in any bar now and the owners put in new carpet and repainted and the like it was safe for preggo here to go in) we had a birthday cheesecake and lots of fun. All said he had a great day...which is basically my goal most of the year so as to try and make up for the fact that he was born the day after Christmas and has been gypped by that more than once.
New Years is the last holiday of 2009 and I'm looking forward to it, we are going out to dinner at Jake's downtown on New Years Eve and then coming home for Sparkling Cider (in my case) and champagne (in Cheyenne's case) and ringing in the new year for the last time as a twosome. It's been a mostly good year with a few hiccups at the end (though they seem to be working themselves out and getting better thank goodness) but I'm ready to start 2010 with a fresh start and our first baby (not counting the dog of course....we all know Josie considers herself the firstborn).

Even More Christmas Pictures

More Christmas Pictures

Christmas Pics

Week 32 begins...

Your baby is practicing survival skills like sucking and breathing, while your uterus is practicing some Braxton Hicks contractions.
This week, your body may start prepping for delivery day by flexing its muscles — literally. If you feel your uterus bunching or hardening periodically, those are practice contractions, otherwise known as Braxton Hicks. These rehearsals (typically experienced earlier and with more intensity in women who've been pregnant before) feel like a tightening sensation that begins at the top of your uterus then spreads downward, lasting from 15 to 30 seconds (though they can sometimes last two minutes or more). What's up with your baby? She's starting to get ready for her big debut, tipping the scales at almost four pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches. In these last few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to survive and thrive outside the womb, from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck her thumb for a while now. Another change this week: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, she's becoming less transparent and more opaque.

Honey Bee Shower

Yesterday we was my adorably sweet honey bee themed baby shower and it was wonderful! The garden party room at Elephants is at it's best this time of year with the fire lit and boughs of evergreen everywhere it's so cozy and pretty without being obnoxious. The bee theme was carried through from the invites, favors, thank you cards, and even the menu (check out the pictures of the honey flavored beehive cupcakes for an example).
We played the obligatory games which wasn't nearly as horrible as it sounds (don't you just hate those showers with the same games, punch, and cake?) and everyone had a lot of fun - smiles and laughter dominated the afternoon.
Of course we got many wonderful, sweet, and thoughtful gifts from our loving friends, including a handmade quilt by Amanda's grandmother (how kind is that?!). Needless to say Cheyenne and i are so grateful and I am so happy that i was able to share such a great day with my family and best friends.
Below are some pictures, though there will be more coming when i can pilfer through the pictures that Amanda and Meegan took.

Baby Shower Pics

More baby shower photos

More Baby Shower Pictures

Some Baby Shower Pictures

Big things come in small packages...

We just had our biweekly OB check up and it turns out that i have only gained about 12 pounds, which combined with my perfectly healthy test results and always healthy fetal heart rate (it was in the 150's this time in case you're keeping track) makes the doctor believe that we have a "petite fetus". If you have stared at my 6 foot 3 inch 195 pound husband and then over to my lofty 5 feet 1 inch and noneofyourdamnbusiness pound self with a bit of fear for my labor (as i do on a near daily basis) then this should be taken as VERY good news.
Just for good measure we have an ultrasound in 3 weeks to check on the petite little bugger. If he/she is cooperative this time we may get some updated ultrasound pictures!

Week 31 begins...

Though your baby still has 3-5 pounds more to gain before delivery, he or she is weighing in at an impressive 3+ pounds this week. And at 18 inches long (give or take a couple because fetuses this age come in different sizes), your baby is quickly approaching his or her birth length. Also developing at an impressive clip these days: your baby's brain connection (baby has to make trillions of them). And he or she will be able to put that complex web of brain connections to good use, too - already processing information, tracking lights, and perceiving signals from all 5 senses. Your brainy baby is also a sleepy one, putting in longer stretches of snooze time, particularly in REM sleep - which is why you are probably noticing more defined patterns of awake (and kicking) and sleeping (quiet) times from your little one.

"Experts"

We had our last night in baby class this evening and it was bittersweet. We are both so happy that we went with the 10 week program because we were able to learn so much and gain so much confidence. It was also nice to get to meet and become friends with so many other great couples who are in the same "state of affairs" as we are. It's definitely an accomplishing feeling having gone through the program and we feel much more prepared but we'll defiantly miss that weekly get together with the other couples. We were able to exchange information with our favorite couple (Betsy & Melanie) so we can keep in touch and update each other when our babies come (they are expecting a son who is due exactly 4 weeks before our wee one).
As a class we are all getting together April 2nd (this will be 4 weeks after the last due date in the class) at a local restaurant to catch up and to see each others babies. That should be a lot of fun and we're looking forward to it.

Baby movements

As of late the baby has decided that the only place that is really comfortable is my ribcage. At first this was cute but now it's just kind of painful and obnoxious. I try and shake it out or massage it out but this only results in a spin or two and crawling right back to the nest it's created where my lungs once lived. Ugh.
On a more cute note, he or she has gotten large enough and strong enough that it's kicks are just fun little flutters anymore but rather they are firm pokes/movements of distinct hands/knees/feet/elbows. We've been having quite a bit of fun feeling it and pushing back and seeing how it reacts. It ALMOST makes the acid reflux and 7 trips in one night to pee all worth it...almost.


p.s. of course i love my baby and it's all worth it.

Maybe I am pregnant after all

I'm sure that this happens to every pregnant woman but even though I am told by my husband, parents, and friends that i look pregnant i find it hard to trust their judgement since they know that I am and they are looking for it. So i have convinced myself that strangers cant tell and merly think im a chunkster with a deep cookie lust that has resulted in a gut.
Well no more! I was walking to Kinkos today (to make baby shower games) and a drunken bum says to me "hey lady, you lookin' a little pregnant". Well how else is a girl supposed to repsond other than "well my friend, i am in fact 'a little pregnant'." to which he says "yeah, that's what i was thinkin' you was".
Now, if you havent lived in the city you are most likly cringing at this exchange...HOWEVER! Since im used to bum to non-bum communications i was not only NOT horrifed but delighted beyond belief. I called Cheyenne immediately (yes in the middle of his busiest work day of the week) to inform him that i "do in fact look pregnant, not just fat...a bum who doesnt know me confirmed it". He wasnt nearly as impressed as me about this information.
Some days we take our happiness were we can get it.

Week 30 begins....

What is 17 inches long, just over 3 pounds in weight and cute all over? It's your baby - and he or she is getting bigger by the day (in case you couldn't tell by the size of you belly). Also getting bigger daily is baby's brain, which is preparing for life outside of the womb - and for a lifetime of learning. Starting this week, your baby's brain is starting to look like one, taking on those characteristic grooves and indentations. These wrinkles allow for future expansion of brain tissue that is crucial as your baby goes from helpless newborn to responsive infant to verbal toddler to curious preschooler and beyond. Your baby's bigger and better brain is also starting to take on tasks previously delegated to other parts of the body, like temperature regulation. Now that the brain is capable of turning up the heat (with the help of that growing supply of baby fat), your baby will start shedding languo, the downy, soft body hair that has been keeping him or her warm up to this point. Which means that by the time your baby is born, he or she probably wont be fuzzy wuzzy anymore.

Footloose and diabetes free...

Our doctor called this morning to let us know that my results came back totally normal and diabetes free! Woo hoo! I bet Wilford Brimley is super jealous.

Shameless Plug

My baby shower invites have gone out and arrived already (yay) but now my pregnant paranoid baby brain has the unnessisary fear that nobody will go to the website listed on said invite where i tastfully have listed our registry information (because it seemed tacky to just list it right on the invite itself). So, in truth i have actually lost sleep over the list of things that we need (and are registered for) but dont yet have. In case you didnt know we are registered at www.amazon.com under the name "Nichole Clark", if you want to know what we want/need most from the list the answer would be the bamboo diapers and diaper covers...what i need least would be clothing (though i know it's fun to shop for so if you cant resist go on ahead. Also, since i've already gone off the deep end of bad taste by even posting this i might as well go all in and say that any gift is kind and thoughtful and we thank you in advance we would prefer it if you picked items from this registry or at the least visit it and read the paragraph describing what our wishes are (no disposable diapers or unnessisary plastic for example).

Week 29 begins...

Your baby can be as tall as 17 inches now and weigh nearly 3 pounds. Although already coming pretty close (within 3 inches or so) of his or her ultimate birth length, baby still has a lot to gain. In fact, over the next 11 weeks, your baby more than doubles - and may even come close to tripling - his or her weight. Much of that weight will come from fat accumulating under his or her skin right now. And as your baby plumps up, the room in your womb will start to feel a little cramped, making it less likely that you'll feel hard kicks from your little one, and more likely that you'll be feeling jabs and pokes from elbows and knees.

Hey lady, get your own schtick!

With the new hospital rules in place until the H1N1 hysteria has died down (no one under 18 is allowed anywhere near the maternity ward -this excludes the persons being born of course- and aside from the mother and partner only two other people from your party are allowed on the floor at one time -so i can have my parents come see us but they have to leave the floor before Tom & Meegan can come up) all maternity ward tours have been shut off (there is a virtual tour on the hospital's website) but we would like a bit more than a virtual tour...ya know?
So I signed us up for a "hospital orientation" which is like the second best thing to a tour (we'll be at the hospital and we'll be shown where to go when we arrive and have a slide show and such of the maternity ward).
But I digress, when i called the hospital to register for this orientation the nice help desk lady helping me asked for my name to which is said "Nichole spelled with an H and my last name is Clark with the traditional spelling". Help desk lady (here to be known as HDL) says "Hmmm, when's your due date?" which i answer and HDL then says "Hmm that's weird, when is your birthday?" so now im getting a bit weirded out and i answer "4/12/82, i preregistered for my stay already is that what's causing the confusion?" HDL then says "no no not that, um what is your address and your partners name?".
Well im getting a bit agitated so I answer and she says "Ok i found you, what's weird is that there is another Nichole Clark with the same spelling as you giving birth in this same hospital and her due date is in the same week but none of your other info matches so i know that it's not you entered twice".
Freaking weird! So of course all i can think of is how FURIOUS i am at this doppelganger stealing my identity(not in the credit sense but in the "i have your name and due date sense). All Cheyenne can think of is that our babies are going to be switched, so no joke, he's bringing a sharpie with him to the hospital to write "Cheyenne is my daddy" on some part of our baby.

time to pay the piper

So, not unlike the rest of the country I over-indulged over the past holiday weekend. Normally this wouldn't worry me too much but since i have my gestational diabetes test on Friday I'm a bit worried about all of that pumpkin and apple pie I've consumed. For the next 5 days I'm guzzling water like a camel and hoping for the best come Friday. Also, i have to get a blood draw and a shot - both things alone make me faint (literally...it's written in red sharpie on my med records) so I'm sure the combo happening within 15 minutes of one another is going to send me over the edge. Blech. On a more positive note i got an email from the stationer today saying that she would be dropping the baby shower invites and favors off at my office on Tuesday! Yay!

Thanksgiving

We had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving this year! This was the first holiday in our new house and it really made a difference having so much more space and a cozy fireplace and such. Also, after several years of hosting under my belt (this was my 4th) i have all of the kinks worked out and the meal was delicious and went smoothly. The menu? Spiced cranberry brined turkey roasted with salt pork and cheesecloth on the breast, fresh green beans with mushrooms, candied yams, pugliese apples & chestnut stuffing, yukon gold mashed potatoes, cider and spice cranberry relish, and warm rolls with pumpkin pie and caramel apple pie for dessert. It was soooo good but took me until 3:00am to digest! Eesh. Here are some pictures from the day (the guests, if you didnt know, are my parents, Tom & Meegan Watts, & Holly Streed) Please notice the one of my feet that was taken to show my barefoot and pregnant in te kitchen...

Week 28 begins

This week, your amazing baby has reached 2.5 pounds and may be almost 16 inches long. Baby's skill of the week: blinking. Yes, along with the other tricks in a growing repertoire that already includes coughing, sucking, hiccuping, and taking practice breathes, your baby can now blink those sweet little eyes. Dreaming about your baby? Baby may be dreaming, you, too, courtesy of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep that he or she has already started getting. But this little dreamer isn't ready for birth day just yet. Though his or her lungs are nearly fully mature by now (making it easier for your baby - and you - to breath a little easier if he or she were born now), your baby still has a lot of growing to do.

That time of year...

With Thanksgiving just a few days away i have made a list of the things in my life that I am most grateful for. I went with a bakers dozen because it's my favorite quantity and im posting it now because with a house full of people to cook for on Thursday im afraid i wont have time on the actual day of giving thanks...

1. My awesome husband: who makes me laugh constantly and because of whom I never doubt how loved I am.

2. My family: though many of them make, me nuts at times I have nothing but love and admiration for all of them

3. My amazing friends: who know me better then many family members and love me in spite of what they know.

4. My adorable pets

5. My healthy pregnancy: already feisty baby, and my 1st trimester becoming a more distant memory each day.

6. A cozy home: that makes me breathe a sigh of comfort every morning when I wake up and every evening when I get home.

7. My job: that allows me to be around friends all day and bosses (N & L) that are more like family than the traditional idea of "boss".

8. Never to be forgotten, my other love, Portland. I love this city and am so grateful to live here and to get to raise my children here.

9. Chocolate milk & Tums: thank you for being my cocktail of choice in my GERD-filled pregnancy.

10. My brain: though recently thanks to a healthy dose of pregnancy hormones I haven't seen you all that much, I'm proud to say that I have a brain and i know how to use it. No shrinking violet am I and I'm very proud of it!

11. Because it's Thanksgiving it must be said (in the most liberal non-right wing conservative way) Being an American: Taking nothing away from any other country, I'm just being thankful for my own. It may not be perfect--what place is?--but I love it nonetheless.

12. The hard times: Because they've made me stronger and wiser, and the good times even better.

13. Rainy days: I love knowing the world around me is getting watered. Rainy days are also a great excuse to curl up with a blanket and a good book

27 weeks and some change