Gametes In Love

How far along: 27w
Weight: 141lb (and by the way, WTH? I was 140.2 yesterday. Ugh!)
Sleep: Same.
Gender: Still a boy. We’ve got more proof too.
Movement: Uhmn, yes, lots, and very concentrated on my right side. S2 is head down and facing toward my right hip. All that space and he’s crammed to the right. Joy!
Feeling: Same, but now that I have a bit more of a hint that my hips are achy because of how I’ve been sleeping, I’ve been relying on pillows more, trying to sleep more on my right, and I also adjusted the softness of my bed (have I mentioned how much Sleep Number beds rule?). Pain’s not gone, but it has made a difference.
What I miss: Not having to run to the bathroom every other minute because someone’s little foot is kicking my bladder
What I am looking forward to: Seeing how much G and S2 look alike (or not).
Milestones: 3rd trimester baby! This last trimester went by fast.
Food cravings: This week? I’ve been craving roasted veggies.
S2 notes:
We had an anatomy scan yesterday and another 3D u/s. S2 looks healthy, adorable as ever, and is measuring a week ahead. I’m not sure how I feel about the last part on two levels: 1) I really, REALLY want him to come on time. I want 2 weeks off of work to have time to re-focus and transition my brain to the new job I’ll be taking on. I needed that time with G, also to finish the small projects I had to myself and it took me a full week just to get to that state. It wasn’t until mid-way through week 2 that I felt like I had finished up everything I wanted to and felt “ready” (or as ready as a first-time mom could get); 2) I’m not sure how much I want to have 2 kids of disproportionate size. While I would LOVE not to have to stress out about a second kid staying on the charts, and counting every calorie, I also don’t want to give G a complex about having a younger, bigger brother :-/ I don’t know if measuring ahead is any predictor of either a kid coming early OR that they’ll be on the higher end of the percentile scale, but there it is.
Fetal development:
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He’s sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby’s brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements 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 they don’t bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

S2 in profile.

If you have a girl, let me tell you the types of conversation you might be missing out on…

G: (after dinner lets one rip). (GRIN!)

G: Fa-at

Me: Did you fart?

G: (giggle) Fa-at. Again!

Me: You want to fart again?

G: HAHA!

Yeah, we’ve got the boy topics covered over here. And yes, for the  record this was at the dinner table, which qualifies as 1) talking about farts; 2) toilet humor at dinner. It’s a 2 for 1 evening.

As of about two weeks ago, every once in awhile you’d overhear G mumbling and reciting things to himself that sounds like “G, F, P, T”. At first S and I looked at each other perplexed: “Is he saying the alphabet?” I mean, it sure sounded like it. Then I asked Ms. J if they’ve been doing the alphabet at school. Sure enough, they’d been singing the alphabet song a lot, which is neat. Of course in G’s mind, F & G come after P, but you know… neat.

Then last week something weird happened.

When I dropped G off at school, I let him walk through the parking lot. On the side of the playground fence, there’s a big sign that lists the school name, their open hours and number. Well, G stops at the sign, points to the P in Puma, and says “P!”. Then he points to the “O” in “Open:” and says “O!” Here is where mommy’s eye brows get raised and she’s getting ready to have a mild heart-attack. Luckily, he then pointed to the letter “E” and said “P!” again, which made me feel a bit better.

But he’s doing more of this, and getting more of the letters correctly. This week (and I’m taking S’ word for this as I didn’t witness it myself), G spent some quality iPad game time on a letter recognition game and was getting most of them correctly.

I’m proud… and scared. You see, I spell things out for S all the time. It’s my “secret code”. Original, no? You know… when you don’t want to say “smoothie” right before dinner in front of toddler years. Well, if this child is learning his letters before 2, what is he gonna do? Spell and ruin my top-secret encryption mechanisms at 3? I need a new secret code.

Meanwhile, go G!

When G turns 2, he will graduate to the preschool room at daycare. It means a big kid with big toys, and big words. It means letters and numbers, and circle time, and the big kid playground.

And I’m not sure I’m ready. I’m having a hard time parting with the wee baby that fit hand to toes in the crook of my arm, and acknowledging that that wee baby is the one that now runs like a crazy man from room to room in nothing but a diaper. I feel like these last 2 years couldn’t have possibly gone by this quickly. And that room transition is just making it too real for me.

It also means no more Ms. J and no more Ms. S, who I am really, really going to miss. They have been so sweet and wonderful to this little man. I will miss talking to them about his day. I will miss getting to know them better. In some ways they feel like family, and it’s just hard to say Good-Bye to people like that.

G on the other hand is ready to go. Transition for the kids starts a month before their birthday. They go in for a few minutes at first, then hours. G went in and didn’t want to leave. He wanted “big kids”. It was hard bringing him back, and legally they can’t keep him there until 2, so they decided to delay the transition. Instead they’ll do it over the last week before he has to be there full time. That week is next week. And as of Aug 30th, our little dude is officially in pre-school. PRE-SCHOOL, PEOPLE!!!

Ms. S said that once the kids move over to the other room, they become too cool to play with their toddler teachers. They just don’t want to. Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones talking, but that simply breaks my heart. G calls after Ms. S when he sees her in the parking lot. His face lights up when he sees his Juju. I just can’t imagine that he’ll want to turn his back on them and not want to play with them anymore. I told Ms. J, that the toddler room needs to be like the boy band Menudo — the kids can only leave when they grow facial hair. She liked that idea!

I know S2 will be going in that room next year, and I have 2 more years around these wonderful people, but I’m still sad. The teachers in the next room are just as awesome, and his tuition drops too. There are lots of things to look forward to, I assure you, but I’m still not ready. I’m not ready to say good-bye, and I’m not ready to have a kid in pre-school.

So… which one of you has the time machine? I need the pause button hit. Pronto!

Have you ever had a Hallelujah moment? You know one of those cartoon segments when a little light bulb goes off above your head?

Well, I had one of those this morning.

At my regular OB appointment, Dr. M’s assistant, J, asked me how my back was doing. I told her that while my lower back is now much better, I had reconciled to the fact that I will likely have weekly visits to the chiropractor until the end of pregnancy since my left hip keeps making me miserable. She then asked “Is that the side you sleep on?”

DING! DING! DING!

I’ve been obsessing over how it is that I keep messing up my hips every week. I feel good on Monday, and Tuesday, but then by Friday I feel stiff, sore and achy all over again. I look forward to Mondays purely for the chiro visits. How sad is that?

Last Friday was so bad at one point I couldn’t apply ANY weight on my left leg, and even sitting hurt. (Kind of freaked S out. We were in IKEA and I was just… stuck) I’ve been paranoid over how I walk, sit, stand… everything. But never ONCE did I think that I’m re-injuring myself while sleeping of all things. It makes sense. I can’t sleep on my belly (sad), and at this stage being on my back for long periods of time isn’t working for me either, and I am favoring my left for some reason. Well with all that weight, and trying to get comfortable on my side, I must be tweaking my left hip. So now I’m on a mission to figure out a better way to sleep.

J is brilliant! Brilliant I tells ya’!

Oh, in other news. I got a 120 mg/dL on my glucose tolerance test. A FAR cry from my 141 with G. I’m diabetes negative and free from worrying about tasting that nasty drink ever again and having my blood sucked over a period of 3 hours. Hooray!

How far along: 26w
Weight: 139.4lb
Sleep: Good. I typically have to get up once a night to go pee, but it’s working out ok.
Gender: Still a boy
Movement: Uhmn, yes, lots.
Feeling: Good. My pelvic joints are sore (which I guess is normal), and I’m probably going to continue seeing a chiropractor through the end of pregnancy, but other than that, no complaints. S and I had a conversation about consequent pregnancy, if I felt the way I do now, while pregnant with G. The thing is (and maybe this is Mother Nature doing her juju already), as crappy as I’ve felt to date: I’d do it again. Not that we will mind you. We’re done with S2.
What I miss: Ability to sneeze/cough without bracing myself for round ligament ouchies.
What I am looking forward to: 3rd trimester is but a week away.
Weekly Wisdom: Talk to HR early about leave. Get as many questions answered early, because you’ll want to know more than HR knows.
Milestones: I had my gestational diabetes test today. I swear that drink tastes worse than I remember. S2 did not approve either: he returned the favor for being rudely woken up from his nap by flipping around and giving me a few extra-strength packed punches. Sorry, kid! Let’s call it even by you not making me do the 3hr test again.
Food cravings: Carbs & sweets. Oh so not good for me, but taste so good.
Fetal development:
The network of nerves in your baby’s ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner’s as you chat with each other. He’s inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he’s born and takes that first gulp of air. And he’s continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. His testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

This is a day in my life… in pictures. It’s been a reeeeaaaallly long time since I’ve done one of these: years before Gametes In Love was even a twinkle in my eye, but a friend this week inspired me to do it again. I didn’t pick a special day. As a matter of fact, I’m giving you a good ‘ole glimpse of a run of the mill week-day. If you think I’m boring, keep it to yourself ;p

6:24 . It begins. Well, really my alarm goes off at 6:00, and normally I’m up, but today I snoozed.

6:28 . I’m greeted by a hungry feline every day. He’s very loving in the morning, but becomes pretty belligerent if his growling belly isn’t addressed ASAP.

6:40 . While Neko eats, I get G’s breakfast ready. He gets his milk handed to him first thing. It’s like coffee — he can’t function without it. It actually helps me get him ready, because while he slurps down, I get him changed and dressed.
P.S. this is the only “baby” bottle he gets all day. I’ve tried sippies for his wake-up milk, but they leak all over the place, and I need quick sanity in the AM, not milk spills.

6:55 . Time to wake up the monkey. He’s not a morning person.

Really not a morning person.

Really, REALLY not a morning person.

But once he’s up I get to work. PS. Please observe the Al Bundy hands in the pants.

7:06 . Do you see a toddler anywhere? I didn’t think so. We have now entered into the “chase me while I run around & hide” portion of our program. For the record, being 25w pregnant with achy joints does not make for a fast moving mommy. G knows this and takes full advantage.

7:07 . Child spotted hiding in the master bathroom.

Of course, I’m immediately shut out.

7:12 . Wrangled down to the car, where Mr. G has decreed that he shall sit in front. Fat chance, buddy!

7:13 . Ensue toddler tantrum for not being allowed to roam free in the vehicle.

7:14 . Find comfort (for G) and sanity (for me) in Froggie.

7:26 . Now at school!

7:38 . Warm up breakfast. Today’s champion meal: sausage & waffles. I then run around the room dropping off diapers, and filling out the sign-in sheets.

7:42 . Meanwhile, G eats

7:55 . If it’s not a busy day at work and I don’t have meetings first thing in the morning, I hang out a bit while he plays.

8:01 . Then I sit in traffic. Those 24min of sleeping in felt good, but they mean quality time going slowly down the 101.

8:36 . Why hello, Office!

8:40 . Welcome to my diggs. I drop off my laptop, and start loading up my mail. Meanwhile, I go get breakfast.

8:52 . Since it’s a late day I get to hang at the cafeteria in my building. The main one across the street is SO much better, and you can get a bunch of yummies to order. Here, not so much. Oh, and in case you are curious, everything here IS in fact yellow and purple 🙂

9:08 . Today’s choice? Oatmeal and milk. I’ve gained a bit more weight in the last week than I’d like, so I’m trying to do a bit better.

9:09 . Any day that starts with less than 30 messages sent between me leaving work and walking-in is a good day. Sometimes I really wish I didn’t work with a bunch of people on the other side of the world.

10:25 . Today is an all-hands day. See? More purple!

They feed us donuts. I was good. None for me. Although Krispy Kreme still makes my mouth water.

11:20 . Back to the desk.

I get to write some emails.

Go to some meetings.

12:36 . Lunch-time.

Today’s pick.

1:20 . I spend the rest of my afternoon answering questions.

Writing some PRDs.

4:06 . It’s been a slow day, and I’ve got my stuff done. Sayonara!

4:50 . Back home, I’m greeted by a hungry kitty, yet again.

4:55 . I haven’t rinsed diapers in 2 days. I’ve been too tired to. Please remind me to never do that again. No amount of sleep is worth what I found in there.

5:16 . Stop by USPS to send off a package.

5:25 . Back to school to get the monkey. The kids were on the playground when I got there, but G was happy to go back to the room, since he really wanted me to join him in the buggy. I tried to explain that 1) my rear wouldn’t fit; 2) me sitting in there would flip the wagon and send him flying into the wall. He consented as long as he got water.

5:30 . Just like he doesn’t want to leave home in the morning, he doesn’t want to leave school in the afternoon. I’m now chasing him around the school office.

6:00 . Back home for dinner.

Tonight’s pick? Avocado & Blueberry/Pear/Purple Carrot smoothie. G really wanted to “dip it”, meaning he wanted to dip his “cado” in the “fi”.

7:09 . Playtime.

8:47 . Little man hit the sack at 8. Now it’s my turn, I get some computer & TV time. Night night!

I don’t think Gamma’s camera stopped taking pictures last week-end while she, Gappa & Auntie P hung out with G. She took over 300 shots. I’ll subject you to 12 🙂

How far along: 25 weeks
Weight: 138.2 lb
Sleep: Good, but I’ve been having some really active dreams… about work. Not pleasant.
Gender: Boy
Movement: Yeah, S2 is auditioning for Stomp, I’m pretty sure. Either that or someone passed through some fetal drumsticks that he’s using to poke at me from the inside. He’s an active little dude.
Feeling: Good
What I miss: Nothing comes to mind right now
Milestones: I sat in the most comfortable cradle position EVER after my massage on Saturday. Now, if I can get myself a wedge pillow and surround myself with 4 other pillows I could recreate it at home. And yes, I call this a milestone. Comfort rules.
Food cravings: Melons of all sorts. And sugary deserts.
Fetal development:
Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn’t much more than an average rutabaga, but he’s beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he’ll start to look more and more like a newborn. He’s also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you’d now be able to discern its color and texture.

Carseat was hungry. G was happy to share his cheerios

Babies in cubbies

Ponytail Friday (Porcupine style)

From G’s first Caltrain trip

Waiting on the train: it’s not as fun as it appears

Tain comin’

The ride