37 Weeks and Counting

I’ll officially be 37 weeks along as of New Year’s Day, and here I am with no signs of impending labor. My pregnant pals with due dates within a week of mine have both given birth…Cindy and David welcomed their son Cooper 8 weeks early on Dec. 4, while my friend Jennifer delivered her twins, Haley and Dylan, at 36 weeks on Dec. 23. So, I’ve given it some thought, and have made a list of the ups and downs about being this dang pregnant:

Ups:
1. The end is very near! Within the next 28 days, the baby is coming out one way or another!
2. It’s comforting to know that when I deliver, Panda will be fully developed and at a healthy birth weight.
3. Every additional day that I’m pregnant, Panda puts on approx. an ounce of baby fat and just gets that much cuter.
4. Strangers are now nice to me and hold the door open for me with a sympathetic look.
5. People are in awe of me at the gym. They think I’m some kind of pregnant super hero. They also give me a wide berth, opting to leave a cardio machine between them and me, just in case my water breaks and they get splashed with the ricochet of amniotic fluid.
6. The baggers at Publix sincerely offer to take out my groceries, and I let them.
7. I’ve earned the right to fart whenever and wherever I feel like it. See #5. This is also why it’s a good idea to give me a wide berth.
8. If I drop something on the floor, I can just ask someone else to pick it up. Chances are I won't be able to see it anyway.

Downs:
1. A 6 lb. baby’s feet can kick your ribs surprisingly hard.
2. I’m too uncomfortable to sleep, or for that matter, exist.
3. Leg cramps. If you’ve ever been awoken by a Charlie Horse in the middle of the night and can barely walk the next day, you can relate.
4. My bladder, lungs and stomach have been compressed to the size of a quarter. The bladder and lungs I can deal with, it’s the stomach capacity that takes all the fun out of being able to indulge in two slices of pizza or a burger and fries.
5. My “underbelly” maternity pants now barely cover my nether region. I should have invested in a few more pairs of full belly pants….
6. I can no longer see the previously mentioned nether region, which has made keeping order down there a challenge. I also can’t reach my toes to trim my nails. Guess I’ll be heading to the nail salon for a pedicure this weekend. This could also be construed as an "up" because pedicures are just nice.
7. Pelvic pain. If this indicates widening of the pubic bone, then Panda literally is going to shoot out of my vag like a human cannonball.

That's all I can come up with for now. Those of you that have experience late pregnancy, let me know if I’ve missed one of your favorites by adding a comment!

Check-up, Preparations, and Bad Baby Daddy

I’ll be 37 weeks along as of Thursday, and went in for my weekly check-up this morning. This visit was pretty uneventful, considering I got “the shocker” last time. Speaking of the shocker, the results of my strep test were negative, so that means no antibiotics for me or Panda at delivery, which is good news. I wasn’t checked for dilation this visit, so otherwise, everything checked out okay. According to babycenter.com, she’s approx. 20 inches long now and about 6 pounds, gaining an ounce a day. The Dr. did say that her head is definitely down, which was more good news. She showed me exactly where the head, back, butt and limbs were in my belly, so that was pretty cool. It turns out that big lump I’ve been feeling near my belly button is Panda’s butt. Baby got back!

Yesterday, I packed my bag for the hospital and plan to pre-register at admissions this week. Other than that, I’m frantically reading such selections as “Secrets of the Baby Whisper,” “The Nursing Mother’s Companion,” and “What to Expect the First Year.” I also rented “The Happiest Baby on the Block” to watch on DVD. Despite these preparations, I’m still putting all you new and recently experienced moms on speed dial, just in case.

Last but not least, I have to call Baby Daddy out for revealing Panda’s first name. In my current state of discomfort, lack of sleep, and irritability, I figured I’d be the one to accidentally let it slip, but it wasn’t me!!! In the company of my parents, Greg used her name in conversation, and he wasn’t even drinking! I reprimanded him, but not before my Dad caught it. My Mom missed it, so now Dad is sworn to secrecy. Judging from the number of things I know my Dad keeps from my Mom, I think our secret is safe with him. If not, there’s always blackmail.

Panda's Room is Ready!

I put the finishing touches on the nursery today, and am thrilled and relieved to say that her room is officially ready! In the first photo, you can see the "A" that is the first letter of her name which will be displayed vertically down the wall....I took the rest of the letter down for photos and for holiday company :) I've come this far - I'm not giving it away yet! I do enjoy your guesses though!

Under The Hood

Yesterday, I had my 35-week check-up with my OB. She went “under the hood” to do the strep test and check my cervix, marking the first time since my initial appointment at 6 weeks that I’ve had to partially undress. The strep test checks for bacteria in the birth canal that could transfer to the baby during birth and give her an infection. If the bacteria are present, we both get treated with an antibiotic during labor and after delivery, so this is really no big deal. The test basically involves swabbing – get this – BOTH holes. That’s right. I expected the first area; the second area was a not-so-pleasant surprise. Anyway, while my Dr. was “already down there” she went ahead and checked my cervix, which also does not evoke pleasant sensations, as checking the cervix is done manually…and the cervix is a few inches in. Anyway, she reported that it has started to soften, but showed no signs of dilation. She also was confident she felt Panda’s head down there, which is a good sign, somewhat appeasing my concern that she’ll be breech. Panda doesn’t seem to stay in one position for long, but at least she knows which way is down!

Though my baby maker is making some progress towards labor and delivery, the actual event does not appear to be imminent, which is good, because again, I’m not quite ready! In other check-up news, my uterus measured right at 35 weeks, and Panda’s heartbeat and my blood pressure were both very good. I will see the Dr. weekly at this point, but because of the holiday next week, wasn’t able to get back in until 12/29. I think I might wait to make my New Year’s plans until after that appointment, just in case!

In other “how I am feeling news,” mainly I’m just tired. My mid-pregnancy burst of energy has completely disappeared, so even though I’ve been sleeping better that earlier in the week, I’ve continued to feel very tired. I’ve also experienced quite a bit of Braxton Hicks lately, and some days, have a few episodes of it. My belly tightens up into a slightly unpleasant (but not painful) cramp, which may last a few seconds or several minutes. The entire episode may last a few minutes or an hour, and then goes away. I guess this is just one of those signs that my body is preparing to bless us with our baby girl in a few or more weeks!

This weekend, I plan to put the finishing touches on the nursery and make my final shopping list for Babies R Us. I’m starting to run out of excuses to not be ready!

PregZZZilla!!!!

If the old wives tale is true that frequent heartburn in a pregnant mom means a head full of hair for the baby, then don’t be surprised if Panda resembles a baby gorilla instead of a human. Seriously, I think she’s going to need her own line of infant hair styling products when she emerges from the womb. Does Vidal Sasson make a line for babies?

Sadly, despite an Amy Winehouse-like addiction to my Maalox bottle, I got no relief yesterday from the discomfort of heartburn. I did everything the pregnancy resources say to do – eat small, non-spicy meals. Heartburn. Drink lots of water. Heartburn. Drink a glass of milk. Heartburn. Wait a few hours after eating to go to bed. Heartburn.

Then, to add to my misery last night, after being kept awake by the evil heartburn and one of the restless dogs for several hours last night, Panda got what I can only assume were hiccups at 3:15am. I felt rhythmic spasms occurring every 1-2 seconds in the same area of my belly. This went on for 5-10 minutes before I realized that I was never going to get any sleep and just gave up and moved out to the couch. Panda and my body clearly didn’t get the memo that I’m not supposed to be so sleep deprived until AFTER she arrives. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep last night and over the last few nights has turned me into an irritable pregzilla. Just consider yourself warned if you must cross my path again before I get some decent ZZZs!

Mom and Dad-to-be Prepare, But in Different Ways

With under 6 weeks to go until our 1/22 due date, you may imagine there’s a flurry of activity going on at our household. Well, with my burgeoning belly and the lung capacity of a chain smoker, I can’t exactly “flurry,” but I think you get the drift. I’ve been busy putting finishing touches on the nursery, washing, organizing, and putting away clothes, and securing the last items on our must-have baby item list, like the car seat.

While I’ve been doing this, baby Daddy has been busy...hunting. Maybe it’s a reflection of Greg wanting to get as much hunting in as possible before the baby arrives, since he realizes that he won’t get much free time once she does. Or, maybe it’s some instinctual male urge to go hunt game and provide food for his growing family. If the latter is the case, then he gets the father-to-be award for stocking up our freezer. We have all the vacuum sealed pheasant, quail and woodcock he shot in October, plus, as soon as the processor gets done, we’ll have pounds and pounds of venison from the buck he shot on Sunday. This much is clear: we’re going to have to buy a new chest freezer.

With that being said, I won’t go into how much this particular deer cost, factoring in the processing, new freezer, and speeding ticket he got while down in South Georgia. And why, you ask, won’t I lament about the speeding ticket? Well, yours truly got not one, but two tickets herself last fall in the exact same speed trap within a few weeks of each other. And my forgiving husband wasn’t mad at me, or the $300 in fines I had to pay right before Christmas, so we’re just calling this one even. Just know that if you are invited over for a venison dinner, I’ll expect you to treat it like you’re eating a Kobe steak, because they cost about the same per pound!

Last Party....Before the Welcome Party!

Saturday, my good friends Danielle, Beth and Natalie hosted Panda’s last (of three!) baby showers. We had a lot of fun and especially enjoyed the fondue bar and the “Baby Daddy Game.” Let’s just say that Dad needs to take a newborn care class ASAP, and get a better idea of how big mom’s belly actually is (hint: it’s not even close to her wingspan). See the 3rd photo....no explanation needed.

Though KC gets the prize for traveling the furthest (all the way from WI) we did get two ladies from South Georgia. Thanks so much for making the trip for us! And a special thanks to Katie for bringing her sweet baby boy, Owen. He is adorable! It was great seeing everyone and getting spoiled with so many special gifts. Panda was showered with several handmade items, including an awesome "Wisconsin" book from the scrapbooker extraordinaire, KC, an embroidered hooded towel, burp cloth, and sleep dress from the master seamstress, Heather, and a personalized Panda painting from our resident artist, Natalie. We are so fortunate to have such talented people so excited about Panda’s arrival!

Speaking of Panda's arrival, what’s your best guess on when she’ll arrive? Check out the poll in the upper right corner of the blog and cast your vote!

Getting Closer

I commissioned our weekend house guest, KC, to take this beautiful photo over the weekend and couldn't resist sharing it! We are approaching week 34 and can't wait to meet our baby girl!

33 Weeks and Counting

Here's a recent photo from the office baby shower my co-workers threw Tuesday. Both Jennifer and I are 33 weeks along now, but if you recall from a previous post, she’s having twins (the same photo pose is posted in November if you want to see how much I've grown). I am so thankful to be having just one baby! My office was so generous with lots of baby necessities for little Panda, and some fun things, too, like the Gimini and Bath Luv Frog. I can't believe she'll be using all these things soon!

Yesterday afternoon, I waited over 90 minutes at the Doctor’s office to spend less than 10 minutes getting my checkup. Doctor's office waits are sooo frustrating! But on a good note, my Doctor said I’m doing great. My blood pressure is very good and she commented that my weight gain so far is excellent. I love the Doctor’s office scale! It’s much kinder than ours at home.

After leaving my appointment, I went to pick up a few items at Publix. After leaving the store with my groceries, one the baggers came out after me asking if I was missing an item that was left in the bagging area. I asked what it was, and he showed me a Panda Pez dispenser. Is that a weird coincidence or what? It wasn’t mine, but it does remind me of the time I accidentally bought a giant match lighter because I mistakenly used it to separate my groceries on the conveyer belt from the person behind me. Greg loves that lighter and still teases me about it to this day.

I'm looking forward to seeing many of you on Saturday at the Atlanta baby shower! Safe travels everyone!

I Heart the Waffle House

This weekend marked our last planned out of town jaunt before Panda arrives. We drove up to Charlotte Thanksgiving morning to spend the weekend with my parents and my uncle and his family who drove down from Pittsburgh. We left on the 4.5 hour trek a little before 9am and intentionally let snack-less. I knew this was a mistake, but I was out of snacks at the house, plus figured I’d need to pee every few hours and would want to get out of the car to stretch, so could pick up a snack or lunch as needed along the way. I didn’t count on the fact that every free standing fast food establishment would be closed on Thanksgiving, which we found out only after exiting the highway and trying to find someplace to eat.

We had stopped for gas earlier in the morning at a travel plaza and observed that their restaurants were open, so after finding the other places closed, strategized that finding another travel plaza was our best option. We spotted a billboard for one with a Wendy’s and Dairy Queen a few miles up the road at SC 106, and decided to try the odds there. I was really hungry and also had to pee, so was really ready to stop. Greg seemed poised to exit; he was in the right lane when the exit approached, yet sailed right by it doing 75 as I frantically exclaimed, “Hey, that’s our exit!” But it was too late. And it was the last travel plaza for the next 40 miles. Trust me, I know that stretch of highway well.

I was extremely unhappy with Baby Daddy and was ready to give him the silent treatment until he suggested stopping at a Waffle House because they are always open. I clearly picked a good mate because this was the best idea EVER. It was also one of the best Waffle House experiences ever! Not only did I enjoy a delicious patty melt (no hash browns, I had to save some room for Thanksgiving dinner), but our waitress even asked me if we were having a boy or a girl – becoming the first stranger to assume I was pregnant and not just smuggling a pumpkin under my shirt. God bless the Waffle House. Clearly, the North just doesn’t know what they are missing.

Baby Shower!

My Mom and closest friend, Heather, hosted a baby shower for little Panda this past Saturday in Charlotte. They did a wonderful job with everything from the pink punch, to the “onesie clothesline” to the Panda Bear cake. Tera did a fantastic job creating the diaper cake and hid lots of goodies in it, including Green Bay Packer and Tar Heel bibs to give equal play to dad and mom’s favorite sports teams. It was so much fun spending time with the girls, including Atlanta defects Angela and Allyson and a good friend from college, Cindy. Baby boys Harrison and Andrew certainly didn’t mind being around so many ladies!

Everyone was extremely generous with baby gifts for Panda. She got several necessities and lots of fun outfits…including an officially licensed UNC Tar Heels cheerleading ensemble. Too bad it’s too big for her to wear home from the hospital….Hey, she IS scheduled to arrive during peak ACC conference play!

Do your boobs hang low? Do they wobble to and fro?

I’ve been having significant bra issues over the past week. I’m not sure what is going on, but my bra (the underwire?) is slipping down and rubbing the skin underneath my rack, leaving it red, chafed, and irritated. Both of the styles of bras I bought inflict this unpleasant sensation, so I’m guessing that maybe they just aren’t supportive enough any more. The cups do runneth over a bit, but I was hoping to hold out for nursing bras so that I’d only have to buy new bras one more time. Clearly, that’s not going to happen as I can’t get any relief from the situation. Not wearing a bra is not an option, since each boob now is the size and weight of a cantelope and I absolutely hate the feeling of being unsupported. Plus, gravity affects the unsupported boob and causes it to rest against the chafed area. Any false move and ouch! So, it's time for some bra shopping this weekend. I’ll definitely be enlisting the help of the sales girl wherever I go. Wish her luck as I unleash the girls on her.

Ack! The Glucose Drink!

This morning, I had my 30-week check up at the Dr. When the nurse called me back, I spotted an orange glucose drink in her hand along with my records. My first instinct was to flee the premises. My second thought was, "at least it's not tropical punch this time." But then I thought, "surely that can not be for me?!?!" Of course, I hadn’t heard that I passed the glucose test from 2 weeks ago, so I was in doubt. But if I was in for a 4-hour Dr. appointment today, surely they would have let me know in advance, right? After weighing me, she sat me in the exam room and told me that we were doing the glucose test today. I promptly let her know that I had already taken it, and unless I failed, I should be set. Turns out, the lab hadn’t sent my results back yet from the first test. So, the nurse called and got the results that I had passed, sparing me from the prospect of taking that icky test again. Whew!

The rest of my visit was short and sweet – pee in a cup, get measured (my uterus grew 1 inch in two weeks), and listen to Panda’s heartbeat. My Dr. said that I’m doing great and that she’d see me in two weeks. Fine by me, as long as they don’t try and give me the glucose test again!

30 Weeks and Counting...

Panda and I hit the 30 week mark yesterday, which means if my pregnancy does indeed last 40 weeks, I’ve only got 10 weeks to go. Yikes! Greg is already very anxious about her arrival and said last night he’s ready for her to come early (but not too early). On the other hand, I don’t feel ready at all. We haven’t selected post maternity leave childcare, I haven’t decided who should come to the hospital and when, I have no idea if my mom (or anyone!) will come stay with me to help after Panda arrives, I haven’t finished all the projects I have planned for her room, and we haven’t even gotten a car seat yet. I have so much to do!

As Panda starts packing on the LBs now and in the coming weeks (she’s now approx. 15.7 inches from crown to toe in length and weighs about 3 lbs) I’m definitely starting to feel the effects of the extra weight and the growing size of my uterus. Despite my gianormous body pillow, it has been harder for me to get a good night’s sleep because of difficulty getting and staying comfortable. Also, in the last week or so, I’ve really begun to notice the effects of my reduced lung capacity. This happens as Panda’s domain expands up my rib cage and yes, towards my lungs, compressing them. Just walking from one end of the house to the other to get the phone can leave me breathless!

Though my belly still has a long way to go, it’s already a struggle putting on socks and shoes. Most of my shoes are slip-ons, but I still have to get socks on somehow. You can forget it when I put on my athletic shoes to exercise and have to tie them. Can I ask one of the slim, toned, pony-tailed girls with a coordinated workout outfit featuring her cleavage in the gym locker room to tie them for me? She’s probably pity the poor chubby girl that can no longer tie her own laces and laugh at my expense as she sips her post-workout fat-free soy latte. That’s okay by me – at least I won’t be the poor chubby girl that also trips on her laces.

Panda's "Crib"

Baby Daddy picked up our nursery furniture last week and moved it into her room. Yeah! Now her nursery is really coming together. We were both very happy with the quality and condition of the furniture, so are pleased with our shopping experience at Georgia Baby. I had Tuesday off work for Veteran's Day, so spent the afternoon organizing the baby items and clothes we have into drawers and putting things up on the walls. I am most proud of the valences because I had to shorten them first using my sewing machine. I also hung the rods myself - I am pretty good with a power drill, just in case you were wondering. Basically, I have mad domestic skills. Here are a few photos of my progress!

Birthing Class

Saturday, Greg and I attended an all day labor and delivery class at the Northside Cherokee Hospital where I’ll deliver. I’ll give Greg credit, he only mentioned that he’d rather be hunting three times; I was the one checking my cell phone for text updates on the noon Tar Heel vs. Georgia Tech football game. Go Heels!

We covered a lot of useful material between 9 and 5 am, but most of what Nurse Kathy prepared us for were the “what-ifs.” Since Panda is just going to slide right out my vag after a few not-too-painful contractions and an epidural, we won’t have to worry about inducing, vacuums, forceps, or C-sections. Positive thinking, people!

With 11 years of labor and delivery experience, Nurse Kathy really knew her stuff. I hope she’s our nurse! She delivered the material very professionally, but did make all 8 couples laugh when she cautioned against husbands greeting their wives naked and ready for lovin’ after that 6-week post partum check-up. I believe she referred to this scenario as being greeting by a naked torpedo. I could picture this scenario perfectly…

Otherwise, we did tour the Women’s Wing and see the labor rooms. They are much larger and nicer than the last hotel we stayed out and feature a Jacuzzi tub, a pull out couch, and a DVD player. The downside to staying there: you’re hit with an $8,800 medical bill when you check-out (the average cost of giving birth in the US) and must go home with an infant!

Babies in Bellies

Here's another belly photo that really puts things in perspective. This photo was taken Thursday at my co-worker Jennifer's office baby shower (yes, unknowingly, we wore the exact same shirt. There's just not that many maternity-wear options out there, so it was bound to happen). She's pregnant with twins and is due January 21. My due date is January 22. Her belly is much more magnificent than mine, but I think I've got her in the hooters department. At least I've got something going for me! Speaking of Hooters, I'm craving wings. Greg, are you reading this?!?! PLEASE take me out for wings this weekend!

I LOATHE Tropical Punch

First, here's that belly photo I promised. I'm approx. 28 1/2 weeks in the photo and though you can't see it, my belly button is starting to disappear...

Today I had my monthly check-up at the doctor's with the added joy of taking the dreaded glucose test to check Panda for gestational diabetes. If you haven't heard of this test, basically, you drink a sugary, syrupy drink, wait an hour, then get your blood drawn. If your blood shows traces of sugar, then you go for more thorough testing. That involves the same test, but three times in a row with the drink/drawing blood combo. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Anyway, the drink is flavored, so it's basically Russian roulette between cola, orange or tropical punch. Because I loathe the taste of tropical punch, I was really rooting for one of the first two, but luck was not on my side. I had five minutes to drink 10 ounces of the disgusting tropical punch flavored delight. I knocked it back within the allotted period, but not without feeling like I wanted to vom afterwards. Of course I left my mints in the car, so couldn't kick the aftertaste of the tropical punch with any new flavors until I left the Dr.'s office.

I spent the next hour in the waiting room entertaining myself by text messaging, reading my novel and eaves dropping on my fellow waiting room occupants. I was particularly intrigued by the lesbian couple (not that there's anything wrong with that) and their toddler son. This couple intrigued me so much because at first, I actually did mistake one of the women for a man, until she spoke. And called their son "Malacai." Poor kid. He's bound for a life of ridicule with a name like that and two "mommies."

After waiting the requisite hour, redezvous-ing with the scale, tinkling in a cup, and getting my blood drawn, I saw my Dr. She clocked Panda's heart beat at 142 and measured my uterus at 29 inches. As info, the uterus should measure in inches to the approximate "week" you are pregnant. At last measure at 24 1/2 weeks, I only measured 23 inches, so a bit small. As you can tell by the 6 inch increase, Panda went through quite a growth spurt this last month. Apparently, so did I, gaining 7 lbs. between appointments. Yikes. Though my Dr. wasn't concerned, I think I might take it easy on the Starbuck's Vanilla cremes (my new indulgence).

Last but not least, my Dr. commented that it was hard measuring my uterus because my stomach muscles were so firm. Did I mention that I LOVE my Doctor? I am glad I do, because I'll be seeing her again in two weeks! I've got my fingers crossed that my glucose test comes back okay. I'm not convinced that I can drink three more "tropical punches" without hurling in front of Malacai and his mommies.

"Look, I just drank my weight in Sunny-D and I gotta go pronto!"

I hope everyone got more treats than tricks this Halloween! Our Juno and Paulie costumes came together quite well, don't you think? The boys decided against heading to Buckhead for the Star94 party in favor of this "awesome new venue" they discovered Thursday night (aka penny beer night until someone pees) in Canton, Wild West Bar and Grill. I agreed as the drive was much shorter and the drink specials were much more wallet friendly. Unfortunately, of the 30-40 people in costume at the bar, not one person got our costumes without us having to tell them. Additionally, cover was half off at the door if you wore a costume, and the girl taking money initially charged us full price. I specifically had to point out that we were wearing costumes....she assumed we dressed like this normally! I guess "Juno" wasn't a big hit with the crowd that frequents the country and western bar scene. Who knew?

We've arrived at the Third Trimester!

As of Thursday, I was 28 weeks along in the 40-week pregnancy cycle. Time is flying at this point, and instead of monthly doctor's visits, I'll have bi-weekly visits over the next 8 weeks. Now, some of my expectant friends are at the point where they just can't wait for their little bundles of joy to come sliding out their vag. As for me, I'm not ready! I have so much more to do to get Panda's room ready, line up childcare, and learn about things like breast feeding. I really do hope I have 12 more weeks! And yes, I do realize in 10 weeks, I will regret saying that.

I'm still feeling good (except for those annoying aches and pains) and am getting a lot of double takes when I mention to an unknowing person that I'm 7 months pregnant. I guess I am carrying the bump well, thanks to my height and abnormally long torso, which consequently, always created one heck of a camel toe/wedgie challenge when wearing a leotard or one piece bathing suit as a child. Anyway, the advantage to being on the small side is that I haven't had to endure random strangers touching the bump! I do promise to post a belly photo to the blog over the weekend, in addition to some photos from our Halloween shenanigans as Juno MacGuff and Paulie Bleaker. Happy Halloween!

Baby Daddy Strikes Again

Riding high on my relief from lower back pain on Friday, I decided to keep the good mojo going by buying a body pillow to help support my achy back and stretchy pelvis. It’s quite gianormous in size, so I immediately doubted the practicality of it, but after sleeping with it Friday night, I knew that it was a keeper. I can either sleep on my side, draped over it, or use it to pseudo sleep on my back, the position I want to sleep in but am cautioned against by the pregnancy police - something about the weight of the uterus cutting off blood supply to me and the baby…

Anyway, the pillow was great until Greg and the dogs got home. The two of us and the pillow barely fit in our Queen size bed, and just forget it when one of the dogs sneaks up onto the bed during the night. But the pillow really does help me sleep more comfortably, so it’s non-negotiable.

Apparently, Greg likes it too.

In the wee hours of the night last night, I felt the pillow, which had been up against my back, being tugged away from the confines on my body. To my dismay, I turned over to see the moonlit outline of Greg snuggling up against it, curling his arms around it! Since I was both comfortable and groggy at the time, I surrendered it with a mere whisper of, “you stole my pillow!” This received no response. Sure enough, I woke to him still cuddled up against my pillow this morning. As the snack stealing scene from the McDonald’s parking lot replays in my mind, I feel certain that he doesn’t have a guilty bone in his body about the pillow snatch! What’s next? Greg swooping in to snag my epidural while I’m in labor? Him wanting to be wheeled out of Northside Hospital in a wheelchair holding the baby while I pull the car around? The possibilities are just endless. He sure keeps life interesting!

Mmmm….Folate Never Tasted So Good

Of the many vitamins and minerals that become super important to eat during pregnancy, folate, or folic acid, is probably the most vital because it helps to prevent birth defects. Pre-natal vitamins do contain the recommended daily 600mg for pregnant women, but it’s still not a bad idea to get your folate through food. Yummy food. Which is why I have to rave about the deep dish florentine pizza I made Sunday night. Spinach is one of the best, if not the best, food sources for folate as one ½ cup of cooked spinach contains 2/3 of the recommended daily value. I saw Rachel Ray make this recipe on her talk show (yes, shamefully I DVR it and watch it while I'm cooking or cleaning) and knew immediately that I had drop everything and try this recipe. I mean, not only does it contain folate, but you can get some of your calcium intake here, too, which is a total score.

Here is the recipe, slightly adapted from Rachel’s recipe becuase I couldn't find cremini mushrooms or fontina cheese, don't have a favorite pizzeria where I go and buy dough, and coudln't begin to eat this whole thing solo.

Deep Dish Florentine Pizza

4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
Ground black pepper
1/2 pound Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
A pinch of nutmeg
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
½ package of Pillsbury Pizza dough (found in the refrigerated section with the rolls and biscuits)
1 1/2 cups fontina cheese, shredded (I couldn’t find fontina, so used a Sargento Italian blend with fontina in it. If you can find fontina, by all means, go for it)

Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Preheat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons EVOO. Add the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown. Season them with pepper then remove them to a plate.

In the same skillet the mushrooms where cooked in, melt the butter. Add the flour and garlic, and cook 1-2 minutes then whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Add the mushrooms back to the skillet along with the cheese, nutmeg and spinach. Remove the Florentine mixture and let cool.

Divide the dough if you haven’t already, and reserve one half for this recipe. Wrap up the rest in plastic wrap and freeze it for another time. Roll out the dough so it fits into a 6-inch skillet (use one that's oven-safe). I used my Calphalon stainless and it worked like a charm. The 6-inch skillet will look small, but it will all fit. Trust me!

Before placing the dough into the skillet, drizzle about 1 to 2 tablespoons EVOO on the bottom of the skillet. Lay the dough into the skillet, pressing gently as you work the dough up the sides so it reaches the edge of the skillet. Mine wouldn’t stick up the sides and kept springing back, so I had to put the filling in to get it to stay. That did the trick. After the filling is in, sprinkle the cheese over top. Pop in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden brown. Slide the pizza out of your skillet to slice and serve. Rachel thinks this serves one, but I ate half and admittedly overindulged, because I just couldn’t stop. It’s the perfect dinner for two if you pair it with a salad. Wine would be good too, of course, if you’re not knocked up. Enjoy!

Elaine is an Angel

My lower back has ached for weeks without much relief, so logically, I have asked the man that put me in this condition to massage it on a few occasions. He acquiesced once and provided about 5 minutes of distracted and disinterested back rubbing. Shockingly, it did nothing for me. So, Friday after work, I finally took matters into my own hands and treated myself to a 1-hour pregnancy massage. I was a little uncertain as to how everything would go down as compared to a regular massage, but it turns out its pretty much the same with a few exceptions: the pressure is lighter, and instead of lying on your stomach, you lie on alternating sides over a pillow.

I left feeling very relaxed, wondering if this massage would really do the trick and give me some relief from the back pain. After several days, I can only conclude that Elaine, my massage therapist, is an angel. My back has not hurt since! It’s been great! My only regret about the massage was waiting 7 months to get one. Now I just have to find out if Elaine does diaper changes and 2am feedings. If so, Greg better just watch his back.

Ouch!

My vi-jay-jay region hurts and I feel deceived. Before you assume this pain is a result of some extra curricular activities, let me assure you that's definitely not the culprit. Nope, turns out it's just another unpleasant pregnancy issue. No one warned me that I'd experience aching and swelling "down there." Not my friends that have given birth, not Vicki from "The Girlfriends Guide" and certainly not babycenter.com in their weekly emails. So, I had to blaze my own trail to determine if this discomfort was normal or a freak occurrence of my pregnancy.

As it turns out, my research showed that a number of things could be causing these issues, which I describe as feeling like I forgot I was riding a boy bike and came down forcefully on the cross bar.... several times. Apparently, my pelvic bone is stretching to accommodate my growing uterus. Who knew bones could stretch? Not me. Another possible cause, decidedly more unpleasant, is the popping up of hemorrhoids in "that region," a result of the pressure and weight of the growing uterus. I like the pelvic bone theory better.

I emailed a friend about this that had endured through childbirth twice, and she assured me this discomfort was normal. Um, yeah. Thanks for warning me before I got knocked up! She did suggest that I sleep with a pillow between my legs or get a maternity support belt, so I've been straddling a pillow while I sleep. I think it has helped. I guess the good news is that I have prematurely perfected the preggo waddle, the best way to propel myself around and limit the persistent discomfort. My next check-up is Nov. 3, so hopefully my Dr. will concur that my below-the-belt issues are normal, and that I don't have a fractured or displaced pelvis. I suppose anything is possible!

It’s all HIS fault…isn’t it?

As most of you know, Greg is away hunting. For 16 days. Baylee and I had been doing just fine on our own until it got a bit chilly in Georgia. Being the penny pincher that I am, I decided to forgo turning on the heat Saturday night, opting just to throw another blanket on the bed. Though Baylee was shivering on the bed next to me as I lay down to sleep, I though to myself, “she has fur, she’ll be fine. Besides, how much cooler can it get?” Well, I’ll tell you – it got down to 58 degrees in the house. That was a fine temp for staying under the covers, but made for a brisk dash in and out of the shower.

Sunday, I caved and turned on the heat before I went to bed. It wasn’t until I woke up that I realized that it never came on. I met Monday morning with another 58 degree reading on the thermostat. Uh, Greg? Help! Something is wrong with the furnace!

After a strategy call to Greg, he assured me that all I had to do was reset the furnace when I got home that day, and that is was very simple. Simple, that is, if you’re not tired, famished, cold, and faced with having to get down on all fours with a huge belly in front of the furnace to reset the contraption (note: my belly can be considered huge when it’s convenient for me). I took a quick stab at flipping the reset switch. When several minutes went by and nothing happened, I did the logical thing: burst into tears. Why? Because how could Greg leave me for 16 days without first considering that it might get cold and I might need to turn on the furnace? I am growing a baby and need to be as comfortable as possible! The nerve! This is all his fault!

I trudged up the stairs from the basement angry, cold and hungry, and in dire need of satisfying one of those predicaments, stat. After throwing on another layer, I opted to eat. I warmed up some soup, threw a grilled cheese in the pan, and then my phone rang. Uh-oh. Not a good time for baby daddy to call. While choking back tears, I alerted him that I was frustrated about the furnace, starving, and could not speak to him until after I ate and would call him back. At this point, Greg has witnessed a few hormonal outbursts, so wisely agreed this was a good idea.

After filling my belly, I realized my anger at Greg was completely irrational. Hey, he did send me a beautiful arrangment of flowers last week, "just because." So, hormones aside, I felt renewed and ready to tackle the furnace. Greg talked me through the steps again and I realized my error…not replacing the panel cover. Oops. I left it off in case I needed to go through the steps again. How was I supposed to know the furnace was equipped with this safety feature that prohibited operation without the cover? The nerve of those furnace people! Special thanks to them for printing the reset instructions with the writing perpendicular to the floor and so low to the floor that I had to get in downward dog to read them. It’s totally all their fault! Isn’t it???

A Case of Belly Envy

While there is no mistaking that I have a visible bump, I classify it more as a petite bump, vs. a "let me carry your groceries/open the door/put your carry on in the overhead compartment for you" type bump. I've heard that everyone loves a pregnant lady, but I've learned that if you don't look visibly and unmistakeably pregnant, you just get treated like everyone else. I'm ready for my special treatment! At the rate I'm going, I'm going to get a few weeks of special attention and then, bam, Panda is going to arrive and get all the oohs and ahhs!

I work with another girl who is also 26 weeks along, but with twins. Her belly is magnificent! I totally have belly envy! This weekend, I judged in the KCBS BBQ competition at the Cherokee Pignic. Almost all the other judges had bigger bellies than me. Granted, they were men, but still. I had belly envy!

I'm sure I'll look back on this post in a few weeks and laugh at my naivete. But until then, grow Panda, grow!

4 Girls and a Baby

Last weekend, I flew up to the Raleigh area to spend the weekend with Heather, Emily (who flew in from Philly), Tera and her 7 month old sweetie, Andrew. We had a great time catching up and eating delicious meals at both Southern Seasons and Tera's house, and taking turns playing with and holding Andrew. He is such a good baby! It's amazing to meet him for the first time and see him rolling around on the floor, entertaining himself with his toys (and legs) and "talking." Tera and Lee are so lucky to have such a handsome and sweet baby boy. I'll put in a good word for him with Panda (especially if he ends up as a UNC man), though I think he's already going to be quite the ladies man!

Labor Sounds Scary

Fall is the best. I love the cooler weather, the start of football season, making the season’s first batch of chili, and most of all, Halloween. If I’m in the right company, I also like to be scared. Haunted houses and scary movies are usually my pick, but I just finished a book so terrifying, so frightening, that I’ve been having nightmares ever since. The book: The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy.

I really enjoyed the first 10 or so chapters of the book. Author Vicky Iovine, mother of four, is very humorous and knowledgeable about the subject of pregnancy. She writes so candidly about things I’ve experienced during pregnancy that her words lulled me right into a false sense of comfort. I read right up to the “labor and delivery” chapter of the book, thinking to myself, “why read this chapter now when I have so much of my pregnancy to go? I’ll just wait until I’m closer.”

But then, I did something stupid. I went ahead and read that chapter anyway. The horror! The bloodshed, the stretching, the stitches, the searing pain; I won’t go into more detail. I don’t want to ruin it for you like a good scare, and don’t want to upset you if you don’t.

For now, I’m just going to try and forget about what will happen to my body in January and focus on Halloween. I’m going as Juno this year and have persuaded Greg to be Paulie Bleaker, thus I have to begin my search for a Goodwill plaid, pleated mini to fit around my mid-section. This might be a challenge. Anyone know if Goodwill carries plus sizes?

Picking and Choosing

Wouldn’t it be great if you could pick and choose the best physical and personality traits between you and your husband to go to your baby? We already know I’d pick Greg’s hair and my feet, and today, I have one more thing to add to the list: my ability to sleep on the eve of an exciting event. This needs more elaboration.

Today, Greg left for a lengthy hunting excursion, and faced a 17 hour drive. He intended to get a few hours of sleep, wake at 4am, get ready, load the dogs, and go. But instead of 4am, the anticipation of the companionship of his friends at camp in WI, the thrill of blasting wild birds behind man’s best friend, and the call of the wild pre-empted sleep. So, after tossing and turning for 2 hours while I slept soundly, Greg called it a night, got up at 1am, and was gone by 1:45. This is pretty typical behavior for my dear husband who regularly sacrifices sleep for stress or general excitement. I just don’t have this problem. I was never the first one up on Christmas Day, and never entertained the idea of pulling an all-nighter. Sleep is just too important to me. So, in the midst of one of Greg’s “episodes” I usually just sigh at him, shake my head at him and go on to sleep. This was before I realized that our daughter could easily inherit this side of his personality.

I couldn’t fall back asleep after Greg’s departure in the wee hours of the morning as I kept having flashes of Panda, ready and dressed for her first day of school, lunch sack in hand, at 1:30 in the morning. Mommy, is the school bus coming soon? No dear, not for 6 more hours….

I guess Greg’s carni feet don’t seem all that undesirable anymore!

The Honeymoon vs. the Babymoon

There are many things different between the honeymoon phase of a couple’s relationship and the “babymoon” phase of the relationship. I could name a few, but why should I when the number one thing is so glaringly obvious by the photo I’ve posted? I’m taking panties, girls. No, not the cute pink number with strings that could be misconstrued by some as an eye patch, I’m talking the gianormous, stretchy “briefs” that, should you be caught off guard without shelter in a thunderstorm, you could take these off and just construct a tent for yourself. And a friend.

I do have to admit fault in explaining why the maternity briefs pictured above are so large. It’s because I bought a large. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m a medium, but somehow, the state of constriction my non-maternity underwear had put me in at the moment swayed my hand to the larges. And because I purchased them in a sealed 3-pack, I could not see that they were of such large proportion. Be sure to note: the picture does not even factor in the stretch element, so these dandies are indeed much larger than pictured. With all my regular briefs disappearing so deeply into the nether region below my growing belly that I can no longer see a swatch of fabric when I look down after putting them on, these maternity monstrosities are my only option on some days. So I wear them. They’re comfortable, the truth is that I’ll probably grow into them, so why not? The honeymoon is definitely over!

My 24 Week Belly

Check out the photo of my 24-week pregnant belly. More importantly, check out the background - Panda's crib! Greg indulged my wildest nesting fantasy and assembled the crib this weekend. Thanks, honey!

I also included a photo of Panda checking out her new threads (if you can't tell, the teal semi-circle in the bottom of the photo is my belly, which got in the way as I attempted to take this photo). I saw this outfit over the weekend and couldn't resist buying it for her. I am sure she can't wait to wear it when she's 3-6 months old!

In other news, Greg experienced some of Panda's acrobatics for himself this weekend. He was able to feel her movements on two occasions by resting his hand on my belly, which he thought was pretty cool. So, if we're that kind of friends, let me know that you want to feel her next time we get together, and I'll see what we can do. She has moments of lots of activity dispersed between lots of moments of chillaxing :)

Panda's Loitering

As Panda and I near the 24-week mark and both start to pack on the LBs, I’ve realized some capacity issues as far as my stomach is concerned. My theory is that Panda camps out on various parts of my anatomy, such as my stomach (but also in recent experience, my bladder), and loiters there for hours, maybe days. This is the only explanation I have for why after a few bites of lunch or dinner; I’m inexplicably full even though I was starving mere moments before. When I ignore those full feelings and finish my food (because it must be a fluke, right?) I then feel uncomfortably full for hours. I know the trick is to eat smaller portions and several snacks daily, sometimes I just don’t have time for that!

Speaking of snacks, my system of keeping snacks readily available proved to have a definite flaw this past weekend. The flaw? My baby daddy knew my hiding place and raided the snack box in my car, taking the last snack while I sprinted unknowingly inside a McDonald’s to pee! When I returned to the car and saw Greg polishing off the last Lance cracker in the pack, I started at him in disbelief before telling him that he’d reached a new low by taking a pregnant lady’s snacks. He was totally unremorseful, and simply shrugged his shoulders and said, “I was hungry” then wadded up the cellophane wrapper, tossed it in my console, and drove us out the parking lot. Clearly, I need to be more creative about my snack hiding places. If you have any baby-daddy-proof spots to suggest, let me know.

My last thought of the day is that I would do you an injustice if I didn’t share the details on my new favorite morning snack. Thanks to my co-worker Jon, I’ve discovered Quakers Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies. That’s right: breakfast cookie. It’s a delicious cookie packed with calcium (30% DV), vitamins, and fiber (20% DV). With only 180 calories (hey, it’s still a cookie!) and 6g of fat, these little gems (found in the breakfast food aisle with the breakfast bars) are my new fave. My pack is safely hidden in a drawer at work – no way am I risking taking these delights home to share! I’ve learned my lesson!

Opening Up Pandora's Box

This is an actual excerpt from an email I received today from my mother. This is 100% real, not edited for humor. I couldn’t make this stuff up!

Mom, “I thought of a name for the baby: Pandora. Then her nickname could be Panda or Pandy. Isn't that adorable? And it ends in ‘a.’"

For those of you that don’t know, Greg’s family has a tradition of naming the girls with names that end in ‘a,’ so that’s the significance of my mom’s last comment. His sisters are Sara, Rebecca, and Tara, his mother was Sandra, her sister is Vera, and so on. The tradition is something we definitely considered in putting together our list of potential baby girl names, but not necessarily the naming mentality we will follow. Clearly, we also do not plan to follow my mother’s naming mentality.

As you can conclude, Mom is not giving up yet on Panda. I give her credit for her persistence, and to this day, am thankful I ended up as Courtney, and not as Sonova Quentin, my mom’s name choice for me before Dad countered with Dawn Carol. Whew! I avoided a close one. Hopefully Panda will be just as happy with her given name when she’s old enough to know better. If not, she can always legally become Pandora and make her grandmother happy!

Furnishing Panda's Room

Panda’s room is officially starting to come together. Seeing as how Panda’s father-to-be will be off blasting birds with the pups in the Midwest for the better part of October, we decided to go furniture shopping Saturday. If we didn’t make it this weekend, we wouldn’t get a chance to go until November, and I didn’t want to wait that long for several reasons, primarily because I feel good now and don’t know how I’ll feel 6 weeks from now! Anyway, we had a big decision to make – find furniture to match the dark cherry stained crib Chris and Danielle gave us, or get a new set. With the economy in dire straits, we decided to be smart and allow cost be the deciding factor.

Before I proceed, there is one thing you must know about the father-to-be. He can be quite handy at times, but does become frustrated easily when a project veers off course. From some not so pleasant experiences, I’ve learned what to avoid when it comes to Greg and home improvement projects, and one of those things is furniture assembly. A sure way to get him angry, frustrated and cussing is to ask him to put together an assemble-yourself piece of furniture. Admittedly, the materials do tend to be inferior, parts are often missing or break, and it’s generally a waste of an afternoon and an embarrassment for me to return a box spilling out with wine tower parts to Target. I’ve learned my lesson. Therefore, I had to be smart about the furniture scenario here – no do-it-yourself assembly. That meant several of the places I’d scouted – Babies R Us and JC Penney, were out of the picture. I had one hope for a store that appeared to have products in our price range.

So, we trekked over to that store, Georgia Baby and Kids, a 45+ mile drive one way and a big commitment considering the insane gas situation here. Speaking of crazy, I’ll spare you the details of the exchange I had with the toothless “ladies” who cut in front on me at the gas pump filling up Friday night. Let’s just say they purchased 5 gallons of gas, which was more teeth than they had between them. Back to furniture shopping: we found two sets we liked, one to match the crib we had, and a whole set with a crib that converted to a double bed. But after we priced them out, there was a significant cost benefit to getting the dresser and changing table that coordinated with the crib we had, so that’s what we did. The furniture is on order and will arrive for Greg to pick up in 2-4 weeks. Yeah! Here’s a link to the online brochure for the collection.

http://www.babysdream.com/Products/Infinity/OnlineBrochures/InfinityStationary.pdf

We purchased the 5 drawer dresser and the 3 drawer chest in cherry. A changing pad can attach to the chest to use it as a changer, so that is the plan. And the best part? No assembly necessary!

Over Doing It

I wish I was talking about “doing it,” but I’m not. That might be TMI for a blog, even for me. Might. Anyway, I’m talking about over exerting myself.

My hormones raged their ugly little heads yesterday, causing me to spend all morning feeling sorry for myself. I would have been content to sit at home on the couch with a box of tissues and watch tear-jerkers like “P. S. I Love You” all day, but Greg mentioned going hiking out at the Pine Log Trail near our house with the dogs, and I thought that would cheer me up, so I agreed. There are 2 loops there, an east and a west, approx. 2 miles each. So, there’s an option to do one or other, or both. We did both loops with my parents in Easter and no one us had any trouble. It’s not a challenging trail in the least, but does contain some uphill climbs that could cause shortness of breath in the average person. Little did I know that at 22+ weeks pregnant, I’m now leaps and bounds behind the average person.

Well, we hiked the west loop, then continued on the east loop to the quarry so the dogs could swim, which I regretted shortly in, because I was already out of gas. The dogs were hard to handle because they had to be kept on leash, and both Greg and I were getting frustrated, him with the dogs, me with the length of this never ending hike. And then, about a mile from the car on an uphill, I suddenly felt a throbbing pain in my lower abdomen. I’d pulled a muscle, and it HURT. My hormonal tears that I’d been indulging all morning sprung into action yet again and I was miserable. Obviously, I miscalculated the effect my bigger belly has on my athletic abilities, or lack thereof.

Anyway, after a quick rest on a tree stump, I took the last mile as easily as I could, basically trudging along the trail fighting back tears. Back at home, after a shower, some rest on the couch, and a brownie, I felt better. My twinged muscle still hurts today, especially when Panda hangs out on that side of the belly. Clearly, there is a reason why doctors say pregnant women should take it easy. I guess I just need to listen!

Say Cheese!

I’ve been getting a few questions lately about my experience with cravings and aversions. To date, I have no new aversions to report, unlike my preggo co-worker who can’t step foot into an Italian restaurant because she can no longer stand the smell of marinara. I can share that I have definitely experienced intense cravings for….cheese! Grilled cheese sandwiches and cheese and crackers are the most prevalent, though Wednesday for lunch, I just had to have white pizza, followed by mac and cheese with dinner. After dinner, I watched the grilled cheese episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay and created a puddle of drool in my lap. I do enjoy a daily serving of cottage cheese, and can’t wait to enjoy swiss cheese fondue on girl’s night at Nat’s next Thursday. But despite the benefit of providing some much needed calcium, I do hope this craving will yield its way to something a little less fattening! I guess Panda is her father’s daughter – already avidly supporting the major export of his Wisconsin homeland!

No Pandas, but Plenty of Safari Animals

Well, according to Greg, after much "belaboring" over the decor decision, I/we finally decided on nursery decor for Panda's room. I had it narrowed down to Kidsline's Malawi or Kidsline's Good Night, Sleep Tight. Both were neutral, which I wanted for two reasons. First, after looking at several baby girl bedding sets, I just thought they were all just too pink. I don't want Panda's room looking like a case of Pepto Bismol exploded in there. Second, I don't want to have to redecorate should Panda be blessed with a little brother in many, many years (no, Greg, we are never, ever, decorating a bedroom in camo, regardless of if you found a good deal on that camo bedding set you emailed to me). Anyway, my decision came down to to factors: I preferred the color scheme and animal theme of Malawi, and I found a fantastic deal on it that I just couldn't refuse. The bedding arrived yesterday and it's just what I was looking for. Here's a stock photo of the collection. Next up on the shopping list, nursery furniture! If Greg thought I took a long time to decide on decor, he's in for a real treat with the furniture shopping!

The Halfway Point, Thrills and Pregnancy Woes

Assuming my pregnancy will last the typical 40 weeks, Panda and I officially crossed the halfway mark last Thursday. Woo hoo! The day came and went without much celebration as I'd just returned from Paris, so I’ll count Saturday’s yummy chocolate fondue that Danielle and I shared at the Melting Pot. Let me suggest to you that this is a wonderful way to celebrate multiple points in your pregnancy, or just any occasion that warrants a celebration. The kind people at The Melting Pot even serve it with strawberries and bananas (not to mention the marshmallows, brownie and rice crispy chunks, and cheesecake) so you’re getting two of your recommended seven fruit and veggie servings right there. It’s a win-win situation for baby and mom!

Today I had my 20+ week check-up, and my Doctor said I looked great and was doing very well on weight gain. According to their records, I'm still in the single digits. Their records are much kinder than mine! Panda's heartbeat sounded great - she even gave the Doctor a few of her snazzy moves.

Speaking of moves, she’s been quite active over the past week and it's been thrilling feeling her tiny motions and acrobatics. She’s been most active in the mornings and evenings. Her movements are still just for Mom though, as Dad still can’t feel her from outside my belly yet. She’s actually tickling me a little bit as I blog!

Now it’s on to the woes. It’s not pleasant, so just stop reading if you’re sensitive to unpleasantness. First, I’ve been getting daily headaches and heartburn, which are honestly the least of my concern. While I’ve also sprouted a layer of “peach fuzz” on my burgeoning belly, my main issue is gas, which has reached a pinnacle. I honestly think I farted 37 times yesterday, and that was before I ate wings while watching the Packers game! What is up with that? I ate really sensible, bland foods yesterday, exercised, and what happens? A rip-roaring toot fest. Save yourselves – only Greg should suffer this. I might even spare him because I'm just that nice!

Photos of Panda's Parisian Adventure

Check out me with my pregancy idol, Juno, in the Paris subway, my growing belly in the Musee Rodin gardens, and the onesies (sizes 3 months and 6 months) I picked up at Le Petit Bateau!

Is Panda on the Move?

I’ve read in the pregnancy bible, aka “What to Expect,” that I should start feeling Panda move somewhere in the range of 19-22 weeks. I’m just now 20 weeks, and definitely experienced a few “false positives” a few weeks ago, which I will now chalk up to “just gas.” But now I’m pretty sure I’ve felt a few movements. Tuesday night after lying down for bed, I felt little crackles and pops inside my belly consistently for maybe 10 minutes. I rolled over and the movements shifted somewhat downward and continued. Could that have been Panda? Or the previously mentioned au gratin potatoes and apple tart?

I was leaning towards the latter as I went for a few days without feeling anything convincing, until this morning when I again felt some strange sensations. These were intense “pulses” that I think I’d been able to feel if I’d had my hand on my belly. Admittedly, I did eat a black bean and steak burrito yesterday at Moe’s for lunch….For now, I’ll just put it out there that maybe I’m feeling Panda, or maybe I should just really lay of the Triple Lindys.

Panda Does Paris

Allyson and I are back from our wonderful week in Paris. Panda was the perfect little tag along inside my belly. I felt great the whole week! I think my energy is finally back (I stayed up until 2:30 am one night!) and that all the walking was great for those pesky “digestive issues.” I could’ve left my Maalox at home! One of the benefits of being pregnant in Paris is that I didn’t have to watch what I ate at all! Chocolate croissant? Two, please. Cheese crepe? I don’t mind if I do. Gelato? Yes, please! Panda really likes French Food – especially those deliciously cheesy au gratin potatoes we had on our last evening in town, not to mention the apple tart with vanilla ice cream I had for dessert!

Panda was having such a good time that she decided to get us to the front of the line at the Moulin Rouge. Saturday night, we were lined up behind hundreds of people waiting for the ushers to open the doors to the 11pm show. To my surprise, an usher approached me and asked if I was pregnant. I said that I was, and he escorted us to the front of the line so that I could sit down and get off my feet. It was a very nice gesture and was much appreciated! The poor guy told me that the last women he had asked if she was pregnant wasn’t, so he was very glad that I was!

Because she was such a good sport, while strolling along the Champs Elysses, I couldn’t resist picking up a few onesies for her at Le Petit Bateau, a very cute maternity and baby store. Both pink and white, one reads “Ma Petite Princess, “ or my little Princess. She’s already on her way to being a very cultured, world traveler.

I’ll update the post with a few photos as soon as I get them uploaded. If you want to see the whole batch of photos, edited and titled, let me know. I plan to work on them this weekend. Au revoir pour maintenant!

Belly Photo Diary: My 18 Week Belly

Here's a glimpse of what's going on behind all those still too-big maternity tops as my waistband continues to expand. I haven't gained must weight yet, so I figured I'd get one of these photos posted before I head to Paris next week and enjoy all the crepes, french onion soup, baguettes, boeuf bourgiugnonne, and creme brulee my growing baby girl desires!

Outfitting Panda

While we narrow down our list of girl names, why not just go with Panda for now? It will sure make my mother happy for the next 22 weeks. Truth be told, she’s happily clipping out newspaper articles on such topics as how to avoid raising a finicky eater, and how to build the baby’s neck muscles by putting her on her belly. Providing these pertinent articles makes mom happy, and let’s face it, who wants a picky eater with a sad, weak, wobbly neck? Not me! Bring on the articles!

Last Saturday, Greg very willingly went with me to a kid’s consignment sale at the Baptist church near our house. We went shortly after it opened in search of some good deals, and boy did we score! Panda is going to love being propelled around the Boling Park jogging trail in a very stylish gently-used Nordic Track jogging stroller. We also secured a nearly-new Graco stroller for her jaunts around town. Other great deals were to be had on a baby carrier, bouncy seat, boppy pillow (sans cover), a few neutral sleepers in sizes newborn to 6 months (see photo – aren’t they so tiny and adorable?) and the deal of the day, a pair of Motherhood maternity cords for mom - $2! All of these items were purchased for a grand total of $115. What a steal! With a crib, monitors, pack and play, and a few other items donated by Chris and Danielle, Panda is well on her way to being outfitted with all the necessary baby accessories. The bad news is, these are just a few of the things I know she’ll need, versus the dozens and dozens that I haven’t identified yet because I don’t know what the heck they are. Admittedly, Babies ‘R Us is really just a whole world of retail that I don’t understand, and I’m just not ready to conquer it yet!

It's a girl!

Today's anatomical ultrasound showed that we're having a healthy baby girl! She has ten teeny tiny toes (see photo 1, her feet are 1" long), ten tiny fingers, and according to the ultrasound tech, very long arms and legs. I think we have a future Kerri Walsh on our hands....or maybe I've just been watching way too much of the Olympics! She currently weighs 7 ounces and gave us a good show of her acrobatic abilities. She rubbed her eyes with her hand and at one point had her toes up by her head! We got to see a lot of her today, which is good, because this should be our last ultrasound, unless we have a change of heart and decide to pay the big bucks for one of the 3-D ultrasounds not covered by insurance.
We're both very excited to meet our daughter in January and Greg is anxious to make her Daddy's little girl. Don't forget to submit your applications soon to take over guardianship during Miss Bayer's teenage years. As my mom says, payback is hell.

Phelps Phan

I read in “The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy” that it’s common for pregnant women to experience dreams of a naughty subject nature. According to the book, these dreams may involve their partner, but they also could involve a mysterious hunky stranger or a celebrity. Whether reading that put the notion into my subconscious or not, or it was a mere coincidence, I experienced a naughty trifecta of dreams around week 12 that were headboard rattling. And just like that, they went away. Dreams were PG again. Until the 2008 Olympics started, that is.

I first became smitten with Michael Phelps during the 2004 Athens games. You could say I’ve always appreciated swimmers’ bodies. Long, lean and muscular, what’s not to like? Since Athens, like you, I may have read the occasional headline about Phelps, seen the sporadic photo, but didn’t keep tabs on his impressive athletic career. I attribute my lack of interest to the fact that the real excitement about Phelps is just seeing him in action – crashing through the pool with perfect form and precision with every stroke, not to mention that body suit of his that leaves nothing to the imagination.

Saturday night, Day 1 of the official Beijing Olympic Games, I saw just the action I needed to give those naughty dreams a jump start again. After Phelps earned his first gold and broke the first of many world records during these games, PG turned back into XXX. With every world record he breaks and every gold medal he earns, this Phelps Phan has one very satisfying night of sleep, and an even greater appreciation for the Olympic Games. Go USA, go! And that’s a direct quote from one of my dreams.

Panda Bayer

We've been getting a lot of questions about names lately. I've found that's the third question behind 1) how are you been feeling? and 2) is it a boy or a girl? I'm not complaining, I love talking (and blogging) about my pregnancy, I'm just saying, that's how it seems to go down.

Since we are finding out the sex (in one week!!!) we've decided to wait to announce the name at the birth, thus keeping it a secret until then. Besides, it will probably take us until then to officially decide. Until then, we're getting quite a few suggestions. While Yogi, Pooh, Smokey, and yes, Ted E. Bayer have all been suggested, the most interesting suggestion came this weekend, from my Mother. Her name of choice? Panda Bayer. Let me say it again. Panda Bayer.

Incredulously, I questioned her seriousness. But she was not joking, nor was she tipsy on wine like the time during dinner a few months ago when she made us promise we'd play Janis Joplin at her funeral. Her response, "It's so cute. All the celebs are coming up with unique names, why can't you?" Well, I'll tell you why. I haven't spent time in rehab, am not a Scientologist, and don't currently plan on adopting a basketball team of kids from a third world country. And the best reason of all? I don't want my child teased about his/her name for their entire life. Baby B is already going to have it tough enough with the Bayer feet and the Courtney 'fro. Enough said. Panda just isn't making the list.

Broccoli, broccoli, the musical fruit????

To date, I haven’t had any food aversions or consistent cravings to speak of in my pregnancy. I have, however, officially identified one food that, upon ingesting it, I experience unpleasant side effects….or at least those around me do.

I’ve read that certain foods, such as broccoli, can bring on gas. Well, I really enjoy eating broccoli, and it’s very nutritious, so I was willing to take the risk. Early on in my pregnancy, I made a delicious broccoli salad with raw broccoli, cheese, red onion, and Vidalia onion dressing. It was delicious, but I definitely experienced some issues post broccoli consumption. As a result, I mentally deleted raw broccoli from my go- to list of veggie sides. But feeling brave some weeks after the first incident, I thought to myself, “Hey, maybe cooked broccoli will not have the same effect as raw, especially now in the 2nd trimester!” That’s sounds possible, right? Again, I was willing to take the risk, and for dinner last night, I concocted a delicious medley of tortellini with Alfredo, broccoli, and sun dried tomatoes. Unfortunately, after consuming dinner, I was able, and am still able today, to put a middle-aged, beer-guzzling, chicken-wing-eating, beer-bellied man to shame with my flatulence. And even more unfortunately, the dish was so delicious I brought leftovers for lunch. I’m definitely going to have to shut my office door this afternoon….