Baby Update

Here's the update:

I got nothin'.

I had an appointment with my OB today, and I am now about 80% effaced, but that's about all the progress I've made. She told me that I should aim to go into labor tomorrow, because that's when she's on call, and she wants to deliver my baby. Well, Ms. Doctor Lady, I'd love to, but it's not quite in my power to make that happen. Going into labor tomorrow sounds great, but I am a little pessimistic about the probability of that happening.

She also told me, "I don't think this is a tiny baby." Great. Of course, she can't give a very specific estimate just by feeling around (especially since she said she thinks there is a little extra fluid in there), but that wasn't exactly exciting news for me. My belly is pretty big at this point, but I comfort myself with the reminder that, unlike my last pregnancy, no strangers have approached me and asked if I'm having twins.

Maybe we are not quite ready, after all. I still need to finish packing my hospital bag, for one thing. I would also like to wash the lining on the car seat (who knows what kind of stuff is on it from when Noah used it last). And speaking of the car, it is so messy inside--full of toys, a few pieces of trash, and dirt tracked in from dirty, slushy snow--that it makes me cringe a little to think of putting a newborn in there, even if everything she actually touches has been Purell-ed to high heaven or washed in Dreft.

In any case, I'm just praying for God's perfect timing!

Yes Man

Today, after Noah and I got back from Mom to Mom, my mom and I were asking him about what he did in the nursery. The funny thing is that Noah will answer in the affirmative to anything you ask him. So our conversation went a little like this:

Noah, did you have fun today at Mom to Mom?
Mmm hmm.
Did you sing songs?
Mmm hmm.
Did you do puzzles?
Mmm hmm.
Did you slide?
Mmm hmm.
Did you play with the other boys and girls?
Mmm hmm.
Did you eat graham crackers?
Mmm hmm.
Did you color?
Mmm hmm.
Did you go outside and climb a tree? [This was the first test.]
Mmm hmm.
Did you eat jalapenos?
Mmm hmm.
Did you talk on the phone?
Mmm hmm.
Who did you call? Jesus?
Mmm hmm.
Did you ask him for a sunny day?
Mmm hmm.
Did you take all your clothes off and run around?
Mmm hmm.
Did you get your ears pierced?
Mmm hmm.

About that time, he got up and ran away to do something else. But it is so funny that he will answer "mmm hmm" to anything you ask him.

Fuselier Film Fun

One of my best friends, Sarah Fuselier, is a singer/songwriter in Houston and made a music video. It's kind of cool to have a friend who made a music video, so I thought I'd post it here:


Sarah and I go way back. We've known each other since elementary school and became good friends in high school, college, and beyond because we did a lot of music and singing together. Some of you in the Houston area may know Sarah as the singer at Second Baptist's 11:11 service at their Woodway campus. Anyway, we were roomies at Rice and have been good friends for a long time. Sarah and her husband, Ryan, are expecting their first little girl about a month after we are.

Ironically enough, both Fuseliers have recently been asked to appear in a film. Ryan was asked to be in a little movie recently. One of their friends entered a contest Canon is running and asked him to be in their video. Their entry is one of the top five out of over 100, which is pretty cool! Go vote on it here within the next couple of days, if you get the chance--it's called "Divided." (Below I've posted the video, but you have to follow the link to vote.) I have to say that Ryan does a pretty awesome job for someone with no acting experience! And it's also pretty darn cool to see Houston, too. Ryan is the guy in the suit.



Anyway, it's just kind of fun to see your friends in stuff like this. Enjoy!

Cooking Antics

Yesterday Noah did something kind of funny. He was pretending to cook--he had an old whisk of mine, and he was stirring it in an empty bowl. The thing that cracked me up was that he would take the whisk out and pretend to taste whatever it was he was cooking, and then he'd make a face of total disgust, like whatever he was cooking tasted horrible! It was hilarious! You'd think that he'd pretend to like whatever he cooked, but no.

We had a little conversation as this was going on:

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Me: Noah, what are you cooking?

Noah: Peas.

Tastes and makes a face.

Me: Oh, do they taste bad? Why don't you add some salt?

Pretends to add some salt, stirs, tastes, and makes another disgusted face.

Me: They still taste bad?

Noah: Mmm hmm.

Me: Well, why don't you add some chocolate? Chocolate makes everything taste better.

His face lights up, as if this is a true epiphany. Pretends to add chocolate, stirs, tastes, and makes another disgusted face.

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What two year old would not think that chocolate would make everything taste better? Maybe we have a chef in the making, if he has such a discerning palate at such a young age. :)

Baby Update

UPDATE, Feb. 19 - I had my regularly scheduled doctor's appointment today, and they checked me out again and reconfirmed that everything is fine. I also have not progressed at all, dilatationally speaking (is that a word?). The fact that they double checked me and the baby just one day later makes me relax about the weird symptoms--I was stressed out yesterday, but evidently we really are okay. So now we continue to wait! I am still hopeful for a smooth VBAC, and things actually look pretty good for that, as far as I know (this baby seems smaller than Noah, according to one doctor, and I think she is positioned better than he was, too). But mainly, I want the baby and me to be healthy, and things are looking good on that count. Thanks for your prayers.

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So this morning I found out that I am 2 cm. dilated and 25% effaced. Baby coming soon? We shall see!

I went to the doctor's office today because of some unusual symptoms. They checked us out, and everything looks fine. But it made me nervous, and I'd ask for your prayers that everything from here on out goes smoothly--or most importantly, that everyone is healthy.

Thanks!

Questions for Noah

38 Weeks

As of today, my wedding rings don't fit anymore. However, my substitute wedding ring is still too big to wear on my ring finger, so I'm wearing it on my pointer finger, which makes it look like I'm hugely pregnant and unmarried. So I'm stuck either wearing rings that are really a little too small but go on my ring finger or a ring that won't cut off my circulation but is still too big for my ring finger. I think I'm going to have to go with not cutting off my circulation. I apologize to anyone who sees me in Target (or church!) and wonders about the ring situation.

Also, I know that it's time to have this baby, because just about none of my maternity clothes fit anymore. It is a bad feeling not to be able to fit into maternity clothes. I have gained less weight this pregnancy, but still, for some reason, everything is too tight or too short and shows off about six inches of my belly. I have precious few shirts that cover everything. And also, I am just bothered by the fact that I do not really look good in anything anymore. Oh well--I won't look good in anything for a couple of months after the baby's born, anyway, so I might as well get used to it!

Come along, now, Baby Girl! We are nearly ready! You still need a bed, but we would like to meet you, and not just because Mommy doesn't fit into her clothes. Don't you want to come out and snuggle with us?

A Morning at the Aquarium

Today, our friends, the Robinsons, were kind enough to take Noah and me with them on a trip to the New England Aquarium. Noah had a great time looking at the fish, turtles, sharks, and penguins. He even got to pet a lobster. (He also had a great time trying to escape from Mommy in a crowded place.) Noah and his friend, Nathan, were so cute when they started jumping up and down on the way in because they were so excited.

We started out with the jellyfish.

Here are Nathan and Noah on some turtle statues.

Let me just preface the next two pictures by saying it is notoriously hard to get a two year old and a three year old to both look at you at the same time, much less smile.

Here are the guys looking at the penguin tanks. I think they were feeding them at this point.

It's much easier to get pictures of the backs of their heads, though not perhaps as cute as their faces. :)

It was a fun morning, and Noah and I had a great time. Thanks, Robinson family!

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And here's a bonus picture. When I pulled my camera out this morning, Noah said, "TEETH!" I realized it's because when I ask him to smile, sometimes I say, "Noah, show me your teeth." He wanted me to take his picture, so I did, and it turned out cute!

Olympic Reflections

Is anyone else watching the Opening Ceremonies tonight? As I type, it's just starting, and I already have some thoughts.

First of all, why is it that I love watching the Olympics, but I am otherwise just about totally uninterested in sports? I'll tell you. It's all about the drama. I love all the back stories, all the dramatic music, all the production that those genius TV people put into it. It's just inspiring and riveting.

Also, I have decided that the sport I would least like to play is hockey, not only because I wouldn't last two minutes upright on my feet, but also because you just can't look cute in all that getup.

Nathan has a thought to share, too: he thinks the biathlon (cross country skiing + riflery) would be a lot more interesting if the competitors were allowed to shoot at each other. I have to agree. Couldn't they give them paintball guns or something?

Nathan's Observation

Last week, while I was watching Project Runway on demand one evening, Nathan looked up from the computer and made a stunning observation about Heidi Klum being pregnant again:

"Wow. She is always pregnant. . . . "

. . . wait for it . . .

"She's like Michelle Duggar."

Ha! Cracked me up.

Crochet!

I finished those baby sweaters I told you about! I love the way they turned out.

Here is the little dress. The picture does not do it justice. The yarn is so incredibly soft and actually has a bit of a sheen to it. I was going to put a ribbon around the waist, but the ribbon I got is too wide, and the dress is still sweet without it. Plus, I love the color, which also doesn't show up properly in the picture. I hope Baby Girl is big enough to wear it for her daddy's Commencement.

And here is the little sweater. It's sweet, too, isn't it?

This afghan might be my next project. I love that it's made of granny squares, because then I won't get too bored with the whole thing and abandon it when it's only a third finished. If I get to choose new colors and tap into my creativity a bit after every square, I'm sure I'd stick with it a little better. It's like completing a bunch of little projects rather than one interminable one. Also, these grannies are not too granny-ish, which is the other reason I really like this pattern. If I ever get around to making this, I'll definitely put up a picture of the finished project.

My Tea Shower

My good friends, Bonnie and Sara, took me to high tea at the Colonial Inn yesterday for a little baby shower. Although I like tea, scones, and everything that high tea embodies, I've never actually been to high tea anywhere before. It was a treat! They served us our choice of tea, scones, tea sandwiches (including the usual cucumber sandwich and the not so often seen sandwich with pears poached in wine), a selection of pastries, and berries with whipped cream.

The whole thing was quite delightful, though I must say that you're not used to having a full meal at three in the afternoon, so we left pretty darn full. Not that that's a bad thing. :) The Colonial Inn is really nice, too. I'd never been there before, and I was pleasantly surprised at how--what's the word? genteel?--it was. It's in Concord's town center, which is cute and quaint, too, so the whole setting was very nice.

Plus, I got presents! Can't forget about that! Bonnie and Sara got some cute little clothes for Baby Girl, including a dress that is super sweet and even has a layer of pink tulle underneath, which might be my favorite part of it.

Here we are in the dining room where we ate.

And I asked Nathan to take a picture of me before I left. I wore this same shirt on Thanksgiving, but I wasn't nearly as big! I'm about 37 weeks in this picture.

Frankly, I don't really like the way I look in this picture, but I figured that there are some of you out there (Mom) who would like to see it. :)

Done.

*Update, Saturday morning* Noah must be feeling better today, because I woke up to the sound of him singing in his bed. :) I actually think he might be getting molars and isn't actually sick.

Nathan has a cold. Yesterday morning, he was telling me about how bad he felt, and my unsympathetic reaction was: "I'm having contractions." As if to say, "I trump you." Which is true. Contractions trump just about everything else, in my book.

But his cold has gotten worse, and at this point he is pretty miserable. He had me pick him up from work a little early yesterday, and today he called at noon looking for a ride. Right now, he's two and a half hours into a nap, so I know he's feeling bad.

What is even worse is that it looks like Noah has caught his daddy's cold. He was being super ornery this morning, crying as if he were hurt when nothing was wrong. I had no idea what was going on, except that he has just been a cranky pants for the last day and a half, and I thought this was a continuation of that. But when he started rubbing his eyes at about 11:15, I knew something was up. Then his nose started running and his head felt hot, and I realized he was sick.

I tried to take his temperature, but the dang ear thermometer wouldn't work, and Noah was throwing a fit over my trying to use it, crying wildly and saying, "Done! Done!" So I gave it up. But even after the thermometer fiasco was over, he just sat there in my lap, saying pitifully:

"Done. Done."

I knew he wasn't talking about the thermometer. He was talking about how sick he felt. And I said, "Oh kiddo, I know just what you mean."

So both Noah and Daddy were "done" by the time naptime arrived. Poor guys.

On a separate note, please pray that I don't get this cold. I really think it would be awful to have developed a cough just in time to have a C-section. Ugh.

Contractions, Contractions.

So I've been having contractions today. I almost skipped Mom to Mom this morning because I just felt yucky and exhausted from them. But each time I've thought of skipping, I remember how much fun Noah has and how good it is for him to play with other kids and learn to obey other adults. I also remember that it's not like I could take a nap if I stayed home, anyway. So we go, and I'm usually glad we did. Today, as I was sitting there listening to the talk, all I wanted to do was lay my head down and go to sleep. My contractions had subsided, but they had worn me out completely. Though I must say that by the time we went home, I was feeling normal again.

I had figured that these weren't "real" contractions, but more likely Braxton Hicks contractions (practice ones that don't lead to labor). I didn't have any BH contractions with Noah, or any contractions at all, really, except for some that were so mild that I didn't even know I was having them. Anyhow, I have been having some contractions over the past month or two, mostly at night. Sometimes they're really kind of painful, too, which I had not expected, though after looking it up, I've learned that it's normal. The difference was that this morning the contractions just kept on going for a couple of hours, which hasn't really been the case in the past. I usually just get one at a time, and it usually goes away if I move around or change position.

Since these lasted so much longer than usual, and since this is totally unlike my last pregnancy, I started to think that maybe this kid will come early. I am 36 and a half weeks along right now, so chances are that the baby would be just fine if she were born any time now. Plus, my belly is starting to really get in my way, I am starting to get uncomfortable, and I'm so big now that most of my maternity shirts don't cover my entire belly, so I wouldn't mind that part being over. But mostly, I just feel ready to have this kiddo around. "Ready" in the emotional sense, that is. Not ready at all in the practical sense, since the house isn't really set up for the baby, we have no place for her to sleep, and my hospital bag is not even packed. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to her arrival and had started to be kind of optimistic that she'll be early rather than late.

That was until I had a little chat with my Mom to Mom leader--who is not only a physician but has also given birth seven times--who said that false labor is pretty common if you are not in your first pregnancy. Not that this went as far as my thinking it was labor, but still. Basically, she was saying that my contractions might just mean nothing. Dangit! Then again, subsequent babies tend to come a little earlier, right?

Right?!

Anyway, that's the pregnancy news. :)

This Week's Menu

For lack of anything else to write about right now, you get to hear about my dinner menu this week. I apologize in advance. :)

Last week was a light cooking week for me. Not only did I not make anything complicated, but I also got to take a few nights off because we didn't eat at home--one night we went out for Nathan's birthday (Tango in Arlington Center is great, by the way, if you live in the area), one night we went to Chick-fil-A, and one night some friends had us over.

Lately, I've been brainstorming ways to use up the items we have in our pantry. Then it occurred to me that--HELLO--I'm about to have a baby, and maybe it'd be a better idea to stock up, not pare everything down to nothing. This observation really has nothing to do with this week's menu, although I do think I can freeze some portions of what I'll make this week; it's just an observation that I made today, having to do with what a dork I am and how I haven't been thinking ahead. I guess next week I'll think about strategies for post-partum meals.

But back to this week: I think I might be going overboard with a couple of things. I recently read in one of my pregnancy books that I need to remember to continue eating well, and that I should aim to have an orange veggie and a leafy green veggie every day. I read that on the same day that Noah and I had Ramen noodles and Vienna sausages for lunch, which was a little convicting. :) So I went through one of my cookbooks and marked a few recipes that involved butternut squash, and I ended up with three meals with this vegetable planned for this week. Now, I like butternut squash, but we'll see how we fare with a potential overload of the stuff. I also have a couple of things planned that involve kale, and we'll see how Nathan fares with that. It's not his favorite, though he'll eat it. Oddly enough, he bought spinach while he was out one day this weekend, and since I didn't know this and bought some more, well, let's just say we have plenty of greens to get through.

Another thought I'm having is that I also might have been a little too ambitious with my menu, considering how absolutely exhausted I've been the last few days. It's like I got to my last month of pregnancy and turned a corner. Before, I'd had what I considered a reasonable amount of energy, but now I am pretty darn tired for most of the day, except from about 8:30-11pm, which is unfortunate.

I also went through my nifty new bread machine cookbook today to find a few new recipes to try. I have some buttermilk and yogurt I want to use up, and I found recipes for those, but I also found one for a scrumptious-looking walnut bread that I'm excited to try.

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Anyway, here is what we're having this week:

-Lasagne with spinach, mushrooms, and meat sauce; Buttermilk whole wheat bread.
-Butternut and white bean soup with bacon; Toasted walnut bread.
-Potato-kale soup with Gruyere; whatever yummy bread we have left over.
-Butternut bread pudding; sauteed kale.
-Pan-fried chicken; rice with carrots & spinach; roasted veggies.
-Chicken-butternut-leek gratins.
-Split pea soup; Yogurt bread.

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So there is my attempt at better-than-Ramen nutrition this week. We'll see how it goes.

Just for fun, why don't you leave a comment with one thing you're planning to make or eat this week?