Planning Ahead

I just came home from an estate planning workshop. I feel a bit overwhelmed. When we found out Potus was coming, we did get P signed up for a life insurance policy that should cover the house and any outstanding debts. With me quitting work and having significantly less earning power, I felt it was the smart thing to do. However, apparently that was just the tip of the iceberg. We need to organize our policies, review beneficiaries, make living wills, choose powers of attorney, health representatives, guardian(s), think about trusts, etc. My head is spinning.

With the news released today about the increase in Americans living in poverty, I realize we are extremely fortunate to have to worry about estate planning. I still find it incredible that 1 in 5 children in this country lives in poverty.

Which makes my next topic sound utterly vapid. I just found out today that my feet may get permanently bigger as a result of this and any subsequent pregnancies. I'm beginning to think I'm easing up to a 9 1/2 which is depressing. If I keep going though, I could adopt some of my Mother-in-law's cast off 10s. I've been contemplating shoe purchases because I can't seem to find any comfortable ones in my closet. Flip flops and cheap ballet flats have worked all summer, but it's starting to get a bit colder and that won't work for much longer. However, the shoes I'm looking at are not cheap (because I'm craving comfort) and I don't want to make the investment if they're not going to fit long enough for me to get sufficient wear from them. I've really cut down on maternity clothes purchases also as I've come to realize that much of what I've bought won't work for the duration. I only spent what I did because I thought it would last. Now, the clothes budget is pretty well shot. The forums just say to buy your pre-pregnancy size in clothes. Unfortunately, I took that misconception shopping. I'm glad a friend lent me so much maternity wear to start so I didn't invest in too many pairs of pants. Virtually none of them fit anymore. The shirts are faring better, but they're mostly sleeveless, so I've been layering with cardigans, some of which fit like shrugs now.

In closing, if anyone out there has extra size 8 maternity pants with a 34" inseam or some closed 9 1/2 shoes they're not wearing, drop me a line. I'm running low on presentable work clothes.

29 Weeks and Counting

As Baby Center says, only 77 days left to go! A co-worker commented yesterday that I've gone from a sassy swagger to a slow shuffle. I'm holding steady at about a 27 pound weight gain, which is supposed to be healthy. However, people keep making the comment that I'm small for 7 months. Since it's becoming more difficult to find clothes that fit comfortably when I get dressed, I'm not sure I want to get too much bigger. Some of my shirts seem likely to expose my midriff. I jumped up a couple sizes in pants since my spreading hips are making my pre-pregnancy sized maternity pants shimmy down as I walk or sit. It's weird that the clothes go on, they just don't want to stay on. It's probably good that I plan to stop work about 3 weeks before I'm due, because by that time, I'll probably be rotating two sets of clothes.

Potus has become very active of late. Or, it's probably more accurate to say he/she is just getting stronger. The kicks are more noticeable as kicks and seem to pick up whenever I sit (which is most of the day at work).

We were able to "break-in" some of the baby gear this weekend when our friends from Indy came up with their 7 month old daughter, L. L was a super sweet smiley guest. She put up with Zeus although we tried to curb the worst of his overly generous kisses. Isis didn't seem too interested, but she wasn't agressive, just attentive. She has strong enforcer tendencies, so she'll probably do a lot of watching in the future. By the end of the weekend, Zeus seemed to get that we held L in high esteem and he was not to go near her unattended. Still, he showed a huge affinity for all plush toys associated with L. I have to give him props for delicately chewing the string off a stuffed insect attached to the floor gym. He eyed it all weekend and despite shooing him off it several times, he found it unattended sometime Sunday morning and "freed" it. However, he didn't damage the toy, just disengaged it. For such a slobber-puss, he can manage some precision chewing when needed. This, however, does not bode well for the future of plush toys in our house. I hope Potus and any future siblings can appreciate nice hard plastic toys....

On the health front, I took my glucose test last week and am doing just fine. No gestational diabetes, yeah! I also got my Rho-gam shot (since I'm Rh Negative and P is positive) which should hold me through delivery unless Potus runs late. I've started battling a little heartburn after meals, so I bought a bottle of Tums, which seems to do the trick. At first I attributed it to eating too fast or eating and then going to bed, but it's getting a bit more regular, so I think it's just eating, period.

I'm beginning to feel the need to fix up Potus' room. P has the changing table built. He just needs to complete the drawer pulls and finish it. However, he ran out of wood for the crib, so he's in a holding pattern until he can make it to South Bend for a bit more cherry. He wants to finish the pieces at the same time for efficiency. Once those pieces go in the room, it'll start to feel like a baby room. And, the second baby shower is coming up in less than a month now so we should find out what gear we still need soon. Right now, the list is pretty overwhelming. Especially considering the loss of my income.

7 Month Update

Tomorrow marks 28 weeks. We went for a tour of the hospital labor and delivery department on Saturday. Apparently the Purdue/Notre Dame game kept most of the couples who signed up away. Out of 16 couples who made reservations, only one other couple (a mother and daughter) showed up. So, the tour went very quickly. The Labor Delivery Recovery and Postpartum rooms look very similar to the actual patient rooms. Most of the rooms are private. Only three are shared, and it sounds as though they try not to bunk people together if they can help it. The one thing I was a little unsure about were the "Spa showers" in the hallways. Not in the rooms.

Today, I went in for the glucose test and Rho-gam shot. It was kind of boring. I don't think I've been stuck twice in the same arm ever before. The glucose drink wasn't too far from Kool-aid, but certainly not something I'm in a hurry to drink again soon.

Week 27 Update

As you can see, I look pretty pregnant now. Feeling good, so thanks to everyone who keeps asking. Potus is pretty active. I did learn an important lesson on Saturday. Milkshakes quickly downed before bed do not make for a good night's sleep.

Yesterday, I got in a few of the decorations for the nursery. We cleaned out the nursery this weekend, so we have a pretty good idea where everything will fit. And, P has finished most of the changing table. He just needs to make the drawers. Then, he can start on the crib.

My replacement starts tomorrow. I've prepared about as well as I know how for her. I've got lists on lists of things I feel she should know. We'll see how well the first day goes. Wish me luck....

26 Week Update

Got my baby shower invitation last week and saw how cute they turned out. I sent A some bird pics and she printed them on cardstock and mounted them on an invitation with vellum overlay.

We received our first shower gift of this round yesterday. It's a jumperoo from Rick's Aunt J and Uncle M. And, judging by how active Potus has become, he/she will get a lot of enjoyment out of this toy in a matter of months.

I have a couple more weeks to go until I have to go for my Glucose test and RhoGam shot. Since I'm 0 Negative and P is Positive, we have to take precautions.

So, according to Baby Center, this week, we should start thinking about a birth plan and whether to circumcise if Potus is a boy. Apparently, about 50% of birth plans are completely disregarded and almost 50% did help them create the birth experience the mothers wanted.

So far, the pregnancy is going well. I'm finding it more uncomfortable to bend over these days. Getting in and out of my car feels like I have low bucket seats. The only weird symptom I've developed is a bruise sensation about 4" to the left and 1" above my belly button. It has no discoloration, but feels like a bruise. I did a search, and apparently it's fairly common and doesn't mean anything serious. Still, I'll be asking about it at the next appointment just in case.

24 Weeks

Today, we had our 6 month appointment. Midwife L (ML) met with us. There was some disagreement about the due date. According to the little wheel calculator, Potus could be due as late as December 1st. (We've been working with a date of November 28th.) However, everyone agreed a few days either way wouldn't really matter since Potus would come out when he/she was ready. Apparently, I'm on track with weight gain and fundal height. And, I should gain approximately another pound per week. Calculated out, that seems like more weight than recommended generally, but not much.

One thing ML recommended was adding a DHA supplement. Apparently, it can really make a measurable difference in mental strength. I also found it reassuring that nobody at the doctor's office batted an eye at my being vegetarian.

My parents also left today. They drove up from Texas this week and stayed a couple days. Today, they headed back and made it to just south of Little Rock, Arkansas. We didn't do a whole lot while they were here. But, we had a nice visit. P flew us all to Schaumburg for their 36th anniversary dinner at Pilot Pete's, so they had a closeup of the Chicago skyline.

Week 23

Surprise! Instead of a day or two late, I'm posting the weekly update a few hours early. Apparently, Potus is about 11 inches long and just over a pound. I'm supposed to be on the lookout for swelling and water retention. My ankles do feel a little swollen, but they also are covered in mosquito bites at the moment, so I think that is the reason. I did about an hour and a half of weeding yesterday and have been feeling it in my lower back ever since. Maybe I'll try to limit that to half hour stints from now on.

My work sent out a nice email today notifying anyone who wasn't aware that I was leaving and announcing my replacement. It feels like a funny time to voluntarily leave a job when so many people are in need of one. However, I think ultimately this is the best for the company and for our family. So, I'll do my part to facilitate the transition and set up K for the best start I can manage.

I got a strange phone call today at lunch. Dr. W1 called because he'd been notified of our records transfer to the new doctor. Apparently, he likes to call each case personally to find out why he's losing the patient/client. I answered thinking it was someone from his office calling to confirm that I'd requested the transfer. After I recovered from the shock of his voice on the line, I told him straight out that I felt we had different philosophies regarding childbirth. He was very professional and offered his services if the new folks didn't work out. He did also propose that he was more interventionist because it made for a lower incidence of c-sections, which to me seemed at odds with what I had read. Not that I'm an expert. However, it seems to me that the new practice is more willing to listen to my wishes and at the very least take them into account and make me feel like we're discussing options.

Also, we bought the lumber for the baby furniture this weekend. Apparently, it's a pretty popular pasttime for woodworking dads. The guy at the store said we were the third set of parents to come through this week with that particular project. P has the wood stacked in his shop now to acclimate for a while before he starts working on it. I think he's secretly hoping my dad will want to work on the furniture while my parents are up here next week. I've told him not to hold his breath. They're coming up on an anniversary road trip and will only be in town about 3 days.