Week 41, day 4

Note: this will be the last entry for a bit, I think. Stay tuned for more interesting news.

OK, I’ve about had it with my two outfits. I feel slovenly and I fear that I will outgrow them if this goes on much longer. And last night I lay down while talking on the phone and had to swing my legs and use momentum to get up again. Hello, Universe? I’m about ready for this baby. Today or tomorrow would be good, or Friday at the latest. Whatever works for you in that time range is fine with us. Thanks.

Blood pressure was high again yesterday. Not high enough to fear a stroke or whatever, but high enough that it’s potentially damaging my veins, so there is that factor, too – the sooner I have the kid, presumably the sooner my blood pressure will regulate. Thing is, it varies wildly. I sit up, it’s 149/96. I lie down for a minute, it’s 100/60. Therefore, I am supposed to relax. Which instruction made Barry laugh. Apparently I’m not known in our household for being a relaxed person.

So, last night I began my first evening of enforced relaxation. Which wasn’t relaxing at all. In fact, it probably caused my blood pressure to go up. If there are things to get done, my instinct is to do them. I suck at lying around letting the house go to shit, even short-term.

Don’t get me wrong, Barry will do the dishes/laundry/whatever. It’s just, he may not do it right now, this second, while it’s bugging me. It’s not really within my rights to demand that he do things on my timeline – that would be controlling and bitchy, attributes that are generally not good for a marriage.

So, once again I’m working on lowering my housekeeping standards.

Week 41, day 3

It’s raining, it’s raining! Inconvenient as it is to trek the 1/2 mile from car to office in a heavy downpour (and to the gym at lunch, and back to the car after work), we really need this rain. It’s been a dry year. Plus, Barry will build me a fire tonight and we can have a cozy evening eating chicken ravioli with cacciatore sauce and watching (God help us) the many episodes of Arrested Development that we’ve rented. Man, that show is funny, especially if you’ve lived in or know people from Orange County.

I can’t remember if I wrote that last week Vickii said that she thinks the baby weighed between 7 and 7.5 pounds. So, by now he should weigh between 7.5 and 8 pounds. Sheez, I hope I have this kid soon or he’s going to be gigantor!

I feel good, though, much better than I did a month ago. My back feels great, my pelvis is fine, my tummy doesn’t feel overstretched, my digestion is good, my feet are pretty happy, and I’m not swelling at all. Oh, and if I had a cold, it seems to be gone. Go figure.

Week 41, day 2

My throat still hurts and I’m a bit weary but I don’t feel like I’m getting a full-fledged cold (I hope I’m right). Barry, on the other hand, is getting slammed with one virus after another – first that flu-crud and now a cold. Usually one of us gets sick after Christmas break, when we have 45,000 students returning from vacation as hosts to fun new bugs, but he’s been ill more than usual this year. I suspect he’s more stressed about becoming a new dad than he lets on. Perhaps women in late pregnancy have enhanced immune systems, or perhaps it’s my prenatal vitamins, but I’m doing better than he is.

What else to report? I have occasional contractions but nothing regular, and maintain my less puffy only mildly elevated blood pressure status.  The kid is doing veritable sommersaults in my belly (stretching his legs out). I am feeling good for the most part, but am noticably hormonal. This morning a story in the Wall Street Journal about kids who die at age 11-13 from a rare aging disease had me bawling. It was the photo of the little bald 10-year-old that did me in.

Week 41, day 1

Beh, my throat hurts. I don’t mind so much, except that I sure don’t want to get sick and go into labor. Hopefully it’s just a little bug and will clear up right away with lots of liquids and such. Anyhow, I can stay home from work if necessary.

A friend stopped by today to drop off more awesome hand-me-downs. She gave us a very nice high chair and a bunch of other good stuff. We’re sort of at the tail end of our friends having kids, and are reaping the benefits big-time.

Storage is difficult, though – gah! Our closets now look like a Tetrus game. I packed one closet so tight that Barry looked at it and said “you’ve just disproven everything that science thought it knew about women and spacial visualization.” Ha ha. I replied that if we could just figure out how to make things disappear, we could invent some really cool storage products and get rich. Damned space-time continium.

Oh – and happy birthday to meeeeee!

Week 40, day 7

Well, my hands are feeling better, so here I am, typing.

I wanted to mention that I am grateful to Barry for being so nice about my raiding his closet. He has a thing about wearing out his clothes, so it can’t be easy for him to see me potentially putting wear and tear on all his favorite things, but he hasn’t made a peep. In fact, he’s even suggested a few items that he thinks I might like.

I’m just wearing his top halves – shirts, sweatshirts, coats, etc. that cover my tummy. I’m wearing my own bottom halves – either low waisted elastic or drawstring pants. Thank God (and Cybex), I haven’t grown a huge bottom half to match my immense belly.

I’ve spent very little money on maternity clothes – maybe $70 total on just a few things at resale shops and Old Navy. As Barry says (due to my general thriftiness and Scottish heritage) “call in the bagpipes.”

I can be sorta overly cost-conscious, but it beats having a spouse who runs up credit card debt, I suppose.

Week 40, day 6

I am feeling way less puffy, and my blood pressure was only 130/72 last night, which is significantly less disturbing than 142/90. So, the dietary changes must be helping. Pshew!

We went for a long walk last night down by the convention center (which is on the big Bay, which is pretty), and my feet didn’t hurt at all, presumably because they’ve de-puffed. The dog loooooves to go down there and say hi to tourists. She’s so funny! Anyhow, I’ve been having little contractions here and there for 6 weeks or so, but on our walk I had my first ‘yup, that’s a contraction’ contraction. Very, uhm, refreshing. It hasn’t happened since, though.

I’ve been watching the occasional football game lately, as it’s that time of year. I’m getting better at understanding the game, which makes it more enjoyable. Anyhow, I always feel sorry for the coach of the losing team. He’s just standing there watching his team lose and there’s only so much he can do. He can’t participate, he can just give advice and support. That’s how I imagine that this birth will be for Barry. Not that we’ll be a losing team, just that it’ll be hard for him to see me in pain and not be able to do anything.

I likely won’t write over the weekend because I could use a typing break. My hands are achey and numb, which is normal enough during pregnancy – swollen tissues push on the nerves.

Week 40, day 5

Me: But why do -I- have to be one of the 5% of women to get gestational high blood pressure?

B: I dunnow. Maybe because you’re posessed by the devil?

{later}

Me: Sorry I was grumpy about the garage mess earlier.

B: That’s OK. I’ve accepted your role as Household Hitler. It’s a purely economic decision on my part. I have to meet your standards, and in return I don’t live in a shithole.

Me: But I don’t want to be Household Hitler.

B: It’s easier if you accept your role. Anyhow, I know you’re really sweet inside.

Me: Murfle.

B: Deep, deep inside.

Me: Harumph.

B: Sort of like the Loch Ness Monster. People swear it’s there but nobody’s ever seen it. It lives somewhere in the deep, dark, murky depths of . . .

Me: Uhm, were you wanting to sleep in the spare bedroom forever? Because all you have to do is say so.

I love my hubband.

Week 40, day 4

My friend Tulip had a little baby boy yesterday. About 7.5 pounds, 21 inches. She was 2 weeks less pregnant than I am. Congrats to her!

But, damnit, she’s skewing the curve.

Went to see Vickii yesterday. My weight is down a pound, which is normal enough at this stage – so much weight is water anyhow. Unfortunately, my blood pressure is up again. It’s not scary high now, but if it gets much higher, Vickii will tranfer my care to a hospital. For now, I’m using potassium salt instead of sodium on my food, and will start taking cal/mag supplements this evening.

Week 40, day 3

I get asked many of the same questions about a hundred times a day. So, here’s my Ellie’s Belly FAQ.

Are you really super excited?
Hmmmm . . . scanning for feelings. Nope. I’m just taking one minute at a time. I’m sure that it’ll be cool and amazing and all, but I don’t have any frame of reference for being a new parent, and I don’t feel much of anything about it.

Are you just dying to get the baby out of you?
Yes and no. On the one hand, I’m tired of having to pee all the time, my feet really hurt, and it’ll be nice to have more than three outfits again. On the other, I’m probably going to be pregnant once in my life and I find the experience interesting and enjoyable, even the uncomfortable parts. Plus, there are up sides: people do stuff for you without your asking, strangers say nice things to you, and, for once, being huge is cute. I’m fine with being exactly where I am. Ask me in a week.

Oh my God, you’re still going to the gym?
I’m so blessed to have a healthy body. In my view, not getting regular exercise is a denial of that blessing and a dereliction of duty. I would no more give up my daily workouts just because I’m pregnant than I would quit brushing my teeth or changing the oil in my car. Besides, it feels good and has probably made my pregnancy much easier.

When’s your due date?
I’ve addressed this one already.

Oh my God, you’re out and about?
I’ve addressed that one, too. Did I go to sleep and wake up in the 19th century? Where else would I be? Holed up in my house looking at the walls?

Do you have everything ready?
Like most people, we have a limited budget. We also have very limited space. So we’re playing the baby thing by ear. We have lots of outfits, one package each of diapers and wipes, a really cool baby carrier/wrap, a car seat, more blankies than you can shake a stick at (seriously, I think we have 20 cute fuzzy blankets), and other neat stuff that’s been passed on or gifted to us. We do not have a crib, a bassinet, a stroller, or many of the other ‘necessities’ because I’m not convinced that they are necessities or, if they are, what will work for us. Point of need is how I work best.

Week 40, day 2

Poor pit bull. What with me 26 months pregnant and her daddy down with flu, she’s been neglected. Yesterday she didn’t get to go out to pee until 9:30am (when we got up) and then we forgot to feed her until almost noon. She hadn’t gone out for a good long walk in a couple of days either. She was starting to get very worried that her pack leaders had completely lost it.

But I pulled myself together yesterday and took her out to play at Sunset Cliffs. It was a gorgeous day, and I love to see her so very happy and free. Then I returned bottles for CRV, went to Target, went to PetSmart, picked up some virus-killing funny movies at Blockbuster, and got a pedicure. It felt soooo good, and when I give birth, at least I’ll have pretty feet.

I came home and made a vat of chili, washed all the bedding, vacuumed cursorily, baked some coconut walnut chocolate chip bar thingies (from a box), and re-made the beds. We watched a movie and went to sleep.

Bear is still feeling crappy this morning, but shows improvement, and I show no signs of coming down with the crud (knock on wood). I also show no signs of having a baby, except for maybe my burst of energy.

I’m at work today and am letting people know that I want to hear no “no baby yet?” comments. None. Zero. Zip. Unless they are accompanied by cash payments.