Weekly Chat Thread April 16 « Back to Group Discussions

[LeAnn A Doula]

Hi all!! I just thought i'd get this started. I hope everyone had a great weekend! Any scans or big appointments coming up? Fun plans for the week?

Pennywhistle - I saw your awesome pic on the Belly thread. It's so cool that you are still able to perform! You look great!

We had a busy weekend. My parents were visiting for my mom's birthday. We went to the Cherry Blososm Festival Parade and the Japanese Street Festival in DC on Saturday. It was a great day! We all had so much fun. I also got my first maternity pieces, very exciting. I got an awesome roll-top skirt and a super colorful maxidress. It's my goddess-mama dress. :) It's so fun! I plan to live in it!

[wyogirl]

I have an appointment tomorrow, just a simple check up for my 6 month!!! I am so amazed how fast this pregnancy has gone!

[iixivboots]

I have an appointment today, and I should find out whether I will be able to get another ultrasound anytime soon and hopefully find out the baby's sex.

[sheaffer]

Morning mamas!

Oh LeAnn I attended the Cherry Blossom fest when I was a young teen with my family, and just adored it.  The experience has satyed with me!  So glad you had nice weather to enjoy!

I'm down to like ONE shirt that fits me- it's maternity, and I live in it!  I have one nice comfy springy dress, but it's still too cool here to wear it outside.  My pants are still fitting ok, and my mom bought me a pair of maternity jeans that I actually love.  Normally, I loathe shopping for pants, but Old Navy seems to be a good fit for me- pregnant or not!  My tanks are still fitting, but creep up throughout the day.  Basically, it's time for some new digs!  I'm at 22 weeks now, so the expansion will seriously happen now :)

Our oldest daughter was on spring break last week, so we had a lot of family time.  Bought a few board games with some easter gift cards to Target, and played hours of Monopoly w/ big sis, and Let's go Fishin' with the little one!  We went exploring along the Lost Coast in the tidepools.  Had to bundle up and waterproof ourselves since it was cold and rainy, but always fun finding rocks, shells, and seeing the water life.  Tried spotting some baby seal pups, but no luck this trip!  Took a nice three mile walk with my big girl yesterday- it was sweet getting to spend some one on one time chatting, and giggling!  Took her with me to my yoga class too which was gave us some nice spiritual bonding time.  We needed it!

I'm working on a few craft projects- sewing baby birds to make a mobile for the babe, creating some mandalas- which I am LOVING, and reading.  Also getting together some hanging baskets to hang outside my kitchen window to beckon some sweet little humming birds!  Anyone else making stuff for the new ones?

We have our u/s tomorrow morning!  Can't wait to see if my boy predictions are correct???  Either way- a healthy babe is what we're goin for!  Been watching some homebirth videos on youtube to let the girls get an idea of what to expect.  Mostly for the little, since big sis was at her birth.  A refresher is always good :)

A good week to all!

[LilyTiger]

I don't have anything fun this week, but I have my gestational diabetes test next week (ewwww) and some blood work.  Things are really heating up at work -- I can't wait for the quarter to be over so I can just hang around cleaning and organizing stuff!

Dh finished the driveway this week and it looks incredible (he put in a brick driveway, for those not following the minutiae of our home improvement projects) and our painter should be finished this week.  Then DH has to finish the hardwood floors in the nursery and living room and I'll be able to start decorating and all sorts of other fun stuff.   I found some super-cute grey/yellow themed nursery stuff on Etsy that I'm just drooling over, but we went so far over budget on all of our projects that I'm only allowed to look...  :(

[pennywhistle]

We're having a boy!!!  Found out on Friday.  I surprised my husband (and myself!) by literally bursting into tears in the middle of the ultrasound when I found out.  Woah.  Now we have to get serious about finding a name!

Good luck at your scan today, bootsvalentine!

[LilyTiger]

Penny, congrats!  So exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm hoping for a little boy too (don't tell anyone), but we won't know for a while.

[Waffler]

i have a regular appointment tomorrow morning (hopefully will hear that the SUA won't risk us out of delivering at our birth center) and our fetal echo on wednesday (fingers crossed). i haven't been thinking too much about the echo...and we elected not to tell any family until we had more to tell (worryworts esp my mother in law), which will hopefully be nothing! i'm pretty proud of myself for being so zen about it. 

more grabbiness over the weekend and my mom saying that i'm being too sensitive was a real hit. then my brother in law pointing at our ultrasound pics and whispering to my sister in law that he knew the sex of our baby just about sent me over the edge. 

Good luck boots and sheaffer! and congrats pennywhistle! i'll also echo LeAnn's comment that you look amazing in your burlesque gear! 

LeAnn, i can't believe you are just buying some maternity gear!! i feel like i've been in maternity stuff since about 13 weeks (pants at least). good for you. 

LilyTiger, would you consider registering for some of the items you saw on etsy? forget where you're registered, but amazon (i think this is right) lets you add stuff from other sites. and a others have mentioned some of the registries that let you add anything (http://babyli.st/).  i'm feeling the home improvement budget crunch too. the numbers on our kitchen just keep creeping up...blah.

colleen

[pennywhistle]

Waffler, that little emoticon is perfect for you!  So sorry your family is being a bunch of morons.

[Ninetales]

I had an appointment today.  I'm 24 weeks and my belly is measuring at 27 cm.  That combined with the 5 lb weight gain over the past month and I'm starting to freak out.  Bless the doctor though, she made sure to reassure me that sometimes fluff throws the measurements off, or it can be fluid variations and such and not to worry right now.  We'll do a size ultrasound at 36 weeks to see what we're dealing with (I know it can be inaccurate but it's all we've got really). 

I spent an ungodly amount of money this weekend on baby and maternity clothes.  :/  I'm trying to make myself feel better by focusing on the good deals I got and the fact that I need it, but still, ouch!  Luckily now I can just rely on summer yard sales for the rest of my stash.  I was feeling really guilty because we need to get a lawn mower.  My parents own this house and used to mow it for us with their mower but they live further away now so it's harder.  But then this morning they bought one to keep here that we can use instead.  So that's off my back now.  :D
 

[LeAnn A Doula]

I hope your appts go well tomorrow, wyogirl & Waffler!

bootsvalentine - I hope your appt went well today!

sheaffer - It sounds like you had a great time during your daughter's break. Baby projects are so fun, your mobile sounds cute! I'm refinishing a chair for our bedroom right now. Tomorrow I'm transfering my herb seedlings to the pot I found this weekend. I hope I manage to not kill them. I have lots of baby projects on my list! I'm going to make a poof for the nursery, a mobile and refinish our baby armoir and the dresser for the nursery. I also want to make some artwork to hang, I'm thinking something w fingerpaints. :) That's just a start. Good luck at your scan tomorrow!

pennywhistle - Congrats on your boy! It's so exciting!
 

Waffler - I'm sorry your fam is so pushy. Maybe it's me but I don't think its possible for a pregnant woman to be 'too sensitive', you're pregnant! Sensitivity comes w the territory.

I'm loving my materna gear! Until now, I've been using a hair elastic looped through the button hole on my pants to extend my normal pants and wearing long tops. Target has great long tanks. I'm too petite for maternity tops, so I'm just buying a size up. I'm hunting for a good pair of leggings and nursing bra next. :)

[ilovetchotchkes]

Gestational diabetes test tomorrow. *groan* but my MW told me "forget the nasty drink stuff, you can drink a Naked juice instead" :D 

[andaluza]

Great to hear about everyone's weekends and appointments.

LeAnn, I really miss the cherry blossoms on the east coast! I lived near a park full of cherry trees in NYC for a few years and used to love it so much!

I hope the appointments went well and go well for Wyogirl, Boots, Sheaffer, Waffler, Tchotchkes..

LilyTiger, glad to hear that the driveway and painting have gone so well!

Tomorrow am we're visiting one of the daycare options for when I go back to work in Jan. I have a list of questions and things to look out for, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

[eleuthia]

My test isn't for a few weeks, but I get to choose between 16oz of orange juice or 5oz of (clear lemon-lime) glucose drink. I'm really not sure if it's better to drink less of the really gross thing or more of the ok thing. If I loved orange juice, it would be an easier choice! 

[intime0]

Yeah, I think you can put etsy on your amazon wish list...it's a great idea.

I'm completely in maternity clothes and have been for a while. 

[Lizbiz]

Oh my gosh - intime0 - me too - getting away without maternity clothes doesn't last long for me as I have more and more kiddos :).  My tummy knows JUST what to do!  

So, LeAnn - allow me to envy you... just a little little bit :).  I have a girlfriend who was like you her first time around too - when she was 6 months pregnant, she had just LOWERED her pants a few inches and then buttoned them below her tiny, adorable pregnant belly!!! WHAT!?!?  NO FAIR!!!  Even my first time - my hips/butt got wider and I definitely size up everywhere.  We are all different and our bodies respond uniquely, eh?  Congrats on your new maternity wear - it's FUN, isn't it?

On another note - Anyone else finding themselves not able to handle quite the same level of pressure as before you got pregnant?  I'm finding myself at work having to employ coping mechanisms where I needed none before.  So for example, I have to block out times and really plan when I'm going to do what - I just can't multi-task quite as efficiently right now because I drown in all the details.  I'm also getting flustered in the mornings trying to balance getting ready for the day and managing my kiddos while my husband's out running - he's returned from his run to quite a crabby wife this morning (sheepish grin)! 

[ilovetchotchkes]

Originally Posted by Lizbiz 

Oh my gosh - intime0 - me too - getting away without maternity clothes doesn't last long for me as I have more and more kiddos :).  My tummy knows JUST what to do!  

So, LeAnn - allow me to envy you... just a little little bit :).  I have a girlfriend who was like you her first time around too - when she was 6 months pregnant, she had just LOWERED her pants a few inches and then buttoned them below her tiny, adorable pregnant belly!!! WHAT!?!?  NO FAIR!!!  Even my first time - my hips/butt got wider and I definitely size up everywhere.  We are all different and our bodies respond uniquely, eh?  Congrats on your new maternity wear - it's FUN, isn't it?

On another note - Anyone else finding themselves not able to handle quite the same level of pressure as before you got pregnant?  I'm finding myself at work having to employ coping mechanisms where I needed none before.  So for example, I have to block out times and really plan when I'm going to do what - I just can't multi-task quite as efficiently right now because I drown in all the details.  I'm also getting flustered in the mornings trying to balance getting ready for the day and managing my kiddos while my husband's out running - he's returned from his run to quite a crabby wife this morning (sheepish grin)! 

I've found out now that BOTH times being pregnant stress is like... OMG its like hell to me. Last time I was working the bar none worst job in the world EVER. This time, i'm a SAHM and some days I just want to hand the 2 year old over to his father when he gets home from work and run screaming into the night. 

So I forgot to mention this BEFORE. A friend came over friday night, told me she had head lice, told me NOT to tell any of my other 14 guests. I'm now FREAKING OUT. I hit my hair friday night with an ACV rinse, and my mom who is a teacher went over my hair with literally a fine toothed comb and says I dont' have any beasties, but I'm so psychosomatically itchy right now. My hair is down to my HIPS. O_O I DID tell my guests because that's just freaking INCONSIDERATE. 

I could smack her, seriously. 

[LilyTiger]

Waffler, there are a few things on Etsy I might add to our registry (I'm using myregistry.com, which is super easy to use and in my opinion easier than Amazon, which I used for our wedding), but I also want to make sure we get the basics too.  If it's a choice between a crib and a fancy Etsy mobile, I'd like people to get the crib.  I also have a very Etsy Aunt who is looking into doing a yellow and grey quilt for us.  I'm so excited because her quilts are so amazingly gorgeous, it's unbelievable.  So we'll get some beautiful crafts either way.

LizBiz, holy cow, I was really unprepared for how much I can't handle while pregnant.  My brain has fallen into my uterus.  I've had 30 essay exams to grade for the past week and I just cannot make myself make sense of them.  I finally sat down last night to put together a detailed key so I can just copy and paste comments, but it's still like pulling teeth to even read the darn things.  I must remember this next time I'm pregnant: only multiple choice exams.  I got home from teaching last night and DH was trying to have a conversation about tax reform and I finally had to tell him that I couldn't concentrate on what he was saying and didn't want to talk.  I felt terrible about it, but hopefully he's not taking it personally.  I just can't think for more than 20 minutes at a time, so four hours of lectures in a day completely uses up all mental energy.  Blah.  I can't wait until May 15.

Tchotchkes, I would KILL someone who busted over with head lice!  Super inconsiderate.  It's like my colleagues (or students) who come to school super sick and want to be congratulated for their work ethic.  No!  Go home, or at least stay away from my office, jerks.  And that itchy feeling is the WORST.

Oh, Andaluza, you've reminded me how behind I am on daycare and doula interviews.  Sigh.

[ithappened]

LizBiz oh yes. I WAY over estimated what I could do, how long I would be able to work etc. The last two weeks in an elite academic environment really pushed that fact into the light for me. If I had to have stayed there even a few more days I would of had to have taken a day off to rest..  and my lectures were embarrassingly bad while I was there. I shutter to see the video footage. Also, running after my DS is near impossible for me if I exercise during the day at some point I end up laying on the couch and surrendering the apartment to DS, I just can't keep up. I am just thankful I said 'no' to a bunch of other obligations this month which at the time felt totally lame on my part.

LeeAnn I swear when I am pregnant the baby grows in my butt until around 38 weeks then migrates to my stomach, all my pants are too tight for me to wear and Ive been in maternity dresses for weeks now.

I think I am 25w this week? Is that possible? I am embarrassed that I've lost track. I've been having daily what feels like BH contractions and I am hoping thats all they are. I don't remember getting them this early before with DS. . I also find I get really jittery if I eat carbs/sugar and no fat/protein with it.. . odd really. 

[pennywhistle]

Tchotchkes she came over with lice, AND told you not to tell anyone?!  I have super thick hair and ALWAYS got lice when I was younger - I can't imagine anyone being so rude!

Good luck on all the tests this week...can't wait to hear the results!