Waiting...

After a full weekend of activity, we are still waiting for this baby. It's not even that late, but I am definitely ready to get this part over with. So ready in fact, that on Saturday we went to try THE SALAD. Sure, it's an urban legend, but what did we have to lose? Local lore says that ladies from a birth class were eager for their babies to come and went out, ate the salad, and voila... baby time!

So we drove 30 minutes away to Studio City and found Caioti Pizza Cafe, home of THE Salad. It was a nice little outing. And the salad was tasty! Unfortunately, it did nothing but give me gas.

Now we wait some more. C'mon, baby!

EDD: Come and gone!

Today was the estimated due date. Unless baby comes tv-style in the next few hours, it will officially be late.
And the waiting continues. The only problem with this is discomfort. Ok, and anxiety and the chance for self-doubt to start creeping in... but generally, it's the discomfort. I'm definitely getting bigger-- into the "not so manageable" size, which means I have started to run into things. I've actually scratched myself for the past two days. Yesterday a friend asked if I was bleeding and I told her I wasn't sure, simply because I couldn't SEE my stomach to check out the damage. I had bent over some plastic packages that were in a bag in my car and knew I had grazed them, but didn't know that I had indeed scratched myself. You'd think I would have learned from that... but today I opened a door and did it again. I'm just too wide!

The best nation is a donation

There are very few helpful or constructive things I've been able to do over the past 8 months. Maybe more than a few, but I wouldn't be able to name many. I recently cut off a lot of my hair to donate to people who need it and in the coming week (I hope!) I'll be donating our baby's cord blood to a cord blood bank.

There are plenty of blood banks, but many are for-profit banks that parents have to pay for. This means once a baby is born, a doctor or midwife collects samples of blood (they really want the stem cells) from the umbilical cord and the samples are shipped off and stored for safekeeping and possible future use rather than discarded.

Cord blood banking is generally controversial because the major banks are privately run for-profit ventures. They're very expensive, and some say that these companies prey on the fears of new [and affluent] parents. The processing fee alone for cord blood banking on one privately run website is $1920. Storage will run a family another $125 annually after the first year. There is no way of knowing if a baby (or sibling) will need the stem cells or even if a disease that they may have such as leukemia, a blood disorder or other condition would respond to cord blood stem cell therapy.

I don't know what's going to happen in the future, but I would like to think Trouble will be nothing but robust. And if Trouble's robust, then why keep the stem cells? Could other people use them instead? Rather than privately banking our baby's cord blood, I called the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank at Duke University a few months ago.
I had read an article about the pilot blood bank program at Duke and felt it was a good option for us. If Trouble DOES need his or her stem cells and they are available, great. If someone else needs Trouble's stem cells, they could use them instead. While there are some public cord blood banks, there's no national cord blood registry. If the Carolinas program is a success, it's possible that there will be a national registry open to anyone, similar to an organ or blood donation list/bank.

After answering some screening questions and asking my doctor if she would be willing to participate (she needed to complete an on-line training), I received a kit in the mail. It's really a win-win and I'm glad that this option exists. There's an alternative to the pricey cord banking-for-something-we-may-never-need and a way for us to bank the cells in case we do need them-- or that perhaps our baby's cord blood will help save someone else's life some day.

40th Week: What's Worse?

This is it. I am officially into the 40th week and a bit anxious to get this part over with so I can have some semblance of my life and body back. This weekend Clint told me he would like his wife back. Yes, I would certainly like that as well. The past 35 weeks have not been much of a cakewalk for either of us.

Today has been particularly gnarly and I am back to nibbling Saltine crackers and propping myself up with pillows to try to nap. Could this be the beginning of the end? Maybe. Or maybe it is just my body's way of saying it isn't over so I just need to deal a little longer.

At this point I'm really not sure what is worse, still being sick ... or still being pregnant.

Diaper Origami!

It's official: We have diapers!
We have 160, to be exact. One of the oldest diaper services in the nation is located in Pasadena and they service our area on Mondays. So, today I got a diaper pail, big bag o' diapers, and a diaper newsletter of sorts called the "Wet Set Gazette" with pictures of happy babies in their cloth diapers.

I know that there will be times I'll need to use disposable diapers. I also know that I may not have the patience for cloth, but if I start out with cloth and don't know what I'm missing with the plastic alternative, maybe it'll be a-ok. How bad can it be when Dy-Dee Diaper Service will wash them for me?

Along with the Wet Set Gazette the diaper folks tossed in a Diapering Digest quick guide, which includes what I would describe as diaper origami. Instead of the crane (stork? haha) or lotus, they offer folds such as the Angel Wing and another called Navel Defense (love that one). I don't know how much I'll be practicing on my little seal puppet. I think in a week or so I'll get plenty of real life practice.

Last to Arrive...

It's official: Trouble is the last arrival of the 9 babies from our baby prep class. We spent 2 hours a week for 8 weeks with the other couples learning things Clint claimed (afterward) he could have learned from an outline in a 2 hour class. I think I probably got more out of it (which is good, since I'll be doing most of the work, right?). At least we got to meet some other first-time parents to start building a network.

I saw today on Facebook that the other couple due in mid-September had their baby early last week. This means Trouble is last! Clint made a point of bending down to the belly and telling little T not to worry that s/he is the last one. Somebody always has to be last, right? For some reason I'm thinking of the Chilean miners stuck thousands of feet below the earth... it'll take months to dig a hole to rescue them. Once they start extraction, somebody has to be the last one out, which means for a while they'll be the only person stuck down at the bottom of the mine where they've spent the past 4? months in the dark.

I was a full 2 weeks late to the party we call LIFE so I shouldn't be surprised that Trouble hasn't shown up early. Today, 9/11, was the original Trouble due date. Trouble is now officially "due" on the 15th, which is Wednesday. I just checked my calendar and sometime ages ago I just wrote "baby due" on the 15th. ha!

Some friends predicted that Trouble would arrive yesterday, others thought today. The latest prediction on the timeline we have is hovering around the 23rd/24th, meaning our little Virgo would actually be a Libra, which would be a-ok with me, since I already live with a Virgo and the house tends to be too organized and tidy for me. It'd be ok to have someone around whose goal in life is to "witness the importance of cooperation and harmony" nice! Fair and balanced, our own little Fox News analyst? Maybe not. Of course, another Virgo would be fine too. At least then I'd have two people to clean up after me.

Time for a Nook?

I went into Barnes and Noble today to look for a book that our doula recommended. When I went into the store, there was a large display and a staffer behind a counter who asked, "Are you familiar with our Nook?" I told him that yes indeed, I am familiar with the Nook. I didn't tell him I don't own one... but I am familiar with the concept of an e-reader. He proceeded to tell me how I might like to take a look at one since it looked like I'd be having some free time coming up.

I know that all of my senses are a little out of whack lately but really? Free time? I told him I wouldn't exactly call it "free time" and no, I didn't have any time to look at the Nook. When it comes to time, I really have no idea what to expect once Trouble actually debuts. Will I be walking around like a zombie all day? Will 4pm roll around and I'll still be wearing the same clothes I slept in the night before? Will my dog hate me because I don't go out to play with her as much? Will I have the same kind of memories of the newborn days as I do of the worst of the (still lingering, even today) morning sickness-- which is sorta a big blur of nasty food combinations, time spent in the bathroom, bio bags and near isolation? It certainly helped that I had written some of these things down, even the days on a calendar where I just wrote something like, "still sick, still miserable" and that was all. Of course, I don't expect Trouble to see these little gems of literary material but at least I will have them in a Trouble box somewhere. Provided I have some free time to tuck these things away, if I am not too busy reading an e-book with all of my free time as a new parent.

Optimism, or just being crazy?

This might seem a little silly, but I have no reservations or concerns about baby's arrival. I believe that I will have a normal, even somewhat comfortable birth and that while it might be difficult, my body knows what to do and my mind sorta knows as well.
Yes, there are all kinds of things that can happen during birth, but I am choosing not to think about the things that could make me freak out if I do indeed think about them.

I DO have expectations -- of myself and my carefully chosen team, but I know that things can change and don't always go as planned so I might have to make amendments to my birth preferences. I know the "birth plan" could go out the window entirely along with my husband, but I hope not. I keep thinking it's going to be fine and everything will work out and be pleasant and uneventful. Is that absolutely ridiculous? Crazy? I've kinda been thinking this way for the past few weeks. I was giving some more thought to this today and I've decided that I'm not delusional. I think this is the best way for me to approach baby time. How else should I look at it? Dreading it like paying taxes or going to the dentist? These are things that must be done. I might as well embrace the unknown and try to have the best outlook imaginable. If it all goes to shit, fine. But maybe something will go my way and it'll be great! Anything will be better than the past 8 months, right?

Dino-Mite!

Not to worry, this plush guy is not my baby! The seal puppet has been a baby stand-in for all things that require a size measurement these days. Ergo baby carrier, Moby wrap and swaddling practice... and now it is a model for my first home-sewn baby clothing item, a dinosaur fleece sack. It's not supposed to be a sleeping sack but I'm sure baby will fall asleep wearing it at some point. IF it fits. The seal is a little stuffed in there.
I fear it will be too small or the sleeves will be octopus-length or something. I made sure it would be easy to get over baby's head by adding a little piece of Velcro on one of the shoulders but it might be scratchy or uncomfortable or a fire hazard to wear. I am almost afraid of using it because it hasn't passed any stringent baby clothing tests (they have those now). I guess I've just got one option: test it on my own baby! Now I have to wait for it to show up for a fitting.

Labor Day has come and gone...

And I have no news. All quiet. No action. Nothing.
This is week 39, or tomorrow will officially be week 39... so there's still plenty of time for nothing to happen before something happens. Since I was personally 16 days late (and I've been late for virtually everything since then), I really shouldn't be hoping that Trouble will come early. Or even on time. So, I've been trying to come up with things to occupy my time and don't require a whole lot of effort. Watching movies, reading and emailing are all good because I can put my feet up while doing these things and my hands and feet don't swell as much as they do when I'm standing up. This means they're only the size of ski gloves, not Mickey Mouse paws. I'm taking suggestions for other activities, but don't get too crazy. I shouldn't be zip-lining or kayaking any time soon.

Let's Play A Game

It's time to play.... Guess what this baby item is for! If you have a baby or child(ren), this should be easy. For those of us without that life experience [yet], this is sorta a nightmare... fitting into the same category as "Time to install the car seat."

I got a new shipment of baby goodies from my very generous sister in law and brother today. Inside the big box I found many cloth Happy Heiny diapers (so tiny!) and an assortment of other stuff. There was just one little problem: I don't know what to do with two of the things in the box. I'm not certain what they are for. Test yourself and tell me what they're for... or make something up and let me know. Oh, and no smarty-pants answers for the second one-- I put the tea kettle in the photo for scale.

Sleepless in Topanga

It has officially happened... I've gotten to the uncomfortable and sleepless stage... which will likely continue for at least a month regardless of where Trouble is. Luckily, since Wednesday, the nausea has been somewhat curbed. This might be because I've been roaming the house at 2am, doing things like staring into the refrigerator. Not that I want to, but I tend to be hungry and a little nauseous then. This means that morning nausea is curbed enough to allow me to normally function. It comes in the afternoon instead, but that's not too bad. I am awake and can eat something to make it go away or take a little Zofran and hope it subsides.

Now to my latest problem, which can simply be described as pregnant insomnia. I'm pretty close to a two-hour sleep cycle, meaning that's how often I need to get up to pee. Someone told me my bladder is now the size of a tea cup. I'm thinking they meant a tea cup in a dollhouse. I swear life would be easier with gigantic pregnant-lady size Depends, but once I think about it a little longer, I just think it's best I keep getting up to pee. Last night the dog decided she was on the same pee cycle, so I got to go outside at 2:30. It was beautiful and quiet and the moon was out, which left a soft glow on the back yard so I could see where I was walking. I can't just let the dog out because she could (literally) be eaten by a coyote. They were out too, so it was an early morning of activity in the canyon.

I ended up lying on the couch after that. I only had to get up a few more times so I don't think I was awake as long as I thought when I eventually woke up at 7 to see the dog sitting in front of me, waiting to go out again. Now I'm definitely ready to go back to bed and try to postpone officially getting up and doing anything.

A Few Pounds Lighter!

BEFORE


DURING

It may be considered a drastic move, but it was over 100 degrees outside today and the extra long locks needed to go. It was easy to stay cool when I put my hair up all the time, but it was just too long and yes, hot.

I'm not sure if I've lost any weight today, but I do feel a little lighter in addition to being cooler. That's all that matters, right? Twelve inches of hair are history! I hadn't had it cut since February (woah) and now someone will benefit from my once-long locks and I'm ready to start a new chapter in my life. A new hair cut can do that. I think clothes can too. It makes me want to see Nora Ephron's play, "Love, Loss, and What I Wore" -- I think women are a lot more aware of these things than men. We remember big life events relative to what we were wearing, which shoes we had on, how our hair was done... And guys barely remember the order of events, if they remember the event itself at all.

I think after the past seven + months, I'm ready to leave the long hair behind and start a new chapter: a short hair chapter. Not too short though, since that could be a total disaster. I've kept a bob. Any shorter and I would seriously question my judgment and that of the friend who agreed to cut it for me.

I vaguely remember being fit and active. My new 'do will be good for getting back into that old groove. Easier to work with, wash, style, all of the above. It's cooler (good on days like today when temps reached 108!), and baby won't be able to grab it and tug just yet. I may not be physically lighter, but my shorter hair has made me just a little more buoyant today. I hope it'll get me through the next few days as well -- forecasts are predicting triple digits until Sunday!


AFTER

Snip, Snip

It's time. No silly, baby is still very content where it is... but it's time for me to get my hair cut.
Really. It's a little out of control. I have looked up the guidelines for various donation programs and I'm going to get it cut today and send it to Pantene. I chose this program because they use the hair for grown-ups and I read that Locks of Love gets too many donations (is that possible?).

It's also good that it's going to be over 100 degrees today and it'll remind me why I want it shorter!
Not too short.
I'll send before and afters.
weeee