Highs and Lows

For most of this pregnancy, my stomach was so high that my boobs rested on it if I sat slouchily-- which I have been known to do. A couple of weeks ago my stomach suddenly dropped, much to DH's concern. I look much smaller now. But now the tummy is resting on my lap!

I don't remember such a dramatic change happening in my previous pregnancies. Well, they say that each one is unique and each of mine have definitely been different from each other.

One thing that is consistent from the last pregnancy to this one is that my face has grown fat now towards the end. SORRY-- I mean, I have filled out. Don't want to cause angst to any first time pregolas reading this blog (assuming anyone reads it). Don't worry, it's just water (or chocolate) and it'll go away as soon as the baby is born.

The Bends

So what if I haven't blogged lately?
Well, one problem is that you can't rely on the things I felt last pregnancy to understand how I feel in this one. Though these past two have more in common than the first one did. I don't remember any specific physical hardships the first time around. That is, until the actual birth, which was quite traumatic. The subsequent pregnancies have been more physically demanding.

For instance, I remember going on strike last pregnancy. I told DH that anything on the floor was his domain, as I couldn't reach it. Well, this time around it's not too different, except that in addition to just plain difficulty bending down, I also have a full gastronomic experience every time I pick up a sock. I get a little nauseous, I have to go to the bathroom, I get reflux... all this from one little excursion to the floor.

On the other hand, I am not swollen this time around. Remember my hot-water-bottle-shaped feet? The exploding human sausages at the ends of my legs? Well, it's not a problem this time, at least not so far. Could have to do with the weather. It's been winter here. I spent a lot of my last pregnancy in sweltering conditions.

An unfortunate mainstay of this pregnancy, however, have been yeast infections. I can't believe I'm writing this in a public-ish forum. It's gotten better since

body of a boy

nursing kids

Showing Whom?

We finally told our families last week about the pregnancies. My mother-in-law, who is pissed at me for a related argument, retreated to the kitchen and muttered things about 'I told you so.'
Oh, the way we did it was that we handed my 3 year-old DS the ultrasound picture and he was to hand it to her. Which he did. She looked at it and handed it to her housekeeper/friend who said 'oh, this is (my niece's) old ultrasound. It's been around for 3 years." I told her to look closer. And she did... The truth eventually came out. We had family over from out of town and everyone was assembled at my in-laws. Everyone came and congratulated me and gave kisses and things. Bleh. Congratulate me when it comes out. For now just back off an hope I don't barf on you. Oh, and order me non raw sushis.
I would have preferred launching the news with a single phone call to each in-law household and then waiting for the news to spread viraly, which it surely would have in ten minutes, maximum. I'm really not one for show-and-tell when it comes to my body. Especially since everyone kept saying 'oh yeah, you're showing!' When just hours before they were saying 'you're so thin.' So much for objectivity. I gave my husband permission to do it this way because the last two pregnancies were announced, I believe, over Skype since we were out of town. I grined, bared it, and then hustled out of there as soon as was respectfully possible. Bleh.

Second Trimester Begins, Sleepiness Continues.

This pregnancy has been way crazier than my last two. I am so worn out by the end of the day-- no matter what my day consisted of-- that I'm fast asleep by 9pm. Then I wrench myself out of my son's bed around 10, shuffle to my bed, put my head on the cool pillow 'just for a few minutes' before opening my eyes at 11 or so when I finally give up my idea of folding the laundry. I change into my PJs and officially go to sleep.
I'm already into the second trimester! I'm worried that this pregnancy is going to be worse than my last one during which I was exhausted for the entire period. I don't know if I ever saw midnight.
I shouldn't complain. My nausea is all but gone. I still don't have much of an appetite for things I used to crave, but at least I am not having to deal with the constant feeling of having to throw up. I did have a third barf in the first semester that I didn't write about -- probably because I was sleeping. But that was over 3 weeks ago and I have felt better ever since.

Barf Two

Yeah, it happened today. I was feeling mildly blah, but just mildly. But bad enough that I didn't feel like doing anything productive and only wanted to sit and drink my tea and read the newspaper ads. Then DD woke up from her nap. As I picked her up, she gave me a good kick in the stomach. In just that right place... I didn't know there was a nausea button on my navel but apparently there is. I put her down on the bed to change her diaper and that's what really hastened the event. I ran over to the toilet with her crying at the sudden abandonment and trailing along behind me, trying to see what was going on. Fortunately, it was just a little, minor barf. So I could turn my attentions to her rather quickly and prevent her from investigating it. But it earns a mention nonetheless.

Slowly Moving Forward and Back and One Barf

I finally made a Dr.'s appointment. It's not for another week but that was all I could get. I have no idea how pregnant I actually am. I'm guessing somewhere around 2 months.

I have been doing ok, all things considered. I remember my first two pregnancies-- me falling asleep as I taught an online class and being woken up by my students wondering what was taking me so long to answer their questions. That was P1. Or P2, me, sitting on the couch, completely unable to move for fear that I will aggravate my nausea and having DH bring me carrot sticks, the only thing I could fathom eating. Those are both first trimester stories.

This time things have been pretty mild. I was hovering around somewhere just below normal-- pretty tired, especially after the kid's bedtime when I pretty much crash. Also mildly nauseous but not enough to stop me from doing most things.

That was all true until a couple of nights ago when, after a slightly long car ride with my DH at the wheel, I had no choice but to leave him with the kids and the bags and retreat into bed. I was so nauseous and tired that I just couldn't function. I fell asleep but that didn't stop the nausea. When I awoke a few hours later I sat up in bed and tried to gauge my status. I didn't have to do much guessing. I got that feeling and made for the bathroom. Barf. Hopefully the first and last one of this pregnancy. It didn't even make the nausea go completely away, and it left me feeling completely wiped out, sitting on my son's pee-pee stool and waiting for some external influence to decide my next move. Because I was still nauseous I was afraid to even rinse out my mouth or take a drink or eat anything. I went back to bed and had DH handle all the crying calls from the kids for the rest of the night. At one point DS came over to our bed as he usually does. Usually it's fine but this time he was bouncing around and kicking me in the stomach. Besides a lack of sleep, I felt like I was on a turbulent flight. This was not the recovery scenario I needed.

Because he'd been up so much during the night, I felt like I should get up with the kids in the morning. That's when I finally had some apple juice to soothe my parched mouth. DH replaced me about an hour later and that's when I finally got some rest. When we went out that day, however, I felt really short of breath and found it very difficult to stand. We were in a big-box store and there was nowhere to sit. I found a rolling set of stairs and perched on there for a while. Finally I realized that the reason I wasn't able to get air into my lungs was because my bra was too tight. I haven't worn one since. Thank God the weather is cool enough to wear a bulky sweater.

The Signs

The signs have been there for a few weeks already. Unexpected bouts of emotion (usually I consider myself rather dry in that department), advancing fatigue, pimple popping and, oh yeah. Remember my last posting? Let's follow that up with Period. Period. Period. No Period. Then there's the thirst. Boy oh boy, pass the water bottle!

As if I needed confirmation, I peed in a cup and DH (he didn't want the news over the phone or in a text message like last time) eyedropped it into the little cassette (that's what it's called in the packaging) and read the results to me with a smile. I took it from him, barely glanced at it, stuck it on a shelf for further examination, and went back to making school lunches. It's still sitting there, actually, but I'll take his word for it. After all... all the signs are there.

Period

Period.

Brazil Belly

I weighed myself yesterday. All scales say different things and this was one of those quite unreliable digital ones that give you two different results in a ten second span. However I clocked in between 62 and 63.5 consistently over the time I was using that scale. Which puts me in at about 2.5 kg or 6lbs over where I would like myself to be. On the other hand, we are on vacation and I've been pigging out.

Remember The Tooth?

I thought that my pregnancy woes would end after I gave birth but no, some things linger on (besides my muffin top.)

Faithful readers will recall that I had more than a wee bit of trouble with my teeth during pregnancy. Well, my post pregnancy teeth weren't fully recovered. The one tooth I had treated was still sensitive until last week when all of a sudden the pain went away. Odd. Then I developed a bump on my gum just above that tooth. Odder. Actually, a bump on your gum is kind of scary. To make a long story short, it turned out to be an abscess-- a bubble of infection above my now necrotic tooth and I had to get a root canal in it. Turns out I'd had an infection there probably the whole time which eventually reached the bone. The tooth then died. Most unpleasant and, worse, expensive. I've become an avid flosser.

Having More Soon?

So it's just over six months since wee one was born, and life is just starting to come into order again. Which is probably why people want to know if I'm having another anytime soon. Maybe they ask because of how close my first two are. Which isn't all that close, really.

My answer is usually a very frank "not today." This usually gets people off my case.

Rest assured, dear readers (the multitude of my most faithful) you will be the first to know.

Just don't hold your breath.

Did I already write a post about memory loss and pregnancy?

Just kidding!!!

Grey Hair

Kids. What they do to you. DH has told me several times in the past that I have a grey hair sprouting. I have never believed him. But today I saw one sprouting right up in the middle of my forehead. This even has made me feel 'old' in the way that no other event has. I have friends who've been sprouting grey hairs since they were in middle school-- mostly people with dark hair-- but it was never something I had. So on me grey = aging. Them's the breaks, I guess.

Mommy Brain

When I was pregnant this time I had what they called 'pregnancy brain.' I don't think that's the official medical term but it sure does paint the picture. I called it 'train leaving the station brain' because that's what it felt like. An idea would pop in but it would pull out of my brain before I had time to access it.

Pregnancy brain didn't end so much with the end of my pregnancy. It's only this week that I'm finding myself feeling somewhat organized and getting things done. Some of this might have to do with the fact that DD is now sitting and can entertain herself in this position for longer periods of time so I actually can get things done.

Whatever the reason is, it's a good feeling. DH also likes it. It's the first time our entire apartment has been clean at the same time since we moved in 4 months ago.

Hair Loss Woes Continued

At 5.5 months post partum, I think my hair loss is finally slowing a bit. I think. I brushed it the other day and ended up with significantly less than an enormous clump of hair on my brush.

If the Skirt Fits

It fits! The skirt that I've been thinking should fit me but hadn't until now... fits! Which means that other clothes that depend on my hip breath should fit too!! Celebrate! My wardrobe and I are reunited. Now if I can only get toned up a bit and rid of this flab....
After my last pregnancy it took me 4 months to fit back into all my clothes. It's now about five and a half months since I gave birth now. Assuming that all my clothes really do fit and it's not just this skirt, I'm still not doing TOO badly.

Having Another?

Is it rude to comment on how close --or far, for that matter-- people's children are spaced? I have definitely done it, but I think it has to be in the right context like, for instance, amongst friends. For example, I know people who have had or are having a hard time getting pregnant. But I guess the question there would be why they are waiting so long to have kids and not why they are spread out. I know that when people comment on how close my kids are (twenty-one months is not THAT close), they often do it with sympathy. Like, 'wow, that must be tough.' I guess it's tough. Certainly, I have almost no personal time, which accounts for how often I get to blog lately.
There have been times when I asked someone about the spacing of their children and wished I could have taken it back. Sometimes it's better not to know.

Pregnant or Not So Pregnant

This doesn't strictly belong in this blog, but I thought it would be interesting to readers who are looking for posts on body image and pregnancy.

I ran into a girl I haven't seen around for a few years. She's always been a heavyish girl. She got really big after she got married and had baby one and two. We talked a little bit about what we've each been up to. She was lookng pretty much the same as last time I saw her. Then she let the bomb drop. Something about "with this baby..." while indicating her stomach. I know she noticed the look of shock that crossed my face. Even though I now knew she was pregnant, she didn't look pregnant to me. Especially the advanced stages that she'd just confessed to. She simply looked like her regular heavy self. She was wearing a winter coat but it was open. Maybe that's what was hiding her maternal shape. I tried to cover it up without starting at her belly. "You look great!" I said (I meant it too). And I tried to change the subject. I think it worked. But it's not the first time that I made a pregnant or just recently birthed mom faux pas. By my count it's the fourth. I've had some real doozies.
But this incident made me wonder-- did she get pregnant five years after her last child because she lost weight? Is her heaviness now all baby or is it just not popping that much? I don't dare ask.

Back To the Weighting Game

I just weighed myself for the first time in several months. I've been evaluating by back-to-pre-baby shape by the way my clothes fit, which is probably the best yardstick. However, it's always interesting to see how things are going in the weight department as well.

Well, the big news is that I'm at my pre-baby weight! About 138 or 139 lbs, assuming that my sister's scale is correct and that it corroborates with the scales I've been using since I gave birth. It took me four months to get here, or maybe less considering that I may have been sitting at this weight for a while and not known it. This is also how long it took me in my last pregnancy.

But before you pull out the balloons and streamers, note that my favorite skirt, which I managed to get on over my hips, is still barely closing and I actually busted the hook and eye thingy that holds it shut. I still have this belly. I'm back at my regular weight but I seem to have traded muscle for fat. Muscle is heavier. I'll have to start doing crunches or something. I can't stand the way things look across my middle. Also, my hips still look wide to me, though there's no real way of telling if they're back or not, or if they ever will be. At this stage after my last pregnancy I was back in my regular clothes. Well, it's okay. I am a bit older now and this is my second kid and it's okay for our bodies to change a bit as we get older. I just don't have the cash to restock my entire wardrobe right now.

postpartum hair loss

My hair was gorgeous during my pregnancy. I really enjoyed it. Now it is once again all over the house, the baby, my hands, everything. I am shedding like a cat. A sheddy cat. You'd think that at this rate I wouldn't have any hair left at all but it looks pretty much the same as usual, I guess. They say you lose about 100 hairs per day anyway. I'm probably losing about three times that amount, minimum. At leat this time 'round my hair is reasonably trimmed so that it's easy to brush. Last time I had to cut off 10 inches when my baby was 6 months old because it was taking me three-quarters of a hour each time to brush it and the resulting hairballs were as big as my fist. Guess I'll just have to wait for my hormones to rebalance themselves.