seriously? you didn't think i was pregnant?

so a coworker asked me last week if i was pregnant. she wasn't sure until recently that i wasn't just putting on a ton of weight. really? you work with me every day, saw me loose a bunch of weight and keep it off for 2 years, then all of a sudden i start packing on the pounds? at least ask someone. jeez. enough people know that you could have gotten a straight answer. that was a bit confusing for me. if nothing else, surely the pregnancy-type clothes and general absence of trying to minimize the appearance of weight gain should have been a tip off. most ladies who gain weight tend not to wear maternity clothes or fitted tops that show off the belly. oi. just had to get that off my chest.

so in addition to packing on the pounds, pregnancy has afforded me a wonderful motivation to keep my posture. now that the baby is taking up so much room in my belly, i really can't afford to slouch at all. if i do for more than a second, i've got feet in my ribcage, forcing me to sit up straight faster than a nun with a ruler. i've always kind of prided myself on my posture and the little one just helps me remember to keep it up, despite the desire to be lazy. it's a good thing, really, so i suppose in the end i'm grateful to the baby. it's helped me continue to feel good as i grow. that and gymshoes and chaco sandals, the 2 most supportive pairs of shoes in my closet. i've abandoned even my flip flops in favor of the support and comfort the other 2 pairs offer. sure, it's not the most professional appearance, but i try to make up for it by continuing to be productive at work, despite the nagging desire to crawl under my desk and nap all day. not an argument i'd necessarily offer my bosses, but it makes me feel better.

so the countdown is finally at a point where its grasp-able. 6 more weeks is a very real, comprehensible time frame i can relate to, and it's getting a little intimidating. i think i'm ready, but only time will tell. i know with adam at my side, we can figure it out and make whatever happen that needs to. i think the relative closeness has subconsciously inspired me to start preparing. i've decided to start organizing the baby's stuff somewhat, and adam and i have started to go through some of the boxes of clothes that have been stored in the spare bedroom since we've moved. progress is progress, but it would have been better to get more done before i said aloud, "wow, we're really making good progress" and adam pulls a muscle in his back, bending over to get something off the floor. argh. i jinxed it.

this past weekend our good friend dann got married. it was a beautiful day, wonderful ceremony, fun pow-wow and festive reception. if the wedding is any indicator of the quality of marriage, they're in for a long life of fun, friends, family and fun. it was that fun, what can i say. being out in the burbs, we rented a hotel room for friday and saturday night, to avoid any commuting issues for the big day. it worked out brilliantly for me, since i got to work out and spend some leisure time in the pool before heading out for the festivities. it was very relaxing and just what the doctor ordered (if a doctor knew what was good for him/her!) i also had the unique privilege of wearing a beautiful black dress that my own mother wore when she was pregnant with me. so i guess you could say that was the second time i had been in that dress for a party. . . ha.

i got lots of compliments on the dress and even more compliments on how well i was holding up. it's not that big a deal to me, but i guess with all the negative publicity pregnancy gets these days in movies, tv and what not, a content mother-to-be is hard to come by. adam likes to say i love being pregnant. i wouldn't call it "love", it's more like just not hating it, being content with the changes and not dwelling on them. i do prefer to think positive, so in a time in my life when i'm growing exponentially, eating and peeing for 2 and every day finding a new small task i have to do ever so slightly differently to accommodate my current condition. . . it would be easy to be crazy and unhappy all the time, i just choose not to and just sit back and enjoy the ride. it's a new and exciting experience (that the human race has managed successfully for many, many years), so why not take it all in with a good sense of humor. i like being the happiest pregnant woman our friends have ever seen. maybe it'll inspire them to be more happy too (pregnancy not required).

i had another doctor's appointment on wednesday, and everything continues to be right on schedule. i event got to be accompanied by adam this time too. we met the 3rd and last doctor from the office and i'm pleased to say that while i'd prefer *my* doctor for the big day, i'll be comfortable with any of the other three, should the schedule require it. i was disappointed to hear i put on 3.5 pounds since the last appointment, which evens out any potential weight "loss" from previous visits. oh well. i'm still working out, still feeling good, still have good blood pressure, so whatever. i just have to work on not freaking out over passing the big 2-0-0 mark. ouch. sure, the math adds up, but it's an intimidating number to associate with my person. of course there will be plenty of time to do something about it once the baby arrives, so there's no point in worrying about it now! this doctor did prove somewhat amusing, with her concern of slight swelling in my lower legs (she has no baseline! what does she know?) and finding a "solid" heartbeat. we heard it just fine, but it was more distant that some past visits and she wanted to hear the solid thump-thump of a close listen. our baby is elusive, what can we say? adam suggested we should recruit our child to be a spy, he/she is so good at being elusive. it got a chuckle out of the doctor, but i don't think she found it as amusing as we did. one more appointment in 2 weeks, then we're in there every week. yipes!

so adam finds it amusing when i comment on people generously giving up their seats on the train or bus. what i had to explain was that it doesn't always happen, although i do try to time my commute to give myself the best chance of an open seat without having to rely on someone giving me theirs. all i can say is that i totally plan to keep a keener eye out for the pregnant ladies in the future because it can be a bit intimidating to stand on public transportation. not so much for the standing factor, but for when abrupt stops and turns can send you off balance and who knows where you and your belly will end up. though i thank generous folks as profusely as possible, i'll take this opportunity to thank you again. thanks!! i can only hope others will learn from your example. we pregnant ladies really do appreciate your generous consideration.

last but not least, i have to address my baby. he/she has been very active all week, ever since sunday afternoon. it's a shame, because billy really had his heart set on feeling the baby move. good thing we've got a few more weeks. it's been a trip: all times of day and evening, the baby is twisting and poking and really dancing a jig in there. it's fun, but distracting at times. i just continue to be grateful for the reminder that all is well on the inside.

back to the doctor, again

i had another doctor's appointment on tuesday. this was the first appointment i've had where i didnt' have a single question to ask. it was a little weird! i met another doctor int he office and she was just as pleasant and helpful as the others. everything checked out ok, only gained 1.5 lbs in 2 weeks (working out still working!). funny thing was neither nurse nor doctor commented on the nasty burn on my arm. maybe it's not that big a deal? the baby is as squiggly as ever, as he avoided letting us hear his heartbeat for a minute. last night adam got a new appreciation for the baby's movement: baby was active, so i tried again to place adam's hand on my belly. after a few seconds, the baby pushed up and adam felt it, but was convinced that i somehow caused the movement. i had to explain to him that it was all baby and he was eventually convinced that he managed to feel the baby a whopping second time. anyways, this last doctor's visit was pleasantly non-eventful and before i left i set up my remaining appointments. oi. that'll be a challenge. then i walked the 1.75 miles home; a nice stretch of the legs, especially for a pregnant gal.

a lot of folks at work are noticing the pregnancy, but i continue to be the smallest pregnant woman ever. "seven months!?!" they exclaim, "no way." alas, it is true. my modest showing has folks stumped far and wide, though i dont' see it. one person did concede that they could see how much bigger i was compared to when i started, but still, i'm not that "pregnant" looking. ugh. i can say i'm glad i'm carrying so well, because i haven't felt overly large (beyond being a little self-conscious at times) and been able to get around with little change and infrequent waddling. though, for the first time this week, i'm starting to feel "pregnant" in that my belly and back are starting to slow me down a little. not bad, but just a little. i guess my body's starting to catch up with my brain in realizing the baby's arrival is right around the corner!

work is proving to be a challenging front. i'm trying to get my ducks in a row, but it's slow going. i really dont' want people cursing my absence, nor taking steps backward in the meager progress i've managed to make. only time will tell, i guess. i've also been frustrated by our leave policy: by the book, a new mother has 2 options under the 12-week FMLA leave, to take short term disability and/or benefit time. what isnt' apparent until it's staring you in the face is that if you have any benefit time whatsoever, going on short-term disability is not really an option. this is because the disability starts counting the day you give birth, but you can't use it until you've depleted all of your benefit time first, then it only pays out up to the 6th week. so in my case, i have almost exactly 6 weeks of benefit time to exhaust, so it'll run out about the same time the short-term disability benefit window will. it seems odd to me to have 2 options, but you have to take them starting from the same point in time, so most people can't take advantage of the short-term disability benefit. some people get it, some don't. i think it's bogus. but it's a battle i'll have to wage strategically, but i'll definitely be pursuing it.

i'm excited to know adam is looking to the horizon of his smoking habit. i'm writing this with the expectation that few people actually read along, so there won't be people harassing him about his progress. he'll do just fine if left to his own devices and his own timeline. just look at the yard! ok, maybe i'll have to take a picture. but yesterday, adam mowed the lawn (it had been quite a while, with lots of rain)turned over the soil in the flower beds along the fence, relocated the peonys and "installed" our composter. i'm not sure how he managed it all in one day, but the yard looks outstanding and i can't tell him enough how impressed i am with his work. but he got so much done because he did it on his own terms and schedule. if i had asked him to do that stuff, he might not have accomplished as much. sure, at times, it's frustrating to have him be on a different schedule than me, but with patience, we both get what we need accomplished, and that's what matters. so with the smoking, adam's on his last carton of cigarettes and afterward, he hopes to transition to pipe smoking to ease the withdrawal and oral fixation, eventually phasing that out to an occasional, infrequent habit. like i told him yesterday, i knew he would quit eventually, but the prospect of the final steps going into action are exciting. i'm really happy for him and i hope he can count on me to help him transition into this healthier state of living.

camping, accidents, 7 months!?!?!

so we went camping at owasippe this past weekend. it's a boy scout camp in michigan, about 4 hours away, just north of muskegon. we've been going for 5 years now, i believe. we always have a good time with friends, fishing, hiking, hanging around the campfire and this year was no exception. part of me was curious about how my camping experience would be different in my condition, most of me was curious about how gibson would like the experience.

we got off to an adventurous start with an 3am arrival to the outside gates being locked. it was clearly too late to find someone to let us in, so adam had the camping spirit and recommended we grab the basics (tent, mattress and sleeping bag for us) and hike it in. after too many hours in the van (it was raining, so the trip was slow going) the hike did us all good, but especially gibson and his new friend bandit. they'd run ahead, run behind, run to the sides. they put our sluggish pace to shame with the amount of ground they covered. just as well, because by the time we got to camp and set up our basics, gibson was ready to join us for bed. we got up bright and early to meet up with al, when he informed us that the powers that be came up with a new concern: liability. for that reason, the gates had to be locked at all times and only scouters and campers were allowed on the grounds. bless his generous heart, he stayed up till 12:30 waiting for us to arrive. of course we would have made more of an effort to arrive, had we known, but that information was never relayed to us. we brought in the cars and eventually arranged for the key to the lock to be left available for us to come and go and future guests to let themselves in without issue. friday was spent settling in, adam and i did some fishing (despite protests from gibson), and awaiting the next round of guests.


saturday adam went fishing with nancy and i dragged everyone else out for a hike. i suppose drag isnt' a fair word: everyone came willingly and seemed to have an enjoyable time at it. we hiked the red trail around to owasippe's grave and when half of us turned back, the other half completed the circuit to paradise valley, big blue lake and through a bit of camp blackhawk. it was a fun time, though a lot longer than i recall. i impressed everyone with my hiking-while-pregnant fortitude, but i was straight up pooped when we got back. ironically, so was gibson. saturday's dinner turned into a marathon of eating, with dishes from all sides, including some asian bass, courtesy of nancy's culinary skills and adam and her fishing skills. we eventually finished up with some apple cobbler, a camping staple.


sunday was pretty chill, but ended up being a frustrating day. earlier in the day, i volunteered gibson and i to go down to the north dock and get another rowboat. i pulled it down, got it in the water, and gibson went in and out once. i climbed in, got gibson in and shoved off. then all of a sudden, gibson decided he wanted to be back on the dock, but ended up in the water instead. i had to coach gibson around the pier to get out of the water and ended up needing to exit the boat to do so. not thinking, i left the rowboat alongside the dock, but it quickly floated away out of reach. so we got to walk back to camp, i had to leave gibson behind, i flagged down eric to canoe on over to the dock and fetch me the runaway rowboat. later that day, i decided to walk down to the south dock and try some fishing with gibson along. i thought it would be a good opportunity to fish around gibson and see how he took to the casting. no sooner did we arrive, then gibson made a mad dash for the water in a frantic splash. again, i had to coach him around to get to land where he could get out. it was sunny, i had my brand-new ray bans on, but opted to put them in my pocket for safe keeping. with gibson back on land i grabbed my fishing stuff again and headed to the opposite end of the dock to eat lunch and fish. i reached for my sunglasses and they were gone. i looked around on land, in the water, nothing! i ate, looked, fished looked, fished and caught a tree, looked and called it quits. when i got back to camp, adam was back and insisted on looking for my sunglasses on the spot. after a solid 90 minutes (at least) the dock and surrounding area was covered in decomposed branches and leaves, adam was wet to his waist and i was pretty filthy too. but no sunglasses. we came back to look over the next 2 days to no avail. but dinner (adam's famous shish kebab and pilaf dinner) and dessert (an new combination of blueberry and cake) were delish.

we awoke monday to an overcast morning, which soon turned into a rainy day. adam went off with brian and adam for a fishing adventure and i hung back to hang out. we took a nap once adam got back to try to wait out the storm, while brian and adam chickened out and went back home. the rain eventually gave up after sundown, when we relied on the campfire to dry our chairs. at one point, i decided to flip my chair back from the fire to enjoy the toastiness, when gibson had the same idea and plopped himself down before i could do anything about it. i tried sharing the chair with him, but it wasn't quite the same. gibson also had some exposure to raccoons that night, and by exposure i mean we were at the fire bowl, the raccoons were at the kybo, and gibson got all the way out to the edge of the light to bark at the raccoons. he'd accompany me to the kybo when i went, but didn't really venture over on his own. that's enough for me.


tuesday was for packing out. adam and kyle went fishing and i hung back to get things started. oddly enough, i enjoy the packing up process, when i can take my time and follow my own rules; it's kind of relaxing in a weird way. gibson supervised from atop a picnic table covered in his blanket and it was good. adam and kyle returned, we brought back the remaining boats to the dock and we hit the road. thank goodness adam's a determined driver because he had little to no company: both gibson and i slept the majority of the trip back. a few select things were brought in and then it was showers all around (gibson too). all in all, it was a great camping trip that was just what i needed.

unfortunately, pregnancy has made me no less accident prone. beyond the sunglasses snafu, i managed to blindly walk into a stack of tent pallets (getting a nice, deep bruise on my shin), i obtained a nice bug bite (probably spider) on my thigh that swole up to a diameter of about 2 inches, then upon returning i attempted to cook dinner with hot grapeseed oil that leapt from the pan onto my forearm. if i keep this pace up, i'll be wheelchair bound before the child arrives!!

friday was my sister-in-law's birthday, but i was too distracted to realize it. instead, i focused on the intimidating fact that the baby's scheduled arrival is a mere TWO MONTHS AWAY! oh my goodness. sure, i've been counting up the weeks, with 40 as the goal and my belly has been growing steadily and showing the occasional movement of the alien parasite within, but 2 months? that's so close and easily contemplated. no, the baby's room is in no way ready. i've barely mentioned the phrase "FMLA" at work. there's a lot to be done and every weekend between now and 11/12 are booked with random activities. this will be a challenge, to be certain.

back to the doctor

yesterday was a fun doctor-day for me. i started off with my glucose screening at a lab office. all i had to do was drink some glucose, wait an hour, then get some blood drawn. the glucose was an artificially-orange flavored "drink" that tasted nasty and left a terrible taste in my mouth. it didn't help that sweet stuff has been giving me heartburn (and this stuff was a whole new definition of sweet). after a few minutes, distaste turned to nausea, but although i couldn't drink any water, i was allowed to rinse my mouth out, which helped tremendously. i spent the hour working on my knitting project: a sleep sack for the little one. (i really hope it turns out well and plan to bring the baby home in it.) 3 vials of blood later, i was out the door and off to my doctor's appointment.

i arrived 20 minutes early and man, did it pay off. i was in and out and on the bus back to work in 35 minutes flat: a world record, if you ask me. i met with a different doctor this time, as my usual doctor's office is a group practice and any one of the group's doctors may end up delivering my child. she was very nice and had helpful answers to my usual round of questions i present at my appointments. baby's heartbeat sounded good, blood pressure and urine sample was good. even my weight was ok: in the 2 weeks since my last appointment, i only gained 1 pound. at this point i should be gaining about a pound a week, but it looks like with my increased work outs, the baby's weight gain was half off-set by my own weight loss. i was pretty excited.

with my belly finally starting to feel "in the way" and kinda heavy, i'm glad i've found the energy to work out more regularly. it's helped my energy and general ability to get around and i feel good. the challenge will be to keep up with it after camping and beyond, as i continue to expand!!

i am SUPER excited for camping this weekend. we're almost packed, have a few things left to pick up and we're off. i know i'll probably spend more time in the hammock this year than i usually do, but i still can't wait. i'm sure gibson will love it, though he probably wont' love us leaving him to go fishing. we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. i'm just going to focus on relaxing, taking pictures and working on my knitting projects. i hope mother nature keeps the rain to a minimum, but otherwise i'm ready for anything!