The Wednesday Stork (Thursday edition) : Week 31

No bump shot this week. But really, those are neither very impressive nor very different from week to week. You're not missing anything. But Ty, on the other hand, has made great progress, especially considering he resembled a poppy seed a few months ago.

I expected to be able to tell you all about 4D scans after we had ours earlier this week, but there isn't anything to tell. It was just like all the other ultrasounds I've had, the only difference being the 4D image that resulted. The process was exactly the same: slather jelly on belly, rub little wand thing around, watch the screen like your life depends on it. We didn't get to hear a heartbeat, but did learn that he supposedly weighs 3.5 pounds. I don't put much stock in ultrasound weight prediction, but I guess 3.5 sounds normal.

The tech said I was carrying small for a baby with such a round head :) And, in case you were worried, that abnormally round head is....upside-down!

I'm told Ty has the Overbeek man nose, meaning he currently resembles his father (and grandfather). Now if I could just get a good shock of black hair on that roly-poly newborn head, I'd really be able to say he looks like daddy :)

Weeks: 31 and counting. Slowly counting. 
Weight gain so far: J-u-s-t over 17 pounds. I expected this to be a big weight gain week...we've been "vacationing" with Todd's parents for nearly two weeks now (more on this later). Let the pounds fall where they will.  
Got any prego stretch marks? Still none. 
How am I sleeping? It's a nightly toss-up. Never can tell what kind of sleep I'll get.  
Feeling anything in there? Oh yeah, lots. Kid's a riot. Already.   
Aversions or cravings? Papa John's pizza? (it worked for the Goldfish crackers...)
What’s the gender? Boy. That's the first thing the ultrasound tech managed to see. I believe the Dr./tech because I assume they know what they're talking about, but the visuals are largely unconvincing to me. Todd still says he can tell.  
Any labor signs? No. And after the safari game drive we took last night, I'm grateful. Poor little guy probably thought his world was going to explode. I had similar concerns about my bladder.   
How pregnant do I feel? Well, I recently learned I can do exactly one really taxing day. The next day I will need a wheel chair and a nap.  
Belly button in or out? In...for how much longer?
Still sporting my wedding rings? Yep!

And that's 31 weeks! We have been thoroughly enjoying our time with Todd's parents, and I think I have several posts (and pictures) from our adventures coming to the blog soon. It's so nice to have family here. I can't even tell you how nice. I'll be sad when they leave, but am livin' it up in the mean time :) 

The Wednesday Stork: Week 30

It's that time...we are 30! Weeks, that is. I don't know how excited I would be to reach 30 years. Time will tell :)

I don't think I look very big this week; I'm actually pretty sure I've looked a lot bigger in some of my previous pictures. Anyway, don't be deceived. I definitely look pregnant. ALL the time.

Weeks: 30. Is this real life?
 Weight gain so far: 16 pounds! 
 Got any prego stretch marks? None that I can see. Still waiting expectantly. 
 How am I sleeping? About the same. Some nights are better than others. 
 Feeling anything in there? Yes, lots of movement but I can't predict when his moods will strike. Also, I'm now about 99% sure that he definitely prefers being head up to head down. I told you he was ornery. 
 Aversions or cravings? It may interest you to know that I got my box of Goldfish crackers last week from a friend who recently returned from the USA. Thanks Amy :) They are (almost were) delicious! I think I ate half the box in one sitting. 
 What’s the gender? He's a boy and I've already given him his personality. It suits him. 
 Any labor signs? No. 
 How pregnant do I feel? I can't complain. But this is still a dumb question. 
 Belly button in or out? In...for how much longer?
 Still sporting my wedding rings? Yep!

So ends a quicky-quick update. See you next week when I should be able to tell you all about 4D ultrasounds :) 

The Wednesday Stork: Week 29

I'm all the time looking for milestones in this pregnancy and ending the 20s certainly qualifies as a major milestone :) There's no real reason, of course. I'll just enjoy knowing and saying that I'm in the 30s. Week 29, therefore, will be the end of a mini-era.

I measured 29 centimeters at my midwife appointment yesterday; that's more like it (you may recall that at my 25 weeks appointment I was measuring 27 cm! FAT!). The midwife didn't tell me what percentage that puts Ty in, but I can't imagine he's still 90th percentile. I guess it's more like 50th percentile since he's pretty much right on track.

Other than that, I can't think of anything else to report from our appointment. The midwife thinks I'm doing great and was impressed by lack of aches-and-pains complaints :) By the grace of God, I have really had very little to complain about since the end of that looong stint of nausea at the beginning.

Weeks: 29! I never thought I'd be looking forward to "being in my 30s" :) 
 Weight gain so far: Just under 16 pounds. Love that things seem to have slowed down to a manageable pace! I might even make my weight gain goal.
 Got any prego stretch marks? Nope. Weird. 
 How am I sleeping? I have good nights and not so good nights. Last night was good, so I'm thankful. 
 Feeling anything in there? Indeed I am...and I'm afraid he's got himself all turned around and right side up! I keep reminding myself that it's early days yet, but I'd LOVE for him to get attached to floating upside down. 
 Aversions or cravings? Not really. I managed to chop an onion and throw it in some soup last week. I call that progress. 
 What’s the gender? Boy.
 Any labor signs? No. Is it weird that I doubt I'll be able to tell when there are labor signs? I've got myself so convinced that I'll go at least several days late so if anything happens before my due date, I'll be very skeptical that it could possibly be the real thing. Plus, I know people have "false alarms" all the time. I'd hate to let myself think it's happening when it's not. 
 How pregnant do I feel? This is a dumb question. Just assume that I pretty much always feel pregnant anymore. 
 Belly button in or out? It's in, and I appreciate that. 
 Still sporting my wedding rings? Yep!

I'll admit that this has been among the faster weeks, but don't think that means I think it's gone by quickly. I'm staunchly sticking to my original opinion that this is going to last for-ever ;) 

The discovery of the miracle vegetable and how it changed my life

It should be universally understood that I do not like vegetables. Not now, not in the past, and it's not looking good for the future. While I love a good salad (hold the tomatoes and onions, please), when it comes to cooked veggies...*cringe* gross. Just gross.

Feel as I do about vegetables in general, I know better than to ignore them. I make myself eat cauliflower, I choke down broccoli and every so often I shovel down some peas (which aren't really so bad). I learned from a friend that roasted veggies are bearable, and I can usually manage to swallow those easier than the steamed or stir-fried variety.

However, recently I learned a way I could eat a vegetable without noticing AND stretch my meat. Hidden vegetables? Are you kidding me? There's actually a veggie out there that can become flavorless, textureless, and all but invisible in a main dish? It's a miracle.

It may come as no surprise to you that the magic vegetable I'm referring to is the basic summer staple, the zucchini. Kids grow them in their gardens where they reach gargantuan proportions. Your mom probably makes bread out of them. You can buy a little pack of them here in ZA at the store for usually less than a dollar. And best of all, its claim to be a silent partner is completely true!

A friend of mine told me the secret and I've been hooked ever since. When I make hamburgers or tacos or meatballs or soup that has red meat, I now also include a ton (like maybe 1 to 1.5 cups?) of grated zucchini, peel and all. Not only do I have the satisfaction of knowing that I'm getting in some greens, I also have the pleasant advantage of getting more out of my meat. It's pretty much a win-win situation.

The true test, as most wives will tell you, is the husband test, and the stealthy little zucchini passed with flying colors. I knew this life-changing magic ingredient was only as good as its ability to not interfere with Todd's tastebuds, and he had to admit that it didn't.

So next time you feel obligated to eat vegetables but wish you could find one that said, "You won't even know I'm here," look no farther than the zucchinis!

Here's a batch of absolutely fabulous meatballs I whipped up, speckled with plenty of my favorite little green cooking vegetable! (As a side note, these were baked in the oven, transferred to the the skillet, and are here awaiting their marinara bath :) )

The Wednesday Stork: Week 28

After a wonderful two-week hiatus from the real world, things are back to normal around here. The OM office was closed for the holidays, which meant Todd and I got to spend our days not waking up to an alarm, not following any schedule in particular, and not eating dinner at the table :) We watched the Dick van Dyke Show (just about my favorite TV show of all time), read like it was going out of style, and just generally hung out. I love vacation.

 This morning we celebrated the long-awaited final stage with a little third trimester dance. Is it just me or does gestation last for-ever? It's starting to become difficult to remember life before pregnancy. Maybe that's a good thing because life doesn't return to that state even after pregnancy.

 Weeks: 28!
 Weight gain so far: 15 pounds. I'm happy with that. I've settled pretty well into the new diet and carb restriction mentality; it's not so bad after you get used to it.
 Got any prego stretch marks? No, but as tightly as things are drawn I'm just waiting for a few to crop up.
 How am I sleeping? Not great, but not horribly either. My right hip gets consistently sore and the bathroom usually beckons twice a night. I can't believe I have to wait another three months before I can sleep on my back again. I really miss my back.
 Feeling anything in there? Oh yes. This week I've even felt him when I'm not sitting or lying down. Until now I can't recall ever feeling him squirm when I stand or move.
 Aversions or cravings? I'd love a box of Goldfish crackers. That would about make my week.
 What’s the gender? Male.
 Any labor signs? Nope. I can probably start expecting Braxton-Hicks contractions to start anytime now, but so far I've had almost no pregnancy-related pain.
 How pregnant do I feel? I feel heavy and out of breath which could almost define pregnancy.
 Belly button in or out? It's in, but not by much :)
 Still sporting my wedding rings? Yep!

It's funny that I've been looking forward to the third trimester. I mean, this is the time when energy is supposed to plummet and pain and discomfort abound. Somehow though, I find myself thinking, "Bring it on!" :)

Am I becoming...crafty?!

Have I mentioned before how completely un-crafty I am? How next to my mom *hi mom*, I'm about the least crafty person I know? I think I have.

Well. It appears that that is starting to change, if only a teeny tiny little bit.

A few weeks ago I took up something that has never before worked for me: crochet. I have tried both knitting and crocheting in the past, but have never been successful. I found it frustrating and I didn't really understand what on earth I was doing and really, who has the patience?!

I guess it's the prospect of motherhood that has started transforming my I'm-not-crafty-so-I-obviously-can't-do-that-and-won't-even-try attitude. I still recognize that I'm no Todd (that man is a genius and complete whiz at just about anything he wants to do), but perhaps I'm not all thumbs after all :)

Going to the yarn store for the first time was overwhelming. The place was wall to wall yarn and I barely knew what I was doing. Todd helped (even though most of this is new to him too).

The next step was trying to make sense of a crochet pattern. I was having a hard time following the YouTube tutorial...Todd helped.

As you can see, this, like most of my ventures, required a little confidence boost from my personal confidence booster :) When I run into something confusing, or when I'm not sure I'm doing a stitch correctly, Todd helps.

 Crocheting is a relaxing hobby (if I know what I'm doing) and while it does require some patience, the end result is never too far off. I like finishing a row, holding up the project, and being able to see the progress.

These guys are hanging out in Ty's closet, waiting for a little baby head to keep warm :)

Elf hat: this one is cute :) Here's the tutorial I used to make this hat, and here's the tutorial for the pompom. 

Bear hat: I so wanted a bear hat! I'll only be able to make a little boy wear cute things for so long, so I better get it in while I can. Here's the tutorial for this hat. Todd came up with the pattern for the ears, and I just hope we can remember what it was, should I ever make another one of these.

Beanie with button: This hat turned out much bigger than expected. It will definitely not fit Ty as a newborn (uh, I sure HOPE it won't!), but I imagine he'll be able to wear it when we go home for furlough next winter (Lord willing. He'll be about 8 months when we get there in December). I'm not sure why it turned out so big, but oh well. Here's the tutorial.

Inspired? Tempted to try? I warn you: it's addicting :)

The Wednesday Stork: Week 27

No sappy year-in-review posts on The Narrowed Lens...I'm a little too excited about the future to put much time into recapping the past ;) However, since I took a week off, I think you deserve a bit of an update.

Last week we met with one of the midwives at the practice we're using. I don't know if she'll be "my" midwife, but I liked her and wouldn't mind seeing her again. I had my first belly measurement and was shocked to have it come to 27 centimeters! I was only 25 weeks at the time, so to hear "27" come out of that woman's mouth was a shocker. It threw Ty into the 90th percentile, for crying out loud! Tell me if I'm in denial, but I don't think I'm toting a 90th percentile baby. I just don't.

Aside from that bit of news the only other notable thing from the appointment was the new diet suggestion the midwife made. After I gave her a general overview of what I eat most days (hey, she asked), her comment was that it sounded like a lot of carbs. She recommended that I replace my sandwich at lunch with a salad.

Fabulous.

I do enjoy salads, but I was so enjoying eating my egg sandwiches on TWO slices of bread (prior to pregnancy, on the rare occasions that I ate sandwiches, I typically only ate it on one slice. Two slices has been a luxury). The rationale behind the midwife's suggestion is that carbs are the most unnecessary part of the diet, and (this part was news to me) they supposedly make big babies? Who knew?

Anyway, at first I was ticked (if you can't eat a guilt-free sandwich while pregnant, when can you eat one?!), but I started making a conscious effort to try to eat at least one breadless meal a day. While eating isn't near the fun it used to be, I must say...I think it's really helped slow my weight gain. That just about makes it all worth it :)

And, that's what you missed! Here's how things are looking now:

Weeks: 27!  

Weight gain so far: Roughly 14 pounds. I think this would be much closer to 15 and maybe even more if I hadn't adjusted my diet.  

Got any prego stretch marks? No, not yet. To be honest I haven't noticed much of a size increase for a while. I'm sure he's growing, but it's not very obvious from the outside. Not to me, anyway. 

How am I sleeping? I think I toss and turn a lot and usually make multiple trips to the bathroom. I don't see things improving, but overall I guess it's not too bad. I can still usually fall asleep without trouble.  

Feeling anything in there? New development: I think I have positively identified a heel! Over the past week and a half or so he's started spreading out so that his territory now includes the extremities of my sides. And he likes to run his heel up and down them :) If it's not his heel it's his knee or fist or something small and round. Anyway, at times it can be so sudden and forceful that it makes me jump.    

Aversions or cravings? Well, naturally, if someone tells you to try not to eat something (like, uh, carbs) that's probably the thing you want to eat. I'm not being super strict with myself, though. I hate to know that there's something I "can't" eat if I want it, so I haven't cut the carbs altogether. After all, the recommendation was just to modify my lunch...

What’s the gender? Boy. Haha...wouldn't it be funny if all the ultrasounds were wrong? Actually, no. That wouldn't be funny. I've gotten myself all prepared for boy-ness.   

Any labor signs? Nope. 

How pregnant do I feel? I think the pregnant feeling will only get stronger from here out. This week I've dealt with the feeling of being winded. It's like I can't get enough air sometimes.   

Still sporting my wedding rings? Yep!

This wraps up the second trimester! Woohoo! Tune in next week as we start the 12 week countdown to due date! 

Note: I do not actually expect him to appear on or before his due date of April 2nd. I would, however, be very grateful if he'd grace us with his presence by April 9th. That seems reasonable. Maybe he's a reasonable guy.