22 weeks
Things are humming along in the Baby Land 'o Lisa.
I'm told by weekly newsletters that the baby is approximately 11 inches long, almost 1 lb, and the size of a spaghetti squash (whatever the heck that is). I'm guessing he/she might be a bit bigger than that having last measured a week ahead.
My belly is growing larger and harder and itchier by the day, and I'm finding it very hard to imagine carrying a 7-8 lb in there by the end. Our baby is practicing martial arts daily, always in the morning after my breakfast and cup of coffee, and the evening once I sit down for a bit, with more frequent bouts in between. The movement I feel is surreal, and I know it's only going to get crazier and more pronounced. The movement stops when I say "Hi Baby" but then usually picks up again quickly, and I just so love the idea that the baby hears me. Soon, I'm told, the baby will start to recognize our voices. Eek!
We started our birthing classes, which is making the whole pregnancy thing feel 1,000 times more real. Not that I can forget about my belly and backflipping baby, but thinking about the actual birth and afterwards is making me so excited (and nervous). Jon laughed the other night and said, "Oh man, that is going to hurt delivering that baby!" and I told him he was in no way going to be very supportive while laboring if he was laughing. He promises he won't, and with all that'll be going on I don't doubt he'll have his 'concerned/caring' hat on instead of the 'jokster' one.
We (read: I) decided to take the Bradley method course instead of the 4 hour session our hospital offers. I would really love a natural, unmedicated delivery if it works out, and I knew that I wanted to learn as much as possible about labor, delivery, my body, baby, and the whole kit 'n caboodle, which would be limited with a short hospital course. Plus, we get to learn a lot of information over 10 weeks, as opposed to it all in 4 hours, which is a much better method for me to retain what I hear. And, while Jon may complain about the length of the course, he too thrives on lots of information and detail, so this type of course seemed to be the perfect answer. I'm not against hospital birthing preparation, nor the options for epidurals, induction, or other medical practices that the Bradley method traditionally discourages (if you're familiar), but I'm not sure they are right for me and what I want. At any rate, I like the idea of knowing all my options and choosing.
My instructor advised that we can look to our mothers' and sisters' labor experiences for some insight into what ours might be like (with the caveat that of course there's no guarantee ours will match).
Hmmm, what else is going on? My feet have started swelling, which is really far from swell. My belly has become an eye (and sometimes hand) magnet. But yeah, still loving the round bump. I only ever had a nice flat stomach for about, oh, 7-8 months while living in Costa Rica, so I have spent the majority of my adolescent/adult life trying to hide my belly...this is a nice change.
Our nephews, 15 and 14, have both shown an interest in my pregnancy and the baby, which is endearing. Both have offered to babysit, the older saying he'd pay us to watch our child, but only when he/she's 10 years old. The younger said he'd watch our child at any age, but we would have to pay him because he needs a job. LOLZ. (You guys, I just googled LOLZ to make sure it was a Z and not an S...a true sign I am too old to use it? Yes).
Officially 22 weeks on 8/9, up at Dead Lake for the weekend...yeah, not the greatest name for such a beautiful lake.
I'm told by weekly newsletters that the baby is approximately 11 inches long, almost 1 lb, and the size of a spaghetti squash (whatever the heck that is). I'm guessing he/she might be a bit bigger than that having last measured a week ahead.
My belly is growing larger and harder and itchier by the day, and I'm finding it very hard to imagine carrying a 7-8 lb in there by the end. Our baby is practicing martial arts daily, always in the morning after my breakfast and cup of coffee, and the evening once I sit down for a bit, with more frequent bouts in between. The movement I feel is surreal, and I know it's only going to get crazier and more pronounced. The movement stops when I say "Hi Baby" but then usually picks up again quickly, and I just so love the idea that the baby hears me. Soon, I'm told, the baby will start to recognize our voices. Eek!
We started our birthing classes, which is making the whole pregnancy thing feel 1,000 times more real. Not that I can forget about my belly and backflipping baby, but thinking about the actual birth and afterwards is making me so excited (and nervous). Jon laughed the other night and said, "Oh man, that is going to hurt delivering that baby!" and I told him he was in no way going to be very supportive while laboring if he was laughing. He promises he won't, and with all that'll be going on I don't doubt he'll have his 'concerned/caring' hat on instead of the 'jokster' one.
We (read: I) decided to take the Bradley method course instead of the 4 hour session our hospital offers. I would really love a natural, unmedicated delivery if it works out, and I knew that I wanted to learn as much as possible about labor, delivery, my body, baby, and the whole kit 'n caboodle, which would be limited with a short hospital course. Plus, we get to learn a lot of information over 10 weeks, as opposed to it all in 4 hours, which is a much better method for me to retain what I hear. And, while Jon may complain about the length of the course, he too thrives on lots of information and detail, so this type of course seemed to be the perfect answer. I'm not against hospital birthing preparation, nor the options for epidurals, induction, or other medical practices that the Bradley method traditionally discourages (if you're familiar), but I'm not sure they are right for me and what I want. At any rate, I like the idea of knowing all my options and choosing.
My instructor advised that we can look to our mothers' and sisters' labor experiences for some insight into what ours might be like (with the caveat that of course there's no guarantee ours will match).
- I was born within 6 hours of labor, two weeks early.
- My sister was born within 3 hours, two weeks early.
- My nephew was born within 2 hours, almost a week early (in his parents' bed, a fun fact that continues to amaze me today).
Hmmm, what else is going on? My feet have started swelling, which is really far from swell. My belly has become an eye (and sometimes hand) magnet. But yeah, still loving the round bump. I only ever had a nice flat stomach for about, oh, 7-8 months while living in Costa Rica, so I have spent the majority of my adolescent/adult life trying to hide my belly...this is a nice change.
Our nephews, 15 and 14, have both shown an interest in my pregnancy and the baby, which is endearing. Both have offered to babysit, the older saying he'd pay us to watch our child, but only when he/she's 10 years old. The younger said he'd watch our child at any age, but we would have to pay him because he needs a job. LOLZ. (You guys, I just googled LOLZ to make sure it was a Z and not an S...a true sign I am too old to use it? Yes).
Wow, time is flying! That photo of you is great. Love the baby bump! Given our family history, I'd go to the hospital at the earliest signs...I do wish you a speedy delivery but maybe not as fast as mine. (PS - I have no idea with the Z stands for in LOLZ...and I'm proud of it!).
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