April 18th can't come soon enough

Hey Guys!

Sorry I haven't been updating this thing like I should. Chris and I have been busy. We finally sold our house in Oakland and we are moved out completely. Wednesday we will officially close. Though I am relieved, I have been a little sad. I barely said goodbye, and I feel a little guilty that I am leaving that first home Chris and I so proudly built together. But I guess this year marks the beginning of a new journey. My mom commented that this little apt. is going to be Alex's first home. I really am not at home here yet, I feel like I am staying at a extended stay hotel. Our next home will be special though. I hope to live there for many years to come.

A few weeks ago I got stretch marks. They came overnight. They just have seemed to get more itchy and painful everyday. I have large welts all over the stretch marks. It is effecting my sleep greatly and my spirit. Earlier, I couldn't believe that this is what half of pregnant women go thru and I hadn't found one webpage talking about relief from itch painful stretchmarks. So the last time I googled extreme painful stretch marks, I clicked on IMAGE. about the 4th picture over is a belly that looked just like mine....raised reddish purple stretchmarks that looked almost like the veins in a leaf. Under the picture it said PUPPP.

Now I have read about this in my pregnancy books, but I thought it was like a rash separate form the stretch marks, but apparently most cases are in the creases of the stretch mark it self. I have done lots of research today, and it looks and sounds like that is what I have. Some descriptions were exactly what I am feeling. And 70% of PUPPP sufferers they are expecting a boy and research suggest that the male hormones are linked to this and a small amount can be found in the biopsied rash.

I feel a little relieved to know what it is, but according to some of the bloggers, it is low priority, since it is only uncomfortable, not life threatening.

I don't know if I will make it another month and a half, if this itching and pain lasts. I am miserable and can't sleep.

Oh well! Seeing Alex will be worth it!

I also attended a shower this weekend for Alex. This is the first of many. I was so excited to get all the cool stuff for him. And I am thankful for all we received.

Cynthia

Birthing class

Chris and I took a birthing class yesterday. It was helpful and it allowed me to ask a few questions I wanted to ask. Chris did well, despite the fact there were a few graphic images of crowning babies...etc. But he did well! I am going to write a longer blog tomorrow after I go to the doctors...sorry I am tired and have a cold.

Cynthia

Why can't I sleep!

Insomnia sucks...Usually it is just that I can't get comfortable ( on my left side..or my right, or even half way tilted on my back with a pillow). Right now it doesn't even seem like it is worth the effort to try to even sleep right now.

I guess the first thing that went wrong today is that I woke up sick this morning...nothing major, just some stomach problems...that made me feel aweful so I spent most the day in bed. Thinking that wouldn't bother my sleep, I just gave in to it this morning (well yesterday morning).

Like I said before...if it not one thing it is another..I also have constant acid reflux. not the kind I had b/f pregnancy, like when you eat something spicey and you take like 2 tums and it goes away with out any memory. This is like Battery acid. The chill of it on the back of my throat lets me know it is probably doing irriversable damage to my esophogus. I am taking doctor recommended Zantac...but I don't think anything is strong enough to help this.

Oh well I know you don't really want to hear me bitch about it anymore.

Alex has really been active lately. He hasn't been switching up positions ( he has been in the same position for a month now). But he is constatly getting sick of his cramped quarters. Chris for a while thought I was exaggerating on how hard he had been kicking me in the last week or so...but this moring I made him sit and feel for him self how strong his boy. I can kindaa describe it like this:

Do you know when you are in bed and hot and you are trying to get the sheets off of your legs and it seems to be stuck around your ankle so you kick in the air as hard as you can to un "strangle" your feet and give yourself more room....that is how it is constantly feeling.

I love feeling him move though. A month or so ago, my weekly Baby center newsletter suggested I begin to count how may move my boy makes, like ten in an hour, etc...If he doesn't then it basically suggested I panic, freak out...go to the doctor. I am so glad he is kicking really hard right now, b/c if he weren't i'd still be counting and freaking out,,,because anytime I try to actually count , he usually settles down.

We rented an apartment last weekend...and ironically we also sold our house this week. i am glad we have a place, even if it just temporary, becasue I have had the opportunity to begin to set up a nursery. We have our crib and dresser/ changing table and Alex's monogrammed bedding! it is really nice. I will be happy wehn we do move to really fix his room and paint it the color I want.

I began my 2 week visits this week. All is good...I didn't get into too much trouble for gaining so much weight and Alex is head down and measuring just were he should.

I am thankful!! and I am now sleepy! goodnight...

c

Do I really need one of those?

I'll be honest with you...I don't know what I am doing when I am registering for all this baby stuff. I have no idea how many I need of this. I mean does a baby really need a 10 pack of bottles. Do I need 100 breast pads, do they need to be scented in lavender? Actually I guess that would be nice and soothing if my boobs smelled like a flower. I even click the option at Babies r us and Target to have the computer to register for things for me, but it was all a lot of stuff and duplicates from store to store, so I trimmed the list down tremendously. i did let Chris pick out a few things on Babies R Us, so need less to say, Alex's first chew toys will be John Deere brand. And no unlike how that sounded, Alex is not our puppy but will be our beautiful son. I have been tempted to buy a bunch of clothes for Alex as well, but guessing how big he is going to be and buying him a $40 out fit is like guessing what size I will be in April and buying a $200 dress. It is so difficult to imagine that he is going to be here so soon ( really it seems like it is taking forever).

I really feel like my registries are missing something. I know that I am missing pacifiers on the Target's registries because I can't find them anywhere!on the website!! I might have to go to Target myself and register for them in person, which I was trying to avoid, since I don't favor walking too much right now. WhenI registered in persont for my wedding registry it got out of control and for a while (until I figured out what I really needed) I had 17 pages of stuff on my registry.

I finally decided and ordered Alex's nursery bedding. I decided to go with the middle priced classic Pottery Barn bedding. It is so nice and crisp...with simple white bed skirt, bumper and sheet, it will be trimmed and monogrammed with navy blue. I figured I can accent with red (the red in the pattern is what made the $600 bedding stand out to me, I guess I can take all the money I saved and buy diapers).

Saturday, i slept probably 18 hours of the entire day, so when i went to church Sunday people told me that I looked so good and rested. Maybe that should be a testament that I should sleep 18 hours every other day, so at least I will look great 1/2 the time.

These complements also came with the frequent question to my dad..."Is Cynthia Sure the due date she is telling us is correct?" Meaning..."She sure look bigger than we think she should". My dad says that the questions are like addressing him as my dad, in concern, and as knowledgeable nurse who should have a medical explaination for my large pregnant body. I don't know how to take this. On one hand, maybe people's perception of me was that of a a small girl...on the other hand I am probably just really big and about to give birth to a massive baby boy. Probably the latter of the two will be true.

Oh well...any advice...

Cynthia

BLAH

Okay I said I would write again when my attitude was better, but from what I hear, it won't be much better from here on out. I am just worn out all the time. I can't decide if it is the extra weight or the lack of sleep (it gets more difficult every day to sleep). I don't see how I can possible get any bigger, and I have like 11 1/2 weeks or so to go!

I have been obsessed lately on buying this extravagant crib bedding for Alex. On one hand, I am think that I am losing my mind and need to just buy some kitchy pattern from babies r us with barn animals on it. The other half of me is saying that I should splurge and buy exactly what I want. I am even trying to compromise with myself...I can buy pottery barn stuff for less than half the cost for the same custom order I am looking at. This is petty stuff I know. Chris is being sympathetic to me, but often reminds me that Alex will never know what it all looked like, and I remind him that it really isn't for Alex's viewing as it is for mine.

I just booked a one day crash course is birthing. It was the only one day course left at Baptist I could take on a sat. I could have gone to one that is like 4 -6 weeks on a Monday,but I really want Chris to be there, and he may not get to go on the Monday night. I have the feeling that they will book him out of town a lot until the end of March, to make up for the month or so he will be working closer to home.

Goodness I can not wait for Alex! I keep telling myself that in 10 weeks I am at 38 weeks and that is full term! I am hoping the sight of him will help me forget the swollen ankles, the aching back, the indigestion, and the sleepless nights.

Keep on encouraging me....

Cynthia

In the clear!

Yesterday I went in for my 3 hour glucose tolerance test.

I felt awful. I had to fast for 12 hours (really 15hrs if you count eh time I was in the doctors office) and for the last few days I have had some major gastric pain ( i know you all don't really want to hear this, but I am pretty sure that is what it is, but I have been tempted to drive my self to the E.R. a few times today thinking it is pre-term labor, but I talked to the nurse about it yesterday, it is gas).

Anyways,I had to drink this terrible concoction and have my finger pricked every hour until noon. and after the 4th drop of blood, I passed. So I guess I can carry on eating my normal meals, though I am a little more conscious of what is going in.

For the first time I am feeling a little tired of being pregnant. Alex is big, I am big, and he is sitting on my lower GI. It is not fun.

I now have stretch marks. I have gone thru a econo-sized bottle of coco butter lotion that is supposed to help prevent them and I look in the mirror as I am applying it and see stretch marks. Not on my side (I got those quick) But on my belly. I guess they are inevitable.

Oh well...I will write next time when I am in a better mood.

Next week 3rd trimester! I am counting the days!

cynthia

Centering myself

Besides the mixed news about my blood sugar, I have had a week of growth. I joined an exercise class that I am really enjoying. It is an Aqua moms water aerobics class, and even though I have been in the fitness/ aquatics business for almost 10yrs, I have really never voluntarily taken a water aerobics class. I am really enjoying the work out and really the good company of ladies going through the same thing as I am. I am also doing something for myself and that feels good.

I also have been thinking a lot about centering prayer and meditation this week since I am going to help explain it to a junior high class this weekend. I attended a Centering prayer retreat today and in this contemplative time I got to release and just breath and that was nice. I thought about my 7 chaukras and how they effect baby Alex and put them in context with my life. I am going to try to practice this as much as possible (practice is the key).

Though I have not really been faithful today, I have also thought about eating better, even if my blood sugar test is regular on Wednesday. I am gong to try to eat as many whole foods as possible and get out of the habit of eating processed foods and junk. This is going to be my hardest challenge.

Well I will let you know how it goes!

Cynthia