my-speck

i'm pregnant and it's going to be a rollercoaster

A little bit grumpy… but out to solve that. With Cake. 28 weeks and counting. April 7, 2011

Filed under: cooking,eating,emotion,exhaustion,family,healthcare,Parenting,pregnancy — rakster @ 10:20 am
Tags: , , , , ,

So, not sure what happened to the happy hormones, but they kinda just upped and left me all alone with the grumpy ones about a week ago.  It co-incided with my pelvic-floor/back deciding that it really only had the stamina to hold a growing baby until week 28 and that it was just going to give up and go with the strain of it all.  Pity it didn’t co-ordinate with my nerve-endings and decide to release a bunch of serotonin at the same time – that would have made it bearable.  Why can’t we control that ourselves??

 

So.  Grumpy 28-week pregnant lady on the loose.

 

That is me.

 

Thankfully however a few months ago I booked myself my first trip-away from child #1 (Poogie) down to Sydney for this week.  So here I am in Sydney for a few days, sans-child and sans-husband.

 

A bit of work, and a bit of play before I’m not allowed to fly anymore.  So today, after a day at work yesterday, I plan to shake off the grumpiness by consuming all manner of sweet desserts at Adriano Zumbo’s after a short walk from the relaxing lounge where I am currently reclining at Chez Shef’s…. (thank-you for welcoming me into your home – read: letting me invade and take over once again).

 

love mum

 

ps. I have just reviewed my state at 28 weeks in my last pregancy.  And lo and behold, surprise, surprise: I was grumpy, the happy hormones had deserted me, and I was compensating with dessert…

 

p.p.s. and to cheer me up this morning already, two of our dearest friends just welcomed their beautiful little girl into the world. So I’m smiling at least a little 🙂

 

 

 

Dear Baby: Kick, kick, kicking away. February 15, 2011

Filed under: baby stuff,development stages,emotion,family,healthcare,Parenting,pregnancy — rakster @ 2:40 pm
Tags: , , ,

Dear Baby,

So, I’m now 22 weeks pregnant, and all is going well.

I feel kinda guilty about not writing more about this pregnancy on the blog – sharing more intimately what is going on, as I did last time.

But for some reason I just feel more at peace with the whole process, and for some reason, a little more private about it all too.  Just like it is a calm and peaceful journey that we are going on right now, and that we are getting to know each other quietly while you’re growing, moving and kicking around down in my slowly-expanding belly.

You feel to me like a different baby than your brother.  I can’t put my finger quite on how or why or what is different, it is just a different feeling.

Common to last time, I have a renewed vigour for food and all things edible.  Last week your dad was out for a meeting one night and wasn’t going to be back for dinner but I had a hankering for a nice meal, so I cooked myself a two course meal that I had a craving for.  It took 4 hours to cook, in between looking after and playing with your brother, getting him fed and bathed and to bed, but it was well worth it… (more…)

 

The view from where I’m lying June 14, 2009

Filed under: development stages,pregnancy — rakster @ 9:44 am
Tags: , , , , ,

Hello Speck!

I thought as I lay in bed this morning that I’d share with you what it feels like to be carrying you around at this stage.  Its not something I can readily describe, so a photo is going to have to suffice.

So:  This is what you look like to me when I’m lying in bed…

the view of your home from my perspective – i can still see my toes, just!

Somewhat like a beached whale, you have to agree…

mmm..

love you

mum

 

your dad cheated (or alternatively he was a creative problem-solver) and carpal tunnel attacks May 27, 2009

Filed under: healthcare,pregnancy — rakster @ 9:23 am
Tags: , , , , , ,

Hello Speck!

I got it wrong again – your dad didn’t win the celebrity babies (that was S of course & then K second), he won the “fill-in the nursery rhyme blanks” game.   Which I still find pretty amazing (they were hard).   But I got it out of him – how he did it.  Quite tricky really.   He collaborated.  With the 5 year-old L.   So your dad apparently sang the beginning of the rhyme to L & L just finished off the sentences.   Even the one about 3 men in a tub who apparently came from rotten potatoes (who would have known???).    It makes more sense now.   The baby food one I’m not as surprised about.

And I have worked out why my hands are so sore in the morning and why my arms keep being totally numb when I wake up in the middle of the night.  It seems I may have pregnancy-related carpal tunnel syndrome.   Another pregnancy-ailment that occurs mostly in the third trimester and should hopefully disappear when you’re born.   Something to do with the fluid retention in my hands and wrists and crunching up my hands when I sleep.  I’m going to try to drink heaps more water today and perhaps some camomile tea and see if that helps.  Its pretty painful, but goes away relatively quickly once I wake up and move my arms, wrists and fingers about (though this of course hurts).   Love the body changes with pregnancy.  You never know what is coming next.

Hope you’re well.  There is still lots of vigorous movement going on down in there so I suspect you’re not ready to come out yet.  Still in-training.

love you

mum

 

feeling a little stressed and emotional May 5, 2009

Filed under: emotion,exhaustion,family,pregnancy — rakster @ 9:41 am
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello Little Speck,

Its very comforting to feel you moving around down there happily this morning.  I think your dad appreciated it too – he woke up and could feel you against his back.   And your hiccups were so strong he got to feel those too.  We were both happy to feel you being normal.   And I’m glad to say that your awake hours are actually currently in-line with mine – you wake up at about 6:30am, then play around for an hour or more; then you sleep, though sometimes you have a little play until about 9am or so.   You sometimes wake during the middle of the day, but definitely around 3pm is a big time for you to reawaken and do some fairly vigorous exercise.   Then around 6pm you seem to go a bit crazy – I suspect its when I haven’t had dinner yet and you’re trying to tell me your blood sugar has dropped too low.   Then its all downhill for me as I am generally exhausted and very ready for bed.   You often are still awake and there is some movement but you chill out when I go to bed and seem to sleep through the night.  You were waking me up before when this wasn’t happening.  So thanks.  My sleep has been better.

I think I overdid it on the weekend and yesterday – I had a bit of a meltdown last night and something like a panic attack after I went to bed.   I just couldn’t seem to get enough breath and was sobbing uncontrollably.  I couldn’t think straight and couldn’t work out what was wrong or why I was upset or what was going on or whether I could really breathe or not.  It wasn’t very fun and I freaked both myself and your dad out.  Eventually I got over it and managed to settle back down and go to sleep.  I am putting it down to Week 32 pregnancy hormones.   Our midwife in the antenatal classes was suggesting we all have a good cry in the shower.   And there are a bunch of women on the baby forum this week who all seem to be crying a lot.    So I’m guessing its a common thing and I’m just following the normal pregnant and crazy pattern.

Anyway, this is why we were both happy to feel you scrimmaging around like normal this morning.

Thinking of you.

love mum

 

Tired again… February 9, 2009

Filed under: baby's feelings,exercise,exhaustion,pregnancy — rakster @ 11:58 am
Tags: , , , ,

Hello little Speck,

I’m tired and grumpy again. I’ve been sleeping badly – what with the heat and you randomly kicking me in the middle of the night and generally squishing my bladder into what must surely be only slightly bigger than pea-shaped judging by the number or times I have to pee. I think I’m fighting off a slight cold too. And we are moving house this week and packing isn’t fun and its all a bit stressful. I hope you just chill out down there and its not affecting you too.

You, your dad and I enjoyed a swim in Leichhardt pool yesterday evening. It was hot yesterday and it was good to get in a pool with you and feel almost my normal weight again, and cool at the same time. I did some treading water for 20 minutes to get some exercise. Your dad and I were wondering whether you could tell that we were swimming and if it felt different to you? Can you feel the pressure of the water too? Your dad suggested maybe it just sounds a lot quieter to you when underwater as sounds are more muffled. You certainly seemed to sleep throughout it.

Hope you’re well.

love mum

 

Yoga mark two January 29, 2009

Filed under: cooking,eating,exercise,pregnancy,vegetarian — rakster @ 10:43 am
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good Morning Speck,

How are you? Very quiet down there again, perhaps you’re busy digesting the large amount of food I have consumed in the past 24 hours. Some days I seem to just need to eat a regular amount yet other days I just feel like I’m starving and need to eat everything in sight. Yesterday was one of those days.

Your dad and you will be pleased to know that despite my tendency to eat relatively crap food and make little effort when it’s just me, I went and did a big healthy shop when I got home from work on Monday night, so we’ve been snacking on guacamole, peaches, nectarines and almonds mostly. One of my friends from work made me a huge batch of Indian rice custard after hearing about my recent addiction, so as that has no sugar but just reduced milk that is pretty good too. And I made palak paneer last night so we both got our spinach quota for the week.

What else? Well, I seem to be moody again. I helpfully told someone at work today who pissed me off only ever so slightly that ‘I don’t give a s* anyway, I’m having a baby and will be leaving and won’t be here when it happens anyway’.. Mmm, not really what I was thinking, just an over zealous outburst.   Your fault again.

Also went along to yoga last night.  Coke-meister bailed on me but I went anyway.  It was a normal level 1-2 yoga class at the great studio I went to with you dad for a while over a year ago.  We both enjoyed our courses there a lot, and the teachers are really good.   It was interesting – I got to do a few different exercises while everyone else did headstand and shoulderstand and a few other abdominally-taxing exercises, and I have to step in rather than jump, but it was good.  I think I’ll keep going to pregnant yoga when I can also, but this is a good option for me for the next period as we move back and forth between Sydney and Brisbane.  My ankle is much better and I have got a brace for it which helps with remembering to keep it in mind.

I didn’t feel you kicking around much last night but I think you were definitely on the left side still – you put me off-balance slightly.

Hope you’re well.

love you

mum

 

The amazing expanding stomach December 16, 2008

Filed under: pregnancy — rakster @ 6:47 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

Hi Speck!

I have just got back to our little cabin after an afternoon of lazing on the beach under a beach umbrella reading my book. And again, it could just be gas, but I’m feeling very big in the stomach – decidedly pregnant. In fact the skirt I’m wearing is actually uncomfortable because it’s too tight about the waist. Your dad says I look great but I think he too is surprised at my expanding girth.

Otherwise all is quiet on your front. Cokemeister poo pooed the idea that you kicked me in the kidneys the other day by reminding me that you are only about 6cm long, which on reflection is true, another of those things I’m blaming you for on which you can’t defend yourself! Tough luck!

We started our roadtrip from Sydney to Brisbane with your Canadian grandparents today so tonight and tomorrow we are staying next to the beach in Seal Rocks.

It is beautiful. Maybe we can come camping here when you’re old enough to enjoy it. Lots of surfers around. Your dad caught a whiting but was unsuccessful in getting anything bigger – he says he’ll try again tomorrow.

 

correction – I got it all wrong again – symptomatic of my condition November 21, 2008

Filed under: development stages,pregnancy — rakster @ 9:39 am
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Size:  So, you’re not going to grow to be as big as an orange this week.  I got it muddled-up.  My uterus will be as big as an orange by next week.  Which makes sense, if you are a bit bigger than a big grape, that you have enough room to float around in.

Foetus/Embryo: and you’re also apparently not a foetus yet, you’re still officially classed as an embryo.  So I’ve had that all wrong too.  I think by next week a bunch more of your organs have developed so that you will be a foetus.  Or maybe its that your hands and arms can reach more.  Who knows.  Obviously not me.  The gist of it is that you’re still getting bigger.  As expected.

General Confusion and Discombobulation: I have lost my marbles.  I am now addicted to frosty fruits (an icypole with a pineappley kinda flavour), which I am buying by the boxful from the supermarket, and are about the only thing I can focus on for more than 5 minutes at a time.  I put my inability to grasp and recall the simple facts of your development (as above) down to this diminished mental capacity.  I think its possibly a good thing that I work in a male-dominated industry with all male bosses etc – they couldn’t possibly imagine how much my brain has turned to mush in such a short period of time.  I’m going to have to come up with some better avoidance / hiding techniques in the short term though.  Today I just called in sick.  Couldn’t face another day and felt a bit off-colour.  Figured I was better off not there.  But seriously.  I can’t even remember a phone number when looking it up in my address book long enough to dial it.  Scary stuff.  Adds a new dimension to the difficulty of the exams I am soon to face.  Ce la vie.

Yours in muddle-headed-ness (do I sound like paddington bear?) see you in 216 days or so.

mum

 

Exercising and checking up on you. November 5, 2008

Filed under: exercise,healthcare,pregnancy — rakster @ 11:10 am
Tags: , , , , ,

Did I mention last week that you played your first two ultimate games?  Well, you did.  Last week we went down in both games, and last night you played your third and fourth and we went down again.  You’d better not be an unlucky talisman: though to be honest I think it was more to do with the team as a whole than any influence you had.

You also had your first bicycle commute to and from work on Monday this week.  And my legs are feeling it today.  Go 9 weeks without riding and then try it again, and it hurts a bit.  I even went in granny gear almost the whole way and got overtaken by every man and his dog.  Sore legs despite all that.  I’m hoping to keep riding with you for a long time though I’ve read that my balance might start to go a bit funny at some stage and then it will be harder and potentially not as safe to ride.  We’ll see how I go.

So! Big day today for you.  Its the second time we are going to try and have a look at you and see if you’re growing well & all of those things.  I’m taking ten minutes out from work to write to you, cause I’m feeling slightly distracted / worried / excited / nervous and happy/unhappy all at the same time.  Its at 4pm today, so I’ll have to hold out a number of hours more.  Lets hope its all good for you and you’ve got bigger, developed a heartbeat and look a bit more like a tadpole than just the indiscriminate blob you looked like last time.  No offence – I’m sure you were beautiful for your stage of development, but I’m not quite reconciled to whether babies are cute really at all, so going for a cute blob is definitely pushing the boundaries.  Don’t develop a complex over it, its not worth it.  You’ll change 🙂

So, see you later this afternoon, don’t take offence at the intrusion into your world – we’re just checking up on you.

love you specky

-mum