Friday, December 31, 2010

Belly Bump - The last shot of 2010





What a difference a year makes! Here's me at the end of 2009!

27 Weeks - Even I Can't Believe It!

I am not sure if we are up to date on these or what...but I checked multiple sources and I am in fact in my 27th week! In fact, according to some texts, I am in my THIRD TRIMESTER!

What's new with me:
  • My belly is getting so big! And getting lots of attention from people! Woot woot!
  • In fact, not only does my belly get attention, I get a lot more scolding than I am used to. People (those I know and sometimes those I don't) have told me that I shouldn't wear the shoes I am wearing (with two separate pairs), that I need to button my coat (which doesn't exactly close over my all this business), that I shouldn't be hanging Christmas decorations (you can take away my NYE, but leave me my Christmas!), you really wouldn't believe it! The woman in the nail salon told me my bump wasn't big enough and I should really stuff it to get more sympathy from people. Oh! And you wouldn't believe the lectures I get from people because I am STILL GOING TO AFRICAN DANCE! You heard me. Post your objections below. Or better yet, email them to my midwife. ;)
  • I am starting to get that round ligament pain people warned me about. I feel like I have torn muscles in places where I am pretty sure I don't have a ton of muscle...
  • A lot of my symptoms have subsided. :) I no longer have Carpal Tunnel-esque complications, my sciatica is at bay, and my hands are less puffy.
  • My belly dances. :) Well, more specifically, we can see the Zayd-monster moving and shaking in there. It is most pronounced when he wakes up around 8pm especially if I have already had my dinner. Come by and watch!
  • I think I have mapped out my baby's position using this awesome belly mapping article. I will try to draw a picture on my belly... wish me luck. OK, Sam won't let me draw on my belly for fear of ink poisoning the baby...its not worth arguing about so enjoy the following illustrations:

What's new with Zayd?
  • Zayd should be about 15 inches long! Considering I was a mere 17" at birth this completely shocks me! He should also weigh approximately 2.3 pounds - which explains my excess girth.
  • He really has a schedule and a personality. I love him! He is up from about 9am to 2pm (with baby naps sprinkled in) and then sleeps until after dinner. Usually at 8 or 9 pm, he is up and MOVING!
  • He can blink! With long luscious south asian eyelashes I am sure!
  • He apparently hiccups a lot but I haven't learned to distinguish these from the punches and kicks and the other raucous activity he is causing in there.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

"Woman's Body as a Lemon" assumption

I am devouring one of my favorite Christmas presents, "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" by Ina May Gaskin, a midwife I first became familiar with while watching (and re-watching the documentary "The Business of Being Born").


She says a million interesting things and points to interesting medical texts, some from the 1840s (!), that could be useful to any expecting mother regardless of where/how she chooses to labor and birth.

The little tidbit that I want to share with all women is the following,
Doctors today often assume that something mysterious and unidentified has gone wrong with labor or that the woman's body is somehow "inadequate" - what I call the "woman's body as a lemon" assumption. ... Remember this, for it is as true as true gets: Your body is not a lemon. You are not a machine. The Creator is not a careless mechanic. Human female bodies have the same potential to give birth well as aardvarks, lions, rhinoceri, elephant, moose, and water buffalo. Even if it has not been your habit throughout your life so far, I recommend that you learn to think positively about your body.

So, that is what I am doing. Reading the book curled up under a blanket and believing in my body's ability to do my body's work. It simply doesn't make any sense to me that my body would figure out how to grow Zayd from a sesame seed to a little boy and then wouldn't be completely and fully equipped to birth him.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Belly Shots (nothing like Body Shots...)






Can you see my new eyeshadow? Its called SMOG. And this dress cost me $6 at Target. Go get one for yourself bagain-loving pregger ladies!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

My Vintage Baby!

While browsing through one of my favorite blogs, Dear Baby, my "friend" over there blogged about all of her little girls vintage frocks. I was inspired to spend the last hour looking through Etsy for some of the darn cutest little boy outfits you ever did see. Here is a treat for all of my vintage fans out there.

I think little Zayd might be wearing those green velvet overalls next Christmas.













Another favorite from LishyLoo




Last and maybe my favorite from LishyLoo

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Speaking from my Spirit

Zayd and I talk a lot these days. Well, one of us is decidedly more vocal than the other. In one of my favorite new tomes, "Superbaby", which comes highly recommended by me, it talks about the importance of narrating to your baby and helping them understanding what is going on in the world around them. (Sort of common sense but the book is great.)

In that vein, I have been narrating all the day long to my sweet little boy. I tell him about what we are doing and what comes next in our day. I explain to him when I am frustrated and I tell him about all of the things that make me joyful every day of the week. I ask him to kick his daddy every night before bed and tell him good morning when he wakes up around 9am. It's simply wonderful and honestly feels like a real conversation (especially when he kicks at my request or seems soothed out of a tantrum when he is kicking on all cylinders).

These conversations have sprouted something in me that I wasn't really expecting: conversations with my gma. Nowadays, I seem to talk to her much more, as well. Even after she died, I have continued to talk to her when I need her or when something amazing happens. Nowadays, I talk to her a couple times a week about anything and everything. For example, yesterday, I drove to the Botanical Gardens to pick up our 2011 Family Membership and I was positively gleeful. This was one of Sam's stocking stuffers and a complete surprise. (He opened his stocking today.) While heading home from the gardens, I told Zayd about how we would walk him there in the summer and look at all of the flowers and trees. And how when he was old enough to walk himself we'd let him run through the field there. Then I told my grandma how great it was going to be and how painting these tableaus for my little peanut makes me warmly happy. I invited her to join us on the trips and thought about how much easier it would be for her now that she doesn't have to breathe and try to keep up. These conversations just happen. I am in the conversation with my gma or my son before I realize that they aren't really around. And its really magical.

Being pregnant makes you really think about those fuzzy lines around life and un-life.

The Making of a Nursery Part IV

I found sheets! Yay yay yay! So, you've seen the orange walls with white trim but we will also have some navy blue and light green in there. The love seat is navy blue and green is just my favorite! This might all sound a tad too colorful but I promise you that I can "make it work".

Without further adieu, let me show you the crib bedding and sheets I found!



Yay! I love it! And the rockets match the keylime and blueberry from my aliens and planets decals. (Which by the way, my wonderful sister in law got us for Christmas!)

I'm just through the roof happy. What adorbale-ness! There are also (apparently) a light plate and a nightlight and all sorts of things to go along with the set, though I can only find them on ebay. Apparently, this set is in high demand!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Nesting...the early phases

We have done quite a bit toward getting the nursery ready. Despite there being a ton of junk still in the room, most of the furniture is "in its place". Here are our bookshelves and I am happy to report that both fit in the room quite nicely. I need to get baskets and things to put toys in but you get the idea!


Here you see the crib fully assembled! (Thanks Sam!) You can see the glider that my neighbor Jessie brought over (though I am going to have it recovered in something lovely). (I might also make a little Earth pillow or something...cute right?) We still have junk in here that we haven't decided where it goes but we will get there over the next month or so. Mostly, the room is looking pretty darn good. And isn't the Vintage Orange DIVINE while not conforming to gender-based stereotypes!


Here is the antique dresser we will be using after it gets refinished. We'll be sure to take all of the junk from off the top, pull stuff out from under it, and remove whatever is leaning on it before Zayd arrives.


I have a few other random things that I have been meaning to do that are suddenly my #1 priority. First, it always bothered my that you could see our switch box in the hallway. So, now my giant Rice diploma hangs over it. It was a simple fix to what felt like a huge problem. Soon, I might hang the Bryn Mawr diploma over the thermostat. Ha ha. (But who are we kidding - its also enormous.)


We finally have little bookshelves up in our room! I am obsessed with these floating bookshelves and they might start popping up all over the house.


I have covered 2/3 of our french doors in non-peep-through film. I ran out, though, and rather than have something like 7/8 done I quit while it was still symmetrical. At least the bad guys only get 1/3 of the view.


Lastly, isn't this a lovely way to hang a mirror!?! I had to put two thumb tacks on top of the door and string wire in the top and bottom of the mirror to loop the ribbon through but otherwise it was simple as pie!


Calendar - Week 25

My my! It's been a while since we had a calendar update! Let's see how far little Zayd has come:
  • He should be about 13.5 inches long and nearly a pound and a half. That's the size of a rutabaga!
  • Zayd's nostrils are getting cleared out. I'm not totally sure what that means but I hope he likes the smell of the basil pesto we will be having this evening.
  • The little man needs to fatten up quite a bit and grow some thicker skin in the next trimester.
  • If I could put my finger in Zayd's palm, he would grasp on to it! This makes me feel so very gleeful.
  • Interestingly, Zayd is the same age as Josie Duggar when she was born last year...i.e. babies are considered viable at 25 weeks, but I am going to keep cooking mine a few months longer.
  • Zayd is starting to have more waking hours during the day which I fully support. I try and talk to him and keep him awake when I feel a kick in the middle of my day. Like any Mammen I know, he pretty much does whatever he wants... ;)
  • He "told" me that he likes the book Nani (my mom) bought more than The Little House, which is a close second fave. So we read "On the Night you were Born" every evening before MY bedtime.
What's new with me besides my belly photos that I have posted? (Which, by the way, did you SEE the awkward pregnancy photos from my last belly photo post - hysterical!)
  • My uterus is the size of a soccer ball. Does anyone have a soccer ball I could pose with? I think this would be funny if not charming.
  • I feel GREAT! Really, I do. Better than I have felt the entire pregnancy and I am so very grateful!
  • My hair still looks great but I have a couple crazy eyelashes that sprout an inch long overnight. Very peculiar. If they could do it with some pattern, I would mascara em up and rock my new fringe. Unfortunately, they are lone rangers out on the frontier of my eyelid...
  • I am sort of nesting. I keep telling Sam that if I could just find a coat rack I would be a happier person. My list of house things that I need is quite lengthy. I will post some of our latest house projects soon.
  • I had another FANTASTIC meeting with a midwife at our practice. FANTASTIC. I actually think that I want to choose her as my primary caregiver and then last month's lady can be the baby's midwife. It is all falling in to place and I am so grateful to be figuring out these things. Actually, I am grateful to have the ability to choose from four amazing women and determine exactly how each of them can best assist me and Zayd on his BIRTH day.

So, in summary:
  • Zayd is very active and growing leaps and bounds
  • I am grateful (and growing leaps and bounds)

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Belly Photos





But, why I really posted today is so that all of you could enjoy this AWESOME link.
Awkward Pregnancy Photos

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Can't Quite Wrap My Brain Around It

For my birthday, I received the Moby wrap - yay! I had one of these on my registry but my dear Bell sent it to me because she saw a woman with one who RAVED about it.

I busted it out of the package today and it is MUCH more complicated than it looks in the photos. Here are a few shots of my first attempt...
This "baby" is definitely too high - I can't even look down at "her".
But "she" definitely doesn't like being lower either. I am supposed to keep that part with the tag up but I don't understand how I was supposed to make it tight...
For trouble shooting purposes - here it is with no "baby".
But I don't think that horizontal part should be quite so loose...

I am certain that I followed the directions. I even did it twice more but it didn't get any better...

Anyone know what I am doing wrong? I don't think its the preggers belly but maybe???

The Making of a Nursey Part III

First lets show you how far I got cleaning the nursery out last weekend. This room has been full of crap ever since we moved in. We almost got it situated as a study and then found out about little Zayd and the room has really paid the price.

Gross. I know. It is the most embarrassing spectacle. But, after a few short hours cleaning, I had it in BETTER shape by last Saturday.
Believe it or not each of those boxes on the floor is organized into categories that we must now deal with. But at least everything is in its "section" to be handled accordingly. Sam went to town on the desk and I got busy with some paint samples, which led us to:
For a closer inspection of my wall art, I present Apricot Flower on the left and Vintage Orange on the right.
Being technically color blind, I let Sam-I-Am make the final decision with NO INPUT FROM ME. This was a very hard move for someone as controlling as myself but I would say that I agree Vintage Orange was the way to go.

It's not quite as orange as it reads in this pic and I know you are amazed that once you push all of the crap to the center of the room it looks like hell in there again. But we are making progress! And the painting was one of my biggest stressors, so I am so glad that Sam is getting it out of the way. (I can actually hear him rustling the plastic tarp around in there as we speak. Send him some encouragement on the walls. To his phone - he has never seen the blog. Ha ha.)

Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Making of a Nursey Part II

We have been trying to decide on a theme for the room and fully intend to buy paint today - woo hoo! People have started asking about our theme so we really need to settle on something.

Themes we have considered:
  • Fun with numbers
  • Alphabets (English, Urdu, Hindi, Russian - we are all inclusive)
  • Elephants & Owls (of course)
  • Whales (I really just dappled but there are some adorable whale things out there)
  • Outer Space
  • Bicycles
I think (THINK!) we may have settled on: Outer Space. Most of you know but when I was getting to know Sam, I asked him if he could go anywhere, where would he go. (Mind you we were living overseas.) He said, "Space". I didn't think that answer counted. So there you have Sam's need to rebel and my need for conformity all wrapped up in a single question and answer session.

Generally, I would think space too 1980s and a little more stereotypically masculine than I prefer. That being said I am a mathematician so maybe I should just start eliminating gender biases from professions. It's something I am working on.

I've scoured Etsy looking for some adorable wall decals (in each and every theme) to get us off on the right foot. I think I have settled on the following.


I actually really like the colors shown in the last two photos but all of that is customizable. So, what do you think? Do I have a little Space Man?


(And if you think about it, its sort of an ode to Houston! Don't tell Sam!) ;)

Friday, December 3, 2010

Diamonds and Babies are a Girls Best Friend

So, when we found out we were having an April baby, I immediately thought, "Oh, if it's a little girl, she will bankrupt us with her requests for a birthstone charm bracelet!" For those of you that don't know, the April birthstone is the Diamond and, in my experience, April girls have Diamond taste. :)

Then we found out about little Zayd and I discovered the best way to have an April baby - have a little man and reap the diamonds for yourself! Presenting my birthday present which I LOVE!



Now, I am outfitted head to fingertips!

(And yes, my birthday is tomorrow but good things also come to people who just can't wait!)

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Conversations with Zayd


Today was the first day that I felt like the baby and I were really interacting. We talked to each other throughout the day and it was simply fantastic.

When I was sitting through the final minutes of a long meeting, I started daydreaming about food. I tried to figure out what I could run and get from the Snack Shack with only a few minutes to spare. I considered an egg and cheese muffin but I had had eggs for breakfast. I knew they sold bananas and considered that as well. Then I remembered that they served warm toasty bagels and I could probably talk the cafeteria ladies into TWO cream cheeses if I played the pregnancy card right. (They charge you for plastic forks and they are loathe to give out ketchup so you REALLY have to be pregnant to get a favor.) As soon as I figured out my bagel plan, Zayd woke and and started jumping around. I thought, "Yep, it's an awesome
idea, little one. Don't worry, we are getting a BAGEL." And in my imagination he did this little happy bagel dance. It was so funny. I can't be sure that he was excited about the bagel but I bet when he sees his first bagel some months from now he will light up the way he did today. Time will tell.

Later in the day, I was leaning over a desk talking with Chris about something. Zayd spazzed out for a second and I said, "Okay, okay, I will give you more room" and stood up straight. It almost caught me by surprise that I was just naturally inclined to converse with my little fetal baby. But I stood up and he stopped kicking and I am pretty sure I knew what I was talking about.

I think this is what all the pink light meditating has been for. Even if I am imagining it, it is pretty awesome and lights up my day so I am thrilled either way.

P.S. I got the bagel but didn't have the nerve to ask for the extra cream cheese. I did get a knife for free though --woot woot!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Oh my aching...wrists?

Yep! It's my latest affliction and I almost can't believe it. All weekend I complained about having throbbing pain in my forearm and elbow. My wrists and shoulders weren't feeling so great either. I kept thinking that it must have something to do with the way I was sleeping. Poor Sam tried to rub them but the pain would just move up or down my arm out of his reach. I don't have a ton of meat on my lower arms to really give a decent massage and there was pretty much no relief.

Eventually, it got so bad that I looked it up. It turns out A LOT OF PREGNANT WOMEN GET CARPAL TUNNEL. What the heck?!? As a lady who's had knee surgery at 14, sciatica at 17, and a bum left shoulder through grad school, I almost can't believe how much pain a wrist can cause.

Apparently, the swelling I am experiencing pretty much everywhere else is also going on inside my wrist joint. They look normal to me but who knows.

So, maybe I will do more video voice overs and a little less typing. But who knows.

While I am on the topic of aches and pains, I got up from laying on the couch yesterday to discover that I was stuck. My sciatic nerve was in full-blown freakout and I just stood hunched over waiting for it to dissipate. Sam couldn't stop laughing and I laughed while a single tear of agony escaped. It took about a minute but it went away. This is something I am sure you all would have loved to have a photo of but we were stuck in the moment.

I scheduled a massage for Tuesday the 8th so we'll see what Lydia can do with these wrists of mine.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

"You look down-right chunky!"

I went by my friend/neighbor Jessie's house earlier today. He is an 87 year old WWII vet and an all around interesting guy. He gives me guilt trips all the time for ignoring him and I am sort of used to it. When he answered his door today we did our customary greeting, "I almost didn't recognize you," he said. This is usually followed by, "I haven't seen you in so long that I forgot what you look like."

Today I got, "I almost didn't recognize you because you have gained so much weight! You are down-right chunky. Now, come on in." He then gave me a rocking chair so I guess all is forgiven. Ha ha. No, in all honesty, it didn't bother me much. He's sweet, if blunt. Though I did promptly change my sweater and put on mascara when I got back home. No point in not trying. :)

So, at Ella's request, here is a belly shot. It doesn't look as good as real life. I got one with my shirt picked up that looks pretty good but I think I will save that one for myself. :)