Birthing Class Session #4 and other updates

I am SOOO tired AAALL the time.  It's wearing on me, and patience is running out when dealing with frustrating situations at work.  Agh.  

Over the long weekend I was not sleeping well at night.  Melting under the covers, itchy boobies and belly, getting up to pee 3-4 times in the middle of the night, having a hard time falling back asleep.  So I napped during the day, sometimes more than one nap.

So Philipp switched my comforter to a lighter one, I put laziness aside and make sure to slather on the lotion on my belly and boobs before bedtime to avoid itchiness.  Getting up to pee can't be helped.  

Belly feels like its getting bigger by the day.  Measuring at 38" diameter.  And my lower abdomen is feeling the pressure and weight of it.  This picture shows how I feel:

Baby has been moving more during the day.  Lots of belly twitching, even witnessed by co-workers during a meeting.  Everybody was shocked.  =P

Birthing class session #4 covered the details of a C-section.  We saw a video, with a simulation of a C-section not the real thing.  We also separated into boys and girls teams to fill out a sheet on "what the girls want during labor" and "parenting ideas".  Girls wrote down things like:
1. To touch, or not,
2. Listen and forget,
3. Gentle reminders (to avoid annoyance).
HA HA.
One of the parenting ideas P remembered the instructor saying in the first class was: have a routine but not a schedule.  I think that's good!  We do have one set of parents in the birthing class, they have a 4 year old (everybody else is first time parent), she said not to let baby/toddler sleep in your bed or it will take a lot of effort and time to get them out.

Philipp is off for another trip today, a week in China.  Mi mi mi mi mi.

June challenge is to incorporate at least 30 min of yoga into my daily routine...  Oh boy.

29 Weeks, 2 Days

Had my monthly appointment with OB today.  She said from now till week 32 I should feel baby move > 5 times within an hour, so every evening I should lay still and start counting (question is...  how long will my short attention span last?).  At week 32, baby should be moving most of the time.  From now till week 36 I will be going in for check-ins every 2 weeks.  Starting on week 36 it will be weekly until baby arrives.

On Epidural, Doc said many of her first timers choose to see how far they can go without medication...  and then they ask for Epidural.  And her second timers ask for Epidural from the get-go.  I don't know what I will do yet.  What I learned from class about Epidural is that you're basically stuck laying on your side through labor and they have to put a catheter to drain the pee out because you can't feel when your bladder is full.  Ugh...  An after effect of getting an Epidural is prolonged back pain, but it is different with every person.

Hospital bills and insurance are a pain, why must they be so complicated?  Lab work and genetic counseling are billed separately from OB visits and delivery.  The last statement I got from the hospital are for genetic counseling and lab work from January that I know I already paid for back in March.  What the?  Grumble grumble.

Philipp is home!  YEY!  Maja wiggled her butt in joy once she saw her Poppy.  When she is super excited, Maja squints, her ears fall back, she wiggles her butt and wags her tail very fast.  It is the cutest thing.  And if she thinks you didn't give her enough attention, she will make this funny guttural growl at you to let you know she wants more petting.

Is it bed time yet?

Birthing Class Session #3

Birthing class session 3 covered pain relief during labor (to epidural or not?), and we practiced breathing exercises and positions to get us through contractions.  I asked the instructor if we get a cheat sheet or how are we to remember all the different breathing exercises and positions when we're in the pain of labor, she said it would all come back naturally and we would figure out what worked best for us at the time.  Um...  ok.  Hopefully P's elephant memory will help out, as long as he hasn't passed out from being in the hospital.

I also asked what is a better Kegels exercise: doing reps or trying to hold it for longer periods of time.  Instructor said her preference is a combination of the above, but more important is to actually do Kegels!

I think I figured out why my memory has gotten so bad during pregnancy...  because of all the new things pregnancy related I have to remember on a daily basis!  Take my supplements, do Kegels, go for walks, drink milk and yogurt, eat fruits and vegetables, eat whole grains, read the pregnancy books, doctor appointments, looong list of stuff to get for baby, eat healthy snacks, drink water all the time and then pee, RELAX!  So something else has to give as my priorities have had to shift.  I haven't been able to keep track of projects at work as well as I used to.  And I often mix up my words and sometimes say the opposite of what I meant.  AGH, so frustrating!

No names for baby yet.  Even if we had it nailed down we'd likely not admit it so as not to be pressured into disclosing the name.  We are trying to get a short list of 3 names with a good middle name combo so when the baby is born we can decide...  OH you look more like a...  ???  In the name search, I have come to the conclusion that most men are egocentric as most of them have suggested their own names when they find out I am having a boy.  WTF.

Due to allergies, I have been breathing through my mouth sometimes which causes my throat to get dry which in turns makes me very thirsty.  So I have been getting up to pee in the middle of the night 2-3 times.  Which means when my alarm clock goes off at 7am, I am even more exhausted.  And with my back tight and foggy head, I have to figure out how to roll off the bed without pulling a muscle or collapsing on the floor.  Pregnant women are supposed to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.  But I'm not counting, I just drink.  And I try to not hold it in when I do have to pee to avoid a UTI.  My nose and upper lip are a little sore from blowing my nose all the time, and now the bloody snot has started.  Damn you allergies!

You'd think I'm giving birth to a puppy with all the Maja posts.  She is my "first born" so...  will baby ask why there are so many pictures of Maja (including a Maja calendar which I distributed to her fans for the New Year) and not as many of him?  =P  Don't worry baby, next year the calendar will feature you AND Maja.  Here's a funny video of Maja howling...  she only does it when she has her squeaky tennis ball in her mouth (her new favorite toy, even comes to bed with it at night).

Last night I fell asleep to my guided body scan meditation.  When I woke up in the middle of the night to pee, I noticed I had a rawhide bone on my chest.  Thank you Maja!  ;)

This and That

I adore my puppy bear Maja.  Can you tell?  I couldn't be happier to have her in my life.  Thank you Philipp for showing me the wonderful world of puppy parenthood.  Maja is so sweet and funny and cuddly and silly and fluffy and playful.  She is with me 24/7.  When she can't come with, I miss her and I feel guilty for leaving her home alone (it is heartbreaking to see her watching from the window as we drive away).  Mostly I think she just sleeps when alone.  And she is always super happy when we are back home.  I am especially grateful to have her when Philipp is gone on one of his looong trips.  I don't have friends (outside of work) where we live, so I am certainly glad to have the company of my baby bear.  We go on walks, play sleeve tugging, take naps together, play catch, she follows me around the house as I do what I need to do.  It is very cute when she can't find a good hiding spot for her rawhide bones and she brings them to me to put away.  And it is super funny when she pees and lifts her hind legs in the air and balances on her front paws like a yoga pose.  She has gotten much more social at work, goes from office to office with her toys looking for someone to play with her.  Or sometimes she lays down in random spots for a nap.  I just found her "funny itchy spot": when I scratch her on her rib cage, her back leg will start scratching air.  

Last week I met up with two friends from my ex-job in SF for dinner.  I hadn't seen them in a while, so the size of my belly certainly had a WOW factor.  And now that I look at the picture...  belly does seem bigger than I thought it looked.  My usual viewing angle is different.  Or maybe its the clothes.  Anyways, it was nice to see them, they both have older kids so hearing their perspectives on baby care was cool.

Weighing in at 140# these days, belly 37.5".  Sometimes belly seems awkward and sort of in the way of normal movement.  Like when I brush my teeth or wash dishes, "belly up to the counter" has taken on a new meaning.  I end up with a line on my belly where I was leaning against the counter.  Or when I'm putting on pants, socks or shoes, I have to lift my leg to the side of the belly not straight up.  Harder to reach my toes too, forget about painting my own toenails.  Can't take staircase steps two at a time now, not that I should be doing that knowing what a klutz I can be.

Allergies keep going.  Most annoying are the itchy eyes because I don't have the self control to not scratch, which makes it even worse.  And then the non-stop runny nose.  Sneezing doesn't bother ME so much, cause it usually feels better afterwards.  However, others are not too fond of my sudden loud sneezes.  Last year the backyard neighbor at the office complained that I woke up his baby with my sneeze.  Oops.  I hope allergies are gone by the time baby arrives!

In keeping up with my homework from birthing class...  I try to remember to do my Kegels every day.  They're just so boring.  Can't remember where I read I should do 3 sets of 20, 3 times a day.  AGH.  I can barely keep track of one set!  I have been pretty good at taking Maja on daily 30 minute walks.  We should probably walk for longer but that's about my limit before my back starts to ache and I get paranoid I might need to pee at any moment.  So two 30 minute walks a day should be in order...  ok, working on it.  And then there's meditation...  twice I tried doing guided body scans (from a recording by my teacher from when I was more serious about meditating years ago) in bed and ended up falling asleep halfway through them.  Oh well.  At least I was relaxed!

Baby has gotten a few nicknames in-utero.  Starting with "Erpse" by Philipp, which means bean in German (surely P will correct this when he reads it...).  Huebo prefers "mini-Bons", as her nickname for Philipp is Bons.  And then friends in Panama thought up "Beelipp" a combination of one of my nicknames and Philipp's name.

Birthing Class Session #2

Very important news first: today is "National Chocolate Chip Day."  Not that I need that sort of excuse to indulge in my favorite Guittard semisweet chocolate chips.  At least it is a much needed reminder of how wonderful they are so I will be enjoying them while I write this post.

Philipp is off on a crazy work trip for 10 days.  First to Singapore for not fun meetings with a difficult customer, and then to Johannesburg, South Africa for a trade show.  Just thinking of his travel schedule makes me tired.  And to think that if I were not pregnant I would likely be going with him...  As exciting as it would have been to go to the African Continent (the one I haven't been able to set foot on yet...  almost once, long story...  sigh), I'm glad I get to stay home this time!  All I really want to do now is curl up in bed with Toto (my favorite pillow - in grayish purple below) and Maja, just like this:

All this to explain that I was hanging solo in birthing class today.  No big deal.  Doing things that are usually done in pairs or with company on my own has never been an issue for me (such as going out to a nice dinner or to watch a movie solo, activities frowned upon by some).  I know this is completely different scenario, but still.  Philipp and I will make up with an intensive 1 day class in July...  which will be a great refresher for me given my lack of memory retention these days.

In today's class, Mary the instructor had us separate into two groups, boys on one side, girls on the other.  Then we had to identify the parts of the body involved in pregnancy on a picture board (uterus, placenta, pelvic bone, mucus plug, cervix, etc).  The girls got it done in half the time the boys did...  efficiency or knowledge?  Mary also talked us through a "by the book" birthing sequence...  although she said it never goes "by the book".  Next half of the class she had us practice different positions and breathing patterns to get through contractions.  She is a big believer in relaxing and meditating your way through the birthing process...  to keep the calm.  Mary reminds the boys continuously that during labor they must remain affirmative and supportive...  saying things like "good job" and "you are doing great", etc, etc, etc.  I'm thinking that will drive me nuts, but maybe at the time I will welcome such comments.  When I gave Philipp the summary of class over the phone, I told him I would prefer head/back massages and firm touch to the blah blah-ing.  Again, who knows how I will react when the time comes.

My stats now are 139#, 37" belly.  Seem to be sort of on track gaining a pound a week.  Next doctor check up in next week Thursday.  And last ultrasound will be on June 11.  Oh boy!

Puppy Training

Maja and her parents have completed Beginner Training Class, a 6 week series at the local PetSmart.  Our trainer Margie is awesome and she adores Maja Bear, Teachers pet!  But who wouldn't love Maja, she's adorably sweet and cute.  =)  

In Beginner class we trained with treat rewards to reinforce and program new behaviors.  Maja knows to sit, high five, platz (lay down), stay, come when called (most of the time it works...  if she's not too distracted barking at something outside in the yard), walk with a loose leash (not commando pulling), let's go (keep walking when she gets distracted sniffing something on our walk), leave it (not grab trash or random things found laying around in the dangerous world out there), drop it (anything she has in her mouth...  including the mouse a month ago). 

Maja graduate puppy. 

Proud Mommy. 

Maja also got to meet, sniff, and play with other doggies during class.  She really took a liking to Hero, the foster doggie Margie is training for a good home (potential right now to go to a psychiatrist who works with kids).  Hero was a stray found in San Jose about 5 months ago, and in just 4 months with Margie he is the sweetest calmest doggie.  His fur is super soft and silky, and I love his funny bat ears.

Hero, training doggie. 

Now we start Intermediate Training Class, in which we reinforce all the commands from Beginner class and wean off the treats.  So far also practicing "heel" so Maja will walk next to me instead of ahead or behind.

Philipp and I do all of Maja's trimming and bathing at home.  It is a wonderful bonding experience, it is great that she trusts us.  Sometimes she seems a little annoyed about it, but in general she doesn't fight it too much.  And always after a bath she feels extra good and runs around like a maniac.  This weekend we noticed how crazy long her eyelashes have gotten...  so I was wondering if we should trim them?  I took Maja to a pawdicure at the Vet today and asked about the lashes but they said it isn't an issue unless they are growing backwards and irritating her eyes.  So for now we will have a beautiful puppy with crazy long lashes.

Maja's crazy long eyelashes.

Ah, Margie also had some advice for us to get Maja ready for baby arrival.  She said about a month before baby arrives to leave baby things around the house (milk bottles, bibs, diapers, clothes) and make sure Maja doesn't pick them up or destroy them.  In general, Maja is pretty good at not grabbing stuff and destroying it anymore.  Seems like it was just yesterday she was eager to get to any shoe and chew on it, but she's outgrown that now.  We also have a basket full of all sorts of toys for her to keep her distracted.  Now, if we could train her to put her toys back into the basket...

Margie also dispensed some baby advise: within the first couple of weeks, figure out the baby's wake up schedule.  Then set the alarm to wake me up 15 minutes ahead of baby and start breastfeeding baby when he's still groggy and out of it...  that way he never really fully wakes up and won't cry.  

Week 2X?

Clock is ticking!  I have lost track of what week we're on.  I think it is 27, or is it 28?  Due date is about 3 months out.  Will I get more nervous as the due date comes closer?  I've asked several moms and they mostly said no.  Still, I worry of what may be, as childbirth is a very traumatic experience to the body and baby!

It has been crazy busy at work for the last two weeks, lots of meetings.  Including the meeting in which we made a plan to transition me out of projects so I can go on maternity leave.  Makes me nervous as I am somewhat of a control freak when it comes to projects and how they move forward.  Anyway, my maternity leave will officially start on July 25.  Eeeshk!  And the plan is to expect me to be gone through January 2, 2013.  Oh boy...  will I really stay away that long?  Seems like a long time now, but many have said once I become a Mom I will not want to leave baby.  We will see when the time comes.

This past weekend I flew down to Pasadena to visit Oli!  He was very curious about my belly (and other body parts that are a little more prominent now...).  It was very cool that Oli even got to feel baby move, I placed his hand on my belly and he waited patiently until there was a twitch.  Oli kept asking what my belly was doing.  He seems pretty excited about having a new cousin soon.

Tia Bens, que hace tu barriga?

The flight was short, so back pain was not as prominent.  Thank goodness.  While in Pasadena, we ate and ate and ate.  And napped too.  Got to have dinner at Din Tai Fun and have their awesome yummy dumplings.  Oli liked, big thumbs up!  Next day we had dim sum for lunch...  I over ordered, oops.  The servers were commenting in Cantonese at how much food we had ordered.  But we were glad to have the leftovers for breakfast the next day!

Oli excited over pork cheon fan?

Oli having chuk leftovers for breakfast with Mini-Maja and Coco.

Unfortunately, during this trip I did develop a pain in my pelvic bone...  yeah, down there.  It is more prominent when I stand up and walk after having been seated for a longish period of time (an hour +/-).  Now that I think of it, it hasn't been too bad today.  I have been more conscious of not sitting for too long and walking/standing around more.  

Back to the trip, we also went to the Botanical Gardens at The Huntington Library.  We saw the recently re-opened Japanese Garden, I love bamboo.  And Oli got to splash around in the Children's garden.  And I bellied up to a funny looking tree.  Reminded me of Baobabs from The Little Prince.

Back in my hood, I had the dreaded glucose test on Monday morning.  Glucose test is to check for possible gestational diabetes.  The toughest part for me was the fasting, since I usually wake up HUNGRY, but could not eat.  Once I got to the lab, they had me wait for an hour as they were running late due to their system being down, adding to the hunger torture.  Once I was finally called, they took a blood sample and then had me chug the orange sugary drink.  I was so thirsty and hungry at that point I just gulped it down.  And then I was out waiting for an hour for the next blood sample, and another hour for the final blood sample.  By the time it was over I was feeling a little weak from hunger, so I sped walked to the cafe and ordered a chocolate croissant (originally for P, but I ended up eating half of it) and a chicken/mushroom crepe.  Gobble gobble.  Glad to report I passed the test and all is good.

This past Tuesday we had our first birthing class (6 week series, once a week).  Instructor has been to over one thousand births...  geez.  She talked about pregnancy overall, changes to the body, what happens in the delivery room.  Asked who flosses their teeth every day, ME ME ME!  Who takes walks every day?  Um... not me.  Recommended 1 hour a day.   Prenatal yoga anybody??  Haven't been very good at that.  Relaxation and meditation???  What?  Yikes.  Made me realize I have definitely not been taking care of myself .  So I turned to Philipp and said: I need to work less!  I wake up tired.  I get home tired from work.  Who has the energy to exercise?  So once we got home, we had dinner (thank you WG for prepping everything), and then Philipp filled the bath for me to go relax.  He also set up reminder for me to take Maja on 30 minute walks around the office neighborhood on work days: 8:30am and 4:30pm.  I admit I have skipped a few of those this week, but working on it.  I also have reminders at night to relax and meditate.  Haven't paid much attention to those unfortunately, crazy work schedule has pushed out dinner till late.

During class we also watched a birth.  The more surprising part was the placenta popping out.  Instructor also gave us advise such as reducing the number of people present during birth or visiting afterwards (we are planning on only P at birth, and a very short list of visitors at the hospital after the birth), also planning every meal for the first 3 weeks so we have one less thing to think about (my parents will be in town cooking for us...  although I'm not sure Philipp can handle eating home-cooked Chinese food for so long).  Class ended with a much needed meditation session.  Inner peace...

My allergies have kicked in, about a month after last year...  sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes.  Symptoms come and go as the day progresses.  Last year allergies lasted from April through the end of July (trip to Brazil cured them).  Since this year they started a little later, we will see how long they last.  And I have no trips to allergy free places to help clear them out.  My brain is feeling extra sluggish today, maybe from the lack of oxygen caused by a stuffy nose?  Also, the heat during the day hasn't helped in the lethargy department.

Us at Nick's Cove with a fancy car.