and still no baby.
Everything is well, the baby and I are both healthy, but it has decided to stay put for now. We are really hoping that it decides to make a move before Easter vacation is over and everybody has to go back to work (that is, everybody but me) but the baby is not being cooperative. So everyday we are hoping the baby decides to come (but I also am secretly happy that I did not have to go through labor!)
I am having a lot of contractions, but they are not really painful and obviously are not especially productive. The doctor tells me that I should come in every two days, and then in ten days things are out of her hands. I think this is a nice way to say, you will go to the hospital and be induced. VERY much hope it does not come to that.
We are very lucky to be having a spring baby, the trees have been blooming, there are tulips everywhere and the world looks very pretty. We have been able to grill and hang out on the balcony for about two weeks now, and it is great!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Verrrrrrry Pregnant - 38.5 weeks
Belly at 38.5 weeks. I have been lucky as far as stretch marks go, but do have two lovely purple ones courtesy of my belly ring compromised derma in the belly button region.
So...there is my giant pregnant belly for those of you who have been eager to see it. I am fairly sure that the baby in there weighs over 10 pounds and I am looking forward to its exit from my body. Although I have been enjoying my new status as an obviously VERY pregnant woman (this means that people offer me seats, stare at me in wonder, and ask me what the hell I am doing still commuting to work), I am getting restless regarding sleepless nights, not being able to get off the couch, having trouble tying my shoes, constantly having to pee, being punched in the sides by the baby, etc.
That said, I don´t really want to give birth. I would rather just fall asleep and magically wake up to my baby, outside of my body. Ideally with no visible damage to my body and 25 extra pounds gone. Hey, I can dream.
When I am not busy dreaming, I am getting ready for a hopefully drugless, natural child birth. We will see how that goes in actual practice, but there is no way I am willingly letting anyone put a needle in my spine, nor do I want an IV, nor do I want to end up with a lethargic baby. I had an unfortunate Noro - virus incident a few weeks ago and the resulting hospitalization confirmed that doctors are not capable of putting IVs into my apparently oh so delicate veins. I was stuck a total of 6 times and had 3 veins give out (they stopped "working" resulting in massive bruising and pain.) Luckily the German midwives seem to be very pro natural childbirth and encourage birth without intervention, so I am in the right place. (Although my motives may not be so pure.)
Progress Towards Birth
For those of you who know technical words - I am partially effaced - 1cm left. The head is engaged in the pelvis, and all things point go. So the baby is ready to come anytime. On the other hand, there is no guarantee that it won´t decide to baste in the comfort of my womb for another 2.5 weeks.
Other big news is that today was my last day of work!!! Now I have no excuse not to do the laundry, clean the house, finish my Dr. Suess paintings, eat healthy food, go for walks, and basically become an improved person. Darn. But I will get a lot more sleep, be less stressed out, and take great pleasure in my "vacation."
Another wonderful thing is that the sun has been out, the flowers are blooming, and spring time has come. April is a wonderful month to have a baby. Hopefully the weather will hold for another few weeks and shortly the baby and I will be chilling on the balcony, drinking fruit smoothies together.
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Pie Maker
Jane introduced me to a new (prob. not so new, but new to me) television show while she was visiting, called 'Pushing Daisies.' Although I found both the main characters annoying and way to goody goody and earnest - the show did grow on me. One of the main features of the show is the Pie Hole - where the main character works. Seeing pie after pie inspired me to make my own. I never was big on pies - but they definitely could grow on me. Jan warns me that I have to try to control my sweet tooth, so the pies come very rarely.
Here is the crust with the apple filling. I should have put more apples but I ran out.
A close up.
Finished product.
And yes it was delicious!
I am going to try 'muffin pies' next. Mini pies made in the muffin pan.
In other news I am still pregnant but I am about ready not to be. We are approaching the 35 week mark now. Ok, if I am honest, 34.5 weeks, but who is counting.
Cons of pregnancy
1. Being overly emotional. (yes, it has finally kicked in)
I did start sobbing in a train, and I definitely freaked out the old German women who were sitting across from me. Excessive displays of emotion are so not German.
2. Toating around all of that extra weight.
Most of which is sticking out in front of me in the form of a giant belly and giant, well, other parts.
3. Constantly being out of breath.
Walking up the stairs - asthma attack.
4. Three days of leg pain reminding you - no you shouldn´t run to catch the last train for the next hour or to make it to the library to return the dvds that will cost you 4 euros if you don´t return them.
5. Getting up in general.
I have mastered scooting, and rolling, and performing squats now that I cannot use my stomach muscles for anything.
Pros of pregnancy
1. You get a baby at the end.
Of course the pros grossly out-weight the cons. But that baby can come any time now! I am ready not to be pregnant!
Here is the crust with the apple filling. I should have put more apples but I ran out.
A close up.
Finished product.
And yes it was delicious!
I am going to try 'muffin pies' next. Mini pies made in the muffin pan.
In other news I am still pregnant but I am about ready not to be. We are approaching the 35 week mark now. Ok, if I am honest, 34.5 weeks, but who is counting.
Cons of pregnancy
1. Being overly emotional. (yes, it has finally kicked in)
I did start sobbing in a train, and I definitely freaked out the old German women who were sitting across from me. Excessive displays of emotion are so not German.
2. Toating around all of that extra weight.
Most of which is sticking out in front of me in the form of a giant belly and giant, well, other parts.
3. Constantly being out of breath.
Walking up the stairs - asthma attack.
4. Three days of leg pain reminding you - no you shouldn´t run to catch the last train for the next hour or to make it to the library to return the dvds that will cost you 4 euros if you don´t return them.
5. Getting up in general.
I have mastered scooting, and rolling, and performing squats now that I cannot use my stomach muscles for anything.
Pros of pregnancy
1. You get a baby at the end.
Of course the pros grossly out-weight the cons. But that baby can come any time now! I am ready not to be pregnant!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Alien Worm
As I was half asleep on the couch last night - Jan came home and the baby decided to suddenly wriggle in my stomach - startling me and waking me up. It felt exactly like a snake moving under my skin - so freaky. Don´t worry - I usually have more maternal feelings, but baby, stop the slithering motions - better to deliver a nice kick. I think I told Jan something like - there´s an alien worm in my stomach - I am clearly very good at this bonding thing.
Windy Freiburg
Jan has been sucked into the student teaching world, so I have my afternoons at the apartment to myself these days. That means that I get sucked into the Internet - but I also get to try baking.
Tonight I am planning on making brownies for one of my classes after a day of much much much improved behavior. (Yes, I resort to bribery) But unsurprisingly my plans are on hold because they sell no peppermint extract or unsweetened chocolate at the supermarket I stopped by. There are surprisingly few baking supplies available in Germany (no brown sugar, no vanilla extract, no corn syrup, etc) at least at the more local chain stores. I will stop by Migros (giant Swiss store in the middle of the city) in hopes that the Information desk will help me out and I will be able to make these brownies tonight. Because they sound sooooooo good.
I would use creme de menthe but these are for my students - better not to give them alcohol regardless how small the quantitiy is. However valium...
In other news the wind is howling and a cold front is coming. Jane - bring your winter coat. Flurries and sub zero temperataures for the foreseeable future await you. Ok - not as bad as Boston, but you actually have to walk around and wait for trains and be outdoors around here :)
Tonight I am planning on making brownies for one of my classes after a day of much much much improved behavior. (Yes, I resort to bribery) But unsurprisingly my plans are on hold because they sell no peppermint extract or unsweetened chocolate at the supermarket I stopped by. There are surprisingly few baking supplies available in Germany (no brown sugar, no vanilla extract, no corn syrup, etc) at least at the more local chain stores. I will stop by Migros (giant Swiss store in the middle of the city) in hopes that the Information desk will help me out and I will be able to make these brownies tonight. Because they sound sooooooo good.
I would use creme de menthe but these are for my students - better not to give them alcohol regardless how small the quantitiy is. However valium...
In other news the wind is howling and a cold front is coming. Jane - bring your winter coat. Flurries and sub zero temperataures for the foreseeable future await you. Ok - not as bad as Boston, but you actually have to walk around and wait for trains and be outdoors around here :)
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Week 31
This is the baby´s head and foot...the baby performed amazing gymnastics the entire ultrasound.
This is my giant stomach on Feb. 7th. No - there definitely are not twins in there. Just one big baby.
So I am 31 weeks pregnant...
As you can see, the baby has grown quite a bit. It weighs in at 1800 grams or 4 pounds and it has another 9 weeks to go. I am hoping that it decides to come a week or two early...towards the beginning of April. I am not sure if it will happen but I will do my best to encourage it.
I had a fairly rough week of work - the kids are restless and don´t do any better with cold, dark weather than the rest of us. We have two more weeks and then a two week vacation, which is entirely bearable. I plan to try to clean - get ready for the baby, do some painting for the baby´s room and maybe the rest of the apartment, and go walking. I spend a lot of time huffing and puffing these days and I pretend that I get enough exercise by walking everywhere and going up and down the 5 flights of stairs at my school - but it prob. isn´t true.
Then after the vacation just four more weeks (maybe) of teaching for me and I get a loooooooong vacation. It will be very nice and I am glad the I will be able to get to know the baby (and still know that I can go back to work in August).
Other goals include cleaning the apartment - after this blog post in fact I will fold clothes, put them away, and then attack the bathroom. (which needs attacking) We had hired somebody to do basic floor and surface washing for us but she has exams she needs to study for - I think we should rehire! Contrary to the blog name, I am not much of a hausfrau and I am constantly exhausted when I am home - not so conducive to cleaning. I am waiting for the nesting adrenaline surge to kick in though and hopefully I will become a cleaning addict for a week or two.
Jan started his student teaching and spent his first week in the school. He likes the other teachers and the students and is having a very positive experience so far. Luckily for him, his school is 5 minutes from our apartment! Not much of a commute, so he has been finished before me most days.
All in all, everything is going well. We are preparing for the birth and look forward to meeting the baby in about 2 months! Wow.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
January in Germany
January in Germany (and Switzerland) has been very chilly. Nothing compared to weather in the US, but when you have to walk everywhere and constantly wait for trains, any below freezing temperature is unpleasant. WE also have had a covering of snow on the ground! Just a thin, often slushy layer, but at least it feels AND looks like winter.
The bad news is that I have a sore throat. A VERY sore throat. But otherwise no symptoms. Hopefully it will resolve itself. I am staying in for the rest of today and tomorrow to speed up the healing process. My schedule - which isn´t even that crazy - is enough to keep me on the edge of exhaustion most of the time - so I am evaluating what to do about it. I think after the jet lag is completely gone and I get into more of a rhythm it might be better. On the other hand I have a being inside me stealing my energy stores, so it may get worse.
I went to the doctor yesterday (canceled the appt. for the week before due to severe jet lag / exhaustion). Friday afternoons are for napping! But it was exciting because for the first time I was hooked up to the heart/contraction monitor. One sensor measures the hardness of your stomach and the other attempts to measure the baby´s heart rate. The baby was not cooperating and was more interested in kicking at the sensor, so it was hard to find its heart rate, but it was still really exciting to hear it every now and then.
Other big baby news is that now the doctor says it looks like a boy - but wait - that´s the umbilical cord, so who knows. Very noncommittal doctor. Jan says that he thinks he saw a "sack" but basically we have no idea what gender the baby is. I guess we will find out soon enough - but the suspense is killing me! I think it is prob. worse to want to know and then constantly not be told, then to just wait until the birth to find out.
I will now see the doctor in three weeks and then every other week after that. We are going into the home stretch!
I have developed a huge belly (Mostly due to the delicious American food I ate over Christmas. That´s what I get for feeling like I could eat whatever I wanted for ten days.) and am somewhat in disbelief that it could possibly get any bigger. The doctor basically said, eat more fruits and vegetables, but being in Germany and not in the land of foods I crave but I cannot get most of the time I will not be eating so much. (especially if I stop sneaking Starbucks chai lattes and espresso brownies)
The bad news is that I have a sore throat. A VERY sore throat. But otherwise no symptoms. Hopefully it will resolve itself. I am staying in for the rest of today and tomorrow to speed up the healing process. My schedule - which isn´t even that crazy - is enough to keep me on the edge of exhaustion most of the time - so I am evaluating what to do about it. I think after the jet lag is completely gone and I get into more of a rhythm it might be better. On the other hand I have a being inside me stealing my energy stores, so it may get worse.
I went to the doctor yesterday (canceled the appt. for the week before due to severe jet lag / exhaustion). Friday afternoons are for napping! But it was exciting because for the first time I was hooked up to the heart/contraction monitor. One sensor measures the hardness of your stomach and the other attempts to measure the baby´s heart rate. The baby was not cooperating and was more interested in kicking at the sensor, so it was hard to find its heart rate, but it was still really exciting to hear it every now and then.
Other big baby news is that now the doctor says it looks like a boy - but wait - that´s the umbilical cord, so who knows. Very noncommittal doctor. Jan says that he thinks he saw a "sack" but basically we have no idea what gender the baby is. I guess we will find out soon enough - but the suspense is killing me! I think it is prob. worse to want to know and then constantly not be told, then to just wait until the birth to find out.
I will now see the doctor in three weeks and then every other week after that. We are going into the home stretch!
I have developed a huge belly (Mostly due to the delicious American food I ate over Christmas. That´s what I get for feeling like I could eat whatever I wanted for ten days.) and am somewhat in disbelief that it could possibly get any bigger. The doctor basically said, eat more fruits and vegetables, but being in Germany and not in the land of foods I crave but I cannot get most of the time I will not be eating so much. (especially if I stop sneaking Starbucks chai lattes and espresso brownies)
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