Pregnancy FAQ

Has it gone by fast?
For the most part I would say yes. Weeks 7-12 and weeks 36 til right now have been the slowest. But overall when I look back and realize that I've been pregnant during the freezing cold, snow, ice, cool spring, rainy afternoons, seeing things outside come back to life, to the sweltering dry heat of the endless summer days, and now beginning to feel like fall is upon us, yes, having felt like I've experienced a little or a lot of all 4 seasons, its gone by fast.

What are you most excited about?
Probably seeing what he looks like and holding him in my arms.

Does he move a lot?
Yes. All the time. Well, not all the time, he sleeps every now and then, but I feel him very often throughout the day and night. Mostly in my ribs on the right side and on my bladder, and usually both at the same time. He loves to stretch and use ALL the space available to him. Sometimes he stretches so much and so hard from top to bottom that I feel like I've grown a couple inches taller to make room for him. (And it's no secret that I've grown more than a couple inches around to made room for him.)

Have you had weird cravings?
No. Not weird as far as combinations of food like the classic pickles and ice cream. The ones that come to mind as being cravings that repeated themselves or came at weird times were: Arby's Jr. roast beef sandwiches, zucchini, green beans, caramel twix, watermelon, soft serve ice cream, banana slurpees, and the strangest that hit the past couple days- tapioca pudding (YUCK) and root beer (Kind of yuck). And I'm happy to say I've fed the healthy cravings far more than the unhealthy ones.

Is there food you liked before that you can't eat now?
Not really. But at the end of the first trimester and part way through the second, I could not eat leftovers. No matter how delicious dinner tasted, and no matter how much I loved eating something that didn't come back up, I could never eat it again the next day.

Have you had any pain?
My lower back has probably given me the most problems. It was the worst in the beginning and thankfully its gotten better as the pregnancy has progressed. It still comes and goes and I'll still see the chiropractor a time or two (hopefully) before go time. But the constant pain that never stopped day or night, and lasted about 5 weeks a few months back has let up.

Do you think you'll miss being pregnant when it's over?
Maybe, oddly enough. As much as I want to be done right now, I think I'll miss a little of the "all mine" time that I have with him right now. I love feeling him kick and wondering how he's facing and what he's really doing inside that make my stomach move like it does on the outside. I'll miss watching Paul talk to and read bedtime stories to my belly. But that'll be a fun one on the outside too.

Have you gained a lot of weight?
It's funny how this question becomes ok when you're with child. It feels like a lot. But I think I've stayed about average for pregnancy. Down 5 lbs in the first, up 17 lbs in the second, and up 5 more in the 3rd.

What is his name?
I thought everyone knew it was a secret, but I've been asked a lot the past couple weeks at showers and church. Everyone will know in a couple weeks! (hopefully, fingers crossed) We have however, told people that both the first and middle names are family names, but that's it. No other clues...no matter how hard you try...Dad. ;)

What are you looking forward to?
Being a mom. Duh. But really I'm excited to be a mom. A friend of mine at work was telling me last week when I stopped by that her sister just had her first baby. She was saying how her whole life her younger sister has always just been her younger sister, a little girl. She said even at her wedding she just still saw a little girl and thought it would always be that way. But when I talked to her last week she'd just been with her sister and the new baby the day before and she said its amazing how we just become moms. And that something incredible happens when you hear that little one cry for the first time and suddenly you're a mom and you somehow know what to do to comfort and care for your child. And that its something amazing that only women experience and understand. She said it much more beautifully than I did. But that's it, I'm looking forward to being a mom and feeling that transition happen in my life.

Are you going back to work?
I've already quit my job, and while I have days where I miss it, I think I'll miss it less and less as I have something new to occupy my time more and more. Our hope is that I'll be able to stay home long term, that is the plan for now anyway.

Are you ready?
I think I am. Everyday I do something baby related that wasn't done the day before, but if he came today we could make it to the hospital ready and bring him home to a house and nursery that is full of the essentials and ready for a baby. So although there are last minute things that I want to do, everything that I need to do is done.

Can we come visit you at the hospital?
This is a tough one that Paul and I have gone back and forth on. We each have a close friend or two who we've told can come to the hospital. We don't have huge families but big enough that everyone couldn't be there at the same time. We don't know how fast California family will get here and we don't know how soon all of my family will come to the hospital. It really depends on the day of the week, and also the time of day. Our priority is mommy/daddy/baby bonding time. The schedule of visitors will most likely be determined after he is born. Please understand that as a general rule we feel like home visits will be best, and please also understand that if we say it's not a good time, its really not, and that we do want anyone who wants to meet him to have that chance, we're just not exactly sure what that whole thing will look like.

Do you wear pants?
Ok, no one has asked my that, but I had a funny moment this morning as I was reading an email. It was one of many (too many) emails I get weekly from pregnancy websites. This particular sight sends random quotes from pregnant women who are as far along as me and today's said, "I quit my job today and I'm so excited about it! Now I don't have to wear pants and I can sleep whenever I want!" Amen sister. More often than not these days I find myself showering, getting dressed, etc. And then within a couple hours just taking off my pants (or capris or shorts) and doing stuff around the house bottomless. I love it!

Happy September! We've made it to birth month! 11 days til due date...