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Things I Have Learned While Being Pregnant

There are some things I really miss…

  1. Sushi
    • Do you have any idea how horrible it is to crave something you can not have while being pregnant?  No?  Well, let me just tell you, it is a total bitch almost tasting something on your tongue, longing for it and then knowing you can’t have it.  Luis has sworn to get sushi from our favorite place as soon as I come home with the baby.  I can’t freaking wait.
  2. Being able to pee normally (Skip if bodily fluids gross you out)
    • I didn’t know this when I got pregnant, but between the hormones, and the baby’s pressure on your internal organs, you suddenly have the urgency of an infant with the capacity of a eyedropper.  I kid you not.  I have lost count of all the times I have felt as if I was going to rupture something if I didn’t go to the restroom right now, only to release a couple of drops.
  3. Sleeping through the night
    • One of the biggest pieces of advice I have gotten during this whole experience has been, "Sleep now!  Enjoy it!” And while I truly appreciate it, I have to say that as soon as I became pregnant my ability to sleep normally has been seriously compromised.  I am totally aware it is going to get much worse after the baby is here.  And while I do try to enjoy the few hours of sleep I get each night, I swear my body is already tying to get me used to the upcoming trial, because I often wake up several times a night because of point #2.  So my friends, my sleep as I knew it, has been gone from my life since July of last year.  He and I had good times. 
  4. Walking without feeling like someone is stabbing my organs
    • I know nothing bad is happening, but often I walk around and suddenly feel this pressure on my pelvis making walking around a bit uncomfortable. 
  5. Being able to lift/move things without people screaming at me
    • Ugh.  I am an independent person.  See that box over there, I need it moved to the other corner.  Before, I would have moved it myself, but now if anyone catches me even touching the damn thing, shrill screams and protests are set off.  Problem is since I am trying to get things done and I want it done now, my sense of urgency isn’t transmittable.  Meaning…that box could sit in that stupid corner for weeks before the person who screamed at me finally gets off their lazy asses and moves it.  *Grumbles*
  6. Saying good-bye to heartburn/smells/chronic back pain
    • While I am aware I will still have these symptoms from time to time, after all life happens, they will not come with the same frequency as they do when one is pregnant.  I am looking forward to being able to actually store food in my fridge and eat it the next day.  Right now, as it stands, when I cook or eat something and the leftovers go in the fridge it is like I threw them out, why?  Because no matter how much I clean the damn thing, there is a smell in the fridge which seeps into the food and makes me gag.  Was not there before the baby, and I am sure will go away when the hormones all return to normal.

 

Things I have noticed while in Baby Factory Mode…

  1. Everyone tells me to “Enjoy your sleep while you can”
    • Don’t misunderstand, it doesn’t upset me in the least, I just find it curious how everyone’s one piece of advice they feel they MUST give to a new mom is… you guessed it, “Enjoy your sleep now.”  Which again, let me say, yeah I enjoy it, but honesty it is a pretty ridiculous piece of advice to give.  Why?  Here are a few reasons:
      1. You can only take the memory of the “good” sleep with you.  “Good” and “enjoyable” sleep, while great, will only last in your memory. You can’t store your “enjoyable” sleep in a jar and save it for a rainy day when the baby is quiet. 
      2. You can’t truly appreciate what you have until it is gone.  Since, human beings are idiots, you often require a before and after to really drive a point home.  Meaning, I can’t truly savor my sleep now because I haven’t gone through the troubles of a newborn and the demands they make.  Thus it is impossible for me to really appreciate and enjoy my sleep now.  Which means…
      3. We are back to point 1 and and I thinking longingly about the sleep I used to have and then I can really wish I had enjoyed it when I was able to.
  2. People are surprised that a big person can look awesome pregnant
    • This one has caused me to laugh and blink more than once.  Seems everyone has a notion that if you are pregnant you become a balloon and deformed. I know this does happen.  I have seen other women who have had a number of discomforts and issues while pregnant. Now, I can tell you, had I been thin before I got pregnant, this notion would have made more sense, since it would have been much more noticeable.  However, since I was big when I got pregnant and have only gain about 13 pounds with the pregnancy, I look only slightly different. I think people have this mind set that you need to eat like a horse and being pregnant gives you that freedom.  But honestly, I haven’t changed much of my eating habits, outside of sushi and not having caffeine, from before my pregnancy.  Also, I haven’t increased my intake by much, not because I was trying to restrict myself, but because I didn’t need it.  Also I have been very lucky regarding the edema and have not retrained water during the last 9 months.  Thus, I am not swollen at all and haven’t had any major issues or complications.
  3. I like being me
    • If there is one thing the pregnancy has taught me, is I like me.  No, correct that, I love me.  She is a pretty kick ass girl and through the last year, the pregnancy has reaffirmed my desire to be myself.  After all Peanut needs a mom who is totally okay with herself.  How is he going to be love himself if he doesn’t see it in others?   
  4. Healthy mommy
    • Outside of the diabetes, which we have under fantastic control-5.5% HbA1c, I am in perfect health.  The baby is in perfect health and my weight hasn’t made one single bit of difference. During the last year, I have tried to remain active and upbeat. When the baby is born, I will be returning to my old routine and start to train with a friend to do a walkathon later this year. Looking forward to it.  Also, I am really thinking of the Wii Fit, has anyone had any experiences with it?  Good? Bad?

Posted in General Musings, Project Baby, This Shit is For Life.

11 comments

By Bre – February 26, 2010

Peanut Watch: 3 Weeks Until D-day

The weekend has been a flurry of activity and a number of major items have been checked off my master “The Baby Cometh” list.

Let’s return to the list of a few weeks ago and assess our progress:

Things I have done since the last update:

  • Pre-registered at the hospital
  • Packed my hospital bag along with Peanut’s
  • Got all my paperwork in order and submitted to the HR department
  • Got a new washer
  • Got a new bed
  • Almost done with most projects at work

Things still to do:

  • Install the car seat
  • Try to organize the baby room as much as I can
  • Get a new TV for the Florida room with a stand
  • Get a swing just like the one my mom bought
  • Write out a list of people to call and numbers
  • Just wait until the big Day
  • Breathe

I really can’t believe only a mere three weeks are left!  Oh my, oh my!

Posted in Project Baby, This Shit is For Life.

9 comments

By Bre – February 22, 2010

Peanut Watch: 4 Weeks to D-Day

We officially received our induction date.  Seems Peanut will be making his appearance on March 16th.  We are set to go to the hospital the night of March 15th and have the full monty the next day.

Now, let us pause for a moment not just for the impact of the upcoming event, but for a total geek/literary moment.

Why is March 15th a big deal?  Leave answer in the comments and you will understand my little tidbit of geek glee. 

So as of today, we are a month away from the big day.  I have turned in my paper work to the doctor, watched Peanut jump and move all over and now have to settle in to get the last details in order.

We can hardly wait.

Posted in Project Baby, This Shit is For Life.

12 comments

By Bre – February 15, 2010

The Joy of Sharing Manga with Others

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I love manga and anime, as I am sure you all know and I love sharing this wonderful world with anyone who wants to dive in.  I don’t force it on anyone, but if someone want to talk about it and wants me to give them some recommendations, I am your girl.

Recently my cousin Frankie had asked me for some reading material and after exhausting the free ebooks I had, I turned her towards fanfiction which then of course made me want to recommend manga fanfiction.  Until about a month ago, she had never read a manga in her life, as of today, she has caught up with Naruto and Bleach and is currently making eating up Rurouni Kenshin.  If you haven’t read Rurouni Kenshin and want to try a manga, I would highly recommend this one. It is one of my all time favorites and has bit of everything, great story, romance, action, angst and best of all-it is complete. 

 

Frankie started reading it a couple of weeks ago and I received this email from her just 5 minutes ago.  Warning it contains a spoiler-sort of- but it is too good not to share.

 

SPOILER (Highlight to see)

Email from Frankie to me:

I KNOW KAROU DID NOT JUST DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ARLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN?!!!

I should have felt bad, but instead I crackled and danced!  I send her a email basically tell her to keep reading but I couldn’t contain my glee.  Like Mikey, she liked it! She really liked it! And, she only got that upset because the characters mattered and the story took her. 

Welcome to the Manga camp Frankie, I am pleased as hell to have you here!

Posted in I am Turning Japanese, Manga.

5 comments

By Bre – February 3, 2010

Peanut Countdown: D-day Approaches!

The last couple of weeks have been a blur of activity.  Let’s review some of the things from my previous list and see a status update:

  • Met my new OBGYN.
    • I have to say I am very happy with my new doctor.  Since meeting her last week, I had a whole series of blood test done, a rather gross 24-hour urine collection (NOT PLEASENT.  Something about having bodily fluids chilling in my fridge made me want to puke.  Couldn’t wait to give it to the nurse the next day) and ultrasound with fetal monitoring.  She also spent time explaining to us since I have diabetes they will try to induce at 38 to 39 weeks depending on the baby and my health.  Meaning my due date is no longer the 24th but will most likely be around the 10th through the 17th.  I felt really comfortable with her and her abilities.  Peanut and I are in good hands.
    • Got a bit of a shock when I was told yesterday, Peanut is now about 4lbs and 12 oz.  I swore my doctor was going to give me the evil eye, but instead she said he is at a very good weight, just about 10% above average and for a diabetic mom that is great.  She was happy with the blood sugar control, his abdomen size, his moment and heart beat measurements.
    • She must have liked what she saw because instead of seeing her each week like we originally thought, she asked to see me yesterday in two weeks.
  • Weekly ultrasounds
    • Just started my weekly ultrasounds and fetal monitoring.  All looked great.  Peanut was caught swallowing and practicing his breathing exercises.
    • Peanut is currently breeched.  When I asked the doctor about it, she said it isn’t a problem at the moment, and while she could turn him, chances were he was going to go back in the position he was comfortable in.  Stubborn. Oh hell, guess he is my kid after all.
  • Got a Pediatrician
    • Just called today and got us set up with the baby’s new Pedi MD.  Have contact numbers, address and assistant name all on the iPhone, all ready when we need to call for an appointment after discharge and for the forms.
  • Baby Shower
    • We had the baby shower this weekend and received a number of wonderful gifts.  Now comes the task of going through the pile, figuring out what we need to return, keep and what we still need to buy.
    • Pictures will be posted as soon as my mother provides me with the link to the album.  Nails and hair were professionally done for this event.  If I had shown up with a ponytail, I think she would have disowned me.
    • Luis’ family surprised us and is giving us the baby furniture for the room.  We were blown away.  The pieces should be in the house by the third week in Feb.
  • Paperwork at work and replacement
    • Interviewed my replacement yesterday.  Now just need to get the paperwork in motion.  Trying to wrap up loose ends.  Feb is my “must finish everything” month.

And because I was yelled at for not taking any “belly” pictures.  Here you go.  Me a couple of weeks ago.  More flattering and updated pictures incoming.<3 Bre

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Posted in Project Baby, This Shit is For Life.

21 comments

By Bre – February 2, 2010

Ooo Pretty Letters!

I love fonts.  Fonts are like clothes, they have a very specific tone and statement. There is just something about finding that special style which conveys much more than just the letters it spells out; it totally gets my geek on.  

I would write more, but my brain hurts and I am hungry.  Instead I leave you with a fantastic linkage to Smashing Magazine and their latest post listing 25 free and fabulous fonts.

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May the downloads begin now!

More tomorrow.

Posted in Interweb.

2 comments

By Bre – January 26, 2010

Saucy Writing Prompt: Stamp, Glorious and Barrel

Here is my prompt for our latest Saucy writing prompt. It is a short one.  Enjoy!

The stamp slammed down on the innocent page.  The rubber edges actually peaked out from the wooden handle  from the pressure the meaty hand holding it had applied.

Bastard.

He didn’t have to look so damn happy using it.

Mr. Gale gave me a yellow-tooth smile and said, "Oh I am so sorry, but it looks like we won’t be able to approve your loan today."  He pulled the stamp away from my application and gave me the wounded page with the bright red "denied" now bruising it on the upper right corner.

I took it from him and swear I could almost hear it whimper.  Or maybe that was me, holding the last piece of hope we had.

Desperation crawled up my throat and the pressure pushed against my eyes.

No,  I won’t give the pretentious, self-righteous bastard the satisfaction of making me cry.

Instead I looked down at the loan application, then into his muddy brown eyes and said with a forced smile, "Thank you for your time."

I forced down the bile and got up from his desk.  The door to the outside world seemed so far away, that once glorious place I used to feel so at home in, now mocked me with sunshine and green trees.  Instead, as I kept moving towards it, questions ricocheted in my mind.

How are we going to keep the house?
What about the kids?
How am I going to look them in the eyes tonight.

How could this be happening?  Everything had been so perfect before, so right and it took only six months and Rick’s death to destroy everything we had ever worked for.  I tried to keep the hysteria in check, forcing myself to breathe in and out when I heard a commotion coming from the teller counter to my right. 

A man in a Santa suit whispered something to the woman in front of him. 

Her face grew pale and before I could understand what was going on, he pulled out a gun from his suit and pointed it at the security guard.

"Everyone down!"  Cries and chaos ensued, people started to cry and whimper.  Most dropped right to the ground but I stood transfixed, unable to move my body.

My heart thundered in my ears and I felt a cold chill when the barrel turned towards me and I stared at it.  Aimed right at my chest.

"Close the front door."  He said.  His eyes flashing something-fear?  Madness?  I didn’t know, but when he waved the gun again towards the door, my legs suddenly were able to move again. 

"Lock it."

I swallowed, trying to feel my fingers again and put my hand on the handle.

The world outside continued without a care.  Cars zipped by on the street and the leaves swayed in the light breeze.  I swear I could hear birds singing.  With one push I could run outside, I thought.  How much time would he have to shoot?  Just one solid push and I could run.  Run towards the car into the sunset.

But what if he got a shot off in time?  What if it killed me?  What about the kids?

Trembling fingers gripped the lock and with a swift motion the soft thunk of the bolt sliding into the other door.

It boomed in my ears

Posted in Fiction, Saucy Prompts.

4 comments

By Bre – January 13, 2010

Return of the Blog…

Actually no, since a return would indicate a departure and I never really left just been dealing with things which have sapped my energy and inclination to write on the blog.  However, I return to you today to give a brief look of what has been going on since we last spoke.

First, I would like to wish everyone a wonderful 2010 and hope your holidays were great.  I would say, “Here are my New Year Resolutions…” but honesty who are we kidding?  I didn’t make any nor did I plan to make any this year.

This year, if you haven’t figured it out is the Year of the Peanut, making any real resolutions I wanted to make for myself a distant second.  The last couple of months have been filled with all things baby, such as getting the registry set, going to doctors, dealing with the holidays and getting Peanut’s room in order.  This month we have the baby shower and as of today I am now officially 30 weeks.  Meaning Peanut could make his appearance (we are thinking full term here) as early as seven weeks from now.  It has started my internal countdown trying to make a list and checking it twice, making me nervous and excited all at the same time.

During the last couple of weeks I have officially turned into an emotional blob.  The rollercoaster everyone keeps talking about finally picked me up and I am firmly in the front row.  Ups and downs are now part of the day and it doesn’t take much to get me to cry.  Babies are everywhere and everything on TV seems to have something to do with newborns and kids.  I actually got into a fight with Luis, and became an crying mess in my mother’s house the other day because he wanted me to eat before picking him up at work.  Ten minutes after I did and we talked, I was laughing. I r a nut. :P

Since my last post , I surprised my mom and gave her a 4D ultrasound as a Christmas present.  It was something else!  I won’t share all the pictures, because frankly they creep me out a little (something to do with the whole alien and gold color thing) but it was an amazing experience and I was so happy my family and Luis’ family were there to share it with us.

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I also have pictures of Peanut’s room before the deconstruction, but I am holding off on the before and after slideshow until we get it set up with the furniture and what not.

Things on the horizon:

  • Meeting my new doctor
    • Oh yeah, that is right didn’t tell you guys, but just my luck my OBGYN is leaving the university three weeks before my due day.  Fun, fun, fun, I get to meet my new doc at the end of this month.
  • At 32 weeks ( only a couple of weeks away now) I will need to have weekly ultrasounds to check on Peanut’s progress and size.  These ultrasounds will also determine when and how I am destine to have the labor.
  • Need to pre-register at the hospital
  • Need to get a check list of stuff I will need in “the bag”
  • Need to call the pedi’s office and set up an interview. Let’s hope the guy is still taking new patients and isn’t on the verge of retiring.  He was my brother’s doc when he was a kid and almost twenty years later my mother still thanks him.  My brother was very sickly as a kid.
  • Need to get all my paperwork in order
  • Need to make sure Luis understands he is only to hold my hand, not to give me kisses, not to touch me at all outside of my hand, not really allowed much outside of breathing if I go into natural labor.  I am not scared of the pain, but pain and I like being left alone to talk, being cuddled while I am in the middle of my body ripping apart is not sexy, not sweet and very dangerous to Luis’ health.  Although I don’t expect it to be a trouble, I am covering the bases; he has been warned.
  • Need to make sure the car seat works and strapped in correctly
  • Need to make sure all the furniture is assembled
  • Need to enforce visiting hours at my place.  Like I told Luis, “No one comes over now, but after he is born, he is like a new Disney attraction, everyone will be coming over unannounced and at any time they see fit.”
  • We need a new washer
  • Need to buy baby friendly detergent
  • Need to wash his clothes
  • We need a new bed
  • Need to have everything done for work by the end of this month and at the latest mid-Feb.  My boss was only 36 weeks along when she went into labor a couple of weeks ago.
  • Saucy Wenches
  • Writing and finishing up Waking Iris
  • Need to remember to breathe

I also want to thank everyone for their thoughts and wishes to me and my family.  You guys are the best.  I also want send out many hugs and kisses to Rav, Tami and Steve for being who they are; you guys are amazing and I am grateful to have you in my life :D .

Now it is time to dive into my list, I hope this post finds everyone well and enjoying the day.  I will talk to you all soon.

Much love,

Bre

Posted in General Musings, Project Baby.

9 comments

By Bre – January 13, 2010

Have You Given Your Copy Editor a Kiss Today?

Writing is a bitch.

Of course I don’t mean when she is a good mood.  When that happens, she comes down and showers you with kisses and hugs and makes you feel like a million bucks.

Most of the time she is just a bitch.

Then when you finish your opus and look through it, you think-FINALLY IT IS OVER.

But au contraire! Spilling the words, “The End” isn’t the end-it is merely the beginning.

If you thought actually writing the story was an exercise in humility, soul-crushing doubt and self-deprecation- you obviously haven’t handed it over for editing.

Remember until this moment, this opus, this masterpiece of utter shit has only been seen by your eyes.  Up to now, no one, outside of your neighbor hearing you smash yet another cup against the walls, knows of the arguments you and writing have had.

Much like deep dark family secrets, you handle it and deal with it, because hey, even though she is a bitch, she is your bitch. 

However, you know one thing is true.  It is time to have someone else deal with her, and suddenly you are hit with a debilitating case of tremors and a total inability to speak.

How can you hand her off to be ripped apart and dissected! 

It is hard my friends.  Extremely hard, but at the same token absolutely necessary.

Finding a person who can respect your bitch and take her in without pampering her, being firm but not indulgent, dealing with her tantrums and your inability to let go, is a rare, precious human being.

If you find one of these gems.

Don’t been an asshole.

Give them a huge kiss.

And chocolates, lifetime supply if they want it. 

Steve is my Gem.  And I try to tell him every single day how much I am grateful he is willing to tame and refine my bitches.  They are a unruly bunch and don’t like marks, but we are all better off because of him.

Here is a quote from a post by The Intern, found via Steve’s idol, Deanna Hoak, which perfectly describes the feeling of having your work edited:

It was like getting dressed up and brushing one’s hair very carefully and thinking one looks quite respectable indeed, only to have one’s big-mouth best friend show up and say “You can’t go out like that—your skirt is tucked into your underwear and you smell like Chewbacca.” You feel relief that someone caught you in time. Adoration for their superior wisdom and objective eye. Lingering embarrassment, mingled with wounded pride, mingled with overwhelming gratitude.

If you have a person generous enough to act as your copy editor give them a kiss today.  They deserve it!

Steve, here is my kiss to you:

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LOVE YOU!

Posted in To Write or Not to Write, Writing Tools.

6 comments

By Bre – December 9, 2009

*Waves* Bre is Back!

Contrary to popular theories, I have not fallen down a rabbit hole, or abducted by aliens.  Instead, I have been spending an exorbitant amount of time in the Saucy Wenches Chat room, totally quit WoW (for now :P ) and dealt with holidays, families and oh yeah, helping a new life grow inside of me.  Which by definition means, I spent way too much time sleeping in November.

 

Last night Steve, Tami and I had WAY too much fun recording the latest Saucy Wenches episode and I am reminded once again, how lucky I am to know these two amazing people and be able to call them friends.

 

Anna from Too M any Annas linked a fantastic vid which totally describes my morning:

 

Scary how true it is!

Posted in General Musings, Interweb, Project Baby.

11 comments

By Bre – December 8, 2009