All quiet on the southern front

Edited to add: I suck at math and am on codeine. I meant just under two kilo or roughly four pounds.

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday – 31 weeks and counting. Although four weeks seemed like an inordinately long time to go between appointments, the time really flew by. Here’s to hoping the next few weeks go as easily.

In a nutshell, everything is fine. My glucose test was perfect. All my other blood work is fine, but I have to keep taking my iron pills through the remainder of the pregnancy. My extremities show no signs of edema. My blood pressure went up a bit (100/65), which is a good thing given how low it was (90/50). And the baby appears to have ample fluid to play around in.

The doc did a quick scan and said the baby is already head down and a bit lower than usual – she hasn’t dropped, per se, but he said she probably would drop a bit earlier than usual. She has an “unusual presentation” since her spine is facing my left side. He said he thinks this is because the placenta is attached on my right side toward the front.

All of this is a good thing; he said it’s unlikely she will shift much from this position before delivery, which means we have one less thing to worry about (aka – even less likely than in normal pregnancies that we will have to contend with a breech). She’s a healthy good-sized girl and is quickly running out of space to do acrobatics. He estimates that she weighs just under two kilos, or roughly 4 pounds.

He also said I might consider sleeping on my right side if she kicks too much when I’m on my left. Since she’s facing up when I’m on my left side, that gives her the most room to fuss about. This explains the creepy crawly feelings I have on my right side. He said giving her a little squish by sleeping on my right side might actually lull her to sleep.

I go back in a month for a growth scan and another check up.

Other than that, very little to report. I’m feeling really good. I never thought I’d be able to do some of the things I’m doing this late into the pregnancy. I walked to my doctor’s appointment yesterday at 4 – it’s about a mile walk and it was in the 80s here yesterday. I took a big bottle of water and drank most of it, but I’m still able to get around and feel no worse for wear. Given that we don’t have a car, it’s been a real boon for me.

Just no. Never.

Topping the list of things I would never let my daughter have…

Heelarious: Her first high heels

Not even if she asks nicely. Not even if she masters language at three months just to beg.

Especially since that would mean she got her first pair before I did. I’m more of a crocs – tevas – uggs kinda girl myself, depending on the season.

In other news, 30 weeks.

Have had bronchitis for three weeks now. Also pee a little when I cough too hard. Not a good combination. I never thought seven months pregnant would find me relying on maxi pads.

just testing

this is a test to see if I can post a photo

Part three of three

So, depending on whom you ask, the third trimester either began two weeks ago or now. I was thinking all along that it began today until a book enlightened me (which is an amusing way of thinking about it since nothing on me is getting lighter right now). I can honestly say that something changed in my body about two weeks ago. I feel less graceful everyday, but amazingly, I still feel really healthy. Please God, let it continue.

This is part three of a three-part series. It seems simultaneously very far away and very soon.

Because I am somewhat exhausted and a little sick (bronchitis), I’m going to keep this short and give you a rundown of what’s happened lately.

I passed my glucose tolerance test with flying colors, which was really a nice treat. Since then, there have been many other nice treats, mostly in the form of pastries. I have gained four pounds in the last two weeks, putting me at 15 pounds under my prepregnancy weight. I may not reach my starting point, but it will not be for lack of buttery goodness.

I failed my iron test. So now I’m taking whole big bunches of iron every day. Yum. On the other hand, I will save time by never having to poo again. I am still trying to understand the logistics of when to drink milk and when to take the iron, since one blocks the other and they both wreak havoc on folic acid (of which I am now taking absurdly large quantities).

I have bronchitis. Which is way better than pneumonia, which is what everyone at work thought I had. They scared me into seeing a doctor. He said I could have antibiotics but that would probably lead to a yeast infection. I’m supposed to call in three days if it doesn’t go away or go back if it gets worse. I passed on the antibiotics for the time being because I would rather have a sore, itchy throat than a sore, itchy … well. You know what I mean.

By the end of the second trimester, I managed to gain 11 pounds, all of which are apparently in my breasts and belly.

In what will be the baby’s room, we have a fully assembled Pack and Play, baby swing and stroller and car seat. I put the teddy bear in the swing just for laughs. The cats have already laid claim to the pack and play. I’m crocheting a blanket to match the colors (sort of match) of the baby gear.

I think it’s too early for nesting, but I do have an insatiable urge to drill new holes in the walls to hang art, photos, etc. and another to spackle over the offending holes left by the former tenants. I also need to paint over the areas where we killed mosquitos on the walls and hang curtains everywhere. I cannot fathom how we survived this long without curtains – oh, the shame.

So that’s all for now. I have pretty much reached the event horizon of the blogosphere and don’t know when I’ll get back to everyone’s blogs. In my free time, I worked 210 hours in May and am helping five families plan their immigration to Israel this summer (it seems like just last week it was us).

Oh and the conversion and the wedding. Still trying to plan for that too.

But for now, off to bed.