Charting the Belly: Week 31

Jabba or me at 31 weeks?

I really wanted my photographer to crop the picture to cut out my chubby face, but he said no.

This guy can't tie his shoes, either

The Name Dilemma

The other day, a teacher colleague said to me, "I'm glad I had my kids before I became a teacher."  I completely agreed with her because I'll tell you that the past 6 years of my life have significantly put a dent into what names I would even consider giving this baby.  There are way, way too many sour experiences with the Shaynas, Hopes, Sierras, Parkers, Adrians, Davids, Quentins, Isabelas, and Cheyennes of the schools I've taught in to even consider naming our baby something even remotely close...

Parker talks way too much.  Shayna is mentally unstable.  Quentin is one angry kid.  All the Isabels I've known have been nothing but trouble.  Jaqueline was the one who didn't make a whole lot of sense when she told stories, even though they were pretty funny.  And the list goes on...

We do know that the baby will have my dad's first name as its middle name--Lynwood.  It's a really unusual name, but it will work whether Mr. Belvedere is a boy or girl.

Top Pregnancy Something-or-Others

I'm not sure what this list is exactly, other than some of the unexpected things I've experienced as a direct result of having a bun in the oven.

1. Peeing during the third trimester is ridiculous.  The urge to go is very immediate as of late, but the outcome is like, "Really?  That's it?"  And then I have to go again in about 15 minutes.
2. Tying my shoes makes me grateful for slip-ons.  At the gym, I have to take a rest between putting on the sock and then the shoe.  My lungs are getting squished.
3. "How are you feeling?"  It took me awhile to get used to this question from others because I liken it to a question that would be asked of someone who just got over the flu, or who's currently sick.  I'm never really sure how to answer this, other than to say, "I'm good...just getting big."
4. People are always looking at my belly.  I do it to other pregnant women, too, but it's just different when I'm the one whose belly is growing.
5. Waking up at some crazy hour of the night by the foot of my fetus banging out a rhythm on my ribs.
6. Grunting.  I grunt getting in the car and getting out of the car.  I grunt trying to get out of bed.  I grunt tying my shoes.  I grunt trying to pick something up off the floor that I've dropped.
7. Two-hour naps.  I am tired!  I don't sleep through the night anymore, and sometimes I'm up for quite some time at 3am.  The best part is that I can still go to bed at 9pm after sleeping from 4-6pm.
8. I weigh more than my husband.  'Nuff said.

I Think I'm having a Contraction...

I'm fairly certain that I had one of those Braxton-Hicks contractions tonight.  These are those false contractions where the uterus tightens up in preparation for labor, which, dear reader, is just over two months away!  Yikes.  Anyway, I felt this pressure in my belly, and when I touched it, my protruding gut was rock hard.  It didn't hurt, but I certainly noticed it.  It relaxed after about a minute.  My mom said that she used to get painful ones with my sister and I that would stop her in her tracks.


As an aside, she also said that she would sit on the steps of our patio when she was pregnant with me (and then later with Mary) and cry because she was so fat.  We made our mom pile on 60+ pounds each time, most of which was water weight.  I think our older brothers were much easier for her.


Birthing class #2 was pretty exciting, mostly because there were two women in labor while our class was going on.  One gave birth right as class started, and the other woman was audible throughout class.  The looks on the faces of the dads was priceless.  I'm not sure when she delivered.  I could certainly feel the energy!  The night before was a full moon, too...


We talked quite a bit about exercise and many of the benefits of keeping up with exercise during pregnancy.  There are all sorts of statistics about the benefits to both the mom and the fetus.  I found all the myths that we discussed rather interesting.  Here are a few:

MYTH: Pregnant women should not exercise more than three times per week.

TRUTH: Following a doctor’s approval, it’s recommended that pregnant women engage in 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily, five or more times a week.

MYTH: Pregnant women must keep their heart rate under 140 beats per minute during exercise.

TRUTH: Instead of counting beats per minute, use the Borg Scale (measures perceived exertion) or a simple talk test to assess intensity.

I currently swim once a week, use the elliptical machine about 2-3 times a week, and take a weight training class twice a week (Power Flex).  Oh yeah, and my homework was 200 Kegels a day for the next week.  So exciting...

Birthing Class #1

We made the trip up to Menomonee Falls Well Rounded Maternity Center Saturday morning for our first birthing class.  Our instructor, Coral Slavin, is a seasoned Bradley Method instructor, but has since modified the class because the true Bradley course was too rigid for her tastes.  So she created a hybrid class.  There were about seven other couples there, all of us first time parents except for one couple.  We talked quite a bit about the importance of relaxing during labor so that the body can do its job.  Next week's topic is about diet and nutrition.

I also had my 30 week appointment this afternoon at the Midwifery Center at Aurora Sinai.  Things are good...baby's heart rate is 142 and my fundal height is 30 cm (right on target).  My blood work from last time showed that I'm not producing any antibodies, and I think that means that Mr. Belvedere and I have compatible blood, but that conversation was too much for me to follow.  I'll put that on my list of questions for next time.

Fundal height--things are getting cramped

It's hard to believe that there are just ten weeks left (give or take a few).  It's gone by very quickly so far, but I've heard from others that this last trimester can get long...

Charting the Belly: Week 28 (almost 29)

I just got done watching the first episode of One Born Every Minute and I was...appalled?   Discouraged?  Mildly amused?  I also feel like I know the woman who was having a natural childbirth.  I did go to Ohio State, the show is filmed at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and she and I are the same age.


I'm feeling pretty good so far, other than a few aches here and there.  My left hip is tight, and rolling over in bed is a pretty big ordeal every night around 4am.  I'm hoping to make an appointment for a prenatal massage sometime in the next week.  Valentine's Day is around the corner, Nate...

Bruce Lee and me

Beginning of the third trimester!