Another Whale Sighting!

But this time, it's a blue whale:

 

Sigh. 

So there's a definite difference.  A seven pound difference, to be exact.  That's right--seven pounds in four weeks.  Oh well.  I have an order for the dreaded glucose test, so Michael is going to see if I can take it at the medical center on campus, which would make the whole thing a lot easier.  

For those of you who don't know, the initial glucose test is meant to see how efficiently a pregnant lady can process sugars, and it is important because some women develop gestational diabetes.  Gestational diabetes is bad news because it means that without controlling your diet, you're much more likely to have a humongous baby that would likely require a C-section to deliver.  The night before the test, I have to fast (I think), then I show up to a lab and they'll take my blood and give me some nasty Kool-aid-like stuff to drink that is super sugary.  After an hour, they take my blood again and if the glucose levels are too high, then I fail the test and I have to come back and do the three-hour glucose test (which is the same thing, just that you wait longer before they take the blood after drinking the stuff).  If I failed the three-hour test, then I would be diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and that means no pasta, no pizza, and no potatoes (just for starters).

I'm pretty nervous about it, because people who are much healthier than I am have failed the one-hour glucose test, and a few were even diagnosed with gestational diabetes after taking the 3-hour test.  I love pizza and potatoes and pasta. The good news is that my doctor doesn't think I'm at much risk for it, given what he's seen thus far.  My blood pressure is very good, and everything else looks great as well.  Let's hope I pass with no problem.

It's pretty hard to believe (well, unless I'm looking at that picture up there) that I'm almost seven months pregnant. Seven months!  The time has really flown by.  It won't be long at all before we're parents.  Every now and then I try to seriously think about how our lives will change, but I can't wrap my head around it--I think the idea is just too massive.  Nothing will ever be the same.  I'm not saying this with disappointment, mind you--Michael and I have been a couple for about ten years, and we've been married for almost five.  We've had plenty of time to be alone, and to do lots of fun young-and-childless-and-carefree couple things.  But I'm not going to fool myself about parenthood, either.  It's going to be more work than we ever imagined, and it's going to require us to be more patient and responsible than we've ever been before.  The time we have to do the things we like to do is going to shrink--in fact, it will probably disappear entirely for a long time.  But just as I can't accurately grasp how much work it will be, I think I can't even come close to imagining how amazing it is going to be, too.  And that is why I'm still so excited.  

Pregnancy + Time Change = BLECH

The time change has really done a number on this pregnant lady in the last week. Every day I woke up tired and I fell back into my bad habit of what I used to call my "homeless slump".  This is where Michael wakes me up, and I stumble into the living room and plop down on the sofa.  He hands me my thimble of coffee and I drink it in a few sips, then I slump over sideways on the couch (usually surrounded by the dogs) and doze until Michael wakes me up to eat my cereal.  In other words, I look like a homeless person, sleeping slumped over against a wall.

When I'm tired it's even more difficult for me to be good, food-wise. This probably explains part of why I was compelled to go out in the middle of the week to get more maternity pants.  To be fair, the two pairs I wore the most were not full-panel, but the little half-panel things.  I once wondered why some stores billed those types of pants as best for late 1st and most of the 2nd trimester.  Now I know why they don't work so swell when you get close to the 3rd trimester--your belly hangs over the edge so much that it stretches that elastic band to the max, and after a full day of work it CHAFES.

At least that is what happened to me.

I'm sad to admit that I've gained weight in more places than the ones you'd expect from pregnancy, which also contributes to the pants problem.  The weather is getting warmer, so soon I'll probably just start wearing dresses or skirts.  Or mumus.

On a brighter, lighter note, I broke down and cut my hair to chin-length.  I was getting really sick of the two-layer weirdness that was going on, and I decided that I was going to be way too busy to try to tame that mess into shape. It looks better, even when I decide to be really lazy and just let it air dry.

While my in-laws were in town last weekend, we all made a trip out to register for baby things because there will be a shower for us given by some of our colleagues.  So many of the people from work are wonderful and thoughtful, and they've really done so much to make us feel at home here and to offer support and encouragement. 

On that note, I'll end by promising another bump picture after my appointment next week, on Friday, March 25th (which is Michael's birthday, too!). 

Where Does it All Go?

I am feeling very large these days, my friends.

I look at pictures of pregnant friends and celebrities who are/were larger to make myself feel better, and to reassure myself that it is indeed possible to get bigger (which I will need to do, since I still have almost four months to go).  Michael loves the growth--it is proof that our baby is growing and thriving in there.  I am certainly happy with that aspect of it, to be sure, but I can't help but view my belly with a bit of trepidation. I wonder how it is all possible--"where do my organs go?" I muse.  So, as I always do, I looked it up and I found this nifty link. As crazy as that may look, it's a lot better than some of the diagrams I've seen on the subject.  In several of the diagrams I've perused, the large intestine just disappears entirely and they almost never show you any views of the heart or lungs.  Those things are kinda important.

While playing on that website, I noticed a link that shows you the fancy shmancy ultrasound pictures for each week of development, from the 6th week to the 40th.  It is equally nifty.

We still haven't registered for even one item.  I don't know why.  I think we focus so much on trying to relax in between the weekend chores that we just forget to do such things (we don't go out on weeknights if we can help it).  We still need to contact the daycare center on campus.  We still need to get a pediatrician.  We still need to call the number for the diaper service to make sure that it is still in business.

We will do all these things, eventually.  For now, we're still too busy being shocked by the size of my belly.