Tuesday, December 24, 2013

PPPP

i've always admired people who compete in the pole, pedal, paddle in bend. i remember watching at the finish line at drake park when my kindergarten PE teacher was a competitor.

today we instituted a christmas eve tradition (can you call something a tradition on the first go round?): a sunset ski followed by bowls of grandma's delicious clam chowder. brandon nailed her chowder recipe and it was an incredibly comforting meal after our short ski up at happy jack. 

i am thrilled i could squeeze my feet into my ski boots (compression socks were required) and get my body in motion on the day before my due date. (i did have to wear brandon's snow clothes, as none of mine currently fit.)

as we were returning to the parking lot after our ski, i realized that over the course of my pregnancy i did my own version of the pole, pedal, paddle race. i just stretched it out over many months while carrying a whole extra person. that counts for something right? the pregnancy pole pedal paddle!

Sunday, December 22, 2013

always wanting what you can't have

the biggest want i have this year for christmas is to meet this little one occupying the greater portion of my abdomen. but it looks like that wish is very unlikely to be fulfilled, given the lack of signs of labor.

the other thing i want is to go for a ski.

i have been incredibly lucky this pregnancy, with being able to keep moving freely and the absence of limitations. were it not for the snow storm in early december and the subsequent sub-zero temps (resulting in perma-crusty, slippery roads and sidewalks), i know i could have ridden my bike to work up until my last day. but the roads are still an icy mess and my concerns about wrecking my bike kept me playing it safe, so i haven't been getting my usual exercise.

i keep hearing/reading that walking is one of the best ways to get labor going. can i just say that sounds dreadful right now? i don't walk these days: i waddle. slowly and cautiously. so the idea of walking the multiple miles i would likely need to get labor going sounds like torture.

but a ski, that sounds nice and peaceful. i know it would be difficult and likely awkward, but it would mean i was up among the trees, slushing through the snow, watching my crazy mongrel of a dog bound around joyfully. this sounds far more up my ally than being drug around the park with said dog whining with discontent that there are squirrels in HIS park, while i waddle along in shame.

(i must admit that the idea of going for a ski also calls to me, perhaps, in part, because i hope the gliding motion will jostle baby o. into developing an evacuation plan.)

but my ski plans have been thwarted by my edematous hobbit feet.

i knew pregnancy wouldn't be glamorous and that parts of my body would change, but i did not expect that my feet would look like they belong to a morbidly obese person nor that they would pulse with discomfort. some days, my toes look like they are going to pop. my feet ache with each step i take right now; all this water-weight does not equate to walking on pillows of air, as my friend mia optimistically hoped. and i currently have two pairs of shoes i can tolerate wearing, so that really limits my wardrobe and comfort options. the other downside to these distended feet: they won't fit into my ski boots. sigh. so i sit here on the couch, with my feet up, hoping for relief and wanting to beg santa for three things this year:
  • to go for a ski.
  • to have my ankles back.
  • to hold my healthy, kicking baby girl to my chest.
for the record, i would be content with only getting one of those wishes, but you have to give st. nick some options. hopefully he knows the thing i want the most!

Monday, December 16, 2013

o tannebaum

our tree has come a long way from it's home in the woods last weekend. we even got a few of our favorite ornaments up before baby o's arrival!

brandon and i tried to take a few family photos, which turned out ok on my camera, but are uploading strangely here. never-the-less, we are savoring our last few days as a family of two.


i'm almost 39 weeks and eagerly anticipating the end of being pregnant, but i'm grateful to have a healthy baby and to have made it full-term. i would be lying if i said i didn't hope for her arrival soon, but no signs of that happening in the next few days. 

Sunday, December 8, 2013

ready for a christmas baby (hopefully!)

how far along: 37.5 weeks.

total weight gain/loss: a lot.

maternity clothes: exclusively and those are starting to reach "capacity" as this belly grows out in front of me!

stretch marks: still none, amazingly. i have a feeling when this baby is out they will make their appearance though--i think my skin is just stretched too tight now to show them.

sleep: what is that again? i usually get a good 3 hours at the start, which ends with a trip to the bathroom and then restless tossing and turning the remainder of the night. it feels cruel because i know i "need to sleep before baby comes" (as everyone in the world likes to remind me right now) but it isn't for lack of trying!



best moment this week: going out into the mountains to find a christmas tree with brandon and harvey. it was a gorgeous, sunny day and luckily brandon's snow clothes fit over my giant baby bump so i could still enjoy myself outside without freezing in the single-digit temps!