Pregnancy Update-10 week countdown

30 weeks down…10 to go. It’s time to get focused.

What are you doing to prepare?

Now that we are about two short months away from being parents, we feel like we need to DO something. I guess that’s why most of us first time parents get so fixated on designing the nursery. It seems like one of the only concrete ways to really prepare for the changes ahead. We have gotten a crib, dresser, chair and totally adorable light fixture for the nursery so we are getting there. The men in my life built the crib a few weeks ago and I had to snap a photo. It felt like one of those life-is-really-happening moments. However, it took them a very long time to build it so I think I’ll leave the cute light fixture instillation to an electrician.  I’ll post some before and after pictures when the room is closer to finished.

My Man and I have an increased sense of urgency to dive into those baby books that will (fingers crossed) help us know what to do with the little one when she arrives. I have read the majority of Baby Wise and the two of us watched the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD yesterday. Both detail ways to get your baby to sleep soundly. Well, they worked on us! My Man was snoozing ten minutes into the DVD and I can’t seem to get through ten pages of Baby Wise without dozing off. Now I know the American Academy of Pediatrics says you shouldn’t put anything in the baby’s crib, but we have decided to let her read a chapter or two of these parenting books each night at bedtime. She’ll be sleeping through the night in no time.

I am finding it hard to really absorb the information about how to soothe a screaming baby, among other things, without putting it into practice on an actual screaming baby. Reading books about breastfeeding and sleep training infants at this point is like trying to learn to hunt by playing Duckhunt on Super Nintendo. But I know I will be tearing through the pages once she gets here and frantically trying to apply the tips and tricks once I have my screaming baby in my arms.

Cravings?

Nothing out of the ordinary. I am pretty disappointed about this one. I was hoping to get laser focused on what I want to eat rightthisminute and omgimgonnadieificanthaveit, but it hasn’t been like that at all. I suppose I have had more aversions than cravings-but I confess to making a trip or two to the grocery store specifically to get pineapple. And cottage cheese. And believe it or not, they taste pretty good together. And popcorn. Popcorn has been hitting the spot lately.

Side effects?

• Have you ever heard of Restless Leg Syndrome (aka RLS)? Years ago I saw a commercial for a prescription medication alleging to cure RLS and couldn’t believe my ears about this BS illness that the drug companies have invented to appeal to hypochondriacs. Well, I am here to say that RLS is real. When I relax at the end of the day my legs tingle and twitch every few minutes. It is driving me nuts. And because I’m pregnant, I can’t even take the prescription pill that I spat upon. My apologies, Pfizer. RLS suffers unite! There should be a parade and a colored ribbon in our honor. I googled RLS in pregnancy, and apparently it is pretty common and should go away within the first three months postpartum. I guess that is supposed to make me feel better?
• Bizarre dreams. Every night I actually look forward to my dream life because it is so real and so intense. I’ll spare you the details because no one is interested in the details of other people’s dreams, but I’ll just say that I’m into it.
• Overactive bladder. This baby girl must be doing Darren’s Dance Grooves on my bladder because I just can’t hold it as long as I used to. Not a big deal when I’m inside, but this new “urgency” has been particularly annoying when I am out for a long walk. I know where every residential construction portapotty is on my walking route and have stealthily snuck inside to relieve myself on multiple occasions. I have invited myself into a neighbor’s home and regularly help myself to the golf course’s member’s only facilities. I have marked my territory all over this city-indoors and outdoors when I’m in a pinch. I won’t miss this one bit.

What will you miss about being pregnant?

I’ll miss friends and strangers always asking “how are you feeling?” I don’t think I got that question in my non-pregnant life and it’s kinda nice. It’s also nice that everyone tells every pregnant woman “you look great,” no matter how you actually look.

Anything you want to do before the little one arrives?

Towel time. Lots and lots of towel time. Let me explain: Towel time is that precious and rare time after you get out of the shower when you are not in an immediate rush to get dressed and go somewhere. I put on my towel or bathrobe and get snugly in the warm bed and to me, it is the epitome of relaxation. It may involve HGTV or Portlandia reruns, Dateline or what have you, sometimes I journal, or perhaps read a magazine or do a crossword puzzle-and it often turns into a little catnap. It is just so peaceful and I know it will happen rarely, if at all, when I become the co-creator and co-caretaker of a human in 10 short weeks.

As you read this, you smug seasoned mothers (including my own) are shaking your heads and saying “enjoy it while you can, little lady.” I KNOW! I know it is a luxury and I know the season for towel time is nearing its end. I should probably pop a prenatal vitamin, hop in the shower, put on my towel robe and get in bed right now.

What are you least excited about?

Perhaps the physical pain of the actual act of labor. I haven’t really given much thought to the logistics about how, exactly, this baby is going to come out. And the thing is, I can’t decide how much I really want to know. I saw the Miracle of Life in 4^th grade health science class, and the final scene is burned in my long-term memory. I’m sure some of you can relate. There is plenty of reading material and websites on the subject so I might dip my toe into the details when I get closer to the due date. And we signed up for a three-part course about birth and infant care at the hospital, so I’m not going into this totally blind. I just don’t think I’ll be watching too many father-filmed YouTube videos on the subject.

What are you most excited about?

Meeting the baby! When they hand us our bundled up little girl, I just imagine looking at My Man in a whole new way and thinking how miraculous it is that we made a person together. I can’t even imagine the feeling of meeting this little one and instantly falling in love with her. What will a love like that even feel like? I can’t wait to find out.