Baby Update

I know, I know. It's all I write about lately,  but it's kind of an all-encompassing life experience for me.

I am now 21 weeks along, only 4 and a half months to go. Just the other night I discovered that when I'm lying on my back I can see his kicks and punches make my stomach bulge out. It's fascinating! I stared at my stomach for half an hour, watching him roll and kick and punch. Chris Bakos thinks it's because the baby was pissed about the midterm elections. I kinda agree.

The changeover to the new midwives is complete, my records have arrived and I have my first face-to-face meeting in two weeks! I am over the moon with the change and got very excellent feedback about the practice and the delivery ward from two mothers who gave birth with them in the last year. I'm actually looking forward to the labor, even though it's going to hurt. I'm looking forward to testing my mettle and bringing my child into the world through blood, sweat and tears (of joy!).

I had my first noticeable Braxton Hicks contraction today. My stomach cramped up and I felt like I was going to have to run for a bathroom, but that feeling subsided and I discovered that my entire belly was rock hard. It passed after 30 seconds or so, but it was a strange feeling for that 30 seconds and I couldn't focus on anything else.

So far: 5 pounds gained, which is a little less than normal, but since I'm chubby to begin with it's probably not a big deal. At the 20 week scan the baby was 11 ounces, right on track, so I'm trying not to worry. Knowing me, I'll gain a shit ton of weight right before the baby comes! Or right after the holidays. :/

Thanksgiving will be interesting! My nephew's girlfriend will be 9 months along, I'll be 6 months along, and we'll both be hungry. :) Then, at Christmas, there will be a new baby--me grand nephew, or great nephew?, Abel Christopher. Then, at Easter, we'll have baby Abel and baby Thomas together for the first time! That'll be a great photo op. We haven't had a baby in my family in 19 years.

Mike's family, his mother's side, has two young children (4 and 6 I think?) but no babies at the moment. Mike's dad's side is crazy and there are, literally, hundreds of them so I'm sure there will be some babies, but I doubt we'll meet them. We aren't very close with that side, only with his dad and stepmother.

Mike is going to be an awesome dad. He keeps bringing children's books home, and researching all the gadgets and baby safety issues, kind of a typical dad reaction. The tiny baby clothes make me melt and almost cry in the store, but have no effect on him...but we can pass by some piece of toddler paraphernalia and he'll squeal, "Thomas'll love this!"

He is adorable.

Besides the colds that won't go away, the pee incident (I'll explain in a second), and the interminable exhaustion: this has been an easy pregnancy. And part of that is due to having such a doting, loving husband who bends over backwards to make me comfortable and take care of me.

So, the pee incident. Christ. I was very embarrassed until I discovered this is actually pretty common for pregnant women, just not often admitted. :)

Anyway, I have had an awful cough that I'm just now recovering from and I even cancelled classes on Wednesday because I just couldn't talk. I manage to make it home, where I have an awful coughing fit--so awful that I puke all of my stomach contents into the toilet. Only the third or fourth time I've puked during my pregnancy.

And while I'm upchucking, I feel my crotch get very warm. And wet. Yup, I peed myself.

I guess losing control of my diaphragm during this coughing caused my stomach and bladder to both release their contents! Yuck! It was humiliating and discouraging, but my sweetheart of a husband held me (post-shower, of course) and patted my back while I cried and sniffled. "But I've been doing my Kegels!" I wailed.

Pregnancy. Glamour, excitement, pee.