Way back when

When Joe was born I tried to find mom friends...It didn't work out so well for a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons were my age ( I am relatively young to have kids, at least in NYC), my station in life at the time (still in school and unemployed) and the insanity of other moms in the area. I tried a group in the city but was quietly outcast from it when my kid started crawling before the others and he showed up to the Halloween party in (gasp!) a homemade costume; I tried Gymboree but was the youngest person in the group and also not insane.

So my expectations for finding a mom's group this time around has been lower than low. Until last night. The local parenting online forum had a post about an expectant mother's group; I decided to go and meet the ladies behind the emails. Of course I didn't talk myself into going until about 1/2 an hour before I actually had to be there, but still I went.

and they were NORMAL!!!! and my age!! and even though I was only one with another child they didn't bombard me with questions about it! I think I am in love with these women. Here's hoping they turn into loons once the babies are out!

Introducing....

NOBODY!

The weekend brought nothing, though my blood pressure is back to normal, and apparently I've lost 4 lbs. So Pre- Eclampsia may be able to be ruled out, and with it my chances of early induced labor. I'm both relieved that nothing is wrong with me and a little miffed that the kid won't be making an appearance sooner than I thought.

Ahh well. I'm taking bets on when he comes out. The winner gets the joy of being right. I am due on the 7th, I think the 10th for the arrival of this baby.

What will today bring?

Will it bring a baby? John seems to think so. He woke up this morning, checked on Joe and came back to bed and said "I just had the weirdest sense of De-Ja Vu. I swear I dreamed all of this forever ago, but in the dream you had a baby in the bed with you, and the baby wasn't Joe. I think you will be in labor by tonight."

I didn't think anything of it though until I got up and went to the bathroom. There was definitely something mucousy in the bottom when I was done. Was it my mucous plug? or just more of the lovely (and by lovely I mean horribly gross) mucous that your body gets rid of when you are pregnant? I suppose only time will tell...

This is tough because I come from a family that puts stock in dreams. I remember my dad telling us that after his dad died, his mother had a dream that she was having tea with him. She died soon after. I can remember having the same sense of De-Ja Vu that John described this morning and the dreams coming true. So I will walk today, and maybe engage in some cervical softening activities, and eat lots of spicy food. And pack the hospital bag, and hope that tomorrow brings a baby. (because today brings Mother in Law's birthday)

 

Made it to McCartney

20 days and counting

There are technically 20 days left to this pregnancy. It has been a rough ride both for me and for the baby.

Early on he showed signs of hydrosomethingorother- fluid around his kidneys. Apparently this is common in boys and usually clears up in time for delivery. I cried when I got this phone call. Of course I was sitting on a bench in our local Target at the time, so I wasn't really in the right frame of mind to hear any baby related news. The midwives have been great at reassuring me this is nothing to worry about, but the worst case scenario involves catheters and surgery and all sorts of medical things I am not equipped emotionally to deal with. I mean shit, we had a mohel come to the house and circumcise Joe because I couldn't deal with the fact that in the hospital I wouldn't be able to hold him during procedure; how will I deal with a newborn being catheterized? A procedure that surely should be done in hospital not my kitchen.

Early on I was told to eat more- I lost 6 lbs due to morning sickness in the first trimester, which is fine because those 6 lbs were leftovers from Joe I believe. So I ate more and now am hovering over having gained too much according to the one midwife I don't like. But the upside is that it is all baby (the hubby is a giant for chrissakes), the downside is that the lady in CVS asked me if I was having twins.

At 21 days till due I got a phone call saying my bloodwork came back with less than desirable hemoglobin levels. So I am back to taking horrible Iron pills three times a day. They make me feel worse rather than better. My tummy hurts, my throat feels dry and my head hurts. Add this to the humidity which turns my fingers and feet into sausages, sweat that is pooling under the belly that is sitting on my thighs, and a general feeling of blech and you get one miserable person. 

So I wait and walk and eat pineapple and pray that this kid takes pity on his mom and comes out early. 

Summertime

Before heading out to "rest and relaxation" at my mom's on Long Island we had a busy week of cyclones' games and and the circus! Ringling Bros. brought a smaller scaled circus to Coney Island for the summer, and you can't beat the $10 tickets! We got to meet the performers, see the elephants up close, and it was not super overloaded with lights and special effects where we couldn't get Joe to sleep afterwards. I hope this circus comes back every year!

"Momma Look! Look Elephants! Hi Elephants, what ya doing?"

"Oh No! What they doing? She falling!" in response to the rope climbing lady.

That's right, I spent the same amount on tickets as I did a commemorative snow cone!

After a night at the circus, we hightailed it out to Long Island... We went to the beach, saw fireworks, and went to the Aquarium. Overall it was very relaxing, maybe because Poppy (my dad) was out fishing 4 days out of the 7 we were there!

"Momma! What's that? Crabby? Look Crabby!"

"Come back here Crabby! I gonna get you!"- There is a little hermit crab desperately trying to escape his hands!

"Nanny LOOK!! Fireworks! Where they going?"
"Daddy? You scared fireworks? Joe no scared! Momma? You scared the fireworks!"

"Cheese! Nanny Cheese!"

These pics are from Tiana Shores, the beach club that I grew up going to, where me and the hubby got married and where I hope Joe will have fond memories of all the surrogate grandma figures that he has charmed!

The paddled away as I sat on the beach having a heart attack, about how far away they were actually paddling. But they came back safe and sound, and didn't even lose the hat!

The shark tank.

And now we are back in Brooklyn settling into lazy days where Joe goes to the park with our 14 year old neighbor and her little brother in the morning, I clean, and then we both nap until Daddy comes home. It's a nice routine that I am going to be a little sad to change once this fetus is out of me....3 weeks and counting though!

Fourth of july

One more day of stifling NYC heat before it is off to Long Island for a week at my folk's house.

But before I go I want to give a shout out to the best named baby boy in the history of the world:

Mr. Chance Allen Tae Koenig who is turning one on July 4th. Those fireworks are for you kid!