28 Weeks

So today marks yet another major baby milestone. Apparently, 24 weeks is the first point at which the medical community considers a baby to be viable (although I've read about younger children having survived in VERY rare cases) and 28 weeks is where a child's chance of survival jumps almost to its highest because their little lungs are in better working order. Of course, a baby born at this point would require a long stay at the hospital and a lot of medical help, but it represents yet another developmental stage that allow Scott and I to breathe a little easier and focus more on our excitement (and anxiety) about Bug's impending arrival.

The Baby Center update can be found here and the 3D rotatable pic and info is available via this link. This week's blurb and ridiculously disturbing pic from the Visible Embryo can be found here.

I'm going in on Wednesday of this week for another ultrasound so hopefully I'll have another fantastic pic of Buggero to post soon although (as I've said before) it won't be a fancy-schmancy 3d one like the one I found on Google images for this post. I actually don't think we're going to do the 3d ultrasound since this poor kid has been ultrasounded within an inch of her life since June.

Our update: Scott and I finally pulled the trigger yesterday and bought a sectional couch for our living room, a pull-out couch for our new den/guestroom and a leather swivel/recliner for our new upstairs living space too. It was a depressingly expensive day and all we walked out of the store carrying was a furniture care kit because our new couches won't come until October 17th and the chair won't arrive until December 3rd. Somehow, walking out with a little cardboard box after spending thousands of dollars just didn't seem right, you know?

The bonus? I don't have to spend time I need to get the nursery ready shopping for our other furniture anymore.

The drawback? I now have no excuse to drag my butt any more when it comes to clearing out the mess I've made in the den (aka nursery). Sigh...

Ka-Sproing, MoFo!

Ahhh...I remember the good old days when Bug's movements were soft and oh-so-cute instead of strong and oh-so-bloody-crazy. Even after the little butterfly flutters moved on to teensy little bumps, and then those teensy little bumps morphed into more insistent punches and kicks I still thought it was great because it confirms that everything is humming along as it should.

However, there comes a time (and I knew that it was a possibility from reading things off THE DREADED INTERNET) where your child can hit you so hard in just the right place that you cough, choke, or double over as much as is physically possible around that basketball you used to call your belly. Somehow, I thought I would be spared this rite of passage since I'm a girlie girl and I'm having a girl. Surely she wouldn't kick the crap out of her mom, would she? Hell no! She's inside me right now dreaming of our first mom and daughter manicure and anxiously awaiting the the theatrical release of Sex in the City 2, right?

Ummm...apparently not.

The other night while Scott and I were watching tv, she somehow managed to kick or punch me so hard on the ribs that I yelled out loud. If you had synesthesia, the sensation would have sounded like a cross between a sproing and a nuclear bomb blast with a bit of attitude mixed in for good measure: kind of like a "Ka-Sproing MoFo!"

I know that sounds funny but I was in pain for over an hour afterwards. Bug has been pretty active lately but I have to wonder how the hell did she manage to get so strong at 27 weeks and what prompted that little outburst?

Of course, SOMEONE was forcing us to sit through TSN's Sportsdesk so that may explain a lot...football highlights piss me off too and don't even get me started about baseball.

88 More Days Until the Fun-ectomy

bor·ing [ báwring ] adj. Definition: uninteresting: stimulating no interest or enthusiasm.

Synonyms: dull, monotonous, tedious, uninteresting.

So I think it is safe to say that most of you reading my fantabulous blog know that marriage is not the death of fun, riiiiiight?

I mean, I know plenty of people who are married (myself included) who haven't magically morphed into June and whatshisname Cleaver (Egad! He was apparently so boring I can't even remember his name).

So if that stereotype is a load of crap, why then do some people still buy into its sister prejudice about moms?
Why do some women feel the pressure to become a Stepford Mom?
And more importantly, why are some women actually smug because they have voluntarily undergone a fun-ectomy?

Thankfully I only know one Stepford Mother (and no, she isn't one of you!).

I can say with 100% certainty that Bug doesn't herald the demise of my love affair with sexy cha-cha shoes, she won't kill my appetite for girlie martinis or fruity blender drinks, and she certainly won't be the one and only topic of my future conversations.

I'll be a mom, yes, and things will be different for me in so many ways but that doesn't mean I'll become a different person. I promise all of you that I'll continue to be an overly-opinionated, PS3 playing, mani/pedi loving, Martini drinking shoe-a-holic with a vampire fetish although now I'll be one that operates on far less sleep and who may occasionally accessorize her party clothes with dried baby barf.

Now that's fun with a capital "F"!

Week 27: the 3rd Trimester...errr..I mean Trimester 2.5

Awww...whad a widdle cudie petudie dis stwanger's babee iz.

Ok, seriously, just shoot me in the head if I EVER talk to my kid, and more importantly, to any of you using a sickly sweet baby voice like that. (note: drunken slurring CAN sound like the above so please take the context into account before polishing up the firearms, ok? And NO, there'll be no drunken slurring until after Bug makes her debut so don't start that "Leigha is an unfit mother" Facebook group just yet.)

So, here we are and I am most definitely in my third second trimester...or, as it is now known: trimester 2.5. Sadly, Baby Center seems to be labouring under the delusion that I'm in my third trimester (silly website...must be run by men) but otherwise their info seems to be credible this week so here's the link.

The 3d rotatable pic and development facts can be found here.

Bug and I are both doing well. She has, however, decided that my bladder is her dance surface of choice. Over the past weekend, there were countless instances where I would leave a bathroom only to have her shift around to renew the feeling that I had to pee...RIGHT BLOODY NOW, DAMMIT! I shudder to think how this is going to feel when she's bigger but since that is "oh so far off" (har har) I'll just move on. tra-la-la-la I've got all the time in the world, right? (and this, dear readers, is where you collectively nod your heads convincingly while prudently keeping your thoughts regarding my mental state to yourselves).

Other than that, I'm busy at work and Scott and I have been industriously scouting out furniture for our planned guest room conversion. Right now we have a conventional guest room (bed, dresser, etc) but with Bug's impending arrival we'll no longer have a den so we're going to change the guestroom to a living space/guest room with a pull out couch ASAP.
We went sofabed shopping on Friday. (dramatic eye roll)
We went sofabed shopping on Saturday. (groan)
We went everywhere BUT sofabed shopping on Sunday (praise Jesus, hallelujah!)
Be Forewarned: if I have to look at one more damn couch or lay on one more pull out mattress, I'm going to lose my mind, people.

I've found that I'm getting a bit breathless at times from internal organ reorg currently in progress and my brain seems to have decided I'm already on mat leave because it is on permasnooze. I can't think of the last time I went somewhere without forgetting something (and if there was a time when I didn't forget something, I would have forgotten about it by now anyway). Pregnancy Brain. Ain't it grand?

What was I talking about again?

1 Thing I Love About Being Pregnant

Playing the pregnancy card. This is especially effective once you are visibly preggers. People in general are remarkably nice to pregnant women, even strangers. They let you ahead of them in lines. They smile at you more and start pleasant little conversations with you about just about anything (not just about babies). Husbands give unsolicited backrubs (my favorite pregnancy perk).

All in all, it is a happy time and people just seem happy to be around you. What's not to love?

1 thing I hate about being pregnant

Men who try to lecture me about the virtues of natural childbirth. And by that I mean "drug free" birthing. Unless you have an MD or vagina, I really don't care what you think.

(And in related news, Scott was granted an honorary vagina the other day so his opinion now counts...so long as he agrees with me)

Week 26

Although this baby isn’t as cute as Bug, I have to admit he or she sure is a cutie pie.

My OB has ramped up my ultrasound schedule to every 3 weeks or so which is both good and bad. I am now working a shorter week so every minute at work is precious BUT (of course) I also get to see Bug on a regular basis which is way cool. Hopefully the little Bugger cooperates and shows her cute little mug once in awhile (and by once in awhile I really mean every single time I go in for an ultrasound).

The Baby Center update is here...like last week, it is rather cheap with the baby facts. Quite honestly, most of the time I could care less about most of the mommy crap they talk about: I HAVE AN OB WHO WILL TELL ME ALL THAT. Call me crazy but I don't think I'm being unreasonable expecting a site called "Baby Center" to have lots of baby factoids.

That being said, I do like getting advanced warning of some of the stuff I can expect at certain stages. Advanced warning was pretty much the only thing that kept me from taking the potato peeler to my stomach last night when I woke up insanely itchy and I’m sure I’ll benefit from knowing scratching makes your stretch marks worse. However, I am far more interested in what little Bug is up to these days than I am about itchiness, linea negra, and stretch marks.

There was one thing that stopped me short in my tracks...on the Baby Center website Week 26 is in the third trimester section of their pregnancy timeline.

Ummm...

I think for the sake of my sanity I'm going to put on the blinders and simply pretend I'm in my second trimester until I give birth...it sounds less stressful somehow. That way I can tra-la-la my way through the rest of this pregnancy without any worries, telling myself I have all the time in the world. Of course, once I hit months 8 and 9 everyone will be a little confused when I calmly inform them I'm still in my second trimester but that's their problem, not mine.

The 3d rotatable pic and blurb are here and the Visible Embryo's update and very creepy pic is here. I am starting to have serious questions about the V.E.'s artist because the baby pics are starting to take on a decidedly satanic appearance...perhaps some therapy is in order?

My update: I'm feeling pretty good most of the time although Bug is getting strong enough to wake me out of a deep sleep when she decides it is time for a Revolution of the Dance Dance variety. I guess having a child that weighs 2 pounds pinging around in your belly isn’t always going to be particularly comfortable.

Yesterday we bought her a couple of bedtime stories: "Goodnight Moon" and "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" so we can read to her while she's inside my belly. Apparently, it is a good way for her to get to know our voices and for her to get to know these stories so she'll find them soothing after she's born. I read Goodnight Moon to her last night but instead of soothing her, she seemed to take it as a signal to host an all night kegger...most definitely NOT the intended effect.

Quite frankly, I'm a bit worried about what Hand Hand Fingers Thumb might do tonight since it is a story about a bazillion bloody monkeys playing the drums. I'm thinking it might be wise to rework it just a teensy bit so I can get some sleep. Do you think she'll buy that the story is actually about a bazillion little girls all calmly sitting down to tea or cleaning their rooms?

Cripes, I’m so screwed, aren’t I?

Hark! Is that the Four Horsemen I Hear?

This week has been a banner one - for me, at least.

Firstly, on Tuesday some stranger got up looooong before his stop and...

(you're never going to believe it...)

OFFERED ME HIS SEAT ON THE BUS!!!!











Then, yesterday I'm walking home and some random woman decided it was necessary to compliment me on how great my pants made my butt look.












Ummm...is it "be nice to pregnant women week" or something 'cause if not I'm going to have to start:

a) keeping an eye out for 4 scary dudes riding horses running amok in the city
b) dodging amphibians raining from the heavens
c) checking to see if the moon really is turning to blood
d) listening for Gabriel's horn (although I'm not at all convinced he could blow hard enough to drown out my ipod)
e) cleaning my house...you know, in case cleanliness truly is next to godliness and therefore a prerequisite to salvation and all that crap.

Leigha Version 1.5 - Week 25

Hello again. I'm back in the 'Couver and although I'm still so jet lagged I'm operating at Forrest Gumpesque levels, I thought you all might like an update on what's going on with Bug and I.

We're now in week 25 and things are good...if you don't count the prolonged jet lag, constant heartburn, and hugely swollen feet which never (and I mean NEVER) fit into my pre-pregnancy shoes without a fight. There is nothing quite so sad as watching a pregnant woman sobbingly try on all her shoes only to realize they are benched until after the baby makes his/her debut...unless you actually ARE said pregnant woman making an effort to glam it up for her friend's stagette. A pathetic picture, isn't is?

Of course, this is pure speculation because - as you all know - I'm still a svelte size 7 with gloriously slim size 8 feet (aaaaand if you believe that...)

This week the Baby Center update is again sparse on baby factoids and focuses mainly on what is or could be going on with me right now. pfft! If I had carpal tunnel syndrome, I certainly wouldn't need a bloody email to tell me so. I want more baby info, dammit!

Happily, the 3d rotatable blurb and pic (here) is full of great baby info so I was placated. No angry emails to the creators of the Baby Center website...this week at least.

Apparently it's time for week 24's update?!?

Holy bloody crap! I mean, I know I'm a couple of days early posting my 24 week update (2 whole days!) but even taking into account the extra time, it just seems absolutely unreal that I'm this far along already. eek!

Anyway, 24 weeks have just flown by and quite frankly, Scott and I aren't prepared at all, unless you consider buying your unborn progeny a toy preparation of some sort. Behold, a picture of the one and only thing we've bought to prepare for our child's impending birth: a cloth doll!

Now I know this isn't an essential like a car seat or a crib but it is the very first thing we've bought for our little Bug so I thought I would post a pic to show we're not in denial or anything. Yes, we realize we have a baby on the way and yes, we know we need to buy the essentials too so please don't report us to Child and Family Services. We will buy all those important things too...eventually.

Put.
Down.
That.
Phone.

The Baby Center update this week focuses mainly on what's going down with the mom but there are a few interesting tidbits here. Also, the 3d rotatable pic and blurb can be found here. The Visible Embryo has an update this week although the picture they use is rather disturbing...the baby's eyes make it look possessed by the devil. Vewy, Vewy Scawy but if you're feeling brave it can be found here.