The Good Doctor, the Madwife and My Second Home

I feel like the hospital has become my second home. And I like my home better. On the way to my daily monitoring appointments, Chris and I scheme about what £5 purchase we can make in the Sainsburys (big supermarket for those in the US) next to the hospital in order to get our £2 parking lot fee refunded.

But then you’re spending £5 rather than £2, you ask? My math skills haven’t totally gone out the window (they were there to start with but never mind) – we decided to pare down our weekly shop so we could continue our purchases throughout the week and not throw away £2 a day on parking fees. You can see we put a lot of thought into this; our days are all too exciting.

Why do we park in Sainsburys in the first place? It’s impossible to get parked in the hospital lot and the minimum, non-refundable fee is £2 for a space. I think it’s out of order, but local government loves pay-and-display (i.e. metered parking) and there’s no break for the sick, stressed or weary.

We chose daily monitoring, however, so who am I to complain? (Even though I just did). But anyway...

The little lady appears to be thriving from her daily monitoring “trace.” Over the weekend when we were monitored on the labor ward, one of the resident doctors, aka the good doctor, decided to perform a 3D scan (sonogram) for us as a spur of the moment thing. He confirmed that all looked well with baby, had a thorough chat about our decision to hold off on induction for now, and also referred me for a full growth scan in radiology, which I was originally told was not an option. I had that second scan today.  It confirmed that the little lady is active, a healthy size with normal placenta flow and amniotic fluid levels.

Knowing that she is thriving supports our decision that nature will take its course when she's ready. I’m more uncomfortable by the day, I have lots of pressure down there, I have frequent Braxton Hicks – all signs things are moving in the right direction. Still, with each day that goes by I am conscious that I don't want to leave her in there too long.... I am booked to meet my consultant doctor for the first time tomorrow (the attending of the good doctor that I saw over the weekend), so it will be interesting to see what he says after seeing me, the scans and baby’s trace.

The good doctor again showed me that not all doctors are keen to push a strictly medical policy route. I am impressed with this aspect of my pre-natal care, as I suspected I would face more push back for policy’s sake. I haven’t. Perhaps many wouldn’t ask for monitoring in the first place, but I have, and I’m grateful that I've been supported and reviewed as an individual case.

The madwife (that’s how she introduced herself to us – haha, not really that funny) proved the one fly in the ointment of my waiting game of late. Buxom and matronly, she busted into my appointment room and interrupted my scan by the good doctor by spouting off a number of frightening statistics about post-date stillborns, crystallized placentas and over-baked babies. I may be hormonal and emotional but her bedside manner really left a lot to be desired.

Hello woman, you just don’t say that! The real kicker is I’m not even sure why she came into my appointment room in the first place since she left after this diatribe of gloom and never returned. She may have been following up for another midwife who took baby’s trace earlier – I’m not sure.

I’ve read up on post-date risks and the other midwives and doctors I’ve seen of late have discussed them with me. I may stick to my guns but I’m all ears to the medical professionals when they speak objectively and relevantly as they’ve all done but for this tactless scare-mongering madwife.

I bit my tongue during her speech but it was pretty off-putting. Its best that I didn’t see her again as I’m not sure my pregnancy hormones would have remained at bay for one more dose of her medicine!

Going against the grain

Like a hesitant child, I dangle my feet in midair off the side of the hospital bed and feel slightly out of my depth. I’m not a child though; I’m 42 weeks pregnant and in keeping with my decision to go with the flow, am at the hospital for my first session of daily fetal monitoring.

I slowly take in the whir of unfamiliar bleeps, pulses and machinery and hope that I’m doing the right thing. I hope when they hook me up their not going to detect something is awry with baby, who thus far appears good as gold, just a bit too comfortable in her uterine home. I hope that maybe I’ll give birth tonight and this henceforth daily process will be restricted to today.

The midwife approaches and straps me up to two sensors; one records the little lady’s heartbeat, one records my uterine activity. I hope you’re okay with this little lady….and hmmm, I wonder if it might pick up the increased cramping and Braxton Hicks-like tightening I’ve been getting? 

I try to read my book but find my eyes keep straying to the monitor, which is printing out my “trace.” When I think trace I think CSI. Man, my mind is all over the shop. Chris has joined me for this appointment and pops his head around the bed to see how I am and to have a look at the monitor. The little lady gives me a kick; it’s comforting to hear her continual heartbeat thump thumping away.

Half an hour later, the midwife reviews my trace and confirms that I appear to have a very active and contented little baby. She also confirms that I’m having regular uterine contraction-like activity, which has got to be a positive sign. I’ll need to come in for monitoring over the weekend on the labor ward. She reminds me to phone in if I feel any decline in fetal movement, but she says all looks well.

Chris and I leave – we managed to get in and out within an hour – score! I’m on my way home for more bouncing on my ball rather than remaining in the hospital for an induction just because I’ve hit the 42 week mark.

I must reiterate that I’m not opposed to induction but have read it can be distressing for baby, particularly if my body isn’t ripe and ready for birth. We’ll have to assess our situation day by day, but I feel confident that we’ve made the right decision.

The further post date I go, the more it will play at my mind that the time is ticking, that my placenta may no longer be optimal and that maybe I should just book the induction. Still I don’t believe that because I’ve now hit 42 weeks that my body will suddenly morph into an inhospitable home for baby. This is why I’ve opted for monitoring, so we can check up on her day by day and hopefully give my body a few extra days to break up her tea party so she’ll come out and meet us.

I’m Off to see the Midwife, the Wonderful Midwife of Oz….

Okay, it’s not the Wonderful Midwife of Oz….it’s my Wonderful Midwife of London who I’m hoping will tell me the little lady is nicely engaged and will be making her out of womb appearance shortly!

I’m 39 weeks pregnant. I’m starting to feel more uncomfortable. I feel like a beached whale in bed – it really is easier to turn over by flipping on all fours instead of hauling the weight of my body from side to side. I have a sketchy stomach, possibly a sign that things may kick off soon though this could be wishful thinking on my part.

I’m also getting lots of pressure down below, though the baby is still managing to kickbox like a prize fighter under my bust line. Chris and I have taken to watching my belly ripple in waves on a daily basis. I guess she feels cramped too.

Here’s my week 39 picture, taken in the last moments of 2009 before bed. We stayed up for the strike of midnight but we were in bed, worn out by but a game of scrabble.

So I’m hoping Midwife L, who has been extremely supportive to me throughout my pregnancy and who I haven't seen for two weeks (in the US by this stage I'd be having weekly checkups but here in the UK they are bi-weekly) may be able to offer some words of solace and confirmation of progress. Keep your fingers crossed please.

Christmas Lights, Christmas Lights

Merry Christmas to all plus a day – Happy Boxing Day to those in the UK!

My sister and I always loved spotting all the Christmas lights decorating houses through December. During car trips, we’d turn eagle eyes out our respective windows and shout “Christmas lights, Christmas lights” every time we saw a display.

It’s a shame my attention to lights has diminished with my years....while I still love my Christmas lights, now I struggle to notice things like my car headlights, which I left on during a rainy December 23, draining our car battery and leaving us with a dead car on Christmas Eve – not good news when we were due to drive to the South of England for festivities with Chris’ family. Can I blame poor careless observation on the pregnancy hormones?

Our jump leads were locked in our trunk, which won’t unlock since it’s linked to the car electrical system. With a rising irrational hysteria in my gut, I called Chris at work and left a message for him to call me back urgently. He did, thinking I was in labor. I realized I need to be more careful about the type of messages I leave. He suggested I ask around for jump leads before we called our breakdown service.

So I pulled myself together, wiped my tear stained face and took to our streets in search of a motorist who might have jump leads. Where we live we have on-street parking and our car was parked halfway around the block from our house. I made a few sheepish approaches to people leaving our local shop and/or getting into their parked cars with no joy. I finally knocked on the house in front of my car where I was saved by a kind man with three young children! In little time he had his car connected to ours and soon I had a charged battery and drivable car. He and his wife were extremely friendly and kind; in an area where many of our neighbours look the other direction when we try to say hello, this was a real treat. They exemplified the giving spirit of Christmas. I need to write them a thank you note.

We made it to Dorset for a chilled, family Christmas full of festivity, food, fun and games. Bump has been treated to numerous sweet treats and I feel relaxed. I needed that after the emotional headlight fiasco. In fact, I think this past week I’ve been set off by lots of random little things: a touching TV show, random apprehension as to how I’ll handle parenthood, when I dropped my Christmas mug on the floor and it shattered. I tell myself I’m not cracking up and it’s just that her due date is around the corner and it's normal for me to be a little bit of a hormonal headcase. Right?

But a change of scene and change of pace has proved invigorating, for now I sit, calm, cool and collected. On Christmas I hit the 38 week mark and the little lady should now clock in at about 19.5 inches, the length of a leek, and 7 pounds. After all I’ve been eating, maybe she’s a bit heavier....whoops! She’s been very active and feels like she’s dropping in my pelvis. The whole region feels a bit tender. Good signs.

All we really want this Christmas, this New Year, is our baby, healthy and happy. I’ll keep you posted – not long to go now. For the moment, I’m sitting back and enjoying the bright and brilliant Christmas lights.

My Cervix the Trampoline

Dear sweet Baby Stevens, my cervix is not a trampoline. But you don’t see it that way I suspect….

Zing! There goes another shooting pain, one of Cupid’s good old arrows, down below! This has become an almost daily occurrence, particularly when I’m active. I tried to explain to the little lady that it’s fine for her to settle down in my pelvis rather than bouncing down there like a gymnast but she’s having none of it. As she continues to fill out, her acrobatic maneuvers have become limited so I guess she's enjoying this little “move” while she can.

I’m actually happy for the zings because with each one, I know she is gradually settling in my pelvis or at least preparing my body for this imminent pre-birth event - and that’s a good sign at my stage of pregnancy. Still, I had to ask myself if my secret want of a trampoline while growing up despite the many things generously given to me by my parents has now come back to bite me.  Be careful what you wish for!!

Tic Toc, Power Kicks & Bump2Bump

At 36 weeks pregnant, impending mommy-hood is affecting me in many ways. At the end of last week I found myself prune faced with disturbance on the gym cross trainer. The source of my distaste: Kesha’s Tic Toc video, a catchy upbeat, good for a gym workout tune that happens to feature a teenage girl dressed coquettishly, gyrating for boys and singing lyrics like “Tic toc, make it pop, DJ blow my speakers up” and “Boys trying to touch my junk.” 

Eeek – is this what could become of our daughter if we’re not too careful? I mean kids today….everything seems to start so early…. Wait a minute. I’m sounding very parent-like all of a sudden.  I generally think of myself as pretty youthful and open-minded. I’d still maintain that I am, but with a newfound protectiveness for pretty young teens and the ill-advised signals they are likely to give off if they’re not mindful. But now I’m really getting ahead of myself.

We had a fantastic weekend with JBT & LEH full of good chat, gaming and country walks. It’s probably the last time we’ll host friends for the weekend before our little lady makes her debut and I really enjoyed it. LEH are also expecting their first in March so I’ve featured a pic here of some of LH and my bump 2 bump action! It’s nice to be taking this pregnancy trip together.


Babycenter updates me that baby is now about the weight of a Crenshaw melon. She feels that way. She is strong. Some of her kicks this weekend were so strong that they sent my hand flying off my belly. It’s really cool to feel her moving with increased power, though it can be uncomfortable at times. Maybe this is a sign we have a sporty girl in the making. Chris will be so pleased.

Apparently she should now be in the process of shedding her launugo (body hair) and vernix (waxy substance) that have been keeping her toasty and warm in the womb. I knew this was on the cards; what I didn’t realize is that babies actually swallow these substances and they are what partially forms their meconium, or first bowl movement…tasty.

Fruit Photo Credit: Babycenter.com

Pineapple Anyone?!

Oh wait, sorry, you can't have any pineapple because it's in my belly or rather, my uterus.  That's right folks, this week our hefty little one should be weighing in at just over 4 lbs and is about the size of a pineapple.  My spirits raised that my 33 week fruit comparison is one that I enjoy so much; then they dipped a bit when I started picturing myself birthing something the size of a pineapple - and I still have 7 weeks to go if I'm on time!

Here's my 33 week photo - as you can see, bump is blooming more than ever.  I'm experiencing a lot of movement right below breast level.  These must be kicks since she is now in a cephalic, or head down, position according to my midwife at my appointment this afternoon.  This is the preferred position for birth so let's hope that she chills out and stays that way so she can engage in my pelvis with greater ease over the coming weeks.  Fortunately the more she fattens out, the harder it will be for her to shift.

I witnessed an example of how this "pelvic engagement" works at my first NCT ante-natal class this morning a la doll in sample pelvis so this is fresh in my mind as I write.  There are six other girls in my class and I can tell already that I'm going to enjoy them - even though I knew I was not the only one with a million questions, it is comforting, fun and supportive to chat with others at a similar stage of pregnancy in our area.  This morning was women only session and everyone was lovely; next week we have our second meeting and the guys come on board!  Classes like this and more intimate/grim pregnancy chat come a bit more naturally to women in my opinion so it will be interesting to see how all the men fare!  Hopefully Chris will not have the urge to laugh like he did at our home birth talk.

My missions for progress this coming week - start to wash her clothes in non-biological powder for sensitive baby skin (I only just learned that you are not supposed to use biological powder to start with) and pack them away in our newly acquired baby drawer unit and secondly to stop bumping into things.  I'm used to be able to squeeze through tight spaces and I just can't do it anymore without jostling someone or something with my bump!

Here's the Rub....

I'm 32 weeks pregnant! Wow - only two months to go now (hopefully, provided that she is not running late....). Though I've been charting each week of this journey the imminence of birth hit me today like a brick wall. That sounds bad, but I don't mean it in a negative way. While in the shower I was suddenly enraptured by my swelling tummy and the little person that it holds....a little scared that I still feel I have so much to learn and discover, much of which I probably can't plan for, planner that I am....shocked that it's really truly soon to be three of us day in day out. I can't wait, I am ready and I'm sure Chris and I will be fine. But in this moment the mix of emotions was a bit overwhelming....I lathered my belly and took a deep breath.

My brick wall moment may have spurred me to start reading my Secrets of the Baby Whisperer book by Tracy Hogg. I've heard she is structured and loving but less hard core than Gina Ford who many new parents swear by for routine making. I've only read the first chapter, but her tone and style are conversational and easy to relate to. More on that once I've read more.

I've also started wondering a bit more on random parenting logistics like when babies can sleep through the night without a feed every 2-4 hours and the best way to clean up messy poop - muslin in warm water, cotton wool...and if so which type of cotton wool? (No, I haven't totally lost it!)  I think I'm going to avoid wipes for cost saving and baby skin sensitivity issues but I really don't know what is best.... Like I've said before I'm sure we'll pave our way and find routines and practices that work for us, however, in the absence of really knowing what's best, I'm very open to ideas from experienced moms. Then at least I'll have some starting points to consider and pick and choose from. My wonderings may seem small and ridiculous (they do to me at least) but put them all together and they can be a bit overwhelming too.  Chris says I need to chill and just take things one step at a time.  I know it - sometimes I just get on a roll - I'll blame those raging hormones!

Our lady is now the size of a jicama and is moving around constantly in my belly. She may have less room to stretch out but boy can she wriggle - particularly at night! I just read on Babycenter that it's theorized babies have more control over their movement when their mom's are still at night, thus they take advantage of it! This is no proven theory but I found the reasoning interesting so thought I'd share.

Last but not least, my other odd pregnancy "rub" of the week. Yesterday the crease where my bump meets pelvic area kept really itching. I haven't had issues with itching or dryness but hey, new week, new little ailment. I think the problem may have been exacerbated by my jeans, which hitched to that area via my bump band and subsequently caused my underwear to dig into the crease! Why wear the jeans you ask? Maybe I should have changed but I didn't feel like it....anyway, I found that rubbing a little bit of Vaseline in the crease soothed the itch and kept any irritation at bay. A little tip to try if you're ever caught out with the "bump crease rub!"

Fruit Photo Credit: Babycenter.com

Traveled, Troubled but Triumphant!!

Sorry for my silence – I fell off the blogging bandwagon a bit while in New York.

Last time I wrote I was fighting a nasty cold and sore throat. Following that posting I started to feel a lot better, though I did and still continue to battle with a scratchy almost laryngitis-like voice. It’s been far from the end of the world, but still extremely frustrating for me not to be able to talk freely, particularly when with family and friends that I don’t see all that often.

But anyway – the rest of my week was fantastic but flew by, as usual, too fast. I ventured out of the house for the first time on Wednesday for some retail therapy with mom for baby and me. Chris flew into NY on Thursday, and we got to spend some quality down time with my parents and sister. My friends from school and I had our traditional pre-wedding girls night out and then came the K&S’s rehearsal dinner and wedding! Everything came off really well and I even managed to eek out my wedding toast to K&S with the help of a powerful mic and large glass of water. I was also proud to dance the night away and make it through the whole reception in my 3-4 inch heels! After a week of much R&R, I really wanted to let loose though I was mindful not to talk too much or to overdo it as regularly reminded by my mom and Chris. Then, on the day we flew back to London, my friends surprised me with a baby shower lunch – thanks ladies, it was amazing!!

I’m sharing some 28 week pictures from the wedding and baby shower since I never quite got it together and posted a 27 week pic. Our little lady is now the size of a Chinese cabbage – a cabbage with little baby eyelashes - and I’ve read that I can expect to grow about a pound/week from forward as she fattens up and fills out before she makes her January appearance.

My bump isn’t feeling too burdensome but just prominent and I’m getting kicked and walloped left, right and center. In many ways this is really exciting and a huge relief, but at times while I’ve been feeling less than 100% and post plane when I felt exhausted, I wished she would chill out a little and take a nap. Then again, if she takes after me sleep will not be her forte! Still, the prospect of carrying another pound/week is a little daunting. Today I told Chris I felt like I had a snake in my stomach and he said I shouldn’t refer to our daughter as snake!

My cold and husky voice run have given me renewed appreciation that I’ve had a relatively issue free pregnancy thus far. In the wake of my postings about Blooming Fit and staying active, it’s also made me realize that I need to slow down and chill out a little if I’m not feeling up to scratch. It seems logical but my pregnant mind and active persona don’t always “do” logic. Sometimes I need these reality checks.

Truth be told, I felt nervous getting back on another “germ infested” plane to London after feeling ill post plane journey to NY, but I didn’t have a choice. Aside from feeling pretty warm throughout the flight, I fortunately made it through this journey feeling no worse for wear. I followed the same tips I received on the trip to the US, sans wearing the flight socks which I’d found really hot and uncomfortable on the trip out. I also drank two rounds of hot water, one with lemon. Aside from being soothing, hot drinks also apparently are medicinal in that they “sterilize” your throat and wash germs down into your stomach where they can’t survive – my mom read me a really useful article on this so I wanted to share the tip in case you or anyone you know is flying in the midst of winter flu season – mom, if you read this, can you post that article link as a comment please?

So last trimester – here I am! Bump is blooming, labor is looming and parenthood is less than 3 months around the corner – eek! As alluded to, I’ve been so tuned into pregnancy that I haven’t given great thought to how I’m going to morph from pregnant girl to mom pretty much overnight.

There is a lot to learn and there are a lot of opinions. For example, I arrived back to read this Times article on cot death being a risk by parents that co-sleep with their infants. Now I’d never imagine going to bed drunk with my baby but what if you’re breastfeeding and doze off together?…..and what about all the babies that die of cot death from being in their actual cots?…..and are blankets and sheets really a no go and baby sleeping bags the safer option or is it worth having both?!

I think I better stop this stream of consciousness before this posting gets any longer or I overwhelm myself. I just want to be a safe parent and I want to informed but I don’t want to be a pawn to scare stories….

Ultimately, I’m all about knowledge being power and I want to make educated decisions. Still, I suspect a lot parenting know-how is going to come through actual experience, exchanging wisdoms with fellow parents, trial and error, informed judgement calls and fingers crossed, ahem ahem, Chris and my natural instinct….!

Now, goodnight!

Fruit Photo Credit: Babycenter.com

It's PummelTime!

In the late 1980s we had HammerTime and now at 26.5 weeks pregnant, I have PummelTime, which is pretty much like being hammered from within by baby arms and feet.

What to Expect When You're Expecting informs me that fetal movement peaks between 24-28 weeks when the baby is still small enough for acrobatics and kickboxing but big enough to really pack some punch!  This advice is proving true in my case; over the last week I've felt more fetal movement than probably all the previous weeks of my pregnancy put together.

This week baby is the size of and English ""hothouse" cucumber....I didn't know a cuke could be described as such but our little lady is certainly her own little hothouse of activity.  I love feeling her squirm and knowing that she's well and kicking in there, though at times the movement can be slightly uncomfortable if she's in a particular position.

This morning I got a strange, consistent pressurized feeling on the front of my bump....it lasted for about 20 minutes and wasn't really painful but more of a long, dull ache so it couldn't have been a Braxton Hicks contraction (sporadic uterine contractions that are inconsistent in nature and normal as pregnancy progresses).  It slightly worried me at first - my over active imagination questioned whether she was caught up in the umbilical cord and pressing on me as a result - but then the ache faded, as did my concern when I could feel her squirming around again.

Since this is my first time pregnant, I'm definitely sensitive to each new twist and turn, though Chris reminds me it's important to monitor what feels out of the ordinary but not freak myself out.  Maybe what I felt was just ligament stretching.....maybe she was using my front as a footrest....?  If anyone can shed any light on this, please do!

"Tub" Trucking at 23.5 Weeks

Chris and his brother have been calling me "Tubs" for some time now. I'm pretty sure it's a nickname given with affection, thus I've not let it damage my self image too much and have overlooked that the name originated from the cannibalistic shop-keeper's wife from The League of Gentleman. But anyway - now, as you can see, at 23.5 weeks pregnant, the name is actually pretty fitting for the little tub at my front.

This week our baby is the size of a large mango. She is ducking, diving and kicking with regularity. I guess she's small enough that there is plenty of room to groove in my womb but large enough that I can really feel her. My weekly Babycentre update says the blood vessels in her lungs are developing in preparation for actual breathing, and at the end of this week she will be considered "viable" for birth (though she'd still need pretty in depth medical support to function). Other developments this week....

A huge shout out is in order to our fab friends E&L who are also expecting and due just about 10 weeks after us!! It's really exciting to have another good friend jump on the pregnancy bandwagon at the same time. E&B have been so helpful to me with their pregnancy tips and chats and I hope I can be of similar support to L on her journey. I'm sure we'll have plenty of insights to exchange - very exciting!!

Friday I had my third midwife appointment and was re-introduced to the kind and calming midwife that I met at our hospital open night a couple of months ago. She confirmed that "all looks in order" and our missy's growth is on track. I also spoke to her about my interest in natural birthing and exploring home birth. She suggested Chris and I attend the home birth night at our hospital next month to learn more; she was very encouraging, not at all dismissive or judgmental, and made me feel at ease about exploring our options. I'll keep you posted on what I find. But all around, it's all go!

Speaking of "going," every time a pregnant lady has a midwife appointment, you need to bring a urine sample in a little test tube thing so they can check your pee for glucose and protein. Being that peeing in a cup, or tube, has become a popular pastime by default, you'd think I'd be a bit better at it! Does anyone else have issues peeing in a cup or am I the only one with a sheepish hand raised here?! When I had my booking in appointment at the doctor they literally gave me a huge beaker to pee in that I couldn't fit between my legs. That led to some cool half squat crouching moves.... Now I need to regularly pee into this small test tube thing that is challenging with my urinary aim or lack thereof. Once I do hit the jackpot the tube fills really fast and is prone to splashing out at me. Gross. Maybe this is TMI, but I'm hoping I'm not the only one who has been embarrassed at the hands of this ritual!

Enjoy the 23.5 week close ups!

Carrots & Cameleons

Friday I reached my 21 week mark - our little girl is the length of a carrot - about 10.5 inches long. She's regularly moving around and on Thursday night, for the first time, Chris felt her kick/elbow me/pull on the cord/etc when he rested his hand on my stomach!

She should definitely be hearing us now; incentive to stay calm, cool and collected at all times....hmmmm...if only. I have started talking to her now and then like when I'm driving or cooking; I love my talking, so it's comforting to know that she can hear me. Hey, I may look a little nuts but maybe she'll come out with an innate propensity for language. I'm also going to start reading to her before bed. Similar to the soothing music theory, "experts" suggest that if she hears the same story repeatedly in the womb, she'll be comforted by it once born so I figure it's worth a shot. Crying baby? - cue special story that yields happy, quiet baby - I don't sound too far off the mark anymore now, huh?! I haven't chosen a story yet, but maybe something short and sweet like 'Goodnight Moon' by Margaret Wise Brown.

In the last few days we also commenced our baby buying/borrowing/auction winning! I spent about half an hour wandering aisles of baby clothes on Friday with an enthusiasm I usually reserve for the candy store. I managed to tear myself away having bought one, her first, baby grow. We also picked up a brand new crib to bed converter with a built in changing table from our friends M&H. Thanks guys! It's the same crib they have for their daughter, and the company they purchased it from delivered two but never returned to pick this one up, much to our luck! Then, finally, after eagle eye watching and new bidding in the wake of my Bugaboo bid tantrum, we bid and successfully won ourselves a Bugaboo Cameleon at half its normal retail price. I hope this stroller lives up to my expectations but only time will tell.

Many people have suggested we gradually ease into our baby buying now, so it feels good to get the ball rolling. Though I set my sites high with the Bugaboo, in general I'm hoping weather the wild baby buying sea by visiting second hand furniture stores, seeking out more online deals and making a list of what we need versus what we'd like to have. Lists and focus are good. While I'm sure there are inevitably lots of new things we'll want to buy too, hopefully this varied approach will keep us practically and financially in balance.

Girl Power!

First of all, a huge shout out to my great friends E&S who just brought a beautiful baby girl into the world yesterday! Congratulations guys!!

This post is all about GIRL POWER (and no people, I'm NOT talking Spice Girls) - in addition to E&S's excellent news, we had our 20 week sonogram yesterday and found out that we too are having a girl! Most importantly she looked healthy and on track development wise for my January due date. Of course we would be thrilled either way but I am looking forward to evening the boy/girl score in our house (Chris & Rico / Baby and Me) and having a mini me, albeit with a British accent! Chris guessed that we'd have a girl all along so he was happy to be on the mark and has plans to rear her as a first class athlete in tennis...golf....any sport with a ball really. He has high hopes but I reminded him that we are not turning into psycho sports parents that pressurize our kids - I remember a coach or parent once punching someone else at my sister's soccer game - a prime example of child sport bringing out the devil in parents.

Our little lady must have sensed she was being scanned because she went on acrobatic overload right as I laid down on the sonographer's table....either that or the skittles and OJ I had before the appointment were taking effect! This 20 week sonogram seemed like another milestone in our pregnancy. After the 12 week scan it seemed so far in the future, but now it's come and gone and I'm left with the further realization that we are going to be parents with a living breathing baby really soon. Let me tell you, there is a sizable and very real looking baby inside me. It's thrilling, fantastic, scary and exciting all at the same time. Happy as I am, I won't be planning on celebrating with any of these freaking scary cakes...that is a a step too far in the creepy direction for my tastes!

I remember looking in awe at a heavily pregnant lady about to drop at the Affordable Art Fair with E earlier this year. At the time E was still in the first half of her pregnancy - now she has been that girl and has graduated to mama. Pregnant B is next in line and I'll be bringing up the rear of our girl hat-trick in January. Something must have been in the water when we were all working together....I feel pretty emotional about it all but again I'll blame the hormones for making me soft.

Those "hormones" have been rearing their heads in other random ways too. I don't usually view myself as an overly hormonal person but do find I now have the occasional psycho spike. Like Tuesday night, when I lost an e-bay auction for that cherished Bugaboo Cameleon that has possessed me. I lost the auction by £10 and turned a little crazy - I must have momentarily thought I was a boxer since I started punching the air and moaning like banshee. When Chris tried to assure me that there would be future auctions and there were other bugaboos waiting in the wings to go on ebay, I wasn't having it. He tried to be patient with me but finally gave up and told me to stop being irrational. I snapped out of my red haze about 10 minutes later....but in the name of girl power, next time "the psycho air boxer" in me threatens to come out, I need to get a grip and quick! Ahh the highs and lows of this pregnancy coaster......

Market Meanderings

THE MARKET

Alfalfa sprouts, vintage shoes & designer bibs shaped like an apple
Lingering embraces and laughs shared under a straw hat
Pick a pew, a restaurant chair, a slab of concrete
And relax
Secret kicks, latent fears, global delicacies & ice cold beers
Meet me at the market

Cool young things in leggings & frills
Cockney hagglers on the cheap
Caribbean colors speak depths from head turbans
While dark glasses shade the sun and court mystery

Whether directly in the social mix or stand alone
We're rich in stories that are our own
Thrust into a common space
Creating the magic of the market

Bump and I took a trip to London's markets today - Petticoat Lane, Spitalfields and the Sunday Up Market behind the old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. As I wandered out of the eerie weekend quiet of the City and into some of London's most diverse and vibrant markets, I felt content, engaged and full of vitality. With bump as a silent companion, I had ample time for browsing and observation. That's when it struck me that being pregnant is like a visit to the market. Stay with me on that line of thought....

Markets are common yet full of the unique; varied; exciting but stressful at times; full of show but bursting with less obvious substance; breeding grounds for life - just like pregnancies. The analogy sat well with me and inspired my poem above.

I'm now 19 weeks and my baby is the size of a large heirloom tomato (whatever an heirloom tomato is) or a mango, get this, covered in greasy cheese. Thank you Heidi Murkoff for that latter tasty image! This greasy cheese is vernix, a waxy coating that protects the baby's young skin from it's 24/7 amniotic fluid bath.

This last week I've started to feel definite movement that I know is not my imagination. Like the bubbling of a pot of water about to boil or those famous butterfly wings, baby's acrobatics are now like secret messages to me. Everyone says quickening is a thrill and ya know what, when you realize for sure that it IS your baby moving inside you, it is a thrill!

I've also learned that baby's sensory development is now on full throttle - our little one is starting to hear Chris and my voices along with other outside the womb noises. Within the next couple of weeks, when he or she swallows my amniotic fluid it will taste like what I've been eating - be that lasagna, ice cream, salad or a chicken quesadilla. Experts suggest that a healthy pregnancy diet will thus impact baby's future tastes and eating habits - hopefully our baby is enjoying a rich mix since I eat pretty much everything, though I do have a penchant for sweet treats!

As you can see my bump is now starting to really take shape. At some point near the end of last week I discovered that some of my work trousers no longer button up - what a difference a week makes! It looks like I'm going to have to bust out my belly bands in the near future - I haven't tried to integrate them into any outfits yet so I need to sort that out - woohoo! Bring it on!

Fluttery Sunday

Yesterday was one of those idyllic Sunday afternoons that I didn't want to end. Chris and I met our friends L&J at L's parent's house outside London. We sat outside on their back patio basking in sunshine/umbrella induced shade, played bocce ball on the soft, green, warm underfoot lawn and enjoyed a yummy picnic lunch. The conversation, as always with G&T (L's mom and dad), was interesting, amusing, excellent. I felt very relaxed, a welcome contrast to our usual hustle bustle.

The conversation turned to quickening at some point, and T asked if I'd felt the baby move. Just as I'd heard, T described her first experience with baby movement as the "fluttering of butterfly wings." Subtle but solid baby kicks, flips and twirls.

I said I wasn't sure if I'd felt anything. Over the last week I have experienced a slight pattering or tweaking sensation, but I don't know if this is my baby, my stomach or my over active imagination since I don't really know what I'm looking for. I don't feel like a butterfly is loose in my belly - more like the odd little "sensation" from time to time.

I've stopped trying to coax my little one into movement in the bathroom stalls at work, but last night thought I'd try a new approach. I've heard babies are sensitive to light, so as we went to bed I shined my cell phone light at my stomach and waited for a response. Does anyone else try weird things like this? Again, I don't know. But I did feel like I felt the faintest little pitter patter when I did it. I'm just waiting for a big ol' kick so I know that it's the real thing and not just me wishing it.

Apple the Acrobat

I’m 15 weeks pregnant today and according to Babycenter.com, my baby is the size of an apple. Yum, I do like apples.

I’m excited to be approaching the 16-20 week mark when women often feel slight movement from the baby otherwise known as ‘quickening.’ Pretty cool. Supposedly you often feel this earlier in subsequent pregnancies as you are more in tune with what to look out for. The experts describe it as “butterfly wings” or “trapped gas.” I prefer the butterfly image. Bottom line, if I feel what I think is my stomach rumbling, it might really be my little apple doing some back flips – my own little acrobat.

Even though I’m now anticipating this sensation, I have a feeling expecting it will do me no good so I just have to wait for it to happen….I am just 15 weeks today after all. This decided, I temporarily moved on, but later found myself standing in my office bathroom stall, poking at my stomach and murmuring a few coaxing words to my belly. Then I snapped out of my reverie and checked to make sure I didn’t have an audience, which fortunately, I didn’t. That was a close call. I don’t want anyone thinking I’m cuckoo, because really, I’m not…..