Hard bellies

We won all three bocce games last night against the Tipsy Moonshiners.
They were missing half their team.
And Fiesta! night was fun.
Although I had a touch of the heartburn.

I’m linking to my friend
Girl in the Valley
Because she updates better.

Mom arrives for the next five days.
She’s thrilled to be shopping and cooking and taking care for a while.
James will appreciate the break from my constant “Hey, do you mind…?”
and I’m just happy to have some time with her while I’m still her daughter and not her grandchild’s mother.

Still with the work.
Still with the bocce.
Still with the cheese club.
Still with the projects.

Also, lots and lots of pre-baby contractions rocking out. This could go on for the next six weeks, or it could culminate in a baby tonight. Fascinating how this upheaval works.

If I could just release my grip and throw my arms over my head, I think I would enjoy this more.

It’s funny, to get the opportunity to slow down after a whole life of hurry ups.
It’s funny, to hear from old friends.
It’s funny, that I didn’t relax like this sooner.

Craving waffles

Craving waffles

Originally uploaded by helenjane

Strap on monitor

“Mom, I really haven’t felt the baby move much the last three days and I’m getting really nervous.”

I called her because I’m terrified of being one of those first-time-moms-to-be, the kind that pester their doctors with every burp and hiccup.

In her infinite wisdom, mom told me to call the doctor and tell them the story, they’d tell me whether to come in or not.

And the doctor told me to come in right away.
(As my back was still janky, good friends gave me a ride. See also: Why is it so hard to ask for help?)

I received an ultrasound and fetal heart check and everything was great.
Baby was moving, I just wasn’t feeling it.
Feets flexing, heart rate thumping, thumbs sucked.
Whew!

(Sadly, I was too nervous about baby’s well-being to check for wieners or cheeseburgers.)

“Just for a baseline,” the doctor said, “I’m sending you to the hospital for a non-stress test.”

So James brought me to the hospital where they strapped me to monitors and left the room.

When the nurse returned, she asked if I felt the contractions.
“What contractions?”

“The ones that are happening every minute.”

“Uh.”

“We might need to deliver this baby early. I’m going to call the doctor.”

James and I looked at each other terrified.
Diaperless, cribless, onesieless, wipeless, bottleless, pumpless, terrified.
See, the baby room has a nice coat of yellow paint on the walls and a carseat on the floor.

That’s it.

We started discussing the plan.
Okay, you go to Target and then look at my computer and find in this directory and in this file I have a pre-baby list and here are questions for my mom and the doula and damn, I don’t have anyone’s phone number and who’s going to take care of the dog and I haven’t eaten dinner yet and… and…

Then the nurse came back in, gave me a pill, had me sit there for another hour and declared me fine to go home.

I’m still a little confused.
But mostly, I’m relieved.

I’ve got oodles of work to do before baby arrives.
(Plus, we now have time for the whole trip to Target thing.)

Any recommendations for newborn essentials?

LBC and me

Back from Long Beach where we hung for the weekend with another newly babied couple.
James went to a composing seminar.
I read lifestyle magazines from bed.
Life was glorious.

Since then, all pain has been absorbed into the every day hum drum of working.
I move slowly, but I still move.
And I feel awful for those other gestating women who must commute, deal with bosses or stand on their feet for their paycheck.

(I remember working at the hot dog stand, how I would never take for granted working inside and sitting down ever again. Cheers! Cheers to the office chair!)

The physical therapy ladies are very nice.

Cranky in the pants

Over the past three days, I have become unable to walk.
Some pinched nerve/posterior pelvic pain related to the baby in my belly and the loosening of joints.
I thought I was decent at handling pain, but this is way beyond anything I’ve had to deal with before.

I always forget that chronic pain makes one so cranky.
Chronic pain makes the topic of chronic pain