The Roaming Rosie Blog

Well, she’s not late yet. I don’t know why, but I don’t think I ever assumed she’d be late, so with my due date fast approaching, it suddenly occurs to me that it’s still considered normal for her to arrive two weeks after that date.

And I have to keep reminding myself that my due date is a whole five days away. The 15th seems much closer than that. The main reason, though, that I keep expecting to suddenly go into labor is that my body has changed in the last week. I’ve now been having false labor, or Braxton Hicks contractions, for a week now, on and off, though mostly in the evenings. She suddenly feels much heavier, although she doesn’t appear to have dropped any more, I’ve been having cramps, which my doctor says is a sign the cervix is opening, and I lost the mucus plug. I kinda thought labor would be imminent after that last factor, but, obviously, it is not.

A week ago I was a centimeter dilated, which isn’t much the way I hear it. But tomorrow is another doctor’s appointment (I feel like I’m always at the doctor’s now – what with the pregnancy and sinus infection) so we’ll see what she says.

Now that I’m no longer sick, I’ve been trying to move around more. I have absolutely no desire to exercise, especially since my last clumsy attempt at Yoga, so even the Pilates I used to enjoy so much has no appeal right now. Exercise comes in the form of walking around the block after dinner, or going to Publix with my husband to grab a few things. But these things are about as much as I want to do because then she feels very heavy and my feet start to feel more swollen and I find I’d like to sit down again.

It’s nice to get some fresh air, though, but as I wait for the baby I feel a little edgier every day. I think it may be that I’m bored – and I already know what all the veteran moms out there are going to say, because it’s been said to me over and over – enjoy the peace and quiet while you can. I get that. But I’ve been so excited about this baby for so long now, that I just can’t wait to meet her, and I can’t seem to focus on anything at all because my mind’s always on her.

The last few days have been a little rough – the tissue supply around here has certainly been hit hard. Just as I’m starting to recover from a nagging sinus infection, and just as all that nasty sinus pressure starts to fade and the headaches lessen, that’s when I suddenly realize that I now have a cold as well.

I think the sinus infection is completely gone, as far as I can tell, but now my head is just full of snot that’s in a constant state of drainage. Not cool. Of all the things that had crossed my mind about how labor might progress, I have to admit that it never, ever occurred to me that I might be sick when delivering the baby and, consequently, when bringing home and caring for our newborn.

It makes me a little nervous because I don’t want to give her my cold, but it also makes me a little frustrated because I’d like to enjoy these last few days of pregnancy and I instead find myself curled up in bed or zoned out on the couch, unable to concentrate on anything and completely out of energy.

But I suppose these days wouldn’t be exactly “blissful” anyway, what with the swollen extremities and the back pain which contributes to me never being comfortable anymore. Plus, she’s feeling so tight and heavy now that every one of her twists and turns feels sharp and overly strong, which has become another unexpected discomfort, as I usually enjoy feeling her move. I actually suspect that the cold may be the only reason I’ve been sleeping at all the last few days.

I’ve had a few short bursts of energy here and there (nesting instinct?) but mostly I feel like I’m going through life in a daze right now and I just hope it clears up soon, because I know that now matter how I feel, she gonna come when she’s ready!

It seems I’ve completely lost track of time!  I’ve been writing, but I’ve just noticed that I haven’t updated my blog much at all this month.  I guess my mind’s been busy with baby stuff!  :)

My doctor visits have all been normal and the baby still has a strong heartbeat and I’m gaining the right amount of weight – although every person who finds out how far along I am still feels the need to tell me how “tiny” I look.  It’s getting a little tiring feeling like I have to apologize for appearing small when both the baby and I are actually right on track.  I’m at 36 and a half weeks, but when most people find out my due date they give me a look like they don’t believe me.  It’s exhausting and my forced smile is wearing a little thin; I shouldn’t have to defend myself for being healthy.

Anyway, our (okay, mostly “my”) days have been filled with nesting, which is the main reason I’ve spent less time on the computer lately.  I’ve rearranged closets and dressers to make room for baby in our temporary abode (as it is now quite certain that we won’t get into our own home until after her birth) and we’ve been putting together furniture and I’ve done countless loads of laundry to wash 0-3 month clothes, receiving blankets, burp cloths, towels, washcloths and blankets.  There’s a changing table and bassinet along one wall of the bedroom now, which is, honestly, a little strange to see.  The stroller/travel system has been put together, the car seat base strapped in, and the bouncer assembled just this afternoon.

There’s not much left to do except pack the hospital bag.  Of course, just today the doctor told me I haven’t begun to dilate, so really, I’m not in a huge hurry, but I’ll probably do it soon just so it’s done.  And I have to catch up on my blog – so you should see a few reviews of some of those assembled baby contraptions, among other things.

One of the oddest benefits of being pregnant has been that I really enjoy wearing stretchy pants.  At first I was incredibly hesitant to wear maternity pants, like there was some strange stigma attached to them that I just couldn’t get past.  Plus, (I guess since this is my first pregnancy) it took a really long time for the belly to show.  Even when I first started wearing maternity pants in public, when I was at 18 weeks, I was still amazing small compared to how I am now – at 31 weeks.  Of course, the reason I started wearing the maternity clothing was because my non-maternity pants were uncomfortably tight, so whether the belly was obvious or not, if was definitely there.

I found the rubber-band-around-the-button method of extending the wear of my regular pants to be annoying, even though it did extend the life of my regular wardrobe a little.  But since I was planning on having at least two kids, I figured investing in a few pairs of wearable pants would be a good idea.  Of course, I’m nothing if not frugal, so I did check out local thrift stores first.  That was a complete dead end.  The maternity pants I found were all very, very used.  The elastic was overstretched and twisted, the fabric panels were faded and pilling, and the styles appeared to be as old as me.  I barely wanted to touch them, let alone purchase and wear them.

In the end I wound up purchasing five pairs of maternity pants from four different stores.  First I went to a Motherhood Maternity store and bought a pair of Secret Fit Belly Boot Cut Jeans that were regularly $25 but on sale for $22.  I also got a similar pair of Crop Jeans (capris) that were, I think, the same price.  I bought a size small for the regular jeans and medium for the crops, but for some reason the latter always fit better and the former were a little loose for many weeks.  I find the adjustable belly panel to be frustrating.  When it’s pulled all the way up, I tend to get warm, or itchy, and after a few washes the fabric of my shirts was getting stuck on the full panel.  Plus it’s a dark color and visible though many shirts.  I prefer to wear the pants with the panel folded over, but I find myself often pulling up the pants every time I stand up from a sitting position and constantly adjusting the folded-over panel.  Overall, they’re both comfortable, but I don’t wear them unless my favorite jeans are dirty.  Oh, and because it’s winter, otherwise I’d wear the crop jeans more often – even with adjusting the band, they’re still comfy.

I also purchased a pair of khaki pants, probably boot cut, with an under-the-belly elastic band that are Motherhood Maternity brand retailing for $30, but I got them at Burlington Coat Factory for $12.99.  I’m short and they’re a little long, so when I started wearing them I folded up the bottom cuff, but as my belly’s grown, I can just barely get by without folding them up.  They’re comfortable, but the elastic band usually twists a little when I sit, and so I adjust them every time I stand.  It’s an easy adjustment, though, easier than the aforementioned jeans, and quick.  And they look very nice.  I’ve worn them for just about every formal occasion lately, from Christmas dinner to church services, but they’re still casual and comfortable enough for everyday use or office attire.

I bought a pair of black slacks with under-belly elastic and a matching shirt from the New Recruit brand, which is sold at the Army and Air Force Exchange.  It cost $30 for both, but I haven’t worn the shirt yet as it’s polyester and a little warm.  The pants, though, I’ve been wearing.  I haven’t been wearing them in public much, even though I bought them to have something dressy, but they’re so incredibly comfortable that I often wear them around the house.  They’re mostly polyester with just a touch of spandex and they’re loose and flowing and light and I almost never have to adjust them.  And they look much nicer than sweatpants, so I don’t feel like a bum even if I’m just hanging around the house in them.  I really like wearing them.

Surprisingly, my favorite maternity jeans are the Old Navy Low-Rise Boot-Cut Jeans that cost $36.50 but that I bought for sale on their website for $25.  Actually, I was pretty mad at Old Navy because I had to order these pants online instead of buying them in the store.  I know that Old Navy used to have maternity clothes in their stores, but once I got pregnant, I could no longer find a store that still had a maternity section.  I hate buying normal clothes online since they often don’t fit as well as I’d hoped, and so I was extra wary about ordering pregnancy pants.  I measured myself twice and checked it against the online size chart three times and read all the reviews before placing the order.  When the pants arrived I was happy with how they looked, except that they sent me the wrong size.  I ordered the size I wanted, but they sent the wrong one.  This was days before we moved and now I had to go out of my way to FedEx the pants back to them after hours of struggling with the utterly uncooperative return label I had to print off the internet, which only successfully happened after some inventive finagling – and then they shipped the new pants to the wrong address!  I was in hysterical tears twice (Thank you, pregnancy hormones) before the whole mess was worked out.

So, many weeks after ordering them, I finally had the correct pants and was able to start wearing them.  Because they’re low-rise, they have an under-belly elastic band sown into the jeans instead of a full belly panel and this had made them much more comfortable then the first pairs of jeans I had purchased.  I wear these Old Navy jeans all the time.  They’re a little tight just after they’re washed, but they’re still as comfortable at 31 weeks as they were at 25 weeks.  I do have to pull them up sometimes when I stand, but that’s about all the adjusting required.  So even though I swore up and down that I wouldn’t order clothes again from Old Navy after all the frustration they caused me, and because I’m still upset that I can’t buy maternity clothes in their stores, I know it’s not true.  I have some shirts from them, too, and their maternity line is comfortable and more than stylish enough for a jeans-and-t-shirt kind of gal like me.  I’m a casual person; their clothes are casual.  We work well together, whether I like it or not.

Incidentally, I would also like to mention that for around-the-house attire, I really, really like wearing Target pajama pants.  In a size larger than I would normally wear, there’s more than enough stretch to the elastic to fit comfortably, and they’re lighter than sweatpants, which is good for Florida weather.  I wouldn’t wear them out in public (I’m not that casual) but I love wearing them all day.

I’m not sure how I’m going to feel about going back to regular pants.  I’ve gotten incredibly accustomed to wearing sweatpants-like attire and I’m not sure I’m going to like going back to normal jeans and pants and letting go of all my stretchy, elastic bands.  I know I’ll need the maternity pants for a little while after the baby arrives (during the infamous “fourth trimester”) and I’m certainly looking forward to losing the baby weight and getting back into my old wardrobe, but – and I can’t believe I’m saying this – I think I’m going to actually miss the maternity pants.  Well, maybe that’s not true, but I’m certainly going to miss having an excuse to walk around in pajama pants all day and jeans that expand with me.

There’s been a barrage of emails in my inbox talking about pregnancy nutrition and eating healthy. Even considering my intense cravings for cookies and baked goods, I’m probably the healthiest I’ve ever been, but there are still things I’ve had trouble incorporating into my diet. For example, I’m not a big fish eater – in fact fish often makes me sick, with a few small exceptions.

But there’s this huge push to consume omega 3s. Sure, I use Smart Balance Omega, but consuming large portions of a butter substitute just to obtain omegas is probably not all that smart. Plus, I mostly only eat fish when there’s the same amount of mayonnaise as tuna fish in my sandwich – again, not the healthiest option.

Fish oils and omega 3s, all the studies (or at least the journalists) proclaim, are super important for pregnant women to get so that the babies will have big, healthy brains. The studies seem genuine, and, at the very least, I’ve heard nothing negative about them.

So I’ve started taking a fish oil supplement. I have pills, but they’re so huge, and I have so much trouble taking normal sized pills already, that I just choke on them and can’t manage to get them down at all. I hate pills. Pills hate me.

So I headed over to the Vitamin Shoppe and browsed the shelves, reviewing the variety of fish oil, omega 3, 6, and/or 9, salmon oil and cod liver oil. I just couldn’t tell how big the pills were in any of the jars, though, so I started looking at alternative options. There was an omega gummy, but they provided only a fraction of the supplement that came in pill form, and they were kind of pricey for the amount of omegas they contained.

Finally, I settled on something called Coromega Omega 3 Squeeze. It’s a box full of little packets of smooth, thick liquid that’s about the consistency of cupcake icing. I bought the orange flavor and I find it to taste just like a hard candy that’s flavored like an orange creamsicle.

I already know, from the years that my parents owned a GNC and I worked with them, that liquids are a better way to absorb your vitamins than pills. According to the Coromega website, this product that was developed in Norway years ago has been clinically proven to have a 300% better absorption of the supplement than softgel pills. Either way, it’s easy to take, it tastes pretty decent, and I’m finally getting more of those omegas that my husband insists I absolutely, without question, need for the health of the baby.

The Omega 3 Squeeze is made with real fish oil, in fact it’s the main ingredient, but I have to say that it doesn’t have a funny taste that reminds me of fish in any way. Which is good, because I just don’t like fish. At all. And whatever I eat has a good chance of repeating on me (just another fun side effect of pregnancy), but I find I don’t mind so much with this supplement because it tastes like candy. Although, when I chase it with one of those little shots of DanActive yogurts, which I often do so that I remember to get in that extra calcium, then there’s definitely no problem of the oil repeating.

Luckily I can manage to swallow those horse pills the doctors call prenatals, so I’m already healthier than my normal self, but I figure those extra boosts of omega supplements and then the yogurt and a daily glass of calcium-fortified orange juice go a long ways toward improving mine and the baby’s health. I’m by no means a nutrition nut, but at least I try to incorporate all the food groups and various nutrients now. At least being pregnant keeps it forefront in my mind. And, at least there are healthy options out there that don’t have to be taken in pill form.

I was a little surprised to see a segment on the news the other day about a recall of over 2 million Stork Craft cribs.  Since we’re not in a house yet, I’ve been putting off ordering baby furniture, but that didn’t stop me from picking out the brand, model and color I wanted.  Actually, I even registered for it – to make sure I wouldn’t forget which ones I liked, even though we intend to purchase the furniture ourselves.

Anyway, I read all about the recall at the website for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.  I saw that the recall is for drop-side cribs, and I suddenly realized I didn’t know whether or not the crib I picked out was a drop-side crib.  Quite frankly, the dropping side seemed unnecessary to me.  It turned out I had picked a drop-side crib, and when I viewed it on the store’s website (just after seeing the news segment) the product was already unavailable.  Luckily, Stork Craft also makes a fixed-side crib in the same style I like.

When I showed my husband all the information, he said he wouldn’t have wanted a drop-side crib anyhow.  The fixed-side cribs are sturdier, he said.

I was relieved I hadn’t already purchased the crib.  I read that the company was offering repair kits so that parents could fix the cribs, but it turns out all the kits do is turn a drop-side crib into a fixed-side crib.  Hmm.  Turns out to be a good thing that we have to wait until almost the last minute to buy our nursery furniture.  Who knew?

These too cute pillow cases designate the On Duty / Off Duty responsibilities for middle-of-the-night feedings. I wonder, though, how effective they would be for us, seeing as how my husband could easily sleep through the St. Patty’s Day parade.

Since the baby is still months away from needing any feedings that don’t include the umbilical cord, I can still find myself saying that I don’t mind being the On Duty person most of the time, especially because I’d like to breastfeed.

I wonder how long those feelings will last…

Pregnancy is a strange creature.  There are many aspects of the pregnancy that I anticipated, but not always in the way the symptoms actually manifest themselves.  I knew I’d be tired, so when I spent most of my first trimester just working and sleeping and halfway comatose on the couch, I was frustrated but not surprised.  Lack of energy is typical in the first trimester.  But here I am, many weeks into my second trimester, and I still haven’t experienced that sudden burst of energy I keep hearing about.  Sure, I have energy, but very little.

Is it because of my allergies?  Is it because I’ve got a lot on my mind and I’m not sleeping well?  Or just my body’s reaction to growing a little person?  Why, yesterday, did I get shaky and feel like I’d collapse when I was folding one load of laundry from the dryer, putting another load in, breading a pork loin and constructing twice-baked potatoes for dinner?  Was it just the heat in the kitchen and laundry room?  Had I not been drinking enough water?  I’m not sure.  But after making a salad and veggie side dish and setting the table and helping to clean up afterwards, I couldn’t seem to do much except sit on the couch and watch TV all night.  I felt weak, so much so that I didn’t even have the energy to pull out my laptop to write in my journal.  Even the thought of doing that exhausted me.

There are many other things that surprised me as well.  It’s a joyful experience to feel the baby kicking me, but I’ve found that I also worry much more than I thought I would.  Why don’t I feel her moving more often?  Well, I know it’s because of the placement of my placenta and how it cushions her movements so that she must kick pretty hard for me to feel it.  My husband, in fact, has only felt her once, even though he’s sat there with his hand on my stomach while I feel movement.  So I still wonder.  It surprises me that I can be so happy and so worried at the same time.

And none of my bras fit.  Even the ones I bought a few weeks ago at Victoria’s Secret that were on sale and a cup size bigger are now a little awkward.  Does that mean I’ve gone up two cup sizes?  When will it stop?  I’ve already noticed one stretch mark, which freaked me out, and so I make sure to apply cocoa butter every night now to both my boobs and tummy.  I know I’m genetically prone to stretch marks anyway, but it’s worth a try.  I’m a little surprised the growing rack is not as exciting as I’d hoped.  It just produces more questions:  how many more bras will I have to buy?  Will my boobs keep growing?  And what size will they be after the birth and breastfeeding?  Will I have to buy all new shirts?  Will I care at all once I’m holding my little baby girl in my arms?

I guess the worrying and the questions are normal.  I never realized the acne and pimples of a 16-year-old would also be normal, but, in a weird way, I think I like the surprises.  After all, this is a completely new journey in life, and one that I’ve always looked forward to.  I look forward to more surprises (and less pimples) as time goes by, because really, how many times in life do we get to experience something so new and incredible?  Something that plays out much the way we though it would, but also completely exceeds every expectation?