So far, 3rd trimester's my favorite. Bonding with Jabberwocky is more fun these days. Now, I picture her as an adorable tiny person. Previously, she was a slimy alien blob that had weirdly been implanted in my midsection.
I like it that she's always with me and reminding me of her presence. While I'm typing at work, or talking to other people, or listening to a sermon, I'm feeling kick, kick, kick. It's like a special secret. I recently received a facebook message from a very sweet lady who said: "This really is such a unique time in life to be fully attuned to the life growing inside of you without another little person to take care of at the same time." That sure is true. Jabberwocky's my constant little companion, without the extra work. No feeding, soothing, or wiping her bum yet.
The anticipation is more fun now too. All our baby preparations feel more worthwhile because we're seriously on a time-table now. It's just a matter of weeks before she's born! That awareness adds significance to every purchase and pre-baby chore. Plus, it's just getting really exciting to think of holding her and hearing her coos and playing with her feet and stuff like that.
And I'm kind of in love with the shape and size of my belly right now. It's just cuter and bigger and rounder than it was before. Although Anders told me Jabberwocky is now just over four pounds (he's the one who's keeping track), which gets me a little nervous at the thought that she still might double in size before I have to push her out. At that point, I may start to rethink the 3rd-trimester's-my-favorite idea.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Crib: Check.
This child is SQUISHING MY LUNGS! Why is she allowed to squish my bladder AND my lungs? That can't be fair. Just how tall is she anyway?
Well folks, we bought a crib. It isn't white. Didn't I say I wanted white or medium brown or dark brown? Of course it's none of those. I saw a picture of one in a light natural wood finish, and my heart said, that's Jabberwocky's.
Our method of crib shopping was this: Anders would walk up to one, grab hold of the side, and shake it really hard. Anything that didn't wiggle much and didn't cost five hundred dollars made the list. You'd be surprised how quickly this narrowed the field for us. In fact, pretty much got us down to one crib in no time.
So once we made our selection, we found an associate at Babies R Us and said this one, but the natural finish. And she said: oh, you mean the one right there that's $80 off? How 'bout that! A couple had bought it and then decided they didn't want it. It was already assembled and everything ... all we had to do was completely take it apart again to fit it in the car. (And by "we," I mean Anders and a guy at Babies R Us. I watched, while they first unscrewed it, and then carried it piece-by-piece through the rain.)
By the way, I just shifted uncomfortably and Anders said this in the direction of my belly: "Poor little Jabberwocky is so crowded in there! Your lungs are in her way!"
Well folks, we bought a crib. It isn't white. Didn't I say I wanted white or medium brown or dark brown? Of course it's none of those. I saw a picture of one in a light natural wood finish, and my heart said, that's Jabberwocky's.
Our method of crib shopping was this: Anders would walk up to one, grab hold of the side, and shake it really hard. Anything that didn't wiggle much and didn't cost five hundred dollars made the list. You'd be surprised how quickly this narrowed the field for us. In fact, pretty much got us down to one crib in no time.
So once we made our selection, we found an associate at Babies R Us and said this one, but the natural finish. And she said: oh, you mean the one right there that's $80 off? How 'bout that! A couple had bought it and then decided they didn't want it. It was already assembled and everything ... all we had to do was completely take it apart again to fit it in the car. (And by "we," I mean Anders and a guy at Babies R Us. I watched, while they first unscrewed it, and then carried it piece-by-piece through the rain.)
By the way, I just shifted uncomfortably and Anders said this in the direction of my belly: "Poor little Jabberwocky is so crowded in there! Your lungs are in her way!"
Monday, September 19, 2011
Wisserquist 2011
I spent this weekend with the best part of my college experience. That is, with two of my favorite people in the world, Biene and Alisse, and their husbands, who are also really great, and my husband, who is also really great. These people were part of all of my fondest memories from college.
I love the way it feels being around Biene and Alisse. The six of us have had a reunion weekend the past three years and I hope to never miss one for the rest of my life. The sound of their voices triggers a contentment mechanism in my brain ... ah, says my brain, you're with people who are safe, who will let you say anything, will laugh when you think you're being funny and listen when you feel like blabbing. Why's it so easy to be misunderstood around other people? I admit that in general life I'm often flummoxed by trying to find a connection with others or read what they're thinking. Well not this weekend. This weekend was a vacation into a land where relationships come naturally. Oh how I enjoyed it.
A bright red sign on the door as we arrived said "Welcome to Wisserquist 2011." Biene wisely decided it was time our annual weekend acquired a name. So we dubbed it Wisserquist, which, as you might imagine, is a combination of our last names.
Much of our time centered around food (all the good vacations do, don't they?). Spoils from the Madison downtown farmers market include: Honeycrisp apples, three of the most gigantic red bell peppers I've ever seen, and a bag of white cheddar popcorn, which is a snack that I particularly like. Anders bought the popcorn without me knowing. As we were strolling along he suddenly popped up at the rear of the group carrying it. Smiley face.
Spoils from Brennan's Market include: peaches and plumcots and pears (ripe! juicy! mouth-watering!), pecan nutcakes made with wildflower honey (does that make anyone else think of hobbits dining with elves?), apple cider, and the dinner that Anders and I are sharing at this very moment: basil farmers cheese with sundried tomato crackers (oh my goodness). Brennan's Market, by the way, is a Wisconsin grocery store with only five locations. It's a good place to go if you particularly love fresh fruit, cheese, and beer.
Other food I feasted on: Alisse's homemade chocolate chip cookies, Alisse's homemade blondie peanut butter cup brownies, Alisse's homemade blueberry muffins, Biene's blueberry french toast casserole, and a spinach strawberry salad that I would really like to have in my diet no less than once a week.
Yesterday I made them try to help me pick out a name for Jabberwocky. I don't know how long we spent on the Internet just reading names. The winner was: Hibachi. Hibachi Helquist!
I love the way it feels being around Biene and Alisse. The six of us have had a reunion weekend the past three years and I hope to never miss one for the rest of my life. The sound of their voices triggers a contentment mechanism in my brain ... ah, says my brain, you're with people who are safe, who will let you say anything, will laugh when you think you're being funny and listen when you feel like blabbing. Why's it so easy to be misunderstood around other people? I admit that in general life I'm often flummoxed by trying to find a connection with others or read what they're thinking. Well not this weekend. This weekend was a vacation into a land where relationships come naturally. Oh how I enjoyed it.
A bright red sign on the door as we arrived said "Welcome to Wisserquist 2011." Biene wisely decided it was time our annual weekend acquired a name. So we dubbed it Wisserquist, which, as you might imagine, is a combination of our last names.
Much of our time centered around food (all the good vacations do, don't they?). Spoils from the Madison downtown farmers market include: Honeycrisp apples, three of the most gigantic red bell peppers I've ever seen, and a bag of white cheddar popcorn, which is a snack that I particularly like. Anders bought the popcorn without me knowing. As we were strolling along he suddenly popped up at the rear of the group carrying it. Smiley face.
Spoils from Brennan's Market include: peaches and plumcots and pears (ripe! juicy! mouth-watering!), pecan nutcakes made with wildflower honey (does that make anyone else think of hobbits dining with elves?), apple cider, and the dinner that Anders and I are sharing at this very moment: basil farmers cheese with sundried tomato crackers (oh my goodness). Brennan's Market, by the way, is a Wisconsin grocery store with only five locations. It's a good place to go if you particularly love fresh fruit, cheese, and beer.
Other food I feasted on: Alisse's homemade chocolate chip cookies, Alisse's homemade blondie peanut butter cup brownies, Alisse's homemade blueberry muffins, Biene's blueberry french toast casserole, and a spinach strawberry salad that I would really like to have in my diet no less than once a week.
Yesterday I made them try to help me pick out a name for Jabberwocky. I don't know how long we spent on the Internet just reading names. The winner was: Hibachi. Hibachi Helquist!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Pharmacy
The substitute doctor I had today prodded my uterus to see if I was right that Jabberwocky's gone head-down. She had wonderful soothing hands, and to be honest, this part felt quite incredibly good. I had to refrain from making my blissful ooh-I'm-getting-a-massage sounds. Her examination was inconclusive, but she said "I think you're right" twice.
After the appointment I stopped to get a refill of my prenatal vitamin. The upside to my pharmacy is that it's very close to our house. The downside is that it seems to be a breeding ground for slump-shouldered, bleary-eyed, disgruntled customers, and frazzled, weary employees. I don't like going there. It's always busy and one waits longer than one feels one ought to. It reminds me of the concession stand at a movie theater, where you know that all you asked for was popcorn and a soda, but after a few minutes you begin to wonder if you threw in a couple weird requests that's got them stumped. Like, maybe I said: popcorn, soda, and please also take half a box of Junior Mints and half a box of Milk Duds and combine them in an ice cream cone and then hide it for me under my seat. Because that would explain what's taking so long.
The difference in today's pharmacy trip was that the manager was there. Beams of light seemed to emanate from him in that dark place. He was performing a sort of juggling act. He greeted one customer, rang up another, filled a prescription here and answered a question there. Kindness and knowledge flowed from him. As long as he was present, the balls stayed in the air. He moved people through the line and sent his employees this way and that to pick up the slack. The moment he disappeared from view, it was like everybody's shoulders slumped again and the whole place sank back into inefficiency. What a tough job.
After the appointment I stopped to get a refill of my prenatal vitamin. The upside to my pharmacy is that it's very close to our house. The downside is that it seems to be a breeding ground for slump-shouldered, bleary-eyed, disgruntled customers, and frazzled, weary employees. I don't like going there. It's always busy and one waits longer than one feels one ought to. It reminds me of the concession stand at a movie theater, where you know that all you asked for was popcorn and a soda, but after a few minutes you begin to wonder if you threw in a couple weird requests that's got them stumped. Like, maybe I said: popcorn, soda, and please also take half a box of Junior Mints and half a box of Milk Duds and combine them in an ice cream cone and then hide it for me under my seat. Because that would explain what's taking so long.
The difference in today's pharmacy trip was that the manager was there. Beams of light seemed to emanate from him in that dark place. He was performing a sort of juggling act. He greeted one customer, rang up another, filled a prescription here and answered a question there. Kindness and knowledge flowed from him. As long as he was present, the balls stayed in the air. He moved people through the line and sent his employees this way and that to pick up the slack. The moment he disappeared from view, it was like everybody's shoulders slumped again and the whole place sank back into inefficiency. What a tough job.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Milwaukee & Baby Movement Recap
We just got back from Milwaukee! Jabberwocky's 10th live Brewers game, if you count the four spring training games in Arizona in March, when she was the size of a coffee bean! (That's 10 Brewers games for mama without beer. I'm not a big drinker or anything, but still, from the Wisconsinite perspective, that's worth a whistle.) It was nice as always to hang out with Anders' parents and Anika and Jon for a weekend that included a trip to Babies R Us, three visits to Kopps Custard (their Butter Pecan is roll-your-eyes-back delicious), and a laugh-filled dinner at a Family Restaurant we checked out. My meal was especially good. I ordered what Jabberwocky told me she wanted: two brats, two eggs, hash browns, and grilled toast. And I gobbled it up. Mmm.
In other news, I've been giddy to feel kicks at the top of my belly, which only started happening recently, because it makes me wonder if she has turned upside down! Whenever I feel kicks up there I get all excited and pat her proudly and tell her she's a good girl. But I still feel movement at the lower part of my belly too! The doctor will have to poke her for me on Thursday to give me an answer. I enjoy poking her myself, but unfortunately can't tell much from it, though I try. Did I get your little head, Jabberwocky? I love your little unseen head! Or your cute baby butt? I love picturing that baby butt!
I guess NBC heard we were expecting, so they created a show to entertain us called 'Up All Night,' about brand-new parents, which premiers Wednesday and looks like it could be hilarious. Speaking of laughing on the subject of new parents, we watched this old Bill Cosby video last week at the Birthing Class that is pretty enjoyable.
In other news, I've been giddy to feel kicks at the top of my belly, which only started happening recently, because it makes me wonder if she has turned upside down! Whenever I feel kicks up there I get all excited and pat her proudly and tell her she's a good girl. But I still feel movement at the lower part of my belly too! The doctor will have to poke her for me on Thursday to give me an answer. I enjoy poking her myself, but unfortunately can't tell much from it, though I try. Did I get your little head, Jabberwocky? I love your little unseen head! Or your cute baby butt? I love picturing that baby butt!
I guess NBC heard we were expecting, so they created a show to entertain us called 'Up All Night,' about brand-new parents, which premiers Wednesday and looks like it could be hilarious. Speaking of laughing on the subject of new parents, we watched this old Bill Cosby video last week at the Birthing Class that is pretty enjoyable.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
First Birthing Class
So! Last night was our first BIRTHING CLASS!
A girl at work yesterday asked if I was excited. I told her, no! I'm not ready to learn this stuff! They will show us videos of babies emerging from vaginas! I will go home scarred!
They did, in fact, show us a video that included a baby emerging from a vagina. Also a doctor presenting a fresh placenta to the new mother. The purpose of this, said the video, was to show her it had all come out intact. The doctor sort of stroked it, right in front of the woman's face. All there, nice and whole. Just the word 'placenta' has always made me feel a bit faint. The sight of one, red and moist and presumably still warm, made my head spin ever so slightly.
The video followed three or four women through the stages of labor. Which meant three or four variations of grimacing, groaning, panting and writhing. "Here's the redhead again ... oh look, she seems to be in as much pain as the Chinese girl. Now back to blondie ... yep, lots of suffering going on there too." Thanks, video.
It would probably be accurate to describe the state of my mind as petrified. Excited, yes. Able to ponder the impending childbirth scene with anything like equanimity ... no. I was in a fairly sour mood as we drove to class. This was because my fight-or-flight mechanism had picked 'flight,' so I felt like a kid being dragged to the dentist. However, here's what I have going for me: first, a husband, who's the type of guy to keep a soothing hand on my shoulders throughout almost the whole two-and-a-half hours of class, in complete understanding of all my inward quaking. Second, the fact that the reward's gonna be a little baby. I know, I get all cootchie-coo at those words too. Then third: the medical care's been really good so far. Including last night's class, which did more to assuage my fears than to provoke them. I went home feeling better than I did beforehand.
Something I've somehow never considered before: birth from the baby's perspective. It's gotta be awful. Last night, through illustrations and live props, we were able to see what it's like when the poor kid's head is stuck right in the middle of its mama's pelvis. And just think how long that position must be endured. Good thing you'll get over it quickly, Jabberwocky.
A girl at work yesterday asked if I was excited. I told her, no! I'm not ready to learn this stuff! They will show us videos of babies emerging from vaginas! I will go home scarred!
They did, in fact, show us a video that included a baby emerging from a vagina. Also a doctor presenting a fresh placenta to the new mother. The purpose of this, said the video, was to show her it had all come out intact. The doctor sort of stroked it, right in front of the woman's face. All there, nice and whole. Just the word 'placenta' has always made me feel a bit faint. The sight of one, red and moist and presumably still warm, made my head spin ever so slightly.
The video followed three or four women through the stages of labor. Which meant three or four variations of grimacing, groaning, panting and writhing. "Here's the redhead again ... oh look, she seems to be in as much pain as the Chinese girl. Now back to blondie ... yep, lots of suffering going on there too." Thanks, video.
It would probably be accurate to describe the state of my mind as petrified. Excited, yes. Able to ponder the impending childbirth scene with anything like equanimity ... no. I was in a fairly sour mood as we drove to class. This was because my fight-or-flight mechanism had picked 'flight,' so I felt like a kid being dragged to the dentist. However, here's what I have going for me: first, a husband, who's the type of guy to keep a soothing hand on my shoulders throughout almost the whole two-and-a-half hours of class, in complete understanding of all my inward quaking. Second, the fact that the reward's gonna be a little baby. I know, I get all cootchie-coo at those words too. Then third: the medical care's been really good so far. Including last night's class, which did more to assuage my fears than to provoke them. I went home feeling better than I did beforehand.
Something I've somehow never considered before: birth from the baby's perspective. It's gotta be awful. Last night, through illustrations and live props, we were able to see what it's like when the poor kid's head is stuck right in the middle of its mama's pelvis. And just think how long that position must be endured. Good thing you'll get over it quickly, Jabberwocky.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Duluth
We went to Duluth for Labor Day weekend, and my heart is too heavy with longing to be back there again to write about it quite as cheerfully as I'd planned to. We left Saturday morning. (Friday night I cried as I went to bed because we weren't there yet.) We stayed in Canal Park, a strip of shops, restaurants and hotels on Lake Superior. One of my favorite places on earth. Our hotel was lovely. Our room overlooked the water. I miss the nice-smelling down pillows.
We ate, and walked and shopped, and shopped and walked and ate. There is a new thin-crust pizza place there, which took over the spot where there used to be a quaint bookstore. I know it's sad and everything to see a bookstore close (especially a quaint one on Lake Superior next to a Caribou Coffee), but this was a good exchange. I'm in love with Vitta Pizza. After one slice I was already looking forward to going back. They make their own crust and it's wood-fired. For all my visits to the old bookstore, I never spent a dime there, whereas we ate at Vitta Pizza twice in two days (the cashier said "Weren't you in here yesterday?" when we showed up Sunday).
There's a toy store that was selling a beautiful play-kitchenette that I wanted to buy for Jabberwocky so bad it hurt. It was white and pale blue (hey! like the nursery!) with wood paneling and little shelves and four little burners on the stovetop and dials that really turned.
Ice cream after dinner (new Cold Stone favorite: "Coffee Lovers Only"), then back to the hotel where we played Carcassone and then fell fast asleep on the nice-smelling pillows with negative ions drifting through the open windows.
Sunday was one of those rare days that actually felt like it had the proper number of hours in it, instead of being three or four short like most days. Here's what we had time for:
1. A big, hearty, complimentary breakfast in the hotel's lovely dining area
2. Walk to the pier
3. Long, scenic drive up the North Shore
4. Play time on the beach
5. Lunch at a lakeside cafe
6. A pleasant, meandering hike
7. Browsing cute shops
8. Scenic drive back down the shore (I should include "nap time for Emily" here)
9. Vitta Pizza for the second time
10. Caribou coffee
11. Sitting on the hotel porch with our coffee listening to live music from across the street
12. Visit to Anders' aunt & uncle & cousin for homemade dessert and fun conversation
13. HGTV at the hotel
We listened to Mumford & Sons as we drove up the North Shore. Perfect. The sky was blue and everywhere interesting. Big woolly layers of clouds were all lit differently by the sun.
Eighty miles from Duluth one finds a deep, narrow crack in the cliff, with water running through it, and this is called the Temperance River Gorge. We went first to the little beach where the river meets the lake. On a previous trip to Temperance, we were able to follow the beach beyond a protrusion of cliff to find another little beach on the other side. This time, the way was blocked by water. So Anders took off his shoes and socks, and waded round the cliff. I waited until I saw three rocks plunk one by one into the lake from the direction of the hidden beach. This was my cue from Anders that the beach was accessible, so I should join him. I therefore bent down for the difficult and grunt-filled task of removing my own shoes and socks. Oh, Jabberwocky.
Anyway, I succeeded, only to find that rocky beaches are not especially friendly to bare feet. Nevertheless, round the cliff I went, with jeans rolled up and shoes in hand. Oh, how I wish we'd packed a picnic to enjoy on that little tiny rocky beach on that beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Anders patiently demonstrated, for perhaps the twentieth time, the mechanics of skipping rocks to me. I believe the motion comes naturally to boys, but I have to re-learn it each time. There is certainly no better place to do this than on a beach made almost entirely of smooth, flat stones.
Then there was yesterday. More walking, shopping, and negative ions, and also a chocolate-almond-caramel-apple from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Another wonderful day, if only it hadn't included checking out of the hotel and driving away!
We ate, and walked and shopped, and shopped and walked and ate. There is a new thin-crust pizza place there, which took over the spot where there used to be a quaint bookstore. I know it's sad and everything to see a bookstore close (especially a quaint one on Lake Superior next to a Caribou Coffee), but this was a good exchange. I'm in love with Vitta Pizza. After one slice I was already looking forward to going back. They make their own crust and it's wood-fired. For all my visits to the old bookstore, I never spent a dime there, whereas we ate at Vitta Pizza twice in two days (the cashier said "Weren't you in here yesterday?" when we showed up Sunday).
There's a toy store that was selling a beautiful play-kitchenette that I wanted to buy for Jabberwocky so bad it hurt. It was white and pale blue (hey! like the nursery!) with wood paneling and little shelves and four little burners on the stovetop and dials that really turned.
Ice cream after dinner (new Cold Stone favorite: "Coffee Lovers Only"), then back to the hotel where we played Carcassone and then fell fast asleep on the nice-smelling pillows with negative ions drifting through the open windows.
Sunday was one of those rare days that actually felt like it had the proper number of hours in it, instead of being three or four short like most days. Here's what we had time for:
1. A big, hearty, complimentary breakfast in the hotel's lovely dining area
2. Walk to the pier
3. Long, scenic drive up the North Shore
4. Play time on the beach
5. Lunch at a lakeside cafe
6. A pleasant, meandering hike
7. Browsing cute shops
8. Scenic drive back down the shore (I should include "nap time for Emily" here)
9. Vitta Pizza for the second time
10. Caribou coffee
11. Sitting on the hotel porch with our coffee listening to live music from across the street
12. Visit to Anders' aunt & uncle & cousin for homemade dessert and fun conversation
13. HGTV at the hotel
We listened to Mumford & Sons as we drove up the North Shore. Perfect. The sky was blue and everywhere interesting. Big woolly layers of clouds were all lit differently by the sun.
Eighty miles from Duluth one finds a deep, narrow crack in the cliff, with water running through it, and this is called the Temperance River Gorge. We went first to the little beach where the river meets the lake. On a previous trip to Temperance, we were able to follow the beach beyond a protrusion of cliff to find another little beach on the other side. This time, the way was blocked by water. So Anders took off his shoes and socks, and waded round the cliff. I waited until I saw three rocks plunk one by one into the lake from the direction of the hidden beach. This was my cue from Anders that the beach was accessible, so I should join him. I therefore bent down for the difficult and grunt-filled task of removing my own shoes and socks. Oh, Jabberwocky.
Anyway, I succeeded, only to find that rocky beaches are not especially friendly to bare feet. Nevertheless, round the cliff I went, with jeans rolled up and shoes in hand. Oh, how I wish we'd packed a picnic to enjoy on that little tiny rocky beach on that beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Anders patiently demonstrated, for perhaps the twentieth time, the mechanics of skipping rocks to me. I believe the motion comes naturally to boys, but I have to re-learn it each time. There is certainly no better place to do this than on a beach made almost entirely of smooth, flat stones.
Then there was yesterday. More walking, shopping, and negative ions, and also a chocolate-almond-caramel-apple from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Another wonderful day, if only it hadn't included checking out of the hotel and driving away!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Pregnancy: Week 30
My doctor seems bored with my pregnancy, which is exactly how I'd like it. He pokes and measures and looks at the computer screen and says "normal, normal, normal - any questions?" to which I shrug happily. A bored doctor means a healthy baby, we hope!
At my last appointment, they took blood, and a pretty little bruise developed in the crook of my elbow. It's pretty enough that nearly everybody has commented on it. Nine days later it's still purple, and was noticed by the nurse today, then by my doctor. I told them each in turn, "yep, you guys did that to me!" Which made them both feel bad.
The result of the blood-draw was that I do not have gestational diabetes. Which is good, cuz I really didn't want to.
Dr. Weber informed me that since I'm at Week 30, I'll probably start to have more trouble sleeping. Also that Jabberwocky may flip to her head-first position this month, which apparently will cause me discomfort. I feel almost all of Jabberwocky's kicks exclusively on the left side of my belly. It strikes me as incredibly cute that she's already a creature of habit.
At my last appointment, they took blood, and a pretty little bruise developed in the crook of my elbow. It's pretty enough that nearly everybody has commented on it. Nine days later it's still purple, and was noticed by the nurse today, then by my doctor. I told them each in turn, "yep, you guys did that to me!" Which made them both feel bad.
The result of the blood-draw was that I do not have gestational diabetes. Which is good, cuz I really didn't want to.
Dr. Weber informed me that since I'm at Week 30, I'll probably start to have more trouble sleeping. Also that Jabberwocky may flip to her head-first position this month, which apparently will cause me discomfort. I feel almost all of Jabberwocky's kicks exclusively on the left side of my belly. It strikes me as incredibly cute that she's already a creature of habit.
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