Coconut!

Little baby g is the size of a coconut at 31 weeks! He weighs around 3.5 lbs and is an estimated 16 inches long.  Since coconuts are not easy to find in Minnesota in December, I took a picture with shredded coconut. This is more common in our house since I love it over strawberry frozen yogurt. And...it usually lasts a long time because Dan hates anything coconut flavored.

Shredded coconut- the best ice cream topping

The BEST coconut ice cream in Thailand 

Dan is not a fan of coconut ice cream but still gave it a taste! 

According to my research, baby g now has all five senses but Dan is mostly concerned he has a sense of humor. And yes, he made that joke when I told read to him our 31 week fetal update. 

Most of my reading lately has been centered around labor and delivery. We had our first birthing class on Sunday. The class was 8 hours long and focused on the signs and stages of labor, breastfeeding and newborn safety. It was helpful to see videos of couples working as a team and I think Dan liked having a preview of his role in pain management and emotional support. I got some specific tips about knowing when I should go to the hospital. The 5-1-1 rule was useful (contractions that are 5 minutes apart for 1 minute and the pattern lasts at least an hour). 

There were a few other tips I wrote down but overall, I was hoping for more. There was definitely a bias toward getting an epidural and I know that is the norm but I wanted to hear more about my labor pain coping options, breathing techniques, benefits and risks of different medications etc. But instead I left feeling like I have more to research. Is fentanyl more dangerous than an epidural because it is systemic and does reach the baby? Could an epidural really slow down labor and lower my already low blood pressure? What pain options are less harmful for our baby- an epidural or systemic medications? 

I have heard from numerous mothers and doctors that a birth plan is just a plan and not a guarantee. However, I want to at least go into this feeling educated so that I can be my own advocate. I will trust the doctor to do what is best for our baby and me but I want to avoid any unnecessary procedures such as constant fetal monitoring, laboring on my back and being hooked up to an IV in bed the whole time. We are still considering a doula and/or taking a natural birthing class to learn more about our options but with the Holiday season and a busy work schedule, I am lucky to be even finding time to blog. So, if labor comes sooner than our expected 63 days...we at least know when to go to the hospital, the basic procedures and how to strap our baby into the carseat (we don't yet own). AND, Dan got to practice swaddling and diapering a baby doll. Not bad, right! 

Dan's first diaper change

Biggest surprise from the baby class according to Dan: the woman in the video that give birth on her hands and knees!?!?!

Biggest surprise according to me: the doctors usually give pitocin after labor to birth the placenta!?!?!

Current cravings: salt and vinegar chips (do they still sell these!?!)

Discomforts: painful kicks on my bladder, frequent urination and tightening of the uterus 

Favorite pregnancy moments: thinking about all the growing and developing that is taking place even as I sit here blogging and feeling his kicks! 

Favorite quotes from kids at our schools about my belly: 

1st grader: "Is there a baby in there?" 

Me: "Yes". 

1st grader: runs back to the lunch table and says to his friend "I told you, she is huge!" 

or 

Kindergartner: "That is too bad you are having a boy. I hate boys." 

29 Weeks!

This last holiday week flew by as we traveled the suburbs of Minneapolis visiting with family and friends. Thanksgiving really is a holiday that reminds me of all I am thankful for and I love the simplicity of the day. Not that cooking a turkey is easy but I like that the day is about family and giving thanks (and pie!) rather than gifts, leprechauns or overpriced heart-shaped candy.

I started my Thanksgiving morning on the elliptical with my friend Casie, who is now 39 weeks pregnant! We stayed at the perfect pace to allow us to talk the whole time and breeze through our modified workout. I definitely noticed some extra long looks from others and I am sure our large bellies bouncing on the machines probably did look a little funny. But I LOVE that we are healthy enough to be active and share in this experience together. After the gym and coffee time with the extended running group, we went over to my moms and of course she cooked way too much food so we have had leftovers all week. It was a super relaxing day and we enjoyed spending time with my mom and brother. It was also fun to have my cousin Emily and her friend from Belarus stop by before they went out to see the craziness we call Black Friday (or Thursday in this case). 

On Friday we pretended it was Thanksgiving again and spent the day with the Gustafson side. I always enjoy seeing all of our nieces and nephews play and laugh together. I feel so blessed to know our little one will have such great role models and playmates. Some of my favorite childhood memories come from visits with my cousins. The best part of the summer was when the cousins would move in for a few weeks and we would spend hours every day in the pool playing water football and marco polo. 

Cousin time in the pool (always so many boys!) 

On Friday, my sister in-law Lisa took some maternity/Christmas photos for us and it was fun to talk about doing newborn photos soon too. 

Sneak peek of week 29! 

I also really enjoyed having a very real conversation at dinner about the best and hardest parts about being a new parent. Dans brother Jeff talked about the challenging late nights when you can't comfort the baby and Maria shared how hard it is to operate on no sleep. If you know Dan's family, you know they are the most patient people so hearing them say being a new parent is hard, will bring comfort to me when our long nights arrive. 

Saturday we got a Christmas Tree and then went to my dads for the Badger Gopher game. It was a great game and another Wisconsin victory! Although being at Camp Randall would have been fun, the fire, family and good food made for a pretty enjoyable football game.

Mucky! 

Our tree with a little kitty underneath 

On a very different note...I am starting to think I have some sort of car curse. Dan got up early this morning to pick up my car from the shop after getting fixed from being rear ended a few weeks ago. I had the car in my possession for less than 5 hours and on my way to do a site visit, a car backed into me in the parking lot! Yes, another car accident on the same day I got my car back from the shop. Everyone is okay and it was a minor accident but I am losing all faith in other drivers and frankly, think I should start taking the bus. I honked as the car was backing up and couldn't have done anything to prevent this one either but I am still SO frustrated! Grateful I wasn't hurt but shook up by what feels like a car curse! Anyway, this blog is supposed to document my pregnancy, not my accident records so I won't vent any more. Let's just hope for a safe rest of the winter! 

Baby g is a cabbage 

Little baby g only has 11 more weeks to go and is currently the size of a small cabbage. 

Cravings: chocolate (like always) so I bought some carob today to see if that satisfies my craving. It did not, I had a cookie later on! 

Carob, milk and Schmidt honey

Symptoms: not many, just some indigestion even though I have been eating smaller meals. Oh, and constant trips to the bathroom and some swelling in my legs. 

Super swollen feet- you can still
see my sock line 20 minutes after
taking them off- gross! 

Fetus Development: Teeth are forming this week. Baby is also putting on white vs brown fat which not only keeps him warm but also stores energy.

Strangest new fact: baby's adrenal glands are producing hormones that might cause my breast to leak milk even before he is born. WHAT?!?! Never learned that in anatomy class. 

Favorite pregnancy moment: I love seeing Dan so excited about our growing family. He admires my belly, pokes it when we see baby feet trying to escape, and spoils me with kindness and support. 

3rd Trimester!

Week 28 marks the 3rd trimester! 

How I know I am in my 3rd trimester

1. My shoelaces are tied off-center because its hard to bend over

2. People don't hesitate anymore to comment on my growing belly

3. I have to pee every hour

4. I can not only feel but now see the baby kicks

6. I am out of breath just talking 

7. My running has slowed to a speedwalk pace

8. My winter coat no longer fits and I have accepted that Dan's clothes are sometimes okay to wear

9. My own reflection both surprises and amazes me

10. There is no comfortable way to sleep on my left side-even with a nest of pillows for more than an hour but that doesn't matter (see #3)

11. I am back to frequent snacking just like the 1st trimester. There just isn't room in my belly for big meals

12. It's winter time but I am hot. I thought hot flashes were for menopause!?!? 

13. Our baby's ultrasounds look human- what a relief I am not growing an alien! 

14. My belly button is basically an outie. I really was dreading this one! 

15. My pants are pulled so high they almost double as as a shirt 

28 Weeks and growing! 

We had our doctor appointment today and all checked out good! Little g (still without a name) is 2lbs. 9 oz which means he is in the 52 percentile. I guess that's good because the doctor said too big is hard to deliver. Baby g is the size of a kabocha squash (not to be confused with kombucha- my favorite fermented beverage I miss SO much!). Kabocha is sometimes called a Japanese pumpkin and it is really good as fried tempura. Mmmmm, that is now on my list of cravings!

Size of baby g at 28 weeks

I told the doctor about my car accident last week (yes, rear ended again!) and she said I probably should have come in to be monitored but I reassured her it wasn't a hard hit. She said, "Well, if it happens again, we prefer to monitor you for 4 hours to make sure all is okay". Next time!?!?! Let's hope not. 

I have had soooo many little baby kicks and Dan and I laugh when it looks like he is going to punch right through my belly. The other day however, I felt a little kick that felt more like a muscle twitch. I told the doctor that it felt a little bit like a spasm and not like the other kicks. She reassured me that often times my body or the uterus might contract as a reaction to the baby kicks. However, because my sister Katie had a seizure disorder, she did say that if I feel it again, to call her and they would do a scan. I feel like I have been doing a pretty good job not over thinking or worrying about things out of my control but I have to admit, there are moments when my mind wanders to the worst case scenario. I get flashbacks to hospital visits with my sister and think about all the things that can go wrong during pregnancy, birth and those precious newborn hours. I think about how hard it was for my parents to see Katie suffer and just pray our little one is born strong and healthy. 

Starting to look like a baby! 

Now that we are in our 3rd trimester, we are feeling a bit more pressure to get things ready. Unfortunately, our birthing class got cancelled so we had to reschedule for another weekend. I was pretty disappointed because I am excited to learn more about what to really expect when expecting. However, I took advantage of some free time to work on crafting a lampshade. As I have mentioned, the baby room will be black and white which I guess is not a very popular theme so I am having to do more DIY. I got some fabric for the lampshade and another design that my mom is going to make into a crib skirt. I have enjoyed these little projects and like that the room will be filled with love, intention and style when he arrives! 

Measure and cut fabric

Glue edges with a hot glue gun

And hang! So simple. 

Baby it's Cold Outside!

For every little kid excited for the first snowfall Monday morning, there was a commuter dreading the icy roads. And for every downhill skier eager for the fresh powder, there was a homeowner cursing the start of the snowblower season. 

Normally I welcome the first few snowfalls and then the excitement diminishes as the winter cold drags into March. This season however, the first snowfall had new meaning for me. We are having a winter baby, which means the season  had to transition from fall to winter for this pregnancy to feel like it's progressing. Today marks 26 weeks and although I don't want to rush to week 40, I am starting to feel giddy about meeting baby g!  

According to average fetus measurements, little g is the size of a head of iceberg lettuce. I wanted to continue my unintentional weekly photo tradition but who buys iceberg lettuce anymore?!?! 

Little g is starting to feel like an uppercase G! He is definitely growing, twisting and turning. Today the yoga teacher reminded me that a yoga mom births a yoga baby. I liked that image and sometimes think that when I am extended in downdog, our little one is also stretching in happy baby pose. He is so active that I think he will transition smoothly into tumbling toddler classes, followed by ballet (which Dan can't deny since he too took ballet in college!).  

In addition to the first snowfall representing our transition to winter, it also allows me to start embracing the Holidays. And although there are some elements of the Holidays that bring about stress, overall, I love the traditions, family memories and comforts that make the season special.

One of my favorite traditions is one created 10 years ago back in Madison. Our junior year (we think) we decided to come together to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. Now, 10 years later, we still celebrate the holiday and friends drive and fly from all over for this special tradition. Over the years our wine and beer selection has become increasingly more sophisticated (from Point Beer to Craft brews) and our homemade dishes are almost perfected (from canned cranberries to delicious relishes!) We rotate hosts and decided one of these years we might need to rent out a large property to accommodate all the little baby Badgers being born into the group. This year, we welcomed little Oscar Nelson and he visited with us before heading over to his grandparents. We also missed having the Wildenbergs this year as they prepare for their little boy ready to join any day now! (we also missed Barlows, Krakowskis, Flash and Jerusha!) 

I am still annoyed (and baffled) that I didn't take any photos of our gathering this year so I will have to just post a few flashbacks. 

Pre-Thanksgiving ultimate frisbee game in 2008

Thanksgiving 2013 at our home

This weekend was also special because we got to celebrate with Jen at her shower. Luckily I got at least one photo of us at the shower and one of the Badger diaper tower. Yes, once a Badger always a Badger!! 

Jen's Shower (Kristen, Kate, Me, Jen, Meg, Amy) 

25 Weeks!

According to the trusted Wikipedia, nesting is found in a variety of animals (both mammals and birds) including humans. Domestic cats often make nests by bringing straw, cloth scraps, and other soft materials to a selected nook. Apparently, for women, the nesting instinct often occurs around the fifth month of pregnancy, but can occur as late as the eighth. It may be strongest just before the onset of labor.

As I mentioned before, I am not a real fan of the "nesting" term because it feels like a socially construed concept  (like Valentine’s Day) to encourage women to feel pressure to decorate the nursery, clean the house, and buy as much baby stuff as possible. However, I have to admit, my mood and interests do appear to have a pattern.

There must be stages of nesting and I have shifted from the nursery stage to the knowledge/research phase. After last week’s blog, I was so grateful and motivated by all of the mothers that reached out to me with Doula references, yoga recommendations, books, classes and even placenta encapsulation resources! I no longer feel like Googling  baby crib sheets but rather can't stop reading about all the things happening each week for little baby g and what is about to happen these next few months for the two of us.

In line with the knowledge phase, I signed us up for our first birthing class at Blooma Yoga which was recommended by both my doctor and friends. I started reading Great Expectations of Pregnancy and Childbirth and especially appreciated how they described the stages of labor by comparing my cervix dilating from the size of cheerio, oreo, soda pop and then bagel- now that’s something Dan and I can relate to and remember!

I also can't help but see every mother as a huge almanac of knowledge! I have discussed natural childbirth with my friend Kate, the pros of a doula with my co-worker Leah and the strategies for coping with labor pains with my sister in-law Lisa. Maria, Dan's sister, has helped reassure me that its okay to have some frustrations with my ever-changing hormones and she echoed that pregnancy can be scary when you think about another human dependent on you for nutrition and a nest! I love feeling like I have added another community of people into my life. Now in addition to my running, Peace Corps, grad school, college, family, work circles...I have a new mother-to-be circle. And, in this circle happens to be my college roommate and amazing friend, Jen. She is due in January and I SO enjoyed spending some time visiting with Jen this weekend and sharing our pregnancy aches, excitements and lessons learned.

Best friends and future friends! 

After visiting with Jen and Kate at the Talafous home, Dan and I made a trip to Babies 'R Us and Buy Buy Baby. It wasn't our first time at these stores but this time I was determined to get a least a few things decided like which car seat or stroller to select. However, I can't help but get overwhelmed at baby stores and feel like a huge target for their pushy advertisements.

All the crazy advertisements and samples I received when registering

I mean really...why are there 4 types of baby diaper pails? Is the genie really that magical!?!? Seeing all the baby stuff definitely makes me reflect back on my time in Honduras working in the nutrition center. They didn't heat the baby wipes, have a million rockers, bouncers, swings and baby bumbos (yes, that's a real thing!) and yet, the babies were doing okay. Now, in Honduras, many were lacking basic nutrition and a hygienic home, so I am not downplaying the importance of infant care, but I do know that many of the things I feel like I need to buy, are not really necessary. My goal is to have enough baby stuff that I can soothe the baby but not so much that we feel suffocated in our own home.

Sometimes the best toy is a box!

Nutrition Center in Honduras

The documentary "Babies" is also a good comparison for this dichotomy. The film shows that the babies from Namibia, Mongolia, Tokyo and United States all pretty much develop around the same time despite having very different environments, toys, resources etc. I definitely recommend it if the topic of nature vs. nurture interest you.

http://www.focusfeatures.com/babies

So...before closing tonight’s post, I have to report that little baby g is either an eggplant or a rutabaga depending on which chart I follow. He is probably around 2 lbs and almost a foot long. Dan stopped at the store on the way home and I asked him to pick up one of the veggies so he just got both. I am pretty sure this was his first time purchasing an eggplant and rutabaga but I guess I can't say I have ever cooked or eaten a rutabaga either. Suggestions!?!?!

Eggplant or Rutageba! 

25 Weeks!! (outtake photo) 

Another amazing benchmark!

Today marks week 24 for little baby g! I have a few iphone apps that I use to track fetal development (Babycenter and What to Expect) and found it interesting to know that not only is the baby the size of a cantaloupe or the length of an ear of corn but also that my placenta is the size of a soccer ball! Feels like the jump from a grapefruit to cantaloupe is pretty significant (and maybe not entirely accurate) but I do think we are in the middle of a growth spurt!

24 weeks and the size of a cantaloupe! 

Today also happened to be our 6 month appointment so I got some real baby measurements too. The appointment started with me having to chug the sugary drink to test for gestational diabetes. Dan sat with me and I think this is the first time he would have actually traded places with me. I guess normally getting blood drawn, exams and ultrasounds don't look very fun but he thought the "juice" smelled good. It wasn't as bad as I thought and I definitely recommend fruit punch over orange. I wasn't too worried about the results but sugar is the one thing I love. I hardly eat meat and if I do, its usually lean and I don't over salt or butter my foods but I rarely pass up a good piece of chocolate, a scone or homemade cookie.

During the hour waiting period I had an ultrasound. I do ultrasounds every 4 weeks because they are monitoring the baby's head size due to our family history. My sister had microcephaly and although they don't feel our baby is at any higher of a risk than the average, my doctor still recommends monitoring growth. I am okay with that and enjoy getting extra opportunities to hear his little heartbeat and see him wiggle around in my uterus. There was a moment however today when the technician paused and said she wanted a second opinion about the length of my cervix. I panicked and tried to read deeper into her body language to see if this was serious or not. She said the baby's head was right on top of my cervix and blocking the view so she wanted to do a vaginal ultrasound to see if the length was okay. I had no idea the length fluctuated (well at least not until delivery) and Dan and I were tempted to quick google it when she left the room for me to change. However, we refrained and had faith things would be okay- and all turned out to be fine. However, that little scare was enough for me to say some extra prayers tonight and be thankful all is well so far.

So, good news is that my cervix is the right length, I don't have gestational diabetes and little g is in the 55% weighing in at 1 lbs. 8 oz. We talked a little bit about my birth plans today and I asked for some recommendations about birthing classes and suggestions of what I can do now to prepare for a natural birth. She told me to keep exercising and she supports my running and yoga as long as I feel good. She said that will help so much during the birthing process. She also recommended we interview some dulas but she didn't push it and reminded me there will be a full team there to support me. She said her goal is to follow my birth plan and that we will make changes as needed but only if needed. I know a birth plan is simply that... a plan. My hope is to go without pain medications but I am also fully aware that the process is out of my control and 4 hours of labor feels a lot different than 24 hours!

After work today, I went to yoga and even though I was still annoyed the substitute teacher was emphasising twists and stomach poses, I just made a few changes, closed my eyes and imagined I was the only one in the studio. I also kept hearing the doctors reminder that yoga will help me prepare for birth. That new intention- getting stronger and staying fit for the delivery was a refreshing focus. Looks like baby g isn't the only one "growing" in this humble journey.

Pumpkin "patch" visit this weekend

23 Weeks!

Today marks 23 weeks pregnant! Hard to believe we are going to be parents in a few months. Yikes!

Every day I am thankful for this little baby growing in my belly. I feel blessed and so amazed with the human body. Little baby g is 8 inches long and 1.2 pounds according the averages. However, it feels like he is a lot bigger than a grapefruit.

Overall I feel good and haven't had too many reasons to complain other than just feeling big and uncomfortable. Sleeping is already awkward and I can't believe how many trips I make to the bathroom. It feels like there is constant pressure on my bladder and a pinch in my lower back. I've tried stretching, heat, rest, body pillow etc. but still uncomfortable.

In addition to Tuesdays being the day I like to document the baby bump, it is also the day I try to fit in Yoga after work. I enjoy Lifetime's slow burn vinyasa class because it isn't super hot and most of the poses are manageable for me. However, today I was definitely getting frustrated with my lack of flexibility and inability to do some of the poses. I left feeling not very zen and sorta annoyed that I was frustrated with my own body.

Pregnancy IS beautiful and I want to fully embrace each stage with grace, acceptance and positivity. I have always worked hard to define external beauty in terms of strength, health and fitness. All through college I was surrounded with amazing women that modeled holistic healthy living. Afterall, Rosie the Riveter was hanging in our college house at Madison and I worked for Planned Parenthood where I promoted women's health to my peers.

Good excuse to post a throwback to college

However, today after feeling awkward at yoga and unattractive in my too-small yoga pants...I just didn't want to take a baby bump picture. I know gaining weight is a good thing and that my body is doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing...growing, but I just didn't feel like photographing it. I asked Dan to take a picture of me and the grapefruit and then had a bit of tantrum and deleted it.

Dan looked at me and offered to take this weeks photo with the grapefruit, knowing of course that it would probably end up on social media. He is not a huge fan of selfies and doesn't even like grapefruit so he must love me because he even smiled for the picture.

Dan with the little grapefruit! 

Happy 23 weeks little grapefruit!

Nesting!

It has been SOOOO long since I last blogged. In the meantime, we moved, got married and are now expecting!! There are so many emotions and updates I could share but since I feel a little rusty blogging, I am just going to start with my weekend project- a mobile for little baby g. I wanted to have a way to document some of the nursery projects and I know not everyone on facebook wants to read about the progress so I figured returning to the blog would be a good idea. I am not committing to ongoing blogs but figure I will give it a go.

I really wanted to make my own mobile and was inspired by some daycare tours we recently went on (that could be a whole blog entry!). Two of the centers are designed around the Reggio approach which I later learned means they incorporate a lot of nature into the space, use neutral colors, natural wood and natural lighting. I have also been on pinterest with my hidden board for too long to admit (pre-baby!) and had some ideas I tried to pull together this weekend.

First, I collected some branches from this amazing tree! Yes, I was literally nesting. I never really liked that term since it sounds like some form of hibernation but when I found myself collecting sticks, I had to face the facts- I was nesting!

Then I whittled the sticks!

And then I went to Michael's Crafts with a coupon and spent under $20 for paint, paint pens, washi tape, brushes, wood squares and string. I painted the sticks first and then the little squares. Next I glued the two squares together with the string in between.This took way longer than I had imagined but I didn't mind since I wasn't feeling great and preferred a relaxing day crafting while Dan was at the football game.

After painting, Dan helped me tie all the strings and try and make the branches balanced. Good metaphor for life right now- Dan is definitely the one keeping everything balanced. He has been so incredibly supportive both pre-pregnancy and throughout this hormonal/emotional journey.

We still have to hang it and not sure how that will go but looks good when Dan is holding it! Other than the mobile...the room needs a little work. We got it painted, have a crib from Dan's sister Maria (love that her little ones used it- feels full of love!) and a dresser we need to set up.

Good thing I still have 17 weeks to go. We have time to nest!