Serenaded (not in a good way).

I wake many times during the night. And not just for bathroom, but also when i I get a kicked spleen or even just to turn over. Loads of waking time. Meanwhile, if you can imagine, each and every time I wake throughout the night I'll have a song playing in my brain. Each night a different song, but alllllll night, same song. And now, to take it to a new level of madness -- last night: "The Rose," night before:"Total Eclipse of the Heart," and so on. Yeah, you heard me. Stupid hormone-and-fatigue-addled brain. Sheesh!!

Nesty, part 19

So excited. The old futon burning a hole in our living room: gone. Big empty fish tank I didn't want to clean: gone. Offices: finally kinda coming around -- minus the piles of crap to be filed and supplies to be organized, our combined office is halfway there. Appointment to have ceiling fixed: made. Movement! Too bad about the hemorrhaging money.

Rententive.

So I guess now's the part between the pregnancy and the hot hot hot weather that my feet and hands can swell. My feet, actually not so bad...although while at office, I had kicked off my shoes to the dogs up while working, and when i had to get up for bathroom run, I couldn't get my shoes even halfway back on. Oy. My fingers, meanwhile, don't look bad but must be retaining fluid because the joints are killing me. I relented to everyone's advice to take off my wedding rings, and put the band on a chain around my neck. BA wants to get a doctor's note to make sure that's why I'm taking my rings off - ha! Nothing says "come and get me, boys" like a knocked up single chick! ...well, maybe in some circles...

Kicked.

Mini is getting big. The kicking and especially the turning over is an ordeal -- feeling like internal organs are being cast aside for room. Can easily watch it all from the outside( ! ). And it seems like it happens all the time now, not so thrilled with a small cozy space perhaps. I actually think it is stretched out! I can feel little feet kicking on my left side and the big round hips and tush on my right. Funny, squirmy little thing!

Sore as Hades.

I started to get these absolutely awful pains in the "round ligaments" which is to say the strips along my abdomen down to the groin that are stretching to hold a kid. At doctor appt a few days ago I mentioned it to the OB and she said "ooohh, yeahhhh, I know exactly what you are talking about...it feels like..." to which i interjected with "I'd say 'searing' pain." She replied "oh! yes, searing, that's a perfect description. And sorry, not much you can do." So I'm becoming good pals with the heating pad, and walking like John Wayne --- or a two-bit hooker.
The good news is that my feet don't hurt me nearly as much as before, you know, since i can't walk very far. Wheeee!!

Nesty, part 11.

The glider arrived! First baby-related thing in the house. And when i say glider, I mean a chair that I didnt want to get out of at the store. Big, cushy, glides, reclines AND swivels. Only thing missing is for it to be able to levitate off the floor and move to another room. Cat likes it.

Rounder.

I am now officially at the point where seeing myself in mirrors is getting funny. Lookit how all knocked-up I look! I went to Target the other night to grab a maternity tankini - as swimming sounds just lovely these days - and in the dressing room I actually laughed out loud. Can't believe that's me! Hilarious.

Meowy.

The cats have been acting very funny these days -- highly needy and affectionate and talky. Well, Sedgwick has always been a bit of a shadow for me, but lately i can't even shower without him coming in and waiting on the mat outside the tub, or even pawing at the curtain and yelling at me. The gray one meanwhile continues to get more and cuddlxtreme - like wanting to lie across my chest and over my shoulder every time i am sitting in my comfy chair to read.

So. I am curious - do they sense things are about to change? Am I acting differently so they are? Or do i just have a maternal stink that makes them want to hang close? Interesting... In other news: kicky baby!

Nesty.

We settled on a fabric for baby room linens - within about 5 seconds from when we spotted it since it had monkeys playing instruments, ducks balancing dishes on beaks, bears serving tea, pipe-smoking elephants, and so on. BA thinks we should get a whole bolt of the stuff so that we can also make outfits for ourselves and baby. We'll be like the Von Trapps! ...Except instead of lovely showtunes around the hills of Austria, we'll be belting out limericks and bawdy vaudevillian tunes around Evanston.

Transitioning.

A couple days this week, i have awakened in the middle of the night, starving, and waking nauseous in the mornings -- just like back a few months ago. I am getting pretty tired of eggs, so this week baby's night feedings are good old fashioned corn flakes. Very easy to prepare in just the street light coming from outside. And i get to think of the single Kelloggs commercial that made me laugh whilst chowing down -- where an old farmer is saying to the camera, "Corn Flakes? Just lookin' at that bowl makes me wanna snooooze!" -- I laughed every time at that. Because I'm simple.

Swollen.

Seems that on hot humid days, my usual long walks around town yield highly uncomfortable hands, swollen with blood or whatever fluids. Today I got home and I could barely bend my fingers! Totally fine as soon as I took a cool shower. Then just exhausted. But little Kicky is still moving up a rambunctous storm in there -- doing better than me!

Like a Moonwalk.

Baby is just kicking, punching and triple lindying all the time now. The exciting part being that it's big enough that for first time this weekend, BA could feel it too. Wheee! Jump little bean! ...Careful of my spleen!

Bon vivant.

So long story short i made some chocolate chip cookie dough to bake, but i like to 'frigerate overnight before baking. Which of course leads me to "i'm not supposed to do this, what with the raw eggs and all, but i'll just have a little lick first." And about 3 fistfulls later thought "ok! stop and put it away." Half hour later I am in bed, attempting to sleep, and the poor sugar-blasted Bean is kicking and punching like a sonofabitch. For about 2 hours. Sorry little guy!! Umm, introducing cookie dough; enjoy!

Oof!

Baby movement getting more regular, I should try to keep track what times of day. Last night at Ravinia, I swear part of a kicking (or punching?) session hit me in an internal organ! Umm, excuse me, careful there, Jellybean!

Productastic!

Commie Market run: accomplished. They also finally had some organic grapes AND cherries. Yay! The nectarines smelled so good – my nose finding them long before my eyes did – I was nearly swooning as I pawed them into my bag. I have been starting to wake in the middle of the night with cramps in my calves, which i have heard is a pregnancy thing that can be helped by eating potassium. I have been angry with Peapod's bananas and thus not getting them as much, but looks like I've gone too far. Thank you, Commie Market! Now if there was only a fruit that would keep my feet from getting so sore...

Slow.

PreNatalYoga yesterday kicked my ass, again. It's so sneaky...seeming more gentle, but afterwards we are all exahausted as hades. So....well done, teacher. I'm gonna trudge to the commie market for some organic apples.

Good.

Except for my feet, which get tired and pained quickly. I am finding out just how much of my typical day I am used to walking about or standing - trying to sit more, and with the dogs up. Also, I had my first stranger ask when the due date is - so i guess I'm getting past the point of just looking like I've let myself go!

Lovely.

The bedroom closets are cleared out and organized, the porch filled with freshly planted flowers dancing in the breeze... i feel great in and out. I think I'll pop some antibiotic free chicken nuggets in the oven. Only choclate pudding would make it all perfect.

Grooveyness and flutterings.

Cool rainy weather is such a relief. I did some gardening, adding a hundred plants and flowers to our deck. Maybe a little blow up pool next; I'll have a place to cool off when the temperature goes back up. With a floating tray of frozen bon bons. More little flutterings daily from Kicky!

Hot.

Doing well, but the heat in the house, although not even that bad for chicago heat, is feeling especially stifling and spongey while being knocked up. I spend a lot of time splashing icy water on my face neck and feet. When i put my head against the screens, trying to determine when i can give up and hit the AC, it seems not THAT bad outside. If i still had my big fans I'd stick them in a couple windows and bring some outside in. How's a popsicle sound, little jellybean?

Birds.

I'm fairly tired of a bunch of food items at this point, except for organic chicken nugs, of which i am on a serious binge these days. I like keeping a few boxes of them in the freezer, in case of a sudden craving. Yeah, that's not embarrassing at all. The brooding mourning dove keeps an eye on me. And i felt my first tummy flutters!

Sunny and Connected.

Feeling good although my feet have been hurting a bit the last few days, so trying to rest more and put them up. A morning dove 'couple' has built a nest on the bedroom window sill, and today when they were out i peeked in and saw there is now an egg (wasn't there last night). hee! I like their sweet faces, and their cooings -- good background for afternoon naps. Also, i now want to eat Little Debbie Swiss Cakes 24 hours a day.

Goody.

Feeling healthy. And rotund. And kinda sleepy. All good.

Embiggening.

Definitely seeing and feeling tummy getting bigger... kinda funny and surreal. A little scared at how big this could go being that I'm at 18 weeks out of 40. But feel good! and supposed to start feeling kicking/movement anytime soon. Neat

Almost there...

Today feeling much MUCH better. Went to a lovely pre-natal yoga class and then got an hour massage. Rounded it out with a cupcake. Life is good, kiddo!

Pulling Out of the Spin

Finally after a few days with the neti pot, robittussin and good old viking genes, I seem to be moving onward and upward again. Yay! I can't imagine what that cruddy cough sounded like from the inside. Poor Jellybean!

great, and yet...

If only my sinuses would stop overproducing mucous right now, I'd be doing spectacular. Might be turning to Benadryl and Robitussin soon. Out out damn snot!

Battling Gleefully.

Feel happy and good, just fighting getting sick. My cough sounds fab...like a smoking Abe Vigoda.

"...what the? "

Just as things are looking up (and out) physically, some nasty little virus is trying to settle in. Come on! Headache, general cruddy feelings, that bronchitis deep-lung smoker's cough. I am utterly wiped out. Thinking positive thoughts to make this go away, stat -- it has worked in the past...

Doing great!

Not too sleepy, eatin' stuff, feelin' fine. Also, have a bit of a hankering for sweets...first real time since getting knocked up. I'll try not to empty a bag of chocolate chips straight down my throat.

great!

Again with the awake and hungry in the middle of the night, I get up this time. My eyes are too tired to work much, so i scrambled some eggs and toasted some wheat bread to lie them upon using only the light from a street lamp, the blue fire on the stove and the red glow coming from the toaster. Today I feel great.

Hellenic

Feeling good, albeit a bit tired. And for the third time in four days I have devoured an identical greek meal from Cross Rhodes.

this and that.

At three in the morning I was suddenly awake and starving. I couldn't stop thinking about our dinner at Cross Rhodes, nor about the image of the restaurant being quiet, dark and presently unhelpful. Oh, but another greek sandwich and fishegg spread would be soooooooo good right now. I refused to pad down to the kitchen, unable to think of a single thing that could satiate me other than that sandwich. However, after vomiting at 7am, I went into the kitchen to peel an orange and make some pancakes. You win this round, kiddo.

Absolu-fabu!

Got to hear the baby's heartbeat, a little galloping horse in my tummy. Now, a nap.

hmm.

Maybe I'm good, or maybe I'm woozy...riding that line. Hunger pains yelling, but does this milk smell bad? Maybe it's just me. I just don't know if i can eat eggs again today. The sunny kitchen is so lovely right now though. I'll just stand here and stare into the fridge a while longer.

goody goody gumdrops.

fab.

Feeling healthy, some energy and hungry. All good!

lovely.

It's all sunny. And the smells of the produce and fresh salad departments of Whole Foods made me swoon.

oof.

The day isn't starting out so great; a simple cough or bending over starts dry heaves. After a bit I try some fluffy scrambled eggs on wheat toast, hoping it'll help. Even my reliable mint tea tastes kinda icky. What would you like instead, little guy?

SuperCal.

It's a brazzle dazzle day; a lifetime of joy, in just a few hours. Hope it's sunny at naptime.

meow.

Sleepiest kitty in all the land. With a single dry heave.

yummy.

With nausea still at bay, I'm excitedly figuring what to have for breakfast. As I lie in bed, I daydreamed of peanut butter sandwiches or maybe a pile of french toast. After padding down the hall to the kitchen, my stomach says, "wellllll, maybe not syrup."

good.

Now passing 30 hour mark without nausea. Perhaps it was the dose of wasabi and avocado maki yesterday afternoon. In this state, exhaustion is a breeze. A sleepy breeze, but a breeze indeed.

barfy and tired, but pretty good. Could eat soup for first time in 2 months (yay!), and crashed for a 3 hour nap after work.

fully awake, nauseous and starving at 1am. Got up and made scrambled eggs and ate them in the soft light of undercounterlighting inbetween dry heaves.

nauseaus, tired