Summer in the City

I’m working until July 15th. Then I’m not.

I’ve already started making a mental list of all the things I’ll be able to do with myself now that my presence won’t be required in Midtown East. First on the list is a bunch of career/academic related stuff, for life post-belly.

Then there’s New York in the summer. I spent last year’s summer in India, and while that experience was amazing, I’m looking forward to being in my city with all the time in the world.

We are also making a trip to Georgia at the end of July to visit S’s cousin. I’ll be 30 weeks at that point. I’m a little worried though, because I have been hearing not so good things about the airline we are flying. A fellow blogger complained about her AirTran experience, and I’ve been reading even worse reviews online. I guess that’s the hidden cost of dirt cheap tickets.

Then there’s, of course, preparation for baby Z. The list of crap we will need grows daily. Oy.

22 Weeks

I’m bigger than most pregnant women at 22 weeks. Last night S and I went to see Away We Go, a cute movie about a pregnant couple, directed by Sam Mendes. The lead actress was six months pregnant for most of the movie but looked much bigger. She was even denied a seat on a plane because she looked over eight months and they wouldn’t let her board without a doctor’s note. Ah, I can relate.

This weekend I sucked up my pride and went shopping at a maternity store. I was looking exceptionally sloppy at work with my pants unzipped practically all the way. Now that I will definitely be working through the summer, I needed to look a little more put together. The maternity store experience was relatively painless. Of course, just as I suspected, the majority of the clothes were gaudy and matronly. I am not a 50 year old woman! They did have a few items that looked decent and actually fit. Even though I’ve gained more weight than normal, I’ve only gained in my abdomen. The rest of my body is still slim. Hence, I’m still a small. Whew! I left the store with pants, capris, a jean skirt, a dress and a blouse. Not a bad shopping spree!

Alive and Kicking

Yesterday I took S over to my parents house to meet my mother for the first time. Yes, I’ve been pregnant for 21 weeks and only now are they meeting. Those who haven’t been reading my blogs for long (I’ve been blogging for over five years) won’t get it, because they haven’t been subjected to my blog rants about my mother and her irrational behavior, and the ups and downs of our relationship. I’ve been gun-shy because of her initial reaction to the pregnancy, which you can read about here, and also because of her behavior towards my previous boyfriend, the details of which I’ll keep private.

I wasn’t expecting much, but I daresay it went well. Yay.

Last night I also started to feel peanut kicking! The feeling is hard to describe…it’s like I swallowed one of those high bouncing jacks balls and feel it bouncing around in there. It’s a gentle kicking, a sweet reminder that there’s a living thing swimming around in there.

I’ve also been developing other pregnancy side effects that aren’t quite as gentle. I already know how I’m going to feel when I’m eighty. My bladder can’t hold much liquid and I have to make frequent trips to the bano. Allergies have been kicking my ass this Spring, which isn’t necessary a symptom of the pregnancy, but my violent sneezes frequently cause my tiny bladder to squeeze out a little pee, making me feel like I should start wearing depends.

I’m also achy. I get uncomfortable when I’m in one position for a long time, and its equally uncomfortable to shift positions. I can no longer climb long flights of stairs without running out of breath. Hell, I can’t even walk at a normal (New York) pace!

It’s all worth it though. I may complain and whine (especially to S) but the little things like seeing him on the ultrasound and feeling him make it all worthwhile.

I could use this!

This is the BeltzBib, a bib that attaches to the seatbelt, so that you can comfortably eat your greasy nachos in your car without getting it all over your clothes. When I first heard of this all I could think of was, they should totally market this to pregnant women!

My belly serves as a crumb catcher. Last week I ate an everything bagel with cream cheese on the train. Instead of just falling through my legs to the ground, the crumbs ended up on my stomach. It wasn’t until hours later, while I had already been at work for half the day, did I discover a glob of cream cheese on my underbelly. And it wasn’t until later when I was sharing this experience with a co-worker that she noticed a second glob of cream cheese on the back of my pant leg!

So maybe someone can invent a chic bib for mothers-to-be? One with a bin at the bottom, like the BeltzBib, that keeps the cream cheese off of maternity clothes? Pretty please?

Belly at 20 weeks

20 weeks

I feel big. I’ve gained 15 pounds. I’m officially the heaviest I have ever been. The weight gain is mostly all in my belly, so my arms and legs are still stick like. I typed in “20 weeks” at flickr.com and was pleased that at least some of the women look as big as I feel.
Took some pics yesterday. I’ll post them as soon as S gets up off the couch to send to me. :-p

Tomorrow is the ultrasound. Yay!

I started SNORING! Apparently loud enough to keep S up at night. The first time it happened he left me alone and tried to sleep through it. Aww, how cute is he? At some point soon I fully expect to be awoken to him repeatedly punching me in the ribs. 😀

10 second update

Life’s good. Haven’t felt him move yet, but I’m being told that that should happen soon. Feel very normal, even have “normal” allergies.

Am excited for the warm weather.

Am leaking from the breasts. This is normal but not very common. So far I’m the only one who’s started this early. Am taking it all in stride. Seems to happen at the most inopportune times.

Told my supervisor on Monday. Looks like I’ll be working past the end of May.

Trying to cram everything into the second trimester before I start feeling tired again. Am not looking forward to the massive weight gain. At least I don’t anticipate stretch marks. My mom never got them. Woohoo.

Mother’s Day was one of the best I’ve had in recent history. My friends sent me “Happy mother-to-be day” texts. It was cute. Also managed to get my mother a present she actually appreciated and will use. That hasn’t ever happened. Also saw my grandparents and the rest of the maternal side of the family.

Anatomy scan is scheduled for next Friday. He’s going to look like a real human being when we see him! Can’t wait!

Energy! Libido!

Oof. It’s been a while. I’ve started four blog posts since my last update but always end up saving them as draft. Sometimes the urge to write hits and the words flow beautifully. That urge hasn’t presented itself lately.

Nonetheless, there is much to say.

• I’m in my second trimester, and life is back to normal. I no longer get mood swings, and I have energy to spare. And! My libido is back! S is quite pleased about this.
• I have decided not to renew my contract at work. I put a lot of thought into this, and there are just too many negative factors involved with me staying. The only positive is the paycheck, which I admit, is a big positive. However, the reasons I left this job a year ago are still valid. If I don’t move forward with my career goals now, I will find myself stuck doing something that I hate for longer than I’d care to.
• Along those lines, I have also decided not to “announce” my pregnancy at work. The two co-workers closest to me know, and there is really no reason for anyone else to know. After I leave (again), I won’t be keeping in touch with anyone else here. It’s fun hiding my bump. It’s not outrageous as yet, so scarfs and shawls have been doing the trick.
• I’ve been taking advantage of my new found energy. I spent the weekend at happy hour (albeit sober), celebrating two birthdays, watching a baseball game at the newly constructed Citifield in Queens and walking through Flushing Meadow park with a few girlfriends.
• We have picked out a name for Peanut. We are keeping it under wraps for now, to avoid the usual negative opinions that are bound to come from all sides. I sometimes wish we could wait a little longer before naming the kid, at least until his personality starts to show. That way we can tell if he’s a Bob or a Storm.
• On Sunday I rode the train with a toddler who did not want to sit in her stroller and wasn’t afraid to let it known. She threw a tantrum, screaming her head off, taking off her sneakers and throwing them across the train, all the while the mother calmly ignored her. Yikes. I don’t know what I would do in that situation. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

Foiled!

On Wednesday S’s hairdresser (barber?) noticed my belly. That’s two in one week.
I’ve gotta say, I don’t look that pregnant today though. I don’t feel pregnant either. I think it’s the second trimester kicking in. I feel normal.

Making another lame attempt to reclaim my social life. I’m going to my regular Friday happy hour destination, my Cheers, where everyone knows my name. I haven’t been since last year. Hopefully they still remember my name.

My last lame attempt:
Last Saturday I made plans to go out with a girlfriend. S went off to work, then a concert, then realized that my wallet (read: money, driver’s license, credit cards) was in his jacket pocket. So there I am stuck in Brooklyn.
Undeterred, I remember that my metrocard was not in the wallet. Aha, I can still travel! And since alcohol is a no-no, I don’t actually need any cash or credit cards. And I have my passport! Wahoo!
I get dressed, and dolled up and was quite pleased with the results. Tight jeans, high heeled knee high black boots, a red halter top with an empire waist that minimized my belly while showcasing my newly ample bosom. I was ready.
I walked to the subway station and swipe my metrocard and swiped only to get the following message:

Insufficient funds

Curses! My monthly metrocard chose that day to expire. Still determined, I walked all the way back to the apartment (did I mention it was also raining?) to find eight quarters.

Then I realized that it just wasn’t meant to happen. I’m all for creating your own destiny and paving your own path. But I also know that sometimes you have to give in, and let the universe have its way. So I settled in for the night, watched Made of Honor, and waited for S to come home bearing french fries and the promise of a massage.

Oh boy

I’m proud to report that my baby has a skinny neck. Yay, minimal Downs Syndrome risk!
Friday’s ultrasound screening went very well. It was amazing to see our little boy on the screen, moving around. Yes, I said boy. 🙂 The technician, although earlier said that it was too early to tell the sex, did notice a protrusion between the hips that was too large to be girl parts. 🙂 She told us there was an 80% chance that it is a boy. I plan on posting the ultrasound photos, as soon as I get motivated enough at home to scan them in.
They said that although the initial neck measurements look good, they won’t have a comprehensive picture until they also run blood tests. I got my finger punctured and blood painfully squeezed out to mark five dots on a card. Dr. Pepper will get the results in two weeks, at which point he will give me the okay to tell the world.
At this point we are telling more and more close friends and family. I am about to tell my supervisor at work, because my consultant contract ends at the end of May and I need it renewed to the end of the summer. It’s also getting harder and harder to hide the baby bump.
Yesterday the first ever stranger noticed my pregnancy. She took me by surprise when she asked me when I was due. So I guess that means I am officially showing. Time to start shopping at maternity stores?