week 40

Posted on by

8

dear pobke baby,

well, your due date has come and gone. as has the supermoon. i could have SWORN that you’d be here this weekend but each night i went to bed hopeful and each morning i woke up rested. :) i suppose i should thank you for these restful nights i’m getting but alas, the anticipation of meeting you is so great it’s hard to appreciate what i DO have right now. :)

so i told you about my crazy body talk experience i put myself through last week so to expedite your arrival. well darling girl, i haven’t stopped with that. i also tried long walks (complete with jumping jacks!), spicy foods, and even a random recipe that swears to induce ladies (i baked an eggplant parmagiana last night in the hopes that it would work, but nope, you’re still inside me). none of these things have magically induced you… however, one “remedy” seems to have some sort of impact on you: acupuncture.

last thursday i went and visited an acupuncturist here in town, and i swear to the heavens you LOVED it. well i loved that you engaged not two hours after the first session. i had been worried as we left our last appointment with janette knowing that you weren’t engaged at all… just chillin’ and floating around. janette encouraged me to do some more walking, but that didn’t seem to do the trick. acupuncture, however, did! i walked out of the clinic and i immediately began to feel you make your way down. i was walking out to the car when i decided to stop into one of my fave cafes to order a mocha, and it was incredibly hard not to tell the barista that you were “dropping”. it’s probably good that i didn’t freak the nice young man out. :)

friday’s appointment with janette was a happy one: she confirmed that you had, indeed, engaged (YAY!), and that we were right on track for a good birth! she also confirmed that my acupuncturist (alex perry at the blue sky clinic – i strongly urge all canberra moms to make the trek out to manuka to visit him!) had an awesome track record with babies coming out without hospital inductions, which was so great to hear. your “home” in my belly still measured at 37cm (given that you had dropped), and your heartrate was a lovely and strong 138… all wonderful, wonderful news.

alex encouraged me to come back today for another acupuncture session, and your pops came with me this time so to keep me company and learn a bit more about the pressure points he needs to massage during future contractions. and like last time, you responded so quickly to the needles… i don’t think i’ve felt this much consistent movement for a while. as your pops says, it looks like my belly is doing caterpillar dance moves. :) your halmuni, on the other hand, insists that you’re hating it, hence the movements, and thinks that i need to pat the belly and comfort you by telling you everything is going to be okay. (don’t worry, i listened to her at the risk of looking like a crazy lady. i can’t not listen to your halmuni, no matter how insane her advice seems to be sometimes… she does “talk” to dead relatives you know.) :)

so all that’s left is patience from me and some effort from you. :) i can promise you that i’ll continue dreaming about you every night until you’re out here in this world. i can’t believe that in just a few short days (i hope) you’ll be here in our arms. your pops and i are so excited we giggle like little kids every night at the thought of you. (last night your pops leaned over and said, “can you believe we’re going to be parents? i can’t wait…” and then i teared up. see what you do to us?)

keep growing and take the time you need to come out to this world. it’s a bit cold but we promise to keep you warm.

loving you, my pobke baby.

pics from the week:

the lovely, lovely napping chair. i sit in it and i zonk out for hours. it’s amazing. (the chair AND footrest rock together at the same time!)

and my favourite reading chair. good light, good cushions, and not as comfortable so it makes sure i don’t fall asleep mid-paragraph. :)

i’ve also been keeping busy working on this patchwork quilt for you! this is the before:

and the after!

the magical acupuncture… i look sad but only because the needles are slightly throbby (which dr alex says is a good thing):

jumping jacks to help you along:

and here we are at week 40!! :)

week 38 and… gulp… 39!

Posted on by

9

dear pobke baby,

i see now how ridiculous it was of me to think you’d be a few weeks early. janette was right, you know: i should have expected you to arrive two weeks late from the get-go, so i could spare myself the anticipation of the days leading up to your expected birth day! :)

but alas, the 39th week has come and gone and you are still as snug as a bug in a rug inside me. which is probably just as well given that there are still a few loose ends for me to do before you get here. for one thing, we haven’t settled on a name yet. ah the name game. i really thought that your pops and i would come to some sort of mutual agreement by now, especially as the whole process of even putting together a decent name list was quite civil and amicable. but a few weeks ago, i got “THE” name stuck in my head, and it’s all i can think about. to me, you ARE this person, but to your pops, the name just doesn’t fit as right as he had hoped. which is totally fair enough, but totally disappointing to me as every other name on the list just won’t do. why oh why is naming so hard? a few of my friends suggested that i hold off until i’m actually in labour, so that i can turn to your pops and say (mid-push), “can i PLEASE pick the name?” to which he would surely say, YES! seeing as how i’m delivering his child. (i may still opt for this should we not come to any agreeable conclusion in the weeks to come.) :) on the other hand, i suppose i could agree to THE NAME being the middle name and instead, settling for a name that we both can agree on. (that would be the sensible thing but my dear child, your mama is a very stubborn lady at times… your poor pops.)

i’ve done a few silly and not so silly things so far to speed up your arrival (yes, in addition to being stubborn i am quite impatient!), including reflexology massages and a body talk session (and one acupuncture session coming up this week!). the reflexology session was done by my friend selina, a masseuse i’ve been seen weekly throughout my pregnancy (something i am so grateful that i get to do!). we did the first foot rub last week and the second this week: so far, no baby. :) BUT. (yes, there is always a caveat!) both sessions have left you feeling a bit restless, meaning you’re a bit more active than usual, indicating that there must be something to it! :) i’m not sure how it really affects you inside me, but i do know that we tend to fall asleep during the massage, and later in the evening you seem to be incredibly active. surely a sign of things to come? :) the body talk session was a single session that i did over the weekend simply out of curiosity. it can best be described by the body talk experts themselves:

“Every single cell, atom, and system is in constant communication with every other cell, atom and system within the bodymind complex at all times. This includes communication through the nervous system, as well as the other subtle energy circuits of the body – such as the meridians and the electromagnetic frequencies that are produced by the body through its functioning. Stress we experience in our daily life can cause these circuits to become compromised, weakening or disrupting the communication between the cells and systems. BodyTalk helps to re-establish these energetic circuits and efficient communication in a quick and effective way, which then allows the body to very quickly recover and catch up in the healing process. This is witnessed in how quickly symptoms disappear and function returns, often within just one or two BodyTalk sessions.” (source found here)

so being the open-minded person that i am, i thought i should check it out and see what this body talk thing was all about. i can’t just hear about these things and not do it; i have to experience it for myself to know if it’s the right thing for me or not. turns out that i’m still unsure whether it’s the right thing for me, but i did walk away with a few tidbits about you, which was well worth my time and money! :) i learned that you:

- have the personality of lyn (nana on your pop’s side), so you’ll be gentle and kind, and not prone to conflict (thank goodness!) :)
- will be born on 9 may
- will put me through an 11 hour labour (i’m okay with this!)
- are quite long and therefore a bit uncomfortable inside me so are eager to come out… but you don’t want to hurt me so you’re waiting until i’m ready. (i’m ready! i’m ready! i’m ready!!)

i loved learning these things about you… whether they’re factual or not doesn’t really matter to me. i guess i feel reassured knowing that you’re healthy and happy and such a thoughtful little soul, which i always knew you would be.

from a more medical standpoint, i met with janette last week and she gave me a few more bits of info about you (which i suppose are more reliable). for one thing, you’re not engaged yet (boo) but because you’re not, she was able to measure how big you are (yay!), and so far you’re on the smaller side of things, which is great news. excellent news, even! your heartrate was a pleasant 131, and you tend to love the right side (even though you’re supposed to love the left a bit more). but best of all, your head is down so all that’s left to do is engage! :) i’m trying to fit in some walks throughout the day (and stairs if i see any!) to help you along but i guess you can’t force these things. i’m also upping my intake of raspberry leaf tea to about four or five cups a day, but that’s mostly because i actually enjoy the taste of it and it doesn’t seem to give me heartburn or any other symptom (thank goodness!). it does, however, seem to give me some braxton hicks contractions, which i don’t really mind.

a few other changes i’ve noticed as of late:

- my nights are getting more restless. it’s getting to be more and more uncomfortable sleeping, my little one. so much so that it’s no longer that i wake up when i feel rested; but rather, i wake up because my body can’t handle laying down anymore. cramps galore!
- i wake up every night with tight lower ab pains, which at first i found to be quite the nuisance but now i found rather comforting knowing that it just means we are one step closer to meeting each other. :)
- 7pm is the time my back starts to hate me. my lower back, that is. something about that hour seems to initiate “operation hate christine’s lower back” and all that helps is the heated wheat pack i lean on.
- i can’t prepare my mind to go to sleep unless i take a warm bath. every night. it’s become a ritual and i fear the day i decide i need a bigger bath tub. that day may come soon! :)
- i think the crazy emotional and hormonal roller coaster ride is now over. (i hope. and i’m sure your pops hopes too.) i haven’t felt this “stable” in a while, so it must be a good sign indicating the calm before the storm (the storm being your arrival). i now think the crazy thoughts and choose not to say them, rather than the past behaviour of saying the crazy thoughts and regretting it days later. :) ah the joys of pregnancy.

so the final weeks have been quite happy, all in all. a few cramps here, a few restless nights there. but overall, still eagerly awaiting you and viewing every pain, ache and discomfort as a positive sign that our meeting is coming soon. in the meantime, i hope you’re not getting too cramped in there. and help your mama out by trying to engage. just try.

loving you, my pobke baby.

and i couldn’t possibly end this letter without photos of what we’ve been busy with these past few weeks!

i baked some anzac biccies (you loved them!):

we made some more candles:

we went for a walk; got a visit from our dear friend sheye; and enjoyed a delicious grown-up brunch with some lovely friends!


your pops and i spent a lovely cozy weekend together going for a drive out in the country, visiting a local cider brewery and getting all ‘edumacated’ at the local museum!


and finally, your growth these past few weeks. :) you’re getting very heavy my darling baby (hint hint). :)


weeks 36 + 37

Posted on by

10

dear pobke baby,

dare i say it? we have just three weeks left!! while a teeny tiny part of me thinks, “THREE WEEKS? that’s not very long at all!!” the majority of me thinks, “STILL three weeks to go? that’s like 21 days! a billion hours! cripes!”

it’s funny how most of this pregnancy has truly flown by… and yet these past few days are slowly trickling, second by second. i’ve never been more productive than i have this week, and yet still the time drifts by ridiculously slowly. i now understand why so many pregnant women get to the “i’m SO over it!” phase at the end of their pregnancy. :)

your movements are a lot more “contained” as well. you’re still an active little baby but there haven’t been crazy dance parties as of late. it’s been mostly rolls and jabs, letting me know you’re doing well and growing big big big. (which is mostly evident when looking at me, rather than by your movements.) the stares from strangers are getting more rampant, and i’m getting daily text messages or phone calls from friends and family asking if i’m in labour or if my water broke yet. (women and their intuitions!) your halmuni freaks out every time i call or send a message; she thinks every form of communication has to do with me being in labour. sometimes i just wanna chatsie! ha!

as silly as i think everyone is thinking that i’m ready to pop any day now, it really could just well happen. a friend of mine who i met through both CalmBirth as well as our parenting classes was due two days after us… and she had her darling little girl last saturday! when i got the call from ruth letting me know her amazing news, part of me panicked thinking it could have been me, and part of me was overcome with so much emotion at the reality of it all that i started crying. it really truly does feel “real” now, and i half expect my water to break anytime i feel the need to pee. (it probably doesn’t help that your auntie in seattle has also started a betting race to see when you’ll arrive, and almost everyone who’s placed a guess has guessed you to come early!)

there’s nothing really left to prepare for now that your room is ready, your clothes are washed, my hospital bag is packed, meals are pre-cooked and sitting in the freezer. i’ve even OVER cleaned the house, if you would believe. it’s ridiculously spotless. your pops has seven started nesting and has cleaned the ENTIRE shed out, so that it’s completely functional now. (he’s going to build us a chicken coop, which is very exciting indeed!)


awesome, no? between you and me, i’m so grateful he waited til i was 37 weeks to do it… the thought of all those spiders that would have been nesting in there gives me the heeby jeebies! :) lucky for us, we’re just too big and uncoordinated so your pops “forced” us to stay inside and have a snooze. which we did, obligingly. :)

my own nesting phase still continues with all the latest craft projects. i did a resin jewelry making class with my talented friend mikaela; a soy candle workshop at the shop handmade; and finished two random sewing projects on my lonesone: coasters and a birdcage! the coasters have come in quite handy with all the tea i’ve been drinking (several cups of raspberry leaf tea a day! gotta strengthen that uterus!), while the birdcage doesn’t really have a purpose… it just sits pretty in your room for the time being. :)

on top of all that, i’ve been keeping busy by going on fun adventures with friends:

going for walks:

reading magazines:

taking care of my plants:

consuming midnight snacks that your pops prepares for me very lovingly:

lots and lots of washing:

spending weekends doing fun things with your pops (like going to the canberra folk festival last week):

see? insanely busy.

and this is how you’ve grown thus far:

week 36; week 36.5; week 37. :) i can’t imagine you getting any bigger but i’m thinking it’s inevitable. :)



just a few more weeks, my little darling. a few more weeks. let the countdown begin. :)

loving you, my pobke baby.

Sewing, Baking, Vacuuming, Nesting.

Posted on by

1

dear pobke baby,

daylight savings have come around this week, and as the days get shorter and the nights get darker, i thought i’d be tired and sleepy and ready for winter. but alas, you have had different agenda for me. you have me attached at the hip with a vacuum cleaner, following your pops around and dustbusting every spec of possible dirt. and you have me rearranging furniture, moving sofas and lounges and flat screen TVs. and you have me baking and cooking all hours of the day (who knew i was such a good cook?). and you have me ironing, chasing after insects and spiders, cleaning out cupboards, and you have me sewing… oh baby you have gotten me addicted to sewing.

as the weeks collectively become trimesters, and your due date looms ahead, i find myself in quite the frenzy with all this sudden burst of energy and activity. what’s most bizarre is how all animals go through this nesting phase. how strange are we creatures? very strange. you should know your pops isn’t immune to the nesting either – he too is going through his own nesting phase of getting ready for you. he’s determined to clean out the shed, build a chicken coup, sharpen all of his knives and tidy the house with me. it’s all a part of the “getting ready for baby” process, or so i hear. but i am really loving it… absolutely no complaints from me. if your halmuni was here, she’d be shocked at the number of times i vacuum in a day. she would also be shocked to see me doing the dishes and dusting all the live long day. but when the nesting bug hits, it’s just best to accept it wholeheartedly. :)

and would you believe we are now at 35 weeks? just five more to go and you’ll be here! (although janette keeps telling me to aim for 15 may, i’m convinced you’ll come by 30 april. right??) in the meantime, we’ve now switched seasons to autumn, where the leaves change beautifully and the weather is starting to get a bit crisper. but you wouldn’t know it with the 27 degree day we had on sunday. your pops took me bicycling around the lake (he pedalled while i fanned myself and ate). truth be told, we looked a bit ridiculous in the two seater but i did feel a bit like a special princess. :)



this week was also a week of fabulous fooding… we ate like kings and queens! our friend alex invited us around to her beautiful new place over the weekend, where she made us all sorts of spanish tapas deliciousness. and then i was on one of my cooking frenzies and whipped up a bunch of meals throughout the week, surprising your pops with the smell of tasty food when he got home.

then there was all the furniture rearranging. i texted your pops these photos along with the SMS: “I have started rearranging furniture… Can’t. Stop. Urge. To. Nest. Is. Too. Strong!!!!” to which he responded, “!?!?! WOMAN! Please don’t do any heavy lifting!!! Wait for me to get home!” Followed by, “ARRGGHHHH!!?!!” silly pops and his empty threats. :)

the before:

the during:

and the after!

my sense of accomplishment was thrilling, to say the least.. but that didn’t last long. my sewing teacher (the lovely renae, aka suzy hausfrau) came along on wednesday, where together we got started on project #2: the diaper bag. it was ridiculously difficult. like, ridonkulously difficult. reading the instructions was like reading arabic backwards whilst hanging upside down. we even joked that sewing was truly for those gifted and talented mensa folk — that’s how confusing some of the wording was! needless to say, i felt a bit helpless when teacher renae left me to finish up the task at hand. there were bag pieces everywhere, upsidedownbackwardsconfusing words staring at me, and my neck was cramping. but ten hours later (TEN!!) i finished the darn thing. full of mistakes and choppy sewing and crooked stitches and everything. at one point i gave up on the pattern instructions and made it up as i went along (hence the atrociousness of the bag’s “innards”). :) but alas. the bag is complete and awaiting you. we shall see how long it lasts before it completely self destructs.


one thing that arrived that was custom made for you (but one that i did not make myself) is this beautiful chair. since i had nothing to do with the design or construction of it, you KNOW it will last. :) my talented friend lisa made this gorgeous chair and it’s sitting perfectly in your nursery. i can just see us cuddling in it, all cozy and sleepy and snuggly warm. can’t you? :)

so that has been our week dear little one. i, however, have not been the only one being crazy active: you have been INSANELY active this week! so much movement that your pops was convinced you were throwing yourself a little dance party in there. knees here, hand there, butt jiggling about – it’s enough to wake a pregnant lady up at 3 in the morning! oh wait… you did that. and also at 6am. are you giving me hints as to the type of baby you’ll be when you’re here? i’m thinking so. but i’m ready for you. as much as i love my sleep, getting up every three hours this week and laying in bed wide awake hasn’t been that unpleasant. i’ve quite enjoyed the quiet of the wee hours of the morning. but more importantly, i’m loving your activeness and crazy dance moves. it makes me teary to say the least. :)

here is your growth this week! 35 weeks. i can’t handle all this waiting!



loving you, my pobke baby.