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Saturday, May 16, 2009

Ma Petit Chou

That title means "my little cabbage" in French, and it's always been one of my favorite terms of endearment, so imagine my delight when BabyCenter's weekly update compared Baby Norah to the size of a "Chinese cabbage"! (Really, I don't know why all size comparisons are made with either fruit or vegetables, but it's amusing nonetheless to see her go from grape-sized to cabbage-sized. I imagine at the end, it will say, "Your baby is now the size of a large watermelon.")

Anyhoo...as of today, I am 28 weeks, which means I'm 7 months preggo: two-thirds of the way there! So, I figure this is a good point for some pregnancy reflection: And I have a lot of thoughts, so brace yourself for a lengthy post.

Weeks 1-5
Didn't know I was pregnant. Drank beer and ran like I normally did. It was a Friday at the end of the 5th week that I consulted my weekly desk calendar and realized I had missed my period by a solid week (never happens), so on my way home from class that day, I stopped by Walgreens and picked up a home pregnancy test. Took it once I got home, and I didn't even have to wait the requisite 2 minutes in order to see the distinct + sign. I took one more to be certain and then I hugged Scooter and called Jerry at work. He came home because I told him I had something big to tell him, and when he heard the news, he nearly pooped himself -- literally.

Weeks 6-12
Pukey as all hell. Most pregnancy stuff says that if you're going to experience morning sickness, it will begin around weeks 6-8, and as if on cue, the day I was 6 weeks pregnant, I threw up. I didn't puke everyday in these weeks, but close to it, and some days were just pure hell -- barfing several times in one day. I also had really bad headaches, which also made me feel like ass. But, it was fun to be able to tell so many family and friends that we were expecting while we were in MN for Christmas.

Weeks 13-19
I thought the morning sickness would abate after the first trimester, but it really didn't. I would sometimes have several days in a row without barfing, but then it would again strike me down. On the whole, however, I did start to feel marginally better, and I began to gain some weight and began to show. In week 16, I felt Norah move for the first time. I remember distinctly that my brother was visiting and we were at the beach, and I was laying out in the sun when I felt a strange movement in my abdomen that kinda felt like gas in the wrong place. The most exciting part of this time was that in week 19, we learned that we were having a girl, and we didn't hesitate to begin calling her by the name we'd already selected.

Weeks 20-27
Morning sickness pretty much evaporates. Yes, there have been a few random barfisodes in this time, but on the whole, the constant nausea that plagued me in the beginning completely subsided. And while I was feeling much better, my continued weight gain and growing belly began to make me feel uncomfortable in new ways; sleeping, especially, is beginning to become more and more uncomfortable, but I have time to take frequent naps, so it's okay. Still, I'll take the physical discomfort of a growing belly over vomiting any day. In baby preparation, I had my first shower and we got the furniture and almost all of her clothes. We kept up with dr visits, which continued to go well, and we checked out the daycare, met with the pediatrician, and got signed up for baby class, which begins in June. Norah moves all the time now, and sometimes I can feel distinct body parts. The other day, I was laying on the couch, reading, and she was moving all around, so I pulled my shirt up to see the movement, and I think I saw either an elbow or a knee go sliding across my belly. It was surreal. Very much reminded me of "Alien."

Through these past 7 months, I have also been happy that I've been able to keep running. Initially, I maintained my weekly mileage of about 20-25 miles a week, but by now it has dropped to 9-12 miles a week. Still, being able to run at all at this point keeps me happy.

Looking Toward the Next 12 Weeks
In my running-while-pregnant books, this time is often compared to the last 6.2 miles of a marathon -- I'm more than halfway there, yet this is the most difficult part of the journey. Physically, I know this part of the pregnancy is more demanding, but I think on the whole, I feel better now than I did 5 months ago, and mentally and emotionally, I feel more and more prepared for what lies ahead. And instead of the anxiety and fear that dominated my emotions in the beginning, I am feeling more and more excited as the weeks go by. Both Jerry and I have been dreaming of Norah lately (Jerry told me this morning that he dreamt last night of having Norah in the bookstore and he was buying her books...and pickles...hey, his dream, not mine), and sometimes I just go in her room and stand in there. Sometimes I open up the drawers of her dresser and look at her clothes, trying to imagine a baby filling them out, and it quite honestly makes me optimistic in a way that I've never felt before.

I hope to keep running for as much as I can for as long as I can in this last trimester, but I also know it's gonna get more difficult (especially with summer's heat encroaching). I remain flexible on this and just hope that I remain active even if running begins to become too strenuous.

So far, it's been an amazing journey, and I look ahead to the next 12 weeks with mixed emotions -- eager to get it over with and have her here, and also with some remorse since I know I'll never be this close to her, in this way, again. At any rate, no matter my continuous emotional contradictions, I know the time will go quickly, and before we know it, Norah will arrive!

28 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing your reflections. It's an exciting time, no?

SavvyFitChica said...

Oh man, reading about your standing in her room and opening the dresser drawers and such brought tears to my eyes... I'm not sure why. It's very touching to read about your "longing" (not exactly the word I'm looking for) to meet your new baby girl and see her... it's really touching.

Good luck these upcoming weeks, you'll be fine and simply "staying active" whether that's running, yoga, light weights, or walking, I think that's a great goal.

Anonymous said...

just wait until you start feeling the feet actually kick your insides..that'll be fun. One time I grabbed J's foot- apparently she was stretching while I was lying down and her entire imprint of a foot came out of my belly right out of an alien movie; i tried to grab it but she quickly retreated. First indication that she was going to be ticklish?

Unknown said...

Your post brought all the memories of when i was pregnany with my kiddo. What a great and weird experience! I totally remember thinking "Aliens" when I felt one of Bella's body parts slide around. So strange and so cool. Enjoy these last few weeks!

Carolina John said...

Good job, Jess. You've come very far through the pregnancy with dignity and grace, even without being able to tie your shoes anymore. I hope these last couple of months go very smooth.

Marlene said...

You and your "little cabbage" have come a long way in 28 weeks. All the best for the next 12 (and beyond).

Unknown said...

My french teacher in college always used that term, I like it too! Great post, it's neat to see your reflections thus far:)

Anonymous said...

Your little cabbage is almost here. How exciting!

chia said...

Hey, with cabbage and pickles... how can one go wrong ;-)

Many prayers for a brilliant, healthy, and wonderful 12 weeks!!!

kristen said...

What a cool post. I enjoy hearing about your relflections on your pregancy. Thanks for sharing. Can't wait until I get to experience it too!

MN Mom said...

It's an amazing journey isn't it?

MNFirefly said...

The time will go very fast. As for the sleep discomfort, I found that using a body pillow helped eliminating the pressure point pain and slept better. (It's worked so well that I STILL use it today.)

Aka Alice said...

The "Alien" reference made me smile. I pretty much felt the same way...then this little "stranger" came out. She was like someone I knew, but again, not really. We had to get to know each other.

It's a crazy journey, that's for sure. But really, one of the best I've been on.

C said...

I've really enjoyed your pregnancy posts. It's nice to hear all the details I've wondered about. :)

Shannon said...

You sound just the way I did when I had my first. Your second child has different meaning all together.

"Sometimes I open up the drawers of her dresser and look at her clothes, trying to imagine a baby filling them out, and it quite honestly makes me optimistic in a way that I've never felt before."

I used to do this exact same thing!!!!

Crissy Rae said...

It has been quite the ride hasn't it. You're getting real close to the end now. Can't wait for Norah to arrive!

Anonymous said...

Weeks 1-5: Norah builds up her tolerance so Bowling Night can be a family affair.

Weeks 5-12: Norah gets a taste of her college years if she forgets to do things in moderation.

Weeks 13-19: Norah learns that the effects of an all-nighter sometimes last longer than anticipated.

Weeks 20-27: Norah settles into her marathon training program...

Run For Life said...

Aww, I'm sure the arrival of little Norah will be fantastic for you!

MCM Mama said...

Aww, the one thing I miss about pregnancy is the feeling of the baby moving around. Totally loved the "Alien" feeling.

I slept with a body pillow most of both of my pregnancies. It made sleep possible at the end. Beer Geek referred to it as my boyfriend...

X-Country2 said...

I'm just so happy for you and all smiley pregnant ladies. :o)

Wes said...

The baby will look back on all this and really appreciate ;-) hahaha... It is an amazing experience. Y'all are going to be such great parents...

Jess said...

What a great post Jess! I can't believe you're that far along already. It kind of feels that it wasn't that long ago that you told us all you were expecting. Wishing you the best of luck the next 12 week and here's hoping you can keep up the running!

Agate Lake Girl said...

It was great to read your blog today. It really brought me back to my pregnancy and the thoughts and emotions that I had. I do miss that closeness sometimes.

RunningLaur said...

What a great summary! This will be so wonderful to look back on!

Mary Gee said...

Wow. This made me cry! In a good way, of course.

Viv said...

Ah Jess so glad you did the little recap for absent craps like me. I scrolled through the pics and the massive ammount of cute clothes you all have all ready for Norah. How exciting for you guys! I am sure those sickness times were not fab but it seems you have had a super healthy pregnnancy and have kept active with running, awesome! I hope to have the same as you with running if we decide to multiply over here. Jerry is looking GREAT! So if I have this right with my crappy math mad skillz you are due in Aug? We will be in FL on July 10th-July 20th and would love to see you guys if all is well. I got a little knot in my throat remebering all the excitement that comes with a new addition to a loving couple! I am very haappy for you both. Norah will be much loved and reading by the age of 2 nodubt, and probably correcting my grammar by 4!

Aron said...

love this recap :) wow only 12 more weeks!!! so exciting! my friend is due at the end of july with a little girl so you guys are probably pretty close. i am having a shower for her next month! yay :)

sRod said...

I had a long discussion with my sister about that whole baby center sizing system. Constantly talking about the baby in terms of food, well, just sounds creepy.

I can't believe you only have a handful of weeks left!