Friday, January 28, 2011

Baby ramblings

I have lots of contractions. This could get me excited until I remember that I had up to 60 a day with the twins for 6 weeks and it obviously meant nothing. And when I sometimes let myself think - hmm, maybe I'll go early like at 37 weeks or something, and then I realize - I didn't even go that early with twinsso yeah, I better gear up to be in this for the long haul.

Although I did go into my doctor this week and at the end he said, "I want you to rest as much as possible the rest of the time."  I blinked my eyes a few times and sat in confused silence for a minute before I said, "What?" As if trying to confirm that he just told a mother of three little boys who has had a totally normal pregnancy that she should seriously try to rest the duration of her pregnancy. He said, "Why? Are you doing anything that's not restful?"  (Like living my every day life?)  "Um, I went to spin yesterday," I finally said. To which I was given a strict injunction not to spin anymore and not to exercise anymore for that matter. I was a little bugged. I'm all about doing what's healthy for the baby, but there's nothing unhealthy about exercising while you're pregnant and I have no complications. And I've been doing it the whole time and actually attribute my feeling pretty good during this pregnancy to it. When I asked why, he said it was because my cervix was starting to soften and since I'm already having contractions he didn't want me delivering for at least another week or two. I told him I've been having these contractions for 6 weeks and I had them for like 2 months with the twins and still went to almost 38 weeks with them.  He said, "Well, I bet you were doing spin when you were pregnant with them."  Point taken.  I was laying on the couch like a beached whale for months with them. Anyhow, whatever. I decided to swim today rather than go to my usual Friday step class.

So last week I was given last minute notice that we were once again invited to the fancy gala in West Palm Beach this year - when I will be about 38 weeks pregnant.  Lovely. Last year I both had a dress and was skinny when I found out we weren't invited. Seriously? So here I am thinking - I'm going to have to buy an evening gown that can be worn nine months pregnant? Bet I'm going to get a lot of mileage out of that one in the future....
    Besides, where on earth do I find a dress?  When I was complaining about having to be seen out in public that big and pregnant while trying to look composed next to all these other swanky (and skinny) people, I loved my friend's advice - "just go, have a great time....and don't take any pictures."

* Well, since I started writing this post a few days ago, I have found out that we are actually not invited anymore, and believe it or not I was slightly disappointed.  Who knew I would find a cool British designer that actually had some decent maternity gowns?  So just imagine me all dolled up in this (waddling around some swanky event in West Palm Beach).







I also really like this dress, although it maybe wouldn't have been dressy enough for the event and too bad there's no sense in buying it now.







So alas, no importing a cool British dress to drape my largely pregnant self in to wear to a fancy ball.


In other news, I did manage to see the, er, lovely inner city hospital where I will be delivering (the one upon first seeing where Ryan was working I immediately said, "We are never having children here."  Then I followed that statement with - "and when you come home at night you drop your clothes at the door and head straight for the shower.") But I actually don't think it will be so bad.  I asked the nurse about it while we were there and she said if I was a resident's wife I would get a private room.  Well, that's better than my first delivery.  And she said I might even get a suite.  And hey, I figure if you're the only white baby in the hospital it's probably pretty hard for someone to steal off with your baby, right? Anyway, I have heard though that it's a very skilled facility, so if there's something wrong with your baby, that's where you want to be.  If you want a glass of water though, get it yourself.

And now I'm just getting a bit anxious about the disposition of this child.  I would say I hope for an easy baby, but I've never had one of those, so I don't plan on it. And my life never works along those "should happen" lines, so I will plan on another colicky child since at least it's not twins.  For a while I was thinking this baby wasn't as active in the womb as my others and was taking that to hopefully mean he would be a mellow child. I was basing that on the fact that I knew even before the twins were born that Phoenix was going to be my trouble maker. He was always more crazy and active in the womb and I've pretty much been one step behind him since then. But since Christmas this child has proven me wrong and now seems to be the craziest child I've had in the womb yet.  I'm surprised people don't worry that I'm having epileptic fits with how much my body shakes while I'm just sitting there.

Having watched my neighbor's baby a couple of times now, I realize our house is a bit hazardous for babies. Objects fly, bodies fling, and really, I'm going to have to have lots of safety zones to keep this child from getting clobbered. I'm not even sure a play yard would do the trick since I have no doubt numerous dangerous objects would manage to make their way in.  So I'm also back to accumulating baby restraining devices since we gave everything away last time for the sake of my sanity since we have no space here so I would have been living on top of two swings, two bouncy seats, etc.

Enough random and disconnected thoughts for now. Time for a nap before the crazies all wake up.

13 comments:

Melanie said...

Whew...lots to think about! Why do you want to deliver early???!!! You may be uncomfortable now but remember the sleepless nights, the crying and the postpartum uckyness. Plus you dont have a car big enough. Sooo I think you should welcome the weeks ahead when you only have to manage 3 kids.
Good Luck! I will be praying for you!

kimber said...

Do they make pack and plays with roofs? Maybe you could fashion one of those and that might keep the baby safe.

Sorry about the ball. You would have looked great in either of those dresses! I really like that fitted one.

Geoff and Bets said...

love this post! so we better start drumming up a plan for when the new hooligan comes :) im sure you've already figured it out but im ready to hear my part- i assume ill get a part cause i live so close right? id be sad if i didnt

Anonymous said...

Love the turtleneck dress. Too bad.

Yeah, probably life will be pretty intense for you for a while. But I figure we all have to deal with intensity, either spread out or clumped together (and people who don't have kids are not exempt, theirs just takes on a different form). But the good news is, you have a great gift for transforming the maddening chaos of child-raising into great reading, and utter hilarity for the rest of us! So when you think you are going to lose your mind with 4 crazy boys, just think of how you are going to tell it to all of us on the blog.

Oh- and, serious kudos for keeping up the spin and step classes at this point in the pregnancy. Sheesh. I would agree with you, that doctor is taking crazy pills.

Karen said...

Yikes, you better watch out... With my sister's 3rd pregnancy, she thought she would take forever because her other two were 1 and 2 weeks late, respectively. So when she started having braxton hicks contractions 6 days before her due date, she disregarded them completely--and then only made it to the hospital 7 minutes before that baby came out on its own--no pushing... The keys were still in the car in front of the hospital when her husband came out an hour later.

Good luck!!!

Chadlee said...

I can't believe you are that pregnant and going to spin class! I think I heard once of a web site where you can rent maternity formal wear, try this one www.bellybumpboutique.com.

Corinne said...

This made me laugh :)

AnnaMarie said...

I don't get the whole "invited, then uninvited thing." But good to know there are beautiful maternity things out there! And I'm with you on the exercising thing, though you don't want too early of an arrival, I suppose. You could get an "I told you so" from your OB, so maybe I'd listen to him/her. :) Good luck at that hospital...at least you have a private room! And your boys will learn to take care of their baby brother. I can't wait to meet him!

AnnaMarie said...

Oh, and no, Jane's not potty trained. But she does go on the potty when I put here, there, and seems to like it. I have high hopes for an early potty training. We'll see.

SuburbiaMom said...

The 4th child seems to be more sturdy than the rest--I'm sure he'll be okay.

And--did I catch that they all 3 were napping at the same time? That's great!!!

The Christensen Family said...

Congrats on #4~ Awesome!!! Did I tell you that life gets better after residency?? Yup - hang in there!!
Thinking of you.

Tania said...

A sling is the answer to your problems.

I LOVED the "new native." Jane spent the first 6 months of her life in it - safe: away from grabby sibling hands and chocking hazards. It gave me 2 hands free. Also, when strangers (read; potential germ exposure) said "Oh, can I see your baby" I could just open side of the sling then pop it closed again.

Actually, we spent June, July & August (1,2 & 3 months old) with her in it & me waist deep at the pool - since my other kids were there that summer.

Seriously - it was a lifesaver for me.

Anonymous said...

My first and second were late and then Robert surprised me by coming three weeks early thereby making him older than Julie even though she was due first.....you never know. I think he'll be a blue-eyed brunette and won't look like any of the others. It's exciting. Have a happy baby. Love, Sharon