third trimester

Welcome to the beginning of the end...

Today marks the first day of the last trimester for us.  12 weeks left, 3 months to go, oh how time flies.  I'm sure that it's going to start flying even faster now.  I think being in school makes that happen...having a routine and a schedule and deadlines.  Deadlines Always make time go faster.  Here is how my life is divided for the next few months: 

September- testing kids at school and writing reports in order to stay ahead of the game.

October- friends coming to visit the first weekend, school seminars on the other weekends, we move into our new apartment on the 25th!!! Then, Halloween.  

November- the one month countdown begins, then you have my birthday, and then thanksgiving, and then...a baby!  

Throw in some social events, some red sox action, all the doctors appointments, the changing of the seasons and setting up the nursery...oh, and all of Kyle's activities too...and I think that December will be here before we know it!  

Last night, a little before midnight, I read Kyle the small excerpt from "what to expect" about the third trimester.  One of the things it said I should expect was heartburn.  So, Kyle tucks me in.  I kid you not, 10 mins later, I'm sitting up with this uncomfortable warming in my chest.  "Wow" I thought,  "that book was dead on"  Well, I've never had heartburn and wasn't sure what I should do about it.  That action, however, was soon decided for me.  I tried to go back to sleep...but I broke out in a cold sweat, my heart sped up.  I suddenly had flashbacks to the first trimester.  I knew this feeling all too well.  

I'll spare you the lovely details.  Long story short is that I had a bad taco for dinner and my body made SURE that there was NO trace of it left in me.  It was miserable.  Kyle took care of me of course, like he always does.  I eventually got back to bed and feel fine today.  But, man, I hope that's not an indication of what the next 3 months have in store.  

Anyway, we're happy to have made it this far.  Oh! And if you haven't...you should click on my friend Hannah's blog to the right here and look at the pictures of her brand new Baby Boy! He's adorable.  :-)  Check ya later. 

stripes

When I was little, my family took a vacation to Biloxi, MS.  It's really the only family vacation that I remember that didn't involve a whole family reunion of some sort...it was also my first time to the "ocean"  (the gulf counts when you're little).  Since this was my first beach experience, I learned lots of things...one of which were that jellyfish were small invisible creatures that floated in the water waiting to sting you.  Well, that settled that.  I was NOT getting in the water.  

So, my parents bought me a floaty.  A tiger floaty - to protect me.  I believe this is the moment that I decided I loved tigers. I wasn't afraid of the water anymore.  They've been my favorite animal ever since. 

.  

When I was a teenager, I decided that I would pursue a career as a tiger trainer.  I wanted to work in a wildlife refuge or animal farm where they took care of tigers.  I looked into it pretty seriously, before something else distracted me.  

When I started working at Taekwondo as an instructor, it dawned on me one day that the little kids we taught were called Tiny Tigers.  So, in a way, I Was training tigers.  I was just training them to listen, follow direction, kick, punch, and take turns.  

Point being, I've always liked them.  

Now, I'm pregnant.  And my baby girl must have realized that I liked tigers and decided to help me grow stripes.

Yep, the stretch marks have arrived.  I basically look like all the stitching around my belly is coming undone.  Like frankenstein's forehead...but around my hips and abdomen instead.  Yay for genetics.  :-/  However, as I try to cope with the fact that my skin is tearing apart...I find that if I just imagine them as tiger stripes...they're not as bad.  I'm growing my own Tiny Tiger, after all.  It's only appropriate that I dress the part.  

glucose & rhogam

Just an update.

We went yesterday and I had my glucose screening.  This consists of me chugging a bottle of orange sugary stuff (tasted yummy, actually) and then getting my blood drawn an hour later to check for gestational diabetes.  I'm becoming a pro at this blood drawing stuff...I mean, as long as I don't see the needle, or the blood, and keep my eyes and ears focused on whatever Kyle is doing to try to distract me, then I only break out into a very small sweat.  :)

Then, we went and saw the doc.  I'm not telling how much I gained this month...but let's just say that I can't have any more ice cream for a while.  On a happier note, my blood pressure was great and my big ol' belly was measuring perfect at 27 weeks.  Abigail had the hiccups on the doppler...which I'm pretty sure is a result of chugging the orange syrup.  

After doc, I went to go get my rhogam shot.  This is the shot I have to get because Kyle and I have different blood types, and since we don't know which one little Abby is inheriting...I get a shot just to make sure there's no fighting about it.  I can't remember the last time I had a shot.  I won't lie...I didn't like it.  It did not last long and wasn't that bad...but, it still smarted.  

However, I just tell myself that this whole needle thing is something I'm going to have to get over. 

Last observation: I had to go to labor and delivery to get my shot, so I got to see where we'll be going when Abigail decides to make her debut.  They had me wait in one of the empty delivery rooms.  It was VERY strange to sit in there and imagine that in a few short months, I'll be the one on the bed screaming at the smiley chart of pain indicators.  I looked at the little baby cart and tried to imagine what it will be like to see the nurses and doctors cleaning and measuring Abigail for the first time.  It suffices to say that it was a bit overwhelming.   

justification

One of the things I love about Kyle is his responsibility.  He does a great job with organizing our financial affairs, keeping track of our schedules, and making sure we do all the things we need to do for this and that.

However, one of the other things I love about Kyle is that he and I can justify just about anything.

For instance, we bought our big TV in '06 " so Kyle could see" the World Cup matches.  We bought a new car " so we could fit" a stroller and other baby gear in it.  We've taken dozens of trips all over the country for very good reasons, attended sporting events, theaters, and all sorts of fun things that we probably didn't *need* to do, but did nonetheless...and always with a very good justification.  

So, tonight I had a bowl of soup around 6pm.  This meant that around 9:30, I was super ravenously hungry again.  We have food in the house...I just didn't feel like making it.  Kyle mentioned ordering food, but I felt guilty about spending the money.  I couldn't just order pizza and wings when I had food in the kitchen that would fill me up just as well...I needed a reason.  

About the time I'm racking my brain to come up with something, Kyle remembers that the US Soccer team is playing tonight.  The rest goes like this:

Kyle: Hey, the US is playing tonight!  Do you want to order some wings?

Me: We have food here, we shouldn't spend the money.

Kyle: Yeah, you're right...but you can if you want.  I mean, it's soccer, and it's exciting...

Me: I need a better reason.

Kyle: Hmmm.  Let's see... (much thinking)

Me: Got anything?

Kyle: Tomorrow is 9/11?

Me: Perfect. 

I'm now enjoying my anti-terrorist 9/11 pizza while Kyle enjoys his freedom-filled chipotle wings.  Life is grand. 

Oh, and the US is winning.

weekend

Not a whole lot to report at the moment.  Kyle and I had a good weekend trip down to Cape Cod this weekend.  We went down for a taekwondo tournament.  Our original plan was to stay the whole weekend and explore all the Cape-ish things to do down there.  However, due to the rain from Hanna, we decided that exploring the beaches in the rain didn't sound like too much fun....so we came home.

Anyway, Kyle competed at the tournament and placed in sparring and took 1st place in weapons!  I was super proud of him.  We met more taekwondo people and enjoyed getting to know the people up here a little better.  The tournament was fun, overall, but it was also really really humid.  The gym floor was sweating, and everywhere you turned you saw martial artists sliding around (and falling down) due to the dampness of everything.  

I was proud of myself for fitting into my uniform for the occasion and staying in it all day.  I wore one of Kyle's old belts since mine doesn't fit anymore.  :)

So, that was the main activity.  Today marks 27 weeks in this pregnancy.  Abigail is still getting bigger and stronger.  She's starting to kick higher too.  We have our next doctor's appointment on Thursday, so I'll let ya know how it goes. 

over and out.