Archive for July, 2008

Did I mention how good I look?

{ July 25, 2008 @ 9:06 am } · { baby barie, firsts }
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Seriously.  But I cannot take the credit.  It is all baby’s doing.

I have the best complexion I have ever had since pre-puberty.  I could not ask for more smooth, acne-free skin.  Thanks, Baby Barie! 

All I can do is assume it is hormone related and beg, plead and pray that it remains this way post-baby hormones.  A girl can dream…

Also, I watched my belly move during 4 strong kicks this morning.  That would be the first official time I actually saw my belly move. 

Now that I have felt the strong force of a baby inside my body, I seem to have a better understanding of how durable newborns really are.  I mean, sure, they are still delicate but they are not NEARLY as breakable and delicate as I have always feared.  I think it takes feeling the strength of the baby during justation to really comprehend that.  Or maybe just a fearless nature in general….I have always been afraid of breaking a new baby, they just seem so fragile.

23 weeks and counting…

{ July 23, 2008 @ 5:58 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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The big excitement here in baby brewing land is that my belly is considerably larger than just a week/two weeks ago.  It is weird watching your belly grow.  It is starting to itch and feel stretched to max capacity…this probably isn’t good since I still have such a long way to go. 

Baby Barie is making a concerted effort to kick my belly button outward and although it isn’t actually working, it hurts!  I told her to stop kicking my belly button, so she kicked me even harder…it is now quite obvious that this is our kid.  She has both an attitude and mad ninja skills.

Ooh, and I went garage sale-ing today and found some clothing that looks brand new, never worn for not much monies.  Grandma bought it though, it was her first baby purchase and I think she thoroughly enjoyed it.

I will get some pics and share my goodies some other time…Meanwhile, I have to eat something. I can’t eat much these days, as there is no room, so every couple of hours I am starving.  I think that is normal, but I hope I am not too ahead of schedule for that.

Oh, one more thing…I noticed that my appendectomy scar on my low belly is looking very purple again and I hope it doesn’t get worse.  I am moisturizing like crazy, but the scar is worse for the wear.  I hope it doesn’t get too bad, it was almost not noticeable pre-belly.  Anyone have any experience in this department??

Cold cuts? Really?

{ July 18, 2008 @ 6:26 pm } · { baby barie, firsts, fuzzy kids }
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So, I have been in St. Louis all week but have been extremely busy, therefore no updates.

I saw my OB yesterday and I no longer feel so “in the dark” about giving birth.  Oh, believe me, I still have questions and will continue to have from now until the day I die (no guarantees on that either, if there’s an afterlife then I will have questions, hehe).   But at least I have learned a little bit more and things are a little bit clearer for me now.

Things are done a bit differently in Hong Kong and in some ways perhaps better and some worse.  At least now I am functioning within my comfort zone of knowledge.

I have two hospitals to choose from: Missouri Baptist and St. Joseph’s Kirkwood.  I prefer Mo Bap, at least I think I do.  I am going to tour both just for the hell of it.  If anyone has and would like to share an opinion on either/both of those hospitals, I would be grateful.

I have to have the sugar test, a couple of routine blood tests that docs in Hong Kong don’t do, and and ultrasound next time I go.  This visit was more of a “getting reacquainted” with my doctor kind of visit.

I am at about 23 weeks now.  I am feeling a lot more kicking in the past week, my belly has grown in the past week and I learned that maternity underwear are pretty much just like regular underwear…except that they don’t ride up.  I may never switch back.

Chini (my dog) is loving the belly and has spent a lot of time resting her head on it.  I think she can hear the baby’s heartbeat.  Maybe.

I learned this week at my doctor app’t that I shouldn’t eat deli cold cuts unless I microwave them.  This seems odd to me and perhaps a bit paranoid.  I have had numerous SubWay sandwiches throughout the five months of this pregnancy and ate a turkey club before I read the info yesterday…oops.  I guess its been okay so far, but I suppose I won’t push my luck. Guilt is such a pain in the butt.

One last thing, I am going to look into taking a birthing class of some sort…any suggestions??

Chiropractics

{ July 9, 2008 @ 7:23 am } · { aches and pains, firsts, sleep }
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I am usually not a big fan of chiropractics, as I have had a couple of bad experiences in the past.  Usually, my experience is that they cause more pain than they treat but yesterday I was desperate for back/hip pain relief that has set in again since my return to the U.S. (I have been treated for this in Hong Kong several times, most recently the week before I left).

The added weight of my growing belly is causing my right hip (and perpetual problem area) to spasm and there isn’t a whole lot I can do to avoid that happening!  So, not having a real doctor to see, I took the word of my aunt and mom that there was a good chiropractor in Excelsior Springs and went in to see him. 

Surprisingly, he didn’t hurt me and he didn’t adjust me in a manner that caused more pain later.  I feel much better, although I am not cured.  So much better, in fact, that I slept for 7 straight hours last night without even waking up to pee.  This is practically a miracle!  I haven’t slept that good in about 3-4 months.

Halfway Around the World

{ July 7, 2008 @ 8:51 am } · { leaving HK }
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We made it halfway around the world together, Baby Barie!

I was so worried about you all the way here, I stopped feeling you move on the airplane.

After being at my Dad’s for a couple of days and doing what had to be done to retrieve the fuzzy kids and resting as much as possible, I still wasn’t feeling you move.  I was also having muenstral-like cramps.  I called my doctor in St. Louis and he insisted that I go the Emergency Room at the local hospital here in St. Joseph. 

The ER took me in immediately and transferred me to OB, which was a relief to me since they are more specialized in the baby department.  They found a fetal heartbeat and all was well.  The heartbeat is good and strong, so they suggested that it is likely just the baby having jetlag combined with me having jetlag.

I had to call Cybr before I went to the ER to let him know what was going on and I had to call my Dad at work to let him know…he was leaving work early for the holiday and would have been worried sick if I wasn’t home when he returned home.  They were both worried sick.  I told my Dad not to leave work, that I would call him if I needed him.  He showed up anyway, he was worried sick.  I called Cybr as soon as I could to let him know we were okay…I hope he slept after my call because I doubt he slept before I called!

We are fine.  I am starting to feel movement again.  I am feeling rested and sleeping at night.  I am still exhausted frequently, but I am getting there.