4.30.17 - April joy statuses

4.24.17 - Butthead

Recently I was a little concerned that Jane might be breech. It's easy to tell when she is moving arms or legs because they are smaller masses and faster movements. But then she would also push against my abdomen in a slower way with a part of her that was much larger--I assumed her head. And since she was pushing near the top of my abdomen, and since her limbs were more to my left side, I was worried she might be breech.

But when I went for my 37-week checkup (belated 36-week checkup) last week, the ultrasound confirmed she's the right orientation, and the part of her I thought was her head is actually her butt!

Now every time she pushes against me, Jack and I think it's funny because she's wriggling her butt. Last night I was sitting on the living room couch while Jack was cleaning the kitchen, and he was amused/delighted to say he could see her sticking her butt up from there. Haha.

In other good news, apparently she is about average size. She feels massive with very little room left in me for her to move around, but I guess babies typically feel like that this late in the game. Throughout the day I continually push her legs (or arms?) back away from the surface because she makes me uncomfortable. But it's nice to know she's moving around plenty.

4.24.17 - Clinique "Happy"

4.20.17 - Belated anniversary celebration

Jack and I didn't get to celebrate on our actual anniversary (4/13) because he had a lot going on with school and we had Clara because Beth was out of town. Well Beth returned this week and generously agreed to watch Clara overnight so Jack and I could have a relaxing dinner together.

I wanted to try somewhere new, so I found a restaurant on Yelp that had high ratings but wasn't too terribly expensive, and I made reservations for tonight. I went ahead and wore a black maternity dress Julie lent me - it's actually the dress she wore to our wedding. I'd never worn it before but it was very comfortable and it did look somewhat dressy. It made a nice change of pace from the two pairs of maternity jeans I've been rotating between for weeks. Jack went through all the effort of shaving and wore dress jeans and a nice top.

He dropped me off at the restaurant while he looked for parking, and I chose a table for us on the patio out front. The weather was perfect for eating outside, and the sidewalk has passers-by we could watch but wasn't too busy, probably because it was a Thursday. We sat under an enormous and beautiful tree and admired the other trees along the street that appear to be growing oranges and lemons. Considering it's a relatively busy urban street, that was pretty cool.

I wish I could have had a few glasses of wine, but I enjoyed the restaurant's "mocktail," made of citrus fruit juices and a non-alcoholic ginger beer. I had two of them for what would have been the price of one glass of wine, so that was nice.

We ordered three tapas plates for $10: marinated olives, arancini, and piquillo peppers. They were all delicious. For dinner I got the chicken cannelloni and he got the salmon with asparagus risotto. They were both good but his was the best.

Then we split a chocolate lava cake for dessert.

It was just the right amount of food that we were able to finish everything without being ridiculously stuffed, and it took a nice long time: we were there probably near two hours and had plenty of time to talk and enjoy the weather. We talked a lot about subjects we typically talk about (Clara, school, the pregnancy, work) but it's still very different to be able to talk without interruption or hurry, focused on each other.

He also made me laugh a lot. For example the tree we sat under kept losing leaves in the breeze, and several times leaves would fall in his water glass. He finally gave up fishing them out and just drank some anyway and announced "I just ate part of that tree." For some reason I found that very funny.

While we were waiting for the chocolate lava cake we noticed an elderly man across the street clinging to a fence as he very slowly walked down the street. It looked like he was having trouble getting wherever he was going and for a while we watched him somewhat concerned, trying to see if he was heading for the gate up ahead that led into an apartment complex or if he was just walking along with no nearby destination. He did head for the gate, so Jack hopped over the restaurant patio fence and sprinted across the street to ask the man if he needed help getting to his apartment. When Jack returned he reported the old man had said he just got hit with a spell of vertigo while down the street and had decided to go back home, and that he was going to sit in the apartment complex courtyard for awhile before going inside. So Jack helped him to a bench in the courtyard and then left him alone. I felt very proud of how attentive my husband can be.

4.18.17 - Zerbert on 10

From time to time Clara will crawl into my lap and then count with increasing anticipation from 1 to 10, usually whispering the word "ten" while smiling expectantly at me. Then I'll exclaim, "Ten? Ten!!" and I'll pick her up and lift her shirt up and kiss her sides and give her a zerbert and she'll laugh and laugh.

Lately she's started trying to skip numbers, e.g. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...10!!" And I'll just laugh and tell her she has to count all the way. Then instead she'll cut even more corners, even going as low as "1...10!!!" with a huge grin on her face, and it makes me laugh all the more.

Well tonight she just started exclaiming "Ten!" over and over, and as I laughed she tried to zerbert my arm! (For her that just means putting her mouth on my arm and laughing.) It was so cute. So then I lifted up my shirt so she could see my (gigantic) belly, and she shouted "Ten!" and "zerberted" my belly about 6-7 times in a row, and I would laugh ostentatiously every time.

We are having a great night. <3

The other day at the playground, excited to be as tall as me.

4.17.17 - Jane update

I'm in the last month of pregnancy - I'll be 37 weeks on Thursday. I'm just trying to ride it out because I am sore and it's difficult to move. But I want to remember the ways in which this pregnancy is different--specifically easier--than the last.

To begin with, I have still not passed the 200 lb mark. Last time I weighed in at 195.4, only 0.4 lbs above my initial goal and still under my ultimate goal (to stay under 200 lbs). I'm very proud of that, and I also think the ~25-30 lb difference is probably contributing to the other ways this pregnancy is a little easier.

For one thing, so far I have zero signs of pregnancy-induced carpel tunnel syndrome. Last time I started wearing wrist braces, first on my right wrist and then on both, to try to push fluid build up away from the nerves in my wrist. That helped for a time but eventually the problem overwhelmed the braces and they were pointless. I would wake up with numb almost painful hands and after awhile they were numb all day too. By the end the only fingers that weren't numb were my two pinkies. It was pretty unpleasant, but it's good for me to think about because that hasn't happened at all this time. No numbness.

I also haven't had much trouble breathing. I remember really struggling to catch my breath several times (in phases) during the last pregnancy, as early as 5 months in. To be fair that might still happen in these last few weeks, but at least it hasn't happened so far.

Jane seems to move more often and more intensely than I remember Clara moving. Mostly I enjoy it but there are times when it even wears me out. I can feel her kick against my hip bone. I can feel her push on two points at once, as she's stretching both her feet and her head. Sometimes it feels as if she's rolling a hand or foot along the inside of my abdomen - so bizarre feeling. She also pushes so consistently on the same spots that the muscles get sore and worn out. I wonder what makes this so different from Clara. Clara was breech at the end but that was only at about this point (near 37 weeks). Jane has been noticeably more mobile for weeks already.

As with the last pregnancy, I'm very grateful for how supportive Jack is, especially at the end here. In general he is really good about grabbing me things so I don't have to get up and he's been helping more with cleaning etc.

The other night I was so tired and sore I felt like I couldn't even really get up off the couch, even though I had hours until bed and the living room was a mess and there were various things I wanted to do. Jack came out from the bedroom to tell me I was sighing a lot, haha. I told him what was going on and he immediately cleaned the living room and asked if I needed help with anything else. This would be sweet in any case but it's especially sweet when I know he has a lot of stuff to do for nursing school. He is a very hard-working guy.

4.16.17 - Spring showers!

4.16.17 - Easter baskets

4.14.17 - Day turned around

I was having a pretty bad day at first. I have been home with Clara (or running errands with Clara) nearly nonstop for about a week and a half, and I'm tired of constant interruptions and not being able to get any real work done. On top of that, this morning for some reason she was extremely fussy, crying and even screaming over next to nothing several times. At once point she was so distraught about dropping her oatmeal that I actually had to pick her up, hold her really tight, and monologue to her in a soothing voice as she calmed down. I was afraid it was going to be like that all day.

Here she calmly tries on Easter bunny ears Mimi & GPa sent.

But it wasn't, at all. First of all, Clara calmed down, much more to her normal self. She wanted to play with her new play food JaMa got her, and we spent sometime pretending to eat things. I also made a FB post asking people to tell me three things they were happy about for the day. I got several dozen comments and that process never fails to soothe me. It is great to see what's going right for everyone, and I think it's kind of nice for them to get to brag a little about accomplishments or just the things going right because I specifically asked them to. :)

Plus, one of the friends who saw my status private messaged me to ask how things are going. This guy isn't someone I'm very close to--we used to be study partners in undergrad, years ago, and we don't keep in very close touch. But it was really enjoyable to catch up with him. He'd been having a frustrating week too so we both vented a little and then talked about what's going right. I marveled again at how FB allows me to have so much adult interaction even when I'm stuck in my own home for days with a toddler. That adult interaction makes a huge difference.

At some point Jack called me to check in. Turns out he needed to drop by home briefly to pick up some papers in between school stuff. I vented to him as he drove home and then he kept Clara busy for a little bit so I couldn't finish making chocolate fudgy cookie bars uninterrupted. The cookie bars are another joy, not just because they are delicious but because I was baking them as a thank you gift for a family friend who saved Jack and me hundreds on our taxes this year. So I am very grateful for that too.

After Jack left again the afternoon went fine. Clara rotated between watching some of my favorite music videos and playing with me, and I rotated between playing with her and taking care of a few things online. Not long after Jack got home in the afternoon, he put Clara down for a nap (with some but not too much fuss on her part). Then he cleaned up the living room very quickly (it doesn't take long but it has to be done about twice a day because of certain toddlers) and then he took a nap too. So I was left with a very quiet relatively clean apartment plus a great sense of appreciation for my husband.

So glad Dad is home.

I scheduled a few joy inventory posts and then took a nap myself, briefly, on the living room couch. When my alarm went off I got Jack up, we got all ready to go, and then we got Clara up and the three of us went to "Food Truck Mania," a monthly event at a local park. I'd heard of it before but never been and we wanted to check it out. It was really enjoyable! Lots of different food options, wine and beer with proceeds to an animal shelter, free valet bike parking (not that we biked but I appreciate the thought), nice weather, lots of families and dogs for Clara to watch, and a nearby playground that she enjoys.

After we had a brief little family picnic of teriyaki chicken and grilled asparagus (and Jack got a beer), we went to the playground and Jack chased Clara all around while she cooed and squealed and laughed delightedly and I sat and watched and rested.

Of course she didn't want to leave at the end, and at one point she made a break for it and tried to run back to the playground. But once Jack put her in the brand new piggy back position (instead of just on his shoulders) she was happy to "ride" him back to the car.

After we got home I skyped with Neil and Emily while folding a whole lot of laundry. We talked about job hunts and child rearing and dogs and rats (pets). It was nice to spend time with them.

Then Jack and I brought Clara in the bathroom for her third night in a row of bath training, which is basically where Jack gets in the tub (in a swimsuit) and we try to entice her to join him. Each night has been a bit better. Tonight she kept leaning over the tub and sticking her hands in the water, and she seemed much more open to the idea of the water then even two days ago (the first night she fussed as soon as we brought her in and was very cautious about nearing the tub). Eventually I got in the tub with Jack and she stayed at the side of the tub. We got her to stick her feet in while sitting on the side of the tub, and although she didn't keep them in for more than a couple seconds, she also didn't cry. So progress. And in general I'm grateful for a husband who loves his daughter so much and is so involved in us trying to help her.

When we were finished I got her in her PJs and he made her a grilled cheese sandwich (trying to fatten her up) and she went ahead and tried it. This is another victory, as she is exceedingly picky with food. She's been eating it happily while singing along to her Disney playlist as I write this blog post.

I'm wiped now and going to bed, but I just wanted to remember how a bad day turned around, partly thanks to my many online friends and largely thanks to my attentive and loving husband. <3

4.9.17 - favorite movie scenes

4.7.17 - My 2-year-old sweetheart

She's not always that sweet, really. She gets frustrated often but can't really talk yet so there's a lot of stomping and crying (albeit not too much throwing things, we try to come down on that one).

But she also does so many things that make my heart melt. Yesterday she mimicked nearly every gesture (and word and intonation) I have in this video:

She did the whole thing again when Jack got home, and we both just beamed as we watched her. Little smartie.

This morning when she woke up I went and sat on the edge of her bed while she considered actually getting out of bed. At some point I grabbed her teddy bear (Jack's old teddy bear) Bobo and gave him a kiss and hug and handed him to her, and she kissed and hugged him too. Then I did the same with Hobbes, and she hugged both of them. I really wish I had my phone on me to get a pic of her cuddling her two stuffed animal buddies.

She doesn't need know booster seat.

This afternoon she and I went to Costco, partly because hey, needed to go to Costco, and partly because I am trying to get her out of the apartment at least once a day while she's home with me (while Beth is out of town). She did so well! She sat down every time I told her to stay seated and didn't fuss. She just absentmindedly munched on some granola and took in all the sights of the big store. She also stayed calm and stayed seated while she was on the other side of the checkout conveyor belt from me (as they scanned the larger items in the shopping cart). Totally cooperative.

Stacking on top of the coffee table.

A couple hours later it was time for her to take a nap. Her nursery is a bit chilly (poor insulation) so while she was still in the living room I put her little bath robe on her. Surprisingly, as soon as I did that she ran into the nursery, grabbed the bottle I'd put there for her, and seemed ready for stories. So I sat at the edge of the bed and red her The Little Red Hen. I had three other books to read her but she just wanted to reread that one. She climbed in my lap and "read" it herself for awhile, mimicking my high-pitched voice for the mouse character. Then she handed the book to me and I read it twice more as she "helped" me turn the pages. And while I did that I thought about how some parts of being a stay-at-home mom are pretty sweet. 

She likes the voices I use for all the other animals in Little Red Hen.

When we'd finished I said the same thing I say every day at this time. "Okay beh-beh, it's time for your nap. You need to take a nap." And as I say that I get up, turn off the light, go to the door, and blow her a kiss. She started fussing when she realized her doom was inevitable, but after I shut the door she cried for maybe 15 seconds and then she was out. I am so pleased this routine has been working pretty consistently for awhile (we had trouble transitioning her to naps in her big girl bed at first).

Sometimes she still does cry by the door until she falls asleep on the floor.

4.1.17 - Tichu Day

About a month ago, Kale, Henry, Jack, and I planned to have a day dedicated just to playing uninterrupted tichu, since we haven't done that in so long.

So we picked today, April 1, and I arranged for Beth to take Clara overnight last night. I also planned to have today be one of my days off calorie counting, and last night I prepped everything for spinach sausage loaf this morning (cooked the sausage and spinach and set the loaves out to rise).

This morning I got up to bake the spinach sausage loaf and clean up around the apartment, but before I even got going Kale emailed saying he was sick and wouldn't make it. At first I was pretty angry and disappointed about this, because it appeared we would no longer have four players for tichu (Jack needed to study). Given how far in advance we planned this, that was pretty frustrating.

But then Dad called for unrelated reasons, and the phone call somewhat cheered me up. First, Dad (who didn't even know I was having a bad day at that point) ended up telling me about an insanely bad day he had in January involving his mom having a stroke, his assistant downloading a virus on a work computer, a terrible wind storm that nearly broke some office windows, and a power outage at home. Compared to that combination of events, me not getting to play tichu didn't seem like a very big deal.

Dad had to leave soon to take a call with an analyst. I told him about how my day was already frustrating because my plans were falling apart, and as I was telling him the analyst called the other line. So he told me he had to go but before he got off the phone he tried to give me one of his encouraging "this is just how odds work and some days are good and some are bad" spiels, and instead he just said very very quickly something like "ThisisjustthewayoddsareandthemorerandomvariablesouhavethemorelikelythiscouldhappenitsrandomvariablesIgottagoI'llcallyouback." That attempt at a truncated speech really made me laugh.

Meanwhile Jack helped me a lot with cleaning up the apartment, even covering things I didn't remind him about, including my least favorite job: cleaning the toilet. It really does make me feel loved when he helps me out so much.

I was just taking the spinach sausage loaf out of the oven and Jack was just coming back to the apartment from taking out the trash when both Erin and Henry arrived. Jack went into the bedroom to study while Erin, Henry, and I sat at the dining room table and had spinach sausage loaf and chips and dip and Erin's oreo chocolate cupcakes. Henry, Erin, and Jack (mostly Henry and Erin) also split a bottle of wine Andrew had gotten me a couple weeks ago (forgetting I am not drinking while pregnant). I was glad to have that to offer them.

Eventually Jack came out and suggested we go ahead and play a quick game of Tichu just to 500 together, so we moved to the coffee table to do just that. The guys trounced the girls quickly so he set up another game, this time to 1000, which we haven't done in awhile. We ended up playing for hours and having a great time, laughing a lot and getting pretty into the game, which ended up being pretty close. In fact at one point we were tied 850-850. The guys won in the end but Erin and I were still at 905, which isn't bad at all.

Erin and Henry passionately discussing ion torrent vs Illumina (DNA sequencers).

There were several times when people had unexpected bombs and everyone yelled "ohhhhhh!" But there was also one time I played a bomb and Jack and Erin yelled and Henry didn't, and then he immediately was like "I didn't 'oh'!" and that cracked me up for some reason. He also kept saying "April Fool's!" every time he'd pretend to bomb or think about calling Tichu or anything else, and we all laughed a little harder with each iteration, because he's such a dork. At one point Jack started to say pass and decided halfway through the word that he was actually going to call Tichu, so it ended up being " PaaaassssssnooooooTICHUUUUUU!" and we all, including Jack, laughed pretty hard at that transition.

Discussing how Jack switched from passing to calling Tichu.

It ended up being a very enjoyable day. I enjoyed listening to my music playlists and not Clara's youtube videos in an attempt to distract her. I enjoyed being able to play the game without interruption or little hands trying to take cards. And I was glad Jack played with us, because I enjoy spending leisure time with him. The food was great, the weather was nice, and the whole thing was very relaxed.