Minivan People

39 Weeks, 2 Days
Swiss Chard, or Watermelon
It had to happen. We have been sort of in denial that this baby is coming. Not in the, "I refuse to accept this is happening," sense of denial. More like the, "We still have time," type of denial. But here we are, less than 3 weeks away from the due date, which means we will very soon be in the "window" for delivery. Actually, at my last checkup, I was unceremoniously informed, "If labor were to start now, we wouldn't stop it."


So, what had to happen? This:

Sweet Ride

Yep. We're minivan people now.


Suffice it to say, if we ever were prideful about the type of car we drove, we swallowed it right quickly. We needed to be able to transport our entire family (including the yet unborn), and now we have the means to do so. Other than this, however, our level of preparedness is still shockingly low. We buy diapers here and there (when I have a coupon). We are cognizant of the fact that we need to wash some baby clothes, but haven't yet done so. I haven't packed a bag yet. For me or for the baby. We did, however, manage to arrange child care for the siblings. So, if I were to go into labor soon, we'd have no problem with kid coverage.


However, the Hubs has told me that we're not taking the new minivan to the hospital. Just in case we don't make it there in time. "No way are you ruining the leather in that brand new car," he said. Ha! Pride.

Travels (and Travails) in the Third Trimester

Week 28
Winter Squash/Kabacha Squash/Large Eggplant


So I skipped a week (or three) - I was busy! I had to travel halfway across the country and back on interviews for next year's internship. I had an appointment yesterday, and my bump measured 27 weeks, so my delusions that I would have a 9-pounder may have, indeed, been delusions. The midwife says that because I've done this before, all my body supports are just done with it. Everything looks bigger. Everything feels bigger. So, I can relax. My to-do list includes the one hour glucose test (quite possibly the worst invention ever), and getting a Tdap vaccine to help protect baby even before he's born (it will be a while before he can get his own). The main focus, of course, is to vaccinate against pertussis, which can be a nuisance to me but deadly to him.


I also have more traveling to do. Among the numerous things I learned over the last couple of weeks, I discovered that:
(a) pregnancy is a "temporary disability" to most airlines and I can get authorization to pre-board.
(b) pregnancy is scary to most airlines and I will need a note once I'm in the third trimester (oh, right... NOW) or else they might not let me fly.
(c) I will be 32 weeks when I take my next flight, cross country.
(d) Pregnant women are more likely to get deep vein thrombosis (DVT) while flying, because of the cabin air pressure, sitting a long time, having large blood volume, and having lower blood pressure (though it starts to come back up a little in the third trimester).


I have learned that I personally need an aisle seat, preferably with the middle one open, so I can put all my junk that I want access to during flight, rather than keeping it under the seat. Also, I can get up and go pee whenever I want without asking someone to move. Oh, and also, I can stretch and bend my legs as needed to avoid DVT.


I had a DVT scare last week in the middle of the night. I awoke with SHOOTING pain down my left calf. I felt around for "hot spots" (which is a potential indicator of a clot), found nothing, massaged my leg for a bit, and then went back to sleep. Probably just a Charlie horse... probably.

No Rest for the Weary

25 Weeks, 1 day
Cauliflower, Rutabaga, or Bag of Flour (depending on the website)


I have had to travel a bit for work lately, and it won't slow down anytime soon. In the interim, I have had the worst sleep one might imagine. People say that later in pregnancy, baby is helping mom gear up for the frequent sleep-wake cycle of newborns. But that junk doesn't usually start until later in the third trimester. I am still (for a couple weeks) in the second trimester, and I'm supposed to be enjoying this time.


Don't get me wrong, I truly do enjoy the fun wiggles and jiggles of my squirmy-worm baby. I just prefer that they not be at 3am. And, being pregnant with a third kid while managing the lives of two other kids is not exactly a cake-walk in the first place. Thus, I am about as exhausted as I have ever been, despite this time supposedly being the "easiest" or the most relaxing part of pregnancy.