Baby Update

I met with a very cool midwife today who estimates that the baby is now about 6.5 lbs and healthy and pointing in the right direction. Aram got to feel the shape of his head. It was cool. Tomorrow is my last day of work. I can't wait.

Should Pregnant Women eat Chocolate?

This article is making me very happy. Not that I am pigging out on chocolate, but the box that Aram bought me has been haunting me a little due to the caffeine content. But I guess this is one of those things where the benefits outweigh the dangers. As long as I don't eat ONLY chocolate. mmmm...

Today marks exactly three weeks until the due date. I am nervous still, but also glad that this is my last week of work. I will sleep this weekend with reckless abandon.

also...

And for all y'all who miss the good old days of dancehall...

For your amusement (and mine)

A little dub culture.

Congrats to Henry and Jess

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Henry and Jessica on their engagement. I'm glad to see such a great couple tie the knot!

YAY!

Look they're playing me in Brazil!!!!

Julho rude

My horosope today

"Everyone has a different plan. In effect, this cancels out your own plans when you're expecting the usual level of support. If you can operate by yourself, you just might. But if you can't get away from other people, you might as well get along with them. It's not the end of the world. If anything, it's a new beginning. Great things start happening from the moment that you decide to cooperate. Minimize any frustration by taking each worry as a separate piece. Check things off your list one by one, and don't look back until you get to the end"

Concentration down to Zero

I officially can only concentrate on pregnancy and birth. I'm at work and I'm trying to be worky but it's no use. Nothing is that important anymore. I'm just trying to have my body be ready to deliver this guy without complications. I keep thinking that my time would be better spent cleaning up the apartment and making sure everything is in place. I keep looking at all the baby websites trying to make sure I'm remembering everything. I want to spend every second doing yoga and meditation. I want to get a pedicure. I want to make sure I'm as comfortable as possible so that Simon and Aram and I can make an easy transition. Ugh. In a civilized country I would have a year paid leave to deal with all this baby stuff.

And the countdown proceeds

Today marks exactly one month until the due date. Of course I'm hoping this guy is one of those guys who shows up a few minutes early. I would be alright with that.

The doctor's appointments are happening weekly now. I'm hoping that everything continues to be fairly boring, although the doc finally got concerned about my lack of weight gain. I lost 2 pounds between visits even though the baby grew. I have been tested for hyperactive thyroid. If it is hyperactive it isn't that hyperactive so I'm not terribly worried.

Just checked with the doctors. Thyroid is normal. I knew it.

So I've just got good genetics. Thanks, Mommy and Baba.

The baby is a little larger than average. We're all doing well. I'm nervous and psyched.

Check this out

discovered this by accident today:

this first

then this

As we enter month 9...

...I can barely take it. Work is the most exhausting thing ever. Yesterday I had to take a day of rest. I am wiped out by about 1 pm every day, even with a nap and lunch break. I feel and see the baby's every movement now. He must weigh about 6 pounds or so by now. I feel it all in my hips. The only thing that will work is sleep. It doesn't help that someone cooks something really foul-smelling at around 2 am every day and it totally wakes me up. I put the little air purifier we got in our room and it clears up pretty quickly now. I sleep with a lavendar eye pillow nearby.

I have a doctor's appt tomorrow. Maybe he will recommend that I work shorter weeks until I stop in two weeks. I could certainly use the rest.

Recent Pix

Hey folks, here's a bunch of recent photos.

Rachel and Dunia showing off their bellies:


A beautiful quilt Rachel made for Simon:


A baby shower shot featuring our fabulous friends Matt and Julie:


A table shot from our passover seder:


Ahmed, Bode and Gail at our seder:


Marissa cleaning dishes at the seder, while Chris looks on:

It's been a few days

Yeah I've been up to my eyeballs in work. We had a wonderful baby shower on Sunday thrown by our friend Jess Ritz, during which I think everyone had fun. At least I had fun. We got a lot of wonderful gifts and things and we all hung out and talked. I feel like I hadn't seen a lot of my friends in a very long time. Rachel, Tim and Eli came down to celebrate too.

On Monday Aram and I hosted our first Seder, to which 16 adults and 3 kids showed. I was of course exhausted, but I give big thanks to Rachel, Tim, Jess & Jess (Ritz and Landy) for making the food and to Aram for taking up my slack. It was a lot of slack. And Aram made halvah using a recipe from this Turkish restaurant we went to with Bob, Nancy and Masha. Everything was so delicious and I think we had a lot of fun there too. It's nice seeing a lot of friends 2 days in a row.

So now we're in the final 5 to 8 weeks of pregnancy. It was so slow and so fast at the same time. I am finally looking like a bona fide pregnant lady so people give me right of way on the street and lean their cigarettes away from me. The baby seems more active than ever. And I've put on 4 pounds.

Our monkey cat has gum issues. We took her to the vet thins morning and the doc says some teeth need to be yanked. But it will cost $500! I am looking into feline care organizations that might be cheaper or will give us money to help fix the cat's mouth. It has weighed on us heavily (well mostly it's weighed on Aram because I don't worry so much about money, I always believe it will come), because with the baby coming it just seems like an insane amount to spend on the cat's teeth. I wish I could pull them myself.

Anyway, I have to go back to work. I should be productive in my last coupla weeks.

Is there something in the water in Texas?

Mother Says She Stoned Sons to Prove Faith