Oh boy. (Or should I say...Oh girl...)
Apparently, I am now paying for having such a lovely pregnancy...starting Sunday night / Monday morning, I woke up with a really sore back.
Which gave way to soreness from Mara seeking solace under my ribs.
Which gave way to shortness of breath - felt like she was pressing on my diaphragm so I couldn't breathe deeply.
Basically, this all lasted consistently from about 3:30 am until noon. It was like having the flu. Ugh.
A call to The Bish (doctor) basically led me to understand that, unless the diaphragm pain worsened throughout the day, this was pretty typical discomfort related to the end of pregnancy. Well, I was able to breathe normally after a while, so I just had to deal with the pain.
Last night was SUPER fun, too... sore back, feeling like I needed to throw-up, baby under the ribs. Throw in the fact that my stomach is literally being squashed by the little human inside of me, and you get a weak mama who has to force herself to eat and drink.
Blah.
I am hoping that at my appointment with The Bish this afternoon ends with him exclaiming, "Hey, great news! You're going into labor and Mara will be here in no time!"
............. a girl can dream, can't she?? ;)
Let me end this positively with some thankfulness... I am thankful for heating pads, hot showers, the ability to stay home at this time, family members to turn to, Law&Order/Bones/Sex&theCity reruns, a healthy baby, and absolutely I am thankful for my awesome amazing wonderful husband Mike, who, at 4 am last night, woke to my tosses and turns to rub my back, get me a heating pad, and coax Mara away from my rib cage. I am so lucky. <3
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
ReciPees for Fun and Dreams
36 weeks today! Holy smokes!
So I went to the doctor yesterday..not my usual doc, since he was out, but so far anyone I've seen at the KC Women's Clinic has been outstanding. I have constantly been saying to my family that my visits have not been anything to remark upon..of course, this visit went against that statement.
First off, I found out that I'm 1cm (plus a little wiggle room) dilated and 50% effaced. I was so excited..50%! That's halfway to 100%! That's got to mean something, right?? Nope. Checked online and it means absolutely nothing except that my cervix is getting shorter. Nothing in the way of indicating Mara's arrival. Bummer.
I asked the doc if she had "dropped" and if she was in the correct position for labor (head down, facing down). Before the exam, the doctor said that most women feel a lot of pressure in their pelvis and typically waddle when they first get up if the baby's dropped. To the first descriptor, I had no reaction, but to the second, I got excited - I have totally been waddling when I first stand up from sitting or laying down! According to the exam, Mara has definitely dropped (perhaps that's why I can eat full meals these days - more room for my stomach...wahoo!).. but go figure... later last night, I began to feel CRAZY pressure. Not so comfy. Can't win 'em all, eh?
The BEST part of the appointment was after they found protein in my urine...(That's sarcasm, if it isn't communicated through the type..) Luckily, my blood pressure is normal, so it's not necessarily an issue of preeclampsia...but you know what they do to check that everything is alright? They make you PEE in a JUG for a full day! To make things easier for me, I get a little mini potty catch to pee in and pour into the jug. ........hahahahahahaha I can't believe I'm going to be doing this. Friday's the big day. Then I get to bring it in on Saturday and give them a vile of blood to complete the whole process. I don't do Twitter, but can you do a sarcastic #you'rejealousIknowit ?
...change of subject...
I've definitely had weird dreams lately (i.e. big black and white animation-type spiders that talk), but whenever I dream of Mara, it's really good. I had a lovely dream about her; she was about three months old and she was beautiful.... She just looked at me, but it was a great dream. Unfortunately, I can't say Mike is having the same dream experience. This is what he tells me this morning after he finishes brushing his teeth...
Mike: I had a dream about Mara last night.
Me: Really?? What happened?
Mike: We were with Amber and her baby, and Mara was really ugly.
Me: *gasp*
Mike: She was all wrinkly like an old lady and she had a long pointy nose and no chin. I kept wondering why Amber's baby looked so much better. Then, Mara looked at Amber's baby and said, "I hate you!" and I turned to you and said, "Look what you taught her!"
Geez!! So not only does Mike's dream say he thinks our daughter will resemble the witch from Snow White, but he also thinks I am going to teach her to say mean things! Thanks for the vote of confidence, honey....
So I went to the doctor yesterday..not my usual doc, since he was out, but so far anyone I've seen at the KC Women's Clinic has been outstanding. I have constantly been saying to my family that my visits have not been anything to remark upon..of course, this visit went against that statement.
First off, I found out that I'm 1cm (plus a little wiggle room) dilated and 50% effaced. I was so excited..50%! That's halfway to 100%! That's got to mean something, right?? Nope. Checked online and it means absolutely nothing except that my cervix is getting shorter. Nothing in the way of indicating Mara's arrival. Bummer.
I asked the doc if she had "dropped" and if she was in the correct position for labor (head down, facing down). Before the exam, the doctor said that most women feel a lot of pressure in their pelvis and typically waddle when they first get up if the baby's dropped. To the first descriptor, I had no reaction, but to the second, I got excited - I have totally been waddling when I first stand up from sitting or laying down! According to the exam, Mara has definitely dropped (perhaps that's why I can eat full meals these days - more room for my stomach...wahoo!).. but go figure... later last night, I began to feel CRAZY pressure. Not so comfy. Can't win 'em all, eh?
The BEST part of the appointment was after they found protein in my urine...(That's sarcasm, if it isn't communicated through the type..) Luckily, my blood pressure is normal, so it's not necessarily an issue of preeclampsia...but you know what they do to check that everything is alright? They make you PEE in a JUG for a full day! To make things easier for me, I get a little mini potty catch to pee in and pour into the jug. ........hahahahahahaha I can't believe I'm going to be doing this. Friday's the big day. Then I get to bring it in on Saturday and give them a vile of blood to complete the whole process. I don't do Twitter, but can you do a sarcastic #you'rejealousIknowit ?
...change of subject...
I've definitely had weird dreams lately (i.e. big black and white animation-type spiders that talk), but whenever I dream of Mara, it's really good. I had a lovely dream about her; she was about three months old and she was beautiful.... She just looked at me, but it was a great dream. Unfortunately, I can't say Mike is having the same dream experience. This is what he tells me this morning after he finishes brushing his teeth...
Mike: I had a dream about Mara last night.
Me: Really?? What happened?
Mike: We were with Amber and her baby, and Mara was really ugly.
Me: *gasp*
Mike: She was all wrinkly like an old lady and she had a long pointy nose and no chin. I kept wondering why Amber's baby looked so much better. Then, Mara looked at Amber's baby and said, "I hate you!" and I turned to you and said, "Look what you taught her!"
Geez!! So not only does Mike's dream say he thinks our daughter will resemble the witch from Snow White, but he also thinks I am going to teach her to say mean things! Thanks for the vote of confidence, honey....
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Rock(-a-bye) Baby
Mara Lou has been a mover and a shaker for quite some time now.. for a while, she was practicing her moves largely at night when I was trying to sleep. (This habit has improved, but when I wake up to use the bathroom a few times a night, she generally thinks it's time to jam.) My mom suggested putting headphones around my tummy during the day to get her to use up some energy during my waking hours, saying that when she did this for me, I would go crazy in her belly (a foreshadowing of my affinity for music, perhaps?).
So, a trip to the dollar store for a pair of headphones later, I was ready to experiment. Apparently, Mara has a discerning ear already - she ONLY moved to Coldplay. We tried Party in the USA, Adele, some Jay-Z... totally still belly until Coldplay came back on. I mean, I can't blame her - Coldplay is awesome! But I admit that I AM a little disappointed that she didn't kick it to some rap... I had "Mar-wheezy" all ready for her to use to gain some street cred...
So, a trip to the dollar store for a pair of headphones later, I was ready to experiment. Apparently, Mara has a discerning ear already - she ONLY moved to Coldplay. We tried Party in the USA, Adele, some Jay-Z... totally still belly until Coldplay came back on. I mean, I can't blame her - Coldplay is awesome! But I admit that I AM a little disappointed that she didn't kick it to some rap... I had "Mar-wheezy" all ready for her to use to gain some street cred...
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| I needed Mike to photograph my belly because my belly button looks to me like a little mouth saying "oooooo!" :) |
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Where, oh where, have my little feet gone??
Whew! A lot has happened since my last post....this one's gonna be a doozie, folks... :)
First of all, Jamie and Emmett tied the knot on Oct 13, 2012! So very exciting! The bride was beautiful, the groom was handsome, and even the rain couldn't ruin their happy parade. Here are Mara and me at the reception - I felt beautiful that day.
Their wedding day was monumental in their new life, and it also marked a milestone in mine/Mara's life - it was the last day I saw my ankle bones. Yes... farewell ankles and small feet... I will miss you and hope you come back after Mara arrives.. the next few days after the wedding, I had serious cankles happening. Not only was it a physical change from the outside, but my SKIN HURT. It hurt to bend and walk because, as my doctor put it, it was like squeezing sausage into too tight a casing (no joke - he used this phrase yesterday at my appointment!). I don't have proof of the infamous day-after cankles, but here's a glimpse into my daily foot appearance these days... (don't judge on the nail polish...growing a human for 34 weeks makes it really difficult to reach the tootsies...)
Have I mentioned how great HyVee is here?? They're basically our local Jewel/Dominick's/Meijer... but look what they have, right up front for parking!! This should be EVERYWHERE!
Back in the beginning of September, I went to Nashville to celebrate Jamie's bachelorette. The music city did not disappoint!! Despite being pregnant, I felt darned good and was able to stay out [relatively] late - I had my dancin' boots on, after all! Saturday night was cowgirl-themed, and thanks to Sarah, I got to capture this lovely moment at 2:30am..yeeeeeehawwww!
While in Nashville, we went on a 1-hour tour of the city (sort of dorky for a bachelorette weekend, but SO worth it - tons of fun!). One of the stops was to this yummy sweets shop that had delicious sandwiches, baked goods, and.... marshmallows. I. LOVE. MARSHMALLOWS. They had all different kinds of flavors, coatings... oh my God, it was Heavenly. They had this on their wall:
If Mara is a chunker, I am DEFINITELY calling her my little "Mara-shmallow" (Thanks, Mom, for that nickname idea!!)
OH.... so I get emails from Babycenter and Whattoexpect.com every couple of days.. great information and usually spot-on in terms of pregnancy symptoms.
Well..
Today, I got one entitled, "What labor really feels like." Now, granted, it began with how labor is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get...it's different for everyone... yadda yadda yadda... and THEN... one woman describes labor as a serrated knife being stabbed into the top of your abdomen and slowly cutting through you to your pelvis...and then having that repeat for every contraction.
Um... ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? What a terribly graphic description.. I have come to the understanding that labor is no picnic and that it's going to likely be a pain like I've never experienced before... but, uh, I was kind-of operating under the "Women have been doing it for years, some with higher pain tolerances than me, some with lower, and if they can do it, I can do it" mantra. This allowed me to recognize that it would be painful, but kept me from obsessively freaking out about how scared I was about the pain. So I'm currently trying to erase that email from my memory.. it's not like I can NOT go through labor, it's kind-of the next step after roastin' a baby for 9 months. So if you've gone through labor and it totally sucked, keep it to yourself, please. And if you have words of wisdom that don't include descriptions of being sliced open like a "Scream" film, feel free to contact me!
First of all, Jamie and Emmett tied the knot on Oct 13, 2012! So very exciting! The bride was beautiful, the groom was handsome, and even the rain couldn't ruin their happy parade. Here are Mara and me at the reception - I felt beautiful that day.
Their wedding day was monumental in their new life, and it also marked a milestone in mine/Mara's life - it was the last day I saw my ankle bones. Yes... farewell ankles and small feet... I will miss you and hope you come back after Mara arrives.. the next few days after the wedding, I had serious cankles happening. Not only was it a physical change from the outside, but my SKIN HURT. It hurt to bend and walk because, as my doctor put it, it was like squeezing sausage into too tight a casing (no joke - he used this phrase yesterday at my appointment!). I don't have proof of the infamous day-after cankles, but here's a glimpse into my daily foot appearance these days... (don't judge on the nail polish...growing a human for 34 weeks makes it really difficult to reach the tootsies...)
While in Nashville, we went on a 1-hour tour of the city (sort of dorky for a bachelorette weekend, but SO worth it - tons of fun!). One of the stops was to this yummy sweets shop that had delicious sandwiches, baked goods, and.... marshmallows. I. LOVE. MARSHMALLOWS. They had all different kinds of flavors, coatings... oh my God, it was Heavenly. They had this on their wall:
OH.... so I get emails from Babycenter and Whattoexpect.com every couple of days.. great information and usually spot-on in terms of pregnancy symptoms.
Well..
Today, I got one entitled, "What labor really feels like." Now, granted, it began with how labor is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get...it's different for everyone... yadda yadda yadda... and THEN... one woman describes labor as a serrated knife being stabbed into the top of your abdomen and slowly cutting through you to your pelvis...and then having that repeat for every contraction.
Um... ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? What a terribly graphic description.. I have come to the understanding that labor is no picnic and that it's going to likely be a pain like I've never experienced before... but, uh, I was kind-of operating under the "Women have been doing it for years, some with higher pain tolerances than me, some with lower, and if they can do it, I can do it" mantra. This allowed me to recognize that it would be painful, but kept me from obsessively freaking out about how scared I was about the pain. So I'm currently trying to erase that email from my memory.. it's not like I can NOT go through labor, it's kind-of the next step after roastin' a baby for 9 months. So if you've gone through labor and it totally sucked, keep it to yourself, please. And if you have words of wisdom that don't include descriptions of being sliced open like a "Scream" film, feel free to contact me!
.....6 weeks and counting...
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
4-Year Anniversary
27 weeks today! (Check out the Flickr stream on the right margin for a slideshow up til now!) As today is September 5th, we are also exactly 3 months away from our due date....Grandma Grape pointed that out to me when she called the other day, and I couldn't believe it! Holy smokes - Mara is going to be here SO soon! When I told Mike, he asked if I was ready and I said NO!!! I am not ready to not sleep and have to operate on someone else's schedule! I'm quite enjoying Saturday mornings waking up whenever I darn well please.... But... I GUESS the pros of having a beautiful little daughter will outweigh the cons of not enjoying 24/7 selfishness... ;)
August 30th was our 4-year anniversary (of marriage - it's been 11 years of growing love, though!). Although Mike was traveling on the actual day of our anniversary (hey....he did that last year too...hmmmm), we celebrated over the weekend by going to Bluestem in Westport. Oh. My. Goodness. Deliciousness!! French-inspired cuisine...5 courses...mmmmmmmm So good! I was just disappointed I couldn't enjoy a glass of wine. Ha... but Mike... he was disappointed that he didn't know what "foie gras" was (neither did I, when he ordered it... I could pronounce it though! Thanks, Madame Schramski and high school French). So anyway, he ordered it and it looked like a round little slab of ... something. He took a bite and.. well.. it was HILARIOUS. He prides himself on liking just about everything (he keeps trying olives over and over, hoping that this time, he'll like like them. Never does)... he did not like foie gras. So of course we Googled it and found out it's blended duck or goose liver with mustard and celery seed. Ew. He took a few bites but the adverse effects forced him to stop. Well.. now we know what foie gras is, and that we do not like it, Sam I Am.
August 30th was our 4-year anniversary (of marriage - it's been 11 years of growing love, though!). Although Mike was traveling on the actual day of our anniversary (hey....he did that last year too...hmmmm), we celebrated over the weekend by going to Bluestem in Westport. Oh. My. Goodness. Deliciousness!! French-inspired cuisine...5 courses...mmmmmmmm So good! I was just disappointed I couldn't enjoy a glass of wine. Ha... but Mike... he was disappointed that he didn't know what "foie gras" was (neither did I, when he ordered it... I could pronounce it though! Thanks, Madame Schramski and high school French). So anyway, he ordered it and it looked like a round little slab of ... something. He took a bite and.. well.. it was HILARIOUS. He prides himself on liking just about everything (he keeps trying olives over and over, hoping that this time, he'll like like them. Never does)... he did not like foie gras. So of course we Googled it and found out it's blended duck or goose liver with mustard and celery seed. Ew. He took a few bites but the adverse effects forced him to stop. Well.. now we know what foie gras is, and that we do not like it, Sam I Am.
The happy couple at Bluestem :)
So bright side of pregnancy right now is that Mara is moving like crazy and I absolutely LOVE feeling her teeny little body kicking and twirling around. She already weighs a little more than 2 pounds! Amazing.
 |
| Mike listening to and feeling his baby girl. (Anyone else's heart melting??) |
Not so bright side... well.. I sneezed the other day and (no, I didn't pee... though I fear that day is going to come..eek).. I sneezed and the lower right side of my stomach pulled and now it is sore. My back is starting to complain that it hurts (I'm not complaining.. my back is...). And finally, I cannot stand being in the heat. We have an awesome pool at our apartment complex and Mike and I decided to spend time down there on Labor Day. I lasted an hour. I tried so hard! They have cabanas and I tried laying in there (I mean, who am I kidding?? I'm reflective in the sunlight...I wasn't going to get a tan).. but to no avail. I retreated to the air conditioning ASAP. ((I might add here, though, that Mara LOVED being in the pool! As soon as I was in there, she was going ca-raaaaazy. Water baby! Yay!))
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| Mike gives our pool a thumbs-up! To the left, there's a little waterfall. Very nice! :) |
I just noticed that I have a LOT of capitals in this post (yes, I did that one on purpose). Oh well. Now you know exactly where my emphasis would be if I were talking. :) This upcoming weekend is Jamie Kay's bachelorette party -- Mara's second bachelorette experience, but this time she will be known and I can drink waters without question. Next post - Mara and Mommy Take on Nashville!! Until then... au revoir, mes amis!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Rollin' With the Punches
Believe it or not (sometimes I'm in the "not" category!)... I'm 6 months along with little Mara Lou! In two days, I'll be 26 weeks...and I've got the belly to show for it, finally! For a long time, I wasn't sure if what I was feeling inside was Mara or simply my body doin' it's thang, but now I KNOW she is an active little girl! Not only does she roll around and tickle my belly for my pleasure, but Mike got to feel her for the first time as well! On August 11th, the day of Maria's (Mike's sister's) wedding, Mike felt his daughter for the first time.
(Awwwww... "his daughter"... for some reason, referring to Mara as our daughter is significantly more real to me than using her name or the term 'baby.')
Ready for another cute little anecdote? Okay. I warned you that it's cute. So you can't complain. :)
The other night, I decided to read to Mara while rocking in the rocking chair my grandma gave us... I read a Fancy Nancy book about butterflies (appropriate, since I seem to be drawn to butterflies and nature-y things for her nursery). I love Fancy Nancy, by the way, because the books are always fun and educational - Fancy Nancy LOVES using big words, and always explains them with parentheses...double-whammy! You can teach vocabulary AND the implication of parentheses in a text! Anyway, the cute part of this story is that later, I told Mike that he should read to Mara, since she hears my voice to the point of exhaustion all day. He chose I Wish I Had Duck Feet by Theo. LeSieg, a funny little book about a boy who wishes he had all these different animals' body parts so he could do different things. I'm not sure which made me delightedly giggle more - the fact that Mike was reading to our daughter with my legs draped over his lap, or his voice as he read the funny book. :) After he was finished reading, I rubbed my belly and told Mara that that was her daddy reading to her and... did she like the book? Mike put his hand on with me, and she KICKED in response! Homegirl likes a good book, apparently. :)
Ah, but don't fret, you Negative Nancys out there... all isn't perfect in Lindsay-Baby-World.. Mara's kicks have caused some sleepless nights already (yes, yes, I know... they'll get worse... she'll get under my ribs...she'll make it difficult to breathe... yadda yadda yadda... but for now, I'm happy to feel her little body.. so there). :) I am choosing to be a Positive Penny (you like that alliteration, don't you?? Yeah, you do..).
Mike got me a prenatal massage as my 28th birthday gift, and of course as I laid on my back, I could feel my body start to get all funny... as in, the "I am getting hot and queasy and sweaty and I can tell I'll pass out if I don't lay on my side" funny. Luckily, I told the massage therapist that I needed to lay on my side before anything happened. All I suffered was the embarrassment of being slicker than oil while she continued the massage. I kept thinking, "Maybe she won't notice... maybe she'll just think it's the lotion..." Probably not, but she didn't say anything, so NBD. C'est la vie. At least I didn't have to cut my massage short! See.. Positive Penny!
Speaking of Penny... my sweet little cousin Penny was born about a month ago! Penelope Jayne. She and Mara Louise are going to be best of friends, even if they do live a few states away from each other. :) Isn't she adorable??
Oh, and I almost forgot... my massage was in Mike's gym near his office.. and this sign was posted on the glass next to the door:
...wait... so you mean I can't come packin' to the gym?? ....I'm not joking. This was totally on the door. I understand that I'm now living in a place where people more commonly exercise their right to bear arms (there are signs along the highways between here and Chicago in support of this)... but who brings their gun to the gym, honestly? (Say this with a British accent a la Austin Powers..way more fun...) How about another movie reference? "Exercise causes endorphins..endorphins make people happy..happy people don't shoot their husbands." Name that movie. Seriously. Be my blog's second comment-maker and name the film. I dare you...
This past weekend, Mara experienced her first baseball game.. the Royals played the White Sox in KC. I thought it fitting that we should see our old-home team play our new-home team. Oddly enough, it took a move to Kansas City to see the Sox play for the first time! (I'm a Cubbie at heart - I couldn't finish the 'root root root for the Royals' line in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" because it just felt weird.)
All in all, things are great here in the Anderson baby world! I am absolutely beyond blessed ...healthy mama, loving and supportive husband/daddy..and a healthy and active little Mara Lou :)
(Awwwww... "his daughter"... for some reason, referring to Mara as our daughter is significantly more real to me than using her name or the term 'baby.')
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| 24 weeks |
Ready for another cute little anecdote? Okay. I warned you that it's cute. So you can't complain. :)
The other night, I decided to read to Mara while rocking in the rocking chair my grandma gave us... I read a Fancy Nancy book about butterflies (appropriate, since I seem to be drawn to butterflies and nature-y things for her nursery). I love Fancy Nancy, by the way, because the books are always fun and educational - Fancy Nancy LOVES using big words, and always explains them with parentheses...double-whammy! You can teach vocabulary AND the implication of parentheses in a text! Anyway, the cute part of this story is that later, I told Mike that he should read to Mara, since she hears my voice to the point of exhaustion all day. He chose I Wish I Had Duck Feet by Theo. LeSieg, a funny little book about a boy who wishes he had all these different animals' body parts so he could do different things. I'm not sure which made me delightedly giggle more - the fact that Mike was reading to our daughter with my legs draped over his lap, or his voice as he read the funny book. :) After he was finished reading, I rubbed my belly and told Mara that that was her daddy reading to her and... did she like the book? Mike put his hand on with me, and she KICKED in response! Homegirl likes a good book, apparently. :)
Ah, but don't fret, you Negative Nancys out there... all isn't perfect in Lindsay-Baby-World.. Mara's kicks have caused some sleepless nights already (yes, yes, I know... they'll get worse... she'll get under my ribs...she'll make it difficult to breathe... yadda yadda yadda... but for now, I'm happy to feel her little body.. so there). :) I am choosing to be a Positive Penny (you like that alliteration, don't you?? Yeah, you do..).
Mike got me a prenatal massage as my 28th birthday gift, and of course as I laid on my back, I could feel my body start to get all funny... as in, the "I am getting hot and queasy and sweaty and I can tell I'll pass out if I don't lay on my side" funny. Luckily, I told the massage therapist that I needed to lay on my side before anything happened. All I suffered was the embarrassment of being slicker than oil while she continued the massage. I kept thinking, "Maybe she won't notice... maybe she'll just think it's the lotion..." Probably not, but she didn't say anything, so NBD. C'est la vie. At least I didn't have to cut my massage short! See.. Positive Penny!
Speaking of Penny... my sweet little cousin Penny was born about a month ago! Penelope Jayne. She and Mara Louise are going to be best of friends, even if they do live a few states away from each other. :) Isn't she adorable??
Oh, and I almost forgot... my massage was in Mike's gym near his office.. and this sign was posted on the glass next to the door:
This past weekend, Mara experienced her first baseball game.. the Royals played the White Sox in KC. I thought it fitting that we should see our old-home team play our new-home team. Oddly enough, it took a move to Kansas City to see the Sox play for the first time! (I'm a Cubbie at heart - I couldn't finish the 'root root root for the Royals' line in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" because it just felt weird.)
All in all, things are great here in the Anderson baby world! I am absolutely beyond blessed ...healthy mama, loving and supportive husband/daddy..and a healthy and active little Mara Lou :)
Thursday, August 2, 2012
...Like Bein' 16 Again...
You know how when you turned 16 you jumped at any excuse to drive anywhere? On my 16th birthday, I drove 20 minutes to Meijer just to buy Lipsmackers lip gloss. I was SO excited to just get behind the wheel and experience that sense of freedom and independence! Well..that little 16-year-old Lindsay is ME in KC right now! My dad and Suzanne graciously brought down our second car from Michigan last weekend (thank-you, thank-you, THANK-YOU to them and Patti and Dick for the gift) and now I am driving wherever I can. I honestly kind-of enjoyed driving around downtown and spending time at the DMV yesterday...now THAT should communicate my desperation to get out of the apartment! ;)
As August begins, I can't help but think about teaching. It's a very weird feeling, after always being busy and working...to know that I won't be working as a full-time teacher this fall. It's almost like a bit of an identity crisis...not a crisis, maybe an ... ummm... identity struggle? I am excited to have the opportunity to tutor and maybe even volunteer at a school or for an after-school program, though. Not just to work with kids (which I miss already, just knowing I won't be in my usual capacity), but to simply have a purpose - something that demands my time and challenges me intellectually.
Yesterday was my first OBGYN appointment in KC! Dr. Bishop was recommended to me by my Aunt Sissy, who lived here 18 years ago.. "The Bish," as she fondly refers to him, was her OBGYN during her pregnancy for my cousin Jack... crazy! He was absolutely LOVELY. I learned about his family and a little about his travels as he learned about me. He made a point of mentioning how the doctors at his practice focus on personal relationships with patients and I seriously felt like I was living in a dream - I thought nice doctors like him only existed in the movies!! As he left, he told me, "Make yourself at home, this is your second home now!" with a smile. OMG I couldn't stop smiling and thinking about how lucky I was to have such a rockstar doctor!
Little updates with me and Mara:
As August begins, I can't help but think about teaching. It's a very weird feeling, after always being busy and working...to know that I won't be working as a full-time teacher this fall. It's almost like a bit of an identity crisis...not a crisis, maybe an ... ummm... identity struggle? I am excited to have the opportunity to tutor and maybe even volunteer at a school or for an after-school program, though. Not just to work with kids (which I miss already, just knowing I won't be in my usual capacity), but to simply have a purpose - something that demands my time and challenges me intellectually.
Yesterday was my first OBGYN appointment in KC! Dr. Bishop was recommended to me by my Aunt Sissy, who lived here 18 years ago.. "The Bish," as she fondly refers to him, was her OBGYN during her pregnancy for my cousin Jack... crazy! He was absolutely LOVELY. I learned about his family and a little about his travels as he learned about me. He made a point of mentioning how the doctors at his practice focus on personal relationships with patients and I seriously felt like I was living in a dream - I thought nice doctors like him only existed in the movies!! As he left, he told me, "Make yourself at home, this is your second home now!" with a smile. OMG I couldn't stop smiling and thinking about how lucky I was to have such a rockstar doctor!
Little updates with me and Mara:
- Baby girl keeps streeeetching her little self out and putting pressure on my bladder. Not painful, but definitely lets me know she's there. :)
- Had another weird little episode where I felt nauseous, light-headed, and went into a cold sweat again...while laying down...and waiting for The Bish to come in to the appointment... luckily, he just smiled and nodded as I told him of the ER visit and this second episode, so apparently I'm fine.
- Still working on the most comfortable way to sleep on my side without my hips or shoulders hurting, but it seems that a body pillow between the knees, one pillow under my head, and another pillow layered between the two gives the best positioning without forcing me to clench my teeth or wake up whining about my joints aching. It also helps if Shermie props up against my back. :)
- Mara Lou's heartbeat is strong, so she's growing well and staying healthy! Maybe that's part of the reason why I feel tired unless I get 11 hours of sleep every night!
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