The Home Stretch

April 25, 2013 (30.5 weeks)

This past weekend Gus and I pretty much prepped and cleaned the house and outdoor area for the baby shower we have on Saturday. Yes, we are hosting it and, yes, we are having a coed BBQ. How untraditional!? Untraditional is typical for us. Gus made some shelves in Sierra’s closet to increase our storage capacity for outfits etc. We also picked up some free baby items from my awesome hairdresser, Roxie. She has grandkids that are all grown up and doesn’t need them anymore. We gladly took them off her hands. I also checked out a book on cloth diapering, so I can become more familiar with terms and types of diapers etc.

This weekend seemed like the culmination of a bunch of pregnancy aches and irritations. My back hurt in a whole new way (which luckily went away), it was a shooting nerve pain instead of an ache. My heartburn advanced to the next stage… leaving that one up to your imagination. My allergies are out of control and I am not taking any allergy meds, because I am pregnant. Sneezing very hard for multiple times doesn’t really go well with pregnant ladies who have full bladders… Sleep: between not being able to sleep when I should and then sleeping until 10:15am my schedule was all off.  I also have been getting horrible Charlie horses (a.k.a. cramps) in my calves that literally wake me up at night. I figure I am just prepping for the baby. I can no longer bend down comfortably and tie my shoes or put on my shorts for that matter because my belly gets in the way and causes too much pressure. The run I was going to do on Saturday with the dogs turned into a walk because I tripped one time, and decided that was enough of that.  Luckily, we were in an area where there were plenty of hills so I actually got some real exercise in. On the running front, I think I am switching to walking (for the most part) from now on. Very sad to say, but I think it's time. On Sunday the UC Davis Rec pool opened up and Gus and I bought season passes, and asked Lyndsey to meet us. At least I can swim in comfort!

My doctor’s appointment on Monday went well. He even said my weight gain was good! 4 pounds since the last appointment which was 4 weeks ago (maybe he caught on after I brought it up at our last appointment). No gestational diabetes, great blood pressure, great fetal movement, and her heart rate is 148 BPM. He assigned us a pediatrician that will be able to see Sierra at the hospital, but after a month (when our insurance allows us to) we will probably switch to one that practices in Davis for convenience. My doctor did mention the importance of getting the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine, and anyone else who will be spending a substantial amount of time with Sierra early on. He emphasized the importance of this vaccine and especially how important it was in California. Apparently pertussis (whooping cough) can be fatal in infants and is considered an epidemic in California. So I have an appointment with my primary care doctor (that I have never been to) to get my shot on Monday. Unfortunately, that’s the only way my insurance will cover the shot, but I guess it’s good to get to know my doctor anyhow.

I think I may be saying goodbye to my Tuesday/Thursday Olympic lifting sessions. It’s hard to actually admit that I am going to stop at this point, but today I was noticing some things that normally don’t affect me. When I was snatching 50 kilos my elbows seemed to over-extend slightly, and my catch was farther behind me than usual. I also noticed that since my belly is getting so much bigger I have to lie way back and then compensate by jumping too far forward under the bar to catch it. If you look at this diagram you can get a better idea of the bar path in the snatch. 

Well now imagine 50 kilos making a bar path that swings out too wide because I am trying to avoid my belly… it forces you back as it counteracts the moving weight and then you have to jump really far forward so you make the catch. Anyhow, my cleans are still okay but my jerks at 60 kilos are looking wobbly at the shoulder and elbows. Eh, I suppose it’s better to stop before I get injured. I blame it on relaxin really. 

The hormone that us pregnant ladies release which loosens our ligaments (holding together our precious joints). At least I still have my M/W/F lifts (and I can still complete an unassisted pull-up)!!! For now (dun dun dunnnnn)!

The big news for the week is the baby shower on Saturday! We are so excited to see friends and family all together again! We also have a 3 hour baby birthing class to go to on Sunday… our first one. This is the week I wrote down on my calendar so long ago, and thought, “Well when we get to that point we’re at the home stretch.” Here we are!

Me at 30.5 weeks (26 pound weight gain):

Stick and Stones

April 18, 2013 (29.5 weeks):

Baby Sierra’s bones are hardening and she’s taking up some vital nutrients right now. Her brain is developing rapidly too. She is about 15 inches long and close to 3 pounds now. I feel hungry more than ever too.  

The past weekend was very relaxing for us. Saturday we had a slow morning of doing “weekend” chores around the house and transplanting the rest of our beans and sunflowers into the ground from flats. We hit up the Davis library to check out some DVD’s, and headed to the men’s soccer game versus UC Davis. It was an intense game (as they are rivals). The first half brought 3 goals all from Davis, and the second half brought 3 more goals from Sac State. In the last minute of play one of the UC Davis players knocked down one of the Sac State players and held him down. We were thinking this would be an immediate red card, but no… they were both given a yellow card. Unfortunately, this was the second yellow for our player and he was given a red and kicked off the field. Subsequently, UC Davis was given possession of the ball and scored with only a few seconds to go. Gus and I were less than pleased with the ref, as most spectators tend to be at soccer games.

Later in the evening, the pregnant ladies got together for dinner! Jill, Lisa, and I met at Katmandu, a great Indian restaurant in town. They are both two months behind me, and two months in pregnancy world makes a huge difference in how big you are! They both barely have a baby bump. I find it funny that whenever we all go out we mention to the server we are all pregnant so we won’t be drinking, and they always say the same thing, “All of you?!” “Yep, that’s right all three of us…” Who would have guessed three pregnant ladies could all hang out together?!  It’s always nice to get together because we all want to talk pregnancy issues and we are all so open about what’s going on at our stages that the conversation never seems to die down. I consider it like having a running partner you have been training with for at least 6 months. They know everything about your bodily functions, and it doesn’t even faze them. This is a similar scenario for the three of us pregnant ladies, except there isn’t any exercise involved.

Sunday was another excellent day. Slow wake-up. Run down-town to pick-up some things for the garden and use the internet. Garden all day and take a nap. After the nap, Gus read another book to Sierra, California the Beautiful. This book has pictures all over California by one of his favorite photographers, Galen Rowell. There are quotes from famous writers that go along with all of the pictures in the book. It may be a little advanced for Sierra, but it’s just another way for her to hear his voice.   At the end of the day we watched “The Life of Birds” with David Attenborough before turning in. We were both satisfied with a low-key day. As Gus said, we are just discovering different things to do together (while I’m pregnant). 

I have read in many of the pregnancy books that dental care during pregnancy is really important and often neglected, so soon after I found out I scheduled my cleaning. Apparently pregnant women are more likely to get cavities, gingivitis, and their gums bleed more often. Well my Monday cleaning proved that to be true. No cavities or gingivitis, but my gums bleed like crazy and were sore for most of the day afterwards. Either way, I was glad that I got it done now. The next 10.5 weeks there will be many other last minute appointments and things to remember besides getting my teeth cleaned.

On the work-out front: Running, I go when I am feeling pretty good. Gus, the dogs and I went running twice together this week. I feel more out of breath because of how compressed everything is getting in my abdomen. Swimming: no more flip turns for me starting this week… too uncomfortable. Weight lifting: I am starting to feel the need to change my routine, although I haven’t done that yet. Changing up deadlifts and squats are my biggest concerns now, but that may soon include my Olympic lifts as well.

Now that I am this far along, I am starting to consider taking sick days starting the week before my official maternity leave begins because every day that passes I am feeling less and less mobile, and physically tired a lot.  I seriously want to meet the women who say they feel amazing during their pregnancy… Does anyone actually feel better during pregnancy than they did before hand? Do women actually feel sexier??? If so I need to meet these women and get some tips.

On a positive note, I did recently speak with a woman from work that has a 2 year old girl and she gave me some “size 2” diapers (although disposable they are still nice to have around), baby clothes, and blankets! She gave me some good late pregnancy and post-pregnancy tips. I also received an early baby shower package from my mom in the mail… I was asked not to open until the baby shower on the 27^th, but if you know me as I have said many times before I have a hard time with surprises… or big gifts sitting around just screaming my name out. There were SO many cute outfits and other baby goodies! I can’t wait until we can put them all on her!

Gus has been practicing the guitar in the mornings this week so he can play for Sierra when she gets here. It will be nice to have someone to have a musical influence on her as she grows up. I know it impacted me a lot to hear my dad play the piano throughout my childhood.

Me at 29.5 weeks, 10.5 more to go (25 pound weight gain):

 

Do you see what I see?

April 12, 2013 (28.5 weeks)

Pretty basic week here in pregnancy land… my belly is getting bigger, I still get heartburn, and the baby kicks a lot. At this point I need to settle into being pregnant and try not to anticipate Sierra being born too much. (Apparently, her eyes are open now and she can see diffused light streaming in. If she were born today she would almost surely survive with all of the medical help of our current hospitals). What’s different about this week is my training. I have decreased my running to 3 times per week and increased swimming to 3 times per week. Running is just becoming uncomfortable, honestly. I don’t even care how long I run for anymore. Some days I can go longer, and sometimes I can’t. Oh well. That does mean, however, that my total amount of cardiovascular training has dropped by 1.5 hr/wk. This also implies that I am burning less calories every week… I still need to make some adjustments to the “calories in” department to compensate.  My lifting is still essentially the same (with minor variations to the same routine).  

The gestational diabetes blood test was today. This test requires 12 hours of fasting before going to the Quest Lab and getting your blood drawn, drinking a gross sugary drink, waiting around for an hour, getting your blood drawn, waiting another hour and then drawing your blood again. I understand why the test is done, but not eating for 14 hours just doesn’t appeal to most pregnant woman. It gives me nausea to put it mildly. Anyhow, I will find out about those results on the 22^nd at my next doctor’s appointment. I am definitely not concerned about this test, seeing as only 4% of pregnant women even have it.

It seems like I may be gaining weight a little bit faster now, another 1.5lb weight gain this week (24 pound total weight gain):

Last night Gus read a baby book to Sierra, “The Prairie Alphabet.” She always kicks more when he talks, so it was fun for all of us. 

The Dog Days of Spring in Las Vegas

April 4, 2013 (27.5 weeks):

Thursday evening we flew out of Stockton on the cheapest airline around (Allegiant) to get ourselves to Las Vegas. We made it in later than anticipated due to the delays. We were warmly greeted by Crystal at the baggage claim. She had made a vegan version of the Greek dish moussaka for us, which Onkar had warming up in the oven for our arrival. She used a pine nut paste instead of cheese and it was amazing! Her mom and dad sent a little Easter treat for Gus and I and birthday gift which we opened and I started in on for a dessert! Friday I turned 30 and shortly after I woke up Crystal and I went on an hour long run to start the day off! Here’s a picture of us before we headed out:

Crystal made delicious pancakes for everyone before we headed out on our hike down (800 feet down and 3 miles) to the Colorado River! Even Asha and Baloo want to celebrate my birthday:

It was about noon and the dry desert heat was getting up in the 80’s. After the first few miles we decided it was a wise choice not to bring their two large dogs. Crystal and Onkar at the beginning of the hike:

The desert was beautiful. Cacti and plants of all kinds were in bloom. Blooming cactus:

Blooming desert plant:

We walked down through a rocky and sandy gorge to the river, hiding in the shade as often as we could. 

 Towards the end of the hike we ran into a man (Rodrigo, from Chile) and his dog (Celia, a 30 pound over-weight black lab) that seemed quite distraught. Celia was panting hard and would not budge. He said he was trying to get her some more exercise because the vet said she was getting too heavy. Today was definitely not the day to start trying… maybe starting with a smaller goal would have been better for her. We stayed and talked to them for a little bit and encouraged him since Crystal and Onkar both knew the river was close. We headed down to the river ourselves to jump in the icy river. We all ended up screaming as we submerged ourselves, but instantly felt refreshed. Soon after we got out of the river, Rodrigo and Celia arrived. Celia plopped herself down in the river immediately.  The five of us devised a plan of action, because there was absolutely NO WAY that dog was hiking back out 3 miles and 800 feet in 85 degree weather. The plan: wave down a boat and ask for a ride for Rodrigo and Celia about 30 minutes down river. We would hike back out and drive his car (an early 90’s Mazda Miada) down to meet him. What can I say; we can now call ourselves Professional Dog Rescuers. If you know of anyone please pass on our info! A picture of Rodrigo and Celia post-rescue:

After the eventful hike we headed out for a wonderful birthday dinner at a Mexican restaurant with a great view of the mountains and the strip. At the end of the evening I had a sombrero stuck on my head, a bunch of people singing at me and a churro with a candle stuck in front of me (which I gladly accepted). Unfortunately for me, Crystal had to drink my free tequila shot. When we got back home I blew out more candles on a beautiful Easter cake and we watched “This is 40.” 

Saturday and Sunday were pretty calm and relaxing days in comparison to Friday. We went to Lake Meed on Saturday with the dogs and played in the chilly lake and went out for dinner in the evening at a great restaurant.

On Sunday we all slept in and eventually got around to jumping in the pool before we had to fly out.

It was a great trip with a much needed relaxation and bonding time!

Monday is Cesar Chavez Day (a holiday) so I didn’t have to work so I drove over to my friend, Julia’s for some of the BEST steel-cut oats I have ever had for breakfast! I brought Oso over to play with her 8 month old (tons of puppy energy) Rhodesian Ridgeback, Taj, too. We all hung out for about an hour and a half before I headed out to Auburn for a hike down from the 49 to the American River. The hike was about 2.5 hours and just the perfect day for it. It had rained the previous day, and it was still early enough to be cool for the first half. There were tons of butterflies everywhere, and lots of wildflowers blooming. We passed a waterfall and really enjoyed the time down by the river before we hiked back out.

On Wednesday my dad came to town to scout his baseball team. We are so lucky he travels in our area for his job! We all went out to an amazing dinner at Tuco’s in Davis on Wednesday and had a great time laughing and talking the whole night! I was able to sneak out and meet him for lunch in mid-town Sacramento on Thursday. He’s planning on hanging out with us in Davis on Saturday and Gus and I are going to a Rivercats game with him (while he works) on Sunday before he leaves. Gus and I both agree, he is going to be a spectacular grandpa!!! I even gave him a happy birthday, grandpa card for his birthday (which was on Easter).

Here’s me at 27.5 weeks (22.5 pound weight gain):