Worse...then Better

The third month of motherhood began rather difficultly. I had a bout with the early stages of mastitis during the first week. It was terrible to deal with, particularly as the primary caretaker of a newborn when I was so physically exhausted that I just wanted to rest. I hope that my personal experience with mastitis never gets any worse than what I have experienced to this point in my life.

Gabriel was congested still when the month began, thus his sleep was not as good as it could have been. After reviewing my books on baby sleep, I convinced myself that I was teaching Gabriel all sorts of bad habits. This bothered me immensely, but with sleep having become such a precious commodity, I decided that we were just going to sleep any way that we could. Then I read what Moxie has to say about babies and sleep, and felt better about how I was doing things. Miraculously, (or possibly not, since Moxie said that it would happen) Gabriel's congested nose, and the time in which he was most likely going through a sleep regression, passed, and the sleep got better without me doing a thing about it. Gabriel decided that going for a walk is a good way to relax and fall asleep. When he nurses to sleep, he often nurses until he is almost asleep, detaches himself, and finishes falling asleep. I still sleep only a few hours at a time, but I find the current situation rather bearable. Now if we just finish getting naps ironed out, things would be running fairly smoothly.

Motherhood: Two Month Update

So, two months in and I realize first-hand that things can be "one step forward, two steps back" in terms of raising a child.

There have been several nights that were awful. I blame the sleep issues, at least in part, on Gabriel's congested nose, which makes its presence known at night particularly. There have been a few nights in which it took about three hours to get Gabriel to sleep. There have been nights in which he was waking up every hour or so. Such nights are hard. Now I understand myself, from experience, the lamentations of parents in regards to their baby's sleep habits. Since things seem to be getting better now though, it has been easier for me to keep in mind that these nights of poor sleep for all are really just a short phase in life.

Being Gabriel's mother is not without repercussions on my own body: I have developed tendonitis in my left hand and wrist, most likely related to the fact that I am right-handed and my poor left hand has had to step up to the plate and work to care for Gabriel after nearly twenty-four years of little activity. So, I have been sentenced to physical therapy and wearing a brace for the next couple of weeks in an effort to reduce my discomfort. Pain aside, the worst part of the whole scenario is that the brace does such a good job stabilizing my hand and wrist that caring for Gabriel has been complicated.

On a more positive note, I really, really like Gabriel's doctor. Her manner with Gabriel is much more agreeable and that of the doctors at the other clinic I took him to in his first week of life: I get to hold him while she examines him, which is easier on both Gabriel and I as it reduces his discomfort (aka crying). She specializes in "alternative medicine," while still working with traditional medicine: meaning that although at his seven-week visit, Gabriel weighed in at eight pounds, a mere five ounces above his birth weight, she suggested that I supplement my diet rather than supplement Gabriel with formula (all without making me feel like a terrible mother). Also, I have felt zero pressure or disapproval from her based on J.R.'s and my decision not to have Gabriel receive immunizations at this time; rather, she supports our decision.

In closing, I wanted to post some photographs of Gabriel, however, J.R. has yet to convert the files or teach me to do so, thus internet viewing of them must wait. J.R. is busy working, often tired, and dealing with allergies right now, so I wait (somewhat) patiently - but I would like to show off pictures of our growing baby still. Especially the adorable photos of him smiling, the cutest milestone yet.

The Move

Moving everything (and setting up to some degree) into our first apartment the week before our wedding was a little difficult, and kept me very busy. It took awhile to settle in. Moving with a six-week-old baby, however, was many times more difficult. I really hope that J.R. and I are able to manage getting our new, larger apartment, with an even greater number of possessions, set up before the holidays (we are raising a newborn here, so no need to set the goal too close and risk complete failure at reaching the goal).

Moving has seemed to mess up Gabriel's sleep schedule. No matter what time Gabriel went to bed at night, I could plan on him waking up for the day at slightly before 7:00 in the morning. Now, however, I am dealing with as early as 5:30 wakings. It has been only a few days though, so I am hopeful that I will be able to shift his schedule so that we can manage no earlier than a 6:30 wake up. Once we can get a little more agreeable sleeping schedule set up, I will try to resume blogging with some coherence and frequency.

Two Weeks of Motherhood

After having completed two weeks of motherhood, I feel that things are going relatively well. Sure, I have had my fair share of difficulties in the past two weeks. Although I have heard of many persons having difficulty breastfeeding, I naively thought that I would not face the same issues. I have never been apprehensive over visiting the doctor myself, but the doctor mentioning a potential concern, "to keep an eye on," related to Gabriel and I faced an anxiety that I have never known. Then, of course, my house stands in dissaray currently and my schedule has been shifted around substantially - but these were issues that I expected to face. Overall, I would have to say that the second week has gone much smoother than the first.

I am pretty happy with the sleep situation as it stands. Gabriel will sleep in about two three-hour (possibly longer) blocks during the night (allowing me to function better during the day), and take a couple of naps during the day. I know better than to plan on him sleeping like this always, but I am going to enjoy it for as long as it lasts.

Gabriel and I have not only survived, but done quite well with J.R. going to work the last two days. We even managed to break out the stroller and go for a walk today. Gabriel seemed to enjoy our little stroll, and I enjoyed spending the half-hour or so outside.

Gabriel is napping now, and as I would like more to show for his nap than my own shorter nap, lunch, and a blog post, I must bring this entry to a close.

Photograph of Gabriel

For now, here is a picture of our baby boy:



More to come, adjusting to motherhood is keeping me really, really busy!

Gabriel James

Gabriel James arrived at 4:40 am on Friday, August 3, 2007. He weighed in at seven pounds and eleven ounces, and measured twenty inches in length. Both Gabriel and I are doing well and have arrived home. I will update again with more details when I have time.

Thank you to everyone for their prayers and well wishes!

Still waiting...

It appears that our baby is rather happy with the current living situation in my uterus, as he or she has not made a debut yet. The baby that I thought we would be holding by the end of July will be an August baby now. I think that I have reached the "I am ready for the baby to be born now phase." My back began aching on Monday, the heat (which is at 90 degrees plus, currently) is getting to me when I spend time outside, and J.R. and I are making encouraging comments to my tummy in an effort to advocate that our baby arrive soon. Despite having slept eight hours the night before, I require a nap in the afternoon now. Additionally, though I am getting a good amount of sleep, I am waking up several times during the night. In short, I am not very comfortable right now and I am ready to begin the next phase of parenthood.

The current plan: try natural ways to induce labor. I walk through stores in town, squat, tailor sit, and do pelvic circles in an effort to engage the baby, among other ways of trying to induce naturally. We are hoping and praying still that our baby arrives, or that I am in labor at least, before it is time for the ultrasound and non-stress test on Friday morning. I fear, on some level, that something abnormal may be found if I make it to that appointment on Friday, and that an induction, or cesearean section may be suggested; procedures which in and of themselves have been known to cause complications. Ultimately, so long as our baby arrives safe and sound, we will be both happy and blessed. We just did not imagine that our baby may arrive two weeks after the estimated due date.

Due Date Plus Five

My appointment with the CNM yesterday went well. The news: everything looks normal and well, the baby will be here any day (I knew this already, but hearing it from the midwife is encouraging), and I am three centimeters dilated. If our baby has not arrived by next Friday, August third, a non-stress test and ultrasound will be performed. We are, of course, hoping that things not reach that point, however. With the lack of contractions I am experiencing right now, perhaps our baby will come tomorrow or Monday. J.R.'s guess was for Sunday or Monday anyway, as Sunday is the full moon. My grandmother thought that tomorrow would be a special day for me to have the baby, as it was her mother's birthday.

J.R., our parents, and I have been receiving phone calls and emails all week inquiring on the status of our baby. No news yet, but, we assure you: we will let you know when there is news to report.

Awaiting Baby

It is now the fourth day past my "medical due date," and still no baby. Actually, I always figured that this baby would arrive "late" according to that calculation. Family members have been calling asking how the baby and I are doing, and it is kind of disappointing to say, "No news, but it cannot be too much longer now." There have been some signs that labor is imminent, but it is not here yet.

I found myself wishing that labor would hurry up and start earlier today. It is not that I am tired of being pregnant (honestly, I am not). I am ready, however, to meet our baby, to begin my new life as a mother, and to stop receiving comments from others on the baby's current lack of arrival. Today I have an appointment with my CNM, when I made the appointment last week, I assumed that: 1. The baby would be here by now, or 2. I would be at the hospital preparing to have the baby, so either way I would not need to go to this appointment. It appears that I was incorrect in making that assumption. At least I am finished working now until our baby is about two months old, though we are still hoping and praying that J.R. finds a good enough job that I will not have to work.

Of course, there have been advantages of our baby coming after the actual due date. Since we did not know when the baby would come, J.R. and I had not made any real plans from the beginning of last weekend until the beginning of next weekend. This has enabled us to truly enjoy our final days of married life, pre-children. We have had the time to get several last-minute items of business in order. No, our apartment is not spotless, nor will "the baby's room" be completely in order until after we move, but things have come leaps and bounds toward me feeling better about our overall preparedness over the past week.

Come what may, I think that we are about as ready as we are going to be. We are, needless to say, really looking forward to meeting our little one, whether it be sooner or later...

Due Date: No Baby Yet

July 23 has arrived, and I am not experiencing anything to make me believe that our baby is going to arrive "on time." As someone pointed out to me, however, 'babies are like wizards: they are never early nor late, they arrive precisely when they mean to.' Thus, I am content with where the baby and I are at right now. Go ahead and take your time, dear little one. I just prefer that you not take too long, because the thought of induction scares me, and I think that it would be better if you come in your own time, rather than what the medical field determines to be the correct time. Honestly, I figure that I will probably be holding our baby in my arms by this time next week. I think that I am in the very early stages of labor, though I recognize that I could be in this stage for awhile yet.

J.R. and I worked on getting things in order around our apartment in preparation for the baby this weekend. Now I actually feel "ready" for the baby, or probably about as ready as a first-time mother can feel. A first-time mother given my situation, anyway. J.R. and I finally found a new apartment, that we were accepted to, last week. We will be moving around the second week of September. The new apartment is larger and we will be saving money, definite advantages with a new baby. The biggest disadvantage of this arrangment is probably that the new apartment will be on the second floor (making it necessary to carry everything up and down stairs), as we are quite happy with the first floor arrangement of our current apartment.

Certainly things are falling into place, and it is only a matter of time before we meet our baby, our precious little gift from God!

One Week to Due Date

So, here I am at the end of my pregnancy, with what I presume will be no more than two weeks until J.R. and I meet our precious baby. Braxton-hicks contractions have become common, but not overly-abundant, in the last week. I finally finished packing my hospital bag over the weekend, with the exception of the items which I'll have to pack once I know that I am in labor. I am "nesting" some as well, but I have not felt any overwhelming urge to make our apartment appear spotless. My tummy has grown to rather large proportions, though I had not realized just how large until I took a good look at some of the tummy pictures that J.R. had taken of me last week. Other than knowing that I am at the end of my pregnancy so the baby will inevitably be here soon, I have not noticed any signs to make me believe that our baby is going to make his or her debut in the immediate future. I am sleeping relatively well and functioning normally for the most part, however, so it is alright with me if our baby waits a bit longer.

Saturday night/Sunday morning marked my first pregnancy dream (or at least the first one that I remembered in the morning, as I am rarely cognizant of my dreams when I wake). I was at the hospital and had the baby (a boy, in the dream), I do not even recall there being any conflict in this dream, just how happy and joyful J.R. and I were with our baby. Not particularly exciting news, but I think that noting my first (and potentially only) dream related to this pregnancy is worthwhile.

In the last days of my pregnancy, J.R. seems to be doing well. He feels a little unprepared to be a father, and he finds it hard to believe that he is going to be caring for his own flesh and blood in the near future, but he is excited as well. He talks to our baby at least a couple of times per day. I'll admit, I find the way that he'll bend over and speak, inches from my tummy, to the baby pretty cute. Both Faustina and J.R., independently of one another, have adopted this method of addressing the baby. Yes, J.R. has his concerns as a father-in-waiting (what new parent wouldn't?), but I know that he will step up to whatever challenges, trials, and the like that we will face, and that he will enjoy being a father, ultimately.

I feel that I am handling the end of my pregnancy well. As I mentioned already, any physical "ailments" that I am experiencing are manageable and not all that unpleasant. As far as being concerned about labor and delivery, I feel that I am facing only a normal (or perhaps lesser) amount of concern, mostly related to the impending "unknown" of birth and the incredible amount of pain that I have heard tell of. I have read books, practiced exercises, and tried to prepare myself for the birth of our baby, however, so I am comfortable with what I will be facing when the time comes. Like J.R., I feel a little unprepared to take on my new role as mother, but I believe that it must be a normal feeling. After all, God has entrusted parents with a serious duty. One thing that bothers me, unimportant as it is in the big scheme of things, is our lack of a formal nursery. We have the necessities (and more) required for a new baby, but with our future living situation unknown as of yet, the baby's dresser and changing table are in storage still (why move, and set them up twice?), and the only clothes that I have organized are the newborn and 0-3 month sizes. As I said, little things, but the nesting/mothering instinct in me would rather things be "picture perfect" before the baby arrives. That being said, I know that everything is going to work out fine, and that our baby will come home to a comfortable home, where he or she will be well-cared for and loved tremendously.

Thirty-eight Weeks

Today marks week thirty-eight of my pregnancy, meaning that there remain a mere two weeks until my baby's due date. I am not quite ready to have this baby outside of my body yet, however. When I met with the CNM a little over a week ago, she made a comment about how it would be fine for the baby to come any time now. I know most babies that come early survive with few or no complications, but I cannot help thinking that the baby is developing still. I would like another week or so to get things ready around the house as well, to be honest.

Of us six children, I was the only one who came "early," but at one day before my due date, I could hardly be considered early. My sister Faustina came on her due date, and the other four of my siblings were all late by at least several days. I am kind of hoping that I'll be like my mother, and have my baby right around the due date.

Last week J.R. began questioning me on a daily basis whether I thought that I was in labor. Over the past several days, this questioning has risen to several times per day. My parents have begun questioning how I am doing as well over the past few days, they even made sure to call and ask how I was doing this morning before they left to go on vacation for the next few days.

It was so hot yesterday (95 degrees and humid) that J.R. would not allow me to help take care of the animals. Actually, I cannot blame him, and it is good that he is looking out for me, since I have been known to overdo things. After spending more time than I ought to have on my feet and in the heat on Friday and Saturday for Dad and Mom's anniversary party, my feet had swollen. The swelling went down overnight, but going to mass on Sunday caused them to swell right back up. Fortunately, they returned to normal once I returned home to our air conditioned apartment. Although it is over 90 degrees again today, I have not experienced any swelling, which I attribute to my having spent almost the entire day in air conditioning. Whether I be in the comfort of home or at work seems to matter not, so long as I stay out of the heat.

I am feeling quite well at this point in my pregnancy: no pains, not excessively tired, and still able/willing to complete the majority of my regular tasks. I was not feeling quite so chipper on Saturday evening, but now that I have rebounded all is well. I am, of course, hoping to keep this up until (and after, as much as possible, whether it be a reasonable hope or not) the baby is born. I am looking forward to meeting our baby soon, but for now I am enjoying being pregnant still.

One Month to Due Date

I am one month away from my due date today, officially.

I'll be honest, even though it is harder to get good sleep, it seems like my clothes do not fit quite right, and I have to watch how much weight I lift or carry, I think that I am going to miss being pregnant a little bit. It is awesome to feel the baby move within me, and to hear the heartbeat. On the same note, I look forward to meeting the little person who has been growing within me for the past thirty-some weeks.

People have been asking me if I am ready to have the baby already, and it seems so early to me. I would really like for this baby to go full-term, and being a little past my due date does not even bother me at this point in time. I suppose that perhaps I may feel differently about this matter if everything was set up and ready for the baby to arrive, but since J.R. and I do not even know where we will be living when August comes around at this point in time (we put in applications at a couple of places this week, hopefully we will hear back soon), I know that it will be better for the baby to stay right in my womb a few weeks longer.

I'll be honest, sometimes I look at all that I would like to have done before the baby arrives and feel a little overwhelmed, though I realize that everything will work out fine in the end - there are people out there who are much less prepared than us in terms of baby supplies and living arrangements who raise happy, healthy babies. My desire to have things in order before the baby arrives has spurred me on to some "nesting" lately, but since it is harder for me to move than in the past with my growing tummy and with the whole idea of moving in mind, I am not in a driving-J.R.-nuts-mode with the way that I must organize and clean the apartment in preparation for baby.

J.R. seems to be getting more excited about the arrival of the baby as well. We went to a wedding last weekend and I could tell that he really enjoyed talking about our bundle of joy who will be making an appearance shortly. J.R.'s interest in the assortment of baby goods that we have collected is somewhat different from my own (interested in everything), however. He has shown more interest in the practical baby gear, (car seat, stroller, bathtub, etc.) and I get the distinct impression that he looks at the cute baby clothing to humor me only. I guess I cannot blame him, clothing tends to be something that women are more interested in than men in general. Last night he did tell me that it is important that I pick out what outfit we are going to have the baby's first picture taken in and bring him or her home from the hospital in, though I know that this is inspired due to his love of photography largely.

So, thirty days and counting...

My Busy Life

Much to my dismay, I realized that it has been nearly two weeks since I last blogged. In short, things have been busy. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been comparing auto insurance quotes (only to find that what we've got is about as well as anyone can do for us at this time, but at least I know that for a fact now), and searching for new apartments. The lease on our apartment is up at the end of July, and though we recognize that moving during the same month that I am due is not ideal, neither would be moving with a newborn - or paying an extra $100/month rent (for not signing a new lease) on top of the increased cost of renting our apartment as of August 1st. With me out on maternity leave (and us not really wanting to send me back to work with a new baby), and J.R. having just started a full-time, temporary position, rent is a very good area for us to try to cut costs on in order to make our budget more "safe" during these big changes in our lives. So, in order to give a proper thirty day notice in case we do decide to move, J.R. and I have been working on apartment hunting rather diligently. We looked at a place yesterday that we did not care for much compared to our current apartment, and tomorrow we look at another place. The apartment that we view tomorrow seems rather promising, as the amenities, appliances, etc. seem quite similar to what our current apartment has.

With only a little over five weeks until the baby arrives and my life as I know it changes forever, there is much to be done; though it is a slow process. I organized the gifts that we received after the baby shower, but I have yet to take an inventory of things and determine what I ought to have on-hand for when the baby comes home. This weekend J.R. and I will be getting things ready to move into a storage unit, since it is a necessity that we move some of our unused belongings (actually, almost exclusively J.R.'s unused belongings, which I am getting tired of seeing packed in boxes since before we were married - if you can leave items packed in boxes for that long, do you really need them?) out of the baby's "room" - a term I use loosely, since we plan on the baby being in our room for quite awhile. Having a lot of things moved into the storage unit before we move should make the whole process of moving easier anyway.

This is the thirty-fourth week of my pregnancy. Other than the fact that when I am working outside in the heat I swell a little usually, I seem to be fairing quite well with less than six weeks to go before my due date. Last weekend J.R. and I toured the hospital birthing center, I am glad that we did in order to see the rooms and have the general routine explained to us before it comes time to deliver the baby. Also, I have been reading quite a lot on "natural birth" lately, and am hopeful that I will have a drug-free birth, barring any extenuating circumstances. Later this afternoon I have an appointment with my CNM, I always enjoy hearing our baby's heartbeat and getting an update on how things are progressing.

There you have it, a brief update (with some rambling) on the busy life of this expectant mother.

Thirty Weeks

For whatever reason, unknown to me, my sleep seems to have improved as of late. Perhaps I have adapted to my growing tummy and the fact that I need to learn to sleep despite its presence or I am going to face a very long, tiresome next ten weeks. Perhaps there is another reason, I may never know, but I am grateful for the increase in sleep certainly.

Wednesday was my thirty week appointment with the CNM. Everything seems to be progressing well. My tummy is still measuring exactly on track for where I am in the pregnancy, and the CNM thinks that the baby has turned to a head-down position already (something that makes me happy, since the idea of a breech baby does not excite me).

Last Thursday (May 10) marked the first really powerful "kicks" from the baby. Now I quite often see my tummy move markedly when the baby is moving. J.R. has noticed this phenomena as well.

As for my increasing tummy size, I am now to a point where I either need to wear maternity clothing, or clothing that had some extra room before I was pregnant, and I have found that my skirts, etc. with an elastic waist fit fine still as of this writing. During the times when I manage to forget that my stomach is growing at a rather rapid rate, I am usually brought back to reality by someone at work, since at least one person per day asks me how I am doing or when I am due now.

All in all, I am feeling well, am comfortable, and able to function in all of my normal capacities for the most part, so I am feeling pretty good about this pregnancy right now; hopefully it will stay that way. Besides my tummy's size, the only things that have affected me much up to this time are: weight restrictions (somewhat limiting as a horse owner), my need for a little more rest than before, and my appetite (which has either increased since the beginning of the third trimester, or the fact that my stomach cannot function quite normally with a baby taking up much of its normal living quarters is affecting me). Honestly, with only a few things that are even having an affect me, I cannot help but feel blessed to be having a relatively active and healthy pregnancy.

Miriam's First Holy Communion

Sunday was Miriam's, my seven-year-old sister, first holy communion. She looked very nice in her bright white dress and veil, and her precious smiles on such a momentous day in her life were priceless. After mass, my parents hosted a luncheon in honor of Miriam. It was nice to get a chance to visit with the family and friends who attended, J.R. and I enjoyed ourselves a lot.



This is a photograph of my family, minus J.R. (who was taking pictures that day) and my brother Chad, who was unable to attend.

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Today marks eleven months since J.R. and I were joined in the sacrament of marriage. Many things have changed over the past eleven months, and sometimes I find it hard to believe that I will be holding our new baby in only about two and a half months. Today was my twenty-eight week appointment with the CNM, now that I am in the third trimester, I will begin meeting with her every two weeks. Everything is going well with the baby and I am measuring right on track still. Today was also my one-hour glucose test. The drink itself was not so bad, it reminded me of orange drink from McDonald's, but all that sugary sweetness made my stomach churn a little. I was able to remedy any stomach upset between eating lunch and going about my daily routine, however. By tomorrow afternoon the results will be in, though I am not too worried about failing.

Sleep Update

It is touch and go pertaining to my sleep lately. I have had a couple nights in which I fell asleep and slept just fine, a couple of nights where I could not fall asleep easily, and a few mornings in which I woke up early and could not fall back to sleep. Thus far (knock on wood), there have been no repeats of last Friday when I both could not fall asleep and then woke up too early. Despite my difficulty sleeping, I seem to be functioning well, however. So, despite the fact that I do not like not being able to fall asleep sometimes, as long as I am able to get some good sleep, things seem to be working out just fine. Additionally, I have found that I tend to sleep pretty well on the nights following the nights when I slept horribly. Waking up earlier even has its advantages, such as: having time to prepare and eat a nutritious and filing breakfast, not having to rush my morning routine in order to avoid being late for work, and having time to accomplish something around the house or in town before I head to work, to name a few.

In other pregnancy-related news, I do not think that I have mentioned how much of a sweetheart J.R. has been in relation to my pregnancy lately. J.R. was there to help me out in the early days when the morning sickness was no fun, has happily discussed baby names with me along the way (still no picks, however), and attended some of the prenatal appointments with me - but aside from the ultrasound where he saw pictures of the baby (which he enjoyed very much), he has not had real contact with the baby except through me, until the first time that he felt the baby move. Although I do not know for certain, it seems to me that it was right around the first time that J.R. felt the baby move that he started to get excited about having a baby really. I have a hunch that women, who have contact with the baby growing within their womb from day one, quickly develop an attachment to their child and feel like a mother even before their baby is born. In general though, it is harder for men since they are neither physically nor emotionally as close to the baby as their wives, and tend to not feel much like a father until the baby is born. This is the way that it has worked out for J.R. and I, in this pregnancy, at least on some level.

As a final note: Several people at work mentioned my pregnancy to me this week, so either I am starting to look pregnant or word is getting around of said fact. I tend to believe that it is a mixture of both.

Maternity Clothing

For the sake of keeping records, this is an interesting milestone to note: this week (Week 26) of my pregnancy marks the first time that I have worn maternity tops. I have not been wearing maternity tops exclusively yet, but I am getting large enough that they are becoming more comfortable than my roomier, non-maternity tops (with the exception of my regular, every day t-shirts, which are appropriate for neither work nor mass anyway). If I am ever blessed with another pregnancy, it will be interesting to note when I meet little milestones in this pregnancy versus any subsequent pregnancy. I have gotten several comments about how I am not very big yet, but my tummy was measuring right on track at my last appointment.

And now for my brief discussion of maternity clothing, in bulleted format:

- I really like that maternity tops are cut longer than traditional tops! I have always tried to buy shirts that are cut a little longer than seems to be popular because I absolutely cannot stand bending over or reaching for something and feeling my back or tummy exposed - as long as my tummy does not get too big, I should not have a problem with this for the next several months.

- Many otherwise attractive maternity tops and dresses show much more cleavage than I would like to display to the general public. Perhaps I have not looked in the right places, but it did take some searching for me to find a dress, that I liked, to wear to my sister's first holy communion, weddings, and other special occasions this summer.

- Maternity pants and skirts are so comfortable! Even before I was pregant, I was a big fan of comfy clothes, and I have been known to sacrifice style for the sake of being comfortable. Even when J.R. and I were in the earliest stages of our courtship, when most women are busy dressing to impress, I would wear an old t-shirt and pajama bottoms if that was what I felt like wearing.* Thus, I have taken quite naturally to comfy maternity clothes.


*J.R. has admitted, however, that the fact that I did not feel the need to constantly dress to impress him, evidencing that I was not vain or overly concerned with my looks, was actually a quality that attracted him to me even more.

Restless Nights

Unless things change soon, I am going to blame my growing inability to get a good night's rest on my pregnancy. I have pretty much always, with the rare exception of when I cannot get my mind to slow down enough to allow me to fall asleep, been able to lie down and fall asleep in short order, up until this week. After being restless and taking awhile to fall asleep on Monday night, I have taken to staying up until I feel tired rather than turning in when I feel that it is "appropriate" to do so. The method of staying up until I am quite tired seems to help only minimally, however. Even though I have been having a problem falling asleep lately, once sleep and I meet, my slumber is wonderful, at least at this time. In addition to my finding that it is more difficult to fall asleep lately, I routinely wake up around 6:00 am, finding that a bathroom visit is necessary. Normally I do not have a problem falling back asleep after this waking, but this morning I never returned to sleep. Thus, I find myself running on approximately five hours of sleep. I am not feeling too tired today, but I know that I did not get enough sleep, and that it would not be best to run on five hours of sleep per night for the next three months. I have been using a body pillow in an attempt to make myself more comfortable at night, though I do not think comfort is the major issue here, as I am comfortable sleeping on either my stomach (despite its enlarged size) or my side. Any advice or insight from those who have ever dealt with sleeping problems (particularly pregnancy-induced sleeping problems) would be appreciated. My new plan of action is, if my body will accept it, to turn in early tonight, and hopefully my body will not wake until its usual 6:00 am-ish. I would not mind resetting my sleeping clock, particularly if that is what it takes for me to get a good night's rest. Additionally, I really like the early mornings, they may be my favorite time of day. With a baby on the way, this sleep schedule would probably be wise to adopt anyway. Any way you cut it, I am hoping to catch some better zzzz's in the near future.

Baby Update

As far as my pregnancy goes, things are progressing normally. My tummy has grown to the point where I am most comfortable in my roomier tops (maternity shirts are not a necessity) and either elastic waist or maternity bottoms, but maternity clothing has not yet become an essential element of my everyday wardrobe. Despite the fact that I am wearing non-maternity shirts still, I am showing. This fact was evidenced yesterday when a lady at a store, who I had never met before, congratulated me on my pregancy.

I am getting a good night's sleep on a regular basis (something that the midwife asks me about at every appointment), and do not have any trouble sleeping on my stomach if that is what I desire. I really am grateful for these little things, as I am sure that they make my pregnancy much more enjoyable than it would be without them.

On Wednesday, J.R. felt the baby move for the first time. It is not that the baby does not move much, which is not true at all, as I feel the baby moving multiple times a day and even the midwife felt the baby move at my last appointment. Rather, whenever I would mention to J.R. that the baby was moving, he would place his hand on my tummy, only for the baby to become shy and stop moving. After going through weeks of this, J.R.'s patience in waiting for the baby to move had dwindled, and, after so many failed attempts, his interest in feeling the baby move was no longer at its peak.

Questions concerning our baby are starting to come in now. The most popular are probably "Do you know what you're having?" and "Do you have any names picked out?" The answer to both is no. Although we have a list of names that we like, J.R. and I have not come up with anything conclusive as to what we would like to name our baby. My little sister, however, has picked out names that she thinks would do nicely for our future bundle of joy: Michael, for a boy, and Bernadette, for a girl. Unlikely though it is that we are going to pick one of these names, I give Miriam credit for being able to decide upon baby names in such a timely fashion.

Guesses have started coming in as to the baby's gender now, too. My father has guessed boy, and, though I recognize that he has a 50% chance of being correct, his average when it comes to guessing a baby's gender is only 25%. Dad guessed that I would be a boy, then that my brother would be a girl, that my other brother would be a girl, he did not even try to guess for my two little sisters after batting zero for three, and then, on his sixth child, my father correctly guessed boy. My mother in law, who, based on the old wive's tales that she uses to determine a baby's gender tells me that she has never guessed incorrectly, has guessed girl. J.R. is hoping for a boy (directly related to passing down the family name and having a son to do boy things with someday), but I do not believe that he has put in an official guess as to the gender. Now, though truly I desire only to have a healthy baby and would be happy with either a boy or a girl, I have a feeling that this baby is a girl.

At any rate, to sum things up: I am pretty happy with my pregnancy right now, things are progressing well, and I look forward to meeting this little one in about three and a half months.