17 Weeks

(Wasn't I just wearing this shirt a couple weeks ago?)

How far along?  17 weeks! This is going so fast!

Total weight gain/loss: +5 lbs according to my scale. Progress!

Maternity clothes? I can still fit into some men's small t-shirts, but otherwise, it is maternity all the way now. I'm now wearing Ben's scrubs to bed and to lounge around the house. Thanks Ben!

Stretch marks? Not that I have seen!

Sleep: Still a battle. I've starting taking naps every day.

Best moment this week: Ben starting reading a baby book! I'm so proud!

Movement: Nothing definite this week, but I am looking forward to when it is more regular.

Food cravings: Ben and I had to make a late-night run for Chinese food. Did we have to choose the shadiest take-out place in Peoria? I'll let you be the judge. Because we did.

Gender: TWO MORE WEEKS!

Labor Signs: No, but I did watch several graphic delivery videos on youtube. Yeah... yeah.

Belly Button in or out? I thought this was the silliest question on the survey, but it has starting to change shape this week! It's stretched out and bigger. I can see to the bottom now, where it was too small to see before. Maybe it will flip and stick out soon?

Wedding rings on or off? Off - even my turquoise ring is off, but it's mostly because of joint pain, not swelling.

What I miss: My seat belt fitting comfortably.

What I am looking forward to: Getting Carrie's maternity pillow in the mail!

Weekly Wisdom: I realized while talking to the woman I nanny for, who is an OB, that I have learned a LOT of medical terminology relating to maternity and labor. I can finally follow doctor-speak! (at least on this one topic)

Milestones: I did not cry at anything ridiculous for a whole week!




Daddy's Thoughts:


So I got this book called The Birth Partner's Handbook and have been plugging through it for the past few days.  It's pretty well written and informational, and about half of it seems to be anecdotes from (real life!) birth partners talking about their experiences during labor.  Not bad, not bad, but I'm starting to have to skim ahead to find things I'm not already familiar with.  Any resident who does OB could go on and on (and on and please shut up already...) about what they've seen on L&D and I"m certainly no exception to that.  What I have seen though, and this is starting to have more relevance to me now, is that a lot of our young teenage mothers come in with no one at all.  Maybe their mother will wander in and out during the delivery and a sister will be in attendance, but I would say a good chunk of our LSES mothers (that's low socio-economic status for all you 'lete texty online moms out there) do not have a baby daddy there to help them through what's going on.  Poor them.  No woman should have to go through this alone.  Besides it's really funny to see these young street-wise baby daddies who are man enough to be there, still be humbly standing by the bed, not saying anything, praying to Jebus that it will all be over soon.  At least they're there.


And that'll be me soon enough.  Nicki has forbade me from so much as looking down when the baby is coming out lest I put on my doctor hat and look at it from that angle.   Jebus!