EVERYTHING YOU NEVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT MY PREGNANCY:
25 WEEK EDITION
-I am stilling sleeping through the night without having to get up to pee. Success!
- Things are starting to get slightly uncomfortable in my stomach. I can't really describe it- it doesn't feel like cramps or a stomach ache or even like gas exactly- but it feels a little bit like all of those things combined. Like sometimes it's just really crowded and achy in there. I feel like things are stretching and moving (You think?) and it's just kind of uncomfortable. It's especially uncomfortable when I sit down for a long time- like everything is just pressing down on my stomach.
-I continue to try to exercise every day. Mostly it's a 45 minute walk with Maverick, but sometimes it means tennis or a mile run. My best friend and tennis partner is moving out of state at the end of the month so I am in the market for a new partner. If you are in the area and like to play tennis please say you'll fill her role. I'm not joking. I need to play at least once a week.
- Luckily I haven't had any cravings for greasy or fattening food- mostly anything that is even a little heavy sounds awful to me. I mostly eat sandwiches and smoothies and protein shakes and I'm down to one diet coke a day. This is honestly probably the most healthy I've ever eaten in my life. (With the exception of weekly pizza- my definite pregnancy craving!)
- I've been reading Bringing up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman. I really like it! Basically it's about an American woman living in France who observes the much more laid back and chill way of French parenting. She says that French children seem to be much more patient, better eaters, better sleepers, and just generally calmer children. The idea is that you give your children very strict parameters and boundaries but that within that, the kids have a lot of freedom. She talks a lot about treating children as reasonable, logical people- basically that children are just mini adults. It is very interesting. I know a lot of people have a lot of ideas about parenting and I have never had a children so I know nothing, but the idea of calm and obedient children is certainly alluring.
- The day after my last day of school, Greg and I are flying to Germany to visit my sister. My doc and the airline both say I can fly up until 36 weeks, but I have already had many people express their disapproval at this decision. It is weird to be pregnant and have so many people suddenly telling you what you should or shouldn't do. My mom says I function on pure adrenaline so I should be fine. I hope she's right. The idea is that the backaches and extra weight and all other discomforts will be assuaged by the excitement of touring Europe.
- We are going to spend a few days in Amsterdam while in Europe. Ever since I read The Fault in our Stars I've really wanted to see the city. I am determined to go on a bike tour while there. Greg says I'm delusional and that at 7 1/2 months pregnant there ain't no way I'm going to be able to hop on a bike and cruise around. Whaddya think? (Also if any of you have been to Amsterdam or Bruges send suggestions!)
-It's gotten a little bit uncomfortable to sleep. My sides and stomach just start to ache after a couple of hours. Someone told me to sleep with a pillow between my legs, and that is helping a bit. Any suggestions to make my lower back not hurt so much? For some reason it aches the most when I'm sleeping. I'm making Greg do daily massages, but it is still so achy!
-I've had some bad allergies the bast few weeks but haven't dared take anything. What is safe to take while pregnant?
- I figured I'm just about at the point where I need to start thinking about stretch marks. Is there anything you can do to avoid getting them? Any lotions you tried that you really liked?
- Greg and I are an absolute mess when it comes to names. How do some people know so soon what they are going to name their child? It feels like such a huge decision, and we can't agree on anything. We want a name that is a known name and easy to spell and pronounce. But at the same time, we want to steer away from common or trendy names. If it's on the top 100 baby names for the year it's definitely out. With a last name like Larsen I feel like we have to give her a name that it is a bit unique to make her stand out just a little bit.
There are a few things that have made the name picking process difficult. To start with, I teach school for a living, so that means that for every name out there I know at least three students who have forever tarnished the name in my mind. Another thing that has made it difficult is other people. Well- wishers always want to know what names we are thinking of and when we throw a few out we invariably get a, "Do NOT name your child that. I hate that name," "My ex girlfriend has that name," or "That's a total slut name." I don't know why people do this with baby names. I never tell people my name is Bonnie and have them respond, "Ugh. I hate that name!" but they do it all the time when I tell them what names we are considering for our child. As if they might have some say in it.
Greg's top pick is Ellie, but it's too popular for me so I told him it's out. I absolutely love Nora, but that's the name of a main character in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House and Greg says he absolutely refuses to be a theater guy and have his child named that. (Whatever that's supposed to mean.) My good friend who is having a baby in August told me last week that she is planning to name her little girl the one name that Greg and I kind of seemed to agree on. Now he says the name is out because it's obviously too common. (Someone else at our church named their baby that too.) So we're back to the drawing board.
You guys got some suggestions? I love the old classics- anything that is sophisticated and feminine. Eleanore is a total favorite of mine as well as Pearl and Grace. Greg says Eleanore is too old fashioned, Pearl is ugly, and Grace is too common. I did like Stella a lot until my brother named his dog that.
We're a wreck. Please send help.
