Thursday, March 26, 2009

The sex of the baby

The baby is... questionable.

Before I tell you what the predictions are I must say that I have no intuition as to the sex. Yes there is a baby penis or baby vagina inside of me (please don't have both!) but I still can't tell if it's a boy or girl. I tend to think it's a boy because we have a boy name for sure picked out and we have blue curtains that would be convenient for a boy's room (although if it's a girl she's getting those blue curtains). Anyway, I don't have that mother's intuition about the sex and in the end I want one boy and one girl so it doesn't matter too much what this one is.

On to the predictions:

The Chinese Birth Chart says that when I conceived at age 27 in November I should be having a boy. Most charts say that but a few are off and must have been found in a different tomb in China.

The Mexican way of doing it, says my Hispanic co-worker, is the gold or white gold ring (preferably your own wedding band) on a gold chain. You hold out a palm and the other person holds the chain over over your hand. It's still at first but eventually it will move. If it moves in a circle it is a girl and if it moves back and forth it is a boy. Both times we tried it, and when I did it to myself at home, it said girl.

I love the science that goes along with these techniques. If you know of any other ethnic predictors I'd be interested and will post results. I think the best way to determine, short of checking out the baby when it pops out, is to get the sonogram on April 7th at 2 pm. That baby better be ready to reveal itself. Hold on please... Okay, I'm back. I wanted to tell that baby that it better be spread eagle that day so we can find out if it's a him or her. I would think that Cha Cha would want to be called the appropriate name.

So I need to go now. I am totally going to eat some hot dogs (heated up to steaming of course). I am so hungry!

-Megan of the Vargas'

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Body update

I have meant to post this for a week now. Here are some updates:

1- I have gotten used to the moving inside my uterus. It makes me nervous when I don't feel it. Good job connecting with baby. High five to me.

2- In three weeks I have only gained one pound. I did not try to only gain one pound, and I have not dieted by any means, but I am eating less than before. So that is good because I couldn't handle gaining more and more than I should.

3- My belly button is getting shallow! I can't stick my finger in as far as I used to. I don't know how often I stuck my finger in before, but it's definitely not going in as far now. I used to be sure that it went really far in there, never ending because I could never find the end of it. Sadly though, I can find the end of it and I'll miss my belly button.

4- Now that I wear maternity clothes (thanks Mom) I look more pregnant and not just like I'm trying to squeeze into clothes that are too little for me.

5- These pregnancy dreams are consuming my nightlife. I have not dreamed of bathing my baby and holding it under water (which is not an uncommon dream) but I have weird, upsetting, annoying, vivid, colorful dreams. Last night I dreamed that my dad gave me a small handgun to protect myself with. I cocked it and accidentally shot it off and it shot out corks. Corks?? Unless they came out at 75 mph, those puny corks weren't hurting anyone. So then I felt less protected and upset and woke up a little peeved at my dad. He'll get a chuckle out of that. I also dreamed that my ring broke in two parts and I lost it- I sobbed so much. In reality it probably could have been fixed but when I woke up I felt exhausted from that dream. I am home alone for a few nights and it's so much nicer to wake up from those dreams to a warm butt on my arm that to be alone in the middle of the bed begging the cat to sleep with me.

I'm sure I'll keep having those dreams so I'll keep posting the ones I find interesting.

Say hello to your mother for me!
-Megan

Friday, March 20, 2009

Honestly, I don't like it

What expectant mother doesn't need to be reassured that the baby is still in there living? Me, sort of.
What expectant mother doesn't want to feel her baby move? Me.
What expectant mother complains about it even though she really wanted it? Me.

I'm 4 1/2 months along and I'm a bad mother-to-be. BUT, I'm also being myself. And my philosophy lately is "God knows (how I feel)," so why try to hide or ignore it. Also, I've read that having contradictory feelings about all of it is normal and that's what I kept telling my mother, but she disagreed. Please- it's been 26 years since she was pregnant, she doesn't remember these little things.

So this is the fourth day that I've felt that feeling that the baby is moving. And it is moving! My first reaction- weird; my second reaction- I don't like this. I feel like I'm being invaded or something. And I've already admitted that my life as I knew it is over. I have no idea about this other life and that bothers me.

When I started feeling it move it was uncomfortable, I described it as a gas bubble coming to the surface of my abs. But no, that's not right. It's like an erratic heartbeat or muscle twitch in my lower abs. It is below my waist band and it's very noticeable to me. I've stopped shifting my position to try to stop it. This is payback for for the Earthquakes- I should have known some aftershocks were coming!

At this point I'm okay with it and it lets me know He/She is still alive. But of course now I have to rename it. I can't imagine what it is doing to move so much (besides being a pinball) because sometimes the feelings will last an hour or more, but it's never constant, always erratic. And it's usually never at night to bother me (yet) so I'm guessing it's a dancer. And the first dancer name that came to mind?? No, not Fred Astaire (although I think we're leaning toward a boy right now), but I've named it Cha Cha as in Cha Cha DiGregorio from Grease. It'll work for 2 1/2 weeks until we really find out what the sex is.

Don't misunderstand me- I have always wanted kids (we even planned this pregnancy), and I want kids who are little versions of me and Miguel, I just never wanted to deal with all the mess and possible complications. It's so much to adjust to and worry about and I'll do just fine but it's scary and weird and new. What I can't wrap my mind around the most is how this baby formed from a chance meeting and a few little cells expanding to create a human. All of us were made that way! Crazy stuff!

Anyway, I'm getting more comfortable with Cha Cha's movements and I'm resenting things less, but I can't help how I feel. I'm normally a glass half-full kind of person, and I am seeing that my glass is more than half-full if I look at the big picture. I just don't like the feeling of invasion- like an alien about to pop out of my guts... 5 more months to go.

-Megan (and Cha Cha)

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Torturing the fetus

For the past week I have been giving Ling Ling a hard time. I feel a little bad but it makes me laugh so much I can't help it. I mainly do it when Miguel is around.

Since I have a belly now I find that I put my hands there a lot. While my hands are there they need something to do. So I gently shake my belly and yell, "EARTHQUAKE!" Than I laugh and laugh and laugh... Miguel just shakes his head. I'm not really shaking the baby since it's tucked in my cantaloupe-sized uterus; I shake my belly to be safe. And the baby probably enjoys the fact that I'm having a good time and laughing. Right?

Maybe you have to see it in person, but it really is so funny. I want to laugh thinking about it.

EARTHQUAKE!!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Don't Hip Hop Dance With a Belly full of Carrots

Do not eat 3 servings of carrots and ranch and decide that an hour later you should do a little cardio and try hip hop dance. And don't follow it with rhythmic stretching.

My tummy hurts and my gag reflex is trying to tell me something.

I'm normally good at the hip hop dance moves- I do have rhythm and I enjoy it. And yes, I did get that move right, and yes I added some attitude. The rhythmic stretching was a little more intense than what I expected. I expected to lay on the floor and breath in and out and move my arms above my head. It was basically 10 minutes of low-intensity yoga. Not a cool down. More like an up-chuck.

I wonder what the baby thought during all that bouncing around and attitude with those sassy arms and hot feet. I am making an effort to work out more, and over Spring Break I can totally walk and exercise.

In other news, I got a phone call from the doctor's office in regards to my blood and urine tests. They said they would only call if something was wrong. I guess they were having a slow day because they called to tell me that everything came out fine and we are at low to no risk (my words, not theirs because I am a realist) for any disorders or diseases that they tested for. Yea! I was a little worried but nothing really runs in our families so we figured everything would be fine. Now I don't have to do the amniocentisis unless something else comes up.

Tomorrow is my last day of school for 9 days. This fetus won't know what is going on without me using a loud voice and sighing so much. I like my job, it's rewarding, but I could do with 7 less kids in the classroom. No one in particular, ha ha, but it would be less stressful. I look forward to Spring Break.

I'll write the next time I try a less hoppy and rhythmic exercise routine to tell you what my gag reflex is doing.

-Megan

Thursday, March 5, 2009

4 month check-up

I made sure I drank enough so I could give a good pee sample. It's so embarrassing to go to the doctor and not be able to pee.

While I was lying there waiting for the doctor to come in and examine me, I was laying with my "drape"- more like large paper towel- and I had some pressure in my lower abdominal area. I really didn't think this was the time to have gas and I tried really hard to keep it in and contained. Fortunately, it wasn't much of anything and I did not embarrass myself. Yet.

I heard the baby heartbeat again. Good and healthy. My weight, not so good. I gained 10 pounds in a month. I know!! But it's because I keep eating fast food and not exercising. So I now vow to exercise. No more "I'm too tired," or "It's so windy outside." Like the wind affects whether I can get on a treadmill. But I do prefer walking outside and I'm totally going to get pregnancy yoga DVD so I can push like a champ when the time comes.

They took my blood to do screenings for possible birth defects. Please, God, please don't let them call me. No spina bifida, no Tay-Sachs, no Downs Syndrome. Please. I really hope they don't call me. But if they do, it just means I'm at a higher risk of something, and if I am then I'll consider the other more invasive tests. I do not like the idea of an amniocentesis. You want to stick a needle into my belly's water park to get a sample? Um, no thank you! Fortunately none of those things are common or prevelant in either side of our families so I'm sure it will be fine.

I did notice my first sign of pregnancy today. My first visble sign. My belly has grown and if I relax those muscles I look either pregnant or like I've gained 10 pounds in a month. But the other sign is the line. I have the beginnings of that vertical line that runs from my pelvis to my belly button and up from there. Have you ever seen it? My friend who just had her baby had it. I saw it on her big, firm belly at about 7 months and it was dark. It goes away after birth, but I have gotten it so I'm kind of excited.

I go April 7th to find out the sex of the baby. It'll probably be sitting with it's legs crossed. But I am getting excited for it. I hate to have to wait, but my husband has to be there. And my mom decided that since she is missing out on baby stuff (what? my nausea and acid reflux?) that she wanted to go if she could while she visited the Big D on her spring break. We're close and all, but not that close. I told her Miguel would be in there with me first, and then she could find out. She said she was fine with being the third person to know, but really she's like the 5th or 6th person to find out. God knows. The baby probably knows- I assume it knows whether it's a girl or boy, why wouldn't it? The sonographer will know. Then me and Miguel. Then my mom. After that, it's a free-for-all of phone calls to tell people. I hope people care.

So things are good, my weight is not. Imagine if I gained 10 pounds every month, GEEZ! So I need to be better about exercising but no one seems to be my encouragement so it's up to me and HimHer. The weather is so much better for outdoor stuff so I know I'll get out there. Not today though, I went to work for half a day, the dentist, the obstetrician, and I've been tired all day. I need a little nap.

-Meg- I'm too tired to type

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Labor and Delivery Waiting Room Questions

The following questions were conceived in the waiting room of a hospital last week. I came up with these questions while a friend was in the process of pushing a baby out of her and I thought it was important to know a few things, even if it is 5 ½ months away. I can’t skip ahead in my pregnancy book and I’m still stuck on month 2 and it’s boring there. I peaked at the labor and delivery chapter and shut it quickly. So now I will get to my list.

Labor and Delivery Waiting Room Questions

Dear Stork, I’ve recently found out that you do not in fact deliver the baby to their parent’s home. I was shocked and slightly unnerved. I have a few questions that maybe you can answer. If you can’t answer them, perhaps you can refer me to someone who can honestly answer them.

1. When or how far along do they give the epidural?
2. What if the epidural wears off?
3. What are preparations for the bed I’ll be in like for the birth and cleanup of afterbirth grossness?
4. What is the afterbirth like? How much is there? How long does stuff come/leak/ooze out?
5. What is it like when the baby is halfway out of the body and you’re in between pushes?
6. What happens if you “rip” and what are the complications?
7. This is a premature question since I’m asking about actual labor, but… what do you do with them once you get them home?

Eagerly awaiting your response,
Nervous-wreck mother-to-be