Updates & advice request

Hey Everyone,

Our little family survived the storm with little more than a "Brown-out" at our evacuation location, and some other minor inconveniences.  I admit this is the first time I was ever frightened of an impending hurricane, and I believe I owe that fear to a combination of hyped up news coverage and being almost 25 weeks pregnant. 

My mom's house, where I am still hanging out and waiting for news on when we can move into our new place up near Boston, gets hit by hurricanes every now and again due to its location along the southern shore of Long Island.  It is the home I grew up in, and it is on a little island off an slightly bigger island off the bigger island of Long Island.  When a large storm hits, the filled in marsh-land that is the town that connects us to the mainland, gets buried under water while our little island tends to fair much better and rarely sees more flooding than a bit of water blocking the bridges.  Still, I was scared of being cut off from emergency medical services, so hubby and I fled to my grandma's place further north and came home last night, after most of the water had receded from the surrounding blocked roadways. 

It's been an eventful week, and I really have been scared about needing emergency medical services as I've been experiencing some odd pains and feelings down below.  I am so happy that my little bub is now considered viable outside the womb (well, at least with lots of medical intervention), but I have no wish of her making an appearance anytime soon - which is exactly what I've been afraid of.  Sadly, I have no doc out here on Long Island, and no one will see me except a hospital, so I've just been waiting to see how things go and checking in with my Boston midwife via phone.  I'm gonna talk a little about the aches and pains here, with probably TMI, but only cause I'm hoping someone might have some ideas as to what is going on:

1) occasional cramping (menstrual-like), generally relieved by bed rest
2) pressure and pain along my pelvic floor, particularly around my labia and inside the vagina
3) occasional, short bursts of stabbing pain in my vagina
4) Powerful round-ligament pain, though this is just a regular thing for me
5) heavy, painful feeling low down in lower abdomen
6) intense pressure and some pain on my bladder that comes and goes and generally sends me running for a bathroom even if I've just gone - I thought at first this was just the baby putting pressure on my bladder, but now I'm not too sure as it happens even when I don't feel the baby move or shift at all. 

As an aside, I have no symptoms of a UTI or anything outside of the pain and pressure on my bladder or the frequent need to pee (no burning or anything that I would normally experience with a UTI).  My sister thinks it might be the ligaments/tissues being weakened (possible prolapse situation), and recommends more kegels.  I've been kegeling plenty throughout this pregnancy, so I just don't know.

I'm supposed to see my midwife in Boston on Sept. 7th, but they need to reschedule and that date had already seemed a world away.  What should I do?

In happier news, some people had asked about bump photos and why I haven't posted any.  I have some, not consistent ones or anything, as the move made things complicated, but a few.  I didn't want to post them initially, but since people have requested them, I feel less strange about it.  Enjoy and notice how, almost 20 pounds later, I've literally expanded everywhere and not just in my belly.

7 Weeks

10 weeks

14.5 weeks

25 weeks

Sneaky Baby

Hey Guys,

Once again I'm sorry for the long absence.  It's been an interesting couple of weeks, including finding out that our little miracle baby is a baby girl!  I thought for sure I was having a boy, and was so surprised I asked the technician to check again.  I've also decided that the little miss is going to look like her daddy if her ultrasound is an indication.  DH and I have very different profiles from one another, and this little one definitely favors her father and her Dadi (Hindi title for paternal grandmother).  I'm just hoping she also gets his silky, thick Indian hair rather than my frizzy, unmanageable coif. 

*Warning to my still TTC readers, this entry is mostly pregnancy talk:

My tummy is now getting quite big, round and protruding in a way that I think makes it far more clear there is a baby growing in there and not extra rolls of fat.  My appetite has increased substantially, and I find myself waking more and more in the night to have yogurt or some other quick snack before getting back to sleep. 

I bought myself this wonderful maternity pillow which leaves little room for poor DH in the bed, but I love it.  It is one of those giant U-shaped pillows, and seriously I don't know how I lived without it. 

I just can't describe how much I am enjoying this belly, and the little kicks that emanate from inside it.  The baby's now kicking quite regularly, but I can't yet get my husband to feel the kicks.  In fact, every time he put his hand on my belly, she seems to stop kicking altogether.  Poor guy keeps trying, but it is unfailing.  Perhaps this is a good sign that DH has a magic touch to soothe the baby and put her to sleep...one can always hope.  I've actually become rather obsessed with the baby kicking...how often, how strong, and when she doesn't kick on cue (i.e. when I lay down on my side or after a cold, sweet drink) I worry something i wrong.  I know I'm being a little crazy, but it is so scary sometimes when I expect to feel her and I feel nothing.

In other news, we finally get to move into our apartment next  month.  I'm so excited to just get there, and start getting settled.  I know I won't be able to be as settled as I would like as we just can't afford everything right away, but living with things on the floor and some moving boxes will still be better than playing residence limbo in my mother's guest room. 

I found out we won't be having a baby shower, as my mother is just too staunchly opposed to it due to some old Jewish superstition, so I can forget about guess how big my belly is games or getting some nice loot for the baby before she's born.  We are just going to have to buy as much as we can by ourselves for now, and borrow from friends and non-superstitious family members - which is not quite how I imagined things, but hey, what part of this has been how I imagined it?  My sister has been awesome, and already lent us a baby swing, a great bouncer chair that can easily be moved to just about anywhere in the house or taken outside, a BundleMe, tons of clothes, organic towels and burp cloths, and a pack n' play (which we probably won't use much but will be great to have for traveling). 

Anyway, congrats once again to all the other ladies out there who recently got their two pink lines.  I've been reading your blogs even if I don't always stay on top of the commenting, and I am so happy for you guys.

All the best,
K