Some of the Seattle area got hit with snow over the MLK weekend. Ballard was given a pass except for a few flurries… until yesterday. To be perfectly honest, I showed up for work on Tuesday feeling a little left out. North of Seattle in Everett, folks were hunkered down. In South Seattle, Beacon Hill was complaining of treacherous sidewalks. Even a few miles east of Ballard, there was plenty of snow on the lawns and sidewalks. Heck, even Downtown Seattle had more snow than Ballard… Sunday we ventured Downtown for our friend’s 27th birthday dinner by REI and saw snowmen on the side of the road!
Ballard didn’t even have a trace of white. But that all changed on Wednesday, early in the wee hours of the morning. Outlaw woke me up around 4:30 in the morning (one thing this pregnancy has plagued me with is insomnia), and after a second of lying in bed wide awake, I realized that there might be something to see outside our window.
Outside the Kaiser home at 5 a.m.
Outside the Kaiser home at 7 a.m.
YAY! SNOW!!!
I sat and watched the snow flurries accumulate while feeling sorry for the all news reporters on the highways and overpasses who were broadcasting with up-to-the-minute, inch-by-inch tallies. And then I went back to bed, strategizing how we might sneak away to go skiing the next day…
I have never in my life played hooky from work to go skiing… until yesterday. And it was SO. WORTH. IT. My legs still ache from all the powder tele-turns. Very rarely does one experience fresh powder at the Summit at Snoqualmie, but we did yesterday. And I’m blissfully dreaming of the terrain at Mission Ridge that we’ll get to experience this weekend. YAYYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!! Can you tell I’m stoked?!?!
Even better? Next weekend, we’re going to Whistler with some friends. Thanks, Mom! For a perfectly timed condo reservation, cuz the snow is falling hard, and I can’t wait to take advantage of it! Eli is going to spend the weekend with his Grandpa and Grandma (Nate’s folks), and I’m going to enjoy a kid-free, winter-wonderland weekend to the fullest.
But what of Eli and the snow, you ask?
He LOVES the snow.
"SNOW!"
"Huh. I just slid down, and I liked it."
Wheee!!!
Trying to walk
Wednesday, he walked around all day saying, “SNOW!” which sounds a bit like “no,” except with a very nasally “n.” You can easily tell the difference between “SNOW!” and “no” by his body language: finger pointing outside with joy on his face vs. adamantly shaking his head from side to side. It brings Nate and I never-ending joy to see how much Eli likes playing in the snow.
Today, with the help of my dad (Eli’s Gung Gung), we all walked to the park and did a little sledding. Eli liked sledding on Nate’s lap much more than on my dad’s lap.
Eli does love his dad
"This is gonna be FUN!"
Sledding with Dad: Part 1
Sledding with Dad: Part 2
Sledding with Dad: Part 3
Victory walk
The snow is STILL falling after 2 solid days.
Seattle is getting restless with cabin fever. We never have snow that continues to fall for more than 2 days. Seattle isn’t sure what to do with itself, and the city has literally been reduced to pedestrians, snowmobiles, and cross-country skiers.
We may get a lot of crap for the entire city shutting down, but I’m still enjoying myself.
And who knows, maybe Snopocalypse 2012 will continue a bit longer. It doesn’t matter to us though, we’re off to the cabin tomorrow in our sturdy 4WD truck.
Hormone roulette is real and scarier than you can possibly imagine. The best defense is a good offense and HUMOR is the only thing that can save you.
Listen to everyone and ignore all of them -> They are all well meaning, but this is your experience and it will be far different than anything they experienced.
Be safe and make the right decisions for you -> if you are high risk, take that seriously, if you aren’t high risk, take that seriously as well. Make the right decision for you and your family.
The Borg will consume you! How did our parents and their parents have kids that lived to see their 2nd day without all the crazy stuff you can buy at Kids-r-Us or anywhere else?
Have as much sex as possible… (partner willing).
Men are affected by hormones as their wives are (at least I was – poor @mjkaiser).
Delight in every moment, from the messy to the sublime.
Make fun of the baby classes and those that attend (including yourselves) – People are crazy, they should be ridiculed mercilessly.
Don’t listen to your Dr. about sports, @mjkaiser was playing soccer into her first trimester (until she got nailed in the belly by the ball), tele-mark skiing well into her second trimester and sail boat racing well into her third trimester.
Those are the best words that I’ve received in terms of labor advice. And damn if it’s not true!
@nkaiser and I have been on baby alert for over two weeks now, and it’s been the longest two weeks of our lives. Dim Sum still hasn’t shown up, but there’s been three false alarms, including one trip to the hospital. I have to admit, I’ve been a bit… defeated these past few days. Folks have called, texted and emailed, and in my melancholy state, I’ve let them go unanswered. Sorry, friends. I’m just a little withdrawn, a little tired, and a lot frustrated. Please don’t stop checking in, but please don’t take offense if I don’t answer you right away.
Some, in an effort to comfort me, remind me that I’m not due until July 11. While that’s true, our doctor put us on high alert beginning June 18 saying, “Get that car seat in the car, make sure your pediatrician is lined up, and BE READY.” That was the fateful day I was diagnosed as being 3 cm dilated 3 weeks early. Not that my doc was lying or did the wrong thing… it could have happened any day. But the fact that it’s now July 4 (oh yeah, Happy Independence Day!) means that Nate and I have been waiting with baited breath for a LONG. TIME. We’ve gone to bed at night saying, “Maybe tonight is the night!” and we’ve woken up saying, “I wonder if today is the day?”
As each day draws out, things get more and more frustrating.
Exercise in active surrender. But it’s awfully hard to get two type-A personalities to surrender.
So here’s our new coping mechanism: Get out of the house as often as possible. Go to a coffee shop, visit a bar, eat out, take Galt to the dog park. Distract, distract, distract. A big shout out goes to our friends, Eric and Alli, who kidnapped me at 11 p.m. the other night and took me to a movie. That was awesome. Tonight, we’ll head off to a BBQ at Marina and Damon’s house. More distraction. More awesome.
Until Dim Sum decides to come, exercise in active surrender.
Here’s a direct citation from “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” about labor and childbirth (apologies if you think this is graphic, but it’s presented as clinically as a layperson can get):
“Childbirth is divided (more loosely by nature, more formally by obstetrical science) into three stages. The first stage is labor, divided into three phases: early (or latent), active, and transactional ending with the full dilation (opening) of the cervix; the second stage is delivery, culminating in the birth of the baby; and the third stage is delivery of the placenta or afterbirth [QUICK! Call Tom Cruise! -- sorry, had to add that]. The whole process averages about fourteen hours for first-time mothers…”
“STAGE ONE: Labor
Phase I: Latent or Early — thinning (effacement) of cervix and dilation to 3 centimeters
Phase II: Active – dilation of cervix to 7 centimeters
Phase II: Transitional — dilation of cervix to 10 centimeters (fully dilated)”
Now that you’re fully versed on the clinical science behind childbirth, let me share with you that I’ve been 3 cm dilated for an entire week. Remember that line about the whole process taking about fourteen hours? Bullshit. Seven full days of waiting, and God knows how much longer this will go on. At the doc’s appointment this past Wednesday, she said I was between 3-4 cm dilated. Shouldn’t that imply that I’m moving from “latent or early” labor to “active” labor? No, apparently this doesn’t apply to me.
Dim Sum, you’re such a tease!
I digress… You’ve probably read my “freak out” post. Despite last Friday, I went on to have a fairly normal, albeit, busy weekend.
Father's Day (with Mom)
Gung Gung (grandpa) and PoPo (grandma)
Nate and I hosted my extended family for Father’s Day, and the whole event went off beautifully for us and the 20+ folks that came over for dinner. Everyone got to see the yard (in progress), the baby’s room, and most hadn’t ever seen the house, so it was nice for my aunts, uncles and cousins to come over.
It was a busy night, but I managed to go to bed early, since I had a 7 a.m. conference call to attend the next morning. But Dim Sum had other plans… I was awakened by some intense contractions at 1 a.m.! I woke Nate up so we could freak out together. We read through “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” (see above) and got a sense for what we could/should do. And then, after an hour… the contraction went away.
And they haven’t returned. This entire week. Seven full days. It’s been a crazy, exhausting, emotional roller coaster of a waiting game. Sigh.
What has happened is that I’ve gotten REALLY tired. Yesterday, I napped for most of the mid-day, and the naps were book-ended by two very full nights of sleep. My abilities to focus suck, and I’ve been taking a lot of walks to fill the time. I guess it’s been a blessing, since we’ve experienced our first 2 days of summer this past week. After a record amount of time, Seattle weather finally reached 75 degrees and above! The last time it was that warm was September 23, 2009. I’ve had a massage, I’ve had friends and family over for dinner… I guess I should be enjoying all of this.
But Nate and I both just want Dim Sum to come. This being said, there’s a Dim Sum for Dim Sum Baby Party this weekend. So I guess I need Dim Sum to wait a few more days… Hang in there Dim Sum. Hang in there Marissa. Hang in there Nate.
Yup. I give up. I am now all-consumed with Dim Sum’s pending arrival. All that wishing and hoping, running and exercising, spicy food and *ahem* other activities that are supposed to stimulate baby to arrive have apparently worked, cuz I’m 3 cm dilated with 3 weeks to go until my due date.
And I’M COMPLETELY FREAKING OUT. Thus the 5 a.m. blogpost. (I’ve been up since before 3. Ugh.) Forgive the following ramble, as it’s mostly a tool for me to put down my feelings… I hope it’s somewhat entertaining.
Nate’s sleeping, and I’ve got enough on the To-Do list that I need him to get his rest, so I’m trying to do “quiet” things… make lists, make more lists, check email, write blogposts… My attempt to make a cup of tea has already woken him up once. (I’ve never been a quiet person.)
I’m experiencing this very odd combination of elation–a slightly early arrival is exactly what I’ve been hoping for–and anxiety–my uber-planner self had estimated at least 2 more weeks of productive work before I’d have to batten down the hatches and really be ready to be a mom (!!!)
Yesterday was my 37-week check up at the doctor’s office. A baby is expected to gestiate for 40 weeks before it’s “due,” but they’re considered full-term around 37 weeks. The final three weeks are spent putting on extra pounds… about 1/2 lb. per week for baby. As mentioned in my previous post, I’ve stayed pretty small throughout this pregnancy. In fact, according to yesterday’s weigh-in, I’ve gained a total of 15 lbs to date. (I don’t know how, but I’ve lost a couple of pounds over the past 2 weeks.) Lately, I’ve been feeling really good. I’ve been energetic but careful not to overdue things. I’ve been active, and Nate and I have had a number of outings with good friends. Heck, I even went sailing last weekend.
Dim Sum will be raised a sailor
And all this, I conveyed to our doctor. As usual, she measured my baby bump and checked the heartbeat. All is tracking well–the bump is measuring just right at 37 weeks, and the heartbeat is appropriately starting to slow down. At this point, the baby is estimated to be about 5 lbs… (but really, they can’t estimate with that much accuracy). My doc seemed pretty happy with things, and then we did a further exam to see if I’m at all dilated. Her words: “OK, don’t freak out, but you’re 3 cm dilated and your cervix has shrunk about 70%.”
I didn’t freak out… (until later)… I did a little happy dance and glanced over at Nate. Nate, who was hoping for a birthday present on his real birthday, was a bit more surprised. Further explanation from the doctor put things into perspective: “I’d be incredibly surprised if you made it to your due date [7/11], and you might get to bring Dim Sum to your dim sum party.”
I still didn’t freak out, but Nate grasped the reality of the situation way before I did. “Awww! I was really hoping to share my birthday with Dim Sum. Can we use duct tape to keep things closed? Duct tape is an amazing product.” –Maybe Nate’s humor doesn’t translate to the blog, but he was hilarious.
I walked out in a daze, booked another appointment for Wednesday (next KaiserTales update: Wednesday afternoon!), and we both headed in to work. I think it was there that everything started to sink in and I started to freak out. In response to my news, one of my co-workers shared with me that she and her family all tend to deliver at 4 cm dilated–forget this 10 cm stuff! She then went on to mention that I could conceivably deliver in the next 72 hours. HOLY SHIT!!! It hadn’t really occurred to me like that.
While highly unlikely, it’s still a possibility. And I NEED the next week or two of non-motherhood status for my sanity and to get shit done. There’s lots to do around the house, but more so, there’s so much at work that I want to finish up before maternity leave! Yet, my brain is mush, my hormones are all over the place, and, forgive me, but I have to get up and pee again. Dammit.
This will all end soon, right? And I’ll forget all this anxiety and worry. And we’ll have a little Dim Sum to dote on. OMG.
For, well… the entire pregnancy, really, people have been asking me to post baby bump pictures. Initially, I stalled cuz there wasn’t really a bump to speak of (see my post from January). More recently, I’ve been hesitant cuz I don’t want to be one of those pregnant ladieswho’s blog becomes all about the growing fetus. This is a Kaiser family blog, and the Kaiser family does so many more interesting things than think about or talk about our kid. Granted, because of the state I’m in, Dim Sum gets a mention in just about every post… It’s just not the sole content of my writing.
But I get the whole preggy picture thing. There’s so many friends and family members that don’t live nearby, haven’t seen me pregnant, and would like to. So here’s a few pics, just for you
The first thing you’ll probably notice is that I’ve stayed pretty tiny. I’m 34 weeks along in a 40 week journey. That means I only have 6 weeks, or about a month-and-a-half to go! According to my last doctor’s visit, I’ve gained a total of 14 lbs, so yeah, my baby bump is tiny. I’m guessing I won’t put on more than 20 lbs throughout the pregnancy… in the final four weeks I’m expected to gain about 1/2-a-pound per week.
I’m pretty lucky on the size front. I thank good genes (thanks Mom & Dad!), being in good shape prior to the pregnancy, staying active throughout the pregnancy, and my general propensity to eat well. I don’t crave chocolates, cake, ice cream, fried foods, or all the saturated fats–but I’m happy to indulge in all of the above when presented with the opportunity
Staying small has afforded me some nice luxuries in keeping with my “normal” life:
I was able to wear many of my regular work clothes until just a few weeks ago (thanks to an elastic invention called the Bella Band that held up my regular pants even when they weren’t zipped or buttoned).
I spent the entire ski season in my own ski clothes, and managed to ski over 12 days this year. Even though I was prepared to hold up my ski pants with suspenders, I never had to use them–yay!
I still wear “regular”-sized yoga pants, tee-shirts and sweatshirts from my pre-pregnancy days.
I still wear my own underwear and don’t plan on buying any bigger-sized panties. (Despite warnings from friends.)
I can wash dishes, do laundry and reach the bottom of the top-load laundry machine, and put things away in low or high cupboards just fine. (Again, despite warnings.)
I still reach down to tie my own shoes, but it’s not the easiest thing in the world to do
So the question remains, Does size matter? At the very beginning of my pregnancy, a friend shared these wise words from her doctor: “At the end of your pregnancy, you’re baby will have taken 6-10 lbs of whatever you’ve gained. You’ll lose a little more from the weight of the amniotic fluid and the placenta, but the rest is for you!”
I’d rather have the “rest” be as little as possible.
… No, I’m not learning how to make Chinese pastries and tapas. I’m talking about baby preparations of epic proportions.
If you’ve been living in a cave and haven’t talked to Nate and I in months, or if don’t follow us on Twitter or Facebook, you’ll be interested to know that we’ve temporarily deemed the baby “Dim Sum.” We don’t yet know if it’s a boy or girl (just 6 more weeks *hopefully* until we find out!) and we needed to call it something.
So, as we near Dim Sum’s due date (July 11–also Nate’s birthday), we’re taking the opportunity to make some home improvements that have been on our minds for awhile. We’re taking this whole “nesting” period to an entirely new level. Who else do you know “nests” by ripping out their entire front yard?
Our front yard aka "the mud pit"
We started small and we started early… Dim Sum’s room was basically done in February. We’ve been working on the final layout and furniture arrangement, but that’s minor in comparison to everything else.
Crib and changing table
Dim Sum's room part II
Just as I started to show and be obviously pregnant, we went out and bought new dining room furniture, new living room furniture, and we’ve been working to figure out how to best arrange our living room. We also bought a new television and spent last weekend mounting the flatscreen above the mantle. This is what our living room looked like before we decided to buy a new T.V.
Our new couch aka "the aircraft carrier"
Gratuitous baby bump pic - 7 months pregnant
Plans are to spot paint over the rough/dirty spots in the living room, and we really want to paint and rearrange our bedroom before the kid comes.
But really, the front yard is the most impressive. Here’s some before and mid-line video. We’re still mid-construction, but it’s shaping up! We’ll post more as the progression continues!
OMG. What happened to me over the last week??? I’ve gone from energetic, super-productive, active woman, to lethargic, lazy mess. I can only blame it on the third trimester… I hit 27 weeks today.
Super-productive active woman examples: Last weekend Nate and I drove down to Portland for an impromptu, last minute road trip to spend part of Easter weekend with Eryn, Brian and Hazel. Of course, their Easter weekend is always spent on Mt. Hood, and we were happy to oblige. I was taking powder shots at 3 o’clock in the afternoon off the green chair before we finally decided to quit. Even though my belly size prevents me from effectively buckling my own tele-bindings, we TORE. IT. UP.
And then the next day, being Easter, we visited every single family member from both sides of our families who lives within a 20 mile radius of the city. This is no easy feat, but it’s made significantly easier by potluck dinners, of which there were two. The Kaisers had deviled eggs, ham, homemade rolls, champagne pear salad, green beans, and a choice between banana cream pie and apple pie. (I indulged in all of the above, because I can.) The Marks had ham, turkey, No Mai Fan (sweet-sticky rice, a delicious Chinese tradition at every Mark family meal), green salad and Jello. They had dessert too, but I was too stuffed to even look at the options.
Then I hit the work week, putting in several 10-12 hour days, knocking things off my to-do list, and generally kicking ass…
But then I petered out.
Lethargic, lazy mess examples:
I think it all started with that stupid glucose test where they give the pregnant woman a sugary drink after making her fast for a number of hours beforehand. I was feeling fine until after that damn drink wore off. I guess there are several flavors to choose from, but my doc game me the lemon-lime drink. It was clear and tasted like flat Sprite with extra sugar. No big deal right?
Dim Sum jumped up and down for a few minutes while the doctor gave me my regular monthly examination, all appeared well, they drew my blood after an hour to test for gestational diabetes (no risk of that, thank God), but then the sugar wore off and I came down HARD. Of course, all this happened just in time for me to be at work. I basically sat in my cube, eating bits of cheese and fruit, and tried to stay awake for the rest of the day. I was mildly productive, got home, and promptly took a long nap.
What I didn’t realize is that my body would want to stay in that napping mode for what feels like forever more.
I was absolutely jones-ing on Friday morning to find my way to the ski area this weekend. I was watching the weather, watching the pass reports, watching videos about how SWEET April has been…
And then I crashed again. Or, rather, Dim Sum decided to show me what Braxton Hicks is all about. My stomach cramped in a way I’ve never felt before, starting in my lower abdomen below my belly button and kinda traveling about. Needless to say, I freaked.
I called Nate, who wonderfully came right to my work, decided to go get the car, and take me home. I promptly plopped on the couch and took another long nap, eventually moving to the bed, cuz the couch only stays comfortable for so long. Peppered with friendly visits and social engagements as bright spots in my weekend, I’ve been in a state of half-sleep all day long today. Even though the sun is shining, it’s warm enough to leave the jacket at home, and everyone is enjoying this respite from the cold, I’m at home, contemplating another nap.
I guess I’ll just snooze my way into the third trimester and hope more energy comes my way tomorrow…
