Scarlett's Birth Story

Soooo, I've been meaning to post this for a while now but what with dealing with a newborn I've been preoccupied with dirty diapers, feedings and cries for attention. First of all, I would like to thank everyone who have told me how much they've enjoyed my blog while I was pregnant. It's been great having an outlet to voice my observations, frustrations, complaints and happiness throughout. And the fact that people actually enjoy reading about them is just icing on the cake. So, thank you. I'm going to try my best to keep this blog up but now that I'm a mommy (see aforementioned dirty diapers, etc.) we'll see how that goes.  But I at least wanted to update you on how the best/most challenging day of my life went. And with that, I give you Scarlett's birth story.

For personal reasons that I won't get into, my goal had always been to have as natural a birth as possible. I had read that a lot of first time moms go past their due date and have to be induced which is something I wanted to try and avoid. But when you're approaching your 40th week of pregnancy and are in constant discomfort your temperament can get a bit testy.

Around 38 weeks I started researching ways to naturally induce labor.  Spicy foods? That just gave me heart burn. Walking? I walked about 3 miles a day to try and shake her loose. Sex? Um, no comment. But I had also read that some women swore by evening primrose oil. Apparently the herb can help thin the cervix so I figured I would give it a shot. I took two capsules on April 9th and three capsules before I went to bed on April 10th. Three hours later (on my due date!), my water broke.

It was around 2:45am on April 11th and I had just gotten back in bed after a middle of the night bathroom trip. I hadn't even fallen back to sleep when all of a sudden I felt this warm trickle that turned into a steady stream. I kind of laid there for a second thinking, "Oh shit, that was totally my water breaking." Nik was still up so I immediately found him in the living room and announced, "Um, I think my water just broke". We both inspected and concurred that it most definitely wasn't pee. Hey. you just never know when you've got something the size of a watermelon pressing down on your bladder. Also, here's the thing about your water breaking. It doesn't just gush or trickle out once and then it's over. Oh, no. It will keep trickling until you push that baby out. Talk about gross and uncomfortable. And that's just the beginning.

So at that point everything was a little surreal. Unlike what Hollywood has taught you, when your water breaks it doesn't mean you have to rush to the hospital. It could be hours before contractions begin. Since I wasn't really feeling anything yet I took a shower and got ready while Nik double checked the hospital bag I had prepared weeks in advance and started loading up the car. I did some pacing around the house and bounced on my exercise ball for a bit. Around 5am I thought I started feeling a little something. Since this is Los Angeles where traffic is the WORST THING EVER we decided to go ahead and head to the hospital in order to beat the morning commuters. I probably could have labored at home a while longer but I didn't want to tempt fate and have to give birth on the side of the 405.

Typical LA traffic.
NOT an appropriate birthing place

We checked into the hospital around 6am and they took me to the triage area to make sure I was really in labor. You know, just in case that fluid coming out of me was something other than amniotic. It didn't take them long to figure out that it was. I still wasn't sure if I was feeling contractions or not so they hooked me up to a monitor and they were already 3 minutes apart. Oh, don't you worry. I definitely felt them later on.

After confirming my active labor status we moved into the labor and delivery room. There was a reason I chose Cedars-Sinai to give birth in. This was one of them.

Posh private labor and delivery room

Room with a view

You can't see it in the picture but we had a view of the Hollywood sign. You know you're in Beverly Hills when you get to push a baby out overlooking one of the world's most famous landmarks.

After becoming sidetracked with our posh digs we spoke to the nurses and I let them know I was hoping to labor naturally for now. Since I was low risk they just slapped a portable heart rate monitor and hep-lock IV on me and let me do my thing. That consisted of walking the halls of the hospital and bouncing on a yoga ball for several hours to try and get my labor to progress. At some point in the afternoon things started to become more uncomfortable and I wanted to know how much more real shit was going to get or if I could hold off on that increasingly enticing epidural.

A midwife came in and explained to me that since my water had broken on its own there was a risk of infection each time they checked my cervix to see how far dilated I was so they would rather hold off. They asked if I wanted an epidural but I decided to keep on trucking through it. I was afraid that an epidural might slow down my labor which would mean they would have to use medication to speed it up. So if I were to get an epidural I wanted to try to progress on my own as much as possible.

Unfortunately, my natural pain relief options were running out. I had always planned to soak in a hot tub during labor but that option was also out since my water had already broken. Again, it would have been another risk of infection. So the midwife suggested I try a hot shower instead to see if that helped. The nurses got clearance to remove the heart rate monitor with the exception that they would come back once an hour to check the fetal heart rate with a hand held device. And for the next three hours I stood in the shower and let the warm water run over me.

Around 4pm the contractions became unbearable and my stamina was wearing thin since I had been laboring over 13 hours on only 3 hours of sleep. So I decided it was time to get out of the shower and get a needle into my back instead.

At this point in time we still didn't know how far along I was but everyone, including my amazing nurses, were hoping that my efforts hadn't been in vain. Around 5:30pm my OB came in and checked me for the first time. Fist pumps went all around when I was I told that I was at a 6 1/2. I was dilating at about a centimeter an hour  and my body was doing all of the contracting on its own so I didn't need pitocin or any other medication to help speed things along. My doctor estimated that the baby would arrive by midnight. My doctor was wrong.

I was hoping to get some sleep after receiving the epidural. I think I may have dozed off here and there but nothing solid. Perhaps it was the excitement of being in labor or the sounds of the heart rate monitor that kept me awake. Either way, I couldn't turn my mind off enough to get any good rest. That was a tragic mistake. I'm not sure what time it was, sometime before midnight, but all of a sudden I started feeling immense pain on the right side of my body near my hip. I had been dealing with hip pain the last month of my pregnancy but this was worse. Thankfully when you get an epidural they also give you a little button you can press to boost it up. I pressed it twice in three hours to help alleviate the hip/nerve pain. Unfortunately, my epidural fun was about over

My nurse had been in periodically to check on me, ask me if I needed anything and whether I was feeling the pressure to push or not. Each time my answer was no. I could sense that she was growing concerned about the lack of pressure sensation so around 2am on April 12th she received clearance to check me again and I was dilated to a 9. That was the good news. Then they hit me with the not so good news. Since I wasn't feeling the urge to push they were going to cut my epidural in half.

And that's when shit got real . . .

Oh, I could finally feel the pressure all right. Along with EVERYTHING else. When they cut my epidural in half that right hip pain I was telling you about, it came back in full force. I'm not sure if it was the baby pressing on a nerve as she made her way through the birth canal but it was absolutely excruciating. Even worse than the contractions because there was no interval. It was just constant, intense pain that I could do nothing about. This went on for hours. The nurses felt so bad for me. They tried propping my leg up in order to elevate my right hip and put hot compresses on it but nothing seemed to help. Except when it came time to push. Even then, I'm not sure if the hip pain miraculously went away or if a new set of pain just took its place.

I know of women who get an epidural and are able to push a baby out without feeling a thing. Lucky bitches. When it came time to push I was so exhausted from dealing with everything else for the past 26 hours that I didn't have much left to fight with. This was around the time I started thinking that maybe just scheduling a c-section wasn't that bad of an idea. All the while my nurse was assuring me that things will go much quicker with my second baby. I wanted to choke the bitch. Kidding. But seriously, how about let's just get this one out before we even discuss the possibility of a second one.

They had me do some practice pushes while we waited for my OB to get there. I feel like with all of my preparation and research on child birth no one had prepared me for the pushing part. It sucks. Basically, you feel this intense pressure to push and the only thing that will alleviate that pressure is actually pushing. And the closer the baby gets to coming out the more uncomfortable it gets because of the obvious. So when they had me stop after a few practice pushes so we could wait for my doctor to arrive I started getting pretty impatient. Also, it's not just one long push. They had me push in three 10 counts. Take a deep breath, push for 10 seconds, take another deep breath, push for 10, take one more deep breath and push for another 10. The first 10 count was the easiest but getting through the other two took some work. So they put an oxygen mask on to help me out.

I'm not even sure what Nik was doing at this point. Trying to be supportive I'm sure. Giving me sips of water when I needed them. Making sure the puke bucket was nearby in case it also became necessary. Thankfully, it did not. Suddenly, my room got very busy. Since my water had broken over 24 hours ago they had several doctors in the room in case there was an issue with the baby. My OB had finally arrived and was putting on the gloves to get ready for business. Using the motivation to get this labor over with and finally meet my daughter I pushed. For about an hour they told me. At one point during the pushing I looked down and could see her head. After a bunch of 10 count pushes they had me do a series of 5 counts and then a few 1 counts. And at 6:05am I heard crying and out plopped the love of my life, all 8 pounds and almost 22 inches of her - Scarlett Elizabeth Karpen.

The nurses immediately placed her on my chest as she started wailing and I just remember saying hello to my sweet baby girl. All of that pain and discomfort I had been feeling was instantly gone. We spent I don't know how long just staring at each other. And have been ever since.

Several people have asked how we came up with her name. I have always been an avid reader so her name is inspired by two of my favorite literary heroines. Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind and Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. They are both strong and spirited female characters and so is our own little Scarlett. Sweet Jesus, the girl started crying before she was even all the way out. I can't wait to discover the person that she becomes. But in the meantime, I am happy to let her sweet baby snuggles fill my days.

Babies Everywhere (and other recent developments)

Holy smokes! I know so many fabulous ladies who are expecting right now or who have recently had a baby. It must be something in the water. I swear to god,  there was one week where I had about 10 friends announce their exciting news on Facebook all on the same day. So I would like to start off this post with a big, fat congratulations to all you new and/or expectant mommas out there. If this isn't your first rodeo then welcome back. But if you're a first time mom like myself then I would like to welcome you to the club. You are in for a wild and crazy ride. 

It's been a while since my last post. Sorry, I've been busy. And when I'm not busy I'm just lazy and pregnant. But since I last checked in I've had some pretty amazing baby showers thrown for me. My family put one together for me back home and some good friends of mine hosted one out here in Los Angeles. My co-workers even threw me one before I took maternity leave. I'm a pretty lucky girl.

Cuteness overload

The lovely LA hostesses

34 weeks here

But now I am officially 38 weeks which hopefully means there are only two weeks left until D-Day! Although with my luck she'll probably be late so she can make a fashionable entrance. So LA of her. I'm going to be the first one to admit that it's been a relatively easy and conflict free pregnancy for me, especially compared to what some mommas have to deal with. I had some bouts of nausea during the first trimester but never threw up. I've definitely experienced some discomfort here and there but nothing debilitating and my energy and spirits have always been pretty good. But then week 37 hit and along with it so did everything else.

For the past week and a half or so I've been battling constant hip, pelvic and nerve pain and some awesome menstrual type cramps. The kind of cramps that make you want to pair an entire bottle of red with a handful of Midol just to try and numb the pain. None of which I can do of course. I've discussed everything with my doctor and big surprise, it's all completely normal. Another big surprise, there's pretty much nothing I can do about it. Except squeeze a giant baby out of my vagina.

The pelvic, hip and nerve pain is just my daughter putting pressure against everything. I swear, she's outgrowing me. And the cramping? I guess that's just my body's way of practicing for game day. As if it didn't get enough practice the past 20 years.

But it's starting to get pretty bad and I'm lucky to get much sleep these days without waking up to a searing wave of pain. And since I'm not getting much sleep and have to deal with all this discomfort I'm probably not always the happiest person to be around. I try to save those pleasantries for my husband's ears only though.

The silver lining is that I'm already on maternity leave so at least I don't have to deal with work on top of everything else. So I've been doing my best to keep myself busy. Everything's been washed, sterilized and put away. And the nursery is pretty much complete. Fair warning, it's pretty freaking girly. 

Shelves to be filled with lots of books for bedtime readings

Quote from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Glider for cuddling

Requisite girly bedding

But now, it's just the waiting game and trying to enjoy the last remaining days before we're completely responsible for another human being. Which let me tell you, is scary as shit. But that's a whole other blog post. Until then!

38+ weeks

The Home Stretch

 

Well, here I am in the home stretch.. Otherwise known as the third trimester. Let me tell you, it sure doesn't feel like the home stretch to me. Currently, I still have 10 weeks left. And that my friends, feels like . . . .

That's still two and a half months left. Two and a half months! And it's all uphill from here. The good news is that we had another ultrasound at 28 weeks and baby girl is developing right along and looking healthy. She's around the 70th percentile in growth, measuring almost a full week ahead and weighing in at a 3 hefty pounds. And I feel it. Oh lord, do I feel it. Here I was thinking things were getting uncomfortable a couple months ago. Hah! That was a picnic compared to the new aches and pains.. Breathing is becoming difficult to do since I now have three pounds of baby compressing my lungs. Speaking of compressed organs, Tums have become an everyday necessity. I don't think I have ever in my life experienced heartburn until now. In an earlier entry I posted a visual of what the insides of a pregnant woman versus a non pregnant woman look like. Let's come back to that just for effect.

Normal vs pregnant body

Is that compressed and stretched out lima bean shaped thing really my stomach? Well, that certainly explains the heartburn. And the bladder. Okay, where the hell did my bladder go? Essentially all of my internal organs have been rearranged and flattened out. And I still have 10 more weeks left of this.

Unfortunately, since I sit all day at my job the poor thing is scrunched up next to my rib cage. She lets me know how much she enjoys it by spiritedly kicking the hell out of my ribs. Her and I both wish I had a longer torso for her to stretch out in. My belly no longer feels like it's my own. It's just this extension of me that I carry around. Most of the time it feels like I'm wearing a huge fanny pack with weights in it.  A fanny pack that kicks, squirms, hiccups, and completely flips around. It's getting a little bit like Alien in there.

 

 

Only much cuter of course. But I do have to say, it is pretty cool to have a little buddy with me all day long. We roll our eyes at all the dumb things people say and do (which is pretty often) and fist bump when things go our way. 

 

So, until recently I was still cycling at my favorite spin place but that started getting too uncomfortable around the 27 week mark. Those tiny bicycle seats can give you a sore bum anyway without the added pressure against your tailbone. I can't quite seem to find the motivation to exercise during the work week after a 12 hour day so I'm trying to fill my weekends with physical activity to keep my stamina up. I'm still rolling around on a floor mat with the other expectant mommas during prenatal yoga, hitting the gym and hiking the hills of Southern California. I usually get in some sort of exercise at least 3 days a week. It's not much but I'm under the mindset that every little bit helps.

 

Gym brat - 28 weeks

Hollywood Hike - 29 weeks

 

30 week selfie

 

 And here's a recent development. Strangers are now acknowledging the bump. There's no more hiding it. A couple of weeks ago I was at Starbucks and ordered a tall white chocolate mocha to help me get through a day of furniture shopping and Babies R Us. After the barista handed me the drink and noticed my burgeoning belly he asked if I wanted it decaf. I politely told him no. Later that afternoon, Nik and I were in the grocery store when a sweet woman next to me asked how far along I was. When I told her 7 months she told me that I was just adorable. Made my freaking day. I've also noticed that strangers seem to be opening doors for me or offering to pick something up when my clumsier than usual self drops it. Los Angeles isn't exactly the most friendly city so I can only assume it's the baby bump. There are still a few people who tell me that I look small for how far along I am. And those people are my new best friends.

 

Things are also progressing on the home front. Nik and I have started on the nursery! We still have a lot to do but here's what we were able to accomplish so far.

 

 

I'll try and take a panoramic once it's complete, which probably won't be until sometime in March. But it's quickly becoming my new favorite room in the house.

 

In addition to that we have also received some early shower presents from my family. I now sleep next to a beautiful cradle in the bedroom, there is a car seat in our living room and a stroller in my trunk. It's just so odd to see baby gear in the house. Definitely a first. Also a first? Getting excited about diapers. One of Nik's colleagues recently had a baby boy who outgrew his newborn diapers. We now have almost 80 free Pampers Swaddlers hanging out in the baby's dresser drawer. Life is most certainly changing.

 

 And in 10 "short" weeks we get to welcome this beautiful and permanent change into our lives.

 

 

28 week mug shot

 

.Can not freaking wait.

 

 

 

Post Holidaze

Well, Nik and I survived the holidays. For the most part at least. We traveled to the Midwest on December 20th and were back in L.A. by the 28th. It was nice to be able to spend so much time with family. Four days with the Karpens and four days with the Gerlings. Family time is so good for the soul. A recharge button to help get the new year started off right.

The Karpen clan

Unfortunately, we both ended up sick. He was initially worse off than me. High temperature, chills, the usual fun flu symptoms. Fortunately, mine never escalated that far. Good thing too since I couldn't really take any medication due to Baby Girl. The only thing my doctor did okay for me to take was Sudafed. But guess what you need a prescription for in Jefferson (aka Metherson) County, Missouri? And here's why.

You see that county with the number 212 indicated on it? That is where I proudly hail from. I believe we come in second place in the nation, right behind Tulsa, OK, for identified meth labs per county. You can check out where your neighborhood stands here.

Anyway, I did my best to suck it up and tried to kick it with soup, Vitamin C and hot showers but it was still pretty miserable. So I drugged myself up once we landed in Los Angeles where Sudafed is readily available. Here's a fun observation. Being sick in 75 degree weather isn't as miserable as being sick in -15 degrees. Thank god we escaped before the polar vortex, or whatever they're calling it, descended upon the nation. Times like these I don't mind paying that premium price tag for sunny skies and warm weather. Although I am a little jealous of everyone's snow days.



No, thank you.

Nik and I probably had the  most chill New Year's Eve since living in Los Angeles. In the past we've always spent way too much money at clubs or bars to ring in the new year. This year however, we spent it over at our friends place where the atmosphere was a little more preggo friendly, complete with yummy snacks and sparkling cider. Nik even had himself a designated driver this year which he delightfully took advantage of.


NYE 2014

I just celebrated my (*cough, cough*) 32nd (*cough*) birthday this past Sunday. We had friends over on Saturday night for a joint housewarming/birthday party. I spent so much time cleaning and readying the place for its grand debut when seconds before the festivities were about to begin, chaos struck. Apparently, our upstairs neighbors were having plumbing issues. All of a sudden there was water gushing down into our apartment. A good 1/2 inch of standing water soaked our hallway and bathroom floors. It was like a scene from a sitcom. Especially with me in my dress, 6 months pregnant, hair and make up done, down on hands and knees furiously trying to sop everything up with every spare towel I could find. But the leak fortunately stopped and we managed to clean the place up moments before anyone arrived.



Birthday bump

But in all honestly, I'm kind of glad the holidays are over. 2014 is finally under way and we're getting closer to Baby Girl's arrival. Here are some quick updates on how that is progressing:

* I had an appointment with my doctor last Friday for my glucose test. It's where you drink this nasty, sugary stuff and the doctor takes your blood an hour later to see if you're at risk for gestational diabetes. He called with the results on Sunday. It was a lovely birthday present. My results came back normal so I don't have diabetes. Yay! But I am anemic. Boo. Evidently it's common in pregnant women so I just have to pop an iron supplement everyday and I'll be fine.

* Apparently I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions for the past month or so and didn't realize it. I've been getting this tightening sensation in my lower belly at times and just figured it was the baby curling up into a ball or something. Nik's sister, a nurse and mother of two, told me it sounded like Braxton Hicks and my doctor confirmed it. It doesn't hurt, it's just a really weird and heavy sensation. I guess it's just my body's way of rehearsing for the big show.

* At the doctor's appointment last Friday both the nurse and my OB remarked on my weight gain. I know, I'm supposed to pack on some pounds. But hearing the words "Well, it looks like you've gained some weight since your last visit," still feels slightly disconcerting. I initially wanted to blame it on the holidays until the baby kicked me and I remembered that she's the cute, little culprit. The doctor assured me it was a good sign and I'm right on track. I should be gaining about a pound a week from here on out.

* I'll be closing out the second trimester soon and I'm a little anxious about this third trimester business. I hear that's when things start to get REAL uncomfortable. Say goodbye to that cute, little baby bump. Instead it's massive weight gain, swollen feet and ankles, insomnia, bladder control issues, leaky boobs and a general misery that lasts for the remaining 13 weeks or so. I take it back. I'm not anxious about it. I am living in fear, horror, and trepidation about the third trimester. As a glass half full kind of girl I'm trying to look at the bright side. At least it is the last and final trimester. Perhaps the most difficult but also the most rewarding. So I'm up for the challenge. I just pray it goes by quickly.

* I think I'm getting into the nesting stage of the pregnancy and have been obsessing over the nursery. I'm tacking up ideas on Pinterest, ordering furniture and the baby's room has officially been painted. I'll try and post some pictures when it's a little more polished. And this what the conversations that Nik and I have now look like:



Regarding a birthing play list



Regarding baby furniture

But it's a fun and exciting time despite the occasional aches and pains. One of my favorite evening activities now is counting Baby Girl's kicks. She has moved north so I'm feeling them more in the middle of my belly and sometimes up against my ribcage. I can see them now too. All of a sudden my tummy will give a little shudder like a popcorn kernel is popping inside. And sometimes she'll play back when I start poking at her. There are days when she's super active and days when she's just plain lazy. I prefer the super active days, just as long as they're days and not nights.

Happy 2014 everyone!!

The Halftime Report

Two Saturdays ago was spent on the couch, registering online for baby items while watching college football. It made for a lazy yet productive afternoon. But it also inspired this post, especially with all the bowl games coming up. For those of you not familiar with my background, I come from a pretty big football family. My dad coached and my brothers played in high school and college. Two of my brothers also went on to coach high school football as well. Football has always been taken very seriously in my family. In fact, a good part of my life revolved around it. I think it was around the age six that I would beg my brothers to let me toss the ball around with them in the backyard of our Missouri home. Forget being the cheerleader. Oh, no. I wanted to play. They pretended to let me at least once. My oldest brother, Scott, even crafted a makeshift jersey and pads for me to wear and instead of cleats I sported a pair of flip flops. Of course they didn't really let me play, which in hindsight was probably for the best since I believe one of them ended up with a broken collar bone after a 'practice scrimmage'. Fast forward six years and every Friday night was spent watching my big brothers play quarterback for their high school football team. And every Saturday morning I woke up early to travel over two hours with my parents to watch their college games. All day Sunday the family television was reserved for NFL games. And Monday nights? You guessed it.

"Are you ready for some football?!"
Barf.

 

Unfortunately, my birthday happens to fall during football season (January, 5th). And even more unfortunate, my sixteenth birthday happened to fall on a Monday night. So you can guess how my sweet sixteen was spent. I could go on lamenting but I digress. All of this football overload kind of turned me off of the game. I still enjoy watching if there's a team on I'm rooting for and can sometimes even be heard yelling loudly at the TV (like during the Mizzou/Auburn title game) but I usually don't seek it out. That being said, coming from a football family has also led me to develop more of an athletic mindset about things. I can be competitive and fierce when it comes to pushing the limits and give all my focus on getting to the goal. And with that I give you, The Halftime Report.

I'm 23+ weeks along now so I'm a little over halfway there. For those of you not familiar with pregnancy in weeks, which I wasn't until I got knocked up, 40 weeks is the goal. Sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more, but 40 is about the average. Now obviously there are some key differences between football and pregnancy. First of all, football is a team sport. Okay, okay. Pregnancy can also be considered a team sport since I needed another player in order to play the game, so to speak. But other than the initial 'hand off' and some helpful blocking moves from my husband it's pretty much a one woman game. I've got my coach = the OB, my cheerleaders = my family,  and the fans = my supportive friends. Other than that I am the receiver, the carrier and the rest of the offensive line.

Secondly, football has 4 quarters while pregnancy only has three trimesters. Only? Hah! Try 9+ months of three, very long and very tiring trimesters. And there is no break at halftime. Instead you may take a moment to be thankful that you've reached the halfway point before you pop a prenatal vitamin, slather on some stretch mark cream and go about your merry way.

Now, there are some similarities. I've got my good plays and some pretty rough ones. Sometimes I'll try to take the option only to get creamed in the end. Here are some updates on how I've been faring.

Skin: The pregnancy glow must have skipped right past me. Personally, I think it's a myth. Instead I get to deal with dry skin and breakouts, neither of which is fun. Additionally, I have blood vessels popping up over the place. Tiny red dots all over my arms, shoulders, palms and even my chest.

 

So far the stretch marks have been keeping at bay but talk to me after the holidays and we'll see where I'm at.

Sleep: It's pretty much become a thing of the past.

There will be evenings that I can easily fall asleep on the couch at 10pm. It's the middle of the night I have problems with. I'll wake up around 3 or 4 am and toss and turn until morning. I'm trying my best to sleep on my left side for optimum blood flow to the baby but find side sleeping incredibly uncomfortable lately. I've got all this extra belly weighing me down. So I finally broke down and purchased this sucker.

My new bed companion!

 

It may take up half of the bed but at least it's comfortable to spoon with. And it helps to keep me on my side. But still, I find sleeping in near impossible. That used to be the whole point of weekends, right? Perhaps it's because I'm no longer fueled by wine from the night before to help keep me snoozing but I seem to be waking up earlier and earlier. My body is probably just trying to get me ready for motherhood and getting up in time for those early Saturday morning cartoons.

 

Aches and Pains: Life is starting to get a little more uncomfortable. Headaches are becoming more common when they used to only visit me after a night of a little too much fun. And they are so much more intense now instead of just a dull ache.

 

And my body is doing its best to adjust to my growing belly but it ain't always easy. For starters, I need a new tailbone. I sit a lot during the day with my job and each time I stand up it hurts like a mofo. You see, the tailbone sits right behind the uterus and as Baby Karpen gets bigger her bones press against my bones. And if you have previously injured your tailbone before (ahem, there may have been an incident involving roller skates and James Blunt a few years back) you are more prone to feel the discomforts of this.

 

Another fun thing I've been enjoying? Round ligament pain. There are several thick ligaments that surround and support a woman's uterus and when that uterus is growing to the size of watermelon proportions those ligaments have to stretch. The result is sharp, jabbing pain all over your lower belly. At least I also get baby girl's cute little kicks to help keep me distracted from it.

 

Leg cramps are also a new occurrence in my life. Just last night I was rudely woken by a god awful charley horse in my right calf. After some research I found that leg cramps are supposedly another common complaint of pregnancy. And like most other discomforts, one you really can't do jack about.

 

Body issues: Even with all the discomforts there are still times that I forget that I'm pregnant. But then I'll pass a mirror and be like "What the hell is that?!" My bump is definitely getting bigger. In fact, I keep forgetting that it's there until I look down. I was drying my hair the other day and when I went to put the blow dryer away I burned my belly with it. In my defense, I wasn't expecting it to be in the way. I'm going to need to learn to be careful with this thing. But I'm trying to do my best to embrace the bump and the additional weight that comes with it. The last time I stepped on the scale the number was already the highest I have ever seen it. The scale and I are now on a break. I left it to gather dust in the corner of the bathroom floor.

 

The social scene: 'Tis the season for gift exchanges, ugly sweaters and any other holiday party you can imagine. And holy crap! Lots of moms and dads were getting busy in the month of March because so many of you are December babies. I've lost count of all the birthday party invites I've received. Thankfully, my friends don't seem to think I'm just some lame pregnant chick and are still inviting me to soirees. But then again, I get to sip on club soda while the rest of you get to sip on the sweet nectar of the gods.

 

 

 

 

I really miss my wine. Especially in social situations. Small talk is awkward enough but you realize how much of a wallflower you really are when you have to do it sober. And I can only deal with drunk people so many days of the week. Unless I'm drunk with them of course. But there are some fun observations to be made. Speaking of, it's interesting how men are congratulated on the news of a pregnancy. When people talk to me it's all "Congratulations! You must be so excited!" When they talk to Nik it's "Congratulations! Job well done! Good going!" Um, job well done? Good going?? The man had an orgasm, people. I'm pretty sure I'm the one left with most of the heavy lifting for now. Well, he does have to put up with my hormonal ass. But at least he gets do it with alcohol.

 

This is probably true.

 

 

Another difficulty is finding appropriate party attire. I'll go through my closet a dozen times, finally find something cute to wear, only to discover that it no longer fits right when I need it to. I'm learning to put my focus on accessories these days instead.

 

So what's my defensive strategy in all this? Well, my options are pretty limited. I can only take Tylenol for the headaches. Tylenol is a pretty wussy drug though so when my temples are throbbing I usually just try to tough it out. This involves the couch, a pillow and praying for sweet mercy. And I've been trying to be good about what I put into my body. I limit my caffeine to about 50mg a day. For the pregnancy police out there the max I can have is 200mg of caffeine so I'm way within my limits. I've also been making myself drink a butt load of water everyday. And I've been trying to watch what I eat for the most part. But I mean, it is the holiday season. So if those Reese's Peanut Butter Cups happen to find their way to me, so be it. Even if that sometimes means I have to make a pit stop at the local Target to pick some up.

 

As far as the other aches and pains go I've been doing my best to keep up with my work outs and fight my battles against mother nature and those aforementioned peanut butter cups. I try to exercise at least 3 or 4 times a week which is what I did pre-pregnancy as well. I just don't go as hard. And I still spin which I'm sure doesn't help with the tailbone situation but whatever. I love it and it's my one workout a week that I allow myself to really get into. Besides, one of my favorite spinning instructors is Marla Sokoloff. You may remember her as Gia from Full House. She's also been in some other stuff since then but to me she will always be the bad ass, cigarette smoking, frenemy of Stephanie Tanner.

 

 

 

Gia!

But she's also a really great spin instructor and keeps me motivated to get my pregnant butt out of bed on Sunday mornings. She also has a daughter and I'm hoping to look as great as she does post pregnancy. I've also been keeping up with prenatal yoga and the gym as well. Funny, I've ready a couple of pregnancy books so far and the author of one was very anti exercise. To each their own though. I think it's helpful with all the stretching my body is doing and like to look at it as if I'm training for a marathon. Child birth is no joke and I'm going to need every ounce of strength and stamina to get me through it. Same can be said about motherhood too, I'm sure.

 

 

And with that I'll conclude the halftime report. I'm sure this second half will be just, if not more, interesting. And to end in the spirit of the game, I leave you with this fun little visual I found online.

Happy Bowl Games to all!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sugar and Spice . . .

. . . And everything nice.

The results are in - it's a GIRL!!!
 
 

21+ weeks

At least that's what the good doctors are telling us. We had our anatomy scan on November 22nd. It was definitely one of the coolest ultrasounds to date. They were able to zoom in on all parts of our developing little human including chambers of the heart and gallbladder. The little nugget was wiggling around quite a bit so they had some difficulty getting all necessary angles. And those little legs were clamped together pretty tightly (Atta girl!) but she finally shifted and both the technician and the doctor were able to confirm that she was indeed a girl.

I was surprised but thrilled. All throughout the ultrasound I kept waiting for them to announce that it was a boy. I thought I even saw balls at one point. Must of just been some other body part flailing about. But talk about a game changer. Everything seems a little bit more real now. Especially since we no longer have to call her 'it'. Instead words like "she", "her" and "daughter" are being used. And now that we know her gender I feel like there's more of a personality down there. For instance, she loves sugar. That's usually when she's at her most active and I can feel her moving about. Yes, I can FEEL her now! It's the coolest thing. I'm pretty sure I was able to first feel her around 18 weeks. It was like little butterfly wings fluttering around in my lower belly. And now at 22 weeks it's getting stronger and changing positions. She was having a field day using my bladder as a trampoline on my way to work the other morning. The little stinker.

The doctor told me it could be anywhere from 24-28 weeks along before the outside world would be able to feel her but apparently we have an overachiever on our hands. On Thanksgiving Nik got to feel her for the first time himself. He said it felt like a little heartbeat. She's somewhat shied away from him since though. She likes to play coy.

As far as names go, we haven't really talked about it yet. I have a name in mind that I love but nothing has been decided. And if we do decide, I'm not so sure I want to share it with the world. Sorry, but there are some judgmental people out there. I have a close friend of mine whose mother actually told her son that it wasn't too late to change her grandson's name shortly after he was born. I'm pretty sure my friends and family know well enough not to even try that shit with me. But still.

So now that we know it's a girl, I'm trying not to freak out. I'm a planner and there is so much left to do. Figure out maternity leave, look into daycare, decide on a name, start designing the nursery, etcetera. Speaking of the nursery, we are making progress on the new apartment and I spent last weekend clearing out the baby's room. Just to give you a visual, here's what I was dealing with.

Fun, huh?

But after an entire afternoon I was finally able to see the floor again. And now I can start on the fun hobby of decorating the nursery.

One thing I'm not looking forward to? The baby registry. Actually, dreading might be a more accurate description. How can such a little person need so much crap?! One of my best friends is also pregnant with a baby girl right now. She's due two months before me and thank god I have her to go through this with. Pregnancy is like a little club that no one can relate to unless you've been through it yourself. The good, the bad and the downright ugly.

She's already forwarded me a list of must have baby items and I've been using her registry as my guide. Because right now, our child has nothing. Well, that's not exactly true. I found a random bottle of baby powder when organizing the guest bathroom. So there's that. And I received a complimentary baby bottle when I purchased some maternity clothes last month. Oh, and our dear friends gave us an L.A. Galaxy onesie. They're huge soccer fans. Other than that, we got nothing. Although I did do some online shopping on Black Friday and managed to score some pretty cute outfits for 50% off. As much as we want to support our LA soccer team, our baby needs something else to get her swagger on in.

Speaking of getting her swagger on, we got some pretty cool 3D ultrasound pics during the anatomy scan. Here's the thing though. As much as I think our daughter is the most beautiful thing ever I'm not sure how I feel about ultrasound pictures. Especially the 3D ones. First of all, I don't really want everyone knowing what the inside of my uterus looks like. I'm willing to share some of the fun details of my life on here but when it comes to the inside of my body? Meh, not so much. Also, the 3D pictures look weird. And that's not how she really looks. In fact, during the ultrasound everything Nik and I saw was in black and white. But when they went to print out a picture for us they changed it to the 3D setting which shaded everything in. Or most of everything at least. I think that's why you sometimes get those gnarly alien looking pictures. But, if you REALLY want to see a picture I suppose I can post just one. FYI, the doctor was sure to tell us that the umbilical cord is not wrapped around her neck, it just looks that way. It's in front of her instead. 

 Anyway, here is our baby girl, totally flipping the camera off. ; )