Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Luxury Suite

I've been on bedrest since Tuesday afternoon. We went in for a regular checkup, and my blood pressure was unusually high. Fearing that I may have preeclampsia, the doctor put me on bedrest and sent me in to get blood tests, a non-stress test, and fetal weight assessment. She also had me collect my urine in a plastic jug for 24 hours while keeping it refrigerated, which was pretty repulsive.

While I sit on the couch trying to look regal, Jeff has been running around the house trying to do all the last minute things we have on our list. I was able to do most of the preparation before this week, like washing the kid's clothes and sheets, purchasing and organizing all the little knick knacks he may need once he comes out, and getting the room ready. But I had a bunch of other little projects I wanted to tackle, like making more baby outfits and getting rid of some additional clutter in our house. For now, though, I am reminding myself to be grateful that he and I are both healthy and that the pregnancy has progressed so uneventfully until now.

The good thing about all this is that we got to do a thorough ultrasound of the baby yesterday, which we haven't had since week 20. He's already estimated to be about 7 pounds, even though we still have over 3 weeks to go. His head is already 9.5 cm in diameter and his body is 10 cm in diameter. We also found out that he has a shocking amount of hair, and his face seems to resemble the Dear Leader Kim Jong-il. I can't wait to see him in person. It also seems there is still plenty of room in my uterus because he didn't look cramped at all, as I expected. He was hanging out, moving however he wanted, and looking rather complacent. I'm glad that I'm providing him with a spacious luxury suite.

Seeing how comfortable he looks, I'm feeling rather good about my big old belly. I was wondering how I could be so big at this stage, but it seems he's putting that space to good use. It gives him plenty of room for calisthenics and underwater aerobics. Whatever makes the next few weeks more comfortable for him.

In some ways, I feel as if I have been pregnant forever. It's just a part of me now, like my toes or my limbs. How will I feel when he's no longer inside? These days, I like to look at myself in the mirror and see the huge protrusion in my midriff. It's mind boggling that he's just hanging out in there, doing whatever he's doing. And before we know it, he'll come out to join us. Before he turns into a hulking 180 pound man. Before he becomes the rock star or the rocket scientist or whatever he wants to be.

And it all started here.

10 comments:

  1. Nice post. I never thought of it that way. Let's hope he checks out of his suite on time ;-)

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  2. Eep! I'm so excited for you guys. I can't wait to see the adorable photos of your little Kim Jong-il!

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  3. Love your writing!

    I hope these next few weeks pass quickly and uneventfully for you.

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  4. I, too, love your writing, even if I can't think of any better way to express it than to rip off the words of another poster. Your love for your child nearly brings me to tears. What you write is beautiful.

    Fellow U of Cer

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  5. This posting HAS to go in the baby book. I love it. Your writing reflects your joy so well. Charlie's owner.

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  6. Take good care of yourself, and remember that your little one will be with you before long!! No need to stress or worry about anything as you are in good hands.

    Will you announce when your son is here? I am sure you will make a lot of complete strangers very happy!!

    All the best to you.

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  7. I love that paragraph about feeling pregnant forever. It really does become a part of who you are, which is so strange because it means who you are changes every day. You wonder about how it will be when you're not pregnant any more, and I can say that for me, not being pregnant (for the first time) was a huge paradigm shift. On the one hand, it was amazing how NORMAL I felt immediately. Stuff like a really sensitive gag reflex and horrible heartburn went away the very day I gave birth. It immediately felt more normal NOT to have a baby inside.

    On the other hand, I had some major issues (exacerbated by the wild hormonal shifts I was undergoing as a result of having given birth) about missing my daughter now that she wasn't *with* me all the time. I remember being in tears at 4 a.m. after having given birth at 8 a.m. the previous morning, because I missed my daughter. I was realizing that since the minute I first felt her move, I had never been completely alone, and I felt that way right then (notwithstanding the baby and my husband asleep in the room with me). It sounds crazy to non-hormonal, non-pregnant me now, but it was how I reacted at the time. It's also a huge mental adjustment to go from being the pregnant one, over whom all the fuss is being made, to the baby accessory. Not that I cared about being fussed over, but it was just part of the confusion of the immediate post-birth period. I didn't have much of that after the second pregnancy, though.

    You can't predict how you'll respond to those hormones. If you find yourself acting really strangely while in the hospital, give yourself a pass. I spent a couple of days with tears randomly leaking out of my eyes, even when I wasn't sad, and everything was on a hair trigger. Walking out of the hospital to take my baby home made me sob. I was missing the hospital! Crazy!

    I am SO excited for you to meet your little man and start on your life as family of three (or four, including Sherlock). I'm thinking of you on the east coast and sending you good wishes and warm hugs.

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  8. Wishing you well during the last sting of your pregnancy!


    - Min Jung (met you at the norcal kimchimama's meetup)

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  9. I have been a big fan of your blog since a while now.I love your posts & I can so much relate to my life with yours as I too had 2 miscarriages and I am going to TTC now.I wish you best luck for your baby and look forward to more lovely touching posts in your blog.
    Take care & Wish you best luck:)

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  10. I hope you're all OK -- can we get an update soon? I've been following your story since the famous email. I hope all's well. Best wishes!

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