That's my boy

        Lately, I have been catching Ashley staring at my head with a worried look on her face and mumbling something.  She thinks that Brandon will be born full grown with a head the size of mine and that is making her nervous.  Still, it is disconcerting to here "Geez, that's big." and find her staring at the back of my head.

30 Weeks baby bump

Ashley's funny pregnancy t-shirt.

Did you know...

My blood supply has doubled since becoming pregnant and my uterus is now pushing up against my diaphragm and stomach.  This has made it very difficult to exercise, walk, sing, and most importantly eat.  Grazing the house like a cow has become a daily routine, especially my 3AM trips to the fridge!  My growing belly (yes it's still getting bigger!) has begun to shift my center of gravity, stretch, and weaken my abdominal muscles, this has put a major strain on my back.  Apparently hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen joints and ligaments attached to the pelvic bone.  These loosened joints and ligaments have made me feel less stable and cause all sorts of pain when walking, standing, sitting for to long, rolling over in bed, bending, or lifting anything low to the ground.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL!!!

My wonderful husband turns 27 today!!  So everyone should send him birthday wishes via email or facebook!!!
In celebration I have been baking up a storm in the kitchen for the past 2 days, yesterday I made chocolate coconut macarons for him to bring into work (I already heard from Paul that they were gone before lunch!)  And today I am making Julia Child's famous Boeuf Bourguignon.  When first reading the recipe I was nervous to try and make this, but just taking it step by step it was so simple and as it cooks in the oven right now my mouth is watering.  Once this is done cooking I'm on to make oatmeal cookies, (how Paul and I are not morbidly obese is really a complete mystery)    I plan on us living off the left overs all weekend so I can take a break from the kitchen.


In other news I had my last midwife appointment today.  Everything went well, she answered all my questions, put my mind at ease about some of my worries, and discussed how things will go with the new doctor.  She also gave me good news that I do not have gestational diabetes, my blood sugar levels came back normal.  SO this just means Brandon is a big baby, next week we'll discuss a birth plan with the doctor, but my midwife told me there will be no way that anyone will let me go past my due date.

As I am sitting here writing this blog I am officially combining the two weirdest foods.  Cup of Soup tomato flavor and in between sips I've been licking a spoon of Nutella....weird pregnancy cravings, I think so!!  But I am loving it!  This is the highlight of my day so far.
    Last night was a rough one, my body temperature has risen significantly to make sleeping HOT hot hot!   I think I woke up a million times between bathroom trips and overheating and sticking to the bed sheets.  When Paul got up at 6:30 I turned the space heater off.  I felt like the heater was on high all night, but when I checked it was not very high at all and the thermostat in our room was only at 70.  I was very happy that once the space heater is shut off our room gets chilly rather fast (down to 60).  Thank goodness for old drafty houses!!!!!  I was wide awake when Paul was getting ready but decided to stay in bed a little longer to rest my back, for the past couple of days the sides of my lower back have been very sore, all that extra Brandon weight is starting to take effect, but other than the mild soreness everything is going very very well!
    Sunday Paul and I spent a couple hours removing our last dresser, our original plan was to take it apart and store the pieces so we could bring it back to Fairfax and be able to use it again.  But because it was from IKEA and about 4 years old, the wood began to crack at the screw holes, so we decided to just toss it and when we move back buy something new and nicer.  We were sad to say goodbye to such a nice dresser, but we needed to make room for Brandon's cradle.   Once we cleaned up and put the cradle in place our room just felt so open.  Paul was to cute and thought we should have gotten rid of the dresser a while ago after seeing how less cluttered it looks.     I am so happy with the pace of our reorganization.  We're finally done with removing old furniture and building new pieces.  Now we just have to make about 1000 more trips to the baby store to finish buying for Brandon.  But before we do that we will spend 1 more weekend organizing the house.

In March Paul and I are going to take a day trip to Amsterdam for some museum tours.  The Van Gogh Museum has a special exhibit of Paul Gauguin's art work, he worked with Van Gogh for a couple weeks when they lived in France.  We also had a cool idea to buy a replica Van Gogh oil painting from one of the out door stands near by the museum, this one stand sells canvas's that have been replicated by art students at the conservatory in Amsterdam.  We bought "Almond Branches" last year and I am still absolutely in love with it, our framer stretched it out on to a wood frame.   But take a look and see which one you like the best.

Starry Night

Possible Buy

Starry Night Over the Rhone

Possible buy

 

Almond Branches (we own this one already)

Baby Mama Bump

New Plan

Yesterday we got a phone call from our midwife.  She told me that I am no longer going to be using there services that they are transferring me to a Ob/Gyn.  Which is what we thought would happen, I was just further surprised when she told me that she already called the Ob/Gyn sent them my pregnancy information AND made an appointment for me to see them on March 5th.   MY reaction to all of this was "Thank you" because she basically did all the work of setting things up for me.

The reason they are sending me to an Ob/Gyn is not 100% known yet, Paul and I are guessing it is because Brandon is a big baby and with him so large it can make child birth complicated and any labors that can even be slightly complicated need to be given to an Ob/Gyn in case something needs to be done while I am in labor.

I did some further research on how the Dutch deal with bigger sized babies and birthing them.  I found that the Dutch prefer to induce early than do C-sections.  I think a lot of this is up to whether or not Brandon's lungs and internal organs are ready for the outside world, but starting at 37 weeks I could potentially be induced.  There also is the whole factor of, is my body ready to go into labor...but I think they have drugs to speed that up, that's on my list of questions for next weeks appointment.

So Paul and I are starting to be prepared in case Brandon arrives before my due date.  Wouldn't it be exciting if I only had 7 more weeks of being pregnant left instead of 10.  I'm sooo over being huge!

New belly picture coming this weekend!!  Keep checking

Ultrasound

Tonight we went to our ultrasound that the midwife ordered to measure Brandon's growth.  At our 3D ultrasound he was measuring 1 week ahead of schedule...our midwife took a look at these results but told us they can not use them because it's not from the company they use.  So tonight we went to the regular ultrasound office and got Brandon's measurements taken and of course he is measuring over 3 weeks larger.  The technician was worried about the size so she immediately called the emergency number of our midwife (*the perfect way to freak out a pregnant lady just in case you were wondering)  Our midwife couldn't do anything over the phone, but will probably call us this week if she wants us before our appointment next Thursday.

Right now I am just compiling about a million questions to ask our midwife next week.  My guess and Paul's is that Brandon will be born early by inducing or c-section.  BUT that is just our guess, next week we'll have more information.

Time for a new hobby

So for the past week I've been complaining to anyone who will listen how I it's very difficult for me to sing, if at all  (I'm sorry for all that had to hear my whining!).  I am limiting my voice lessons to  1 every 2-3 weeks.  Getting through a lesson takes a lot of mental and physical preparation.  I have found certain days of the week my body is just to exhausted to sing (for example Mondays and Wednesdays, not sure why these days)  but the days I do get some singing in, it's not the amount that I used to do and it frustrates me, I used to be able to put an opera aria play list on and sing through 10-15 arias and or duets, now I am lucky if I can get through 3-4 arias.
   I plan to continue my slow practice sessions, but I keep trying to figure out what to do with the other hours of my day.  Really my life without music is empty, I find myself being a couch potato or surfing the web, so I thought this has to end, I can not spend the next 2 1/2 months being bored. 

So I brain stormed about other hobbies that I love but do not drain me physically as singing does and I realized I put my love of cooking on the back burner (so to speak) for the past couple of months, due to 1st trimester tummy aches and busy holiday traveling.   Paul always buys me interesting cook books and I subscribe to a couple cooking magazines, including a Dutch cooking magazine called Delicious.  Also while we were in Paris in December I picked up a copy of, I believe, the best macaron making book printed.  It's of course in French, but my goal was to translate the recipes as I go along.   BUT I thought why not just translate the book now while I have the time so I can make any of them ANY TIME I want without having to take the prep time of translate.  My current macaron recipes have some flaws in them, but it seems that the one macaron I made for Christmas that was a huge hit was the one I made from the Macaron book, I can not wait to start making some of the other great flavors

So my goal from now until May is to get my French Macaron book translated and translate as many Dutch recipes from my Delicious magazines....I have saved every issue of Delicious I've received for the last 18 months, so there are many many recipes to translate and put into my family cookbook.  It will be nice to get them all written down in the cookbook so I can recycle the magazines, they are really starting to pile up in our kitchen!

Maybe this translation project will help improve my Dutch and maybe I'll even learn some French from this.


Oh and for Valentines Day this year Paul surprised me with a copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I can not wait to start making some of her famous recipes, I skimmed through it a bit and I won't lie I am nervous to try and make some of her dishes because they are written out in a way so you can find everything in an American grocery store, but if she wrote this book in France I am sure I can find all these ingredients in Rotterdam!

One off the list

This morning after my shower I found my first stretch marks on the underside of my belly.  They literally showed up overnight and they look so weird.  I have 2 patches of them and they are in a circular shape, it's also the same spot Brandon has been taking some punches and kicks!

Week 28 Collage

Before I start complaining about everything I thought I would list the things I am thankful for.

1.  No swollen ankles, face, hands, feet, ect ect ect
2.  I sort of have a belly button at 7 months!!
3.  I can do all the balance poses in yoga better than non-pregnant people
4.  My weight gain is right on track...so far only 24lbs gained, AND it's all in my belly and chest
5.  No stretch marks (*crosses fingers* none will come in the last 3 months!!!)
6.  Haven't had any leg cramps since New York over the holidays
7.  Paul and I created a new budget plan, it's our second month following it and so far everything is good
8.  My nesting instincts have enhanced my organizational skills...I am starting to feel like I have a daily routine


Okay now time to complain....

1.  I can not touch/see my toes...so I can no longer give myself a pedicure and there are no salons to get it done that are inexpensive.
2.  I hate that we have to pay out of pocket for all prenatal care/hospital stay/and tests only to be reimbursed later my our US insurance....but good news is having a baby here is still 75% cheaper than the US
3.  I miss being able to drink Belgium beers and my favorite wines and champagnes
4.  I am always tired, I feel drained from carrying around all this extra weight
5.  Snow/ice + being pregnant = even clumsier Ashley
6.  Singing has become very difficult, so my days feel boring because I can no longer do the work I want to
7.  I have to use force of will power to say NO to junk food, yummy fattening foods, and caffeine. 
8.  I can only sleep 3-4 hours  because Brandon likes to dance on my bladder... I'm carrying him so low


This past week Paul has been working extra long hours because right now the refinery is going through a turn around, this just means they are repairing and cleaning lots of things in his part of the refinery.  His hours have changed so instead of leaving the house at 7AM he stays home until 2 or 3PM and stays at work until 1 or 3AM....very rough, but work has promised him some sort of compensation.   We are hoping this can be given to us in extra vacation time.  Currently Paul has 4 weeks and 1 day of vacation left for 2010. Seems like a lot to Americans, but most Dutch get double this, Paul only gets 4 weeks because it is the Dutch Legal minimum, if we were in America he would only have 2 weeks, so we do feel very lucky, but with Brandon coming and not having family close to help, Paul is really the only person I can count on to help me .   Paul says that next week will be the last week of these rough hours.  Good news is that since he works until 2 or 3AM he did not have to go into work on Saturday this week, but because he worked these harsh hours he got a cold from working outside in the cold  :-(   I hope he doesn't get me sick.  I've been feeding him lots of soup, oranges, and Day/Night Quil, lets hope he gets better fast and that next weeks work schedule does make it worse!

Baby Bump week 27

Things are a changin'

I've been putting my organizational skills to very good use this past week.  I've kept up with making tons of "to do" lists for little projects that I can handle by myself around the house.  Heavy lifting is a no no for me now that I'm 7 months prego.  Our bottom floor is almost complete with being reorganized.  Half the battle was emptying 2 dressers into our wall of wardrobes, doing this gave me a chance to really go through old cloths and get rid of what I know will never fit me again or is just to old and "college student" like to wear.  My other goal was to make room in our wardrobe for Paul's t-shirt collection.  I have never in my life seen someone who has more t-shirts than him, and he has ones back from his freshman year of high school, some of them have never fit him and some are getting raggedy.  (The raggedy ones get tossed, or at least I try to toss them)  I ended up freeing 3 drawers of my cloths so he could put his t-shirts away.  

Now the only work downstairs is taking apart the dressers, which Paul has been doing one by one.  Brandon's room no longer looks cluttered with furniture, I can't wait until next month when we'll go buy all the crib bedding, changing table pads, and other finishing touches to Brandon's room.  


In other news I think I was experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions (and quite uncomfortable ones) yesterday.

Braxton Hicks contractions are also known as "practice contractions" where the uterine muscles tighten for 1 or 2 hours.  While I was having these Brandon decided to push his head up again my belly and I could actually feel and see the outline of his head....well I read online that it can be his head or butt, I think it was his head though.  For some reason Brandon was very very active, so much that it made me upset because I could not settle down and rest and my body really wanted to rest.   Luckily today Brandon has been quiet, I think his 10 hour dance routine made him tired, hopefully this means I can take an afternoon nap without any kicks or jabs!

12 more weeks to go....is it bad that I'm sick of being pregnant already!!

Furniture Fisticuffs

   Great News!!! The furniture for the baby's room arrived at the store on Friday.  When I got home for work, I slowed the car down enough for Ashley to jump in and we went to the store to pick it up.  It took 2 trips to get all the boxes and I basically chased the box guy back into the store.
    I spent Saturday and Sunday putting them together with Ashley's help.  A few steps needed 4 hands.  And with a little sweat, some blood (mine, not sure how), and a good amount of cussing; Team Argument had furnished a baby's room.  It looks good but not complete, and when it is, we will put pictures up.

   Ashley mainly spent the weekend throwing stuff out so we can make room for all the new furniture.  We are almost there, I think.  At least for furnishings.  Brandon still has 3 more months.

midwife

This morning we had our midwife appointment.  Things went great.  I'm right on track at 27 wks with the size of my belly (they now measure me)  And they felt Brandon's position in my belly and he is still in the same position that he's always in (laying horizontally with his head on my left side facing my back.  It really makes me wonder if he ever moves out of that position, they say baby's inside the womb can do all sorts of acrobatics, but it seems that Brandon is content in just one spot ALL the time, he also likes to kick the same spots all the time, I'm sure my insides are bruised by now from all his kicking, lol!   His heart was nice and strong and easy to hear!!!!
My blood pressure was the same as last time, low, but they were not worried about that yet.  They (we had two midwifes in our appointment) said at 29-30 weeks they will take a sample of blood to test my iron count since that's when it will be lowest.  They also told me my dizziness and faintness from 2 weeks ago might be just from the low blood pressure, like I suspected, and to just continue to take it my vitamins and take it extra slow when moving around, which I have been and it's been working!!!

By our next meeting which is now every 3 weeks, then after that it will be every 2 weeks they will have the results of my blood work and our last measurement ultrasound, I'm kinda sad and excited that this is the last ultrasound, cause it just means we're getting closer and closer to holding Brandon in our arms and cuddling with him!!

3rd Trimester

It's here the last trimester of pregnancy!!!  My excitement is growing everyday along with my belly and my emotions are getting wilder too!   You can only imagine how much fun Paul is having riding the Ashley roller coaster of emotional ups and downs!

So between now and Brandon's birthday he has about 5-6 more pounds to add on to his cute little body!  One great thing about the ultrasound we had last week was the technician could do an estimate of his current weight.  He was just about 2lbs, and all his measurements are no longer 3 1/2 weeks ahead of schedule.  He is now only 1 week ahead of schedule.  I'm going to ask my midwife tomorrow if this means anything because our ultrasound technician said his current height and weight due date is  May 5th instead of May 11th.   Paul and I have been thinking for the past month that Brandon may come early.  I don't want to get stuck on this thought because if he doesn't come early it will just make waiting and waiting feel like forever.

Last weekend Paul and I decided that we want to completely transform our 2nd bedroom into Brandon's nursery by April 11th (that way if he comes early we are ready!)  We've also gotten very lucky this year that Easter holidays are April 2-5, so that will give us a nice 4 day weekend to figure out where to put things, what needs to be tossed, and what needs to be given away.   We are trying as hard as we can to not toss anything since in Oct we will be moving back to the states and we can find room for it there.  In the mean time it will be interesting to see how much we can fit into our closets and storage to make room for Brandon.