31 Weeks: Chillin' Out Maxin' Relaxin' All Cool

My transition into the home stretch of being pregnant

So here we are at 31 weeks.  I'm gonna be honest.  As soon as I hit 30 weeks everything started to hurt.  I woke up one night and it felt like someone was stabbing me in the ribs and, as it turns out, somebody is! Then I went to stand up one day and I thought I had just jumped on the banana seat of my bike wrong.  After some googling (DEVIL!) and chats/visit with my OB, prognosis: No UTI (most common thing to happen to women during pregnancy), the rib pain was due to my uterus growing/BGC pushing and kicking which is causing inflammation to my rib

What you think relaxin should feel like
v. what it makes you feel like

cartilage and the "I just went on a 20 mile bike ride down a gravel hill" feeling was due to the pressure of the baby (she's head down) and the hormone relaxin.  Sounds like it should be magical right?  No.  Relaxin is a hormone that helps certain parts of your body to grow and stretch in preparation for labor.  I'll leave it at that.

We had an ultrasound this morning and BGC is measuring in the 56% percentile and a couple of days ahead!

  She weighs 4lbs 1oz and likes to throw her weight around- which is a good thing. 

They also performed a BPP, or, Biophyiscal Profile.  It measures the health of the baby through body movements, muscle tone (flexing the arms and legs), breathing movements (the baby's ability to move her chest muscles and diaphragm), and the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding her.  BGC got an 8 out of 8! #harvardmaterial 

We have our next, and (probably) final, ultrasound is in a month.

We saw also saw our favorite person, Nurse Judy, today!  I've lost 4lbs (don't hate me) and all mom vitals are good!  If you remember from a previous post, our doctor options were thinning as our top 2 were leaving the practice.  After our birthing class and some long talks with new friends we have decided to change to a midwife!  More on that later.

How Ya' Feelin' Kate Corner

I want our baby to be born in the best possible time for her health, but I'm gonna be honest.  I'm ready.  I would like to not have a rotating wardrobe of 4 outfits because even maternity shirts aren't long enough for my torso of fury.

I want a deli sandwich.  I want an adult beverage.  And I want to see this little nugget who performs excerpts from the musical triumph "Stomp" nightly.  I will say though that when she is born I will miss the excuse to eat anything I feel a craving for.  I'm also very hormonal and have been prone to random acts of maternal feelings as well as toddler-like meltdowns.  So, sorry to everyone I encounter!





Up Next: BABY GIRL CURTIS NURSERY COMPLETION!

Mo' Money Mo' Problems?

(written by Meg + gifs by Kate)

I recently had a discussion with a friend who is in her mid 30s and hasn't yet started trying to get pregnant because she's worried about how she'll afford a bigger apartment, daycare, diapers, and all
the other costs that come along with having a baby. Though I understand and share her concerns, I encouraged her to get going! She might (MIGHT!) have more money in a couple of years, but then she'll also be beyond the magic pregnancy age of 35 and have all kinds of other things to worry about it.

Then I came across this blog post called What Comes First: The Chicken or the Nest Egg? by Rebecca Woolf of Girl's Gone Child. I chuckled when I read her smart words "there is never enough money and there is never enough time and there is never enough of anything ever the end." I couldn't agree more.

Kate and I did wait until we both had decent(ish) paying jobs and an apartment that can (perhaps uncomfortably) accommodate a baby...but we didn't wait until we had enough money to really do this thing.  I'm not sure when that day might come. We had the added financial complication of needing to put up a fair amount of money at the beginning just to attempt to get pregnant, so we actually did have a bit of a nest egg. Since it only took 3 tries (woohoo!), we had some of our baby making savings left over, a bit of which we recently used on vet bills for our other baby, Batman the cat. But I digress...

My point is that I don't think there's ever a "right" time to have a baby. Obviously it's ideal if future parents have enough money to provide the basics for their baby and I certainly do wish we had a little more (who doesn't?), but I don't regret our getting pregnant before having all of financial ducks in a row. I should add that we're very lucky to have very supportive families who would never let BCG go diaper-less. Phew.

We want to hear from you! Do you have financial check boxes on your pre baby-making to-do list? Did you make it it work on a budget? Do you have advice for us? We'll take it.

Week 28: Diabeat-this

Just a quick update on some happenings this past week with BGC.


Childbirth Class: Can't Amazon Just Deliver Her?

On Saturday Meg and I attended an all day Labor and Delivery class at Mount Auburn Hospital, where our doctors are (LOVES us some Nurse Judy) and where we plan to deliver BGC.  We considered heading into labor blindly- I mean, someone would be there that would tell me what to do right? Or we could take the class and learn, most likely, way more than we need to know. Ultimately we decided to get schooled. The class included a tour of the Labor & Delivery area in the hospital, so that was a bonus.

Epidurals

Using hands on learning, 3-D animation, videos (all characters had hair from 1985 and it was magical), posters and other visual aids (the fake baby was a thing from your deepest childhood nightmare, but became comical when she shoved it through the plastic birthing canal of the skeleton) we learned about physical changes in pregnancy, warning signs and preterm labor, and labor progression and positioning (giggle).  Aka 9 times out of 10 you what you're feeling doesn't constitute a trip to the ER. What I've learned from growing a baby thus far, and this was backed up in class, is that the recommendation they will make for any ache is a to drink a glass of water.  We covered comfort measures and natural (screw that) techniques for coping with pain as well as the role of the support person.  The instructor also explained induction (typically providing a

The progression of Meg's face watching the video of a
baby actually being born

medication to kick labor into action), augmentation and decision-making in labor, including discussion about your pain medication and epidural options and cesarean birth.  Look.  I know a lot of people look down on drugs used to help the mother's pain in pregnancy.  I get it.  You want to go natural.  Go you.  I respect that.  I would just like to not ruin my marriage, have holy water thrown at me or split into 2 due to pain when I could tone that sucker down and focus more on giving birth to the child.

Epidural catheter

Not to be confused with... 












We were, as usual, the token lesbian couple in the room, but no one blinked an eye at it.  Thanks Boston. We split into groups often to talk about our personal worries, questions, experiences thus far in pregnancy.  We all pretty much agreed that we miss sleeping, would love a bottle of anything you can light on fire, and think our children are mini Rockettes.  Although, out of 9 couples we were the only one expecting a girl, and one couple was waiting to find out.  Girl power.



The labor and delivery tour was great.  The rooms have baller views of the Boston skyline so while a little human is ripping through your body you can wave at the Red Sox blimp.  But seriously, the rooms are amazing and the nursing staff seem great. They also have waiting rooms for family in both the delivery and post-partum areas, complete with a kitchenette stocked with goodies.  And I'm sure Meg would want me to say that the new moms will also happily accept goodies of the sweet variety.


28 Week Check-up & Final Gestational Diabetes Test: Here, Eat This




We also had our 28 week check-up and Gestational Diabetes test this week. Last time I took the GD test I drank the nasty drink that could only be enjoyed by the 11 year old version of ourselves (think defrosted frosty pop).  I got pretty sick from that so my nurse gave me a food option for this test.  It must equate to 50 grams of glucose so I slammed 8oz of whole milk, a slice of bread and a banana in the required 5 minute block of time in the Mt Auburn parking lot.  Meg was entertained.

Next we went in for an ultrasound to measure BCG's growth.  She is measuring almost a week ahead and is weighing in at approximately 2 pounds, 14 ounces which is the 61 percentile for size. Basically everything is normal, phew! She was also in a breached position, but babies aren't typically in a birth ready position until about 36 weeks, so nothing to worry about there.  The doctor was amused because by the end of the ultrasound, she was in kind of a funky yoga pose... like this....


We then ran to the Women's Center on the other side of the hospital to get blood drawn just at the right time for the GD test and checked in with our favorite baby-related medical provider: Nurse Judy.  She's a hugger. All vitals were great and she even said I could have ice cream every night.

You know, within reason.

UPDATE: My second Gestational Diabetes test came back normal!

How you feel when you pass your 2nd Gestational Diabetes
test with flying colors.

Coming soon...
We have officially started converting the guest room to a nursery!  We are outsourcing a lesbian, our friend Brittany, to help build the crib because we don't own tools or know how to use them and want to keep our marriage intact.

Fairy Godfathers & Week 26 update

Our Fairy Godfathers: You Know Our Baby Is Always Gonna Look Good

Meg and I are very lucky to have an amazing network of friends.  And when it came time to think of who we would like to be BGC's godfather(s) we both had the same thought- these two homos.
Kyle is Meg's good friend from high school (and prom date x2) and Tommy is his husband (it's been almost a year since the wedding!).  They both took part in our wedding- Tommy sang and Kyle spoke.

We figured our daughter would have plenty of mothers, so two godfathers fit the bill. And we knew these two had to be a special part of our daughter's life.  So, since we agreed it should be them- the next question was how do we ask them in a fashion that is befitting to our fabulousness?  We thought about a nice keychain so they could always have a little reminder of her with them- but I felt fairly sure that gay men prefer a slim key ring so they don't bulge in their pockets- tacky.  Then we thought- shirts! I started researching and, not so surprisingly, there are really not a lot of "fairy godfather" shirts out there. So I decided I would just make ours online.  The first idea I saw was perfect... to us... but we weren't quite sure people would get the reference.

How gay Godfather's judge
your baby's outfit

We also wanted it to be something they would actually wear.  So, of course, I thought: FITTED TANK TOP.  I found a site that sold "men's fitted tank tops" with design options and they offered pink glittery ink. Jackpot. We had dinner (Boston Market cause we're classy) on the roof deck of their amazing Boston condo and popped the question. Tommy (our little softy) got a little teary and Kyle (our little diva) said, "I was hoping you'd ask me."  They accepted and we are delighted that our daughter will have these amazing men to support her, love her and steer her clear of any fashion faux pas.

Baby Curtis Update

Trying to turn over in bed with a pregnancy belly

Although the books say I should have gained 16-20 pounds I am still down from my pre-pregnancy weight.  Not that I am complaining.  AT ALL.  But it is amazing that, despite the weight loss, I feel heavier and more awkward.  Not that I was the epitome of grace before I was pregnant.  I could fall down from a seated position on the floor.  But now, getting up from any low sitting surface looks like a contemporary dance move.  I have the beginnings of an epic stomach shelf and I'm starting to feel so big that when I haul ass I have to take two trips.  And we're only at week 27!  And I'm always hungry.

We had an appointment with our current OB/GYN (she's leaving the practice and we have to choose a new one).  All is well with BGC, I have developed a pregnancy related allergy to chapstick and we have started the THIRD TRIMESTER! Wow, where did the time go? We have an ultrasound on August 25- stay tuned for an update.

Operation Nursery Part 2: Getting there

No, the B is not a hint at Baby Girl Curtis' name...

(words by Meg, gifs by Kate)

As we alluded to in our last nursery post, we're going with a teal/aqua and gray theme for the nursery. Not super girly, which in our opinion is a good thing, and super cute. There might also be an accidental reoccurring whale theme.

Painted ornament ball mobile

Most of you know that we live in a rental apartment, so painting the walls in our soon-to-be nursery is out of the question. We also don't think we'll live here more than another year, so we're not investing too much money in things that will work only in this particular room (with its 3 doors and weird nooks and crannies).  Most of you also know that instead of nesting (which I'm doing plenty of), Kate is crafting:

Kate saw this idea on Etsy, but it was upwards of $50 and no coupons (!!) so she designed it herself. 
I gave plenty of helpful feedback such as "make the tail more flippy."

In addition to the whale posters, we are re-purposing some original artwork by my aunt and uncle (the cloud/fairies) and Kate's grandmother that already lived in the guest room.

How amazing is this thing?
Or have I just been staring at wall mounted
organizers for too long?

We're planning to use a dresser that is already in the guest room as a changing table. When we painted it last summer we wisely thought ahead and picked a color we thought we might like for a nursery so it's already teal. I've spent an unreasonable amount of time pondering what we could use as a diaper caddy because the dresser is small and will just barely fit a changing pad. It seems like we'll need something wall mounted (actually door mounted because there are more doors than walls in this room) behind the dresser. I really wanted to buy this 3 bin shelf from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child, but I couldn't bring myself to spend $179 + shipping (!!!).



As luck would have it, I found a very similar one at Home Goods, though it was missing a price tag. A sales woman told me it was $24.99, which I doubt was accurate, but who am I to argue?? Of course I took it home with me.


We purchased a lovely teal and white area rug from Home Depot (how very lesbionic of us!), along with some teal cloth drawers that we'll use in an existing bookcase. They were, of course, on sale. We nabbed some blackout curtains and an extra super cute whale mobile, too. Family members are generously taking care of some of the big ticket items (ie: crib, bassinet, glider) and we're going with simple white on those items. I was inappropriately excited to buy drawer organizers at Ikea for sorting all those tiny baby clothes!! That could be a whole post all on it's own. And maybe it will be.

So we have lots of the pieces of the nursery currently crammed into a room that is still serving as a guest room and as my walk in closet. And as a holding place for incoming baby gifts (thanks guys!). Let's just say it's getting a little cramped. Sometime in late August or early September we're going to start putting it all together. Stay tuned!

Operation Nursery Part 1: Before

(words by Meg, gifs by Kate)

For those of you who like to crash at Chez Curtis, I have some bad news for you. Our two bedroom apartment easily accommodated guests in the past, but pretty soon the guest room will be the nursery. This second room has also served as our foster kitten room, so we're saying goodbye to kittens for now as well.

Our master plan involves moving our futon from the guest room into our dining room so we can still house the grandparents when they come to visit! Aside from the futon, our guest room is also home to all of my stuff. And I do mean ALL of it. Clothes, shoes, school books, random collections of hair accessories, hidden Christmas presents and more. All that stuff either needs to be tossed, stored or moved into our (small) bedroom, which is currently quite full of Kate's belongings! Gotta love city living with its oddly shaped closets and lack of storage space.

Here are some "before" pictures that I actually took after we started collecting some of the nursery decorations, so you get a sneak peak of those too. See if you can spot the whale tail.

This room has three doors. The door you see
here behind the teal dresser leads into our bedroom.
WHY? I do not know.

Here's door #2, which leads into the dining room.
Again, WHY?

The beloved futon and a glimpse into the kitchen through door #3.

The tiny closet (and technically door #4)
packed full of my clothes. 

Here are the steps we've taken in Operation Nursery so far:





1. Bought and assembled an Ikea bed frame with drawers underneath for our bedroom so I can put some of my clothes in it.

2. Emptied out the nightstands in our bedrooms and replaced them with floating shelves (I can't take any credit for this- it was all Kate!) so that we can open said drawers. We didn't exactly think that one through when we bought the bed frame. But we're making it work!








3. Sorted through all our crap and freecycled, recycled, and goodwilled quite a bit of it. While sorting through some stuff of mine, I found 3 $100 bills tucked into the back of an old checkbook. I think they were wedding gifts and I put them there thinking we'd use them for a special occasion...3 years ago!  Oops.

4. Reorganized our little corner of the basement to make room for even more baby hand-me-downs that will soon need a temporary home. We already have a giant car seat box in our living room and though Batman loves it, it's not exactly our design style.

Next post: Operation Nursery Part 2: Getting there.

Meg's Vision Board as a teaser...