I know I'm missing my bi-monthly belly shot, but I just got back from a work trip to Los Angeles, so it will have to wait until tomorrow (when I'm 25 weeks).
24 Week Appointment
First things first. I had my 24 week appointment on Monday, right before I left for the airport. The baby, based on my fundal height (26 cms) is measuring about a week ahead. The fundal height (how long the uterus is) amazingly corresponds to how far along you are. Last time at just 20 weeks, I was measuring 21 cms. This time, just past 24 weeks and I'm at 26. I doubt this means that my due date will be moved up any. Baby's heartbeat is great, although she was kicking and moving all over the place so it took some time to get an accurate reading.
I love my midwife. She's really nice and takes the time to answer all my questions, and I had a lot this time around. 1) I asked if the new Labor & Delivery site where I'll be delivering has a midwife on staff 24/7? Yes -- and as long as the baby is okay, you don't even have to be hooked up to an IV, you're free to walk around, take a shower, etc. 2) What about my hobbit feet? A: Eat more protein. Also see if you can keep your feet up at work. (I'm not sure how the last one would work out considering it's kind of hard to do that in front of a computer). 3) How's my weight gain? (I'm at 25 lbs, still blazing ahead at 1 lb a week) A: It's not totally over the top, otherwise I'd be scolding you right now. You're probably just the type of woman who's going to gain 35 or 40 lbs.
Random Strangers
This was the first plane trip I've been on since I went to Orlando for a conference back in October (I was only 7 weeks back then and obviously not showing). It's only an hour-long flight to L.A. from Sacramento, but it seemed longer and definitely more tiring. It's also kind of amazing the comments I'm getting now from complete strangers. The security guard asked if I wanted to skip the metal detector and do the wand instead -- I declined. I went through it in about a second, so I didn't see the point in being wanded when it would take 50 times longer.
Later, as I was riding the elevator at the hotel, the bell hop offered me his congratulations. I'm still a bit taken aback from the attention, and I like to ride the elevator in peace, so I don't really know how to respond except a mumbled "thanks." And as I was at a conference with members, I definitely got the full gamut of questions: when are you due? is this your first baby? boy or girl?
But I think what really threw me for a loop was waiting in line to board the plane. I somehow scored the first available seat on So.uth.west despite checking in this morning. The following conversation with the guy behind me ensued when we were positioning ourselves in line to board:
Guy: What number are you?
Me: A 16
Guy: Hmm. I'm A 17. I don't know how that happened. I checked in last night at exactly 6:30PM.
Me: Well, you're really going to hate me when I tell you that I didn't remember to check in until this morning.
Guy: I do hate you. Guffaw guffaw. They must have known you were pregnant. When are you due?
Me: June.
Guy: Oh. Wow. You've still got a long ways to go. That's great. Your first?
Me: Yep.
Guy: Well your life will totally change.
Me: Mmm hmmm. I guess you could say it's already changing.
Guy: Well, it's really going to change. But it's fun. But your life's going to change.
Me: Mmmm. Umm, we're boarding now.
He and I hand the lady our boarding passes and walk to the plane, and he's still talking the entire time. This is at the Bur.bank airport, which requires you to go outside and you can board the plane from the front and from the back. I start walking up the stairs at the front while weird guy tells me: "you know you can board the back, don't you?" Yeah, but with my prime boarding number, don't you think I'd rather deplane first in Sacramento??? Thank goodness, he went to the back. I didn't see him again. A nice man helped get my luggage in the overhead compartment.
Anyway, I'm not sure why I was so bothered by this guy telling me that having a baby will change my life because friends and colleagues have told me the same. And isn't it pretty obvious that things will never be the same? I guess it's probably because it's some random man, who thinks that he has all of this advice despite the fact that he's never been pregnant before. Blerg.
On another, somewhat-related note, the CEO of my organization came up to me yesterday morning at the conference and said. "Stephanie! Wow, you're really starting to show!" I just had to laugh, because umm yeah, hasn't it already been kind of obvious???
That whole exchange with the guy at the airport creeps me out, only because I'm so socially awkward I hate having those sorts of conversations. Plus it's like, thanks random stranger for letting me know how my life is going to change seeing as how you know nothing about me or what I'm going through and the only thing we seem to have in common is this flight. Okay, no more ranting from me...
ReplyDeleteJamie - I totally apprciate your rant. You articulated exactly what I was feeling!! :)
ReplyDeleteSocially awkard - that's usually how I feel - especially when I want to say something that I don't think will be taken well. So here goes anyway -
ReplyDeletePeople pass through our lives each day, some stay for awhile some stay forever but some are brief connections of a few moments in time. I truly enjoy those brief encounters as I never know what I might learn from someone or maybe just to share a laugh.
Don't be afraid of those few moments, they will be over quickly and who knows what that human connection might bring to your life. Anything is possible.
I am not eloquent but I believe in human contact, all kinds. You might want to warn Baby Berry that the airplane guy could have been her grandfather - yep we are like that and we can't help it.
Oh and one more thing - the most vivid memory I have of my beautiful son is his first night at home in his own little crib - I read all the books and we waited many years to have him and I wasn't dumb I knew what having children meant and what it would do to our lives - but still when I saw him laying there in that little bed my breath truly was taken away when I thought "this is for life". So even now 30 years later though he is a grown man, with a wonderful wife and a family on the way, I am still amazed, it is still a lifetime commitment and you as a parent, as a mother will love and worry to a depth you never knew you could. I thought I knew my emotions but was totally surprised at my reactions to my beautiful child silently sleeping in front of me.
Maybe that's what the stranger meant when he said your life will change forever, I know that's how I see his comment.
Sorry I have to post as Anonymous - I apparenlty am not bright enough to figure how to post as me. Love Grandma Berry