sleep, etc I'm definitely enjoying this part of pregnancy, although I'm starting to lose the energy that I've had for the last few months. Must be getting toward the third trimester now. Our little one moves all the time. I actually feel sick to my stomach right now because he/she is moving so much. The baby hasn't reached my ribcage yet, which is nice, but I'm finding that I have less and less room in my stomach for food. It's a very odd feeling. I'm kind of dreading the baby-kicking-my-ribs stage. It's also kind of weird to look down every now and then and suddenly discover that my uterus is bigger. I really think it went up another inch in the last week!
I'm still having a hard time sleeping. Last night I got seven hours and it seemed heavenly, but I'm sure it's because I only got around five the night before. I'm waking up at about 5 am most days and just can't go back to sleep, mostly because my body claims to be starving. It seems to take a few meals for it to subside the plea for food though, by which time I'm well on my way with the day. I'm starting to have to pee more in the middle of the night, too, which doesn't really help the sleep factor any. Plus it's more and more uncomfortable to sleep. There have been a lot of nights when I have tossed and turned for hours before getting any rest, and that doesn't really help Keith sleep any. I've tried different pillows like everyone suggests, but they just don't seem to be working for me. I still miss sleeping on my back and stomach. The side thing kind of works for me but I always catch myself rolling over to sleep on my back. It's kind of like my resting spot, so in the middle of the night I lay on my back for a few minutes and enjoy the sheer bliss of it, then reluctantly prop myself on my side again.
That all sounds pretty complainy, sorry. During the daytime, I am really loving being pregnant and not really experiencing much pain because of it; it's only the not being able to sleep thing that makes me really want this to be over. I really love sleep and have never really had a hard time sleeping before, and it's just kind of a sad experience, especially since I have no reason to be up at 5 am so I'd really just as soon enjoy my nice warm bed a bit longer!
2008-09-05 (25 weeks)
the greatness of God I have two friends who lost their first babies to miscarriage within a few months of me. One friend went on to lose her second baby at 39 weeks. The other friend just delivered her second baby at full term, but he was born with an incomplete digestive system and has already undergone the first surgery of what will probably be several.
All of this gives me pause. Not cause to be more fearful, but reason to stop and consider the greatness of God. There is a part of me that assumes our baby will be healthy because we've already lost one child, so it would only be fair that this baby is born without any complications. But that's not really true. This world is totally depraved, and there is no reason why I deserve a healthy baby any more than these friends of mine. God knows them and knows their children even as He knows me and knows mine. The little one in my womb looks totally healthy according to this week's ultrasound, and I am grateful for that. But I think my gratitude and humility is stretching deeper as I realize that each child is fearfully and wonderfully designed by the Creator of the universe. It is no accident what happens to babies in the womb. It will not be mere chance if our child is born without physical complications, but the sweet grace of the God who wills and acts according to His own good purposes.
2008-09-04 (24 weeks)
baby shower My friend Geanna flew up from Portland this last weekend and threw me a baby shower. It was wonderful! I've never enjoyed a baby shower so much as this one. It just really blessed me a lot. The guests consisted of four friends from Schumacher (my second-year dorm at Whitworth), the four Lorenz women (Keith's mom and three sisters), my niece Adalee, and Sue, at whose home it was held. The food was delightful; Geanna and Alyssa made an all-vegan spread consisting of things like cupcakes, chocolate-covered strawberries, pasta salad, etc. I was hoping that Geanna would make it all-vegan, and I know I'm not the only one who was relieved about not having to wonder about the ingredients! The party favors were organic treats too, and I've been happily munching on the extra ones over the last few days!
The rest of it just blessed me so much, too. It was small enough to be intimate, but it wasn't awkward at all, and I enjoyed seeing everyone interact. The girls decorated organic onesies for our little one, which I can't wait to put on him/her, and I was honestly so blessed by the gifts. It seems like every baby shower I've been to has consisted of some good things and some really ridiculous things. This one was all good things, things which I will love and treasure and put to great use! Some of my favorites are a delightful wooden toy, an aluminum bottle, tasteful gender-neutral clothing, bamboo cloth nursing pads, a Boppy, a nursing cover, a wonderful hand-crocheted blanket, really cool board books, sweet safari stuff that I'd registered for, and adorable little giraffe shoes.
It seems kind of tacky to me to say what I got at my shower and how happy I am about it, but... oh well! It was really encouraging to me to receive such sweet and thoughtful gifts from people who know me so well. It really made me feel known and loved. Obviously, I'd also be blessed by the other type of shower, the one in which people give you some kind of random things that may not really suit your style, but I really loved this first-ever baby shower and am just so grateful for the love and thoughtfulness that went into it.
2008-09-03 (24 weeks)
ultrasound REALLY tired lately.
I'm not sure if I even want to post this, it was just that precious, but we had our ultrasound today and got to see the little one's feet, hands, face, heart, vertebrate, kidneys, legs, and so on. We have quite the adorable little child, I must say! He or she currently weighs one pound, eight ounces, and everything seems to be developing as appropriate.
I got kind of stressed out by a phone call from the birthing center yesterday letting us know that there is a new ultrasound option... I guess it is more of a medical one, in which they send everything to a radiologist who analyzes everything in greater detail. Long story short, I got all confused and stressed about it, and we talked with Inga (our midwife) a bit about it to try to figure out the difference and whether it would be worth it for us to pay the extra $150 for that added benefit. My friend's baby was born with an incomplete digestive system last week, and I'm nervous about something like that sneaking up on us. So anyway, Inga was really great and supportive and since they were just trying the sending-it-to-the-radiologist thing today for the first time, she just waived the fee and let us be the test patients. So that was a nice relief, and seeing our little one for the first time wiped away any residual stress. Our prenatal appointment went well too, and it was nice to have it with our actual midwife again. Keith asked her to pray with us, and that was cool too. I think having Christian support people in labor is going to be a bigger deal to me than I had realized.
