08.30.09
Week 25…
When I realize I only have roughly 15 weeks to go, it doesn’t seem that far. I am getting anxious for this baby boy!
This week, baby Zuelke is between 12 & 13.5 inches long and weighs about a pound-and-a-half! He is the size of a rutabaga! He may even look like one too, with a little hair on top! LOL!
The past week has been a little better as far as my comfort is concerned. My doctor finally prescribed me a low-dose painkiller to help with the sciatica. It doesn’t completely take the pain away, but it definitely minimizes it. At least I can get around without that pinching feeling in my hip. It also helped to lift my spirits because I was really down in the dumps about it all.
My only concern now is what’s going to happen when the drugs run out. I’m already taking less than prescribed so I don’t go through my prescription so fast and, because I’m just not that comfortable with taking drugs while I am pregnant. I’ve only been taking one or two pills a day depending on my activity. Some women tell me they had sciatica for awhile and others have told me it lasted throughout their whole pregnancy! I will go insane if that ends up being my case.
In the meantime, I’ll just keep what I am doing, which is stretching, relaxing when I can and using a heating pad from time to time.
Next weekend is Labor Day weekend, which means 4 days off for Kyle and me. Kyle’s sister and her family are driving down from Utah to hang with us for the extended weekend. And, Kyle’s dad is road tripping it from Omaha! We plan to go boating at Lake Mead and then BBQ and swim at my sister’s house. It should be fun!
After that, Kyle and I have to get down to business. We have to buy the furniture for the nursery and register for the baby shower. We’re getting down the home stretch and I don’t want to wait until I’m too big and uncomfortable to enjoy shopping.
Finally, before I go, we still have not decided on a name. We sort of stopped talking about it, and we still have time, but I imagine we’ll choose sooner than later.
08.29.09
Weekend in L.A.
A few months ago, Kyle and I planned a trip to Los Angeles. The Cubs were scheduled to play at Dodger Stadium the weekend of Kyle’s birthday. Sounded like a great excuse to break away for a few days and have some alone time before the baby is born. Also, it was to be a mini-vacation for me, since I haven’t taken any trips this year. I have been saving up all of my vacation for maternity leave. Needless to say, when we planned this trip, I in no way anticipated having sciatic nerve pain.
We drove to L.A. on Friday morning. After we checked into our hotel, we hit up a sandwich shop I saw on some TV show featuring the top 10 sandwich restaurants in the country. Philippe’s is famous for its french dipped sandwiches and is one of the oldest restaurants in downtown Los Angeles. It’s been around since 1908!
It wasn’t at all what I pictured, but you could tell it was a popular joint. It appeared to be the place to eat for locals before baseball games. The lines at the deli counter were long and steady.
Kyle and I both stuck with the french dipped sandwich. I had macaroni salad on the side. Kyle got his beloved cole slaw. The story at Philippe’s is this. You can’t get au jus on the side to dip your sandwich. There just isn’t enough to go around. So your bread is already dipped when it’s served. It’s not soaked. Just dipped. Enough to get the au jus flavor. It didn’t look impressive, but the sandwich was really good. The roast beef was excellent!
After dinner, we headed to Dodger Stadium. This is when life got uncomfortable. I took Tylenol before we arrived, but walking from the massive parking lot to our seats on the other side of the stadium was somewhat of a challenge. Kyle had to walk slow to not leave me behind with the masses. And, it was painful. More frustrating than anything. Why is it we realize how we take the simple things in life for granted until we don’t have them anymore? I just want to walk normal again. I would even take the pain as long as I could walk again. I hate limping around. Kyle says I look like a penguin.
Once we found our seats, I was great. The weather was perfect and I could sit and watch the game comfortably. The Cubs suck though, so we left in disappointment. They had only one run the whole night. There was a fireworks show afterward and that was cool! Oh, but the walk back to the car……
Saturday was dreadful. Not only was it hot at the game, the walk to and from the stadium was a killer. I got sunburned on my arms too. And, the Cubs lost… again! Not a good day. We managed to smile for a couple of pictures though =)
At Dodger Stadium
Kyle and I had dinner in Beverly Hills and called it a night. I felt so bad. There wasn’t a whole lot I could do, and it put a damper on the whole trip. Thankfully, Kyle was patient and didn’t make me feel too bad about holding us back from having more fun.
After a great brunch on Sunday morning, we hit the road. Not at all what I had in mind for a quasi-vacation, but at least I got to spend a couple of days away with my hubby.
08.24.09
6 months!
I’ve made it to six months, but it hasn’t come easy. I’m still battling sciatica. I don’t know how much longer I can handle the nerve pain and maintain my sanity. But, I’m limping my way through it.
At 24 weeks, the baby is about the size of an ear of corn. It seems both big and small to me. In general terms, he is almost a foot long and has gained more than four ounces since last week!
This might be too much information for some, but I find it fascinating. At this stage in pregnancy, the uterus has risen above the belly button and grown to about the size of a soccer ball. That’s just crazy! Speaking of belly buttons, it looks like mine could pop any day now. Shucks! I like my innie!
6 months - size of corn
On another note, Kyle and I took a much needed 3 day weekend trip away from Vegas. It was a mini-vacation for his birthday and a small get away for me since this is the first year I have taken no vacation… in anticipation of the baby. A separate blog on the trip to follow…
08.16.09
23 Weeks and Sciatica
We are 23 weeks along in pregnancy today. That’s one week shy of six months!
The baby is about the size of a mango now and probably weighs more than a pound.
Mango
Baby Z is getting big, and I can tell, because this week I have been experiencing some real growing pains. It started on Monday with a pain in my left leg, right under my butt. By Wednesday, I was in immense pain.
On Tuesday night when I got home from work, I laid on the floor and did all kinds of stretches. Nothing helped. When Kyle got home, I asked him to try to rub it out. He could feel the knot in my butt! The massage was painful too… not enjoyable. When he was done, and I stood up, I had a whole new dilemma. It felt like he may have pushed it up into my hip. Oh boy… this was not going to be good.
Wednesday is when things got really bad. I managed to run around and film for work, but by the afternoon I could barely walk and started to limp. I was in near tears by the time I got home.
After talking with my doctor, it turns out I have sciatica. The baby is putting pressure on my sciatic nerve, which is the longest nerve in the body. It’s common to get sciatica in mid to late pregnancy. As the baby adjusts for birth, they can put more pressure on your already squished body parts and lay on the nerve.
Unfortunately, my doctor says there isn’t much you can do for the pain other than to rest and stretch. What’s worse is this could last for several weeks. That’s going to make work a challenge for me since I run around a lot.
In the meantime, to remedy some of the discomfort, Kyle ran to the store and bought a whole bunch of Icy Hot patches. I’m also using ice packs from time to time, but it still hurts to walk or stand. I just have to remind myself this is temporary and I will get through it.
08.09.09
Week 22 & Nursery Done
22 weeks today and no weight gain! That makes me happy. I am supposed to gain about one pound a week now, up until birth. If I can maintain it at that, I will achieve my goal of gaining no more than 35-40 pounds this pregnancy. I do not want to go over 40 lbs!
Speaking of size, baby Z is growing and about the size of a spaghetti squash this week. He probably weighs about one pound, but remember, he was already 12 ounces a few weeks ago when we had the last ultrasound… so he could be bigger!
About the size of Baby Z
This baby is an active boy, mostly in the late afternoon and at night. He is quiet in the morning. Maybe a sign of what’s to come? Anyway, he moves a lot. Sometimes it’s subtle. Sometimes I see my whole stomach move. I wish I could see what he is doing. Sometimes it feels like he is just moving around trying to get settled. Other times it feels like he is kicking or punching.
In other news, we have finally finished the nursery! Well, the paint and wainscoting. But that was a big project. Kyle and I are pretty impressed with our work. He did the hard stuff. I just painted. But, it looks great. Now we can start shopping for the big ticket items… the furniture.
Nursery, View 1
Nursery, View 2
Nursery, View 3
And that’s all there is to report today. More updates to follow…..
08.05.09
Iran
I am so intrigued by the political turmoil in Iran and the country’s people. Today, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sworn in as president for a second term, but he was not welcomed with open arms.
Hundreds of protestors chanted “Death to the Dictator” as Ahmadinejad took office. Even key lawmakers boycotted the ceremony. This guy is really disliked! Really, though, he is a joke. He wouldn’t last two seconds on American soil.
The inauguration comes after weeks of unrest and violence in the country, where Iranians have been protesting the results of the June presidential election. The opposition claims Ahmadinejad was fraudulently re-elected and pro-form leader Mir Hossein Mousavi was the real winner.
The outcome caused massive street protests, resulting in the deaths of people fighting against political injustice. It’s unconscionable that people who have the power to vote, do not have the power to stand up for their rights and country. Could you imagine such a power-play like this happening in the U.S.? I can’t. Democracy is too powerful for one person to dictate the lives of many.
08.04.09
He’ll like college sports too.
So, our son is going to root for the Vikings, Cubs and Huskers! What if he doesn’t like sports at all? Nah! No chance Kyle is going to let that happen.
Mom Zuelke sent a package in the mail… and the newest addition to Baby Z’s sports gear is a Huskers onesie, ball cap and socks. So cute! Dad got a new Husker shirt too!
Husker gear
Not much new to report in the preggo department. I am watching my weight and actually eating less than I did in the first trimester. It seemed I was more hungry then, but I think it’s because I was tossing my cookies all the time. When I finally felt well enough to hold down food, I was eating like a crazy woman. That has since stopped, and I get fuller quicker. It’s like I have less room for food.
Don’t get me wrong, I still want to eat bad food. I wouldn’t say I have any real cravings, but I get a hankering for a coke & cherry mixed slurpee (which I like in the summer anyway) and an oreo cookie shake. I try not to indulge too much, but I allow myself to have it when I really want it. This trimester is supposed to be one of major growth, so I have to be careful.
I forgot to mention in my last post how crazy my nails are growing these days. Pregnancy hormones are so strange. I have never been able to grow my nails this long. Not only that, they are super strong. I couldn’t crack one if I tried! I actually had to file them down today because they were getting in the way. Wonder what my manicurist is going to think about my filing job.
Lots of people have been asking Kyle and me if we have picked out a name yet. The answer is no. We really like a couple of names, but decided the other night that we are in no rush and would like to take some time. It’s an overwhelming burden to be responsible for the name someone else is going to be stuck with for the rest of his life! I will keep you posted.
08.02.09
21 Weeks… a Carrot!
I’m 21 weeks along today and feeling good! The baby, on average, is about 10.5 inches long… about the size of a carrot!
Baby Z is a carrot
I pretty much feel normal at this stage in my pregnancy, but with some subtle changes. I am having a harder time getting comfortable in bed at night. It takes more effort to roll from side to side. I’m supposed to look for spider veins and varicose veins popping up on my legs, ankles and face now. So far, no sign of those ugly things. Keeping stretch marks at bay too. Yes, I am rubbing cocoa butter lotion on my belly every day, even if it is not proven to help. Some women swear by it, and what have I got to lose by trying?
People are just noticing my growing bump now, even though I feel like it’s been there for awhile. I can say I pretty much do not fit in any pants pre-pregnancy. I have found some cute cargo maternity pants and bought a few in different khaki colors. I think I’ll be living in those for the next few months… so don’t give me crap when you see me wearing the same pants over and over again. It sucks to buy clothes you know you’ll only wear for a few months.
Enough of me… now the nursery. Kyle and I have worked through the weekend, and it is coming along. Looks great! I painted Friday night, and I love the color blue more than I thought I would. Of course I over-think everything and thought I would regret not painting yellow. But, I am completely happy with “Quiet Rain,” the color we chose for the walls.
"Quiet Rain" blue paint
Kyle framed the window and is cutting all the wainscoting board.
New window frame
Adding the wainscoting
Pre-baseboards and chair rail trim
Once the wainscoting is on the walls, we’ll dap away at any gaps and finish painting white. Then, we’ll add the big baseboards and chair rail on top for the trim. It’s going to look so nice and relaxing!
Oh, and let’s not forget our biggest supporter… Maya… who likes to check out the room from time to time.
Maya cat inspecting our work
