Food, Glorious Food!

This complicated pregnancy has robbed me of all my favorite pleasureable activities, except one - EATING.  Since I can no longer go for long walks, play with the dog, shop, clean (yes, I am one of those crazies who actually likes to clean/sanitize my house), drink Guiness/scotch or excessive amounts of caffeine, or even take long baths, food has become my one last truly guilt-free hobby.  And since my ob told me it was DESIRABLE for me to gain 40 lbs, my excessive amounts of eating actually are doctor's orders.  At least that's how I'm going to look at it.  :)  So this post focuses mainly on food, because eating is my absolute favorite activity right now. 

[Personal side note:  I'm complaining about the pregnancy itself, and NOT The Baby.  Poor little guy's having as rough as time as I am with these stupid contractions.  Stupid uterus.]


Christmas!!
The Husband and I have had a great holiday so far.  He gets 2 1/2 weeks off, so a lot is getting done around the house for The Baby. :)  He did Christmas with his family on Saturday, we went to Midnight Mass that evening, and opened our presents to each other on Christmas Day.  Since I was really missing my family, I made our traditional scones for breakfast.  They were amazing... not quite as good as Mom's, but still quite delicious.



Here's the recipe... I always add extra currents because that's who I am and how I do it.
http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/2271/orange-sugared-scones

My family came up the day after Christmas, which also happens to be The Husband's birthday!  We opened his birthday presents, then ate lunch with my parents, brother, and niece, and opened presents with them.  It meant a lot to get to see them, even if it wasn't how we usually do holidays.

Now, for the REALLY good part.  I try to always make The Husband a cake for his birthday... this is a big deal, because 1) I'm not a baker, by any stretch of the imagination, 2) I really hate cake, and 3) my poor Husband complains because he's the only one who consumes those 3,000 - 5,000 calories - alllll by himself. 

This year I had a lot of time on my hands, and looked up a bunch of recipes I thought I might like.  He picked out this one:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/chocolate-stout-cake-recipe

The first 3 ingredients are butter, Guiness, and cocoa.  Needless to say, I was completely sold.  Butter and chocolate are my two favorite things, and it's been so long since I've had my favorite alcoholic beverage, I have forgotten how great it tastes.  And oh my, does it make the cake.



Of course my cake didn't look this pretty, but it was finger-licking good. 

I know I'm always a little behind, so it shouldn't shock anyone that I did not know who the heck the Pioneer Woman was until last week.  I tried two of her recipes (since I do like to cook), and so far she's 2-0.  Seriously, this is the best pot roast I have EVER had.  And it's the easiest.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/09/2008_the_year_of_the_pot_roast/


Likewise, this is the best tomato-based pasta sauce I've ever had.  Do wish I had some vodka to put in it.... may try that next time.  I threw in some sauteed Polish sausage, and both The Husband and I ate around 3 servings a piece.  Even The Baby quit kicking for a whole 20 minutes - a very rare event. 
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/09/pasta-with-tomato-cream-sauce/





The Baby!!
Monday, on The Husband's birthday, we were 35 weeks!  (I still can't believe I'm that huge, even though I now bump the belly on things all the time)

Kiddo weighs over 5 lbs (meaning minimal time in NICU!!), and should be over 18 inches long.  He moves ALL THE TIME... seriously.  For the last month or so, there have only been maybe two or three times that he goes 15 minutes or longer without kicking.  His new favorite thing is to put his bottom against my left ribs, and his feet against my right ribs, and streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetches his legs out... I can only assume this is how he wakes up.  Good thing I already think the little stinker is cute.

We finally got the crib put together, and it's really starting to look like a nursery.  Once we get it straightened up, I may take some pictures.  :)  Next ob appointment is tomorrow, so cross your fingers and toes for a good visit, and that The Baby waits until after New Year to arrive. 

33 weeks and counting...

Pregnancy Thus Far...

"Baby Moves"
I first started feeling the baby move around weeks 14-15, and knew FOR SURE by 15w6d.  Mass had just started, the organ boomed to life, and The Baby immediately said, "WHAAAAAT?!?!  Mom, what IS that racket??"  It was especially adorable because when I finally quit laughing and started singing with the rest of the congregation, he stopped spazzing and calmed back down.  His early (and very noticeable) movements convinced me he was a boy.  :)

Now The Baby moves ALL THE TIME.  Especially during the night and early morning.  We exchange pokes and nudges nearly hourly, and I swear he gets mad when I put my hand over my ribs to keep him from kicking them - at least he tries much harder to get those bony appendages near my now-delicate ribcage. 

He calms down more when I pat (around where I think) his bottom is instead of rub.  We'll see if that holds up once he's born.  He also changes positions daily - so when people ask, "Is he head-down?" I can laugh and say, "He will be at least once today!" 

"Catie, you ate WHAT... and that was just lunch??"
The first trimester was a little bit rough - I was nauseated all the time (though rarely threw up!) and wound up losing about 10 lbs.  But by weeks 13-14, watch out!  I got my appetite back with a vengence, and since then have been inhaling food.  John doesn't even ask if he can have a bite of my food anymore - our roles have reversed, and now he gives me the food he's too full to eat. :) 

One example of a day of my outrageous meals:
Breakfast - bowl of cereal, 2 pieces of toast with apple butter, 2 glasses of water + 1 glass of OJ
Snack - cheese and hot chocolate
Lunch - 1 turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich, chips and salsa, applesauce, oreos and milk
Snack - more cheese and decaf hot tea
Dinner - 3 pieces of pizza (very conservative, I might add)
Snack - bowl of cereal again

"Feel this!"
The Baby gets hiccups 2-4 times every single day.  And call me crazy, but I swear he seems to get them after I eat.  These gentle little rhythmic bumps are how I know he changes positions - they are never in the same place twice in a row.

"Yes, that's normal.  Stop worrying."
Being a medical student means I know enough to scare the beejeebus out of myself, and not enough to know when to stop worrying.  On our first OB visit, our wonderful doctor understood, and offered an ultrasound to put me at ease.  She immediately pointed out (without laughing!) that:
1) I have elevated hCG due to a baby, not choriocarcinoma.
2) There is only 1 baby in there.
3) That one baby is in utero, not ectopic.
4) There's the hearbeat!  So at 6w, everything looks great. 

Since then, she and my parents have taken turns reassuring me that the variety of new signs and symptoms I've experienced are normal, and that The Baby is fine.  Thank goodness.

Now for the not-so-fun-parts....

"The exponential Catie Moments"
Catie Moments are those times when something is said or done that is really.... well, dumb.  Some call them Blonde Moments, but I am no longer blonde.  Therefore, they are Catie Moments.  And they have greatly increased since about week 8 or so.  For example, just a few days ago:
The Husband: "What did you just say?"
Me: "You mean out loud?"
Amazingly, The Husband did not even crack a smile, let alone laugh, before saying, "Yes, dear, out loud.  I can't read your mind."

"Oh, Bed Rest...."
Around week 18, I started having regular contractions.  They got so frequent and uncomfortable (and wouldn't stop!), that by week 24 I had to go on bed rest.  Which also means that I get to miss 3rd year rotations, and graduate a year late.  No worries, The Baby has already been informed that he will have to pay for his own college, since any money we were planning on saving for him is now being used to finish putting Momma through school.  :)

After I got over being shut up in the house for months, bed rest no longer looks so bad.  Lying around reading books all day, oh the torture! Eek, no more vacuuming for 4 months!  Needless to say, there are good and bad things about it... having an amazingly supportive husband, family members who are willing to come up anytime to help, and knowing this kiddo is safe and sound, make it all worth it.

"Oh, so I guess you don't know about birth control?"
Just to clarify, The Baby was not a surprise.  NOT that it's anyone's business.  This child was planned, prayed for, cried over when he took "so long" to get here, and loved before he was a reality.  There is one, and only one, appropriate response when someone announces a pregnancy, and that is: "Congratulations!"  Certainly not, "Oh sh*t, I'm sorry."  Or, "What were you thinking, being in med school and all?"  (Both of which were said... to my face).



Overall, despite the complications, this has been a fun pregnancy.  I actually enjoy the kicks and bumps (most of the time) because it reminds me The Baby is healthy and on his way.  The Husband has above and beyond proved he's a keeper, and reminds me daily why I chose him.  Make fun all you want, but I've had a packed bag and list of other things to take to the hospital for the last three weeks!  The Baby has had bottles and diapers and clothes for the last month, and last week I started washing and folding all his clothes, towels, blankets, and toys.  Mostly because I like seeing that he's ALMOST HERE!!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a bit different this year.  Instead of going to one of our parents' homes, The Husband and I celebrated at home.  He did the vast majority of the cooking, and oh-my-word did he do a good job.  I forgot to take pictures of the pies... but I did eat my two-thirds of them :)

Yes, this is an obscene amount of food for just two people... but it was sooooo good.  And technically there ARE three of us now. 

My list of things to be thankful has definitely grown this year.
1) The (Wonderful) Husband.  The longer we're married, the more I fall in love with him.  And not only is he cute, but he can cook, too.
2) The Baby.  FINALLY we're having a baby!!!  Kiddo isn't even here yet, and The Husband and I are already head-over-heels for him.
3) Our families.  I've always liked mine... they're good people. Especially the ones who send me books.  The Husband's family is icing on the cake:  I'm blessed with in-laws I like.  I'm so glad to have such a loving relationship with them.
4) The modern medicine/prayers/old-fashioned-lying-around that has kept this kid in utero this long.  Each day feels like its own little miracle - he has that many more neuronal connections, that much more weight, and that much more lung development (and that much less time in the NICU!) with each passing day.
5) Friends.  Enough said.  That's why they're called friends.
6) School.  I get to fulfill my dream of becoming a physician (albeit a year later than originally planned) without having to choose between my career and my family.  I'm thankful I can do bed rest and not have to worry about rotations.

I could go on (and on and on), but these are the biggies.  I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving, and is at least half as excited as I am about Advent, Christmas, and New Years!  Oh yeah, and that baby who's due sometime around January....

What We're Learning About Pregnancy...

What The Husband is learning:

1) The Wife does NOT find it amusing when you shout, "Heave ho!" as you help her up.
2) It's probably not wise to make the first words said to her when returning from a two day conference, "WOW!  You got even bigger!"
3) Food is now the most important thing to The Wife -- The Husband should keep her very well fed in order to avoid any "accidents" or lost fingers.  NEVER try to take food away from her, or say something like, "Honey, do you really need that tenth Butterfinger?"  She does.
4) The Wife will laugh when you say, "Group hug!" when it's just the two... er, three... of you.

What The Wife is learning:

1) Pregnancy makes you REALLY stupid.  The sheer volume of Catie Moments has increased exponentially since week 6 or so.
2) The Husband does not find it nearly as interesting as I do that the baby has hiccups (...again...) at 3 am.  He will glare through one bleary eye before rolling back over, and then mutter under his breath for ten minutes.
3) The Baby can (and will) express his displeasure very clearly -- I can no longer sleep on my back or right side; the organ at church is NOT appreciated by all of us; and if you poke The Baby, he will poke back.... a lot.  Especially after a contraction. 
4) As I get bigger and grumpier, The Husband gets sweeter and more accomodating.  Kinda glad I picked him out.  :)