my-speck

i'm pregnant and it's going to be a rollercoaster

so all your bits appear to be in the right spot, you've 5 fingers and an upper arm 2.19 cm long. February 3, 2009

Hiya Speck!

good news – all is well with you and you have 4 chambers in your heart, a lot of blood going around in different directions in your body (and seemingly – from the technician’s comments – you importantly have it flowing on both sides of your bladder), you have a stomach, kidneys which have a lot going on, a nose, lips, mouth and fingers and toes. In fact, the scan was quite exhaustive and lots of you was measured. You are in the normal ranges for it all. Your nose bridge bit got measured (why??).. And your upper arm (humerus) was 2.19 cm long. That was the only one I managed to ask about. The rest was too quick. Its all on the last page of the video we got.

Anyway. It was a little strange to see you down there. You are much bigger than last time and you were moving around like a crazed thing. In fact, you were kicking very hard. No I know why I can feel it – it was odd, but you were kicking at the same time as the technician was checking your legs, and I could see you kicking and feel it (right on my bladder – which was full due to the scan so it was very uncomfortable) at the same time. Bit freaky. So, you kick really hard by drawing your little legs right up almost parallel with your spine (very flexible you are!) and then moving them down and extending your feet all in one big very swift movement. I.e. A huge big kick very hard and fast. So that’s what I can feel. Your dad laughed a lot. You also look like you’re sucking or attempting to suck on the area around my placenta. Photos…

Speck - you at Week 19!

Speck - you at Week 19!

Woot! Exciting. I don’t think we need any more scans, so that might be the last time we see you before you come out. You have big thighs. Round and wide at the top like mine. And you have indents on your feet like mine too. We got a photo. Maybe all babies have them? I don’t know.

Speck - its you again!

Speck - its you again!

Anyway, I love you! I am excited and your dad is too.

Your foot at 19 Weeks.

Your foot at 19 Weeks.

Keep at it! Love mum

 

survey results – speck – this is what people think about your sex and birthday February 1, 2009

Filed under: pregnancy — rakster @ 9:03 pm

Hi Speck,

So its now a contest until you arrive. What are you? Boy or Girl? And when are you going to join us? I’m asking for opinions on the blog as to what everyone thinks (survey is here if you haven’t yet taken it).

The results so far are below…. I’ll update them as we go…

Summary: consensus is you’re a boy arriving in June…

SexCount%
Boy1252.17%
Girl1043.48%
Undecided14.35%
Total23 
BirthdateCount%
28-May-0914.35%
1-Jun-0914.35%
10-Jun-0928.70%
16-Jun-0914.35%
17-Jun-0914.35%
18-Jun-0914.35%
19-Jun-0914.35%
20-Jun-0914.35%
21-Jun-0914.35%
23-Jun-0914.35%
25-Jun-0928.70%
28-Jun-0914.35%
29-Jun-0914.35%
1-Jul-09417.39%
2-Jul-0914.35%
3-Jul-0914.35%
8-Jul-0914.35%
27-Jul-0914.35%
Total23 

And the detail:

WhoSexBirthdateComments?
dadBoy1-Jul-09… and bald as…
MumGirl29-Jun-09i hope you come out safely
aunt3Boy1-Jul-09alien child could be a girl too, am too undecided to put undecided…
CokemeisterBoy2-Jul-09curly red hair if girl only please, if boy straight blonde. thats all. thanks.
DeepaBoy23-Jun-09I can see a cute little boy with lovely curly hair
chrisGirl21-Jun-09 
JUndecided25-Jun-09Regardless of sex, or dob am sure speck will be very happy and much loved, and loving in turn 🙂
Auntie ‘MillaGirl8-Jul-09He he he … can’t wait!!!
alien observer interested in stats counts with low basesGirl1-Jul-09hopefully with all bits present and accounted for….. a fabulous taste in music developed in utero…. keen sense of the value of rice pudding ….. concept of ball-handling and tree-climbing as intellectual skills ….. ambition to progress beyond height of midget aunt3(woops did we say that??) …joy in waves, doughnuts , bindi-eyes, anti-magpie-swoopiong devices, magnetic resonance techniques and icecream et al.
Grandad (M)Boy18-Jun-09as speck is about getting dirty playing on floor, then it will be a boy, who will needless to say be ready to pop out early, so maybe around June 18, or even your birthday
RosGirl10-Jun-09 
Uncle JoshBoy25-Jun-09 
David TBoy27-Jul-09Wishing the baby turns out just as beautiful as the mother. 🙂
John TrinhGirl28-May-09She will be a pretty girl
Aunt1Boy16-Jun-09it will be a little ginger fiend mwahaha
AyshGirl28-Jun-09Will have gorgeous curly golden hair like her mum
GrandmaBoy01-Jul-09he will have red hair like mommy and daddy did at birth
ManiGirl20-Jun-09I want a cuddle :o)
HollyGirl10-Jun-09 
JacobBoy17-Jun-09Mahahahahahaha
MiaBoy03-Jul-09I possess amazing 50/50 psychic abilities so I’m bound to be right
RhyanBoy19-Jun-09squid – i finally decided to vote – and even if you’re a boy you’re getting a pink tutu
xGirl1-Jun-09 

Last Updated 9:18 am 29 April 2009… New results added as votes come in…

If you haven’t yet let Speck know what you think – let it out & take the Survey

 

grumpy and emotional February 1, 2009

Hi Speck,

I am grumpy and emotional today.  Your dad is really annoying and has yelled at me and made me cry.  And I told him I hated him.  Which I don’t.  But I was upset at the time.  Anyway.   Hopefully it will abate by tomorrow.  If its not all your dad’s fault it must be all your fault.  Not mine at all.   (kidding).

Otherwise.  It has been very busy here over the past few days.  Your Aunt 3 arrived on Thursday night and has been staying, and then Aunt 2 & D arrived for a night on Friday, and your dad came home too.  So there was a full house and we had a big breakfast all together in the garden yesterday morning before I headed off to yoga again and Aunt 2 & D went on their way.  They took away the little green car that your Dad and I bought when we were both at university and had been going out for just over a year.  It was a bit of a funny feeling to see it go.  Your dad lived at the Gold Coast and I lived in Brisbane when we first met, so we were forever catching the train and bus to each-others houses for the weekend and during the week, and borrowing cars whenever we could.  But it was a lot of travelling, so we looked forward to getting a car together.  Your Grandad lent us the money and we bought the little green car after a month or so of research.   It had been owned by an old lady and not driven much, and was in pretty good condition.  Anyway, 7 years, lots of camping, shopping, holidaying and general driving around later, it got retired a few months ago when we got a new second-hand car.  Not in your honour, we’d planned to anyway, but the new car has air-con (essential in Brisbane with a kid) and is bigger and has 5 doors so easier to get you in and out of.  So not sad to lose the old green car, but a little nostalgic.  We gave it to your Aunt 2 & Aunt 3 for Christmas.  Hopefully your Aunt 3 will get her licence so she too can drive it.  ‘Cause we don’t actually drive all that much, we tend to bike and walk quite a bit and bus and train and what not, although its pretty old now it doesn’t have many kms on it, so they might get some good use out of it.   See, I am somewhat emotional for some reason.

Yoga makes me feel a bit better – its been really nice this week to finally be able to get off my bum and do some exercise after being chair-bound for the past few weeks with my ankle.   Its making me feel more like a human and less like a lump that is incubating an alien and getting fatter by the day.   Its a strange feeling to be getting big – exciting cause I’m growing with you, but scary at the same time as I need to start thinking about the fact that while the fact that you’re getting bigger is good, the bigger you get the harder it is going to be to get you out.   I have started reading the Janet Balaskas New Active Birth book more earnestly than my previous cursory glances.  And have found a few places in Brisbane that offer Active Birthing classes for me, you and your dad to go to before you’re due to come out.  So we can practice and learn more about it.  I think we’ll book in for some soon.  Your dad is keen too.

your home - week 19

your home – week 19

Yesterday was pretty active.  Yoga, then me, your Dad, Aunt 3 and Deano went snorkelling at Gordon’s bay.   Your Aunt was very excited to see some Groper as long as her arm.   It was pretty cold in the water though, apparently there was a north easterly swell which brings cold water from somewhere.  A bit brisk.  But beautiful  – blue and aqua-green and a lovely day at the beach.   We then went for lunch & GOOD icecream at Pompeii’s in Bondi Beach.     Mmm.  I definitely need a new icecream maker though.  Mine just isn’t working as it should.  Not freezing properly anymore.

Cokemeister came for dinner and your dad made lovely moroccan fish with a rub he made and some hommus and a fennel and cabbage salad.  Yum.  And a berry (strawberry, raspberry and blueberry), biscotti and hot chocolate sauce thing for dessert.  Very replete.

Hope you’re well and not picking-up my grumpy vibes.

love you

mum

 

Yoga mark two January 29, 2009

Good Morning Speck,

How are you? Very quiet down there again, perhaps you’re busy digesting the large amount of food I have consumed in the past 24 hours. Some days I seem to just need to eat a regular amount yet other days I just feel like I’m starving and need to eat everything in sight. Yesterday was one of those days.

Your dad and you will be pleased to know that despite my tendency to eat relatively crap food and make little effort when it’s just me, I went and did a big healthy shop when I got home from work on Monday night, so we’ve been snacking on guacamole, peaches, nectarines and almonds mostly. One of my friends from work made me a huge batch of Indian rice custard after hearing about my recent addiction, so as that has no sugar but just reduced milk that is pretty good too. And I made palak paneer last night so we both got our spinach quota for the week.

What else? Well, I seem to be moody again. I helpfully told someone at work today who pissed me off only ever so slightly that ‘I don’t give a s* anyway, I’m having a baby and will be leaving and won’t be here when it happens anyway’.. Mmm, not really what I was thinking, just an over zealous outburst.   Your fault again.

Also went along to yoga last night.  Coke-meister bailed on me but I went anyway.  It was a normal level 1-2 yoga class at the great studio I went to with you dad for a while over a year ago.  We both enjoyed our courses there a lot, and the teachers are really good.   It was interesting – I got to do a few different exercises while everyone else did headstand and shoulderstand and a few other abdominally-taxing exercises, and I have to step in rather than jump, but it was good.  I think I’ll keep going to pregnant yoga when I can also, but this is a good option for me for the next period as we move back and forth between Sydney and Brisbane.  My ankle is much better and I have got a brace for it which helps with remembering to keep it in mind.

I didn’t feel you kicking around much last night but I think you were definitely on the left side still – you put me off-balance slightly.

Hope you’re well.

love you

mum

 

ballooning belly January 28, 2009

Filed under: pregnancy — rakster @ 4:24 pm
Tags: , ,

Howdy Speck!

At risk of seeming to go on endlessly about it, I am expanding at a rapid rate again.  Something definitely popped over the last week and my belly is getting bigger and bigger.  Even loose clothes are barely fitting now.

I hope you are enjoying the space.  I am going to look like a balloon.  Any day now I just might float away (except for the whole weight thing).

love you.

mum

 

Hello little kicker! January 26, 2009

Good morning Speck!

I am sitting on the back deck in Brisbane and there are no human sounds around. Just the stripey marsh frogs going crazy in the pond/bathtub trying to get laid! It rained last night so they are pretty happy.

Happy Australia day! What that means to you is that its exactly 5 months ’till you’re due! Time flies when you’re getting big and pregnant, and having fun. Went out with some friends for dinner last night and I was asked if I’m excited about being a mum, which I’ve been asked lots before, but it just felt different for some reason (maybe hormones?). Anyway, the answer us most definitely ‘yes’, but also mostly that what I’m excited about is being a mum while your dad is being a dad, so just both having that experience and having a child together. Cause while your dad is often a numpty and grumpy and a total pain in the ass (more so the last two when he has been gap-filling walls in the heat and painting), he is also fun and I think he’ll be a great dad… (yep, the hormones must definitely be kicking in).

Other good news is that I most definitely felt you moving around down there last night in bed, you were squiming and had moved around to the left side when normally you feel like you’re on the right.

Let’s see if I can find a frog to take a photo of…. It’s wet down in the garden..
… No frogs, whilst they are loud they are still hiding.. But lots of eggs – which I got a photo of!

Love you
Mum

 

Painting your room (among others) January 25, 2009

Good morning speck!

I’m lying in bed, strange as it feels to me, in our kitchen in Brisbane. The other rooms all have painting stuff all through them, so we slept in the kitchen last night. I don’t know why, but it felt very strange. And I’m awake early – it’s very light in here as the sun comes right in the window and doors to the back deck in the morning.

Exciting (or maybe not) news for you is that your room is nearly all painted! A few touch-ups and floor cleaning today but then it’s all done!

I’ve taken a few photos. Your dad picked out the colours – he’s surprisingly good at colours, so he’s in charge of the whole house. Your room is just like ours – a slight green cream with a green trim, but ours has an olive feature wall, wheras yours doesn’t. I think it looks good. And all good for you to draw all over when you get bigger – all kids do that at some stage don’t they??

Hope you like it, tough if you don’t! By the way this painting thing has been a family affair – your dad, both your grandads, Ros, your big weiner uncle, me (yes, and despite your maternal grandmother’s worrying the fumes aren’t that bad), and maybe a few more friends during the week. Which is good ’cause it’s hard work painting VJ walls -your dad has to fill all the cracks, wash and lightly sand before painting…

Anyway, I’m off to paint.

Love you!
Mum

Ps did you see your great- aunt has apparently sent you your first shipment of specially-made-for-you baby stuff??? Cool, lucky for you!

 

hot hot hot… working at home in knickers isn’t generally the kinda thing you want to let slip on a conference call. oh well, blame it on baby brain and the heat. January 23, 2009

Hiya Speck!

Hope you’re ok down there.  Pretty sure you had a bit of a wriggle around last night.  But the layer of fat between my hands and you makes it hard to tell exactly (its getting bigger with the lack of exercise due to ankle)… Ah well.

Its very hot today.  I trust you’re laying low and keeping cool.  I am drinking as much water as I can but the consequence is even more frequent peeing.  Think yo-yo between the computer (work) and the bathroom (loo).  I usually try to cut out water a bit before bed time but its just too hot for that too.    I have thus been up and down all night too, which makes me a bit more grumpy during the day than normal, and quite a bit more tired.  I had plans for dinner and a movie last night but just had to lie down after another VERY busy day at the office.   So I cancelled and lay down.  I think you appreciated it, as that is when I think you were having a wiggle.

Mm… It says its 31 degrees on my weather checker, but I suspect if I had a thermometer in the house here it would be more like 36.  And for once, in Sydney, its pretty damn humid.  I am off to Brisbane tonight to help your dad paint (I’m sure I can get some painting done, but really looking forward to a weekend), and I expect its only going to get worse up there.   Rain is predicted for all three days but still around 30 degrees, so stinking hot and humid.  Lovely.  I guess I need to get accustomed to it again, so jumping into the fire is one way to do it.   I have read that apparently its normal for me to feel hotter than normal because of you.  I may have increased blood flow to my skin, but I think mainly my metabolic rate is higher so I get hotter.  And of course I’m bigger.   So it feels a lot hotter to me than everyone else.

Have thus been working from home today wearing a pair of knickers and a bra-top.  Which was fine until I was on a conference call and a delivery person came to the door.  Was too hot and bothered to think of anything better to say, so I just told the whole call (thankfully only two other people whom I’ve worked with at another company for quite a while now) that I just needed to be excused as I was in my knickers and there was someone at the door, and I needed to put the phone down to put on a gown.  Mmmn….  I got told, rightly so, that I had given too much information.    Oh well, these things happen.  Blame: squarely on you for two reasons.  Firstly ’cause I’m flustered and hot because of you; and secondly just general baby brain.

Love you.  Drink lots of amniotic fluid and avoid your own wee where possible.  Your lanugo might help to keep you cool?? (its week 18 and apparently you’re covered in it now)…

love mum

love mum

 

Talk about growing fingernails January 21, 2009

Good morning Speck!

Hope you’re ok, still no kidney kicking??

Quick one to let you know I’m still thinking of you. I’ve had a very quiet few days, what with not really being able to move freely around on my ankle . Your dad has gone up to Brisbane to do some painting on our house, so being by myself it’s kinda quiet. Funny, I used to travel a lot for work and we’d be apart all the time, which while you don’t necessarily ‘like’, you definitely get used to. Well, I’m unused to it now!

Aside from that, I thought I’d let you know that it’s not just you that is growing.  My hair doesn’t come out in big clumps anymore in the shower.  Apparently that is common for pregnant people.  And my fingernails.  I know you are growing some, but I surely must be winning if it were a race.  My fingernails seem to grow about a centimetre a week.  I filed them down last night.  Photo above.  I’m going to take a photo in a few days to show you.  Bit weird.

Hope you’re well.  I miss your dad and I wish you could talk to me!

love mum

 

 

… and I continue to eat. This time to console myself. And you. January 18, 2009

Heya Speck,

Feeling a bit shit today.  Ooops, bad mum.  Your dad keeps harping on at me about how I’m not going to be able to swear with a baby / child.  I guess I should make an effort.  Anyway.  I feel a bit crappy today.  The whole, “I sprained my ankle” thing has turned into “I may need surgery on my ankle to be able to use it properly again” after a visit to the physio.  Damn damn damn. And I am annoyed that the first physio I went to the other day immediately after straining the ankle was so crap.   She had no idea, and just taped it up.   I knew she was crap, that’s why I booked back in for my normal physio on Saturday.  I figured at the time that really too much treatment close to a sprain is not really helpful anyway, so I’d just rest and then get better treatment on Saturday.  But unfortunately yesterday he basically said there wasn’t much he could do and I need to go and see an orthopaedic surgeon for an opinion.  And no walking, cycling, yoga, swimming blah blah blah in the meantime.  Yeah, I know I should keep positive until I get that opinion.  Which is what I did yesterday.  I just can’t do it today.

Coupled with the fact that all the pairs of shorts I tried on this morning didn’t fit, and it wasn’t so much the belly only being the problem as the ass and legs as well, I got a bit, “I’m going to turn into a big fat pregnant blimp and I can’t even go for a walk!  I feel horrible!”.  Kinda whiney.  It didn’t help that I spent the whole morning lying down re-reading a book (a good one – The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri): reading for too long puts me in a bit of a funk too.  And then when I’m done reading not being able to really walk around all that much to enjoy the gorgeous day just pees me off even more.  I’m putting it down to you as well.  Have been feeling really good but I guess with exaggerated highs come exaggerated lows.  And for the first time I’ve let worry really panic me a bit.  I haven’t felt you moving for a day or two and I’m worried about you.  Its silly, because no matter what there is nothing that can be done, but it would be nice if you could just give me a few good strong kicks.  Try the kidneys.  Yes, slightly masochistic too.   Today is a bit low.

So again, it is with food that I console myself or attempt to focus on positives and fun things.  A friend was asking me the other day if I have been craving anything, or if I have really noticed wanting milk ’cause apparently babies growing in bellies need a lot of calcium.  Apparently, you will suck it out of my bones if you don’t get enough in my diet (You really are a fully-blown parasite, huh?   Trying to kill me with osteoporosis before you’re even born).   Funnily, I didn’t think I had been craving dairy – I do eat yoghurt for breakfast with fruit most days, and lotsa cheese.  But then when talking to her I realised that I have been having a few hot chocolates at work throughout the week, and have even had a few milkshakes too, just ’cause I felt like it.  I usually really don’t like milk.   Once a year I might get a craving for a milkshake.  Usually strawberry.  Your dad groans and tells me that I don’t need one.  I insist for the next hour.  He gives in.   We sit down and I get through about half.   Then I give it to your dad to finish as I feel so full I couldn’t possibly drink another sip, even though it tastes good and refreshing.   Then I start to feel ill.   I keep the ill feeling to myself for about half-an-hour until it gets kinda bad, then I usually let out a big, “I feel sick, I need to lie down” groan.  Your dad says, “I told you so, you shouldn’t have had that milkshake”.  I think, “But I enjoyed drinking it”, but keep that to myself to elicit maximum sympathy.  There is none forthcoming from your dad.  He’s not good on sympathy when you’ve ignored his advice (heed the warning).

Anyway, I have noticed dairy related desires.  I won’t put them down as cravings, more as desires.  So yesterday for some reason I really felt like eating that greek-style rice custard that you can buy at the markets in West End and a few other random places.   So after dragging myself around the house feeling sorry for myself, I’ve managed to cheer myself a little but cooking it.  Pretty good first effort too (if I do say so myself).  I’d tweak it next time to make it milkier and less rich, but it tastes good.  Ryzogalo is apparently the name.  Have eaten a large bowlful and now feeling slightly less morose.

ryzogalo - yum.

your dad eating ryzogalo

your dad eating ryzogalo

Hope you’re well.  Kick me would you. please.

mum