Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Never too many baby blankets.

Or so I am told. I figured blankets would be a fun thing to make, and as both flannel and cotton were on sale not so long ago, I picked up a few yards. I love it when my projects turn out how I have them pictured in my head. So here's the ones I've made so far. I finally managed to finish them now that I am not totally wiped out by a cold, and have actually had a couple of days off work. I consider it a day "off" if I have spent less than 2 hours at work or on work-related items.

My friend Alicia inspired me to put this white satin binding on this one. The hearts fabric is flannel and the dot is cotton. Check out the detail on that binding, probably the best I've ever done!



The baby ball fringe trim on this one came as an afterthought. On the way out of the thread section, I had to go down the trim aisle to get out of the store and I jokingly considered adding the traditional ball fringe when I spotted this ultra-cute baby version in just the right color! The bird/flower print is flannel and the vine print is cotton.

Of course, it was way harder than I thought it would be to get that teeny fringe in just the right place. I guess that's what seam rippers are for!

Friday, February 16, 2007

BEEF! It's what's for dinner! (and lunch)

I had an appointment with my midwife yesterday. Actually, I have two midwives. Normally they alternate appointments, but this was the first time I saw midwife #2. What a great team! Midwife #1 is so laid back and friendly; she really makes pregnancy feel normal. Midwife #2 is equally awesome, but more factual. I particularly appreciate this as I am a research nutcase and prefer to have actual numbers, test results, and facts!

Speaking of, at my January appointment, midwife #1 drew blood for the glucose and blood counts. Glucose was fine, but she called me and told me I needed more iron because my hematocrit was "low". I saw midwife #2 yesterday and learned just what "low" was. She also upped my iron dose. Anyway, the low end of the hematocrit count for pregnant women is 30%. I'm at 22%. People get transfusions at around 17% and can die at 15%! I'm closer to the level that equals death than I am the acceptable range! Yikes! Anyway, I'm now on a triple dose of iron supplementation and plan on eating all the iron-rich foods I can. I get re-tested on March 1st. Hopefully, the combination of iron supplements and beef for breakfast, lunch, and dinner will get that count up!

Oh, and for those of you who were about to tell me to eat raw liver, there is a growing consensus of doctors and nutritionists who do not recommend liver for pregnant women because it contains high levels of Vitamin A, which can be harmful to the baby. Whew!

Sunday, February 4, 2007

SuperBowl "Kick-Off"

This morning after breakfast, I experience something new. Goody was moving around, and I noticed I could see where the movements were. So I pressed there, and surprise! she tried to kick my hand off. This is really the first actual interaction we've had. So cute. I tried to get Tim in on the fun, but every time he came over she stopped moving (of course). It is so strange to feel that little foot in there. A real baby part!

A couple of days ago, I came across a picture of my pregnant friend's belly. She's 3 weeks (4?) behind me & having a little baby boy. Anyway, her belly was the epitomy of pregnant bellies and it inspired me to go ahead and take one of my own. Here it is, stretch marks and all:






If she is willing, I'll post a picture of my friend's belly, too. It's really interesting to see the old wives' tale of a boy carries low and a girl high, right next to each other.


Here's a site of expecting mother's bodies, so you can see that all pregnant bellies are beautiful in their own respect!

Added 2/7/07: Here is a site that shows what happens to women's bodies after pregnancy. It includes many, many pictures of breasts. I happen to believe that the breasts are just as beautiful a change as the bellies in pregnancy, but apparently all do not share my reverence for the beauty of the human body.