Why do I have a picture of a cantaloupe? Because Spec now weighs this much. He has picked up a new nickname lately: “The Little Owl”, or “Owlie” in reference to his night owl ways, although it sounds like all babies are up most the night before they are born (and after!). Had an appt today I was a little nervous for since I have developed some low abdominal pain. I thought maybe I had pulled a muscle, as it has been sore to walk. I’ve been running, but a little slower. Luckily my doctor reassured me it is just normal pain as the Little Owl moves lower. That was good news. So, I can run and just deal with whatever discomforts come my way, but there’s nothing bad going on. I got another ultrasound so she could assess his size. I think I was secretly hoping she would say he is big enough that we would need to pick a date to induce so I would know his birthdate, but alas, he is actually a little small, but she said quite a good size for me, currently weighing in at 4 1/2 pounds, at 33wks and 4 days old. He is also head down still, as he should be, so everything seems to point to me just having to wait for nature to run its course, since he’s not too big and in position. This means I could have the dreaded wait up to 2 weeks after my due date. So, Owlie and I had a little talk where I promised him great things if he would agree to come out at 38 weeks. We’ll see if he listened…
Month: December 2009
Prenatal yoga part II…
Not sure if you can tell or not, but this is a wonderfully soft and fuzzy Nightmare Before Christmas blankie that Stephanie got me for Christmas. It will definitely go to the hospital with me…the thing feels like a kitten it is so soft. Pancake agrees, and she had no encouragement to jump up and strike this pose…it was all on her own.
Merry Christmas Spec…
Ok, so it’s not really his first Christmas, but he did

Ok, here is the fat suit part II, or 32 weeks, aka 8 months! Remember, it always seems like more to say months than weeks, at least to me. Still running. Did the town lake loop Saturday and Sunday this week. Still moving along at about 9 minute miles. Just a little longer to keep it up. Still feels good, other than those pain in the butt bathroom stops.
Spec the runner…
One thing I already have figured out, is that Spec loves to run. I guess most pregnant women say their babies are active all the time, and I really feel that way. I question if Spec sleeps at all…except when I run. He goes right to sleep and stays asleep for a few hours. I don’t know if what a baby does in the womb keeps happening when they are born, but if so, I may find myself out late at night with a running stroller if that is what it will take to get him to sleep. And, you know you have a running problem when you spend more time researching running strollers than pediatricians 🙂
Merry Christmas, Texas style…
What to do on a cold winter day…
Today I kicked off a weekend of making holiday goodies. Most will go to work with me, and only a few can stay here. Today I made Buckeyes, which are sooo easy, but everyone who has had them loves them. These are an internet photo, as I packed mine into the freezer and realized I forgot to get a picture, but they look the same (the chocolate on these is maybe a little neater). I also wasted $10 of organic Whole Foods chocolate because it doesn’t melt right…it was way to grainy to use. My guess is they don’t use emulsifiers, so it separates, but once I went and I got Nestle’s chocolate, it worked fine. Tomorrow I am making butterscotch peanut butter krispie treats…another embarrassingly simple recipe, but everyone goes nuts for these things…and pumpkin bread. I also indulged in a treat today at the Cherrywood Christmas bazaar…a chocolate dulce de leche and seasalt bar. I am such a sucker for the sea salt and caramel combo. Even though it is everywhere now, it’s so good and hard to pass up.
Alien Spec…
Stephanie had given me the very thoughtful gift of a gift certificate for a 3D ultrasound. Yesterday I went for the appt. Now, all the babies’ features pretty much look the same in these things, so there is nothing that is real unique to Spec in this picture, but it is fun to see how he is positioned, and watch what the movements I feel really are. At my last Dr appt, she said he was already head down, and I guessed he was in a left position. I was correct. His butt and spine run along my left and his legs extend into my right. Any movement I feel lower is his hands and arms. I also questioned how much the tech was telling me that they just say to everyone, since this is all for fun, and not diagnostic, of course they try and make the experience fun for you (some comments were pretty easy to guess that everyone else got the same info “Oh, these are the best images I’ve had all day!”) One thing I do wonder how accurate it is, is she said I have tons of amniotic fluid, and that he’s got a lot of room still. If that is true, that is good news, that he still has lots of space to grow without me getting any bigger. I am pretty inclined to think that is correct, because I have more or less been the same size for several weeks, yet he is still growing. They ask you if you already know the sex, and since I did, the tech did a 3D penis image and took a shot which I found creepy and weird. Do people put that kinda thing in a baby book now? Anyhow, it was fun to see him, and there is now a possibility I am down to single digits in weeks until he is born. Of course he is allowed to go a couple weeks post term, but if he wants to come at 38 weeks I would be happy!
One year ago…
Here is a picture from a McKinney Falls hike about a year ago. On this exact weekend last year, I was doing “Deckmart”. The Sunmart 50K on Saturday followed by the Decker half marathon on Sunday. It’s on of the tougher running weekends I’ve done, but I had so much fun. It sure did hurt though! That was 31 miles Saturday followed by 13 hilly miles Sunday. Now I am lucky to do 7. It’s so funny how things can drastically change. But, I am thankful that I am running less for a good reason and not a bad one!