Pregnancy Part 28

The main symptoms I'm feeling now include pain and discomfort. I am feeling more aches in my pubic symphysis and to a lesser extent sacroiliac joints. When I roll on my birth ball it feels really weird now, like it moves the baby. Or like something is almost falling out of my vagina.

We got a visit from some friends who brought breastfeeding supplies, cloth diapers, disposable newborn diapers, a Halo sleepsack, a diaper pail and some wet bags, a newborn scale, padsicle supplies, and three birth balls. It was great so see them and spend the afternoon just hanging out.

We got a box of stuff from my friend in Florida. Cloth diapers, swim diapers, carseat mirror, board books, and a few items I'm not 100% sure what they are.

We had our baby shower at work. It was so overwhelming. The department decorated the hell out of the conference room and had the best food catered in. There were real games and everything. At the end, we unwrapped gifts and it was so fun oohing and aahing about all the cute little clothes. Our colleagues are so excited for us and we're so lucky to have our academic family who are all extremely supportive. They pooled their financials and bought the IKEA crib from our registry. So I guess we'll be assembling that over the weekend. It's all coming together.

We also had a 'baby shower' at Fit4Baby last night. My teacher gave me a gift bag with chocolate almonds, a room spray and baby wipes. She brought tiny yellow roses, which made the room smell lovely. 

This afternoon is our NST and I guess I'm starting to feel excited and ready to welcome baby. I mean physically and emotionally. Found out that baby is head down and that I'm not showing any signs of preeclampsia. I am so relieved I took a 2 hour nap and slept better than I have in weeks.

I tagged this post beauty because although I am having a surge of chin acne due to hormones, my hair is finally growing out past the mullet stage. I tagged it bikethevote because early voting starts on Saturday and I plan to go for it just in case. I used the tags cross-training and pool because with the swimming and Fit4Baby, I am feeling good and strong.

I used the tags dancing and music because I hope to be mobile during labor and I was grooving in the car yesterday and it really cheered me up. I used the tag learning because I'm still learning so much about how to care for this baby. I'm open to it and just trying to be as much of a sponge as possible. The love tag is for the main feeling I'm getting from those around me, as well as the feeling I have towards this baby.

I used the tag meditation because that's what I've been doing on Friday afternoons. I feel motivation and look forward to using teamwork to build the crib this weekend, to have it done and ready. We're in the home stretch now, and we've been fairly successful in keeping up with nutrition and vitamins, leading to a slow and steady weight gain.

Pregnancy Part 9

This is week 17. I feel like my belly is really stretching out. Mike says next week my belly button will pop out. I feel like my breasts have taken on a life of their own, they are large and veiny.

  

How I feel now is nervous about the upcoming scans. This month we have lots of appointments. Next week is the 18 week ultrasound with our OB, Dr. Marr. I believe she will be taking samples for the second trimester screening. In three weeks we have our 20 week anatomy scan with the MFM, Dr. Incerpi. Four weeks from now we go in for a fetal echocardiogram at 21 weeks, Dr. Nancy Kim. Until proven otherwise, this is a normal pregnancy. The docs are just being cautious.

I got a call from the Department of Public Health yesterday, they say the doctor needs to send them our insurance information to do the billing for the first trimester screening tests. I am definitely handling medical stuff, including billing and insurance, much better than before. It's all just business and something that has to be done. I don't really get as upset and worked-up as I did before. I called my doctor's office and they said that it was really strange. If DPH didn't give me a fax number then there's nothing they can do. I guess I will just try to deal with it at our appointment next week.

A colleague at work said, "pregnancy suits you." I'm not sure exactly what she meant by that, but I can agree. I don't feel absolutely terrible like some people have told me horror stories of pregnancy. I feel calm, for the most part. My husband spoils me. He gives me so much attention and I only really notice how much when he can't be there for me. Last night I had a bit of a sob-fest over just feeling alone when I used to LOVE being at school late by myself and walking/biking home in the dark.

Dear husband was out last night at the City of Los Angeles Bicycle Advisory Committee. I'm really proud of him for doing that work, but it was hard getting myself home all alone. He was also having a meeting with the Community Advisory Group for the Aliso Canyon SoCal Gas blowout Department of Public Health study. I used to be involved in a lot of advocacy and activism, but with this pregnancy, it's just important to rest and keep up with the work I am being paid for.

There is a CicLAvia this weekend but we won't be going. Instead, we will be doing outreach at the Granada Hills Street Faire. I get it. Local is better. Now that we're living "deep in the valley," we don't get out to downtown LA as much as when we lived in Glendale. The following day there is the Encino Family Festival, which is on Ventura Blvd. I guess we could check it out just to get out of the house. Unfortunately, by Sunday it is supposed to be in the mid-90s so maybe we will just stay home in the air conditioning.

Pregnancy Part 3

We are heading straight into the school year. My job officially starts tomorrow. I have one meeting on Thursday and one meeting on Friday, so this week is still an easy week.

I hate how unbelievably slow my internet is in my bedroom, yet I still come here to write blogs. It is perhaps a more intimate space. How I am feeling is resolute. I pledge this semester I will not stress about work. I will stay on top of my grading by creating LESS work for myself now. I will "stick to the script" and not do anything beyond the minimum requirements. I will cease to overachieve. Those are the goals anyway.

In terms of the semester and how it relates to my pregnancy:

Week 11 - Aug 19-25 department meetings
Week 12 - Aug 26-Sept 1 weekday classes begin (semester week 1)
Second Trimester
Week 13 - Sept 2-8 *no classes Monday, Labor Day Holiday (semester week 2)
Week 14 - Sept 9-15 (semester week 3)
Week 15 - Sept 16-22 (semester week 4)

Week 16 - Sept 23-29 (semester week 5)

Week 17 - Sept 30-Oct 6 (semester week 6)
Week 18 - Oct 7-13 (semester week 7)
Week 19 - Oct 14-20 (semester week 8)
Week 20 - Oct 21-27 (semester week 9)
Week 21 - Oct 28-Nov 3 (semester week 10)

Week 22 - Nov 4-10 (semester week 11)

Week 23 - Nov 11-17 *no classes Monday, Veteran's Day Holiday (semester week 12)
Week 24 - Nov 18-24 (semester week 13)
Week 25 - Nov 25-Dec 1 **no classes Thurs & Fri, Thanksgiving Holiday (semester week 14)
Week 26 - Dec 2-8 (semester week 15)
Third Trimester
Week 27 - Dec 9-15 ***Final exam Weds, Dec 11th (CHEM 100 from 10:15AM-12:15PM)
Week 28 - Dec 16-22 ***Finals week ends on Tuesday, Dec 17th
Week 29 - Dec 23-29 ****Grades are due by Monday, Dec 23rd

I tagged this post "beauty" because I can finally see the "pregnancy glow" starting and the acne and dry skin starting to recede. I have had some ups and downs lately with my symptoms. This past weekend I felt really good, but then on Monday I crashed and burned. I had an all night-all day (24 hour) migraine that was really a bummer. Being pregnant is a challenge because I can't just pop a few pills or take whatever I want to ease the symptoms. I have to be really "in touch" with my body and just feel the pain and take appropriate action (just rest). So I spent all day yesterday in bed.

I had my first "teaching" related nightmare last night. Nothing unusual, just showing up to class unprepared with a stack of papers in a folder all crazy (not organized) and no syllabus, no lesson plan, just chaos. So I will try to spend this afternoon on syllabi. Very kindly my department has assigned me the same schedule as usual, 5 different courses, which will be keeping me busy. I plan to eliminate as much homework (grading) as possible so that my "outside of class" workload is minimal. I have spent a few years trying to do what is best for students, and my department threatens me because I was so far outside the norm, so now I will do as they ask and do what is best for me.

I had great dreams about buying an iPad this summer and learning how to use Explain Everything and make my lectures great, but it didn't happen. I don't even think I will use PollEv or Sli.do for in-class polling. Let someone else do that work, I'm going to use the slides from the textbook and just be as boring as possible. The only problem is that for SCI 100, there is no textbook and no slides. So I plan to just make that class a discussion every day. I am giving up on taking attendance and making food for the students. They can come if they want or not.

I added "bikethevote" and "climate change" because I'm really sad that my fellow cyclist and CSUN professor Loraine Lundquist missed the LA City Council seat by just 2% of the votes. Considering having a baby and raising him here in the valley, I am more motivated than ever to get local change here. More bike lanes! Better transit! Human-scaled street designs! We attended two transit-related events in August (1) regarding the light-rail through the Supelveda Pass (2) regarding the North Valley Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). There were so many people there just to show their outrage about these projects, it's just sad.

On a more positive note, we spent some good quality forest bathing time at the LA County Arboretum, Bee Canyon Park, as well as O'Melveny Park in the Santa Susana Mountains of Granada Hills. I found Bee Canyon and O'Melveny completely by chance. I was at Trader Joe's and zoomed out and drove to the nearest large patch of green on the map. I love the way we had such a wet year that all the trees and plants are blooming like crazy and there are tons of butterflies. When the early-morning weather is in the low 60s and the forecast is not above a high of 85, I rush out into nature and get my 30 minutes of "light walking."

I have been weighing myself daily. The weight has been pretty constant over the past month and a half. I guess that's good. Our last ultrasound was just last Friday (Aug 16th) and baby was measuring 10 weeks 6 days. The fetal heart rate was 165 beats per minute. My estradiol level was 2520 pg/mL and the progesterone was 24 ng/mL. I was cleared to stop all medications (except prenatal vitamins of course). I am still taking Vit B6 for nausea and Vit D.

I learned some acronyms from reddit:

FTM - first time mom

TIC - today I cried

NIPT - noninvasive prenatal testing 

cfDNA - cell-free DNA

REI - reproductive endocrinology and infertility

NT - nuchal translucency

As far as I understand, next Monday (8/26) we will have the NT scan with a perinatologist. The following Wednesday (9/4) I will see my obstetrician for NIPT blood work. The OB also wants to do a pap smear and possibly a cervical measurement. She referred me to a nutritionist, but I have not contacted them yet. Also, I am supposed to have a teeth cleaning at my dentist during my 13th week of pregnancy. So two of those appointments still need to be scheduled.

I seriously just spent about an hour deleting all the spam emails from the summer. My armpit sweat turned into a smelly stress-sweat, so I guess I need to work on maintaining my "OM" mindset when school gets underway. All I can do now is preparation. Finally, I tagged this post "meditation" because I have been doing some calming breaths and guided meditations. They are great. I am considering joining a group called Fit4Moms that meets in Sherman Oaks once per week for a Tuesday evening fitness class. Not that I am seriously worried about working out, but I think the camraderie with a group of other pregnant people may be a very good thing.

Victory for Safe Streets

I could do with a longer holiday break. If I had to go back to work next week, I could. But I don't want to. Luckily, there are still two more weeks.

The problem is that there were a litany of action items that I wanted to work on over the break. Maybe it would be helpful to write out an exhaustive list below:

clean the closets
clean the garage
create some paintings
do some sewing
tie-dye some fabric
go for walks/bike rides
go swimming
lift weights @ home
lift weights @ gym
do some sit-ups
dance @ the disco
rollerskate
hang out with friends
hang out with family
shop for a new laptop
plan for classes
write reflective reports
write a scientific paper
write poster for a meeting

Some of this we did. Some of this will not get done. With only two weeks left, I have to be strategic.

Yesterday, we went to a meeting of Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils where a few people had tried to pass a motion with the following text

Meeting of 12/01/18 WHEREAS, after two and a half years it is clear that traffic calming modifications to highways, roads, and streets within the City of Los Angeles, as being imposed under the city’s Vision Zero initiative, are public safety hazards, WHEREAS, such traffic calming measures include, but are not limited to, “road diets,” which involve narrowing roadways, replacing traffic lanes with bicycle lanes, and installing physical barriers, WHEREAS, these traffic calming measures pose a litany of safety, health, and environmental hazards, including but not limited to: Violations of state, county, and municipal fire codes as well as California case law, including but not limited to: Sections 503.4 & 503.4.1 of the California Fire Code; Section 21101 of the California Vehicle Code; Sections 503.4 & 503.4.1 of the Los Angeles County Health and Safety Code; Sections 57.503 of the Los Angeles Code of Ordinances; and City of Hawaiian Gardens v. City of Long Beach (2d Dist. 1998) 72 Cal.Rptr.2d 134. Increased emergency response times as a result of impeded fire apparatus access roads; Dangerously narrowed emergency evacuation routes; Increased emissions due to cars idling and stopping-and-starting; Increased pedestrian fatalities and overall accidents, according to the city’s own statistics and available California Highway Patrol data; and Violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the LANCC demands that the city enforce the laws and within 30 days of our demand to start the process to remove all traffic calming measures, including but, not limited to road diets, from: Current and former state highways; Designated emergency evacuation routes; Thoroughfares that qualify as “regionally significant streets or highways”; All thoroughfares that have seen an increase in accidents since July 2015; and All thoroughfares with two or more lanes of travel in both directions. with a presentation by Chris LeGras, Keep LA Moving

Thanks to the efforts which I suspect went on behind the scenes the language that was officially adopted is the following:

Meeting of 01/05/19 The Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition (LANCC) (XXXXXX Neighborhood Council) takes the position that there shall be no blanket prohibition of road diets or other road calming measures. Communities that will be impacted with a potential road diet or other road calming measure, including neighborhood councils, shall be consulted extensively about public safety and other important issues both before the road diet is proposed and after it is implemented. where a presentation by Aneesa Andrabi and Wajenda Chambeshi, Great Streets did not happen

I'm not saying that it was any action on my part that precipitated this shift, but I'm super happy about it. A few observations from the meeting are that there was:

lack of engagement (only 15 votes from 96 councils) 

lack of representation (few women and people of color in the room)

lack of information (people struggled to define the terms "equity" “road diet" and "traffic calming")
That's like saying the opinion of 3 people represents the opinion of 20 people. I think it's particularly pathetic that a group of old white men thought that they could remove and prevent future safety infrastructure. The majority of traffic deaths are happening in neighborhoods of color.

3. Here they are overlaid on one another: the overwhelming majority of pedestrian deaths are taking place in formerly redlined neighborhoods. pic.twitter.com/4merNp8DII

— LA Bike Dad (@LA_Bike_Dad) January 4, 2019

This is definitely something to consider.

7. Are our actions going to show that we value those lives more than we did in past? @bikinginla @lacbc @LosAngelesWalks @laura_nelson @StreetsblogLA @LADOTofficial @VisionZeroLA @gilcedillocd1 @KeepRowenaSafe

— LA Bike Dad (@LA_Bike_Dad) January 4, 2019

45th Assembly Candidate Forum

CSUN Office of Government Relations in partnership with League of Women Voters hosted the 45th Assembly District Candidate Forum, Sat. 3/3/18, Orange Grove Bistro.


From Left to Right in the above photo:

Ray Bishop - vietnam vet, no special interest $
Daniel Brin - west hills neighborhood council
Justin Clark - government accountability
Jesse Gabriel - lawer, politician, transpo, enviro
Tricia Robbins Kasson - valley d'town, transpo
Ankur Patel - #metoo campaign ally

April 3rd special primary election http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/2018-ad45/

Register to vote in person or online by March 19th

Questions from the moderators...

Homelessness?
RB - veterans, not for profit
DB - winnetka facility, rent control, new infill
JC - motel conversions, transit corridor
JG - meas H, city HHH, build it, tax cred, supply
TRK - mental health, subs abuse, obamacare
AP - coordinators at the local level, deliver

Cochran - Reseda neighborhood council president
She is a write-in candidate

Gun control?
AP - stop movement of guns across borders
TRK - gun buybacks, longer wait, health srvc
JG - prop 63, ban assult weapons in CA
JC - train & fund schools to prepare for shooting
DB - limit ammo, raise age to 21, address bullies
RB - weapons of war should not go to regular people

MeToo movement?
RB - prosecute aggressors
DB - pass ERA, protect all gender identities
JC - power dynamic, politicians not above law
JG - new people in Sac, protect victims
TRK - all women have more than one story
AP - get to K-12 ed, rape is a tool of war

Economic development?
AP - health care, enviro, transit, pay teachers
TRK - empowerment zones, vocational programs
JG - extend film tax credit, affordable higher ed
JC - small businesses, no lifelong student debt
DB - living wages, unions, empower workers
RB - small business advocate

Gas tax: senate bill 1
RB - get away from fossil fuel, clean our mess
DB - no bullet train, drives a volt, has solar panels on his house 
JC - 12 cent raised, with little action
JG - competitiveness, $ from washington
TRK - shift to clean renewable energy
AP - electrify orange line, tax vehicles/axels

What do u about the 45th?
AP - educ opportunities, diversity
TRK - beauty, big trees, mtns
JG - family-friendly
JC - kind caring protective people
DB - hiker / cyclist, plants acorns
RB - equity, cooperation

Audience questions...

How are you different / unique?
RB - experience and service, ch of commerce
DB - manages fb group, keeps it civil, open
JC - not a speed bump, an accelerator
JG - listen, advocate, represent fairly, represent
TRK - giving back, local govt, Bloomenfield
AP - people-powered, horizontal thinker

What issue would you risk your campaign on?
AP - single payer health care
TRK - housing = 10 yr problem, impacts transp
JG - climate change
JC - govt accountability / transparency
DB - enviro, clean air, w/out that whats da point
RB - nothing

Santuary?
RB - deportation is inhumane & undignified
DB - there should b a pathwy to citizenship
JC - does not support
JG - represents them in court
TRK - it makes us safer, crime reporting
AP - hire immigration application processors

Charter schools?
AP - does not support, will not shut down good
TRK - free ed, they're good for competition
JG - nonissue, more $ support for public ed
JC - supports family choices, special needs
DB - protect teacher's pensions, incr teacher pay
RB - high tech ed, free college, admin pay ⬇

Health care
RB - Berniecrat
DB - system is overly complicated
JC - privatize, deregulate, reform
JG - human right, universal, affordable, quality
TRK - prepaid instead of pay after a disaster
AP - focus on providing care, not profit

Closing remarks
RB - experience counts, stand by your decision
DB - experience, civil discourse among differen
JC - real reform, no prehistory, clean slate
JG - new ideas, dem supermajority, blue CA
TRK - tenacity / persistence, community
AP - get involved, you are not alone, humble




The Kaisers in CSUN's Orange Grove

celebrating 10 years of marriage this month.