Pregnancy Part 23

Found out that baby boy is breech. This is ok because while 1/3 of babies are breech at 32 weeks, that figure drops to 3/100 by delivery time. So I am doing some things to encourage baby to turn, but I'm not super worried about it yet.

I am happy for the moms that are doing lots of meal prepping. I have some meals in the freezer, but I eat them on days where I am too tired to cook, so I'm not doing a great job of stockpiling. We are trying to convert what is frozen meat into frozen meals. And we are slowly getting rid of stuff that I loved eating in 1st and 2nd trimester that I can't stand eating now. These include bagels (too many carbs, turns into heartburn) and chicken potstickers (too much salt, burns my tongue, leads to fluid retention).

This week was a good week in terms of "working from home." I started watching "Fix it & Finish it" on Netflix. It's so satisfying to see projects move that quickly when it feels like this pregnancy is a big waiting game. And the show helped me take out my sewing machine and do a repair on the upholstery for the rocking chair. I installed a zipper, replaced the foam pads on one armrest and washed all the cushions using Dawn dishsoap. Even though it's winter, I'm hoping all the cushions dry in the sun. The weather forecast is a few days in a row of sun and upper-70 degree temps.

I'm so excited because we're getting our gym memberships today. I got my two maternity swimsuits out and ready to wear. I washed one yesterday, but it was still wet today. So it's a good thing I have two. I can alternate them. There's something unsettling about putting on a cold, wet swimsuit.

At our the OB visit this week, my blood pressure was 135/85. She recorded it while asking me some pretty stressful questions. Albert measures in the 53rd percentile by ultrasound. His weight is estimated at 2100 g (4.6 lbs). I will not have to give urine samples at OB visits unless I start having high blood pressure readings. But if I meet with Dr. Peress, he collects urine at every visit. The next set of labs is a culture at 36 weeks to check for group B strep (GBS).

We got a prescription for the breast pump, so if we don't hear from insurance (text, email or letter) within a week, call again to follow up. We don't need to request medical records to be sent to the hospital yet because the GBS results are important and we should definitely wait until we know that before getting our records sent to Labor and Delivery. Dr. Marr will take care of it. We got to make all of the remaining appointments:

1/29 - Fit 4 Baby (wk 3)

2/4 - Ballet Gisele @ Soraya

2/5 - appt w/ Marr (34 wk)

2/5 - Fit 4 Baby (wk 4)

2/6 - breastfeeding class

2/12 - Fit 4 Baby (wk 5)

2/19 - Fit 4 Baby (wk 6)

2/20 - appt w/ Marr (36 wk)

2/27 - Marr (NST, 37 wk)

3/3 - primary election

3/5 - Peress (NST, 38 wk)

3/12 - Marr (NST, 39 wk)

We're going to bring our birth plan to the next appointment so that Dr. Marr can be sure we understand everything and that we're all on the same page. She asked us to think about induction. If we get to 39 weeks, do we want to induce or wait for labor to start naturally? She said we can talk about it at the next appointment. NST is a non-stress test where the fetal heart rate and contractions are monitored, each of those appointments take 45 minutes.

I am spending time on my Birth Ball nearly every day. I wanted to write about my pregnancy favorites, the things I spent money on that I absolutely couldn't have lived without. First, this tank top. I purchased 2 in-store and then 4 more online. I sleep in this every night. It's so supportive and breathable. I haven't regretted this purchase for 1 second.

I wear this sweater pretty much every second that I'm in my house, and sometimes I even wear it out of the house. It's so comfy.

I thought I would need this belt while teaching, but I didn't. I use it now for our walks. For 5,000 - 11,000 step days it is a real lifesaver. It has a pocket in the back for an ice pack, which is good for annoying back pain. My pain is generally up in my ribs, but putting ice anywhere kind of distracts me from the pain.

When I first bought nursing bras, I opted for two underwire ones. The saleswoman let me know that many pregnant women can't stand underwires. I was like, that won't be me... at 10 weeks. Now that I'm 33 weeks, I get it. I tried to put on a normal sports bra yesterday and was like: nope! These soft nursing bras have removable pads, which are annoying and I usually lose them in the wash. But they are kind of necessary now to hide my gigantic nipples.

I have these yoga pants in 2X and they are THE BEST. I would wear them all day every day. Not out of the house, but from the moment I get home, these bad boys are on!

I could also do a shoe review. There are two pairs that I bought to accommodate swollen feet (just in case) and they can be put on and off without tying. First of all, these slip-on walking shoes have been a game-changer. I got them at Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW).

The other pair of shoes I am living in when necessary are these slip-on boots. They are warm and waterproof. They have good grip and a firm insole with arch support. I bought them in a size up from what I usually wear just in case I had significant swelling in my feet. If my feet are not swollen, then I just wear a thicker sock to minimize slippage.

Pregnancy Part 22

Today we have our growth scan (ultrasound) with our regular OB. I am feeling pretty good about it. Hoping my weight and blood pressure are cooperative and that my urine contains no protein or other stuff that's not supposed to be there. Hoping baby measures "normal" and is in the right position for delivery.

We've been doing pretty good with following the babycentre diet since the holidays are over and we're mostly home all day every day. We have tried a few of the third trimester recipes that have been a big success in terms of tasting good and freezing/reheating well.

Diet

Week 30 - Dec 30-Jan 5 - 54% (three fast food)
Week 31 - Jan 6-12 - 60% (three fast food)
Week 32 - Jan 13-19 - 54% (six fast food)

Symptoms

Week 30 - Dec 30-Jan 5 - ?? didn't record any!
Week 31 - Jan 6-12 - aversions (to bad smells and unfamiliar people), increased thirst, shortness of breath, heartburn, acne, headaches
Week 32 - Jan 13-19 - headache, heartburn, back pain, rib pain, fatigue

I got to return to Fit4Baby class on weeks 31 and 32. While it was harder to do some things like lunges and just balancing on one leg, it felt REALLY good to get into a cardio training zone and dig in to the deep breathing.

I am trying to keep busy with craft projects, in case Albert decides to stay (or overstay) his time in the womb. On the other hand, there's a chance he could come early, so dear husband is kind of nudging me to get these art projects wrapped up.

1) quilt

2) woven scarf

3) tie-dyed onesies

4) painted birth mantras

It's always a task to get all the necessary materials assembled, but I found some old gift cards and have spent the time at JoAnn's and Michael's to get the remaining stuff that I would need. Maybe finishing these projects is like finishing a good book or TV series, I don't want it to be over!

The hospital bag is in the car. The car seat is locked and loaded. The nursery is complete. We visited two consignment stores to find the remaining furniture. We got a rocker from Goodwill for $15. We got a changing table (with pad) from Children's Orchard in Santa Clarita for $36. We got a breastfeeding pillow from Wear it once, Wear it twice in Burbank for $17. For under $70... I feel so much relief!

It was pretty hilarious we decided to slightly disassemble the rocker so that it would be easier to carry and fit through the doorway. Just 4 bolts and 8 washers, but with my big belly and using the adjustable wrench and a ratcheting socket wrench and dear husband and the complicated rocking design, it took a minute and a few drops of sweat, four hands and a bit of giggles to get it put back together. Luckily it did not require a blood sacrifice (as we had with our new Kenmore dryer that we bought at a Sears store closing sale and installed ourselves).

For the MLK 3-day weekend, we started watching some standup comedy on Netflix about becoming parents. We watched Lobby Baby with Seth Meyers and then The New One with Mike Birbiglia. We went to bed at a decent hour. When I woke up on Saturday, I thought having a nice hot chocolate would be good before breakfast... boy was I wrong. I had a severe reaction to it where I started accusing Mike of not helping me enough and feeling all alone and just sobbing. From there he decided to take control of the weekend. We did the consignment shopping on Saturday afternoon. We moved the furniture in on Sunday morning then went for a walk in the Arboretum in the afternoon. Monday morning he helped me cut some quilt pieces, then we went out to the beach and did another long walk, ate a picnic lunch and did some grocery shopping at Winco to restock our pantry. It was a perfect weekend, with the exception of my little meltdown.

So I guess you could say everything is coming together! It is all the more real because a friend delivered her baby 4 weeks early yesterday, so I think it helped dear husband get clear in his mind that it's a possibility and it's best to be as prepared as we can be prior to the baby's arrival. Even though a friend said "you'll never be ready," at least I feel like the major infrastructure is in place and from here on out, we can just fill in the gaps as we go.

Pregnancy Part 21

If I could choose one word to describe this pregnancy journey, I would summarize it as "desperate." Checking up on what that word means, I see that it's a pretty dangerous word. It refers to despair. It refers to last-ditch. It refers to impossible and having little hope. I was thinking of it more in a sense of having a great desire for something, but to read all of the other meanings of the word, I get a sense of the power of that word choice and I understand why my brain selected this word.

At our Bradley class, we had an interesting discussion around photos and video of the birth. We covered the items that are good to have in the event of an earthquake, after baby arrives. We discussed the medications that should be purchased for the baby. We learned that from this moment onward, I should be on some absorbent material in case my water breaks. This includes the couch, my recliner, the passenger seat of our van and both beds upstairs. It's to protect our property, since the fluid is impossible to clean. Anything that catches it will be ruined. Maybe my water will break at the hospital. Yes, let's hope.

Why or why not show bump photos on social media? https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/1132102/parental-advisory-bump-pics/

Went to babywearing meetup. Great to get hands-on instructions for how to put on, adjust, and add baby to the different types of carriers. Also solved the mystery of why we were able to get the lillebaby carrier so cheap (corporate bad behavior, but not a recall or anything hazardous for baby).

At the 30 week appointment blood pressure was 125/78. Fundal height between 30 & 31. Didn't catch the fetal heart rate, but doc didn't seem concerned. Bit frustrated because I never know when they will ask for a urine sample. Wish it were regular, so that I could plan for it. Just collect every appointment and then dump it if you don't need it! Don't keep me guessing!

In Bradley class, doing a few practice contractions was really helpful. We tested 3 positions for first stage labor and covered what each of us should be doing. Him: gently stroking the skin (head, arms, back, legs) slowly, watching the monitor to let her know when the worst part of the contraction is over, grounding her by making physical contact. Her: belly breathing until the contraction is over, eyes closed, muscles of the face, neck, shoulders and arms are relaxed, open eyes and take a cleansing breath when the contraction is over.

I can't believe we're in 2020, month 8. Hospital bag is like 80% packed.

Pregnancy Part 20

Today we have a friend dropping by. He has experience in the formulation of personal care products. I want to ask him about some specific ingredients and what is their purpose in products such as the ones shown below. I started writing about this topic in a previous post.

LOTION / BODY OIL

 

 

 

 

SHAMPOO / CONDITIONER

 

 

 

 

FACIAL CLEANSER

 

 

SHAVING CREAM

 

So what I ended up doing is writing a big matrix (table) with all the banned ingredients on the rows and all the products I use on the columns. If the product contained a banned ingredient, I put an "X" in the corresponding box. It made the process of sorting out all the information a lot easier.

The common ingredients I found in some of the lotions I like a lot were parabens. Specifically, methyl-, ethyl-, propyl- and butyl- paraben. The parabens are used as preservatives. They are found in 75-90% of all cosmetics. They are the second most used ingredient (after water). After a 2004 study, it was found that parabens can cause breast cancer due to their ability to function as estrogen-mimics. Some "natural" formulations are using oats, pomegranate, pineapple and ginger instead that achieve the same purpose.

The common ingredients I found in shampoos are quaterniums -7, -10, -15, and -18. The purpose of this ingredient is as a germicide. They have antimicrobial (specifically antibacterial) properties. The reason they are not recommended for pregnancy is that they have been shown to be teratogenic in animal studies. Pregnant mammals gave birth to babies with birth defects if exposed to quaterniums.

An ingredient that is not recommended for pregnant women is diethylamine (DEA). I didn't see that listed in any of the products I looked at, but I did see some analogous chemicals: dimethylamine and triethanolamine. The function of these amines is to act as surfactants. When we spoke to our friend in the business, he mentioned that DEA is no longer widely used. In a 1998 study, products containing DEA were found to be carcinogenic, but the FDA does not consider it harmful.

A second ingredient I found in some of the lotions I like a lot was diazolidinylurea. It is added to cosmetics to function as an antiseptic (preventing the growth of disease-causing microorganisms). The problem with this ingredient is that it releases formaldehyde. The reason formaldehyde is undesirable is that it can lead to abortion, birth defects and premature birth. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.

One way I have tried to protect myself against formaldehyde is to put some plants in my bedroom where I sleep that are known to clean the air. One is called "Mother-In-Law's Tongue" and the other is called "Pothos." The botanical names are Sansevieria trifasciata and Epipremnum aureum, respectively. You can see that I put these plants (and several others) in my room just prior to the embryo transfer. Not every plant survived, but the two I just mentioned are still going strong, along with an Aloe vera that is also noted in a NASA study to remove formaldehyde from the air.

There were several compounds that I kept seeing over and over as I read through the ingredients of all the products I use (or wish I could still use). One ingredient is dimethicone, which is a skin protectant that smooths crevices in the skin. It is found in many creams that claim to tighten the skin. A second compound that I saw over and over was phenoxyethanol. It is an oily bactericide.

One interesting story that came up in this research was how in 2008, a French health association criticized the freebies given away in maternity wards at hospitals, characterizing the products distributed as a "toxic cocktail" of baby cosmetics. This led to the health minister requesting a label marking certain products as unsafe for pregnant women and young children, which I believe was unsuccessful due to lobbying by the European trade association. I have a similar story. One of the freebies that I was given either from "Motherhood Maternity" or the "Babylist" registry contained a shampoo and conditioner from the Herbal Essences product line. The shampoo contains quaternium-18, which I found is something that causes birth defects. So even though it's free, it's not right to give it to pregnant women in their first trimester!

In short: 

SAFE TO USE

CT Organics Face Wash, Lotion and Deodorant

Clinique Face Washes and Lotions (with SPF)

Burt's Bees Belly Butter and Body Oil

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Stretch Mark Cream

Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Shampoo

Nature's Gate Shampoo and Conditioner

UNSAFE TO USE

C.O.Bigelow Mentha Vitamin Lotion (parabens and diazolidinylurea)

Bath & Body Works Tahiti Sweetie Lotion (parabens and diazolidinylurea)

Gardener's Lotion containing Jojoba Oil (parabens)

Secret Deodorant (aluminum)

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo (quaternium)

Herbal Essences Conditioner (dimethylamine, quaternium)

Head & Shoulders 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner (quaternium)

Skintimate Shaving Cream (triethanolamine)

References
Winter, Ruth. A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, 7th Edition: Complete Information About the Harmful and Desirable Ingredients Found in Cosmetics and Cosmeceuticals. Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale, 2009.

Pregnancy Part 19

This month I had a few major things happen at the OB: blood pressure still normal (118/80) and weight gain on track, glucose tolerance test (passed!), screened for anemia (not a problem), got TDAP shot, fetal heart rate check (150 bpm), and the doctor measured my bump with a tape measure (fundal height). We turned in our hospital pre-admission paperwork. We wrote out our birth plan and advance directives.

View this post on Instagram

Weeks 25, 27, 29 #babybump #pregnancy #curvesandswerves #maternity #fitatforty #fit4baby #expecting #notshy #proudmomma

A post shared by Kayla Kaiser (@hamerk02) on Dec 28, 2019 at 11:04am PST

We spent all day Saturday (12/14) doing hella cooking. I am really enjoying eating healthy that week, which means low sodium. It's still difficult to get the correct balance between protein, carbs and fat, but when I follow the meal plan more closely, I have no trouble meeting the daily recommended amounts of micronutrients (calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron). I never did upgrade to premium MFP, which I had considered doing because you can set the RDA for macro and micronutrients. For example, the RDA for calcium and iron is higher for pregnant and lactating women.

Diet / Meal Planner

Week 27 - Dec 9-15 - 26% (seven fast food)
Week 28 - Dec 16-22 - 51% (four fast food)
Week 29 - Dec 23-29 - 37% (four fast food)

Symptoms

Week 27 - Dec 9-15 - heartburn
Week 28 - Dec 16-22 - fatigue/exhaustion, heartburn, BH contractions, bloating, diarrhea, bleeding gums
Week 29 - Dec 23-29 - headache, neckache, backache, rib pain, heartburn, vivid dreams

I have been enjoying a couple of audiobooks, streaming through hoopla, an app where you can borrow library holdings digitally for 3 weeks. 

"Expecting Better" by Emily Oster

"The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International

We found out our food processor was broken on Thanksgiving, so we're in the market for a new one.  If you read the second review it explains exactly what happened. Sadly, you can't buy a new "work bowl" separately so the whole thing is just garbage now.

For the medical part, the pregnancy is going along smoothly, but having arrived in the third trimester I am feeling my anxiety and stress creep back in to my brain. It's maybe the increased progesterone.

Polese, Barbara & Gridelet, Virginie & Araklioti, Eleni & Martens, Henri & d'Hauterive, Sophie & Geenen, Vincent. (2014). The Endocrine Milieu and CD4 T-Lymphocyte Polarization during Pregnancy. Frontiers in endocrinology. 5. 106. 10.3389/fendo.2014.00106. 

Pregnancy Part 18

It's funny how time slows down when you're in the middle of a big transition. What I mean by that is that when you're going through IVF and FET, you count time in weeks+days. Then in pregnancy, you count by weeks or months. Then when you have an infant or toddler, you report their age in months. I was noticing this last night at my new FIT4BABY group in the West San Fernando Valley (Woodland Hills).

I started getting itchy legs at 9 weeks pregnant and it continued throughout the 2nd trimester. I switched up my skincare routine at 16 weeks pregnant and haven't looked back. I've written vaguely about this product before, but the Mentha Vitamin Body Lotion is awesome. My former skincare routine has changed during pregnancy.

Sepideh Yaghmaei, owner of CT Organics

First of all, I changed out my deodorant for this:
https://ctorganics.com/collections/deodorize/products/all-natural-deodorants
I placed a big order on July 29th, 2019. By then I would have been 5 weeks past frozen embryo transfer , or 3 weeks after the two week wait. But I've been blogging about CT Organics products since at least 2017. And after searching my Gmail, I found that I was using it as early as 2013. Our Kaiser Wellness Center website shows that we were working on the formulations in 2012.

Diatomaceous Earth Deodorant Ingredients: organic coconut oil, raw beeswax, organic shea butter, diatomaceous earth, arrow root powder, baking soda, activated charcoal, tea tree essential oil, cold pressed lemon peel oil, frankincense essential oil

Secondly, I started using this lotion on my legs and hands:
https://ctorganics.com/collections/hand-body/products/coconut-shea-butter-lotion-nerloi-frankincense
I don't even know when I got this lotion, I know that I didn't really need it until pregnancy. I used it on my stretching skin (belly and back) during the first and second trimester and on my itchy legs and raw, red and itchy, cracked hands. The version I have came in a pot not a tube, so it must have been a sample that Sepi gave us. But you can get your hands on it by ordering through her website or on Amazon.

Coconut Shea Butter Lotion (Tahitian Vanilla Blend) Ingredients: purified water, sweet almond oil, organic coconut oil, organic Shea Butter, raw beeswax, non-GMO sunflower lecithin, , frankincense essential oil, ceteareth 20, Glyceryl oleate citrate, caprylic triglyceride, gluconolactone, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate, vanillin, Tahitian Vanilla Essential Oil (CO2 extract), calcium gluconate

After I confirmed that I was pregnant, I was terrified of doing anything in the first trimester that would jeopardize the fetus. I found a list of banned chemicals on one of my pregnancy apps and wrote them all down on this markerboard.

There are an alarming number of chemicals in skin-care products and it doesn't make sense to me that these things are not good for pregnancy but allowed for non-pregnant people. If these substances are bad for human life, why are they allowed at all?

Xom3 Balm Ingredients:

So I threw out lots of things such as nail polish and put aside all the aluminum-containing deodorants. I got rid of any products with salicylic acid and packed up my chemical sunscreens. I checked all my shampoo, conditioners and moisturizers for the other ingredients listed there under bullet points 4, 6 and 7. I also read that no drinking herbal tea and no using essential oils. Despite this, I did use a bit of my pal Mandy's balms.

Mandy Gough, owner of XoM3

When my hands are cracking, there's nothing like a layering of Mandy's balm, topped with Sepi's Coconut Shea Butter lotion, and if they're still itching a coating of C.O. Bigelow Mentha Vitamin Body Lotion. There's another hand lotion I used that contains Jojoba oil and it is formulated to soothe and deodorize gardener's hands, I'll have to add this later since I can't find it on a Google search.

Finally, I wanted to discuss some commercial products that I can't live without now. The first is from Bath and Body Works called Tahiti Sweetie that is a body lotion with monoi oil. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued. I remember buying like 5 tubes of it when I realized it was going out of production, but I think I'm on my second to last tube now!

 

This is my gentle cleanser for every day.

 

This is what I put on immediately after cleanser.

This is what I put on top of my moisturizer.

Clinique Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 6.3% , Zinc Oxide 4.0%

Ingredients: Water\Aqua\Eau , Dimethicone , Butyloctyl Salicylate , Polydiethylsiloxane , C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate , Isononyl Isononanoate , Diethylhexyl Succinate , Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate , Methyl Trimethicone , Butylene Glycol , Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene , Lauryl Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone , Silica , Dipentaerythrityl Tri-Polyhydroxystearate , Laureth-4 , Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone , Dimethicone/Peg-10/15 Crosspolymer , Dimethicone Silylate , Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/Pvp Crosspolymer , Triethoxycaprylylsilane , Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3 , Isostearic Acid , Caprylyl Glycol , Polyhydroxystearic Acid , Dipropylene Glycol , Phenoxyethanol , Iron Oxides (Ci 77492) , Iron Oxides (Ci 77491)

I am realizing now that I sound like a total hypocrite, since the ingredients for the products I am discussing here may not be safe for pregnancy. But at some point, I must have decided to abandon the safety of the first trimester and go for whatever could soothe my dry skin and acne.

Just like Bill Cosby says in the 1983 standup routine called "Himself," you've fooled around long enough. I have to start doing something work-related since I've been here for 3 hours and all I've done is write this blog post.

Pregnancy Part 17

Officially, I am ready to stop working. I have arrived at work (reluctantly) and I am so not in the mood to do anything work-related. I have no idea how some women work right up until they give birth, unless they have no other alternative. I assume if I had to, I would figure out a way to do it.
Week 24 - 40% (five fast food)
Week 25 - 34% (two fast food)
Week 26 - 29% (six fast food)

I am absolutely obsessed with preparing for the baby's arrival. All I want to think about is getting little baby clothes, bibs, diapers, sitting in a rocking chair, reading to the baby, putting my feet up, getting all the furniture put together so it's ready. Yesterday, I put together the stroller and practiced all the features of folding and unfolding and converting it so that it's ready for the baby carrier.

After letting the store "Motherhood Maternity" add us to some list, we have been getting a couple of magazines. One is called "Parents" and it's kind of silly because over half of it is advertising. There is a lot of advertising that is directed at parents-to-be and new parents. I think it's kind of unfair. There's another magazine they also send us called "InStyle" and I have yet to even open one of the issues. I guess I'm just not stylish enough.

On Saturday, I spent some time in the bedrooms packing away clothes that won't be used while I am in the third and fourth trimesters. I did some KonMari folding of things that I might wear, to make it easier for dear husband to fetch me things if I can't climb up and down the stairs. I packed away all non-nursing bras and all non-maternity pants. I think I'm ready to go back to the Motherhood store and pick up a few wireless nursing bras. Oh and maybe also a maternity swimsuit. Ahem, tankini.

Assuming baby arrives on time, we have 15 weekends left. Next weekend we are celebrating dear husband's birthday and the weekend after that we are celebrating Christmas. We spent last weekend doing our Christmas shopping and wrapping presents. I feel kind of strange waiting for baby showers that haven't even been scheduled yet. I don't know when they will be, who will be hosting, and whether anyone will buy anything off of our registry. 

One new product that I just got in the mail today is papaya chlorophyll chewables. I only tried them this morning for the first time, so I can't say they have changed my life, but I will keep you updated as I enter the third trimester, assuming the heartburn continues getting worse and worse.

A lot of people on my bumpers group are talking about maternity photos. I don't know how I feel about memorializing the pregnancy. I think I would be happier in the long-term with photos of the baby once he arrives. The only thing I was considering was a "pet photo with Santa" at the Northridge Fashion Center. I thought it would be cute to have a picture with a pregnant bump and our little doggie and Santa as baby's 0th Christmas.

CSUN group

I went to a women's holiday tea party last night. It was fun to sit around and discuss the intersection of motherhood, spirituality and organized religion. I don't really remember how we got on the topic but we started talking about what religions each of us were raised and what we consider ourselves now. It was a common thread that many women selected their family church based on what would provide a stable foundation for their children, including good Sunday school teachers.

My Grammerly tone detector says this post has been classified disapproving, dissatisfied, and forceful. Wow. I guess I really am having a case of the Mondays. I tagged this post beauty because I tried wearing makeup yesterday and it went kind of well and kind of not so well. Considering taking a professional photo, I want to put on a little color. I think the lipstick I ended up wearing (in the photo above) goes far enough towards something but not too much.

Finally, this week at Bradley class we'll be working on our birth plan, which I am hoping includes a full consideration of Advanced Directives. I guess I'll be putting together a folder or binder containing all pertinent information to bring with us to the hospital. I have already started a Google doc that will be a packing list for our hospital bag.