After Thumper, and then Thumperina, I have yet another new nickname for the BabyGirl. Kixie...Kicksy...or something like that. (I don't actually use these nicknames in front of other people, except maybe S, sometimes.) She is getting stronger by the day. I love her little movements, even though they still sometimes make me feel like maybe I just ate something that is causing my intestines to do flip-flops.
S and I went shopping for baby furniture last weekend. We checked out two stores: Babies R Us, and USA Ba.by. I realize that this sort of info is pretty boring if you're not currently in baby-furniture shopping mode right this very moment, but I will share a few details for anyone who actually is interested in this stuff. We ended up buying at USA Ba.by and we chose this convertible crib and combo dresser by Mu.nire. Yes, in white. I realize after shopping for baby furniture that the current trend is more along the lines of black and dark espresso-colored woods, but S and I were both a bit hesitant about this look for a baby girl (or any baby, really). I know a few of you have gotten these darker sets, and I'm sure that it will look great, but for us, white or natural wood seemed to fit our vision of a baby nursery. And natural is apparently so out of style that they won't even be carrying it anymore (who knew?), so we went ahead with white. I was almost tempted (by feeling unstylish) into considering a rich medium chestnut finish, but really, the bedding and everything else looked cuter with white, so we stuck with that. We splurged a bit on the furniture, but then got a glider that was on the cheap side (but still comfy). Hopefully we won't regret that decision!
Of course after I got home, I googled Mun.ire furniture and read tons of horror stories about delayed shipments which meant no crib for 4 months, etc. However, our items were in stock and were actually delivered today (about 72 hours after purchase). Now we just have to open the giant boxes and make sure that nothing is missing, scratched, or chipped!
As far as bedding (still boring, I know!...) I have just attempted to purchase the Lambs and Ivy Bright Butterfly set off of EBay. Just the quilt, sheet, crib skirt, and valence for now. We'll probably do a few other accessories, but I am officially Too Scared to buy a bumper since some organizations have recommended against it. Also, I had not used my Ebay or PayPal account for several years, so I had to update my current address, credit card info, etc. Ultimately, I need to wait a few days for PayPal to verify something, so hopefully the EBay seller won't be mad at me for the slow payment.At Babies R Us, we came across a stoller that was the exact model and color that I had been considering. They normally carry these only on their website, but it had been returned by someone who had ordered it online. This meant that it was marked down by $94 off the usual price! Yay!! It's the Bob Sport Utility Stroller in blue. (The other choice was red, so blue seemed fine...plus, we wanted gender neutral.) For the little baby phase, we haven't yet decided whether to get an infant carseat + an adapter for this stroller, or an infant carseat + one of those stroller frames, or whether to get a travel system. I also need to make sure that the stroller we bought actually fits into the trunk of my car (a Civic).
Physically, I have been feeling pretty well except for occasional Braxton-Hicks type contractions that occur a few times a day. Also, I have noticed that my abdomen is getting a suspicious vertical ridge above my belly button when I try to sit up. I'm afraid that I might be developing an early case of either a ventral hernia or diastasis recti (separation of the rectus abdominus muscles). I suspect the latter, because I don't think that it's too bad, yet. Since I noticed it, I have been sitting up in a different way (rolling to the side, and then using my elbow to push up) to try not to exacerbate it. Some websites that I consulted suggested doing this during the rest of pregnancy, and then doing certain exercises (or even seeing a physical therapist) after birth. Of course, by doing that, my abs are probably losing even more strength, so I don't know if I'm doing the right thing or not. But I really hope that this goes away once there is less internal pressure.
My weight continues to rise steadily. I was up about 18.6 lbs as of this morning, and as much as 20.4 lbs the day before that. I'm hoping to come in under +35 for the pregnancy, but at this rate, I'm not so sure about that. Most of my weight is in the belly, but there is definitely a fair amount elsewhere, too. Last Friday, I tried on a pair of pre-weight loss (2003) pants -- 1 or 2 sizes above my more recent size -- and found that the 2003 pants fit perfectly. I have been keeping about 4 pairs of these pre-weight loss pants specifcially with the thought, "maybe I can wear them when I'm pregnant or post-partum," but about 2 months ago I tried then and thought, "No way! Way too big in the butt and hips, even if my belly grows." Well, apparently, all of me has grown and they fit well. However, I think I'll probably grow out of them, too, in the not-so-distant future. I am already bored with all of my maternity wear, but it seems like a waste to buy much more of it.
I'm going to do my glucose tolerance test tomorrow AM. My fingers are crossed. Hopefully my polycystic appearing ovaries (and possible PCOS) will not cause me to fail! I don't think I have any blood sugar issues, and there is no diabetes or gestational diabetes in my family, but you never know!
In other news, I completed my Medical Oncology board certification exam yesterday. It was a pretty difficult test, so I can only hope that I passed. The results will be available in 3 months... around the same time that Kixie makes her appearance, I guess. I'm sure I won't care much at that point!
