TP Tuesday #38

Two weeks to go (or something close to) and 11 squares. Guess I probably won’t make it to 13. And my bellybutton has not made any progress either — the biggest disappointment of this pregnancy. Which is something to be thankful for.

I keep chugging along. I’ve reached the waddle stage; the dogs have had to adjust their expectations for walking speed. And wherever baby is sitting is smack on a nerve that occasionally renders my legs inert. We’ll be going along and all of a sudden, oops! My leg (mostly the left) buckles a little and the right has to take over quickly. And then we’re on our way again. Short-lived little bursts and completely normal for many women, but it’s one thing I won’t miss.
I’ve also gotten excited about when we come home from the hospital and someone else carries the baby up the stairs. It’ll be the first time I won’t have to do it!

TP Tuesday #37

Firstly, let me say that although I have apparently turned into a big wad of bubble gum, I think I must look different in person. More dignified, I’m sure. And now down to business, I measure 11 squares today. Now before anybody starts calling and asking if I’m still eating enough (I had a hot fudge sundae last night after two dinners) and what the doctor thinks about me shrinking (she always praises my weight gain and encourages me to add more walks) and whether the baby is moving as much as before when I was gaining squares (Maggiver was positively trying to punt the hymnal in church this week), here’s what’s happening: The child is stretching out, instead of bunching up. This means that I’m not getting any rounder from side to side, but I’m still getting bigger from top to bottom. According to the doctor’s measurements, from week 34 to week 36 I gained 2 inches of top-to-bottom-ness (so much more mundane than toilet paper, isn’t it?). See? Growth still definitely occurring.

And let me say that I certainly feel bigger. I was talking to Bill just the other day about all the subtle seismic activity that has been happening in the neighborhood — all the hills are much steeper than they were when we first moved here. My feet have also gotten further from my arms and the bed has lowered itself a considerable amount. Not sure what phenomena caused those. But, by gum, it hasn’t licked me yet. I might just make it another three weeks.

The Great Weekend Es-Cape

By request, how was our weekend at the Cape? It was great. Our bed and breakfast was friendly and clean and cozy and the breakfast absolutely above par (local ingredients for blueberry lemon pancakes one morning and crispy french toast the next plus a fruit plate and smoothie and home-baked muffin; plus wine and cheese and crackers in the evening time). We did a driving tour of the upper Cape (which is really the southern part of the peninsula — don’t ask, it’s very confusing) and stopped here and there as we fancied.

We found property that has obviously been reserved just for us, rain-spattered coasts, and a whale-bone entryway.


And we also happened upon apples and lighthouses and chocolate and a wedding reception and the woman who coordinated the Obamas’ summer vacation on Martha’s Vineyard and a relay marathon. We didn’t get into any trouble, like we promised, but we sure got in a lot of fun.

TP Tuesday #36

Well, it’s a weird one this week. I’ve gone down in roundness. I’m now at eleven and a quarter squares. Yes, we measured twice. Yes, we counted twice. Working hypotheses are: (1) previous weeks’ measurements happened later in the day after a full six meals; (2) Baby has dropped, which for first time moms occurs 2-4 weeks before d-day; or (3) a different brand of toilet paper has slightly smaller squares; (4) Baby has now eaten its twin to make more room for itself.

Nobody worry. I’m going to the doctor every week now and still eating the same as ever and the baby is squirming around as much always. But it makes me feel I’d better get a move-on with those last-minute preparations in case d-day is coming sooner than expected!

Just for you, Auntie Char, a full torso shot, in all my mid-house-cleaning glory.

Boo!

Halloween is big in our neighborhood. Lots of people spider web their bushes and set out pumpkins and we were promised trick-or-treaters. So we decided to get into the spirit too.

We started out the day with a healthy breakfast of organ cakes and congealed blood, moldy eggs, and buggy bananas.*

*pumpkin pancakes with apple butter, scrambled eggs with chard and garlic, and bananas with currants.

Then we tapped in to the inner artist and honed our pumpkin carving skills. Ruby on the left is made entirely with fruit and vegetable pieces: banana hat, orange peel eyes, a green bean for a nose, and a pomegranate smile. Bad Teeth Jack on the right was an exercise in flexibility. The pumpkin was rotten on the inside, mostly only on one side. So the affected area was excised to become a gaping mouth and the rest was improvised. And the little mini pumpkins are carved out just enough to fit a tea light, kind of like autumn luminarias.

We also had a spider’s nest appear with webs of spiders crawling out. Oooooo, spooky.

And, yes, I dressed up for the occassion. I was the Mother of All Evil. And you can see I brought along my black cat too.

A successful and spooktacular day. Happy Halloween!