Sunday, June 24, 2007

dreams and vacations

Even though I'm now 9 months pregnant and am feeling uncomfortable, I'm not nearly as uncomfortable at this stage in my singleton pregnancy as I was at 6 months with our triplets. Which is interesting considering our singleton baby will probably be born weighing more than all three of our triplets combined.

My greatest (and only) complaint is that my legs and feet are more swollen with this pregnancy than they ever were with the triplets. For the past month, I've had to wear Charlie's socks and if I don't put my awesome Keen shoes on first thing in the morning, I can't get them on at all.

And I absolutely have to wear shoes.


I could wear flip flops when I was pregnant with the triplets, but they aren't an option this time. Not just because they don't fit - but because if I don't have something "containing" my feet, they get so swollen I can't walk.

I think the reason I've been having such a problem with swelling is because I'm on my feet all day long. When I was pregnant with the triplets, my primary responsibility was to lay around with my feet up and watch back-to-back episodes of "Judge Judy".

During my current pregnancy, I am Judge Judy.

"Who had it first?"

"You gave it to her. You can't have it back now. It's gone!"

"Do you hear the words coming out of my mouth?!"

"SILENCE! I WANT SILENCE!!!"

For the past week or so, I've come to dread bed time because it's really difficult to get comfortable. Last night I retired at 1:00 AM - and fell asleep at about 2:30 AM. At 3 AM, I had a dream that I was a turtle, stuck on my shell - and couldn't roll over for the life of me.

It's an interesting sensation when you wake up and forget for a minute that you are pregnant.

And then realize that you actually can't roll over and your dream isn't far from reality.

My arms and legs were kicking around in the air and I was reaching around in the dark for something, anything, to grab on to so that I could heave myself on to my side. And the first thing that I was able to wrap my hands around were my husband's neck.

Who had been sound asleep.


Charlie woke up gasping and after he confirmed that I wasn't angry and trying to kill him, he told me that he'd been having a lovely dream before I choked him awake. A dream about being on a tropical vacation, where people in grass skirts were serving us drinks with little umbrellas. We'd just finished our first beverage and were about to order our second.

Because there was no way I could fall right back to sleep, we I chatted for a while.

I told Charlie that if there was such a thing as reincarnation, in addition to coming back as a killer whale, bald eagle, or soul singer ... I'd like to come back as a tiger.

In a recent article I read, I learned that a mature female tiger, who is approximately 9 feet long and weighs approximately 400 pounds ... gives birth to between 2 and 4 cubs that weigh about 2 pounds each.

Think of that.

I am approximately 5'7" tall ... am currently topping the scale at 225 ... and will most likely give birth to a child that is at least 8 pounds.

I'll bet that gestating tigers never dream of being a turtle stuck on their shell. I'll also bet that they don't feel like someone is smacking them in the pelvis with a crowbar every time they lay down ... nor do they feel like their uterus is going to fall on to their paws every time they stand up.

Of course, on the flip side, male tigers don't help in raising the cubs ... so - I guess I'll take the discomforts of pregnancy with the knowledge that Charlie will be around to help once our new baby arrives.

Charlie surprised me by adding to the wee morning chatter.

He said that he's been thinking about the whole repeat c-section/VBAC decision I'm contemplating and one more reason that he wants me to have a c-section is because my hospital stay will be longer.

At first I thought he meant he wanted me gone for a longer period of time. But he quickly added that the longer I am in the hospital - the longer he can be in the hospital, with me. And since my mother is here to watch the triplets, this would be our first get-a-way, since we've been parents.

Kind of like a mini-vacation.

Sans the tropical drinks with umbrellas.

I thought about this for a while and decided he had a good point.

But when I woke up this morning, I decided that only a person with four children under the age of three would consider major abdominal surgery, the risks and recovery that go with major abdominal surgery, and the resulting four day stay in a hospital to be a "vacation".

Here, I've been thinking that one of the primary reasons I want to have a VBAC is because otherwise, I have to deliver this week. And although people keep telling me that one baby will be "easy" there is no way that this baby is going to be "easier" ex-utero than he is, in-utero.

It's warped.

Almost
as warped as an animal twice the size of me, giving birth to a baby that weighs four times less.

9 comments:

  1. Hi Jenna,
    How exciting! I keep checking every day to see if Nemo has made his appearance.
    I've always found the last few weeks of pregnancy difficult/uncomfortable and so actually feel the first few weeks of life with a newborn is much easier, mainly because I am NOT PREGNANT ANYMORE! I think my sleep requirements are less than yours though!
    A deciding factor in my choosing a second and then a third caesarean were that I would be guaranteed to have two fewer weeks of pregnancy (deliver at 39 weeks rather than 41+ like my first baby). And I did enjoy the 5 days in hospital- a holiday, just like Charlie says :)
    Best of luck for the next few days!
    Rebecca D

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  2. Hi Jenna-
    I had a smiliar 'turtle' like experience last night as well. This being my third pregnancy, I no longer fret about laying on my back, but how to get out of the position should a wake up and find myself prone. As I woke up last night in my 3 year olds bed, on what would be the wrong side as well, I was confused and disoriented to say the least. Finally, after waking up completed, I managed to pull/roll my way to my side and then hit the floor. But at least on all 4's, I can get up fairly easily!

    Say... not to bring up a stressful subject, but what's the status on picking out a name?

    Take care,
    Michelle M.

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  3. Good Morning! Sending you positive Vibes today! :)

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  4. Hey Jen!

    We have emailed a few times, and on Carolyn's bb in the past. I started reading your blog a few weeks ago. I had a vbac with my ds 2 years ago and would be happy to share my experience! My main issue too was I did not want to deal with the surgery with a 15m at home as well.

    PM me on Carolyns bb or email if you still have that. I will try to check later on today if I can!

    fraun

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  5. WARPED?!?!? Wonder where that comes from? I seem to remember living with someone else who fits that description...and I can say it all I want b/c my "warped genetics" have recently been proven of which Kyle had no chance even w/out the FXS and Autism! Hahahahahaha!

    Of course I too have been looking forward to my little vacation....a week in a hotel in Columbia, SC overlooking a pool....learning how to protect vulnerable adults. And did I mention rooming with a total stranger....love being a state employee.

    You know, if you would slow down, put your feet up and rest you might reduce the "turtle syndrome"....Miss Overachiever?

    I do understand how you feel, but I hope you don't have to endure 28 hours of labor! Charlie, do like Gator did and as for an epidural to go!!!!

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  6. I keep telling everyone that I'm in no hurry to get my own kiddo out of my oven, but no one believes me!
    Even with all the pregnancy inconveniences it's still easier to care for them on the inside.
    I don't get a choice about the VBAC though, the restrictions at our hospital are way too strict.
    Good luck with the delivery!

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  7. LOVE the shoes, the turtle is helarious, and i love judge judy.
    have you seen the one where she says, "because I'M THE BOSS, APPLESAUCE!"

    heheh, gotta love her.

    just take it one day at a time, you dont have to make a choice TODAY. you can play it by ear and see how things progress in the next couple of days.
    TRY to relax. its good for the baby, too.

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  8. You are killing me. "I" feel like a turtle on my back when I read your posts. Are you trying on purpose to blow up like that rotten girl in Charlie In The Chocolate Factory? Would you go have that baby before you start turning purple? What I gotta do?

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  9. You are so funny - I can envision the middle of the night "conversation" really well - how many times have I chatted along in insomnia thinking I had a captive audience only to realize he (the audience) had fallen asleep right after the first time I said, "I need to go pee and I can't get up!"?

    Sadly enough, the hospital is a bit of a vacation. But probably not worth abdominal surgery. :)

    Just tell everyone to hold their horses / keep their shoes on - this baby will come soon enough!

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