daily fieldnotes

Being pregnant category archive

Getting close 4

Sunday was my baby shower, a most beautiful day where my mom, sisters, nieces and friends descended on my house and transformed it with flowers, amazing food, laughter and bundles of love for this little one on the way. I’m 36 weeks now, he’s almost full term, and as I write this, the doorbell rings and the car seat we ordered arrives. I feel like he’ll come close to his due date, but also feel ready if he comes sooner.

The last couple months have been about being pregnant (and the extra eating, resting that entails…) and pushing ahead on my thesis. Next week is my 100-day deadline. I already know I haven’t made as much progress as I wanted, but I built up a lot of momentum on the thesis in the last months and feel really good about that.

Being pregnant has been such a joy! And after having such a hard time getting here, I’ve just felt so damn lucky to take part. Of course it’s uncomfortable at times: fatigue to the bone, sore hips, heartburn, nausea, insomnia… But mostly I’ve felt strong and good, (thanks in no small part to prenatal yoga, I’m convinced). Feeling the baby move, wiggle around, get the hiccups (multiple times a day!); feeling him grow makes me smile again and again. Pregnancy is a time of big expectations for the future, and I’ve loved the energy of that.

What does blogging mean to me in 2012, in this year of change in my life? I’m not sure yet. Working so hard on my thesis has taken all my writing focus, and notebook/journal writing has been more sporadic. Yet there are so many things I’ve thought about writing about and having a conversation here. Giving and getting advice in pregnancy. Making peace with living where we do, while also wanting to move. How advice books can make us more anxious about becoming a mother, rather than helping. And so much more.

In April I’m going to see Anne Lamott and her son talk about the new book they cowrote, Some Assembly Required: A Journal of my Son’s first Son.
I can’t wait! Read her book about her son’s first year last month, and found myself laughing out loud many times. Was also inspired to journal more, especially when my son is born.

Thesis thesis thesis 3

It’s all I’m focusing on right now. Aching to make baby things and needing to start preparing for his arrival (carseat! diapers!… you know, the essentials!). Have made a list of things to do/buy and that’s it. I spend my days eating (so hungry these days), dreamily watching the baby wiggle under the skin of my belly, and trying to make progress on the thesis. Today is the halfway point of my 100-day plan, and there’s still so much to do.

Bougainvillea and New Grass 7

No tangerine and pomegranate maple trees here, at least not yet (we do get a few). Fall colors in SF include brilliant spreads of bougainvillea, and bright green hillsides of grass shooting through the brown summer grass. The air has a chill to it, but the sky is blue on my morning walk today. Fall is my favorite time anywhere, but especially here where summers are so disappointingly gray and cold.

Am getting slower walking up the (MANY) hills around here but still trying to walk a few days a week. I do prenatal yoga twice a week too, which helps with the random aches of being six months pregnant. This little one moves a ton, and often makes me smile as he wriggles around while I work on my thesis or sit on the couch next to JJ at night looking for our house.

If you own your house, how long did it take to find it? We’ve been looking for about 2 1/2 months…