piece of cake

a friend pointed out to me after my lame post yesterday that "normal" pregnancies are boring, so i shouldn't feel bad. & i have to say, i really agree, altho i'd never thought of it before-- normal pregnancies ARE boring. after the drama & pain of carrying 2 for 7ish mos, this singleton pg has been a walk in the park. this is a piece of cake.
don't get me wrong, maybe i'll be singing a different tune in 6 weeks, but after measuring something like 44 weeks preggo with the dudes at somewhere around 30 weeks (if memory serves) i seriously doubt i'll be THAT miserable, & i have to be honest, i don't really "get it" when other singleton moms start complaining right around now (32 weeks). not that i'm not sympathetic, i know all too well how much pregnancy can suck, i just don't feel it this time-- i'm really NOT that miserable, & while big, i really don't feel THAT huge. mostly, i'm just really glad we had the twins first, so that this one really does seem like a total breeze.

go ahead & gain!

gaining weight sucks. period. i was skinny my whole life, & do not enjoy the pudge that comes with pregnancy. that said, i have no qualms gaining whatever i need to gain for my kids. i try not to complain, bc 1) my babies' health is way more important, 2) its a temporary condition, & 3) you're SUPPOSED to gain weight while you're pg. bearing all that in mind, it really irks me when women get all hysterical over their weight during pg. it is what it is. just eat healthy, know you're taking care of your unborn kid, & deal with the "losing" part afterwards.

lest anyone think i don't understand how much it sucks to be huge & have to fight to lose again, here is my personal weight gain story:
before i got pg with the guys, i weighed 110 lbs, soaking wet. when i was pg with the boys, the MFM wanted me to gain 70 lbs.... i did, & then added about 20 lbs of water weight the last 2 weeks of pg from the stupid pre-e. that's a 90 lb total weight gain, folks. i lost 60 of it in 6 mos, & was working on the remaining 30 when i got KU again. i don't begrudge my kids the weight gain, bc both boys were nearly 5 lbs at birth, which was a huge advantage for them as 33 weekers. nonetheless, weight 200 lbs was NOT my idea of cool.
this pg, i'm 26 & 1/2 weeks pg & already up 30 lbs. sigh. i'm not thrilled, but i eat really well-- bc we eat with my folks every night while their house is being re-done (they have no kitchen) we eat exclusively low-fat, no sugar, no salt, low-carb meals. other than that, i eat cheerios, fruit & the occasional cookie. even when my folks aren't around, we eat well (altho i don't omit salt when it's just us.) it's not like i'm hogging out, i'm just gaining like a sow. my OB is totally unconcerned & when i asked him about it, he said that some women just gain alot every pg & that it just seems to be what their body needs to do. he also pointed out that the weight was coming off pretty well after the boys' birth, even after i had to stop nursing, so i shouldn't worry myself about what i'm gaining this time around. i'm still not thrilled, but i'm not going to go all "woe-is-me" or spend time pouting about my weight. (there will be time for that AFTER 3 is here! jk... hpoefully BF-ing will help, & after a few mos, i'll just have to re-commit to going to the gym. i know N will be willing to babysit to get his skinny wife back, lol!)

obviously, i'm not going to diet or do anything crazy while i'm pg-- baby comes first, not mom's vanity. i know women however, who have limited their calorie intake while pg so that they don't gain, or gain only 10 lbs, & i just don't get it. (i'm speaking of women who were a healthy weight to start with. i know the weight reccomendations are different for different-sized girls.) why would you jeopardize your kid's health just so YOU look a little better? i just don't get it & i'm sick of the whining from women who are gaining a normal, healthy amount with each pregnancy. just deal with it-- your body is not your own while you're pg, so accept it & focus on being healthy, not on the scale.

Annoying Pregnant People & Other Random Thoughts

• Most of the girls I know here are from the webmd TTCAL & PAL boards (although I do lurk on PAIF occasionally). After some removed posts today I finally figured out that we aren't allowed to talk sh** about other boards, no matter how well deserved. The posts in question dealt with the very annoying 1st tri board. (well, very annoying to anyone who is not a total novice or a total idiot when it comes to getting KU.) I think I'm beginning to see why Kim left for cafemom!! Although I don't think I can abandon webmd, as most of my favorite ladies are still there...
• My apologies to anyone offended by this next rant, but it's a topic that's been driving me nuts lately. I get that once you pass a certain point in pregnancy, you are miserable. You are uncomfortable at the best & in pain at the worst. You're sick of being huge & swollen & grumpy, & ready to meet your kid already. I also understand that even women who struggled to get & stay pregnant need to complain. Even when you're incredibly grateful to be miserable, you're still miserable & it helps to vent. That said, I am fed up with whining about being 36 weeks pregnant (I'm picking an arbitrary date. really I mean anytime from 35 weeks on) & still pregnant. I just don't' get it-- why rush the kid? Pregnancy lasts 40 weeks for a reason. The babies need the time to bake, so let them have it dammit. I am 29 weeks with twins who are large for their age. I am measuring 40 weeks. I am in pain all the time. I have been on bedrest since November. I absolutely understand how miserable it is to be this huge & pregnant & immobile. That said, I wouldn't trade this for anything. I am beyond grateful to still be pregnant & hope to get even more pregnant & more miserable over the next 6 weeks. Why on earth after working so d***n hard to be pregnant would you want to put your little one at risk by pushing for an induction before your doctor recommends one? (I will further qualify this by saying I do not include in this category medically necessary inductions or multiples, or any other high risk category that might require a more supervised & structured birth.) I just wish these women who seem to spend all their energy in their last few weeks of pregnancy b*****ing with all they're worth take a moment to put things in perspective. Is a NICU stay for your child worth your physical comfort? Take a minute to remember how badly you wanted this pregnancy in the first place. I don't ask for zero b****ing, but for Pete's sake-- in moderation please! There are so many women who would give their right arm to be as miserable as you are right now, & so many more (like me) who are desperate to stay pregnant as long as you have, so before launching into yet another rant about how much your life sucks, look for some perspective. (or at least a different audience.)
• I am super addicted to Top Chef, but I have to admit, I am a bit disappointed in the food this season. It's getting better, & I think the final 4 are pretty decent, but I think the show hit its high point during the season with Hung & Casey. Although Fabio & Stefan crack me up, so I can't complain too much. N is getting very annoyed with all the Top Chef knock-offs (a la Chopped, etc), but I secretly don't mind them... I just really like Iron Chef-style cooking shows.
• My birds have spent the last hour in the hidey-tube in Cooper's house. (It's this big, plush, green tube hanging from the ceiling.) They're laying on their sides & preening & chewing on each other's toes, & generally having a fabulous time. Scout is even blowing kisses to her Coopy. Sometimes I am a little jealous of the charmed life they lead. As I typed this, Coop peeked out just long enough to peek at me & whistle to make sure I'm still here, then ducked back in. It's a bird's life! :)