There Will Be One More Picture!

As I sit here chugging a 2 liter bottle of water, I can (almost) confidently say that there will be a 38 week pregnancy picture. When the bell chimes midnight, which is in about 6 hours, I will be two weeks away from my due date. At that time, I will also be four days away from finding out whether or not they are going to make me have a scheduled c-section. And all signs were pointing to "yes" at my last appointment. 

Overall, I am feeling great. The past few days even Kevin has commented on how much energy I have. I haven't napped, I've been out and about walking, and besides the unavoidable aches and pains, my body is hanging in there. I'm hoping this is the calm before the storm and I go into labor here in the next couple days. That might be wishful thinking, but stranger things have happened.

Like most women do near the end of their pregnancy through their entire pregnancy, I'm thinking of things I can't wait to do, foods I can't wait to eat, and drinks I want to chug once I'm no longer pregnant. Do I want a glass of Italian red wine or a nice German beer first? What kind of lunchmeat am I going to order at the deli...and eat cold? How many over easy eggs can I request they put on my pizza (don't knock it until you try it)? 

Seriously...it is so good! 

The one thing I am looking most forward to is sleeping on my belly. I know with a c-section, this one is going to take time, but I can't wait. I am so sick of sleeping on my side and I've never been much of a back sleeper so I could care less about being able to do that again.

For now, I'll continue to dream, but I know these things are within reach. 

Full Term!

Now that the time has come for my pregnancy to be over, I'm starting to feel like it just began.  I remember when I first found out and how surreal it all felt.  Now, I know there will be a baby in this house in less than three weeks.  I couldn't wait for people to start noticing my belly and now there is no way to avoid it (and my massive belly button).

We met with the doctor this past week for my 37 week appointment and the baby is still breech.  While it took time, I came to terms with the fact that the baby will be delivered c-section.  NOTE: Please don't tell me that people do it all the time...I know that.  And if you tell me it is for the best, I will be inclined to quit talking to you.  That is one phrase that I never want to hear again after this pregnancy.  Imagine prepping for a new job for 9 months...you read all the manuals, watch the videos, and train your body.  Then you get in there the first day and they tell you that you won't be doing the job you prepared for.  Yes, you still get the same outcome (a new job and a salary), but you can't help but be disappointed.  That is how I feel.  Regardless, Kevin and I will be having a baby, but it just isn't the way that we pictured it.

There is a small chance that the baby can turn, but I am running out of room.  Also, factor in that I have a bicornuate uterus and the chances go down.  The baby has started to drop so instead of the head engaging (like in most cases), the feet are resting in my pelvis.  The great news is that the head is no longer right up against my ribcage, which is such a relief.  My heartburn has greatly decreased and I can breathe so much easier.

Unfortunately, I am still gaining weight.  And now it is water weight.  My ankles are cankles, my fingers and toes are little sausages, and I have even noticed my face is puffier.  I'm following everything they say to do to avoid edema, but it isn't working.  Just another glamorous symptom of pregnancy.

Everything in the apartment is ready.  We have the diapers stocked (we should be good for 3-4 weeks) and we have wipes (or cotton squares since we aren't using wipes).  The clothes are washed and the crib (pack and play) is set up.  I did some serious cleaning the other day and Kevin did all the laundry.  We'll still have to do some things here and there, but if the baby comes tomorrow, we are prepared.

We both got our hair cut and I managed to shave my legs this week (let me tell you, it isn't easy).  Kevin does need to paint my toenails because that is one task that I cannot do without pulling something and he is a good sport to help me out.  We've almost decided on names.  We have it narrowed down to two for a girl and two for a boy.  I think it might come down to deciding once the baby is born.

Since Operation Turn Baby Reiter was a bust, I have now moved on to Operation Get Baby Reiter Out.  I'm hoping to go into labor naturally and avoid a scheduled c-section.  I'm bouncing around on my birthing ball, eating fresh pineapple, taking my vitamins, and drinking my teas to help move things along.  Fingers crossed Baby Reiter makes an appearance before my next appointment on March 4.

Here are the last three weeks of my pregnancy pictures.  These could be the last ones.

Just got back from my hair appointment so Baby Reiter isn't embarrassed of his/her Mommy. 

Next year, Daddy will have two Valentines.

FULL TERM!  We are so close! 

Lizard-1, Tricia-0

A few months ago I blogged about a lizard that had taken up residence in our sunroom.  Kevin and I hadn't seen him for a few awhile so we assumed he had died or was hiding away for the winter.  Then, he made an appearance a few weeks ago when I went to put the recycling out.  For some reason, Kevin and I started feeding him.  We would find dead bugs in the sunroom and put then outside the crack where he lives...he likes spiders best.   

Apparently, the lizard misconstrued our generosity and thought we were welcoming him into our home.  While Kevin was on the computer the other day, I heard him yelling at me.  I went to see what he wanted and he pointed out the lizard in the corner of our living room.  The little shit had gotten in here somehow.  I thought maybe I had let him in while running the recycling out so I assumed it was my fault.  Kevin got him out with a dust pan and I thought that was the end of it.  

Fast forward a few days...I was in the bathroom this morning and looked down and saw something brown by the shower.  The lizard was in the apartment again!  And not a few hours prior I had seen him in the sunroom so I know neither of us let him in.  Kevin was gone so I chased the little bugger down and trapped him at our front door by using a bowl.  But when I picked the bowl up, he got away.  I trapped him again, but this time his tail got caught and I cut it off.  I feel pretty bad about that.  I finally got him back out to the sunroom and released him.  We had a little talk about coming in the apartment and I got him a dead fly and some water to apologize about the whole tail incident.

How the hell does he get in the apartment?

I cut off about 3/4 of his tail...oops!

Just when I thought I had won, I dropped the glass bowl the lizard was trapped in and it shattered into a hundred tiny pieces across our apartment.  Under normal circumstances, I would have taken care of the mess on my own, but I am 37 weeks pregnant and running on about 5 hours of sleep so I called Kevin.  Thank goodness there were no practices going on so he was able to come home right away.    

What a mess!

Poor Kevin had to clean up the mess with a hand broom because that is all we have. 

Cheese Arm

The other day, the head coach of the hockey team here went to the hospital to get his arm checked out.  He had a small sore on his elbow that had become swollen so he assumed it probably had gotten infected.   

The hospital here put his arm in a cast...a full cast...and told him to rest for the next two weeks.  He was instructed to not work or do any kind of labor.  In Italy, everything is slightly blown out of proportion.  You have a fever...take a week off.  You broke your arm...don't lift anything for a year.  You had a baby...stay in the hospital for five days.  

Full arm cast for a sore on the elbow. 

If this had happened in the States (I'm making an educated guess here), they would have probably cleaned the wound, put a bandage on it, and gave him some antibiotics for the infection.  Then, he would have gone right back to work.  In the States, drugs are always the answer.  You have a headache...take these pills.  You have a sore throat...take these pills.  You've been feeling sad lately...take these pills.  

Which way is better?  It's up for debate.  But according to the GM's wife, neither.  She took matters into her own hands when she saw him. 

She cut the cast off, threw some Topfen cheese on a paper towel, put the paper towel on the wound, and wrapped it.  Apparently, the cheese draws out the toxins and bacteria.  She instructed him to continue doing this for a couple of days.  Well, sure enough, the next day it already looked better and within a few days, it was completely healed.

Of course, this kind of medicine is right up my alley.  I love home remedies!  I did some Googling (yes, I love to Google everything) and came across an article about Lindsey Vonn putting Topfen cheese on a bruised shin a few years ago to help with the swelling.

It fights infections, reducing swelling, and tastes great!  (source)

Photo Credit

About a month ago I received an email from a man asking me if it would be okay if he used a photo from my blog for a newspaper article.  At first I thought it was spam, but then I Googled the guy's name and it came up that he was the art director of Salt Lake City Weekly.  So, I emailed him back and told him that the picture was his to use and he said he would give me a photo credit.   

The picture was of some friends that I took while we were sledding here in Vipiteno.  Apparently, the man had come across it doing a Google search.  It isn't of great quality since we were flying down a hill and bouncing all around, but I wasn't going to say "no." 

If you want to check out the article, click here or just go to the link and look at my photo credit, which I am very proud of.  And congrats to Marina!  Your picture was in a newspaper in Salt Lake City, Utah.  

 

Packed And Almost Ready to Go

I'm not sure why I've been putting this obviously important task off, but today, I finally packed our hospital bag.  I made a list of things I would need or wanted over a month ago and we've had everything for the bag for well over a week.  

I've read everywhere that people always over-pack their hospital bags and I'm sure I did too.  For me, I might need more than the average person though.  At our hospital, they suggest first-time mothers stay at the hospital for five nights with a vaginal birth and seven nights with a c-section.  In the States, you pop out a baby and leave the next day.  I do have the option to leave whenever I feel up to it so when I feel good, I am out of there.  

After much research on the internet and talking to friends, I decided on the following things for the bag...

• passport, insurance book, insurance card, passport
• robe, slippers
• yoga pants, t-shirt, nursing tanks, nursing bras, socks, ugly underwear, breast pads
• going home outfit for Mom
• outfit for Baby Reiter (for pictures)
• going home outfit for Baby Reiter (hat, mittens, socks, coat)
• mittens and hats for Baby Reiter
• baby blanket
• book
• Flip and camera
• Boppy Pillow
• snacks
• feminine products (pads, wipes)
• toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, face wash, hair brush, hair ties)
• makeup 
• contact solution, contacts, glasses, eye drops
• cell phone

Almost everything is packed.  For things I need up until our trip to the hospital, I have a list made.  Those last-minute things can just be thrown in the bag before we walk out the door. 

Of course, I packed everything in one of Kevin's hockey bags.

I recently wrote that maybe I'm not one of those women who love being pregnant, but when I really think about it, I do.  Yes, it was a hard transition for me.  Gaining weight, not being able to keep up with my normal routine, and having no control over what was going on with my body was/is hard for me.  But carrying this baby the last nine months and feeling it move has been the most amazing experience. 

I think, subconsciously, I avoided packing the bag because it signifies the end of this chapter of our lives...the First Pregnancy chapter.  At this time last year, we were only just discussing the idea of starting a family.  And now, we are a month away from bringing home our first child.  

Horse, and Rabbit, and Fish...Oh My!

Lately, there has been a lot of press about horse meat.  In the UK, it was discovered that some grocery store chains' frozen hamburgers had horse meat in them.  Burger King also became a player in the horse meat scandal.  In Italy, the only paper I've seen horse meat in this week is in our grocery store ad.

 Sorry, but nowhere does it say 100% beef (source)

 

 

Horse stew is on sale this week!

I understand why people in the UK are upset about the horse meat in their burgers.  They wanted beef and they got a little more than they bargained for.  At the same time, I will say that it isn't the most disgusting thing that could be in your burgers.  Horse is edible.  Here, in Italy, it is a common meat and the same is true for many other countries.  I tried it last year in lunch meat form.  It tastes like beef.  Would I order horse at a restaurant?  No.  But I wouldn't order beef either.

Even babies in Italy like horse meat.  When Kevin and I were shopping the other day, we took a stroll down the baby food aisle to see what the choices were.  Well, horse is one.  And if horse isn't to your baby's liking, you can go with sheep, fish, cheese, or rabbit baby food.

I wonder if anyone in Italy would be mad if they found out this had beef in it?

That baby looks like he loves rabbit.  Who am I to judge? 

Mix these two together and you have yourself a well-rounded meal.

It's the Final Countdown!

We are officially 40 days away from my due date.  Kevin and I have been putting some stuff off the last few months and weeks, but now it's time to get serious because Baby Reiter could makes his/her appearance any day now.  

Priority number one right now is getting a bed and carseat for Baby Reiter.   We are borrowing these two things so we just need to pick them up and get them set up.  Last week, I washed all the bottles and sterilized the nipples and pacifiers.  The baby now has his/her own space in the cabinets...right next to the wine glasses. 

The hospital bag is in the process of being packed.  We still need to pick up a few things and make a list of last-minute items that will need to be put in the bag, but it is coming along.  We have a big trip to Innsbruck planned for Tuesday so we are really hoping to get everything we need so we can mark the hospital bag off of our list of things to do. 

Since I don't want Baby Reiter looking back at pictures from when he/she was first born and think I looked like a train wreck, I scheduled a hair appointment for this week.  My girl from last year moved so this will be an experience, but apparently the lady speaks English so I have that going for me.  Kevin is also going to get his hair cut in the next week or two.  We have to get it done soon because they always cut it way too short so we'll need a few weeks to let it grow out.  

Baby Reiter is also still without a name.  We decide and then we change our mind.  We are torn between our original two names, which are totally American, or naming the baby something Italian or German since we are over here.  Luckily, one of Kevin's hockey players got us a book of 100,000 names so we have plenty of choices.  

Of course, our list seems endless right now, but we'll get it done.  There's nothing like scratching out something on a list once you've accomplished it.  One thing we have been great at is making sure to take our weekly pictures.  Here are the last four weeks.  

Baby Reiter loves to move, but is scared of the BIG flip. 

The doctor says our baby has great muscles like his Daddy.  And Mommy has the early morning bloat going on.  

I can't get enough peanut butter, which isn't a good thing since it is hard to come by here. 

My ankles are starting to look a lot like cantaloupes too.