Sunday Ticker Change (12/4)

canavara

How many weeks are you? What's new with your little babe?

What are you doing this week to prepare for baby's arrival?

Questions / Concerns / Symptoms / Questions:

When's your next appointment?

(stolen from Saturday's) GTKY: What is your favorite holiday cookie recipe?

canavara

How many weeks are you? What's new with your little babe? 36 weeks, size of a honeydew. Every other app said ripe papaya but I don't know where I'm going to buy that given that it's 31 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I don't really know if there is anything "new" with him. Seems like he's staying put and getting bigger. I feel him constantly, even when I'm up and moving, and it feels like he never sleeps.

What are you doing this week to prepare for baby's arrival? I put together his downstairs swing Friday and we're seeing our doula again on Thursday.

Questions / Concerns / Symptoms / Questions: *vent, trigger warning: loss* I've been really weepy the past few days. I know antenatal depression isn't that rare but I don't know if it's that, really. My fiancee asked me last night, "Are you still planning on getting an IUD after delivery?" and I said, "I don't know, I have reservations about it..." and suddenly it turned into a discussion about maybe not having a second child because while he'd be happy about it, he also thinks it's irresponsible. I'm in the same place from a logical standpoint, but loaded with hormones, it just makes me feel really sad. We're both only children and we had talked about giving this child a sibling because we both disliked being only children (and this child will have no first cousins or aunts/uncles as a result of that), so it was a little jarring to hear him say that. We lost twins in 2015 and I think, "that was 2 children..." and he says, "Yes and if we had more, it could be twins... or triplets." It's just rough. The world is overpopulated and I do feel (FOR US) it's environmentally and ecologically selfish to have more, but at a small scale... it's just sad to think of this possibly being the last time I'll ever be pregnant and not giving my son a sibling.

Otherwise, symptoms: Feeling like I have to pee and then literally only peeing 3 drips of pee out. It's so obnoxious. I went out to run some errands yesterday, stopping at 3 stores, and I had to stop to pee the moment I walked into each store. Baby is definitely sitting low.

When's your next appointment? Friday for a normal weekly check-in. They asked at my last appointment if I wanted a cervix check and I said no, so I think I'll probably be saying yes this time.

GTKY: What is your favorite holiday cookie recipe? I have 2. One is from when I used to eat Paleo. It was just applesauce, coconut and almond flour, dark chocolate chips, almond butter, coconut sugar, flaxseed, and arrow root combined into a batter to make almond butter chocolate chip cookies. It has an earthy taste to it but they're pretty healthy as far as desserts go. My second favorite is this: https://allrecipes.com/recipe/9471/peanut-butter-cup-cookies/ which is not healthy at all

newyearsbaby5

36 weeks! Baby is the size of a baby, judging by the insane bump growth I keep experiencing. It is so funny, because my bump literally just points out so far in front/is not wide whatsoever. It looks like I shoved some footballs (but larger) in my shirt. Strangers or colleagues keep not realizing I'm pregnant and then I turn to the side and watch them have a freak out cause this gigando bump comes outta nowhere. 

Nursery will be just about DONE after today! (Will post to nursery thread). Just need to wash and sort baby clothes/swaddles etc. this afternoon which I'm looking forward to. I'm going to make a festive holiday mocktail and listen to Christmas music while doing it. H plans to install car seat base today, too.

Crazy back pain/contractions that I get about once a day, but then they disappear. Excited to hear if they're causing any dilation at my appt next week. Other than that, just trying to force myself to relax and take it easy, but I apparently can't slow down even though my body hurts and swollen feet happen after a long, active day. Maybe I need to start watching Gilmore Girls from the beginning again to encourage some R and R.

This Wed. which includes an ultrasound (yay!). My first weekly appt.

I'm not much of a baker, but I love making long pretzel rods dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with chopped up holiday M and Ms or candy canes or something equally unhealthy. They look super fancy, but I just melt chocolate, dip, sprinkle, and freeze until the chocolate is fully hardened. Yum! 

mrskimm09

How many weeks are you? What's new with your little babe?
35 weeks. Size of a pineapple. 

What are you doing this week to prepare for baby's arrival?
Getting room ready, bottles washed, hospital bag and diaper bag packed. 

Questions / Concerns / Symptoms / Questions:
Little chunker. He is estimating about 7 pounds right now. 

When's your next appointment?
Wednesday. Now onto weekly appointments!  

(stolen from Saturday's) GTKY: What is your favorite holiday cookie recipe?
I love the peanut butter ones and the almond balls. 

rdh33

@canavara I'm so sorry for the loss of your twins last year. My husband and I have had very similar discussions about the number of kids we want to have. We have decided on two, in part to give this kiddo a sibling, but also with the practical decision that we are okay with basically replacing ourselves (in the very long term sense), but not adding any more to our overpopulated world. 

(As @canavara said, this is 100% our opinion on what is best for our family. If I had started making babies a little earlier in life, I'd probably be aching for 3-4.)  

That being said, I would also be very sad if we decided to stop at one. It's good that you and your fiancee are talking about this. I think so much is going to change after these babies start to arrive, it might be wise to have that conversation again in 6 months, and again in a year. Several of my friends and family changed (both reduced and increased) their final number after their 1st arrived. Are you interested in adoption at all? For now, I'd say, you go ahead and be weepy and sad and whatever you need to feel. Thinking of you.

rdh33

How many weeks are you? What's new with your little babe?
36 weeks! He's big and low and very very very active. 

What are you doing this week to prepare for baby's arrival?
Childbirth Education class, meeting with doula, OB appt, all of the things. (We were also supposed to have a BF class, but it got cancelled.)

Questions / Concerns / Symptoms / Questions:
This is just a random statement, but, I really hope this baby comes a tad bit early. After the 15th but before the 31st would be fantastic. Ha! 

When's your next appointment?
Thursday

(stolen from Saturday's) GTKY: What is your favorite holiday cookie recipe?
Well... this is going to sound like I'm totally copying @canavara-- I swear I'm not!! Haha 
I don't have a favorite holiday recipe, but I am a cookie fanatic. My go-to cookie recipes are what my friends call "Rach's Cookies" and the one below from Smitten Kitchen. My cookies are a made up deal of whole wheat flour, teff flour, almond butter, cocoa powder, cardamom, fennel, bit of sunflower or coconut oil, ground flax seed, vanilla, dark chocolate, baking soda, and usually a few other random things. Created back in the day when I was "vegan adjacent" and didn't use measuring cups or spoons. They are amazing. 

And, then, there are these: 
https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/04/salted-chocolate-chunk-cookies/

Oh. And these, too: 
https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/12/peanut-butter-cookies/

(I usually double the vanilla, because, why not?)

moosette113

32 weeks and LO is officially (hopefully for the long haul) head down

Had my birth prep makeup class over the weekend. I don't think I actually came away with anything new, but that's probably more because I've read a decent amount about birth over the last few months. And since we were cramming a 16 hour class into 8 hours, we didn't spend too much time on breathing techniques. I'm pretty sure my doula can help fill in any gaps when the time comes.

I'm going to do some marathon washing this week, starting with blankets and my moby wrap. I don't have a dryer so I'm a little worried about keeping things soft. Question: does anyone have any tricks for keeping things relatively crunch-free without a dryer? I use a combo of fabric softener and vinegar for our clothes now, and it works decently for everything (except towels. I wish I could buy new towels once a month to escape the scratchiness). I'm not sure if vinegar alone will do the job.

Dec 21 with OB, thinking I might schedule an appt with my midwife before then to see about acupuncture.

I also don't do specific holiday cookies, but my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (instead of all baking soda, I sub in half baking powder and half baking soda to get a better texture): https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18476/original-nestle-toll-house-chocolate-chip-cookies/

I usually make this flourless chocolate cake around the holidays and it's always a hit and insanely easy to make (serve with berries and ice cream and/or home made whipped cream): https://www.davidlebovitz.com/shf-27-chocolat-1/

Also, apple crisp is a must for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I don't have a real recipe, more like guidelines based on what my grandmother told me (there was a written recipe at some point but it was lost. We asked my grandmother what the ratio was for the crisp topping, and she said 1-1-1 without units... there's a BIG difference between a cup of butter and a stick of butter).
-a bunch of apples (like 10?) peeled and cut into 8-10 slices (we usually use a honey crisp type apple) and thrown in an oven safe bowl
-toss applies with some cinnamon (and nutmeg if you're feeling fancy)
-mush together 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 stick of butter until crumbles are formed, and sprinkle on top of apples. Cover with foil.
-bake (somewhere around 350 degrees, but really whatever medium temperature you want/whatever your oven is already set to to cook other things) until bubbly and the apples have cooked down a bit. If you make it ahead of dinner, it's great to throw it back in the oven while you're eating at a low temperature to keep it warm and amazing.