I have wondered for months when I would reach the point that I was what I have come to call "grocery store pregnant" - meaning, when I was pregnant looking enough that there was no longer a question of whether I was dawning a beer or cookie belly, but it was officially obvious enough that I was pregnant that a stranger would be bold enough to say something. At 27 weeks 3 days, it happened. Daniel and I were checking out of Wegmans and the cashier turned to me at the end of the experience and asked "How are you feeling?" (I replied something of the lines of "really quite well! I can't complain!") and she told me "well, you look radiant!"
At week 27 whether I was officially in the third trimester or not was debatable (some books and sites say 27 weeks some say 28), but regardless, this week I definitely felt more pregnant than I have. I have been more tired, sleeping a little bit less well, feeling bigger, etc. The first few days of this week our daughter's activity level definitely went up another notch and I had a few nights of crummy sleep as I adjusted to a 2 am and 3 am and 6 am dance party in my tummy. :) Sleep wise I have to admit - I have been doing incredibly well! So when I hit a rough patch of crummy sleep it a) makes me incredibly thankful for all of the solid sleep nights I have had and b) hits me pretty hard - I haven't been sleeping crummily for months and have thus have not adapted in a frustrated this-is-how-it-is kind of way, so crummy nights leave me reeling and hoping I am not heading into the adaptation phase just yet. I'll take each and every night I can sleep gratefully!
In the midst of this crummy sleep spell (which honestly, only lasted two or three days until our little one either chilled out a bit more at night again or until I adjusted to the higher level of activity) Daniel actually said "If you can't sleep you must not be very tired" - Oh boy. What an incredibly Daniel-like thing to say - and while I did have to take a very deep breath, bite my tongue, and roll my eyes in silence, I think I replied something along the lines of "or, you could be uncomfortable and unable to drift off to sleep because there's a dance party going on inside" and just let it go. Some things are not worth it. ...If he gives me that line when I'm 35+ weeks though, I don't think he'll get as tame of a response...
Let's see other land marks? On Friday, December 13th I hit the three month mark! Due date was three months away! In some ways it is super exciting and I can't believe I only have three more months and in other ways it is incredibly daunting. I am going to continue to expand for three more months?! Yikes! Or we will be responsible for a baby-on-the-outside in three months?! Yikes! (We are not ready yet!...we have three months to become ready, but there is still lots to do!)
I also found out that not only did I pass my glucose test, but I did with flying colors! My blood sugar was 102 (135 was the cut off) and the nurse on the phone actually said "oh yeah, yours was really good!" and I thought to myself - yep, this is confirmation that I certainly do process sugars quickly and yep, it has been a real challenge to keep my blood sugar stable through the pregnancy (especially in the first trimester when a blood sugar dip was insta-nausea)
The same morning I found out I aced my glucose test we got a package from our friends Brie and Thomas full of delicious chocolates!!! Yum! What excellent timing! :-)
The day after the grocery store incident, I swear my center of gravity suddenly changed. Mid-day I was getting myself lunch in the kitchen and caught myself doing the pregnant lady lean. Through the rest of the day while I ran errands and cooked dinner I kept catching myself leaning and I spent the whole day trying to modify my posture and make sure to not succumb to the lean. I am still fighting it, but I really am trying!
So, it has been an interesting week full of "yep, I really am quite pregnant" moments and reminders. Still doing really well, but definitely feeling it all that much more. I made it a whole week without round ligament pain and considering it has coincided with seeing a chiropractor, I really am giving her full props! My biggest complaint? This one is a nuisance...but not a really big discomfort. I definitely have the "rhinitis of pregnancy" thing...and as I barrel into the third trimester I increasingly have the unreasonably out of breath for mundane tasks thing too (it's really a lot like when you go to a higher altitude)...but the combo of stuffy and out of breath? It is most obnoxious in two ways - 1) I can continually hear myself breathe...and Daniel can too...and I sound like a grossly obese person who huffs and puffs through their existence and it really grosses me out and even though I cannot help it I can't help but to be embarrassed and self-loathing as I hear myself breathe all the time. It's just really really gross. 2) it is especially annoying when I am trying to eat, particularly while trying to carry on a conversation because I am stuffy enough that I have to arrange my breaths around chewing like you would if you had a cold...and then it's a double whammy if I'm trying to have a conversation. Is it the end of the world? Nope. But is it something I will be excited to have go away? YES.
My snuggle bum...and my belly. Haha.
The puppies are doing great too! Chance is THE BEST big brother! He plays with Holly so well - and can be so gentle with her, especially in the house. If she has been playing and playing with me and I need a break and Chance walks in the room I can actually toss him the pink wubba kong puppy toy and he will catch it and pick up the slack and lead her into a game of keep away and tug of war. It's wonderful. Additionally...he also helps me when she wants to play "catch me if you can" when it's time to come inside from backyard play (which is off leash). 1 in 5 times Holly will defiantly try to play a game of "catch me" when it's time to come inside and she is getting faster...and I am getting slower...see the problem? When it happens I can actually call to Chance to "help me!" "Get her!" and he will run through the yard and wrestle her to the ground so I can scoop her up and take her inside! Best big brother and helpful older kiddo ever! I am so proud of him and how he has responded to her! ...He has also slowly but surely let her snuggle her way in as well! It's too cute!
Holly 10-11 weeks old
Chance playing keep away and tug or war oh so gently with Holly
Our beautiful pups!
Oh hai!
Progressions in Snuggle Town...
Week 1...Holly is keeping respectful distance from a wary Chance
So at 26 weeks Baby Hals cranked things up a notch and started rocking out so hard I could actually see my belly move on the outside! I have a sassy one! I feel like ever since 24 weeks the pregnancy dial turned up just a bit and for the past few weeks I have been a little less comfortable, a little more tired, have had the round ligament pains and pangs, and feel just a little more pregnant. I still really can't complain, it just feels like the pregnancy dial cranked up a notch again. I really still feel quite good and am staying busy, but I have noticed a shift over the past few weeks.
Snuggle time with my pups!!!
Other highlights this week? I got to partake in a DC cupcake tasting party (okay it was a gathering) with Kristina and Whitney...and yummy! We specifically chose to fit it in before my glucose test in case I was later banned from cupcake greatness. The cupcakes were beautiful and delicious and mmmm, what fun!
We also had snow! And enough snow to get a decent ground covering! It was really beautiful and was Chance's first snowfall! We found that both Chance and Holly love the snow! Chance loved to slide in it while trying to catch ropes and Holly loves to pounce and bound and prance her way through it. Both were really happy!
First real snow! View from our dining room
I love this picture!!!
Chance looks realllly happy
Ridiculously cute
I also started seeing a prenatal chiropractor this week...it has been on my list to find one for the past month...I had reached the point where things were just feeling increasingly out of line, but I finally found a well recommended one and managed to get an appointment. I was really hopeful about the appointment and really liked her! The biggest thing? After having a pretty intense round ligament attack almost every night around dinner time for several weeks I made it from Tuesday to Saturday night before I had another one! I didn't realize the difference until a few days after Tuesday when it occurred to me I wasn't coping with the onset each night. Hooray!
Wednesday I had an morning appointment for my monthly checkup and to do the glucose test. I had gotten up early and had a big sugar free, protein full breakfast (scrambled eggs with cheese). They gave me the 50 grams of sugar solution almost immediately and gave me five minutes to drink it, not a problem except that it was really cold and I have a really hard time drinking anything cold quickly (my mouth seems to be really sensitive to too hot or too cold...always has been...I am not a huge fan of ice in my drinks and Daniel can drink something hot that I will burn my tongue on with no problem). Then I continued on with the rest of my appointment. I am in the process of getting to rotate through the different doctors in the practice. When I weighed in I had gained exactly four pounds in four weeks. (Which is what the doctor at my last checkup had told me to shoot for). Right on track! I was really pleased with myself! ...Only...this doctor was obsessed with the idea that all healthy women should not gain more than twenty-five pounds total (even though my overall gain if I kept the pound a week thing going would be between the twenty-five to thirty-five pound range). It was incredibly frustrating because she didn't give me any recommendations or solutions to this 25 pound limit just told me that I would be warned every time I came in from now on. What was the point of this? Why not look at how much I gained in the past four weeks and tell me if I should keep doing what I'm doing or if I should change things...with a recommendation on how to instead of an unfounded scolding that there will be more scoldings in my future... I was really frustrated and mad. I was in the recommended range, I had gained a recommended amount, I have been active, I have been eating a wide variety of nutritious meals, and my baby and I are both healthy. What else do you want?! What have I changed since that appointment? Nothing.
For after the glucose test, I had brought an apple, cheese, and crackers with me so I could try to stave off a full blown blood sugar crash and shoveled it all when I got to the car. Even so as I ran errands (just two...we realllly needed dog food for Chance) I felt dizzy and woozy when I was waiting in line. But I made it home and ate an early lunch and felt leaps and bounds better once I got a full meal. Now to just wait for the results!
Oh hai!
And Holly? Doing great! My best description of her is sweet and spirited. She can be very snuggly and sweet but is also a puppy testing her boundaries. My favorite toys for her have all been from the kong line...she and Chance love playing with the pink puppy wubba toy. He will pick it up and squeak it at her and then play a gentle but playful game of tug and keep away. They're adorable together!! She also loves this three pack of "puppy toys" from pet stages....she loves every single one of them (but those are not Chance friendly toys). Other Holly developments? She sleeps through the night!!, is increasingly better on her leash, is house broken, and is really doing incredibly well! :-).
Thank goodness for kongs!!!
Snuggle time!!!
I woke up to find them like this!!! Chance immediately jumped up and ran away...I couldn't tell if he was embarrassed for being a softie or woke up and realized she had snuggled up... :)
My first feat of week 25 was successfully cooking a full Thanksgiving dinner with all the major trimmings (and then some!) for my sister and her fiance and our friends Arthur and Kristina and Arthur's mom. The table was teeming with deliciousness and overall we managed to have food that was all hot at the same time and all tasted quite good! More than a success - it was a slam dunk Thanskgiving feast with no major snafus! Woohoo! (I think Baby Hals gave me the whole cape for the day...I think she wanted all of her food to be extra tasty haha). It was a delightful day full of family and friends and delicious food!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Mmmm! Our beautiful feast!
Of course in the midst of the fifteen minute flurry of getting all good on the table Daniel wanted a picture, but here you go. Proof I cooked dinner? And that the apron barely fits haha.
On Friday while Ali and Brad were at work, we decided to take cousin Leela to the park with Chance and had a good time letting the pups charge through the woods together. And through the course of the day we made a semi-impulsive, completely awesome decision. It was Daniel's idea...but it was the kind of idea that I had to be 100% on board with or it would never work. But by the end of the day it was official - we were getting a puppy!
Chance and cousin Leela checking out the view
The ultimate puppy dad - he ran the pups up and down the hills
Our reasoning (because I know this is a little crazy...but it's something we are really excited about!)
1. We have been talking about whether to get a second dog for years. If we were going to get a second dog, Daniel really wanted a puppy that we trained from scratch. Up until now we were either working way too much or in the midst of moving. We have always wanted Chance to get to enjoy the benefits, comfort, and fun of having a sibling dog. He has always enjoyed playing with our friends' dogs and loves being "one of the pack" at the Hals house or at doggy day care.
2. It was now or never (and by never I mean several years). And When else in my life would I be both unemployed and childless? ...Retirement? If we dove in now I had three and a half months to fully dedicate to our puppy. The pup would be 5-6 months old by the time little miss Hals arrives and would then have at least four or five more months before I would be working. By then she'll be able to make it through the day!
3. Chance is still a young and playful dog who can serve as a wonderful behavioral model too! We had always wanted to raise a puppy with a well trained dog around to model good behavior. Chance isn't perfect, but he really is a good pup and a puppy would learn a lot from observing his behavior. We didn't want to have a seniored Chance bothered by a puppy - we wanted a young to mid-life Chance who would be excited to play with a puppy.
4. They would have each other to play with once little miss Hals arrives! (As I type they are playing together in the living room) :)
5. How could the maternal hormones in me say no?! Let's just be honest! Snuggling and cuddling and caring for a puppy right now? Ahhh! So awesome!
6. It would keep me busy and active through the pregnancy. (Not that I haven't been so far, but this would encourage me that much more).
So...with our minds made up we did our research and confirmed what type of dog we wanted. My requirement was that the dog HAD to be smaller than Chance (me and two dogs and a stroller?...we needed a dog who was smaller and thus, less strong than Chance). Daniel required a smarty pants. He had always wanted an akita (he grew up with one), but the size was always the clincher for me. A shiba inu was a great compromise for us and the more I read about the breed the more I felt it would be a good match for Chance. Both breeds require strong owners, both are playful and smart. A shiba inu tends to be a bit more independent than some breeds, which would work well because as an adult dog Chance was independent, but also dog who is hugely loyal and dependent on us. Shibas weren't good fits with families that had smaller pets (like guinea pigs or rodents, possibly cats) - totally fine because Chance destroys small animals! Shibas aren't yappy barking dogs. The considerations go on and on. The only other major factor was compatibility with children, which is certainly influenced by environment (and the fact we would have a child in his/her environment), but looking for a family that had raised the puppies around kids from day 1 and had puppy parents who were great with kids temperament wise would seal the deal. ...It also doesn't hurt that I think shibas are some of the cutest dogs on the planet!
I managed to find a family in Pennsylvania that had seven kids who had handled the puppies from the beginning, they bragged about the mom's temperament, and it was the first day the pups were open for adoption because they were going to be exactly eight weeks that day! If we were going to get a puppy I wanted to be able to capitalize on the golden socialization window as much as possible! We were the first couple coming to see the pups, so we were going to get to choose from all five that they had.
I could hardly sleep Friday night because I was so excited. Daniel went out and did his fifteen mile run Saturday morning while I went out to the bank to get the cash we would need and then ran to Target and Petco and picked up the various basics that we would need to have a puppy in our house. A collar, leash, a few puppy size chew toys (Chance's are pretty large, tough and beastly), and puppy grade food (I went with the same brand we feed Chance so we can eventually graduate them to the same stuff - we've been happy with Nature's Recipe).
Once Daniel cleaned up and we scarfed down yummy chipotle burritos we were off to go find our puppy! It was two and a half hours each way - we had to drive up into the farm country of Pennsylvania and had a really good time talking on the way up there, discussing puppy raising strategies and catching up. We sent pictures to Daniel's family to try to get them to guess what we were up to.
Clue # 1:
Clue #2
When we got there we were immediately impressed by how sweet and gentle and awesome the mother of the pups was - what an amazing disposition! The pups were all outside, but were all snuggled together at the base of a bush at the front of the house snoozing together. So did we get to see the pups playing together? Not really, we were meeting some very sleepy puppies, but I quickly had it narrowed down to just a few and we took them aside to get to check them each out a little more closely. I loved the red shiba features and quickly narrowed it down to two pups. Of the two they were both alert and looked healthy but puppy A was the noisiest of all the puppies, a bit of a whiner, and was called "the squealer" by the family, she was also significantly heftier than any of the other four puppies. They had lost me at "squealer." Puppy B seemed calmer, but still observant, seemed normal size compared to her litter mates. Puppy B won!
Holly's mom!
Holly's mom - this gives you an idea of how big Holly should get
She's not sure what is going on, but here's Holly!
Before we knew it we were off with our puppy! (Who was definitely shell-shocked), but she quickly fell asleep in my arms and slept most of the way home. We also had a bag of the food she had been eating and a blanket that smelled of her litter mates per my request. She was calm and quiet and sweet in the car and when we got her home. Mid trip we stopped at a gas station and to let her out to pee and I quickly had the "oh boy" realization when I put the collar and leash on her and realized she had definitely never ever worn either! Later on that night I tried to take Leela, Chance, AND Holly out together and I swear...I looked like a self-mocking circus performer...anyone watching me would have laughed...hard.
Ali and Brad were pretty big fans
He's processing...
Sunday morning Ali and Brad headed out to get their new apartment and start the transition and de-molding process for their things. And Sunday was our first real day with the puppy and as a two pup household and Daniel and I had a blast playing with her and getting to know her better. Chance did really well, but was still kind of wary of her - it was almost like he didn't quite know what to do with her (I mean, she is much smaller than the dogs he usually plays with). We eventually left the pups to nap and ran our errands quickly and came home with a Christmas tree! I kept bracing myself for Chance to look all sad and depressed (even though we were trying SO hard to keep the attention even and keep him feeling secure in how he was still our beloved pup), but honestly every time I looked...he was fine! Such a huge relief!
By Monday (day 3 at our home) Holly and Chance started playing in the yard! It was a huge breakthrough and I was ecstatic and sooo relieved. Chance is huge compared to Holly and can fit her entire head in his mouth, so I was nervous too, but overall I was impressed with how gentle he was with her, while still being playful! I tried to praise him as frequently as possible while he played gently and over the next few days I watched their play very carefully and managed to catch him and scold him the three times he truly got too rough. That evening when Daniel came home from work for the first time since we had gotten Holly, we were both excited to see how she reacted and she instantly recognized him and was incredibly excited! Yay!
He seems pretty happy to me! More play sessions and extra walks?! Yes please!
There's a little defiance in that personality...can you see it? We are working really hard to be firm and consistent!
The puppies first play session! I cannot tell you how excited and relieved I was for them to start playing together! this MADE my day (and Daniel's!)
My evening snuggle bum!
On Tuesday I learned that Holly was a neighborhood kiddie magnet as when I was walking her during the day everyone was flocking to see her and pet her and I quickly learned that she ADORES little kids. She borders on the side of possibly being too excited, but really, she just loves kids and people and is really upset if she doesn't get to say hello to each person. By Wednesday she could climb up a flight of stairs (it's now been over two weeks and she still can't go down them), but by day five our little bunny could bound up the stairs and was doing increasingly better on a leash. By the weekend we figured out that if I stayed up a little late with her and we let her sleep in our bed, she would sleep through the night! BAM! And in the course of the entire week we had one accident that was entirely my fault. (She woke up from a nap and we both had to pee...but this pregnant lady tried to duck in the restroom before taking her outside and wasn't fast enough). My fault, not hers. Seriously though - that's the only accident we've had! We both get good stars because it takes parent and puppy to become house broken!
We are still working on her nippiness/play biting but are using the standard bite inhibition techniques and I think they are working. I call her the little piranha, but she is also very sweet and snuggly. She and Chance are steadily getting along better and better. I have also figured out what types of toys Holly needs to keep her entertained and finally got a deep enough arsenal of toys to be able to offer the variety necessary to divert inappropriate (bad) behavior. Hooray!
And Baby Hals? Doing great! Wiggling and active as ever. I still have pretty intense bouts of round ligament pain that generally strikes in the late afternoon or evenings, but other than that I really can't complain!
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