Pregnancy Update.

Well here we are sitting pretty at 35 Weeks and I think Poppyseed has dropped because I don't feel in my ribcage as much and my lower back feels a little tweaked more than usual. However, I would gladly pick the lower back pain over having her in my ribcage because the back pain is so much easier for me to alleviate and prevent and I'll tell you why:

Apparently a lot of the aches and pains of the last trimester are the result of poor posture and our culture's more sedentary lifestyle as compared to how women lived throughout history. Changing ones lifestyle from sedentary to active during the last few months of pregnancy has its challenges, but correcting posture should be easier, but it takes effort and discipline. (I'm so glad I took up Ballroom Dancing when I came to college). As some may know, posture has not been my friend for most of my life. When I was in middle school I had a mild form of scoliosis that was corrected after wearing an easily concealed back brace for a year. Nevertheless good posture remained a foreign thing to me. When I came to college I learned techniques for putting myself in better posture from ballroom dancing classes and workshops. There I learned a particularly helpful tip of how to "walk underneath your body"

This way of walking is very helpful to pregnant women as it keeps you from "waddling" which causes a lot of the bodily aches women suffer from in their last months of pregnancy. Instead of waddling, when you stand or walk tuck your bum in so that your pelvis faces forward more (this is half the battle of having good posture by the way). Keep your bum tucked in as much as possible--this takes work but you get used to it more. If you have lower back pain, try tucking in and see if that does not alleviate the pain--most often it will. Next when you're walking, keep your legs underneath you by keep them close together so that your thighs and knees just brush each other and take smaller steps. Also concentrate on putting the heel down first. This is a much more graceful way to walk and it's better on your body. The next time you're out and about you might notice how people walk, most people have: a wide stance, take large steps, bums jutting out, and just general "lumbering" around. (I've noticed this particularly in women my age wearing high heels).

Other than that pregnancy is pregnancy, but not miserable. Braxton hicks contractions mixed with acid reflux are no picnic, but I bought some TUMS the other day at the store, and my body immediately--true to form--decides to mellow out the moment I spend money on it. I'm still able to get a good night's sleep mingled with 3-4 bathroom breaks in the night--but that's been standard practice the past 8 months so no complaints there.  And now I have little bit of swelling, but no stretchmarks (thank you genetics!). Sadly I surpassed my weigh gain limit of 25 lbs weighing 28lbs heavier than prepregnancy me at my last check up (sweets have become ever so much more irresistible now), but that was right before I started my semester at school and I've done a lot more walking since then so hopefully that will balance out.

Yes I am school taking a wopping 5.5 credits, German (4), Art Seminar (.5), and FA 100 (1). A couple of my art history teachers have encouraged me to come and sit in on a couple of their classes when I am able--and I try to be able as possible because I really enjoy it.

So I cannot complain, I do get tired of lugging a belly around but hey it's called PREGNANCY and besides that life was never meant to be the Garden of Eden so I'll take my little inconveniences over what I've heard other women go through any day.

Es schmeckt mir gut!

The other day my German professor, Herr Green, asked us what we would like to do if we travelled to Germany. My answer, without the slightest hint of a joke, was "Ich mochte essen" (I would like to eat) -- Where would you want to go? "der Backerei" (the bakery--I couldn't have married into a more approriate name than "Mrs Baker")For some reason this was an odd answer. Then again most of the students had been to der Vaterland and had cities, sites, and people they'd like to visit, but still I am perplexed at why they would think "eating" was a strange answer for what one would want to do in Germany. HELLO PEOPLE--you're in GER-MA-NY!--the alps will still be there, but a that roastbeef sandwich with provolone, sauerkraut, adn horseradish sauce served hot on fresh rye bread isn't going to stay hot forever. Germany is known for its bread, cheese, chocolate, and pastries, America isn't and so I want to see what I've been missing out on.
Disclaimer: this is not a pregnancy post--I just love good food. Anybody who has eaten at my mother's house can understand why. Ever since I was a teenager, my tastes have been more inclined to the european. Sometime during highschool a marvelous place called "the fresh market" opened up--a grocery store featuring imports, organic, or quality American brands--my mother and I were soon making regular pilgramages. I would often get a a french bagette and some rich, sharp chedder cheese for lunch and of course we had to buy the bavarian pretzel sticks with some truly divine European butter. Oh it was all so good. I hope one day I can go to anywhere in europe and gorge on the real deal. For now I do my best to bring a slice of foreign living into our "Little House in the Tundra" by keeping the international section of allrecipes.com on my favorites list and making homemade french bread as much as possible. (This month has been hectic so we've been forced to buy store bread --neither Mr Baker, nor I like this very much, fresh homemade bread being both our preference. (I will tell you, when you learn how to properly make wheat bread --not over kneading it, or adding too much flour, and sweetening it with honey rather than sugar--it DOES taste better than white bread.

Perhaps I'm the only one in the class from the South, or perhaps they are all gentiles, and unGermanized of heart, but for some strange reason they would rather go "site-seeing"--yeah I'll do that too, but it will be with a pastry in one hand and a sparkling lemonade in the other, (and a lot of chocolate in my bag)

ps Dear Mom, I have tried to make spaetzle several times but I can't get it right, it turns out rather soggy and in pellets rather than in noodles. Do you know why or could you ask Oma.