Hospital Update #1

Well I'm here at the hospital to have a BABY! Last night, Poppyseed wasn't moving much and didn't move at all this morning. Since I had a dr's appt today, I just decided to go in a little early. They monitored her heart beat and movements. She moved a little after being hooked up. When Dr. L came in he simply said "Why don't we just have the baby today". There was nothing really wrong with her, but he said there really was no benefit to her staying there longer, incase her lack of movement might be something wrong. So he scheduled an inducement at 2 today. I'm up to 7ml of pitocin an hour now. and my contractions go to the top of the chart but they don't hurt and I haven't been checked yet to see if I'm dilating anymore. I can feel tension in my lower back, but my real complaint is--and you won't be really surprised by this considering my "lineage"--- I want to eat. I'm hungry and I only get to have jello. 

Taking it easy...

...that's a new style for me, but change can be good. Earlier, before the semester started, I had made up a jam packed schedule of things I wanted to do before the baby came, but by the end of week 2 I was exhausted. I remembered the words of President Uchtdorf's talk to slow down and simplify and knew this was something I needed to follow. So now we've nixed the thorough scrub down fall cleaning I had planned for a more manageable 1 hour a day cleaning--that equates to ten minutes in each room and 20 min on a day chore like ironing or mopping the floor. My aim is progression not completion so if the room isnt spotless, at least its cleaner and you'd be surprised how much you can do in ten minutes.
Speaking of 10, that's how many hours of sleep I get each night (odd bc before I got pregnant I could easily power through the day with 5 hours of sleep and lots of water) But I found that those extra 2 hours dosing while Mr Baker is up and getting ready for work make all the difference in my body not feeling very spent and exhausted towards the end of the day.
Achy joints...there used to be a little voice in my head while in the shower reminding me not to linger too long, there were things to do--not anymore. I blast that hot water for all its worth onto my sore neck for about 20 min to 30 min and that does the trick. I know even without feeling major back pain that my body is overdue for a massage, but I'm leaving off consulting the Bakery's change jar until after the Poppyseed comes. Until then I'm making the best of the fact that the Hart Building's pool is heated swimming my laps doing my funny little frog kicks from fitpregnancy .
Ahh the joys of dinner. I love food, but dinner can often be a chore for American women "I'm tired and dinner needs to be ready in 30 min....ramen/peanut butter sandwiches/order pizza, sounds good I don't feel like cooking"---sound familiar. I try to avoid this by thinking about what I'd like to eat during the day or by simply kicking off my shoes when I get home at 4:30 and perusing a cookbook or cooking website for a few minutes until I find something I'd actually love to eat, not just what I can make. I find this makes a huge difference. Unwinding for just a little bit and then finding something that makes you want to cook rather than feeling forced to cook. I also like to shop the international section of allrecipes, when I find something I like, I flip over to pandora and find a music station playing music from the country of origin we're eating from. French : Edith Piaf, Italian: Pavoratti, American: Miles Davis-- you get the idea. This adds atmosphere to the kitchen making dinner becomes more an unwind than an ardous task. And international doesnt= complicated, the other night we had chedder bruschetta, a Mediterranean dish--basically three types of cheeses pureed with tomatoes and spread over bread, then baked in the oven for 10 minutes--do you know what that is?--it's cheese toast that took 30 min instead of 3 and is a little healthier because a vegetable went with it. EASY.
Speaking of atmosphere--do you know what a white linen cloth and lighting a few candles on a set table can do for dinner time?--You actually sit down and enjoy it and relax rather than hurriedly scarf down what you just made standing be the fridge in the kitchen. oh it's nice. Home comforts like that are well worth the little effort they take.
I'm glad that this last month of my pregnancy I have time to relax, because taking care of Poppyseed will be quite the change, but not impossible. I'm already used to waking up every couple of hours needing to go to the bathroom and eat something, that's been the schedule for the past 6 months--my body is already prepped for feedings every 2 or so hours. And hopefully I can set my alarm so I'll wake up before Poppyseed does for her next feeding. We're also making a temporary switch over to paper and plastic dinnerware--just to make things easier that first month or so.
I know that caring for a newborn is demanding but I'm not freaking out over it because I've already set it in my mind that I'm not going to try to work Poppyseed into my life, I'm going to work my life around Poppyseed. My goals will be to see that she is fed and clean, and then I'll do what I can in the time I have left.   If it means I can't keep up with my artwork, I'll set it aside for a couple of months that's fine, if ten minute cleanings turn into five minute cleanings, it is ok. If I have to drop my german class and push back graduation to July and grad school til August, there is no shame in that (though I doubt it will get that bad unless something goes medically amiss). Perfect is doing my best and having my priorities straight. We don't have to do everything we want to do in our lives by the time we're 30--there's a lot of life to live. I have two goals right now enjoy and take care of my little family and get through my education. That is the season of life I am in and if I can get the other things done now, wonderful, but I'm not going to feel any less accomplished for not doing the extras. What is most important is Mr. Baker and Poppyseed, even my grad school education is because of and for them--my family will be so much the better for having a wife and mother with a master's degree than without.

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.

Hurricane Ice-cRENE

Since Mr Baker and I are missing out on all the action my folks are experiencing back in Dixie Land, we had the bright idea to make home-made blizzards--or shall we call them "Hurricanes?= yes.
Take some scoops of vanilla ice cream, add my mom's recipe for sop chocolate

and an undisclosed amount of chopped up funsize 3 musketeers

blend all in the blender and then have your husband turn off all the lights to simulate the next 2 weeks of no power  because your street is one of the last ones Dominion Power will get to. And then when your husband turns back on the lights, blender is magically empty

Ooops! I guess the wind just knocked it all into my mouth.

Just kidding, I did share with Mr Baker.

It was sooooo good!!!! Definitely worth the awkward side stretches I had to do in the middle of Wal-mart to relieve the pain under my ribs while Mr Baker consults whether the 24 bag of funsize 3 musketeers is really .03 cents cheaper per ounce than the 8 pack sleeve--but eventually he realized I was just trying to pull a sly one so I could have the leftovers, which he thanks is cute and therefore will by the 24 pack. the checking to see the difference in .03 cents per ounce was one of those moments I had to do a double take to make sure I went to the store with my HUSBAND and not my DAD. It was right up there with the Bill Cosby videos, the messy desk and ...well I can't remember the rest, I'm pregnant and my brain doesn't remember everything--which reminds me I need to write a post about how pregnancy is really a preparation for old age (you just get used to going to bed and knowing that when you wake up there will be something that you could do yesterday but cannot do today) ;)

Here you go Ma! 31 weeks and 20lbs later

Here's another pregnancy pic:

I've had a few friends who've gained 30-50 lbs and had 7lb babies. Watch it be that, after all my work to keep from gaining too much weight that I'll give birth to 10lb-er ;)

This info from webmd.com explains where all the weight goes to:

Baby.... 8lbs

Placenta 2-3 lbs

Aminotic fluid 2-3 lbs

Breast tissue 2-3 lbs

Blood supply 4 lbs

Fat stores for delivery and breast feeding 5-9 lbs (I had fat stores before I got pregnant, why do I need more, and why do I need it for delivery--all I need is someone to catch her when she comes out)

Uterus increase 2-5 lbs

                  Totals to 25- 35 pounds

So using percentages I can deduce that at 20 lbs statistically my weight spread would currently be:

Baby 6 lbs 4 ounces

Placenta 1.6 lbs

Aminotic fluid 1.6 lbs

Breast tissue 1.6 lbs 

Blood supply 3.2 lbs

Fat Stores 4lbs

Uterus increase 1.6 lbs

At 31 weeks Poppyseed is it keeping close to home (home being synonym for my rib cage). At any given moment at my house you can see me stretching like this, either left or right: 

I ran into my friend Erica's husband today and he commented that I was carrying high. He and his wife had their baby girl just 11 days ago (and she was one of the most beautiful newborns I had ever seen). Poor Erica carried all in front and low, but as large as that might have made her feel I bet she didn't have as much of time dealing with a baby whom is dying to get to the playground and has mistaken your ribcage for the monkey bars. ( note to Poppyseed: although Smith Park is north of our house, you're going to have to head south to get there, schatze) 

There's pros and cons to however the kids want to "hang out" during pregnancy, and I'm not complaining about the cons in mine--or anything else with pregnancy from now on. I learned a couple days ago that one of my friends, who was due in September (when you get pregnant, you tend to acquire a lot of other pregnant friends too), lost her baby last week at her baby shower. Apparently the umbilical cord got wrapped around his neck in strangled him in the womb.

This all happened just a couple days before her sister's wedding--and that was a tender mercy since it meant that all her family was in town to comfort and support her.

I acknowledge the possibility of such things happening to my little Poppyseed, but I'm not letting myself worry over it--there's no point in that. I know though that whatever happens, if it is bad, that Heavenly Father has promised that in the end all our losses will be made up when we follow His commandments. That gives me a great deal of comfort.

The more we learn about the universe...

I was watching this video today



And while watching it, I have watched it a few times before, my mind wandered a little. It's very easy for  this scientist to go to work and see the Hand of God  through his work, so I thought to myself, "Why don't I realize God's handiwork in my couch? (and you might reply: because it's so ugly) " I thought , "I know it once was all raw materials which came from nature which originates from God, but something in the fact that the the hand of man came in and manufactured my couch removes the context by which I more readily see Heavenly Father's impact on it. I wonder at the life of Adam and Eve and those generations that lived so primitively and the civilizations that followed them and wonder if they didn't have an easier time believing in a Divine Creator because they lived in a world more dictated by the ebb and flow of nature.
Someone was once said something to the effect that: we criticize people who lived 500 years ago for being so gullible that all a priest had to do was say "Thus saith the Lord" and they believed it. However we don't recognize that we are just as gullible because all a news anchor has to do is say "Thus saith Science" and we believe it
And I wonder if the reason so many people believe less in God and more into science has to do more with lifestyle shift than any advance in human intelligence. We now live in a very mechanical and material world whereas before people lived in a more natural one. You don't see the hand of God as readily in a rocking chair you purchased from Anthropologie as you do a rocking chair you fashioned and built from the tree you yourself chopped down in the forest. The context of ones daily life 3 or more steps removed from God and that was not always so.

I think most of us take for granted our own ignorance of the bigger picture of things--and I'm not just talking about in terms of spirituality or religion, I'm talking about science, here. When Dr. Lewis, in the video, talks about the immensity of the universe and how incapable we are of comprehending all of it, I'm led to compare it to the human mind. Psychology gets a lot of grief for not being a "hard science" but that is because the field is still in its infancy and because just one persons brain is as immense in its variables and possibilities as the universe is.

The general public most often doesn't get beyond a surface level understanding of science and psychology. It's what we vaguely remember from our classes in high school or college, or what see on msn.com or some trendy book we find at Barnes and Noble and is therefore on skin deep or superficial and we don't really question it or think it through. Hundreds of years ago everyone believed that the earth was flat and the body was ruled by the balance of four liquids or humours because it made sense to them, but since then we have learned otherwise. However, people still buy into what "makes sense" to them especially if it is explained to them by an authoritative figure. A lot of people believe in theories like "The Color Code" or "5 Love Languages" but these are only skin deep observations of the human personality and they are very limiting in their understanding.

The more I learn about the human mind the more I come to understand the impossibility of defining it in such narrow and concrete terms. How much do I only dwell on the skin of my thoughts and mind and how little do I actually get down to the bones of who I am and truly understanding myself--and it is in recognizing that incompetency on my part that leads me to believe that there is a High Power, there is a Heavenly Father that created me and there is veil between my puny powers of mortal recognition and the eternal perspective. Just as the more we learn about the universe we realize more both 1) how limitless are the number of things we don't know and 2) how impossible it is for us to understand them, so it goes with the mind and we gain a sense of the eternal. It is these moments that I recognize my own ignorance that persuade me to trust more in Heavenly Father's understanding of who I am, what I am capable of doing, what I need to go through to get there than what I think I know.

That's why I believe that we shouldn't rely so heavily on therapists, or friends, or Doctors, or Bishops, or parents, or popular books, or medications, or chocolate to solve the all these problems we think we have--because they don't have all the answers. They can help but too often we lean on that rather than rely on prayer and revelation--that personal relationship with Heavenly Father. We deprive ourselves of that experience and growth in faith because it's so much easier to physically talk to another human being than to search out within ourselves by the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

A person might go to a therapist/friend/Doctor/etc... and lament "I'm just not happy right now, can you make me life pleasant, because it's not right now and I don't like that". But a simple study of the doctrines of the gospel, with the personal witness of the Holy Ghost would testify to that person that life is not meant to always be pleasant, and it is through the balance of easy and hard times in our lives that we grow and find true joy and happiness. Then as a person exercises faith in this doctrine and trusts in Heavenly Father that doctrine is then proven to them by experience.

The more "learned" I become the more I realize that the answers to life's questions are all answered through those "primary answers" of scripture study, prayer, personal revelation, and attending Sacrament Meeting.