7 Quick Takes: The Still Gestating, Crazy Preggo Lady’s Navel-Gazing Edition

I had a voicemail message from a friend recently where she said something like, “I’m Facebook stalking you and haven’t seen any blog updates or anything, and I’m a crazy, paranoid friend worrying that you had the baby.”

For any other paranoid, FB, Twitter, and/or Google+ (I actually haven’t posted any updates over there yet, but its format is definitely growing on me) stalkers, I have not had the baby. I am still gestating. I have a sweet, stubborn baby in utero who has been deeply engaged in the pelvic region resting on a thin cervix for over a month now.

I had an appointment on Monday, and my midwife told me she really believes that keeping off my feet has kept me from having this baby early; however, she also said that at 36 weeks (only a week from tomorrow by her records) I can resume my normal activity. Woo-hoo! I know being sidelined has been good for not only the baby but for me as well, but I have to admit I’m getting incredibly antsy and even achy from being so sedentary. I’m so grateful I’ve never had to experience the hospital bed rest thing and am eager to be active again.

The irony of being thrust into limbo and hearing that the baby could arrive “any day now” for weeks and weeks is that I still don’t have anything prepared for the little one. The infant car seat is still in the attic in need of a good scrub down. We have not attached our co-sleeper to our bed. I have no hospital bag packed, no newborn diapers purchased. I kind of lost the whole “nesting instinct” when I was worried that the baby might come way too early. Or maybe it’s just pure denial that we’re about to have four kids 6 and under in our home. I imagine I might be pining for bed rest – or any rest at all – in a few weeks.

Sorry to be stuck on the baby thing. You get kind of consumed by the little life wiggling around inside of you, tap dancing on your cervix, when you’re sentenced with being still. You also really, really begin to notice just how often you have to pee. (Five times, on average, on any given night. Several times every hour during the day. A frequent question around here is, “Mommy, are you going potty again?”)

But anyway, a friend of mine was recently telling me that the must-have for every new mom now is the Mamaroo. I’ve never been into massive must-have lists for baby registries or expectant parents. The only items I’d add to my own personal must-have list are a chic nursing cover (mainly for nursing during Mass), my Ergo baby carrier, and my Philips AVENT Manual Breast Pump (an absolute necessity for someone like me who has an overabundant milk supply and sometimes needs to pump just before nursing my wee ones so they will not gag on a gushing geyser of milk).

Still, the Mamaroo intrigued me since I know I’ll need a little help and can’t carry and hold my infant all day unless I want my other littles to feel sorely neglected. I rarely used the bouncy seat I registered for with my first except it did come in handy as a little high chair. I never got a real swing – just a travel one, and it was helpful with my second who had awful reflux and needed to be upright all of the time. But these are getting very old and noisy (I think the motors are dying on them), so I was wondering if the Mamaroo might be worth the investment. It looks very space-agey and boasts five different motions: car ride, kangaroo, tree swing, rock-a-bye, and ocean wave. However, it’s pricey, too.

So anyone have any feedback on the Mamaroo? I’m not sure I’m hip enough of a mama to make the splurge on such a trendy item. :-)

~4~Well, I guess four kids pushes you dangerously close to the freaky family category (or perhaps the you-must-be-Catholic-or-Mormon category). I will say the fact that I have three girls seems to make it a little more acceptable that I’m expecting my fourth since a lot of people assume we’re trying for a boy (this mindset was a big motivator in our decision to not find out the baby’s gender beforehand). For the record: All of my friends and family are extremely supportive of our largish family.

However, our growing family did fall prey to a stranger’s odd remarks recently. Actually, it was my dear babysitter who endured the brunt of it. She was on a walk with two of the girls (one was at her wellness visit with my husband) when she started chatting with someone way down the street. The woman figured out that the child on the bike and the toddler in the wagon belonged to me. (There are people in my neighborhood who are much more in the know than I am.)

“She’s having a baby any day now, isn’t she?”

My babysitter told her yes and then they started chatting about whether it might be a boy or a girl. My babysitter shared that she has three sisters and one brother.

“That’s a big family,” the woman commented. Then she poked and prodded until she figured out that both her breeding neighbor down the street and this babysitter are Catholic.

“You know, being Catholic isn’t an excuse to have a big family anymore.”

Huh?

My babysitter said she was dumbstruck and didn’t know how to respond. I wouldn’t have either.

Was being Catholic ever an excuse to have a big family?

Oh well. I already felt like a freak when we were at our first social event in the neighborhood last Halloween and someone, who was very, very nice, by the way, asked where my oldest went to school and I said, “I actually homeschool,” at the exact moment my toddler, who was stuffed into a puppy costume, began tugging on my shirt and saying, “Milk, ‘peas!’ Milk, milk, milk!”

Um, just a little awkward. :-)

I’ll also add that being pregnant with your fourth also drives you to want to drink. I’ve never missed not being able to imbibe alcoholic beverages until this pregnancy. I’m really looking forward to at-home wine date nights with my husband. Two Buck Chuck (AKA Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw wine), here I come!

I’m a cheap date.

When she showed it to her daddy, she explained that he was holding his iPhone in one hand and his newly acquired iPad in the other hand. He showed me the portrait and said that maybe he needed to cut back on his evening technology usage. :-)

I just want to thank everyone for their support of my book, Weightless: Making Peace With Your Body. My mom remains my number one fan, but a lot of you come in a very, very close second by sharing your encouragement, Facebook posts, etc. with me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Also, I recently had a request from a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group up North for me to speak via Skype to their group later in the fall about some of the topics discussed in Weightless. I was thrilled they contacted me and am really looking forward to this opportunity, and I want to make sure others know this option is available. Tele-speaking using Skype, Google+ Hangout (will have to ask my friend and techie guru, Lisa Hendey, to help me figure that one out), or even just talking over a speaker phone will prove to be such a blessing since I won’t be traveling far as mama with a newborn nursling. I am available for speaking engagements closer to my Georgia home providing nursing babies are welcome. Feel free to email me if you’re part of a woman’s group that would like to set something up.

Finally, author, TV host, and speaker, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle recently posted an interview about Weightless over at her View from the Domestic Church blog. I have several of Donna-Marie’s books on shelves and was honored to speak to her about my book.

Stay tuned for a review of her latest book, A Catholic Woman’s Book of Prayers.

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Thanks to Jen for hosting, for giving me an excuse to talk about some really random stuff, and for once again indulging my pregnancy-induced navel-gazing.

Have a wonderful weekend!