Body Blahs; Teenage Victories

Elder Son and I wound down a busy day watching fireworks from our front yard, which is two blocks away from the town park. Haven't figured out the occasion for the fireworks, but it was fun, even if I think we startled Bunky half to death several times. But he's still kicking, so we're now prepared for next year's Fourth.

Elder Son got registered for his new school today. He's taking Astronomy, Latin 2, World History I Honors, AP US History, Advanced Phys Ed, Driver Ed/Fitness, English 11 Honors, and Algebra II. I'm proud of him for not shirking away from the challenges and hope I can help him with the motivation, confidence and organizational issues he had while living with his dad. We also got a state ID card for him and picked up the manual for him to get his learner's permit. Fingers crossed that he'll be a licensed driver come spring, and I've been joking that I'll have him trained on the stick shift in enough time for him to drive me to the hospital when I go into labor but I won't be capable of being his "supervision" that he has to have to drive with a learner's permit. Ha!

I'm still a couple of weeks shy of third trimester but two of its unpleasantries that I remember from Elder Son have already started to set in: my ankles have swollen up twice, although I suspect it's the heat and the struggle to stay hydrated, and at my checkup this week my blood pressure was 135/85, which is higher than the midwife would like--mostly because she "doesn't want the OB to steal" me away from her. A little mindful meditation later, we ran it again and got 124/66. This just reinforces for me how important it is for me to stay in touch with my body.

I just wish I had air conditioning, now that it's muggy, or at least more fans in the house. But it's only been bad for a week or so, and it's just a few more weeks of dog days. One thing today made me realize is that I don't have any shorts, much less shorts I can wear pregnant! So I went down to the local Evil Box Store and got two pairs of extra-large, elastic waistband workout shorts that I will never wear in public but am so glad I have for wearing around the house and under dresses, now.

As for my ankles, I looked up compression stockings and my GOD, they are expensive, and I have no idea whether they will fit! Where does one find affordable ones, and how does one know what size to get? (I have heavy thighs, to the point that being nearly 6 mos. pregnant mostly just makes my belly look proportional to them, so sizing is difficult even when I'm not pregnant--size 12 waist with a size 20 thigh. ugh.) Finding maternity clothes in stores is impossible anymore, too. I'm sick of Target's offerings, but can't seem to find maternity sections anywhere else. There used to be one at my local Kohl's, buried in a corner behind the infants section, but as they've remodeled, the section has vanished. And I hate paying boutique prices, having enough trouble keeping up with the mortgage.

So cheap workout shorts it is. At least I feel a bit cooler now.

One last weird symptom, because I seem to have all of them: geographic tongue. The little bumps are falling off my tongue, leaving strange creases and white borders around patches of weirdness that almost look like outlines on a map, and are different each day (hence the name "geographic tongue"---partly because it looks like a map and partly because the lines 'wander'). Not much is known about this disorder, but apparently it's hormonal in nature, mostly harmless (stings a bit with hot or cold), and should go away after my hormones come back into balance.

Layers! Leggings! Accessories! Oh my!

As a somewhat plus-size pregnant mom who lost about 30 pounds right before I got pregnant, a lot of my pre-pregnancy, pre-weight-loss clothes still fit me here at month 5. This leads to strange questions sometimes as I look more pregnant some days than other simply because of wardrobe.

But the liberating joy for me has been discovering ways of mixing and matching nonmaternity clothes in new ways that allow me to keep wearing them not only size-wise, but comfort-wise. I had a closet full of no-waist dresses that had seen limited use in their non-pregnant-wear life, but now I've discovered that leggings, scarves, and other accessories can really dress them up. And the same is true for the maternity clothes I find myself drawn to. Sometimes, a long t-shirt over a tunic and leggings is just what I need to get through a day.

So then a friend of mine posts a link to The Uniform Project, Sheena Matheiken's fundraising project that involves wearing, essentially, the same dress every day for a year. (They are actually seven identical dresses.) The project really shows off how you can be creative with limited clothing by accessorizing, and Sheena is apparently the master of finding nifty accessories on sites like eBay and Etsy.

This is particularly significant when you're dealing with a maternity wardrobe. I've bought two single-color (one black, one brown) maternity dresses that are sleeveless, and love dressing them up by pairing them up with shirts, sweaters, leggings, shoes, bangles, bows, headbands, and other things that give them more life. This way, I don't have to buy more maternity dresses, but instead have all these fun things that I will be able to use no matter what size I am. (Although I'm fighting another round of shoe-buying. I had finally accepted that I became a 9 1/2 because of the weight gain. As much as I'd like to be a perfect 10--not!!)

Check out Sheena's site because it will give you some great accessorizing ideas. And be sure to read up on her chosen charity, the Akanksha Foundation, "a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. At the end of the year, all contributions will go toward Akanksha’s School Project to fund uniforms and other educational expenses for children living in Indian slums."

What's your favorite way to get more mileage out of your maternity clothes?

e-i-e-i-omg

I shouldn't say I busted out the tape measure this morning, but I did, and now for a little bra-related TMI...