Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Just call me "Stretch"

I noticed my first stretch mark the same day I noticed the rash that would later be identified as shingles - sometime mid-July. It was about two inches long, pale purple, and on the underside of my belly. I had been using the straight cocoa butter as well as the organic stretch mark cream on my stomach since I found out I was pregnant, hoping they would prevent the stretch marks from happening. I also was thinking, that maybe because they waited so long to show, they would not end up being so bad.

Boy, was I wrong!!!

I have so many! It's like they're breeding themselves. They're in almost perfect concentric circles around my navel. I know they're more genetic than anything, and I knew my mom had them really bad, but I was kinda hoping it was because she had THREE kids. I keep telling myself they're for a good cause, and a small price to pay, but there is no getting around the fact that they're just plain UGLY. I supposed that if they just looked ugly and that was it, well, no big deal. Not like I ever really showed off my stomach anyway.

But the past couple of days - they ITCH. Especially the ones near the bottom of my stomach, where I can't see. Today, it was so bad, that I actually went to go look at my stomach in the mirror, out of fear that the rash came back. Instead, what I found, were bright red, angry, swollen stretch marks. These were nothing like the pale purple ones that were showing before. Those, I could see, but if I rubbed my hand over them, I couldn't feel them at all. The new ones are saying LOOK AT US, FEEL US, NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, HAHAHAHAHA!

I grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer and I have been sitting with it on my lap so that my stomach's underside can rest on it. This has helped with the itching and the pain immensely. That makes me happy. However, I can tell you someone who isn't very happy about it:

Sawyer. Oh, he does NOT like me chilling his warm little cave. He's been kicking and smacking things about down there since a few minutes after I put that ice pack there! He's like, KNOCK IT OFF, WOMAN!!! THAT'S COLD!!! Poor baby. I took off the ice pack, and now he has hiccups.

I went to the doctor yesterday, and everything is still going well. His heartrate has dropped to 140 bpm. My uterus is measuring right where it should be. I'm up 16 lbs overall so far. She said he still should have room to move about, so there's no way to tell which end of him is up at this point.

He's very active these past few days. The night before last, I swear, it looked like I had three of them in there duking it out or something. It was so entertaining to watch all of the jerking and rolling over my entire belly. It lasted about 20 minutes too.

Monday we went shopping. We needed to find an outfit for his first pictures! We went to the ghetto "outlet" mall in Tempe. That' place is such a joke, outlets my foot. There are a few stores that I think would qualify, but most of it is ghetto crap hoochie/thug wear. We found some Carter's receiving blankets at Burlington Coat Factory in our frog theme and colors, along with a little pumpkin hat that said "trick or treat" on it that will go perfectly with the jackolantern onesie from last week.

I made it about a quarter of the way around the mall before I had to stop and sit down. I was hot, sweaty, and out of breath, like I just went hiking or something. It's really ridiculous. I'm looking forward to having my full lung capacity again!

After we left the mall, with NO first photo outfit, we ended up cruising over to Babies R Us to look for something there. While they had a lot of really really cute stuff that would have been perfect, none of it was small enough for a newborn. THAT is lame. We did score these awesome long johns though:

Check out the back:

This coming weekend we're buying the carseat. Hopefully I can find a nice, simple, lightweight, DARK colored robe for the hospital, and coordinating slippers. I need to start packing my hospital bag I guess.

Six and a half weeks to go!!!

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7 Comments:

Blogger Whitney said...

Too cute. I fear stretch marks too, but as a friend told me once, she cherishes them - because they are a rite of passage into mommyhood. So embrace them! Or at least...try to. :)

7:41 PM  
Blogger Susan... said...

hey - don't waste your money on a robe for the hospital. Seriously - that's what a backwards hospital gown is for!! The first day post birth you'll be in your gown - because of learning to nurse - and it's just easier. Then you'll want to be in your clothes!!! Cuz it makes you feel human again - and it pisses the nurses off...they think you're a visitor!!

Save the robe - buy some great cushy/warm socks instead!!! Take your sweats and leggins and pajama bottoms to the hospital instead and stay COMFEY!!!

9:00 PM  
Blogger Mrs Anne said...

eme your mailing address, i have some super sweet body butter that'll help those "stretch armstrongs" i call them ;)

LOVE hearing about your pregnancy, you crack me up daily!

as for that onesy, it's adorable!!!

:)

excited for you!

10:00 PM  
Blogger Mrs Anne said...

p.s. my email:

collegekitty@hotmail.com

(no laughing... i've had it since 1995).. ha!

10:15 PM  
Blogger Samara Link said...

You're a good writer. Totally entertaining. I hope your stetchies feel better. No fun! And that onesie is darling.

p.s. The Decore Store IS dangerous but so fun -- especially their holiday stuff. Their fall/halloween/thanksgiving selection is pretty small, but when they're all decked out for Christmas, that place is to die for. (They're in the process of setting up now.) They have a lot of great deals though, I think. Totally reasonable prices. Let me know if you make it out there. I'd love to know what you think!

10:57 PM  
Blogger kingsqueen said...

I'm not sure what you are looking for in the way of a first photo outfit, but we had our baby's done in his coming home outfit. I picked it up at the fancy-shmancy dept. store because it was going to be "special". He also wore it for his dedication. Those are the only two times he wore it and then I put it away to save it for him. I did the same with my first son's. (I even bought similar outfits.) Just something to consider.
Sorry about the stretch marks. Don't throw rocks at me, but I can't really say I know how they feel as I was tremendously lucky on that front and escaped them. But I do know that you are right - they do look angry. Take heart though, they will eventually fade a lot and just be silvery lines instead of angry red or purple. As if women don't go through enough discomfort and embarrassment during pregnancy we have to have a permanent physical "reminder".

6:10 AM  
Blogger Susanne P. said...

that onesie is adorable. i love chocolate brown lately...i don't know what that is about.

i have a lot of stretch marks from being really fat and then having 2 babies. they do fade in color over the years. mine are a pale skin color.

8:10 AM  

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