Not quite so old wives

This photo is mostly for the benefit of my friends/family back home who are not going to see me while I'm pregnant at all. Actually, this is the only picture of me pregnant there is, since our camera was stolen from our flat a few months back (really must do something about that soon, huh?). I'm belly-bumping with my good friend Sarah who happens to be just 3 gestatory weeks ahead of me. Such excellent timing =)

Not that I'm obsessing about this or anything, but since Janine and Chelle and Kate and others brought up the 'alternative' methods of guessing the gender - I thought I'd put it to the test. Turns out there are dozens of these old wives tales and my results are conflicting.

Apologies for the terrible format here : -


The Chinese Calendar (which my doctor actually instructed me to try) tells me it's a girl. So I would say girl wins overall as the best guess (as well as the currently winning vote). Which means of course, that it's probably definitely a boy. Argh, I could drive myself crazy with all this! In the end, I know we'll be ecstatic either way, so what's the difference?

Breaking news this week: my mum received a letter in the mail offering her guarenteed entry in the 2006 NYC marathon! Turns out "Those who won overall or place first in an age group in a NYRR scored qualifying race in 2005" - which she did at the Run For the Olympic Bid 5K - earn themselves a spot in the big race itself! How exciting! My immediate thought was that she should enter, then cancel, so that she gains entry for the next year- making the 2007 ING New York City Marathon an awesome mother-daughter adventure! Alas, she is "distinctly underwhelmed" at the prospect; so I have my work cut out trying to persuade her by the May 1st deadline...

Hubby and I are off to Ireland Friday to attend my best friend's wedding in her home town of Belfast. This will be followed by a few romantic days on a small, quiet Scottish island somewhere as yet undecided. We've got to grab the chance at some time together while it is just the two of us after all.

Good luck to everyone racing while I'm gone. Catch you on the flip side.

Frilly Trucks

Ok, so I had to go and jinx it by putting the gender question up for a poll.

The umbilical cord was between baby's legs the entire scan, making a gender determination impossible :-( And since this is the last scan covered by insurance (unless indicated by a problem) it looks like we're just going to have to be 'surprised' come August. That would be fine if we were one of the many couples who want to be surprised, but we're not. My nature is to be impatient and want to plan everything to the last detail, so it's a bit frustrating.

Oh well, the good news is that my 'marginal placenta previa' has rectified itself and I am now "free to resume normal activities!" Which means I will be hitting the treadmill soon for a gentle mile or two =) But most importantly, everything is as it should be with baby - all measurements within normal ranges, all fingers and toes etc. intact.

Thanks for voting! And of course, anyone who hasn't yet voted can continue to do so...

Frilly knicks or Fire trucks?

In answer to Chelle's question - my big scan is at 4pm today.

To celebrate I'm putting up my first ever blog poll. I had a vivid dream it is a girl last night, but don't let that influence your vote =)

'Mares & Elephants

The pregnancy dreams have started to kick in regularly now – coinciding with new discernible ‘goings on’ in my belly area. Can’t say for sure if it’s the baby turning cartwheels or just gas, but whatever; it’s pervading my sleeping consciousness.

Last week I dreamed some mad scientist implanted me with an elephant fetus. It was understandably disturbing for me to spend the night in horror at having this foreign species inside me, and the fear of the enormity to come. Upon waking I contemplated the significance of this nightmare, of course deciding it means I feel I’m morphing into a mammal of pachyderm proportions. Matt reckons it means I subconsciously regard him the elephant!

A few nights ago I vividly dreamed myself running the Scotland 10K, a race that actually took place two weeks past Saturday. In my dream there were more than seven Hellgate girls in contention for a 30-39 age group award (in reality - two of my team won one of those!), and for hours afterwards I was desperately and unsuccessfully trying to find out if I was one of the lucky seven. I interpret this to be my psyche struggling to comes to terms with the fact that I’m not competing (or even running) any more, after it being such a huge part of my life. Watching my teammates and friends run races – especially races like the Scotland Run (given the relevance and my success in it the previous two years) is a little rough right now.

Ach, I’m very much exaggerating my sense of loss. If there was ever a positive reason for a running hiatus, it is pregnancy; far less frustrating than being sidelined through injury, if memory serves me right. I relish my morning mile swims and long walks, and am trying to avoid such unproductive activities as drooling over the application form that just arrived in the mail for my favorite annual race - The Riverdale Ramble. Although it's tempting to get depressed feeling like I'm turning into a relatively unfit blob, I take heart from the fact that I still do more exercise than the majority of my colleagues and peers (running-community friends excepted of course.)

Other than the minor placenta concern, my pregnancy is coming along well. I'm definitely starting to show now, and subsequently have been the recipient of many pleasant and considerate, as well as dumb ass and insensitive comments from friends and strangers alike. These merit a blog post all of their own as some point...

Soon we should know the sex of the mini-Damm, as I have my 20-week full anatomy scan this Friday. Right now I am living scan-to-scan as it's the only time my pregnancy seems completely real - and hence super exciting. As I slip into my 6th, 7th month and on, getting bigger and bigger and having all the prep work to do, in terms of the nursery and birthing classes etc. I suppose there will be no forgetting for a moment what's on its way =)