Timeline

This post consists of entries my mom made in "the pregnant woman's journal," which is a bit of a misnomer since it is actually just a calender that has descriptions about what happens to your body throughout the pregnancy on the top half, and then, you know, just a regular old calender below.

"TO USE THIS JOURNAL: Turn to the NINTH MONTH. Write in your due date. Now work backward and forward from your due date filling in the remaining dates and months." How exciting! Here we go...

January 27, 1979 - Probable conception. Estimate due date is October 21.

February: Not a whole lot happening here. Mom didn't put in her weight, but she was 34.5 / 27 / 34.5 in the first month of her pregnancy (edit: doing some reverse math, i determine she weighs about 112 here). Mom and Dad found out I was pregnant on February 13th...happy valentines day! Other than some tenderness, i wasn't making my presence known to any large extent (February 19 "good appetite!") until the end of the month (February 26 "nausea in a.m." and February 27 "noticeable breast enlargement, slight dizziness in afternoon"). According to the info on the calender, I was about 1/4 inch long. Interesting that the development of a beating heart (at about 4 weeks) coincides with nausea and dizziness. It lives!!!!

March: Craving salad on the 12th, some nausea and discomfort throughout the month, and now fatigue as well. Weight up to 118, 35 / 27.5 / 34.5. More breast enlargement! God thats a bit weird to read. Hey moms, think about that. Your son or daughter may read this some day. In fact, probably will. And do you see yourself looking back fondly on how often you had to pee?  Just a thought. Oh, I'm now an inch long! I tripled in size!

April: Closing out the first trimester here. Mom made a trip down to North Carolina on the 19th, had a mild headache on the flight down, which turned into a severe headache by the next day, accompanied by a "very loud pulsing sound in left ear." The headache was back on the return trip the 23rd. Sorry mom! Maybe it was from me peein now? Or using my newly formed vocal cords? I'm now 2 3/4 inches long and almost weigh an ounce. In any event, she heard my heart beat for the first time the next day ("160 midline") and then had an appointment with Dr. Byler on the 25th. Weight 115, 36.5 / 28.5 / 35

May: The severe headache and pulsing sound is back on day 1, not a great way to start the second trimester I suppose. But hey! On the 11th was "unquestionable quickening." I had to look that up...I moved!! Nothign else too exciting going on, a doctors appointment on the 25th and "severe side pain in evening, stretching ligaments" on the 28th. I now weighed about 10 ounces. Mom was up to 120.

June: Ha, as I flipped the calender i thought "this is getting boring." Mom apparently thought so too as there is very little on the calender this month. That might have something to do with the "moving day" on the 2nd and 3rd though. On June 7th my movement inside the womb was visible...that has to be pretty thrilling to see for the first time.  On the 27th a doctors appointment where mom notes her total weight gain as 13.5 pounds. I now weigh over a pound, and am between 8 and 11 inches long.

July: Learned something else. On the 23rd, "linea nigra faintly visible." I looked that up, hoping it was nothing gross (evidently I caused an abdominal rash earlier in the month). No big deal though, just a line on the ol' abdomen. Better than a rash, for sure. Another doctors appointment on the 24th, mom now is up to 129.5 pounds, 37 / 35 / 36.5. She is also still working (she was a nurse), as she mentions doing work in the nursery and feeling faint one morning.

The calender helpfully informs me that i'm basically slug-like at this point. Or maybe newt-ish. "The skin is red and covered with vermix....weight about 2 3/4 pounds." I looked that up and saw the word "smegma." Great.

Ah yes, now is apparently a good time to start toughin' up the ol' nipples. It suggests some gentle pulling, or using a washcloth or loofah (they had these back then?) to avoid discomfort in the first weeks of nursing. I don't know, that hardly sounds like anything that would toughen a part of you.

August: Final trimester! Mom's excited too (August 11 "30 wk! 10 to go"). Lamaze class begins on Wednesday nights  (Bill Cosby - Childbirth). By the end of the month, mom is up to 129 pounds, 38 / 36.5 / 36.5. My nursery started coming together (well at least it was "cleaned out," and my dad's parents came up for a visit on the 25th.

My testicles start to drop! Apparently it takes until the 9th month for them to descend all the way, which is funny cause it seems they only have a short distance to travel.

September: Lamaze class finishes up at the end of the month, mom gains a few pounds and goes to see Dr. Redka. More importantly, I've lost my wrinkles and now appear "rounded and smooth." About 17 inches long now and 5 pounds. Babies must be pretty dense? All that fat I guess.

October: This has to be an incredible time...I imagine it to be some combination of excitement, fear, exhaustion, anticipation...like christmas, only with more body fluids. Maybe a combination of christmas and finals week. No, here it is. Wisdom tooth extraction, a stats final, and christmas, all on the same day.

I threatened to come early at the beginning of the month but...yep, false alarm. You don't get off that easily. Lots of doctor appointments...and apparently some photo shoots? October 11 "Pictures taken by B. Gohrs" October 21 "Pictorial at Burks" Maybe just ultrasounds. I'll have to ask my dad.Moms last day at work was the 14th...it amazes me how women work right up till the due date. If I had my way they would at least get the entire 3rd trimester off.

October 24 I decided it was time....but then I took my time. Like almost 24 hours. At 1:17 on October 25th, I emerged. Throughout the pregnancy mom only gained 21 pounds, and I was 8 of that. Plenty of time to get back down to "swimsuit shape" before it warms up again!