When you’re pregnant, people tend to ask variations on the same series of questions. Not that I’m complaining by any means, as they’re the questions that I’ve asked—and continue to ask—of pregnant women. They're important questions—they help us feel connected to this strange, mysterious, magical process. (Please keep asking me these questions, and more, as my answers will most certainly change as this whole thing progresses.)
What follows is a compendium of my current answers. You can infer what the questions are...
1. 23 weeks. So, almost 6 months. OMG!
2. The end of June. Or beginning of July. Or middle of June. Something like that. They say first babies are usually late, but you never know...my cousin Liza's first baby was a few weeks early. Based on my last period, the date is June 28th, I think.
3.* A Cancer, if it’s late June, a Gemini if it’s before the 23rd, I think.
4.* Yeah, sensitive Cancers.
5.* Yeah, Jason’s a Gemini. I like Geminis. I like Cancers too. Whatever, it’s my baby, I’ll like it regardless of astrological sign.
6. Awesome. I feel awesome. Lots of energy, really happy, calm, peaceful, excited. So far it's been a very easy pregnancy [knocks on wood immediately]. Not much morning sickness during the first trimester, just some nausea for a couple weeks, barfed once. I was super tired and exhausted but that ended once the second trimester started. Now I feel great. Definitely gassy a lot and indigestion-y sometimes, but I have Tums and papaya enzymes for that. Other than that, my gums bleed when I floss, I pee constantly, and I get winded walking up hills and more than one flight of stairs. So far, so good.
7. Not really…I feel pretty mellow and even. I’m not a very moody person, and I don’t tend to be deeply impacted by hormonal changes. Sometimes I do feel more irritable than usual, but I try to keep it in check.
8. It’s a girl. Well, we’re not 100% sure of that, as it’s hard to tell for sure with girls and ultrasounds, but it seemed pretty certain that she doesn’t have a penis or a scrotum. Plus I really feel like she’s a girl…
9. Yes… [and then depending on the person and/or my mood]
a. Oh, we’re still keeping it to ourselves
b. Her name, my dear friend and/or random person who I feel like telling, will be Ivy. Ivy Catherine. We’ll call her Ivy Cat…it’s a name we’ve had picked out for years.
i. Ivy was my Nana’s aunt’s name (though she spelled it Ivie) and I’ve always loved the name. And then one day, years ago, when Jason and I were still in the early throes of dating, the name ‘Ivy Cat’ popped into my head and I loved it. I sent Jason a text message saying something to the effect of Let’s have a baby and name her Ivy Cat, and he replied with an effusive voicemail message, which went something like Oh my god let’s have a baby named Ivy Cat RIGHT NOW! And ever since then it’s been the name we use to refer to our future child…and now it’s the name we’ll give to this one right here.
ii. Ivy Catherine Schatz Pontius. Not hyphenated—my last name will be a second middle name. I hemmed and hawed on this for a bit, and thought a lot about how to negotiate the last name, and in the end decided to keep it simple, and to resist the patriarchy in other ways that don’t concern my kid’s name. Plus I like Jason’s last name a lot.
10. He’s thrilled. Supportive and excited and involved and all those good adjectives. He’s really an incredible partner. I’m super super seriously lucky. And he doesn’t complain about my gas.
11. Nothing too crazy…I definitely am way more into dessert that I normally am. I usually like salty foods, but I’m liking sweets. I ate like eight cupcakes this week, and I’m really feeling ice cream. I’m loving ice cream. And cookies. My mom's cookies, and her neighbor Donna's cookies. Oh, and Snickers. Snickers Dark in particular. I have no qualms about indulging since I'm otherwise very healthy, though I don't like the aftertaste of sugar very much. But while it's in my mouth, I'm into it.
12. I’m not crazy about raw onions, which is weird because I normally am a big fan, but they leave this aftertaste that I can’t quite handle. But that’s it, I think. Jason got some garlic fries a few months ago and the smell made me nauseous, and I ordinarily love that smell.
13. Not really. I definitely eat a lot more than usual, though lately I’m trying to eat smaller meals to avoid indigestion and heartburn. But in general, I’m eating the same types of foods. Lots of greens and grains and dried apricots and nuts and protein—eggs and cheese and quinoa and all that good stuff. Smoothies, yogurt, fruit. Prenatal vitamin. Epic amounts of water and juice. Tea. Tons of tea.
14. Yeah, I have a cup here and there. I didn’t drink it for the first trimester, even though it’s quite fine to do so. But I mostly drink tea. Some black, lots of peppermint and ginger and a pregnancy blend that I got from Elephant Pharmacy but they went out of business so I have to find it elsewhere. It has nettles—good iron source—and red raspberry leaf—good for the uterus—and, oh I don’t know, a bunch of good herbs in it.
15. No, I don't really miss it. I’m definitely having the occasional glass of wine or beer. No hard alcohol, but wine and beer, yes. I really believe that it’s not a big deal, and it relaxes me and tastes great and millions of pregnant wine-and-beer-drinking European women can't be too wrong. What’s interesting is that I have no desire to have more than just one glass (which is, um, highly unusual for me). It’s like my body knows its limit, and after one it’s just like ok, that’s fine.
16. Yes, she’s definitely really active. It’s the craziest feeling, so private and surreal and nice. Like she’s reminding me that she’s there. I can feel her getting stronger, too, especially in the last few weeks. Jason has felt many a kick.
17. I don’t really know. 15 pounds? I don’t have a scale, and I don’t really care. As long as I feel good.
18. I’m still kickboxing, and walking, and doing yoga at home.
19. Yes, kickboxing. I’m not sparring or doing any contact stuff—it’s a lot of cardio and strength training, and bag work. I’m modifying it all and going much slower and easier, but it feels great to go to class and it’s especially great to keep boxing. I’m going very easy on kicks, as I don’t want to strain or pull anything—during pregnancy you become much more flexible (your body starts producing a hormone called relaxin that, among other functions, loosens your pelvic joints and ligaments to facilitate birth) so you have to be careful not to overdo it with stretching, etc. I’m already very flexible, so I have to be careful not to overextend myself. But yes, kickboxing, I love it. I don’t do any jumpy or bouncy stuff, and I don’t do hardcore ab work, and I just listen to my body and don’t push myself. Once it’s nicer out, I’ll start swimming too. I just have to get a new suit. I figure one of those two-piece Speedos will work. Or I can cut a big hole in my current suit…
20. Yes. Yes I am. So, so, so excited. It's...it's just amazing. I love it. [Shrugs, smiles. What else is there to say?]
What follows is a compendium of my current answers. You can infer what the questions are...
1. 23 weeks. So, almost 6 months. OMG!
2. The end of June. Or beginning of July. Or middle of June. Something like that. They say first babies are usually late, but you never know...my cousin Liza's first baby was a few weeks early. Based on my last period, the date is June 28th, I think.
3.* A Cancer, if it’s late June, a Gemini if it’s before the 23rd, I think.
4.* Yeah, sensitive Cancers.
5.* Yeah, Jason’s a Gemini. I like Geminis. I like Cancers too. Whatever, it’s my baby, I’ll like it regardless of astrological sign.
6. Awesome. I feel awesome. Lots of energy, really happy, calm, peaceful, excited. So far it's been a very easy pregnancy [knocks on wood immediately]. Not much morning sickness during the first trimester, just some nausea for a couple weeks, barfed once. I was super tired and exhausted but that ended once the second trimester started. Now I feel great. Definitely gassy a lot and indigestion-y sometimes, but I have Tums and papaya enzymes for that. Other than that, my gums bleed when I floss, I pee constantly, and I get winded walking up hills and more than one flight of stairs. So far, so good.
7. Not really…I feel pretty mellow and even. I’m not a very moody person, and I don’t tend to be deeply impacted by hormonal changes. Sometimes I do feel more irritable than usual, but I try to keep it in check.
8. It’s a girl. Well, we’re not 100% sure of that, as it’s hard to tell for sure with girls and ultrasounds, but it seemed pretty certain that she doesn’t have a penis or a scrotum. Plus I really feel like she’s a girl…
9. Yes… [and then depending on the person and/or my mood]
a. Oh, we’re still keeping it to ourselves
b. Her name, my dear friend and/or random person who I feel like telling, will be Ivy. Ivy Catherine. We’ll call her Ivy Cat…it’s a name we’ve had picked out for years.
i. Ivy was my Nana’s aunt’s name (though she spelled it Ivie) and I’ve always loved the name. And then one day, years ago, when Jason and I were still in the early throes of dating, the name ‘Ivy Cat’ popped into my head and I loved it. I sent Jason a text message saying something to the effect of Let’s have a baby and name her Ivy Cat, and he replied with an effusive voicemail message, which went something like Oh my god let’s have a baby named Ivy Cat RIGHT NOW! And ever since then it’s been the name we use to refer to our future child…and now it’s the name we’ll give to this one right here.
ii. Ivy Catherine Schatz Pontius. Not hyphenated—my last name will be a second middle name. I hemmed and hawed on this for a bit, and thought a lot about how to negotiate the last name, and in the end decided to keep it simple, and to resist the patriarchy in other ways that don’t concern my kid’s name. Plus I like Jason’s last name a lot.
10. He’s thrilled. Supportive and excited and involved and all those good adjectives. He’s really an incredible partner. I’m super super seriously lucky. And he doesn’t complain about my gas.
11. Nothing too crazy…I definitely am way more into dessert that I normally am. I usually like salty foods, but I’m liking sweets. I ate like eight cupcakes this week, and I’m really feeling ice cream. I’m loving ice cream. And cookies. My mom's cookies, and her neighbor Donna's cookies. Oh, and Snickers. Snickers Dark in particular. I have no qualms about indulging since I'm otherwise very healthy, though I don't like the aftertaste of sugar very much. But while it's in my mouth, I'm into it.
12. I’m not crazy about raw onions, which is weird because I normally am a big fan, but they leave this aftertaste that I can’t quite handle. But that’s it, I think. Jason got some garlic fries a few months ago and the smell made me nauseous, and I ordinarily love that smell.
13. Not really. I definitely eat a lot more than usual, though lately I’m trying to eat smaller meals to avoid indigestion and heartburn. But in general, I’m eating the same types of foods. Lots of greens and grains and dried apricots and nuts and protein—eggs and cheese and quinoa and all that good stuff. Smoothies, yogurt, fruit. Prenatal vitamin. Epic amounts of water and juice. Tea. Tons of tea.
14. Yeah, I have a cup here and there. I didn’t drink it for the first trimester, even though it’s quite fine to do so. But I mostly drink tea. Some black, lots of peppermint and ginger and a pregnancy blend that I got from Elephant Pharmacy but they went out of business so I have to find it elsewhere. It has nettles—good iron source—and red raspberry leaf—good for the uterus—and, oh I don’t know, a bunch of good herbs in it.
15. No, I don't really miss it. I’m definitely having the occasional glass of wine or beer. No hard alcohol, but wine and beer, yes. I really believe that it’s not a big deal, and it relaxes me and tastes great and millions of pregnant wine-and-beer-drinking European women can't be too wrong. What’s interesting is that I have no desire to have more than just one glass (which is, um, highly unusual for me). It’s like my body knows its limit, and after one it’s just like ok, that’s fine.
16. Yes, she’s definitely really active. It’s the craziest feeling, so private and surreal and nice. Like she’s reminding me that she’s there. I can feel her getting stronger, too, especially in the last few weeks. Jason has felt many a kick.
17. I don’t really know. 15 pounds? I don’t have a scale, and I don’t really care. As long as I feel good.
18. I’m still kickboxing, and walking, and doing yoga at home.
19. Yes, kickboxing. I’m not sparring or doing any contact stuff—it’s a lot of cardio and strength training, and bag work. I’m modifying it all and going much slower and easier, but it feels great to go to class and it’s especially great to keep boxing. I’m going very easy on kicks, as I don’t want to strain or pull anything—during pregnancy you become much more flexible (your body starts producing a hormone called relaxin that, among other functions, loosens your pelvic joints and ligaments to facilitate birth) so you have to be careful not to overdo it with stretching, etc. I’m already very flexible, so I have to be careful not to overextend myself. But yes, kickboxing, I love it. I don’t do any jumpy or bouncy stuff, and I don’t do hardcore ab work, and I just listen to my body and don’t push myself. Once it’s nicer out, I’ll start swimming too. I just have to get a new suit. I figure one of those two-piece Speedos will work. Or I can cut a big hole in my current suit…
20. Yes. Yes I am. So, so, so excited. It's...it's just amazing. I love it. [Shrugs, smiles. What else is there to say?]
*This series of questions generally only occurs with, you know, astrologically-mined individuals. But it does occur more frequently than you might think (depending, of course, on who you are. I don't actually know who reads this thing.)
2 comments:
i'm cancer and uriah is just on the cusp of gemini and cancer and can never figure which way he swings more. i have always loved gemini's and have many cancers in my life. so i'm partial, but i think that's a great time to be born in. i can't wait to meet ivy. xo
i'm loving reading about tiny baby ivy cat and mama kate and poppa jason. and snacks is a cancer, totes rad.
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