Pregnancy Update - 9 Weeks to Go

It is hard to believe that in as little as six weeks, our little girl could be born and considered to be full term.  She has certainly been moving more and more this week.  Occasionally I can take the time to watch my stomach and see the ripples.  Otherwise, there is not much to report. 

Movie Monday: Movie Musings

I realized that I never gave an update on the Masterpiece Classics version of Emma.  I would say that I enjoyed their version of the book very much.  I feel that they gave a more accurate portrayal of Emma than the one seen in the Gwyneth Paltrow version.  The portrayal in the Masterpiece version shows Emma in a more sympathetic light and one can better understand why she feels the need to meddle in the relationships of others like she does.  I also enjoy watching movies where I am not as familiar with the actors because then I am thinking of who the actor is and instead can more easily pretend that he or she is the actually character in the story.

I has mentioned the Laura Linney gave the introduction for the movie.  If you have not watched the John Adams miniseries that HBO did a couple of years ago, I would recommend that you add it to your Netflix queue soon.  It is in seven parts, but they did a great job of portaying Adams' life as well as the growth of the US at the time.  Laura Linney plays Abigal Adams and I feel she gave one of the best performances in the series. 

A final movie recommendation I have is Gran Torino.  Matt and I watched this movie a couple of weeks ago and it was well worth the time spent.  It certainly is not an action film, but the story line moves quickly and they do a good job of really establishing the relationship between Clint Eastwood's character and his neighbors.  Make sure you have a box of kleenex handy because the end of the movie is a real tear-jerker.

Pregnancy Update - 10 Weeks to Go

Next week we will officially be in the single digits as far as weeks are concerned.  Our appointment went well on Tuesday.  The baby's heartrate was right where it should be, and I am only measuring about a week ahead, so I am guessing she is not getting too big.  I saw the PA, and I find it interesting that she actually uses a tape measure to measure my stomach, but the doctor just uses her hands and says all looks about right.

I am grateful that I am still able to get a decent night's sleep.  I typically wake up every couple of hours, but I usually do not have any problems falling back to sleep again.  The main discomfort that I experience at night are the occasional Charlie horse cramps in my calves.  One night I had one in each leg at the same time!  Fortunately, I have had them in the past, so when they began occurring, I at least knew what they were all about.  I try to make sure I drink plenty of water before I go to bed, but they still make their appearance. 

I am still trying to go the the Y at least three times a week, and I have been able to continue bowling without any problems.  I keep wondering if each week at bowling will be my last, but I have yet to have any problems with my balance which is what the doctor said would be the biggest concern.  I don't throw the ball quite as hard as I used to, but otherwise my game has not changed too much.

The baby's room is still a work in progress.  Matt has been diligently working on the trim work for the room and will hopefully be able to get it up this next week.  Our first shower is in a month, so the room should be all ready by then.

Pregnancy Update - 11 Weeks to Go

We are now at week 29.  It's hard to believe that soon the remaining weeks will be in single digits.  The baby's room is still a work in progress, but Matt promises that it will be ready by the first of March.  We are in the process of painting a chair rail to go around the room, and Matt is also building and painting a shelf that is going to go around the room at the height of the top of the door frames.  We are going with a Narania theme (the books, not necessarily the movies).  Of course, there really aren't any nursery products to buy that are Narnia themed, so we have to come up with our own.  We are planning to print out some copies of book cover art that will go in some frames that sit on the shelf, and since Lucy is named for Lucy in the books, we are going to have a larger picture of Lucy and Tumnus walking in the snow in the forest.  We also found a nice map of Narania that we are also going to place in a larger frame.

We have a crib that we found on Craig's list, and just this weekend we bought an armoire that is going to be used as a changing station (thank you, Maranda, for the idea).  The armoire has a good wardrobe look to it, so it goes well with the theme of the room. 

Our next doctor's appointment is this Tuesday and then we will be on the two week visit schedule.  While her movement occurs a different times of the day, Lucy does seem to be moving a fair amount. 

Movie Monday: Austen Edition

My favorite author is Jane Austen and some of my favorite movies are those based on Jane Austen's books. 

The very first Jane Austen book I tried to read was Emma.  I can remember that the main character of Emma annoyed me so much, that I stopped reading and decided that maybe Jane Austen was not for me.  It was not until I read Pride and Prejudice as I was finishing my bachelor's degree that I discovered how great of an author Austen really is.  I can remember reaching the end of book when Darcy is about to propose to Lizzy again and reading with eager anticipation for the event to occur.  Since then I have read Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and Emma.  My favorite remains Pride and Prejudice with Northanger Abby being a close second.

My favorite movie versions of the books are those done as mini-series.  The A&E version of Pride and Prejudice is my absolute favorite even if it is about 5 hours long.  Colin Firth certainly plays the part of Darcy well and Jennifer Ehle could not have done a better job in her role as Elizabeth Bennet.  I also enjoy the modern remake in the version of You've Got Mail. We recently watched an interesting miniseries called Lost in Austen where a young British woman trades places with Elisabeth Bennet and makes her way into the reality of Pride and Prejudice.  The young woman is a huge fan of the book, so she tries to make sure that all the events in the book take place as they are supposed to, but, of course, this does not take place.  It is an interesting look at what would happen if the world of fiction were true and if some modern day ideas were to be introduced into the past. 

Emma Thompson's version of Sense and Sensibility is my second favorite Austen movie.  I have seen the Paltrow version of Emma as well as the movie Clueless but must admit that since this is not my favorite of Austen's novels, these are not my favorite movies.  Today I am in the process of watching the Masterpiece Theatre version of Emma and so far I have been impressed with the quality of the production.  At the beginning of the miniseries, it is mentioned that Austen set out to write a book with a heroine she did not like, so I guess that would explain why I did not find Emma as endearing as a book in the beginning.

I have yet to watch versions of Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park.  I know that they are out there; I just need to take the time to watch them.

Pregnancy Update - 12 Weeks to Go

I haven't really posted any details about the pregnancy because there really hasn't been any details to post.  All has gone well: no sickness, not much discomfort, every appointment has given us a positive report.  Overall, no real complaints.  We are very thankful that God has blessed us not only with the pregnancy but with a good pregnancy as well.

Being pregnant, I now realize a at least one statement not to say to pregnant women.  I don't recall ever really making comments about whether or not someone is showing, but I now know that the best comment a person can make to a pregnant woman is "You're looking good."  People would comment that I was not really showing, and that was frustrating because I knew that changes were taking place and it made me wonder just how big I appeared to people before I was pregnant.  On the flip-side, I also would not people to talk about how big I am getting either.  Just tell the woman she looks good and that should be enough.

One question that I am getting tired of answering is "How are you feeling?"  Does a pregnant woman ever answer this question truthfully?  Does the person asking really want to hear that I am constipated, tired, emotional, concerned, weary of the question itself?  If I was not feeling well, I likely would not be present for the person to ask the question.  I understand that it is asked with the best of intentions, but I feel like I should just wear a sign that says "I'm feeling fine."

So, all this to say that all is well.  I will try to post updates on a more regular basis as the time of our little one's birth draws closer.