A Girl Named PJ

zen and the pregnancy pedicure

May 24, 2011

When JB called this past Saturday morning, I cried as I recounted my stressful week. He suggested, nay, insisted that I ignore my To Do list and relax for the weekend. Go get a massage or pedicure, he instructed.

I wasn’t able to get an appointment for a prenatal massage that day, so I scheduled one (plus a pregnancy facial!) for the following Saturday. Instead, I made a date with a friend who’s due with her first baby in a week and a half to get pedicures at The Nail Shop. And now I’m kicking myself (with pretty pink toenails) for not making the 15 minutes schlep down there sooner.

Suspicious of the cleanliness of strip mall nail salons and concerned about inhaling polish and remover fumes, I’ve kept my nails and toenails au natural for most of my pregnancy. Normally I think these types of salons are sanitary enough, and I have no problem dropping in for a spur of the moment mani or pedi. But getting my nails done while pregnant without knowing how clean the instruments were was one of my few true concerns. Random, right?

What I love about The Nail Shop is how clean, quiet and zen it is. They also use SpaRitual polish, a line of vegan nail lacquers that are dbp, formaldehyde and toluene free. Sinking back into the plush Pottery Barn-style armchair, I was able to relax so thoroughly that I didn’t even feel the owner of the salon, Didi, filing my toenails. No joke.

Yes, the pedicure cost a bit more than one you’d get in strip mall salon, but I was able to achieve a sense of calm not possible when being jostled by a vibrating chair while the radio and a Lifetime original movie play simultaneously. I’m looking forward to going back to The Nail Shop one more time before having this baby in July.

{image of The Nail Shop via Google; nail polish via SpaRitual}

32 weeks: a review

May 23, 2011

The stress of work and personal responsibilities combined with my aching, growing body has left me more exhausted than usual this week–and more uncomfortable. I’ve also been experiencing a brief tightness across my belly frequently throughout the day. Braxton Hicks contractions? Of course, now I’m paranoid that I’m not going to be able to tell the difference between true and false labor. One of my greatest fears is delivering way too early.

May would be way too early.

I can only imagine that I’d be feeling better if my husband were home to help. I’m jealous of every pregnant woman who gets to experience all 40 weeks of pregnancy with her husband at her side. It is challenging in so many different ways to go through this transition alone, and I confess here that being a military wife is not my favorite thing. If JB has to deploy again during future pregnancies, I hope it’s during the second trimester instead of the third, when I’m less huge and have more energy.

In nursery news, the crib and chair have finally been ordered! It’s because of me that we waited so long to order the furniture. Despite knowing what we wanted for several weeks, I just wasn’t ready to commit. I don’t know if it was fear of making the wrong decision or that having a fully decorated baby’s room would make this all “real,” but I just couldn’t pull the trigger. Truthfully, JB was the one who actually ended up placing the order…

Oh, and in case you were wondering, my weeks change over on Saturdays. So when I post these weekly reviews on Monday, I’m already 2 days into the next week.

{self-portrait taken at 32 weeks, 4 days}

help! i need to relax!

May 20, 2011

From a malfunctioning home alarm system and not feeling well to a broken Keurig machine and a heavy workload, this week has been extremely stressful and more exhausting than usual. I think I need to pamper myself with a day of relaxation. A facial and massage sound just about perfect right now.

In March, JB and I enjoyed a couple’s massage during our weekend getaway in Kansas City. Mine was a prenatal one, of course, but the spa did not use a table with a hole cut out for my belly (though at that time my baby bump looked more like I had eaten a large lunch). Instead, the masseuse had me lay on side, first my left and then my right. At almost 33 weeks, though, I would probably be more comfortable on a specially designed pregnancy massage table. I actually can’t remember the last time I laid on my stomach…

Today’s side project will be to locate a massage studio or spa in Omaha that offers prenatal massages and uses a massage table with the baby bump hole. I’m desperately looking forward to an hour (or more) of me-time, though I imagine fitting my belly into the hole may seem strange at first.

Has anybody had a prenatal massage? Was it enjoyable or awkward?

(How indulgent does this Balinese-style bath look? If I had a big enough tub, you’d bet I’d be relaxing in it. Sadly, it’s practically child-size. Good for baby, bad for mama.)

jon stewart for babies

May 18, 2011

Freshman year of college I met Jon Stewart at a book signing event, and I’ve been a fan ever since. I’m sure baby boy will be too.

{image and onesie by Truly Sanctuary}

week 31: a review

May 17, 2011

There’s no denying any longer that my belly button wants out. My former innie is not an official outie yet, but it’s getting more and more shallow. I think it’s just run out of room in there! Early on, JB told me that he would be totally accepting of my changing body… except if my belly button popped. He was convinced that a new outie belly button would freak him out.

Boy is he going to be shocked when he returns in a couple of weeks! My body has changed dramatically in the last 7 weeks, and I’m sure it will look completely different than it does today upon his arrival.

In other news, I developed a new pregnancy side effect this week: leg cramps. The searing pain of my first ever charley horse startled me awake, and I literally jumped out of bed screaming. I would have scared the crap out of JB if he were home. The following night I was woken up by a charley horse in the other leg. As you can imagine, I was nervous to go to sleep the next night for fear it’d happen again. Luckily, I haven’t had another charley horse… yet. (Knock on wood.)

At this week’s OB/GYN appointment, I was measuring 33 weeks. Previously my measurements were corresponding exactly with my weeks, so I was surprised by this sudden growth. Does this mean that I’m going to deliver early?

{self-portrait taken at week 31, day 5}