Miss Kolka

There are moments when you should be proud of yourself. When you get a better grade than expected in an exam or when you're offered the job when you thought the interview went so bad. And then there is the crucial moment at the monthly check-up at the hospital during the pregnancy. When you have to stand on the scale and that number appears. This time I was very pleasently surprised. "Miss" said the new midwife, this one totally within normal weight limits: "you have gained one kilo since last month". Hurrah. (I knew there was something fishy about the scale or was it sabotage by the other big midwife?Will we ever know?) 
Announcing the news to the doctor two hours later (because that is how long it takes) he only had this answer: "Well, you must have been quite hungry". Maybe I was, but no not really, I just have cut down on the desserts, although I can feel that it is the baby's favourite thing. Babylicious moves the most when I eat sweet things, not when it hears funny songs or when Im touched by strangers on the belly (thank god). So I cant stop the sugary treats all together, that would just be mean and unfair. Dont worry little baby, that will not happen.

Less prouder moments are the ones I spend crying on silly things. In two days Ive "only" cried 3 times but Im completely aware that its due to the hormones and its not the real me talking. First I cried because I was so sick of the news, then I cried when I saw a story about a big american eagle flying for the first time from the top of the Mont Blanc. It had been born and raised in captivity and learned to fly with its trainer, go figure where the true moment for the tears lied. The third time was watching a lebanese film "Caramel" about women working in a beauty parlor in Beirut. Girls experiencing the tough rules of society in a middle-eastern country. Where they cant live by themselves - but have to live either with their parents or husbands, where a women is expected to be married a virgin and were they dont really control their own destiny. Anyway, I was just so relieved to be born in a country and culture where I could be myself and wouldn't have to abide to some absurd rules made by men...that I cried.

Now Im just laughing at myself.

So I had heard about them quite alot, even had some warnings, warnings that I ignored of course because I believed in my roots and somehow hoped I would be protected. Or at least that by closing my eyes I would not be affected by these little party-poopers that everyone had been talking about. But noooo, you can't just ignore them, or not answer the phone - if they want to invite themselves, they will, even if you told them to stay away. The stretch marks have arrived.

I thought I had been careful enough in my diet, well at least this last past month - not eating too much - after the overweight midwife had rolled her eyes over my weight gain, and drinking plenty of water - which is good for the baby, and now this is going to sound selfish - but also good for the skin. I also had heard that genetics played a major role and since my mother (who almost lost weight during her pregnancy) didnt get any, I thought that she would have passed that luck around. But as with many of her features I was hoping for (no bodyhairs, slim legs, and feminin features) I seem to have lost on that one too. Not to worry, I dont think its going to be a life-altering matter, that Im going to loose my job over it or that its going to change my view of parenthood, the major change is perhaps that the boyfriend has now to add this to the what he finds a sexy pregnancy look - do not forget to mention the strech marks please, they are  now part of this. And actually the more I think about it, I find this just a confirmation of my womanhood. Especially since I found this on the internet:

Other factors include: ethnicity/skin tone (fair-skinned women tent to get them more), nutritional history (a sensible diet helps skin to stretch better), skin condition (dry skin tends to be less elastic than well nourished skin) and the amount of weight gained during pregnancy (also how rapidly it was gained). If you are carrying multiples, carrying a large baby, have excess amniotic fluid or are naturally thin or small- you may have a higher than average incidence of stretch marks.

So according to my research I have stretch marks because I have fair and beautiful skin, I am naturally thin and because our genetic make-up is so good that we are having a big baby (a before-mentioned viking I will remind you). Everybody wants big babies (but not the 12,5 kilo baby born in Bangladesh though) So What is there not too be proud of - I can say I got two tattoos, one that I got when I was young and adventurous and another one when I got pregnant. Two symbols of happy times. They deserve to be celebrated.

How important is it to have a talk with your mother when you´re pregnant?Very. Thats why mine flew over from the homecountry to spend a little weekend in Paris. While she was here, the economy of Iceland plummeted, banks went broke in Europe and Palin made more disastrous interviews with Katie Couric. But we didn´t care as the weather here was beautiful and we talked about babies. Very important indeed and reassuring.  I learned a few things, how immensely Pan is considered by my families, both on the French and Icelandic side, that my dad was ahead of his peers when I was born and was very involved in my upbringing and renewed my knowledge of crochet knitwork. Unfortunately I had to take it extra easy due to a few contractions felt the days before the arrival but that didn´t influence our fun. And we had alot time to talk. Good for the baby to hear some icelandic outside the womb. Plus now I have the lyrics to the icelandic lullabies of my childhood.  Or perhaps babylicious will prefer songs in French? Well, that´s something we wont know until early next year...

see pictures from the visit on Flickr

So according to a new scientific study there is a direct correlation between how your bedroom smells and the dreams you have. So if you smell Roses for example, your dreams should be nice and sweet. However, if you smell rotten eggs before going to sleep (what?!) then you are more likely to have bad dreams. I cant say I have bad dreams every night, but there is alot happening in my (not so) tiny little head. People appear in my dreams that I haven't seen for decades (yes Im getting THAT old) and Im not even thinking about. It can be quite confusing -especially to wake up suddenly in another world but then I get the kick that reminds me of who and where I am and that I should move slowly...

I thought my bad dreams (and Pan's) were due to us watching to many horrendous Special victim's Unit episodes... however, now we can continue to watch these useless shows about murders and kidnappings (very positive thinking) since I see very clearly that the solution to my problem is to send my panster to an evening bath more often...

or to leave flowers in the bedroom instead of the living room... ;)

This week had been long awaited by Pan and I and now its over. With the second scanning showing all ten fingers and toes, a moving (and we like to believe happy) baby, and a doctor looking fast between its legs (hmmm I think I might have seen a big bump.. but since I was the only one.. it might have been hallucinations) we are reassured. Not that there was anything to worry about but still its good to get it out of the way.

The funny thing about expecting a baby is that everyone has pregnancy stories to share with you. Sometimes they´re nice, about cute babies that do what they´re told but often its about the hassle of birth (something I am not even close to want to think about), horror stories of a 59 year old having triplets or milk powder inducing kidney stones in infants (ok I will admit these two last ones are media stories..that is, from my new best friends :) thank god for CNN I watch everyday). But all in all people tend to be just lovely, saying Hello like the waiter downstairs (what´s up "la grosse" ? translate fatty), giving me their seat at the bank and friends stroking my stomach. Its weird the effect the pregnancy has, mostly on other people. Pan being the greatest, often asking  questions like "did that person bump into you???" in a crowded street or metro  - as if I would say " yes honey, it wasn´t on purpose but can you please punch her/him in the face".  Its nice to be protected

Also - clearly the most common question is to ask pregnant women what it is they are expecting. I have my answer all worked out: "Well, we are keeping it as a surprise but we are hoping for either a boy or a girl." In all fairness, people are just trying to be nice and strike a conversation.

Apart from that "rien a signaler" or RAS as we say in French, except that the lovely but slightly overweight midwife at the hospital is doing something with the balance there. At my last check the silly little thing showed that I had gained 10 kilos "Mademoiselle, here in France we try not to go over 10-12 kilos for the whole pregnancy". Aha.. well.. if it is anything like your calculations for the due date (only country that counts 41 week while others count 40, and then it seems that most French women have their babies 10 days before the due date!! hmm hmm.. ok but lets still say its 41 weeks.. just for the sake of it) then maybe you should rethink these measurements of yours.  Like my cousin said, icelandic babies and  women are big and strong so dont you worry about my kilos. Apparently its more the nordic gene, because according to our danish pregnancy book the baby should now weigh around 600 grams (it weighs 550) while the european numbers count around 350 grams (tiny little thing). So let me rephrase the answer to the ever so popular question:

"We are definately having a viking!"

• Who's Anatomy? | 24-11-2009
• Here we go again. | 19-11-2009
• Of Sex, Violence and Bad men | 08-10-2009
• of Bloggers and other creatures | 05-09-2009
• swineflu - what are we to think? | 13-08-2009
• Was it for an underwater Rock concert? | 11-08-2009
• The city of the Happy People | 04-08-2009
• Felix meets Loulou | 21-07-2009
• This is Iceland! | 13-07-2009
• Popularity! | 22-06-2009
• Aurevoir..mais pas Adieu! About Burqas, Sarkozy and all that | 22-06-2009
• ... | 18-06-2009
• What's happening? | 18-06-2009
• Reminder | 15-06-2009
• What can Europe do? | 08-06-2009