The Miles Rausch Family Website

I kept thinking we’d get around to recording a short DFK podcast, but we haven’t yet. So here’s an update…

Good news! The ultrasound at 32 weeks showed that he’s right on track. In fact, he’s in the 52nd percentile in all of his measurements (weight, head, abdomen, length, etc.). This basically means out of 100 healthy babies at random, he’s bigger than 51 of them and smaller than 48 of them. It doesn’t explain why I’m measuring so much bigger, but we’ll take it. Of course, I’ve heard they can be off by as much as a pound on ultrasound measurements, (which would make him much much larger) but I’m choosing not to linger on that. Bonus: more baby pictures!

My appointment this week at 36 weeks went smoothly. I’m measuring at 38 weeks, but two weeks ago I was measuring at 37 weeks so I might be starting to level off. Looking at my pregnancy journal, I can see that it’s actually taken 12 weeks for my uterus to grow the equivalent of 10 weeks. At 24 weeks, I was measuring at 28 and at 36 weeks I’m measuring at 38. This makes me less concerned about measuring big.

I’ve gained a lot of weight. Like scary close to the weight I was before I lost all that weight. And if you remember how many pounds I lost, then you can guess within 10 pounds as to how much I’ve gained during pregnancy. They give you a weight range to try to stick to in gaining (based on your pre-pregnancy weight) and I flew by the high end on that range weeks ago. And I mean flew. And I mean weeks ago. I know in an instant I’ll lose like 10+ pounds with the baby and everything else that, umm, comes out. It’s just a mental thing. It confuses me because people tell me I look small. But I’m measuring big and weighing in big. So maybe people are just nice. But at my last appointment my doctor said “your blood pressure, your urine and your weight all still look good” so…we can add that to the list of things I love about her. I now will be going to appointments on a weekly basis until the baby comes.

Looking at my class schedule, it reminds me just how close we are to his arrival. I give a group presentation less than two weeks before our due date. It’s just weird to think about. Being two weeks before our due date pretty soon. Then, after my due date there are 3 classes left. Not really certain how that will all work out as I don’t know what my recovery will be like, but the professor said we’ll just play it by ear and work it out however we can. My hope is to only miss one class and then sit in class for the remainder of the weeks and just take notes – and then have Miles bring the baby half-way through the class (it lasts 3.5 hrs) so he can nurse before bed. In theory, it makes sense to me, but we have no idea what to expect. I do know that we have a final exam, so I am planning to at least be there for that.

Miles’s cousin Amber and aunt Karin threw a shower for the baby last weekend. We had a really good time and it was great to see everyone who came – many of whom I hadn’t seen in months! The baby scored a lot of loot and is loved already. We’re so excited to hold him and wrap him in all his new blankets and clean up his spit-up with all the new burp rags and dress him in dino outfits and change his diapers on his little butt. I’m obsessed with thinking about his little tiny hiney. Is that weird?

The nice thing about announcing you’re pregnant on the internet is you all don’t immediately look at my belly.

There were people sneaking glances at 8 weeks to see if they can see anything! I know I hadn’t gained more than a couple pounds and I certainly wasn’t close to “showing”. But what makes it bad is then I spend the rest of the day wondering what decision they came to. Do they think I’m showing? I mean sure, after losing all that weight, I’ve still got a little fat pouch that I wasn’t able to get rid of before pregnancy. Do they think my fat pouch is a baby?

So thank you, internet, for not looking at my fat pouch and making a mental decision one way or the other. I’ve got enough to be paranoid about.

For the record, I accepted this weekend that I am, in fact, showing. But only a teeny tiny bit, I’m only 14 weeks. The uterus is getting bigger and is moving and it has pushed out the lower part of my belly. I can tell, and Miles can tell, but I don’t know if others can. If I try on a maternity top, I look way more pregnant. Also, it turns out people are very generous when it comes to hand-me-down maternity clothes and early baby gifts. And that is wonderful.

My goal was to lose 50 pounds by June 19. Today is June 15, and I’m happy to report that I’ve lost 50 pounds! And then some. 51.2 pounds to be exact. I’m really proud of myself and feel good about where I’m at right now. I’d like to be about 15 pounds lighter still, but in due time. And according to my BMI, I’m no longer obese. Just overweight. I never believed much in BMI anyway.

Right now I am wearing a size 12 dress pant. It’s a little loose, but I didn’t dare try on a 10. I think I’m probably more like an 11 right now, but of course those don’t really exist. And it really depends on the brand. Some of my 14 pants would be too tight if they were 12s. Fashion’s weird like that. Before, I was getting too big for my size 18 clothes. I would have had to start shopping at new stores if I had gotten bigger, because normal stores don’t carry size 20. And I didn’t want to be a size 20. My very first goal was to lose 50 pounds by Christmas 09. I had an exception to that goal that it would still be met if I was a size 10 by Christmas but not 50 pounds lighter. I wanted to cover my bases in case I got smaller in inches, but not lighter in pounds. Almost have met both goals.

I was afraid I wouldn’t make it by today (though my goal was the 19th, I weigh myself on Mondays, so secretly I wanted to make it by the 15th). I was at 48 pounds last week, and had gained a couple weeks before that (the result of eating too many peanut M&Ms at Marissa’s graduation party without knowing the serving size or calorie amount. Yowza!) So I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to lose 2 pounds in time. Especially since we ate out more times this week than we eat out in a month. But I was somehow able to make it work in my caloric budget. I’ve got a good routine now of waking up at 6:30 to exercise for 25-45 minutes while Miles is sleeping and showering. Then I get ready. I don’t go in to work at the City until 10, but sometimes I work in the morning at one of my other jobs.

Which reminds me, I haven’t told you about that really. I’m working for Scott Meyer Photography. Sound familiar? He took our wedding photos! I’m his first employee, outside his immediate family, so it’s new territory for both of us. I’ve been doing graphic design, marketing, sales, assisting on a photo shoot, and general errands around town so far. It sounds like in a few weeks I’ll be photographing an event downtown for him, too. It’s exciting stuff and I love what I’m doing there and hope this can stick. Once I’m done at the City, I’ll be working more like 30 hours/week for him. So far I’ve been working from home on design stuff, or in the studio being trained.

I’m also working about 8 hours/week at Macy’s. Actually, it’s for Pea in the Pod, which leases a department with Macy’s. It’s nice because I get a sweet Pea in the Pod discount (which I don’t need yet, but some day might) and a sweet Macy’s discount. We also carry Motherhood Maternity, which is more of my price range (Old Navy, Gap, etc. comparison of clothing) but still a little spendy. Pea in the Pod, even on clearance, is pricey (high fashion, downtown boutique, etc. comparison of clothing). But a few nice pieces here and there are always good additions to any wardrobe! Last week I worked 12 hours, this week will be 16 (my manager is on vacation), but from then on it will be about 8 hours. There’s only two of us to staff that department, myself and my manager, but because it’s in Macy’s, if one of us isn’t there, they cover it. If it were a freestanding store, someone would obviously need to staff it during all open hours.

So, I’m working three jobs. It wasn’t intended to be that way. I had already interviewed with Pea in the Pod and contacted Scott Meyer Photography before my employment with the City was extended. I’ll be down to two in just a couple weeks. Somehow, we’re supposed to pack up the apartment during this time because we’re moving in three weeks! And I’m a little controlling when it comes to some things, so I don’t want to leave it all up to my dear husband. But he can pack up his books by himself. I might be too tempted to chuck ‘em.

And this post wasn’t meant to be this long in the beginning. But I started talking about things that I realized I haven’t told people. So now you’re told. Fifty pounds lighter, two jobs heavier.

Cut 10″ off my hair today for Locks of Love. I had decided to do this in May or June back in November and have been growing it out ever since. Miles has never seen my hair this short.

I like how it looks. The picture makes it look a little “Princess Leia” ish. But it’s not in real life, I swear. I could fit it into a teeny tiny pony tail if I had to. But I don’t think it’d be worth it.  I’m afraid it makes me look fat and counteracts the work I’ve done trying to lose weight. I hope that’s not the case. I still like it, anyhow.

Last weekend, my sister graduated from High School. Pictures are here. (You should know she’s wearing super tall heels in the above picture.)

This weekend, we had our second LOST party, rewatching season five. Pictures are here.

Both weekends included a lot of over-eating and taking in too much sugar. Need to kick it into gear to make my June 19 goal.