25 Weeks. All is well.

Well, on Monday I had an appointment with the midwife. I wasn't exactly excited about going, but figured I had to because she would have the results of my blood analysis. Surprisingly when I arrived, I was the only one waiting for her!!
Also surprising, was the fact that she had a list up, so I was able to see the appointments that had been scheduled for her. Anyways, I was likely the only one waiting because she didn't have anyone scheduled for 9:45, the appointment right before mine (at 10:00).
I was also able to see how the appointments have been scheduled. Even though the first normal appointment was scheduled for 9AM, there were shorter appointments scheduled for 8:45, 8:47...
Ironically, the times when I have had an early appointment, I've had to wait so long because the girls with the "short" early appointments are really the ones who seem to need the most time.
It wasn't long before I was joined by the girl with the next appointment, and, despite the fact that I had been the only one waiting, I still had a bit of a wait. Still, 20 minutes late is nothing in comparison to what I'm used to here, so I had no complaints!!!
The appointment was pretty much as boring as usual. We did the same things we always do: she took my bp, weighed me and listened for baby's heartbeat. The only thing done differently was looking up the results of the blood glucose screening.
Luckily, all was well there. My glucose level was normal an hour after having drunk their horrible syrup, and my iron levels are also looking good. She told me to keep taking my prenatal vitamins, and I would be OK. Everything is "perfect."
She also told me to start exercising, saying that in the afternoon it is much cooler so it would be much better to do it then. I told her that I do a lot better in the morning, and prefer walking mornings. With that, she said I should do it morning and at night (why was only at night OK, but not only in the morning??), and that at night if I'm tired I could take a shorter, half hour, walk. (How long is the longer one supposed to be exactly?) Whatever. I said fine, and changed the subject to the prenatal classes.
I know they have something like that here because Mauri's brother won't shut up about how stupid they were. (Of course he wasn't the one carrying their baby, so I suppose he couldn't care less about having a little bit of information about how things work.) Sarcastically: "Yeah, you should go to those classes. They were really great." (With MIL in the background saying to me, worriedly, "But you are going to go, aren't you?")
Since when have I let his brother's opinion sway me? (um, never)
Don't get me wrong, I do expect a lot of fluff and info that I think will be dumb and/or that I won't agree with at the class. On the other hand, I have no idea of what to expect here, so I need a bit of information to go with. None of the doctors nor the midwife bother telling you anything. (When should I actually head to the hospital? How? etc.) I just expect to take the good with the bad. Isn't that how most classes are?
Anyways, the midwife stated that you can start taking the classes when you reach 28 weeks. "Didn't you see the info for the classes posted above the scale?" (Um, no, I was actually looking down at the scale to see the numbers on it when you weighed me, and was very happy when you had to move the 10 kilo marker down 2 notches for me. I take the same joy into having to make my seatbelt smaller on airplanes- hmmm I must be smaller than the person who was here before me.)
She continued, "I guess I should post it a little lower. We can talk about the classes at your next appointment, when you will be at 29 weeks, but remind me. I don't usually think of these things."
(Of course you don't. Maybe that's why you've never even mentioned them to me before, and I only knew about them through other people.)
That was it, and I was on my way.
I was feeling a bit guilty about not walking much lately, so, on my way home, I parked by the beach, and walked along it for a little ways. I put my feet in the water to see if it was still cold, and it was actually quite nice. I realized, though, that I actually get tired pretty quickly, and that I really am out of shape. (OK, no, I don't expect to be in shape while pregnant, but I should be able to walk awhile without getting out of breath.) Finding out that it was the "hottest day of the year" so far made me feel a bit better about it. I think that really affects how tired I feel.
Anyways, on Tuesday, I hit the 25 week point.
While I am still feeling pretty good, I am staring to get really tired in the afternoons again. I also get really tired when doing anything (sitting, standing, walking) for too long. So, I'm back to taking the occasional afternoon nap. That isn't normal for me, but it did become a routine part of my first trimester schedule.
I feel like I have been needing an extraordinary amount of sleep lately, and it worries me a bit. Luckily right now I can get the sleep that I feel I need, but I get worried that my body will get accostumed to the extra sleep. Then, when baby comes around and doesn't let me sleep, how will I react?!?!!?!?
I guess it's best not to worry about it, until it actually happens.
Other than that, not much else has been happening. I've been working obsessively on fixing up the house, and baby's room. I'll save that for my next post- with pictures.
For now, I'll leave you with the 25 week point email:

How your baby's growing
Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

(How big, exactly, is a rutabaga??????) :)

How your life's changing
Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but thanks to hormonal changes, the hair that you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. Enjoy the fullness while you can — the extra hair will fall out after you give birth.

You may also notice that you can't move around as gracefully as before. Unless your caregiver has advised you otherwise, it's fine to continue to exercise, but follow a few safety rules: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired and stop if you feel any pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Don't lie flat on your back and avoid contact sports as well as any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods.

When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, a second tube of blood may be taken at the same time to check for anemia. If blood tests show that you have iron-deficiency anemia (the most common type of anemia), your caregiver will probably recommend that you take an iron supplement.

Have you started thinking about baby names yet? Choosing a name is an important decision, but it should be a fun one, too. You may want to consider family history (Great Grandpa Zeb), favorite locations (Venice, where you honeymooned), or cherished literary or film characters (Greta, Meg, or Atticus, for example). Check out a couple of baby-name books to help you brainstorm, too.