Day 182

Please whisper gently for I can hear your breath-ins and breath-outs. The network of the nerves in my ears is better developed and more sensitive than before, so be nice and play no idiotic electro sounds to me.

I am now able and willing to hear both my dad’s and my mom’s voices as they speak both to me and to each other. At times it is difficult to make anything out save some ‘shljapkavi’ and high pitch-echoing sounds that are best described as an stubborn attempt to suck someone’s soul out by lips being tightly closed to each other.

I also inhale and exhale small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of my lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when I am born and take that first gulp of air. And I am continuing to put on baby fat. Far less and slower than mommy but at least I am well fed and offered unbelievable variety of food for now, as I heard that my dad is putting a veto (whatever that is, and where ever that should be out) on mom’s daily nutritious incomes.

I now weigh about a pound and two-thirds, which corresponds to 750 grams, the weight of the Rose Kratoshija contents without the bottle, and measure - from head to heel - 14 inches (35 cm) – the size of an English hothouse cucumber. If English do really grow cucumbers. Now I realize that Strumica cucumbers are a worthy measurement for giants.

If I had been a boy, my testicles would have begun to descend into my scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days. Since, I am not, I care not about it more than my father who told me that with the newest scientific and surgical prospects it is never too late to change any one’s mind, let not speak of sex.

This is day number 182 and I am 26 weeks now! I have 98 days or 14 weeks left, and I am 65.0% of the way there.

At the doctor's

At the doctor's today.

My 3D sonograms

Yesterday my mom and dad took me to Dr. Gordana P. Petrovska in the special gynecological hospital “Mala Bogorodica-Sistina”, who has scanned me on a 4D ultrasound device. It is an ultrasound technique used during pregnancy, providing three dimensional images of the fetus. Then these images are being captured rapidly and animated to produce a "4D ultrasound". 4D Ultrasounds take 3D ultrasound images, or 3D sonograms, and adds the element of time to the process. The result is - live action ultrasound images of me!

The doctor measured me and confirmed that I weigh about 700 grams and that I am about 34 cm long. She also examined me fully and confirmed that I am developing just fine! Although I am a very dynamic baby and I move and kick a lot, yesterday when we entered the hospital, I fell asleep right away. Dr. Petrovska couldn’t wake me up for half an hour, so I didn’t let her see my right hand clearly, because it was stuck under my head…

Here are some sonograms ("still-shot" pictures taken from me during the ultrasound) from yesterday’s 4D ultrasound scanning. You can clearly see my portrait, and even count the toes of my right foot! Isn’t it amazing?

I am 25 weeks now

This is day number 175 and I am 25 weeks now! I have 105 days or 15 weeks left, and I am 62.5% of the way there.

Head to heels, I now measure about 35 cm. My weight — a pound and a half (680 grams) — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but I am beginning to exchange my long, lean look for some baby fat. As I do, my wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and I will start to look more and more like a newborn. I am also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

P.S.

Later today my mom and dad are taking me to scan me on a device called 4D ultrasound. I will write after that and hopefully share with you brand new photos of me!

My mom’s bleeding gums…

Swollen, tender gums that bleed when you floss or brush are a common complaint during pregnancy. They're caused by higher progesterone levels, which make your gums react more to the bacteria in plaque, and by an increased blood supply to your mouth. This so-called pregnancy gingivitis affects about half of pregnant women.

Surprisingly, but this is not a harmless thing, and can affect moms pregnancy with me. If she doesn’t take care of her teeth and gums, gingivitis can get worse and develop into periodontitis, a more serious form of gum disease in which the infection goes beyond your gums into the bone and other tissue that support your teeth. Some studies have even found that pregnant women with these conditions are significantly more likely to deliver prematurely.

My mom’s dentist - dr. Vesna, recommended Fluonatril (natrii fluoridum), more frequent practice of oral hygiene (brushing the gums and thoroughly but gently at least twice a day, using a soft-bristled brush and toothpaste with fluoride) and regular preventive dental care (cleaning of gums, removing plaque and tartar that brushing can't get to).

More on bleeding gums during pregnancy.

The biggest unborn ‘Foltin’ fan is… me

Yesterday my mom and dad took me to an event entitled “Fotomedia 2008”, an exhibition of photographs in Mala Stanica, where uncle Ljupa won the grand prix award for his photograph taken in Egypt some time ago. But the best part was that Foltin played there! I was dancing all night long in my mom’s belly!

As this is my third time to see a Foltin concert, I guess I am their biggest unborn fan of all times!

Mogly, the real girl from the jungle

Meet the real Mogly, the girl from the jungle that lives with tigers, elephants and ostriches!

This girl’s real name is Tippi Degré, born 1990 in Namibia. Her parents were photographers that have lived in Namibia for years, until 2000 when they decided to come back in France.

Mogly (or Tippi if you prefer) was fearless little girl who grew up with her best friends – the leopard J&B, Abu the elephant, Cheetah the tiger, the Namibian bushmen…

Now Tippi is 18, lives in Paris where she studies cinematography. But in her heart she will always be like Mogly, the girl from the jungle.

Photo gallery here.

Puk-Puk-anka

Be not afraid it is only me, not the Kondovo G.

I am growing steadily with all this nutritious diet (il chocolates, tortas und strudel), but I have only gained about 4 ounces since last week. Poor mom, all the rest goes into her. But she is a strong girl. Now I am bit over half a kilo.

Since I am almost a foot long (well depending whose foot, by no means it is Shaq’s), a size of a corn year, I cut a pretty lean figure at this point, but my body is filling out proportionally (my dad has mistaken proportion with Burda magazine measurements – 90-60-90) and I’ll soon start to plump up.

My brain is also growing quickly now, not that I can solve equations with three unknown values and five unknown strangers, but it is quite a thing. And my taste buds are continuing to develop so I think I can smell some leftovers, or outcomes of my parents cooking and digesting. My lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" (mind the metaphor and the irony – ‘I am developing as a regular as a bush or a larch).

Another development are the cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help my air sacs inflate once I hit the outside world (I hope my hit will not hurt the outside world). My skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon when first it will become normally white-pinkish and after maaany years it will have accepted layers of make-up (Ooops, gender-marking, d***).

By the way, today is day number 169 and I am 24 weeks. I have 111 days or 16 weeks left, and I am 60.4% of the way there.

Vote for my name

As promised, my mom and dad made a short list out of all your proposals for my name. The short list is made upon 110 different name proposals that you have been sending to my e-mail address little.mogly@gmail.com. Out of these 110 proposals, 67 (61%) were girls’ names and 43 (39%) were proposals for boys’ names.

Now you can vote the short list for the name you like most. That doesn’t necessarily mean that my parents will choose the name that will win this poll, but it will for sure influence their final decision.

Don’t forget that this is a competition for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize. The prize will go to friends who proposed the winning names. Winners and prizes will be announced after November 12, by my dad.

And now, I present you the short-list of names and their meaning. I hope this will help you decide easier on your choice for which of the names to give your vote.

Aya (Аја): Japanese origin, meaning Full of color; or Design. African name meaning Sparkling, twinkling. Hebrew biblical name, meaning vulture.

Anja (Ања): Anja – Scandinavian/Finish origin, meaning Grace. Anya – Russian/Slovene origin, form of Anna, meaning Gracious.

Bella (Бела): Latin origin, form of Belle, meaning Beauty. Also: Short form of Isabella and other names ending in bella.

Gala (Гала): Girls name of Greek and Russian origin, meaning Calm; also Russian and Slavic, short from Galina or Galena. Variant of Hebrew Gal, meaning mound, wave.

Lara (Лара): Latin name, well known, name of nymph. Also often Russian girls name. Icelandic form and German variant of Laura; Russian, English and Slovene usage as a short form of Larisa (ancient city). It was introduced to the English-speaking world by a character from Boris Pasternak's novel 'Doctor Zhivago' (1957) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1965).

Kaya (Каја): Greek name meaning Pure. American Indian origin, meaning my elder sister-little. Czech and Polish diminutive of Karolina, Scandinavian diminutive of Katarina. Kaja also means Echo in Estonian.

Kala (Кала): Hindi origin, meaning time, black. Slav origin – a flower. Also means art form, virtue in Sanskrit. Hawaiian form of Sarah, meaning lady, princess, the sun. In Sanskrit – the fine arts.

Tara (Тара): Celtic origin, meaning tower, crag. Gaelic – crag, hill.
Anglicized form of the Irish place name Teamhair, which possibly means elevated place in Gaelic. This was the name of the sacred hill near Dublin where the Irish high kings resided. It was popularized as a given name by the novel 'Gone with the Wind' (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939), in which it is the name of the O'Hara plantation.
Also means star or savior in Sanskrit. Tara is the name of a Hindu astral goddess, the wife of Brhaspati. She was abducted by Soma, a god of the moon, leading to a great war that was only ended when Brahma intervened and released her. This is also the name of a Buddhist deity (a female Buddha).

My mom’s leg cramps

My mom is having leg cramps more and more often these days. These painful spasms stand between me, her and a good night's sleep!

Leg cramps are defined as radiating, painful spasms through the calves, felt especially at night. Nobody's quite sure what causes them. Various theories blame fatigue from carrying pregnancy weight, compression of the blood vessels in the legs, and possibly diet — an excess of phosphorus and a shortage of calcium or magnesium. You might as well blame hormones, too, since they seem to cause so many pregnancy aches and pains!

Leg cramps are especially common in the second half of pregnancy, when pregnancy weight, increasing swelling, and overall fatigue are at their high points and interruptions in your sleeping are most frustrating.

So what to do about it? Here are some advices:

• Try standing on a cold surface, which can sometimes stop a spasm. Or straighten your leg and gently flex your ankle and toes back toward your shins several times. If either of these techniques works, you can add massage or local heat for added relief, but don't massage or add heat if neither flexing nor cold helps the situation (in the rare case that the pain is caused by a blood clot, massaging it could make it worse — or allow it to travel).
• Stretching exercises can help stop cramps before they strike. Before you head to bed, stand about two feet away from a wall and put your palms flat against it. Lean forward, keeping your heels on the floor. Hold the stretch for ten seconds, then relax for five. Try this three times.
• To ease the daily burden on your legs, put your feet up as often as you can, alternate periods of activity with periods of rest, and wear support hose during the day.
• Make sure you're drinking enough fluids — at least eight glasses a day.
• Eat a well-balanced diet that includes adequate calcium and magnesium.

More on pregnancy leg cramps: Leg cramps: symptoms and solutions; Leg cramps in week 19; Leg cramps during pregnancy; Leg cramps during pregnancy; Leg cramps during pregnancy.

Flying back home

This is day number 161 and I am 23 weeks! I have 119 days or 17 weeks left, and I am 57.5% of the way there.

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With my sense of movement well developed by now, I can feel my mom dance. And now that I am more than 28 cm long and weighs around half a kilo (about as much as a large mango), my mom and my dad are able to see me squirm underneath my mom’s clothes!

Blood vessels in my lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that I am increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing for my entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze me when I hear them outside the womb.

By the way, I am still in Sofia, and I am flying back home this afternoon.

Autmn in Sofia

The London talking elevator

Before I move to writing about Sofia memories, I would like to share another highlight from London first: the Courthouse Hotel in Soho.

The Courthouse Hotel is set in the heart of London’s bustling shopping and theatre district, on Great Marlborough Street. A stone’s throw away from the infamous Liberty’s department store and the shopping paradise of Bond Street, Regent Street and Carnaby Street, the Hotel is situated in an old Grade II Listed Magistrates Court, retaining much of its original historical features with a modern twist. Situated in the very heart of Soho in central London, from the internationally known Selfridges department store and Bond Street with its Couture boutiques to the London Palladium, famous for its great Musical and Theatrical performances, you are in the centre of everything.

It is a luxury hotel that offers all kinds of staff, including the Sanook Spa. The Sanook Spa in Courthouse Hotel includes all the facilities to help guests relax, revitalize and refresh after a busy shopping trip or high powered meeting. Their signature treatments include a selection of chocolate treatments including facials, pedicures and manicures – chocolate without the calories, what more can you ask for!

Situated in an old courthouse, the Grade II listed building retains much of the splendour of the original, with a number of quirky features. In 1835, Charles Dickens worked as a reporter there for the Morning Chronicle.

The Great Marlborough Street Magistrate’s Court set the scene for many famous cases over the years, which were either heard there or taken to full trial at Crown Courts such as the Old Bailey. This was the case with the first obscenity trial for a comic book in English history, against International Times in 1971. John Lennon’s sensational court case regarding the sale of sexually explicit lithograph drawings was thrown out on a technicality in 1970, and Mick Jagger spent time here defending his name when it was alleged he was caught in possession of cannabis (and Marianne Faithful!). Keith Richards received a £205 fine here in 1973 for possession of marijuana, heroin and mandrax, as well as a Smith and Wesson revolver and an antique shotgun, both held without a licence. Oscar Wilde also had the start of his ‘Queensbury’ case heard in the building.

And finally, I present you my best friend from Courthouse Hotel – the talking elevator!

London memories