Dear Everyone,
I am pregnant and at times pretty emotional. I cry over things that would have never set me off before. I'm not telling you this so that you're on eggshells around me, afraid to say anything lest you bring on the waterworks, but please please please think before you speak.
Safe topics include the usual - the weather, the local sports team, complaining about work or coworkers. Unsafe topics include calling my not-yet born kid a brat. Just because it's the last day of August and you thought an August baby would be nice, does not mean that there is anything wrong.
My due date is Thursday and you would think that maybe it would be me who, having shared her body with this growing thing for the past nine months, would like this kid out yesterday. I'm practicing being patient knowing that this kid will come when he is good and ready, but my patience wears thin when I talk to people like you.
Sincerely,
batman
Monday, August 31
Saturday, August 29
Thoughts
Ultrasound - We went for the ultrasound Thursday morning and everything is looking good according to the tech. And since we haven't heard from the midwife yet, we're assuming things are fine. We have another appointment Tuesday so we'll find out for sure then. I took the preliminary report the tech gave us and Googled all the results. The only thing that looked a little off to me was the amount of amniotic fluid. I don't know the units, but mine was measured at 7 and I read that less than 5-6 is considered too little and 8-18 is considered a good amount. What about 7?? Ah well, Tuesday will be here soon enough.
Work - After the ultrasound I went to work for a bit. I wanted to drop off a little gift for J&M who are expecting about a week after me. I was able to see a lot of people and I have to admit it was an ego boost when everyone told me how great I looked. Thank you, work friends. Then I went to lunch with 4 of them. After all that, I needed a huge nap. Sandy didn't mind.
Weather - All of a sudden, we went from having the AC on and the fan blowing at night to it being freezing cold. Honestly, the change was so dramatic and so quick that I really can't believe it. I was hoping that since we had such crappy weather June and July that late August and September and even October would be warm and beautiful. And now it's raining like mad. Both J and I thought we had animals living in the walls after all the noise from the wind and rain last night. Turns out pieces of the house that allow air in were loose. J crawled around in the attic and fixed the problem. Such a handy guy.
Birthdays - S&S are both August babies so we had dinner and cake last night at S&Ls place to celebrate. I did a great job barbecuing and burned the first bunch of hotdogs. Thankfully burgers take longer to cook so all was not lost. I seem to remember we were at the cottage around this time last year celebrating these birthdays by getting really drunk and skinny dipping. How things change....
Getting ready - There are things you can do to naturally induce labour. Ever since I hit 37 weeks, which is considered full term, I've been trying these things. Who knows if it's helping or if I'll be late no matter what I do. Either way, I've been drinking raspberry leaf tea, eating pineapple, eating spicy food, walking more, and some other things I'd rather not mention (but if you're really curious, do a Google search on the topic). What I've noticed is that my Braxton-Hicks contractions (practice contractions) have gotten more powerful and more frequent and I have a lot of pressure/pain down low. Last night, I felt off so I went to bed and just lay there thinking "If this is labour, we're not ready." About an hour later, I felt normal again and fell asleep. Today we went and got the playpen, where baby will likely sleep for the first bit (days to weeks to months, depending on things) and the diaper bag. I have things put aside for the hospital bag and have talked to our families about not coming to the hospital (we don't plan to be there long). A couple more things to do and organize and likely wash and then we will be completely ready. And when I say 'completely ready' I mean 'as ready as we'll ever be' for this life-altering event. J really wants to meet our squirming little man.
Work - After the ultrasound I went to work for a bit. I wanted to drop off a little gift for J&M who are expecting about a week after me. I was able to see a lot of people and I have to admit it was an ego boost when everyone told me how great I looked. Thank you, work friends. Then I went to lunch with 4 of them. After all that, I needed a huge nap. Sandy didn't mind.
Weather - All of a sudden, we went from having the AC on and the fan blowing at night to it being freezing cold. Honestly, the change was so dramatic and so quick that I really can't believe it. I was hoping that since we had such crappy weather June and July that late August and September and even October would be warm and beautiful. And now it's raining like mad. Both J and I thought we had animals living in the walls after all the noise from the wind and rain last night. Turns out pieces of the house that allow air in were loose. J crawled around in the attic and fixed the problem. Such a handy guy.
Birthdays - S&S are both August babies so we had dinner and cake last night at S&Ls place to celebrate. I did a great job barbecuing and burned the first bunch of hotdogs. Thankfully burgers take longer to cook so all was not lost. I seem to remember we were at the cottage around this time last year celebrating these birthdays by getting really drunk and skinny dipping. How things change....
Getting ready - There are things you can do to naturally induce labour. Ever since I hit 37 weeks, which is considered full term, I've been trying these things. Who knows if it's helping or if I'll be late no matter what I do. Either way, I've been drinking raspberry leaf tea, eating pineapple, eating spicy food, walking more, and some other things I'd rather not mention (but if you're really curious, do a Google search on the topic). What I've noticed is that my Braxton-Hicks contractions (practice contractions) have gotten more powerful and more frequent and I have a lot of pressure/pain down low. Last night, I felt off so I went to bed and just lay there thinking "If this is labour, we're not ready." About an hour later, I felt normal again and fell asleep. Today we went and got the playpen, where baby will likely sleep for the first bit (days to weeks to months, depending on things) and the diaper bag. I have things put aside for the hospital bag and have talked to our families about not coming to the hospital (we don't plan to be there long). A couple more things to do and organize and likely wash and then we will be completely ready. And when I say 'completely ready' I mean 'as ready as we'll ever be' for this life-altering event. J really wants to meet our squirming little man.
Wednesday, August 26
Coming up
Saturday was a strange day. I felt chained to the house and then felt silly for feeling that way. The chances of me going into labour were so slim that staying home avoiding it was probably not necessary. I'll probably go way late now. But that's okay, no baby without J here. That would not have been good.
But here we are, days later and still no baby. That will be part of every blog post until B-Day I'm sure. But please don't go thinking I've popped if I don't post in a while. I'm bad at updating and you know that.
I went to see my midwife yesterday. The baby is measuring even smaller than before so I have an ultrasound tomorrow. She's almost positive everything is okay, but there's a small enough chance that it isn't hence the test. It will be nice to see our "little squirming man", as J likes to say, one more time before the big day. I can't help worrying just a little though.
So the Halifax wedding. It was J's cousin G's wedding and apparently a ton of fun. I wish I could have been there and I think we might be making a trip to the East coast next summer because J didn't get a chance to see his old neighbourhood like he wanted.
Another wedding coming up this weekend on the East coast, New Brunswick this time for L&S. Sorry to miss this one too. I'm sure it will be beautiful.
Weddings and babies. Tis the season.
But here we are, days later and still no baby. That will be part of every blog post until B-Day I'm sure. But please don't go thinking I've popped if I don't post in a while. I'm bad at updating and you know that.
I went to see my midwife yesterday. The baby is measuring even smaller than before so I have an ultrasound tomorrow. She's almost positive everything is okay, but there's a small enough chance that it isn't hence the test. It will be nice to see our "little squirming man", as J likes to say, one more time before the big day. I can't help worrying just a little though.
So the Halifax wedding. It was J's cousin G's wedding and apparently a ton of fun. I wish I could have been there and I think we might be making a trip to the East coast next summer because J didn't get a chance to see his old neighbourhood like he wanted.
Another wedding coming up this weekend on the East coast, New Brunswick this time for L&S. Sorry to miss this one too. I'm sure it will be beautiful.
Weddings and babies. Tis the season.
Saturday, August 22
So nice
I have to write about how supportive everyone has been and especially about today. I just got home from dropping J off at the airport. His cousin is getting married in Halifax today, hopefully before hurricane Bill hits, and we decided he would fly out, go to the wedding and come home. He'll be gone less than 24 hours.
I'm considered full term in that I've reached the number of weeks that a baby is considered fully cooked and labour could happen pretty much any time. The thing is, statistically, first babies are born on average 8 days after their due date. That's not until September 11. There is little chance that baby is coming today or tomorrow or even in the next couple of weeks.
But that didn't stop a bunch of people from calling to let me know that they would be available every minute that J is out of town. Cell phones on and ready. Just in case something were to happen. I feel like I have a whole army waiting for my call. It's nice and reassuring.
I will still be doing absolutely nothing today that will induce labour. In fact, I think I hear the couch calling my name... have a great weekend!
I'm considered full term in that I've reached the number of weeks that a baby is considered fully cooked and labour could happen pretty much any time. The thing is, statistically, first babies are born on average 8 days after their due date. That's not until September 11. There is little chance that baby is coming today or tomorrow or even in the next couple of weeks.
But that didn't stop a bunch of people from calling to let me know that they would be available every minute that J is out of town. Cell phones on and ready. Just in case something were to happen. I feel like I have a whole army waiting for my call. It's nice and reassuring.
I will still be doing absolutely nothing today that will induce labour. In fact, I think I hear the couch calling my name... have a great weekend!
Friday, August 21
All over the place
I hope no one minds if I just kind of empty my brain here on this blog. I have so many thoughts swirling around but no drive to make a coherent post (if that was even possible) out of a topic or two. Or three. Or ten.
Monday night I slept on and off and on and off, but it wasn't the interrupted kind of sleep that makes you mad. I was wide awake between sleeps and thinking about all sorts of things and it hit me. I had an epiphany. I can totally do this pregnancy thing and I will totally be able to do labour and delivery. And, while we're on the topic, I can be a good mother. Where did it all come from? I'm not sure exactly, but I'm sure. Positive actually, and it's a nice feeling. I finally feel ready.
Also, I've been wanting a drug-free labour and delivery. Not because I'm against drugs or am a granola-crunching flower child. I just think that, without complications, my body should be able to handle the birth of the baby it created. And why not? This is what I was built to do. Have you seen my hips? J and I joke that my hips don't lie (like Shakira's don't) because they're so wide. And what's really nice is that J is completely on board, which is an unbelievable relief since he's going to be my "labour partner" and the one urging me on during the entire event, and the midwife is confident in me too. It's nice being told by a professional that my labour will go smoothly and I shouldn't have any problems.
It's a weird thing that a lot of this confidence I have in my body came from my miscarriage. Miscarriages aren't pleasant but they often happen spontaneously and for reasons that are natural. I wasn't smoking crack but there was obviously something wrong with that pregnancy. Wrong enough that my body decided to stop the whole thing. Who knows what problems the baby might have had if my body hadn't done that. And my body did it very efficiently. It was early on, it was painless, it was quick and complete. I was telling doctors I had miscarried before they could tell me, even with all the technology available to them. If my body can get handle that so well, why not a full-term pregnancy? And to be honest, so far my body has handled pregnancy well. Sure I've had my share of complaints, but not serious ones. I've been very lucky.
I recently read Mind Over Labor which is a book all about getting through labour using visualization. I'm not great at guided relaxation but I think I can use a lot of the techniques from the book. The author compares childbirth to playing sports - ah! I can relate to that! - and other, usual, daily events in life. It all makes sense. The other book I'm reading is the Guide to Breastfeeding and is written by a Canadian. J was given The Birth Partner to read. He just started but is serious about doing everything he can to help me (how lucky am I?) so he'll get through it. He already stopped reading to read some bits out loud to me.
We got these books from our midwife. I have to say again how happy I am to have a midwife. It's so nice going there, sitting on a couch and talking about random things before getting down to business. It's nice getting personal care and getting to know the medical professionals that will be there on B-Day. It's nice being told that since I'm tall I'm carrying the baby well and that looking small isn't a problem. Measuring small isn't a problem. Baby is a good size and already in position. I'm doing a great job! I would recommend midwifery care to anyone who is pregnant, at least take the time to read about midwives to decide if it's an option for you.
We went and saw the pictures A took of me and J last Friday. They turned out really really well. It's going to be nice to have professional shots to remind us how we looked at this time, me especially, with an incredibly big-for-me belly. Between then and last night, A learned about rim lighting, a technique to create silhouettes, which make a pregnant woman look really good (in my opinion) so we tried some of those last night. I'm still getting over the fact that I was stripped down to my little underwear in front of people other than J and being photographed. But the shots turned out really well. Like I said, the curves of the breast, the belly and then the leg look really amazing using this technique. A, you are a genius!
J and I learned in our prenatal class that when the baby engages - moves down into the pelvis - often you can see a significant difference in how the woman is carrying. You will be able to notice her belly is lower than before. I never had the super high up belly but we decided to try tracing it anyways. A week and a half ago was the first tracing and earlier this week was the second. The big part of my belly is in the same spot but there's a bump lower down where the baby's head is (strange!) and my belly has gone out a whole inch! After this is all done, I'll take a picture and show you. Incredible the difference a week makes at this stage.
And, to end this random post, a story from McDonalds. J and I went to McDonalds for dinner last night. Who doesn't love some grease? We went to sit down in a booth and, let me remind you that this is McDonalds and not some fancy restaurant catering to the wealthy. I didn't fit! My belly was too big and I didn't fit between the back of the booth and the table! What do men with potbellies do? I'm not THAT big! We sat at a table with movable chairs. Ug.
Tomorrow J flies to Halifax for his cousin's wedding. Body, even if you've never listened to me before, please don't go into labour until at least Sunday.
Monday night I slept on and off and on and off, but it wasn't the interrupted kind of sleep that makes you mad. I was wide awake between sleeps and thinking about all sorts of things and it hit me. I had an epiphany. I can totally do this pregnancy thing and I will totally be able to do labour and delivery. And, while we're on the topic, I can be a good mother. Where did it all come from? I'm not sure exactly, but I'm sure. Positive actually, and it's a nice feeling. I finally feel ready.
Also, I've been wanting a drug-free labour and delivery. Not because I'm against drugs or am a granola-crunching flower child. I just think that, without complications, my body should be able to handle the birth of the baby it created. And why not? This is what I was built to do. Have you seen my hips? J and I joke that my hips don't lie (like Shakira's don't) because they're so wide. And what's really nice is that J is completely on board, which is an unbelievable relief since he's going to be my "labour partner" and the one urging me on during the entire event, and the midwife is confident in me too. It's nice being told by a professional that my labour will go smoothly and I shouldn't have any problems.
It's a weird thing that a lot of this confidence I have in my body came from my miscarriage. Miscarriages aren't pleasant but they often happen spontaneously and for reasons that are natural. I wasn't smoking crack but there was obviously something wrong with that pregnancy. Wrong enough that my body decided to stop the whole thing. Who knows what problems the baby might have had if my body hadn't done that. And my body did it very efficiently. It was early on, it was painless, it was quick and complete. I was telling doctors I had miscarried before they could tell me, even with all the technology available to them. If my body can get handle that so well, why not a full-term pregnancy? And to be honest, so far my body has handled pregnancy well. Sure I've had my share of complaints, but not serious ones. I've been very lucky.
I recently read Mind Over Labor which is a book all about getting through labour using visualization. I'm not great at guided relaxation but I think I can use a lot of the techniques from the book. The author compares childbirth to playing sports - ah! I can relate to that! - and other, usual, daily events in life. It all makes sense. The other book I'm reading is the Guide to Breastfeeding and is written by a Canadian. J was given The Birth Partner to read. He just started but is serious about doing everything he can to help me (how lucky am I?) so he'll get through it. He already stopped reading to read some bits out loud to me.
We got these books from our midwife. I have to say again how happy I am to have a midwife. It's so nice going there, sitting on a couch and talking about random things before getting down to business. It's nice getting personal care and getting to know the medical professionals that will be there on B-Day. It's nice being told that since I'm tall I'm carrying the baby well and that looking small isn't a problem. Measuring small isn't a problem. Baby is a good size and already in position. I'm doing a great job! I would recommend midwifery care to anyone who is pregnant, at least take the time to read about midwives to decide if it's an option for you.
We went and saw the pictures A took of me and J last Friday. They turned out really really well. It's going to be nice to have professional shots to remind us how we looked at this time, me especially, with an incredibly big-for-me belly. Between then and last night, A learned about rim lighting, a technique to create silhouettes, which make a pregnant woman look really good (in my opinion) so we tried some of those last night. I'm still getting over the fact that I was stripped down to my little underwear in front of people other than J and being photographed. But the shots turned out really well. Like I said, the curves of the breast, the belly and then the leg look really amazing using this technique. A, you are a genius!
J and I learned in our prenatal class that when the baby engages - moves down into the pelvis - often you can see a significant difference in how the woman is carrying. You will be able to notice her belly is lower than before. I never had the super high up belly but we decided to try tracing it anyways. A week and a half ago was the first tracing and earlier this week was the second. The big part of my belly is in the same spot but there's a bump lower down where the baby's head is (strange!) and my belly has gone out a whole inch! After this is all done, I'll take a picture and show you. Incredible the difference a week makes at this stage.
And, to end this random post, a story from McDonalds. J and I went to McDonalds for dinner last night. Who doesn't love some grease? We went to sit down in a booth and, let me remind you that this is McDonalds and not some fancy restaurant catering to the wealthy. I didn't fit! My belly was too big and I didn't fit between the back of the booth and the table! What do men with potbellies do? I'm not THAT big! We sat at a table with movable chairs. Ug.
Tomorrow J flies to Halifax for his cousin's wedding. Body, even if you've never listened to me before, please don't go into labour until at least Sunday.
Sunday, August 16
Not a good hermit
My big plan for yesterday was to not leave the house. I managed just fine until late afternoon when J, implying that the bad things that happened when I did leave the house were petty and small and insignificant and only mattered to me because I'm a hormonal wreck, decided we were going shopping. J does NOT like to shop so I have to take advantage of these rare moments of weakness when he thinks shopping is a good idea. Plus I had spent most of the day huddled in the safety of my own house, free of toxic bugs and police cars and whatever else was out there to get me.
We went to Sleepy Hollow to look at cribs. It was closing in under an hour so we made our way around the huge showroom, quickly passing cribs that were way too much money, but finding a nice one that wasn't incredibly expensive. And it came with a mattress. And it matches the wood on the bed and dresser already in the room. And they'll deliver it for free. And bam! We bought a crib! It's being delivered Wednesday afternoon. Another reason for me to stay home for half a day.
After that we went to Walmart - again, J's idea and who am I to argue. The trip wasn't bad, in and out really, but we didn't get anything. Then we went to Babies R Us and basically cleared up the rest of our registry. It was a good BRU experience because we didn't have to deal with the staff at all. We've found that they are generally hard to find and not helpful when you do find them. We got a monitor and a contoured change pad and some sheets and other little things. Babies do need stuff. You should see the room now. It's crazy and now I have tons of laundry to do.
We had left SJ's car at J's parent's place Friday before heading to A&S's so we went there. His parents were home from the cottage and graciously let us eat half the pizza they had for dinner. We went through the pictures from the big cottage reunion weekend but I had to quit early. Apparently toxic bug sickness may be an actual cold or flu and I was not feeling well. I took our car and made J, in SJ's car, stop and get some orange juice. I think I lasted until 9pm. I slept for 11 hours and am feeling a little better today.
Today's plans are still up in the air though I just may start with some laundry. I have a room full to do.
We went to Sleepy Hollow to look at cribs. It was closing in under an hour so we made our way around the huge showroom, quickly passing cribs that were way too much money, but finding a nice one that wasn't incredibly expensive. And it came with a mattress. And it matches the wood on the bed and dresser already in the room. And they'll deliver it for free. And bam! We bought a crib! It's being delivered Wednesday afternoon. Another reason for me to stay home for half a day.
After that we went to Walmart - again, J's idea and who am I to argue. The trip wasn't bad, in and out really, but we didn't get anything. Then we went to Babies R Us and basically cleared up the rest of our registry. It was a good BRU experience because we didn't have to deal with the staff at all. We've found that they are generally hard to find and not helpful when you do find them. We got a monitor and a contoured change pad and some sheets and other little things. Babies do need stuff. You should see the room now. It's crazy and now I have tons of laundry to do.
We had left SJ's car at J's parent's place Friday before heading to A&S's so we went there. His parents were home from the cottage and graciously let us eat half the pizza they had for dinner. We went through the pictures from the big cottage reunion weekend but I had to quit early. Apparently toxic bug sickness may be an actual cold or flu and I was not feeling well. I took our car and made J, in SJ's car, stop and get some orange juice. I think I lasted until 9pm. I slept for 11 hours and am feeling a little better today.
Today's plans are still up in the air though I just may start with some laundry. I have a room full to do.
Saturday, August 15
Done
Late last night I decided I didn't want to leave the house today. Yesterday was a rough day - definitely had it's good parts, but overall it was draining.
This was by far the busiest week I've had since I stopped working. And even when I was still working, I was getting to bed earlier than I did all week and managing alright. This week though, blech, I'm glad it's over.
Thursday night was my last baby shower with my baseball girls. It was really nice to see them and eat good food and play silly games. I got home really late. Sleepy J made a comment from bed about being glad I wasn't dead. I should have called. I slept on the couch in the basement so he could get good sleep (he hasn't been sleeping well) so waking up just after 4am in the basement by myself was disorienting but not the end of the world. I slept about as well as I've been sleeping lately - not great but not terrible.
I took Friday to vacuum the house. I got my hair cut and then grabbed J from his parent's house so we could go to A&S's place for dinner and my photo shoot. For some reason, right after we got in the car, I completely lost it... oh right, when J was getting in the car, he bonked my head and I bit my tongue. Nothing, right? Not when you're 8.5 months pregnant. I teared up, pulled over and got him to drive. I cried most of the way across town. Thank you, hormones.
Dinner was nice and the photo shoot was a success. I will never again yell at the girls on the Top Model shows when they struggle through photo shoots. I found it incredibly hard but thankfully A was a great coach and I'm sure the pictures turned out great. (His website.) On the way to the park where we did half the shoot, a bug flew right down my throat. I managed to cough it up and then chomp on it. It was toxic and my throat is still sore. I looked at it with a flashlight when I got home and sure enough there are white spots and red irritated skin. No wonder I've been craving orange juice.
Being physically exhausted, feeling sick from the toxic bug, and other things led to another break down as soon as I got into bed. I'm hoping today will be better, but I may not leave the house. Hormones be damned!
This was by far the busiest week I've had since I stopped working. And even when I was still working, I was getting to bed earlier than I did all week and managing alright. This week though, blech, I'm glad it's over.
Thursday night was my last baby shower with my baseball girls. It was really nice to see them and eat good food and play silly games. I got home really late. Sleepy J made a comment from bed about being glad I wasn't dead. I should have called. I slept on the couch in the basement so he could get good sleep (he hasn't been sleeping well) so waking up just after 4am in the basement by myself was disorienting but not the end of the world. I slept about as well as I've been sleeping lately - not great but not terrible.
I took Friday to vacuum the house. I got my hair cut and then grabbed J from his parent's house so we could go to A&S's place for dinner and my photo shoot. For some reason, right after we got in the car, I completely lost it... oh right, when J was getting in the car, he bonked my head and I bit my tongue. Nothing, right? Not when you're 8.5 months pregnant. I teared up, pulled over and got him to drive. I cried most of the way across town. Thank you, hormones.
Dinner was nice and the photo shoot was a success. I will never again yell at the girls on the Top Model shows when they struggle through photo shoots. I found it incredibly hard but thankfully A was a great coach and I'm sure the pictures turned out great. (His website.) On the way to the park where we did half the shoot, a bug flew right down my throat. I managed to cough it up and then chomp on it. It was toxic and my throat is still sore. I looked at it with a flashlight when I got home and sure enough there are white spots and red irritated skin. No wonder I've been craving orange juice.
Being physically exhausted, feeling sick from the toxic bug, and other things led to another break down as soon as I got into bed. I'm hoping today will be better, but I may not leave the house. Hormones be damned!
Thursday, August 13
Busy week - proud and not so proud moments
This week has been incredibly busy. I had/have plans every night but one and it's tiring me out. I'm not sleeping like a champ anymore and have a hard time fitting in naps. Imagine if I was still working....
Sunday afternoon, SW hosted a baby shower for me. It was pretty low key - only 7 people including me, but it was really nice. We talked, ate, played games (that didn't make me look or feel stupid) and I opened presents. People are SO generous. Being pregnant has shown me that, over and over. So, thank you to everyone who came out and to A&S for hosting. (Proud.)
I was lucky to also see pictures from A&S's big biking trip and hear about S's near-death experience. Crazy times.
I was out of the house most of the day and finally came home to J. He had fended for himself and made some incredibly good chicken wings with a recipe from L&S(B).
Monday I swam (Proud.) and we had our third prenatal class at night. The class was good - we learned about comfort measures and pain management options. I demo'd one of the comfort measures in front of the class. I stood up and the instructor asked how far along I was. People gasped when I said 36 and a half weeks. One poor girl had her partner ask if that made her feel bad (J said she was much bigger than me and not as far along) (Not proud.) J liked the demo because he thinks the instructor is pretty. We learned a lot and I'm liking all the options available, though I still would like to attempt labour and delivery without medication. Why not try? (Proud.)
Tuesday was my off night with nothing scheduled which turned out to be a good thing because I was so tired. We met our second midwife in the afternoon and found out that things are still looking good: my blood pressure is good, I gained 1.5 pounds over the past 2 weeks (putting my weight gain so far at 29.5 pounds) (Proud.), baby's heart beat is good, baby is still head down (Proud.) and already partially engaged (awesome!) We were both able to feel the little head - incredible! We were given homework. I haven't done any of it yet. (Not proud.)
Wednesday (yesterday) I went to S&L's for lunch and to hang out with baby R again. I also got to meet S's parents who are in town for a little while. Baby R looks pretty much the same but is keeping S&L up more so than last week. Both S and the baby had naps while I was over. This time I didn't get peed on! (Proud.)
Last night, I went across town to have dinner with all the ladies on my dad's side of the family. Eight of us gathered at Biagio's, a little Italian restaurant, and ate and drank (water for me!) Again, I was so surprised with everyone's generosity because I opened so many presents. My little kid is going to be clothed for the next year without any help from me. (Proud.)
Today I really wanted to have a good day. I got some things done and decided to go swimming at the outdoor pool since it's so hot out. I got pulled over for speeding on my way (Not proud.) but the ticket was knocked down and I only have a fine to pay (Somewhat proud.) The cop seriously seemed to feel bad and even asked if it was the hormones. I said it definitely wasn't considering I was driving the way I always do on that road. (Not lying to a cop or crying to get out of the ticket = Proud.)
I got to the pool, ran into JP and found out the pool was closed for unknown reasons. I went to the indoor pool where I normally swim and managed to get in my 20 laps. I think I'm starting to slow down because I didn't feel as good as I did Monday or last week (Not proud.) Oh well.
Now I'm home and trying to relax before heading out tonight. There's a get together with the baseball girls who I didn't see much of this summer since I wasn't playing. It'll be a good time as long as I can stay awake!
Tomorrow's big plans are to get my hair cut and to do a photo shoot with A. I'm quite looking forward to it and have been gathering ideas for shots.
Oh! Almost forgot: today my baby is officially full term (37 weeks). I have incubated this little guy for the past eight and a half months and he's ready to go any time now. (Proud.) I wouldn't mind him coming a little early but coming on the due date of September 3rd wouldn't be a bad thing. I tried so hard to not get attached to that date, but it happened. Slowly, over time. Either way, we're looking at B-Day being sometime in the next 4 weeks. Crazy!
Sunday afternoon, SW hosted a baby shower for me. It was pretty low key - only 7 people including me, but it was really nice. We talked, ate, played games (that didn't make me look or feel stupid) and I opened presents. People are SO generous. Being pregnant has shown me that, over and over. So, thank you to everyone who came out and to A&S for hosting. (Proud.)
I was lucky to also see pictures from A&S's big biking trip and hear about S's near-death experience. Crazy times.
I was out of the house most of the day and finally came home to J. He had fended for himself and made some incredibly good chicken wings with a recipe from L&S(B).
Monday I swam (Proud.) and we had our third prenatal class at night. The class was good - we learned about comfort measures and pain management options. I demo'd one of the comfort measures in front of the class. I stood up and the instructor asked how far along I was. People gasped when I said 36 and a half weeks. One poor girl had her partner ask if that made her feel bad (J said she was much bigger than me and not as far along) (Not proud.) J liked the demo because he thinks the instructor is pretty. We learned a lot and I'm liking all the options available, though I still would like to attempt labour and delivery without medication. Why not try? (Proud.)
Tuesday was my off night with nothing scheduled which turned out to be a good thing because I was so tired. We met our second midwife in the afternoon and found out that things are still looking good: my blood pressure is good, I gained 1.5 pounds over the past 2 weeks (putting my weight gain so far at 29.5 pounds) (Proud.), baby's heart beat is good, baby is still head down (Proud.) and already partially engaged (awesome!) We were both able to feel the little head - incredible! We were given homework. I haven't done any of it yet. (Not proud.)
Wednesday (yesterday) I went to S&L's for lunch and to hang out with baby R again. I also got to meet S's parents who are in town for a little while. Baby R looks pretty much the same but is keeping S&L up more so than last week. Both S and the baby had naps while I was over. This time I didn't get peed on! (Proud.)
Last night, I went across town to have dinner with all the ladies on my dad's side of the family. Eight of us gathered at Biagio's, a little Italian restaurant, and ate and drank (water for me!) Again, I was so surprised with everyone's generosity because I opened so many presents. My little kid is going to be clothed for the next year without any help from me. (Proud.)
Today I really wanted to have a good day. I got some things done and decided to go swimming at the outdoor pool since it's so hot out. I got pulled over for speeding on my way (Not proud.) but the ticket was knocked down and I only have a fine to pay (Somewhat proud.) The cop seriously seemed to feel bad and even asked if it was the hormones. I said it definitely wasn't considering I was driving the way I always do on that road. (Not lying to a cop or crying to get out of the ticket = Proud.)
I got to the pool, ran into JP and found out the pool was closed for unknown reasons. I went to the indoor pool where I normally swim and managed to get in my 20 laps. I think I'm starting to slow down because I didn't feel as good as I did Monday or last week (Not proud.) Oh well.
Now I'm home and trying to relax before heading out tonight. There's a get together with the baseball girls who I didn't see much of this summer since I wasn't playing. It'll be a good time as long as I can stay awake!
Tomorrow's big plans are to get my hair cut and to do a photo shoot with A. I'm quite looking forward to it and have been gathering ideas for shots.
Oh! Almost forgot: today my baby is officially full term (37 weeks). I have incubated this little guy for the past eight and a half months and he's ready to go any time now. (Proud.) I wouldn't mind him coming a little early but coming on the due date of September 3rd wouldn't be a bad thing. I tried so hard to not get attached to that date, but it happened. Slowly, over time. Either way, we're looking at B-Day being sometime in the next 4 weeks. Crazy!
Saturday, August 8
Playing Catch-Up
J Family Reunion Weekend
Last Friday I picked J up from work at lunch time so we could head to the cottage. Almost 25 family members gathered for the weekend reunion. There were games and cheating and swimming and knee boarding and volleyball and eating and lounging and napping and sailing and raining and laughing and turtle hunting. It was a jam-packed weekend and my only complaint was that I turned orange because of the iron-rich water.
Each family was responsible was dinner one night so meals were taken care of - we ate really well. I'd like to say that we slept well but we didn't. Me because I'm the size of a whale and J because he was sharing the 3/4 bed with a whale. But it cooled off every night so I wasn't the uncomfortable sweaty mess I thought it would be.
Everyone was given a duty. I was official photographer and I think I did a good job. We have hundreds of pictures from the 5 days and J was a sweetheart and went through them to make a manageable amount to send around. Family, they are coming soon.
Congratulations S&L!
Monday afternoon I received a text message from L saying that she had her baby. No details so I texted back demanding she call me. I couldn't stand the suspense. Baby R was born early early Sunday morning and after having seen the pictures and held the little guy Wednesday, I can confirm he's adorable. S&L seem to be doing well and adapting to life as proud parents of the baby who took a massive dump right after being born. Massive.
I have now held a three-day-old baby and only got peed on once. It makes me a little more anxious for my little baby, but I can wait a month for that.
Back in the water
Thursday and Friday I swam. Indoors, but still, it was incredibly nice to be back in the water and to be getting some exercise. I slept better the past two nights because of it.
Extras
It's nice being home after having been at the cottage for 5 days. And to have a weekend so soon after (meaning J is around) is nice too. Sandy was super happy to see us and purrs with more gusto than before. All we have to do is desert her for a bit and she loves us extra when we get home.
My days are starting to fill up. Lots of things to do and people to see. It's typical for the summer but tiring for me.
At least today is a day full of no plans and no rush to do them. A nice little Saturday.
Last Friday I picked J up from work at lunch time so we could head to the cottage. Almost 25 family members gathered for the weekend reunion. There were games and cheating and swimming and knee boarding and volleyball and eating and lounging and napping and sailing and raining and laughing and turtle hunting. It was a jam-packed weekend and my only complaint was that I turned orange because of the iron-rich water.
Each family was responsible was dinner one night so meals were taken care of - we ate really well. I'd like to say that we slept well but we didn't. Me because I'm the size of a whale and J because he was sharing the 3/4 bed with a whale. But it cooled off every night so I wasn't the uncomfortable sweaty mess I thought it would be.
Everyone was given a duty. I was official photographer and I think I did a good job. We have hundreds of pictures from the 5 days and J was a sweetheart and went through them to make a manageable amount to send around. Family, they are coming soon.
Congratulations S&L!
Monday afternoon I received a text message from L saying that she had her baby. No details so I texted back demanding she call me. I couldn't stand the suspense. Baby R was born early early Sunday morning and after having seen the pictures and held the little guy Wednesday, I can confirm he's adorable. S&L seem to be doing well and adapting to life as proud parents of the baby who took a massive dump right after being born. Massive.
I have now held a three-day-old baby and only got peed on once. It makes me a little more anxious for my little baby, but I can wait a month for that.
Back in the water
Thursday and Friday I swam. Indoors, but still, it was incredibly nice to be back in the water and to be getting some exercise. I slept better the past two nights because of it.
Extras
It's nice being home after having been at the cottage for 5 days. And to have a weekend so soon after (meaning J is around) is nice too. Sandy was super happy to see us and purrs with more gusto than before. All we have to do is desert her for a bit and she loves us extra when we get home.
My days are starting to fill up. Lots of things to do and people to see. It's typical for the summer but tiring for me.
At least today is a day full of no plans and no rush to do them. A nice little Saturday.
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