JDZ: Two Moms, One Toddler
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
December 30th - Hello Sadie!!!
After a long 28 hour induction.... & eventual c-section D & I welcomed our beautiful baby girl on December 30th at 12:45 am , weighing 7 lbs 14oz! Right now I'm posting from the hospital where we have been since Monday and will leave on Saturday. Our journey did not go as planned but it was well worth the results! I will post more once we are home since there is no wifi and my time on the free internet is up!!!
Monday, December 28, 2009
December 28th - Induction Day
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap
~Defying Gravity
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap
~Defying Gravity
Leaving for the hospital....
Sunday, December 27, 2009
December 27th - Still Pregnant
Yep, still pregnant although we've been trying to shake this little one out! With the holidays we simply didn't have any time for acupuncture appointments so I was left with walking, more walking and eating pineapple. We walked 2.8 km yesterday with nothing to show for it. No cramping, contractions... nadda! I think it's safe to say that we'll be going in for induction tomorrow which means we'll be up early and calling for instructions at 6:30 am.
It's kind of surreal to think that today is our last day as just the two of us. I'm hoping we can fit in a date night tonight (yeah right) but for now we're focusing on taking down the Christmas tree and getting the final touches of Sadie's room completed. There may be a final picture of the room by end of day but for now it's pretty scary and filled with gift bags full of baby stuff. We're ready but we're still unorganized. We have everything we need but it's absolutely everywhere. I'm not sure if we're going to be able to pull it all together! And the JOKE of the century is that our crib sheets are "wash in warm water, lay flat to dry or DRY CLEAN only". We only bought 2 because they were $40 each. We totally deserve this for buying such a pretentious crib!!! Ugh.
That's our update for now....
It's kind of surreal to think that today is our last day as just the two of us. I'm hoping we can fit in a date night tonight (yeah right) but for now we're focusing on taking down the Christmas tree and getting the final touches of Sadie's room completed. There may be a final picture of the room by end of day but for now it's pretty scary and filled with gift bags full of baby stuff. We're ready but we're still unorganized. We have everything we need but it's absolutely everywhere. I'm not sure if we're going to be able to pull it all together! And the JOKE of the century is that our crib sheets are "wash in warm water, lay flat to dry or DRY CLEAN only". We only bought 2 because they were $40 each. We totally deserve this for buying such a pretentious crib!!! Ugh.
That's our update for now....
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
December 23rd - 39 weeks!!
39 weeks today and my LAST OB appointment (induction is still on for the 28th)!! Only 5 days (or less) until we meet Sadie!!
Happy Holidays!!
- My Bag has been packed (using a rolling suitcase - crazy)
- Sadie's diaper bag has been packed
- Crib has been assembled
- We're ready!!!!
Happy Holidays!! Tuesday, December 22, 2009
December 22nd
Day 2 of being a stay a home (almost) momma.
Yesterday was just odd. I woke up from a very detailed dream about work and realized I didn't have to do anything about it because I'm not working! Instead I drove D to work and then came home for a nap! I figure I should capitalize on some extra sleep time while I can because night time is pretty awful right now (heartburn, ugh).
I went back downtown for lunch and met up with D and her mom. We had a food court lunch as our Christmas get together. Not exactly what either of us had hoped for but it was good to at least catch up before the holidays.
For today, I'm planning on making chili to freeze for after the baby comes. I'm going to try to make a big crock-pot meal daily this week so we have some food stored away. After or perhaps before that I'll nap. Maybe both.
Oh and I need to wrap D's Christmas presents. I hope I have time!!!
Yesterday was just odd. I woke up from a very detailed dream about work and realized I didn't have to do anything about it because I'm not working! Instead I drove D to work and then came home for a nap! I figure I should capitalize on some extra sleep time while I can because night time is pretty awful right now (heartburn, ugh).
I went back downtown for lunch and met up with D and her mom. We had a food court lunch as our Christmas get together. Not exactly what either of us had hoped for but it was good to at least catch up before the holidays.
For today, I'm planning on making chili to freeze for after the baby comes. I'm going to try to make a big crock-pot meal daily this week so we have some food stored away. After or perhaps before that I'll nap. Maybe both.
Oh and I need to wrap D's Christmas presents. I hope I have time!!!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
December 20th - Bad Blogger Busted
First, Congrats to Jen and Tiff and Heather and Laurie!!! Who's next?
Not me yet.... However I had contractions at the supermarket yesterday while finishing up shopping for Christmas dinner!
My excuse is that I've been tired and stressed out. Leaving work on my last day was harder than I'd imagined (I like work so I'm going to miss it) and then we had my parents over for Christmas dinner the very next day. That means that today is the first day in about a week that I haven't felt pressure to get a bunch of stuff done or make things perfect. DEEP BREATH. I feel so much better!!! Now if only I could SLEEP at night!! Maybe I will be able to tonight knowing that when Monday morning comes the only thing left on my check list is to have Sadie!
As for Christmas dinner, it went really well. I was so nervous because we'd never hosted my family and then my dad asked for a turkey! We pulled it off!! Dinner was excellent. Much to my brother's delight we also opened presents (before the 25th). My dad gave me a Garmin GPS. I was so surprised because I hadn't asked for one but it was what I had wanted (I was going to hold off until next year to buy one). We cut back a lot on the presents we gave this year but I think everyone was happy. My dad is the hardest person to buy for... EVER.... yet I'm pretty sure I hit a home run this year. I bought him a couple of shirts that he told me to buy (that was easy) but I also bought him 4 Colosal Black Tiger Shrimp fresh from the market that morning. They were freakin' expensive at $27/lb and came to $37 for only 4!!! I knew it was a risk but the look on his face was worth it. He was so excited and wanted to BBQ them last night!! SCORE!! My brother also really loved the gifts we gave him. I can tell he's growing up because he was most excited by a hoodie and a couple of t-shirts we bought him (skateboarding stuff). I'm actually glad we're out of the toy stores for him now. Overall it was a very good night! I'm going to miss not going home for Christmas this year but the upside is that we'll be able to relax at home for the first time and I'll also get to see the Disney Christmas parade!!
Oh and maybe I'll be giving birth too!!! Any time now!
Not me yet.... However I had contractions at the supermarket yesterday while finishing up shopping for Christmas dinner!
My excuse is that I've been tired and stressed out. Leaving work on my last day was harder than I'd imagined (I like work so I'm going to miss it) and then we had my parents over for Christmas dinner the very next day. That means that today is the first day in about a week that I haven't felt pressure to get a bunch of stuff done or make things perfect. DEEP BREATH. I feel so much better!!! Now if only I could SLEEP at night!! Maybe I will be able to tonight knowing that when Monday morning comes the only thing left on my check list is to have Sadie!
As for Christmas dinner, it went really well. I was so nervous because we'd never hosted my family and then my dad asked for a turkey! We pulled it off!! Dinner was excellent. Much to my brother's delight we also opened presents (before the 25th). My dad gave me a Garmin GPS. I was so surprised because I hadn't asked for one but it was what I had wanted (I was going to hold off until next year to buy one). We cut back a lot on the presents we gave this year but I think everyone was happy. My dad is the hardest person to buy for... EVER.... yet I'm pretty sure I hit a home run this year. I bought him a couple of shirts that he told me to buy (that was easy) but I also bought him 4 Colosal Black Tiger Shrimp fresh from the market that morning. They were freakin' expensive at $27/lb and came to $37 for only 4!!! I knew it was a risk but the look on his face was worth it. He was so excited and wanted to BBQ them last night!! SCORE!! My brother also really loved the gifts we gave him. I can tell he's growing up because he was most excited by a hoodie and a couple of t-shirts we bought him (skateboarding stuff). I'm actually glad we're out of the toy stores for him now. Overall it was a very good night! I'm going to miss not going home for Christmas this year but the upside is that we'll be able to relax at home for the first time and I'll also get to see the Disney Christmas parade!!
Oh and maybe I'll be giving birth too!!! Any time now!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
December 16th
Exciting news happening today – but not here – check out Jen and Tiff’s blog!! I’m so excited for them and I can't wait to find out more!!
Over here..I had my last prenatal appointment with my high risk specialist today.
He has been so awesome throughout my entire pregnancy. I have one last appointment 3 weeks post partum and then I’ll be released as just a regular gal with High Blood pressure. As for the check-up, my BP was 142/78. He didn’t seem concerned at all about that reading or the previous two where my OB and his replacement were concerned. I asked about my induction and he pretty much confirmed what I had hoped not to hear (at least he is honest). He said that my BP is high but normal and is nothing to be alarmed about and that my OB wants to make sure I don’t end up in the hospital on New Years Eve with pre-e. Sounds like my doula may have been bang on saying they’d want to induce me before the holidays. You’d think that the hospital would be business as usual but if for some reason they are short staffed then I guess I am happy that I will be induced at a time when we’ll get the full attention we deserve. I tried to get a different angle on it by asking if there was any need for an earlier induction and he said he wouldn’t induce before the 28th and that he wouldn’t let me go past the 30th (EDD). So it looks like that is our fate and Sadie will be born on the 28th or 29th unless something happens sooner. In other news, the box has been opened, the pieces have been removed and the instructions have been read but our crib is still in pieces. I really need to get on this tonight!!! I was going to do this today along with packing my hospital bag and finishing the taxes but instead I was still busy with work (people are trying to get the last bit of info out of me). After my appointment I went Christmas Shopping. The good news is I’m done my shopping however the bad news is that nothing else has been accomplished – once again! Yes, you did read that right. I didn’t finish the taxes – the ones due on April 30th. They’re ready to be submit and they owe us good money. If audited I’ll just have to tell them that my BFP and pregnancy really got in the way and to consider it a loan
Over here..I had my last prenatal appointment with my high risk specialist today.
He has been so awesome throughout my entire pregnancy. I have one last appointment 3 weeks post partum and then I’ll be released as just a regular gal with High Blood pressure. As for the check-up, my BP was 142/78. He didn’t seem concerned at all about that reading or the previous two where my OB and his replacement were concerned. I asked about my induction and he pretty much confirmed what I had hoped not to hear (at least he is honest). He said that my BP is high but normal and is nothing to be alarmed about and that my OB wants to make sure I don’t end up in the hospital on New Years Eve with pre-e. Sounds like my doula may have been bang on saying they’d want to induce me before the holidays. You’d think that the hospital would be business as usual but if for some reason they are short staffed then I guess I am happy that I will be induced at a time when we’ll get the full attention we deserve. I tried to get a different angle on it by asking if there was any need for an earlier induction and he said he wouldn’t induce before the 28th and that he wouldn’t let me go past the 30th (EDD). So it looks like that is our fate and Sadie will be born on the 28th or 29th unless something happens sooner. In other news, the box has been opened, the pieces have been removed and the instructions have been read but our crib is still in pieces. I really need to get on this tonight!!! I was going to do this today along with packing my hospital bag and finishing the taxes but instead I was still busy with work (people are trying to get the last bit of info out of me). After my appointment I went Christmas Shopping. The good news is I’m done my shopping however the bad news is that nothing else has been accomplished – once again! Yes, you did read that right. I didn’t finish the taxes – the ones due on April 30th. They’re ready to be submit and they owe us good money. If audited I’ll just have to tell them that my BFP and pregnancy really got in the way and to consider it a loan
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
December 15th
Thank you for all of the words of encouragement regarding yesterday’s news. Bah humbug I’m just annoyed I’m not going to get to be surprised into labour. I know I'm not alone and that MANY of us have tossed our birth plans out the window. Why did I think planning was even an option? How did TTC teach me so little? I'm holding onto hope that there is still a chance for going natural. I’m not sure if Sadie has dropped or not but the kicks seem to be coming from lower down (around my belly button) and I’m feeling very different the last couple of days. Here’s hoping she’s early! In the meantime I’m going to book acupuncture to see if I can help get her ready. That said I have a feeling that at my next appointment on December 23rd I’ll be sent for induction. I’ll be 39 weeks exactly, it’s an 8:30 am appointment and if my BP is high I can see it happening. Therefore the goal will be readiness by the 23rd. I’ll drive that day and park in a 24 hour lot and I’ll bring my bag. Better safe than sorry!
On the home front, we’re still very much working on readiness! I put our swing together on the weekend (easy) and finally opened the Stokke box last night (not easy). The directions were vague and wordless but fortunately the online PDF version was much better. The “users guide” that came in the box was oddly laid out and made no sense. I'm going to make an attempt at it tonight!
Next up is my mom – please stop reading here if you are as sick of her as I am!!
After my 8th attempt at reaching her yesterday I left a message wishing her a happy birthday and asked for her to call back “if she had the time”. She called. She was still in her depressive mood. She spoke quietly with no inflections in her voice and I could hear the clanking of ice cubes in her glass which signalled to me that she was drinking. I realized while talking to her that she has finally broken the last thread that held us together. I don’t want her around me. I don’t even want to talk to her yet I have to try for the sake of Sadie. At the end of the phone call I asked, as enthusiastically as I could, if she’d dealt with her issues about the baby. Her response was: Well can I come and visit in January? What does that mean? Let me see the baby in January or I never want to meet her? Right! Through gritted teeth I said she could come after the 18th (D is off for 3 weeks starting the 28th of December).
As soon as I got off the phone I wanted to scream. I don’t want her coming. I don’t want to be treated like that and my daughter threatened (that she’ll never meet her grandmother) if I don’t do something the way she wants. She *is* being manipulative. What a bitch! I've been so stupid. The good news is that as soon as I said it was ok for her to visit the excuses started to pour out. I have a doctor’s appointment on the 21st, I’ll need to arrange someone to take care of the animals, and the weather might be a problem, where am I going to park the car…. So in other words I gave her what she wanted and she’s still not going to come but at least she got her way.
One of the most poignant things she said in our previous phone call was when she asked if I was happy. When I said “yes” her response was: “Well then, you don’t need me”.
You’re right mom. I don’t need YOU but perhaps YOU need ME. This is all about her and nothing about me. It's all about how SHE feels and what will make HER feel of value.
Well, I have two not so nice words for her...... but I won't because I'm better than that!
On the home front, we’re still very much working on readiness! I put our swing together on the weekend (easy) and finally opened the Stokke box last night (not easy). The directions were vague and wordless but fortunately the online PDF version was much better. The “users guide” that came in the box was oddly laid out and made no sense. I'm going to make an attempt at it tonight!
Next up is my mom – please stop reading here if you are as sick of her as I am!!
After my 8th attempt at reaching her yesterday I left a message wishing her a happy birthday and asked for her to call back “if she had the time”. She called. She was still in her depressive mood. She spoke quietly with no inflections in her voice and I could hear the clanking of ice cubes in her glass which signalled to me that she was drinking. I realized while talking to her that she has finally broken the last thread that held us together. I don’t want her around me. I don’t even want to talk to her yet I have to try for the sake of Sadie. At the end of the phone call I asked, as enthusiastically as I could, if she’d dealt with her issues about the baby. Her response was: Well can I come and visit in January? What does that mean? Let me see the baby in January or I never want to meet her? Right! Through gritted teeth I said she could come after the 18th (D is off for 3 weeks starting the 28th of December).
As soon as I got off the phone I wanted to scream. I don’t want her coming. I don’t want to be treated like that and my daughter threatened (that she’ll never meet her grandmother) if I don’t do something the way she wants. She *is* being manipulative. What a bitch! I've been so stupid. The good news is that as soon as I said it was ok for her to visit the excuses started to pour out. I have a doctor’s appointment on the 21st, I’ll need to arrange someone to take care of the animals, and the weather might be a problem, where am I going to park the car…. So in other words I gave her what she wanted and she’s still not going to come but at least she got her way.
One of the most poignant things she said in our previous phone call was when she asked if I was happy. When I said “yes” her response was: “Well then, you don’t need me”.
You’re right mom. I don’t need YOU but perhaps YOU need ME. This is all about her and nothing about me. It's all about how SHE feels and what will make HER feel of value.
Well, I have two not so nice words for her...... but I won't because I'm better than that!
Monday, December 14, 2009
December 14th
I missed blogging yesterday. Oops! I was too tired and my priority was watching the season finale of Dexter. It was worth it. In my opinion this was the best season of Dexter since season 1 when they were still following the book!! So good!!
Anyway...
I had my 38 week appointment today and much to my surprise I have been booked for an induction. I'm not happy about this at all. Everything I'd been planning up until now has been to avoid intervention. I wanted things to happen on their own time. I had even thought that my BP was under control!!
My doctor basically said that due to my chronic hypertension they wouldn't want me to go past my EDD. Honestly, I wish he'd mentioned this SEVERAL weeks ago. It's not like I've acquired this condition recently. My BP was out of whack again today with an extremely high Diastolic pressure so it really was hard to argue their reasoning... HOWEVER... it was only yesterday that our doula had commented to be careful because she'd noticed OB's like to schedule inductions over the holidays. That bit of advice did make me very skeptical of their motives.
I turned down their first date of December 23rd and I bought myself another week to hopefully go into labour on my own. That said, our date is December 28th. We'll be having an '09 baby after all!
We've decided we're NOT telling people IRL that I will be induced. A small part of me hopes that I still go naturally so I feel there is no need to set expectations for that date. I also do not want to have an audience. The absolute LAST thing I want is my MIL showing up on December 27th with an overnight bag. No. Thank. You.
The plan will be to find out my time to go in that morning, go in for the induction and then wait for my next instructions. I may still be going home to labour so I do not want family getting in the way (I strongly feel this should be private between D & I). We'll call when it's either time to go to the hosptial or if I'm held at the hosptital, when I'm in active labour.
I hope I'm not being selfish holding back this information but I don't understand why anyone would want to sit in a hospital waiting room for hours on end when they're not a support person. I feel like I'll be doing them a favour by decreasing their wait time! Don't you think? Also, isn't it exciting to find out someone is in labour? I feel like the birth will be less exciting if people know in advance!!
In other news, today is my mothers birthday. I've tried calling about 5 times already at various points throughout the day (starting in the early morning). I'm not sure where she is or if she has her phone off the hook but I'll try until I reach her. If not, you can't say I didn't try! As for what I'm going to say to her other than "happy birthday", I'm not sure about that yet. Wish me luck! I hope she's in a good mood!!
Anyway...
I had my 38 week appointment today and much to my surprise I have been booked for an induction. I'm not happy about this at all. Everything I'd been planning up until now has been to avoid intervention. I wanted things to happen on their own time. I had even thought that my BP was under control!!
My doctor basically said that due to my chronic hypertension they wouldn't want me to go past my EDD. Honestly, I wish he'd mentioned this SEVERAL weeks ago. It's not like I've acquired this condition recently. My BP was out of whack again today with an extremely high Diastolic pressure so it really was hard to argue their reasoning... HOWEVER... it was only yesterday that our doula had commented to be careful because she'd noticed OB's like to schedule inductions over the holidays. That bit of advice did make me very skeptical of their motives.
I turned down their first date of December 23rd and I bought myself another week to hopefully go into labour on my own. That said, our date is December 28th. We'll be having an '09 baby after all!
We've decided we're NOT telling people IRL that I will be induced. A small part of me hopes that I still go naturally so I feel there is no need to set expectations for that date. I also do not want to have an audience. The absolute LAST thing I want is my MIL showing up on December 27th with an overnight bag. No. Thank. You.
The plan will be to find out my time to go in that morning, go in for the induction and then wait for my next instructions. I may still be going home to labour so I do not want family getting in the way (I strongly feel this should be private between D & I). We'll call when it's either time to go to the hosptial or if I'm held at the hosptital, when I'm in active labour.
I hope I'm not being selfish holding back this information but I don't understand why anyone would want to sit in a hospital waiting room for hours on end when they're not a support person. I feel like I'll be doing them a favour by decreasing their wait time! Don't you think? Also, isn't it exciting to find out someone is in labour? I feel like the birth will be less exciting if people know in advance!!
In other news, today is my mothers birthday. I've tried calling about 5 times already at various points throughout the day (starting in the early morning). I'm not sure where she is or if she has her phone off the hook but I'll try until I reach her. If not, you can't say I didn't try! As for what I'm going to say to her other than "happy birthday", I'm not sure about that yet. Wish me luck! I hope she's in a good mood!!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
December 12th
The Car seat has been installed, Christmas shopping has been completed, oil change for the car (which was due for the 18th) has been taken care of and we've purchased our groceries for our Christmas dinner with my parents/brother next weekend. It's been a busy day. We also went to see The Princess and the Frog. It was cute!
Based on the advice of one my co-workers I also went out to buy a nursing bra and a couple pairs of nursing pj's. Both were on sale which was nice because I wouldn't want to cough up the extra money for them otherwise. It was weird being in a maternity shop and NOT buying maternity clothes!!
Tomorrow will be our last prenatal appointment with our Doula. Technically this should have been booked before the first week of December but I was extremely lazy getting around to it. I think Sadie is going to sneak up on us because I'm being rather laissez-faire when it comes to getting prepared. Our crib is STILL in its box and I fear it may remain that way forever!!! I'm honestly more concerned about wrapping up things at work than I am with the fact that I could go into labour at any time now!!!
Based on the advice of one my co-workers I also went out to buy a nursing bra and a couple pairs of nursing pj's. Both were on sale which was nice because I wouldn't want to cough up the extra money for them otherwise. It was weird being in a maternity shop and NOT buying maternity clothes!!
Tomorrow will be our last prenatal appointment with our Doula. Technically this should have been booked before the first week of December but I was extremely lazy getting around to it. I think Sadie is going to sneak up on us because I'm being rather laissez-faire when it comes to getting prepared. Our crib is STILL in its box and I fear it may remain that way forever!!! I'm honestly more concerned about wrapping up things at work than I am with the fact that I could go into labour at any time now!!!
Friday, December 11, 2009
December 11th
Not much to say today. Blogging daily is hard when there's nothing much to say!! D and I went out for a date night tonight. Dinner without a movie since I was too tired. I would like to see The Princess & the Frog at some point but we'll have to see if that happens! Instead we went to Craft Burger which has fantastic burgers (veggie for me). They also have Birch Beer which is a real treat because it isn't common in Toronto at all. After dinner we wandered around the shops in the area. I bought my brother 2 "39 clues" books. I was so excited when my step-mom had said he wanted books only to find out they include playing cards. Darn it. I guess if gets him reading I can put up with the gimmick! I hope Sadie is a reader.
That's all for today!
That's all for today!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
December 10th
I'm coming in just under the wire with this entry since it's almost 11:00 pm!
We just got back from D's work dinner (spouses invited this time) where we had an excellent time. I feel like I know her co-workers so well just from the stories D tells. I've also met a number of them before so it was fun. The dinner was at a restaurant we love, Hot House. If you're ever in Toronto on a Sunday you MUST check out the brunch at Hot House. It is fantastic!! We'd never had dinner before and it was good too but seriously brunch is so good!!
Only 4 more physical days at work and 2 work from home days left! I FINALLY got around to filling out my leave of absence form and tomorrow will be about cleaning out my desk. I'm feeling a bit weird about all of this. Although I know I'm about to start mat leave it doesn't feel real. It feels like I'm going on Christmas vacation and will be back in the New Year. I think I'm really going to miss work (before Sadie gets here). I'm already feeling frantic trying to get little things done before "I'm gone". I feel like I'm racing against the clock. Yikes!! In reality I do know that my time off will go by too quickly and before I know it I won't want to be going back! Sigh.
Nothing else exciting today. I feel like I have proof that Sadie was being a trouble maker yesterday. I felt sooo stupid for going into L&D but then I realized today that there was a big difference. She moved so much today - just like normal. WTH was up with her yesterday? I have no idea. I hope she cooperates for the rest of the pregnancy because I want the next trip to L&D to be THE BIG trip (after December 19th at the earliest)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We just got back from D's work dinner (spouses invited this time) where we had an excellent time. I feel like I know her co-workers so well just from the stories D tells. I've also met a number of them before so it was fun. The dinner was at a restaurant we love, Hot House. If you're ever in Toronto on a Sunday you MUST check out the brunch at Hot House. It is fantastic!! We'd never had dinner before and it was good too but seriously brunch is so good!!
Only 4 more physical days at work and 2 work from home days left! I FINALLY got around to filling out my leave of absence form and tomorrow will be about cleaning out my desk. I'm feeling a bit weird about all of this. Although I know I'm about to start mat leave it doesn't feel real. It feels like I'm going on Christmas vacation and will be back in the New Year. I think I'm really going to miss work (before Sadie gets here). I'm already feeling frantic trying to get little things done before "I'm gone". I feel like I'm racing against the clock. Yikes!! In reality I do know that my time off will go by too quickly and before I know it I won't want to be going back! Sigh.
Nothing else exciting today. I feel like I have proof that Sadie was being a trouble maker yesterday. I felt sooo stupid for going into L&D but then I realized today that there was a big difference. She moved so much today - just like normal. WTH was up with her yesterday? I have no idea. I hope she cooperates for the rest of the pregnancy because I want the next trip to L&D to be THE BIG trip (after December 19th at the earliest)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
December 9th Part 3
This has been a long day!
Part 3 is the story of how I went to L&D after work and how I now know what Braxton Hicks feel like!
The short version of the story is that around 2:00 pm I started to feel yucky. Hot flashes, shortness of breath and a lot of pressure down low. I waddled around complaining for about an hour before I started to get worried because I hadn't felt Sadie move since what I thought was the morning. For the next hour I tried everything to get her kicking. Drinking water, poking, more poking, resting my arms on my belly and nothing would get her to even budge. D and I decided that it wouldn't hurt to go into L&D for an NST and that's exactly what we did. It only took about an hour and it really reassured us. The "yuckiness" was Braxton Hicks which were coming every 5 minutes. I'd never had them before so I had no idea that's what they'd feel like. As far as Sadie not moving, she scored 10/10 on the BPP scan they performed and the NST was fine. I simply wasn't feeling her between the BH contractions. Also, she's flipped. She's still head down but her bum is now on the right with her legs to my left. That is part of the reason I couldn't get her to move. I was poking in the wrong places and I was expecting to feel her kicks on the opposite side. Very strange!!!
December 9th.... a fun day!
Part 3 is the story of how I went to L&D after work and how I now know what Braxton Hicks feel like!
The short version of the story is that around 2:00 pm I started to feel yucky. Hot flashes, shortness of breath and a lot of pressure down low. I waddled around complaining for about an hour before I started to get worried because I hadn't felt Sadie move since what I thought was the morning. For the next hour I tried everything to get her kicking. Drinking water, poking, more poking, resting my arms on my belly and nothing would get her to even budge. D and I decided that it wouldn't hurt to go into L&D for an NST and that's exactly what we did. It only took about an hour and it really reassured us. The "yuckiness" was Braxton Hicks which were coming every 5 minutes. I'd never had them before so I had no idea that's what they'd feel like. As far as Sadie not moving, she scored 10/10 on the BPP scan they performed and the NST was fine. I simply wasn't feeling her between the BH contractions. Also, she's flipped. She's still head down but her bum is now on the right with her legs to my left. That is part of the reason I couldn't get her to move. I was poking in the wrong places and I was expecting to feel her kicks on the opposite side. Very strange!!!
December 9th.... a fun day!
December 9th - Part 2
Wow. My work baby shower was a surprise after all! I could tell my friend put a lot of effort into organizing it the minute we walked through the door. The decorations were amazing – lots of pink everywhere and I was so surprised to see the different people who attended from across the company, not just my team. Work events like this are always awkward but people got into it and eventually started to talk and it was a really good time. I was also spoiled silly. I got a gift card to BRU for $70, another for The Children’s Place for $60, several outfits, diapers, and odds and ends off of our registry that hadn’t been purchased like swaddle blankets, a first aid kit, and toys.
I’ve also learned a valuable lesson about being a manager throughout this experience (being pregnant and working full time). It’s amazing the impact you have on people when you do the smallest of things for them. I’ve had 4 of my former staff come to me and say how grateful they were for the things I had done for them when they were pregnant. Things I hadn’t even remembered like filling out their maternity leave paperwork for them. That one is actually funny because I haven’t gotten to my own paperwork yet, I have no idea how to! Another thanked me for sending her home in a cab one day when she wasn’t feeling well. You really have an impact on people when you are in a position of authority. Thinking back these things do not stick out as special or even memorable but clearly I made a difference in their experience. It really comes down to paying attention to people when they need you. It’s so simple and very rewarding in the long run. Hearing this feedback and having former co-workers and staff come up to me to thank me and to say I’ll be missed next year felt amazing.
I’ve also learned a valuable lesson about being a manager throughout this experience (being pregnant and working full time). It’s amazing the impact you have on people when you do the smallest of things for them. I’ve had 4 of my former staff come to me and say how grateful they were for the things I had done for them when they were pregnant. Things I hadn’t even remembered like filling out their maternity leave paperwork for them. That one is actually funny because I haven’t gotten to my own paperwork yet, I have no idea how to! Another thanked me for sending her home in a cab one day when she wasn’t feeling well. You really have an impact on people when you are in a position of authority. Thinking back these things do not stick out as special or even memorable but clearly I made a difference in their experience. It really comes down to paying attention to people when they need you. It’s so simple and very rewarding in the long run. Hearing this feedback and having former co-workers and staff come up to me to thank me and to say I’ll be missed next year felt amazing.
December 9th
37 weeks today. I can’t believe we’re already at full term! Time is going by so quickly and I can't wait to meet Sadie!!!!
I had my 37 week appointment yesterday and I was stuck with a med student and a doctor that was probably one day out of med school himself. My doctor is currently vacationing in the Bahamas but will be back Monday. Overall this was the least reassuring appointment I’ve had to date. Doogie Howser said he wanted me back Monday morning instead of my booked Tuesday afternoon appointment because he wanted my BP checked sooner rather than later. It was high @ (144/??). I’m fairly certain that my Doctor would have been ok with that. Yes, it’s higher than it has been and it is over my goal of being under 140 but it’s not THAT high, is it? Maybe I should have mentioned that 20 minutes earlier I was sound asleep, snug as a bug in bed, only to be ripped from my cocoon and thrown in a cab for the appointment. I was also trying to fill out the registration forms they gave me last week that I was told to fill out and I chose not to but was told I had to… all of a sudden people are looking at me like I’m ready to pop or something!!!!!
Meanwhile his side kick the med student couldn’t find a heartbeat. Surprisingly I was NOT freaking out. He added more gel, took away gel, felt for the baby’s position again and then FINALLY got it. So yeah, fun appointment – just what I needed!!
I’d like to be in the Bahamas too.
As for today, it is my surprise baby shower at work. I know about it because I made a big deal on Monday about working from home due to the snow storm that was predicted and we are (sort of) having. I took the subway to work to be here since D wouldn’t let me drive. Apparently a few people had predicted I may not make it in so I was pretty much told to be here!
I’ll have to post again later to share the details and I wish I could take pictures but I think people would be suspicious if I came with my camera!
**Thank you to D for keeping my daily blogging on track when I was just too tired yesterday! And happy 54th bday to my dad!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
December 8th
GUEST BLOG by D. J is too tired to blog herself so I will be filling in.
We had a busy day today getting more things ready for the nursery. The glider is in the room and the crib is here. It's still in the box but we hope to get it together tomorrow. It's amazing how little can totally wipe J out.
Her dad's birthday is coming up soon too so when he came in with the glider, we took him out to lunch. We went to an Irish pub because he has been on an Irish kick lately.
We talked about the upcoming holidays. We are going to have her family in next week for an early Christmas. I was going to make a lasagna but somehow it ended up that I will be making a full turkey dinner. J has suggested we order it in but I don't know if I would feel comfortable about that. There are a few places in Toronto that do it but it's not cheap. It would cost anywhere from $125 to $165 so I think the best thing to do would make it myself. Plus there is nothing like walking into a home and smelling a turkey dinner.
J will b back posting tomorrow.
We had a busy day today getting more things ready for the nursery. The glider is in the room and the crib is here. It's still in the box but we hope to get it together tomorrow. It's amazing how little can totally wipe J out.
Her dad's birthday is coming up soon too so when he came in with the glider, we took him out to lunch. We went to an Irish pub because he has been on an Irish kick lately.
We talked about the upcoming holidays. We are going to have her family in next week for an early Christmas. I was going to make a lasagna but somehow it ended up that I will be making a full turkey dinner. J has suggested we order it in but I don't know if I would feel comfortable about that. There are a few places in Toronto that do it but it's not cheap. It would cost anywhere from $125 to $165 so I think the best thing to do would make it myself. Plus there is nothing like walking into a home and smelling a turkey dinner.
J will b back posting tomorrow.
Monday, December 7, 2009
December 7th - Part 2
Update: I was lucky and my Aunt called us tonight because she'd received our thank you card from the shower. That made things a bit easier since everyone is so hard to get in contact with these days. I asked if she'd spoken with my mother recently and she said she hadn't. I guess my mom has been keeping her phone off the hook, avoiding calls. So typical. I felt bad for being a downer and telling her what happened and there was even a bit of judging on my aunt's part (suggesting I may have provoked her). My mother and her sisters are so close it is actually strange. She said she didn't know what was said but she'd get to the bottom of it. I made a point of saying my mother made a completely unprovoked statement and that it was in the morning so there was no alcohol involved (I hope). The good news that came out of the call was that my aunt who normally vacations in Arizona over the winter months is staying home this year. THANK GOODNESS. At the very least my mother will not be alone this year!! That takes a huge weight off off my shoulders. Huge.
As for her motive - was she being manipulative? I'm not sure. Re-reading what I'd written made it sound so dramatic and to be 100% honest it was. So much so that I don't think it could be manipulation. Manipulation was when my mother tried to encourage her sisters and my cousins not to attend my baby shower. Manipulation is playing the "who will call first game". This was my mother in deep despair and self loathing over her OWN choices. She didn't go to our baby shower because it was hosted by my step-mother and she's not coming to the hospital because my dad may be there. She's suffering over something that happened 3 decades ago and making me feel like I'm part of some really messed up child custody battle. My guess is that she has been digging this hole since the baby shower knowing that she was missing something she wanted to attend and that her family was there without her. At the same time my Aunt became a grandmother and was there with her daughter. HER choices are preventing her from experiencing these things and now she's paying for it. Her resentment for my father is palpable. Just like everything else in her life the easiest thing she knows is to run. NOT to be a grandmother is easier than being a grandmother that is missing out.
For now I'm going to let things rest. I'm seeing my dad tomorrow when he comes in to pick up our crib and drop off our glider. We're also going to dinner for his birthday. I'm keeping focused on the GOOD. It's all I can do.
December 7th
I’ve never been more certain in my life than yesterday that my mother is in serious need of help and that makes it hard for me to write my true feelings. I want to say that I HATE her because she’s taking a special time in my life and making it about her. I want to say I am so sick of dealing with her and that I’m sick of feeling like the adult in our relationship. I don’t know why she can’t be happy with anything and why she can’t be my MOTHER. It’s awful. I don’t want to wake up one day to find out she has commit suicide because that is one of my greatest fears. I don’t want to say any of the above because I know it isn’t fair to treat someone who must have serious issues so unfairly. I wouldn’t want to be treated that way but at the same time it is so hard....
Outside of my being pregnant a 4 week delay in talking to each other wouldn’t be anything abnormal. My mother does this. She gets into a mood where she feels I do not love her and she stops calling to see how long it takes for me to call. The reality is that my life is busy and I’m not always paying attention to such things. It was only last weekend that I realized that it had been a while and it was only this weekend that I had actually counted the weeks. My dad was pretty furious when he found this out. My dad, the man my mother thinks doesn’t care about her, scolded me for treating her poorly and falling into her games. So I listened to my dad and I called her. What I got on the other end of the phone was EXACTLY what I thought I would get: a monotone shell of my mother with dead air between lifeless sentences. I think we were on the phone for 15 minutes. I had to ask questions like how my cousin and her baby were. Had it snowed yet? Was it cold? I’ve had these same conversations with my mother so many times over the years. It’s painful to hear us trying to talk to each other when we are so obviously NOT saying anything that matters. We said goodbye and I thought that was all there was. I wondered if I should even bother calling her when I went into labour. I wondered if she’d call before Christmas or if this would hold out longer. That’s when very surprisingly the phone rang again. D picked up and said it was my mother.
I was confused.
I took the phone. My mom said that she needed to call back to “explain herself”. I thought that was the best thing I’d ever heard since quite frankly I’m so sick of her mind games. That’s when she said to me that she doesn’t want to meet Sadie and that she feels that it is for the best if Sadie never knows she exists. WTF? She went on to say that she doesn’t want to be her grandmother. She’s cutting ties and that we can just move on and live our own lives. “Sadie deserves a family and she will have a good one with your Dad & (my step-mom), D’s mom and her Great- Grandmother”.
I didn’t know what to say. What do you say to that? I’ve never been dumped but I can imagine that this is exactly what it feels like. My own mother doesn’t want to meet her grandchild??? She doesn’t want to be in my life anymore?
She said that children pick up on everything and Sadie will hate her too and she doesn’t want to ruin another life. She went on to apologise for being a horrible mother and she admitted that I have “every reason to hate her”. She said she shouldn’t have drank when I was growing up but it was the only way to cope and that I had “such a strong personality” as a teenager that she didn’t know what to do. She said that at least she taught me “what not to be”. I would have to agree with that because it’s true. When you grow up in a household with a self-loathing drunken mother you end up taking a different path in life.
I was very abrupt with her at this point saying she was being totally irrational. I asked her if she was seeing anyone and that I thought she may have a serious issue. She said that she’s always been irrational and that won’t change which is just another reason she doesn’t want to be in my life anymore.
She started to bring up the most absurd things that I would never in a million years have remembered. Things I’d said to her when I was probably 13 years old. Things D had said to her that upset her. Things that my father said to her when they “were still married” which would be 29 years ago!! It seems as though she has held on to everything that has ever been said against her. EVERYTHING!! She’s never spoken so candidly about these feelings so I was just so shocked. I knew she was damaged but to actually hear that she really won’t let go and that these things haunt her decade after decade, it’s just frightening that someone could be so unhappy. She was bawling her eyes out throughout her call. Of course I was crying too to the point where I thought I had pink eye but apparently it’s ruptured blood vessels. I tried to reassure her by saying that she wasn’t thinking right. I asked how she could not want what her sister had (my cousin and her new baby, being a grandmother) and she said that she wants that very badly but “this is for the best” she just wanted to “explain herself”. Nothing I said could make her get off this thought of leaving our lives. I don’t know what I can do. I’m 9 months pregnant, 675 km away from her and she is clearly spinning out of control. The only thing I can even think to do is get in contact with my Aunt that lives nearby. She seems to be the most rational of the 3 sisters and hopefully she can monitor my mom and get my other Aunt on board to figure things out.
Yesterday was awful but today I’m feeling better, emotionally. The fact is that Sadie will have very limited exposure to my mother and this only proves why. Until she gets herself straightened out she is not a good person for a small child to be around. That said it makes me very sad that I am going to go through childbirth without my mother. My aunt was there to watch as my cousin gave birth to her grandchild. I deserve that special moment with my mother too but unfortunately I do not have THAT mother and I never will.
If we ever let Sadie read this blog I will be excluding this entry. I'd like to forget I've had to write this.
Outside of my being pregnant a 4 week delay in talking to each other wouldn’t be anything abnormal. My mother does this. She gets into a mood where she feels I do not love her and she stops calling to see how long it takes for me to call. The reality is that my life is busy and I’m not always paying attention to such things. It was only last weekend that I realized that it had been a while and it was only this weekend that I had actually counted the weeks. My dad was pretty furious when he found this out. My dad, the man my mother thinks doesn’t care about her, scolded me for treating her poorly and falling into her games. So I listened to my dad and I called her. What I got on the other end of the phone was EXACTLY what I thought I would get: a monotone shell of my mother with dead air between lifeless sentences. I think we were on the phone for 15 minutes. I had to ask questions like how my cousin and her baby were. Had it snowed yet? Was it cold? I’ve had these same conversations with my mother so many times over the years. It’s painful to hear us trying to talk to each other when we are so obviously NOT saying anything that matters. We said goodbye and I thought that was all there was. I wondered if I should even bother calling her when I went into labour. I wondered if she’d call before Christmas or if this would hold out longer. That’s when very surprisingly the phone rang again. D picked up and said it was my mother.
I was confused.
I took the phone. My mom said that she needed to call back to “explain herself”. I thought that was the best thing I’d ever heard since quite frankly I’m so sick of her mind games. That’s when she said to me that she doesn’t want to meet Sadie and that she feels that it is for the best if Sadie never knows she exists. WTF? She went on to say that she doesn’t want to be her grandmother. She’s cutting ties and that we can just move on and live our own lives. “Sadie deserves a family and she will have a good one with your Dad & (my step-mom), D’s mom and her Great- Grandmother”.
I didn’t know what to say. What do you say to that? I’ve never been dumped but I can imagine that this is exactly what it feels like. My own mother doesn’t want to meet her grandchild??? She doesn’t want to be in my life anymore?
She said that children pick up on everything and Sadie will hate her too and she doesn’t want to ruin another life. She went on to apologise for being a horrible mother and she admitted that I have “every reason to hate her”. She said she shouldn’t have drank when I was growing up but it was the only way to cope and that I had “such a strong personality” as a teenager that she didn’t know what to do. She said that at least she taught me “what not to be”. I would have to agree with that because it’s true. When you grow up in a household with a self-loathing drunken mother you end up taking a different path in life.
I was very abrupt with her at this point saying she was being totally irrational. I asked her if she was seeing anyone and that I thought she may have a serious issue. She said that she’s always been irrational and that won’t change which is just another reason she doesn’t want to be in my life anymore.
She started to bring up the most absurd things that I would never in a million years have remembered. Things I’d said to her when I was probably 13 years old. Things D had said to her that upset her. Things that my father said to her when they “were still married” which would be 29 years ago!! It seems as though she has held on to everything that has ever been said against her. EVERYTHING!! She’s never spoken so candidly about these feelings so I was just so shocked. I knew she was damaged but to actually hear that she really won’t let go and that these things haunt her decade after decade, it’s just frightening that someone could be so unhappy. She was bawling her eyes out throughout her call. Of course I was crying too to the point where I thought I had pink eye but apparently it’s ruptured blood vessels. I tried to reassure her by saying that she wasn’t thinking right. I asked how she could not want what her sister had (my cousin and her new baby, being a grandmother) and she said that she wants that very badly but “this is for the best” she just wanted to “explain herself”. Nothing I said could make her get off this thought of leaving our lives. I don’t know what I can do. I’m 9 months pregnant, 675 km away from her and she is clearly spinning out of control. The only thing I can even think to do is get in contact with my Aunt that lives nearby. She seems to be the most rational of the 3 sisters and hopefully she can monitor my mom and get my other Aunt on board to figure things out.
Yesterday was awful but today I’m feeling better, emotionally. The fact is that Sadie will have very limited exposure to my mother and this only proves why. Until she gets herself straightened out she is not a good person for a small child to be around. That said it makes me very sad that I am going to go through childbirth without my mother. My aunt was there to watch as my cousin gave birth to her grandchild. I deserve that special moment with my mother too but unfortunately I do not have THAT mother and I never will.
If we ever let Sadie read this blog I will be excluding this entry. I'd like to forget I've had to write this.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
December 6th
The last time I'd heard from my mother was the day after our first baby shower. She'd said some strange things that made me think she was back in a "funk". She also said some stupid thoughtless things that hurt my feelings. At this point that is so expected from her that it wasn't even worth blogging about. So when 4 weeks went past without hearing from her nothing felt out of the ordinary. It was my Dad's insistence that made me call her today... the result was unbelievable. So much so that I need to sleep on it before I can even put words together to express my feelings.
I'm not even sure where the rest of the day went and therefore I have nothing much to say except to expect a doozy of an entry tomorrow!!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
December 5th
Thank you to those who helped with the info on our car seat. There is good news and bad news. The good news is that D was able to release the seat from its base in about 3 seconds, looked at me and laughed. She did EXACTLY what I had been doing!! The bad news is that even with the PDF instruction manual, the actual instruction manual and direction from D I'm not able to. My hands are not strong enough!!! I wonder how long it is going to take for my hands to go back to normal after Sadie is here? I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned that I have pregnancy induced Carpal Tunnel. It isn't really a bother other than at night when I wear a brace however my knuckles are messed up really badly. They pop, crack and hurt when I bend them. Apparently this has made my hands weak! Yikes. Hopefully by the time I need to take the car seat out of the car I'll be able to!
NOTE: While writing this I remembered that I hadn't called the store to schedule the pick up of our crib (which we wanted to do on Tuesday and requires 24 hour notice)!!! I've called now and everything is set. It's actually the same location as the car seat installation center which is what triggered that thought.... I think I need to keep blogging so I can remember these things!! What else have I forgotten??
Two other thoughts on the car seat:
1) I appreciate the convenience of the manual being stored on the base but it would be much easier if you could extract it from its holder while the car seat was still attached - just in case you need to read it to figure out how to get the car seat off its base!!!!
2) I was going to try and install the seat myself and then have it inspected but I'm throughly exhausted by it now and scared off by the instructions that mention suffocation if I do it wrong. For $40 we've opted to have it professionally installed and I'm OK with that!!
NOTE: While writing this I remembered that I hadn't called the store to schedule the pick up of our crib (which we wanted to do on Tuesday and requires 24 hour notice)!!! I've called now and everything is set. It's actually the same location as the car seat installation center which is what triggered that thought.... I think I need to keep blogging so I can remember these things!! What else have I forgotten??
Friday, December 4, 2009
December 4th
Last night I had an evening to myself. That doesn't happen very often because D and I are one of those annoying couples that travel everywhere as a pair. She was at her work Christmas dinner (spouses not invited) so I was left to fend for myself. I wish I could say I had made good use of this time but in reality I spent most of it online. I also had a long discussion with my dad over the phone. I wanted to know what my brother wanted for Christmas. Normally I spoil the snot out of him but this year we're trying to be more conservative so I thought I'd find out one really important thing I could get. It sounds like it may be a portable weather station. Odd, I know, but my brother is quirky just like I am. My dad said his big present from them is a bass guitar. He asked what I wanted and I had no answer. There really isn't anything we wanted other than the camera (which we bought for ourselves).
I ended up calling in sick/work from home today after another bad night/morning with "morning sickness". I'm not sure why I feel so awful. I also feel like I'm proving my manager right and I should be off already but I'm not going to back down!!!! I'm at about 90% right now. Just tired. I may have another nap although surprisingly I've been kept busy (by work) this afternoon. I also called every pediatrician I could (list given by OB) to find one to take us for our 48 hour after birth newborn appointment. Do you think ONE office picked up their phone? They all seem to be screening calls due to H1N1!!! So I left messages - some for a second time since I'd already tried a couple of weeks ago on my own. I expect that no one will call me back just like last time! Very similar experience when trying to find a daycare.
In the end I called my GP's office and asked if they'd take us in for the appointment. My doctor (who is also pregnant) is on vacation from December 21-January 4th. Great help for my December 30th due date!! Oh, and she herself is due at the end of January and they're not sure when she's leaving. Great!! I was pretty much assured that no matter what they would accommodate me with any available doctor and that yes they would perform the 48 hour appointment. I'm feeling much better now and I'm considering this off my list of things to worry about. It was refreshing to speak to a HUMAN and not an answering machine! Our GP office has never let either of us down in the past (except when the messed up my first trimester blood work) so I really need to TRUST that they'll take care of us this time too. Too bad they do not have a daycare as well!! If for some reason I cannot get an appointment I will let the hospital/L&D know.
It certainly isn't easy for parents, is it? Will it always be like this? Will I have to send my kid to school in another city because our Kindergarten will be full too????
ETA: OMG SOMEONE CALLED ME BACK!! SAME DAY!
We have a pediatrician!!! OMG OMG OMG!!! And this one is actually close to us and a doctor that had good reviews on RateMDS!!! The phone call came in as I published this post!
Pictures!
This is not my official post for the day... I just wanted to share a pictures like I said I would yesterday. I only had a chance to play around for a bit so I have nothing exciting to share. Here is a a before and after shot of our Christmas tree. The first shot was taken with my Point and Shoot and the second with the DSLR. I have a long way to go in learning how to take photos but just playing around I can see the difference already!
Shot #2 Sony a330, Flash OFF, no touch up.
Still a bit blurry with the flash off but I had some fun with the flash on. If you click on the actual picture it should open up and you'll see how horrible the quality of the first one really is!!! Here is another shot (from the same angle as the first). I'm sure there is a way to get the settings so it is not as dark and blurry. With the flash ON you could see every artificial detail... which isn't what I had wanted!!!
I can't wait to take the camera outside to see what kind of shots it takes. Overall I'm pretty happy. I think it will serve its purpose as a step up from a Point and Shoot that will be fun to use and hopefully take great pictures of the baby. My dad is excited about the extra lens we have (75-300mm) and already wants me to bring the camera to some of my brothers shows! He said he can't wait to come in and try it out!!
Shot #1 - Panasonic DMC-LZ7, flash ON (touched up using Picasa)
Still a bit blurry with the flash off but I had some fun with the flash on. If you click on the actual picture it should open up and you'll see how horrible the quality of the first one really is!!! Here is another shot (from the same angle as the first). I'm sure there is a way to get the settings so it is not as dark and blurry. With the flash ON you could see every artificial detail... which isn't what I had wanted!!!
I'm not sure if the following pictures used macro or not but I was able to get up close and get a lot of detail.
I can't wait to take the camera outside to see what kind of shots it takes. Overall I'm pretty happy. I think it will serve its purpose as a step up from a Point and Shoot that will be fun to use and hopefully take great pictures of the baby. My dad is excited about the extra lens we have (75-300mm) and already wants me to bring the camera to some of my brothers shows! He said he can't wait to come in and try it out!!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
December 3rd
I woke up to a good dose of morning sickness this morning. It’s funny how much the 3rd trimester is like the 1st. Of course one of the big differences is that in the 1st your baby isn’t kicking you in the gut as well!!! Thankfully I was able to pull myself together and get to work where at 9:00 am I thought I was going to fall asleep at my desk. D said I should have called in sick and I think I agree.
As of tomorrow I have 8 more days at work (+3 “work from home”) and then I’m free!! I know that my manager would rather I take leave early however I’m sticking to my original plan. The bad news is there isn’t any work for me since all of the new projects are for 2010 and we implement a system freeze (no application changes) in early December. Soooo I’m pretty much at work taking up space and trying to look busy even though everyone knows I’m not. It sucks.
What I should be doing is reading instruction manuals so I can figure out some of the new gadgets we have. I spent some time playing with our new camera and I love it so much! It was easy enough to pick up and start using without even opening a manual. That’s what I like! I’m going to post some pictures tonight when I’m at home. What I really need to figure out is our car seat! I bought the last one in the store (BRU) and I’m wondering if the box had already been opened. I say this because I can’t find an instruction manual and for the life of me I cannot figure out how to get the seat off of its base! For now it’s sitting in the trunk of my car because it is just too heavy with the base to carry up from our parking garage (2 flights of stairs). There is a tag that has instructions but I thought there would manual, wouldn’t there be? I think I need to call the store. In the meantime, I have the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP - does anyone know how to release this from the base? It can’t be rocket science!! Isn’t its portability sort of the point of having the bucket so you can take it with you?
I have a feeling we’re going to be in trouble if we can’t figure out all of this gear ASAP. (; I'm supposed to be the technical one and I'm LOST.
As of tomorrow I have 8 more days at work (+3 “work from home”) and then I’m free!! I know that my manager would rather I take leave early however I’m sticking to my original plan. The bad news is there isn’t any work for me since all of the new projects are for 2010 and we implement a system freeze (no application changes) in early December. Soooo I’m pretty much at work taking up space and trying to look busy even though everyone knows I’m not. It sucks.
What I should be doing is reading instruction manuals so I can figure out some of the new gadgets we have. I spent some time playing with our new camera and I love it so much! It was easy enough to pick up and start using without even opening a manual. That’s what I like! I’m going to post some pictures tonight when I’m at home. What I really need to figure out is our car seat! I bought the last one in the store (BRU) and I’m wondering if the box had already been opened. I say this because I can’t find an instruction manual and for the life of me I cannot figure out how to get the seat off of its base! For now it’s sitting in the trunk of my car because it is just too heavy with the base to carry up from our parking garage (2 flights of stairs). There is a tag that has instructions but I thought there would manual, wouldn’t there be? I think I need to call the store. In the meantime, I have the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP - does anyone know how to release this from the base? It can’t be rocket science!! Isn’t its portability sort of the point of having the bucket so you can take it with you?
I have a feeling we’re going to be in trouble if we can’t figure out all of this gear ASAP. (; I'm supposed to be the technical one and I'm LOST.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
December 2nd
I just noticed this morning that the logo on my BBC birth club has changed from a pregnant silhouette to a mother holding her baby. I guess that change took place yesterday! For the record, yes, I’m still on BBC. The birth club board (December) has been keeping me entertained and the women have all seemed to calm down since their 2nd trimester (when they were all crazy). I guess when you have childbirth to prepare for you are more level headed than when you’re just hanging out waiting for time to go by!
I'm actually starting to get a bit anxious wanting to know when Sadie will come. I keep hearing over and over that your first baby is late. With a December 30th EDD that means a January baby (which would be awesome since that is D’s birth month as well). However, I could be early and we could be looking at a Christmas baby! On that note, I’ve done the math and a December baby would require 10 months less daycare since Sadie would start Kindergarten a year earlier. Of course in the long run that would also mean we’d be sending a 13 year old to High School and a 17 year old to University. Holy Crap – I’m getting ahead of myself!!! Time to STOP!
The only thing I know for certain is that if anyone tells me to hold the baby in (while in active labour) in an effort to have the first baby born on January 1st I’m going to hit them!! D, are you reading this??? I’m not joking!!
Also, I’m not going to be trying any labour inducing methods (pineapple, spicy food, castor oil). I’m going to let nature take its course. At least that’s what I’m saying today, December 2nd. Don’t hold me to it!
I'm actually starting to get a bit anxious wanting to know when Sadie will come. I keep hearing over and over that your first baby is late. With a December 30th EDD that means a January baby (which would be awesome since that is D’s birth month as well). However, I could be early and we could be looking at a Christmas baby! On that note, I’ve done the math and a December baby would require 10 months less daycare since Sadie would start Kindergarten a year earlier. Of course in the long run that would also mean we’d be sending a 13 year old to High School and a 17 year old to University. Holy Crap – I’m getting ahead of myself!!! Time to STOP!
The only thing I know for certain is that if anyone tells me to hold the baby in (while in active labour) in an effort to have the first baby born on January 1st I’m going to hit them!! D, are you reading this??? I’m not joking!!
Also, I’m not going to be trying any labour inducing methods (pineapple, spicy food, castor oil). I’m going to let nature take its course. At least that’s what I’m saying today, December 2nd. Don’t hold me to it!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
December
I am going to blog daily for the month of December (or until Sadie makes her grand appearance) in an attempt to capture as much of the final weeks of this pregnancy as possible. I want to be able to look back and remember exactly what happened in the days/weeks/month leading up to giving birth. I want to know my state of mind. I want to remember everything as clearly as I can because time is going by too quickly. At the beginning of our 9 months (10 months) it felt like pregnancy would be an eternity long. Now it feels like it has gone past in the blink of an eye and although I hope that we can do this a second time, it will never be the same as the first. Yes, I’m being sappy and nostalgic. I just want to soak it all in…
That said… it’s December first so continuing on from yesterday….
Along with buying the car seat on the weekend we also picked up a manual breast pump. Our Doula suggested we look into renting a hospital grade pump if we need one for more than just pumping a relief bottle here and there. For now we have this pump and I hope it will do the job. One more thing off of our list! Our biggest purchase this weekend (bigger than the car seat) was a new camera. D had wanted to buy me one for at least a year and a half but I kept putting it off because I knew our next step would be a DSLR and I wanted to know we were having a baby first (to make sure we had the newest model at that point). Time is running out so we took the plunge.
We had done research and asked for advice and then we did not buy the camera people recommended. We have 45 days to test drive to make a decision for ourselves and we hope that we’ll conclude that our decision was the right one for us. My main concern was that I wanted to ease into DSLR ownership. We started out with about 4 options for entry level cameras but our final decision came down to the Canon EOS Rebel XSi or the Sony A330. They were comparably priced but in the end it seemed like the Sony A330 had more of the features we were looking for as beginners (this review, among other similar ones convinced us). We were also able to get a great deal that included an extra 75 -300mm lens (not that I have any clue what we’re going to do with it). The battery has been charged so I need to take it for a spin to see what it can do…. or rather what I can do with it. I need to learn quickly so we’re ready to take lots and lots of pictures of Sadie!!
Btw, I will not ignore the obvious irony that we just laid down big bucks for a camera when we're "struggling" (not really, just complaining) getting baby stuff together. I would like to freely admit that our priorities really are that off and we didn't really have that money to spend... I have 3 pay periods left before my maternity leave. The responsible thing would be to "save save save" but we haven't been doing that. So please, when we cry that we are "screwed screwed screwed" I give everyone permission to laugh at us.
That said… it’s December first so continuing on from yesterday….
Along with buying the car seat on the weekend we also picked up a manual breast pump. Our Doula suggested we look into renting a hospital grade pump if we need one for more than just pumping a relief bottle here and there. For now we have this pump and I hope it will do the job. One more thing off of our list! Our biggest purchase this weekend (bigger than the car seat) was a new camera. D had wanted to buy me one for at least a year and a half but I kept putting it off because I knew our next step would be a DSLR and I wanted to know we were having a baby first (to make sure we had the newest model at that point). Time is running out so we took the plunge.
We had done research and asked for advice and then we did not buy the camera people recommended. We have 45 days to test drive to make a decision for ourselves and we hope that we’ll conclude that our decision was the right one for us. My main concern was that I wanted to ease into DSLR ownership. We started out with about 4 options for entry level cameras but our final decision came down to the Canon EOS Rebel XSi or the Sony A330. They were comparably priced but in the end it seemed like the Sony A330 had more of the features we were looking for as beginners (this review, among other similar ones convinced us). We were also able to get a great deal that included an extra 75 -300mm lens (not that I have any clue what we’re going to do with it). The battery has been charged so I need to take it for a spin to see what it can do…. or rather what I can do with it. I need to learn quickly so we’re ready to take lots and lots of pictures of Sadie!!
Btw, I will not ignore the obvious irony that we just laid down big bucks for a camera when we're "struggling" (not really, just complaining) getting baby stuff together. I would like to freely admit that our priorities really are that off and we didn't really have that money to spend... I have 3 pay periods left before my maternity leave. The responsible thing would be to "save save save" but we haven't been doing that. So please, when we cry that we are "screwed screwed screwed" I give everyone permission to laugh at us.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Ready/Not Ready
Starting to freak out a bit here!!!
I had my 36 week appointment today and I was sent home with my hospital registration paperwork and a pamphlet about the "signs of labor"and when to come in. Um... not ready!! Baby Girl needs to stay in until her EDD so screw the forms and the pamphlet. Thinking January.... thinking January!!
We're pretty much ready. We accomplished what we needed to on the weekend and I feel we now have all of the material items we need. Included are the items for my hospital bag (new slippers, lounge wear, PJ's, etc). We also have the car seat but read today that our hospital doesn't require you to have one to leave. That's a moot point since we'll need one but I had previously worried we'd be held hostage without it! Next up will be to shovel out the condo, assemble the glider, the crib and then we'll be ready.
Now, the avoided topic... our "friends" baby shower. This is probably the reason I've been avoiding blogging for the past week. No, it wasn't bad. It was actually fun and our friends were very generous. I couldn't believe the items that flew off of our registry. Stuff like our Angel Care monitor, Baby Bjorn carrier, bath tub, diapers, toys, etc. etc. We were spoiled. Here are some pictures: (btw, I didn't end up doing our big cake so I made cup cakes)
What has kept me silent is that we were both very disappointed in all of the last minute cancellations and then on the day of the shower two of our friends that we expected were no-shows. That left 7 of 20 guests. Some of the regrets/excuses were completely expected while others caught us off guard. It's been a week now and it's interesting to see the guilt coming out of people. In person I've put up a brave face and I've let it go (D says I'm too nice) but inside it hurts. The reality is that we're moving in a different direction than our friends. They're in their 30's stuck in a rut of going to "retro night" and having a drinking parties. We're in our 30's and we're starting a family. I think we've gotten to the point where we no longer connect. ):
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
35 weeks!!!
I promised myself I would post today in honour of my 35 week milestone. I know we're still two weeks away from full term but this feels amazing.... 35 weeks!! Finally!!
Things are starting to feel very real and I'm starting to feel like we need to kick it into high gear to get ready. The condo (which was once tidy) has turned into a maze of boxes, Christmas decorations and baby stuff. We need to sort that out ASAP because it is out of control. Ironically I feel like our spare room has been transformed from our storage room to a baby's room and now to a baby's storage room. Will there be room for Sadie?
We're also going to go and buy our car seat and have it installed this weekend as I hear you can't leave the hospital without one. That concerns me more than the fact that our crib is still at a warehouse! I think it's time to pack my hospital bag and Sadie's diaper bag as well. We need to get prepared although I have no reason to believe Sadie will be early. We're both very comfortable where we are and I strongly believe she'll be a January baby so much so that my last day of work is December 18th. I'm sort of banking on her being there past 38 weeks, 2 days!! At that point I'm taking vacation December 21-24, December 29th and then my first official mat leave day is December 30th aka My EDD. I'm trying to work around the holidays (Christmas & Boxing Day) so that I get my Stat pay BEFORE I leave. Why give up two days of full pay for no work, right?
I need to get back on here to post about our baby shower. I have pictures! Right now I'm feeling very lazy when it comes to blogging. I'm not sure what my problem is. I'm still reading and commenting but writing is so hard right now. My average posts per month is way down for November. Time is flying by so fast!
Things are starting to feel very real and I'm starting to feel like we need to kick it into high gear to get ready. The condo (which was once tidy) has turned into a maze of boxes, Christmas decorations and baby stuff. We need to sort that out ASAP because it is out of control. Ironically I feel like our spare room has been transformed from our storage room to a baby's room and now to a baby's storage room. Will there be room for Sadie?
We're also going to go and buy our car seat and have it installed this weekend as I hear you can't leave the hospital without one. That concerns me more than the fact that our crib is still at a warehouse! I think it's time to pack my hospital bag and Sadie's diaper bag as well. We need to get prepared although I have no reason to believe Sadie will be early. We're both very comfortable where we are and I strongly believe she'll be a January baby so much so that my last day of work is December 18th. I'm sort of banking on her being there past 38 weeks, 2 days!! At that point I'm taking vacation December 21-24, December 29th and then my first official mat leave day is December 30th aka My EDD. I'm trying to work around the holidays (Christmas & Boxing Day) so that I get my Stat pay BEFORE I leave. Why give up two days of full pay for no work, right?
I need to get back on here to post about our baby shower. I have pictures! Right now I'm feeling very lazy when it comes to blogging. I'm not sure what my problem is. I'm still reading and commenting but writing is so hard right now. My average posts per month is way down for November. Time is flying by so fast!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Jinxed
I must have jinxed myself yesterday saying there was so little baby shower drama this time around. All of a sudden I understand how the women on BBC who write of no one attending their showers got to the point where they weren't sure if any guests were going to attend. Since we're involved in the planning and are buying the food I wanted to get a final count. I sent out an e-mail under the premis of providing "additional information" about parking and the location. At the end of the e-mail I asked if anyone hadn't sent their regrets to please let me know if they were unable to attend.
That opened a floodgate of excuses.... holy crap. Maybe I shouldn't have asked?
We had invited 20 people and at this point it seems that only 9 will attend. Quite frankly I'm starting to feel ill with the humiliation of it all. ) : I'm also upset because we've already spent money on awesome decorations and with all the stuff we need to buy we don't have free flowing cash!
The shower isn't a complete write-off. I'm hoping that the 9 people we expect to attend will actually come. It's also nice to know who your friends really are!
That opened a floodgate of excuses.... holy crap. Maybe I shouldn't have asked?
We had invited 20 people and at this point it seems that only 9 will attend. Quite frankly I'm starting to feel ill with the humiliation of it all. ) : I'm also upset because we've already spent money on awesome decorations and with all the stuff we need to buy we don't have free flowing cash!
The shower isn't a complete write-off. I'm hoping that the 9 people we expect to attend will actually come. It's also nice to know who your friends really are!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
12 Random Thoughts
EDD = 5.5 weeks
Last day of work = 4.5 weeks
Work = Manager said he's noticed I've fallen stupid & asked if I'd like to start my leave early
Starting Leave Early = Not unless my water breaks!
Belly = Bigger by the day and FULL of baby (measuring 35 weeks)
Baby = Trying to escape through my belly button
Belly Button = Hasn't popped yet... I'm so sad because I want it to
Heartburn = EVIL EVIL EVIL
Craving = White Cream Soda Slurpee from 7 Eleven (Buying a Big Gulp on the way home)
D = Going to dinner with Mom tonight while I happily drink my Big Gulp at home
Friend Baby Shower = This weekend... so little drama
Baby Shower Host = What should we buy as a gift?
Last day of work = 4.5 weeks
Work = Manager said he's noticed I've fallen stupid & asked if I'd like to start my leave early
Starting Leave Early = Not unless my water breaks!
Belly = Bigger by the day and FULL of baby (measuring 35 weeks)
Baby = Trying to escape through my belly button
Belly Button = Hasn't popped yet... I'm so sad because I want it to
Heartburn = EVIL EVIL EVIL
Craving = White Cream Soda Slurpee from 7 Eleven (Buying a Big Gulp on the way home)
D = Going to dinner with Mom tonight while I happily drink my Big Gulp at home
Friend Baby Shower = This weekend... so little drama
Baby Shower Host = What should we buy as a gift?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Two Mother Family
This may not be as easy as we had thought. Small things have started to creep up through our baby showers and this wasn’t covered in our Dykes Planning Tykes course or our Queer Positive Prenatal class!! Everything so far has focused on getting pregnant and then being pregnant. What’s next? What can we expect? Maybe I’m just naïve and thought that everyone would just know how to treat us!!
We’ve already encountered the following:
- D has so far been left out of her work’s quarterly baby celebration (for parents to be) even though a co-worker who is as pregnant as I am has already been recognised. Talk about awkward. We’re hoping that her name will be mentioned at the next celebration otherwise we may be dealing with an HR issue. Everyone at her work knows I’m pregnant so it isn’t a secret.
- When we designed our baby shower invites we included the wording “Come celebrate baby (our last name) and her Momma and Mommy”. Naturally people were curious as to who was Momma and who was who was Mommy. When one of my friends asked I told her I was “Momma”. She then asked why I would let D be “Mommy”. I was quite shocked by this question. Is there a hierarchy in naming rights for a mother?
- Our baby Shower invites for my family shower only included my name and when my step-mother gave her little speech at the beginning she said it was to celebrate ME. This leads me to ask who the baby shower is for. For a heterosexual couple the shower is traditionally for women only and her partner is not there. The mother to be is celebrated (regardless of how the baby comes into the family). Therefore, in a family with two mothers, who is celebrated? Shouldn’t it be both mothers?
The lesson learned is that we’re going to need to step up and defend our family as required. No, I didn’t make a fuss at the family shower. It didn’t seem appropriate because my family was only acting the way they knew how to which was to celebrate the mother to be (who is carrying) and they really have come such a long way already. We’ll have to take it one step at a time to make sure people recognize us both equally. I’ve already told D that I’m going to step back from the next shower and let her take the lead role. It’s definitely her turn.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Family Baby Shower
What an exhausting yet fun day! Who knew socializing and opening presents could be such hard work?
The Guests:
My step-mother's inspiration would have been the following picture. You may recognize the uncensored version from on here however when I posted on Facebook I blocked out Sadie's name since we are not telling friends. One of my least creative moments captured as a memory forever!
The Presents:
The Missing Guest:
Since this was our "family" shower I had left the invites up to my step-mother and aunt. I had NO idea who was going to be there. It ended up being a pretty good turn out. There were some family friends that I've known since I was a kid, family I didn't recognize, my grandmothers neighbor (that was weird) and oddly enough, my second grade teacher! My mother's younger sister was also there with 2 of her 3 daughters (more on that later) as were all of my aunts and cousins from my dad's side. Only a couple of people couldn't make it due to illness.
The Cake:
The cake ended up being one of the highlights of my day. I don't think I've ever said anything to my stepmother about Cake Wrecks but I get a good kick out of that blog. So much so that I want to recreate one of their cakes for our "friend" shower. No, I did not get a creepy fondant baby cake like my cousin, what I got was the following:
My step-mother's inspiration would have been the following picture. You may recognize the uncensored version from on here however when I posted on Facebook I blocked out Sadie's name since we are not telling friends. One of my least creative moments captured as a memory forever!
The Presents:The present opening took up most of the afternoon because I was very slow. I prefer to be the gift giver than the receiver. The spot light was on and I felt the pressure!
As you know I had been stalking my registry. I was surprised to find out that the first three items were purchased all by my Aunt (mom's sister). Her present was insane and over the top and included 32 pieces of clothing (undershirts, onesies, pants and night gowns). I feel prepared now!
We didn't get a lot of big ticket items although we did receive our stroller! I went back to my list of essentials and I'm far from worried. We've already purchased most of what we need and the only expensive item left is the car seat. We're likely going to go with Plan B and buy the convertible version rather than an infant carrier. We'll also see what happens after our friend's shower! Regardless, we were spoiled:
The Missing Guest:As I had mentioned above, my Aunt came with 2 of her 3 daughters and that is because my cousin had her baby the day before on November 7th (EDD November 21st). She had a boy! I had originally told my entire family our name because I was worried that she was due first and didn't know what she was having. Needless to say we would have had no worries because we would never have come up with the name they chose!! His middle name, however, brought me to tears. My cousin gave him our maternal grandfathers name the same as we are doing for Sadie by using our grandmothers. That means that the first 2 great grandchildren, a boy and a girl, will honor our grandparents. The fact that we have both done this is a testament to how important they were in all of our lives. I miss them both so much!!!!!!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Rant.
First, we had our baby shower this weekend and it was wonderful. I’m going to write up a post about that (with pictures) tomorrow.
Today, I’ve decided to write a brief rant about my MIL and how she almost ruined it.
In summary, without getting too wound up, my MIL prioritized a televised football game ahead of our baby shower.
Apparently she had “promised” our 4 year old nephew she’d watch the football game with him and “forgot” about our baby shower being at the same time. Her plan was to stop by and leave before the game started which is exactly what she did. She stayed for 45 minutes and then called a cab. She didn’t eat or even see us open presents and as she left she apologised to me by saying “you know how it is when you promise someone something”. Hmmm… Like when you RSVP to your daughter’s baby shower when you receive an invitation 3 weeks in advance?
When we got home we had a sarcastic FACEBOOK message from her mom waiting for us. Something about it being ironic that we’re naming our child after a woman (D’s grandmother) who put her grandchildren above everyone else and yet we’re begrudging her for doing exactly the same.
Clearly she has very poor judgement. D was left without any family at the shower. We expect this kind of shit from my mother, not hers.
How disappointing.
Today, I’ve decided to write a brief rant about my MIL and how she almost ruined it.
In summary, without getting too wound up, my MIL prioritized a televised football game ahead of our baby shower.
Apparently she had “promised” our 4 year old nephew she’d watch the football game with him and “forgot” about our baby shower being at the same time. Her plan was to stop by and leave before the game started which is exactly what she did. She stayed for 45 minutes and then called a cab. She didn’t eat or even see us open presents and as she left she apologised to me by saying “you know how it is when you promise someone something”. Hmmm… Like when you RSVP to your daughter’s baby shower when you receive an invitation 3 weeks in advance?
When we got home we had a sarcastic FACEBOOK message from her mom waiting for us. Something about it being ironic that we’re naming our child after a woman (D’s grandmother) who put her grandchildren above everyone else and yet we’re begrudging her for doing exactly the same.
Clearly she has very poor judgement. D was left without any family at the shower. We expect this kind of shit from my mother, not hers.
How disappointing.
Friday, November 6, 2009
TGIF
I called in sick today and I worked from home yesterday. Guilt. I'm just so tired and my stomach has not been my friend, I napped all day today. I'll need ALL of the energy I can get because we have 2 big tasks to accomplish this weekend. We have our first prenatal meeting with our Doula and we have our family baby shower. That means I'll be very busy since I'm normally very lazy!
As far a the shower goes....I've continued to stalk our registry. Not much has happened over the last 2 weeks. In fact it has only been the last two days that new items have been purchased. Ironically one of the two new items purchased was the garish pink bouncer chair that hadn't existed until I added it based on everyones feedback on this post. I know now that we should have stayed a bit more "gender neutral" for use in the future however it's only a small garishly pink purchase that can be sold on Craigslist if #2 is a boy. Go PINK!!!
Have a good weekend!!
And Congrats goes out to S. & R. at An Offering of Love who welcomed their baby girl yesterday!!!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
8 months!!
I can't believe we're 8 months! We've come a long way... Here is my 8 month Belly shot - I'm getting BIG:
I still haven't grown my pregnancy boobies. When is that going to happen? I thought that was one of the "perks"! Also, no face shot this time because I'm a bit of a train wreck. They say that a girl "steals your beauty" and if that's true Sadie will be GORGEOUS.
We bought a staple gun for the job and I am now in love with it. There's nothing like a pregnant woman armed with a staple gun. It's a good stress reliever.
I still haven't grown my pregnancy boobies. When is that going to happen? I thought that was one of the "perks"! Also, no face shot this time because I'm a bit of a train wreck. They say that a girl "steals your beauty" and if that's true Sadie will be GORGEOUS. In other news, D and I worked on a little project this weekend. We were lucky to find receiving blankets in the same pattern as our Changing Pad and decided to use one to upholster the top of Sadie's toy box.
Here is a before shot of the box. We used to have this in our closet as storage. It was in pretty rough shape with scratches and also had sharp corners.
Here is what it looks like now:
Here is what it looks like now:
We bought a staple gun for the job and I am now in love with it. There's nothing like a pregnant woman armed with a staple gun. It's a good stress reliever.Sadie's room continues to slowly come together. We STILL haven't picked up the crib. Our plan is to have my father drive in with his truck to get it so we can save the $100 shipping fee. We've also ordered our Glider and he'll pick that up as well. We have our shelves and need to put them up. Maybe I can get my dad to do that too! I am hoping that by the first weekend in December we'll be done and completely ready. We'll have had both of our baby showers (the first is this weekend) and everything should be here by then based on our plan. I hope I'm not leaving things too late!!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Biophysical Profile
Our BPP went well. It turned out to be a very simple scan that lasted about 20 minutes. The Sonographer said that Sadie performed well and made her job very easy.
Our little girl, who we very clearly saw is still ALL girl, was measuring 33 weeks 2 days and weighed 4lbs 13 oz. Holy cow, 3oz away from 5lbs at 32 weeks? I certainly felt good about that since there was some concern with my weight gain (lack of) plus the added risk of my high blood pressure that can cause poor growth. Apparently that's not the case! We also saw her LONG leg bones. Looks like she's going to be taking after her 6'1 donor and not her 5'2 Momma.
The most surprising thing? She has HAIR. Yes, we saw HAIR!! I had imagined she'd have very little to no hair at all considering that's how I was born. I'm so fair. It took a REALLY long time to grow anything significant on my head!
My following OB appointment was quick yet still over 45 minutes delayed. I've gained .5 kg since my last appointment 2 weeks ago and my BP is excellent. I was able to get my H1N1 vaccine from them and it took all of 3 minutes. I was also given a prescription for Tamiflu "just in case". I'm so happy to have it done but at the same time I'm nervous too. I wasn't able to get the adjuvant-free version of the vaccine however pregnant women are now being told that both versions are equally safe. This was one of those times when I've had to let go and trust others. Along with the paperwork for my shot I agreed to be enrolled in a study of the effects on pregnancy. That's a bit nerve wracking in itself but if it helps someone else in the future make the same decision we've been faced with now, it's worth it.
After our appointment we stopped by the mall so we could be conned by Baby Gap. I say this because D wanted to go for the new Stella McCartney line but when we got there it was not out yet, they indicated it started on the 3rd. According to their website it was to launch on the 2nd. Instead we ended up spending $50 on clothing from their sale rack and D will go back today ALONE and will likely spend much more because I will not be there!
Anyway, I LOVE their current Himalaya collection and we found a lot of it on sale. We found things that we bought last week, that we have already removed the tags and washed, that were on sale for 30% less this week. So annoying!!! Stella McCartney or not, I still would have spent that $50. Gotta love rainbow elephants!
Our last stop of the day was to get D her H1N1 vaccine. She has asthma so she is in the "high risk" category as well. We were able to book appointments with our family doctor in the morning. I had booked one too but cancelled it when I found out I could have mine at my OB appointment. Everything worked out perfectly. Our plan was always to get the vaccine today but we thought that D would have to be held up in a line and miss our ultrasound. That wasn't the case!!
It is now 3:45 am. I guess I should be going back to bed!! YAWN.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Random Thoughts
H1N1:
The shit has really hit the fan in Toronto and I doubt I'll be getting my vaccine any time soon. I found this comment on The Star's website and it sums up what has happened PERFECTLY:
How to organize disaster: Step 1 - create a panic and convince people to get vaccinated, Step 2 - open 2 clinics for 4 million people, step 3 - make sure clinics are only open when people are working and kids are at school, step 4 - organize lineups outside in the rain, ensure there are no seats for pregnant women, step 5 - refuse to indulge in even the most rudimentary event planning techniques (e.g. handing out numbers) and step 6 - make sure you don't have enough vaccine to inoculate all the people you guilted into coming. Public sector bureaucratic incompetence at its absolute finest.
Essentials List:
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback! Extra Thank-you to Stacey who provided A LOT of valuable info. We have a lot to consider.
Baby Shampoo:
Stacey pointed out that Johnson & Johnson may not be the best products (although I love them for myself). This reminded me of my CRAZIER than I am co-worker who tested which tear free shampoo hurt your eyes the least. I'm not joking. She bought all of the different brands she could find and washed her face with them and PURPOSELY got some in her eyes. The result? AVEENO was the winner.
Gender Stereotyping:
During our prenatal class D and I discovered that we may actually be bad lesbians for liking PINK. Everyone there seemed to be dressing their kids in black onesies and were trying to avoid gender stereotyping. Um... I think D and I may be promoting it. Check out the cool bouncer I added to the registry!
Guilty as charged. I love garishly pink things!!Stroller:
My step-mom called last night and they bought us our stroller! YAY! She said she'd wanted it to be a surprise but they only had 2 colours left (green or silver/grey). We opted for the silver/grey colour becuase the green would more accurately be described as "nuclear waste yellow". Our classmates would be proud. There isn't a hint of pinkWeekend:
TGIF!!! I'm off on Monday for my Biophysical Profile and OB appointment....!!!
Happy Halloween!!!
Please forgive my purplish/pink skin tone!!!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
$2791.43!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is the grand total of items on our registry and that does not include our stroller, glider or taxes. We seriously need to take a look at what we’ve put on there since we will be VERY LUCKY to get 1/4 of it. What do we actually NEED? How many of those items are WANTS?
Forgive me, but this is going to be LONG. Here is a list of Baby Essentials (link is HERE ), it’s from Playtex. Items in PURPLE, we’ve purchased or plan on purchasing on our own. Items in GREEN are on our registry. Items in RED are up in the air – do we NEED these? Items in ORANGE we do not yet have. For the registry items I’ve put the COST associated to determine just how much we’ll need to spend to cover the essentials.
Nursery:
Crib – GOT IT
Crib Mattress & Liner – GOT IT (both Mattress but only the Liner for the Mini crib)
Bassinet – GOT IT Stokke Mini Crib
Bedding/Blankets – GOT IT 2 fitted sheets (1 blue, 1 pink).
Changing Table/Pad – GOT IT
Hamper – NEED IT
Glider – NEED IT (Step-Mom is currently striking a deal for one at cost, FX) $299.00
Mobile – Not sure if this is a WANT or a NEED? $69.99
Feeding:
Small Bottles – GOT IT
Large Bottles – GOT IT
Nipples – GOT IT
Pacifiers – GOT IT
Bottle Brush – GOT IT
Breast Pump – NEED IT $64.99 (Manual - Medela Harmony)
Nursing Pillow – GOT IT/WANT IT (we have our Boppy pillow but I want THIS one as well)
Nursing Pads – NEED IT
Nipple Relief – NEED IT
Diapering:
Diapers – NEED IT $21.99 x 2
Baby Wipes – NEED IT $14.99
Baby Powder – I thought you shouldn’t use this anymore?
Diaper Rash Ointment/Cream – NEED IT
Diaper Disposal System – GOT IT
Safety:
Nursery Monitory – NEED IT $149.99 (Angelcare Movement and Sound Monitor)
Bathing:
Plastic Infant Tub – NEED IT $39.99 (could go cheaper if not purchased for us)
Towels & Wash Clothes – GOT IT
Hooded Towel – GOT IT
Brush and Comb – NEED IT $19.99 (Safety 1st 12 Piece all in one kit)
Baby Wash and Lotion – NEED IT $20.99 (J&J Bathtime Essentials)
Health
Medicine Dispenser – NEED IT $0 (Safety 1st 12 Piece all in one kit)
Thermometer – NEED IT $0 (Safety 1st 12 Piece all in one kit)
Nasal Aspirator – GOT IT
Nail Clippers – NEED IT $0 (Safety 1st 12 Piece all in one kit)
Humidifier – GOT IT
Travel:
Newborn Baby Carrier (Infant Car seat?) – WANT IT $299 (Peg Perego Primo Viaggio - Black Tie)
Car Seat – NEED IT $369.99 (Britax Boulevard)
Stroller – NEED IT $499 (Peg Perego Pliko Switch)
Diaper Bag – GOT IT
Hand & Face Wipes – Aren’t these the same as baby wipes?
Toys and Activities:
Bouncer Seat – Wasn’t planning on buying one. Is this necessary?
Stroller, Crib, Car seat toys – NEED IT $214.90 (Clearly this is an area where we can cut back!!!)
Swing – GOT IT (Plan on exchanging THIS for THIS since we’ve changed our minds since we bought it)
Gym or Playmat – WANT IT $74.97
Jumper or Stationary Entertainment – Wasn’t planning on buying one. Is this necessary?
Total left to purchase: $1797.49 (Includes the Stroller and Glider that were not on our Registry approx. value of $700)
In summary: I have $1693.94 more on my registry than we apparently NEED. I can't figure this out!!! WTH have we asked for that is so unnecessary??? This stuff really adds up but at least we'll now have a better idea of what we need to return/purchase or exchange to make up the essentials list.
NOTE to D: Stella McCartney for Baby Gap is not on the Essentials list. (;
Forgive me, but this is going to be LONG. Here is a list of Baby Essentials (link is HERE ), it’s from Playtex. Items in PURPLE, we’ve purchased or plan on purchasing on our own. Items in GREEN are on our registry. Items in RED are up in the air – do we NEED these? Items in ORANGE we do not yet have. For the registry items I’ve put the COST associated to determine just how much we’ll need to spend to cover the essentials.
Nursery:
Crib – GOT IT
Crib Mattress & Liner – GOT IT (both Mattress but only the Liner for the Mini crib)
Bassinet – GOT IT Stokke Mini Crib
Bedding/Blankets – GOT IT 2 fitted sheets (1 blue, 1 pink).
Changing Table/Pad – GOT IT
Hamper – NEED IT
Glider – NEED IT (Step-Mom is currently striking a deal for one at cost, FX) $299.00
Mobile – Not sure if this is a WANT or a NEED? $69.99
Feeding:
Small Bottles – GOT IT
Large Bottles – GOT IT
Nipples – GOT IT
Pacifiers – GOT IT
Bottle Brush – GOT IT
Breast Pump – NEED IT $64.99 (Manual - Medela Harmony)
Nursing Pillow – GOT IT/WANT IT (we have our Boppy pillow but I want THIS one as well)
Nursing Pads – NEED IT
Nipple Relief – NEED IT
Diapering:
Diapers – NEED IT $21.99 x 2
Baby Wipes – NEED IT $14.99
Baby Powder – I thought you shouldn’t use this anymore?
Diaper Rash Ointment/Cream – NEED IT
Diaper Disposal System – GOT IT
Safety:
Nursery Monitory – NEED IT $149.99 (Angelcare Movement and Sound Monitor)
Bathing:
Plastic Infant Tub – NEED IT $39.99 (could go cheaper if not purchased for us)
Towels & Wash Clothes – GOT IT
Hooded Towel – GOT IT
Brush and Comb – NEED IT $19.99 (Safety 1st 12 Piece all in one kit)
Baby Wash and Lotion – NEED IT $20.99 (J&J Bathtime Essentials)
Health
Medicine Dispenser – NEED IT $0 (Safety 1st 12 Piece all in one kit)
Thermometer – NEED IT $0 (Safety 1st 12 Piece all in one kit)
Nasal Aspirator – GOT IT
Nail Clippers – NEED IT $0 (Safety 1st 12 Piece all in one kit)
Humidifier – GOT IT
Travel:
Newborn Baby Carrier (Infant Car seat?) – WANT IT $299 (Peg Perego Primo Viaggio - Black Tie)
Car Seat – NEED IT $369.99 (Britax Boulevard)
Stroller – NEED IT $499 (Peg Perego Pliko Switch)
Diaper Bag – GOT IT
Hand & Face Wipes – Aren’t these the same as baby wipes?
Toys and Activities:
Bouncer Seat – Wasn’t planning on buying one. Is this necessary?
Stroller, Crib, Car seat toys – NEED IT $214.90 (Clearly this is an area where we can cut back!!!)
Swing – GOT IT (Plan on exchanging THIS for THIS since we’ve changed our minds since we bought it)
Gym or Playmat – WANT IT $74.97
Jumper or Stationary Entertainment – Wasn’t planning on buying one. Is this necessary?
Total left to purchase: $1797.49 (Includes the Stroller and Glider that were not on our Registry approx. value of $700)
In summary: I have $1693.94 more on my registry than we apparently NEED. I can't figure this out!!! WTH have we asked for that is so unnecessary??? This stuff really adds up but at least we'll now have a better idea of what we need to return/purchase or exchange to make up the essentials list.
NOTE to D: Stella McCartney for Baby Gap is not on the Essentials list. (;
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
H1N1 Vaccination
I called my OB today to ask if I would be able to get my vaccination at my appointment on Monday and they told me they would not be giving them out. Wouldn't it make sense for them to offer it since they have a captive audience? Instead, I have to go to a public health clinic.
This is going to be chaos.
Our plan of attack is to get the shot on Monday and we've booked VACATION days to do it! Crazy!!
This is going to be chaos.
Our plan of attack is to get the shot on Monday and we've booked VACATION days to do it! Crazy!!
Monday, October 26, 2009
OMG...
People are actually buying stuff off of our baby registry!! I don't know why I'm so surprised, but I am! Neato. 3 things so far and all stuff we want but wouldn't be excited to actually buy ourselves. Looks like our family members are being very practical shoppers.
Is it bad to check your registry to see what is being purchased? I guess it ruins the surprise but it is too hard to resist!
Is it bad to check your registry to see what is being purchased? I guess it ruins the surprise but it is too hard to resist!
Shopping Envy
Since being pregnant I've found that there is a huge gap in availability of baby related products in Canada. It is so annoying!!!
I'm very happy. Both items were available in store at Target. We could have gone down ourselves but time has been flying by and it just hasn't happened yet. This seems impossible but I'm pretty sure we will not leave Canada (or even the province) at all this year! Crazy!!
My number one grievance has been with the Boppy Pillow. It is not sold in Canada, at all! We do have a rip-off, but I really wanted a Boppy and when I want something... I want it. There have been many other (equally frivolous) examples of items we've really liked but cannot get here. They are mostly available online and will not ship to Canada or store to pick-up. We've even considered using a mail forwarding service to access some of these cool things but gave up on that idea because it was going to be expensive and not worth it
When we complain about this people get "high and mighty" about it saying that safety standards are different in Canada. In some cases that's true but otherwise that is not the case. Plus different doesn't mean BETTER. I'm pretty sure a PILLOW is not a dangerous item to bring into the country! In reality it is because Canada is a small market compared to the US and investing in shipment and distribution here is not always profitable. Why do people always get so pissy when we say we love the states or are envious of things we can't have? Deal with it!!
Anyway....
D's mom came to the rescue and bought us our Boppy pillow when she was in the states this weekend. We haven't seen it yet but we asked for the Dwell Studio version sold at Target and she said she "didn't get the one that was on sale". I know this probably ate her up but since the regular Boppy is a lot cheaper, I'm pretty certain we got the one we wanted!
She also bought us the bookcase we wanted, as seen below. I've been wanting this bookcase for years!!
I'm very happy. Both items were available in store at Target. We could have gone down ourselves but time has been flying by and it just hasn't happened yet. This seems impossible but I'm pretty sure we will not leave Canada (or even the province) at all this year! Crazy!!
PS - The 3:00 am chat room could have been open this morning!!! It's now 4:30 and I'm heading back to bed.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Sleep is Overrated
How does a person, who is completely exhausted, spend the hours between approximately 10:00 pm and 6:30 am? Not sleeping. At least in my case.
The funny thing is that people were constantly asking me how I was sleeping. I never understood the question. I'm pregnant, exhausted and I love sleeping. Duh. I guess I'm eating that attitude now because every single night is turning into a battle. The heartburn and related nausea I'm suffering is unbearable. When I asked my OB about it he told me to try Maalox or Gaviscon. He said Tums would not longer work. No shit.
It doesn't seem like Gaviscon is working either.
I'm also so alert. Before I'd shuffle to the bathroom, pee, and return to bed in a fog. Now I see the time (it's ONLY 12:00 am? WTF?) and want to cry. I feel like I'm ready to get up and start my day on the hour, every hour, all night long and morning NEVER comes fast enough. Last night I got up and started watching Tivo'd shows at 2:30 am and surprisingly functioned normally at work.
I guess this is natures way of preparing my body to deal with Sadie once she's here?
I was thinking about that last night. Will this ability to function on no sleep last? Will it be the same as now except with a crying baby? No nausea, heartburn or sore parts? I hope so???? Maybe it will be even better and I'll get some sleep? Eventually?
I was thinking about that last night. Will this ability to function on no sleep last? Will it be the same as now except with a crying baby? No nausea, heartburn or sore parts? I hope so???? Maybe it will be even better and I'll get some sleep? Eventually?
Although I'm NOT sleeping and night time sucks I don't think I'm complaining, yet. My IRL friend is currently 36 weeks pregnant and she's wanted the baby out for a couple of weeks. Every time I read her facebook status complaining about "still being pregnant' I tell Sadie she is welcome to stay in for the full 10 weeks left. No pressure to vacate. I guess I'm judging her (just a tad) but I can't understand wanting a baby to come before 37 weeks????
I digress.
Can't sleep. I'm not really complaining about it because I feel like a super human but I could really deal without the freakin' heartburn!!!!
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