Tuesday, 25 August 2009

Adventures in Pregnancy - 39 weeks, 3 days

So apparently my adventure in pregnancy is coming to a close very soon. I had what should be my last prenatal appointment today. We did book an appointment for next week but the doctor was doubtful that I would need it.

Today we did my usual stuff... blood pressure (120/84 - Poster Child for Blood Pressure), my pee was just pee, I am now up 46 lbs in total (I'm thinking 10 lbs of liquid in each foot alone). I woke up in pain this morning so I mentioned this to the doctor, she felt that a no-stress test might be in order. 20 minutes on the monitor and we recorded one contraction... yay. She checked my cervix and said that it was still quite thick... boo.

So I was told to go home and walk walk walk... come back when I need to... *sigh*

So we have walked around the block, it felt like someone was hammering my pelvis with each step. We are planning on taking the dogs for a little stroll a little later tonight. I'm sure that will be a blast...

The doctor says that the hospital is expecting over 40 babies in September... with 3 labor and delivery rooms.... I'm hoping to be squeezing in early. Maybe jumping jacks will help... ow ow ow...

Oh P.S. My paycheque was hand delivered to the house today by two fantastic women!!

Monday, 24 August 2009

Adventures in Pregnancy - 39 weeks, 2 days

The heat finally broke.... it is currently 20 degrees and raining. I have eaten more today than I have in weeks. I don't feel sweaty anywhere on my body.... Life is glorious!

We've been living during the night to avoid the heat and sleeping (if you can call it that) during the heat of the day. That's going to be a hard habit to break. The dogs got me up at 9 AM this morning to go outside. I felt perky and ready to take on the world... so I laid down for just a few more minutes and my eyelids cracked open again at 5 PM.

Today (many hours from now when the world is awake), I get to play chase the paycheque. This has been an ongoing saga for a bit, let me catch you up...

My last payday was supposed to be August 15 via direct deposit. Due to paranoia, I always check to see if it's there... strangely, it wasn't. I called payroll to find out what happened... for some reason, payroll decided to cut me a manual cheque and mail it to me. Had they called me to let me know that they were changing the method of payment, this all could have been avoided. Instead, the cheque was mailed out.... to the wrong address.

This was discovered on August 19. I went to the post office to see if I could break some federal law and poach my cheque out of another person's box, but alas, the lady at the post office remembered my name (always good to be unique) and was certain that the mail was returned to sender. I went to work to see if they could cancel the cheque and reissue... no problem, except all the officers with signing authority were either on vacation or out of the province. I hoped that the mail would be returned and they could call me to come and get it from work... but my phone has not rang...

So here we are, 9 days after payday.... still waiting on the cheque. Surprisingly, in my paycheque-to-paycheque world, I covered the mortgage and car payment. My bitterness level is increasing inversely proportional with my bank balance. Looks like I have to crack the whip... as if I have the energy to do so....

8 days to due date... already in Virgo, 4 days until the cusp is cleared....

Saturday, 22 August 2009

Adventures of Pregnancy - 39 weeks, 0 days

I guess this is the back stretch... oooooh I'd love a back stretch... I feel like my spine is about one inch long. My hips are sore from sleeping on my sides. My heartburn has decided to defy the power of Tums... whine whine whine...

I think the baby turned around, he kicked me on my left side instead of the usual right side. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come! I'm hours away from Virgo... even though Cory has requested a solid/non cusp Virgo now.... I told him, I make no promises.

Journey has decided that this is the perfect time in my life for her to go into heat. This means she is making a mess (diapers are coming her way very soon) and is VERY needy emotionally. I don't think I've taken a step without feeling her touch on my legs somewhere. She presses against me when she sleeps (that really helps with this heat). Theo is absolutely obsessed with her even though the size difference has made any relations pretty much impossible. So I am spending most of my time, protecting Journey from Theo.... yay.

She has a new game ... she stands outside and asks to come in... soon as you go to the door, she runs and grabs the tennis ball which she has hidden under a chair and drops it at your feet and runs to wait for you to throw it... I've fallen for it about 4 times. I have to give her props for embodying "when there is a will, there is a way".

The weather forecast has decided that N.B. does not get to share in the Hurricane Bill action this weekend however, we have an 80% chance of thundershowers this afternoon/evening. I guess that's better than nothing.

10 days to due date.... 8 hours and change to Virgo....

Wednesday, 19 August 2009

Adventures of Pregnancy - 38 weeks, 4 days

OMG will this heat ever end... it is now 1:45 am... it is 25 degrees outside the house and 29 degrees inside the house. I played sports in high school and I don't remember ever being this sweaty for this long.

I had my prenatal appointment this afternoon. I also had a complaint that my ear was completely blocked.... didn't know if it was a crazy pregnancy thing or not... never hurts to tell the tale. Well lo and behold, my right ear was COMPLETELY blocked. So the beginning of my prenatal appointment was having my ear cleared out... I've never had that done by a doctor before... it seems to be contrary to everything you read on the Internet for how to clean your ears safely. Anyway, I can hear again... WHO LET THAT CRICKET INTO THE HOUSE?!?!?!?

Here are my stats for the week... I am sitting at the 3rd week in a row of no weight gain or loss (give or take a pound), my blood pressure is back to my usual 120/80. My pee contained only pee...

I'm measuring smaller on the uterus which apparently means that the baby has dropped. We did a quickie ultrasound and saw his face (he has chubby cheeks)... he is currently facing the wrong direction so I need to spend some quality time on my hands and knees so gravity will flip him. That statement makes most of my friends giggle.... single minded pervs... love ya guys!!

My next appointment is scheduled for next Tuesday... we are expecting some hurricane action in the local area over the weekend, so I'm hoping the sudden change in atmospheric pressure might change my plans. Fingers crossed...

13 days to due date.... 4 days until Virgo... 10 minutes until I liberate that cricket!!

Monday, 17 August 2009

Adventures in Pregnancy - 38 weeks, 2 days

Why did it pick this week to become unseasonably hot? Our day time highs have been hitting 37 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). My life has become a series of cold showers and naps in front of the fan. My only saving grace has been the gracious offer of pool usage by some very good friends. Rumor has it that this heat should break on Wednesday.

As for me and the little man... I seem to be having some contraction in my lower back. I don't know how often or if there is a pattern. I really should try timing these things one of these days.. if I can stay awake long enough. I figure I don't really need to time them.... I'll know when the action is starting to happen. Timing at this point is just distractionary.

I have my next prenatal appointment tomorrow.

15 days left til due date... 6 days left til the baby is a Virgo.... I think I just figured out why Cory is so intent on a Virgo.... here are a few listed traits....

  • LIKES
    Health foods
    Lists
    Hygiene
    Order
    Wholesomeness
  • DISLIKES
    Hazards to health
    Anything sordid
    Sloppy workers
    Squalor
    Being uncertain
Those who know him, understand completely now.....

Wednesday, 12 August 2009

Adventures of Pregnancy - 37 weeks, 4 days

So, I'm still pregnant... although sometimes it feels like the baby is going to burst through my skin at anytime. Things are getting a bit snug in there.

I had my 37 week prenatal appointment yesterday. My blood pressure is up a bit for me... 130/84 (I think that is a personal high for me). My urine was just urine... no glucose, no protein, no other ickies. And most importantly, the baby's head is in the dive position...

I tested positive for Group B Streptococcus which is pretty scary when I look at the worst case scenarios (isn't the Internet grand). What it means in reality is that when I go into labour, I get to have an antibiotic I.V. every 4 hours until delivery. I'm sure that will trigger a FANTASTIC yeast infection. Oh goodie.... something else to look forward to...

I'm sleeping through the night for the most part, maybe one bathroom break a night. The little guy seems to have dropped and is giving my ribs a bit of rest between that and the nights are cooler, makes for better sleep all around. I seem to be having a bit of a burst of energy as a result...

I've tackled the lime/calcium stains in my toilet... peeled some wallpaper from the spare room... folded all the baby clothing.... I want to strip the dresser for the baby's room but I'm wondering if that is too big of a job... Cory hates stripping paint so if I start that job, he'll be bitter if I don't finish it...

Well... I want to go tackle something on my list... back later

Friday, 7 August 2009

Adventures in Pregnancy - 36 weeks, 6 days

Greetings from Maternity Leave... I was scheduled to start my leave on August 24 but hindsight being 20-20, I was a bit on the optimistic side when I pulled that date. Not sleeping well, early mornings and 30+ celcius weather took the joy out of being awake, so August 4th was my last day worked...


Now I'm at home... I have a mental list of a billion things I would like to be doing around the house and the energy to fold 2 towels in 2 days. I lay in bed and list off the things I could be doing instead... then I get up and realize I'm not physically prepared to even write the list much less tick items off a list. Then I lay back down, in front of the fan and read until I fall back to sleep.


I think I managed to find a perfect description of the physical limitations of being 8-9 months pregnant... it actually describes the last few months... it's like someone has tied a board to my stomach that covers from my breasts to my pelvis and used an elastic bandage to hold it in place, wrapping around my back from shoulder blades to tail bone... it makes bending over or any activity that would result in a condensed midsection to be... let's call it "uncomfortable"... it's not impossible to bend over but the lack of ability to breath makes it a challenge. I'm really looking forward to having my lungs back...

Being home is interesting. I'm noticing things I didn't have time to notice before. My next door neighbour had a property dispute with his neighbour and as a result he has torn down his "garage/shed". This garage/shed blocked our house from the main road. Now we have road noise and the other neighbour's daycare noise... the day care noise almost put me over the edge today. The herd of kids actually screamed for 4 hours straight... it reminded me how much I dislike kids... well other peoples kids I guess... or maybe just herds of kids... what have I gotten myself into?!?!?!

3 weeks and 1 day (ish) until I contribute to the noise pollution in my neighbourhood...

Tuesday, 28 July 2009

Adventures of Pregnancy - 35 weeks, 3 days

I feel like poo.

Well, not poo I guess.... I don't think that poo has feelings but man, I am not having fun. I turned green and pasty yesterday and ended up visiting the hospital to be told that the baby is healthy and happy (yay) and I am just pregnant with what looks like a case of the flu (boo).

So I stayed home today. Sleeping makes me feel better but sleeping isn't always in my cards anymore. Cory says that even when I am sleeping he can tell that it's not a "quality" sleep.

On a happy note, we had our baby shower this weekend past. I think I am finally not completely screwed if I were to have the baby tomorrow. However, I am a self proclaimed baby idiot. I have no nieces or nephews that I was around for when they were little... most of my friends either already had babies or were inaccessible when they did... I have only recently held my first infant... Cory has the same history as me... clearly we are completely out of our minds for trying this adventure...

Quick Aside on the Video... AWESOME... it's not an entertainment video by any stretch... but it's approximately 6 hours and I feel prepared(ish). I found it via download on torrent sites but if you wanted to buy it.. it's called Great Expectations - Laugh and Learn about Childbirth

Back to the baby shower... I have 30 cloth diapers (my mom thinks I need 12 more), 7 plastic diaper wraps, 1000 diaper liners, 4 packages of baby wipes, 4 billion sleepers of various age ranges, some bottles, some disposable diapers, lots of baby bath/health essentials, the Nuby Nibbler and lots lots more...

From what we can see, I need a diaper pail (something that seals in the stink) and some safety items that will come into play later down the road (baby gates and such). Cory wants a baby monitor so he doesn't lose his mind hovering over the crib counting breaths. This is the man who completes a minimum of 4 headcounts on the pets daily and can not sleep until he has a confirmed headcount. A baby is gonna push him to his breaking point.

Well, my belly is cramping, my back is killing me and my hands are swelling... I'm gonna sign off for now... 4 weeks and 4 days to go!!

Thursday, 23 July 2009

Adventures in Pregnancy - 34 weeks, 4 days

I have been a bad little blogger lately... I have started so many posts and have ended up just wandering away. Apparently I'm suffering from an attention span issue.... well worse that usual...

What's new....

Well my feet and ankles look like Mickey Mouse feet. I've always had very slim, defined ankles and I'm verging into cankle land... when the calf melts into your foot. Ew...

I have had a dream that I have given birth to 7 deformed babies... which then turned into 7 horrible deformed kittens... extra legs, zigzagged spines and conjoined in ways that no creature should every be conjoined.

I had another dream that one of my cousins took some sort of offense to my mother's father and went to the UK and killed everyone with his last name.... busy girl!!

I chopped my hair off for something with less weight and work... now I have to spend an extra 15 minutes a morning blow drying and straightening it... guess I should have thought that out a little better.... but it is way cooler.

Food has lost almost all interest to me... I'm now eating out of necessity only. I think my stomach is the size of a pea.... which is ironically the same size as my bladder.

I'm in the process of training my replacement... she's gonna do great!! The only goal is to stay working until she is trained... I have promised to keep my legs crossed for 2 more weeks so no baby falls out and ruins the plan.

Latest trip to prenatal... the doctor finds a heart beat on both sides of my tummy... and asks.... "Are we sure there is only one in there?" My heart drops and Cory just about bounces out of his chair with joy. She couldn't tell if the lump under my ribs is head or bum so it looks like another ultrasound in a week or so to determine position.

I'm having Braxton Hicks contractions at a pretty regular irregular intervals... everyone is saying that I've dropped... I guess the clock is ticking... I REALLY need to finish watching that Laugh and Learn about child birth video...

Monday, 13 July 2009

Adventures in Pregnancy - 33 weeks, 2 days

I hate being a statistic but did you know that 75% of third trimester pregnant chicks suffer from insomnia? Guess who joined her sleepless sisters!

What a crappy night sleep... it was too hot with the blankets on, too cold with the blankets off... I had to pee every 5 minutes... the dog was snoring... the other dog was licking too loudly.... the cats wanted to snuggle when I was too hot... *grumble*

Now I huddle over my daily allowance of tea pining over the memory of sleeping pills and chocolate covered espresso beans.