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.
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