Spoke In The Wheel

Nice 'do.

Jude. Day 4. On the nursing pillow. Hanging out. Making his mom cry and laugh and stare in amazement at the same time.

And look at that hair!! I was bald as a cue ball as a baby. I guess he gets the hair from his dad. I kept joking before he was born that if the baby was a boy he'd come out with a full beard. Almost. I still can't believe I got my boy. He's healthy and happy and that's all that matters.

Labels: baby steps, beginnings, bump

Operation: Mind Off Labor

(disclaimer: those are not my feet, although I wish they were)

I slept for an ungodly 11 hours last night. Apparently I needed the rest. It was a good thing since I haven't been sleeping well the past couple of weeks. I'd get comfortable and start to nod off, but then have to shift my hips because I had sciatica pain or the baby's position was making it hard for me to get a full breath of air. Just super fun late term pregnancy stuff. But last night? Last night I slept like I was going for the gold. Snoozed like a log. Pretty awesome stuff.

Today my mission is to occupy my time with things that don't have anything to do with babies or being pregnant. I'm trying to keep my mind off of my mounting frustration with labor starting and stopping, so I'm going to get some loose ends tied up and slip a little pampering into the schedule, too.

First on the list was to find out how to finalize my short term disability claim once the baby is born (Yes, that's how my employer does maternity leave, folks... it's a short term disability claim for a fraction of my pay - makes new moms feel awesome! I can't wait to be disabled. Groan.) I got my claim # and filed all that stuff away, so that's one thing checked off the list.

Next was to make an appointment to get a pedicure. Oh, the life! I got a gift certificate for my birthday back in September and have been saving it for a rainy day. Well, it's grey and kinda rainy out there and my feet could use some beautifying. So, in a couple of hours I'll hop on the subway and head to one of my favorite parts of Brooklyn to get my feet "all cuted up" for free at an adorable little salon.

On the way home, if I'm not totally wiped out in the energy department I'll stop by the library and return a DVD (woefully overdue - I've become that person!) and maybe check out a book or two.

Later on tonight I'll patch a pair of Matthew's jeans (yes, we're jeans patchers... he has his favorite pairs and they tend to wear out in choice spots - prime patching opportunities abound in this household), maybe check out online what exhibits are coming up at the Brooklyn Library, then have some friends over for dinner. That sounds like a pretty full day. A full day of stuff not having to do with fixating on labor and delivery.

We'll see how it all goes.

Labels: baby steps, brooklyn, bump, fake it 'til you make it

groan

I woke up this morning feeling pretty lousy. It felt like I hadn't slept much, even though I got a good night's sleep. I threw up in the sink while I was brushing my teeth, but felt like it was just a fluke, just a one time thing. I muddled through the rest of my getting ready routine and had some water and some juice, planned on getting breakfast at the office, and walked out the door.

The walk to the train was pretty uneventful. I took it slow and eventually joined the ranks of the Brooklyn straphangers waiting on the platform for the subway. Typically the trains come minutes apart, so when the wait got past the 25 minute mark I was getting antsy and really wishing I could sit down. The platform was more and more packed by the minute. I leaned forward to see if I could see the light of a train coming...

And then I puked into the tracks. Ugh. It was horrible. Loads of people around. A young mom with her baby in a stroller gave me a tissue and told me to drink lots of water very slowly so I wouldn't get dehydrated. I walked home, crying the whole way (combination of my typical reaction when I throw up and the pregnancy hormones, I'm sure), called my boss and told him I had just gotten sick on the subway platform. I've been taking it easy since then and I just ate an English muffin. Hopefully that will stay down and everything will be fine.

Just a lousy day. No big deal. 4 & 1/2 weeks left until the baby's due date predicted by my sonogram. I want those weeks to fly by!

Labels: brooklyn, bump

Squeeze, cramp, spasm, repeat.

Braxton-Hicks contractions are strange. I started having them about 2 weeks ago. The midwives say everything is A-OK in there, so I'm not worried about them. They're just strange. The first time it happened I knew right away what it was and I didn't freak out at all. I just had to lean against a gate on my walk home and take some deep breaths.

I know now all those books we've read really have sunk in. Pretty amazing. I feel we're prepared. Well, we're as prepared as we can be. Which is to say that we are well educated about childbirth and we are armed with copious information.

That wonderful education also means that we are fully prepared to know absolutely nothing once labor actually starts. Flexibility is the key. We're ready to throw it all out the window at a moment's notice and take each moment as it comes. I think that's mainly why I'm not scared. Labor doesn't scare me. Delivery doesn't scare me. I'm prepared for it to be painful and tough and amazing and beautiful and weird and disturbing and fulfilling all at the same time. Sounds simple, right? *wink*

Pardon me. I need to go rub some oil on my belly. My belly button is flush with the rest of me now and it feels like it will pop out at any moment.

Labels: baby steps, bump, wisdom

I knew it would come.

Today is the day Barack Hussein Obama became our president. He is everyone's president, not just those of us who voted for him. He represents us all. Hopefully he will continue his record of representing his constituency with dignity and respect.

So that was the good part.

Today is also the day Matthew lost his job. His crazy coked out boss lost it this morning and now Matthew is unemployed. His phone has been ringing off the hook ever since whether it's people from the company calling or clients or vendors. Everyone is concerned and everyone's first question is something along the lines of "What the hell did that asshole do to you?" In my estimation that pretty much sums up the situation.

So right now now he's updating his resume and networking his booty off. We are not defeated. We are not without hope. Today, President Obama took office. How could we be hopeless on a day like today? We'll get through it like the millions of other Americans who have lost their jobs in this craptastic economy. We will find the silver lining in this cloud and we will come through it with smiles on our faces, hand in hand, with a tiny tot in tow in less than 2 months. It's how we roll.

Labels: beginnings, bump, good times, money, work