No news

Well, another week between posts. I know I can do better than that! But seriously, not much is happening. I'm basically walking around bored... and there's no sense blogging about that, now is there? I'm getting lots of odds and ends done, but nothing that anyone cares to hear about. I will be sure to post some nursery pics sometime soon - I just have to get around to taking some pics!

I could go on and on, whining about everything that is uncomfortable about 38 weeks pregnant... but the thing that is annoying me most (surprisingly, more than anything that is moderately painful)... is my hair! It has gotten so unbelievably thick that it is a daily source of total frustration. I mean... any time it takes more than 45 minutes to blow-dry hair, something is terribly terribly wrong. Now, I TRIED to have this taken care of several weeks ago with a hair cut. But alas, my hairdresser refused to cut it as short as I wanted it (the downside of having a hairdresser who really likes your hair). I've considered pulling it out in chunks now. It may just come to that. I also hear that it doesn't start "shedding" until a good 4 months post-partum. Oh happy day... 4 1/2 more months of this. Luckily, I don't have to go out much!

So, if you come by my house, and my hair is tied back... cut me some slack! Until you've lived it, don't knock it!

Wonderful, wonderful sleep

It still really baffles me that we are "meant"/"programmed" to have many sleepless nights at the end of pregnancy. It's so distressing. I mean, here I am, thinking now is the best time to stock up... and I'm wide awake at 2am, totally frustrated!

But, alas... not last night!!! Last night, I slept amazingly for almost 11 hours. Most of it, uninterrupted! I was terrified of going to sleep too, as the previous night I had been rudely awokened by horrible heartburn (which I've never really had before) that kept me awake in a chair most of the night (and terribly uncomfortable). I figured that this would be the way life is until baby decides to finally drop (which, I was told, they almost always do by 36 weeks for a first baby.... of course... not for me... I get to wait it out).

Aaahhh, blissfull sleep. If that's the last one I get for years to come, I shall enjoy it thoroughly in my mind and relish its wonderful effects.

Today, I have all the energy in the world to tackle the crazy number of lists I have written for myself (blame my father... that man loves lists). Too bad all these people left Christmas preparations to the last minute, or I could go tackle the mall errands and whatnot today. But no... that'll have to wait till the crazies leave the stores.

Yesterday was another midwife appt. I told quiet midwife (still haven't figured out a better name for her) about all the apprehensions that had been building and lurking in my head essentially since I found out that my now favorite midwife is unlikely to be at the birth. I told both quiet and Scottish midwife about my concerns about having favorite midwife (now I've changed her name) at the birth. They took it quite well (I didn't want to offend them, but I'm attached to favorite midwife), and really tried to console me. Unfortunately, they made me feel worse. I ended up feeling that they were kind of imposing their ideas on me... making me feel quite vulnerable and upset about the whole upcoming ordeal. So, I expressed that yesterday and the quiet midwife assured me that it was not the intention at all. They would be there to ensure that the birth went as I wanted it to, and safely. I'm just glad she knows I'm apprehensive. It was a weight off my shoulders.

In terms of baby, all is fine. She's still measuring small, though they won't wager a size yet. 34.5 cm at almost 37 weeks. Still not dropped, but contently in the optimal position (what a smart little girl!!).

My bets are still on Jan 22 or 23... my hopes are on 6 lbs 10 oz...

Still too early

So... don't start thinking I've gone into labor, and that's why I'm not posting anymore! Despite everyone telling me to be ready for "any day now...", my intuition tells me I have lots of time. So, lack of posting is simply due to a recent overwhelming of baby info, making me not feel like posting much!

We had our prenatal classes last weekend, followed by a hospital tour, followed by a meeting with our wonderful doula, followed by an in home visit by the midwives. So, all week long, it's been labor talk city! You can understand why posting more about my pregnancy has been the last thing from my mind!

This week will be all about organization - lists of things I need to do, need to buy, need to finish. It will also include my OFFICIAL last day of work. Still haven't decided which day it'll be. I need to drive in to submit marks, which I'll do either Mon or Tues, depending on my whim. I've realized after this last week, that I need to start keeping busy... really really really busy.

We had our carpets steam cleaned yesterday. Trying to get major tasks done before our big day. Despite our house only being a year old, we figured it would be nice to have it done so that the baby can get them all good and dirty. Today I got two more sets of blinds cleaned. Not an easy task at 36 weeks pregnant!

Tonight, we're off downtown with my parents to meet up with my brother and sister-in-law for yummy mexican food at one of our favorite restaurants. Enjoying those nights out as much as we can now!

It's a sickness...

I'm not much of a shopper. Really, I'm not. I've never particularly liked shopping, though I do it out of necessity. But lately, I'm totally obsessed! I simply can not pass up a cute outfit for our little girl. I mean... baby outfits are so great - they are so cheap, so cute, I never have to worry about exactly how it fits and whether I will wear it (like I do with my own clothes), and I never feel particularly guilty for buying my daughter outfits. Of course, I'm conveniently blocking the realities that the clothes will probably only fit for a few weeks, get trashed with spit up, etc... not to mention that I am well on my way to having a ridiculously spoiled little girl. Though, we don't have that many clothes for her at this point (still don't have the suggested number of sleepers, onesies, etc)... I can just see this eventually getting out of hand!! Mental note - make a budget... soon...

In other news, we had our prenatal class this weekend. It was great, but it was also JAM packed with info, all in one tiny little weekend. So, in short, totally overwhelming. I'm not even sure how much of the info actually stuck. Only time will tell. She had us repeat several things, out loud, several times (things like "I will get help" and "babies cry"). Along with that, she had us keep repeating that due dates mean nothing... "full term is 37-42 weeks". Ok... that's in 13 days people! I'm not going into labor in 13 days. Stop making me think I might. It's bad enough you give us a 5 week window where you consider labor to be "perfectly normal and healthy"... how are we supposed to not get anxious and hopeful when you dangle something like that in our faces. I would LOVE to go into labor in 13 days, but I know better than to get my hopes up. Which is really hard when a lady is making you repeat it out loud ad nauseum! I'm still betting on Jan 22. That's 41 days. It's gonna be a long 41 days.......

The downside

There is a downside to finished Christmas preparations so early... I sent out most of my Christmas letters (still waiting on a few addresses to clarify) and my blog site was in my Christmas letter, and now I'm getting harrased as to how little I update my blog! Sheesh!! So, I guess it's time to step it up.

Unfortunately, I just haven't had much to report. Most of it, no one wants to hear about. I'm doing lots of cleaning these days, still finishing up some work stuff... it's all very exciting. We do have a lot of baby stuff coming up, so there should be more to report soon. Our prenatal classes are this weekend, followed by a hospital tour on Monday, a meeting with our doula, and a home visit from the midwives all next week. So, in short... stay tuned.

In the meantime, here are some new and update belly pics to share. Don't expect many more of these... I'm thoroughly not enjoying taking them or sharing them now. But, I figure, it's expected, right? I'll want these pictures in the future, when I have forgotten how yucky it feels to be this fat. Then I can look back on them fondly. These gems are from 34 1/2 weeks. Only 38 more days to go...

More excuses...

Wow, again it's been more than a week between posts. It just seems that with Christmas coming, and baby things to finish, I just haven't had much to say (except a point by point list of things I get done as I do them)!

Progress is being made - Christmas tree is up, most of the shopping is done, Christmas cards and letter in the works, nursery is almost decorated, work is almost finished (final exams being written on the 15th... then I just have marking to do). It'll all get done, but I'm overwhelmed on a daily basis. I know it's good to stay busy, and it sure does make time FLY by. I can't believe I'm just got 6 1/2 weeks left!!!!!

I had another appt on Monday. This time, it was with Scottish midwife and new midwife who I have coined the Quiet midwife. Why? Because aside from introducing herself, I didn't hear a peep from her the entire appt. I suppose that could be a very useful thing in the delivery room. Very calming. She was just observing this week though, so I'm sure her title may change next go-round. Everything was quite normal, up 2 cm to 31 cm (still a little small, but consistent), good blood pressure and she's still enjoying the vertex position. The next visit will be the home visit. I can't believe how quickly that came! To think, they are anxious to see where I live in case they have to come soon for the early labor (they stay at the home with me until the really active labor starts, then we move to the hospital). Lots of talk these days about premature labor signs, etc. I'm fully convinced I will be late though...

What a boring post. But, truthfully, there's just not much else to report! Busy, busy, busy... but healthy - which is the best thing!

Our crazy contortionist

Well, we had our 3-D ultrasound pics done today. Baby was very much uncooperative. She decided that despite the slurpee I drank to get her moving, she was going to sleep through the whole thing. And, to top that off, she was going to sleep with her feet and arms curled up in front of her face. Yes, that's right... she had her toes touching her forehead for the majority of the session!

We did get a few good shots of her chubby little cheeks...





And, we got further confirmation that she is a she. I'm still not convinced I can see why... here's the "money" shot though...



(Ok, I'm sure I'll never live that one down. We really shouldn't post pictures of our babies' crotches on the internet, should we?)

Second attempt

Let's try my appt update post again. Hopefully this time it'll stick... I can't promise it'll be as good as the first one. Something about having to write something a second time that takes the humor out of it. Not that it was all that humorous to begin with.

So, Monday was my 31 week appt. I got to meet one of the new additions to the practice. I shall call her Irish midwife. She has an awesome Irish accent (from Ireland, worked in Scotland, it's quite the mix of accents and very cool). She was quite different from Trendy midwife. I'm guessing they have lots of different view points on things. Irish midwife seems a little more into testing and intervention (still very light on intervention compared to ob-gyn's though... sorry if I offend you Uncle John... though I do hear you're trying to get out of the baby-delivery end of things as it's too much like being a wedding planner... haha). I think she was a little shocked that I passed up the GD test. And she did insist on another hemoglobin test. Not that I mind - I'm not opposed to needles. I expect that to come back fine. I know when my iron is low, and it isn't at the moment. It is very cool that Irish midwife is also an experienced RN. She's also really good at showing me how to tell the position of the baby. It worked at the time... but I doubt I can figure it out ever again. I thought maybe baby turned head up yesterday... but I don't think that was right at all. She's probably still head down and sprawled out to the right, making me look very lopsided, as she has been for the last two appts. I measured in at 29cm. I was 28cm 2 weeks ago, so not much progress there. I'm pretty consistently a few cm behind... no big surprise and nothing to be worried about at this point.

Ok, enough about my appt. Strange encounter today... I was walking through campus and was stopped by a lady who works at IMS (instructional media services, a dept I know well and turn to often for all my media support needs). She asked me when my little girl was due. I happily told her, and out of curiosity, asked her who told her I was having a girl. Not that I mind, I was just curious how the word got out so quick. She looked at me very puzzled and said "no one, I just know by the way you are carrying". She was SOOOOO convinced she was right, it was freaky. And, she was right. Mind you, she had a 50/50 shot... but still! Then she said something about usually needing to take a handwriting analysis sample, but that I was so obviously carrying a girl that she didn't need to see my handwriting. Fine then, I'll keep my messy handwriting to myself then. So I guess lopsided means girl. Who knew?

Finally, got a chance to catch up on some favorite blogs today. Yuck... -26 degrees celcius in Saskatchewan. It's a lovely 10 degrees here (though raining) and I don't miss that snow at all. And now I'm totally convinced that I'm going to suffer PPUG. No... not a typo about my dog... but PPRIUG with a primary focus on the unjustified guilt portion. I mean, I suffer unjustified guilt on a regular basis, and now Miss Zoot is telling me that this will get WORSE post partum? Man, am I in for a treat!

Ok, that's all I've got for y'all today. And, it's mostly thanks to snobpapa getting a new PS2 game (meaning I can't use the tv with the PVR, and what good is watching tv when you have to watch commercials too??), and the fact that my tutoring "client" forgot her math at school today. Lots of free time for me tonight (to post 3 times, cuz the monster ate the first one... I'm still bitter).

Stupid post eating monster...

That's right. You heard me. Stay away post eating monster. I don't like you!!!

I just spent upwards of 30 minutes writing an update, only to have it EATEN. I've heard this discussed by fellow bloggers and always chuckled. Haha, how could you "lose" your post silly computer-illiterate bloggers. But no... it is possible... there are blog post eating monsters I tell you. And they are mean. And they don't care if you took that time when you are starving and should have been making dinner.

ARGH.

So, before I retype my whole thought process (which was, for once, a reasonably interesting one)... I must go make dinner.

Blame the post eating monster.

I'll get you one day......

(I even had links, links that require html coding, coding I always forget and have to bug snobpapa about to come tell me how to code it... sheesh!)

Hiccups yield success

Finally, yesterday, for the FIRST TIME ever, snobpapa was able to feel the baby move. This has been a source of frustration for both of us for weeks. Everytime baby is active and he tries to feel her movement, she stops. Yesterday she had very obvious hiccups, so he was able to feel one. We can finally take a sigh of relief. It was very stressful to think that maybe he would never be able to have that experience of feeling his baby move. Now we don't have to worry about it anymore! YAY!!

The weekend was very productive. Perhaps too productive, and now I haven't had much rest. But it was worth it. The quilt is totally done, the chair rail in the nursery is done, the dresser is done (just needs new drawer pulls). Everything is coming together!!!

Now, I just need to finish the paint touch-ups, crib skirt, valence (if I have time to do that), wall decorations, and the load of "spring-cleaning" I hope to finish before baby comes. Plus some more shopping - that'll be fun!!

Another midwife appt today. I'll try to update later with the "results", though it's bound to be another fairly boring appt. I guess boring is a good thing though!

Sciatic nerves are dumb

I'm sure the sciatic nerve serves a very useful and necessary purpose, but today, it has me very very angry! I think I've finally come to the conclusion that the pain I have been struggling with the last week or so is due to a compression of that nerve (common in pregnancy). Last night it hit an all-time peak. Probably just due to working three days in a row when I'm not used to being on my feet that often. Today it's getting a little better, but still not a fun ailment to deal with.

Snobpapa is also quite injured. Another MMA (mixed martial arts) war wound. He thinks it's his back, but it hurts to breath... I think he may have broken a rib or two. It really sucks when TWO people are injured - there's no one left in our house to get anything done! So, we're both trying our best, and doing a lot of moaning and whining. Thankfully, without even knowing our ailements, babasnob has invited us for dinner tonight. Little did she know that if she hadn't, we probably wouldn't be eating. (Or we'd be eating something far less healthy that requires no cooking time or clean up time... neither of us can stand for that long!).

Isn't this an uplifting post???

A few fun things to report today. Yesterday at work, for the FIRST TIME EVER... I've started to get people commenting about my pregnancy without me telling them I'm pregnant. Sad that it took 7 months for this day to come, but exciting nonetheless! I've had 2 or 3 old students see me on campus and react to my belly. All of them seemed so shocked and surprised. It was fun. And, some of my new students (the classes I'm taking over for) have also asked questions about the baby. It's just so nice to know that people don't think I'm just fat!

Also, I'm loving this "working three days a week" thing. I've never really been able to work, then come home, and not work (how strange does that seem). But now I can, I really can. I don't have to bring work home, I'm not constantly catching up with marking and lesson plans, etc... I left yesterday knowing that I was totally ready for everything next week, and now I've got the WHOLE weekend to ENJOY. Imagine that!?!?! I'm loving it.

Today, I did manage to sand (somewhat) the new chair rail in the nursery. Tomorrow I will try to paint it. Hopefully snobpapa will be able to sand the dresser and we'll paint that too. Fun times!

Can't wait for my Monday appt. It's sooooo weird to be going to the midwife every second week now. It makes the baby's arrival seem so much closer. 65 more days and counting.....

Catching up - final installement

Ok, so I've covered last week till Wed. Now I have to see if my pathetically useless pregnant brain can remember what happened since then. Seriously, it amazes me how MUCH I can manage to forget. I am usually a VERY together person (not that I'm bragging, it's actually kind of a sickness, really... at times even embarassing).

Thursday was my lloooooonnnggg teaching day. It was very difficult for me, as I just wasn't used to all that standing and talking. I was actually feeling breathless during my last lecture stint. But, made it through. Then I got to come home to all the awesome work that snobpapa's step-dad did for us that day. He's off work right now due to knee surgery, yet still put in the time and effort to help us out on a few projects pre-baby. I'll post pics when everything is all done. He added a cupboard, shelves and hooks to our laundry room (looks awesome) and a chair rail to the nursery. I have to sand and paint the rail (hopefully this weekend) and he's going to put in another cabinet w/ a sink in the laundry room. Then I'll post some pics. But let me just say, I am sooooo thrilled! I never thought our laundry room would ever look like more than a tiny, useless room with a stacked washer/dryer. It's very small, and we never thought we could get more use out of it. If only we had asked for help earlier. We aren't exactly the handiest of couples.

But then, on the weekend, snobpapa proved that statement wrong! He stripped the dresser for the nursery and repainted it. Unfortunately, I told him to use the wrong roller, and the paint isn't great. We're going to sand and do one more coat (hopefully on the weekend) and it'll be set. Just need some new drawer pulls.

Things are really coming together! It's exciting!!!! More news to come...

We also had babasnob's birthday on Sunday. Her birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM) was actually Saturday, but family dinners are, by definition, Sunday. So... birthdays must move to accomodate! That was fun. Indian food (yummy!!!).

Aside from other "typical" weekend events (church, probably a hockey game, a little extra sleep), that's all to report on the weekend front.

This week thus far has been pretty uneventful. I'm soooo unbelievably tired with work. Only 2 days into my "work" week too! But, I haven't been sleeping. Meaning, really... hardly at all. Maybe 2 hours last night and 1 or 2 the night before. Combination of a crazy active baby, ridiculously small bladder (oh and it'll get smaller, oh joy!), lots of leg and hip pain, and just plain restlessness. I hope it resolves itself soon. I need sleep (as may be evident in this post). This wouldn't bother me at all, if it wasn't for work. I feel bad for my poor students.

OOOOHHHHH, and we booked an appt for a 4D ultrasound. I can't wait. Next Friday is the big day. It's going to be my birthday present. I can't wait (oh, I just said that). I just hope that our little baby cooperates and doesn't hide out!

Sorry my posts aren't wittier these days. Just trying to keep up with events. I'll hopefully develop wit somewhere along the way. That's the hope, anyways! For now, sleep is more important. So I'm off to prep for that (does warm milk still make you sleepy if you mix it with chocolate?? Does the caffeine in the chocolate kill the effects?? Maybe I'll just stick to a warm bath...). I'm hoping my tiredness will finally give me a solid night's sleep tonight. We'll see...

Hello new readers :)

Ok, so... I'm slow... but I just realized that I have some new readers to my blog. I find this very exciting, because when I first started, I was convinced that no one read my blog except for me. Then, one day, I got a comment. Snobpapa will attest to how excited I was about this. And the funny thing was, it was a spam comment. And now, I realize I have real genuine comments by readers. That made my day! Now I'm even more motivated to keep up with my posts (and not leave them all to recap my week in "catching up" posts)! Fun times!

Catching up Part II (Back to work)

Yes, last week was my first week back at work (covering for a coworker who went for surgery). It was a very light intro... just a midterm to administer on Tues, no lab on Wed, and 2-2 hour lectures on Thurs. The Thurs lectures were a little tough (especially on the back), but I recovered quickly. The great news is that I have a 4 day weekend to recover from each of those days. And, only 4 weeks of teaching left.

Also great news, something about working has really put my body back into "full force" mode. I'm getting WAY more done. I actually finished all the quilting on the baby quilt. I just have to finish the binding now (pics will follow soon). Also, the nesting bug has hit me big time! At least, I think it's the nesting, and not just my normal ridiculous desire to clean. I started out on Wed with the master bath. I cleaned EVERYTHING - windows, blinds, cupboards, drawers, doors... all together took about 3 hours. I hope to attack each room in our house with this vigor before baby comes. I hope I don't run out of steam!!

Today is Monday, so I'm off to get a little more housework done, do some class prep, and hopefully have some time left over to start on the crib skirt. It's gonna be a busy day (but an enjoyably busy day!)

Catching up (Part I - 29 weeker)

Wow... ok... so I blame work. That's why I'm so behind in my posts. I hope to catch up over the next few days, but we'll see how that goes.

First, my 29 week appt was last Monday. I'm now on to every 2 week visits (WOW). The big news (according to my midwife) was that our little girl is already head down. She's way ahead of the game. We're thinking it's cuz she's so incredibly BRILLIANT. It's like she knows the future. Trendy midwife says she will likely stay that way, as it takes a lot of effort for her now to move out of it. She may be brilliant, but she's also a little lazy. I have to label the midwives now, cuz there will be more. That's right... Trendy midwife decided she needed some help, so two new midwives will be around for my next visit. At first, I was quite sad about that, as it may mean that someone else delivers our baby. But, I've gotten used to it, and I will meet the new midwives many times, so I think I'll manage. I'll let ya know after I meet the next one in a week. Hopefully they aren't all as trendy as Trendy midwife, cuz then I'm gonna be stuck for names!!

I guess an appt deserves a pic too. All I've got right now is my 28 week pic, so you'll have to settle for that. I'll get some more done soon, with our new fabulous camera. Till then...

Untitled

Only cuz I can't really think of a theme to this post. I just figured it's been a week since my last post, so it makes sense to do an update.

Not much is new. I've been trying to enjoy my last week of work-free bliss. Lots of work on various household projects. None of which are terribly interesting.

On the pregnancy topic... morning sickness has come back. More like all-day sickness. It's very sporadic though (thankfully), and usually a result of not eating frequently enough. I start my 2 weeker appointments this week. That should be interesting, as I never really had much to say at my monthly appointments. It's always a lot of "so... what do you want to discuss today", to which I reply "what should I want to discuss?". The conversation usually ends quickly. I suppose it's great that my pregnancy has been so uneventful! Fingers crossed.

We took a gander to the city last night to visit some of our newleywed friends. Simply the drive, game, dessert and movie totally tuckered me out. All in all, a 5 hour exursion. I feel like I have to recuperate today. Sad. Driving home, I realized that we won't have many more outings like this - the get-up-and-go type. As much as I love our friends, I realized I'm totally ok with that. And there is too much traffic in Vancouver.

I also realized this week that one of the main reasons I started this blog was to have a record of how difficult it was for me to leave the work-stress-life behind for awhile and just kick back until the baby was born. I guess I'm not really going to have that opportunity anymore. Though, I didn't really suffer that much in the past 2 weeks or so (granted... I did do a bit of work throughout... it wasn't cold-turkey). Maybe I'll start losing it in December, when I'm officially DONE work for a year (or so we hope).

Enough pointless rambling... back to housework.

SUCCESS!!

So, I haven't been updating much lately, but I have a good reason! I've been quilting like a mad-woman, trying to make some progress on the quilt for the nursery. I've finally finished the top (don't ask how many hours it took, you don't want to know).

Here are some pics:

First, the quilt, in all its glory...



Next, a few pics of the panels, close up...




And finally, the quilt with the crib. Note that we will also have a crib skirt, I just haven't started that yet!



Now, I just have to put it together with the batting and backing and quilt the sucker. Don't really want to think of the hours that will entail, but I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end!

Lovin the new camera

New cameras are SO MUCH FUN! I'm loving our new purchase. We decide to get this one. I think we made a great choice. Funny thing is... we were deciding between that and the Canon S2... which miss Zoot got instead and has been raving about too. She takes way more pics than I do though!!

I still think my dog is the cutest. What other dog can raise his eyebrow at you, as if to say "what the heck are you taking a picture of"...



But then, why shouldn't he... when you consider the ridiculous pictures we've taken of him in the past...



Our poor child-to-be. She's going to get so sick of the camera! And yes, that's the same couch in both pics. You can attribute the color difference to the joy of a camera that actually works properly! If only poor snobdog's eye's didn't glare so much in pictures. There should be a red eye reduction for dogs. It's never red... just crazy glare. I suppose his early-onset cataracts aren't helping either. Lucky we still love him so darn much.

3T here I am

And boy oh boy do I NEED SLEEP!!!! I don't understand this at all. Why did God make us this way? I mean, I know that in 13 weeks, my sleep will be seriously deprived, and I'm ok with that... but can't I stock up now? Why do I have to wake up every 15 minutes (I'm not kidding) because my hips feel like they are on fire and I need to flip sides, which in itself now takes several minutes. Oh, and I feel like a whale, that's not helping the lack of sleep situation. I'm an absolute joy to be around these days.

So, I think today we may go try to find a camera to replace the one we have now that has basically ceased to work. Anything to keep my mind off my tired and ginormous state.

It's scary that I'm already soooooo anxious to be finished with pregnancy. I still have a ways to go. I'm hoping I've just hit a phase. Please don't break my bubble.

Saying goodbye

I have to say goodbye to all shoes high-heeled. I went in to the office today (for a faculty meeting) and ended up having to cover for a teacher who couldn't get in on time. The two hours on my feet, plus the time at the meeting, and walking the campus for various tasks... they took their toll! I just can't handle the heels anymore. So, I guess that in order to go back to work, I'm going to have to go shoe-shopping first. As for now, I'm going to have to give my poor feet a good soaking tonight. At least they are still the same size!!

More testing...

Another test... testing to see if I can add blogs from my photo hosting account...


This is just a previous quilt I made for little baby Evan.  Sorry

I didn't crop the picture first... it's a little crooked, lol!

I hate blue tape

That's right... whoever told me that blue painters tape was so much better than green painters tape, I wish I hadn't listened. In fact, I think it was numerous people who told me this. Goes to show... majority is not always right. I've never had problems with my cheap green tape, but the expensive blue tape... let me tell you.

So, we've been making progress on the nursery. Doing fancy stripes and all, and this is what happened with the blue tape...



YUCK! And, it did that in more than one spot... despite all my efforts. So, now there are lots of touch ups to do. Plus, the stripes make the lovely cream color look quite plain. So, I also need to figure out things to put on the wall to make it less dull. Also, there are curtains/valence and a crib dust ruffle to come (and the blinds, which just need to be cleaned).

I'm also unsure as to what to do between the sections. Originally we thought moulding, but now it seems tricky due to 4 non-90 degree corners in the room, plus we painted the stripes quite high. We might just go with an inch of white paint as a "divider". Also have to sand and paint the dresser. Finish the quilt. Man, I'm now getting stressed.

Here's a pic showing a little more to the room...


Lighting isn't great, but you get the idea. Boy do we need a new camera.

So, that's what's been keeping me busy... and what will continue to keep me busy, occupying me from finishing the work tasks that I keep meaning to tie up to get them out of the way!

Have I mentioned how much I would really love to have a glass of wine?? Only 99 more wine-free days to go.

Excuses

I have LOTS of them, as to why I haven't written in awhile. First, we went away for a few nights. Ok, that was over a week ago. But still. It was nice to get away, and be free of housework, cooking and the like... but it made me realize that I am SOOOOO glad that we didn't plan a fancy vacation, as we had thought we might for this fall. I was just too uncomfortable with the travel (which was minimal) and the "not-my-bed" thing, plus my constant "preggie-cold" (as I call it). It just wouldn't be a lot of fun to have spent a lot of money for that feeling!

Then, a close friend of ours was married last weekend. Snobpapa was the bestman. So... a little additional time spent there for us. Rehearsals, etc... all well worth it. But, it's always nice to have big events behind you, KWIM (k, that's "know what I mean" for all the computer-less-literate)?

Then, I've gone INSANE researching and reading and analyzing the use of cloth diapers. I think we're pretty sure that we are going to go that route, despite virtually everyone telling us we are insane. For the record - I don't care! So stop telling me just how insane I am, and how much work it will be, etc etc etc. I've spent beyond the alloted time in research - I know what I'm getting into. But, it still leaves us with loads of decisions. Who knew that there were so many choices out there for cloth diapers. It's way worse than disposable, as with disposable there's less choice (for one), and two... if they don't work, you buy something else next go-round. But, when spending lots of money on diapers to last at least 2 children... you wanna make sure they're gonna work. But then, you don't know for sure what will work, cuz every baby is different, and is shaped different, blah blah blah. Luckily, at my midwife appt today, I had a good talk with her about it, and low-and-beyond... she used cloth for all her children. So, I've got at least one good support.

Speaking of midwife, nothing new at my appt. I'm only measuring 23cm... a little small for 25 weeks... but nothing to be concerned about. We're fully aware that we may be expecting a smaller-than-average baby (genetics and all). Watch us end up with a 10 pounder... Ok... stop laughing...

Back to excuses... I've also been making headway on the nursery and such. Why... because I'm goin back to work. Go figure, I write one little blog about missing my students and look what happens. The dept chair calls me up to tell me a coworker is getting surgery and they need someone to teach for the month of Nov (at least). Sigh... So, that's me. I'm glad in the sense that it will keep me busy. I'm already swimming with crazy ideas of ridiculous amounts of cleaning and prepping for the arrival of the baby - none of which is at ALL necessary, but it's just what I do when I'm bored. Me + boredom = very scary situation (but very clean situation). I've already started "nesting". I don't dare think ahead to what will happen to me when the REAL nesting instinct kicks in about 2 weeks pre-delivery. Yikes. So, ya, keep me busy... good thing. But, I'm kinda getting used to sleeping in so much (which, in my world, is anything past 7am... I'm finally getting good at it!).

Well, that's all the news for now.

Wow, I really miss them

Not that it surprises me... but it's sad. I really do miss my students, and the general student population in general. This morning I woke up to four, yay four, email messages for former students. Just saying "hi", or asking for help, or asking for old notes. Even when they are demanding, I still miss them. It almost makes me want to take the effort to get ready, hop in my car, drive the one hour to campus, and sit in my office (with little to do) hoping for a few to come by to chat. But then... gas is stupid expensive - I'm not that sentimental.

And so, again... it's almost 10, still haven't started PD work yet... but enjoying my email instead. Though, the lab manual draft is in, so I don't even have that much more to do now. Maybe this is a self-preservation move on my part. I stall every morning because I know that I have so little to do... when it's done, I'll have nothing to stall from. Yikes!

Oooh, and I love the fact that other bloggers admit to being clean freaks. And that yes... it can survive children. So all you people who keep telling me I will stop my maniacal cleaning upon the arrival of my precious child... I give you Rock Star Mommy.
Hehehehe.... still a self-professed clean freak!

Stalling

This is the first day so far this week that I have been ready to start work before 10am. It's a miracle. And yet, here I am... stalling. No particular reason, I'd just rather be doing other things. But then, who wouldn't, right?

Yesterday, my work day was cut short for a shopping trip. Much needed, as I have a wedding to go to in 1 1/2 weeks. Let me tell you... shopping for a nice dress at 5 1/2 months pregnant is equivalent to torture. Not that I've ever been tortured... ok, maybe I'm exaggerating. It was not fun.

I gave up looking for a dress... they all looked like hideous sacks that belong on someone twice my age (and a poorly dressed woman of twice my age at that). Finally I just spent way too much on a blouse. One single blouse. That I will wear with black pants. How boring. I'm thoroughly un-thrilled. I guess I'll get my hair done. Though I'm not thrilled with my hair these days either. I really wish it would stop getting so darn thick.

But that's enough whining. I'm off to have a (hopefully) very productive day.

Gettin back to normal...

Hmmm, whatever "normal" is these days. I still haven't quite figured that out. And it's been over a MONTH that I've been on PD (professional development, for you non-teacher types).

The weekend stress wore off quite quickly. After the stag (which went very well) and the shower (also went well... but TONS of left over food!!!!), we're back to the regular "excitement" in our household (well, lack-there-of, really).

I had a ton of fun planning the shower. Got to do lots of fun, crafty things, like this diaper cake...


Now, it's back to the crafty things I've been avoiding for a little while - the baby quilt. I've made good progress, but have stalled lately due to the never-ending guilt of not working enough on my PD projects. But, the PD projects are almost done... so I can spend a few hours a day quilting away.

In terms of my pregnancy symptoms, yesterday I got hit with what I'm sure was the worst headache/migraine I've EVER had (and I've had my fair share of headaches). Loss of vision, nausea, the pain radiated down my entire upper body. It was nasty. I was almost wishing early labor... that way, I would have something to take my mind off the headache. Go figure. But alas, way too early even for early labor.

I did take my first Tylenol since the infamous Tylenol-incident of first trimester. This time... it worked... and didn't cause any horrible side effects. Yay for drugs.

Some pics

Ok, so I FINALLY got to erasing my digital camera and transfering the files. There were pictures from Christmas... that's how long it took me to get around to it! Sheeesh! So, here are some belly pics for all you who have asked. They aren't great quality, cuz I took them myself. We'll try for some better ones in the future. One from week 18, one from week 22. I think it's terrible obvious which is which. I just wish my butt wasn't growing in proportion to my tummy. I'm loving the tummy, hating the rest that comes with the big tummy. Today, I morn the loss of my former lower body.

Yikes...

2 weeks between posts... I'm really getting bad at this, aren't I? I keep thinking about blogging, but when it all comes down to it... not much happens when I'm barely working. I love to read lots of blogs, and most of them don't have much to say either... but they always seem to have more to say than I do. And then, I read blogs of ladies who just gave birth and still manage to fit more blogs in a week than I do, and I just feel bad. So, I vow to do better. I do really want a better record of my pregnancy and life-there-after.

So, a brief recap of the last two weeks, or as much as I can remember...

- major washing machine chaos. It leaked, flooding our laundry room floor, then leaking through the roof into our living room (when we finally noticed the problem). We've since had a technician out who basically said "don't use that cycle", and that was that. Yay, we can do laundry again.

- nursery has it's first coat of paint. Unfortunately, I have no idea when the next coat will get on. I can't roll so well, so snobpapa has to do it... which he really doesn't like. More than him hating to roll is me hating to continuously nag him. Argh.

- yes, I keep forgetting to take new belly pics. It seems pointless now to post the ones from a month ago. I'll get on it one of these days

- we have the weekend-o-stress coming up... snobpapa is organizing a stag for our friend Alex, which will be partially at our home (poker et al after the festivities). I'm going to stay with my parents... but the very next day I have a baby shower to host. I can't cook. This should be interesting.

- did I mention we are having a girl??? YES of COURSE I did! Still excited!! Lots of shopping has ensued. I'll start posting some pics of purchases, nursery, etc... I'll get on that right after I actually manage to take some belly pics. Sheesh.

- midwife appt today. Hopefully she can give me an ounce of hope that I can get through the next four months with at least ONE FREAKIN DAY when I'm not sick and coughing like, um, something that coughs a heck of a lot (and it hurts).

- hired a doula... never thought I would, but I decided to interview one, and really quite liked her. This way, if snobpapa passes out, or has to leave, or decides video gaming would be a better use of his time, I'll have someone there (I'm quite glad we don't have a portable gaming device of any sort... if you don't count the ancient "first edition game boy" that only has Tetris... hmmm, maybe I'll bring that for me).

Hmm, that's all I can remember right now. I will update soon... honest... I think...

Yay....

for little girls!!!! I'm too excited to write much else! Just got off the phone with my wonderful midwife, the bearer of all blessed news. I knew it... and am so glad that my first mother's intuition was right!

In other news, it pushed back my edd to January 16th (off by one day), she weighs in at a whopping 293 g, placenta and fluid levels are just lovely. We're all set for a healthy 4 1/2 more months.

Good thing I bought the nursery paint today. Otherwise, I would be running out and buying gallons of lavendar paint. I purposefully chose the colors ahead of time so that I didn't go overboard with my favorite girly color.

ultrasound

It does seem like I'm only averaging a once-a-week post here... but I'm trying, really! I don't know what's been keeping me so busy! Lots of shopping this week, and of course, our ultrasound of little Buster...

Starting out with a face and body shot. Any thoughts on the gender??



Now the feet...



Another face shot...



And a final shot of the arms...



The ultrasound itself was VERY uneventful. There are some annoying policies here that prohibit us from learning ANY valuable information from the u/s session... I barely even got to see anything. Snobpapa got a good look at the end, and we saw TONS of movement (I don't think Buster sleeps much!!). We're hoping for more info from the midwife.

Also, Buster is moving like CRAZY these days and already driving me a little batty. Constant fluttering about. When s/he gets to the full-on-kicks, I'm in trouble!!

I'll post more about our adventures in nursery shopping later. First, off to work on that quilt that is never going to get done!

Emaciated... haha

I'm really not addicted to cheesy online personality tests... honestly. I just keep happening upon them. The latest one was a "great leader" personality test. Strange thing was, before taking it, I was wondering what great leaders they would have on there. The only one I could think of was Ghandi. Go figure...

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Emaciated... that's very funny. Little do they know! Plus, how can they really say you are emaciated based on personality type questions... I guess it's just the comparison to Ghandi

Where did my week go?

Yes... it's been a whole week since my last blog. I'm a terrible blogger, I know. The funny thing is, I have no idea where that week went. What did I do? I'm really not sure. That is the haze that has become my brain these days.

I know I finished all my marking, worked on Mon & Wed, had a quilting class all day Thurs... but aside from that, the week is a haze.

Ooh, and we bought a car. That's right, say goodbye to sports-car 2-door-standard-trasmission-coupe days, and hello to 4-door-automatic-sedan-family-car days. Although I had been pushing for a more practical car for some time... it seemed that I was more distraught about parting with our first car than snobpapa was. Must be the hormones. We're very happy with it though. We both thought we'd have to settle and make sacrifices for the car "switch", but we really didn't.

Aside from that, and my ever-expanding belly (and yes, I know... I still haven't posted those pics I said I would. One day...), not much is new. I'm trying to adjust to not working... I'll let ya know how that goes when I figure it out!

But for now, my day of nothingness calls...

It's official!

That's right... after almost 18 weeks, I FINALLY got my blood work back from the labs. I am indeed pregnant. What a relief - otherwise those 15 pounds I've gained and that mysterious heartbeat in my uterus would be quite frightening. Why did it take so long? I don't know... blame Canadian health care. My family doctor quit, and that probably had something to do with rounding up the files and whatnot... but really - 18 weeks? Sheesh!

Aside from that bit of news, my recent appt with my midwife was pretty standard. One thing I hate about going to the midwife is that I always come home feeling very untrendy. It's strange, you think of midwives as being very granola-type ladies... I purposely tried to find a midwife that seemed very focused on scientific literature, etc. Found an awesome midwife, and I'm so happy with the care I'm receiving... but she's so uber trendy and stylish... I always leave feeling like I should hit the gym and then go shopping.

Then, to top it off, she had an apprentice this visit. So, I got to be poked and prodded by yet another stranger. That's always fun. But, we got to hear the heartbeat again (145-152... apparently really good), set up our appt for the big ultrasound... I can't believe that in 2 weeks, I'm half way done. Crazy!

I know I've been scarce here, but I'll try to write more this week. Once I get my final exams marked, I should have TONS of free time on my hands. That's when things are going to get a little crazy...

Wow... I'm done

Sittin in the office, and it just dawned on me... I'm done teaching for a whole 16 months. That's CRAZY. That's a really long time. No more getting up in front of herds of young adults. I can turn into a total slob if I want. In fact, I'm not gonna get my highlights touched up. They can just grow right on out. That's what a slob-rebel I am. Now, I still have finals to write (which I SHOULD be doing right now), but instead, I sit here, drinking my congratulatory decaf latte, waiting for young and eager minds to walk through my door with questions. I'm sure they are all studying away for their final exam. I have till Monday to get that exam done.

On another note... Buster may have busted his/her first move yesterday. Well, first that was felt, anyways. Yes, we are calling our little snobbaby Buster. Why... because babasnob likes the name. We aren't going to use it, for obvious reasons (my apologies to anyone reading who has that name), though we did agree that if we have quadruplets, one can be Buster. So, instead, we are just calling our little womb-wonder by that name. Heck, it might even stick as a nickname (which may be strange if our little baby is a girl...). Back to the bustin... I was in the car, coming home from work, and felt the "fluttery feeling" that women often describe with baby's first movements. I could be wrong, but I'm hoping it was legit. And, I was singing at the time. So, then, I decided I wanted to feel it again, so I kept singing. Here I was, stuck in traffic, belting out songs full force. I must of looked like a total loser. I usually only sing on the freeway, when people aren't generally staring at others in cars around them. Oh well, it was totally worth it!

Ok, I guess it's time to get to that final exam...

Crazy dog lady

I really would have posted yesterday, but I was stalling in hopes of getting my act together to post a pic. See... tons of people keep hounding me for a belly pic. Why people are so infatuated with my belly girth, I'm not sure. Despite my absurd weight gain (about triple the norm for 16 weeks), we're not sure where it's gone. If I had to make a bet, despite the biological obsurdness of it all, I would guess I currently have a baby growing in my bumm. I guess we'll see in 5 months time...

Ok, but... off topic, cuz I never got my act together (pic is still sitting in my camera). I'll get to that later this week. Just a lovely carrot to keep all you belly-obsessors hooked. Today, I must discuss crazy dog lady.

Crazy dog lady sold us snobdog 2 1/2 years ago. She came off as being quite the pug lover (snobdog is a pug). Maybe a little eccentric, but not full-on crazy. She delivered snobdog, and still kept in touch now and again. She likes when we send her pictures of snobdog.

About a year ago, snobdog had a HUGE lump on his paw. Vet said maybe cancer. Freaked us right out. We went for the $$$ surgery, no cancer. Yipee. Well, through all this, we wrote emails back and forth to crazy lady. She was concerned. In the end, she was relieved and sent us a "package" for snobdog. Toys and t-shirts and such. (Yes, any lady who puts pugs in t-shirts already gets crazy-lady status). But... I'm not at the story yet.

So, package never came. I figured she just lied about it. But, she did seem fairly upset about it. So, we get a mysterious phone call on Friday night. Crazy lady says they are coming to the area, and want to know if they can see snobdog. Maybe bring him some toys and what not. I said ok... she said she'd call me when they got settled.

She calls Sunday night. Says that she stayed with a friend last night, but they are looking for a place for that night. Asked me if I had any ideas, and what was close to me so that we could meet to let the dogs play. Ok... weird... I'm thinking she wants me to offer up my house. Um, no... I don't know you crazy lady. And, even so, if relatives called me and asked for a place to stay on last minute notice, I'd say "a hotel". I just don't do last minute house guests.

Ok, so that aside. We're still not sure if she was scamming accomodations. Then, she says that she knows of a motel that will allow her dogs too. So, can I meet her there that night? It's like 8:30 at this time. She wants us to go to the mall to get the gifts for snobdog. Ok, first of all, Sunday night, mall is closed. Second of all, mall doesn't allow dogs. Ok she says, maybe tomorrow morning. Then, we can leave the dogs in the motel and go to the mall. Uhm, no again. I'm not leaving my precious dog in an unknown motel and going to the mall with a crazy lady. I'm not even that comfortable meeting crazy lady at this said motel. It was just plain WEIRD. Red flags poppin up everywhere!!! So, finally she says she'll head to the motel and call when they get settled.

That was the last I heard from her. Thank goodness!!!! It all seemed oddly sketchy to me. At least, it really did at the time. Maybe it's mommy-to-be-freakish-hormones talking... we're not sure.

Alas, I better go get to my nightly marking. Last week of classes = time crunch for me.

I hope to get more "regular" blogging in once the whole work thing dies down. Till then, you will all wait patiently and stop bugging me about belly pics.

Procrastination at its best

I have finals to write today. What am I doing instead...

Internet quizzes...

What's with the statement about the weird guy in the neighborhood? Does snobpapa count? He wouldn't let me have a cup of coffee. Maybe that's why I can't get my finals written...

You're To Kill a Mockingbird!

by Harper Lee

Perceived as a revolutionary and groundbreaking person, you have
changed the minds of many people. While questioning the authority around you, you've
also taken a significant amount of flack. But you've had the admirable guts to
persevere. There's a weird guy in the neighborhood using dubious means to protect you,
but you're pretty sure it's worth it in the end. In the end, it remains unclear to you
whether finches and mockingbirds get along in real life.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Post #1 (for lack of better title)

Please bear with me as I make the plunge into the world of online blogging (man that's a weird word... I'd like to meet the person that chose that one). I read many blogs, enjoy many blogs, but can't imaging my own blog being much of anything to read. And yet, here I am... hoping to document what is sure to be quite the monumental new turn in our lives. Why not, right? Plus, truth be told, I suck at keeping in touch with people. Friends, relatives... I quite dislike the telephone. I'd love to go back to the days where if you really wanted to talk to someone, you'd suit up the horse and buggy. That meant you really had something useful to say, right? I mean, it's just too easy now.

So, here I am... T minus 10 days until my teaching days are pretty much over. I currently teach college chemistry. Love it, love teaching, love the interaction with the students. But, let's be honest here, I'm a little obsessive about it. I work too much. Am I a work-a-holic. Ummm, no... I'd actually classify myself as a stress-a-holic. I seek it out, I relish in it, if it isn't there, gosh-darn-it, I make it up. I'm quite talented at that. So, I work a lot. I go way beyond the call of duty. And now, as I see the end approaching, it's oddly serene. Like the calm before the storm. I'm thrilled with the change. I'm so excited about what is to come. But it is an odd sensation. Let me give you the run-down of the last, ohh, 10 years of my life for some background. (Short version, I promise)

Finished highschool, scholarship says I must go to University A. Doesn't make sense any other way (sensibility will be a common thread here). Go to Univerisity A. Hate University A, but take the money I got from enrolling and doing one year, and transfer to Univeristy B. Take that University A! Little did you know you would be paying me to go spend your money elsewhere. Suckers! Finish a science degree at University B. Get engaged to fabulously wonderful snobpapa the summer before my final year. Hmmm, what to do with my life... let's just apply for more scholarship funding and see what happens. Bam, scholarship funding again makes a pivotal decision in my life. Off I go to graduate school. Getting paid more than I would in the workforce, why not? Graduate University B one day, next day off to grad school (no kidding... next day!). At grad school for a few months, get married, take a week off, return to grad school. HATE grad school very quickly. Must...get...out. Unfortunately, when you come to grad school with funding, no one wants you to take off early. Settle for finishing a master's degree. Made my supervisor mediocrely happy. Plan to go into high school teaching. Up pops a job opportunity. Hmmm, pay for two more years of school, or get paid... again, tough choice. Didn't think I had a chance at the job, so why not try? Yup, got the job... start the day after graduate defense (again, no kidding, next day). Sigh... of I go to the land of college teaching. 2 years later, with a permanent contract in tow, I am finishing off my final semester before a well-deserved semester of vacation and "professional development", followed by maternity leave. A whole year of it. God bless Canada!

So, yes, I am currently 4 months pregnant. Ok... 15 weeks and 6 days. Which, can't really be called 4 months. If it was 4 months, I'd have 5 to go, right? Nope, 6. Do the math. 10 months. The whole 9 month thing is big sham. So, call it "around" 4 months. I'm due in January (the 15th, to be exact, but when do due dates really mean anything?).

We are thrilled, snobpapa and I. Snobdog would be thrilled if he had any idea what was to come. Snobfatcat really won't care. Seriously... I doubt if she cares about much of anything, except avoiding snobdog and getting fed. I guess she will care, cuz she'll have one more terror to avoid. Maybe it'll take some of her weight off. We did the responsible route, waited for the jobs to be in line, the house mortgage to be in place, the marriage to be secure... I honestly felt like I got to a point where I was bored of being selfish. Bored of sitting around watching t.v. in the evenings, or being able to just up and go out and the drop of a hat. Seems like a great time to mix it up.

I've wanted to be a mom for quite some time. And yet, I'm so good at being the "professional". Make sense of that. And, to top it off, I'm not that good at regular "motherly duties". Examples...

#1. I suck at cooking. I can follow a recipe, sure, if I ever had the ingredients. I guess the real explanation is that I suck at shopping. I hate grocery shopping with a passion. I've turned it into more of an olympic event: speed shopping. In and out, as fast as you can. Making a pre-prepared list, from a pre-prepared meal plan... just haven't got the hang of that yet.

#2. I'm good at cleaning. Why is this bad then? I'm also quite obsessive about cleaning. I like things clean. It really bothers me when they aren't. This + child = oh crap. I'll need to figure out a few adjustments. Stay tuned for details.

I'm sure there are more to list. I'm sure I'll list them in the months to come. Until then, I've rambled enough.