I am sitting on the couch right now at the late hour of 10:45 (I have not seen past 9:30 in months) timing contractions. I am scheduled to be induced next Thursday, a week from today, but as soon as I hit full-term yesterday, I have been watching myself like a hawk for the slightest sign of labor. Every little pain and pinch and irregularity has me wondering if this could be it. I'm hot, I'm cold, I'm tired, I'm energetic, I'm happy I'm sad...could this be a sign?
After nine months of feeling like my body has been going through renovations by some uninvited construction team, I'm ready for the crew to pack up their stuff and take these huge thighs with them. Mark keeps telling me it's not quite time yet, but there's really no way to describe to someone who hasn't been through pregnancy just how "all-encompassing" it is.
Today I came home from work at noon after having a headache, dry-heaving, utter exhaustion, and just all-over ickiness. I was willing to go through all that if it was labor, but after a three hour nap, much to my disappointment, I was feeling better and more like myself again.
Now that I've had that long nap, I'm wide awake, and of course the contractions I'm feeling aren't helping to calm me down at all. The doctor said to call as soon as I seem to have any sort of rhythm to the contractions to make sure I get in in time, but I don't know whether what's going on is worth all the trouble we'll have to go through to go to the hospital. Having Carter really complicates things. And who wants to pay for a hospital visit when it could just turn out to be a false alarm?
So I'm trying to be patient and objectively time my contractions. I know the hope in the back of my mind is I'll decide to go to the hospital and they'll tell me that even if I happen to not be in labor, they may as well induce since they were going to anyway. Unfortunately, in the time I've been writing this, the contractions seem to be subsiding. I may not even have an excuse to go to the hospital.
Patience. It brings back memories of having to wait until Christmas morning to open presents. Maybe that's the real point of Santa Claus, to teach us a lesson in patience. I surely am having to muster up all the patience I have right now to not call the doctor and and ask her if I can have my gift, my child, right now.
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Nesting
Nesting has set in. It’s one of those quirky things that happens to pregnant ladies near the end of their pregnancies where cleaning and tidying and preparing become the sole mission. There aren’t too many things left that we humans feel and can so clearly identify as instinct, but this is one of them.
Yesterday I found myself wanting to rearrange our bedroom and vacuum under the bed. Cleaning the fridge also seems to be at the top of my to do list. And this weekend I spontaneously decided to scrub the bathtub, something I despise doing. Yep, there must be a baby on the way.
I’ve also noticed that lately I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about how I can rearrange the clothes in the dressers in Carter’s room (which also hold all my clothes) to accommodate the baby’s things. I still have at least 5 weeks until I’ll be full term (and 8 until I’m due) but somehow the need to have clothes in the proper drawers is paramount to all else.
I’m sure I had this same compulsion when Carter was on the way, but it was not as noticeable because I didn’t work the last month before he came, and it felt like something to do to fill the time. There was also the excitement of having all new stuff, whereas this time it’s just gathering the same things together. I just had more time the first time around, so I wasn’t sacrificing some of the essentials to get things done. Last night I had a hard time pulling myself away from vacuuming to eat dinner. But I can just feel my inner instinct screaming, “There’s so little time and so much to do. You’ll never get it all done!” The funny thing is, it’s not a feeling of panic, but more like an incredible burst of energy (a rarity at this stage) that helps to accomplish the impossible.
Interestingly, the house is nowhere near clean. The kitchen floor is a disaster, and the downstairs bathroom hasn’t been cleaned in weeks. There’s only a small niche of tasks that seem to fall into the, “need to get done NOW” category, and they all somehow relate to our new arrival. The baby won’t be laying on the kitchen floor (hopefully) so there’s no reason to clean it, right?
I actually feel that, with a few small exceptions, we’re pretty ready for this baby. At least as far as chores and stuff goes. Now, our mental state and sleep reserves, well, that’s an entirely different matter.
Yesterday I found myself wanting to rearrange our bedroom and vacuum under the bed. Cleaning the fridge also seems to be at the top of my to do list. And this weekend I spontaneously decided to scrub the bathtub, something I despise doing. Yep, there must be a baby on the way.
I’ve also noticed that lately I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about how I can rearrange the clothes in the dressers in Carter’s room (which also hold all my clothes) to accommodate the baby’s things. I still have at least 5 weeks until I’ll be full term (and 8 until I’m due) but somehow the need to have clothes in the proper drawers is paramount to all else.
I’m sure I had this same compulsion when Carter was on the way, but it was not as noticeable because I didn’t work the last month before he came, and it felt like something to do to fill the time. There was also the excitement of having all new stuff, whereas this time it’s just gathering the same things together. I just had more time the first time around, so I wasn’t sacrificing some of the essentials to get things done. Last night I had a hard time pulling myself away from vacuuming to eat dinner. But I can just feel my inner instinct screaming, “There’s so little time and so much to do. You’ll never get it all done!” The funny thing is, it’s not a feeling of panic, but more like an incredible burst of energy (a rarity at this stage) that helps to accomplish the impossible.
Interestingly, the house is nowhere near clean. The kitchen floor is a disaster, and the downstairs bathroom hasn’t been cleaned in weeks. There’s only a small niche of tasks that seem to fall into the, “need to get done NOW” category, and they all somehow relate to our new arrival. The baby won’t be laying on the kitchen floor (hopefully) so there’s no reason to clean it, right?
I actually feel that, with a few small exceptions, we’re pretty ready for this baby. At least as far as chores and stuff goes. Now, our mental state and sleep reserves, well, that’s an entirely different matter.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Slow day at work
Today is Friday, a day where there are often not many people in my department here, and I frequently have my office to myself. I had one meeting this morning, and now I only have really long term projects to work on. I'm having a bit of a hard time getting motivated, so I'm taking a quick minute to share some fun pictures with you. I took them with something called Photobooth on my Mac, so the resolution isn't great, but not bad for a computer camera.
This first one is one Carter and I took a few weeks ago. I love how angelic and child-like he looks. I can't believe this beautiful boy is my son.
I finally got around to taking a belly picture today. As you can see, I'm standing in front of my office door, and I was so afraid someone was going to walk by and wonder what I was doing. I'm now a little over 31 weeks along. People keep telling me how small I look, but I certainly don't feel it. I want to tell them to try lugging around the extra 30 pounds I've put on, most of which tries to tip me over all day. And yes, that is a temporary outty belly button you see.
Just a silly picture. This is how Fridays alone in my office makes me feel!
This one is to remind you that I haven't gone completely crazy. I can look normal if need be.
Okay, seriously. I've got to get back to work. No more goofing around. Only one and a half hours left.
This first one is one Carter and I took a few weeks ago. I love how angelic and child-like he looks. I can't believe this beautiful boy is my son.
I finally got around to taking a belly picture today. As you can see, I'm standing in front of my office door, and I was so afraid someone was going to walk by and wonder what I was doing. I'm now a little over 31 weeks along. People keep telling me how small I look, but I certainly don't feel it. I want to tell them to try lugging around the extra 30 pounds I've put on, most of which tries to tip me over all day. And yes, that is a temporary outty belly button you see.
Just a silly picture. This is how Fridays alone in my office makes me feel!
This one is to remind you that I haven't gone completely crazy. I can look normal if need be.
Okay, seriously. I've got to get back to work. No more goofing around. Only one and a half hours left.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
catching up
As many of you may have noticed, I have not written in awhile, and it's not for lack of things to talk about. It's more that life is so busy I have not had time to record and reflect. The biggest news, which many of you already know, is that I'm pregnant. Yep, due May 7. Perfect timing, too, because I'll have six weeks of maternity leave and then 7-8 weeks of summer before having to go back to work in August. What can I say? Mark and I are pretty good at timing. Anyway, so I've had quite the dose of morning sickness that, as soon as I begin to think is tapering off, returns full force. I'm also so tired that I have a hard time making it to 9:00 before going to bed. Between a husband, dog, 2-year-old son, a baby on the way, and a full-time job, I'm sure you can imagine what state our house is in.
But we've been having fun, too. Last week for fall break Mark's family came out and we drove to Moab, Utah and met up with my family. We saw some beautiful sights in Arches National Park, did some hiking, and some of us got to go canyoneering. It was also a great time for both sets of parents to be together since that hadn't happened since our wedding. Mark and I even had a night to ourselves because Carter had a sleepover with my parents. It was a treat.
In my free time I'm trying to get in as much climbing as I can because I know the time is rapidly approaching when I'll have to take a break from the sport for a few months. There have also been trips to the park since we've been having such beautiful fall weather, and lots of backyard playtime.
We're beginning to think about getting our house ready to sell in the spring since the bedroom layout isn't great for two kids. We're planning on taking off the wallpaper in the entire downstairs and then repainting, and also replacing the kitchen floor. We'll see how that looks and then go from there. Mark has some other grandiose plans, but I'd rather leave the house just presentable and do improvements on the next house. We're hoping to move up the hill somewhere near where we used to live, if you're familiar with our cabins. We want to still be commuting distance from my job because I really love what I do, and it's the only position of it's kind I know of.
I think that's a quick synopsis of what's going on here, and when I can, I'll write. Maybe I'll begin to have more energy second trimester and I won't feel like I'm living for bedtime. Hopefully, I won't go as long without writing, though, because I really do miss it for my own personal reflection and musing. Don't give up on me yet.
But we've been having fun, too. Last week for fall break Mark's family came out and we drove to Moab, Utah and met up with my family. We saw some beautiful sights in Arches National Park, did some hiking, and some of us got to go canyoneering. It was also a great time for both sets of parents to be together since that hadn't happened since our wedding. Mark and I even had a night to ourselves because Carter had a sleepover with my parents. It was a treat.
In my free time I'm trying to get in as much climbing as I can because I know the time is rapidly approaching when I'll have to take a break from the sport for a few months. There have also been trips to the park since we've been having such beautiful fall weather, and lots of backyard playtime.
We're beginning to think about getting our house ready to sell in the spring since the bedroom layout isn't great for two kids. We're planning on taking off the wallpaper in the entire downstairs and then repainting, and also replacing the kitchen floor. We'll see how that looks and then go from there. Mark has some other grandiose plans, but I'd rather leave the house just presentable and do improvements on the next house. We're hoping to move up the hill somewhere near where we used to live, if you're familiar with our cabins. We want to still be commuting distance from my job because I really love what I do, and it's the only position of it's kind I know of.
I think that's a quick synopsis of what's going on here, and when I can, I'll write. Maybe I'll begin to have more energy second trimester and I won't feel like I'm living for bedtime. Hopefully, I won't go as long without writing, though, because I really do miss it for my own personal reflection and musing. Don't give up on me yet.
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