A post without a theme or possibly even a point

So it's Sunday again - where did the week go? There was a bit of weather issues Tuesday and Wednesday which made things exciting. Everyone was telling me how I had to be really careful not to slip and fall on the ice.

I guess I had a clue about this, what with all the talk about how right now, skiing and horseback riding is not allowed, but I was surprised at how many people were worried about me every time I stepped outside. At any rate, I managed to inch along like a granny on the ice and not bail out, much to everyone's relief.

Speaking of things that surprised me, I am a teeny bit surprised at how many of the people to whom I initially emailed when I set up this blog apparently either didn't read my message or didn't pay any attention to the URL. Really. There have been at least five or six people who expressed surprise at hearing the news in the last few days... but I emailed them to tell them a few weks ago! Well, what can you do.

Friday, I took a class field trip to Boston and it was great. I was crazy tired when I got home, as my flight left at 6:30 am and the return landed at 9:30 pm... I took a later than necessary flight home so I could visit with a good friend from the old days.

Saturday I had a makeup class for one which was cancelled for inauguration. Afterwards, I was doing laundry - my usual exciting Saturday morning activity. It's kind of a time consuming thing, because I live in an apartment where we share a laundry room in the basement, rather than with everyone having their own machines in their suite. I can't wait to be living in a house again...

At any rate, my work clothes and my big baggy jeans were all being washed, and hung up to dry... and I couldn't fit into the trousers I usually wear to do laundry (need pockets for my laundry card, keys and mobile phone which I use as a timer to remind me to go and move things around). I had nothing with pockets that fit! Well, I did, but I wasn't expecting to actually be wearing my maternity jeans yet. But I put them on, and while I don't yet have a belly to fill them out (and hold them up), they were bloody comfortable. It'd be nice if they had suspenders or belt loops, but I'll figure something out, as this problem won't be going away for awhile.

I'm watching the Super Bowl as I type this - the Boss - sweet! mostly because I usually watch trashy TV on Sunday nights when I do my nails, though it's usually a home makeover show and then a night time soap... This is a bit less girly but the advertisements are fun. I wish I knew where I was suposed to have acquired the 3D glasses though...

My mom had always told me that she hadn't breastfed my little sister and I because her milk made us sick. I always thought that sounded fishy, and even more so now that I'm reading more about it. It sounds like breastfeeding certainly isn't easy and there's loads of problems you can run into, but fairly unusual that otherwise non-lactose intolerant people would be made sick by mother's milk... but you know, it's what my mom told me, so it wasn't questioned. However, I asked my step-dad (my sister's dad) about it, and he told me it was true that we were sick when she tried to breastfeed us. He also said, though, that it was due to her diet, not some flaw in us or her. She lived on Oreos (tm) and Dr Pepper (tm). Seriously. So, yeah, I'm not worried about my breastmilk anymore.

Oh yeah, one other thing - so I'm like 15 or so weeks pregnant now, but it seems like the morning (ha! anytime of day) sickness, which did seem to be going away, has come right back and is possibly even worse... and I've got this almost chronic metalic taste in my mouth. Nasty. All for a good cause of course.

The Citizenship, where are you having it question

So a lot of people have asked where we're going to have the baby. We're living in the US but we're both from other countries. The baby will automatically have US citizenship when s/he's born here, but we will immediately register the baby with our embassies so that s/he will have citizenship of our countries as well. That way we shouldn't have any trouble bringing the baby with us to meet the grandparents and whatnot.

In terms of where locally, we're still sorting that one out, see previous post, but we're narrowing that one down.

A craving once forgot...

Right, so another exception to the idea that I'm off red meat - I've been craving roast beef with horseradish and Yorkshire pudding. Wouldn't that be heavenly. Do I know anyone in the area that cooks like that? Or maybe a restaurant?

Oh yeah, and had a BLT for lunch and that was pretty darn wonderful as well. Whole wheat bread, a bit toasted, with some barely pickled pickles. Yum. Hooray for the deli downstairs where I can buy a hot lunch without setting foot outside in the freezing cold.

the confirmation

So, as I suspected, I'm looking for a new healthcare practitioner and place to deliver the baby. (Spoiler alert - I think I've already found one but I'll get there...)

Monday was the day of my second prenatal checkup. I had my BP taken by a nurse practitioner, and that's still normal thankfully. I'd been having headaches and I was worried it wasn't just coffee withdrawl. Then the obstretician came in.

At this practice, they have a pile of doctors and they encourage the pregnant ladies to try to have at least one checkup with each of them, so we get to meet them all... in case one of them is on call when we go into labour.

So this new guy comes in and introduces himself. We chat for a few minutes, and he lets me know that my recent tests and sonograms all look good and normal. He asked how I'm feeling and I said other than this nasty cold, I'm feeling normal and good. He said so no nausea, no fatigue? I said normal, sorry to confuse you by saying good! I explained that I figured that nausea and fatigue is normal so why complain about it.

Then he said something that gave me a transition to confirm my understanding that all patients at this practice deliver babies at Hospital A. He said yes, except premature babies go to Hospital B. I asked what Hospital A is like, if it's a fairly normal western hospital set up with separate labour, delivery and recovery rooms, or if it has a birthing center. He confirmed the former.

I asked if women in labour at Hospital A are allowed to eat or drink during labour, as I'm told this is important in maintaining your strength. He said it's up to the attending doctor, but that he doesn't allow women to eat and only drink a little liquids in case she has to have a c-section.

I said speaking of ceseareans, could he say what his rate of c-section babies is, or what the rate is for the practice or Hospital A. He said his own rate was 37%, like that was no big deal, and that he wasn't sure but he thought that both the practice and Hospital A had similar rates.

At that point I just wanted to get out of there! I started nodding and smiling and thanking him for his help and getting ready to leave. He reminded me that he was supposed to check the baby's heartrate with the fetoscope - very cool! So I let him do that but got the heck out of there after that.

I asked at the front desk about the practice mentioning having nurse midwives on staff on their website, and I was told, yes, that's the nice practitioner you saw last time (I've seen her a few times and she even remembered me when I reminded her of my maiden name, she's lovely). I said can I have her deliver my baby? But apparently this nurse midwife doesn't deliver babies. Surreal. I thought that was the what midwives do? I guess not...

So I went home, continued having a nasty cold. Watched this minor local event on CNN all day Tuesday and then was still feeling nasty and sick on Wednesday so I stayed home. Wednesday, I started Googling and found a few birthing centers. I called the closest one and quizzed them on their policies and practices, and really liked what I heard. I've made an appointment to see them for my next checkup - it will include an orientation and tour of the birthing center. I can bring DH and my doula if I want too!

So I'm a happy camper. We have this amazing, inspiring family in the White House, and I am on a path towards having the birth I really want to make happen.

As promised: photos

Right so I must be pregnant or just a bit nuts to be posting this, but DH was kind enough to indulge me by taking these this evening.

From body changes

I'm somewhere around 13 or 14 weeks pregnant, depending upon whom you ask. So I'm barely showing - what's showing is the fact that I was a little high from my ideal weight before getting pregnant and now can't diet. Nor do I have any energy plus have been blessed with the weird and random cravings... I haven't actually gained any weight according to the scale, but I think it's just compensated by muscle loss as I've not been for a run in ages...

From body changes

And in other news...

I got a letter from the Canadian govt today stating that I've been approved to sponsor my husband for immigration. I wasn't really concerned about whether or not I'd be approved, but it's the first confirmation that they have received the application.

And oh, yeah - yahoo! We're on our way to Canada. Happy dance. Of course, now they have to evaluate him, and our presentation of our relationship, but I think that's unlikely to be questioned. We've demonstrably been living together for ages as a married couple, and I've shown them that I've already sponsored him for his immigration to the US.

I realized last night on the phone with my cousin that now 2010 is next year. NEXT YEAR I'll be packing up my stuff and moving to Vancouver, looking for a new home and *sniff* a new job. But with a baby in tow who will need to learn to say eh!

Funny pregnant lady story #1

So when making the cunning plan to get pregnant, I started reviewing the fairly long list of prescription drugs I was taking. It's a long list, you know, for a healthy youngish person, at any rate. I was taking a lot of prescriptions.

Obviously, the Pill was the first to go. But then, there were several other drugs that were known to cause birth defects, and I stopped taking those early on. Then I went to the pharmacy and asked them to look at the things I have prescribed to me, and tell me what they recommended I stop taking. Basically, the pharmacist said "everything except those eye drops you take for seasonal allergies!" Wow. I hardly ever use those, too.

So I stopped taking all of these things. I guess the pharmacist didn't make a note of our conversation, because I guess about three or four months later, I got a phone call from the pharmacy. Nice young man asks if I've had a problem with the pharmacy, or a complaint, or if I've moved. What I heard of course is we're checking to see if you're still alive and maybe can woo you back with some excellent coupons.

(I explained why I'd not refilled any prescriptions in ages, he wished me luck and we bid each other adieu.)

I'd never gotten one of those are you still alive calls, from credit card companies, banks or pharmacies. Kind of nice that they care.