August 2010 Archives
Very Accomplished (Aug 27 2010)
In addition to working a half day today, I did a lot of work on this website. It's been a while since I played with Movable Type enough to actually make it work for me, but I figured it out! Links to archives and individual entries work, and you can now post comments. Whew!
Also, we had the changing table delivered yesterday, and Will got it all set up (including a safety wall anchor that will keep it from being tipped over). Now that the last element of the nursery is in place, I thought I'd post some photos.
View of the nursery from the entrance door.
View of the futon, shelving, and window plants.
We received this baby blanket, cross-stitched by my aunt Linda. Thanks Linda - it's beautiful!
Pooh and Rabbit on one of the shelves over the futon, along with children's books.
End table in the corner near the window. Olivia bought us the Golden Gate photo from BlurboMat.
The other corner, with Ikea chair and nursing pillow.
That's catnip growing in the planter on the window sill.
Corner chair with changing table and bear prints from ZukZuk.
Lastly, changing table and crib, with Dana's baby quilt hanging up.
So we're all ready to go - Calapitter's back up to snuff and the nursery's done! Now all we need is the baby.
Posted by Rebecca at 06:37 | Comments (0)
38 Weeks, 6 Days (Aug 26 2010)
The countdown to Dana's due date is now in the single digits - eight days remain. Since I have not been having any serious contractions or even regular Braxton Hicks (false labor contractions), I asked how long the doctor would let me go past due if the baby decides to stay where she is. They will only allow me to go a week over before inducing, so at the latest, Dana will come into the world on September 10, just two weeks from tomorrow. Ready or not, here she comes.
For the most part, we are ready.
- The changing table, after much delay and confusion, will be delivered this evening, which means I'll be able to put away all Dana's little socks and diapers and miscellaneous baby gear (all currently taking up space in her crib).
- The cradle has been outfitted with a fancy new Naturepedic mattress and sheets, paid for using the gift card from my baby shower at work.
- Speaking of work, I finished training my replacements on Monday, and yesterday was my last day of commuting to the office downtown. I'll be working from home through next Thursday, and official maternity leave begins on Friday September 3 (Dana's due date). I plan to take off nine weeks (six with pay, three without), and return to work around November 8.
- Lastly, we had tried several times to get a consultation visit with a pediatrician, and after several rounds of phone tag, still had not managed to get an appointment booked. However, we were invited to the birthday party for the daughter of one of Will's professors, where we had the chance to speak to other parents from the neighborhood, many of them affiliated with the University. One couple from the UK, who had their twins at the same hospital we're using, told us that it's OK not to have a pediatrician lined up ahead of time - the hospital will set you up with one, and if you end up not liking him or her, you can always change. It was a great relief to hear this, since I felt like -- what kind of terrible parent am I, unable to arrange a simple appointment with my baby's doctor? So I'm glad that's settled.
We had our 38-week appointment on Monday. I'm up to 40 lb weight gain. Yes, that's right, 10 lbs in two weeks. I'm hoping the majority of that is water retention due to heat and stress. We have been lucky with the weather: temperatures have stayed in the 80s, with only occasional spikes into the 90s. Stress-wise, the past two or so weeks have been a push to get things wrapped up. Will was busy with his last week of teaching, while I had to put in longer hours at work to make sure the transition to maternity leave would go smoothly. I can definitely tell when I've worked a 10-hour day versus an 8 hour day, because my feet would be twice as swollen and everything kinda hurt when I got home.
Now we're in the home stretch, both working from home, waiting for Dana. Hopefully we can get some good rest in the next few days/weeks. It appears that the weather will be nice, though not particularly conducive to labor: no major storms or drops in barometric pressure to get this baby moving.
Anyway, it will allow us to take some nice walks. Last weekend, we walked about 2.5 miles one day, and a little over 3 another day. Our average walk (out to the Promontory Point at back) is just over 1.2 miles, a really lovely stroll on cool evenings.
Posted by Rebecca at 10:30 | Comments (0)
36 Weeks, 5 Days (Aug 11 2010)
The closer we get to D-Day (D for Dana), the faster time seems to go by. I think this is probably a good thing since I am feeling less than 100% (unwieldy, hot and sweaty, sausage-fingered and swollen-ankled) these days. We are slowly chipping away at the list of things we need to do:
- We still don't have a changing table. Pottery Barn Kids says the chest of drawers is ready but the top part which makes it also a changing table is on back order. We were given August 14 as the magic date, but that's in 3 days.
- Nan mailed us the cradle on Monday and it arrived today. This is the cradle that Bela made (and had published in Fine Woodworking's Design Book Four). It is so beautiful and cheerful -- I could not be happier that Dana gets to use the same cradle, where her father and aunt slept as babies.
- Still working on getting a consultation with a pediatrician, as we continue to play phone tag. This is not encouraging behavior from someone we will want to return our calls right away.
- As for work responsibilities, I have all but made it through my last close before maternity leave. I have one more piece to finish up by Monday. After this, the job will be to transition responsibility to my replacements as smoothly as possible. Except for the new girl, who starts August 23 (2 days before my anticipated last day in office), everyone has been trained.
We have the 37-week doctor's appointment tomorrow. This is the last appointment meeting the other doctors in the practice. Next week we go back to seeing my doctor. So far the OB I like best in the practice is the one we met last week - he was friendly but professional, on time but not rushed. When we were listening to Dana's heartbeat, he looked over my belly and said "Hey, no stretchmarks!".. to which I replied, "Not there, anyway." He got a kick out of that.
As of last week's appointment, I was up to 30 lbs on the weight gain. I'm fairly confident that most of what I'm gaining these days is water weight, since I'm about as bloated and puffy as can be (see "sausage-fingered and swollen-ankled" above).
Last thing: pictures. A couple from when we hung Dana's quilt over her crib, and some of her cute footie PJs and assorted clothing we got at Target a few weeks ago.
Posted by Rebecca at 08:50 | Comments (0)
35 Weeks, 5 Days (Aug 04 2010)
It's hard to believe that there are only 30 days left until Dana's due date, September 3rd. Time seems to be simultaneously creeping by (so excited to meet her!) and flying by (so much left to do!) We are still waiting on the delivery of the Pottery Barn changing table we ordered a MONTH ago; as of yesterday, the "latest possible" shipment date would be August 14. Don't these people know I could have a BABY by then? (Probably not, but it's possible.)
Will's baby cradle is supposed to make its way up from Memphis to Chicago sometime this month. I'll have to order a mattress pad to go inside the cradle, but they sell those on Amazon, so that's no big deal.
We have yet to choose a pediatrician, or even speak to one, except over the phone. I am hoping to get a consultation scheduled with one or two of them for this Friday afternoon, to talk about the practice and and ask questions and get to know them. Of course, I'll have to do some research and put together a big list of questions first.
The main thing I am spending my energy on (besides carrying around this lovely giant baby) is getting things at work ready for my maternity leave. This means training people on my responsibilities, and communicating the transition of responsibility to everyone. Next week is close week (my last before Dana is born), which will be pretty intense. But after that, my replacements will be handle more of my stuff to get some practice before I really leave, so my workload will get lighter and lighter as time goes by. Yay!
I haven't done my little pregnancy check-in list in a while so...
Total Weight Gain: 25 lbs as of my appointment 2 weeks ago. I'm probably past 30 lbs at this point, I'll find out an official number tomorrow when we go back to the doctor. This appointment tomorrow is the first of the weekly appointments - exciting! (Not because I love going to the doctor, but because it means our baby is coming soon-ish and requires closer monitoring.)
Maternity Clothes: My stomach is roughly the size of a beach ball or watermelon, so maternity clothes is all I'm wearing these days. It's so big that some of my maternity tops are getting too short.. I'm going to have to upgrade to some kind of tent. My feet are starting to swell - we're lucky it's not cold out or I would need maternity socks too.
Best Moment This Week: It's been a pretty good week so far, lots of good moments to choose from. Visiting my parents in St Louis last weekend, listening to Great Expectations with Will in the car, gossipping with Olivia and Laura last night.. all lots of fun.
Tonight I'm going to ask Will to take me to the pool - he got me a "spouse of student" membership a few weeks ago, and we're really taking advantage. One trip to the pool can keep me from getting really uncomfortable for several days, it's just a great way to get a (very) little exercise, some great stretching, and a lot of relief from gravity. I think Dana enjoys being in the water too, she likes to do little dances in my belly when we're swimming.
Movements: Any time baby Dana moves, I feel it. There's no extra room in there anymore for her to float around unencumbered. She's head-down at this point, and should stay that way until she's born, so I mainly feel her hiccups and stretches. She typically gets hiccups about 2-5 times a day, around mealtimes like me, though sometimes she wakes me up in the middle of the night with the tiny spasms.
Also, based on what I feel, we're pretty sure she has her legs bent and knees tucked up at her chest, with her feet and heels by her butt. During weeks 32-34, she really had one of her feet dug up in the left side of my ribs, and was causing really painful bruising. However, I think she's found something more comfortable for both of us, since it's not bothering me this week.
The other thing she does is jab with her elbows, or sometimes lightly scrape them along my sides. So far it doesn't really hurt, but it might start to as she continues to pack on the pounds. Speaking of pounds, she's supposed to be somewhere around 6.3 lbs this week. Big baby!
Food Cravings: none
Belly Button: Oddly variable between definite innie, flat, and just barely an outie.
Overall: Feeling excited, impatient, alternately anxious/unprepared and so-totally-ready-let's-get-this-show-on-the-road, physically large and sluggish and slightly swollen. Can you tell I need an evening at the pool? :)
Posted by Rebecca at 12:59 | Comments (0)