Baby shower #2: I could get used to this! - 32 weeks, 5 days
Yesterday, the baby, Alex and I were guests of honor at another baby shower. Brenda and James did a fab job hosting, with help from Melissa.
Melissa made sure there were no silly games, just a fun little activity - write a question down that any new parent would ask. Then all the questions are mixed up and without reading the question you got, you had to write down an answer. I laughed at all of them!
Once again, the baby got a HUGE haul of loot! Plenty of outfits, a video monitor, really cool activity table/walker, Target gift cards, hooded towels, onesies, sleepers, all sorts of great gifts! Later on, I called my mom with a recap and noted that almost all of the clothes the baby received are pink. Sure hope they didn't make a mistake on the gender at our last sonogram! Ha!
I got a chance to chat with Melissa about the PT to FT job offer, and I feel better. While I'm going to be stuck in the job from hell with the evil elf boss until the baby is born, at least I'll have a FT commitment from the good place. Then I won't have to go back to the hell after my maternity leave. Unfortunately, I've already used up almost all my floating holidays and half of my accrued sick days. Oh well! WhatEVER! I'm just grateful not to have to worry about infant child care.
2006-02-18 (32 weeks)
OK to return to work... physically, anyway! -32 weeks, 4 days I had my post-bed rest follow-up visit yesterday. I am such a dork! Guess I can blame having a "prego-brain," but deep down, I know better.
My appointment was for 1:45, so I did a little PT work on the laptop in the morning, then started to put my shoes on to leave at around 12:15. Drove out to the doctor's office, walked up to the front desk and gave my name. The person at the desk said "I don't see you in here. What's your birth date?"
So I gave her my birth date and looked at the clock. Doh! It was only 12:35! I was over AN HOUR EARLY! I shook my head and apologized for being a dork and not being able to tell time. "Well, your appointment isn't until NEXT week, the 24th," the girl said, "you're on a two-week schedule."
"Um, no. That can't be. I've been on bed rest this week and needed a one-week follow-up," I told her.
"Oh. OK," she said, and managed to get me an appointment right then to see the doctor. VERY cool! This doctors practice ROCKS!
Anyway, my weight was down by 3 pounds, which was good, as before the bed rest, I had gained 6 pounds in only 2 weeks. So I must have been retaining fluid and really swelling. My blood pressure was up to 130/80, however. Elevated from last week, even.
The doctor was very nice and asked if I needed more time or if I was ok to go back. "Well," I told him, "if I don't go back, I'll have to have this baby at my desk!"
He took my measurement and we heard the baby's heartbeat. Then he started to push various areas of my belly, and kind of focused on a spot high on my ribs. "I think that's a head," he said.
Aha! No wonder why that spot has been so sore! This little girl has been banging her head on my ribs! I was a little surprised that she hasn't turned yet. I know there's still around 7 weeks to go, but I would have thought she would at least go head down.
So all day yesterday, I would push my hand on that area to feel her head. It's pretty neat that I can cup my hand around it, for the most part anyway.
As far as the FT offer goes, well I know now why my blood pressure is up! I was expecting to get an offer to go FT at the other company BEFORE the baby arrives, but it now looks like I've been misled again and won't get anything until afterwards.
I only hope that I can get some sort of committment for FT from this company! I am so afraid that they'll reneg on the whole thing and I'll be stuck in the corporate hell, with NO sick time, and no vacay, while having to stick my child in day care!
I had such high hopes, and now all I can do is weep because nothing seems to be working out and I feel my time is running out and I have no other plan to fall back on. I'm losing hope and stressing out, which is not healthy and not helping, and but I can' stop, especially with an overdose of hormones racing throuh my system!
2006-02-16 (32 weeks)
This one goes out to Baby - 32 weeks, 1 day
Dear Baby,
Well, this is the first journal entry I'm addressing to you alone. We have roughly 8 weeks before we can finally meet face to face, but in the meantime, I enjoy having you close inside. You've been pretty active these past couple of days, maybe because I've had to be a big couch sloth this week. In any case, you just keep growing and developing, and I'll take care of everything else.
Daddy is so cute with you already. He watches you move around inside my belly when I'm sleeping and you're playing. When people ask if he's getting excited, he says "Yes, I am!" I can tell how much he loves you already and I love him all the more for it. He's going to be a great dad. And you are going to be surrounded by people who love and adore you when you arrive!
We're ready to welcome you home, although not everything is exactly the way we want them yet. Your room is painted and we've set up the crib and changing station. Grandma and cousin Debra bought you a porta-crib with a bassinet, where you'll sleep for the first few weeks. Daddy and I set it up last night. I also set up your bouncey seat and play gym, just because they were so cute, I couldn't help myself!
Back to grandma - you are one lucky little girl! Already I can tell you are going to be the favorite, but don't tell your cousins or uncle Rob! As the only grandchild nearby, I know your grandma is going to want to spend every second with you. And she'll probably smother you in all kinds of dolls and girly stuff - just don't let her get too girly on you!
I'm sure you'll be a shining star in grandpa's eyes, too. As the only grandchild with his last name, and the third "A.C." in the line, I bet he tries to spoil you too! Bottom line - you're going to be blessed beyond belief with lots of adoring fans! Just don't let it go to your head!
Anyway, it's late and we should both get some rest. Remember that no matter what worldly things are beyond your grasp in this life, you will always have an abundance of love from all of us -
especially from your mommy and daddy!
2006-02-12 (31 weeks)
Blood pressure, bed rest, and a baby shower - 31 weeks, 5 days
So here I am, reclined on the couch with a fuzzy gray cat curled up between my knees. Baby is kicking, enjoying the syrupy pancakes I consumed. After this entry, I'll probably take a little cat nap of my own, provided Bean doesn't beat me up too much!
I had a doctor appointment on Friday. I was running on only about 4 hours sleep, thanks to trying to handle two jobs and spending 8 hours a day in a hostile work environment. Anyway, I decided to tell the doctor about all the stress I'm feeling, which resulted in nosebleeds and a flare up of eczema that feels like my face is peeling off my head. Well, as I thought about how crappy my boss has been and how the HR manager only made excuses for him, I started to tear up. I couldn't help it. Fortunately, I was able to get it under control by the time the doctor came in.
I told the doctor how stressed I was and he noted that my BP was up and there was some swelling, plus I had gained 6 lbs in 2 weeks, which could indicate some fluid retention. He asked if I could handle it or if I needed a break, so I chose the break. He signed me out on bed rest for one week until I could go back in and be re-evaluated. Yay! I was a little out of it, probably because I had been so tired all week, but I managed to go back to work, hand over the doctor's note to the boss and leave. Ah! Then I slept for about an hour and a half.
I decided that bed rest did not mean I had to miss my baby shower on Saturday. Debra really outdid herself with such extravagance! It was a luncheon at Maggiano's Little Italy and was great! Lots of food, great conversation, and a truckload of gifts! Good gracious! What a haul little Bean took in! It filled every empty spot in my truck - toys and clothes, and bedding, and balloons and baby paraphernalia of all sorts were piled up to the headliner.
For games: "don't say 'baby'" - everyone got a pacifier necklace, and if someone caught you saying the word "baby" they could take yours. "Lucky Duck" - little sealed game piece each person got. If yours contained a duck, not a crying baby, you win. "Baby Names" - Match the names to their meaning (I only got 2 of 18 right!) "Prizes for Laura" - any time someone won a game, I got a prize. (Sounds fair to me!!)
Then there was my favorite game - "Tray of baby items." Cousin Donna carried around a tray of 8 baby items for everyone to see. We all thought we would have to list all the items on the tray after everyone had a chance to see them. Wrong! Donna left the room, and several people started writing down what they could remember. Debra said, "Well, I hope you're writing the correct answers, because there are questions to this game!" Then, she started to ask us questions about what Donna was wearing - was she wearing a watch? Describe her shoes (I wrote down "there were 2 of them!") Describe Donna's outfit. Was she wearing earrings? What kind of pin was she wearing? Did she still have her pacifier necklace? How many items were on the tray? Too funny!
It took a long time to open all the gifts, and I was even trying to rush through them before we got kicked out of the room. They filled up 2 tables! I will certainly be busy while I'm off this week - writing Thank You notes!
