anxious!

My due date is now a mere 18 days away and it could really happen at any time! I'm excited and nervous and generally I have an undercurrent of excitement, nervousness and anxiety running through me at all times. It's always in the back of my mind - the question of "Oh my....what is this pain - is this a contraction?" with every ache and pain. However, the baby hasn't dropped yet (I don't think), so I don't think it's happening any time soon. My bowels have become a little looser though (I know T.M.I), but I can blame that on eating Christmas food maybe. Our next doctor's appointment is on Wednesday and it's the big 37 week appointment that I have been waiting for. We will get to see it, and they will do a vaginal exam, so I will know if I'm dilated or anything. The non-stress test will happen again and that will tell me if I am having any contractions, which as of last week I was not. So....these days I really look forward to going to the doctor! We've been going to dinner and going on dates - 2 movies and the ballet (Nutcracker - magical) as to take advantage of the fact that I am in NYC and I don't have to work right now, so that is an added bonus. Fingers crossed! I'd like to make it to close to the due date. I want a 2009 baby - and I like the idea of Jan 20th...inauguration day! That would be cool.

a perfectly timed break

I feel VERY lucky that the company I work for allows us all the time off between Christmas and New Year's. It's been great in the past to travel home (see last post) but this time it's great because I can get some rest and go to movies and to dinner and take a lot of naps. I am starting to feel this weight that I am carrying around, and it's heavy - so it's a real treat to be able to be home and take naps and rest and do what I want! I can't believe this baby is going to come out soon. Still so surreal! I am starting to realize why people say things like "I can't wait to get this baby out of me" etc....I always felt like that is a mean thing to say and kind of harsh, and I still don't think I will ever say it, but I am slowly realizing why it's said. And I realize it at night when every night is more uncomfortable than the last, to the point that I have recently said that I hate sleeping. Naps are ok, but trying to be comfortable for 8+hours is impossible and kind of torturous! I can't wait to sleep on my back again. And I can't wait to meet the baby, but I still enjoy knowing that it's safe inside of me!

Christmas in the US

I'm Canadian, and I usually spend Xmas with my mom and dad and brother, but this year marked the 2nd time ever that I was not able to be with them! Being that I'm due in 3 weeks, flying to a remote town in Saskatchewan that is over an hour away from a hospital is not a good idea. Plus, I think some airlines don't even let you fly when you're within 30 days of your due date. I can see a lot of people lying about that though. It's really nice to be here in NY though. We spent xmas eve with my husband's aunt in NJ, and it was a mere 2 hour drive, and then we went to Long Island to his parent's house. It was many more people than I am used to, but a really nice and festive time with a big family. There were 2 young kids there too - our nephew/godson AJ who is about 15 months, and his cousin who is near the same age. EVERYONE was like "go to dinner now when you still can" and dispensing all sort of random advice. It was funny to hear their opinions on certain things, like epidurals etc. But the dinner thing is good advice and we went out yesterday to see Milk, which was amazing, and tonight we're going to see the Nutcracker, which is one of my xmas presents from my husband. I've never seen it and I look forward to it! Tomorrow I'm hoping for another movie too!

an early family change

On Monday, we had to take our other cat, Ravioli to the vet as he had been losing weight and coughing and generally not doing well. Sadly he was suffering from Lymphoma, an enlarged spleen, fluid in his lungs and a host of other stuff...he wasn't doing well at all, and the doctor said he wouldn't have much time left and would go further downhill fast, So....my husband made the tough decision to put him down, as there was no way to tell if he was comfortable or not and he would have just gone severly downhill and it would have been terribly sad to watch and worse for him. It was really sad, but I think he made the right decision. Cats are so hard to judge as they keep their feelings to themselves and when they start acting sick, they are often on their last legs. Ravioli had been with my husband for 10 years, so it was REALLY hard to say goodbye and still is. He was a real trooper about it and we will miss our beloved cat.

how did the classes go?

I really enjoyed our birth classes, and I think my husband did too. They were super informative. I was really worried about 2 days in a row of 7.5 hours each, and worried about being bored/falling asleep, etc, but there really wasn't a dull moment. We covered it all and watched movies of many births. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday and I now have a lot of questions for my doctors in relation to the kind of birth I would like to have.....natural. I've known this all along but the classes solidified a couple of things for me. Mainly, that I don't wish to have an epidural. It seems scary and I think the risks outweigh the benefits, so I really don't want one. I would like to ask our doctors about fetal monitoring, birthing positions, laboring positions, and many other topics that I wouldn't have know to ask had it not been for the classes! I just really hope I like the answers!

birth classes!!!

This is our birth class weekend! My husband is NOT looking forward to 2 intensive days taking up our weekend, but I am looking forward to getting them done! Everyone asks me if I'm ready to have this baby, and my answer lately has been "not until I get these classes taken!" I'm quite glad we'll be getting them over with and I hope we learn some good stuff!

ankles and feet

Yikes! My ankles are starting to swell! Slowly but surely I can see them getting bigger. About a week or so I started wearing my hubby's socks since they're all old and worn out and baggy, as when I wore mine, I got an elastic line that looked like I was cutting off my circulation. Whoops. I think it's going to be so weird when they get giant. I've seen pregnant friends ankles and they can look like elephantiasis! Oh, and my feet are starting to hurt after not much walking. I guess this is all related, plus the fact that they are carrying about 30 extra pounds at this point. Oh, and I took off my engagement ring earlier this week....the wedding ring doesn't have much room either. Let's just hope my shoes still fit me for a while longer. In this weather, I don't think wearing flip flips is an option.