Saturday, December 31, 2011

Farewell 2011 - The Year of the Pregnancy

With each passing moment, it becomes more and more likely, and is now almost entirely certain, that this baby will not arrive in 2011. I find this a bit unfortunate both for the normal reasons (I am ready to be done, people are waiting on this baby, I want to meet the baby, I want the tax deduction, etc), and for the reason that 2011 has been "The Year of the Pregnancy" for us and it would be fitting if it ended in this year. The process of us getting pregnancy started in January. I started taking medication in February, and we got our BFP in April. We spent the rest of the year doing plenty of things, but everything was shaped around this pregnancy - planning for the baby, enjoying our time left as DINKS (duel income, no kids), preparing the house, the pets, and ourselves for this next adventure. Needless to say the year flew by. I am sure the next year will go even faster.

So what is this post really about? It is my last post of 2011. It has been a year full of good anticipation and preparing for change to come, and lots of good fortune. I am hoping our fortune continues into 2012 and this child comes into the world of its own accord very shortly, very healthily, and without too much drama.  Thank you 2011 for being a good year, I will toast to you tonight before toasting to a great 2012!

2011 Recap

January - I started the year ambitiously with several New Years resolutions and made steady progress on them.

February - Things went south at work as new policies began to be introduced that did not make sense in terms of productivity, and morale started to go down the toilet. We hosted our traditional Super Bowl party and had a good time.

March - I struggled with motivation, mostly because the medications I was on, but I couldn't really tell most people that. Morale continued to worsen at work. Aaron got a motorcycle. We went to see Les Miserables

April  - We got our BFP (Big Fat Positive!) - the news that we were pregnant, though we did not feel very secure about it. We went to my coworker's wedding. We hosted a massive formal dinner party that involved a murder mystery as well.

May - We started/continued to announce to the world that we were pregnant. We visited our friend in Illinois and spent my Birthday in St Louis.

June - DH flew to Duluth for an interview.  Because of this uncertainty, our social calendar was on hold, though I did go to the big Short North garage sale. We made it to the second trimester. I narrowed down my expectations for completing New Years resolutions, and then totally failed to continue working on them.

July - We spent Independence Day with our friends in Columbus. The final Harry Potter came out. .I felt baby move for the first time.

August - My parents visited for a nice long week. My In-Laws visited. I enjoyed ample use of the Worthington Farmer's Market. I took up swimming.

September - We went on a great Baby Moon to the East Coast! Then I got really sick and was hospitalized overnight. I spent the rest of the month recovering from this.

October - We hit the third trimester. I had my baby shower and lots of people came in for it, it was great seeing everyone!! I dressed as a wrecking ball for Halloween.

November - We took our birthing class and really cracked down on our "to do" list for baby. My ILs came for Thanksgiving.

December - DH applied for and received an interview for the job in Duluth. DH and I decided we were taking the plunge to move to Minnesota. We celebrated Christmas alone, "Jewish style". My ILs visited for the New Year with the hopes baby would arrive... so far, no go.




Monday, December 26, 2011

Not the News You Expected, but Awesome

Everyone is anxiously awaiting to hear when I have the baby, that they are healthy, how big they are, whether they are a boy or a girl.... well I still have not had the baby. I hope to go into labor any day and satiate this anxious waiting and excitement for you all, but it has not happened yet and as I am new to this, I could not even guess if I am getting close or not. My doctor does want to induce pretty quickly with the due date past, but the date is not set and we would prefer to avoid pitocin.

That said, I do have huge, life changing, giant, exciting, nerve wracking news that has nothing (or very little) to do with baby. DH and I have accepted a job offer for him in Duluth!! He starts on January 30th. Yeah. In case you were curious, we are insane. Who decides to move to Northern Minnesota in January with a four week old kid in one of the worst housing markets ever? On top of that, it is a pay cut for DH and I will be temporarily unemployed once my maternity leave ends. But it was sort of a "take the plunge" or don't moment. We have talked about moving to Duluth for a long time, and we knew it would be difficult, that DH would have a paycut. It is sort of like if we did not take this particular job it meant we were deciding that Duluth was not an option based on the general Duluth economy. We considered carefully together as a couple and ultimately decided that we want to give it a shot. We know it will be really tough financially, and the timing is poor, but it will put us in a location where we are surrounded by family and friends, where we have at least 7 adults who will drop anything to come to our aid if we need it (my parents, siblings and siblings spouses). We just imagine being able to go to my parents for dinner on a random weeknight, having people to call when our car breaks down or we run late and need the kid picked up from daycare, or having people to swing by with groceries when we get sick... etc etc etc. The decision was money versus everything else, and everything else won. If we are young and naive and it is the wrong decision, well, I guess you live and learn, but its a mistake we are willing to risk.

So of course there are a million new stressors. We need to replace at least one of our cars - the 300c is rear wheel drive and it won't work for the Minnesota winter we are jumping into. We have to sell our house, which of course has lost value since we bought it and is a mess. We have to figure out where we are moving to, where our stuff is moving to, where our pets are moving to, and how it all is getting there. I need to start looking for a job that will let me start in mid February to March. If I do find a job, we will need to find childcare. All of this on top of the fact that any day, any minute, I could go into labor and start the biggest adjustment of our lives as we welcome our first child. Exciting times, stressful times. Wish us luck :-)

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Night

Today was DH and my first Christmas with just us two, and probably if we are lucky our last - not because it was bad, but because we will have a child to celebrate with from now on.

We got up at our leisure. DH walked the dogs while I cooked breakfast sausages (sort of) like my Dad was doing back in Minnesota. While the sausages were baking we both wrapped presents. Then we made hot chocolate and sat down and unwrapped gifts and ate breakfast. After this was done, we looked at each other and were like "what now?". DH suggested we go to a movie, so after reading all the possibilities, we decided on The Descendants, which is "that one with George Clooney in Hawaii". So we headed down to Lennox and enjoyed the earliest showing. For the record, it was quite a good movie and I really enjoyed it. We made a bet - DH thought I would cry, I thought I would tough it out. He was right. His prize? Making me figure out where to eat. When the movie ended at like 1:30 we were both hungry so I said we should try China Dynasty. We drove over to it, and it was packed, had an hour wait, and a set menu/buffet for $30. No thank you on the wait or price. So we googled what was open but only found a list that was from 2010. We drove down through the Short North to downtown w/out finding anywhere open that was supposed to be. We figured out a lot of the places were opening later in the day, like 4pm. So, we decided to go to another movie. We went to Arena Grand and saw Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. It was very entertaining, much better than I thought it would be, but my standards were very low. After the movie we drove to Tip Top and had dinner there, then headed home, walked the dogs, called our families and friends, and settled in for a typical evening of internet and television.

Overall it was just a really relaxing day. We enjoyed spending all the time together and just going with the flow of things. Of course it would have been nice to be with parents and siblings and such, but since that was not an option we made the best of it and had a good time.

Now if only these occasional Braxton Hicks would turn into real labor. LOL


Friday, December 16, 2011

Quick Update

DH has been out of town since early yesterday morning. I am about 50% of the way through his trip, crossing my fingers (and legs, lol) that I don't go into labor. Obviously it is still early but I can't help but be paranoid, especially since I have had a lot more cramping etc (which could be early contractions) in the last couple of days.

I came home from work at 11am today. Used sick time for my own mental health. The ridiculous pregnancy hormones were messing with me. I also was really tired, and I have no idea why. I mean, besides the obvious "I am 38 weeks pregnant", I got plenty of sleep last night and it was good sleep.  (Only got up once overnight to pee, only woke up once because of being uncomfortable). So I am home napping this afternoon.

I  thought I had a bunch more to say, but that is it for now!


Thursday, December 15, 2011

Another Year Has Passed (2011) - 3

Exercise #31. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
- experienced pregnancy
- stayed in Cbus for Christmas

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I will write a whole other post about this!!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
2 cousins... welcome Graeme and Maggie!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not close enough for us to go to a funeral, thankfully.

5. What countries did you spend time in this year?
Just America. We did take a trip that took me through some new states though!

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A child!! Jobs in Minnesota.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I am hoping the birth of my first child, though it is still upcoming! Seeing the heartbeat for the first time.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
carrying a child for 9 months

9. What was your biggest failure?
I totally and utterly failed at my New Years resolutions in general, because I got distracted
I was not always as good of a friend as I could have been
I was self centered.

10. Did you suffer any serious injury or illness?
GI Bug leading to Dehydration resulting in an overnight hospital stay, but it was all OK

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A baby moon with DH. Priceless time together!!

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
DH has been awesome taking care of me this year.
Everyone who has been so great and generous in helping us prepare!!

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and/or depressed?
The tea party
The media

14. Where did most of your money go?
baby stuff, medical stuff

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The upcoming birth of our first child! Smaller things - visits from my parents, ILs, the baby shower, Harry Potter 7.2, Twilight 4.1 releases. Baby moon to Boston. Hosting Thanksgiving for the first time.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
That song that hamsters dance to in the Kia Soul commercial
Baby Baby Baby

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? fatter!!!
c) richer or poorer? richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Laughing (can you ever do this too much??)
Cleaning. People say this never makes the list of things you wish you had spent more time doing, but really our habits are abominable.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Stressing, internet using (ironically)

20. How did you spend Christmas?
We will be in Cbus, but not sure what we are doing.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
I am totally in love, there is no more need for falling :-)

22. What are the main websites you used?
Gmail, Columbus Nesties message board, facebook, blogspot

23. Did you write anything worth reading this year?
no.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
My normal reality trash. Top Chef Just Desserts, Project Runway, Chopped

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I try to avoid hating people, it never brings anything good.

26. What was the best book you read?
I hardly read anything this year, and none of them were master pieces, so I will go with "Already Dead" which is a vampire book that was quite entertaining.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
At the beginning of the year I listened to a lot of classic rock etc and learned that I like some of those old classics, like Pearl Jam and Guns N Roses

28. What did you want and get?
a pregnancy

29. What did you want and not get? Jobs in Duluth, a lottery win

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Harry Potter 7.2

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 27. I have no idea what I did. I think we were in st Louis with the ILs and went out for dinner?

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A healthy birth before the year ends hopefully!! Nothing else comes to mind

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
maternity cute

34. What kept you sane?
DH, friends and family

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
It does not really change.Johnny Depp is always on top

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I was pissed at everyone in congress for their general lack of progress and cooperation.

37. Who did you miss?
Everyone who does not live in Columbus!!

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Some new nesties!

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011?
Stay on the sunny side


40. What word or phrase sums up this year?
Pregnancy!!!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Anothe Year Has Passed (2011) - 2

Exercise #2
 The instructions are simple:
Post the first lines of the first entry of each month of the past year.

January
Of all the ways I thought I would spend my New Years Eve, sick with sinus yuckiness and a massive headache that would send me to bed by 10pm was not one of them. It was a perfect storm of various headache catalysts, and probably the first time I have not stayed up until midnight since I was a toddler

February
I'm an icey girl, in an icey world... liking plastic (scrapers), its fantastic...

March
Things I learned in the last few days:
"paczki's" are polish pastries (sort of jelly filled donuts) that are served on Fat Tuesday.

April
HP1 - warm, cheerful, comfortable, wondrous, embracing HP2 - mysterious, curious, naive, confused, youthful

May
Things that did not get done over the weekend: starting my sewing project, straigtening the disaster that is my office.


June
I know. Its been a while. And its not like things have not happened, because they have. I am not sure exactly why I have been avoiding posting.

July
I was thinking about how the U.S. is far from the only country with red, white, and blue as their flag colors - the other obvious ones are UK, Australia, and France. However, the U.S. is the only country to become so fixated, but that is relatively common.

August
My parents arrived on Monday afternoon for a visit - just in time for my appt, so they got to hear the babies heartbeat, which was a lot of fun!

September
As Promised - the picture "catch up" session!!
M, R, and I at the Farmer's Market in July. We snapped this pic because we were not sure when the three of us would be together again, and its good we did. Since the pic was taken M went to Mexico for extended research and R moved to L.A.!
 October
I know, I know.. I spent SO LONG "catching up" on the trip that I now have not had a current post for three weeks... But this is the only place I have that detailed account of my trip because I did not keep a journal on the trip like I normally do, so it was really more for me than for you.

November
If you are sick of me only blogging about pregnancy, then you probably should not bother reading this post. I can't help it, it of course dominates my life. I feel like I am a very boring person right now as most of my energy and thoughts are pregnancy related, whether it be what I need to eat, how tired I am, or something I need to ask at my next appointment.

December
I am pretty sure the answer is "yes!" to all of them... but this is what is new with me.


Monday, December 12, 2011

Another Year Has Passed (2011) - 1

If you read this blog regularly you may recall I have three end-of-the-year MeMes to complete, not to mention resolutions to discuss. Here is the first.

1 minute ago... I was trying to load my Cbusnestie message board, which is down.
1 hour ago... I shopping with DH for a new digital camera.
1 day ago... I was watching Giants vs Cowboys on Sunday Night Football
1 month ago... It was Veteran's day weekend and I was relaxing, trying to get stuff done for baby.
1 year ago... I was enjoying a random day off with DH before heading to Duluth for Thanksgiving
1 decade ago... I was a senior in High School, waiting for college acceptance letters.
1 lifetime ago... I think I was in revolutionary in Russia

5 minutes ago... I was on facebook discussing my new camera purchase
5 hours ago... I was on the phone with my friend in Georgia
5 days ago... I was 37w pregnant, feeling as miserable as I have this entire pregnancy
5 monthes ago... I was super excited because Harry Potter 7.2 was about to come out!
5 years ago... I was celebrating my first Christmas as a married woman, living in an itty bitty apartment by OSU campus with our tiny Christmas tree and our one cat, Nox.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Big Changes Ahead

There is so much going on here, and so little at the same time.

DH is interviewing for a job in MN this upcoming Friday. He will be gone Thursday-Saturday. Hopefully baby does not come. I don't think the baby will come, there are not many signs of progress, but I can't help but be nervous about it. We will see how contrary this baby is I guess!! We will have even more stress if DH is offered the job, some big decisions to make as it could be a very stressful move, and would also be choosing to lower our income significantly, but we would be where we wanted to be, and closer to a family support system.  There are SO many variables and some big decisions upcoming.

Because of this interview, a lot of stuff that was on my baby "to do" list is being put off, because its things that are counter productive if we end up moving soon, like finishing hanging decorations in the nursery, assembling the crib (we have the pack&play up and running for those early months), getting the second car seat installed, etc. Its a holding pattern in many regards.

I know I have not been posting much. I don't know when I got out of the habit of posting, but I did, and I definitely want to get back INTO the habit as this blog is about keeping people up to date on my life, and with the baby people will want even more updates. I am pretty sure this will be one of my New Years resolutions.

Last weekend we went to get the Christmas Tree. I have pics from this, but our camera has died, so I can't get them  off easily. I will need to borrow someones camera to switch memory cards with, or find someone w/a card reader. Also, we need to replace the camera ASAP. Its a horrible time for it to die. We are debating getting an SLR, but I think we will end up with a point and shoot for now, especially with all the uncertainty. Its difficult to decide. But, the house is all decorated for Christmas. I bought stockings for DH and I since we don't have any here in Columbus, having never spent a Christmas here.

If the house decorations are not enough to get us in the Holiday Spirit, I also had a number of Christmas celebrations this week, the two most notable being our Annual Holiday lunch on Friday with my work unit, and the Nestie Christmas Party on Saturday night. Both were great and I got great secret santa gifts.

In one final note, I wanted to comment on something that won't matter to anyone except the nesties that read this. So a few months ago (August/September), there was a huge bit of drama on my message board I use and it split into two. The new board was meant to me more welcoming and inclusive than the old board had become. I am still a member of both boards. This week there were parallel posts that allowed real insight into how different the two boards are even after such a short time separated. On both boards there was a post about the Duggar's - the TV reality stars of "19 Kids and Counting" who just experienced a very late (20week) miscarriage on their 20th pregnancy. On the new board, the response was overwhelmingly and exclusively "that is so sad/tough, would never wish that on anyone, its making me tear up, can't imagine how hard that is for them" etc etc etc. On the old board the response was "that is sad, they really shouldn't be trying for kids, they are not being good parents" etc etc etc. I am pretty sure when I need support I will be posting on the new board, thank you very much.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Is this Normal?

I am pretty sure the answer is "yes!" to all of them... but this is what is new with me.


Is it normal that....
... I have to pee every time I go from seated to standing position?
... my ankles are routinely the size of large oranges?
... my "morning" sickness and related food aversions are back?
... I keep getting anxious for no reason, or about things that I can't control, like hospital bills and the baby's position?
... my hands swell, especially at night, and the finger joints hurt?
... I am feeling like we need to get everything done for the nursery NOW, even things that don't really need to be done before the baby arrives?
... after never questioning it for one second in my entire life, I am NOW questioning if I will like being a parent?

I think that about sums it up. As I said, pretty sure this is all normal for 36w2d pregnant. 25 days to go. I am trying to get a lot of walking done, keep that baby weight where it needs to be to naturally progress towards labor. I may even get a yoga ball for work. As mentioned I am a bit "morning" sick again, which sucks by the way. DH is doing good though in taking care of me.