Sunday 3 December 2017

Getting ready/Not ready

One of the things I struggled with in my pregnancy with AJ, even after reaching third trimester, was having the confidence to get ready for an actual baby. A month or so from delivery, I needed a push from my mom to go buy baby clothes.

With regards to clothes at least, I've gotten over this aversion. I have organized AJ's tiny stuff with the intention that Sprite will wear lots of hand me downs, but I want her to have things of her own, too. So I took a few minutes one day and bought some "going home outfits:

Kitty cat ears are a thing...and yes those are AJ's toes...


We are also on a schedule, and (were) mostly sticking to it, to get the house ready for a second baby. We already have all the major baby items (furniture, stroller, bassinet, highchair etc.) so not much needs to be done there. Most of the work involves tidying and reorganizing the house to free up the extra bedroom. AJ's baby furniture will move into her sister's bedroom and she will get big girl furniture. Mr. Turtle and I will get a new item or two as well as we move clothes and other possessions into our master bedroom.  Sounds simple, in reality it's actually a lot of work.

I was anxious to have these steps done as I wanted to focus on nesting in December, and Christmas stuff, not on house jobs. But seeing as it is December already, this is not likely going to happen. My visions of peacefully making batches of Christmas cookies with AJ and adding sentimental touches to Sprite's room on peaceful weekend afternoons as the Christmas music plays and snow falls softly outside.....natch. For one thing, we keep getting sick. Weekends arrive and one or more is down for the count and the other staggers around in a daze trying to get enough done to survive and be sort of ready for Monday. My Christmas hat and apron is lost somewhere at school, misplaced on an afternoon when things went south (see below for more on that). Hopefully not irretrievably lost.  I've also been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and not sure anymore if I'm managing it well enough through diet.  I'm still hoping to make some cookies, but I bowed out of a cookie exchange with a friend and her friends. I'm sorry about that because I'm really trying to do more play dates and social things. But it just ain't gonna happen. Also, immersing myself in sugar and baking is probably not the best thing for the GD.

I also need some time to be mentally ready for a baby.  I had a reminder of that a couple of Fridays ago, when I had some unusual symptoms, possibly related to the gestational diabetes. I had an ultrasound at 30 weeks that showed Sprite exactly on the 50th percentile, healthy and practicing breathing.  Also, my initial tracking of the GD showed it under control. So that was all positive.

Usually the GD is symptomless, but this particular Friday I drank part of a juice box (not my usual behaviour: long-ish story involving various events at work leading to self-neglect and dehydration). A few minutes later, after the students had left for their gym class, I found I was having trouble seeing the words on my phone and computer screen. After 10 minutes of shaking my head and squinting, I realized something was kinda wrong. A google search revealed that blurry vision can be a symptom of high blood sugar. I didn't take a blood sugar reading (why not? No idea. I'm not always logical).  I went to the office so I would be around people if I passed out or something. I ate protein and the blurriness eventually went away...but then I developed a headache. After a few phone calls, I ended up in labour and delivery to be "checked out." I think this was mainly because my regular doctors were not in the office to see me (being Friday afternoon and all) and the nurses on the health help line almost ALWAYS tell you to go to emergency or the hospital.....sigh.

So, I spend several boring hours in L&D. I was hooked up to a heartbeat monitor. Sprite kept moving around which didn't make it easy to get the readings. I was also tracking movement with a button. I had blood and urine tests. It all checked out fine, other than showing I was dehydrated. My blood sugar was fine by the time I got to the hospital. I think the  reason they kept me so long was my symptoms were similar to those of serious conditions like high blood pressure (which I didn't have) or pre-eclampsia (nobody mentioned that but I googled it, ha).

I consider it a good sign of my mental health that I was not freaking out about being in L&D. I can imagine if this happened during my first pregnancy I would have been terrified. But mainly I felt bored and wished I could get out of there already. I also saw women in labour coming in and others leaving with new babies. I definitely do not feel ready for that! Maybe in a month, maybe after meeting with out doula....not now!  I was so desperate to be OUT OF THERE.  Luckily we had a date to go to a long time friend's open house (they are moving out of town). Albeit arriving late we had a good time there, played silly games and enjoyed some laughter therapy.

So, overall things are fine. My early Christmas wishes are for 1) better health in general for our family and 2) time and energy to accomplish things. It's frustrating to feel stagnant and like things are piling up around me, while I drag my butt around.  It remains to be seen what happens with the GD, but I hope I can keep my good attitude.

On a positive note we went for maternity photos a few weeks ago, and they turned out lovely. Since we had these beautiful photos, I did something I have not done before and officially announced the pregnancy on Facebook. The wave of support and happiness resulting has cheered up a dreary weekend. And it was nice to see what a few hundred dollars to professional photographers/hairdressers could do for our image. It's worth it.  A few examples that are sufficiently anonymous for the blog follow:





15 comments:

  1. Gorgeous photos! I love the colour of your top/frock!! Sorry to hear about the GD, hopefully it is still under control with diet and Sprite continues happily along the 50th percentile. Hopefully you will get plenty of time to organize and nest before Sprite arrives, but try not to fret- newborns do sleep a lot and it is possible to really get stuff done (though you may not want to- newborn cuddles always sound better than getting things done and AJ will need some time alone with her mama).

    I've had the same sort of ideas of doing Christmas-y things (except in a sweltering heatwave since it is summer down here) and we have done quite a few crafts but I think I've enjoyed them more than Em (Bubs #1). And sometimes it turns into a juggling match of screaming baby and toddler being obstinate while I frantically try to get the damn cookies in the oven so we can all have some peace!! Maybe as they get older those Christmas-y fantasies actually align more with reality? Anyway Em is more excited about xmas than last year and has been singing jingle bells while strumming an old broken ukulele and it is wonderful.

    *PSA: take any pre-eclampsia symptoms seriously even in the weeks after birth. I know you will but I just have to say it.

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    1. Thanks Tiggy! I am laughing at your picture of trying to make cookies with toddlers! There is something about Christmas that leads us to create these fantasies of what we should be doing. I have to remember that. My expectations of what I’m supposed to accomplish may not be realistic. Yes, I will take any symptoms seriously, and so does my medical team. I’m not sorry I went to L&D; it was just so weird to be there. I am a bit concerned about the GD but it’s being monitored quite closely do I’m confident I’ll get good care. I really hope I don’t have complications because this is supposed to be the victory lap, damnit (there’s another expectation...) merry Christmas to you!

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    2. victory lap- love it! hope it is a smooth one with no complications too! merry Christmas!

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  2. It looks like you got some beautiful pictures! Sorry to hear about the strange symptoms, it probably was related to the GD. I hope that no one will get sick in your house over the next few weeks so you will be able to have a less hectic Christmas period.

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  3. I cannot believe you are just one month out. Time is flying. I'm hoping for some relaxation for you in the next couple of weeks and that everything is uneventful.

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    1. Oh thanks! hopefully more like a month and 3 weeks...although you never know lol! Glad to hear you are doing well too. I think we are good I just wish we'd stop getting sick!

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    2. Your pictures are beautiful!

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    3. Thanks! It’s nice to have photos of myself looking glamourous as opposite is usually true!

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  4. I don't know how I missed this post! I love your maternity pictures. I hope you are getting some relaxation/nesting time in before Sprite shows up and all the room switcheroos happened somewhat seamlessly... I'm sorry you had that weird episode that landed you in L&D, but so glad everything is fine. And those KITTY EARS! I am a sucker for babies in ear hats. Sprite is going to be adorable. And AJ's feet are cute!

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    1. Thanks! In the month since I wrote this we’ve made a lot of progress. AJ’s big girl furniture was assembled in the past few days and the baby’s furniture was assembled today! Lots of little details to attend to still but we now have an actual nursery not a junky room, so that makes a huge difference physically and psychologically! And there are lots of items with kitty ears in all sizes so I can have fun with that.

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  5. Anxiously awaiting an update! Is she here?

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  6. No baby yet! Hopefully not for another 3 weeks or so. Too much to do. The major stuff is all good; there are a few challenges such as gestational diabetes and now Breech presentation. I should update; it’s just so hard to find time,

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  7. Glad you and the little one are mostly well! Fingers crossed that GD and everything remain under control, and that you will hold a little adorable baby in your arms when you both are ready!

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    1. Thank you! I super busy and standing on my head anytime I am not. looking forward to our arrival!

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