Home stretch!

Well, at least I did not have to struggle too much to find some new activities to fill my days! Why? My mild pre-eclemsia is getting worse, so tonight we are going to the hospital to start inducing labor (the doctors will, I just come along for the ride!) I am scared to death (never did very well with events not planned long in advance), but excited none the less. Not only to see how our child will look like, or what type of personality she will have (I know that comes later, but you get the idea), but also to finally be able to get up from the couch without grunting and asking for help, to finally be able to walk and talk in the same time!
So, all of you get ready for phone calls from A on Monday. Keep your fingers crossed and everything else you might be able to cross!

Excited for the dentist appointment

Ok, even I know how sad and pathetic that sounds, but trust me after almost 3 weeks in bed rest, I would be excited if I would be allowed to walk to the corner store for milk! Tomorrow I get to drive (granted it's only 2 miles)and get out of the house! And I know what you think, that I should enjoy this time of peace now since the following 18 years after I give birth will be a non stop activity! But if you know me at all, you know that I hate to not do anything. Every night my husband A comes home from work and I get to tell him that I feel really useless! He keeps reminding me that growing the little beast is pretty important and that no one else could do it but me, and still I want to die each day! I read, I watch tv, I knit (making some progress with that scarf), and I make jewelry! But really could this fill any one's day for weeks at a time?

I know that in another month or 2 I will look back at this time and wish it back, but right now I am so bored with no being allowed to do anything I can't even tell you!!!
I am going to try and find some other activities to pass my time. And it's wicked hard to do so when your daily activities have to be limited to taking a shower and eating!

Later!

Still at home!

Each week it's a gamble, going to my doctor appointment. I am terrified each week that I will end up in the hospital again! (the last few appointments did not go that well, you never want to be in Boston alone with the doctor who tells you that you need to be admitted, and then have to call your husband who is in Providence and tell him to come and meet you at the hospital. Not only do you worry about the baby and your own condition, but now you have to worry about the husband driving down 93 in traffic, trying to get to Boston ASAP)!
So for the last few weeks of the pregnancy, I decided to make A my umbrella! Yeah, that might not make much sense, but let me explain. You know how it never rains during the days when you remember to bring your umbrella with you? Well, I am trying the same concept! Each Friday, A is working from home (such a blessing!) so he can come with me to the appointments. And guess what? This past Friday it worked! He came with me and I was fine and did not need to go to the hospital! (of course I know that me being fine is more a result of being in bed rest for the past 2 weeks, but none the less I should be allowed to choose whatever I want to believe!)

So I am hoping to keep playing this game each week! If I bring my umbrella with me, it will not rain! It never does!

Some goals!

Since I talked so much about making lists and how that makes me feel better, here are some of the goals I have till the end of the year!
1. finish knitting my first scarf! That might not sound like a lot to some of you, but for someone who never really knitted before, it's a big deal. My friend K showed me how to do it couple of weeks ago and while my arms hurt after 6 rows, I am hooked. I am hoping to reach my goal since I have to be in bed rest until C comes

2. find a "mom's group" in Attleboro. I imagine life with a baby will be incredibly great, but insane at the same time. While I love our friends and their kids, they all live about 1 hour away from us. Not quite the closest trip for some adult time (no worries, I will still make the drive for some play dates!). So I decided to start looking at some local groups that C and I can go once she is born

3. re-start my etsy store. The past year has been such a crazy one, and I never really had the energy to invest some time in my etsy store. Now that I can't be doing much anyhow, I would like to start taking photos of my stuff and list them up (I should probably start by making some jewelry first, ha?)

4. host the second annual jewelry party. Maybe sometimes in September, in the back yard, with some fun food and kids running around (not C, since she will only be few months old by then). This one is a difficult one, just because it's always hard to find enough confidence to invite your friends to see and maybe buy things you made yourself. But I will give it a try, the overwhelming positive response from last year will give me the courage to do so

5. come up with a solid plan on how to make sure that A and I spend time together alone once C is born. I am hoping that between all the "adopted" aunts and uncles, grandparents and friends, we could find some sort of time! I am a firm believer that remembering to be a husband or a wife will help you be a better parent

Wish me luck, keep your fingers crossed and ask me how I am doing with reaching my goals!
Cheers!

Being a list person

I am such a list person! Some people would call it obsession, I call it sanity.
My life is a huge "to do list". I have a list for grocery shopping (ok, not such a huge stretch), a list for chores in the house (and who does what), a list for Christmas presents (done well in advance), a menu list for each week (keeps me sane as I do not have to figure out what to cook after a whole day at work), a list of things to do at work, a list of things to ask my doctor when I have a visit, a list of things to ask my mom to bring when she comes to visit, a list of things that we still need for the nursery... you get the idea! My husband A will attest that there is always some sort of a list attached to the fridge in our house. I like being able to check off things that get done! It makes me see the progress!

Lists make me feel sane! Lists make me feel in control (yup, you could argue that I am a control freak!). For years I wished I was more of a spontaneous person. I always thought it's cool and "in" and artsy to be spontaneous. But at the age of 30 I have finally accepted that I like order and that living my life with no clear plans stresses me out. Now, don't think I am so completely boring. I like doing things: I like going to the beach, I like being at the zoo, I like hanging out with friends, I like having cook outs, I like lots of things. And I think A and I do lots of things. I just have to prepare and know about what we are doing in advance. Is that good? Is that bad? I don't know, I guess you could argue it both ways!

Have fun today! I have to run now and make a list of things I need from the grocery store this weekend! :)

PJs in public

I don't know, I guess I will have to file this one under "relaxed American tradition", but I just don't understand why some people wear their pjs in public. Today, on my way to work, I saw this woman on the bus who was wearing green stripped pjs (top and bottom) with an inscription that read "sleeping like an angel". Honestly, a skirt and a tshirt is the same amount of pieces that you get to wear and I am sure it would look less disturbingly in public.

I will never forget one Friday night about 6 months ago, when A and I went to have dinner at TGI Friday's (yeah, funny!). By no means, do I consider that place high scale or anything, but this guy came into the restaurant wearing black silk lounge pants that have huge all over red lips on them! Now, why would I want to eat my dinner looking at this guys pants (trust me, it was impossible not to stare!) Though in my country the sweat pants are for the gym, even that would have been better than what he was wearing.

So, my conclusion? Well, if you are going to be out in public, please make an effort! If not for you, at least for the people that are forced to see you!

Cheers!

Can't pull that off anymore!

I was thinking last night of all the normal, regular things that I used to be able to do before I got pregnant. And I came up with a list of things that at 31 weeks I can't pull off anymore. Here is comes:

1. I can't tie or put my shoes on anymore. Nor can I put any socks on. Thank goodness for summer and whomever invented flip flops and slip on shoes
2. I can't wash my feet
3. I sure can't bend down to pick up anything
4. I can't shave my legs properly since it involves some degree of bending and balancing your whole weight on one foot as the other one is propped up on the bathtub
5. I can't get up from the couch without some assistance (granted our couches are soft and cushy and you kind of sink into them, especially when you gained 18 lbs!)
6. I can't see my belly button! Trust me, I tried
7. I can't walk and talk in the same time! And not because suddenly I became stupid, but because I would huff and puff to the point where you can't really understand what I am saying
8. I can't stand the sight of roast beef or any other very pink cold cuts (you should see me at the store at the deli counter closing my eyes when the guy hands me the bag!)

I am sure things will return to normal, but my point is that nobody tells you that once your pregnancy advances, normal things became something that you need to plan around if you want to accomplish!
None the less, as much as I am scared to death and excited as well, I would not trade this stage of my life for anything!

Cheers!