The Unrelated: Failure to Digest and Car Seats

Over Christmas my family and coworkers got a nasty intestinal bug. I was pretty smug about it. My reasoning: How would I know if I had it because I'm pregnant and I toss my cookies all the time? Not one person was amused.

Fate is quite tickled. I have the bug now. It feels very different from being pregnant. I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, but if I have food or water it leaves. . . so maybe life will be better in a couple of days.

In the meantime, Dad visited and installed the car seat. (My Dad has really outdone himself with all of the helping.) The car seat is a Graco Snugride. It fits! I'd been worried because the car is a 2003 Subaru WRX, and I love driving it. Unfortunately, the back seat of the car doesn't have a tremendous amount of room for baby gear, but it is going to be just right for the baby and me. The next stop is the Fire Department so they can verify it was installed right. I'm a first-time mom, and I worry about these things.

The other adventure today is a missing back seat belt. I can locate half of it, but the part that the safety belt latches into cannot be found behind seats or under cushions. Thanks to Google, my knowledge of after-market parts for this car has increased dramatically. (Five-point harness anyone? They're not just for babies!) The latch is still missing, but I'm going to look for it again tomorrow if my stomach cooperates.

As Expected, The Unexpected

The theme of this pregnancy has been the unexpected. Somethings that are surprising me lately include:

1) My coworkers are very supportive. They are really there for me.

2) People keep giving me diapers. I'd just gotten four bundles of size ones when a friend offered a few packages of size twos.

3) A friend I thought had ditched me anonymously gave a very generous gift.

4) There is a car seat and a crib prior to the baby's arrival.

5) I cannot sleep enough. Seriously.

The biggest surprise is the combination of support and gratitude. I thought this would be unpopular or offense to people, but they have been nothing but lovely. I feel tremendously grateful.

But lest this post get too sacchrine, the dog has taken to licking the carpet. It seems to be anxiety over seeing the furniture moving and changes being made. It is just driving me nuts. The only way to have him stop is to sit down and scratch him. I guess we'll watch a movie tonight and I'll give him a dog massage.

Daycare and Diapers

This week, a discussion with the daycare provider surprised me. She's calm, organized, and flexible -- all good things for children. She's willing to use breast milk. She's willing to use cloth diapers. I couldn't imagine that a person with small children everywhere would be willing to use anything besides disposables.

Even though it means lots of time with the washing machine, cloth diapers are my top choice for environmental and economic reasons. I've been surfing the internet to find out the difference between pre-folds, all-in-ones, pocket diapers, and fitted diapers. The benefits of certain types of diapers is starting to make sense. I'm interested in convenience, so I'll be trying out of the all-in-one diapers. The pre-folds will make sense for evenings and weekends. The price of pre-folds is very good, and I find that attractive.

The little details are starting to work out. I hope they work out prior to baby's arrival!

Baby on the Inside

Waiting is more exhausting than I imagined. I'm getting uncomfortable with the weight of the baby again and I can't sleep for very long stretches of time because I get uncomfortable. I spend my lunch hour trying to catch a nap, and then I go to bed early when I get home. I'm just out of patience and out of energy. It's a matter of weeks until this baby is full-term. I keep telling myself that things happen at the right time for the right reasons. I just need to relax and accept it.

My parents are being even sweeter than usual. Mom cleaned the kitchen while she was visiting my house to clean the litter box. She even wiped the smudges off of the trash can.

Dad has almost finished painting the interior of my house. He's talking about what to pack to go to the hospital. He plans to join us for some of the labor and delivery. This is very different from when I first asked if he would like to be there and he said, "The waiting room will be just fine." Since he saw the birth plan that said he was welcome to join us, he's been noticeably upbeat. I think he felt left out that it was just me and Mom.

With all of the painting and organization on the home front, the crib might actually get assembled soon. Baby's clothes are in the closet. There is hope that all will be ready when baby arrives.

Birth Plans

Today, I finished the birth plan. The computer-generated plans on the internet are very helpful because they break down the major categories and touch on the bigger subjects.

Eating during labor? Yes, please!
Baby in room? Of course!
Episiotomy? Ow! Better be a really good reason.

Next came the endless tweaking of language. The doula wants me to be more "assertive" although her brand of assertive sounded pretty aggressive. I've got a good doctor, and his opinion and advice are important to me. I'd hate to see a birth plan stifle it. Mom (my labor coach) and I went through the items and changed all of the "I would likes" to "I prefer" or "I want." We'll review it with the doctor at my next appointment on Wednesday. Mom gets to meet the doctor for the first time too.

The Braxton-Hicks contractions made themselves known for the first time today. I'm nearly to 35 weeks, and I'm so eager to meet this baby. It makes it hard to focus on other details in life.

My next detail? Mom needs medical power of attorney and a living will. I hope we won't need them, but I want her to have what she will need if things don't go as planned.

Next Month!

The official due date is next month. I'm anxious to meet the baby, and at the same time, I'm ready for her to arrive yet. It's week 34, so if she can wait at least three more weeks, it would be good. Also the hormones remain at high levels. I find myself getting misty-eyed over how generous others are.

Arrangements at home coming together. I've delved into the closet in the baby's room. It is horrifying to see how much has accumulated in that closet over the last five years. My ex-husband has been very sweet about helping me clean it out. We gathered all of those things when we were together. It is easier to make decisions about where the debris should go with him. Just when I think I'm over the divorce, I get another wave of forgiveness and gratitude that we can be friends and that we aren't married any more. He seems to feel the same way. No one ever told me that love can change into a wonderful friendship.

Baby gifts keep arriving. At least once a week, I open my locker at work and find a package of baby goodies. I don't want to ruin my professional demeanor, but everyone loves to look at the baby clothes and coo along with me. The professional behavior might take time to reconstruct.

2010 has all the indications of a very exciting year.