Posted Friday, November 20, 2009 10:05 AM
So I had my 14 week appointment with my obstetrician this morning. He agreed to let me change my due date to 17 May (he had recorded it as 20 May, based on my 9 week measurements) because I just knew when I would have conceived, and there is no way it was as late as what he had calculated. I know it's only a 3 day difference, but as well as just feeling more comfortable with that date on the basis of my chart, it has implications for when I would be induced, and also when I can leave work - I want to leave as early as possible so I can have time to relax and prepare, but I can only leave 6 weeks before my due date in order to qualify for the government maternity leave payment. I feel a bit bad that my doctor had to change all his forms, but I'm much happier with 17 May.
The more exciting thing is he checked to see what sex the baby is, even though it's very early and we won't really know for another 6 weeks. I was utterly convinced I was having a girl, and have always visualised myself with a girl and had even sometimes called our baby by our favourite girls' name! But - of course - it looks very likely to be a boy. The doctor thinks there's a 90% chance. I felt a bit shocked, just because I really couldn't imagine having a son. I had thought I would be initially pretty sad if I found out we were having a boy, but honestly after the shock passed I am now incredibly ridiculously excited. It feels so much more exciting than not knowing, even though of course it's still not confirmed yet. DH says it's finally starting to feel real.
My family were hoping for a girl for once (my sister has two sons) but they'll just have to get over it. I have mainly girl cousins, as well as two sisters, and so far the ones in our generation who have bred have nearly all had boys. Funny how that works.
Wheee! Don't know how I'll get any work done today.
Posted by
KiwiJ
Filed under: Pregnancy, baby, gender
Posted Wednesday, November 18, 2009 3:52 PM
Yeah, so that big list of things I ideally wanted to tackle last weekend? It's still there. All I ended up doing was some piano and guitar practice (for the first time in literally months, so that was good), some Christmas present/decoration planning, and dinner and a movie with DH. And I went to my darling two-year-old nephew's birthday party, where I ate way too much junk and got a very sore tummy afterwards. So it was a nice relaxing weekend.
This is so me - I have a zillion ideas for projects/tasks I'd like to do but I hardly ever get around to doing them. I wish I didn't have the ideas/plans in the first place. So I've decided to try to tick off a few easy things each week, and since going back to work on Monday I have done a few of those. I don't beat myself up about not getting more done - because if it was essential I would do it - but I think it's just weird how little follow-through I have these days. I think I'm just putting a higher priority on relaxing and enjoying myself than I used to.
I have been pretty lazy at work this week, but I'm putting that down to a big week last week (including travel) and nothing being super urgent right now. The big news today was that my boss is leaving, probably a month before I go off on maternity leave for a year (or longer if I decide to be a SAHM). So they'll basically lose both of us at the same time. It will not be the same here without her. She is so genuinely lovely, and funny, and almost a friend really. It has been fantastic working with her. I'm trying to think positively about the person who might come in to replace her, but they have big shoes to fill. And, let's face it, I've had two fantastic bosses in a row, and what are the chances of having three? Maybe this will make my decision about whether to come back to work easier - I think after having great bosses there's no way I'd want to work for someone horrible if I could help it.
Posted Saturday, November 14, 2009 8:34 AM
Do you ever get to the weekend and just kind of freeze, wondering which of the many, many things you need/would like to do to tackle next? I am always like that on Saturdays. I get up and think about all the chores/shopping/organising things I could do and which order to do them in and end up not being able to make a decision or get much done in the entire day.
So yeah I'm procrastinating as I type this. I think I'll go for a walk soon (to enjoy the good weather before it packs up tomorrow). Then there's pregnancy yoga in a couple of hours, but what else? I could do:
- gardening
- cleaning - although I need to decide if I will move my cleaning schedule to mid-week instead of having it hang around my head all weekend
- shopping for various things - nursery furniture, clothes, Christmas decorations and presents
- looking at new cars (we have little idea what we want so this will be a drag)
- annoying chores like trying to arrange for our credit cards to be replaced with more basic ones - last time they cancelled the old ones before we got new ones and I was not impressed when my card was declined ( we put everything on credit to get airpoints but pay it all off each month to avoid the interest charges)
- start one of the many, many projects we have like putting all of our photos onto our website (and organising them) or comparing various fund managers (ick, too hard basket)
- finally getting in some piano and guitar practice. I am determined to play a lot before baby arrives and I have no time anymore
- or just catching a movie for the first time in months - I have free tickets that I've had for 11 months and haven't got around to using.
- plus I need to think where we'll go for dinner tonight. Town might be crazy busy because there's a huge soccer world cup qualifier game here.
Gah. Decisions, decisions. Life's just too hard, lol.
Posted by
KiwiJ
Filed under: Decisions, chores, shopping
Posted Tuesday, November 10, 2009 1:50 PM
I had my NT scan yesterday. Baby was kicking and flipping around all over the place, which was good to see. He/she was initially in the wrong position (I'd expect nothing less than my child to be contrary/stubborn!) but the technician managed to get good measurements after a while.
My results came back today and are really good. The chance of Down's Syndrome is 1 in 4,292, which is excellent considering the chance just based on my age is about 1 in 650. Hooray!
So I'm nearly 13 weeks and I guess I should start telling everyone now. Well, I've already told most of my friends and a couple of people at work (including my boss) but after so much secrecy for what seems like so long it is kind of weird thinking about shouting it from the rooftops all of a sudden. Maybe I will just tell others in my team and ask them to spread it round the rest of the 40-odd staff here.
In other news, it's only 6 weeks to Christmas! Over here it is our annual shut-down period and most people take at least 2 weeks off, so it's a pretty busy time of year, trying to finish work projects as well as plan summer holidays and end of year catch-ups with friends and colleagues. I already have three pre-Christmas lunches, a dinner and a cocktail function in my calendar. Fun times! And even though I will miss the lovely wine and the dancing til 3am on a weeknight, I am pleased I'll be able to make it through the season without a hangover for once!
Posted Saturday, November 07, 2009 2:50 PM
To counteract the negativity of some of my previous posts, here's a list of what I'm loving right now:
- Glee. Oh how I love you. And how I wish we'd had a glee club at school, although being a single sex school it would've been weird. Choir was nowhere near as cool.
- The nearly-summer sunshiney days we've been having. Long may it continue, especially in the weekends - I don't care if it's rainy and cold while I'm at work.
- Being able to wear short sleeves again. I always seem to have way more summery clothes than wintery clothes and I was seriously running out of things to wear (that still fit).
- Christmas. I've decided to get really into it this year, with all new decorations and early present-buying (hopefully) and lots of baking. I can't wait to finish work for the year and have 2 weeks off, filled with good food, sunshine, family and friends, maybe even some beach time if we're lucky with the weather (it may be strange to have Christmas in summer, but there's always an upside...). I'm even looking forward to the cheesy music.
- Those little pots of fruit in jello that they make for kids. I'm loving them right now. Quite weird.
- Really good Indian curry from our local (but not how it makes me feel the next day). I had totally gone off this, but was in love with it again when we ordered take-out last night. I swear our local makes the best in the world.
- Pregnancy yoga, which I went to for the first time today. And the ability to still touch my toes!
What's everyone else loving right now?
Posted by
KiwiJ
Filed under: Christmas, Summer, food, yoga
Posted Tuesday, November 03, 2009 12:31 PM
There's really not much to report; I'm just trucking along, generally avoiding social engagements and just focusing on getting through the working week to the next weekend. I'm either feeling frumpy and grumpy or just pretty relaxed and keen on doing not very much. I aren't excited by work at the moment, and am very easily distracted, and I have to admit I'm counting down until I can take maternity leave. I know that's crazy - I'm talking next April - but between that and the upcoming Christmas holidays and then a week long family holiday in the sun in March, it's all that's helping me get through the work day.
I truly can't wait to finish work, and I'm hoping to have several weeks off before my due date just so I can finish preparing and relax for the last time in a long while! But I also really hope I will want to go back to work after the baby arrives. It would probably be easier if we didn't have a choice, but we could afford for me not to work, so I will have to make that decision eventually. While I think I would love to be a SAHM, I also feel that if I don't go back to work part-time it would be extremely hard to get back into the mode of being a lawyer when I finally want to go back full-time.
I have my NT scan next Monday. If all goes well I'll then slowly tell everyone else at work and in our wider circle of friends. It'll be much easier once everyone knows. Hopefully I will continue to feel better and less tired and will finally feel like going out and shopping (new clothes for me as well as everything you need for a baby) as well as socialising without having to make up excuses about not drinking.
Even though I'm feeling pretty blah today (as if you couldn't tell) this past weekend was great. I finally mustered up the enthusiasm to do a big stint of gardening, as well as the obligatory lying around in the hammock in the spring sunshine to "recover". And I finally started getting excited about the baby, and about decorating the baby's room and buying all the gorgeous stuff we'll need. I think DH was happy to have the old J back. Not sure how I'll wait until May (I am very impatient) but at least there's a lot of time for all the planning and preparation we're going to need to do.
Posted Wednesday, October 28, 2009 10:49 AM
I managed to drag myself out of bed early this morning to go for a walk. I started back walking on Sunday and Monday, and all my muscles were so sore afterwards from my previous weeks of inactivity, even though the walk only takes half an hour (but involves hills)!
This morning was the most beautiful cool, crisp, sunny spring morning. The air was fresh and it was so quiet. I walk around the hills where I live, which gives me views over the city and harbour, then out over the coastline in the opposite direction. It is quite stunning. I started feeling good for a change, and excited about having a baby soon, who I will be able to take on my walks. Not that it feels real yet - does it ever?
I felt pretty shattered afterwards, and I've been feeling nauseous for the four hours since. So I'm reverting back to being a little grumpy. Still, I'm glad I got up early and am hopefully starting back into a more healthy regime. Thankfully food is starting to taste better and I can even stomach coffee again - one coffee a day is doing wonders for my ability to get through work.
I haven't used any of my sick leave for pregnancy reasons yet - and I get 20 days a year! - so I'm seriously contemplating taking Friday off sick, just to get some decent rest. I'm not sure if my workload will allow it, though. Fingers crossed...
Posted Saturday, October 24, 2009 9:00 AM
I have been a really busy bee this week. Work is full-on and I spent two days out of town on a course this week - which was a bit of a waste of time, but a lovely kingsize hotel bed and room service helped make up for it.
I have been pretty grumpy this week. I hope it's just the hormones and is just temporary! I get so sick of feeling sick all day, and sometimes I take it out on DH. I've also been feeling quite worried and apprehensive about how on earth I'll get through all the tough parts that come with having a child, rather than focusing on how lucky and happy and exciting this whole process is. I'm a natural worrier, I guess, but I used to think that when I was pregnant I'd be just bursting with excitement the whole time. I'm going to put it down to hormones and feeling tired after a really really long week at work.
Thankfully we have a three day weekend now! I could really use the time to do some cleaning and tidying and start back exercising again (I haven't done any in at least 3 weeks - oops). We're also having a dinner with my parents, DH's parents, and DH's 91-year-old grandfather (who we are yet to tell), so that'll be a lot of fun. We're going to drop in on a few friends as well, to tell them our news. Other than that, it'll be lots of reading and relaxing and a little gardening. It's spring here, and this long weekend is the traditional time for planting tomatoes. I'm trying to decide whether I can be bothered facing the crowds at the garden centre to buy everything we need to plant tomatoes, especially as they'll only be any good if we get a good hot summer, which is certainly not guaranteed in our part of the country.
Have a good weekend everyone!