At her appointment this morning the doctor told C that the mysterious stomach aches she has been feeling frequently could be Braxton Hicks contractions! Not so fun for her as they've been a source of discomfort--but a relief for me to think they could be a sign that her body is working the way it should!
Been reading my way backwards through this blog. This guy seems to be living a pretty charmed life--which is easy to say based on a condensed collection of beautiful photos and stories of amazing trips... Just a great inspiration to share...
Aaron Teasdale - Deputy Editor at Adventure Cycling Association
Click here:
Yesterday I had the day off. The glaciers have been retreating and I was starting to feel the relief--able to take a deep breath as if all the snow on the roof had been weighing down my lungs. The driveway and walkways were all clear. Dry even. I went on a bike ride in the sweltering 36-degree temperatures. Only one pair of gloves and a cycling cap instead of a beanie. Last night I took an opportunity to wash down the bike with soapy water, clean the chain, and lube it up.
This morning? Snow. Not a lot, but enough to shock me. I wasn't angry as I had enough time to shovel the driveway and paths before any footsteps or tires pressed the light fluff into dense ice trails.
Anyway, we're supposed to keep getting snow through the week. I was really done with it all. I'm ready for Spring!
C has been waking up at 4AM on the dot. That sucks. For her, not me, duh. Amazingly, I've been waking up, too, and managing to talk to her, even if only for a few words before passing out again.
Her back has been really hurting and she's been having an achy stomach or heartburn which seem to alternate randomly. I can only figure that this is the build up before the storm. Mostly she is tired all day long after a crappy night's sleep, and it's not helping that she has been working so hard. Taking naps in the evening is only working against her.
Anyway, we're working hard to stay positive..!
Not much to say--actually, plenty is going on, just nothing to write about. All you need to know is Time is moving slow and fast.
We received our first present off our registry from our cousin in the mail!(Phew! Count the number of prepositions in that sentence!) And we ordered our crib yesterday! That should be here... probably before the baby comes. More art is getting finished and our baby's room is going to be rad-with-a-capital-R, as they say.
Plumbers are supposed to be here tomorrow to start the first step in constructing a second bathroom in our basement. I have no clue what is to be done and am worried that it's going to be messed up on my watch. Messed up and expensive. I can deal with "awesome and expensive" but not "messed up."
What does that do with being a dad, you ask? Everything. Ultimately this bathroom will serve our babysitters friends and family and hopefully attract a few more to stay for longer trips; longer down the road, when our daughter is an angst-ful, hormonal teen and getting ready for dates school or whatever, we wont be fighting over the space. Anyway, we agreed a while ago it was something to get done before Baby arrives, so here we are: the eleventh hour.
Way back in college, someone started a saying; a simultaneous question and exclamation, the history of which I can only conjecture: "What the D?" Probably a perversion of "What is the deal...?" it rivals another favorite of mine: "W-T-F?"
And that's what I'm asking the world, with all its snow, piled atop layers of more, merciless snow and ice: What the D?
At first it was beautiful and exciting and fun. But after so much of it, it's hard not to get frustrated and bummed out about it. Aldy is stuck inside a lot more than on warmer days; I'm constantly having to shovel the driveway and have lost the ability to bike to work; C's job is affected when schools are closed and meetings are canceled for snow emergencies; and we're all uneasy about the mounting ice/snow pile on our roof and the new, mysterious trickle of water down in the basement. It makes me want to freak out!
But each time I realize I am starting to be overwhelmed with pessimism, I give myself a moment to collect as many optimistic, positive thoughts that I can. Aldy really enjoys playing in the snow and I can let him hang outside for a long time while I shovel and scrape the driveway; the water in the basement was coming from one, isolated spot, and C's dad suggested that maybe the problem with the water leak isn't as big as we were worrying about.
It's been helpful that C has brought home a few books that explore Happiness and (through her) I've been channeling optimism and considering what it is that makes me happy. I say "through her" because I don't really read. I mean, I can read, but for whatever reason I have a strong aversion to reading and absorbing information through books--especially non-fiction. Unfortunately, I have no interest in fiction. Either way, I haven't exactly figured out what are my values, but they include optimism for sure. So, for now, we're waiting out the snow. With C growing a baby, we're limited in what snow sports we can partake, but eating food is still on the table. Get it?
This weekend was our "Express Labor & Delivery" course. I can't believe that it was as bad as C expected, but I'll say that she wasn't too impressed and that I know she wouldn't do it again. Honestly, it was a lot of fluff; stuff we've read about a lot of times, in books and on the internet. But it was nice to see examples of how women deal with pain and stress relief, and I do well with multiple, supplemental modes of learning. I even took notes. Altogether, I figure, some of that information has got to stick in my head.
I was pretty glad to be done with it, and couldn't imagine going to that class drawn out over 5 weeks. The most useful 2 things I think we walked away with is (1) the email of the instructor who seems to be the nicest, kindest nurse ever and (2) a tour of the maternity pavilion. I was also pretty impressed with how useful a fitness ball can be during labor. I've already developed an idea of what a perfect labor would be, but, as we keep reading, we can't go in with very many expectations.
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That said, I have big hopes that we can get in one of the three rooms with a jacuzzi tub in it. Cause I'm bringin my swim trunks.
