my-speck

i'm pregnant and it's going to be a rollercoaster

212 days to go. and today I feel like counting. November 25, 2008

Filed under: eating,family,pregnancy — rakster @ 1:02 pm
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Hi Speck,

Hope you’re well?  I’ve been attempting to eat more healthily after Saturday’s chocolate binge – well, actually your dad is trying to encourage me, which is good.  So I have just had an absolutely delicious lunch of home-made falafels and avocado salsa on lebanese bread with yoghurt.  Yum.

Bad news on the home front – your great grandfather passed away over the weekend.  That’s a bit sad – ’cause you’ll never get to meet him.  Though I’m sure that your dad will tell you some stories if you ask him.  He is a bit sad at the moment and gave you a big long hug this morning.

Otherwise all is, I hope, well with you.  I am feeling slightly less tired, but that could be because I’ve just been going to bed at 9pm wherever possible and sleeping-in as late as I can too.  Overall had a rather restful weekend, so I think that helps too.   Your dad and I got some more books about stuff related to pregancy and what not on the weekend, and some kind of video too – hopefully you dad can watch this on repeat until he feels more comfortable with blood & gore.  He’s not good with that kind of thing at all.   your arrival is starting to feel a little bit less unreal as the days go by.

Love you
mum

 

chocolate and to wax or not to wax? November 23, 2008

Filed under: birthing,eating,pregnancy — rakster @ 1:45 pm
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Hi Speck,

howsit going down there?  Your dad wants to know if you want to be baptised.  Since we’re not religious, and neither one of us are, to our knowledge, baptised, we’ve decided against it for you.  If you want to later in life, feel free.  Seems a bit premature.  Anyway, I think he was just more interested in throwing water at your head: the next question was “Can I squirt it with a watergun?”.  To which of course the answer is an unqualified yes, however I think he should note that children seem to like waterguns and as you get older you may return the favour.   But not in any religious sense.

The other strange conversation we’ve had today is about the state of my pubic hair when its time to go to hospital.  I have to admit, it was me that made a joke about hair removal when reading the hospital book ’cause it mentioned that you can get a hairdresser who comes to your room – but he then wanted to know if I am going to wax my fanny for when you come out.  Again, I was slightly mystified as to the reason he would ask such a thing – or even think about it – but apparently he is concerned that I might care what the various people who no doubt will see it will think.  Surprising, cause I’m not one to worry about that kind of thing at all! Sorry if I’ve embarrassed you, I guess you mum’s fanny is something no child (nor adult for that matter) really wants to think about for any length of time at all.  It does make you wonder though – do other women worry about the state of their fanny when they go into hospital: to hairy bush or to not?  Or indeed right the way through their pregnancy, all the scans, the OB visits??  Goodness, you could run a sideline business that was affiliated with clinics that specialised in ‘down there hair care’.

Too much.

Other weird hospital things:

  • why 7-10 pairs of underpants? Is this number arbitrary or does it suggest 2-3 changes a day for 2-3 days?  They don’t specify a style – is it nanna-knicker only or can you go with the kath&kim -style g-banger look?
  • camera, games, … jigsaws?    Jigsaws?  Do they mean jigsaw puzzles?  Cause to me a jigsaw is a SAW that you use to cut wood.  Surely they don’t want your dad to perform surgery on me if it all goes pear-shaped?  Urg!.   And if they do mean jigsaw puzzles, who really wants to play jigsaw puzzles after they’ve just had a baby?

Hope you’re well.  And enjoying my chocolate binge from yesterday.  I gave up on healthy eating for the afternoon.  A friend had a hangover and wanted a burger for lunch, but as we strolled along Darling Street looking for a burger joint, Adriano Zumbo’s new chocolate cafe just leapt out at us & we had to go in.  I had a chocolate milkshake for lunch, followed up with a few handmade chocolates that we shared.  Truly to-die for was the violet & *berry (there goes the short-term memory again, it wasn’t blueberry, maybe blackberry??).  Anyway, good.  I am going back another day.  I will miss Adriano when I move back to Brisvegas.  The cakes are to drool over – if you haven’t eaten / been there you MUST look: amazing cakes

and two reviews of the chocolate shop.

Have to run, we are going to buy a new baby book – your dad is almost as obsessed as me, which is fun.

bye!

love you.

get bigger.

mum

 

correction – I got it all wrong again – symptomatic of my condition November 21, 2008

Filed under: development stages,pregnancy — rakster @ 9:39 am
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Size:  So, you’re not going to grow to be as big as an orange this week.  I got it muddled-up.  My uterus will be as big as an orange by next week.  Which makes sense, if you are a bit bigger than a big grape, that you have enough room to float around in.

Foetus/Embryo: and you’re also apparently not a foetus yet, you’re still officially classed as an embryo.  So I’ve had that all wrong too.  I think by next week a bunch more of your organs have developed so that you will be a foetus.  Or maybe its that your hands and arms can reach more.  Who knows.  Obviously not me.  The gist of it is that you’re still getting bigger.  As expected.

General Confusion and Discombobulation: I have lost my marbles.  I am now addicted to frosty fruits (an icypole with a pineappley kinda flavour), which I am buying by the boxful from the supermarket, and are about the only thing I can focus on for more than 5 minutes at a time.  I put my inability to grasp and recall the simple facts of your development (as above) down to this diminished mental capacity.  I think its possibly a good thing that I work in a male-dominated industry with all male bosses etc – they couldn’t possibly imagine how much my brain has turned to mush in such a short period of time.  I’m going to have to come up with some better avoidance / hiding techniques in the short term though.  Today I just called in sick.  Couldn’t face another day and felt a bit off-colour.  Figured I was better off not there.  But seriously.  I can’t even remember a phone number when looking it up in my address book long enough to dial it.  Scary stuff.  Adds a new dimension to the difficulty of the exams I am soon to face.  Ce la vie.

Yours in muddle-headed-ness (do I sound like paddington bear?) see you in 216 days or so.

mum

 

Happy Week 9! Now you start to swim :) November 20, 2008

Filed under: birthing,development stages,pregnancy — rakster @ 6:38 pm
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Hiya Speck,

I’m lying in bed as I type.  Had to leave work on-time after getting in a bit early and had intended to come home and study but its all too much so I took to bed for a bit of a rest.  Your dad just got home and he is cooking fresh fig and walnut salad.  Yum.

Apparently I had it all wrong last week, and according to my books and the internet, you are only just beginning to swim around this week.   What good were those webbed hands then?  I guess you still have them for a bit more, so do take advantage.  And you are apparently grape-sized, but by next week you’ll be the size of an orange.  Now that is a bit weird.  How do you grow so much in one week?  No wonder I’m tired. Other things happening to you: your tail is disappearing, and your are starting to get your boy/girl bits.  Lucky for you!

The hospital information arrived today. I read it but with a bit of disbelief.  I’m still not really sure that you are coming, and if you are, will I really have to deliver you?  Through my vagina in a hospital?  Oh my god.  The birthing suites sounded private and ok, though.  And apparently your dad should bring togs for the shower.  So I guess we can shower together when you’re fighting your way out.  Its all a bit surreal, I have to say.   Hopefully you’ll be born at the same hospital I was born at, and the one where two of your aunts were born, and your two maternal uncles and cousins too.  Your other aunt was born at home.  I watched when I was 9 years old.  Its still one of my most enduring and exciting memories from my childhood.  And my only real exposure to childbirth.  I remember thinking that your Aunt was going to get her head banged on the bed as she came out: she had a big head with black hair & it was two pushes before she was fully out so she was in mid-air for a while.  I think I have a lot to learn.   Hopefully your dad and I will have fun learning about it and be relaxed about how it happens.   I’d like to think so.

Love & thinking of you

mum