Happy Halloween

It’s a cold and gloomy Halloween but we’re getting right into the spirit in our household.

This morning the lovely Sheri came over to take some newborn photos of Andrew in all his scrunchy newborn glory. I was anticipating an absolute meltdown from our little man, especially because I woke him from a nice slumber, but he was an absolute ham for the camera for the most-part. I was especially impressed that we managed to get him into a pumpkin that I hollowed out.

I’m hoping that this morning’s activity will be enough to make the little fella sleep for a few hours this afternoon. We’re in for a busy night with trick-or-treaters. While we’re not doing our usual huge display on the lawn, we still have a fair bit of decorations up. No matter how busy life gets I vow to keep Halloween going. While we’re a little too tired to throw or attend any parties this year, I’ll be handing out candy to all the little sweeties that come to our door. Kids have to grow up so fast these days; there's nothing quite like giving them a happy memory. I can’t wait until Andrew is old enough to really get into the spirit. For now though, I’d say he’s been an absolute trooper!

I was baptized this morning

This morning I “enjoyed” every parent’s right of passage – I was baptized during the morning diaper change.

I thought I was too clever for little Andrew. He tried to pee on me yesterday but I quickly threw down a facecloth over his man bits and boasted about my quick thinking. Turns out my bragging rights wouldn’t last long as the little stinker outsmarted me this morning. He was pumping his legs so furiously that he managed to work the facecloth off his bits and, I swear to God, he pointed the thing right at me…you get the rest of the picture. He also managed to get a bit on the carpet, although I bore the brunt of the assault. Not only was the peeing enough, he also decided to poop in tandem. In my shock, I ended up letting go of one of his heels which he promptly decided to drag through the poop. And what was my reaction to all this? Surprisingly, I couldn’t stop laughing! I looked a fright and I’m sure I smelt it too but it was still hilarious. The funny part – hubby never gets these types of poops. He is slower at diaper changes and doesn’t take care to cover the “pee pee cannon” and yet little Andrew has yet to bestow that same gift upon his father…men stick together I guess.

To end Andrew’s “show” for the morning, he also decided to burp up some milk on my neck. It was clear what my plans were once I got him back to sleep – SHOWER TIME!

Mom will be watching the little monster for a few hours this afternoon while Dan and I head out for some much needed fresh air – AKA Costco run. I hope to God he behaves! I have only left the house one other time without him and I spent the bulk of my time wondering whether he was behaving or not. So far, he has saved the bulk of his fussiness for hubs and I.

Night Owl

It turns out yesterday’s fears were confirmed last evening. A day-sleepy baby = a howler at night. Poor hubs and I subsisted on very little sleep last night. While Dan was up and dealing with Andrew in an attempt to let me rest and heal, I still couldn’t cobble together a decent night’s sleep because of the intermittent crying and fussing. I’m actually starting to wonder if Andrew prefers his crib to the bassinette that we keep in our room at nights. He day sleeps quite well in his crib and seems to go down for longer periods of time. While I didn’t plan to move him out of our room so early, I may try it one evening this week to see how we all fare. I can still hear the slightest whimper from my room even when he’s in the nursery and I’ll make sure to blast the baby monitor all night…preferably next to hubby’s ear…

While hubs and I are still trying to figure out the enigma that is Andrew, we have a sneaking suspicion that the little mite could be going through a growth spurt. All of a sudden he is crying for food earlier than every three hours. We have been going through the mental checklist: diaper, play, rocking, gas? If he is still not appeased and appears to be rooting and acting fussy then we’ll allow him another bottle. So far he has gulped down everything we have given him. I’m a little concerned about overfeeding as this guy loves the bottle; whether it is formula, pumped milk or both combined, he is an absolute chow hound. Because we have ramped him up with a few “bonus” feeds today, I’m really hoping this will help him sleep a little longer at night. I actually tried to keep him up after his feeds this afternoon but he was having none of it. I’m starting to think it’s next to impossible to get any sort of schedule down this early in the game. For now we are simply surviving from day to day and making sure to laugh our way through the more trying times. As my mother used to say to me as a babe, “It’s a good thing you’re cute!” Funny that I now find myself repeating the same mantra to my own child. Having children of your own truly makes you appreciate the work your own parents had to endure.

Feeling more human

After a decent night’s sleep and a calm morning, I’m feeling a little more like the old me today. I’ve pumped twice already, even though I loath it and I managed to get in a little quality time with hubby just playing around on the computer and watching T.V. I’m hoping that Andrew won’t be wild this afternoon and evening because he’s power sleeping during the day…fingers crossed!

No big plans today other than whatever our little guy decides to throw at us. I am still determined to decorate for Halloween although we will be scaling back this year – no fog machine and no dead body hanging from the spare room window (seeing as it’s the nursery now). If things keep running smoothly, perhaps hubs and I will tackle a few pumpkins this evening. Andrew doesn’t really have a costume because he won’t be trick-or-treating just yet, but he does have a Halloween sleeper and pumpkin hat. I think next year he’ll be a dinosaur.

Nothing else exciting to report. I finally managed to upload more photos from the delivery and Andrew’s first week in the world. Friends and family can check it out: CLICK HERE.

One week old

Today hubby and I took Andrew for his first appointment with the pediatrician at Mom’s office. It was an emotional experience because he is now seeing the same pediatrician who tended to me as a child. I remember countless visits while growing up and spending time helping out with filing of tidying the emanation rooms. Back then I certainly never imagine having my own child, let alone the fact that I would be fortunate enough to provide him with the same great care that I received. It was fun to see all the nurses and staff fawn over him; it also helps that he was an absolute angel the entire time. Andrew did his parents proud and I’m glad he didn’t go into total meltdown mode….sadly he saved that for home.

The latter part of this afternoon and evening was nothing short of miserable. Our little man was NOT a happy camper and I think it’s all because his visit to the doctor threw off his feeding a little. He was alert and crying for the rest of the day . We ended up topping him off with an extra feed this evening and that seems to have done the trick (fingers crossed as he slumbers peacefully right now). If there is anything I have learned over the past week – it’s very hard to put a newborn on a schedule straight away. From now on, I’m simply going to feed on cue and ramp him up for longer sleeps at night, if possible.

I still continue to struggle with feeding. After many tears of frustration and pain, I decided to abandon breast feeding and start formula feeding almost exclusively. I have been trying to pump a few times each day to get some breast milk into my little duffer, but I feel as though I spend all my time being a milk cow rather than hands-on Mommy. I met with a lactation consultant this evening because I thought I was coming down with Mastitis and was running a low-grade fever with chills. She tried to give me some pointers on increasing my milk production to ease the pain; a surprise $168 later all I had to show was less dignity (from having a complete stranger rub my breasts for an hour) and a pump rental for one week. I was more than a little peeved because the Ottawa Public Health Nurse that recommended the LC led me to believe that the consultation would be free.

I have been told to pump every three hours to keep up my supply; this includes evening. I wake every 3 hours as it is to formula feed and I can’t see myself waking even earlier now to pump in anticipation of his next feeding. At least with the formula, it is already pre-mixed and ready to go. I’m quickly running out of patience and steam; I’m putting way too much focus on this and, quite frankly, I’m miserable. This is the totally unglamorous part of motherhood that nobody tells you about. I’m done with feeling guilty, lamenting my terrible delivery and doubting my mothering skills – I want to move on. If it takes formula to keep me and baby happy – than formula it shall be. For now I’ll keep up the pumping and see if things get any better, at least I can say I tried.

A week ago today I was wheeled into the recovery room and my life as mother began. I can’t say that either hubby or I have enjoyed the experience of parenthood thus far. We love Andrew, it’s evident every time we look into his eyes or enjoy a snuggle, but saying that this first week has been blissful would be an absolute lie. I look forward to watching him grow and becoming his own little person; this is just a difficult step we have to get through on the way. I have a newfound respect for all parents out there in the world, especially single mothers who have no help or support. No wonder parents take such joy and pride in their children; it takes so much hard work and dedication to raise them from day one. I know it will only get better over time and there will be plenty more laughter, tears and challenges along the way - welcome to parenthood!

Andrew Wade is here!

We’ve all heard the infamous old adage, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” After 24 hours of labour and a C-Section, I can honestly say that I couldn’t agree more! I may be bruised and battered and my body may feel like a piece of meat, but somehow I’ve come out of this a stronger person and more importantly, a mother!

Andrew Wade was born on 19 October 2009 at 6:48 PM weighing 7 lbs. 14 oz and measuring 52.5 cms long. He has reddish-blonde hair and, sadly, inherited his mother’s lusty cry and bleach-blonde devil eyebrows. I see so much of myself in him it’s almost eerie!

Sunday, October 18

16:30 – Get up from nap and go to bathroom; feel a small gush of liquid and call the hospital to inform them. They tell me to monitor it and see if I have any contractions.

17:00 – More gushes of liquid. I won’t go into the graphic details but I knew something was definitely up. Tried to call Mom and Dad to tell them that I might not make it to family dinner but they had the phone off the hook – go figure!

17:30 – Still no contractions so I go to Mom and Dad’s for dinner

18:00 – Lots more liquid so off to the triage we go…just in case.

18:30 – Examined at triage and am told that I am 1 cm and 100 % effaced. They say the liquid isn’t amniotic fluid but I’m totally not convinced. They hook me up to a fetal monitor and start picking up contractions. The nurse recommends I start walking the halls for a few hours to see if anything happens.

21:00 – Re-examined by doctor and now I’m 3 cm and starting to have more regular contractions. We have an ultrasound to make sure baby is alright and all seems well. I continue to pace the halls as I am better able to cope with the pain walking and swaying. I could have gone home but I just had a feeling that I’d be turning around and coming back to the hospital.

Monday, October 19

12:00 – 4 cm dilated and the pain starts to get a bit worse. Because I’m very tired and need to rest, the nurse gives me a shot of Nubane to take the edge off. Hubby and I try to sleep in some recliners in the early labour lounge. I nap for 3 minutes and then wake for a contraction…this goes on for hours.

4:00 – Re-examined and told that I would be admitted as soon as they could find me a birthing suite (very busy night). By this point I’m ready for an epidural but still breathing pretty well through contractions.

6:00 – Finally a room!

7:00 – Finally, an epidural! It took better on my left half than my right. I think I was about 6 cm at this point.

13:30 – 10 cm and ready to push. I pushed like a champ for 3 hours but baby was looking up at the sun rather than tucking his head down, which prevented me from pushing him past my pubic bone. The doctor hoped he would turn but he was still too far up to be aided by forceps or vacuum. Had he been looking the right way, I was told that my pushing would have had him out within 30 minutes.

16:30 – I am told that it will have to be a c-section – my biggest fear. They tell me to stop pushing and it’s sooo hard to stop. I basically fall apart at this point, the epidural isn’t working as well, I start crying and feeling 100 % tired and defeated.

18:00 – After waiting for another few c-sections to end, I am finally wheeled into the OR as a completely emotional mess. I am given a spinal and almost fall asleep during the procedure. I hated the feeling of being paralyzed and almost preferred a bit of the earlier pain. Hubby almost missed the delivery because nobody went to get him from my room. Thank God for my vigilant orderly, André (Andrew, coincidently), that went to fetch him.

18:48 – Andrew is born looking rather blue but screaming loudly nonetheless. He had lots of mucus and had to go to the nursery to have his blood oxygen levels monitored. He wasn’t there long and passed his APGAR tests with flying colours. I got to give him a quick kiss and off he went with Daddy. I didn’t even cry or feel particularly happy because I was too tired and shaking quite badly from the spinal.

20:30 – I am finally reunited with my family in our room. I got to nurse Andrew while in recovery but the nurse pretty much had to do all the work because I was so exhausted.

Dan, Andrew and I spent a total 3 nights recovering at the hospital. It was quite a challenge because I was in no condition to get up and care for my son. Hubs had to be a single-parent for the most part and I’m so proud of him for grabbing hold of the reigns. I almost feel leagues behind him as a parent as I am just starting to interact with Andrew more now and become involved in his day-to-day care.

Our “family” came home on 22 October. At first I was terrified about how I would manage without the help of the wonderful nurses and staff at the Montfort – they were beyond kind and wonderful. Now that I’m here, however, it feels fantastic to be back in my own space. I’m starting to reenter the world and it feels less like the twilight zone. I’m still quite stiff and it will be a while before I feel better both physically and emotionally. I’m still grieving the delivery that I had hoped for.

It has been difficult not being able to simply hop out of bed and care for my son the way that I would like to. I didn’t get that instant bond that I had always dreamed of but it grows day-by-day. I did a lot of crying and berating myself, which sounds illogical, but it is apparently completely normal for those that had a difficult labour or unexpected c-section.

I have had to put Andrew on formula for the time being as I heal and I simply can’t keep up with his demands for milk. I gave breastfeeding a go and met with a lactation consultant but it wasn’t working out to well and I was too sore and frustrated. Andrew seems far more content on the bottle right now and we’ll see what happens when my milk comes in. For now I try to pump and give him “the good stuff” every second feeding. This has been, by far, the greatest challenge and frustration of motherhood thus far. Right now I feel like I spend more time trying to pump than I do holding or taking care of my baby.

While things did not go as planned, I still have a happy and healthy little boy. I adore my little “bean” and he IS worth all the pain and frustration. Our initiation into parenthood hasn’t been that enjoyable yet but the worst is over and I know things will only get better as we all figure each other out.

Andrew is a sweet little boy with his Mommy's red hair and a lusty cry, but he's also a total snuggle bum and a decent sleeper "for now". I’m amazed every time I look at him. I did get my happy ending, just not the way I imagined.

Look at that giant "cone head" - proof of how hard Mommy pushed

My little October pumpkin

Happy but tired family

Post bath skin-to-skin with Mom

I just want to be held

Introducing...

Not a damn thing! Well...no baby at least.

This pregnancy thing is really starting to get long in the tooth. I was near tears this morning as I kept waking every 45 minutes due to pain in my fingers and numbness in my hands and arms. The carpal tunnel syndrome has kicked it up a notch this week and it always seems to hit me hardest at night when I should be catching up on as many Zzzzs as possible. I eventually reach a point, typically around 6:00 or 7:00 AM, where I abandon all hope and haul myself out of bed. I can't help but shake my fist as hubby lets out a contented little sigh, steals my body pillow and continues to slumber on peacefully; some mornings it takes all my willpower not to thump him on the head.

No big plans for today other than the usual - try to stay occupied without using my hands too much. I've come to the realization that I would probably go crazy without the use of my hands; I can never seem to let them rest idle (blogging = case and point). I see my legs as my primary source of exercise - one of my great passions in life that has since been hindered by swollen feet and ankles. On the other hand (pardon the cheesy pun), my hands are my portal to creativity - writing, cooking, crafting - my other great passions in life. Needless to say, when the doctor tells me to rest both my feet and hands, I feel more than a little surly and trapped...very trapped. While I would like to heed the doctor's suggestion, boredom is far more detrimental to my health and sanity.

Today I'm fighting back - I'm going to break down and purchase some wrist splints to see if that will give me some form of pain relief. I was trying to avoid making the purchase seeing as I'm so close to my due date, but I'm getting a little desperate.

All quiet on the Western front

Only five days until Momma gets angry and issues Bean his real eviction notice. Despite that fact that most of the other Ottawa ladies in my WB October Momma’s forum have already had their little ones (several were early I might add), I’m still sitting here with zero signs of labour. I’m really hoping that my lack of contractions isn’t a sign that this little man is going to stay past due; my mother never had any signs either, just her water breaking in one dramatic “sploosh.” I seem to have inherited Mom’s easy pregnancy and zero stretch mark genes, so I’m hoping I also have her luck with good/ quick labour. The fact that I want to meet this kiddo so much, probably means that he’ll make me suffer for as long as he can…sorry, but I’m not a “glass half full” gal at this point.

Nothing overly exciting to report today. Once again I tried to put gravity to work by cleaning the entire house from top to bottom: dusting, vacuuming, washing the floors, laundry, and climbing the stairs countless times. I also spent a good hour sterilizing bottles and figuring out how to assemble a breast pump for my inevitable task as dairy cow. After all that time spent standing and rushing around, all I have succeeded in doing is making my left foot look a little more bulgy and purple.

I am happy to report that the topic of yesterday’s post wasn’t merely a passing fancy. Mom took me out to Michael’s in the afternoon and I walked away with two knitting needles, some yarn and literally zero knowledge about knitting. After a few quick tutorials on YouTube and several botched attempts, I am now the proud owner of a very “ghetto” scarf-in-progress - basically ten rows of straight knitting and no pattern, but I’m absurdly proud of myself all the same. I think I heard my Mother-In-Law let out a victory cry from heaven; I’m finally going somewhere other than an unused ball of yarn and lots of swearing. (Poor Patty quickly discovered that I wasn’t exactly the most patient learner). Sadly, however, I have chosen to take up knitting at what could easily be dubbed “the worst possible time” – right when I’m suffering from pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome. I may have ten rows of a scarf completed, but I also haven’t felt my fingers in 24 hours.

Pray for my folks. I think I need all the help and labour vibes I can get…before I find new cruel and unusual ways to punish myself out of boredom.

In stitches

Being off work is bizarre. What is even more unnerving, however, is the fact that I’m basically sitting around waiting to produce a human - what will only be the most monumental and significant change in my life. Is it any wonder that I can’t relax?

Because I have the attention span of a toddler, I find myself trying to come up with a myriad of different activities to fill my days. I tend to have the frustrating habit of measuring everything I do in little quadrants of time, a freakish side-effect from a Microsoft Outlook “organization” workshop that I took last year….it’s like having a day planner ingrained in my brain. Something tells me that I’m going to have to get over this particular quirk once “Bean” gets here.

In an attempt to keep my mind clear and my feet up, I have found myself returning to my childhood roots – crafting. I can’t seem to keep my hands idle these days and have been mass producing Christmas decorations. With six cross-stitch ornaments already complete, I’m anxious to find a new way to occupy my hands (that and my eyes aren’t so great with the intricate small stitches anymore). Suddenly, it dawned on me that perhaps I could take up knitting – what I consider to be one of my greatest artistic downfalls in life. My grandmother tried to teach me when I was a child and my mother-in-law tried to pass the craft on before she died; it was the one thing that I couldn’t seem to find the patience for. Secretly, however, all these years I have harbored a desire to knit myself a beautiful green winter scarf – one simple solitary piece of knitting that I could wear with pride. I have no idea why, but that darn scarf is suddenly of paramount importance – I MUST knit and I MUST succeed at it.

39 weeks!

I had some strange twinges and pains last night after waking up several times to use the bathroom. I’m still not sure I’d call them contractions, at least not as I know them to be, but hubby had to apply some firm pressure to my lower back to help me out. Today I see my OB for “hopefully” my last prenatal appointment. While he won’t do any internals until week 40, I’m hoping that he may “check things out” given the odd pains I had yesterday; I’m anxious to know if I have dilated at all. I realize I could be stuck like this for another two weeks before induction, but any small indication of progress would be nice.

It’s gearing up to be another lazy day so I really don’t have anything exciting to report. I got my remaining maternity pictures back from Sheri yesterday so I’ll leave you with a few. I’m very glad I had this done! While I don’t feel particularly attractive these days, the photos are beautiful!

Out you come!

As you can guess, I have finally reached that infamous brick wall - the point where I rather get the show on the road than have to spend yet another day being pregnant. I’ve had an easy ride but I’m still done. Waking every two hours because of pain and numbness in my hands and arms has really put a damper on enjoying, what I hope will be, the final days of pregnancy.

Now that Thanksgiving has passed and I’ve had my fill of baking and turkey, I am more than ready to leap into parenthood. Am I terrified? Yes! Am I eager? Yes! But please Lord, if you have any mercy in your heart, bring it on!

Week one – done

I’m proud to say that I survived my first week of leave without going completely batty. It’s nice to sit here on a Saturday morning, sipping my java in a spotless home. Typically hubby and I spend a good chunk of our weekends running errands and cleaning the house but I decided to treat him by going at the entire place yesterday. I think another spurt of “nesting” energy must have hit me…I still have the swollen ankle to prove it.

Plans for the weekend involve resting, relaxing and eating the annual Thanksgiving Gobbler. I decided to throw down the pregnancy card this year by relinquished the reigns of hostessing to my Mother. It actually pains me not to be serving the big family spread; it’s exhausting but I love entertaining and feel a little sad knowing that out little home has already seen its last Thanksgiving. On the plus side, I did volunteer to do the cranberry sauce and dessert baking; I still get to enjoy my time in the kitchen, without the monumental cleanup.

Speaking of baking, hubby and I have consumed so much sugar in the past 24 hours that I’m surprised were not in a coma. On top of cleaning the house yesterday, I baked two batches of chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, followed by a YUMMY chocolate pumpkin loaf! One of my old high school girlfriends is back in town this weekend for her birthday and the holidays, so I had her and a few folks over for dessert last night. Per usual, I went a little too far and now have a truckload of leftovers – not that hubby seems to mind.

I’m really hoping that “Bean” decides to wait until Tuesday to make his appearance. I’m looking forward to spending a quiet weekend with family and then I think I’ll be more than ready to get the show on the road. Hubby and I have box seats to tonight’s Sen’s hockey game and I’m crossing my fingers that my water doesn’t break in front of his colleagues.

I’m soooooo cool!

As I sit here listening to old Allanah Myles and Billy Ocean songs, I’ve come to the sad realization that I will probably be a big source of embarrassment to my children some day. I can already picture the patent eye rolls now and the infamous, “Oh my God, my mom is so lame,” comments that will undoubtedly follow. Oddly enough, I look forward to dropping kids off at parties with the windows rolled down and my childhood tunes blaring out the window. I can also rest assured that my own kids will turn into some version of their parents in the future and look forward to embarrassing their own children – it’s the perverse cycle of life.

Day two...

So far I am surviving captivity, although I must admit that it’s a little boring being alone. I find myself absent-mindedly rubbing my belly and having some pretty in-depth conversations with “Bean”. It will be nice to have him out, then I can talk as much as I like without looking like a crazy lady.

I still don’t have anything exciting to report with zero signs of impending labour. Either this little fells is going to (a) take me by complete surprise or (b) hold onto my uterus for dear life until he is forced out. Something tells me baby is stubborn like his Momma.

Today was fairly productive. I organized about three year’s worth of typed out recipes into a binder and was finally able to get rid of the myriad of cooking magazines that were cluttering my office shelves – a HUGE accomplishment! I rewarded my efforts by kicking back and watching one of several movies that I rented last night – Easy Virtue (Colin Firth & Jessica Biel). It was “okay” but nothing I’d recommend rushing out to find.

Hubs and I are keeping things lazy tonight. We’re treating ourselves to shawarma (I know, I know…I caved) and then we’ll probably go for another long walk, followed by movie night. We rented “Monsters vs. Aliens.” We’re almost parents now, so we figured it was cool to brush up on all the popular animated movies these days; truth be told, I think they are just as geared towards adults nowadays – I especially love anything done by Pixar.

In closing, I’m leaving you with some “teaser” photos from my maternity shoot at 36 weeks and change. I can’t believe how rotund I look, but I’m still very happy that I decided to quit my complaining and capture this special moment in life. A special thanks and shout out goes to the fabulous Sheri Slater, who managed to somehow make this Momma-To-Be look serene. I can’t wait to get the full CD of shots

All hail Buddah!

This really is beautiful!

Bean in the belly!

Happy Momma

Just keeps on growing!

Day one of captivity

Day one of playing “housewife” and my left foot is already the size of a small tree trunk. So what exactly did I do with my first day of freedom? I spent it tidying and cooking up a feast for the crock pot. I won’t bore you with all the details (because it honestly wasn’t all that exciting) but I’m happy to report that I now have enough tasty leftovers of Spicy Cuban Turkey Stew for two post-baby meals. My freezer is starting to fill up nicely.

Tomorrow I think I will treat myself by renting a movie. Hospital bags are packed and good to go. For now, it’s a matter of finding something to do every day to keep my mind off “Bean”. I’m hoping he will let me make it to Thanksgiving dinner with the family, but he’s more than welcome to appear after I’ve had my fill of turkey and apple pie.

Off for a walk with hubby now – got to keep moving so that my legs and muscles stay nice and strong for the big work ahead. The baby is definitely starting to sit lower now, which makes my best attempt at power walking look more like a power waddle. My interesting gait is further helped by the fact that I only have two pairs of old dilapidated shoes that still feet my feet. I have actually been wearing an old pair of beat up loafers that I usually reserve for the Halloween dummy that I build every year – très sexy, n’est-ce pas?

Lady of leisure – Ha!

It’s official; I’m off work now for the next 54 weeks.

I had a very hard time saying farewell to folks at the office yesterday. I kept it together and was all smiles until I climbed into the car next to hubby - than the floodgates opened and I had a good 5-minute panic of “Oh my God, is this really happening?!?”

It’s strange how much work really becomes part of your life. I suppose some folks would be thrilled to have so much time off, but I already feel like a fish out of water. I know I’ll probably go batty on Monday when hubby heads out the door without me. While I’m grateful to get a year off with baby, and I wouldn’t trade it for all the tea in China, I think it will be quite the transition for this “on-the-go” gal.

So now what? The plan is to keep myself as occupied as possible until my due date – lots of nesting, organizing, walking and an epic marathon of freezable meal preparation. I have drafted myself quite the impressive “To-Do” list and I’m hoping that will keep me sane for a little while. I am, however, making a pact with hubby that I will allow myself at least two solid hours of relaxation each day, with my poor little swollen feet up on the sofa. I know it sounds pathetic, and people keep telling me to embrace the “calm before the storm,” but I have a seriously hard time sitting idle. I’m very much akin to a Jack Russell Terrier on speed – even at 37.5 weeks pregnant!