David (aka the baby) vs. Goliath (aka Me)

Hi.  My name is B and I have high blood pressure.

What’s that you say?  Aren’t I a healthy twenty-something?  Haven’t I bragged about ripping out flooring/walls/garage doors with my BARE HANDS?

It is funny how far the mighty have fallen.

And all due to a little baby.

The past couple of weeks, my blood pressure has been spiking at work.  It had been elevated at the beginning of the pregnancy- and then dropped for duration.  No biggie, right?  Right.  But then, it started going up again- but only at work.

Of course when I would head in to my doctor’s it would be fine…Hmph.

They tested me…they tested the baby…they tested my dog’s brother’s nephew…and nothing showed up.  No preeclampsia, no unusual stress on the baby, nothing to indicate any problem.  And yet, every day I tested it at work, it went up.

You can probably see where I’m going with this, right?

My maternity leave officially started on Friday!  YAY!  12 weeks off!

But, um…with no baby yet to show for it.

So, while I had originally planned on starting my maternity leave with, you know, an actual infant to pay attention to, instead I have judge shows on tv and a pile of library books to read until she decides to make an appearance.  What’s harder is all the random little projects I’d like to get done around the house BEFORE she makes an appearance and leaves me a blubbering, incoherent zombie for 12 weeks…but can’t because of the high blood pressure, and because my basketball stomach is making it hard for me to even get out of bed, much less finish putting up drywall.

I guess I’m going to take it as a little mini-vacation and enjoy the quiet while I can…course it’s not the Bahamas, but do you think the neighbors would mind seeing my beached whale body in a baby pool tomorrow?

A Sudden Change in Status

Soon Stella will just be the dog again…though I don’t think she knows it yet…

And- as I mentioned before- our renovated room is livable.  It’s not quite complete but we did move a large quantity of stuff up there this weekend, and are now sleeping upstairs, which is a unique adventure when I have to use the bathroom downstairs in the middle of the night…

Better pictures later this week.

36/37/38 weeks

The room is done!  Well, done enough for guests this past weekend- and for a move of our bedroom this upcoming weekend… Of course there are a few details that still need attending to- like a clothes bar in the closet, and a few minor patches of drywall-  but I’ve lived in worse, so you won’t here me complaining.

Other than that, posting has been slower than usual as we’ve been pretty busy the last week (or two).  I was thrown a great baby shower last weekend- and found out that no one can really tell me my due date.  Not even the doctor.

See, when I found out I was expecting, it was estimated that I was due on June 18th.  Great!  If I timed it right, I would be able to take the whole summer off with the baby and start work again on September 1st.

Then I had my ultrasound at 20 weeks (a normal pregnancy is 40 weeks long).  And baby was measuring about a week ahead of schedule- now expected to make an appearance on June 12th.  Ok, I’m flexible- that’s no big deal.

Now, as the days quickly wind down, baby is measuring larger and larger every week-  meaning I’ll be having a 9 (OMG) pound baby on one of my original due dates- OR I could go into labor as early as the 7th or 8th of June.

Have I mentioned OMG?

At any time, if you asked, that means I’m either 36, 37, or 38 weeks along.  And, if you factor in the blood pressure issues I’ve been having lately (trust me, don’t ask)- I could be induced even earlier….um…yeah…

Like my mama…

I was shocked and dismayed to realize I hadn’t written anything for Mother’s Day. 

It might have had something to do with finishing up the bedroom (pictures will be forecoming)- but that’s no excuse!  None!

So, to my mom- 

For instilling in me your hard work ethic, your mechanical ability, your way around the garden, your wit, your sarcasm, your practicality and your love of shoes, and for always making me feel like there was no reason I couldn’t do whatever my little heart desired,  thank you, thank you, thank you.

Happy Mother’s Day!

(a day late)

Like her mama?

My husband is mellow.

Way mellow.

He rarely gets visibly angry.  He doesn’t embarrass easily.  He takes bad drivers, obnoxious salespeople, and infuriatingly long lines in stride.  Things just don’t seem to phase him.  I could probably count on one hand the amount of times that he’s yelled in the five years we’ve know each other.  Even home improvement, which I know he reviles but does to please me, only elicits a few sighs and a lot of procrastination from him.

I guess opposites attract.  While I wouldn’t say I’m insanely intense, I’m a bit more free in letting my emotions out- anger, laughter, sadness, joy…  It’s taken me years to learn not to immediately blurt out the first thing that comes into my brain when I’m upset or angry.  I’m still working on my patience- especially if I’m faced with a long line and a agonizingly slow person in front of me, talking on their cell phone, holding up the line of 60 people to decide if they REALLY need that $0.50 candy bar.

Not that I’ve encountered that or anything.

Point is, my moods can change kind of fast- especially during the hormone rushes I’m experiencing right now- and my face and body probably definitely tell what I’m thinking.

Our daughter might just be the same way. 

Some days (like yesterday) it’s all small nudges, gentle taps and quiet.  I actually wondered why she was so sleepy yesterday.  Today?  It’s like she’s angry at the world- pounding on the walls, jumping up and down, wailing away.  Evidently the effort wears her out because I’ll have about an hour’s worth of quiet before she starts in again. 

Did I sleep crooked last night?  Did I eat something she didn’t like?  I don’t know…

We’re going to have fun when she’s a teenager.

And while it’s great  that she won’t ever feel repressed or silently worry herself to sickness- it’s bad because it will get her into trouble with me…(Just ask my mom…)

 Maybe she’s just getting it all now, and will be like her dad…but maybe not…

Please Hold…

So, with the getting ready for the baby, our attic/bedroom conversion, and you know, SPRING, the week just seemed to flit by in one of those cute summer dresses I can no longer fit into…

Oh, well.

That being said- we ARE getting close to putting the room together.  Paint is expected to be slapped up this weekend, electric will be done this weekend too, and baseboards/moulding is scheduled for early next week…  Just in time for my parents and sister to visit next weekend.

I hope they don’t mind a few details that might have missed our sprint to the finish..

Or some wet paint…

Which, leads me to a small dilemma-  we haven’t decorated the baby’s room yet.  Have I mentioned that yet?  Or maybe like a thousand times already?

We don’t have a “theme”- or even a color scheme really-  it’s kind of a mish-mash of numbers/letters/animals, mostly in blues, browns, a bit of green and yellow, etc.   The walls of the room are currently done in classic white (exciting and simulating, no?)- but I was thinking of using the leftover tan paint from our bedroom for an accent wall.  I have a couple of cute animal pictures I’m going to frame, but other than that…

So- any other suggestions to perk up the room?  Maybe make it a bit more kid-friendly? 

Oh, and I really love these – and think it would be a fun way to spice up the room- but which one? 

Blik- Cows

Blik- Circus

Blik- Sheep