A plug!

Here I am, promoting my swap again. The deadline is tomorrow!

Meanwhile, it's already Wednesday. When did that happen? (I guess around midnight...)

Wednesday really is my day over the hump of the week. Thursday is an easy day at work, when I only teach 4 classes as opposed to 7 and then Friday is a half day.

It snowed a lot yesterday and last night. I was once again driving to work- going about 30 in a 50 zone. I didn't have any issues with sliding on the road until I got to work- that parking lot is icy, but it was only half a fish tail.

The pregnancy is going well. I feel good and my circumference is steadily increasing: all good signs. I know I know. I need pictures!

Today is my "get things done" day. McKay will be hometeaching tonight, I so I guess I should do some more dishes and tidy up our living room. Maybe I'll get my visiting teaching done. :)

Learning to be Selfish

So Friday McKay was gone all day, and I got a day to myself. I worked until noon and then picked up some rings from Tina who sells slings. She was having a play date with another mom and offered to let me sit and talk with them. I didn't do much talking, but I do enjoy watching other moms parent: having their kids say "I'm sorry" to each other and such. She also said I could come over and make my sling with her. I think I may take her up on that offer.

I got some needed phone calls in and then called J. She's training to be a doula, and I'll say she'll be a great one. She shares my excitement about my birth almost more than anyone else. She's also a firm believer in "if someone makes an offer, take them up on it." I believe that, too, but I don't do it as often as I should. She told me that when she had her girl last year and someone offered to help out, she'd say, "well, you can make me breakfast." I wish my visiting teachees would actually let me know when they need something!

Which reminds me of Relief Society and Enrichment. I like how Enrichment is set up: if there's a need, they can make a group for it: book club, exercise groups, play groups, etc. I think some women get stuck on the issue that there isn't a group that they're interested in. Well, then let someone know! If they don't know what the needs are, they can't arrange groups.

I can't wait to go back into Relief Society after this baby comes. I'll actually know when the groups are meeting and be able to go to them. It's part of my post-partum plan: go to as many activities as possible so I don't feel lonely and get depressed. There's walking groups on Tuesday and Thursday and a play group on Wednesday. And with the AP playgroups on Tuesday and Thursday, I should be getting lots of woman time. I'm going to make Enrichment work for me- that's what it's there for! My needs will be to see other women and not be alone with a baby all day and Enrichment will fulfill that need for me! Woot woot.

Although, I decided yesterday that we need a grocery shopping Enrichment group. McKay did the laundry (thanks!) and I went to do the grocery shopping. My issue is that I've been really people-needy lately and going grocery shopping was going to be lonely. I actually called a lady in the ward to see if she'd come with me (at the last craft activity, she said that grocery shopping was one of her favorite activities) but all I got was an answering machine. I'll probably try that again next week. I need to be with people, so gosh darnit, I'm going to get people to be with me.

I think when it comes to Enrichment, the Relief Society wants you to be a little selfish: if you have a need, they want to fill it, so let them do their job.

My poor visiting teachers... in a couple of months I will be taking them up on the "anything I can do for you" offer. I hope they understand the real limits of "anything."

But a lesson for everyone: if someone offers help, take it. That's why they offered. You just might get your dishes done out of it, and no one can complain about that!

A stressful night (warning: long)

So, when I woke up yesterday, I was under the impression that things would go smoothly- it was a Thursday, after all. And for the most part it did. I got lots done at work and had some free time to myself at work (aka emailing time).

When I got home, McKay was in class, and would be in class until 7. I told him I was planning on going to Enrichment at 7 for the card-making group because I need to make cards for a swap. So I leave the apartment with dinner in the crockpot for McKay and a message on the white board with where I am and how to reach me. I left the phone at home for him- that way he could get ahold of me at Enrichment. I grabbed the flashlight and started the 2-block walk (it's dark at 7).

Downhill from there.

So I did finish the cards I wanted to make, but I heard some of the most frustrating things EVER! I probably should have spoken up, but I felt greatly out numbered and I'm not good with being on the spot.

One of the women there is expecting in 2 weeks and the baby is breech, so she "has" to have a c-section because her doctor has that "feeling." "And a section isn't that bad, right?" she says, "I hear you have a hard time laughing and sneezing and coughing for a while, but I can't do that now while I'm pregnant- so it'll be like being pregnant for a few more weeks, but I'll have the baby." Of course it was mentioned that since so many people have sections, it must not be that bad to get over.

Ok ok. So first, who is this doctor who can receive intimate insight on a woman's body and baby? He's known her for like, what: 8 months? Along with who knows how many patients? He just has that "feeling." Ugh.

And a section- yes. EXACTLY like being pregnant. (rolling my eyes) And frankly, I don't want to feel pregnant when I have a newborn. And for the record...and I'll have to go find my source... but you're 3 times more likely to die from a cesarean delivery than a vaginal one. Yes, it must not be that bad. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization states that cesarean rates shouldn't be higher than 10-15% in developed countries; any more than that and they're being done unnecessarily. In America, they're hovering around 1 in 3. That means at least half of all cesareans in America are unnecessary.

This was when I thought I'd pipe in a thing for spinningbabies.com and trying to turn your child, but I was dismissed very quickly. That was when I decided it'd be best to not say anything for a while.

Then someone mentioned a woman we all knew who just had a baby boy, but (gasp!) she had a midwife and used a birthing tub. You should have seen their reactions. This was when I officially decided that I was going to keep my mouth closed and vent later, which is what I'm doing now. Well, while they were all aghast about such and idea and sharing birth horror stories, I quickly finished my cards and headed home to see McKay. The whole way home I was very shaken up- I was trying to figure out if it would have been better to pipe in my 2 cents or if I did the correct thing in being silent. I told my baby I wouldn't let anyone cut it out of me. I think the baby's glad for it.

I came home and the apartment was dark- McKay wasn't home yet and it was 8 o'clock. His class ended at 7, so he should have been home by now. There were two messages on the phone and it said I had missed a call from the lab (where McKay works), so I figured they were both from McKay. Wrong. One was from my mother and things are very stressful at home. The other was from McKay and he had to stay late.

So, I'm shaken up from Enrichment and my mom's call and McKay is at school and I have to go get him. I tried very hard to keep my composure. I brought dinner and went up to his lab and ask him about his day- I figured it'd be best to hear about his day before I go off on mine. We come home, talk to the neighbors as we pass by, which was nice and then I tell him about my day. His reaction to the cesarean discussion was, "Were they joking?" "No." "They're in denial then." I love my husband and his support.

So he's gone today on a field trip to southern Utah to take pictures and I don't know when he'll be back- 6pm? 10pm? I work half a day and I'm going to try to get some more dishes done (I didn't have much time last night) and run a few errands and make a few phone calls. I'm buying rings to make a sling! And I left my gloves at the LLL meeting on Wednesday, so I need to go get those. I think I'm going to call J to detox from last night. I'm still shook up about it all (hence the venting)- I almost feel nauseous.

And now for a quick shower before I head to work! Nice, warm water!

A little game and a swap

So NH Knitting Mama "tagged" me. Well, I tagged myself.

So here I open to page 161 of the book I'm currently reading and now plagiarize the fifth sentence on the page:

"What do you call the right sort of person?"
- from The Complete Peanuts: 1957-1958 by Charles M. Schulz.

I, of course, will not stop you from tagging yourself for this game.

And I'm not sure if I've mentioned it here, but I'm a Peanuts fan. Peanuts is full of age-old wisdom such as "You can't bend a cracker," "I believe that people who want to change can do so, and I believe that they should be given a chance to prove themselves," and my all-time favorite, "Never wear a shirt; if you wear a shirt, someone will drop a creepy crawly worm down your neck."



Well, since I'm not bogged down in swaps, I figured I'd sign up for another: the Love Triangle Swap hosted by my cousin-in-law, Beth. (That's a little plug for you to check it out, if you didn't know it).

March

I know it's January, but my mind has been thinking a lot about March. It might be because I should have a baby sometime in March. March is a really busy month holiday-wise for me and I've been thinking, "What if the baby's birthday falls on ____ day?"

Days of/near March:
February 29: Leap Year Day
March 8: International Women's Day
March 11: my sister-in-law's birthday
March 14: Pi Day + Einstein's birthday
March 15: The Ides of March
March 17: Anniversary of the organization of the Relief Society, the largest and longest existing women's organization in the world.
March 17: St. Patrick's Day
March 18: My mom's birthday
March 28: My brother's birthday
March in general: Women's History Month

So I'm due sometimes between March 8-20, which is when most of the celebrations are. It's going to be quite the busy month.

I've been thinking a lot about International Women's Day. Last year on IWD, I participated in a demonstration at BYU against violence against women. I was a part of a line of women: one in 3 had a sign that represented sexual assault and one in 8 had a sign representing rape. Those numbers are the statistics for reported rape and assault in Utah.

Our line:

I don't have plans for IWD 2008 this year because March 8 is my ovulation-based due date. I very well could be celebrating IWD by doing the most feminine of all acts: giving birth.

At the IWD website, I found that the Girl Scouts of Utah are having a celebration for IWD on March 6 in Salt Lake if you're in the area.

Also, the Trust Birth Conference will be held March 7-9 in Redondo, CA. I don't know if they planned that over IWD, but it's a nice coincidence.

And in celebration of the anniversary of the organization of the Relief Society, Relief Societies all over the world will be hosting an Enrichment activity to celebrate the birthday. Look into that, also.

So in general, plan your celebrations now! I'm so excited. March has got to be one of the most exciting months in the whole year!

Feelin' great

So all week, my belly has felt so heavy. The baby's head was in my pelvis. And then something wonderful happened last night while I was watching a movie: the baby flipped around and now its head is up high. I don't know why people get worked up about breech positions; I had the best sleep ever last night. I didn't have any pressure in my lower abdomen and so I could sleep and not wake up achey. Head up babies are so much more comfortable to carry.

I had another baby dream last night. I gave birth to a boy; he was a little blue at first (aren't all babies?), but he pinked up nicely and we named him Harris. He fed great, slept great, and was easy to carry in a sling. It was like having the ideal child. By the end of the dream he was 1 or so and was playing with Scott and Carolyn's kid, Soren. I remember in the dream telling Harris to, "Play nicely with Soren!" It was a nice dream- probably because I actually got real sleep.

Side note: if we do have a boy, we aren't naming him Harris.

I slept in today. We have the day off school and my only obligation today is to see the chiro at 3. This means I should be cleaning up the house so I can enjoy my weekend.

And I'd like to make a plug for the Baby A Baby Swap. There's still plenty of time to sign up and lots of room for more swappers. You can knit or crochet to participate!

At least one foot

We've decided that the baby has at least one foot. Last Saturday we listened to its heartbeat with the stethoscope. I then tried to feel around to see if I could find out what position its in. So I feel around for something large and round- which would either be the head or the back. We have an idea of where its body is based on where we hear the heartbeat. I couldn't quite find the head though- it might be hiding under the placenta.

Anyway, I found this little hard piece that I could move around: left, right, up, down. And then the baby moved. I don't think it likes its foot tickled.

In other baby news: lots of dreams of the baby coming early. I had another gender dream and it was a boy. Now the boy dreams are behind by one. It's getting pretty close! Maybe it means we'll have a transvestite.

And I now have less than 2 months to go. It seems like it's going by so fast and it'll be here too soon. We actually have to start looking into buying things, I think. At least babies don't need much: we have a place for it to sleep (our bed- everyone says they end up in your bed anyway because you don't feel like getting out of bed to put them back down), enough food for a year, a few blankets. We need diapers and clothes, I guess.

I'm actually going to have a baby shower- this whole past week I was lamenting how no one's asked me if I'm having one. I have no friends. It shouldn't have bothered me much; I'm not the type of person people want to throw parties for. But THEN I went to Enrichment, and suddenly I have friends and a baby shower. Hooray!

Please avert your attention

to the webcomic xkcd. I rather liked today's.

(Click on picture for a bigger image)

I also like how 2 of my hobbies are among the safest. Just thought I'd share that with you all.

I wish it was a snow day

So I had to go to work this morning. This was the car. I was quite surprised.

This was the drive:

I know it probably doesn't look that bad to you, but I was scared and nervous. I fishtailed a few times, but not too badly. I was going slow and all the SUVs were hurrying pass me, but at least I ended up safe. I should have taken a picture of the bus in the ditch in front of our apartment complex.

I was glad I was driving, though. I have a good understanding of needing 75 feet to slow down and pump the brakes even though the people behind me do not. Please do not tailgate me!

They really should have cancelled school, or at least delayed it an hour or two. Buses were late, teachers were late, 1/3 of the school had substitute teachers planned for today and all of the subs were late. Kids were so antsy being inside all day. Antsy, talky, rowdy. I even asked myself, "Why do we teach children to talk and get excited when they do?" because I sure wished they'd all shut up! I told Gaylene, my coworker, we wouldn't teach our kids to talk. We'd just make sure we'd grunt and point when we're around them.
I'm an awful person for thinking that, I know.

Check it out.

For those of you who want to receive a phone call when we have the baby in a couple of months, head over to our blog and comment on the gender. You can also see a picture of me and my belly at 31 weeks, plus some hot pics of McKay.

Images

I took this idea from Carly. I don't post pictures here enough, so I'm going to this time!

Photo Survey!!
- go to Google Images
- search for your answer
- pick one image from the first page
- post

Age at my next birthday:
23.

A place I'd like to travel:
Austria.

Favorite food:
cake.

Favorite object:
trampolines

Favorite color:
I don't have one, but I do like purple.

Town you are from:
Cary, IL (this is an old photo, but I can see the street where I lived)

Town you live in now:
Provo, UT. This is the Provo Temple

Name of a past pet:
Reveille. This is actually the collie that our dog was named after; A&M was my parents' alma mater.

Name of a past love:
Vincent. I had a crush on Vincent Powell in fifth/sixth grade. I even asked him to line dance with me. This was probably the hardest thing I did in fifth grade.

Your first name:
Heather. You have to be careful when googling "heather," though. You tend to get a lot of porn.

A bad habit
nail biting- Keeping my nails short since 2nd grade.

Your first job
I worked at Women's Fitness Center as a nursery attendant. I watched kids while their moms worked out. All for $5.35/hr.

Grandmother's name: Margaret.
This is a portrait of Margaret Kemble Gage. I don't know who Ms. Gage was, but she must have been famous for her portrait to show up on google.

College Major:
My BS was in mathematics.

Back to Work

So school was back in session today and I went back to work. I think it's crazy that they have the kids back in school on Jan. 2. I'd say there were about 5+ students absent in each class. I wanted to start them on projects for the next semester, but I didn't want to have to repeat myself again to the absent kids next week.

It was a really slow day. The morning felt SO LONG. The students were tired, the teachers were tired. We were all just dying. By the afternoon, the students were awake and very chatty, but the teachers were still tired.

I can't complain too much: 2 more months and I won't be working there anymore.

What else happened today? Hmm. I went to the chiropractor. I also worked up a list of things I could make for an etsy shop. Crabgirl came by yesterday (we had been crab-sitting her crabs over the break) and I showed her some things I've knit. She loved the DNA strands and the toy dinosaur and said that the socks looked store-bought. Most of those things were made from scraps I had sitting around the house. Hey, I might as well sell the scraps around the house and make a little bit of extra cash. I'm still looking into it, though, but I'm seeing inspiration for knits everywhere now. I'm just imagining what I could sell to people... So much awesomeness!