well the dates, they are a changin

So, I have now 3 dates. Fun, I know. There's April 23, 26, and latest 27th. I'm fairly sure that the baby will choose to come whenever she darn well pleases, so I'm not putting too much focus on the exact dates. The doctors say the lmp date is more accurate, the ultrasound techs say the u/s date is more accurate, so...I pick the earlier one! I think u/s should be more accurate, especially early on, because even the most regular person can have a fluctuation of a couple of days here or there. It's pretty picky stuff though. Last time the u/s bumped me up a whole week, and my dr still wouldn't change my due date. Jerk. But again, not like it mattered in the end.

All else is well. My main worries from last time - the going overdue, the ending up on bedrest, and the crazy, so itchy I wanted to tear my skin off rash I got at the end and after Kieran arrived - have been alleviated. My ob said that I would likely deliver around my due date, that the itchy rash only occurs near the end and so I may have this baby before that happens, and that if I were to have whacks of those stupid fake contractions again, they would do a fetal fibronectin test, and if it were ok, they'd let me go about my business and get me to come back for another test in 2 weeks. I love that technology advances! She said where my body has shown that it will hold a pregnancy to term (and beyond...she actually chuckled as she reviewed my chart what with the bedrest and scheduled induction and all) that they wouldn't be nearly so cautious, esp if it were at 31 weeks or so again. I've scheduled my last day at work to be April 4th, which should give me some quality time with the boy and the house before the little one comes. I'm mainly referring to the baby as 'she', but there is always the off chance they were wrong, so I don't want to bet the farm, as it were. My friend Andrea just had her baby, a girl, a surprise since they weren't telling the sex when she had her u/s. They named her Ainslie Marion, which is a great name. It's close to a name I'm giving big consideration to. Or, have basically decided on, but am not telling everyone, because that's not as fun.

Anyway. I have to do dishes. They're never ending. It's so annoying. Work is almost done though, which is great. Christmas shopping is almost done, or almost as done as it's going to get.

even with the sweet pillow, it's just not the same

I've been on my own for the last few days. Grant went away to Quebec for work on Sunday, and won't be back until tonight. His parents jumped at the chance to babysit the boy for a few days, and after much negotiation (no, he can't stay with you for the whole week) they came to get him Wednesday morning, and will return him this afternoon. I was thusly able to see a movie with my dear friend Jenn and my sister, and have coffee with Jenn and Tiresa on Wed. night, and then able to scoot into town to pick up a toy for Kieran. Mom and Dad had gotten it for him, but it got badly damaged in shipping. They got their money back, but had no toy. So, I picked it up. They picked up the main thing that I had wanted to get Kieran, so we'll trade and be pretty much even I think. I also bought stickers. I forgot that I'm teaching some little kids here, and they like things like that. I'm working on reading with 2 sweet grade 3 girls, and one of them yesterday showed me her reading log and said, "Mrs. Estey usually gives us a sticker when we finish a book..." So I of course bought some last night. I had some, but they were giant and not really fun. I got a whole box of I don't even know how many stickers at Toys R Us in one of their out front bargain bins for $5. I'm pretty excited.

What else. I've been able to hear my little one's heartbeat and other moving-around noises with the help of a fetoscope from Tiresa. I had never seen one before, and it took me a couple of weeks before I could hear anything. It really does have to be very quiet, it's just a fancy stethoscope and not one of those fancy amplifying doppler's or anything, but it's just as fun to use, and gives you the "thump-thump" heartbeat sound that you're more used to hearing, rather than the odd "swish-swish" one that dopplers make. That's how I've been winding down for bed the last couple of nights. It's very relaxing.

I'm supposed to be working right now, as usual, but my reading group is not here today, so I find myself with unexpected bonus time on my hands. I've been staying late at work since Kieran went with his grandparents, so I figure I can slack off a bit now.