further adventures of my bladder and other parts

because you want to know, I can tell. I have had this ridiculous cold all weekend, but it seems to be going away now. Not gone, by any stretch, but going. I had a cold forever ago, and then had a sore throat for like, a month and a half. Nothing else, just a sore throat. I actually got my doctor to look at it once when I was there...she offered...and she said my tonsils are so small she actually thought I might have had them removed. So THAT wasn't the problem. Anyway, cut to like, this past Wednesday. I have just a little tickle in my throat, a little cough coming on. Gross. This turns into a full-blown hacking disgusting full-body racking cough.

Now, those of you who have been or are pregnant understand the delicate nature of the bladder at this juncture. You really need only look in its general direction to encourage it to attempt to empty its contents. It does not mind if you are not near any kind of appropriate bladder-emptying facility. So, when you combine this bladder with body rocking coughing fits, things are not going to end well. I would have a gross coughing, struggling for breath fit, and then either about wet myself or have a contraction. Which also makes me have to pee. Still today, I'm walking down the hall and if I start to cough, I have to stop moving and stand there with my legs crossed until it stops. I'm sure the surveillance cameras are LOVING me.

This weekend wasn't a total write-off though, we had my mom and Grant's parents up for visits, and the Easter bunny brought an obscene amount of stuff, which we immediately divvied up into "stuff we really like" and "stuff that Grant will bring to work" (I can't bring most things to work, because they have peanuts or peanut butter in them, and we're peanut free). I also had a lovely shower at which we played a pretty fun Mad Lib game and ate way more than necessary. Including, but by no means limited to, a peanut butter cup blizzard cake and a lovely assortment of appetizers and cheesey things. The pile of baby stuff is growing, and the places to put the baby stuff are still...nonexistant. I did clear out 3 drawers in my dresser, but that won't be enough space. I have like, a bag of clothes from my mom, stuff she kept from when we were little, and some new clothes from friends and family from my shower, and will soon have all the stuff we had for Kieran that isn't like, too too boyish. Sleepers, blankets...I have no idea where we'll put everything. Kieran will likely have to share a bit, we can hang some things in his closet and use his big shelf, and we'll just keep the 'may need in the middle of the night' type things in our room.

I got an email from Babies R Us yesterday congratulating me on the arrival of my baby. I have registered as being due April 23rd, so I'm not sure why they sent me that, but they did offer me 10% off on any of my remaining registry items, which is nice. I could get the bassinet maybe. We'll see!

I have a lot of work to do, so I should work on that, I guess.

lessons learned

so, I had in my head that 2nd pregnancies were easier. They're not. You get bigger faster, but not so that you look pregnant earlier, just so that you have NO clothes that fit and look sort of paunchy. You feel grosser earlier and for longer, and have all kinds of fun "2nd (or subsequent) pregnancy" things. Like groin pain. Come on! It feels, most of the time, like I've been doing too many thighmaster exercises. Or like I got kicked in the junk. Unpleasant. And contractions. For no reason. Not the harmless Braxton Hicks ones either, real ones that make you stop what you're doing and say oh, ok...ow.

Another lesson I learned just today after sitting waiting for my appointment for an hour. Even if you're sure you've got the lid on your pee-in-a-cup securely, you shouldn't drop it on the floor, because it will open a little bit and that's gross. And you'll have to pretend like you didn't just drop and spill your pee in the waiting room in front of like 15 people, and you'll probably get some pee on your hand, and all this will happen while the nurse is waiting for you to come back and get weighed etc.

I have to go do parent-teacher interviews, but I only have one, so it should be relatively quick. I'll be back.

I'm back! I was gone for like an hour, you didn't even notice.

After the pee-spilling hour-long wait incident, all went well. El bambina is measuring one week big in the head, and 2 weeks big in the abdomen, so she's a good size. The doctor assures me she will be over 9lbs. I said, yeah, they thought Kieran was going to be big too, had him at 7.5lbs at 36 weeks, and then 6 weeks later when he was FINALLY born, he only weighed 8lbs9. She said no, with these measurements, statistically she'll weigh over 9lbs. Not crazy more, not 11-12lbs, but 9 for sure. I said...thanks? I am measuring just over 2 weeks big, but my fluid has not gone all crazy, it's normal. Also, a cyst I had has gone away, so that's good news too. I didn't ask about like, ok, so when will I *have* the baby? I will next time though. This is a lot harder than last time, Kieran is a great kid but he just wants to rassle all the time and play and run and chase and run and play and I'm exhausted at the best of times. I had a cold about a month ago, which has been a sore throat since then, and which has now turned into a cough and stuffy nose and sore throat, and the nigglings of a fever, and I'm not impressed. Thankfully I have no more teaching this week, parent-teacher tomorrow and then a 4 day weekend, during which I get to have a baby shower and go to Erin's wedding shower. There will apparently not be strippers at either, sadly, but I'll manage.

Alright. I have stuff to go through and organize. 10 days left! Lots to do.

still a girl

so says the u/s scanner person. And she was completely without hesitation, so I think we can be pretty sure. I said to her that the last time the report said it "appeared female", and she looked and said "yes, it's a girl". Ok then! So, I have my name that I like, and I've told Grant that he has to hurry up and think of something else if he doesn't like my name, cause I'm getting pretty attached to it.

I have to go home, we had a "brief meeting" after school that went over an hour...usually the way.

13 more work days.

8 more weeks

ish. I really hope not more. I'd be fine with any time between 4-8 weeks from now. Cause either way, we're not going to be ready, so the baby might as well come whenever! Names, places for stuff and for babies to sleep...they're overrated.

Since you're wondering, I'm sure, I can't see my bellybutton anymore when I stand up. I can't bend over. I can't sit straight up with my legs crossed like a normal woman, but if I sit back far enough it's ok. My other favourite way to sit, with both legs pulled up, also does not work. This baby is low. I feel like I'm smaller than last time, just because I was SO BIG last time, but looking at pictures, there's not much difference in like, protuberance. Which is interesting. I have my ultrasound on the 10th, and then biweekly ob checkups starting the 19th, so hopefully they'll give me a good (and more accurate) idea of what's going on down there.

Since you're also wondering, I'm registered at Toys R Us (#40501555), if you want to buy me stuff. I want to register at SuperStore and Old Navy for baby clothes, but I can't, so oh well. There's not a lot we need, but some new sleepers and stuff maybe. I'll let you know if the 'girl baby' verdict changes after the next ultrasound, but even if not, that doesn't mean we need all pink things.

I have to go watch Dexter now.