A blog about babies: the babies I lost, the babies I never had, the baby who made me a Mama.

Friday, August 26, 2011

The Brooklyn Beat; or, Odds and Ends

Since lovely Irene is sweeping through town tomorrow, I should probably post something so everyone knows I made it back from California just in time for an earthquake and a hurricane. I'd been holding out for a longer post with lots of news, but I've been too overwhelmed with preparing for my qualifying exam (in two weeks exactly) to write anything substantial. So, in sum:

-- Napa with Lawyer Guy was incredible: gorgeous scenery, great food, relaxing hotel. I even got a prenatal massage, and lying on my tummy (propped up with special belly-craddling pillows) was utter bliss.

-- I did have one massive freak-out our last night and day in Napa when Smudgie decided to play coy with me and not move. Naughty baby. Scared the hell out of me. Now he/she is back to tap dancing.

-- My sister's wedding was utterly beautiful (I may post some shots of the reception site so you can see how gorgeous it was--outside on a bluff overlooking green, vine-covered hills). I had tons of fun dancing and didn't even mind not being able to drink. (Okay, true confession: I had half a glass of wine and felt like falling asleep. Then the waitress topped off my glass without checking with me first, I got nervous about losing track of my consumption, and stopped drinking altogether).

-- Plane ride with LG is much better than without. Plane ride with LG + wumping Smudgie is best of all.

--Smudgie looked great at the 33-week appointment. He/she is about 4.5 lbs and right around 30% for size, which my docs think is fine. The MFM estimated I'll deliver a 6.5-7 lb baby, which sounds pretty normal to me and I'm totally cool with that. I'm feeling really good, with lots of energy despite not sleeping well and very few aches and pains.

-- I scheduled all of my remaining Ob appointments, growth scans, and biophysical profiles for the remainder of the pregnancy. That was pretty intense, though it's good to have it all on the calendar.

-- I thought my old, small apartment building was in the early stages of collapsing during the earthquake last Tuesday. The thought of a natural disaster never occurred to me. I grabbed Bella and hightailed it to the street.

-- My studying just keeps getting derailed by natural disasters. I spent all day tracking Irene's progress, debating whether to decamp to my mother-in-law's in the suburbs (for now we're staying put), and stocking up on water and non-perishables. Doesn't leave much time for studying Walter Scott. I'm so going to fail.

-- Studying has also been derailed by the beginnings of setting up our nursery. We put down the rug and set up the glider, crib, and dresser this week. I managed to not hyperventilate and it's already my favorite room in the apartment, though I still get overwhelmed and nervous when I think about it too much (then I just shut the door and go back to real life). I really hope it's not destroyed by torrents of rain or a roof collapse tomorrow night.

-- I have nursery shots and a belly pic, but don't have the time or mental space to add them.

-- My shower is next Sunday out on the Jersey shore. I hope the hurricane damage is cleaned up by then (can you tell that this freaking hurricane derailing my last few weeks of pregnancy is really pissing me off? Because obviously it's all about me).

--- Hurricane also led to the cancellation of our birth education class at our hospital tomorrow. We've been rescheduled for two weeks later. 36 weeks isn't too late to learn about this stuff, right?

-- I'm 34 weeks today. Six weeks to go. Wow.

-- I reaaaaally need all four weeks between my exam (the day I turn 36 weeks) and my due date in order to prep. I have done NOTHING--nothing's washed, nothing's finished, we've bought barely anything. I desperately need to focus on school that last week after my shower, so I can't even start to take stock of what we still need until after 36 weeks. I'm probably the only woman alive who wouldn't mind being overdue. But just a little.

-- I am grateful grateful grateful every day for this sweet, squirmy baby inside me. I love him or her so much.

12 comments:

  1. I'm here too! Just me--Mr. P is in Italy and going to get stuck in London coming home as his Sunday flight was cancelled. So glad to hear everything's going great! xoxo

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  2. Wow...tons going on in these final weeks! good luck with your qualifying exams and with riding out these last weeks.

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  3. Glad you had a nice trip! It will be ok if you don't get everything bought and washed and set up! That's what new-baby visitors are for!

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  4. Wow, busy busy lady!

    I loved every single sip of the wine I drank at my cousin's wedding this summer, but you're right - just one drink makes you more sleepy than anything. Oops.

    Good luck getting everything done in time - I'm sure you will!

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  5. Yay for 34 weeks!

    Be careful if that hurricane hits!

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  6. Ya ya ya!!! I'm so happy everything is on track. Cuddle up and stay dry, and GOOD LUCK on your exam. You're going to nail it! I have the hugest respect for you doing this while pregnant. My brain was worse than wallpaper paste at 34 weeks. I was like an obese zombie! You are doing great.

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  7. OMG 34 weeks!!! SQUEEEEE!!!! Isn't the prenatal massage on the belly-pillows THE BEST? I asked where I could buy the pillow, but turns out, they're, like, $700. Damnit.

    We had our childbirth prep class at 37 weeks; you'll be fine. ;) Baby prepping is so much fun - hooray for furniture!

    Thinking all the best thoughts for you on your exam. And the hurricane. Stoopid freakin' hurricane.

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  8. Ah, 34 weeks. I breathed a sigh of relief when I hit that point. I'm sooooo happy you and LG had such a great trip (but I knew you would)!

    Try as hard as you can to pass that damn test. It will be one less thing on your mind when all you can concentrate on is Smudgie once he/she makes the grand appearance.

    How did your apartment survive the hurricane? Hopefully things are still intact.

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  9. Thanks for the update, and remember that all a baby needs is a place to sleep and diapers to wear for the first few weeks anyway. If it doesn't get done, it's really not the end of the world: That is the lesson that having a baby come 5 weeks early taught me.

    And on the exam, don't know if this will help, but from the vantage point of 15 years past my own orals in English, I realize that everyone really WANTS you to pass and do well. If that weren't the case, you would have been weeded out well before now. There's every likelihood you'll be fed questions that will allow you to shine; that way, everyone gets to feel like they did their job well.

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  10. Love this update!!! You've got a ton on your plate and it is all good, good, good stuff. I've got a glimmer of annoyance that your academic stuff is distracting you away from the fun of washing baby clothes (seriously!) but I know you will fit it all in beautifully.

    I am so incredibly excited for you sweet friend. Yip for being reunited with LG for the final countdown!!!! xoxo

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  11. You sound like a superwoman, Sloper! Seriously--I'm finding it difficult to even get regular work done let alone study like you are. Kudos to you! All good prep before Smudgie arrives! And you looked adorable in your Facebook pics from your sister's wedding! Such a cute preggo. 34 weeks...you are SO close!

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  12. Nope - I wouldn't mind being overdue either (though, we may change our minds come that time:) Glad Napa was so wonderful and glad that you made it back safely. Earthquakes and hurricanes make derailments very, very easy. But I wish you much luck for pushing through and whipping that exam's butt.

    (And I hope that your Jersey Shore shower is still on!)

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