life begins...
Monday, May 07, 2007
37 weeks today, so the pregnancy is notionally full term as of now. Accordingly, the bump has attained such proportions that, when I approach pedestrian crossings, buses squeal to a respectful halt.
It's been a mixed week: any angst I might have felt at turning 40 last Thursday was helpfully deadened by the sleep deprivation brought about by bog-standard pregnancy insomnia combined with Becca's lurgy and consequent febrile nightmares, nocturnal coughing fits and other Bumper Family Fun. Shes been home all week, languishing in front of Piglet's Big Adventure (which I expect the folks at Guantanamo will want to borrow when their Barney DVD wears out): when you already have a kid, maternity leave is a relative concept. Happily, Jack's boss is agreeable to him working from home (no inverted commas intended, and none should be inferred) when necessary to safeguard Mummy's physical wellbeing/sanity.
Birthday itself was a quiet family occasion and a lovely one: Jack and Becca made me a cake with purple icing and J cooked me an extremely delicious romantic meal consisting mainly of a piece of salmon the size of my head. And then two days later, bless 'im, arranged a surprise dinner party. Which, being very slow on the uptake, I was extremely surprised by (even though, it turns out he had actually noted it on the calendar) – thus, when our friends showed up with bags of goodies and their pre-pyjama'd toddler, my only thought was: 'Erm, I don't remember agreeing to babysit...' Birthday presents have followed the Pamper the Pregnant theme and I now have a large collection of scented unguents with which to kit out my hospital bag. And, from one as yet anonymous benefactor, a certificate for a facial at a posh clinic in Kelburn, which I'm going to save for a few months for when I emerge, boss-eyed and hagard, from the Neonatal Twilight Zone.
15 more sleeps (ha!) until the big day and the preparations are nearly done, although I may need to get a bigger hospital bag. Curiously this is the one part of the prep I can't quite face: despite J's increasingly urgent promptings, and, for that matter, historical precedent, I have somehow got it into my befuddled little pregnant head, tee hee, that getting the hospital bag ready will kick off early labour. Still, baby clothes and linen have been hauled out of boxes in the garage and laundered and sorted, the cot's up in Becca's room and I have even succeeded in assembling the bassinet in which Beelzebump will be spending his/her first few weeks at our bedside; this in spite of the unforeseen handicap of my lack of a degree in civil engineering. We have buggies, bottles, bootees, a breast pump, a baby sling and blankies. The baby capsule and Snap'n'Go Wheely Travelly Thingy have been ordered from Plunket, to be picked up next week, the email notification list is poised in J's address folder ready for joyful bulletins to be unleashed on the waiting world, and I'm working on the phone list (well, I will be once I wrap this up). If anyone can think of anything vital I've missed, now would be the time to speak up.
Highlight of last week would have to be the arrival of (not so) wee Lias: many congratulations and much love to the happy mamas, Carla and Ceri.
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