Week 32: So Sleepy!

Hey Humble Readers!

Today has felt like my first real day of leave.  Up to now, I have been doing a lot of racing around and going to a lot of appointments.  We had our maternity info session at the hospital last night, which wasn't quite what I was expecting, but still informative.  I was really rather surprised at how many women were due around the same time as me in this little city.

I've had a couple of questions about how I can be on mat leave this early, especially without having to be on bed rest.  In Canada, we get a year (50 weeks) of government funded (through employment insurance, 55% of my income) mat leave that can start any time after 28 weeks (it can also be split between both parents, if we wanted or could afford that).  I decided to go early for many reasons (it's easier on my store with not having to replace me in the middle of the run up to the crazy Christmas season, my doctors didn't want me on my feet 8 hours a day in the craziest time of the retail year, and with the possibility of increased complications due to my blood pressure and GD), but mostly it was just very apparent that I was going to need some extra time. 

Here's the pics from the Halfling's latest photo shoot... I'll tell you all more about that tomorrow.

Little Hands



Little Profile


How far along? 32w2d

Maternity clothes? Yeah, of course.  But now I get to wear my jeans whenever I want!  Yay!

Body Oddities?  Other than the expected, I am sporting a ton of very ugly, very colourful bruises on my stomach from the insulin. 

Sleep? I wish I had some sort of normal relationship to sleep.  It doesn't seem to matter how much sleep I get at night, I need to nap during the day at least once. 

Best moment this week? While not exactly baby related, it is kind of mat leave related.  I know I've mentioned the literacy foundation that my company founded a few years ago.  Once a year, for a set amount of time, each store gets to partner with a local school and all funds raised go directly to that school's library (rather than to the national grant fund).  My last three weeks of work were our Adopt-A-School program.  I have been very passionate about this whole program in our store, and on my last day of work, one of my staff presented me with a gift card for $500 to be donated to our partner school in my name.  She had raised the money by selling fudge and other goodies to the staff for two months.  She presented the gift card to me at our morning staff meeting, and I ended up blubbering like a baby.  Overall, I think $6000+ was raised for our partner school.  So amazing!

Worst moment? Nothing really bad, just feeling guilty about my total lack of energy for the last couple of weeks.

Movement? Very often throughout the day.  It's fun to watch my belly move... The Halfling has somthing against the lapdesk I use with my laptop.  He/she kicks at it like crazy.

Food cravings?  Chocolate, seafood, dairy... I also can't seem to get through the day without eating a tomato

Rings? I think they just might stay on for the duration.

Gender? Not going to find out, but I think it's a boy.  Oddly enough, when I try to think of the Halfling by the names we've chosen, I always end up thinking of the girl's name.  Strange.

Intense Dreams?  Until the last couple of nights, the last few weeks have been seemingly dream free.  In the last couple of days tho, the travel dreams have started again. 

Medical Concerns? High blood pressure (on 50mg Trandate/Lobetalol, 3 times a day...  now getting my bp checked every week at the hospital before my OB appointment.  They have the right size cuff for this plus size gal), Gestational Diabetes (closer to getting it under control), on prescription Zan.tac for heartburn.  I will probably be induced in week 39... holy crap, that's soon!

What I miss?  Having the energy to do everything I need to get done. 

What I look forward to? My first baby shower next week (people from work), my next ultrasound, and getting to meet this little one.

Emotional State?  Content for the most part, but frustrated at the tiredness.  I'm feeling a bit of self-imposed pressure to get some progress made on my to do lists, and the lack of energy is really compounding that.