This past Saturday was my baby shower. It was the most beautiful shower I've ever been to- not that I've been to so many- and I'm trying not to be biased. It was thrown by my mother, DH's aunt, and my SIL and I must give them so much credit for all the work they did to plan it. And what made it even better is that I could tell how much joy it gave them to do all the work to make it a beautiful, special day for me. And it was.
When everyone walked in, there was a gorgeous baby book on the table (I learned later that it was handmade by one of my aunt's friends). Everyone was to fill in little cards with advice or words of wisdom and love.
My aunt had prepared a fantastic slideshow that was running all day. It consisted of photos of me as a baby and young child, then of DH at the same ages, then of us together, and some of Blobby too. Quite humiliating though, were the close up shots of my growing belly, which were intended just for my close family to see. Oh well, I guess a pregnant woman's belly is seldom private. But the best part was the soundtrack. You guessed it- the Beatles. :-)
Now the tables. The centerpieces were some type of flowering plant; the closest match I could find would be the Exacum, which has little purple flowers. Around each centerpiece, they had placed various baby and children's books such as Goodnight Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and (my personal favorite) Everyone Poops. Of course, I got to keep all of the books to read to Blobby. The favors were a beautiful smelling soap and a leather baby moccasin containing a little bag of pink and blue m&ms. The moccasins are going to be donated to a women's shelter.
The first activity was a burp cloth decorating contest. Everyone was given the opportunity to paint plain, white burp cloths with fabric paint. The guests were also provided with an apron that said 'Sheri's Baby Shower' on it and could also be taken home. I was to judge which two cloths were my favorites and the winners got a prize.
The second activity was in no way meant to humiliate me, but it was a little embarrassing! I had to walk around and model my baby belly and everyone had to guess the circumference. Then my SIL measured me and the winner got a prize. In case anyone cares, it was 44 inches.
Then we played a couple of rounds of Baby Bingo. Of course, there was also lots of food and delicious dessert.
The most significant part of the day was my speech. I had planned on talking about infertility and 'coming out' to those who didn't know how I got pregnant in the first place. I was so afraid I'd chicken out, but I prepared a very emotional speech and did have the balls to deliver it, although as I was shaking and trying to fight back the tears. I talked about how Mother's Day is a very difficult day for those struggling to become mothers, and how I was so lucky because my medical intervention worked but it doesn't work for everyone, and how Blobby is very special because heesh is the lone survivor out of 18 embryos. I also mentioned those people in our families who have passed and who, I feel, have been looking out for Blobby and me. I talked about Tricia and how she has been my baby's guardian angel and I thanked her. Looking around the room, I observed many tears. I probably produced more than everyone put together.
Lastly, it was time to open gifts. I was rushed because we only had 20 minutes or so. We got such beautiful things. It's very much a blur, but I loved everything. And what's more, I felt very loved.
I will add pictures as I get them. For now, try to imagine the most beautiful day ever. Because that's how I felt. It was a fantastic way to celebrate the upcoming arrival of my baby that came close to never being.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
I Me Mine
I've been tagged!
4 Things I Did 10 Years Ago (1998):
1. It just so happens that 10 years ago I had four huge, life-changing events in my life. The first one is that I completed my Audiology Master's degree. It was an intensive, 2 & 1/2 year program and I was so proud to be finished. Not only did the degree take that long, but before I could start, I had to complete two years of undergraduate prerequisite courses before I could apply to grad school. So we're talking about more than 4 more years of school after graduating from college 6 years earlier.
2. The second huge event was that as soon as I graduated from my Master's program, I got my own apartment. I had been living with my parents while still in school because I could only work part-time and didn't have any money aside from a small savings account. I started renting an apartment in a co-op building about 15 minutes away from where I had grown up. It was a huge deal for me, having always lived with someone, whether it be my parents or college roommates. And it was an important step for my independence, even though I had yet to accept any full-time Audiology jobs. I had to dip into my savings for the first few month's rent, but it was worth it to say that I was finally living on my own. I didn't get my first real job until 1999.
3. I found out that my parents were separating. It was a long time coming (and should have happened years before), but it still hit me hard- not because I believed they should have stayed together, but because it was done very suddenly and seeing my parents living together had been the only way I knew. A couple of years later when I met my husband and subsequently got engaged, I had to start therapy in order to deal with planning my own wedding simultaneously with my parents going through their divorce. I had a lot of trust issues to deal with. And that's all I'm going to say about that.
4. I lost my maternal grandmother. This hit me very, very hard. She wasn't my first grandparent to pass, but she was my first grandparent to pass whom I was very close with. It was a devastating loss and I still think about her practically every day. It brings tears to my eyes every time I think about how much I wish she was still around to meet my husband and soon-to-be-arriving baby.
4 Things I Did 5 Years Ago (2003):
1. My DH & I celebrated our one-year anniversary. We did the traditional unveiling of the frozen wedding cake top and tasted it and then spit it out because it was so disgusting. I can't remember what we did for dinner but hopefully it was tastier than that cake.
2. I was working at an Eye & Ear hospital as an Audiologist which was my only major source of stress at the time. I was commuting via two trains which took an hour and 20 minutes door to door each way, and I had an insane boss who said inappropriate things and butted in to everyone's personal life. I wanted so badly to leave my job but it was the only real job I had known and was a little too complacent at the time. Thankfully I ended up leaving two years later and it was the best decision I ever made. That loony-tunes boss is still causing my former coworkers stress.
3. NYC (and the entire East coast) had a blackout that summer. I was still at work and all of a sudden all of the power went out. Immediately, everyone thinks the worst. It was less than two years after 9/11 and when you work in Manhattan, bad things cross your mind on a daily basis. You could be walking down the street and hear an ambulance siren, and think, oh no what happened now? It was in the middle of the summer and we all had to leave work and walk. I walked from 2nd Ave. & 14th St. all the way up 2nd Ave, walked over the Queensboro Bridge (59th St.) into Long Island City, Queens, then walked to a coworker's apartment in Astoria, Queens. DH was tied up with something so my dad was nice enough to come pick me up and drive me home. It was an exhausting walk in the heat and I had horrible blisters on my feet and it was so good to be home.
4. DH & I were supposed to leave for Toronto a couple of days after the blackout. We had hotel reservation but unfortunately not only was NYC and its suburbs affected, but so was Toronto. Plus we had a lot of unfinished business at home that we had to take care of, i.e. we didn't want to leave all the food in the fridge and freezer until we knew the power was back on. So we ended up postponing our trip one day. We drove to Buffalo first, where DH went to college. We ate some wings at his favorite college wing joint and drove by Niagara Falls. Finally we arrived in Toronto but half the city still was without power. We couldn't do lots of things we wanted to do, like visit the Shoe museum (ok that was what I wanted to do) because they were still without power and were closed. However lucky us, we got to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame (yes you can probably sense my sarcasm here). Even though our trip wasn't as planned, we still had a great time in Toronto. I'd like to go back someday and complete some unfinished business.
5. We got snowed in in Arlington, Virginia. We were visiting our good friends over President's Day weekend and were hit with a huge blizzard the day before we were supposed to leave. So we got snowed in and my DH and our friend had to literally shovel their way out of the side street since no plows had come. On our way home the wipers on our car broke and we couldn't see, so we had to call some dealerships to see who was open on President's Day. We found one somewhere in Maryland so we had to wait there while they diagnosed the problem and located the part needed to fix it. Several hours later we were back on the road and a trip that should have taken about 4 hours, took around 10. Good times.
4 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Went to two doctor's appointments, the first of which was my Maternal-Fetal specialist (or high-risk prenatal doctor) and the second was my regular OB. You can read details of those visits in yesterday's entry so I'm not going to go into that.
2. Went to work, as usual. I am currently working for a manufacturer, providing training and support to other Audiologists.
3. Checked out our apartment next door while DH was painting the nursery. We're finally in the painting stage. Over the weekend, DH & his cousin worked their asses off to get the office and the master bedroom painted. Yesterday, DH painted the majority of what will be the nursery. So far it is looking great.
4. Nothing else too exciting, I'm afraid. I worked until 7pm so any further free time after work was spent laying on the couch with my feet up on the arm of the couch so that my hideously swollen feet could become a little less swollen. It helped a little bit; but after having awakened super early this morning and being up for an hour or so, my feet are already back to where they were.
4 Shows I Love To Watch:
1. LOST!- Still don't have a clue what is going on, but love that show. Some people really do have way too much time on their hands- have you read some of those super detailed theories that are going around the internet?
2. The Simpsons- After how many years that this show has been on? It's still hilarious (yes some are better than others, but still kicks the asses of so much crap on TV that is supposed to be funny but just isn't) and DH & I originally bonded over our love for this show so it has a special meaning.
3. Top Chef- Love the drama, love the cooking. That's all I have to say.
4. 30 Rock- Tina Fey cracks me the F up. Love her!
4 Things That Make Me Really Happy:
1. Napping, especially when DH can join me
2. When I change the station on my radio and a Beatles song just happens to be starting
3. My kitties when they are snuggling up with me and being purry
4. Feeling my baby move around inside me and hearing its heart beating
Now to think of 4 friends to tag:
1. WaterBishop
2. The Follicle Report
3. BabyStep
4. My Journey...
I chose these four friends becaue they have been supportive friends and regular readers. I hope they participate!
4 Things I Did 10 Years Ago (1998):
1. It just so happens that 10 years ago I had four huge, life-changing events in my life. The first one is that I completed my Audiology Master's degree. It was an intensive, 2 & 1/2 year program and I was so proud to be finished. Not only did the degree take that long, but before I could start, I had to complete two years of undergraduate prerequisite courses before I could apply to grad school. So we're talking about more than 4 more years of school after graduating from college 6 years earlier.
2. The second huge event was that as soon as I graduated from my Master's program, I got my own apartment. I had been living with my parents while still in school because I could only work part-time and didn't have any money aside from a small savings account. I started renting an apartment in a co-op building about 15 minutes away from where I had grown up. It was a huge deal for me, having always lived with someone, whether it be my parents or college roommates. And it was an important step for my independence, even though I had yet to accept any full-time Audiology jobs. I had to dip into my savings for the first few month's rent, but it was worth it to say that I was finally living on my own. I didn't get my first real job until 1999.
3. I found out that my parents were separating. It was a long time coming (and should have happened years before), but it still hit me hard- not because I believed they should have stayed together, but because it was done very suddenly and seeing my parents living together had been the only way I knew. A couple of years later when I met my husband and subsequently got engaged, I had to start therapy in order to deal with planning my own wedding simultaneously with my parents going through their divorce. I had a lot of trust issues to deal with. And that's all I'm going to say about that.
4. I lost my maternal grandmother. This hit me very, very hard. She wasn't my first grandparent to pass, but she was my first grandparent to pass whom I was very close with. It was a devastating loss and I still think about her practically every day. It brings tears to my eyes every time I think about how much I wish she was still around to meet my husband and soon-to-be-arriving baby.
4 Things I Did 5 Years Ago (2003):
1. My DH & I celebrated our one-year anniversary. We did the traditional unveiling of the frozen wedding cake top and tasted it and then spit it out because it was so disgusting. I can't remember what we did for dinner but hopefully it was tastier than that cake.
2. I was working at an Eye & Ear hospital as an Audiologist which was my only major source of stress at the time. I was commuting via two trains which took an hour and 20 minutes door to door each way, and I had an insane boss who said inappropriate things and butted in to everyone's personal life. I wanted so badly to leave my job but it was the only real job I had known and was a little too complacent at the time. Thankfully I ended up leaving two years later and it was the best decision I ever made. That loony-tunes boss is still causing my former coworkers stress.
3. NYC (and the entire East coast) had a blackout that summer. I was still at work and all of a sudden all of the power went out. Immediately, everyone thinks the worst. It was less than two years after 9/11 and when you work in Manhattan, bad things cross your mind on a daily basis. You could be walking down the street and hear an ambulance siren, and think, oh no what happened now? It was in the middle of the summer and we all had to leave work and walk. I walked from 2nd Ave. & 14th St. all the way up 2nd Ave, walked over the Queensboro Bridge (59th St.) into Long Island City, Queens, then walked to a coworker's apartment in Astoria, Queens. DH was tied up with something so my dad was nice enough to come pick me up and drive me home. It was an exhausting walk in the heat and I had horrible blisters on my feet and it was so good to be home.
4. DH & I were supposed to leave for Toronto a couple of days after the blackout. We had hotel reservation but unfortunately not only was NYC and its suburbs affected, but so was Toronto. Plus we had a lot of unfinished business at home that we had to take care of, i.e. we didn't want to leave all the food in the fridge and freezer until we knew the power was back on. So we ended up postponing our trip one day. We drove to Buffalo first, where DH went to college. We ate some wings at his favorite college wing joint and drove by Niagara Falls. Finally we arrived in Toronto but half the city still was without power. We couldn't do lots of things we wanted to do, like visit the Shoe museum (ok that was what I wanted to do) because they were still without power and were closed. However lucky us, we got to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame (yes you can probably sense my sarcasm here). Even though our trip wasn't as planned, we still had a great time in Toronto. I'd like to go back someday and complete some unfinished business.
5. We got snowed in in Arlington, Virginia. We were visiting our good friends over President's Day weekend and were hit with a huge blizzard the day before we were supposed to leave. So we got snowed in and my DH and our friend had to literally shovel their way out of the side street since no plows had come. On our way home the wipers on our car broke and we couldn't see, so we had to call some dealerships to see who was open on President's Day. We found one somewhere in Maryland so we had to wait there while they diagnosed the problem and located the part needed to fix it. Several hours later we were back on the road and a trip that should have taken about 4 hours, took around 10. Good times.
4 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Went to two doctor's appointments, the first of which was my Maternal-Fetal specialist (or high-risk prenatal doctor) and the second was my regular OB. You can read details of those visits in yesterday's entry so I'm not going to go into that.
2. Went to work, as usual. I am currently working for a manufacturer, providing training and support to other Audiologists.
3. Checked out our apartment next door while DH was painting the nursery. We're finally in the painting stage. Over the weekend, DH & his cousin worked their asses off to get the office and the master bedroom painted. Yesterday, DH painted the majority of what will be the nursery. So far it is looking great.
4. Nothing else too exciting, I'm afraid. I worked until 7pm so any further free time after work was spent laying on the couch with my feet up on the arm of the couch so that my hideously swollen feet could become a little less swollen. It helped a little bit; but after having awakened super early this morning and being up for an hour or so, my feet are already back to where they were.
4 Shows I Love To Watch:
1. LOST!- Still don't have a clue what is going on, but love that show. Some people really do have way too much time on their hands- have you read some of those super detailed theories that are going around the internet?
2. The Simpsons- After how many years that this show has been on? It's still hilarious (yes some are better than others, but still kicks the asses of so much crap on TV that is supposed to be funny but just isn't) and DH & I originally bonded over our love for this show so it has a special meaning.
3. Top Chef- Love the drama, love the cooking. That's all I have to say.
4. 30 Rock- Tina Fey cracks me the F up. Love her!
4 Things That Make Me Really Happy:
1. Napping, especially when DH can join me
2. When I change the station on my radio and a Beatles song just happens to be starting
3. My kitties when they are snuggling up with me and being purry
4. Feeling my baby move around inside me and hearing its heart beating
Now to think of 4 friends to tag:
1. WaterBishop
2. The Follicle Report
3. BabyStep
4. My Journey...
I chose these four friends becaue they have been supportive friends and regular readers. I hope they participate!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
I've Just Seen a Face
Today was a 34-week ultrasound and OB follow-up. Everything went fantastically. One goal of the u/s appointment was to take a look at the placenta and see if there were any more calcifications forming; there was a little bit more but my doctor said that I'm still not a Stage 3 so things are still looking good. The other goal was to measure the amount of amniotic fluid; levels were normal.I also mentioned to my fantastic u/s tech that the last couple of times we couldn't see Blobby's face because hir (hir is my made-up gender-neutral pronoun- maybe it'll catch on!) hands and feet were in the way. So she made a point to try to get a good angle so we could see Blobby's face. Because Blobby has moved down and flipped over on hir stomach the hands and feet were free but the face was looking down, so we did the best we could! I think we have an adorable baby in there. :-)
She also said that Blobby has a decent amount of hair! I wonder if that old wives' tale linking heartburn with the amount of hair is right after all. The hair was waving around and looked very much like Maggie Simpson hair- perfect!
So things went very well with the Maternal-Fetal specialist. In fact, when she came in to take a look herself after the u/s tech had finished, she made a comment about how she was happy to have an 'easy' patient. Wow. Who would have ever thought that my case would turn out to be an easy one? And by a high-risk specialist's standards. That certainly makes me feel good.
Next was my OB appointment. Urine tests for glucose and protein were normal. I gained another 4 pounds in 2 weeks which isn't bad, considering how much fluid I have been retaining (oh yeah, I didn't mention that my swollen, ugly, Shrek feet are back). I had some blood drawn so they can check all important levels including hemoglobin. As my doctor explained it to me, because I am having a C-section and have had a history of low iron, she wants to make sure that we check my levels now so that we can increase my iron intake with enough time to get 'tanked up' before my surgery. Makes perfect sense. I really hope my hemoglobin is normal; those iron pills are a nightmare!
We also discussed a date for the surgery. My DH & I had decided that Friday, June 6th would be the least of all evils since Blobby and I would be in the hospital getting looked after by family and nursing staff when DH has to go out of town for two days. My doctor told me today that if she had it her way, she'd book me for May 30th, which is a week earlier! I think that's a little early considering that our apartment is still not fully renovated and we still have a lot to do before we can settle it. Plus, the earlier I have the baby, the more time DH would have to take off work without pay, and the less time during the summer (when DH is off) that I would have before needing to return to work. So I think the 6th is the best choice. I should also note that two weeks ago when I had seen my other OB at the practice, we discussed all of these factors and she ended up booking me in the OR for Monday, June 9th and didn't tell me. I had initially asked her if we could do that day instead of the 6th since DH would be home by then, but she had told me that she would need to cancel out all of her and her colleague's patients at the private practice in order to do that since Mondays are not normal surgery days. So I figured that day was out. And besides, I talked myself out of wanting that day because that would mean that I would be less than a week away from my due date and home alone worrying that I would go into premature labor. And if god forbid something did happen, DH would be 3 hours away and I would be scared shitless. So no thank you, let's take the baby on the 6th and not have to worry about that!
On a completely unrelated note, I am aware that I have been tagged by Lizzybo, which I will have to work on at another time. I will post my answers as soon as I possibly can!
And many thanks to everyone who has been following my & Blobby's progress and sending me luck and love. It means a lot. I can't believe we're only a month away. And then I'll be seeing that adorable face in person.
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