Sep, Oct & Nov 07
GO CATS!!!
So I am late once again, no real excuse other than I have been so unwell with this pregnancy that I rarely have enough energy to sit and type what’s been going on. So I will shorten this entry, mainly because it is quite difficult to remember back over 3 months what has been happening.
September saw our move from the crime riddled apartments to a much safer environment which helped ease Andrew’s mind when he travels. The actual move itself was a disaster with the movers getting lost and wanting to charge us all of this extra time. It was also quite hard to get unpacked again so we lived with many boxes for quite a while. But we are settled in now and love the new place. The management company is the one who originally managed our prior apartment so their level of service is top notch. The apartment has a much better lay out making it feel so much larger despite being the same. The environment around the apartments is nicer also and so far the people also who more regularly say hello.
The best news of the month was undoubtedly the win by the Geelong Football Club in the AFL Grand Final. Thankfully I was able to see all of the finals and the grand final as with the move we were able to change cable companies and access these games. The company also has cricket channels so I am well and truly set up now. Anyway back to the football, it was a superb result for the club who had an amazingly successful season, also winning the Reserves Premiership, NAB Rising Star and the Brownlow medal. The actual game itself was a whitewash, we thoroughly thrashed Port Adelaide. Even Andrew joined me to watch the game. It was quite surreal watching it from here and not being able to be a part of the celebrations. The last time I was overseas when we were in the Grand Final I flew home (only for us to have our asses kicked) but this time it certainly wasn’t an option at 6 months pregnant.
October saw many more regular visits to the OBGYN and ultrasounds to monitor the baby as with my constant morning sickness there was concern about her weight development. She was tracking as underweight but still in safe zones which was reassuring. I also managed to contract bronchitis this month which is not fun at any time but when pregnant and medications are limited, it was a case of sweating it out in bed. I also made a couple more trips to the hospital being admitted for constant vomiting and the inability to keep food and water down. I spent a lot of the month looking at my stomach and wondering why I didn’t “look†pregnant when I came across an article that discussed the often not talked about issue of weight loss during pregnancy and how that can affect the size and shape of the stomach. The main crux of the article was that you shouldn’t compare yourself to other pregnant women as each person is different and dealing with unique issues. This article really helped my state of mind and came just as I needed it. What also helped me this month was Andrew taking me shopping. Up until this point I had been wearing the clothes I had in Australia before I lost 30 kilos so they weren’t really highlighting the fact that I was pregnant, I just looked frumpy. So he took me to a shop where I was able to purchase clothes that not only showed off the pregnancy but also my smaller figure. I will be forever grateful to Andrew for this, it made such a difference.
Andrew celebrated his 37th birthday during October. We decided to try out a restaurant called the Melting Pot which is a fondue restaurant. It was superb, a 3 course meal of different fondues starting with cheese and ending with chocolate. The restaurant itself is very intimate with each booth closed off to everything else and featuring its own stove top. The price dictates that this isn’t an all the time meal out but fabulous for special occasions.
We were treated to a Baby Shower luncheon by Aspect Security, Andrew’s employment which was great. I was asked what items we needed to as I had been preparing a list for my own benefit with prices etc I just forwarded that, expecting maybe 1 or 2 items. When we arrived it turned out they had purchased around 75% of the items. We were quite shocked and thrilled with our loot; I took some photos so check them out.
Both Andrew and I had a full body scan by the Skin Doctor here to check our moles and lumps and bumps etc. I was given the all clear however Andrew required the removal of a mole at the back of his thigh. The removal itself wasn’t painful but the location made for some discomfort whilst sitting and rising from that position. He was given the all clear thankfully when the pathology was tested.
This month saw Andrew’s last business trip so that he could be nearby in case something happened with an early labour etc. I travelled with him to Malvern; Pennsylvania and spent a very boring week stuck in the hotel vomiting constantly. I will be so thrilled to have this baby and be rid of this “morning sicknessâ€.
I started physical therapy treatment in October as my back which was injured in a work place accident years ago became a lot sorer with the added pressure and weight of the pregnancy. Also the doctor thought my arthritis might benefit from regular treatment also. So I started a regime of 1 session in the pool and 2 in the clinic. I found that my back responded well to the regular exercise however the ankles found the work too demanding so we decided to give up on working on the ankles and focused entirely on my back. This I continued until mid November when I was put on bed rest (more below about this).
November was dominated by pregnancy issues including a query of preeclampsia, a hernia on my side and the worst being pre term labour which started at 34 weeks. I was originally in hospital for the inability to keep fluids down and whilst in the hospital it was discovered that I was actually having regular contractions. The doctor decided that it was probably not best to allow the labour to progress at this point so I was given medications to cease the contractions. Thankfully the medication worked and I was released home to be on bed rest. Andrew began to work from home so that he could look after me and keep me fed and watered as much as I could keep down. His work have been extremely supportive during our pregnancy, we are very grateful.
Thanksgiving was celebrated here in the USA but unfortunately we didn’t get around to joining in the festivities. We had no plans with friends as we never know day to day how well or unwell I am going to be. I had heard there was one restaurant open so I thought we could have dinner there, turns out only their pizzeria area was open so Andrew was unable to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal which I am upset about. We will certainly not make the same mistake next year.
The day after Thanksgiving was my 32nd birthday, celebrated very low key. We spent the night at home (as per usual) as I wasn’t well enough to guarantee being able to sit at a restaurant and not throw up everywhere. So we ordered in one of my favorite home delivery meals (Indian) and I treated myself to some champagne. Andrew made me a birthday cake which was really sweet of him and as I was on the phone to my best friend Lucy, the two of them sang me Happy Birthday.
So that’s where things stand as of now. I am into the last month of the pregnancy and eagerly awaiting the arrival of both our daughter and my parents from Australia who will be here for 7 weeks.
Add comment November 30th, 2007