Baby, It's Cold Outside
Unless you have lived in Manitoba, you have no idea what 'winter' means. It gets damn cold here. Cold enough that people literally cannot leave their houses - we cancel plans and shut down schools because your skin can freeze so quickly that it's just not safe. Forget accidentally double-booking yourself... The biggest plan-killer here is the weather.
My plans for today have been shut down. And then I decided against my secondary plans because they would have required me to go outside. Instead, I showered and changed out of my pyjamas and into some sweats. Mat leave is RIDICULOUS some days.
So now Geoff is napping upstairs. Briony is napping downstairs. I've managed to clean up the remnants of last night's baby shower (put on by all of Geoff's coworkers), half-organized Briony's closet (she's going to be moving up a size imminently), and dug around in my cupboards for the ingredients I needed to mix up a massive batch of chili in my slow cooker. I fully intend to be productive for another hour or two, and then cocoon myself in a blanket on the couch for the rest of the evening.
To me, the funniest part of all of this is that I have no idea if it's *actually* super-super-cold out there or not, because I haven't been outside since yesterday morning. It was pretty cold then. I'm totally trusting (a) the Firefox weather thingy on the bottom of my internet browser, and (b) other people's weather-related Facebook status lines.
As a related side note... Geoff and I had CNN on this morning, and one of their top stories of the day is the 'deep freeze' that's being felt across most of the US. The temperatures in some of the central states are as low as -40 F (I literally have *no* idea how cold that is, and I'm too lazy to Google a conversion). They happened to have Winnipeg on their big American map, and we were showing an impressively low -58 F (again, this number is meaningless, apart from the fact that it was reported in a news story about how freaking cold it is outside). The reporter acknowledged the number, then commented, 'But once you're down to -40, it's really all the same.' It made us both laugh out loud. Even with a solid 20 degree difference, they just have to win, hey?
Labels: Maternity Leave
Nine Months - Continued
There is a baby head jammed between my hip bones. Yeah. That's all I have to say about that.
Another week, and not much has changed around here... I'm still getting used to mat leave - though I'll admit it's getting easier and easier. A few of my coworkers have helped to ease the transition by sending emails and meeting me for lunch last week.
I honestly thought that I'd be using this time to catch up with more friends, but I'm really finding that I need this time for ME. I'm trying very hard not to feel too guilty about that. It feels selfish, but I'm feeling incredibly overwhelmed by the changes that are about to happen - and it's helping to spend lots of quiet time at home (some with Geoff, some just on my own). I'm not doing a whole lot of anything... Just kind of being. And it's been good. When I push myself to do too much, I can feel the panic and the worry start to build again. As long as I focus on taking it one day at a time and watch the number of goals I'm setting for myself, it's all good. I'm assuming this is all very normal, even if it's completely abnormal for me. Whatever normal is now - hehe.
Baby is good. I'm in awe of how much one tiny baby can squirm and wiggle around in there. She is such a little monkey. And according to my Week 39 email, she's is now the size of a 'small watermelon' - how is that description *not* supposed to make me feel queasy?!
In the meantime, my hospital bags are packed and ready to go. The car seat and stroller got figured out and assembled today. The baby laundry is done. Mommy has a fresh new pedicure. We're officially in 'hurry up and wait' mode now :)
Labels: Baby Talk, Maternity Leave
Getting Comfortable
I had kind of an off day yesterday. I'm not going to analyze it too much - I am, after all, about a hundred months pregnant. I think that the issue is that I'm working to find my mat leave groove, without settling in *too* much because it's all going to change again soon. I do not enjoy change (understatement of the century - and that includes Tina Fey's Sarah Palin impersonations).
I think we're pretty much good to go now. I packed my hospital bag last night (I know, I put that off too long) and I have a *few* things left on my list. They're all things that I'd like to do, but I don't NEED to do. This afternoon, I booked myself a prenatal massage - which may have been the best decision I've ever made. Baby has definitely dropped a little lower this week, and my body's been working overtime to try to catch up and figure out how to balance this new displacement and shift in weight. After the massage, I feel comfortable in my own body again.
And that's about it! Nothing too fabulous and exciting here. Although I'm sure we could argue that late-term pregnancy is kind of exciting all on its own... There's a baby coming :)
Oh, and in relatively unrelated news, I *finally* got around to starting Barack Obama's 'The Audacity of Hope' - a book that's been on my list of a long time. Pretty cool stuff, so far. I'll let you know how it all turns out - hehe.
Labels: Baby Talk, Maternity Leave
Being Domestic
So here's what I accomplished today:
1. I slept in until 09.45. I can't tell you how happy that made me.
2. After spending 15 frustrating minutes trying to figure out if I could do it online, I went and applied for maternity and parental leave benefits in person - way the heck out in St. James somewhere (which was the location closest to my house, according to the internet). After talking to someone there for 10 seconds, I proceeded to complete my application ONLINE using one of their sketchy, germ-infested computer terminals. So I went on an adventure for nothing. I guess it got me out of the house.
3. I went on a significant grocery shopping trip to prepare for my planned afternoon of domesticity.
4. I made a few phone calls that I'd been putting off for a while, using the excuse that it's hard to make phone calls during business hours when you work during businesss hours.
5. I called my bank and arranged to skip my next two personal loan payments, to give my EI application time to be processed. Sigh. I am now officially POOR.
6. I got busy in the kitchen... So far, I've tackled two freezer-friendly recipes (in absolutely ridiculous mass quantities) and I have another - and some muffins - in the works.
And that's about it. I know that it was a pretty productive day, I just can't believe how little it *feels* like I've accomplished. I know the day is coming soon when a 'good day' will be a day where I managed to shower. But for now, it's still just a little bit strange.
Labels: Maternity Leave
What it Feels Like for a Girl
What an incredibly strange day.
I was feeling so out-of-sorts last night that I knew I'd need to take action today - and so I did something very brave. I set my alarm for my usual weekday wake-up time, left my house when I usually do - and went to a ladies group at church. I'm happy (and somewhat surprised) to report that I liked it. I met some really nice women, and the book they're studying is fascinating to me. It's called 'Fight Like a Girl,' and I included a book summary below. It was nice to hang out with a bunch of women and have a real discussion that really had more to do with careers and society and relationships than it did about kids - and to feel their support when they found out that I was on my first day of mat leave, because they had ALL been there.
The discussion today was really focused on traditional gender roles in society, and whether we feel more valuable as women when we act like men. In lots of ways, it was the perfect topic for me - because I think that part of my fear about beginning mat leave is that I won't feel like being a stay at home mom is 'enough.' I'm suddenly experimenting with this classic gender role that I've spent the last decade of my life fighting against. On some level, I feel like I need to be bossing people around and handing out fancy business cards in order to be truly valuable. And that's a lie. But it's going to be a long learning process to get my heart wrapped around the truth.
I know that I'll likely miss a few weeks right when Briony gets here, but I think that this group could become very important to me as a once-a-week escape to the land of grown-ups - especially because I'll be able to bring her with me. We shall see. In any case, I figured that if I started now, I might be more motivated to go once I have a baby to take along.
After the discussion wrapped up, I headed for home and had lunch with Geoff before we left again - this time to vote (still too mad to talk about it), pick up some Starbucks (mmm... Pumpkin Spice Latte), drop by Cocoon to pick up my Record of Employment and final paycheque (panic is setting in), and visit my obstetrician (have I mentioned lately that I really love her?). I'm happy to report that everything is still perfect with the pregnancy. This past week, the baby grew bigger and dropped lower - though I've been assured there is no way that this is going to be a 'big' baby. Nothing is imminent, but it's moving forward...
And now, I'm NOT watching Oprah (thankyouverymuch). I am finishing up a preparatory load of the cutest laundry I've ever seen in my life, and digging through all my recipes and trying to decide on a list of projects for this week. I want to get some stuff into our freezer - and into my parents' freezer - while I'm still able to. The only problem will be finding both the required energy and the required freezer space, in a household where an extra freezer would be considered evil and energy-inefficient (the debate du jour in the Wright household).
Strong inside but you don't know it
Good little girls they never show it
When you open up your mouth to speak
Could you be a little weak
Hurt that's not supposed to show
And tears that fall when no one knows
When you're trying hard to be your best
Could you be a little less
Do you know what it feels like for a girl
Do you know what it feels like in this world
What it feels like for a girl(Madonna - What it Feels Like for a Girl)
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About 'Fight Like a Girl':
Bevere, an evangelical speaker and author known for tackling touchy topics with candor, wit and transparency, lays down the gauntlet again as she calls Christian women to cease trying to emulate men and embrace their feminine, strong nature. Bevere (Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry) offers women a clear alternative to society's take on the definition of true strength. Rather than relinquishing the power and influence that she believes women innately embody for the sake of mimicking men's overt physical strength, women can choose to wield their impact for good by way of subtler, more feminine speech and conduct. Bevere expounds upon the ways women fight best "as caretakers of others' hearts, by lifting another's spirit by speaking strength to their weaknesses, and wisely offering images of healthier, life-enhancing practices." She asserts that enemies often fall before influence rather than brute strength: "A gentle tongue can break a bone" (Prov. 25:15). Although some women will be put off by the book's gender-essentialist stance (e.g., women are by nature more tender and more spiritual, etc.), others will resonate with that message. All will appreciate Bevere's authenticity as she delves deep to unmask long-held misconceptions regarding women' uniqueness and untapped potential. (amazon.com)
Labels: Baby Talk, Maternity Leave, Stuff I'm Thinking About
