D and I went on a marathon walk yesterday. I was feeling incredibly guilty for not doing the Times Colonist 10K run that morning. I was all set to go but I was unsure, it would have been a little weird. These days, when I run, I feel my stomach actually bounce! It's a little strange.

Anyway, towards the end of our walk, we met up with a friend of ours I haven't seen in a couple of weeks. She got excited to see that there is a little bump in my stomach now and you know what? She rubbed my belly and I didn't mind! It was a warm feeling, very nice and comforting.
Perhaps it was who was doing the rubbing. It was nice when my Mom rubbed as well.

I think I will rethink this whole "don't touch the pregnant woman" thing.

Isn't is crazy how there are some people who seem to haunt you until your death?

There are a couple of people in my life that I probably shouldn't give too much thought about but they are constantly popping up when I'm day dreaming.
These are the people that I keep typing into Google to see if anything amazing is happening in their lives and has found it's way onto the net.

I just realized the other day that these people, if perhaps I am haunting them too, just might be looking me up on the net. They may have found this website and now get some pretty in-depth play-by-plays of my life.

Isn't that considerate of me?
Wouldn't it be nice if they did the same?

My parents came to visit us this week. They have decided to buy us a crib as a baby gift. It was very very very nice of them. (thanks mom and dad!)

I was worried about getting all the features that I thought were important such as wheels, a quiet side bar that can be raised and lowered with one hand and both feet firmly on the ground, easy to clean, and sturdy.
I think we found a beautiful crib with all these features. We also noticed that many cribs have two ends of solid wood. Why would anyone want that? Perhaps I don't understand but don't you want to see your baby from all angles? Wouldn't you then have to position the crib in the room so that a glance in would assure you?
What if there is a horrible horrible beastly thing hiding in the corner that you didn't see on first glance because you went with the solid wood construction? Perhaps these cribs are actually designed by the horrible horrible beastlies in the first place? Maybe then they train your own little beasty into a horrible horrible beastly?

see? There are sooooo many things to consider!

Ta-Da!!!!!

Today is the birthday of my youngest brother. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

He is named after the doctor on the Love Boat because we (the older kids in the family - and mainly my older brother Sam) thought that this man was a good example of our father, who we were indirectly naming him after I suppose.

Well, I think that's how it went, I really never understood the reason why we thought that a character on a cruise ship sitcom would be a good namesake for our younger brother. I just went with it.
It is a nice name.

...and he is an extremely nice, intelligent, thoughtful and loving person.

I just a got a phone call from the HSA Labour Union to remind me that although things are still very uncertain, I must check with my shop steward for any upcoming events that will be affecting my job.
The Liberal government was supposed to unleash it's new approach to Health Care in the province today. There was a lot said but there were no details - making things very shaky and uncertain for a lot of people.

It was a recording that I presume was sent out to everyone in the province because no one in our household works in any way close to the health industry - not even on a contractual basis.

The whole experience was very interesting. The voice sounded like it was of a woman in her early forties. It was a very concerned and strong voice yet very sympathetic and motherly at the same time. It made me feel like we were going to war but that she was going to be standing behind me to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible.

Our union voted on a Community Action Plan last week. There were two meetings. The one in the afternoon had about 200 people in attendance. It was a unanimous vote in favour of a walk-out in solidarity with any other unions being threatened by the government's actions.

In this case, the phone call was pretty important no matter who answered.

I'm not an ogre or anything but I've always felt that I tend to blend into the back-ground more often than I stick out. Unfortunately, being pregnant does not give me this luxury any longer.

People are starting to notice a little tummy development. I don't think I look pregnant to the unknowing eye (like I've always had this little paunch), but to those who do know it's there, it's really there.

At first, it's exciting to tell people. Then, the excitement wears off as people start to scrutinize what you eat, how much activity you are doing, and your decisions concerning the rest of your pregnancy care.

I don't mind concerned friends and family voicing their opinions. They know everything I do is well thought out and informed. I'm not the type of person that does things "because she feels like it".
But, it's the people who do not know me who are bugging me. I am not a touchy person. I don't like people walking up to me and putting their arm around me unless they are a close friend. Can you imagine my surprise today when a co-worker wanted to touch my stomach? I'm not even really showing yet! Nevermind this person feeling any baby other than the baby-fat kind!

(and don't brush this off as pregnancy hormones! I think that's second on my rant list...)

Whoa!

I am getting the most terrible dreams at night. They don't have anything to do with the baby directly, but apparently, the hormones (that are causing my headaches) are causing me to have nightmares that are so vivid I actually wish I was dreaming while I'm in the dream!

One dream was too personal and scary to recount on this blog - and I don't feel like crying all over again.
The other dream (both last night) had, among other things, my teeth falling out! I could feel every physical sensation in both dreams. It was incredibly real.

In a way, this is quite fascinating. However, I would love to get good night's sleep and feel good in the morning.

Break-down of my day:

1:00AM: Go to bed, "I'll finish the paper tomorrow...."
3:00AM: Wake up to go pee
5:00AM: Wake up to go pee
6:00AM: Wake up... do I need to go pee? My God! The alarm is almost ready to go off! Look over to D and realize he has already woken up and is in the bath.
6:30AM: Grudgingly turn off alarm, resentful that I was awake when it went off. Look over to a wet D laying in bed looking at the reflection in the mirror of the sun rising. (He's such a natural morning person)
7:30AM: Realize that I'll miss the early bus to work
7:35AM: Start walking along the bus route, waiting for the 8AM bus to come around. It's such a great walk. Wish I had gone pee before leaving the house.
8:30AM: Work officially starts, I go pee.
8:30AM - 4:30PM: basically average a pee break about every 2 hours or so throughout the day
4:30PM: walk home from work, but take a pee break before leaving (smart)
6:00PM arrive home, rush up to take a pee
6:00PM - 12:00AM again, average a pee break about every two hours, even through a phone conversation with a unknowing friend of mine (the quiet pee)

Do you get my point?
I've started to call the little one "P" (pee) instead of "it" as this seems to be what I do all day while I think about the baby.

My friend Naomi and her husband Jim have had a baby!!!!! It's a boy, 7lbs, 8oz! They have named him Eamon Patrick McQuaid.

By the way, this is promising:

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

Pain management. That's all it takes, I can do it.
Consider it training for the big event.

I'm actually doing OK. I'm a little worried about the skylight above my desk piercing into my eyes but I think everything will be fine for work tomorrow - except for the amount of people who are going to ask me if I'm alright.
My Mother has advised me to stick my head over a bowl of hot water, thinking that the headaches might be sinus related. I am about to try that out. I do start to feel better after a shower. The headaches are the worse first thing in the morning.
We will see. Everything will be OK though, I'm sure.

I'm also a little stressed that I haven't felt the little one for a couple of days. My Mother also assured me that there is a lot of room in there and the baby could have moved to a quieter position.

It's funny, you worry about not feeling the movements only to replace that fear with not feeling them often enough.

I really have to slow down and enjoy this whole process a bit more.
Of course, if the job/maternity thing works out I will certainly be feeling a lot better - as well as finding a perfect little house to start evoking my nesting instincts on...

As you can see, it's only the small things that make me happy...

I have been getting wicked headaches for the past couple of days. So, to help remedy the situation I have been hanging out in bed - on my left side like a good girl - and becoming increasingly bored.

I am a little worried about the amount of work that I have missed. I have quite a few deadlines and I am hoping that everything will run smoothly when I return. I wasn't prepared to take these days off. I considered dragging myself to work today but my boss has kindly informed me that there is a jack-hammer in progress almost directly beneath my desk so people with headaches should not be present if they want to stay sane.

Of course, I can hear you saying,
but, you aren't really sane to begin with Ada, just ask your older brother..."
haha, I still would like to be in a little less pain.

Headaches suck.
As much as I like to lay in bed, the whole experience depends on whether or not I have a good book to read. I have a lot of books I'm reading right now (Soul Mountain, Fast Food Nation, Driftwood Valley, and Lamia - which is a great book but a lender from my Father and I am afraid to take it anywhere other than my bedside table in case I damage it - it's really old and out of print.)
Unfortunately, I cannot read any of them as my head is pounding.

dammit!

Please excuse me, I am not feeling well.
Hopefully I'll be writing again soon.

I felt the little one on Saturday! I am now sure that I felt it about two weeks ago as well but Saturday was a sure thing. It felt like a little bug was climbing on my lower belly. It was so cute and tiny. My mouth dropped open!

I immediately rushed into the kitchen to tell D. He was trying to get the two of us, Lance and I, to get our act in gear and head outside. I have to really admire his patience...

Anyways....
I really wish he could have felt it with me. Pregnancy is such an amazing experience. It's like I'm traveling abroad and only able to send him descriptive postcards or something.

I have a button on my desk that says, "VAGINA FRIENDLY". It's attached to the wire mesh stand that elevates my phone (so I can put all kinds of crap underneath it...)
Yesterday, a woman cranked her head around to see my computer screen and noticed the button in the process.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asks.
"What, the computer screen?" I ask, confused as to what part of, the-books-have-not-arrived-yet she doesn't understand.
"No" (rolling her eyes), "what does Vagina Friendly mean?" she asks in an almost disgusted tone.
"Ummmm" (hoping not to sound patronizing) "it means kind of what it says, I believe in being friendly to vaginas."
"Well," (she takes her elbows off my desk) "you people are so open now-a-days. You know, I don't necessarily think that it is all it is cracked up to be. You should watch yourself."

(after a little chuckle - at her expense) "Really? I hadn't noticed, I still feel quite friendly today..."

Remember that older sibling who didn't understand my explanation of spaz-reducing exercise?

Well, it's his birthday today.

This will be quite the year for him. He is getting married in August to an amazing person, Heidi. He has also just started a new job so that's pretty exciting too. Hey and who knows! Maybe the little person in me will have a cousin about the same age!
(This of course is all conjecture as they have not told me any plans in that arena of life.)

So anyhoo,
Happy Birthday Sami. I hope this year is as happy and fruitful as your last.

love, your little sister, Ada

babies on the brain babies on the brain babies on the brain babies on the brain babies on the brain

I went to a store on the weekend called "Abra-Kid-Dabra". It has second-hand children's gear.
Such a great idea!

I was a little overwhelmed though. I really have no idea what to get. I have read all the layette information but I still get confused as too how many to get. The little person will only be in them for a short while...

and other baby related news...

both my roommate and my husband seem to think that "Tweet" is a good name for a child.

what am I going to do with them?

It's funny, I never was one of those people who would see a baby and start to coo but lately even the sound of a baby bawling it's head off makes me smile.

I know what your saying, you'll get sick of that pretty quickly Ada.

Whatever, I'm just glad to know that everything is going OK so far and I hope that the baby is healthy and happy. I have my second doctor's appointment today. I'm going to discuss the pros and cons of ultra-sounds with her. I'm a little worried. I want her to take me seriously and not just dismiss me as some paranoid new Mom... but if we don't agree I don't have a lot of other options. There are not a lot of other obstetricians in Victoria.

ahhh, I'm worrying over nothing. I'm sure we will have an adult conversation about it all. The stereotype of domineering doctors is getting to me I think.