Sleepless Nights

Author: Veronica

  • NOT the spider that was in my cleavage.

    So today I was sitting on the couch with Amy, reading my book and sharing her 2 minute noodles (don’t judge me here).

    When! All of a sudden! A GINORMOUSLY HUGE SPIDER crawled out from behind a picture. Luckily, said picture was on the opposite wall to Amy and I, so we were able to observe the spider.

    My thoughts?

    ‘Geez that is a big spider. That is one big fucking spider. I don’t think I have seen a spider quite that big for a while. My word am I glad it is on that wall, not this wall. Uhmmmmmm “Natty?!!! Come here please and rescue us?” from the ginormously huge spider that looks like it could eat my face.’

    Amy’s thoughts?

    ‘Look! Mummy! Spidey! Spidey Mummy, LOOK! Spidey! Dere! Big Spidey! LOOK! LOOK! LOOK! Can you see? SPIDEY MUMMY!’

    Yeah, I think I passed my total lack of fear onto my daughter. All she wanted to do was get close enough to touch it!

    So I made Nathan come inside and rescue the spider from our toddler. What? Me? I wasn’t going near the thing! I might not be *scared* of spiders, but I am not going to taunt one into jumping on my face and nomming on me!

    A container was procured and said spider was captured with a minimum of fuss. If you don’t count Amy REALLY wanting to touch the thing.

    Then? Nathan went and released it near our boundary fence, away from toddlers, pregnant partners and cats. It can go about it’s business without fear of toddler attack.

    But – before Nathan released it, I totally photographed it to share with you. I hope *someone* at least squeals.

    HUGE GINORMOUS SPIDER.

    And honestly, no joking, this spider was at least as big as my hand when all my fingers are splayed out. And no, I don’t have small hands in the slightest. This spider could give my cats a run for their money. Actually, if I had to put money on it, I would bet on the spider walking away while the cats nursed injuries.

    It was that big.

    And yes, I watermarked it so that no one could steal the image and use it without my permission. Somewhere, someone out there is googling for GINORMOUS SPIDER IMAGE. I don’t want them pinching mine.

  • Pokey feet, strange weather and spiders

    So since the last lot of stress, everything seems to be going fine. The little one is kicking like a trooper (read: it hurts like a mo’fo at times) I am getting progressively fatter by the day (sort of maybe, I’m not sure) and things are happening the way they should (ie: I am not having my baby yet).

    On the subject of getting progressively fatter, here’s the thing: I don’t really feel that much bigger than I was a fortnight ago. Actually, I don’t feel any bigger. I know from my last appointment that I was measuring small (nearly a month behind where my uterus should be).

    I’m not that fussed about it considering I measured small with Amy during the entire pregnancy – I went and found my antenatal records for her pregnancy and I measured anywhere between 1 and 6 weeks behind at any given appointment – so I think that this pregnancy is probably going to follow in the same vein.

    I can tell you that the baby is DEFINTELY getting bigger if his pokiness is anything to go by. Naughty poky baby.

    He is grounded by the way. No ice cream, chocolate or lollies for him for a year after he arrives. Not to mention he won’t be allowed out to party with his friends or given access to the car keys either.

    And anyway the less chocolate my children eat the more there is for me.

    *****

    It’s hot.

    October is not meant to be a hot month. Warm, yes, but not hot. Not 30C hot (that is 86F for all you Americans. Seriously, when are you going to convert to the metric system like civilised people?)

    I’m quite pleased though, for all the heat that we put up with yesterday, my ankles didn’t swell even a little. So proud. Who knew that one could be proud of her ankles? But I am. No water retention over here.

    Now watch Murphy shoot me down in flames and make me swell like a balloon for the next 12 weeks.

    Heh.

    Amy has done quite well with the heat. Helps that she is only 2 and can run around naked without anyone looking at her oddly (although, I wonder would Nathan have a problem if I adopted Amy’s approach? Maybe the belly would mess with the aesthetics of it though…).

    She has discovered the joys of icypoles. Unfortunately she is finicky as hell and hates being sticky. 2yo + icypoles + heat = lots of sticky water and an incredibly pissed toddler.

    ‘Wash HANDS mummy! Wash HANDS NOW please?’

    ‘Baff time? Yes? Now? Please baff time? Need baff Mummy!’ (Bath)

    ‘Need novver one? Can haff novver one please?’

    Sigh.

    *****

    Signs I am not having enough sex:

    I found a spider lurking in my cleavage. Thank god he was only small. Now I’m thinking though, it’s been much too long since Nat and I ‘got it together’ if I’m finding spiders in my boobs. What’s next, cobwebs in my underwear?

    Seriously though, it’s been WEEKS, possibly even MONTHS. We made the executive decision to not have sex after the first scare with the baby (but hadn’t gotten around to it for weeks before that anyway). Recurrent issues have shown us that we did indeed make the right choice. The last thing my cervix needs is any kind of bumping.

    However, I’m thinking that our decision might just kill us in the long run. Sure there are plenty of other things we could do, none of which involve my cervix, but seriously, creativity is not my strong point when I am pregnant.

    And then there is the whole reciprocating thing. Sigh.

    It’s all just too much work you know?

    ****

    Oh yes, I am working on a birth plan to share with everyone eventually and I will get Nathan to take a belly shot soonish to share too. Okay?

  • Quick

    Just a quick post to let everyone know that things seem to have settled down over night. Thank goodness.

    I haven’t had any painful contractions or any blood/bleeding this morning whatsoever.

    Fingers crossed that everything stays this way!

    Naughty baby.

  • Stress

    So you know, we were doing really well.

    I had stopped stressing; we had gone back to discussing ‘when the baby comes in January’ rather than ‘if I’m still pregnant for Christmas’ and I was content that the little one was going to remain where he belongs.

    Then I spent 2 hours having painful contractions today. Sure they weren’t that regular and I could still talk through them, but they were happening and they were painful.

    But I figured, as long as we don’t see any blood and they stop, we’ll be fine. I rested, I drank lots of water and they stopped.

    Then I started to see small amounts of blood streaked mucus. (Only very small amounts of blood mind you)

    It’s fine though, because now the contractions have stopped.

    [Aside from the one right after dinner, where I had to breathe and concentrate and just ignore Amy screaming at you, because breathe dammit. The good thing? It wasn’t followed by any others]

    So random painful contractions and a little staining. Can we say stress?

    Now before you start to worry, I’m not in labour. I’m probably not even in prelabour.

    This is exactly what happened a fortnight ago when I headed to the hospital and look what happened. I spent 3 days there without even a baby to show for my efforts!

    [Thank god]

    [And a fortnight ago I wasn’t having any kind of painful contractions; any I had didn’t hurt, but details details.]

    To be fair though, we did spend yesterday doing alot of stuff. Sure I didn’t lift anything, or carry anything or even do that much, but we walked lots and I pulled all the weeds out of my garden (slowly; relaxingly; grumblingly) and we were busy. So I suspect that doing too much *may* just bring this kind of thing on. (We were quite busy the day before this happened last time too)

    So here we are again. Waiting and watching to see what happens. Resting lots to make sure that I’m not putting any stress on myself. Drinking enough water to float a small boat. All the things I should be doing.

    It’s just – I didn’t want to have to be doing this again, you know? One bout of stressing about preterm labour is MORE than enough to see me through to January thankyouverymuch. This baby has already sent me more than grey enough and he isn’t even here yet.

    It’s enough to make me realise that I really don’t need anything to go wrong. I want this pregnancy to go full term and to deliver a healthy baby more than anything right now. Dammit, it took us long enough to actually fall pregnant, it should all get to be smooth sailing after we saw those 2 pink lines.

    Sigh.

    Let’s just get through this again and everything will be fine. 27w1d so far. Still far too early for this.

    And don’t worry, if it continues or if I feel we need to, I will head on down to the hospital to make sure everything is okay. At this point in time it has been a few hours since I had any kind of contraction to speak of and I *think* the slight staining is settling down. We’re going to see how I go overnight.

  • Getting there

    I had an antenatal appointment with my midwife yesterday.

    We spoke about last weekend and about the chances of premature labour.

    She is satisfied that all the issues I had last weekend were caused by the infection I had and were therefore unlikely to repeat. She is happy to continue seeing me in the KYM2* scheme and doesn’t think that I need to be upgraded to the high risk clinic.

    Can we get a woohoo over here?

    I really really didn’t want to be seeing the doctors for the remainder of my pregnancy. I really wanted to continue seeing the midwives, if for no other reason than there is NO WAIT TIME for your appointment, as opposed to a wait time of 45mins+ in the clinics.

    Phew.

    I am back to measuring small for dates, which is very reminiscent of my pregnancy with Amy. We discussed it and have decided that that is probably just how my body will always be. (I measured 23cm at almost 26w4d, that makes me just about a month behind)

    We know from last Monday that the little boy is healthy and happy in there, even if on the ultrasound he was measuring behind for dates. But again, very similiar to what happened with Amy. With Amy, we were told to expect a 5lb baby and she was 7lb6oz. So not stressed.

    But oh my word, I cannot imagine how huge I would be feeling if I was actually measuring to dates! I know I am much bigger this time around, simply because my belly is poking out, rather than hiding back near my backbone somewhere.

    Hehe.

    We’re getting there.

    *KYM2 = Know Your Midwife group 2. My hospital runs various forms of antenatal clinics. One of them is the KYM and KYM2 schemes, where you are seen by a group of 4-6 midwives during your pregnancy provided everything is well.