35 weeks

Eeek!  How did that happen?  I've now officially reached the 'do not fly without a medical certificate' weeks.  Well, that's how it is most relevant to me, anyway.  lol

I haven't been online much the past little while because when I get home from work I just don't want to turn on the computer. When I do I get distracted from other things I need or want to do and I end up staying up way too late buzzing around on the internet.  And the past few weekends have been jam packed full of errands even though I've taken Fridays off.  Even Sunday mornings when I usually make time to connect and check out blogs and tend to personal email.

Since it has been a couple weeks since I provided an update here is what I can tell you.

T hanging out on a new rug in the foyer.

T is continuing to settle in.  He still gets anxious when I disappear and he doesn't know where I am.  It is particularly bad when he's using the litter and I go behind a closed door.  His litter problems have settled down.  I thought I had a nasty mess to clean up this past week but it turned out to be a major vomit dump beside the litter.  Poop or vomit?  Which is better?  I'll take the vomit any day, thanks.  He is still interested in scratching the furniture and took to scratching the other chair which, thankfully, was mostly covered up.  But I added some more carpet tape in empty areas and covered it with some throws very thoroughly so he can't damage it.  My living room looks ridiculously silly at the moment thanks to all the covered furniture.  But the good news is that he is using the upright sisal scratching post and the same on his cat stand by the window, more than once a day.  I'm hopeful I can redirect his scratching but I think he's always going to prefer the furniture.  So, some of it will likely be covered in some way as long as I have him.  I don't care if he claws the crap out of my front entrance mats.  They're probably not good for his claws but if he wants to take those on I don't care.

I'm still feeling really well and can't complain much about that.  I did have some red bleeding a couple weekends ago but thankfully was able to page my midwife and she determined it was likely one of those freaky late pregnancy things since it stopped.  I had an appointment just 3 days later and baby was doing fine with a h/b in the 140s.  The student's measurement had me 2 weeks behind and I was a bit panicked at the time but my midwife came in and showed her how she measured and it turned out I was right on time for 33 weeks.  Relief!  And the student had a hard time finding his head.  I suspect he's head down as his heart beat was really low down and when she was feeling for his head she was way down in the pubic area.  I just hope he stays there.

I'm feeling a bit more tired and have trouble getting up in the dark in the morning but I think part of it is just the fact that winter is coming.  I love being able to sleep without the sun waking me up but I'm really loathing getting up in the dark this year.  I'm taking as many Fridays off at the moment just so I can get things done.  It has really helped my energy levels.  I'm pretty much done errand running now so I can focus on stuff at home.  It doesn't mean I don't go shopping ... of course I do!  I just don't have to buy any more Christmas gifts or a huge supply of baby items.  I do need to get some more prefolds and a few covers for the next size up from newborn and I'm still without a travel system.  But worst come to worst I do have a 3-in-1 car seat that I could use if I needed to.  And if I need extra diapers to start it isn't like I live some place without stores that sell disposables.  I'm skipping a lot of laundry since my sister gave me suitcases of clothes.  I know they aren't dirty since she would have washed them before packing them away or giving them to me.  One less thing to do.

There are a few small things that I'll still need but I'm really hoping that I get them soon.  I've been told to be at work on December 12th which must mean that I'm getting a shower that day.  Good thing too because I'd been worried nothing was going to be done.  Not that I want a gigantic party with a bunch of games that I am not interested in playing or that I want a bunch of gifts ... no, I was just worried that since I might only get to do this once I might not get a shower and that would totally bum me out.  Yes, very eloquent, I know.  lol  So, I'm waiting to see if I get actual items and whether any come from my registry.  My parents are still the only ones to have purchased anything from it.  My co-workers might just end up getting me a bunch of gift cards, which would still be good, but it would be nice to get some actual stuff so I have less to shop for.

I haven't had any bouts of swelling and my plantar fasciitis has improved since I got the hard soled slippers.  It still flares up when I overdo activity, such as spending many hours on my feet shopping, but it is much better.  The little guy is starting to feel heavy now but he isn't overly active.  He's buzzing around right now which he loves to do when I have a lazy morning.  But since I've been very busy the past month and the available free space in there is shrinking I've expected him to quiet down.

And the belly finally popped a couple weeks ago.  It does depend some on what I'm wearing but since I take my photos in the same cut of T-shirt you can really see the difference now.  Here is a bit of a progression over the past little while so you can see the change.  Sorry some of the photos are a bit dark.  I don't have tons of light in the front of my town house and with all the errand running I've been doing I haven't always gotten the photos done early enough in the day.

30 Weeks

32 Weeks

T wanted in on the action

33 Weeks

The belly really popped this week.

34 Weeks

A bit bigger but not by much.

35 weeks

Nowhere to go but out from here.

And that's about it for now.  I've got more stuff to get done today.  A tiny bit of shopping and lots of laundry.  ;-)

It's Been a Month!

Holy cow!  I know I've been busy but a month has gone by since my last post.  This one is going to be short. 

I've been super busy these past few weeks.  I completed my last 3 business trips.  It was supposed to be 4 but the one at the beginning of November was cancelled with 48 hours notice.  I didn't mind staying home but I really missed going back home as I had things I had planned on doing.  And I'm going to miss the $7-800 overtime (take home) that I didn't earn on that trip.  :-/ 

My Pam.pered Ch.ef party didn't go forward since I couldn't get more than 2 people to commit. So I turned it into a catalogue party with my mom and sister buying most of the purchases.  lol  I got a good deal on what I purchased so it worked out in the end.  But it was a lot of work to deal with all that when I was in and out of town.

And to top it off, at the end of October while I was out of town my cat P died.  We have no idea what happened.  When I left for work on the Tuesday morning she was fine.  My friend said she came running down the stairs that night when she arrived but wasn't happy to see it was not me.  Wednesday morning she was fine but by Wednesday night she was in some type of distress.  I could hear her meowing on the phone and I thought it sounded like a really bad case of constipation.  I told my friend she could take her to the vet in the morning and I'd call them to let them know she'd be in.  I worried about her all that night hoping I made the right decision not to send her to emergency care.  And in the morning there were messages waiting for me to call my friend.  She had died overnight.  My friend sat with her for an hour the night before and while she didn't really get better she didn't get any worse.  My friend put a little blanket on the floor for her and she moved to put her head on it to rest.  When my friend returned in the morning my cat was still on the floor beside the little blanket. 

The vets were really surprised to hear about this.  And it was horrible having to make arrangements over the phone and not being able to say good-bye.  I really didn't want to have to make the decision to euthanize her but I also didn't want her to just die while I was away.  The receptionist at the vet's office said she thought she probably died in her sleep given the position of her body when she came in.  And my mom reminded me that it must have been something very acute that happened because she went from being fine to dead within 24 hours.  I try to remind myself of this but it still doesn't make me feel any better.

P a few years ago

I carry a great deal of guilt over being away.  I know that even if I'd been home I would have waited until morning to take her to the vet.  I wouldn't have been downstairs with her all night either so she technically would have died alone but if I had been home she would have at least known she wasn't alone and that I was in the house.  And I really feel guilty because I feel that even though something serious happened my cat just gave up because she knew I wasn't going to be there in the morning.  Little P was a great cat, almost completely perfect, but she could be very sensitive at times.  Not in a sulky way because she never did that, not once.  But she could be very emotional and get upset easily.  I kept promising her that my travel was almost over and that we'd have lots of time to snuggle after I finished my last trips.  I did my best to spend lots of time with her this fall after she got sick again.  But I feel like she just gave up when she knew it wasn't me looking after her and I feel so horrible about that.  I may not have been able to save her but I could have at least comforted her and taken her to the vet to have her put to sleep in the morning giving her one last pet and saying good-bye.  But I never got that chance. 

I dreaded coming back home and had a really hard time keeping it together on my flights and just lost it when I walked in the door.  And the next few days didn't get any better.  I couldn't stop crying even when I was emptying out her litter.  Who cries over getting rid of dirty old litter?  Obviously I did.  I saw myself heading down a very bad path with no end to the crying in sight.  And that wouldn't have been a good thing for me or the baby.  So, I made the decision to get a new cat.  Please do not lecture me on cats, cats in pregnancy, toxoplasmosis, etc.  We've had cats for years and I've been taking precautions while cleaning the litter since long before I got pregnant.  As my vet, who had 3 cats during both her pregnancies, said if you clean the litter within 24 hours there is no risk of infection.  It is far more likely that a person will get the infection from undercooked meat than a cat.

I debated about when to get a new cat and I decided sooner was better than later.  If I waited until the spring it was going to be difficult to settle a new cat before I headed out west for a visit.  Who would want to be uprooted to a new home and then be left behind or sent to a kennel for 2 weeks?  That wouldn't work.  And to wait until I started mat leave wouldn't be good either.  That would just be asking for trouble.  Christmas was an option since I will be home for about 10 days straight but my parents are arriving and all the last minute prep might drive a new cat batty.  So, I had to do it now or wait until next August or in the fall.  And I couldn't wait that long.  I took a look at the cats available at the local humane society's website and noticed a few older cats.  I ruled out almost all of them because they either needed to be in a quiet home or didn't get along with other cats ... I'd love to get a 2nd one for a buddy in a couple of years once I stop traveling for work for good.  I noticed a 5 year old black medium haired guy who had been at the humane society since mid-August.  Knowing that people don't like adopting older cats or black ones I thought this guy really needed a home. 

T - my new cat

I went down to check him out and he was sharing an apartment with another male so he obviously gets along with other cats.  He came in as a stray so they didn't know much about him.  He likes to be picked up and he loves to cuddle.  So, I put a deposit on him and went to buy a few things for him.  I spent that night cleaning and doing laundry to make the home a bit nicer for his welcome. And it made it a bit easier to clean up after my old cat.  It felt less like I was getting rid of her and more like I was just preparing to welcome a new cat.  Much better.  And the next night I went and brought him home.  He had spent some time in foster care because when he came in he had to have his two top canines removed - one of them was cracked down to the root.  I have no idea what he was doing while roaming around as a stray downtown.  He tested negative for feline leukemia and parasites multiple times.  While he developed a sneeze while there he didn't actually develop any respiratory issues. 

He didn't like being in his carrying case especially on the way home and desperately tried to claw his way out actually shattering one of his claws but the good news is that it didn't cause any permanent damage.  We did have some litter issues to start off with but that was my fault.  I thought he'd just use the same brand my other cat used but he hated the recycled newspaper stuff.  I had to go back to clumping clay litter which I don't like but he does.  And after a little setback this week, which was my fault ... again (I thought I'd go 24 hours without cleaning his 2 litter boxes), we're back on track.  He just seems to be extremely picky about his litter.  So, I'm cleaning litter twice a day and am slowly moving the litter boxes from the family room to the storage room.  I have 6 huge bags of the other litter which I can't return since I have no receipts but the humane society will gladly take them (and I get a tax receipt) if he never adjusts to them.  They give it to foster homes or use it for their post-surgery patients. 

He has a clawing issue which we are working on and it is slowly improving.  My house looks bizarre because I have my furniture covered in blankets and double-sided carpet tape.  But it is working to divert his attention elsewhere.  He's got 5 scratch box/post options and he's finally starting to get it.  He still likes clawing the entrance mat but I don't care.  As much as I like it I can always buy another one next year at Cos.tco if he destroys this one.  I did get a cheap (but very nice) 5x7 rug to put in the front area of the house since he loves running up and down this storey which just leads to damaged hardwood.  I'm doing my best to avoid declawing him and if a few cheap rugs will help do that I'm happy. 

He is, indeed, a snuggly cat.  He just snuggled up right beside me.  He loves to snuggle up on me or right beside me but is happy to sit in P's favourite chair (which he started to claw to bits before I covered it up - ugh!).  He does like being held but not carried.  And he talks a lot, sounding much like one of our old cats who was super intelligent and entertaining.  He's adjusting well but still getting used to things.  He is still skittish at certain sounds but thankfully no longer afraid of flushing toilets.  And he seems to have been allowed outside in the past because he figured out what the sliding doors in the dining room were for without me showing him.  He's going to have to adjust to being an indoor kitty but if he is stubborn he's going to be trained to go outside on a harness and leash.  No free range kitties in this house. 

Despite some initial frustrations he's adjusting well and I'm really glad I got him.  He's a really nice cat and I can't believe that other people may have passed him by because he was 5 or because he was black.  That's just sad.  We're still getting used to each other but I'm hopeful that he's going to continue to settle in well and adjust to the upcoming changes. And to think that if I had gone on that canceled business trip I might not have adopted this little guy.  Fate works in mysterious ways. 

A More Productive Weekend

Thanks for everyone's comments.  My mom and I agreed that I'm just hormonal and that things aren't really outrageously out of control.  They just seem that way right now.  My mom said that I should just get done what I can before the little guy arrives and they'll help with whatever else needs doing such as hanging curtain rods.  That's low on my list of priorities right now.

Heather - I joined the online group but haven't had a chance to check in and read the old topics.  I don't think I have time to pop in to the gathering this upcoming weekend but I'm sure there will be others. 

First, an update on kitty. We're still not quite sure what is wrong with her hence the 2nd more specific calcium test.  It has to be sent to the US so we might not get results until next week.  I spoke to the other vet, Dr. G., who is a specialist in small animal care.  He's always able to give much more in depth info than Dr. T. even though I'd take kitty to see either of them.  Kitty's elevated calcium could be idiopathic, i.e. no known cause, and it would be treated with prednisone.  High calcium can cause muscle problems which could be part of her constipation issue.  But it could be as far as cancer.  We just don't know.

But in the meantime kitty is going to the vet's tomorrow morning to stay there while I'm away.  She doesn't like it but if she needs medical attention she'll get it.  She refuses to take pills from my friend who usually looks after her when I'm away and that's not good.  She had another enema on Saturday and that one actually worked and it was done sedative free.  She pooped twice (I'm already talking about poop - ha!) and she showed more interest in food.  She was more active over the weekend and just seemed to be happier.  But I'm worried she'll backslide while I'm away so off to the vet's it is.  I know she could be very sick but I'm relieved that for now she seems to be feeling okay.

I got some other stuff done this weekend most importantly baby shopping.  I had to put off a trip to TRU until Sunday because of kitty and household stuff.  Crazy sale on this week (well, 2 weeks but that sounds sort of stupid to type) and the store was super busy 15 minutes after it opened ... on a Sunday!  Anyway, I picked up this booster seat in place of a high chair for $29.97.  It was the one I'd decided on and it was on sale this week.  My parents used a similar one for my niece and it worked fine.  My dining area is not very large and I just don't have room for a full high chair.

I looked at car seats and got all the info from a staff member on the 3-in-1 seats.  My car isn't very large so we had to abandon considering 4 options in favour of a slightly different style.  She showed me this one which fits in my car rear-facing, adjusts in size and height in the back as the child grows, is easy to adjust from the front without getting frustrated AND it will be super easy to install with the latch system in my car. She told me not to bother buying it that day as it would likely go on sale before Christmas.  I want to get into a car seat clinic (must have car seat installed even if crappily done to get in) before that just in case.  I went to the baby expo here in the city on Sunday after the TRU experience and got the seat for 15% at the BRU booth. And they covered the provincial part of the HST.  Yay!  Seat ordered.  I'm relieved.

The baby expo?  I knew going in there weren't many booths but for a city this size I expected more ... other than just financial institutions looking for business.  There were about 4 cloth diapering booths - great!  Some chi-chi poo-poo stores that set up booths.  Nice stuff but I'm not paying THAT much money for something.  No thank you.  And a lot of this and that which just wasn't of interest to me.  I stopped at the one cloth diaper booth and asked questions.  I learned that vaseline is a no-no with cloth (no one told my mom that and she did fine with cloth for 2) but I can use coconut oil instead.  Okay.  I stuck around for the cloth diapering presentation and it reconfirmed my thoughts - prefolds + something else.  I really liked the idea of an AI2, an all in 2 because I can use prefolds in it too. I could use some prefolds in the pocket designs but for some reason I like the AI2 concept.  I don't think it is hard to get or do.  Sure there are extra steps but I grew up putting pins on little babies' diapers (and they weren't really safe safety pins) so I think I can do an all cloth version with some fasteners involved.  And I love the cost savings.  If I stuck to a basic number of prefolds and covers I could cloth diaper from newborn to potty trained for less than $400 plus washing costs.  That's a crazy savings and I'm all excited about that.

I'm planning on heading down to the one store to check out the options in a less frenzied environment.  Plus, I can ask them all the questions I want and get all sorts of feedback.  And I can set up a registry there too.  This all came at the right time because I was able to pick up some supplies online at 2 different deals site offering 50% off.  I ordered some Rea.rz Ind.ian prefolds after I read some comments online that were very favourable.  People have had really good luck with these.  I got nailed a bit on the shipping cost but I figure they're quite heavy to mail.  But because they're a Canadian company and I think they're manufactured up here under NAFTA I should not be paying any duty.  Then on the other site I picked up 4 newborn covers.  I think that will be good enough until the little one grows.  The colour options weren't that great but I don't really care.  And if baby grows out of them very quickly I will be able to sell them without trouble.  I got these ones because they have special notches for the umbilical cord stump.  Pretty important to start.  And the postage on these was only $3.26 ... yes, that precise.  lol  But I think that was because these weigh a lot less than the actual prefolds.  Very basic purchases but they make me feel better in terms of prepping.

I still have way more to do and I'm also looking at other stroller options.  The one I've picked out will be purchased because it is great for air travel.  But I'm looking at something slightly bigger for everyday use.  And I have tons more small stuff to add to my registry but I'm going guerilla on Thursday with my mom and most definitely without the niece and nephew so I can get as much done as I possibly can so I can start sharing the registry info with everyone at work who is pestering me for it.

Oh, and the front grass I gave up on last night thinking it was never going to germinate.  Well, got home from work tonight and low and behold there are little green shoots all over.  Not uniform, which is too bad, but it is at least growing in places.  I might just have to give it a small watering tonight to keep it growing.  Good thing it is supposed to be cool while I'm away.

In which I have an emotional breakdown

Things came to a head Thursday when I spoke to my cat's vet.  Some of her blood work is better than last year but one of the tests is not good but we don't yet know what is wrong with her.  It could be a continuing kidney issue, a new thyroid thing or cancer.  She already has a major constipation problem that is causing her more trouble every year.  Our necessary trip to the vet cost $500 on Saturday and the vet said the tests her partner would like to perform to figure out what is going on would come to $1000.  I don't have that kind of money.  Yes, I have a good job and I get great OT pay when I travel but I had planned on having a certain amount of money in my account when I go on leave.  I've barely put anything away for retirement this year (we get a nifty tax break until we turn 71 and have to pull it out) and I want to make sure I have something set aside for things like putting up the fence and unexpected things while on mat leave not to mention next year's retirement savings.  I have issues with money, well not actual issues, but fears about not having enough money.  Always have and I'm sure I always will so I freak whenever something like this happens.

Kitty is 16 or so we think.  We don't actually know.  I've had her for 8 1/2 years so I'm not sure where she was before I got her from the shelter but for those 8 1/2 years she's had a good life.  I can't justify putting her through crazy treatments if she has cancer.  She's 16!  Maybe if she were young like my sister's cat. I think he was about 4 or 5 when he was diagnosed and treated for stomach cancer.  The vet college used a novel treatment and he went into remission.  He's now 16.  But my cat?  I don't want to torture her.  She gets so stressed out when we go to the vet.  She went to our current vet at Thanksgiving last year because she was very sick and I had to work away for a week.  Turns out she was horribly constipated and the meds the previous vet had ordered weren't really working.  We also discovered some kidney and pancreas issues as well as past hepatitis.  And she had to board there for a week to get medical care while I was away.  So, kitty gets super upset when we go to the vet now.  I cannot put her through what would be sheer torture for her only to appease my desire to keep her alive longer.  If it turns out she has cancer I want to know the prognosis and figure out how to make her as comfortable and happy as possible until it is better that she leave us. But I still can't help but feel that I'm somehow betraying her by not trying to treat whatever it turns out to be, even cancer.

She had follow up tests today, urine and a calcium test that is supposed to be more definitive.  She had to stay with the vets all day and needed another enema because she is still constipated.  She hasn't used the litter yet.  That set me back another $400.  I'm hoping this test shows something because I'd like a diagnosis and treatment plan before the vet wants me to add another $700 to the bill.

I just lost it last night.  My good appointment with the midwife seems to have gone out the window.  I know that she'll work with me to find out what is best for me and what I want to plan for.  I'll still be responsible for all the decisions but at least I'll feel like I've got someone to lean on.  Then I still have my horribly messy house that is still horribly unorganized.  I feel so behind on that.  Every time I walk into the baby's room I cringe at how much I have to get out of there and organize.  I had trouble adding items to my registry last week.  So much was scanning wrong.  No, I did not add pink anything thank you.  And no, I really didn't add the hooded towel with cars.  I chose the one with the ducks on it for pete's sake.  And I didn't get down there until it was my niece's bad time (mid-afternoon) so she was freaking out.  My mom and sister were wandering around somewhere else.  I wanted their help and I was totally overwhelmed.  How am I supposed to know what to add to my registry, especially breastfeeding gear?  My mom didn't BF us and my sister is the only one close enough for me to ask.  I wasn't going to ask the teenager stocking the shelves what she recommends.  I don't know what else to add but I know I'm missing things I should probably get.  And I have no idea how I'm going to pay for everything.  And that doesn't even include choosing the car seat ...

I'm ticked off at the city for their stupid water main failure and repair earlier this year.  Necessary?  Yes.  Badly timed?  Absolutely.  It rained heavily all of April but then went completely dry just in time for a 3 month water ban while they fixed the water main.  My lawn looks awful, it is embarrassing really.  I'm trying to get new seed to grow in what was supposed to be a cool wet week.  Rain?  Not a single drop all week?  Cool?  Not bad until today when it hit 25 and 29 with the humidity.  I feel like stopping my efforts and just ripping the whole stupid thing out next year and sending the bill to the city.  I'm going to have to move up my perennial transformation plan for the front yard to next year and dump a bunch of decent soil in there to counteract the stupid beach I have under my dead grass.  *sigh*  But I think some decorative stone and succulents like sedum and chick and hens should be easy enough to plant and they'll be fine in the searing summer heat. No matter what the grass at the bottom of the front yard is coming out next year.  Period.

I just lost it last night.  I'm feeling so overwhelmed.  I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing.  I need help but have no one to help me and when they are supposed to they don't do it.  Were I living near my parents I would have been on the phone late last night an emotional wreck.  I was even willing to pay to have my mom fly out just to be here to help for a week. 

The good news is that baby is measuring on time.  The MW broke out the measuring tape for the first time and she said I was measuring 23 weeks so right on schedule.  Baby's heartbeat was in the 150s and was easier to find this time.  And my urine test strip was clear of glucose.  So that was positive. As well as the philosophy of the practice.  I want the least amount of intervention possible while still recognizing that things happen and if I need a c-section so be it.  Just don't ask me to stay on my back during labour, thank you very much.  The midwives won't make me do that, thankfully. 

Even so I just lost it last night ... completely.

Okay, I have to add this new blogging format is really ticking me off.  I managed to delete 3 paragraphs of this entry with a single mistype.  WTF?  This new format doesn't seem to save automatically as often as the old one did.

How did this turn out to be more like thought vomit than a coherent post?

I'm back ...

Back from another week on the road, that is.  When I disappear like that it is usually because I've been away for work.  I don't have much time to post today as I'm trying desperately to get stuff done this long weekend. 

I got screwed out of the last one by the builder when it forgot to organize contractors to do the necessary work to address outstanding items in my 1 year old home.  Now that almost all of that is finished I can move stuff back into my bedroom.  I was pretty zonked yesterday - arrival home at 2 am, a sick cat who cost me $500 in care yesterday and grocery shopping.  Kitty is fine, she's just old and has a major constipation problem that flares up from time to time.  And yesterday she needed fluids and an enema ... lucky her.  We're getting blood work done again to see if anything with her thyroid, kidneys or pancreas has changed this past year.  But I'm thankful it wasn't worse.  The vet originally told me she would likely need fluids and an enema each day over the long weekend at an emerg clinic.  Kitty would not be happy and my bank account would be livid.  Luckily for her the single enema worked and she was able to come home with me albeit in a very drugged state (sedative required).  I woke up to a much changed and happier kitty today.

I slept in this morning since I couldn't do it yesterday and haven't gotten as much done, volume wise, as I'd like but I've made good progress.  I got the master closet completely cleaned, as well as my master bath and a quick cleaning of my very empty bedroom.  I can now start moving my stuff back into the master area and start working on the baby's room.  I have another book shelf to put together and then move the 2 of them into my room so I have a place for books.  I need more book shelves but I'm waiting until I put in another order with I.kea before I get them.  I do have to take one more stab at removing the kitty urine smell from my bedroom carpet.  Yes, she has accidents and sometimes she gets lazy ... I've purchased another litter hut for her but she has been banned from my room for months now.  My mom suggested trying vinegar first as (1) it is natural and (2) it should work.  So I'm going to try that on the carpet.  And she didn't even pee much there ... it is potent stuff. 

I also got a bit of yard work done today.  I started it a couple hours early and I'm glad I did.  Thanks to this year's water ban my lawn is horrible ... dead horrible.  The parts that got shade are okay now as they are coming back thick and green, greener than the neighbours' who obviously didn't fertilize.  But there are huge patches of dead lawn.  And I know they are not coming back.  I picked up some lawn seed yesterday and after cutting the lawn attacked the front one with seed.  The forecast is for rain tonight and cooler temps most of the week thanks to a cold front that (yikes!) brought snow to parts of Ontario yesterday.  Nothing like that for us but with me being home a week and a half before my next trip + cooler temps I thought this would be a good time to try reseeding.  I spread the stuff out on the front lawn and watered it to help it stick.  I'll be out there every night for a week to water it if we don't get much rain.  I still have to reseed the backyard but at least I cut the grass.  Oh, and I discovered a creature burrowed itself into  my little flower bed in the back.  No idea what it is since I haven't seen a single gop.her out here. That would normally be my first guess.  The stupid thing pulled out one of my sedum pieces.  Luckily I've got 3 plants going strong so it isn't much of a loss.  But I'm still not happy. 

Tomorrow I've got to tackle some cooking so I have lunch for the week and stuff to add to my collection in the freezer.  And get ready for the work week.  And address more stuff around the house.

I'll provide a better update asap but just a warning that it will probably be quite heavy on the baby and child content as per usual after I've been home for a week of work.  I just wanted to provide fair warning for my readers.  Until then, I hope you're having a good long weekend ... for those who get one!

I'm green

And not with envy.  No, I felt a little green on the bus ride home from work.  Either I have a bug of some sort or this is pregnancy related.  And since it isn't getting worse this isn't a bug.  It is the other thing.  I thought I might have a couple more weeks before I had to deal with this.  It was exacerbated by a bus driver who was desperate to get us through light traffic, a woman with heavy perfume sitting next to me on the bus who wouldn't shut up, and me reading my blac.kberry. 

When I spoke with Nurse M on Tuesday she asked if I was feeling tired yet.  Nope.  She said I would soon.  I started feeling a little tired yesterday afternoon.  I felt it in my eyes.  But I didn't feel particularly tired at night.  I went to bed early but that didn't go so well since my cat decided to misbehave.  She was spinning around in the corner smelling the carpet looking like she was about to take a dump.  Sidenote: she's old and she has a major constipation problem.  She takes medication for it but she goes through a phase every few weeks where her bowels kind of let loose and she is unable to make it to the litter box before dumping huge terds all over, including in my bedroom.  At 11 pm I grabbed her and hoofed it down 2 flights of stairs and popped her into her litter.  No go.  My sister's cat will use the litter on command if you place him in there.  My cat?  I think she's too smart and stubborn for that.  lol  For the first time in the 8 years that I've had her I had to lock her out of my room overnight.  I wouldn't have been able to sleep with her in there because I was paranoid thinking she would pee or poop on my carpet.

Today, I started feeling tired around noon.  And my blood sugar has been off the past couple of days.  I'm supplementing with a few pretzels in the morning between my usual morning snack and lunch.  Then I have an afternoon snack.  I do this to manage my PCOS anyway.  And my boobs hurt like craaaazy.  Makes for a very unpleasant bus ride when your driver has a lead foot. 

I feel like I shouldn't be complaining.  This is so early and symptoms could get so much worse.  Plus I know so many women would just kill to be experiencing minor pregnancy symptoms.  So I feel badly for complaining.  I'm going to try to keep it at a minimum but I can't promise I'll never complain.  And yes, I'm very grateful for this pregnancy ... and I feel a little like I cheated because I somehow got lucky.

You Want Me To Stick That Where?

Got ya' with that catchy title, did I?

I had my follow up with Dr. V. yesterday.  She recognized my concerns about early spotting in the luteal phase and said there was no harm in taking progesterone.  The timing was perfect as today I am one day post-IUI and they prescribe progestrone to be started 2 days post-IUI.  The clinic pharmacy was closed by the time I had my appointment so I couldn't get endometrin so I ended up with prometrium instead.  When I asked Dr. V. about the difference she said that patients find the endometrin less messy. 

But since prometrium is available at any pharmacy I am now armed with a Rx for 2 100 mg suppositories/day ... hence the entry title.  I took my first one today.  Or should I say 'inserted it'.  Went well this morning but it took me a while to figure out a strategy to get that sucker in there without it popping out of my fingers and rolling around on the floor.  I locked my cat out of the bathroom lest I drop it and she think it was a toy or a tasty treat.  Imagine trying to explain THAT disaster to my vet.  "Sorry, I know something is wrong with her but she ate my progesterone suppository."  I was also paranoid I would drop it and, with a cat, it would have been absolutely impossible for me to pick that up and use it.  Gagh!  The one tonight gave me a little trouble.  Got stuck at the start but I did get it in there. 

I use FF to chart and it and my CM were definitely at odds this month.  FF has placed ovulation Saturday while I still had full on EWCM on Sunday during my IUI.  The nurse even commented on it.  So, I think I'm actually only 2 days post-O, not 3.  If so, then FF's pregnancy predictor can take a hike.

Unfortunately for me I started feeling off today.  I am not feeling completely nauseous but definitely off.  I bought some pretzels and sugar-free gingerale to take to work to help as I've noticed nibbling helps to stave off the awful feeling.  And now tonight, my breasts are definitely sore.  If I do get sore breasts post-O they definitely don't hurt this early.  Ever.  So lucky me I get breast pain the first day I'm on progesterone.  Only 13 more days to go. 

You know who I did feel sorry for?  The guy at the pharmacy last night who seemed hell bent on getting his wife's prescription (I assume it was his wife since I don't think the woman's name was his) he tried to butt in line ahead of me.  I got my Rx first but he got stuck standing next to me as the pharmacist explained to "insert the progesterone into my vagina 2 times a day".  You don't want to hear that stuff then don't be so pushy.  Wait next time otherwise I might just get the pharmacist to say "vagina" over and over again just to embarrass you.  ;-)