B finished work on Friday and G household was suddenly filled with anticipation.  Of course, it is now Wednesday and we are both a little both more than a little bored.  Baby continues to grow and my belly is now incredibly firm and he is quite easy to palpate. My new found epigastric capacity is now being reclaimed as Baby just grows into the space.

Spirits were temporarily lifted with a show of sorts on Monday night but of course, that is about as reliable as a letter from QLD Health stating that you are on the waiting list to have a specialist outpatient appointment within the next six months....

Tuesday morning, a random itch that had been coming and going over the course of several weeks suddenly escalated significantly so I've been ditched with another horrendous night while my skin organises a rebellion.  Of goes an email to Dr. A. to see what the expert has to say...

Today, aside from being itchy, boredom is my greatest enemy.  Everything is done. A functioning replacement clock for Baby's room arrived yesterday and the pest control follow up was completed this morning.  There is nothing else to do and we have no plans for today. I may contemplate a repeat walk this afternoon.  We went for a 20 minute excursion last night which turned into an endurance event of sorts.  At some point it felt like Baby thunked down even lower and then everthing in my pelvis ached.  Returned home and followed by another bowel attack, a load of non-progressing painful contractions and general pelvic pain which required the first half of my restless night to recover from...

So the wait continues...  I have to admit that I am feeling a lot less concerned about the possibility of Baby being born after Dr. A goes on holidays. No particular reason.  Now all I need is a distraction!

Picture time! Baby's room completed as well as the cradle, all set up and ready to go. 

Me: "Baby's room is finally complete!"
B: "Almost.  It needs a baby."

38 weeks, 2 days





I've started this blog entry a few times and gotten bored by the content. 

So I've gotten sort biggish now.  Looking back at the weekly photos there was an eruption between 26 and 27 weeks which lead on to some good gains...particularly in the last few weeks.  Not surprising given that this little guy has been gaining weight steadily.  If we can even get a measurement this week and he keeps it up the he will probably be around 3.6kg 

It is Wednesday and the last how many sleep interrupted nights are finally taking their toll.  I'm tired.  2 April was the date from which the health insurance would cover my admission to the hospital.  This was supposed to be the date from which I was able to relax and know I'd be able to deliver at my hospital of choice.  I am guessing that I've not quite relaxed though and instead got myself a little wound up as continual awakenings invade my bed space! There is that and the dreams.  Dreams which aren't quite nightmares but are either borderline or the type I'm glad to find aren't real.  Oh and add they seem to continue on from where they left of no matter how many times I wake up!

Night falls and I don't look forward to it.  Generally I always feel most uncomfortable at night but this latest stint has really put a dampener on things.  So I gather I must be a little bit worried about things ahead...  Fair call too.  I don't really want to go overdue and lose my doctor. I am concerned about finances. I am concerned (goodness knows why) about bonding. I wonder whether I can be the parent that I want to be and whether I am really prepared for what is ahead.  I wonder if we are really ready for this major permanent life change.  Silly as it sounds I also worry about whether I've overpacked my hospital bags and will be judged for it.  (You'd think I'd be past that high school level of thinking).  Oh and then there is this whole thing about going back to work next year and what I want to do etc.  Any wonder I am not sleeping well?  These are the things which I don't particularly spend a great deal of time contemplating because really they can't be resolved by mulling over it. As a whole, I don't feel stressed but I guess without resolution they run around tweaking at the circuitry.

Blah, I've run out of steam and need sleep.  Leave you with my own artistic collation from MS Paint. (12 weeks, 26 weeks, 37 weeks).



To think I felt soooo big and bloated and horrible at 12 weeks...

After being sent home from work yesterday and yielding to the boy's daily push, I saw the GP today.

Bronchopneumonia

As a child, chronic bronchitis was my life. One year I even contracted lobar pneumonia. Oddly enough, after that, respiratory infections ceased and I was instead subject to tonsillitis. The latter being a lot nicer to deal with...

Anyhow, I've been given rest orders for the next three weeks, a six day course of antibiotics and an inhaler. Awesome. Time to stop being stubborn and pretending like I can get over this on my own.

So, I think I need to give some serious considerations to my work environment for the remainder of the time I have. This was a simple cold. I did all the right things. Yet I got a bad bad result. It is ok now but this won't be good for the baby in repeat or down the track...


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Soooo... just when it looked like I was going to hang around here more regularly BAM! I disappear and become strangely evasive about future study commitments. 

Well, truth of the matter is that the idea got dropped like a hot brick rather quickly. Literally, the day before I was scheduled to have that meeting with my boss (I believe that was the post before last) a small spanner came hurtling on the scene. 



I'm normally very good at keep secrets and being able to pick and choose what I share but being pregnant is like growing a second head. There comes a point where it almost comes to blatant lies to keep the truth from emerging.  I promised B that we'd keep it under the lid until we were ready to "come out".  Along the way, when this was going to happen changed several times and now has come to rest on the 12 week mark.

Today we are 12 weeks 2 days and for the large part I can say that this 5.7cm foetus inside of me has been kicking my butt.  I underestimated the effects of the first trimester and although I have been lucky not to be plagued with persistent vomiting, I have instead been subject to intense nausea, food aversions, acid reflux, nasty aftertastes (yes, even water had an aftertaste) and FATIGUE.  While the nausea is generally subsiding I am now finding it a requirement to slip into a coma for an hour or two on a daily basis (goodness knows how I'm going to go at work this week) and have gained near daily headaches.

I have to say that despite the chronic discomfort and the fact that I seem to gain an extra layer of fat just looking at food (not that I can eat anything remotely resembling a big meal anymore), I am stoked to say the least and we are both very, very excited. 

Exercise has been a bit tricky for me.  In the beginning I got scared off doing too much because I had a lot of cramping.  This cramping is actually the uterus stretching to get ready to accommodate for the little homunculus inside but it bears an awful resemblance to those nasty cramps you get at period time.  Unfortunately, when that settled down, nausea set it... pretty much all day and worsening at night.  I've kept two morning sessions a week at stupid o'clock but I always feel sick by the end. 

It is hard because there are whole bunch of restrictions now on what I can and cannot do as well the fact that I can't let my heart rate hang over 150bpm for very long.  (Hence the reason I purchases the HR monitor is previous post).   So, I am hoping that as we ease into the second trimester, I will start to feel better enough that I can increase my activity level a little more!

I've got a stack of ultrasound pics from the last few weeks and even some video but I'll just pop up one of the best ones from yesterday:


 
Of course, the presentation wouldn't be complete without a belly pic to go... Please excuse all feralities to be noted.  Lot of fat and bloat at the moment but eventually it will turn into some baby!



Ironically, this precious little bundle... that I am currently betting is a boy... is due on our wedding anniversary in April next year.  Unreal huh?  On a bit of a tight schedule because my PHI hospital cover kicks in three days before my EDD and my doc goes on holidays five days afterwards... so... there is going to be plenty of natural encouragement once the hospital waiting period is over!  

At worst though, if the homunculus comes a little bit too early I can get transferred to Mater (we are going to be booked in at Sunnybank Private) where my doc has delivery rights.

Okay so that's it!  That's where I've been and that's what I've been up to!  I promise not to flog the daylights out of the baby theme on here and on facebook.  I know it can be a little tiresome when ever update is either pregnancy or child related.

My new toy:

Polar RS100

But this cookie was smart and got it brand new off ebay for a much, much better price!

Sunday is my dedicated rest day... something I have to do by force because I am prone to getting overexcited and trying flog the daylights out of my body!

Only problem with rest days is that I tend to sleep in and it leaves me feeling lethargic for the rest of the day.

Yesterday was W2D1 of the C25K rerun.  Felt it went generally pretty well.  It did take me a bit to get properly warmed up despite doing drills before I started but it felt good and I was left with an awesome endorphin rush afterwards... bouncing around, listening to music on my iPod Shuffle.

I also went and attacked Ekka with KW.  We spent quite a few hours wandering around looking at various odds and ends, getting our respective fills.  I have decided that I would like a baby goat. They bounce around, meeeehhhhhhh, clip clop their hooves, eat clothing and do cute things like sleep in the hay bucket.  I would be particularly happy if said goat grew up with a personality like one that we saw.  He or she was very intrigued by our presence and then proceeded to use their front hooves to climb up the fence and look into stall next door!  In some of our explorations we found a little calf that was only a few hours old. For something so young it was very big and boney!!! 

There was some fun to be had playing games although, I don't remember the attendants being quite so harassing!  There seemed to be a general lack of variety too...  but we came away with a plethora of stuffed toys despite our poor performances!  I think a niece and nephew of mine will be getting lucky soon!

Finished off at the show bag pavilion.  We opted to go there last so we wouldn't have to carry anything around and fortunately, we both knew what we wanted because literally minutes after we walked in it was like the population of Brisbane descended on the Ekka and we spent the entire time from show bags to exit forcing our way through a mass of moving bodies!  Note to self:  Never set out for Ekka in the afternoon!

I came home exhausted and was in bed by 8pm after a few mini naps.  I am spared the flu this time!!

Tomorrow I've got a busy day planned.  W2D2 in the morning, the meeting with my boss, meeting with the tax accountant, maybe a catch up with KD and then boxing with RB.  Not sure if I will do the kickboxing session afterwards.  Might give it a few more fortnights before I try to add that in seeing my arms went into crazy swelling mode after my last intense four day marathon!

Tonight was my first Friday night boxing session.  It was great cause I have a mate, RB, who comes with me and we are both learning but are just that little mischievous! Friday night is more about learning technique rather than physical intensity and I have to say it was a fantastic help.  I came away feeling like I'd learned a whole lot and actually improved!   Might have to see if I can hoon it over on the weeks I am at work.

Funny how I thought my sparring was all very random and lacking in much good technique... but now as I am trying to adjust to boxing, I am seeing very definite karate techniques in what I do.  Which is good for two reasons. Firstly, all those years of did actually translate into something and secondly, I can actually recognise when I am trying to pull a karate move. 

Broke out my wraps for the first time tonight too and kinda felt just a little bit less newbie-ish that way.

Go back on Monday night.  Always feel just so good after boxing!

What else have I been up to? 

Been at work this week and it has been quite stressful and busy.  But on the days between PT, I have put my new Gel shoes to use and restarted C25K using the new running technique. Tomorrow I will be up to W2D1.  Hoping that when I get to the end, running will be a lot easier this time.  My aim is to run a 5k race at the end before working up to 10k and then hopefully, do another 10k race without ending in hours of vomiting and diarrhoea!

Tomorrow I am braving the Ekka with N!  I will probably end up with tonsillitis again or some other feral disease but I am oddly excited.  I haven't been in quite a few years and I do enjoy the atmosphere and colour and baby animals etc.  Should be a really good day!  Can't wait!!!

Next week I am officially telling my boss that I will be returning to full time study next year!  So very excited!  Sent off a query to Bond Uni today to see if I would be consider if I applied through Alternative Entry.  Even if not, will still through my hat in the ring... can't hurt.  In the meantime, purchase some GAMSAT prep and get studying ahead of uni next year.  Want to be on top of that element before I need to get focused to smash up my first year of midwifery.  Yep! This girl has got a plan and feeling fantastic!

Anyway, think I am up for an early night tonight!

I've had a very productive day today!  Went and got a new pair of running shoes and allowed myself to feel privileged at being chatted up by the young guy who was serving me.  Now have a good pair of shoes which shall hopefully not give me shin pain.  No idea what I got but they are ASICS and I don't remember if they were trainer approved! LOL!

Also went and bought some new workout clothes as well as underwear for work and working out.  Finished off with a last minute grocery shop so that I am sorted for lunch foods at work.

Today I am terrrrrrribly sore.  Had a killer session yesterday morning and then ladies kickboxing in the afternoon. 

So... I've received a bit of feedback from family and friends alike that I should aim a little higher with my career choice. I've spent quite a bit of time thinking and researching this proposal.  I have subsequently altered my plan of attack.   Version two will be that at the end of this year I put in an application through QTAC for Bond Med, ACU Midwif, SBIT Anaes. and QUT Med Sci.    (I can hear RJ shrieking at me already about UQ being the only place in the universe to study med).   I will obtain a GAMSAT prep course (the choices....) and complete GAMSAT next year and then reapply at the end of next year for only med based courses.

Bond uni does not run from GAMSAT and has FEE-HELP places.  They do an interview and prefer a GPA of >5.5 on the most recent course of study.  My GPA is 5.375 thanks to my stodgy efforts in early uni.  I figure that I can throw my hat in the ring and see what happens. 

After that, Midwifery is ideal because it is a low demand course locally which will allow me to making a killing on the GPA scale.  Worst comes to worst, I qualify as a midwife and that is totally sweet with me - it was something that I thought was interesting after placement at Redcliffe while studying to be a paramedic.  So, after a year of that I reapply to everything offering medicine.  I figure that I am not going to be fussy. I just want to get in.  Obviously, UQ with all the reputational glory would be ideal but their entry is based solely on GAMSAT now.  Bond will take more interest in me with a good GPA and Griffith... well... who knows. 

The other preferences are there as a safety net along the way... for a whole lot of just in case.

Off to a boxing and kickboxing double tonight.  Should have some company with RB this time... be nice to have a familiar face amongst the crowd!

Today has been a pretty awesome day! 

Bit of a sleep-in this morning and then drove up Glass House Mountain way and tackled Mt. Beerburrum with K.  It was even steeper than I remember but we got up it a lot faster than I remember doing it last time. I had my backpack with our water bottles and phones.  It felt like as anything... until we hit the side and suddenly it was really, really hard!!! LOL!  We swapped the pack around a couple of times but eventually made it to the top.  Spent a a little while on top of the lookout just chatting about life before meandering back down.  Then it was off to the Coffee Club for lunch.  Was good and had a lean ham and tomato relish wrap. 

We are planning to go back and have a go out Mt. Tibrogargan in about a fortnight. Last time I went up there was NYE. We got a fair way up before we had to climb... which was a little bit hard to do given the backpack and giant torch in the darkness.  It will be good to have another go during daylight without the extra bits in the hand.  Love that K is so keen to go adventuring with me. Pity we aren't on the same side of the river or we'd make great gym buddies.

So, anyway...  I've been feeling a bit frustrated with my current place of employment and have been pottering around in circles trying to find somewhere else I could be.  I am not even sure how I found it... but I stumbled across a professional entitled "anaesthetic technician" and I just went WOW! THAT EXISTS!?  Yeah ok... so it is the personal slave of the anaesthetist but it sounds awesome!  Yes, a pay cut.  Yes, probably shift work. But goodness... nice controlled environment away from the elements, no dealing with non-emergency patients and looking at all sorts of fun surgical procedures!  So, at this stage, I am looking to drop back into casual employment while I complete an 18 month TAFE course.

I've been such an academic snob.  I've always been against TAFE and diploma wasn't good enough.  But then I did a degree in paramedic which turned out to be less useful than an Arts degree... so I've come to have a bit more of an open minded. 

I did consider going into Medicine and specialising in anaesthetics, obstetrics or fertility. I also considered midwifery.  But I think a year and a half on a wage and a bit will be rough enough, let alone three or longer. It is a scary, scary thing and I will give it some time to make sure I am happy with the decision but I think, the plunge has gotta be taken if anything is going to change.

Here's to a new start!