I know you are all dying to know how my swim went….since it is such an exciting achievement in my life. Yes, I know, a little overdramatic, right? Well no, if you actually knew how much I hated swimming, you would understand. So, swimming is a test of my resolve.
I endured…. 3 times last week! No, I am not crazy, and no, it is not the hormones. It basically comes down to the “guilt” I feel. Wolfgang keeps asking me when I am coming swimming…and well, I am out of excuses. I also need to owe up to myself that if I ever want to do another triathlon, I just can’t get back into the pool and start off where I left….oh hell no…every day out of the pool sinks me deeper into that pile of mud I feel when trying to swim.
Monday last week I went swimming for the first time with Gregory in 6 months. He said I did “ok” but he has to say that and be nice because I am pregnant and it is his fault. I know it was not ok because I spent 45 minutes in the water and I know how far (aka not far) I went. It was so bad; I am not telling you any more..and yeah, I want to punch every person who invites me to masters, tells me their splits, times and distances because to be honest, I am pregnant so I don’t give a rats a$$ about it anymore. I am getting “big” (not allowed to use the “fat” word) and I will not even allow myself to go to the “I used to, could have, should have” realm of things. I am learning many things while being pregnant, including how to “let it go”...that’s for another post.
However, for some reason, I could not “let it go” when it came to the swimming. I saw it as an “opportunity”. How many women, in their 25th week of pregnancy have the opportunity to “improve” at swimming? You see, I planned this…I knew it would be bad, but at least it can’t get any worse!! Trust me; I will swim faster than I did on Monday at 9 months, even carrying 80 extra lbs around let alone 18!
So, I returned to the pool on Wednesday and then Friday….and, it did not get worse! I am still not saying how far I got in 45 minutes, but It is improving. I also attribute my “slowness” to my “not so streamlined” suit. I am wearing a sports bra and an old stretched out suit that sags like you would not believe. When I get out of the pool I have to make sure the butt does not drop down to give anyone a show and the “granny butt” wrinkles does not drip so much it looks like I am peeing myself. That must be why I am slow!
Speaking of Granny’s…(and I probably should not use this terminology because both Joelle and my mom read this blog, but I will anyways because I am pregnant and hormonal and I can…so no offense soon to be grandma’s mom and Joelle) but, what is with the staring! I don’t stare at these ladies when they are straddling their noodles in the kiddy pool doing their exercises (well, maybe a little, but just because I thought it might be cooler than swimming) but they seem to have all eyes on me in the change room. Just imagine, taking a shower that is invaded by about 20 grandmas with all eyes on you and your naked swollen belly. Nobody says anything! They just stare and some of them are brave enough to smile. I mean “what the heck! Yes, I am pregnant! I also have not taken a crap in 2 days, I have gas and I will cry at the drop of a button! These ladies have been through it! They should know…but, why are they staring!!??” Just as I am about to “lose it” exiting the shower and drying up…one of the grandmas says something that breaks the ice/distracts me from the meltdown I felt coming on: “I like your towel”….ummm yeah…ok, thanks…remind me never to go swim at 9 am anymore.
So, as you can tell, I am on a roll now….perhaps due to the fact that I am tired, only sleeping in 2-4 hr increments. Now I know that this happens when our little girl arrives, but I had no idea that it would get this bad during the pregnancy. Our little muchkin LOVES to boogy in my belly. The only time she is quiet is when I am running or moving; the rest of the time it is like a little drummer. Over the past 3 weeks she has grown quite a bit and so has her kicks. Gregory barely had his hand on my belly the other day and our girl gave it a good whack and he was a bit surprised!
She takes after me from the fact that I don’t like to sit still, yet, she still has not gotten the concept that I sleep at night..and so should she. At the moment, I am sleeping in the living room because it got so bad with me waking up at night and keeping Gregory awake (he wakes up every time I pee, eat, walk around etc..). At night, when I crawl into bed, as if it were a cue, she starts kicking and punching, throwing a fit and that continues for a good 30-40 minutes; then I fall asleep, then I get woken up 2-4 hrs later with the same commotion. I have learned that if I get up, walk around a bit, eat a bit and then go back to bed, she settles down. This continues until 6 am, when I am usually up for good….then she sleeps.
The funny thing is I don’t get tired of it; call it a mother’s love, insanity, I don’t care. Each one of those kicks is a reassurance that my baby girl is ok and active. I could not ask for more!
Last Tuesday we had a bit of a scare when she decided to stop moving for an entire night! When I did not wake up to the regular “thump, thump, and thump” nor did she stir in the morning, I got panicked. The doctors were great (again!) and pushed ahead my appointment from Thursday to Tuesday to check up on everything. Turns out she was snuggled up against my placenta (which is in the “front” and means at times I will not feel our girl) and was “resting”. As if on cue and hour after leaving the doctors, she was back to break-dancing in my belly. Kids are unpredictable; this one is going to give me an ulcer before she is born! Good news is that I measure perfectly and had all paperwork/clearance to fly to France…….
Yeah, we were supposed to leave yesterday. But, due to the volcano and ash we were delayed until Friday to fly to Paris. I am hoping everything clears up and we can go…otherwise, there might be a pregnant lady breakdown if she does not get her almond croissant (again!). This post is getting long and I am sure I can write another one describing our “adventures” with the airline companies over the past weekend and how I am irrational and quite hilarious to watch meltdown according to Gregory.
Speaking of Gregory; my wonderful husband with whom I had a discussion last night about how expensive a baby is, our plans not to spend too much on the unnecessary things, that a cheap crib is not such a bad thing since our girl will never remember it, and how we were going to stay “grounded” through this financially even though it is our first kid. Well, today we went to a schwanky/holistic/natural birth/make me want to puke maternity store (don’t get me started on all this natural birth stuff, and nothing against those who do it/want it; it’s just not for me…I want drugs, I don’t care how the baby gets out, as long as it gets out and I get drugs….yet again another post to elaborate on) to get me a “support belt” for my running. We left with a maternity “belt” and a “music belt” which Gregory found.
You see, Gregory has had this obsession of playing ACDC “Highway to Hell” to our girl since the first day we found out I was pregnant; I can see how this got him very excited. The bill was $90…$25 of which was for my “support belt;” you do the math. We have a “music belt” but no crib….but at least our girl listened to ACDC this afternoon. And for once, she was still. If the darn belt did not have an hour time limit, I would strap it on and let it play all night long….
Gregory does not think that the “music belt” was an unnecessary purchase. He thinks our girl “won’t remember her crib, but she will remember the lyrics to ACDC Highway to Hell”
Monday, April 19, 2010
Swimming, Grandma's and Frivolous Husband
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Chewy is going swimming!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Nipple Pads & Pacifiers
What a week! Between getting our floors installed and settled back in, herding cats at work, a baby who wakes you up kicking at 3, 4, 5 and 6 am, and multiple trips to Babies R Us (Target, Crate and Barrel, Walmart) Gregory and I are absolutely pooped! And we are proud to announce we still have not purchased a crib; between the selection, price and ordering we hit a wall. I absolutely refuse to buy a crib and nursery set that will cost more than a bike frame. Which, by the way, I think I am entitled to after this pregnancy ordeal; if I have to wear maxi pads for 6 weeks and have milk-firing boobs (which, need their own pads) after “getting” this child out, then I deserve a bike frame.
Good news is that our new floors look great! We are so pleased with them (pictures to come soon). I even got a new and improved “business corner” of the apartment where I will work from. The fun part here is that we had found a perfect desk/shelving system at Crate and Barrel last week, but were really struggling with the price. We were on our way to cave in and order the darn thing when a trip to target saved us! It saved us a lot of $$$! Gregory and I had decided to check out good old Target after a trip to Babies R Us had us thinking that purchasing a nursery set was like taking out a second mortgage. We were on our way to research more cribs when we were sidetracked by our desk/storage system for ½ the price. In to the cart it went! We did not make it to the baby section….
Fast forward to today. Enticed by the “Baby Shower Day” at Babies R Us that was promising good advice on your registry/necessities and giveaways, Gregory and I decided to return to start our registry and look at cribs (again!). I envisioned lots of happy pregnant women with cupcakes and juice mingling in an informal lecture setting with lots of people who knew what was going on. Not to mention I was excited to use a “gun” to scan all the things I wanted to put into the registry. So, I put on my nice “elastic fat pants” and a new top from target that looked summery and nice (it beats the usual sweat pants and ball cap look); I was ready to experience my first “baby shower.”
What I envisioned was a far cry from what I got. Babies R Us on a Saturday is hell; add a false advertisement to a tired, hormonal pregnant woman and you get a really, really, really pissed Chewy (and entertainment from Gregory’s perspective). First sign that this was not at all what I expected included the small table at the front of the store with a few samples on “display” and no one manning the table. I was thinking “where are the pastel balloons, cupcakes and smiling pregnant women”….instead there were endless screaming children, yelling parents and overtired staff walking around in purple shirts that were nauseating to look at. Hmmmmm..I was not sure what to do, where is all this helpful information to help us out on our registry? Perhaps at the registry desk; yes, that must be it, there are goodie bags behind the desk and helpful people there. So Gregory and I go to the registry desk to get started.
A nice lady with a smile asked if she could help us. I told her I was here for the baby shower and she told me it was on the other side of the store, but if I needed to start a registry, she could do that for me. Oh great, yes please! Finally someone helpful….and then she said one of the worst things to an almost 5/1/2 month pregnant women who has been constantly explaining to people that she is not fat, she is pregnant! This staffer told me next time to bring my child in because they have a “kid friendly” room in the back…yes, that is right folks, I was mistaken for a person who had already given birth! As to why the hell I would be starting a registry after giving birth, I have no idea, but for some reason, this “helpful” person in puke purple thought I had just popped a kid out. Gregory was practically swallowing his laughter; you could see it written all over his face. That was the tipping point. I told the lady to “give me the gun” and “thanks for the advice”…off I went scanning, with no list of what I needed…and I started in the worst possible section of that store; I can’t even tell you what the section name is because I was stunned by the all the nipple pads, nipple cream and pacifiers available…
Then Joelle called and Gregory was busy and I was left to my own device. A gun and nipple pads, item #1 check! Actually, make it 2 of those, and what bottles, we need some of those…oh and yes, they need to be sterilized, check…oh, what a cute bib, check…the bath tub, I like the green one with frogs, check, nipple cream, check, a boppie…don’t know what the hell that does, but check..how about a monitor? Yes, we need that, check…wow, that one was expensive, lets put another less-expensive one on, check, nipple pads, check, check, check…diapers…check…this stroller looks cool, check, sanitizing wipes, you can never have enough of those, check….oh and baby oil…PAUSE…
Joelle uses Johnson & Johnson baby oil to massage her clients. “Hey Gregory!!” …he gets off the phone for a moment “What’s up hon.” Me: “does Joelle need more massage oIl?”….everyone around me looking at me funny as to why I am referring to baby oil as massage oil; really folks, I don’t make this stuff up.
I continue checking….swaddling blankets, why not? Check, more blankets, check, cool bags to carry diapers in, check, bassinet, let’s take 2 of those, check, another stuffed toy, ok, check, oh cool, look, it’s big bird and cookie monster, check, check….
At this point in time, I have made it half way around the store to realize I have been deceived! There is no “baby shower”. Just screaming kids, overcrowded isles and no damn cupcakes! The baby shower was that little desk at the front of the store. I have already made it ½ way through and figure, why give up now, so I keep adding to the registry….pacifier pouch, check, burp blankets, check, more cream, check, more pads, check, formula, check…and then I had to stop….we were at the breast pump section..NO, that is not going on my registry, NOPE, NO, NOPE…that I will get in private without broadcasting the brand, cost or contour to anyone else. Move on…..rockers…um ok, check….then Gregory get’s off the phone and I am pissed because I have done all the work with no cupcakes feeling like a lard arss because no one thinks I am pregnant. You know the kid who sticks out at school? That is how I feel at babies R Us! I try to show off my nice “bump” but it just does not compare to some of the basketballs other ladies are carrying around…I am just not “fitting in” literally.
Gregory starts laughing at me. I tell him he is a jerk and not helping. He laughs more. We are almost done and I need to eat. We browse through cribs again…and no check. I go to hand in my gun. Thank God it is not the same staff that I started with. She prints out my registry which is 16 pages long and hands me a goody bag. I ask where the baby shower is. She points to the table at the front that I initially suspected. A lady approaches me from the table with another goody bag and a piece of paper to fill out for a “draw prize”. Which, happens to include nipple pads…oh joy.
I feel like telling her next time Babies R Us wants to false advertise, they could at least supply some sort of cupcake, chocolate or sugar for those cranky women like me. But, then I kept my mouth shut because she probably thought my “bump” was fat from eating too much…
We leave the store…without a crib, and then I look in the goodie bag. There are coupons; like when you spend $200 you get 25 cents off. There are also diapers; the diapers are for 3 year olds! This is a FRIGGING BABY SHOWER FOR EXPECTING MOMS!! We are not popping out 3 year olds! Next time try newborn diapers!!….I proceeded to put them on our little girl’s stuffed toys as practice when we got home. I also got a chocolate bar….
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Happy Easter! Where has the month gone???
Happy Easter!!
Where in the world has this month gone??!! I tell you, things have been crazy (in a good way)…in the past 5 weeks the Menvielle household has heard/seen/experienced many changes.
Most important though, we are having a baby girl in 4 months! We had the ultrasound a few weeks ago and were delighted to find out that the estrogen level of the family unit will increase. Poor Gregory, he is doomed…when this girl asks for anything, she will get it. Why do I feel like I will be the “enforcer” in this relationship??
This led to quite the dilemma though….(other than what brand of chastity belt to purchase and convent to enroll her in) what the heck do we paint the room?? You see, I don’t do pink; and for the time being, while I can still make choices for this child without her talking back, I have decided the nursery will not look like “princess pink” was thrown up in it. Don’t get me wrong, I can do some pink, subtle pink, accent pink, but there is a line I must draw. The walls will not be fuscia! And I will not allow any Barbie dolls in the apartment because I believe they give young women a complex about how their bodies must look like…and let’s be honest, this girl is not inheriting a cup size D from me!
So, we made a compromise, a minty green accent wall against off-white walls/ceiling and the bedding/shades/theme is going to have pink and red accent ladybugs with some green….I just couldn’t bring myself to go with Gregory’s suggestion “why don’t we still go with blue, she won’t know the difference?”…so I caved…a little…a little pink never hurt anyone. And don’t worry; links to a comprehensive photo album will follow at the end of this post, so read on…
Other changes occurring in the Menvielle apartment include a new and improved pantry. We bought an electric drill at one of our Home Depot outings; just in case we would need it. Just in case turned into me taking down the laundry room door, putting up a new one, installing new pantry shelves and pot hangers, tearing apart our hall closet and assembling a new closet assembly and putting up coat hangers. Yes, folks, I do have experience with power tools. Not only do they teach you to curl in high school in Canada, they teach you how to do important stuff like home renovations and change the oil in your car; these were considered our “home-ec” classes. The cooking talent came from lots of time in the chemistry lab mixing things up and don’t ask me to sew anything. I also does not hurt that I grew up in a house that included a stocked garage with tools for Carpentry (one of my dad’s trades) so I learned a lot from that.
What prompted me to do all of these changes? Reason #1: I am a hormonal, crazy organizational freak; #2 Gregory would not let me help paint the nursery so I had to “show him up” #3 I did not know how we were going to fit all the bottles and funky plastic stuff I don’t know what they are used for yet into our kitchen. Plus I have a beef to pick with the person who designed the layout of this place and did not consider proper use of space…..but that’s fine, me and my new drill fixed it.
But, just because I am good with a drill does not mean that I am ready for some “major” home renovations, so we hired someone to come in a replace our carpet with cork. It has been a long time coming and a lot of research/negotiations with our HOA (for good reasons). Because we live in a second floor condo, we need to pay attention to acoustic insulation so not to drive our downstairs neighbors crazy. We knew we were going to get rid of the carpet (heck, it could probably walk itself out of here with all the filth that was in it) and replace it with either new carpet or a solid surface. Out of pure selfishness, Gregory and I decided a solid surface would be easier to clean baby spit up/puke/spills off of than carpet and increase the retail value of our place. Since hardwood is out of the question, we moved on to the next best (if not better!) thing; cork! We are going with a “coffee bamboo” color/feel and are totally stoked about it.
Last week marked the beginning of the “floor installation” process, which included more packing (I didn’t think there was much more to pack after moving Gregory into his new office!), moving, storing and then the workers arrived. As of now, we are working in an apartment with the “main area” floor finished and it looks awesome! By Wednesday this week, the process should be finished with more pics to be posted (right now, there are some of the partially finished floor).
Other than all of the home renovations, Gregory and I have been working our tails off this month with new clients, new projects and lots of fun events! We have 2 weeks until we leave for France, which will be a well deserved/needed treat! Bring on the farmers markets! Hopefully, things will settle down a bit more so that I can post more frequent updates. However, I feel like that will come in the 3rd trimester when I am waddling around, occupying the couch a lot and complaining about how “fat” I am .
I am in my 23rd week now (see pics below). I know, what a cute bump! what an awesome, small, harmless bump. What the picture does not tell you is how active this little girl/bump is, especially at 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the morning. I swear she already has a pair of running shoes on and is doing workouts at those times. Unfortunately, when my darling girl is awake, I am awake, so there have been a few “zombie-like, throw cranky tantrums and OD on the chocolate because I am a hormonal mess” days. Let’s hope she is just getting this “nocturnal theme” out of her system before she pops out in a few monthsJ
Link to home renovation album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/gmenvielle/HomeWork#
I hope to get a more thorough update posted within a week or so with pics of our new floor/place!
