Most important item first: I busted out the BIG COAT this morning. It's an ankle length down coat, and keeps me warm and snugly all winter long, as I wade through waist-deep snow. Some might mock me for wearing such an extreme coat so early in the year, but while they're mocking, I'll be cozy. Suck it, mockers.
I have a due date now. May 11th. That should work out nicely in terms of getting my grades in before having my uterus cut open. I know. I talked about having a baby as if it's actually going to happen. I'm practicing.
My new OB was totally fine, and who really cares as long as she's not overtly freaky. I don't seem to need a whole lotta hand holding, perhaps because I'm so fucking sick of doctors. But she said one thing that earned her a place in my heart: Brisk walking is the perfect exercise for pregnant ladies. HOT DAMN! Music to my ears. Now don't you pregnant exercise buffs get all up in arms about this. She also gave me the speech about how other kinds of exercise are totally safe, etc. But we're focusing on the part where she said that the thing I do every day as part of my routine, and enjoy doing, is perfect. Aaaaah!
I've scheduled a meeting next week with my Department Chair. The purpose of which is to tell him about this fetus. Gulp!
Oh goody - we're at the exciting bit at last! HURRAY!
ReplyDeleteI hope you understand, Bunny, the great responsibility that comes with having a due date on the 20th anniversary of my bat mitzvah. I don't know what that is yet, but I do know that it is great. Congrats on all this! And I'm totally with you on snuggly coats.
ReplyDeleteTelling the boss is a big step!
ReplyDeleteWhoo hoo! A due date! And, I think walking is an awesome and perfect form of exercise for pregnancy. It's especially nice on these cool, crisp fall days.
ReplyDeleteGood luck telling the boss. I really doubt you'll get the same "Yeah, I could tell. I took a double take at your stomach the other day." response that I did. Hopefully yours has a bit more tact :)
Good luck telling the dept. chair!
ReplyDeleteA due date!! And talking like this is going to happen!! Yea, progress. Though, I'm sure like me you mentally follow up every statement regarding a future w/ an baby with "if all goes well..." Hmmph, when will this feel real?
ReplyDeleteI just got back from a 2.5 hour walk with the dog (one of the biggest perks to being jobless) so it's good to hear it's perfect exercise for preggos. We'll see what my ob has to say on Thursday about exercise...
Hope the meeting w/ the department chair goes well :)
I think you should post a picture of that coat. It sounds wonderful. Yea for your due date. It is six days after my birthday.
ReplyDeletei know it's weird, but i hate walking for exercise. if i'm not sweating, it doesn't feel right to me. so while i love to run, i HATE HATE HATE walking, and ppl who dunno me well think i'm lazee bc i refuse to walk anywhere and insist on driving instead :o) so ... i've basically gotten ZERO exercise since end of august and i'm going nuts. the OB yesterday finally gave me permission to start running, but now i fear i'll run out of breath in the first 5 minutes. plus, it's getting COLD. i just feel WHINY, if you couldn't tell already. do you think your dept chair suspects that you're with child? i'm sure the meeting with go smoothly. i'm gonna wait until my water breaks to tell work. or, at least till week 13-14, if i can manage to hide my gut till then :o) no reason other than, i think it's none of their business.
ReplyDeleteYAY! OB validation. I am also a brisk walker who prefers to walk over car, so that's excellent. I support your OB in her wisdom. Good luck with telling the dept head.
ReplyDeleteOoohh your coat sounds lovely.
Yay!!! Let us know how telling your boss goes. =)
ReplyDeletethrilling tidbits indeed, Bunny. A warm coat, a brisk walk, a due date and a date with the department chair. All in one post!
ReplyDeleteHere are my reactions:
1) Long down coat = the bomb for anyone living in the midwest or north of the 45th.
2) Walks are awesome. I love to walk. And I'm so glad you do too and that you get to do it while pregnant. Have you read this book 'Wanderlust' (Rebecca Solnit is the author I think) that outlines a history of walking. If you want it, I'll send you my copy and you can read it on mat leave.
3) Wonderful due date. Right when the spring blossoms will be bursting.
4) Good luck with dept. Chair. Negotiate for a long mat leave if you can. I hear it's ridiculously short in the US.
Walking rocks the baby, right?
ReplyDeleteHave fun telling the news to the Chair. It is a right of passage.
So, if you're due May 11 and you will (if memory serves) need a C-section because of your magical unicorn-yielding surgery, they'll schedule you for the week before...which is near my birthday (May 6)! So, yay for maybe sharing a birthday with Bun Bun. All the cool kids are doing it.
ReplyDeleteCan you take a sabbatical next year, maybe starting in the summer (standard 6 weeks maternity leave will cover you for the month of May into early June)? Pretty sure that's an option for all tenure-track folks, although many use it for research or visiting elsewhere, etc. Whatevs. A family friend took a 1-year sabbatical from her art design teaching post to stay home with her kid, and is really glad she did. Food for thought. Nom nom.
I love thick coats. I'm a complete coward in the cold and so I'm always the first one to wear them (and I don't care what it says about my lack of hardiness, either).
ReplyDeleteThat's great about the walking. GOOD LUCK in that meeting.
Hey Puffy B! Nice marshmallow.
ReplyDeleteHalloween's over marshmallow woman!
Hmm, neither of those seem appropriately mockworthy. Give me time!
All extremely good news, dear Bunny. And that you get to keep up exercise will help keep you sane and ready to chase that baby bun as it tries to stomp on your summer garden. :)
Ooh, I like the perfect! And I love seeing these milestones unfold. So so so happy for you!
ReplyDelete