My first "feeling big" moment occurred when I simply drove our Dodge Neon to work. Generally Michael drives it, as it is older, has higher mileage, and he only drives a couple miles or so to work (I drive 56 round trip daily). Its engine light also keeps coming on, as there is some kind of small leak in the EVAP system (mechanics will know what this is, others would be yawning if I tried to explain it). The Neon is designed to be sporty. It sits lower to the ground (to the point I have to take care to not drive up on the curb in front of the parking spots). The seats are also pretty low. With my new, low center of gravity I found it extremely difficult to get up and step out of the car! I realized I will not be able to drive this car my last couple months. I will need a hoist if I do!
Ironically, in my seventh month when I'm bigger than I have ever been in my life, people are still telling me how petite and small I look! They cannot believe I only have a little more than two months to go. While many women would envy this, sometimes it bothered me a little (in pregnancy, anytime you feel not normal sometimes it makes you wonder if every thing's ok). I keep in mind everything is just fine and there is no reason to worry. I know I'm not as small as I appear. Everyone carries differently, and with my build I have had extra room to stretch up more than out. I am glad people aren't already telling me I look like I'm going to pop any day! I'd rather look too small than too big.
This week also brought back a few things very reminiscent of the first trimester. I started getting the gas and bloating again sometimes after I eat again. This happened twice this week, which is probably as much as it occurred the whole second trimester. Pasta doesn't bother me I realized, but sometimes other things do. It is hard to predict. I haven't had much heartburn, just a very mild sour taste in the back of my throat sometimes if when I eat too much random food. It isn't painful for me. I also have felt my energy level slowly starting to decline. I'm realizing it is less easy to get by on less than 8 hours of sleep again.
Other than that, we are now starting to consider pediatricians and asking various people we know for ideas. I am starting to explore child care options too. Though I'd love to be able to stay/work at home, and plan to at least for awhile if we have a second child, this is not an option for us currently while Michael is finishing school (for insurance and income based reasons). I have observed how expensive child care can be. The average is around $200 a week at many places, and you can do the math how much it is a year! They also charge more for infants, and don't give you a break if you only need the service three days a week like we will! Those places make it almost pointless for me to even work (when I'm losing 40% of my current income). However, I cannot do that. And working full-time isn't an option either.
I realized either I will have to find some friends to help or find an in-house sitter. In-house sitters typically run their own business from their home, they typically charge half the rate of general centers. They tend to be more personal and more flexible. There are good and bad ones, you just have to be careful, ask lots of questions, follow your instincts, and interview the person thoroughly. I have found one promising lead. There is one lady who has her own in-house child care service in our neighborhood. She is fully certified, and her rates are much lower than standard child care centers. She has special rates for part-time as well that could be affordable for us. The coolest thing about her is she supports cloth diapering (since I am going to explore that route). She also lets moms pump their own breast milk that she will warm and feed their babies. Normal centers will no do either of those things. This lady also will let couples have an occasional weekend night out, and watch the baby free of charge. I have yet to meet her, but I'm definitely keeping her in mind!
Finally, I think I found a rug I like for the baby's room! It is a fun and funky Jersey Cotton Shag Rug. It is made of t-shirt like material and is supposed to be very soft. It can be washed, or just shaken out. My debate now is whether to go with the blue or the yellow one. Both would look good in the room and fit with my general primary color scheme. Both colors are also softer and lighter than pictured here.
1 comment:
We cloth diaper Logan, so if you need any tips, feel free to ask!
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