Traduce Aqui:

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Hither and Thither

I haven't told you, faithful blog readers, that Angelines and I have bought a minivan to make our metamorphose into motherhood that much more complete. ;)  The whole shopping process is worthy of several posts, but I'll spare you the details.  In short we were driving all over kingdom come visiting dealerships and searching all over the internet for the best deals and all under a deadline because we had already "sold" our previous car.  In the sale contract we agreed to turn over the car by Oct. 20th so we necessarily had to find a new car by then.  The poor guy who bought our little "Cherry" (as my mom fondly dubbed our little, red Peugeot) actually took it home with an additional 2000 km on it thanks to all our frantic searching!

Obviously we've bought a used vehicle.  New cars just aren't worth the expense in my opinon, although Angelines was a very wary about a second-hand purchase.  We ended up getting it from a used car dealership in Málaga and I think we got a pretty good deal.  It's a 2010, metalic beige Citröen C4 Grand Picasso with five seats and the option of seven (the two in the back fold up out of what is usually the trunk space).  Most of the time, obviously we won't be needing more than five seats, but this Christmas with my sisters here there will be seven of us total and we'll all be able to go wherever we like!  Plus it was always a bit of a show picking up visitors from the airport in our little car because getting their luggage and all squared away was a little too much like playing tetris.  Now we have room to spare,

Angelines was, of course, quite sad to see her sporty, red car go.  She bought it brand new eight years ago and even had it special ordered just the way she wanted it.  Another friend of mine, who's just had a baby and also had to sell her previous car for a more family-friendly one, described it as "selling my youth".  When I relayed that quote to A, she agreed whole heartedly.  Still, even she is pleased with our new car.  The only thing is that the minute we drove it away from the dealership the service light came on with some warning about the diesel partiticle filter...(?!)  Luckily the dealership guarantees their cars for a year so we are not paying to have this looked at/fixed, but the downside is of course the fact that their mechanic is obviously in Málaga.  More driving.

Today is my due date--40 weeks.  And so we have been going to Málaga for the past two weeks for check ups anyway and have been able to also work in these visits to the mechanic for the car.  Having grown up in towns that were never nearer than an hour's drive from the nearest shopping mall, I am quite used to making a list of chores to do "in town", and taking any excuse to get them all done in one trip; Angelines, on the other hand, is someone who likes doing one thing at a time.  For her, taking advantage of a trip to Málaga for the doctor in order to see the mechanic and get some shopping done is a bit of an overload.  Needless to say she's been more stressed than usual recently.

And of course, the imminent birth of our dear Emily Alejandra adds another level of uncertainty to the stress.  Every day that goes by is one more closer to her arrival and one fewer that we have to get these things taken care of.  As of now we're going in for an appointment on Monday with my gynecologist and will be leaving our car with the mechanic for a few days (!).  The dealership has arranged to loan us a car in the meantime since we absolutely cannot be without a vehicle.

So you see, I could just as easily have titled this post "Helter Skelter"...These past two weeks have been madness.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

...At the Last Minute

It seems that procrastination is a hereditary trait.  The bad habbit of putting things off until the last minute is something I have been fighting against for the better part of my life, and it seems that my little Emily is doomed to follow in her mother's footsteps.

After waking up at six in the morning on Wednesday, to be out the door and at the hospital by eight, and after waiting for a good half hour in the gynecology ER before they called me in, little Emily Alejandra, contortionist extraordinaire, had put herself into place.  No version necessary!  The doctor turned on the ultrasound machiene, gelled up my belly and then, with the wand just above my pubic bone declared, "There's her head!"  What a relief! :)

Once the version was cancelled they took me off to monitor litte Em's heart for a good twenty minutes and check for any contractions--all was well and 0 contractions.  Next week we have an appointment for the same.  From here until 40 weeks (two weeks away) we'll be going in for the monitoring...unless, of course, I go into labor before then. ;)

Anyway, this is all great news.  I was really not looking forward to the version procedure.  I am very happy that Emily and I haven't had to be sedated for her to get her little head in gear, so to speak.  As a procrastinator myself, I like to say, "better late than never, little one!"

Sunday, October 12, 2014

"Grandma" Shower

Last Monday, my Aunt organized a "Grandma" shower, thusly named because my mother would be attending in my (and Emily's) stead.  I have never been to a baby shower, and unfortunately the skype connection was horrible when I made my virtual appearance at what was really my own shower; but all the same it was wonderful to see so many people I love all in one place.  At least I could hear how much fun they were having even if the image was too pixelated to make out facial features. :)

When I first heard of the Grandma shower, I was thrilled for my mom because I know she's been feeling the 5,792 miles that separate us more than ever in the last nine months.  Celebrating my baby (her first grandchild) with family and friends would make her feel a little closer to me.  I was happy to think of her basking in the attention of all the atendees, glowing with enthusiasm for the little being that is about to make her a grandma.

However, when I discovered that the "grandma" shower was a baby shower in disguise, I must admit I was a little less excited. Let me explain: I despise situations that put people in a position where they're excpected to spend money.  At baby showers, you're supposed to bring gifts.  I thought a grandma shower would just be some fun and games, food and maybe some cute grandmotherly things for my mom...  But a baby shower is different.

It's not that I don't enjoy getting gifts, and Lord knows that babies entail a lot of "things" (trust me, I've been going crazy arguing with my in-laws about just what's necessary and what we can do without); but I don't like to think of people having to buy me something because they were invited to a party.

It's kind of like sending out H.S. graduation announcements--they're a subtle (or not so subtle) way of asking for money/gifts.  Once you have the announcement, you can't feign ignorance if you just don't feel like buying a gift/sending money.  I felt the same way about baby showers: once you're invited, you have to find a gift!

I enjoy getting gifts from people when I know that they come from the heart, that they weren't subtly coerced into the purchase.  But when I dutifully skyped into "my" baby shower on Monday, I completely changed my opinion.  Even through the bad connection, I could feel the love emannating from across the ocean via my computer screen and I wished I could have been there in person.

In Spain, babies are celebrated differently.  There are no baby showers, no ceremony to celebrate the unborn child.  I suppose that here, baptisms assume that role: celebrating and welcoming the new baby. Gifts are generally reserved for after the birth. But having this brief, virtual connection with my traditions, seeing so many of my people gathered together to honor my little Emily Alejandra, anticipating her arrival into this world, helped me remember just how BIG this really is.  And, of course, that it deserves due celebration.

We felt very loved and I'm so thankful for all of the friends and family who attended. :)

Monday, October 6, 2014

Acrobat

That, it would seem, is what I have on my hands: a little acrobat.

At today's ultrasound appointment little Emily was a full 180º from her position just two weeks ago.  That is to say, bottom at 6 o'clock head at 1!  Two weeks ago the doctor assured me that such a thing would be quite rare because as she grows there's less room to move around in there, but confined spaces don't seem to hinder her spinning around, it would seem. :(

We have made an appointment for the 15th to go ahead with the procedure I mentioned in my last post and move her into place from the outside.  She will be bigger by then and it could be more difficult, but my parents arrive on the 14th, so we decided it was the best date just in case they have to do a C-section.

Of course, there is always the chance that we'll get down to Málaga, all set up in the surgery ward and when they turn on the ultrasound Emily will have moved into place on her own, in which case they wouldn't need to do the procedure at all.  Once again, the doctor said this would be rare given that she'll be even bigger; but keeping in mind that we are dealing with a little contortionist, I am somewhat hopeful.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

36 weeks and counting...

I know it's been a long time without a blog.  There is much to tell, but as usual time seems to get away from me before I can sit down to write it all out.

All is well.  We had an ultrasound appointment just three weeks ago and miss Emily is nearly in position...  If you can imagine a clock on my tummy, her head was just between 7 and 8 o'clock, when it should be at 6 o'clock, of course.  I'm not sure about the US, but here if a baby is breech or otherwise not in the correct position, they schedule a C-section directly even though I've read that some babies can turn during labor.  I suppose there's less risk involved in a cesarean if the woman doesn't go into labor first.  However, there is a procedure that can be done under certain circumstances and after the 36-week mark to move the baby into position from the outside.

I would prefer to avoid a cesarean at all costs and so I asked about this at our last appointment.  The doctor said that I was a fine candidate for the procedure especially since in theory they wouldn't have to do much poking around to move little Emily down into position--she's almost there.  We agreed that if by tomorrow she hadn't moved, we would schedule an appointment to move her for this Friday the 10th.

Of course any kind of poking around involves the risk of the placenta dettaching from the utirine wall, which means they would have to do an emergency C-section, so there are necessarily some precautions to be taken into consideration.  I would have to be admitted into the surgery ward and given a small ammount of sedative and then be under observation for about two hours after they were finished.  None of this exites me much so I am hoping that tomorrow she'll have gotten herself into place.

At the appointment prior to this last one she was nearly completely breech: head at about 1 o'clock.  The doctor gave me some exercises to do to help turn her and I have been doing those daily ever since.  They seem to be working somewhat since at this last visit she was nearly turned, so I'm hoping that in these three weeks with exercises and walking she'll have moved that last little bit on her own.

Cross your fingers.
Awkward selfie at 36 weeks. :)