I've recently discovered the maternity leave policy of my school. I've also realized that I misunderstood what colleagues have told me. All this time, I thought that summer did not count, so I would get six weeks come the start of the school year. I was wrong. My six weeks of leave starts the very day that little James is born. Depending on when he is born, I may or may not have time off from school. I also do not have enough sick days stored up if James is born on time, meaning I might have to take unpaid leave.
I have been really upset about this discovery. I was looking forward to a decent amount of time home with my first child, and now that is taken away from me.
Then I watched a news report about how the poor economy is affecting families all over the world.
At least I have a job to go back to in August. That puts things in perspective!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Update on James!
I had a doctor's appointment two weeks ago. It was nothing too exciting; however, the doctor was suprised at the size. I think James is turning out to be a little larger than expected, but that is just my guess. I'm not really suprised. I really hope James does take after his daddy! (I might take those words back come July!)
The nursery is coming along nicely. I am really upset with myself for not taking "before" pictures. Our nursery was the catch-all junk room because our house has less closet space than our apartment. Chris and I spent several weekends cleaning it out, traveling to Goodwill, boxing up decorations and other odds and ends, loading up the attic, and rearranging furniture to get the room to where it is today. I am not taking pictures of it, though, until it is painted and ready to go! I got the nursery theme all ready to go. At a local baby goods sale, I got an extremely nice nursery bedding set for only $50. It includes the crib bumper, fitted sheet, valence, musical mobile, lamp, quilt, and dust ruffle. At Babies R Us, it sells for $170. I registered for fun extras, like curtains and wall hangings.
James is a very active little dude. I feel him moving constantly. I feel little kicks and punches, and I still feel what feels like him rolling around inside. It is one of the best feelings ever! I could be having a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day, and then James will move, so I know all is right in the world. Chris has even been able to feel him move once; he felt a little flutter. I can't wait until Chris can feel and see the movements. It makes me sad sometimes that he can't share in it, and I know it frustrates him, too.
He was rolling around all over the place yesterday while we toured the Family Birth Center at St. Mary's, which is where he will be born. It is an amazing facility, and that is all I can really say. I'm not looking forward to the whole labor and delivery process that will take place there (I read up on it yesterday), but I am really looking forward to the end result.
Since you have read this far, I will amuse you with some of my crazy pregnancy dreams. Because I have been studying up on labor, delivery, and postpartdum stuff, I am afraid my dreams from last night expressed all the nervousness I feel about bringing home a baby and taking care of him. I had three unusual and upsetting dreams in a row that my co-workers ended up finding quite amusing today, so hopefully you will, too. :)
Dream One: I do not remember the dream. I only remember waking up, frantic and terrifed, wondering where James was. I guess I lost him in the dream or something. Thankfully, night time is an active time for little dude, so he kicked me, and relief flooded me; he hasn't even been born yet!
Dream Two: I was attending a meeting at my old church. I had nothing to carry James to the car in, so I placed him in a small duffel bag and zipped it up. When I got to the church, I unzipped the bag, afraid of what I would find. He was lying still, but, as I picked him up, he coughed. I woke up, crying. Horrible dream. It has haunted me all day long.
Dream Three: I did not have a bottle to feed James with. I was panicking, and his cries were getting louder and louder as we rode in the school bus. I snatched a sheet of paper from a student, dabbed some formula (which was already mixed by some miracle) on the end, and siphoned the formula into his mouth. I woke up after I fed him.
I am almost in the "home stretch" of this pregnancy! Where does the time go? Before I know it, James will be here!! :)
The nursery is coming along nicely. I am really upset with myself for not taking "before" pictures. Our nursery was the catch-all junk room because our house has less closet space than our apartment. Chris and I spent several weekends cleaning it out, traveling to Goodwill, boxing up decorations and other odds and ends, loading up the attic, and rearranging furniture to get the room to where it is today. I am not taking pictures of it, though, until it is painted and ready to go! I got the nursery theme all ready to go. At a local baby goods sale, I got an extremely nice nursery bedding set for only $50. It includes the crib bumper, fitted sheet, valence, musical mobile, lamp, quilt, and dust ruffle. At Babies R Us, it sells for $170. I registered for fun extras, like curtains and wall hangings.
James is a very active little dude. I feel him moving constantly. I feel little kicks and punches, and I still feel what feels like him rolling around inside. It is one of the best feelings ever! I could be having a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day, and then James will move, so I know all is right in the world. Chris has even been able to feel him move once; he felt a little flutter. I can't wait until Chris can feel and see the movements. It makes me sad sometimes that he can't share in it, and I know it frustrates him, too.
He was rolling around all over the place yesterday while we toured the Family Birth Center at St. Mary's, which is where he will be born. It is an amazing facility, and that is all I can really say. I'm not looking forward to the whole labor and delivery process that will take place there (I read up on it yesterday), but I am really looking forward to the end result.
Since you have read this far, I will amuse you with some of my crazy pregnancy dreams. Because I have been studying up on labor, delivery, and postpartdum stuff, I am afraid my dreams from last night expressed all the nervousness I feel about bringing home a baby and taking care of him. I had three unusual and upsetting dreams in a row that my co-workers ended up finding quite amusing today, so hopefully you will, too. :)
Dream One: I do not remember the dream. I only remember waking up, frantic and terrifed, wondering where James was. I guess I lost him in the dream or something. Thankfully, night time is an active time for little dude, so he kicked me, and relief flooded me; he hasn't even been born yet!
Dream Two: I was attending a meeting at my old church. I had nothing to carry James to the car in, so I placed him in a small duffel bag and zipped it up. When I got to the church, I unzipped the bag, afraid of what I would find. He was lying still, but, as I picked him up, he coughed. I woke up, crying. Horrible dream. It has haunted me all day long.
Dream Three: I did not have a bottle to feed James with. I was panicking, and his cries were getting louder and louder as we rode in the school bus. I snatched a sheet of paper from a student, dabbed some formula (which was already mixed by some miracle) on the end, and siphoned the formula into his mouth. I woke up after I fed him.
I am almost in the "home stretch" of this pregnancy! Where does the time go? Before I know it, James will be here!! :)
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