Baby Size: Child’s Lunch Box
Current Symptoms: Last week I was slowing down…this week I have hit a brick wall! And to think that
I still have an entire trimester left to go! I have super sore and tired days
where it is hard for me to walk around or get up off the couch…luckily they
tend to fall on the weekends…or maybe my body finally lets go on the weekends
after holding it together all week long? It has felt like Wader has been doing
a nonstop cartwheel in my stomach, stretching out his arms and legs at the same
time far as possible! Sometimes he is punching my stomach which makes me
nauseous, or kicking my bladder/cervix which isn’t comfortable either!
What's Different: My employment situation is definitely different! When I was pregnant with
Carson, I was working for a counseling agency that offered FMLA with disability
insurance during maternity leave. I had team of people around me for support/coverage.
I had a specific date when I would stop seeing clients, which would allow me to
wrap up paperwork until Carson decided to arrive. This was a great plan that
made me feel confident in terminating with my clients and tying up loose ends. I ended up going out on bed rest with my
gallbladder emergency 6 weeks early and didn’t terminate appropriately with
anyone! But having a concrete game plan in place was super helpful none the
less. Now I am working by myself in private practice. I have no coworkers…and I
need to make money as long as possible to help pay myself while on maternity
leave! There are currently lots of
questions swirling through my head….when should I stop accepting new clients?
When should I stop scheduling my current clients? How much time can/should I
take off for maternity leave before we go broke? I am lucky to have a handful
of colleagues that are willing to cover some cases for me while I am out. My
goal is to wrap up most of my clients and essentially shut my practice down for
a few months, and then building it back
up again. Here is what I have decided so far: I will stop accepting new clients
as of the holidays. I will stop scheduling current clients as of January 31st,
38 weeks pregnant. Knowing I could still be pregnant for potentially up to 3
more weeks, I will keep seeing a handful of “regular” clients on a week by week
basis in early February. Hopefully it will work out smoothly!
Carson Comments: Carson has now become accepting of our chosen baby name for his little
brother although still chooses to refer to him as “Wader”. This works out great,
especially since certain family members whom shall remain nameless (Alyse, cough cough!) have been trying to pry the name out of him. He has consistently
responded with “Wader!” whenever he is asked! Carson had his three year checkup
this week with his much loved pediatrician, Dr. Jones. She had some great recommendations
for us regarding integrating a newborn into Carson’s world. She suggested
creating a “nursing/pumping” basket of toys and goodies to keep hidden in a
closet, only to be brought out when Carson needs a distraction…brilliant! She
also highly recommended that Wader give Carson a present when Carson visits the
hospital. As materialistic as it sounds, she emphasized that first impressions
are everything in a 3 year olds world! Any other good ideas on helping this
process go more smoothly?
Daddy Updates: When Carson was born in late October, he had a hard time maintaining his
body temperature, so we tended to keep the heat up pretty high in the house,
which drove Ryan crazy! Anticipating that we may have to do the same for a
February baby, Ryan is attempting to repair and insulate every little crack and
draft in the house these days. He has replaced the weather stripping on both
our basement and front doors of the house. He also plans to shrink wrap all of
our large windows to keep some of the heat in. Our house will be nice and
toasty when he is through!
Baby Prep: We’ve signed Carson up for a Siblings Class at our hospital! The goal of
the class is to make siblings more comfortable with holding a baby, helping
change diapers, wrapping babies in a blanket, etc. At the end of the class, they give the big
brothers and sisters a tour of the hospital’s Family Center, so they can see
where Mommy and Daddy will go to have the baby. It was suggested to us to sign
up for the class that is closest to your due date, so that the tour of the
maternity floor is fresh in their minds. The had a February 8th
class, but we thought that might be cutting it close, especially with a
potential need for a C section at 39 weeks, so we went for their January class
instead. Should be a good time! I know Carson will be a great big brother!
Looking Forward To: The upcoming three day
weekend! We either plan to send Carson to school and spend the day getting
projects done around the house, or we may even let Carson play hooky and have a
Mommy and Daddy day just the three of us, perhaps going to a fun museum or
other activity. We shall see! Gotta relish the one on one time with him that we
have left! J
Thrilled to know that Carson is doing a good job keeping the babys name on the down low...especially since I havent tried to pry the name out of him or anyone else as of yet!
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