27 Weeks

What a week! Much different from last weeks inactivity. I started with a 3 day food log for my midwife. It was something they like to do with moms in order to get a good idea of what they're eating. I agreed to do it but I really don't think 3 days is accurate enough for me. My usual routine is making one to three meals during the work week and rotating them through lunch and dinner. The weekends is when I take extra time for things like roasts and homemade soups. I've decided to add another 3 days to my log and I guess we'll see what the midwife has to say about it next week.

One horrible thing that did happen was the death of my family's dog. Well... technically he belonged to my sister but he stayed with my mom a lot. His name was Maxx and he was a Jack Russell Terrier. We'd had him since I was 15 and he was my first dog. Maxx was such an energetic dog in his younger years and although he still found joy in chasing birds, squirrels and fetching tennis balls later in life, it physically wasn't good for him. He suffered from arthritis in the hips and even when he rushed out the back door to scare the squirrels, he always sauntered back. Sometimes slower than normal. For me it was unexpected and it took me a few hours before it really set in.
My mom had some inkling as to what was going on but it was one of those things where you thought it, but didn't believe it. Maxx had been sick on and off for a week or so, which was not too out of the norm considering his old age. He was having a hard time breathing and walking but the next day he was feeling better. To be sure, my sister had taken him to the vet to see if anything was going on but the only real concern the vet had was that his anal glands were so full they may have burst. She had palpated his ribs and hips and she did hit a sore spot but it didn't seem to worry her. So, to end the visit she expressed the anal glands and they were on their way. A few days later Maxx was having problems walking and didn't want to be touched. Again he got better and things were back to normal.
On the day he died, Maxx was completely not himself. My mom left for work as usual but when she got home Maxx had had an accident in the house. And of course he hadn't done that since he was a pup. She really had to coax him to go outside and it took him a long time to walk to the door. He was asking to be let in about a minute later and again he took his time getting to his bed. My mom went over to rub his belly and he didn't roll over like he usually did. After awhile she went upstairs to get ready to go out and when she came back down, Maxx was whimpering. She noticed he had gotten sick in his bed so once again she went over to comfort him. As she was petting him he just stopped whimpering and stopped breathing. It took my mom by surprise and for a short while she wasn't sure what had happened.
After saying her goodbye's she called my sister & I. Like I said before, it had been a shock to me since I hadn't know Maxx was sick the week before. I wanted to go over and see him for the last time but I couldn't because I was at work. My sister had come right over and together they took Maxx to the pet hospital. He was cremated and will be placed in a pet cemetary with other pets that passed away around the same time.

To continue on a lighter note...my replacement has arrived! Her name is Alex and she started on Wednesday. So far so good! She seems to enjoy the work and is catching on quickly. I think my boss was a little worried that whoever he found was going to end up quitting after the first few days but that doesn't seem likely. We're getting along great so that'll help keep me going these next few months.

I've also interviewed a few doula's this week and that's going well. It's hard to belive that I started off this journey not even knowing labour had "stages", and now I'm in the process of hiring a doula. My entire outlook on pregnancy, birth and having a child has really evolved in the last year or so.

I've been told to expect a lot of clothing for 0-3 months for my baby shower but I just couldn't help myself. As I did the grocery shopping this past weekend I bought my lil' bean two diaper shirts - in blue of course. They are so cute and I keep them hanging in his future closet. Paul likes to go in there a few times a week to look at them. Up next...the coming home from the hospital outfit!

Well, this week my lil' bean is now 14 1/2 inches long and weighs about as much as a head of cauliflower. His brain development will increase and will remain developing quickly through the rest of my pregnancy. All his organ systems are functioning and his eyelids have started to unseal as the retina develops. He is also sleeping and waking in regular intervals, and don't I know it! All that moving around must make him tired.