Well, D got the flu while traveling for work. How he managed to not get Covid while being around me and the baby, but get the flu right after, is insane to me.
But somehow, here we are. The good thing is he got it while traveling, so the baby and I hopefully weren’t exposed to it.
We’re not taking any chances though, so the baby and I are staying at my parent’s house this weekend!
Having fun in Meemaw and Grandpa’s playroom!
Before we left, we got to enjoy some time playing in the snow at home. Good thing we did, because it is a frosty 18 degrees here in upstate NY!
Not sure how he feels about this whole “snow” thing
There hasn’t been a lot of time to write while at my parents’, but I’m hoping to get back into my flow once we’re back home tomorrow. Hope you all have a nice weekend. Stay warm out there!
Jameson finally tested negative today! We took full advantage of the nice weather and went on not one, but TWO outings!
Our first stop: Honey Joe’s Coffee House
Having an entire indoor playground to himself is a pretty great way to end quarantine!
Jameson and I got up super early (not on purpose. Diaper leakage and soaked mattress at 5 AM. Blah.) so we stayed local for the first outing.
Thankfully, one of the many coffee shops in our neighborhood has an amazing indoor playground. J got to run around and play. Mama got to sip on an iced coffee. Perfection.
Stop Number Two: Stepping Stones Children’sMuseum
Interactive light board that J loved
Desperate to make the most of today’s good weather, since we’re expecting a snow storm tomorrow, we ventured out again after Jameson’s nap.
This was his first time at the children’s museum and he was a big fan! They have a gigantic dinosaur model that moves and roars, which J kept imitating even after we left. Safe to say we’ll be heading back soon!
We ended the day with a mixed bag. I expertly ordered Ubereats to arrive with dinner almost exactly when we got home (score). And the baby went to bed without a hitch. (Double score).
On a sad note, D is now stuck at a hotel in Jersey with flu-like symptoms and is too sick to drive home. With the snow storm coming, he might not get home until late tomorrow night. If he even feels well enough to drive by then.
Anyone else out there expecting a winter storm this weekend? Are you the kind of person who looks forward to snowy weather or do you dread it? I’m not a fan of the snow but I’m excited for Jameson to experience it!
Another day here in quarantine after the baby and I tested positive over the holidays. D had to stay in Jersey for work tonight and the weather was too crummy for a walk, so today was the definition of a stir crazy day.
“Hello, down there! What’s it like in the outside world?” – my toddler, probably
Jameson and I quickly ran through my list of fun things for the day and leaned heavily into the Disney channel for entertainment. We watched Encanto TWICE today. Yes. Twice. Yea, it’s a lot of tv.
He started the day off snuggly and ended it like this. #personalspacemom
But the truth is I don’t feel bad about today at all. We’ve done a ton of fun, crafty, Pinterest worthy stuff since we’ve been stuck inside from Christmas Eve on. Today was one of our last days in quarantine.
It was raining. It was Wednesday for crying out loud. And did I mention it was raining?
So anyway, tonight I am raising my cup of decaf coffee to all the mamas and the papas out there who ran out of ideas around noon and watched one too many animated musicals. I see you. I feel you. Hell, I am you. Cheers!
The last time I posted on here, I was just starting my maternity leave. As of today, my son is 18 months-old. So yes, it’s been a while!
The transition from pregnancy to parenthood was a whirlwind of change. Beautiful, chaotic, messy, perfect change. It probably wouldn’t be that far from the truth to say that it has taken this year and a half of being a parent for me to find the calm and the joy in it. The feeling of maybe, possibly, having a handling on things a bit more.
So, what’s new?
CAREER:
The one that keeps the lights on: Well, I have a new job for starters. I’ve changed from freelance tutoring and advocacy to homeschooling. Since the pandemic and virtual learning, I discovered that there are great, stable jobs for teachers willing to take the reins on the academic parts of homeschooling that can be overwhelming for parents. My student is awesome and the hours are flexible enough for this mom to a toddler.
The one that I’m striving towards: I am doubling down on my efforts to sell at least one of my books by the end of this year. My children’s book, Zamaya the Great, is in the querying stage (super exciting). I’m currently working on the second draft of my Fantasy Realism novel. Guys, I really like this book and I can’t wait for it to be ready for someone other than myself to read!
FAMILY:
D and I made it official and got ENGAGED this past summer! I’ll share the sweet story of that on another post.
We moved to a different apartment…and then a different apartment in the same building. We just love packing tape and cardboard boxes…ha. We’re still in Stamford, CT though!
Jameson was born! By far the biggest change since we last spoke is that I gave birth to my sweet boy. He is now a one and a half year-old TODDLER and I still can’t handle the off-the-charts cuteness that is my own kid.
Born in June of 2020Now he’s a toddler! I can’t handle it!
I’m sure there are loads of things to mention as well, but I’m drawing a blank. It’s like when someone asks you what you like to do for fun and suddenly you can’t think of anything to say except “you know, hanging out”. Ah well, mom brain/life brain!
The days of putting up my feet and nesting have finally begun! And not a moment too soon! I don’t think my feet and ankles could have taken any more of chasing two 5 year olds around all day.
This past Friday began the start of my maternity leave. I plan on resting and nesting, of course, while also completing my online board certification of Special Education Advocacy.
The goal is to complete all or most of this course before baby boy gets here. That way I can enjoy my time with him fully, then dive right into starting my consulting business in the fall (when he will hopefully be on a solid sleep schedule).
I am so excited for D and I to be parents and get to care for this new little life of ours.
I am also excited for the swelling in my feet and hands to disappear, and to be able to roll over in bed without getting out of breath! Haha
Look at that squishy face 😍
Highlights:
•baby boys Estimated Fetal Weight scan put him in the 60% percentile for growth and right on track!
•I started my maternity leave this week
•our hospital bags are almost completely packed
Lowlights:
•swollen feet are a daily thing
•carpal tunnel syndrome in both of my hands thanks to this all of this fluid I’m retaining
Ahhh the third trimester…a time of nesting, counting down the days until baby arrives, and…swelling.
So. Much. Swelling.
My ankles have officially swelled wider than my feet…not great.
The swelling isn’t limited to my feet and ankles either. It’s in my calves, as well as my fingers. There is a constant ache in my hands and feet from the moment I wake until I roll back into bed at night.
I’ve heard people say that you get uncomfortable towards the end of your pregnancy so that, instead of fearing your due date (and a painful birthing process) you look forward to the relief that will come from no longer being pregnant.
I am starting to think the person who came up with that line of thinking was really into something.
I am so ready for maternity leave to start next week.
The baby’s bassinet is finally set up and his 0-3 month clothes are washed and ready for him to wear.
Our hospital bag is almost fully packed.
I am counting down the weeks, days and hours until we get to meet our little boy!
Highlights:
•people have been continuing to buy us items from the baby shower registry, even though our shower had to be canceled due to the coronavirus. Super sweet and unexpected!
• I went for an Estimated Fetal Weight ultrasound and baby boy is on target for length/weight and in the head down position
•the ultrasound tech printed out a 4D pic for me to share with D, since he couldn’t be at the appointment with us
My “mama-to-be” Mother’s Day started off on a sweet note, with D waking me up with heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes and fresh strawberries.
It got even sweeter when he found a house for us to go look at. The house itself turned out to be a bust. Beautiful on the outside but a ton of work needed to be done on the inside.
After that, we stopped by my parents’ house to eat lunch with my family and spend some time with my mom for Mother’s Day.
We then took our time driving home and made a couple of detours through little towns, checking out the real estate as we went and contacting more local agents.
It was a fun, laidback kind of first Mother’s Day, spent with my honey and doing things that I enjoy doing (we also got some pretty good pizza. Score!).
I know that to some people, my first “real” Mother’s Day will be once the baby is actually born. I can see their point there. But to me, I feel like I already am a momma just by being a mama-in-waiting, and it was nice to celebrate the blessing of being the mama of this little baby growing inside of me.
All in all, a very good day.
Highlights:
•celebrated my first Mother’s Day
•we finally sold our extra fish tank, which made more room for baby’s things
•our house hunting has really picked up
Lowlights
•swelling in my feet and hands has become a daily thing now
•you know that insomnia is no joke still
•a house we really fell in love with turned out to be too much of a fixer upper for our budget
With only (about) 9 weeks to go, D and I are working on making room for baby boy in our cozy (aka small) one-bedroom apartment.
So far we’ve successfully gotten rid of a “man cave-esque” book shelf that was made of old wine crates, because it was more decorative than storage-friendly, and a bench press that was mostly being used for holding laundry.
We’ve also added some multipurpose storage items and rearranged furniture to make room for baby’s bassinet and (when we can find one we like) dresser.
Maternity StitchFix Box
This week I also got my first maternity StitchFix box! I wasn’t feeling very excited about the maternity options I was finding in online stores, so decided I would give Stitch mFix a shot.
They sent me 5 clothing items and I ended up liking and keeping 4 of them. They sent me two blue maternity dresses (I requested this color because, at the time of ordering, I was hoping to wear one of them to my baby shower), two maternity tops in fun spring colors, and a pretty pink kimono that I can wear during and after pregnancy.
The dress I kept from StitchFix
I ended up returning a loose-fitting maternity sundress because I felt that it made me look huge (and not the cute, pregnant kind of huge lol). Apparently I am at the point in my pregnancy where form-fitting is the way to go, or else my figure just gets “lost in the sauce” of pregnancy curves!
Overall, I was pretty pleased with my first maternity “Fix” and would definitely recommend it to any pregnant ladies out there wanting to add some cute pieces to their maternity wardrobe!
Bi-Weekly OB Appointment
I also had my OB checkup at the end of this week. Baby boy and I are doing well and he is measuring right on track!
At my next appointment (34 weeks) I’ll be getting an ultrasound to determine his estimated fetal weight and to double check that he is growing at a healthy rate.
I love any chance to see/hear my baby, so I’m looking forward to that!
Highlights:
•OB appointment went great
•got (and loved) my first maternity box from StitchFix
•my maternity leave fund is getting where it needs to be for me to spend time at home with baby boy
Lowlights
•foot pain and backaches are still very much a thing
•my OB says that I will most likely have to be in labor with a face mask because of COVID concerns, which makes me nervous because those things make breathing feel labored on a regular day. I will need to seriously mentally prep myself for that so I don’t freak out and end up hyperventilating from anxiety. Oy. (I know it’s for the safety of everyone, so obviously I will wear it. I just really need to prep my mind for it, so that I’m ready to wear it for possibly hours of labor on the big day).
This past Monday I had my last “monthly” OB appointment! Since the third trimester is here, I’ll be going every two weeks until week 36 and then every week until baby boy’s arrival.
I’m super excited about this because, with 10 weeks left, an increase in doctor check-ins makes baby’s arrival seem very real.
At this appointment I took (and passed) my glucose test. A result that D is convinced I rigged somehow because of the tremendous amount of baked goods I ate this past weekend. What can I say? I guess the baby likes sugar! (Lol)
“My neck, my back…”
…my entire body is feeling the aches of a growing baby getting cozy in my belly.
My feet are sore. My tailbone and low back are aching. And my shoulders are starting to feel the wear of become a perpetual side sleeper (because sleeping on my back now makes me lightheaded, so that’s out).
Basically, the +35 pounds of pregnancy weight are finally taking their toll on my 5’2 frame and I’m starting to understand the “get this baby out of me” mantra that third trimester mamas begin to recite, the further along they get!
Pandemic pregnancy, but make it fashion 💃🏻
Pregnancy Identity
Something that’s been interesting to me is that in the past few weeks I’ve been having dreams in which I’m pregnant.
But not a typical “oh I had a dream I was pregnant” kind of thing that lots of people, pregnant or not, also have. These dreams have been about the most random things, but the one constant is that I’m pregnant in all of them.
It’s not the main focus of any of the dreams, just a fact. Like how in every dream my hair always looks like my hair in real life does.
This makes me feel that after months of being pregnant, pregnancy has become a part of my identity. So much so that it’s made it’s way into my unconscious train of thought.
Being that pregnancy is a temporary state of being (after all, you can’t actually be pregnant forever even though it may feel like that some days), I’m interested in seeing when my dream self will go back to its un-pregnant “factory settings.”
Then again, maybe post-pregnancy Paige will be different still from the Paige I was before baby.
I guess only time, and my wacky dreams, will tell!
Highlights
•going on a socially distant Easter walk with my mom and sister
•beginning my 2 week OB appointments
•sharing Easter dinner at home with D
Lowlights
•the aches and pains of a third trimester preggo body
Another emotional couple of weeks as a preggo in her third trimester, in the middle of a pandemic.
With Easter right around the corner, I am missing my family more than ever. FaceTime and phone calls are helping with the day-to-day, but not spending a major holiday together is tougher.
D has been sweet about the whole thing (Easter isn’t as big of a deal in his family) and has promised to make me an Easter dinner identical to what we would have at my parent’s house. Ham, mashed potatoes, corn (off the cob, of course) and green beans.
If I can’t have my whole family with me that day, at least I can have D, FaceTime, and comfort food.
All the feels
I feel like I have been way more emotional these past couple of weeks than I’ve felt the entire pregnancy. I’m sure it’s partly due to pregnancy hormones and partly due to the stress of a pandemic.
The other day I cried during a scene in Forrest Gump that isn’t even a tearjerker. What made me cry? The realization that, due to his limited understanding, Forrest could never understand the depth of the trauma Jenny had suffered her entire life!! Ugh.
Then I cried for the scene after that. And the scene after that. D was a mix of amused and terrified haha.
Is it maternity leave time yet?
I am getting tired, man. Physically (hello, belly and shortness of breath!) and emotionally.
I feel like I no longer have the energy to be the fun, game-playing nanny and I just want to lay on the couch and rest already.
At the same time, I’m grateful to still be bringing in an income at a time when millions of Americans are being laid-off. I’m grateful for the extra time I have to save up so that I can spend time at home with my son when he’s born.
I’m trying my best to keep that in mind as I crawl my way through the next month and a half!
Self-isolation means plenty of time on the weekends for “nesting” activities. Hello, organized baby closet!
Highlights:
• it’s third trimester time!
• we had our hospital “tour” over there phone and got to ask questions about what our birthing experience might be like
• FaceTimed my mom and sister and showed them my growing bump
Lowlights
• So. Many. EMOTIONS!
• baby shower is officially canceled
• social distancing means little to no in-person time with my family
Paige is Parenting 