Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

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Warning: It's another baby Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts. I haven't had one since January, and since I'm at 33+ weeks we're getting into the home stretch!

1. While I have no way of knowing if I'll have a natural, medicated, or surgical birth, I do know what I want in terms of visitors. Quick visits in the hospital are fine, but the first 2-3 days at home I want it to be just the three of us and the dogs. There's a few reasons. First of all, as soon as someone, I don't care who, walks through my door I feel like I have to be a host. Secondly, I deal best with change without feeling like I'm being watched. And thirdly, I'm expecting to feel (and look) like shit, so a few days of living in a little bubble will be necessary. I of course appreciate that people will want to come over and meet little [insert baby name here], and I'll definitely want to show him off, I just need a few days! I know it may seem harsh and may not work for some families.


2. When it comes to buying what we need I feel like we're in good shape. All the big items have been purchased, as well as many of the smaller things. We still have to decide on a monitor, the whole video vs. no video being a deciding factor right now. I usually pick up a few things here and there when I'm out and about so that it doesn't seem like we're blowing a ton of money (although we have, collectively). If the baby was born tomorrow we'd be fine.

3. I mentioned the other day that my husband is hard at work on painting the Where the Wild Things Are mural- that shit takes some serious time. I can't wait for the final product. I think I'm going to start putting together the rocker and toy organizer this weekend, but he'll have to handle the dresser (the crib is already assembled). Within a few weeks we should be set.

4. I'm proud to say that I'm still walking the dogs nearly every day for at least thirty minutes (plus walking on the treadmill and a prenatal strength training video)! My golden is super easy to handle (she barely needs a leash), but the lab is always a little unpredictable (the dog loves, or maybe hates, cats and other dogs). I'm really, really hoping to do it up until the end, even if it just means a few laps around our small blocks instead of the larger routes I normally take.

5. I need to research vaccinations. My child will be fully vaccinated, but I am interested in at least looking at a more modified schedule. Maybe. Nonetheless, whatever we decide, I want to be well-informed.

[It's gotten crazy!]
6. I'm due on May 5 (and am measuring right on time) and am crossing everything that can cross that he doesn't come before, or on, April 30 (well, I guess anytime after like 9pm is okay). That night is my students' IB Celebration, a night where they are all recognized for all their accomplishments. It's such a nice night- they dress up, the principal and counselors say nice things about them, each kid's college acceptances are highlighted and everyone gets all nostalgic and sentimental. I've gone the past two years, when they were recognized as AP sophomores and IB juniors, but this is the big year. And I want to be there. HEAR THAT BABY???

7. We haven't toured the hospital, confirmed with the pediatrician that they're taking new patients, or looked into adding the baby to our insurance. I also need to decide if we're doing a newborn photo shoot. Maybe next week.

8. People really love to tell you that you're life is going to change and you're "not going to be able to do [insert usually fun thing] anymore" once the baby is here. Okay. Got it. Thanks. 




9. It's weird to look at the end of April and have to adjust what I'm willing to sign up for. Douglas Coupland has a reading in LA towards the end of the month and I decided I probably should skip it. Same with the LA Times Festival of Books- the lineup didn't impress me much, so I'm going to not go this year. 

10. Something I am going to? Prom. Yup, I'll be almost 37 weeks pregnant, chaperoning a few hundred kids out on Balboa Island (forty so miles away). Trying to find a dress to wear was a little depressing, but my students' excitement (despite the elaborate "promposals" that are happening) is pretty sweet. I'm excited for them. 


9 comments:

  1. #1 Agree, there's plenty of time for visitors later.

    #5 One of those topics that generates great (heated) debate. All of my kids are fully vaccinated. I have a friend who didn't vaccinate her kids at all. Imagine how I felt when I discovered that her kid (who had German measles but didn't know it at the time) visited our house when I was 8 weeks pregnant with my third child. I had a very stressful week waiting on results of my own immunity. Horrible. (As you can guess, I have little time for the anti-vax camp).

    #9 The thing that always used to get me toward end of pregnancies was buying eggs. I'd look at the use-by date and thin "I'll have a new baby by the time these eggs are eaten." (That sounds weird, I know....)

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  2. That's great that you're more or less set and organised! :) Agreed re: #1, like Kate said there's plenty of time for visitors later and you'd want to spend the first few days together as a family :) Also sounds like all the exciting school events are coming up soon ;)

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  3. I couldn't agree more with number one.

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  4. I'm so excited for you! And that mural your husband is doing sounds like it will be awesome :)

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  5. You teach IB? I graduated from an IB program a couple of years ago and I have such good memories from the program in general.

    Good luck with the baby and all the preparations :)

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  6. I totally agree with #1. If I could go back, I wouldn't even have had visitors at the hospital.

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  7. I don't have kids or even close friends with kids (just yet!) so I don't have much to add. I guess I'll just say an early congrats to you on the baby, what a lucky baby to be getting such an awesome mural from his awesome parents, and another early congratulations to your students on all of their honors classes accomplishments and upcoming graduation!

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  8. I am so not looking forward to the whole "it takes a village" mentality that comes with being pregnant and having a kid. Everyone with an opinion. Everyone being very vocal about those opinions. Everyone deciding that your stomach is now communal property and can be touched by anyone at any time because apparently you give up all personal freedoms once something is growing inside of you. Yes, the kid is going to make things very different; I don't need the general population contributing to that.

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  9. In regards to #8: I've come to the conclusion that kids are however you raise them (to a point, of course). I don't tolerate bullshit and both of my children realize that - in regards to food, attitude/behavior, and manners. They travel well overseas (time adjustment stinks, but it is what it is), they've come to (appropriate) concerts with me (noise cancelling headphones if necessary), and my life has generally continued on much as it was before. So what am I trying to say here...? I don't know. Just don't listen to people who seem to say "oh you don't know what you're getting into". Of course you do. Do you expect your kid to pop out and sleep through the night? No. Are you going to take your baby to a bar? No. But kids are fun in their own way. My two year old can pun* me and knows who Tolstoy and the Bronte sisters are, so yeah, I'm having plenty of fun moments.

    *He walks up to me with an egg beater from the cabinet and gently hits me and goes "beat her - get it, Mom?"

    (If I made parenting sound fun, don't worry, there are plenty of crappy days. And honestly, parenting is easier than I thought it would be, if only because people make it out to be a nightmare.)

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