It had better be a glitch. We use Duolingo for schools. Suddenly, mid-lesson today, it switched to a normal account set-up. It still showed the schools leaderboard, but everything else that is specific for the schools option was gone. This wouldn’t be the first time Duolingo has had a glitch. This one is just extremely annoying, as it took more than double the time for a single lesson to be completed. No wonder so many people don’t keep streaks unless they pay for Super. It was a miserable waste of time.
I discovered two packages today that I hadn’t expected, and two that I had. Sadly, the two I had expected, which were various sizes of a gorgeous swimsuit, didn’t have a single piece inside that fit me. So, those are now all returns. Of the two I hadn’t expected, one looked like a package that I had expected, but turned out to be a utterly unlabeled gift from my registry that someone has purchased for me. No notes, no names, and not even an outside packaging. I had thought it was the welcome box from the registry website. But it was the bottle sampler pack, and it cases me much confusion at first. When it finally clicked that it said something like “Bottle Box” on the box, I realized it wasn’t a bizarre version of their welcome kit, after all. I ended up going onto the registry to figure out who might have sent it. (I’ve made a prepared effort not to see who’s getting me things or what anyone is getting. But this one felt kind of important to figure out, so I checked it out to see if it might be easy to tell.) Fortunately, it was quick and easy to discover, and it didn’t give away anything else from anyone else. My first guess was right, and it was a happy surprise to have gotten something from that particular friend. She is quite practical, and it makes me laugh that she would pick such a practical item off the registry (especially considering she could have gotten many somethings that are less expensive than this was). Whatever the case, I’m hoping she’s sending a card to accompany the gift, just sent separately by her. If not, I can still send her a thank-you note and, hopefully, also will see her when she’s in town the week after the shower(!).
The other package with my name was an Amazon package with my married name on it. So, I figured it was a registry gift. (Much easier to consider after the bottle box situation had just been sorted earlier today! Also, since I had told someone yesterday that she could send things here with my married name, and I’d know they were gifts and not to open them until the shower.) But my brain didn’t process fully that the item probably wasn’t wrapped on the inside of the Amazon package. It just imagined that the gift was coming from someone who wouldn’t be at the shower, and so I should open the outside package. Of course, I was right that it was a registry gift, but it was not wrapped on the inside, so I saw clearly what it was. The little slips of paper inside the main packaging also gave me a small note and the names of the folks who had sent it. And yes, it was from someone who had told me already that she couldn’t make the shower, but to send her the details anyway. I put both gifts in the cradle in our living room for the time being, and we’ll see what happens as time progresses.
Anyway, on that note, I have to go to sleep – I can barely think straight anymore. Goodnight.
God, be with us and guide us always, please. Help our leaders to be ones who follow you and trust in you. Make me and the baby and my husband healthy and well, please, and keep us all three safe. In your name, I pray. Amen.
The appointment today seemed to go really well. The midwife said things were looking pretty good all around, and that I am very textbook in a lot of my stuff where I have been worried or nervous. She gave me further specifics of things I would need to tell her immediately if they happen or if I think they might be happening – we had already discussed some of the main ones due to questions and concerns I had had going into it all in the first place.
My mom was at the appointment, and I appreciated and valued that. I have a blood test next appointment, which is in a month. Fingers crossed that I can take enough iron (and the other vitamins) for everything to look good on that blood test, and so we don’t have to do any last-minute adjustments or IVs. There was an almost-week-long delay with the auto-shipping for the iron a couple weeks ago, so I went maybe six days with no iron supplement at all. As a reminder, my iron was at 19. A healthy person’s iron is 150-300. Pregnancy takes a lot of iron, which is why mine had gotten so low in the first place. However, since I have had so much trouble eating, I have to take these supplements in order to have a chance of reaching even close to 40 on my iron, which she said is kind of a necessity for these next couple months or so. So, didn’t do the blood test today. Working on taking the iron twice a day every day going forward. Managed it two of the last three days already, which is progress for me(!).
Uh…. I got a fun airplane shelf for the baby’s room (I guess). It seems to be solid wood, possibly handmade, and definitely old. it’s basically a double-shelf where the shelves are the wings of the airplane. It’s just the front half of a plane, though, like it’s coming through the wall. But the propeller actually spins if you move it, so that’s cool. The wheels spin, too.
And I told my brother, who is a teacher and who is not doing the hottest right now financially, and is really working on saving up for a house next year with his wife – he’s not broke or anything, but being a teacher necessarily means not earning a lot of money – that he and his wife didn’t need to get anything for the baby shower. They just needed to show up, she to the shower and he to the men’s Biergarten gathering. In an unintentional and unexpected way, I found out this afternoon that he got me a gift from the registry. I had turned off all notifications for the registry. But it was an e-mail that came from a separate website, from which I had listed a single item on my registry. It was a very expensive rocking horse that is not a horse but an airplane. It’s super cute and cool and seems sturdy enough. And the rocker pieces can come off and the thing becomes a rolling riding toy for the kid. It’s kind of swanky, really. But it is aesthetically pleasing, too, not like a plastic-y, fake-looking, super colorful kids toy. It just looks like a tiny airplane made of wood instead of metal.
So, I had put it on the registry in case someone wanted to spend a small chunk of change on us, maybe one of the wealthier relatives my husband and I each have. That makes sense, right? I was also considering watching it for a Black Friday sale, in the likely case that no one got it for us. Also makes sense. But, instead, I get an e-mail saying my teacher brother has gotten me a gift from this website – remember that it was the only item I had from that website. So, I know that he basically spent $200 on us and our baby. He put a sweet message with it, saying he hoped we’d have a great time together with our kid with this gift, and that it hopefully would last a long time. He didn’t say what it was, of course, but, again, only item… So, yeah… I truly am grateful for it. But it does hurt just a bit to know that he gifted us that somewhat out of sacrifice, versus out of overflow. I know he loves me. I hope he is comfortable giving us this gift. I probably would do something similar, if the roles were reversed. After all, he isn’t expecting to have loads of expensive costs for the next year straight, and then the general costs of having a child after that. For me, I can’t even fathom spending so much on a gift, even for family, right now. That impending ‘cost of living the upcoming life’ weighs heavily on me. Perhaps, if we were back to a year ago, my husband and I both would say it were a worthy cause and we’d easily manage adjusting to pay for the $200 gift. I just can’t get there mentally right now. Haha
God, please, help take care of my brother and his wife. Help them find your way in life. Ease them of their biggest stresses and most constant stresses. Make them well, please. Thank you for their love. Please, make me and the baby and my husband well, and keep us safe. Help us always to see and follow your will, being the people you call us to be. In your name, I pray. Amen.
P.S. Happy Feast Day of St. Jude Thaddeus!! St. Jude, pray for us! ❤
We picked up some wooden airplanes for the baby’s room, and then headed to the air show today around midday. We were supposed to be there by eleven, when it started. However, I was not doing so hot and wasn’t able to get myself ready until close to noon. And then I forgot about the wooden airplanes, so we had to detour to go get those on our way out the door.
But, I think, both turned out quite well. The wooden airplanes were good and cute and affordable, and the real airplanes were fun to watch. My husband don’t get to see beer as much as he had wanted, and I feel bad about that. But it also was a necessary sacrifice in order for me to attend with him. I’m glad he waited for me and didn’t make me drive separately. But I am still sad he didn’t get to be there the whole time. And that I didn’t process that it was in full sunlight the whole time, and so didn’t have a long-sleeve shirt. I had to carry around the umbrella, which was annoying and in people’s way (had to be cautious of that the whole time, which was a hassle), and we rushed around to all the vendors to see if anyone was selling a long-sleeve. And no, they weren’t. Only one booth had any at all, and their smallest was a single XL. And they were $40 a piece. I didn’t even like the shirt, so I would not spend out money on that. But I felt bad that my husband was clearly super stressed about trying to find a shirt for me. Also, the way I had to hold the umbrella, it ended up snagging my very nice shirt multiple times on the shoulder, which I’m trying not to think about. I managed to fix the snags mostly, and I’m just really hoping they will improve fully in the wash. There’s a high chance they might do that, so I’m intending that they do.
Anyway, I was hurting a lot physically and was overwhelmed by the new environment and the rushed timeline and the stress I was clearly causing my husband. For all of that, I think I did pretty well. Especially considering that I did enjoy the time.
But, golly, is my stomach feeling not-so-great right now. I’ve been lying in bed over an hour now, and it is not settled yet.
Anyway, here’s to hoping I sleep well tonight and have a great start to the week tomorrow onward. Cheers!
Post-a-day 2024
P.S. Thank you, God, for keeping everyone safe today. In your name, I pray. Amen.
We did the Park to Port Bike Ride this morning, my mom and husband and brother and I. Originally, my brother was the support car, and he had a spare bicycle on the back that fit him, so that he and I could switch places whenever my body said I needed to be done. However, I really settled in okay after the first three miles, and ended up doing the whole first half without having to switch. When we had only three miles to go, I told my mom to have my brother go park at the turn-around party and ride back to meet us, so he could ride with the three of us for a bit. He ended up doing the last mile+ with us, and he and my husband clearly had a blast together for it.
After the turn-around party (aka real breakfast and chocolate milk and a short rest), I was still feeling very okay, and so we just left the car at the turn-around, and we all rode the whole way back together. The boys had a great time going wild off-course. My mom went at her own pace and occasionally stopped to let me catch up. And I just did what I could without pushing anything. I ended up riding the whole thing, which was 18 and a half miles all together.
To be clear, the last time I exercised was in May. I have only just been able to starting going on walks, and they are mostly just over half a mile each time, and they’re only every few days or more. I rode the bicycle for about seven minutes about two weeks ago, when we adjusted the seat height and angle so that my rolled hips could actually handle being on the bike. Basically, it speaks volumes as to how fit I was before the pregnancy, that I was able not only to do this ride today, but that I was able to do it pregnant.
What was funny to me was how people mostly had no idea I was pregnant. From behind, I don’t look anything other than a random slim girl. From the front and side, of course, I look like I have a basketball shoved under my shirt. Haha
That being said, the uphills were the only really hard parts for the ride. You see, I had a few things going against me on these. 1)My abs don’t really do any muscle work these days. They have just have spread apart and chill mostly. They don’t really flex. So, 2)I couldn’t ride standing up or use my core. 3)When pedaling on an uphill, my knees would slam into my belly, since it sticks out so much. So, I had to pedal the uphills with my knees splayed outward, as though I were on a little kid’s bike that was way too small for me. 4)My muscles are all smaller than they were in May. So, my thighs were not accustomed to working quite so hard all on their own. And 5)I weigh a lot more, percentage wise, than I ever have riding a bicycle. So, uphills were with splayed knees, only sitting, no ab support, heavier weight, and weaker muscles. Yes, they sucked.
So, I was moaning and groaning aloud for each of the uphills. And, unless the person turned to look at me while passing or afterward – they rarely did – the only thoughts people could have had were versions of, This girl sucks at riding a bike.
So, yeah, that happened loads. Haha. But the photographers noticed me quickly and were sure to get some photos of me and this baby. In ten years of this ride, we have never seen a pregnant woman doing the ride. I was definitely an anomaly for the event. But I held my own, and I am proud of it.
I am grateful to my family for being so supportive and so patient. I am grateful to my husband for making the bicycle actually fit the weird angle I needed. And I’m grateful to the midwife who had encouraged me to listen to my body and trust its messages, versus most common behaviors. (Most women don’t end up riding bicycles when pregnant, both because of the change in center of gravity and because of the effort.)
The only issue I had was that, though my hands always end up hurting by the end, because my handlebars have these weird 3-d design grips on them, today was the worst ever. My palms and my wrists were truly hurting before the end of the ride. I imagine that, since my seat had to be so far angled forward, to the point that I was half-leaning against it and half-sitting on it, that created much more pressure on my wrists and hands. Not to mention my heavier weight in the first place. So, what normally is only a touch painful by the end was like fire by about halfway. I did get paper towels to be a buffer against the handlebars at the halfway point, and that helped immensely with the grips situation and my palms. But that didn’t change the pressure on my wrists, and that really sucked by the end. Haha
But we made it! I’m sure my wrists will be sore tomorrow, as still will my lower palms (as they are now, raw-feeling and sore). And my groin area with have the same bruising it gets every year – yes, it was hurting already before we finished the ride, as always. And attending two Halloween parties tonight was not the greatest idea, given that my feet started hurting terribly and my tailbone’s sudden discomfort that turned into actual pain in a short period of time tonight made me cry before we left the second party. So, yeah… that sucked. Tailbone part still sucks. It hurts.
We’ll see how tomorrow goes.
God, thank you for today. Thank you for the fun and love and joy and ability of today. Thank you for my family and for bicycles. Make us well, please, and keep us safe. In your name, I pray. Amen.
What is the point of going to the actual bathroom to empty my massively full bladder, if, when I get there, the baby is straight up pressing on the line, and preventing that same massively full bladder from emptying? Hmm????????????
I had to move like crazy to get the baby to move off the spot that was clearly kinking the hose or whatever. It was weird. I had to pee so terribly, but I couldn’t get out more than tiny bits at a time at first. And it felt like a two by four was stuck under my belly, preventing me from leaning forward at all while attempting to pee… bizarre stuff, pregnancy.
Haha
P.S. The dentist really helped a lot today. There is still s tiny little piece that is not cool. However, all the other stuff seems like it may have been resolved in the visit today. I will see in the morning how my retainers do – I almost always say “aligners”, but they are technically retainers, because the teeth have already been aligned and just need to be retained, maintained in their corrected placements. But they already went on easier tonight than they have been doing. And flossing was a whole new world tonight. I almost cried with relief (instead of immense stress) while flossing tonight. Much, much better. Thank you, dentist.
Thank you, God, for the dental easing today. Thank you for the love and support of the day, as well as for my accomplishments and my energy to do those. Help make me and the baby and my husband well, please, and keep us all three safe. Help my family always to love one another truly. Be with us, guiding us all always, please. Heal our country. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Going to the dentist tomorrow morning to have her fix these filings. They have been driving me nuts. It also is frustrating that the office never got back to me after I left a message, requesting an appointment for the problems I was already having with the new fillings. I just really hope they resolve the issues without creating any new ones tomorrow. I have such trouble with fillings, it always seems. I avoid them very well, but genetics just crush me sometimes, as in this case.
Anyway, here to hoping!
God, please, help my dentist visit tomorrow to clear up all concerns and problems I’m currently having with my teeth. Make me and the baby and my husband well, and keep us all safe, please. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Every week, the website that I used for my registry sends me an e-mail that talks about how far along I am that week. It gives info on various aspects of that week of pregnancy and common experiences and symptoms and how to deal with them all. And it also starts with a sentence saying how big the baby is and a photo of some seemingly random item that is the same size. And I feel like it might be targeted directly to me – perhaps I gave my date of birth at some point – but it could just be super targeted to millennials period. Every item has been something significant from my childhood. They’ve been awesome. And, of course, I’ve enjoyed using the actual items, which I own – yes, I own most of them – to take a photo each week. It has been a blast.
This week’s? See here:
So, naturally, I made sure we pulled out the matching VHS and got the relevant photo to mark the occasion/timing and development.
So, though it was stressful getting my husband to get the specific photo I wanted – as it has been each time – I was and am quite delighted at the resulting photos.
So, yay for successful dorky fun!
Thank you, God, for this edge of joy on what has been a difficult journey thus far for us. Thank you for my husband. Make me and the baby and my husband well, please, and keep us all safe. Help keep my whole family safe, please. In your name, I pray. Amen.
hannah ananas 