Welcome to the Super Crazy

About 10 days ago, I had a doctor's appointment. It was supposed to be pretty routine and supposed to help set me up for my upcoming trips to Edmonton for Spring Break where I would begin to see my Edmonton family doctor and OB/GYN on a regular bassis up to anticipated delivery date (May 19-22-ish for those of you keeping track). I mentioned that I had been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions and that sometimes they were getting quite obnoxious and frequent. She asked me how frequently I was getting them and when I told her I was up to about 3X per HOUR and that the baby had dropped rather uncomfortably low in my pelvic girdle, she insisted on doing an internal check to make sure that everything was as it should be. I was sure that she would tell me that having a Pumpkin sitting in your pelvis is perfectly normal at 31 weeks. Alas.

Of course, since my life is rarely simple or straight-forward, she found that things were not as tickety boo as they should have been at 31 weeks. My cervix was softening and I was fingertip dilated. She took me off work, post haste (creating a total upheaval in my school life that I cant even begin to get into without throwing myself into further contractions) and told me that I was to start seeing an OB/GYN up here in the sticks just in case my go-to-Edmonton plan just wouldnt work out. I was placed on "rest" which meant that I was to spend as little time stressing and on my feet as possible. Ha!

I cleaned up my classroom, left my plans for the sub, sorted out my marks and left school to deal with itself. I could tell that not being at work helped with the number of contractions rather tremendously, but that stress happens even when it should feel like you are now on Easy Street. Especially with a 4 and 2 year old running around causing havoc.

I went to the recommended OB/GYN here (lovely lady, thank goodness) who did another internal to check on things. She found me more dilated and my cervix softening further. I was placed on more restricted rest--no more groceries, picking up the girls, vacuuming or other exertive chores. Walking was still Ok, as long as I didnt overdo things. Before I left her office, she gave me a small ultrasound (with a neat setup right in her office!) in which she measured the baby and told me that it was laready at 4.5 lbs and that things looked good even if baby decied to make an early entrance. She sent me from her office to the hospital to get a steroid shot to help strengthen the baby's lungs and a non-stress test to see how the contractions were going. There were some small contractions in the 20 minutes I was there but mostly the baby was unhappy with the damn belt strapped tightly around my belly. I got the boot many times to illustrate Pumpkin's unhappiness.

I have a follow-up appointment on Wednesday and if I am dilating any more, I am not going to get the green light to drive down to Edmonton, and that she would rather that I flew there and stayed until delivery. But! If things remain as they are and I do not dilate anymore or have more cervica changes, I should be OK until...35 weeks, perhaps? Here's hoping Pumpkin bakes just a bit longer.

Elena sings Twinkle twinkle

What Teachers Make

It has been a hard week and it is only Monday. Dwayne is coming off a string of overtime nights and I have had to cope with all the stresses of life, teaching full time and busy half sick kiddoes.

Did I mention the last round of teaching evaluations, interim report cards, 80 handwritten in class essays to mark and parent teacher interviews this week? Oh and becuase I simply wasnt busy enough, I also had an Advanced Placement Parent Information Night. Oh and colleagues who think that bugging me in the middle of my classes to ask about inane impossibilities is wonderful timing. My head feel like it wants to explode. And that is only what I have to deal with at work!

So, when I stumble across a video like this, it makes me think that maybe, just maybe, it is really Ok to stick it out until my official mat leave date (April 18th!!!) and not just call in sick from now until then :P