The Niblet and the ninth month.

I'm 35 weeks pregnant today. I felt really well up until last week. Now I feel "really well, considering," which is not the same thing.

I get pretty fatigued by the end of the day, especially if I've done much walking. I'm having trouble staying hydrated enough. I'm up a lot in the night for bathroom trips and have trouble getting back to sleep. My pubic bone is achy. I have various pressure-related symptoms, including varicose veins that appeared early but have now grown (a) quite large and (b) sore. I have a fair amount of trouble getting up off the floor. And my days of bathing Alex are done for a while - I just can't handle the leaning and bending and lifting. On the other hand, I feel pretty well for the early parts of the day. I'm carrying this baby incredibly low, which means that breathing is much more comfortable than it was with Alex. Surprisingly, I don't have any back pain. And Prevacid is controlling my heartburn.

Next week I'll go back to the midwife for a pelvic exam and a Group B Strep test, which we devoutly hope will be negative. We'll find out if I'm dilated at all, or if these sharp pains in my cervix have just been a useless annoyance. After that, midwife appointments will be weekly until I deliver.

We're moving forward with preparations and plans. ( arrangements, purchases, childcare )

Yay!

bosssio and I submitted a proposal to do a workshop at SUUSI this year. We just got word that it was accepted! It will appear in this year's catalog, and if people sign up for it we will be SUUSI workshop leaders!

Here's what's going to go in the catalog:

214 Parenting in the 21st Century Limit 12
Is it harder to raise children today? Many parents feel expectations are rising while support is eroding. We'll discuss the social/cultural/economic context of parenting and brainstorm ways to support families. Not a how-to-parent class, all are welcome, parent or not. Infants in arms are welcome. [Siobhan's Name] (anthropologist, international development expert) and Rebecca Wald (clinical psychologist) are both working moms of two, and are Conscientous Objectors in the Mommy Wars.
$10.00 TTh Preferred 14+ 2pm

And here's the long-form description which we provided to the SUUSI staff:

Is it harder to raise children today than it was 30 years ago? Many parents feel that expectations are constantly rising while social and economic supports for families are eroding.

Key questions to explore:
* How has family life been affected by changes in the workplace, in the media environment, in social policy?
* Given Americans' increased ability to limit or delay childbearing, or forego it entirely, how do parents and children fit in to our new kids-optional culture?
* What are the influences - overt and covert - that parents and communities need to be aware of in defining family and the choices available (or not) to us?
* To what extent are dominant cultural messages about the dangers and necessities of family life supported by evidence, and how do these messages warp our perceptions of the family environment?

This is not a how-to-parent class, but rather a discussion about family life. In the first session, we'll discuss the social, economic, and cultural context of family life today, sharing the groups personal experiences as well as discussing research available on changes in the American family context. In the second session, we will brainstorm ways that we can be more supportive of families as individuals, as a denomination, and as a culture.

I am SO EXCITED. And I can't think of anyone I'd rather do this with than bosssio.