Month 5

Month 5: Half way there!!

                                                     Me at 20 weeks (while still in Rome)

So, here we are at the halfway point.  It still seems as though I have been pregnant forever, and I will continue to be so for the rest of my natural life.  The good news is, its not because I'm miserable.  Its more like when you are a kid and its summertime.  Christmas seems like it will never come.  Only, I have to look at my present everyday and wonder what's in there.

I must admit that this is the best I have felt in a long time.  Those awful few weeks in the beginning are in the distant.  And mush like you forget the pain after the tattoo is done, I don't remember what it was like to be so nauseous and tired.  I could totally do this again.....

I'm still not having any crazy bizarre cravings.  I have become very susceptible to the power of suggestion.  If I see an image of something delicious (i.e. everything on Pinterest) I want said item.  I did pursue the need for an oatmeal cookie in the pouring rain, for 10 minutes, only to be bitterly disappointed by my go to bakery.  I did drag Robbie along on this adventure, and he was not a fan.  He kept asking me how important it was, really.  Really??!! You are going to ask a pregnant woman how important her undying need for a single, specific cookie is?!?! Well, you better get ready, cause this is just the beginning, I'm sure.  I have been pretty easy on him, foodwise, thus far.  (I can't say the same in any other way)  THEN, he had the audacity to ask me for a BITE!!!!  Have you not met me?!  I don't like to share dessert on a good day, unless its with a child bc they don't take big bites.  I had even asked him what he wanted to avoid such an instance.  Only because of the rain did I break off a small piece for him, but next time, I'll be taking a small piece out of him!

After returning from Italy, it was back to the real word, such as endless doctor appointments.  Not just for me, Robbie has a few of his own.  In the mix, I ended up at an appointment by meyself.  Of course its the one time that its with a sage femme who doesn't speak any English.  Its ok, I can, relatively, carry on a simple conversation, especially when its one where I know the answers to all the questions!  So, we get to the part where I have to get on the scale.  So, I started to take off my boots, yes I need to clarify that I was wearing boots, jeans and other such clothing.  I'm still a girl, and we like to make the scale say the smallest number possible.  So, I get on and it says 70 kg.  Now, I started off my pregnancy at 62kg.  A kg is roughly 2.2 lbs.  Yes, I was not skinny to begin with, but I was far from obese.  So, she starts talking about the weight thing.  She asked me "tu monges beacoup?" which means, do you eat a lot, but I took it to mean do you eat well.  So I said yes.  Which is no the right, or accurate, answer.  I eat 3 meals a day, normal sized.  I keep sweets to a minimum and I am hardly ever in McDonalds, unless its for the occasional egg mcmuffin.  So then she starts in on me about how much I've gained and that I'm not eating for 2, and all that.  Now, this is a time when I lose my French, when I get flustered and nervous.  I knew what she was saying, but I couldn't find the words to defend myself.   So I just let it go, but I still felt the pain of having just been told I'm fat.  (If you are a woman, you understand the leap there from words said to what I heard.  Robbie doesn't)    As we are having this discussion, I'm getting up on the table to have a listen to the heartbeat.  So by this time, I don't want to lift my shirt, as she is judging me, the skinny French twat.  She takes the measurements. quietly.  Then asks if I can feel the baby yet.  Since I have no idea what exactly I'm waiting for, I don't think I have.  I also sometimes think I can, but without any definitive definition of what the quickening feels like, I have no idea.  Then she essentially asked me what was wrong with me.  She took my hands and put them on my belly, as if I don't do that same freaking movement a thousand times a day, and started pressing my hands down.  Then she was like, nothing?  No, but you staring at me with those judging eyes aren't really helping, now, are they.  So, in the span of 10 minutes, she has informed that I'm an overweight, bad mother who can't connect with her baby.  At this point I wanted to cry and run away, but I need to hear the heartbeat, as I have those irrational fears that something has actually gone wrong and the worst case scenario has happened.  So when she finally put the wand on my belly, I did let out a few tears.  But as she was not the warm, fuzzy source of comfort I would want for this moment, I held back.  At this point, I needed Robbie to be there as he IS my warm, fuzzy sense of comfort.  But, instead, he was sitting at home waiting for me to call to tell him to meet me.  Needless to say, I nearly lost my mind at this point.  So that makes for a bad situation.  It did all work out, but it was a bad 30 minutes or so for me.

AS you may recall, I had a bit of an issue with my sugar level before, so I now had to deal with that.  The following week, I went to my appointment at another hospital.  I was thinking that I was going to be retested or somehow further examined.  But instead, I was there to deal with my diabetes.  What?!  No second opinion?  I get a bad grade on one test and they jsut cast me off as diabetic?  I'm not really happy with this.  In the interview part, she is asking about the test, and even asked if I had been retested.  When I said no, she looked confused, but carried on anyway.  I was there to take a little class on gestational diabetes and how to work the new machine that will be a part of my life 7 times a day for the rest of my pregnancy.  So as I go through everything, I begin to think about what happening.  This can't be true.  I don't agree.  Then, I start to realize what happened with my first test.  I was given a script, written in French doctor, telling me how to do the test.  I read, give blood, eat breakfast, come back at 1:30.  It said, give blood, eat breakfast and come back 1 hour 30 minutes later.  So, I give blood, eat breakfast, go have tea with a friend, eat a pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins and a piece of cake, then go directly back for my test.  Well no wonder I have a high sugar level!  But by the time I make my realization its really too late.  So, I decide to play along with this for a bit.  I have to test my sugar before each meal and then 1 hour and 30 minutes after, as well as at bedtime.  The good news is, as this is France, all the things I need for this (the testing machine, little needles and testing strips) are all free.  So at least I am not paying for their mistake.  I then send my results once a week to the nurse.  So, I've been doing the testing for a few days, and I will send my results, but I will also include a note explaining what happened the first time and ask for a second kind of test.  The testing is annoying, especially yesterday while at the horse races.  But, the new "diet" I have to follow is not horrible.  The other big restriction is that I can't have things with added sugar, like desserts.  Which is fine, I've really been a salty girl through this pregnancy.  I get to eat a good amount of food and I even get to eat a dessert once a week.  I get 3 meals, and have the option for small snacks up to 3 times a day.  I haven't really needed the snacks.  It won't hurt me to eat healthy for a while.  And like I said, its not like I was eating shit before.  So, I'll show them!!  :)

Also on the healthy front, I have started doing prenatal yoga.  I take a class outside my house once a week, and only because I got a groupon for them.  Yoga classes average around 25 Euros per class.  You can buy cards, but if a place offers prenatal, its only once a aweek, so the cards aren't really cost effective either.  The good news is there are always groupons.  Also, I have found a couple of good routines on Youtube and A friend gave me a good video.  So I do it 2x at home, in addition to my Saturday classes.  One of the classes on Youtube was doing the usual soothing talk and was referring to how great it will be to deliver your child and meet them and I about lost it.  Its not very relaxing to start crying about how sentimental it will be to meet your unborn child.  That's the only time I cry these days.  Anything I read, hear or see about actually delivering and holding my baby sets me off.  Normally I hover more on the angry side of the emotional scale (good times for Robbie!)  But the thought of meeting Spud, waterworks.

I have also started to attend some events sponsored by the Message group that Robbie found for me here.  I went to a great talk by a GP and a nutritionist about allergies and about vaccinations.  I met some women and even made a coffee date with a girl named Kelly.  She's about a month behind me, but also has a small son.  I also have connected with an old friend's friend who lives here.  She is due a month before me.  We are going to dinner next week.  I figure I need to start building my mom network here.  I have also had some lunches, and that fateful tea, with other moms here.  It feels good to be getting the input and advice.  I know I have been there for the births of my nieces and the children of my friends, but I never thought I'd be on this end of it.  I know that I have learned a lot watching my sister and helping with the girls.  But now everyone is so far away  This is the time when I miss family and friends the most.  I have such an amazing support system back home, even including 2 of those girls being pregnant, but I'm over here.  I know its the decision I made and I don't regret it, but its a frequent night when I wake up to pee and I can't get back to sleep because I'm wishing I was back there, if only for a little while.  (Cause its still way cheaper to have a baby here!)  Know that you all are in my forethoughts and in my heart.  I wish I could do more to make you all a part of this wonderful experience.  Thank you all for being there for me and for reading this blog.

Until next time.... :)

Spud's first holiday!! Italy

A few years ago, I (and Robbie) got sucked into getting a time share.  Yes, I know, I know.  But we use have used it the 2 years we had a week coming to us, so is not horrible.  But I digress.  So, we had to use a week this year, so we decided before we got pregnant to take a big. proper, French holiday.  (You get 5 weeks holiday with any full time contract here, I get 2+ with my part time contract)  So we had a trip planned to go stay at a friend's place in Croatia, visit with a friend and his family in Turkey and then finish with selecting a timeshare somewhere in the Mediterranean.  We didn't have many options by the time we went to book, so we found a place in southern Italy, that was convenient (by ferry) to where we would be staying in Croatia.   Then I got pregnant.  Robbie had a moment of rationality, and thought enough to save his holiday time to add onto the 2 weeks paternity leave he gets.  So, our trip went from weeks to 10 days.  I know, cry me  river, but disappointment is disappointment.  So, I called it our Babymoon, and decided to make the best of it, as it is still a holiday!

Fastforward to September.  We pack our bags and head off to Rome.  Back to the land of my ancestors.   I didn't do much research, so we just played it by ear.  I had a map and comfy shoes.  What more do you need?!

We land and make our way to the hotel.  Its quaint and quiet and breakfast is included (Annie booked it for us)  So we get up and head down to our free breakfast.  Well, let's just say that each country has a different idea of what breakfast should be.  Italy has an....... eclectic idea.  It was a big spread, if nothing else.  We had a choice of pasteries (most of them stuffed with cream or nutella), lunch meat and cheese, sliced bread to toast, yogurt, rolls, muesli (not the crusty kind, the kind like raw oatmeal) corn flake-ish cereal, fresh fruit, pineapple juice and bloodorange juice.   There were a few other bits and bobs that I didn't eat.  We left stuffed, if not satisfied (bc of course I was expecting eggs and bacon and the usual American deliciousness)

Off we head into town, to be good, old tourists.  First stop, the Colosseum.  We get there and see a small line and figured it didn't look so bad, let's do it.  When we get to the head of that line, the guard ushers us into the reserved lane, seeing as how I'm stuffed. :) Thank god for that, as the line on the inside was forever long!  Spud coming through to save the day!!  We snapped some phoy=tos, and headed off to our next stop, the Forum.

  Just across the way from the Colosseum is the Forum.  It was absolutely massive! To be fair, it was more than just the Forum, it was a huge site with dozens of buildings and sites.  We spent a large part of the morning exploring in there.  It was pretty cool to be somewhere so ancient. I realized at this point that sunscreen would have been a good idea, but it was nice to be in the sun, so I figued I'd muddle through.  We were starting to get hungry and found our way out of there.  Our next destination was going to be the Vatican, and in between the Forum and there was the place I was most looking forward to, the cat sanctuary!!

To me, that was the highlight of Rome.  The Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary is a site of ancient temples form before Cesar, that is now home to hundreds of cats.  They are taken in, spayed and neutered, and, in some cases, nursed back to health.  Then they are released in the ruins and are free to wander around and make it their home.  The ruins are recessed and not open to the public.  But you can visit the sanctuary and play with the cats and see how the whole operation works.  You can also buy cat related gifts, all proceeds going to the site, which is run by volunteers.  We chose to buy something and give a donation.  It was a beautiful place that I would love to call home!!

After spending a good bit of time with the cats of Rome, we found a tiny little restaurant, tucked away, and packed with locals.  We fueled up and headed for the Vatican.  An interesting thing about Rome is that you can not go thirsty.  There are free drinking water fountains EVERYWHERE!  Inside the ruins, on the side of buildings, everywhere.  Which was good, because it was hot.  

At the St Peter's Basilica, we hit a small road block.  I was dressed for the weather, which was hot, and not for the Church, which has a dress code.  So my tank top and skirt weren't going to cut it.  After looking at souvenirs and sending off postcards, all done on premises, I spied another tourist buy scarves to wrap around herself.  So I followed suit and bought 2 scarves to cover my shoulders and legs.  We breezed right in.  It was breathtaking and we spent time looking around.  By the time we were done, the Sistene Chapel was closed, so we headed to the hotel to freshen up and head off to dinner  

The next day we picked up our rental car and headed south for the coast.  We learned a few things on the road:

1. on every road there is a special Italian lane, which exists between the other existing lanes on the road, much like platform 9 3/4 in Harry Potter.  

2. turn signals are an optional feature on Italian cars, and they must be expensive, because no one opted for them

3. the speed limits are mere suggestions, so pay them no mind.  If it is 130KPH, which you only know because your GPS tells you (signs must be expensive too), it is not uncommon for someone to pass you as if you were standing still

4. if they are not busy speeding past you at 160+ KPH, they are in the opposite lane doing 80kph, so when you move to let the Alfa Romeo on your ass pass you, you have to then slam on your brake sto avoid ending up in the passenger seat of the Fiat in the slow lane.

5. lighting roads at night isn't a necessity, even in the mountains on windy roads in the pitch black. Its not like there are any road works coming up that you have no forewarning about, while dealing with all the above mentioned items

To sum up, do not drive in Italy, ever

Our first stop was in an ancient town called Maters.  In this town, thousands of years ago, the people carved their dwellings out of the side of mountains.  People still ust these dwellings today, after some updating, of course.  I found us a hotel in these dwellings and it was amazing.  Its hard to say whether it was more gorgeous at night or in the early morning sunrise.  

Next stop, Metaponto, to our "resort" holiday.  Once we finally found it, due to the horrific lack of signage, we were a little wary.  It looked as if it was a great place to stay, in 1985.  It wasn't the worst place on the world, but once again, disappointment is disappointment.  If you have seen photos of a resort, you want a resort.  We got an outdated, sad place in an economically depressed region of Italy.  There was no town to speak of, and what little there was looked deserted and abandoned.  There were real estate projects stopped mid build.  Roads that lead no where.  No real restaurants or shops to speak of.  Just sad.  There are more trees growing olives and limes and grape vines than humans.  The beach was mainly private secyions belonging to the other "resorts" and campsites (most of which were closed)  in the area, sprinkled with sections of public beaches, which were not maintained, but had nice sand.  The water was gorgeous and calm.  It was apparently jellyfish season there as well, but the good thing is the water is crystal clear and the jellyfish have a dark purple ring around them, so you can spot them.  

Back at the apartment, we had a kitchen, living/dining room and 2 bedrooms. We had a TV with about 800 channels, all but 2 were in Italian.  The other 2 were a French news channel and a resort run channel that showed movies 2 times a day, most in English.  If you were lucky enough to flip to that channel at the right time, we could hear Enlgish and enjoy the TV.  Otherwise, we watched the 24 hour poker channel.  

Now, I don't want you to think it was all bad. There was a nice pool, which we had to pay extra for and then buy bathing to wear to be allowed in it.  There was internet, but you were allowed 10 hours for the week and had to sit outside the office in the wifi spot.  There was a little shop, which was open 3 hours in the morning and a few hours in the evening.  There was a bus to the beach, also included in the extra fee, which ran 3 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon.  And the was a restaurant, which was not expensive, but you get what you pay for.  We spent a lot of quality time together, as 97% of the other guests were Italian.  It was a great place for kids, as there were many things catering to them.  So I would go there with a family, but seeing as how I'm a self contained family as for now, it wasn't meant for a couple on holiday.  

We were lucky to have a car and went exploring.  We found Taranto, 45 minutes away.  Which was a big town.  We spent an afternoon, early evening there.  We visited a mall and some other shopping canters.  We used the excuse of grocery shopping, but we were really trying to fight off the boredom.  We spent a day in Bari, which is where my father's side of the family is from.  It was a big city surrounding a tiny medieval center.  We spent a day getting lost in the little tiny streets.  We visited Santa Claus' Church, well, St Nicholas, but yes, they are one in the same.  My scarves came in handy again! 

The upside is we ate VERY. very well. Thank god I was pregnant!!  I could eat all I wanted and not worry about looking fat.  We cooked a lot, so it wasn't a very expensive trip.  We spent every day on the beach and got great tans.  Robbie called it lying on the ground, but we had a great time.  There were loads of shells, some of them occupied by hermit crabs.  We laughed a lot, especially when we tried to get into the shower in our apartment.  We relaxed, whether we wanted to or not.  We realized that relaxing vacations are not our thing, so we know better for next to to do more research.  Here are some highlights form the south:

Trying to get into the shower:

Spud at the beach

Robbie in Bari

So after our week was up, we jumped into the car at 4am and got the hell out of dodge!  We went back to Rome for another full day.  We spent the day wandering around the city, eating everything we saw.  We visited the Trevi fountain, Piazza Navona and went back to the cat sanctuary, and every nook and cranny in between.  

All in all, we had a great time, Spud included.  The food was amazing, the people were kind (not on the road) and the weather was gorgeous.  And most importantly, it was a holiday where we got to spend some quality together, because i Know I'll  be kisssing that goodbye in February!  :)