Friday, April 3, 2015

And here we are

And here we are at 34 weeks gestation and counting. It's exactly like training for a marathon, except the race organisers might suddenly spring a new start date on you that is either later or earlier than planned, you don't know where the start line might be, there are no medals at the end, and you definitely don't get rest days during training. So...ok, not exactly like training for a marathon.

I pretty much stopped running a week or two ago. I miss it, but it's just not that comfortable right now. After the New England Winter That Never Ends, we're finally (!!!) getting some nicer weather. I would go outside and walk but then I'd find myself resenting all the people running down by the river! Fortunately I'm not one of those superwomen who is going to run straight through pregnancy and do laps of the hospital parking lot - oh, who am I kidding, I don't even have anything to prove or appearances to keep up. I'm not a healthy living blogger. Heck, there's maple syrup and cream on my oatmeal, and there aren't even pictures of it. Plenty of walking to and from errands, and 40 minutes walking on the treadmill/ elliptical every couple of days does it for me.

(And then there is my nutty friend who just ran the LA Marathon, four months postpartum...)

What else have I been up to?

- Finishing up several work projects and not taking on major new ones to wind down for maternity leave (or the freelance equivalent of maternity leave)

- Reading: I got myself a public library card after securing some proof-of-residence documents. It's fantabulous! Some highlights that I've enjoyed:

Rachel Maddow, Drift - about the runaway expansion of the American military; she argues that America should return to its sound founding principles of avoiding war as far as possible.
Robert Harris, An Officer and a Spy - Robert Harris does these great historical fictionalisations of real events; he's tackled WWII code-breakers (Enigma), Roman senators (Pompeii), and now in An Officer and a Spy he writes about the Dreyfus Affair.
Pamela Druckerman, Bringing Up Bebe - An American parent in Paris uncovers the mysteries of French parenting and why French children seem so well-behaved (spoiler: French parents are firm with their children - no really does mean no - and far more chill about leaping up to tend to baby's every need). Methinks - as with parenting books everywhere - this is exaggerated a bit for book sale purposes, but there is a seed of truth in there somewhere.

- Attended this conference as a little professional splurge (you bet I will be taking that tax write-off next year); lots of discussion on where the media world is headed, as well as the nuts and bolts of telling better stories, and some lovely conversations about press freedom.

- A friend and I hit up the Harvard Museum of Natural History - which is free on Sunday mornings for local residents!! There was so much to see that we got through about three rooms of incredibly lifelike and exquisite glass flowers, iridescent bugs, giant isopods, massive fossils (my favourite was a huge fossil turtle. Its family name? Stupendymys!), and other stuff before we got hungry and decided to call it a day. I'll post some of my favourite pics later when my phone and my computer are in agreement, but we're definitely going back. 

12 comments:

  1. Getting close! I had mine at 39 weeks, and even though I ignored what everyone told me, my life totally and instantly flipped upside-down.

    I've looked into that Bringing Up Bebe book, and yes, there is probably some nuggets of truth in there. I definitely think parenting has evolved over the years with some not-so-great results.

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    1. I think it's a fun read, but ultimately you just kind of muddle through and figure out what works for you and your family. How are you guys doing?

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    2. How did you get Blogger to comment thread?!

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    3. Huh, I don't know! Replying to individual comments just seems to be an option with mine...

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  2. I've just read Bringing Up Bebe too, and was fascinated by the part about school food! (Even though I'm nowhere near to having a child I felt very curious and it was interesting...) Have a happy and safe last few weeks, Grace :)

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    1. Thanks dear! :) ...ugh, right as I wrote about getting some nicer weather? It started raining, and it's expected to rain all day.

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  3. I was just talking about French parenting/teaching/authority with a friend who teaches at a French immersion school here in NOLA. She kind of dislikes it! She's not a parent herself, but she says the teaching style doesn't explain enough to the kids, so they are left confused and frustrated. Plus most kids get stern French teachers at school and relaxed American parents at home, and it's baffling to them.

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    1. See, that's the thing; if there's one thing kids probably need, it's consistency. I can see how the contrasting styles in school and at home would be utterly confusing. And I suppose if you're the lone family trying to parent consistently one way or another in the middle of a different culture, it'd be like swimming upriver - an exhausting uphill battle.

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  4. I used to love getting to that stage of pregnancy. Even though you've got a huge belly and everything is a much bigger effort at least you know the chances of survival are so much higher.

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    1. So true. It's quite a relief. Now it's just a countdown...

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  5. I'm so excited for you! You're so right about consistency - particularly between parents! But that's easier said than done when you're sleep deprived, so be kind to yourself! No meaning No is BIG deal though and one thing I'd strongly recommend!!

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  6. Exciting!! Good luck with those last few weeks!! :D

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