week 30/32 check up

I haven't mentioned this before because I'm in denial, but my ultrasound awhile ago postdated my expected delivery date from the 4th of September to the 16th of September based on the size of the baby at that time. I have decided NOT to accept this belaying and delaying of my delivery from heiferdom. Thus, I am keeping to the original plan - everyone knows babies always come right on schedule - and so I say that my check up this week was for week 32 even though my official hospital records say it was for 30. Really, come on. I know when I ovulated. I have shrimpy babies, that's all. Ji arrived two and a half weeks early and was a scrawny as a real small chicken with its feathers pulled off. And pretty much lacking any fat deposits under its skin. I am fully expecting number two to come early as well and please god! be on the smallish side too. Five pounds eight ounces was waaaay more than enough as far as I was concerned.

In recognition of the slim possibility that the birth may be a teensy bit later than I expect, I am now accepting bets on the arrival day. All of y'all who sent in name suggestions get in your date of preference now! There will be a super fantastic prize for whoever's closest. Phet and I are off to the Weekend Market tomorrow to do a wee bit of final-minute shopping and we are going to get something really awesome to award to our eventual winner. Plus, the winner will have his/her name in lights here on Fixed Address. The World Cup's almost over - bet on a new race!

Back to the check up, though. I went in by myself for the first time since Ji's in Canada and Phet had badminton. Wouldn't you know I got seen in, like, 7.5 minutes. Did that ever happen when I had a tired 4 year old with me? Ohhh no... Anyways, I was pretty much in and out the door in a flash. Dr. Jantra says all is well. Heart is beating. Tummy is getting bigger. Weight is being gained at reasonable speed. Blood pressure is fine. Ankles remain unbloated. I'm scheduled for one last ultrasound on the 19th. Phet won't be here, so expect pics online right afterwards cause he'll be anxious to see them from Pakse. When I got home I decided to edumacate myself about blood pressure so I'd be able to judge just how high or low mine was. You may recall how I was saying at one check up the Dr took my blood pressure three times (this, after the nurse took it twice). Turns out that that time it was 90/60 and I was four months pregnant. After doing vast internetular research, I have discovered that in normal people, a count just barely below this may be cause for concern about low blood pressure. And there's me, four months pregnant. Funny. No wonder she didn't believe it. Now I want to know what everyone else's blood pressure is like. Feel free to write in and tell me when you let me know about your bet for the due date.

Otherwise, things here in Bangkok are very quiet. We miss Ji terrifically much and I can't waaaaaiiiiiiiit to see him. Phet has officially finished up at the UN and is chugging away at finishing up chores and tasks that must be done before he goes to Pakse and before we leave for Canada. Very pleasantly, it has worked out that IDRC will ship our stuff from Bangkok to Delhi for us (and have it stored so that it arrives in Delhi at the same time we do). So for the first time ever we are going to be able to keep some of our belongings as we move to a new country. Best of all, they'll ship our awesome modular desks and rollie chairs so we will be able to set up the home office in the manner to which we've become accustomed. Yay!

PS: Talking to Ji the other day... "So, Ji, have you found any new girlfriends since you've been in Canada?" "No, but I have found alot of wood! I'm starting a wood collection. And I also found alot of nails. I look for the wood outside and then I keep it and I'm going to build something with Pa when he gets here."

There you have it. No hot chicks in Canada. Just alot of free wood and leftover nails.

[Number Two-7-July-2006]