Dan and Em’s Blog

Starting in the summer of 2009, I am going to be starting a new business venture.  I am going to be offering my services to people wishing to purchase a Chincoteague Pony.  I was recently thinking about things I could offer that other people can’t.  Looking at Cricket, and realizing what a special and amazing pony she is, I think I really have something to offer in this venue.  Buying a Chincoteague Pony can be daunting.  Especially for the novice horse person, the experience of attending the auction, selecting a pony and getting it home can be overwhelming.  That’s where I can help.

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This past weekend, I attended my 10 year college reunion at Sweet Briar College.  I had a fantastic time!  It was such a great opportunity to see some old friends and to relax.  I also got to spend some much needed time with my husband in a beautiful setting.  It doesn’t get a lot better than that.  Sweet Briar’s campus is amazing.  I was so lucky to have been able to spend 4 years of my life in such a lovely place, and I was glad to go back.  It is more serene, bucolic and peaceful than almost any place I’ve ever been.  I didn’t fully appreciate how centering the campus is while I was there, but going back gives me a new perspective.

I remember distinctly my first visit to Sweet Briar when I was a high school junior (in 1992).  The campus won me over immediately.  It was like no place I had ever been.  I had visited Ivy League schools and colleges of the Seven Sisters, but Sweet Briar beat them all.  I was instantly attracted to the idea of spending 4 years there, but I thought it would be silly to choose a college based on setting alone.  But then the people that I met there really sealed the deal for me.  When I was in school, I made some of the best friends of my entire life at this beautiful place, and it was so great to go back to the place and the people.

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In my defense, it wasn’t the kind of test I could have studied for.  I’m usually very good at taking tests.  But, as it turns out, I wasn’t so good with the gestational glucose test.  My results weren’t terrible — 2 of the 4 test results were too high.  So, I was referred to an endocrinologist.  I went to see him and I was given a diet to follow and a blood testing meter, like a real diabetic person.  I have to stick my finger and check my blood with a glucose meter.  Although I still wince every time I push the trigger to make the needle stick my finger, I have to say, it’s not nearly as bad as I feared.  It’s not a big deal.  The conclusion I’ve come to is this: if someone had told me prior to pregnancy that this was going to happen to me, I would have gotten pregnant anyway.  It would not have even made me consider making another decision.  In the scale of what I’m experiencing, it’s nearly irrelevant.  It’s one of the smaller sacrifices I will make for my child.  Of course, it would have been better if I had passed my test.

I’ve been testing my blood sugar 4 times a day.  For each time I’m supposed to test my blood sugar, I have a goal.  The vast majority of the time, my results seem to be ok, except sometimes first thing in the morning, and when I eat stuff I know I shouldn’t really be eating.

So far, I’ve determined I can’t eat Belgian waffles with cherries and whipped cream.  Shocking.

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Being female comes easily.  On day 14 of conception (don’t get me started on that math) egg meets sperm.  If the sperm carries an “X” chromosome, a female human being develops.  As life goes on, hormones and socialization intervene, and this female human transitions from baby to child to teenager to adult.  To truly be a woman, with all the magic, mystery and power that title includes, takes more.  And it isn’t easy.

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Today is, kind of, my first mother’s day.  I’m definitely someone’s mother, but he hasn’t been born yet.  So, it kind of counts.

The experience of being pregnant has given me a whole new appreciation for my own mother, and for all mothers (but mine in particular).  Being pregnant is hard work.  Physically, it’s very difficult.  Emotionally, it’s a wild ride, too.  Giving birth is going to be even harder, both physically and emotionally.  But really, that’s very small in comparison to everything else it means to be a mother.  It means truly committing to put yourself aside for someone else — forever.  I’m not trying to say that I’m going to give my life up completely when my baby is born.  I’m still going to be who I am.  I’m still going to pursue my dreams, follow my passions.  But there’s no doubt that the priorities have changed, in a very fundamental way.

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It’s like Klennex.  Who knew?

Registering for baby stuff is quite an experience.  I have never in my life had to shop for so many things about which I know so little.  The only thing I can remotely compare it to is when I went shopping for what I would need to go to college.  And at least the school provided a suggested list (which I based most of my decisions on).  Also, everything I was going to take to college had to fit in one car with myself and my family, so there was a finite limit on space.  Everything we need for the baby just needs to fit in our house.  And some people will just suggest we get a bigger house.

There are so many possibilities and options in terms of baby items.  Everyone you talk to has a different suggested list on what you should purchase for your baby.  Each list varies greatly in size, suggestions and cost.  Some lists swear by certain brands, which may be taboo on other lists.  If you look at a suggested list from a baby store, you’ll get really scared.  There are certain things you know you need to have.  Like a car seat.  And a crib, cradle or other place for baby to sleep (unless you’re planning on co-sleeping, and I’m not getting into that).  And maybe a stroller.  Beyond that, almost everything else is less clear.

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So, today, I went for my 3 hour fasting gestational glucose test.  Oh, what fun.  I spent about four fun-filled hours at the Reston Hospital Center.  I got 7 needle pricks in my arms, and I am so very tired.

Overall, other than being really bored, it wasn’t too terribly bad.  I had to refrain from eating anything after midnight last night (not so hard, considering I was sleeping most of that time) and then be at the hospital before 8:00 this morning.  After a strangely long time spent waiting to sign in, we got the process started.  I had to give a urine sample (something which, as a pregnant woman, I’ve gotten very used to) and then give a fasting glucose blood sample.  (As a side note, I’ve always found it strange that they call it “giving” a blood sample — I’d say they “take” it).  Then, it was time for the glucose drink.  The 50 mg drink that I had last week for my first test was ok.  It tasted pretty much like orange Hi-C.  This stuff was much worse.  Still, not awful, but not good.  It was lemon lime flavor, and much, much sweeter than the orange drink from last week.  This had the sweetness and consistency of maple syrup, but with a flat soda taste.  Lovely.  As advice for anyone anticipating their test, you have a full 5 minutes to complete your drink.  I was under the impression I had to down it as quickly as possible, and although that got the experience over more quickly, I don’t think it did anything for my enjoyment of the drink.

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Dan & I recently attended a birthing class at Reston Hospital.  It was a truly excellent experience, and I recommend it.  For someone like me, it was especially helpful: I’m the kind of person who is comforted by facts and statistics.  We learned a lot about exactly how labor progresses, why someone would need a c-section, pregnancy complications, lamaze breathing, what to bring to the hospital, different kinds of pain relief, what to expect after birth, and lots of other stuff.  We also had a visit from an excellent pediatrician (funny guy), from a lactation consultant (who reassured us that most of us won’t even need her services) and representative from cord blood bank (informative, but definitely one sided).

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