I can’t believe it’s already fucking FEBRUARY! Thank god I have an extra day in this short month because, um, my baby will be born in MARCH. How is this possible?
I’m feeling pretty miserable these days – not that things have changed much – but I’m beginning to totally understand when women tell you that pregnancy is so uncomfortable at the end for a reason. So that you will BEG for the baby to come out! Right now fear and uncertainty still outweigh the discomfort but every day the scales tip a bit more. And I’m not even that big. Seriously – everyone tells me how small I am for how far along I am (which bothers me a little bit to be honest. Not sure why, but it does. I’ve suffered from belly envy the whole pregnancy) which I guess is a good thing – the bigger I am the more uncomfortable, right? At least I’ve slept well the last few nights. Sometimes I don’t even get up to pee! YAY KEGELS!
Things are behind in the house, for a change, and now, as I’ve mentioned, they started drilling closer to my apartment. Right now they’re on the 08 line and I’m on the 12 line – so two doors down. That’s not so bad – I can kind of forget about it and they’re not jackhammering all day long continuously, but Georgie left the apartment the other day and exited on the OTHER side of the building where they’re doing work as well. He called me soon after and asked me to go look out the window to see what floor they were drilling on. I have a direct view and could see that they were drilling the balcony directly above my floor (they’re repairing the outer walls and giving us new balconies – so they have to drill off the old ones.) It was the overhang on my apartment balcony (not MY apartment – but the same floor.) He kind of went crazy when I told him that because he said the noise, FROM THE HALLWAY (not even IN the apartment) was so horrific he thought his head was going to explode. He starts talking about hotels and where are we going to live and all I can think about is bringing home this baby to such horrible noise and trying to get used to breastfeeding and baby care and recuperating and I burst into tears. I can’t think about these things! I don’t want to live in a hotel! I want to be in my own home, where I’m most comfortable!
Of course, I called the management office for some kind of timetable (which I’ve been doing for months) and of course, they haven’t called me back. We’ve lived in this building for 16 years and like all buildings, it’s got it’s issues. My apartment is still very nice and all that, I just hate to leave and god forbid anything goes wrong. We will be moving, eventually, but we can’t find a house in the next six weeks and honestly I don’t even want to and I’m trying VERY hard to not stress about all this. ETA: The Board in my building is utterly useless. Every election is another chance at backbiting and blame and it all gets quite nasty. There are over 500 apartments in my building – it’s like a little city – so you can imagine the bureaucracy and power struggles. I can’t wait to move!
So, of course, I turn to my knitting. Oh how I miss Oblique. There’s nothing better than being in the middle of a project – especially a project that’s going well. Every night or every time you sit down to knit you just plop down on your corner of the sofa and pick up where you left off. You don’t have to think about what your going to knit today. Don’t have to think about anything really – just dive right back in. I love that. I miss that. Last night I turned the heel and knit the gusset on my second Monkey sock but somehow socks don’t count. I mean, they count, but they’re too fast. I want something I can sink my teeth into. BUT it can’t be too complicated. My brain can’t handle that. I have a few ideas that I hope work out in the next week or so, but in the meantime I’m feeling a little lost.
I still haven’t blocked Oblique. I have to do that today. So hopefully on Monday I’ll have Oblique FO photos AND a new pair of socks to show off. Wouldn’t that be fantastic?
Today, though, I must get back to cleaning. No more rest for the nest. Have a great weekend everyone!
PS – If you think I talk about my pregnancy too much on the blog, you should be glad you’re not Ann. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Nipple!
Have you tried contacting the board? Your complex must have some kind of live-in representatives who are in the know. Apartment association?
Ear plugs might be nice. Although if you can feel it in your skull… well. Hope the knits go great!
I know what you mean about being in the middle of projects. I don’t have anything big going right now and I’m bumming about that.
ah, for me- socks are a never ending project for some reason. Maybe try blasting Bruce during the ruckus, it might help? Have a good weekend too!
Ann’s been talking about your nipples, ~snort~ Sounds like a nickname of cute little pet or something.
Feb 1? I know, I looked at my watch this morning and couldn’t figure out why the date said “1” on it when surely it must still be only late January.
You rock so hard, Cara. I hope all goes well with the apartment and noise issues, so the wee little one can sleep (and you, too!).
Hey — it’s just an idea — can you go out and tip the workers, and ask them to get to your apartment before the baby’s born? It might be worth the money!
Pretty soon, she’ll be immune to the whole nipple thing and you’ll have to start talking about something else.
What can you control in this situation, darlin’? What can you do — what do you need to do — to minimize the potential noise? Build a wall of sound-deadening wool on your outside wall? What’s it going to take? Prepare for it now — and come up with ways to make it tolerable. If you can’t, then it’s time to talk hotel.
Katie spent the first couple of weeks of her life in a motel apartment — that’s where we brought her “home.” We were between houses and, you know, it really wasn’t that bad. Hardly anything to clean, tiny little kitchen — not perfect, but it really wasn’t that bad.
Oh ick! I am so sorry sweetie. And as for Ann, may I suggest the whole topic of the placenta. I think you could get lots of mileage, especially if you are going to bury it or freeze or somesuch. Lots and lots of mileage. Hang tough!
I like Anne’s suggestion of “tipping” (or what I would call bribing) the workers to get your part done first. We used to do that when we had shoveled out our driveway and didn’t want the snowplow to come along the street and leave us w/ a huge mound of snow in the newly cleaned area. We would put a six-pack on top of the biggest mound of snow and they never always cleared our driveway. Worked like a charm. Ditto with the garbagemen when we had stuff in the trash that wasn’t technically supposed to be there (oversized stuff or garden stuff). Those guys like beer. HA
You sound like you could use a cocktail. I will take it for the team and have one for you. 🙂
O.K. Anne’s post about your conversations and her birthday present had me laughing so hard I almost peed in my pants haha…..
You are doing great! And yes the last few weeks are pretty uncomfortable –hang in there:)
Nipple nipple nipple nipple you make my day! nipple nipple nipple nipple
🙂
Cara…I just wanted to chime in and let you know that I also had a very small belly. People were constantly amazed that I was so tiny and it totally freaked me out…I was completely convinced that my child would be an exhibit in the Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum. I was fixated on how she was going to be small, because she WAS going to be small, how else could you explain why my tummy was so tiny. She weighed 8lbs. 2oz. Same thing with my son…tiny belly, many comments made, me freaking out, son weighed 9lbs. 7oz. So I just wanted to let you know that tiny belly does NOT equal tiny baby just as HUGE belly does not equal huge baby. I think we’ve all seen women that were the size of a truck and thought to ourselves that surely she would be delivering twins, only to deliver a 5 or 6 pounder!!
From the few pixs I’ve seen of you on the blog, you look like you’re carrying it all in the front, which is why you “look small.” I’m the same way. Think of it this way, you get a cute little Buddha belly without having to look like Buddha. 🙂
And if you’re still worried, I promise you’ll still “feel as big as a whale,” once the baby drops and you’re in the last couple of weeks before delivery. (I know I do.) 😀 LOL
You poor thing. I feel for you. I know that must SUCK! But you guys will find a way to work it through, as always…
I was in labor for over 24 hours. Knitting was the only way I could stand it. No drugs, natural childbirth. Just knitting. I only gained 20 pounds, baby was 9 lb 2 oz.
hang in there, cara! and for what it’s worth, newborns can take any kind of noise. It’s the older babies/toddlers who prefer quiet. Newborns really don’t care – they can sleep anywhere. Especially if its constant noise, it can be kind of comforting. My daughter would freak out until I turned on the hair dryer and held it close to her head, then she’d just relax and go to sleep. Apparently, it’s too quiet outside of the womb. So maybe this is a blessing in disguise?
Oh you are BBBBAAAAA_AAAAAADDD!!!!!!
This was enough to bring me out of lurker status. OMG! I don’t remember when I’ve laughed so loud! Nipple!!!!
I begged that kid to come out for days!!! I was terrified, but geez, was I miserable at the end…all swollen and huge! I can totally relate.
Just delurking to say that I feel your pain — our baby is due at the end of May and we are maybe one-quarter through a total kitchen remodel…all the overflow is in the “spare room” which is going to be the baby’s room so I haven’t been able to begin to get it ready. Having a strong nesting instinct going on, this is driving me crazy! The other thing I wanted to say is about the noisiness affecting the baby — from what I’ve read, loud sounds s/he hears in utero won’t faze her after she’s born — like dogs barking, or construction noise… so while it’s still a pain, at least you won’t have to worry that she’ll be upset! Hopefully! Good luck and I really love reading your blog!