update

Busy busy around here. Report card time, basement renovations, more thesis revisions, and so on. Hoping to do my thesis defense before Ninja arrives; we'll see.

Found out this week that DH will be GONE in January because of his job, and will likely miss Ninja's arrival. He's trying to retool his schedule, but there aren't many options. It's unavoidable. So I plan to hire a doula; plus my dear friend, S, says she'll be there for the birth and afterward, if I need her. Nobody else will be allowed to see the baby until DH gets home. Nothing else we can do about it.

Still considering where to have this baby. Initially, my instinct said 'hospital' - even though I KNOW that for healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies, home is just as safe, if not safer. My midwife encouraged me to trust my instinct. But now I'm thinking that home would be better. I don't want to be on a hospital timeline to give birth - the idea of having to watch the clock would make me anxious, and possibly slow my labour - plus I'm leery of all the flu-ridden people who'll likely be in the same building. And my house is not far from a high-risk hospital, so that works in my favour. Good thing I can change my mind at any time re: locale.

After much deliberation, I've decided to get the unadjuvanted version of the H1N1 shot. I've never gotten a flu shot before - and would normally not consider it - but my gut tells me to do it. DH is really unhappy about this, but I pointed out to him that my health is also at stake here, since I'm in daily contact with hundreds of germ-ridden children. I've had students so sick that I've sent them home, or even to the hospital.

But so far I am well. Nothing much to report, really. My bra in the last week has become slightly too tight, so I shifted to a maternity bra. And my sleep habits have become odd: I'm having less trouble falling asleep, but I awaken really early (like 4 a.m.!). Belly keeps blossoming, so I guess I'm eating enough!

Ninja is beginning to live up to his name. Yesterday he was pushing his head and his butt up against my lungs, and it was hard to breathe! Then, for about half an hour, he went crazy, all limbs flailing at once. I felt like a gigantic can of shaken-up Coke!