So an update:
Work: I realize how lucky I am to find myself in workplaces that help me build on my skills and confidence as a nurse. My job here was no exception. It was a bit different this time because in the past I was working with nurses with many years experience, but here, for the most part, I was working with nurses with between 1 and 3 years experience. Though it was a lot different, it was also a really good learning experience because it made me depend on my own experience and decision making instead of relying on the decisions of others. With this said, although many of the nurses I worked with did not have a whole lot of experience, they were all excellent nurses and I also learned a lot from them and I looked up to them a lot. Also because my co-workers were also my peers I made a lot of really great friends!! :) :)
You may be wondering why I am talking about work in the past tense.. well it is because I was put off work for good on September 12. It all started the week before on the 7th I had a ante natal apt. One of the OB/GYNs was away on vacation for a while before and this was her first week back, she is not as relaxed as the other one that I had been seeing while she was away. All of the mid wives basically gave me a heads up before she got back that she would probably give me a hard time and order tests because I'm small and what not. So, needless to say they were all right, as soon as she saw me she got out her tape measurer and determined that I was measuring small (they measure from your pubic bone to the top of your fundus and it should be (in cm) equivalent to the weeks you are, at the time I was 33 weeks but only measured 29 cm. So she wrote a referral for an ultra sound (I had an ultrasound like 2 weeks before this because the hospital just got a new 4D ultrasound machine so I wanted one, ne way, at that time the baby was measuring 2 weeks big). But regardless of this she wanted another one to make sure the baby was still growing and there was enough fluid and all that stuff. The ultrasound was scheduled for the next wednesday. She randomly decided she wanted me to be put on the CTG monitor which records the baby's heart rate, movements and contractions if you are having any. So to make a long story short, I was having contractions, a lot of them, like every 4-5 minutes. I was completely oblivious to them which is kinda weird, but I guess i've never been pregnant before... At the time I was only 33 weeks which is too early to deliver at this hospital because they don't have a neonatal intensive care unit, so I would have to be sent to St. John's if they thought that I would go into labour. To determine this they took a swab that would determine if I would go into labour within the next 2 weeks. It came back negitive (yay) but they were still concerned so they gave me an injection called betamethasone, it is a steroid that helps develop the baby's lungs incase I deliver early. The doctor also changed my ultrasound to that day. The ultrasound was really good, the baby is still measuring big :) and there is plenty of amniotic fluid, she could see everything really clearly too, all 4 chambers of the heart, the blood flow through the heart and the rest of the body is good, 3 vessels in the cord, both kidneys are developed and seem to be functioning well. The baby was estimated to weigh 5lbs at this time as well, so this was all good news :) I was kept in over night for monitoring and to receive the second steroid injection the next afternoon. I was wrote off sick for the rest of that day and the next day, I was off already for the weekend and then I would go back to work on monday and tuesday on light duty to see if I would have contractions again. So, I took it easy for the weekend and then went to work on Monday, Sept 12. I didn't do any heavy lifting or personal care, I only did assessments and the pills. After lunch I was feeling like my stomach was really tight so I was put on the CTG again which showed that I was having contractions, this time every 1-2 minutes and they were really strong. It was the other OB/GYN working (the more relaxed one) but still she wanted to keep me in over night for monitoring, to make sure the contractions settled down, and she put me off work for good. So, boo!!! I really didn't want to be put off work. I was hoping that I could work up to 37 weeks. The time would go by so much faster if I was working, but then again I really didn't want to have the baby premature so I suppose I have to be happy to play it safe :) So that is basically the biggest news to share :)
Since I have not posted in a long time I also havn't posted any belly pics... so here are a few :)
Sun bathing at 27 weeks :)
Checkin out some icebergs in Goose Cove, 27 weeks
Some St. Anthony friends :)
Triple falls, can't remember how many weeks I was here.... but from my ghastly appearance it must have been before the sun shone.. lol
Trip to Corner Brook with one of the mid-wives, Alison. Just your casual 5 hour drive for subway.. :)
Mary-Ann and I, went on a boat with some friends to check out the icebergs :)
Trex and I at a wedding... that we weren't invited to... so technically crashing it :) 32 weeks
Who's is cuter? :)
Got bored on night shift, my friend Desiree helped me decorate Trex's room :) Barbie Style :) This was actually my last full shift :(
This became a lot less funny when Roopram (my OB/GYN) wanted to measure me and found these "Tattoos".... she was not impressed.... lol I think she seriously questioned my maturity level and I don't think she felt safe leaving her patients with me after this haha!!
Post work:
Picnics with roommates :)
Moose families :) (I hope I only have one haha)
Beautiful sunrises. I took this from the window at work, the first time I was admitted... :)
Being careful, as per doctor's orders :)
Surprise BDay parties for friends :)
Since my early retirement (5 months was a long enough career I would say) I have been trying to keep busy with as much as possible. Last weekend one of my friends here was moving home to NS so I randomly decided to hitch a ride with her to Antigonish. The plan was to leave early friday morning to catch the night ferry to Antigonish, arriving in the nish sometime saturday morning :) But of course plans are always subject to change. Melissa ended up having to work friday intil 8pm so then the plan was to leave St. Anthony once she was done work, drive to Port aux Basques and sleep for a few in the car and catch the Ferry in the am, arriving in Antigonish Saturday evening around 8pm. This would make the trip pretty short (since my ride back was Monday at supper time) but I would still get to see some friends, as well Jordan and my bff Jill were going to make a trip up to stay with me Saturday night and Sunday :) But of course plans had to change again... the ferry that was supposed to dock in Port aux Basques Friday evening was not able to because of high winds from hurricane Marie... when we got to the terminal at 5:30am saturday morning the woman at the gate told us this info and said that we may not get on a ferry until sunday morning at the earliest but to come back in the morning and see if anything changed. So, we decided that there was no point in trying to get a hotel for 3 hours so we found the safest looking parking lot (Tim Hortons) and tried to get some shut eye. Well that is easier said then done when you have a beach ball in your stomach that your ribs are driving into... oh and those contractions that I was having... yea not fun... So needless to say I didn't get much shut eye... at 8:30am my alarm went off (not that I was sleeping anyway), got subway... obvs, and headed back to the gate to see if luck was on our side for once. The lady at the terminal told us that the ferry was still unable to dock but when it did we would be on it!!!!! YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this was really great news since we were technically booked on the one that was still in North Sydney. She said that the ferry was going to try to dock soon and then before long we would be on our way! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A saying comes to mind... don't count your eggs until they hatch... well the ferry couldn't dock.... until like 5pm that night. Like seriously, KILL ME!!!! I had already had to call Jordan and Jill and regretfully tell them that I wouldn't be making it saturday at all so they had to cancel their trip to see me :( WAHHHH! I seriously wanted to cry, but there is no sense getting upset over things that you can't control. Once we actually got on the boat it was a relief. I still wasn't able to sleep but I knew I would have a bed to crash in as soon as I got to Antigonish... at 2am sunday morning!! ugh!
Stuck in this car for far too long!!!
This is how I feel about being stuck in the car for that long...
Once I finally got in a warm bed (thanks so much Kelly and Kelly for letting me crashy crash at your place!!!) and got a decent night's sleep I felt a lot better and was able to see lots of friends that I hadn't seen in far too long :) it kinda sucks living so far away from everyone. If I didn't make this sporadic trip, none of my friends would have even seen me preggers... which really doesn't sound like a big deal but it is :)
It was really weird being back on campus tho, especially pregnant. Back on my old stomping grounds, where a few short months ago I spent everyday day and many nights. Its kinda funny because for 4 years that place was my home, that is where I belonged. I thought back to first year, coming onto campus that first day of frosh week, I didn't know a soul. Looking around at all the strange faces I wondered who would end up being my friends, my classmates, my rivals? I remember I felt really small, extremely unimportant, none of the buildings looked or felt familiar- but I was very excited for what was to come... Quickly through the years I made my mark at St. FX; I built friendships, rivalries, a pretty solid reputation and sooooooo many memories. By 4th year: returning to school in September for my final year felt a lot different than that first day of frosh week; every face I saw I knew, I felt on top of the world walking through campus, every building, every turf and every paved side walk brought back memories and a feeling that I as finally home after a long summer away, oh and of course, a feeling of impending doom at the foresight that this was my last year...
For a second being back on campus was almost sad; I pretty much went from Queen Bee as a student, to now, X graduate/unknown preggo, waddling around campus. It felt oddly familiar, kind of how I felt that first day of frosh week (difference being the beach ball, of course). But then I thought about all the new frosh that year who by this time in late September were starting to make their own legacy at X, I got excited for them! Also for friends that I still have at X that are in their 3rd and 4th years who are up to Queen/King Bee status, stomping around campus like they own the place, because now they did, it belongs to them- I have passed the torch...
Thinking about all of this made me realize how lucky I am to have something so wonderful to look forward to, TREX!!!!!!!!! Beginning parent hood, i'd say, will feel a bit like beginning at St. FX, with all of the unknowns; fears, excitements, questioning "can I do this?" I will be able to add Mother to my list of identities that I have developed over the years... girl, friend, Nova Scotian, martial artist, lizard (don't ask if you don't already know...), student, Xavarian, Nurse, and now very soon- MOTHER! :) I'm sure that at first I will be very unsure, I will question all of my decisions and actions. Slowly but surely I will gain confidence in my ability to be a good parent, I will make mistakes sure, but hopefully the good I do will be reflected in my child; good morals, laughter, confidence, appreciation, humility... etc. My role will change throughout the years as my baby grows into a child, then preteen, and of course the dreaded teens.... these years I will try to teach and guide as best I can, slowly allowing more and more freedom until I pass the torch once he/she reaches adulthood (desperately hoping that I was a success as a parent.... :) )
Anyway.. this was a long post, and clearly I have a lot of time on my hands where I think too much... my next post won't be as long and it will come more quickly, I promise!
TRex and Lyra.... OUT!!
xo
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