So Many Things to Blog About

I'm down to about six things on my to do list. The six things I'm dreading doing the most. They wouldn't be so hard if I'd just do them. Oh, how many times have I said that to my children when facing things they don't want to do? I've even accomplished a couple projects that I didn't have deadlines for until July. That's how much I don't want to do these other things. So, how do you do it? How do you get yourself doing things you dread? I could really use some ideas.

So, to avoid for a few more minutes, I thought I'd blog a little. There are two things recently that I've wanted to write about because they're new to me and, I think, pretty amazing.

One of the realities I faced when I was first pregnant was that I had parted with all of my maternity clothes. In the past, when Z said we were done having kids (I think he's said this every time so far), and I knew we weren't (people told me they just "knew" when they were done, and I didn't get any such feeling), I smuggled a couple bags up on the top shelf in the garage. My friend Rory was kind enough to lend me hers and even bring them to me. Thank you, Rory! It's nice to have them.

The first thing I wanted to write about is a something I bought.

A woman, on a message board I was reading about maternity clothes, wrote about Bella Bands and how she got her regular jeans to last nearly her entire pregnancy because of them. I got on Ebay and found a great deal on some and bought them. This was mid-November. They arrived about three days later. I LOVE them! Not sure when these came to be, but I'm thrilled to get to wear the clothes I worked so hard to fit into better a little longer. For anyone who is currently pregnant, or plans to be in the future, I highly recommend these. If you want my Ebay connection, just let me know.

The second thing is that I had no idea that they now do a first trimester screening for Downs Syndrome (the baby in the photo isn't mine). In the past, it had always been the Alpha Fetal Protein blood test run at 16 weeks. When I read the statistic that said there's a 1/75 chance for a woman over 40 to have a Downs Syndrome baby, I felt that I'd want to prepare myself in any way possible to raise a child these characteristics, so I opted for the test. My mom had two children after she turned 40, and as far as I dare to estimate, we're pretty normal. Some days that might be pushing it, but for today, "normal" is a safe word.

I went in on Tuesday morning. They did an ultrasound--what a cute little face I saw. The kids say that the photos look like an insect or an alien. I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

Anyway, in the ultrasound they look at the fluid that lies between the skin and another layer of skin. Such a tiny area. It's amazing! It's normal to have some fluid but too much is a sign of possible Downs, so they do a blood test as well. If the level is over 1 ml., they become concerned. I had the blood test run immediately following. I will get the results early this coming week.

I appreciate smart people, and I love when they share their brilliance with the world. From clothing problems to health issues--I'm grateful for creative people.