Baby makes three...

Wow - the numbers on that ticker get lower every day - funny how that works. I am now on maternity leave. The first few days were spent doing a lot of nesting. I cleaned out our kitchen cupboards and threw away cosmetics dating back to the year 2000. We have a very small bathroom and kitchen and have moved more than five times (well, Julian has moved five and I've moved seven times!) so I am amazed at how much we had been able to hoard! It's gone now and that feels good.

I also applied for EI, which was extraordinarily difficult. Because I've worked so many casual jobs, it was extremely onerous to fill out all the details. They wanted to know how much I had made in individual weeks, Sunday to Sunday, but no one pays in Sunday to Sunday increments, so it required me combing over my timetables for the past year to try and recall what days I worked and for how long. Extremely frustrating. I think it's problematic how difficult they make it for workers who have been doing casual employment - I detect an adverse effects section 15 Charter challenge in there somewhere!

We had our last prenatal class this week, which was very sad! We have both enjoyed those classes so much. Last week we covered lots of post-birth topics, like breastfeeding, bathing, playtime, when to call the doctor and so on. The breastfeeding stuff was particularly useful and it was great to have Julian there to hear everything, as I think it helps to have two people there to absorb all the information. This week we got to hear the birth story of a couple who had their baby 10 weeks ago. I was amazed at how big their 10-week old was - he looked like a real little person, and not just a tiny newborn. It was great to hear their story, and also really reinforced to us that hiring a doula was the right choice, because it definitely sounded like there were times when it would have been great to have some help.

Other than that, not much new on the pregnancy front. I have started to have bad insomnia, waking at four and lying awake for an hour or two or longer. The other night I couldn't fall asleep until 3, which was terrible. Apparently it's quite common in these later weeks, and people keep telling me that I'm just getting used to what's ahead. But I think it would be better to prepare for what's ahead by being well-rested!

Statistically speaking, most first time mothers have their baby in the 41st week, so I am guessing I have some waiting to do. The baby is still in the head down position and apparently its hands are up near its face. The heart rate was 130, which was great. I am trying to keep myself busy with various activities, so tomorrow I am having a pedicure. Fun.