Woe is me
1 November 2005, 07:44
Well, it’s 7.30am on Melbourne Cup Day and I’m feeling a wee bit sorry for myself. Woke up at 2am with a mutha of a cold sore. In my eye. Again. For the second bloody time in this pregnancy.
There is a better chance that the docs will give me zovirax for it this time as I was only 12 weeks preggo when it happened last time and they balked at giving it to me, so am off to the Ear and Eye Hospital once I finish my cuppa. Now I’m 28 weeks (today!) apparently the baby’s kidneys can get rid of the drug. Still pisses me off that I might need to take it, though.
Hope everyone had a smashing Halloween last night (tonight in the US, whatever…) I’d forgotten until I saw some high-schoolers trick-or-treating last night in my neighbourhood. I thought I’d crossed time-zones or something, it looked so ‘foreign’.
In racing news, not sorry I won’t be at the Melbourne Cup today. Predictions are for a 32 godforsaken degree (still 3 shy of the magic number) scorcher, so an army of simpering, pissed fillies parading around off their heads with skirts up their arses and hats destroyed by vomit and mis-fired champagne is guaranteed. Actually, I take it back, that’s one of the more entertaining things about Spring Carnival.
Ah the good ol’ days of getting shitfaced at the races. Loved it. But NOW I HAVE RESPONSBILITIES, DAMMIT! Anyway, my tips to win (because I’m such an expert at these things) are Mr. Celebrity or Eye Popper. So go bet your live savings on it. At least it can’t be any worse than the dude who put 1 million on “The Diva” to win…
Sorry, am feeling churlish.
Permanent Link | Comments [3]Gifts from Abroad
30 October 2005, 08:54
Dear Gleek from gleek.net fame knitted me this booties + hat combo for MiniMc (obviously, s/he can’t wear them quite yet). They are delightful. They are a rich aquamarine colour. She is very clever. I love them.
Aren’t they peachy?
Permanent Link | Comments [2]Big Trouble in Little Chinese Wives Tales
27 October 2005, 19:35
When I was in Cairns recently, Nick’s gorgeous (yet charmingly barmy) Chinese wife Coco told me about an old Chinese myth about a baby’s gender-predicting…
Apparently, in downtown Qindao, if your skin takes a turn for the worse during pregancy (like flaky, pimply etc. etc.) you’re having a boy, if it comes good and starts glowing like a shiny, happy person, then it’s a girl.
Trouble is, my skin has stayed pretty much the same (I am so boring). Vot could zees mean Dr. Spock?
Permanent Link | Comments [4]Breathe in Now
25 October 2005, 07:25
So I went to the pharmacy today to buy a Ventolin. So I can breathe, you know. The conversation with the pharmacist went a little something like this:
K: Could I have a Ventolin please?
P: Are you pregnant or breastfeeding?
K: Yes. I’m pregnant [no, I’m just fat]
P: Have you spoken to your doctor about taking Ventolin in pregnancy?
K: Yes.
P: Do you use a preventer as well?
K: [what is this, 20 questions?] Yes.
P: [looking skeptical] Weeeeeeeel, you’re not supposed to use Ventolin in pregnancy.
K: Well, it’s a category A drug [that’s the way Kinki, hit ‘em with pharmaceutical jargon…] so it should be OK to take during pregnancy – the benefits outweigh the risks.
P: [still looks unconvinced]
K: Look, I either take the Ventolin or I die. Dying probably wouldn’t be good for the baby.
She sold me the Ventolin.
Permanent Link | Comments [6]Happy Birthday 35 Degrees!
23 October 2005, 08:54
35 Degrees is 3 years old today! It’s been a heady ride and I’ve no intention of shutting up anytime soon!
Anyone who’s ever run a blog, particularly those who leave their postings up for critique/commentary, know that it certainly has its ups and downs. Special mention must go to some of my faithful web-friends who have supported my humble blog through the years and who have made all the criticism and occasional flames all worthwhile…
Husband Without him I wouldn’t be inspired to write everyday and wouldn’t have a MiniMc to blog about.
Pinku Tokyo-based Brissie girl who never lets me down. Can also be relied on to provide rousing Beyonce renditions at karaoke.
Gleek Very clever and kind New Yorker who sent me the most gorgeous booties and hat for MiniMc and is a constant presence on my postings.
Nick Husband’s cousin who has some very. strange. ideas.
Nicole Ever-present Sydney-based chicky-babe.
Bogue Always has good advice about bringing up the baby and has the cutest baby ever.
Sussy Melbourne chameleon who is the most voracious blogger I’ve ever seen.
Megha India-based lass who I’m convinced thinks I’m totally nuts.
Hammy Never short of a few words. Mostly sarcastic.
Gunnella My Icelandic friend and fellow Hitler’s-birthday-child.
Ferit Incorrigible commenter.
Frangipani Tokyo-based comrade.
Andrea from Canada who is completely nuts but don’t we love her for it…
[Hope I haven’t forgotten anyone! If I have, please blame it on Pregnancy Brain. I blame everything else on it!]
Of course, part of the journey is about making new friends and I appreciate every single (positive) comment everyone has ever left. It’s always encouraging to know that people take a certain amount of comfort/enjoyment in your stories/experiences.
Here’s to many more years of unfettered verbal diarrhoea!
Permanent Link | Comments [21]Baby Tipping
21 October 2005, 20:04
25w 6d
Well people, with 3 months to go, it’s time to place your bets – will MiniMc be a boy or a girl? What date will MiniMc be squeezed out? And how much will he/she weigh? Leave your answers in the comments section below…
For the record, we have no clue what gender the baby is (so it’s no good trying to bribe us) and the estimated due date is 24 January 2006.
Winners will be judged on firstly guessing the correct gender, then to the person closest to the due-date, then we’ll separate the wheat from the chaff with birth weight.
Here is the tipping board:
| Tipper’s Name | Boy or girl? | Date of Birth | Weight of MiniMc @ birth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammy | Girl | 10 Feb 2006 | 7lb3oz |
| Bogue | Boy | 10 Jan 2006 | 6lb13oz |
| Megha | Girl | 12 Feb 2006 | 6lb10oz |
| Nicole | Girl | 26 Jan 2006 | 6lb |
| D203 | Boy | 25 Jan 2006 | 6lb8oz |
| Yukiko | Boy | 19 Jan 2006 | 7lb5oz |
| Gleek | Girl | 30 Jan 2006 | 7lb7oz |
| Elbhenry | Girl | 22 Jan 2006 | 8lb2oz |
| Shatters | Boy | 17 Jan 2006 | 8lb3oz |
| Kat | Girl | 1 Feb 2006 | 6lb6oz | Mille | Boy | 3 Feb 2006 | 7lb | Ferit | Boy | 23 Jan 2006 | 7lb8oz | Andrea | Boy | 23 Jan 2006 | 7lb5oz | Numine | Boy | 5 Feb 2006 | 8lb3oz | Sarah | Boy | 31 Jan 2006 | 8lb1oz |
| Sam | Boy | 12 Jan 2006 | 7lb7oz |
| Sussy | Girl | 28 Jan 2006 | 7lb9oz |
| Reika | Girl | 21 Jan 2006 | 7lb |
| Doug | Girl | 29 Jan 2006 | 8lb |
| A&K | Boy | 28 Jan 2006 | 8lb |
| Jeremy | Boy | 31 Jan 2006 | 8lb |
| Rin | Girl | 28 Jan 2006 | 8lb2oz |
| Jude | Boy | 26 Jan 2006 | 8lb1oz |
| Claire | Girl | 22 Jan 2006 | 7lb6oz |
| Katie | Girl | 25 Jan 2006 | 7lb4oz |
If you’re the closest pick and would like to send me your mailing details, we’ll post you out a small(ish) prize (yet to be decided).
Happy tipping!
Permanent Link | Cast your vote! [33]Pool? or Beach?
20 October 2005, 11:10
This was the hardest decision we had to make in Cairns. Tough life.
Love!
We headed north for our friends' (let's use their initials -"T"&"A" which is rather unfortunate but these are desperate times...) wedding at Kewarra Beach Resort, one of the beaches north of Cairns. They had admitted to shamelessly ripping off our beach wedding idea, but of course, had to go that extra step of having the reception in a gorgeous open-air thatched hut, with bamboo torches lighting the way, satisfyingly reminiscent of Tribal Council. Hrmph.
Beautiful wedding, albeit on a sweltering day - 30 degrees with 80% humidity. Of course, Kinki wasn't wise enough to buy a dress that wasn't BLACK so she suffered mightily in her jocks, but hell, it was difficult to find anything remotely nice for a wedding for someone as abdominally-challenged as myself.
Hot. Very Hot.
I felt really honoured to be there - it was a very intimate wedding, only 16 or so guests, but it meant we could chat to everyone. "T" is a Uni friend of McG's and I don't actually know her or "A" all that well, but they're both so down-to-earth and easygoing, I even teared up during the ceremony (ahem... pregnancy hormones...)
I was also rather impressed with my ability to sit on half-a-glass of wine (oh sad alchohophile that I am) all evening and still feel social. But then it could have been that rad 80s hit-list in the background.
A special mention must go to "T"'s mum who went overboard with the bonbonierre. Where we had two little red and silver chocolates at our reception, T&A had a wedding showbag with bottle of wine, soaps, votif candles, champagne glasses and bath pot-pourri. We were rather gobsmacked at all the effort.
********
Are you sure we're related?
We also got to catch up with the Cairns contingent of McG's family, including a rather grown-up Tessa, who is now 2 and speaks three languages, English, Mandarin and Shrek. An incorrigible cutie, Tessa is still funny around strangers, although in the form of a true 2-year old sage, has predicted that I'm having a "garl". I think the mighty Tum may have freaked the poor thing out a bit.
********
Tough Life
McG and I are such die-hard travellers and "experience-buffs", it was weird to just chill-out and do nothing but sit on a beach, swim in the outrageously divine water (sans stinger-nets!) and read trash-mags. MiniMc must not have known what the hell was going on, as s/he was rather active in what I think may have been protest at all the relaxation. It was fascinating reclining on the beach watching the skin of my tummy move and undulate with all that kicking and wriggling, though.
Back in Melbourne now. Lovingly welcomed back into her arms with a downpour of rain. Most unusual. Not.
Click for more "T"&"A" Wedding Shots
Click for gratuitous Beach and Belly Shots
Permanent Link | Comments [1]Leaving on a Jet Plane
13 October 2005, 05:03
Tomorrow we’re off for a long-overdue holiday in Cairns. Two of our friends are getting marriaged on the lovely Kewarra Beach and I’m gonna lug my massive belly to proceedings.
Unfortunately, I’ve succumbed to a corrupted immune system and have managed to catch another cold, on top of the post-cold cough from last time, so have been feeling tres miserables. Not exactly an ideal state of affairs for embarking on long plane flights & balmy walks along the beach. Sigh.
Had today off work and had Monday off as well, but am still feeling like shit. Excuse woe is me. Hopefully 31 degree heat and 85% humidity will cure all. Or not.
The Experiment
7 October 2005, 07:34
I catch the tram every day. This week I’ve had a rather good strike rate with people offering me a seat during morning peak-hour, so I thought I’d conduct a little ol’ social experiment…
It’s a sad fact that not many commuters are particularly courteous when it comes to giving up their seat for the elderly, pregnant women or the handicapped. Particularly shitful are the schoolkids that stubbornly refuse to budge, even though they pay concession and good manners would have dictated that they move their agile arses from the vinyl. Some will grudgingly move if you ask them, but my child (can you tell I’m going to be unbearable?) is gonna be leaving skidmarks getting off that seat if in sniffing distance of someone who needs it (that includes most adults, actually).
This week, so far two people have offered me their seat in the mornings (there’s usually a seat available in the evenings). It then occurred to me that there seem to be two schools of “Offerers” – the Passive Offerer and the Decisive Offerer.
The Passive Offerer will not actually get up, but will tug you on the sleeve and ask “Would you like a seat?” Probably the normal response if you’re nearly 6 months preggo would be to say “Yes, thanks, very kind” but my pride responds for me and I reply “No, that’s OK”. I always kick myself after though, thinking “Geez, I really wanted that seat.” There’s always that awkward moment where the Offerer probably feels guilty that you are still standing and you feel a bit like a chump.
The Decisive Offerer, such as the gentleman who offered yesterday, will jump up off their seat and say, “Please. Sit”. To which you have no choice but to sit with a thankful “Cheers, thanks”. I like the Decisive Offerer. No awkwardness, no having to make any freaking decisions first thing in the morning, and, most importantly, a seat to rest weary ankles and swollen belly.
So from now until my last day at work (December 16 – bring it on) I’m gonna see how many people offer me a seat (if one isn’t available), what gender they are, what age-bracket they are in and what kind of Offerers they are.
This will be very interesting…
Permanent Link | Comments [5]
