Hubby and I had decided on a relatively quiet holiday period. After all, I'm 33 weeks preggers and there is only so much I can do in any given day. In spite of that, we had plenty going on over the past few days. We spent Christmas Eve at a friend's house with her parents. This was a lot of fun since we got first-hand insight on what Xmas looks like in Quebec. Although we were assured that none of the food was traditional - thank goodness, my friend opted for a "light" meal instead. After about 9.30pm we pretended it was midnight and presents were given out to each individual. I got a very nice new fantasy/detective book - one of those new-style urban fantasies that are popular these days.
The following day we attended a Yankee gift swap party at our American friends' house. The house was filled with little kids (and people of various religious orientations), so it was a fun-filled chaotic mix of finger food, chatting, a Xmas reading and prezzies for the kids, followed by an adult gift swap. In the morning, I prepared some food in the form of a gingerbread house. Took me over an hour to decorate, with resultant aching shoulders and sore back. It seems like my capacity of doing any kind of activity is rapidly diminishing. Of course, I found out after we got there that I was supposed to do a side dish rather than a desert - the house was filled with cookies and pies of all kind, so all of us had a bit of a sugar rush.
Since then, hubby and I have been at home, mixing things up with various shopping trips. It's "boxing week" here, meaning all the stores have their big sales on. And while I'm not exactly hanging out at large shopping malls for fear of getting trampled (or a least elbowed in the stomach), we have done some "smart" shopping: mostly for baby stuff. I've been waiting to see if anyone was planning to throw me a baby shower, but apparently that's not to be (I even asked Steve for insider info). So instead, we did the reasonable thing and bought simply the essentials, in all the colors we like (neutrals), and as few plastic items as possible. Mostly, the purchases have involved onesies, pjs, socks, hats, and the odd warm baby outerwear or an irresistibly cute outfit for when we visit someone. To a large extend, we plan for the baby to be in his (her) diaper, hanging out with us for body warmth, so no need for tons of stuff. And we've bought no toys whatsoever since I've got about 2 bags full given to us by friends.
Apart from the shopping, which is stressful on my feet, I've been "keeping fit" with painting the baby cradle, washing and folding all the new clothes, working (yes, it's an effort to sit up and be on the computer), and grooming the dog.
Believe it or not, the latter is happening in stages. I'm simply not able to lift my arms for longer than an hour when she's on the grooming table, or bend over her for more than that when she's laying quietly on the floor for me. But I did ask hubby to buy me a nifty new tool in the form of a dematting rake -- it's the best thing ever! No more endlessly patient untangling with a metal comb. I can now rake through matted sections much more quickly. The end result is looking good, although the dog remains somewhat lopsided, since only her head/chest and left hand side have been done. Tomorrow I do the right, and the next day her legs/feet. We'll see what that brings by the end of the week. Really, she should just get a decent groom but I've been rather unhappy with the groomers of late, so this is a good alternative for her and for me: she gets attention, I get some exercise and something to occupy me during this quiet and pregnant time.
As for the baby cradle; I've purchased a new mattress (Naturepedic), and a mesh bumper pad (the regular bumper pads are safety hazards, apparently). I'm eagerly awaiting their arrival so that we can finalize the "baby section" of our bedroom. Really that just means two items: the cradle and the changing table. But it's more than enough and I'm really happy with what we got.
Tomorrow is an exciting day: our 33 week ultrasound. This time we'll try to remember to ask for some pictures!
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