Summer in the North Country


So wet.  So hot.  So humid.  I swear that the North Country is actually the tropics, with the kind of warm rain that just falls straight down in sheets against an impenetrable backdrop of insanely green trees.  Definitely the tropics - but oh, the summer birds! :)

I am very, very glad that I’m only at 24 weeks right now, because the humidity would be death if I was any bigger.  Most of August has been ok, but it’s gotten back to being icky again these past few days.  Oddly, some of the leaves are also beginning to change, so it’s this weird juxtaposition of summer and fall around which I can’t quite wrap my head.

As for new developments or updates, there really aren’t many.  The baby is kicking up a storm (except after the glucose challenge test, she did NOT like that - it broke her for like 24 hours), and I’ve started my daily kick counts.  I know that kick counts are controversial, but they help me feel better.  Personally, I don’t really need monitoring that structured to know when the baby isn’t active enough, but it will lend credibility to my concern if I ever need to go in for prolonged decreased activity.  Also, my first 10-week set of prenatal yoga classes ended yesterday, and I’m signing up for another round.  Baby likes yoga :)

As for the baby gear and naming front, we’ve bought nothing (literally) and *still* have not picked a name.  I’ve been (over)researching consumer reports, user reviews, etc., which is exceedingly boring and essentially gives conflicting advice.  On every single product.  Mostly I just call my mom, who then proceeds to remind me that I am very old so it’s been a long time since she’s had a newborn herself.  So instead of buying anything, I just make endless lists with notes about when to order each item, i.e, don’t buy a swing until you see what kind of baby you get (some babies act like all swings are medieval torture devices, some want Mamaroo-type gentle bouncing, some want carnival ride levels of propulsion), don’t pre-buy too many clothes in case you get a miniature/enormous baby, yada yada.  Next up on the list: see if we can (legally!) install the car seat that we borrowed from our neighbors and get it checked at the fire station, since we know we have a totally problematic vehicle for a rear-facing infant seat (it’s fine once the baby can be forward-facing).  It *should* fit, and then we can buy one of our own and return the borrowed one for the neighbors to use with their next baby.  If it doesn’t fit, we literally have like one other possible model that's small enough to work and that’s it.  The car seat is probably our most problematic purchase (#firstworldproblems), so I’ll be really happy when it’s settled!

Next post, I’ll take some photos of the garden and show a little “before and after” comparison.  The tomatoes are ripening quickly!

Comments

  1. LesleyAugust 23, 2013 at 3:12 AM

    Yay, a post! It was so great to catch up with you last week. I wish we were due date buddies in the same locale. I'm in the same boat in terms of purchases. nothing yet. What really sucks too, is that we have a boatload of baby and maternity stuff back in CA, but it's not really organized and I can't expect my parents to find the things that I actually would want, and ship them. Also, since we'll be in CA for 6 weeks after the baby is born, it will be good to have stuff there, too. But this means rebuying EVERYTHING.

    My two cents (in case you wanted them!): Get the fisher price papasan cradle and swing, if you can find the one that plugs into the wall (the battery operated ones suck and chew through expensive D batteries). Even if the baby doesn't like it while awake, you can put her in there after she falls asleep, park the vacuum cleaner near her head for white noise, and keep her asleep an extra 45 minutes. You're welcome. To GET her asleep, it probably won't be so easy, unless you're really lucky...

    Penelope absolutely refused to use her bedside bassinet (arm's reach brand) or her crib, ever. That was $200 down the drain. But if you can get her to sleep in the bedside bassinet, that would probably be pretty great.

    Baby carriers were the biggest problem. Penelope hated the moby and the ergo and the sling, but liked the baby bjorn. who could predict? You'll probably invest your life savings in baby carriers. Try to register for a variety of them.

    I found a nursing cover to be a lifesaver. I am totally jealous of women who feel empowered enough to whip out a boob in a totally public place, and I will be envious and admiring if you are one of these. For me, the cover made me feel very comfortable, and Penelope really liked it too, actually-- it has a wire in the neck opening to help hold it open, so you and your baby lock eyes while she nurses, but the rest of the world is blocked out for her. Penelope wanted to cuddle under the nursing cover even after she was weaned. And trying to arrange a blanket for this purpose (boob coverage) is basically futile.

    xoxo

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