To Do List

Just before heading out to choir rehearsal, I couldn't find the main set of car keys.  I had it this morning when I took Isaac to school.  M couldn't find it when he went to pick up some pizza for dinner so I was the last person to use it.  It turns out that it just fell off the counter into a box (hard to spot because the box was filled with a bunch of stuff like blankets, toys, clothes, bags, and mitts).  Glad it turned up though.  I was a bit worried that maybe I lost it at lunch (I took Isaac out for Pho and stopped by Value Village).

We got into our first pick for Isaac's preschool next year.  I need to remember to pick up the registration package and pay the deposit fee.  We're putting him in Salmonbellies.  It focusses on phonetics.  I like one of the instructors, but I didn't get a chance to meet the second one.  The room is quite small, so that's another thing I worry a little about.  I hope that he won't have too many problems in that class.  Our second pick, Rainbow is the classroom next door to his current class.  I still have a lot of doubts and I'm still not sure if we made the right choice for Isaac or not. [Picked up the form, still need to fill it out and submit it.]

There are other programs and preschools that run on other days, but I like having the option of possibly going to Strongstart or taking other classes in the morning.  Even if Isaac does end up cutting his nap, I just don't think afternoon is a great time for him to be in a structured setting.  If the weather is nice, he's better off going to a playground.

I am still considering trying to sign up for cooking class again, but at the moment, the idea of going to Kerrisdale on a Monday and have my choir rehearsals in the evening feels like too much for me on that day.  I'm not sure if choir runs year round or if there's a summer break... but I will likely postpone cooking class for the summer since there aren't many other classes that I'm interested in.

My other to-do list items are to round up Isaac's library books and return some of them.  I've been borrowing a bunch of them but over the last couple of weeks but have yet to return any books so they're piling up and getting lost in our bedroom.   [Returned most of the books, borrowed 3 videos]

I'm still waiting for people to rsvp on Isaac's birthday invitations.  So far we have 3 friends who plan to come.  Hopefully more people will respond soon.  [We are expecting 4 preschoolers, 1 toddler and 1 baby.  Still awaiting replies from 9 more families.]

I need to see the doctor to see if he'll make a referral for Isaac.  And I want to get some blood tests done for myself.  It was too rushed to go today so the next chance I get to see the doctor I like at the clinic is Wednesday afternoon.  Maybe I should take Isaac to the mall for lunch after preschool and get on the queue for a doctor's appointment before we eat.  Wait times at the walk-in clinic are typically 45 min - 1.5 hours.  My other chances are Thursday afternoon, Friday afternoon, or Saturday morning.  [Went to the clinic today-Thursday, and Dr. C. made the referral for Isaac and gave me my blood test requisition.]

We have a lunch date with a friend at Ikea on Friday.  I think we're going to skip the VSO Tiny Tots Friday morning... but then again, it might be fun.  They are focussing on speed: presto and largo with the theme: sailing on the musical seas.  Maybe we can do both... 9am catch the sky train downtown, 10-10:45am concert, then rush to catch the sky train home - get home by about 11:45am and drive over to Ikea afterwards.  Hmmm... timing is tight, but it is do-able.  [Bought a ticket for me and Isaac to attend the concert tomorrow.  We will rush back for lunch at Ikea.]

The other thing I'd like to remember is to pick up some garlic powder.  I like to use it to season pork chops (with soy sauce) and sometimes I sprinkle it on steak... though we mostly just use the Montreal steak seasoning.  [Got some garlic powder and pork chops on Wednesday.]

Birthday Party Planning

It's that time of year again.  (We've already received 3 birthday invitations and attended 1 party so far.)  Birthday Party Season...

Isaac's turning 3 in March and I've been slack on starting the birthday party planning thus far.  However, I was able to book his Twos Time classroom for his birthday party.  It's set for March 24th (at the same time as a swap meet at the community centre and I'm hoping to take a peek if I have a chance to sneak away).

To Do:
Guest list and email invitations [check - invitations emailed!]
Decide on theme (if any) - Decorations and loot bag [check - Theme: Books]
Food and Utensils
Cake / Cupcakes [check - ordered a cake from Safeway (Isaac picked a dinosaur themed cake)]
Make a CD with background music
Maybe think up possible game ideas though it's highly unlikely we would be able to do anything really structured.  Free play is probably the most I can expect from a group this age.

I've decided to organize a book swap with the other parents we're inviting to the party.  I'm not sure if other people will bring books or not... but I hope we'll be able to trade some books.  I just sent out the invitations on February 23rd and we have one RSVP attending.

Moving forward after miscarriage

My bleeding has tapered down to spotting.  I started temping/charting again when my miscarriage started.  This will help me recognize when I ovulate.  I believe my body will ovulate when it's ready.  I still want to do a blood test just to check my hcg and iron levels before we start ttc.

Anyhow, as we head back on the journey of trying to conceive, I'll have to deal with the obsession and crazy emotions involved.  This time around I will try not to do too much symptom spotting unless there's something different than usual.

Even though I've just gone through a miscarriage, I fundamentally still feel that moderation is the key.  I won't freak or get paranoid about all the "what not to do and things to avoid" if we get pregnant again.  I might feel different if we do miscarry again... but in the end if we have another healthy baby, it will be worth it.  And if not, well going through the experience together builds who we are and gives us more empathy and understanding in the struggles others go through also.  Things happen for a reason, sometimes it might not make sense to us but we can't change the past.  We can only choose how we want to move forward.

Bleeding

Today I was able to take Isaac to school and get back home without incident. I made dumplings for lunch. Then... It started.

I've been dripping like a faucet and passing some big clots for the past hour. I put on a movie (Wall-E) for Isaac and he fell asleep watching it. I'm great full that I'm not experiencing any nasty cramps at the moment, but I have to say that this is definitely NOT the most comfortable experience to have to go through. I'm also glad that I am in the comfort of my home and M. Is here with me.

I played some games on my DS and tried the read a book, but I'm too tired to focus. Last night was a bit rough because I couldn't sleep. When I looked at the clock, it was already 4am! It's quite boring sitting on a toilet for what feels like forever when I'd much rather be napping!!! Typing on the iPad keyboard is tedious, but that's about the level of concentration I have and it's giving me something to do besides listening to Wall-E.

I hope that most of this will pass within a couple more hours. I've read that once the sac comes out the bleeding should slow down. I wish our toilet seat was cushier.

3:47pm: I am now resting in bed. At around 3pm, I started blacking out. It was really scary. My vision was reduced to black and yellow shadows of light, my ears suddenly muted and I found that I couldn't breathe. I immediately called M to come help me. He didn't know what to do, so he just held me. I started getting numb all over and insisted on lying down. Shortly after, my vision came back, my head cleared and I could hear and breathe normally. Then the cramping started right away. It felt pretty intense. M. tried to give me the Tylenol and 2 Advils as soon as he could. I felt a bit nauseous and wasn't sure if I could swallow them, but I managed to in between my panting. I got M. to call the doctor. After a very long 15 minutes or so, the pain subsided enough and I felt ready to pass the sac. M. brought me a towel to lie on, a pillow and a blanket. After the sac came out and I lay back on the floor. I was feeling cold all over, my hands were still tingly and I was a bit light headed. I spoke with a doctor and she reassured me that the cramping should stop within 24-48 hours. They will be checking up on me tomorrow. After lying on the floor for about 20 minutes, I felt ready to get up. I picked up the sac and opened it up to look at it before flushing it away.

I'm relieved that the worst part should be over now!!! Even though I had to go through a miscarriage, I still want to try for a healthy baby even if there's a risk of having to go through with this again.

Time for me to take a little nap before dinner time. Love and hugs, Vee.

Wait is coming to an end

I started spotting Thursday night and Friday night. We went out for lunch with friends. Afterwards, we stopped by Zellers and I started to feel lots of lower pressure radiating down. We immediately left the store and M dropped me off at home. I took an extra strength Tylenol and an extra strength Advil, turned on my heating pad and am curling up in bed. Hopefully the worst will be over today. 12:22pm Saturday February 11th.

I would've been 12 weeks tomorrow. At least the pain killers are helping at the moment. Last night I was up thinking about all the things I wanted to say. I will save that for a post when this is over. I'm going to play some games for now until that distraction no longer works.

12:55pm The pain has subsided... Or maybe it's just the pain killers kicking in. No bleeding as yet.

4:13pm Still no bleeding.  I guess maybe things settled down for now.