Things I forgot about pregnancy #2

Hello there insomnia! How have you been, old friend? I forgot about our standing 4:00 am date, starting from about the halfway point of pregnancy until the bitter end. I must say, in spite of all the time we've spent together I'm not that happy to see you. I try tossing and turning for at least an hour, I move to the guest room to avoid you. And to let The Husband keep sleeping. Because that doesn't make me bitter at all.

But wherever I go, there you are. Just like whatever the fuck Brad Pitt is on about in that creepy Chanel commercial.

The helpful sites remind me that it's perfectly normal to encounter you in pregnancy. All of the irritating things about pregnancy are normal. They offer suggestions like nature sounds and warm milk as a remedy. Whoever writes that shit is clearly unaware that warm milk is revolting and nature sounds when one is trying to sleep are incredibly annoying. If I wanted to commune with the great outdoors I'd go camping. Except that my idea of camping is a hotel with less than four stars.

Anyway... Insomnia, it sucks to see you again. I'm tired beyond belief and the little person who doesn't kick me repeatedly from the inside will be up soon, clamouring for food. And I can't even douse myself in caffeine to counteract your effects. You know what, insomnia? I've known you forever, and I still think you're a bitch.

A Good American - A BlogHer Book Club Review #Spon

The story of Frederick and Jette Meisenheimer and their offspring is one of love and perseverance. Many of us have heard similar stories from our ancestors who made the long crossing of the Atlantic in search of a new life. All of them came together doing the best they could with what they had. Some, like Frederick, grew a love for their adopted homeland. Being a good American and fitting in became his life's ambition. Others, like Jette, never really felt at peace in their strange surroundings. Hers was a fish out of water tale. And yet both of them made their way in a strange land, clinging to hope and to each other, along with the music that drew them together.

I thoroughly enjoyed "A Good American", a tale that used the developing history of a fledgling nation as a backdrop. I loved the characters, connecting deeply with all of them. Except maybe Stefan. I didn't really know where that was going until the end, and then I felt like his storyline was kind of an afterthought. I noticed a lot of the reviews on the back cover referred to "A Good American" as funny. I didn't get that. I loved the story, was moved by the struggles and was even misty eyed in public (I do my reading on the subway) in a few spots. But I would not characterize it as "funny." That said, I would still recommend it as an entertaining read for anyone, but especially for fans of period pieces.

Want to know more? We're having lively, thought-provoking discussions on "A Good American" over at the BlogHer Book Club. Join the conversation today!

This is a compensated review as part of the BlogHer Book Club. All opinions expressed are my own. 

The one where she talks about adding another year

Last year I spent my birthday in an airport. This year I started it off in a long, long line to renew my drivers' license. "Happy Birthday! That'll be $75 please." You know, I really have to do a better job of planning this shit.

We were supposed be on a fabulous vacation to commemorate the 10th anniversary of my 28th birthday, but this pregnancy has had enough drama so I thought it prudent to stay a little closer to home. Hooray! Local waterpark! Don't knock it, my kid's unbridled joy in the water is just an awesome sight to behold. We were supposed to leave Monday but The Husband had a scheduling SNAFU. I pouted for a bit and then decided since I already booked the whole week off I would celebrate my birthday with gusto! Insert something about lemons and lemonade here.

First I was presented with a gift and a card signed by The Husband and M, who has mastered all of the letters in her name. Because she is brilliant. Then I went to see my good friends at Service Ontario. OK, that's just a necessary evil, but my next stop gets us right back to gusto as I treated myself to a lengthy prenatal massage and savoured the free lunch the spa offers on one's birthday. By myself, with nothing but a magazine for company. Time to myself in absolute quiet! I followed that up with a mani/pedi and a free birthday latte from Starbucks. Best. Birthday. Ever.

Alright, so my idea of a celebration with gusto differs somewhat from what would have come to mind 10 or 20 years ago, but it was a damn fine day. And now, I will take to my bed and allow the post-massage glow to lull me off to sleep.

This post is written as part of GBE2 - Week #92 word prompt: Gusto. For more info about GBE2, click here.

Things I forgot about pregnancy #1

I know weird side effects come with the territory, and the joy of these little people once they're out makes it all worthwhile. But damn, there are some weird things about pregnancy. And you get this really weird amnesia about it when you decide to do it again. Probably because the human race would die out if women could remember all the things that make pregnancy so ludicrously uncomfortable.

For example, round ligament pain. I bitched about it during my last pregnancy. More than once.

Somehow this memory vanished in four years. I can remember the phone number of my best friend in elementary school who moved away at the end of grade 4, so I know there's nothing wrong with my memory. Yet there I was, sitting on the couch minding my own business when I got up to pee. Again. The sharp, stabbing in my lower abdomen pain upon standing was damn near blinding. I was paralyzed with fear for a few seconds, pretty sure something had gone terribly, terribly wrong. Then *poof* it was gone. What the fuck was that? Oh, that's right. Breathtaking pain is just "a normal part of pregnancy as your body goes through many different changes."

Well that's just great.

I've forgotten all about the pain of labour too, but I'm pretty sure some helpful site will remind me that it's just a normal part of pregnancy as my body goes through the process of expelling an 8+lb parasite from the confines of its host.