The playground across the street from our new home. I can’t wait to bring Chicken here to play!
I think the Chicken, and my mind, have shifted.
Last Saturday I treated myself to a prenatal massage. The rib pain was getting unbearable and I was beginning to develop some numbness in areas. It was weird and unpleasant. The massage therapist spent a long time working on my back where I carry about 90% of my tension and then had me flip over and lie supported so she could gently work on my belly. Whatever she did felt a-maz-ing and provided instant relief that made me quite happy to shell out $60 bucks.
As I was leaving she assured me that in four weeks or so baby would drop and I’d have a lot more rib relief. Four weeks? OMG, I don’t know if I can handle four more weeks! But really, what choice do I have?
Then Tuesday night I realized that I had gone the entire day, including eating a big dinner, with ZERO rib pain. I was thrilled but didn’t want to jinx it. Yesterday I continued to have rib relief plus some indescribable cervical discomfort anytime Chicken was active that left me moaning or silently wincing during the staff meeting.
By last night I’d had enough and decided a short 20 minute walk would help lull the Chicken to sleep so he/she would stop doing whatever to my cervix. It worked and as I sat (well, more like impersonated a beached whale) on the couch I realized that Chicken is lower. Is this possible at 33/34 weeks, though? It seems early. What are your thoughts? And should I expect him to return to my ribs between now and birth?
The sudden lowness of Chicken is a real reminder that I could be birthing a baby quite soon, and we have NOTHING prepared. I have not washed anything. We still don’t have sheets for the cosleeper. No cover for the super nice changing pad I purchased. No socks for baby’s feet. No wipes for baby’s bum. And so on. I am, for all intents and purposes, not at all prepared should Chicken come early.
This morning I did some rummaging online and found a 20% off coupon to Diapers.com. I have filled my cart with $150 in baby necessities and am now staring at it, unable to commit to checkout. It just seems like clicking that button will make everything so real.
It’s been easy to buy a thing here and there – a stroller, a carrier, a package of cute gray onsies, etc. It seems very surreal to purchase a cart full of basics that will make it possible for us to care for baby when he/she comes home. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad feeling! After dreaming about this for so long, though, it seems the reality is finally starting to hit home. I think I’ll let my cart linger for a little while and savor this new feeling, as I realize that I will never again experience the newness that is an impending first-time birth.
Source.
Once upon a time in 2012 when I was a bitter and intensely crampy Belle, I bought a Diva Cup and a bottle of Diva Cup Wash. I had just had a failed FET and was shocked by how heavily I was bleeding. Convinced that there was never going to be a happy ending to my story, I ordered my Diva Cup in the size recommended for women who have not delivered vaginally and who are under 30 years old (oops, either missed that age notation or was in some hard-core denial when I ordered it!)
Two weeks later two more embryos were transfered and a few days after that I tested entirely too early and saw a squinter. And the rest is history, I guess.
Last night I was going through the bathroom cabinets as step 5,000 (slight exaggeration) of our pre-move purge and found the unopened cup and wash. Was this a lucky cup? Eh, I seriously doubt that. If all our lucky charms worked then we would all be pregnant first time around! It is, however, a perfectly good diva cup and not the kind of thing I want to, you know, have out at my garage sale!
So I thought I’d do a giveaway on Scrambled Eggs and pass it on to another infertile who is still in the trenches and frustrated by the epic flow that follows a bust cycle. To enter, simply leave me a comment sharing how you cope with a bust cycle. I’ll select a random reader on Sunday and announce the winner Monday!
It’s not a 100% done deal since we still have legal stuff to sift through and then need board approval from the co-op, but we are well on our way to becoming first time home owners!
The Professor’s trip to NYC last week was extremely productive. There is not a lot in our price range that met all our criteria so he was only able to view eight properties. From those eight we narrowed it down to a top choice and a backup choice. Many of the properties were CLEARLY not an option. One had a gas leak inside. Another featured a beat up pink tub and toilet. Several had severe damage to the floors and appliances that were seriously older than we are. When you are trying to buy a place in NYC with 900 square feet in our price range you are met with a LOT of fixer-upers!
I’m disappointed to report that the Professor did NOT fill out a checklist on the properties (not even on the top choices!) but he did use them to guide photo taking and he remembered to check out the important stuff – like water pressure and to look for leaks. Each night he would upload photos and video to our Drop Box account and then call me so we could go over what he saw.
I’ve got to be honest with you, the first time I saw the layout of the place we eventually put an offer on I was not pleased. I had really wanted an open floor plan so I would not be all alone when preparing meals, and so I could easily watch baby when I was making my lunch smoothie. However, the photos slowly brought me around. A freshly renovated kitchen, refinished hardwood floors throughout and a ceiling fan in baby’s room won me over. In addition, the unit is on the top floor, has double exposure and overlooks a park. At $20k under our budget, the price was also right.
I went to bed torn – to give up my open floor plan for a freshly renovated kitchen was a BIG deal for me. Refinished floors that would not give me a 2 inch splinter in my ass, though, now that was a real perk! The next morning I mapped out how our furniture would fit in the place. The living room could work… so would the master room… and baby’s room would be a tight squeeze but ultimately ok. The icing on the cake was when I realized the “foyer,” which is really just a huge hall, would permit FOUR Ikea Pax wardrobes for storage. Mmmmm, delicious storage and organization. I called the Professor on my way to work and told him I was ok to make an offer.
Paperwork was organized, lenders, lawyers and agents were called and by Saturday evening the sellers had accepted our offer! Buying co-op property in NYC is a lot different than buying a home anywhere else in the country, and to be honest, the Prof. and I are still stumbling through the process. Right now we are waiting on the seller’s lawyer to draft a contract, then our lawyer will review it. Once the contract is all approved, we’ll submit a formal application to the co-op board. Eventually we’ll both go to NY to interview with the board. Once they approve us we can finally sign everything and will officially be the new owners. Ugh, that seems like a lot of steps!
The property is in Riverdale, which from what the Professor reports is beautiful, full of trees, winding roads, little shops and parks. The property is super close to transit and only a few blocks from Van Cortland Park. He spent one afternoon exploring the area and locating “Very Important Things” like a market, produce stand, 24 hour pharmacy and, of course, a wine shop. It is also an easy commute for the Professor to get to work via bike or bus. I am calling it New York “Lite,” as it is sort of the softer side of New York City, but only a quick train ride to the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.
I promise to share lots of detailed photos of the place once everything else is finalized. Until then, you’ll have to stare at a boring floor plan with me and day dream dream about all 900 square feet of potential 
