My second trip was down to the Cape to visit my friend Lauren at her parent's house. I have made these trips for the last few years and have come to really enjoy them. It is great to get away and the Grimleys treat me like I'm one of their own. I didn't get to the beach as much as I wanted because little Miss Olivia decided to scare me. She decided she would go on a little vacation of her own and not really move for over 24 hours. On Monday morning, I called my OB and they recommended that I come into labor & delivery to be checked out. Though it was about two hours to drive back to Worcester, I decided to do that because I feared that something major could be wrong. Surprisingly I was uncharacteristically calm. I knew I had to do the best for my little girl. I was on the road for about five minutes when the OB on call called me back and told me just to go to the ER at the Cape because she was sure it wasn't a big deal. I turn around and Lauren and I head to Cape Cod hospital and in about 30 minutes we're sitting in the maternity ward listening to Olivia's strong heartbeat. The midwife performed what is called a non-stress test (NST). To complete the test, I was strapped up to a monitor that recorded movement and contractions and I was given some apple juice and had to lay on my side. After about 20 minutes, the midwife came back to check and as soon as she sat on the bed I felt Olivia kick. The NST showed that she was moving consistently but just not enough for me to feel. I was then released. After that, I was told not to get too hot and stay hydrated and since it was very hot this day and the next, the rest of my vacation involved relaxing and a little shopping.
My third trip was to NYC with my mother. We try to go down to NYC at least once a year to see a Broadway show and we try to spend the night every few years. Not only was this a great getaway for us, but it allowed Sean and my dad to paint the nursery and put the furniture together. While we were in the city, we spent some time walking around, got Olivia her Halloween costume (A cute Minnie Mouse onesie), and ate some good food. We also went to see Nice Work If You Can Get It, a Gershwin musical starring Matthew Broderick. We both really enjoyed it; it was a nice light, upbeat type of musical. I believe Olivia enjoyed it as well. She began to really kick whenever a big dance number would come on. She is destined to be a dancer! Sean believes she was desperately trying to escape the torture. Here is a picture of Olivia and me at her first musical:
Trip three was a "Christmas in July" trip for Sean's work. We went to Boston with his coworkers and enjoyed a great day on the harbor and then dinner. It was very nice to get away to a fantastic hotel in Boston and enjoy some great company. It would've been nice to enjoy a good summer beer in the sun, but I was happier to feel Olivia kicking in the sun. Like the NYC trip, it was amazing how wiped out I was on Sunday. I asked Sean to leave right after breakfast because I couldn't even function. Why was I the one that felt hungover when I didn't have a sip of alcohol?
With the trips competed, we were finally able to put away the suitcase (something Millie was very excited about) and I was able to complete a lot more of my checklist. In fact it is almost complete. Check it out:
Organize cabinets in the kitchenOrganize pantryClean out nursery closetOrganize master closet- Clean out chest freezer (started, but there is something disgusting frozen on the bottom so this is a multi-week process)
Order shower decorCreate ultrasound poster for showerWash and put away Olivia's clothes(She already has more clothes than Sean)- Set up nursery (Mostly done)
Write out unit outlines for maternity leave sub- Clean out car, especially trunk
