tuesday was gibson's big surgery day. to save on expenses, we went to a clinic (half as much as going to our vet); but with savings often come sacrifices. in this case, i had to sacrifice my time. after about a 40 minute drive (morning rush hour!) we waited for about 2 hours to be checked in. 2 hours in a room packed with owners and pets, all waiting forever, most not having eaten or drank since 8pm the night before, all struggling to stay calm despite the palpable discomfort of everyone(2 and 4 legged alike). gibson did make a friend, a 7 month rottie female, which provided some distraction with the occasional wrestling match, but even that had to be limited, given the circumstances. i returned after work to pick up gibson, only to wait another hour (watching a video of the exact same information provided on a handout). i picked up a coned, drugged out, depressing and depressed being in the guise of my dog and i almost cried. in the car and often that evening he would stand still and stare off into the distance for several minutes at a time. i was worried for him and did everything i could to comfort him and let him know he was loved, despite the day's traumatic experience. we keep telling ourselves it's for the best, and by wednesday evening we were reassured when we had our old gibson back. he now tears through the house, bulldozing his cone through everything, not letting it slow him down. so it looks like we still have gibson, though not anatomically sound, and are ready to continue his training to be the best big fuzzy brother he can be. i know he'll love his little brother/sister and i'm enjoying working with him to get him ready for the arrival.
i discovered on wednsday that i've gained another 4 pounds, putting the pregnancy total to 24 to date. i still like to exclude that first 10 lbs in my head, which makes the total seem much better. but the fact remains that although i eat well and do a little work out every morning, i'm not getting the exercise i need to keep the weight gain to a minimum. i'm dedicated to give this baby the best life possible, and a key ingredient will be my health and well-being. adam and i will have to work together on this, so we're both the healthiest e can be.
work has been very challenging. back in may, i broached the subject of a modified schedule with my bosses. i proposed working sundays instead of fridays, in an effort to get caught up on a project i've fallen sorely behind on. not only would i get caught up, but it would mean less hanging over my head come maternity leave time; plus, i'd have the added bonus of spending time with adam over the summer to get some quality time in before the baby. both bosses agreed and i enjoyed some wonderful productivity for about a month. then the hr director caught wind of my arrangement and decided it "set a bad precedent." and so, though there is no policy to support the hr director's position, my boss decided to rescind the offer of having a productive summer. among many reasons why this is disheartening, i was secretly using this request as a litmus test for potentially working part-time come parenthood. oh well.
i was disappointed yet again by my boss when i was brought on as an afterthought to a project i should have lead the way on. i have been assured that if i try my best to overcome ridiculous odds, time lines and management, i will not be "blamed" if the project doesn't come through successfully on time. so i am trying my hardest, despite frustration and challenges at every turn. however, i learned a hard lesson at my previous employer that stress gets you nowhere but creates unhappiness, illness and lack of productivity. so, while i do give this project my all, i am not putting in long hours at the expense of my home situation and not over worrying at the expense of my sanity and well being. this past week has challenged my creativity and problem solving and i only hope the coming week brings a miracle so things work out well. we'll see.
last night i attended part of the festivities at my friend meg's bachelorette party. for as much emphasis as there was on drinking, i still managed to have fun, and my pregnancy status was discussed without stealing the spotlight. she is by far one of the most genuine people i know, balancing fun, crazy, sweet, intelligent, honest and all other good qualities into one cute little package. i'm so excited for her wedding, i know her and andrew will have a long and happy marriage and if they are blessed with children, will make wonderful parents. i'm really disappointed that i won't be able to make it to their wedding. this is due to 2 things: 1) i don't have a willing victim to travel to grand rapids for the event and 2) adam isn't keen on me travelling without him in my current state.
i appreciate adam's heightened level of protectiveness since i've become pregnant. it's a comfort, not a burden, and i love him for it. i know the little one will grow to appreciate it as well, but if it's a girl, she may resent him for it for a while. in the end, i think kids should feel a balance of being protected but independent; protected enough that they feel confident, confident enough to rely on themselves, but having someone to fall back on when they need it.
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