Thursday, March 27, 2014

A Diary of Early Pregnancy.7



--The Neti Pot: After two or three weeks of persistent congestion and sinus headaches, I finally gave in and called the midwife. Her only recommendation was something that Francisco owns and so I've heard of, but I had hoped never to experience: the neti pot. Basically, you take this little watering can looking thing and pour it in one nostril and it drips and drains out of the other. What's in the watering can is a mix of water and salt. Anyway, it is not pretty, dripping stuff through your nose, but it's also pleasant to be able to breath. (Between our new humidifier and the neti pot, for the first time in weeks this morning I woke up breathing like a regular person and sans headache.) (For the record, there's an ever-so-slight chance that they can kill you, so be sure to use distilled or sterilized water.)

--Last night I dreamed that I was in labor, giving birth to twins (my worst nightmare), and it was a perfectly fine experience--intense, but totally do-able. I think that I've really internalized the hypnobirthing stuff about it not being pain, but rather pressure: even my labor dreams are positive!

--Today I told my students that we're expecting. Two of the classes clapped, which was very cute and made me blush. One class suggested that they throw a Tocqueville-themed baby shower. 

--I ordered a christening gown for the baby's baptism. Somehow this one thing seemed like an essential preparation to make right away--I've literally bought zero other baby things. But Francisco and I don't have old vintage baby baptismal gowns in our family (as far as I know), so I had to pick one out on etsy. Plus, it had to be little boy and little girl appropriate. I found one that was sufficiently British-looking for Francisco's taste and sufficiently long and lacy for mine.

--Just turned down presenting at APSA, since I'll likely be in labor with the baby at that time. This is definitely the biggest sacrifice I've had to make so far (and totally unavoidable, unless we want to give birth in DC). 

5 comments:

Miss Self-Important said...

Nose teapot! My husband uses this. It's gross.

All things considered, I'd say missing any academic conference is probably the least significant thing you could sacrifice. Baby, or conference panel with two audience members in a room meant to seat 60?

Stearns said...

BURN.

Emily Hale said...

:P

I love apsa. And complaining.

Miss Self-Important said...

It's not possible to love APSA, a violation of natural law even. You could be John Rawls's reanimated corpse at these conferences and you'd only get your panel attendance up to three.

Emily Hale said...

Ha--it's not the presentations--it's all the people I get to see!