New Place and Big Gains

I am typing this post from my new vantage point on my new couch in my new apartment. I'm still freaking out over my luck. There are a few kinks to work out -- I have to buy myself a cheap desk because this laptop is not mine, and I just straight up need a desk to do any sort of quality work. I am also not totally sure about how to set up the place. Everywhere I want to put furniture, there are windows! That is NOT a complaint. I am so happy to have a bright and sunny house after years of living in a dark dungeon.

Also, I don't like the bed that comes with the place, so I am going to talk to The Boy about bringing our current bed over here. For awhile, we were looking to fork it over to his mom, as she also just got an apartment and needs a bed. But a) it creeps me out to give his mom our bed for some reason and b) I LOVE that bed more than anything else I own. It's a futon mattress made with coconut, nice and hard but absolutely incredible. It's also very pretty. This new apartment has a storage space in the basement, so we'll see.

But here I am! I am so happy to be here. The BBC is on in the background because, hell, I get cable TV with the place. I went through and took inventory of all the details of the aparmtent, mentally noting what I should bring along from my old joint and what I shouldn't (it's semi-furnished). Now that I am here, I just want to get the move over with because this place is so much more pleasant in every way.

In other news, this morning I went to my doctor's appointment, and I have put on a considerable amount of weight in the last 19 weeks. I knew I had gained some, but it's all gone directly to my belly (not normal for me, but then again being pregnant isn't either...) so I hadn't realized exaclty how much I had actually gained. My doctor didn't seem worried, but he said I am two or three kilos over where I should be. He pointed out that each woman gains differently, and that I might be the type to gain at the beginning and then taper off a bit, whereas some women gain almost nothing and then just really pack it on at the end. I just have to be careful not to be the type to gain a little too much at the beginning AND pack it on at the end. Technically, I've gained about half of the weight I'm "allowed" to gain, but you're not supposed to have gained half the weight at the halfway point. So chocolate's out.

Regardless, he says that I shouldn't worry about it, but he doesn't want me to gain any weight between now and our next appointment in early March. Then he told me to buy a scale and just weigh myself every other day or so.

It's just insane because besides the week my family was here, I don't feel I've eaten all that poorly. So I guess it's true that ladies can really puff up over nothing when pregnant. Man. I'm still reeling a bit, honestly.

Oh! And one other thing: my doctor is half-American. How great is that? He speaks fluent English (but we spoke in French) and even made a few jokes in English during my appointment. I don't really care for myself, but I found it reassuring for my parents, as I know they are going to try to be out here to welcome the little bug into the world. Having someone who can understand them when they ask questions is really an added bonus.

Besides the surprising weight gain, the doctor said I am in perfect health and the babe is right on track. My blood pressure - which had been a bit high in previous appointments - has gone down to the desired range. I'm measuring as I should, and I got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. He asked me if I was feeling any movement and I said some, and while we were listening to the heartbeat I could hear him/her jumping around in there. Medical technology is really incredible. Heartbeat is at 150, so do what you will with that. Some people believe it can determine the baby's sex, although I've read that's an old wive's tale. For the non-believers, hopefully I'll be able to tell you for sure at the end of this month.

It's been an exciting day and I am off to go to work now, and possibly buy myself a scale at the cheap random goods land near the book store. And tonight, I am going to bring over the first of many rounds of things. We may have The Little Guy and family staying in Paris over the weekend, and it would be nice to be able to let them stay here. Kinda weird to give over my brand new apartment to a family of five on the first week of occupancy, but they were looking to get a hotel and it just seems silly, given the increased number of available beds/couches in our possession at the moment.