Late May Reads & Ultrasounds

READS

While we were in Cuba I brought along a number of novels to read on the beach or by the pool. I left the books in the hotel when we checked out to lighten my load and then later saw one of the hotel administrative staff walking around with them. 

• A Blade of Grass is a story of apartheid set in the land bordering South Africa and is fraught with bad turns of events for the two main characters Marit, the European landowner and Tembi a native South African. In the end Marit loses everything and Tembi gains everything but at a cost.  This was a book I had sitting on my bookshelf for years. 

• Ru I really enjoyed. It was chosen as the winner for Canada Reads this year. It is a fictionalized memoir based on Kim's past growing up in Saigon, living a life of privilege until that city's fall and as a Vietnamese refuge. I liked the unusual lyrical format for this book, a series of one and two page vignettes from her life, not in order of occurrence. This novel could easily be read in a day. 

• What Alice Forgot I devoured quite easily. It is somewhat unbelievable which was perfect as escapist literature for the beach. I can see it being made into a feel good chick flick movie. Alice wakes up after a head injury with no memory of the last 15 years. She discovers her once happy life is gone- she is now in the midst of a divorce and must decide whether to start over or fix her relationships. 

ULTRASOUNDS

Now for the ultrasound that I have buried in this post.  Everybody who looks at these photos says the same thing. What is it? What does it mean? 

I am just so happy that the baby has a heartbeat. 

I was to drink 1 litre of water beforehand between 1:45-2:00 pm last Wednesday. My appointment was not until 3:15. I was so glad they took me at 2:45. I do not think I would have lasted nor did the ultrasound technician. It was over very quick. She said that the heartbeat and sack looked good. Baby measured right on schedle at 8 weeks 2 days. She showed me the flicker on the screen and said that was the heart beat. She gave me a print out of photos. 

I have my follow up ultrasound this week on my leg for my blood clot and an appointment with a hematologist to be scheduled to find out if I have factor v Leiden. I really hope I do not. I do not like taking the blood thinner Lovenox injections. The bruises on my belly are atrocious and they hurt. 

I am still nervous about this whole pregnancy. I am counting the days until we reach the 12 week mark. I read however that one's chance of miscarriage is around 3% after hearing the heartbeat so that is good to know. I had a little bleeding again on Sunday. It really knocks me for a loop. I can't be overdoing it. 

LIFE LATELY

I am the laziest person I know of late. Today for instance I did not get out of bed until 9 then I picked strawberries from my garden and made a pancake and strawberries for breakfast by 10. After I finished folding and putting away two loads of laundry, washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen all by 11. Then I talked on the phone to my mom. My lunch consisted of reheated quinoa and chicken and watermelon. And then I wrote this blog. And now I have the whole afternoon and I don't know what to do with myself because it is too hot to go pull weeds in my garden or go for a walk. I likely will go shopping and come home and read a book. L was supposed to come home today but decided to pick up some extra shifts at work. I miss him. I haven't seen him in over a week.