I credit tea with my dear friend Robyn for keeping me grounded.
So, let's see, what to talk about first? How about this:
Can you read the first line of that ad? It says, "I'd like to extend my thanks to Leanne Kemmler [that's me and my maiden name, which I publish under for View Magazine] for the beautiful review in her Edibles column, as it literally brought tears to my eyes."
Here is the review she is referring to: Rebel's Rock Irish Pub.
When Sean showed this to me last week, well, I did more than get literal tears in my eyes! It is profoundly gratifying to know that I've made an impact on people through my writing. Whether it is here, at Hamilton Birth Revolution, or through my restaurant reviews at View Magazine, I am deeply touched to learn that people have paid attention to something I've said and were changed in some little way by it.
Once, when I criticized a particular dish at a new restaurant, the owner emailed me to let me know he'd been having trouble with that dish and my review cemented his decision to take it off the menu. And, further, he let me know that based on my experience with slow service, he'd had a staff meeting to discuss ways in which to ensure a more efficient delivery of food in future. Talk about having an impact.
My very first review was for a lunch counter that had been open for only a month. A letter arrived a week after the review ran saying that they'd had a marked uptick in business since my review ran and they thanked me for being key to their early success. It's enough to make a girl weep with joy!
So, even when my freelance cheque is late and my column contributions get cut down to bi-weekly, I love doing this job.
Another job I love? Being pregnant!
OK, it's not exactly a job, but, well, when I spend half my toothbrush time gagging so hard I cry and pee myself, it seems like a chore. There are definite perks to being pregnant, though, that make up for all that darned peeing oneself.
We are currently halfway through the pregnancy. Time has gone so quickly! One of the coolest things about this time is that I now regularly feel Shrimpie kicking and punching his or her way around my tummy. I know it won't feel so awesome later, but boy or boy do I love feeling this little one inside me!
The other cool thing about this time of the pregnancy is the mid-term ultrasound!
I can't believe how clear this image is! Taken at 19 weeks and 3 days, this awesome profile of dear little Shrimpie, who is only measuring about 6 inches long from head to butt, shows off his or her little chin, nose and mouth very well.
I'm assuming that everything is going to be OK with the U/S results as the tech showed us everything from the heart and spine to the stomach and brain. All were well-developed and measuring properly. We'll hear the final verdict from the Radiologist in a couple of weeks, but I'm not expecting to hear and negative outcomes.
While we were ogling Shrimpie via the miracle of sound waves and a very full bladder, the baby decided first to tuck up into the, uh, fetal position, and then, later, while we were checking out the profile, began masticating. Shrimpie's hand had been up near his or her mouth, so maybe a little thumb-sucking was in order.
It was a really reassuring process for me. I've written previously about not feeling able to trust this pregnancy after losing the last one. But, this seemed to sweep all that out the door. I'm feeling again like I can trust the baby to grow the way it needs to grow and I'm trusting that my body will care for this baby and birth it exactly the way it's encoded into my DNA.
Now we just have to begin preparing for our homebirth. I can't wait!
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