Pesach 2022

We made it through Pesach. I've gotten preps down to a science over the years, doing the basics and getting help wherever I can, but it was still a lot. I paid my cleaning crew extra to do a deep cleaning including the oven and fridge. I ordered some catered trays of food to ease the amount I needed to cook. We limited hosting to just two meals, and declined any invitations because I'm not up to walking anywhere these days. Many family members were traveling out of town and the one that stayed local had tested positive for covid so they were isolating.

There were no days where I was off work and he was off school for me to just crank everything out, and everything takes longer with a toddler trying to help. I hired a neighbor's 11 year old a few times to help us entertain him while I cooked and prepared. My husband helped as much as he could around his work schedule. Chol hamoed was hard with cold and rainy weather. I tried to do an activity every day, trying to stay within budget and considering my limitations for how far I can walk or move.  Somehow we managed to keep him happy, fed, entertained, and occupied for the past 10 days. When he's in a good mood it's a really fun stage; when he's in a less-good mood it can be really challenging to stay patient. We're lucky that he's generally well-behaved. As much as we love spending time with him and enjoy his energy and newfound independence and curiosity for everything, I find myself breathing a sigh of relief at bedtime when he finally falls asleep and we have some quiet... then I miss him. 

We're still on weekly appointments. I'm up 12 lbs from transfer date but look huge. People are visibly uncomfortable when I bend down to pick something up, or get up from a sitting position. For the most part I feel ok, just a lot of tightness in my lower back. I tried to schedule physical therapy but everyone was booked. I ended up getting a prenatal massage and it was just ok - didn't release any tension in my lower back and wasn't as good as a usual massage. Maybe it was just not a good therapist.

We know it's getting close but are having trouble wrapping our mind around it. I need to install the infant car seat, pull some newborn clothes out of storage to wash, and get the room ready. I think I needed to get past Pesach first to be able to mentally make the shift. On one hand we barely had anything set up for the first (because we were so superstitious) and it was fine; on the other hand I know things will transition more smoothly if we prepare in advance before we're sleep deprived trying to juggle newborn and toddler. 

Undies

Last week our little guy was sent home from school for being too fussy and just not acting like himself. He developed a fever within 24 hours and we were on a motrin/tylenol loop for the next few days. It's so, so sad when they're sick. All he wanted to do was to snuggle up or rest in his crib which is so different than his usual bouncy, boisterous personality. As I tried to push liquids to keep him hydrated, I barely ate. My last appointment had me at two lbs less than the previous week, for a grand total of +10 for this pregnancy so far. We took him to the ped to get checked out and he tested negative for everything (covid, strep, flu, rsv) so just a random virus. I guess that's what happens when masks come off. 

I had a big project at work completed successfully earlier this week. My original thought was that I'd be able to check out mentally after that was done, but I'm still pretty focused so I'm happy about that. Pesach is around the corner and I'm trying to do something small every day so that it doesn't pile up. Even though I gained less weight this time, I'm carrying very different somehow and I look and feel very large. I accidentally dropped something at work and someone rushed to get it from the floor. It makes people uncomfortable to see me bending or lifting or moving quickly, even though that's basically what life with a toddler is.

We're trying to get a second car. We sold my husband's car back in 2020 when we saw that the "two week wait" wasn't ending any time soon. It was definitely the right decision and I have no regrets about getting rid of it. The car was taking up space, we didn't need it, and we were able to use the profit to pay off debt. Plus we saved two years of insurance payments and maintenance costs. But now the remote-work-gravy-train is over and we need a second vehicle. The car market is completely bonkers, second only to the housing market. I'm having a hard time finding anything for less than $30k, new or used, that will fit our needs. I'm very practical and just want something safe and functional but there is such limited inventory. Been researching toyotas and subarus - should I be looking at different models? I visited a few dealerships and test drove a few cars. I'm really ok with anything, I'm just trying to keep it under a certain price and it seems like that doesn't exist. So I'm dragging my feet and in the meantime we're spending a fortune on Uber. 

My latest complaint is uncomfortable underwear. Nothing fits comfortably. It's fine when I put it on but then sitting or moving or anything just bothers me, and then it makes me in a bad mood. I'm not a fan of going commando and it's getting too warm to keep wearing leggings. Small dose of TMI for the day. 

I still participate in fertility support groups online. I like being able to answer questions regarding halacha (Jewish law) as it pertains to fertility treatments. Not only did I research it and find out the answers when it was relevant to my situation, but I also lived through it for many years. I think it brings comfort to people to know that they're not the only ones with these questions. I always quote my sources and provide relevant links so that they can do additional research if they choose, but most of the time they're just thankful to have a direction to get started.

Shabbat shalom.