Today we had a midwife appointment. That actually went well. Otherwise, this was just not a good day at our house. Nothing seemed to work, no one could connect, all that stuff.

First, we had plans to go out Abbotsford to see my mom and set up her new computer, which was supposed to arrive two days ago. It still isn’t there, so we had to cancel that. A big boo goes out to Purolator on that front.

Second, we visited Canadian Tire to buy a new aerobed, since apparently my pregnant self is difficult to sleep with. Once we got the bed home we realized that the automatic pump was a 12V car plug, instead of the 120V wall plug–no good. When we went in to exchange it, they didn’t have a suitable replacement. So, we have to order one on-line, which means another week of poor sleep for Jon.

Finally, this evening I installed Microsoft Money. We want to keep better track of our finances, with a baby on the way and all that. However, we discovered that our bank, TD Canada Trust, doesn’t work with Money 2005. Apparently both sides have known about this problem for nearly 4 months now, and no progress. We’ll have to call Microsoft tomorrow and ask for a refund, since they promised that they supported downloads from TD. Blech.

In an attempt to not be a total downer, here are the stats from the midwife:
Pregnancy date – 26 weeks, 5 days
Fundal height – 28 cm (should equal the number of weeks, +/- 2cm)
My weight – Pre-pregnancy + 22 pounds
Baby’s heartrate – 148 bpm
Baby’s position – Head down, nestled into my right side (the same as before)

I’ve discovered that one of the joys of pregnancy is increased nasal congestion. Apparently it’s normal to feel and sound as if you have a cold much of the time. Of course, the downside to all of this is that breathing through your nose becomes increasingly difficult, especially at night. So, unfortunately, I snore pretty much all the time now.

In an effort to save my husband from sleep deprivation, and myself from permanently chapped lips, I decided to give those Breathe Right nose strips a try. The verdict is in, and we have a winner. I am breathing much better, and I understand that my snoring has diminished substantially. We’re investing in a jumbo pack next time we’re at the store.

I will be frank, and say that when I’m actually sick and not pregnant, a good shot of Nyquil works far better. However, I wouldn’t want to have to take that sort of thing every night for three months straight, even if I weren’t pregnant. And being pregnant makes it unsafe in any case. So, it’s the linebacker look for me.

Man, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted in the blog. I guess my contribution as of late has been cleaning out the comment spam. I’ve even read books that should be reviewed, and Amber’s pregnancy has certainly become a central fixture in our lives. I guess I do have things to say.

But it’s Christmas, and I’d really like a cookie and a cup of tea. So Happy Holidays to one and all.

Since I moved to Coquitlam, I have officially been a commuter. I pay a premium on my car insurance, because of the distance between home and work. I have routines that I do in the car to pass the time. I know all of the routes between work and home, and can discuss the relative merits of each.

Any commuter will tell you that most of the time, the commute is totally bearable. After all, if it wasn’t, you wouldn’t do it. Any commuter will also tell you that you have the occasional commute that makes you want to take up residence in a cardboard box in your office parking stall. Accidents, road work, bad weather, or certain days of the year generally cause these horrific commutes. On these days, it takes you hours to get nowhere, and there’s nothing to do but hurry up and wait.

On a bad commute day, I have occasionally felt attracted to the lure of the alternate route. I have found these alternate routes to be of very limited value. There’s usually a reason you don’t go that way in the first place. Add in all of the other drivers with the same bright idea, and the situation is often as bad as the one you left, or even worse. So, I take the tough-it-out approach, and hope that traffic clears quickly.

So, what’s the answer? There isn’t one for me, I’m afraid. I am willing to brave the 2-3 disastrous commutes that I do each year to live and work where I do. All the same, on the Barnet Highway this morning, I was seriously questioning my sanity. Only a few days left until Christmas vacation, right?