First day of Maternity Leave

Today was my first day off.  It was the first time I've woken up at 8:30am on a Monday :)

We had an awesome weekend in Santa Cruz - the Bay Area was over 100 degrees, so it was nice to get away to a cooler place - cooler only because there was a nice wind that masked the 90+ degree weather.  We had rented a house which turned out to be pretty much right on the beach.  So relaxing...just what I needed.

We're at 36 weeks now.  I've been having a few contractions here and there.  So far everything has checked out ok and my doctor says the contractions are a good sign that things are progressing normally.  Good to hear!  Still, I'm not taking any chances and started washing all her clothes, sheets, towels, etc... today.  What a big task - between her laundry and mine & Amit's, I've already done 5 loads of laundry today!  And I'm not done yet, either...

If tomorrow doesn't bring more laundry, I'm hoping to catch a midday movie.

Almost there...

35 weeks!

My doctor switched me to weekly visits now.  I remember back to sometime in the first trimester when she told me that at 35 weeks we'll meet weekly - it seemed like so far off the in future.  Now here we are.  The baby's head is down, and she's just hanging out till she's ready to come out (which will hopefully be right on schedule so I can enjoy a few weeks off from work first).  It's such an amazing feeling when she moves.  I can feel every little turn, kick & jostle.  It kind of makes me chuckle when I think back to the weeks when I felt it only occasionally, or if I was super still and after I ate.  Now - it's like a drum in my belly, all day, every day, and I love it!

This is also my last week of work.  It's been a mix of emotions.  I'm partially checked out already and eager to start my 6-month hiatus.  On the other hand, I'm struggling with the thought of being out of the loop for 6-months.  I feel resigned to having an "On Target" year with no hopes of pushing myself ahead.  A 6-month career interruption will take a year of catch-up on the competitive front.  A few people have asked why I'm taking so much time off.  It's a no-brainer to me - this is the only time I'll ever get to spend so much time with my daughter, and to get some time for myself.  I have the rest of my life to run the rat race, so I want a break to enjoy my expanding family.

The girls threw me a shower a couple of weeks ago - it was awesome!! At Hakone Gardens, on a beautiful day, I spent the afternoon enjoying the company of all my girlfriends.  It was a truly memorable day.  Each person painted & decorated a onesie for the baby - it was a really fun activity!  Towards the end, some of us went for a stroll through the gardens - it was a small, quiet, beautiful place.  Here are just a few of the pictures.  The rest can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/anjali.rele/BabyShower#

Amit & I are going up to San Francisco for the day today and then planning to stay overnight.  We're both starting to feel our quiet time together slipping away in the near future, so we're trying to really clear our schedules and just focus on each other, and finishing up things for our little one's arrival.  I'm dying to tell people her name, but Amit is holding strong and stopping me :)