Without further ado, here are some of the finer points of pregnancy, months 7-9:
Carpal tunnel
Oh joy. I was taken out of work and rather than sit around watching TV the entire time, I decided to become more productive. I've always wanted to learn how to crochet, so I bought some books and yarn, signed up for a class, and set out to achieve my goal. Little did I know that my blanket project (pre-class), which seemed much more difficult and painful on my hands, might scar me for life...or, at least for the remainder of my pregnancy (let's hope).
When I arrived at Tall Mouse with my tightly stitched blanket and gnarled hands, my adorable British instructor, Brenda, informed me that I had been doing the most basic stitch--a slip stitch--the entire time. While this does result in a very tightly woven material, it is not kind on the hands at all. She gave me a quick tutorial on the varied crochet stitches I could use and got
me started on a proper baby blanket, complete with pattern and everything! To the left, you'll see our cheeky girl-cat Cleo sleeping soundly in the crib on top of my blanket during the chair rail installation. Apparently, she is quite the Princess, too, and wanted us to be fully aware of that fact.
Well, being that my doctor had put me into a quasi-bed rest situation, I was a woman on a mission. If I couldn't do the dishes, clean the house, etc., by God I was going to finish this blanket in record time. I crocheted like a maniac, somewhat possessed by my newfound talent. Yes, there are some imperfections, but my first creation is wonderful and I'm incredibly proud. Of course, once I finished (in record time, I might add), I began to feel some pain in my right hand. Now I'm a product of those swollen joints I had read about and scoffed at on the message boards: "Ha ha ha!" I would proclaim in my head triumphantly. "I may have cramping, frequent contractions, and fainting spells, but I'll never get this 'carpal tunnel' thing from which you suffer. Ha ha ha!" Famous last words.
In fact, I was going to post more, but typing is one of those tasks that affects said joints. So I'll have to update you with more maladies later.
