It's weird too. I was allergic to it. I had a rash underneath it the full year of engagement, but for some reason as soon as I put on my wedding band, the irritation went away. It doesn't cause me pain anymore. I love my ring.
I feel like, if I take it off I'm admitting defeat. I know so many women who have removed their rings for pregnancy and then never lost the weight and gotten them back on there. I don't have a problem with overweight women, but I also don't want to be one of them. I've been overweight, and I've had an eating disorder. I don't want to go to either place again. My pregnancy app tells me I've gained an excessive amount of weight for a person at this stage of pregnancy. And like.. who cares?? Usually I would know better than to care. But somehow I feel like I let myself down.
Mmm, less vain thoughts...
So, last night before bed, hugging while we walked, Obi and I took the ridiculously short stroll to the mailbox and pushed our big fat visa application envelope inside. I have a pretty good feeling of achievement.
We don't have his criminal record check, but we sent the one we got for the first visa, and we'll send the new one when the RCMP finally sends it to us. We checked over it time and time again, and I think we have everything else. We were better at it this time, which was reassuring. We knew what we needed for the statutory declarations, we'd already written our histories, and only needed to edit them and then add in the last year or so.
The form 80 that Obi needed to fill out was a surprise though, you don't generally need that for the prospective marriage visa (our first visa) but the checklist said it was necessary for temporary residence. 19 pages long, it's all about his "character" and when he last shat. They asked several times "Are you of Arabic decent?" or are your parents etc. I kinda wonder what happens to the poor sods who have to say yes to that :/ They wanted to know all about his parents and sister, including the location of their birth and the issuing authority of their passports. The wanted his employment history for when he left high school til now... imagine what that'd be like if you were applying at 40 or something?! And every address he has lived at for the past ten years (and boy I'm glad they didn't ask me that, because I've moved on average once a year for the last ten years
). Again he had to list every time he's been out of his country, and Canadians are always crossing into the states... luckily he doesn't go down every couple of months for shopping like his sister, or that would have sucked so much worse.His dad was good though, he had a record of every place they've lived, most trips to the states, etc.
We got them a bunch of "certificates of balance" from the bank, telling them what we're saving for. Sent them pictures of the wedding, the honeymoon and my baby bump. Forgot to send them a copy of our lease, but I don't think it matters, we have ample proof that we live together. And if they want it, they'll ask.
So wooo. Huge weight off both our shoulders. Now, with any luck, there's just the 801 visa for permanent residency in two years and we're in the clear for him to look forward to applying for citizenship instead.
And then, we can do it all over again, to get me Canadian residency. I hear that's much easier and cheaper though.
We'll see.So that's where we are at.
On the baby front, I've requested my work stop giving me 8 hour shifts because my body can no longer cope with it. Last Friday I had one and I was sore but fine, until I'd been home for half an hour or so, then the pain was debilitating. My hips and back just collapsed under the pain, so Obi came home to find me kneeling with my chest on a footrest and my belly hanging in the breeze. I couldn't move, I couldn't even sit because my hips couldn't bear the weight. I tried to get up to pee at one point, and I didn't have the strength or pain tolerance to stand, letalone walk. Obi carried me to the bathroom and sat me on the pot. Ugh. So yeah, spoke to my supervisor on that front.
I have an 8 hour stint this Thursday (and then have to somehow work the day after too
)but that should be the last of them for now. I feel like I'm pathetic, but I guess at least I'm still working, and my house is still mostly clean. It could be worse. Thinking of which, the dishes are glaring a hole in my back, so I'll be getting a tea, and then being useful now until I go to work thisarvo.
I couldn't help but cringe at the "Are you of Arabic decent" question. :/
Nah you won't be overweight. You're naturally skinny and it would be so much more worrying if you hadn't gained any weight by now! Your body is just building some cushins around the baby so don't worry about it. Once it pops out you'll probably lose everything you've gained and more - breastfeeding is a killer way to lose weight!