I have nothing to say, but I feel like writing. Which means I should write my novel instead, really.

Thinking of novels, someone on my facebook mentioned that NaNoWriMo is coming up. Hmm. Now, the obvious answer to this half-thought is no. "No Miriam, your baby is due in November, you can not possibly win this, not this year." Shit, I fail most years, and I'm not even having a baby then. Besides, shouldn't I focus on getting the finished one published? Well, wait a minute - wont my cover letter look better if I've written the whole series not just the first book? Shit. I don't know. My life is over, I must be dreaming to think I'm going to find time to write with a newborn, or any time during its first year(s), right?

But like, babies are often late, especially for first time mothers. What if I carry until 42 weeks and miss November entirely waiting for someone that's not ready yet? Smart Miriam tells me I should do it regardless because even if I only write for two days, that's a couple thousand words I wouldn't have written otherwise. I need to think less about writing and just do more of it. I need to work on my story board too but on that at least I've made a start.

It'll be there. Even if it takes me another ten years to get published, it'll be there. I'm content.

On the house front, the real estate agent is asking (for a second time) to drop the list price. I'm dealing with this stuff now because Bec was just getting way stressed. Now, the two main issues with the house are the size of the lounge room, and the fact the drive way is shared. Nothing we can do about either of those. The house next door (in a similar style, made by the same guy way back when) took a year to sell, but he only took his price down 5 grand in that time. However, he was living there. We're not living in ours or renting it out (we can't legally rent it) so we're paying rates and insurance for nothing. Well, Bec is. But the more I go into debt to her, the less of the money I'll be able to keep in good conscience when it does sell. She doesn't want to drop yet though, and I think that's fair. So I will call today and tell the real estate agent to change the wording of the price - instead of having a set list price it'd be "offers above...". Might lure someone into making an offer. We're happy to accept less. But we don't want to start out at the lower price and then end up with Jack all.

On the work front, I don't know how much longer I can keep it up, and that annoys me. I don't work shifts longer than five hours, and I only have one that long this week, but even with the pissy little four hour shifts I'm struggling. My hips and back are ready to give out before the end of it. I'm still managing to work five days a week though, and that's something, even if the hours are barely anything. I don't want to take leave before I go into labour, but I'm wondering at this point if I will hack another seven weeks. I still look forward to going in every day though, so for now I'm keeping my mouth shut.

Thinking of work, last night, this lady came through. We had to call a price check for her which was taking forever, so she's just chatting away with me while we wait (in between me helping other customers. Generally I run self-serve, because everyone else hates that job and I don't). She asked me about the pregnancy and if I'm booked into the hospital down the road. I said I was, but that with any luck I'll have a successful home birth and wont need it. She spoke casually, but, you know how sometimes you pick up on people's unease? I could feel she had a weight on her mind. Anyway, she told me it's the same hospital she'd been booked into - except she'd been booked with their birth center (A birth center differs from a hospital delivery suite in a number of ways. It's mostly run by a team of midwives and there are better options for labouring.) She's like "I really wanted a home birth, but my husband said no, so I went with the birth center. At 39 weeks they discovered my baby was breech, and so they kicked me out, I was forced to have an elective C-section"
I felt so bad for this chick, that right there is my worst nightmare, and I'm so glad Obi is open minded enough not to tell me what to do with my body. But I had no idea what to say to her. I didn't want to be too sympathetic, because I know that a lot of women who end up with C/s feel like they have not really given birth to their babies, and I didn't want to risk reinforcing that in her mind and making it worse. Plus, I was working. It's hard to comfort someone and not neglect a duty elsewhere. I guess she just needed to debrief - though, a pregnant chick is not the place to go to offload your bad labour experience. Seriously. No wonder women go into it afraid.

But yeah. Just made me sad. It is very possible and reasonably safe to vaginally birth a breech baby. But so many health providers in this country just wont let you do it. Ridiculous. I don't think I'd ever forgive Obi, if I were in that woman's shoes.

Thinking of babies, I wonder how NikkiP is doing with her newborn?

For my own little owlet, I had to go get a blood test because the Middie needs to know what my blood group is. I've been putting it off for months (because last time I went to the clinic the doctor I got was a right arsehole) but I was smart this time and asked for a female doctor comfortable with shared care. I had to wait an hour both times (the first for the consultation, second for results) to get in and see specifically her but it was worth it. She's a lovely respect Muslim lady. Anywhoo results came back yesty so in I go. And she's a bit alarmed by the results. Apparently, I'm O negative. Woo universal donor! (I've wanted to donate for years, but the blood back always turn me away because I don't weigh enough or I've had sex with a dubious person in the past two years. But now, once I'm done with pregnancy, I'm going to keep trying.)

But, the problem is, only 15% of the population have a negative Rh type, and if a positive person has a baby with a negative person, and the baby doesn't have negative blood, exposure to the baby's blood can build up a sensitization in the mother - meaning that with subsequent pregnancies, I'd be at risk of my antibodies crossing the placenta and attacking my next baby's blood cells. (Which can lead to harmful things for the fetus, or miscarriage). Lovely.

So the doctor's like "call your midwife immediately, here's a prescription for these needles you have to have/should of had at 28 weeks" and I'm like O.O
Anyway, after talking to my midwife, I feel much better. Apparently there are only a few things that expose a mother's blood to that of the fetus, and so far none of them have happened to me. So, at birth the middie will test owlet's cord blood, and if she's of a positive blood group, then I can go have this round of shots. No harm done. (Only 10% of women exposed to baby blood become sensitized, but it's not worth the risk imo)
But yeah. I hate it how the medical system seem to go worst-case-senario-first; there's no need for that.

I better get a move on. I feel queasy, but I've got Zumba in an hour, and I should go in and warm up a bit before the class (It's the unfit class, low strain. No worries!)
It's always nice to have a ramble.