My mother in law is here staying with me. Any moment now two of F’s aunties could walk through my apartment door. F is at work so I gotta do this on my own. Later we are going to a Chinese banquet for another aunties surprise birthday. I am nervous about that too. I feel like the white girl from the wrong side of the tracks who got herself in trouble and led the nice Chinese catholic school girl astray. Talk about ridiculous stereotypes. F’s family has been great. I have even been commanded by yet another auntie, to try harder, when it was taking us so long to start a family.
Since my mother in law (mil) came my fridge and freezer have been organized, the appliances are unplugged and I can no longer carry things or eat pineapple. She has been cooking us yummy Chinese food. My mil is amazing and great. This is a tiny one bedroom apartment though and I always feel squished when she stays. I am sure she feels the same.
Update:
Oh my gosh the aunties are here. They are happy and smiling and don’t seem to have any plans to send me to a home for unwed mothers. Oh yeah, I am married anyway so I doubt they would take me. Phew.
Posted by Next in line 
eeks today and my stomach is huge. This is no cute baby bump. This is not a starting to show magical moment. What I have is a totally enormous rock hard bloated belly. It is not baby. That is teeny tiny. Nope, this is from gas. I have never seen or felt anything like it. “Bloating” doesn’t quite cut it as a description . For better or for worse it doesn’t go anywhere. It just sits there growing larger in the day and shrinking at night. I had to buy a new bikini bottom to accommodate it. I am surprised I could still swim normally given that I have a fully inflated beach ball inside my stomach. I am relieved that I didn’t start leaking air from my belly button piercing. I haven’t gained a pound, but looked like I have added fifteen. According to google, bloating is normal during the first trimester. Here’s to more ginger tea and probiotics and hopefully deflating before I explode.
Since October I have been dealing with work hazards while TTC. It started with sick wild life. I spent months at a wildlife hospital with a student on work experience. The animals carry diseases that can be harmful to people especially while pregnant. Those feisty little critters also do appreciate the care they are getting and bite, spray, claw and peck depending on what they have at their disposal. The doctor said I could continue, but no getting bit and no inhaling poo dust.
After the wildlife center was done, the next classroom I was in had a mumps outbreak. The instructor in the classroom started calling them chubby chops. I had just found out I was pregnant, which meant that I could not get the booster vaccine. Back to the doctor to find out what to do. The doctor checked my blood and found out that my immunity was still good. Phew.
When I am not in regular classrooms, I have been working in a trades shop. The main issues are welding fumes, filler and solvents. I wear a respirator, safety glasses, hearing protection, shop jacket and wash my hands every time I leave there. I met with a midwife yesterday and she really recommended that I leave especially during the first trimester, if at all possible. Just to be on the safe side. My boss is amazing, so it is possible. Today I told my boss I am pregnant. I would have preferred to wait until the first trimester is over, but she had already figured out that I was doing fertility treatments a while ago and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of point lying now. She gave me a big hug and I am out of the shop.
