Last month of work, two months of pregnancy to go

This is it.  One more month until I take my leave of absence to spawn.  I'm scaling the hours back already...going back to 2-3 days a week for most of the month.  Plus, one of the nurses that was out on their own medical leave is returning, so I won't be needed as much.   Mind you, whatever hours I do work this month will be fun because acuity in psych hospitals skyrockets after the holidays.  I had an admission last week that on the surface seemed fine but during the assessment I realized they really needed to be 5150-ed.  Fortunately, they were receptive to the voice of reason and came in voluntarily.

Anyhow, by February 3rd, I'll be at term, so no more work lest I go into labor at work.  Plus I need the time to rest and get things ready around here.

The better half is starting to get nervous.  He wasn't around for the first little one's birth--he was stationed several hundred miles away, and the first little one broke the water bag three days before he was supposed to return home--so this is all new to him.  He's nesting...which is good--at least one of us is.  I never really nested the first time either.  So I'm watching him clean and cook.

He also asked me if I have started packing my hospital bag.  And to be honest...I hadn't thought of it yet.  So I started getting one together even though I still have a few weeks.  I also have to remember to program the hospital into the GPS because even though he knows very well where it is, he will forget on the big day.  That is, if he's not too much of a nervous wreck to drive.  It may be better if I drive even if I am in labor.

I really hope I don't go into labor during the Super Bowl.  The other half's team didn't make the playoffs this year, but mine's still in contention.

In other news, I'm coming down with a cold, I think.  Bah.

Colds and strep throat have been making their rounds among the patients and the staff.  All this past week, I've been as careful as I could be about hand hygiene, but yesterday I started feeling run down.  At 3am, I woke up with a sore throat.  Today, I have nasal congestion and feel run down.  No fever, thank God--I'm hoping I only caught the cold bug and not the strep.

Of course, being pregnant means my medication options are limited.  If I wasn't pregnant, I could Theraflu/Nyquil myself into oblivion and get rest.  But since I am spawning, I have to stick with drugs in the Pregnancy Category B family.  With some OB-recommended Category Cs in moderation.

So yeah, it's Tylenol, Chloraseptic and a gigantic bag of Halls Cough Drops.  I could do Benadryl if the nose runneth too much, but I'm trying not to.