My “aggravating factor” is getting bigger by the day. At 14 weeks I will soon switch to maternity garments, also known as tepees. Except that this time, instead of overpriced jeans and t-shirts tepees, I get to go on a shopping spree for business attire tepees. See, I am now a working woman, hear me roar. (Then catch my fancy pumps in a sidewalk crack and sprain my ankle. Or eat my sushi on a freshly painted bench. Yep, that’s me, classy all the way.)
The morning [afternoon-evening-night] sickness has mostly subsided thanks to a $200-a-month Diclectin habit, and has been largely replaced by an overwhelming urge to run to Costco and buy a sea container of fresh berries with a cubic ton of rice pudding. (Mmmm, rice pudding and fresh berries: one of the things that does not remind me of the pro-life / pro-choice dialogue).
In any case, I learned an interesting kernel of information yesterday at the pay office. Employees of the Public Service qualify for maternity leave benefits after 6 months of full-time work. I’m sure there’s a catch somewhere (like turning-in your newborn upon it’s 8th birthday to the salt mines) but I will have been working 6 months, hear this, 10 days before my due-date. Isn’t that hilarious? But even more hilarious is my husband’s commitment to bring me to work on a gurney to complete the 6 months requirement. If I give birth early — hopefully on a weekend — we hope that a strategically placed pillow will do the trick. A friend asked me if this was ethical, to which I replied: “I got a Master’s degree in ethics, therefore everything I do is ethical.” Hey, don’t shoot me: that’s how it seems to work in academia. If you doubt it, go and read anything written by Princeton’s Peter Signer or Oxford’s Julian Savulescu.
So for once, I’ll be hoping for a late delivery. The odds aren’t great: out of five, the three girls (who are indeed everything nice) were born early and the two boys (no comments) were late. But if you want to start a pool, feel free to send your donations to the pro-life organization of your choice.
by 
I hope and pray that your “aggravating factor” is very healthy and brings much joy and peace to you and your family.
The ages of between the terrible twos and threes seem to be the most aggravating times for those “aggravating factors.”
And as your personal account clearly shows even the Public Service qualify for maternity leave after only six months of full-time work so that your “aggravating factor” gets all the special care of your full time undivided attention all paid for by the taxpayers of the nation.
That “aggravating factor” deserves your love and attention so that it too may become an important factor in the future well being of your family and of the country where the “aggravating factor” took place.
Canada’s future well being and growth depends on a lot more “aggravating factors” taking place right across the entire nation.
Congratulations! It sounds like we both have babies due around the same time 🙂
I’m so delighted to have stumbled–quite accidentally–on this wonderful blog. It is very refreshing to see the pro-life philosophy combined with common sense and real feminism. It makes me want to move to Canada! I will be checking in often.
BTW, if maternity clothes are a problem, I recommend a Bella Band. They weren’t around during my first 2 pregnancies, but I’m half way through this one and still wearing my “normal” skirts and jeans. It’s a great investment.