April 6-23, 1998: I've got a secret...

The Monday after my Mom returned home from her week-long visit, I returned to work, harbouring my little secret. While everyone on both sides of the family now knew I was pregnant, I was still hoping to get through the first trimester before telling people at the office -- although it was hard, since my clothes were already feeling tight. I remember wearing lots of sweaters overtop of skirts & pants (including my new navy floral drawstring palazzo pants) -- in order to hide the undone top button.

Wednesday, April 8th, I attended an all-day workshop at a downtown hotel. I don't remember a lot about the workshop, but I do remember frequent trips to the washroom (still some spotting) & loading up on fruit from the coffee break buffet. Also that week, I fielded phone calls from roofers (the few who deigned to return my messages) with quotes on repairing a leak around the chimney stack. (The job eventually got done, for $128.) By the end of the week (much to my relief), the spotting finally tapered off to a yellowish discharge. I could live with that!

April 10th was Good Friday. With FIL & stepMIL in Florida, & BIL at his MIL's, we were invited to spend Easter with dh's aunt & her family.

April was a month full of babies -- babies who are now turning 10 years old. An older friend from work (different department) became a first-time grandmother when her daughter gave birth to a baby girl on April 13th, and SIL's cousin had a baby girl the same day. The cousin whose shower I attended earlier in the month delivered a boy on April 20th.

Thursday, April 16th, rumours began to fly hot & heavy that the Toronto-Dominion Bank and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce were planning a merger -- following in the footsteps of the Royal Bank and Bank of Montreal, who had announced plans to merge in January. The next day, the proposed merger was announced, causing a huge sensation on Bay Street (Canada's equivalent of Wall Street, where I work), & creating a huge flurry of work (and high stress levels) for me & my colleagues. I can remember pounding the keyboard frantically & looking down at my expanding belly & thinking, "Oh baby, this can't be good for you." In my datebook that week & the next, I note that I was constantly YAWNING & heading off to bed extra-early, totally exhausted.

Thursday, April 23rd, I had lunch with my first-year roommate from university, now a high-powered corporate lawyer who worked (and still works) in the office tower across the street from mine. We still get together every month or two for lunch dates. Two years previously, she had given birth to a boy at age 37, & a few months earlier, she had loaned me a book on "getting pregnant" that she said had been helpful when she was trying to conceive. Much to her delight, I handed the book across the table to her & told her I wouldn't be needing it anymore. Ah, such confidence...!