Well, the baby is kicking around in there, trying to expand the dwelling space. I can feel lots of “small parts” on my right side, alternately poking me in the ribs and the vagina. Yay!

My appointment with Tiffany went well last night. I peed in a cup, swabbed my perineum for group b strep, and had 2 vials of blood drawn (to test for anemia and syphilis), got weighed (137 lbs), had my belly measured (31 cm), and had my blood pressure taken (very low as always). I also signed the form that says I understand and agree to the constraints of giving birth at the Cambridge Birth Center and got to ask a few questions about breaking the waters, which they do there at 8 cm dilation. I also got two prescriptions – one for acyclovir to prevent herpes outbreaks. If you have a herpes outbreak when you go into labor, it’s an automatic C-section. Better safe than sorry. The other is for a topical anti-fungal powder. I got a heat rash a while ago that isn’t going away, so I suspect fungus – something like this has happened once before.

Kelly gave notice today, which is exciting. He gave the date of Friday, August 1st, which is also the date I have told my office will probably be my last day (my due date is the following Tuesday). If nothing is happening on the labor front and our apartment is all ready for the baby (somewhat unlikely), then we may choose to work longer if it is convenient for our offices.

I got caught in this amazing thunderstorm yesterday. I parked the car just as it started and was fishing around in my purse in the Whole Foods parking lot when gravel-sized chunks of hail started hitting the car with violent, sideways-blowing winds, lighting and thunder, and so much rain that the air misted. I was stuck in the car for 20 minutes waiting for it to let up enough so I could go into the store. It was a bit scary, but not as bad as last week when I was outside and lightning crashed down right on top of me out of nowhere. I screamed, jumped, and uselessly covered my head with my hands, of course. Today it is 90 degrees and more thunderstorms are predicted. It feels so hot and humid out. I am drinking a lot of water, but maybe if it’s so hot in our apartment tonight, we’ll turn the A/C on in the bedroom to try and cool it and then go see Hulk. The weather is supposed to break tomorrow and be in the 70s. That would be nice.

I got an appointment with a pediatrician recommended by the birth center for 2 weeks from now.  We need him to see the baby 24 hours after birth, but the receptionist I spoke to did not know if he would be able to do that if I gave birth on a Friday or Saturday.  She said I could ask him when I met with him.  Grrrreat.  If not, we’ll have to scramble to find a pediatrician.  I also called 2 mohels recommended to me by Rabbi Andy Vogel.  One has his own website: Cantor Sam Pessaroff.  I spoke to his wife, who said just give him a call after I have the baby.  The other is a urologist who is out of town until next week.  Finally, I called the insurance company to make sure that they cover births billed through the Cambridge Health Alliance, which is how the birth center bills.  Yes, they do.  I have to figure out the paperwork to add the baby to my insurance after birth, but I did find out that the baby is covered under my insurance for 36 hours.

These two articles address my guilt:

1. Thomas H. Benton’s Is Graduate School a Cult? (The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 2, 2004)
2. When Is It Time to Quit?

If I take just this one class right now, I can (with permission from my advisor, my department, and the graduate school) transfer in two courses from another college and complete my two-course thesis long-distance. So it is possible that even if I move away from the area, if I take this class I could still complete the degree at Tufts. If I took this class and another class in the second summer session, I might be able to do a one-course project rather than a full thesis. In sum, if I wanted to, I could take the 5 classes necessary to complete the degree within the next two years. But only if I take this summer course…otherwise, I won’t have enough on-campus credits.

I have to consider the cost of the degree (no more tuition remission after I leave my job at Tufts), the opportunity cost, and the potential fiscal/career benefit of having the degree. I feel pretty strongly that degrees above a BA should be pursued to advance one’s career, rather than just for pleasure, at least at this stage in my life. Part of the problem is that I don’t know exactly what I want to do for a career, although I think I am closer to knowing than I have been in the past.