Here it goes!!! I wonder if blogger has a size limit on posts?
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| Monday, January 14, 2008 |
Is it bad that I went back and deleted every "LOL" in my journal? Well, except for the one above, that is. I was scanning it again after a long time away and it just jumped out at me that I used it A LOT. Abby's 2 now and we took the front off her crib, so she's in a sort of day bed now. I'm amazed at how seldom she gets out of bed now that she's able to. We have all separately discovered her counting to ten in Spanish. That was a trip! It's fun to have little conversations with her now and to reason with her when I need her to do something (like, say, EAT!) She's still tiny (21 lbs or so) but not behind in any other way. She still loves to dance and sing -- basically she likes music a lot. She's also developing a funny little sense of humor. This week she started "reading" books to me instead of the other way around. Of course reading to her is just telling me what she thinks is happening on the page, but I'm sure that's how it always starts. She does know a lot of her letters and can count pretty well up to 20. She gets a little overzealous with the "-teens" though and doesn't always remember there are only 7 "-teens" before you get to 20. She sort of makes it up as she goes sometimes. She does better on our stairs where it's always the same number on each step. |
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| Sunday, September 23, 2007 |
Abby is getting so big and will be TWO soon! |
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| Thursday, May 10, 2007 |
Abby got suspended, then expelled from daycare for biting recently, so we spend a lot more time with her lately. Only a couple more weeks until summer and we can stop scrambling to make sure we've got her covered as we switch shifts. It's been a little crazy, but Marti has been a complete doll and takes care of everything. |
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| Monday, March 26, 2007 |
I just put Abby to bed. We had some good times tonight! Out of the blue she started standing in place, spinning to get dizzy - on purpose!!! I have no idea where that came from except MAYBE from us standing as a group doing that little circle to "ring around the rosie." But where did she learn to stand in place to do it by herself? And the look on her face as she got dizzy was priceless!!!! I wish I had the camera ready, but it was her first time doing it, so I didn't know how long she would keep it up. Plus, there was the chance she would fall towards the corner of the coffee table, and that would have been bad. I enjoyed the moment and hovered just out of arms reach in case she needed a shove to safer ground in her deliberate fall. She really enjoyed cracking me up, you could see it in her eyes. She was quite the entertainer tonight. Up until now it's been mostly the other way around -- we do the dog and pony show for HER and try to keep her entertained. Now she's starting to return the favor and I love it. I can't imagine having a more perfect Abby in the whole world, but I'm sure each parent thinks that about their child. I think back to the days I started this "pregnancy journal" not even believing entirely that there might really be a baby to come from the pregnancy -- at least not until WELL into the pregnancy. Now I look back, amazed at all she's brought us and know I am amazingly blessed. Thank you, Abby. Thank you, God. |
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| Tuesday, January 30, 2007 |
Went to dinner with Tiffany tonight and STILL don't have the whole mommy/real person balance thing down yet. I had to leave a couple times to either go out to the car or even go home to get the DVD player to keep Abby entertained so we could relax and catch up. One of these days I'll figure it all out. :) |
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| Sunday, November 12, 2006 |
Abby is officially starting to walk. Not this "get her going and let go of her hands and see if she can dive into the sofa to catch herself before falling" crap. She was standing and took a few steps in the direction of something she wanted with no input from us, short of placing said object just out of her reach for incentive. She stands quite well by herself and even dances in place. It's more like a squat/sway to the music, but I thought about if I did that and how bad my thighs would hurt afterward. Reminds me of the shaky feeling I got after my first time waterskiing. It's pretty amazing to think she can't walk yet, but she can hold that position for an extended period of time. She's also gotten her 4th tooth, so she's working on a full fledged smile for Christmas. I took some pictures of her throwing a fit. She was flat on her back on the tile crying because I took something from her. I think it was a steak knife or something -- I can't remember. Anyway, she's working on her tantrum skills already and, sad to say, it cracks me up. So much so that my response was to grab the camera. Bad mommy. |
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| Saturday, November 11, 2006 |
A friend (hi Tom!) asked me if I was keeping up this site for Abby, but truth be told, I don't really have the time. I thought about adding the paper journal entries I've been making for her when I have time. I have half a journal full of stuff for her there. I don't know if she'll like it as a kid, or even as a grown up, but when she has a baby of her own, I know she'll give it a read then if at no other time. Most of her developments are pinned down to the exact day, if not time, that they occurred. We all wonder about our own developmental history as we watch our own children grow, don't we? |
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| Sunday, September 10, 2006 |
Abby is getting so grown up! Marti and I just placed our bets on whether she will walk before he first birthday. She is quite the runner with her cart toy, but I think she will use the cart too much and forego walking due to the "crutch" it offers. He thinks she will walk in the next 5 weeks. We will see. :) She is starting to talk. Her favorite is Uh-oh! It's so funny now that she uses it in context. She throws her binkie or her bottle and whenever she drops something now she says "Uh-oh!" over and over. The funny part is she says it as her intent sometimes! I turn around to her "Uh-oh" only to see her with bottle in hand ready to toss it from her chair. Nice try kid, but you're supposed to say it AFTER something is unintentionally dropped! My little trouble maker. :) She sprouted her first tooth Wednesday and I got a peek at its little edge peering from her gum. It's the lower left one in case you were keeping track. I suppose I need to get her baby book out and get on that now that she's making all these developmental leaps. I do write in her journal still, so I can always go back and see when things happened and fill in the book later. I think the journal will be fun for her to read later when she's grown up. Like millions of new mothers, so often I wonder what my mom was thinking when I did these things as a baby. Abby will get a rare peek into the mundane and the exciting moments of her baby life when she gets her journal later. This thing is not just for the huge milestones, but for the passing thoughts as well. I hope she likes it. I can really see how it would be hard to do one for a second child though. I hope if we have a second one that I am able to keep up on his/her journal so s/he doesn't feel left out or less important. If nothing else, I can look at Abby's journal to see what's coming next and how we dealt with it in case I forget with a second one. I really want her to have a sibling so she has someone to play with, most of all, but also so she learns to compromise and share. I don't want her growing up thinking the world revolves around her. Don't get me wrong. I want her to know she is the center of MY world, but there is a whole universe out there that is not comprised of her mama and dada that she will need to know how to work with. She'll be clever and find her way, but it will be easier if she gets a good start at home with someone else who she can share things with. As much as Bob and I fought growing up, there were those times when we were so important to each other as well. I want her to have a buddy, too. |
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| Sunday, August 06, 2006 |
Abby knows how to clap and likes to copy us when we do it. I always say, "clap clap clap" the same way when we do it as she claps. Today, she said in the same tone and tempo something that sounded a lot like "clap clap clap" but without the c, the l, and the p. Well, maybe there was an l in there, but we can't be sure. It sure sounded like she was mimicing me pretty well though. |
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| Saturday, July 08, 2006 |
I was thinking today that it's been a while since Abby's used her swing. We need to get the rocking chair attachment off it for her so she can use the big girl chair. |
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| Tuesday, May 09, 2006 |
I should really get back to entering updates here for Abby. She does something new almost every day now! Yesterday she showed me how she can pull on my fingers to lift herself to a sitting position from a recline, and then to STANDING from her sitting position! Oh, it's so cute to watch her "umph" up to the stand!!! We walked across Tony's kitchen with me behind her in a rolling chair last night. She's going to skip right past that crawling thing and go right to walking! |
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| Thursday, April 06, 2006 |
Abby will be 6 months old soon and seems to be doing fine. She is able to roll to her front AND back again now, so there's no telling how much she's rolling around now that she can right herself without us. She sometimes sleeps on her side and looks like a miniature grown up person. She's so cute, it just kills me!! :) She really likes her doggies and they seem to like her a lot, too. She giggles at the sight of them coming in close for some kisses or if they are play fighting with each other. She loves her exersaucer and knows where all the toys are on it. Depending on her mood, there's always something on there to keep her entertained for a while. Teething, spinning pieces, rattling stuff, pressing buttons to make noise... It's all there. Actually, Joey (dog) chewed one toy before it got put together, so I never installed that one and ordered a new part. It's not here yet, but when it arrives, it will be fun to watch Abby realize there's a new thing on her old toy. It's weird to think how long she's been with us and even weirder still to think how long she WILL be with us. I try not to think about it. Forever is such a big number. :) A good number, but a big number. It shorts my brain circuits out thinking about it, so I just hold on to today. If I think too much about FOREVER I might miss out on NOW. Her personality is starting to develop. I like how she holds on and cuddles now instead of just hanging on for dear life. tee hee! It's more of a conscious hold than an instinctive hold now -- and I love it! I could do without her grabbing my hair, but what's a mom to do? I'm not going Annie Lenox style, so I live with the yanking. She seems to really crack up at her Daddy. Marti is funnier to her. I can tell the same "jokes" and she still laughs harder when he does them. I guess mommies are cuddly and daddies are funny. |
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| Wednesday, March 08, 2006 |
I got a reminder email today that it's been 60 days since I logged in here and made any updates. They will delete everything here if I don't use it, so I figure I should post something new. I've actually been writing by hand in a journal for her rather than here now. That way I don't have to leave her alone to run up to the computer to add my thoughts. She is growing up fast and making all these advances in her little baby world. It's so funny that they say at 4.5 months they make raspberry sounds and she's started her own little version of that right on cue. How do they know it's time? hahaha! She'll roll over any day now. Then we have to be scared because that's the first step to mobility -- and us chasing her around the house until we chase her out of it some 20 years later. tee hee!!! Time to start baby proofing this place. She still wakes up peacefully which is the greatest gift! I swear she's done all this before!!! Our little old soul. |
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| Saturday, January 07, 2006 |
Once again, it has been a long time since I wrote anything here. I just walked by Abby's room and Marti had just put her down for a nap not long ago. She was on her back with a leg bent up and wiggling just a little bit as she falls alseep. I just think it's amazing! Not long ago we couldn't even put her in the crib at night unless she was already asleep. Now we're putting her down when she's wide awake and hoping for a nap. It's working! She must be more comfortable and secure now. I'm guessing she's figuring out that we're still here and it's OK to fall alseep because the moment she wakes, we'll be there ready with her next meal. Well, almost instantly, but that, too, is an achievement! She's getting to the point where she wakes up complaining with little grunty noises, but not wailing like somebody ripped her leg off. She knows it's coming and usually is quite patient about it as long as we are changing her or moving in the direction of the kitchen. Dear God! She knows what the kitchen is already!!! I just realized that! Today she was almost hugging her little bunny toy as she was sitting in her swing! It was adorable! I should have taken a picture, but I was too busy enjoying the moment myself. She's been holding on to things a little more and grabbing smaller toys when we place them on her chest. She pulls the blanket up to her mouth and licks it when she's in her car carrier. Same with the little soft bunny toy. She's definitely exploring with her mouth now. And so our days go. Little milestones abound. |
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| Saturday, December 10, 2005 |
Long time, no write! Just found out yesterday that we need daycare for Abby to cover the time between when Marti goes to work and I get off for the day. I suppose I should have asked about my schedule sooner, but they've always been SO flexible that I really didn't think it was an issue. So, now I'm trying to find a place at the last minute practically. I really need this... |
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| Sunday, October 23, 2005 |
Went to get Abby's first portrait done today. Of course I was late, so we had to wait for another appointment. In the mean time, Abby got fussy and messed her diapers and we almost left and rescheduled. However, she managed to settle down and we accomplished the task at hand. I can't wait to see the results! The poses were too cute! I just hope the pictures came out. |
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| Thursday, October 20, 2005 |
Ok, this is totally ripped off from emails I sent, but it is the whole story about her birth, so I'll just paste what I already wrote instead of reinventing the wheel: We're home and pooped, but figuring it out as we go. She's now eating like a champ and even keeping some of it down. hahaha! It's disturbing, but I guess normal when they barf it up sometimes. No pictures of that fortunately. ;) I didn't include the C-section pics on the picture page, but if you want to see the gory details, just email and I'll send you the link to those. Marti took 2 pictures over the curtain and then had to sit down. hahaha!!! As for labor - that was AWFUL!!!! I started contractions at about 12:30 AM Thursday (Wednesday night) and went to the hospital around 7:30 PM Thursday because I thought my water broke. Well, it didn't quite break like in the movies, so I wasn't sure, but I have a "condition" (GBS) and I needed to have antibiotics if it did break, so we went in to play it safe. My contractions were still not regular or close enough to be in the hospital, but with the GBS, they took me in and hooked me up to an IV anyway. The nurse said I wasn't really dilated much, but with some manual manipulation, she got that process started and got me from 1 to 3 in about 5 seconds. Um, OUCH!!!!!!!!!!! (But thanks for not just sending me home, too!) About 2 AM I finally got an epidural and that basically stopped labor for all intents and purposes and then we started up again a few hours later. Still, my contractions were not regular or close enough, but I was making some progress, albeit slow progress. They gave me Pitocin to try to help, but had to keep turning it off because it looked like it was stressing the baby. It took HOURS to go from 5 cm to 6 cm!!!! My doctor was recommending a C-section but I didn't want that, so we continued with close monitoring of me and the baby. Finally at about 3 PM on Friday, I'd reached the magic 10 cm and was allowed to push. Apparently I was pushing well according to the doctor and nurse (although I couldn't feel a THING!). However, the baby would not budge an inch. Well, not like they measure downward movement in inches, but you get the picture. After close to an hour and a half of pushing, she still had not changed her position and her heart rate looked like it was a little elevated, although still within a safe range. It was time to give up and go into surgery. At 4:30 PM I stopped pushing and she was born via C-section at 4:49 PM! Had I known then what I know now... hahaha!!! But, hindsight is 20/20, as they say. It was weird to feel all their work as they took her out, yet not really feel a lot of pain. I was given about every drug in the book, but still felt somewhat lucid and did feel a little pain as they tugged and pushed her out. THAT was really weird! Plus, when we got in there and the curtain went up, I looked up at the big light and could see pretty well perfectly a reflection of what they were doing!!!! Mental note to self: DON'T LOOK UP!!!!!! hahaha!!!! I guess that's pretty much how it all happened. It's good to be home and figuring out how to be parents instead of in the hospital getting poked and prodded every 20 minutes or so. :) Don't get me wrong: we got lots of help and the care was great!!! But it was a little disorienting to not go outside for days, not sleep except for in short stretches for days on end, and to have someone come in to check me or the baby for something every few minutes or so. (OK, so it wasn't really that often, but it seemed like it!) Like I said, it's good to be home! It was murder just trying to find time to pick up the phone to call anyone while we were there. I honestly just called my grandmother Wednesday!!!! My mom called her for me from the recovery room, but I didn't speak to her at that time. Then I forgot if I even called my dad in CA at all! He assured me that I did, but I don't recall the conversation on delivery day. (Must have been the drugs!) Marti has been a doll taking care of me, the baby, and running home to take care of the dogs and clean up the house while I was still stuck in the hospital. I don't know how those single moms do it on their own. He just made me something to eat, so I'm going to go eat like a good little patient now. :) |
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| Wednesday, October 19, 2005 |
Went to the pediatrician today and Abby's gaining weight back, so that's great! She got her foot stuck for the PKU test and HATED IT! Dr. Caplan told me that if she hadn't latched on and nursed yet, we may not be able to, and if we do manage it, it will be hard since so much time had gone by already. She sent us right over to the hospital to see the lactation consultants. I was not too optimistic, as I'd seen 2 already in the hospital and every nurse in the place did their part in trying to get that baby to latch. However, this lady had a little trick up her sleeve that worked great to get us over that hump. Nipple shield. It's basically like a bottle nipple that hooks on and "tricks" the baby into thinking she's at the bottle instead of the breast. Eventually we wean her off the shield and she nurses like any other baby. Or, at least that's the plan. We'll see how it goes. For now, she's pretty much nursing like a champ and I'm happy about that. Well, except for the part where I have to nurse THEN still pump when she's done! It's like twice the work now, but it's better than nothing. Plus we'll have all that extra milk for when Marti wants to feed her or if we're out and about. |
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| Monday, October 17, 2005 |
Short version: Abigail Rose Harris born 10/14/05 at 4:49 PM. She was 7 pounds, 8 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long. Labor started some time after midnight on the 13th and continued until about 4 PM on the 14th for a total of close to 40 hours of labor. After all that, she wouldn't budge down the birth canal even after close to an hour and a half of pushing. She was born by C-section Friday night and so the next chapter in our lives began... I'll write more later. For now I'm exhausted and we're trying to get a system down at home to care for her. The nurses at the hospital were incredible, but now we're on our own. Marti has been phenomenal!! He's taking care of me, the baby, and had been running home to take care of the dogs and get the house ready as well. I knew he was great before, but he's outdone himself now! |
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| Thursday, October 13, 2005 |
First things first: DON'T CALL US TODAY!!!! I have been cramping pretty regularly since around 12 or 1 in the morning. At 4 AM I took a shower and that felt good, but they still continued after that until they were 15 minutes apart at 8 AM. Now that I'm sitting up, I've had one, but not on schedule like when I was laying down, so I'm not sure if this means it was false labor or if it's just the calm before the storm. I have a feeling it will be today or tonight. Marti took the dogs for a walk so they will be set for the day if we need to leave. (They still have thier doggie door!!) He was going to leave his phone charging while they walked. I refrained from giving him the "ARE YOU FREAKIN' CRAZY" look and suggested he charge it when he gets home and keep it with him on the walk in case my water breaks. Stay tuned... |
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| Wednesday, October 12, 2005 |
We had a little scare earlier today just as I was getting ready to leave to go get Shelley at the airport. I got all crampy and wasn't sure if it was labor starting or not. It was bad timing because it was TIME TO GO and it made it difficult to "wait it out" knowing people would either be waiting for me or stranded without a ride. However, chances were it wasn't the real thing, so I didn't want to panic and have them call a cab right off the bat either. It turned out to be a false alarm and I made it through the rest of the night (so far) with no further incident except I seem to be a little tired and turning inward. I am going to bed in case I need the rest tomorrow morning in case things get moving. |
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| Tuesday, October 11, 2005 |
The burger didn't do it for me. I guess it needs to be the official Birchler Burger to count. So, I'm still sitting here waiting for the inevitable and still not knowing when it will be. We see the doctor tomorrow, so maybe she'll have some news for us after my exam. I'm hoping tomorrow is our day, but that may be a lot to ask for. For now, I will just keep working on the crib set I'm sewing and maybe sort through one more box of clothes today before putting them up on the shelf for later. It's good being off work during this time. I find stuff to do here and I don't have to worry about following up with (or forgetting about) my students for a while. Marti says it's like a weekend every day now since we get to wake up together and spend the days together. Did I mention he brought me breakfast in bed today? Well, just some toast with butter and jam, but it was just what I wanted, so I think he should get "breakfast in bed" credit. :) I ate that without even sitting up and then just went back to sleep for a little bit longer. I'm seriously enjoying this while I still can!!!!! |
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| Monday, October 10, 2005 |
Jessica and Eugene took me out for a burger tonight, as it is sort of a family tradition for her side of the family on a pregnant lady's due date. Actually, her dad makes the burgers normally, but since he's not here, they took me out instead. :) Well, it is my due date, and my stomach is SO hard right now! I told Marti this could be the night -- or maybe the morning depending on how long it takes to get things started. We'll see... |
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| Monday, October 10, 2005 |
Well, we made it a full 40 weeks! Yeah!!! That wasn't so bad so far. (Talk to me in 2 weeks if I still don't deliver!) She's not moving around much today -- just a couple of wiggles to let me know she's ok. Last night she was poking out all over though!!! My Countdown to Baby timer is at 1 hour 26 minutes right now. I told Marti it would be funny if that was accurate and not just the estimate based on when I set it when I got it. I'm feeling fine today. I was a little tired last night, but was able to get dressed and go out to dinner. Mom took us out to The Keg for a really nice meal. It's patio weather again and I really did enjoy that! She also took my fabric I was going to make a curtain for the closet with and is taking it to have the curtain made for me. One less thing to do... THANKS A TON, MOM!!! She also brought some more presents from Pat and Nonnie, as well as a few things from herself and a cradle I wanted from one of her neighbors. Marti didn't want any more baby furniture, but when he heard he can keep the baby in it while he watches TV, he got really happy about having it after all. :) I've been sorting clothes to put away since there's no way it could possibly fit in the closet. I have a good solid (full) bin for each age group now all the way up to toddler, so we can see where we are now and rotate them through more efficiently. Come to think of it, that's why I came in here -- to get something out of the desk to label the bins so I know what size is in each without opening them. Back to work!!!!! :) |
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| Sunday, October 09, 2005 |
Well, tomorrow is my due date and I'm still feeling pretty much the same. I'm a little more uncomfortable and strangers are telling me I look ready. I guess my turkey timer must be on my back, because I haven't seen it pop yet and they seem to know something I don't know. :) I watched 2 women give birth on tv this morning without drugs. That is, THEY had no drugs for the delivery. Not like I need drugs to watch them. hahaha!!! But it was a little scary. Mostly funny on one of them because of the looks on her face as she progressed and realized what she was in for. Silly woman! That's what the epidural is for!!!!! |
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| Saturday, October 08, 2005 |
I made it out of my last full shift at work without a baby! Now it's just time to wait it out at home. Got my hair cut last night since I probably won't be getting my hair cut any time soon after the baby is born. I worked a few hours today to wrap it up properly and now I'm officially on maternity leave. It feels weird putting "personal leave" in my out of office message at work. It sounds more like I can't handle my job and just need some time off! But, I guess for privacy reasons, they have to insist that I don't say anything resembling medical or maternity leave unless it's one-on-one to a student in conversation. Whatever. :) |
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| Friday, October 07, 2005 |
Last day at work today! Did I mention I'm 3 days from my due date?????? YIKES! Crazy stuff!!!!! |
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| Thursday, October 06, 2005 |
Only 2 more days at work!!!! Today they are having a pot-luck lunch for me. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I carpool with Tiffany, so I would have figured it out when she got in the car with food, so they told me in advance after all. :) Thanks guys!!! I'm headed off to get ready for work now. Stay tuned... |
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| Wednesday, October 05, 2005 |
Cute moment of the week: Marti singing a made up song of "I swallowed a basketball" at the doctor's office. Things I won't miss when I'm not pregnant anymore: Urgently needing to go to the bathroom for what wouldn't even fill a shot glass. Not fitting through some tight spot and instinctively turning sideways to try to fit, only to realize that it's worse that way! Heartburn! Baby limbs poking me in the side. Staggering to the bathroom in the dark in the middle of the night. Things I will miss when I'm not pregnant anymore: Being able to give in to the "sleep monster" and going in to work for a half day from time to time. Being 20 lbs over my normal weight with a massive belly and having people tell me I'm "skinny!" Showers, baths and good stuff like that. Or at least that's what I hear. hahaha!!!! On another note, we didn't have the baby on our wedding anniversary today. Marti was a sweetheart and bought me some gifts and a card even though I told him he didn't have to do anything special. We also went out to Morton's and split a brontosaurus steak for dinner tonight. It was special and splitting it was just right since I can't eat a full meal right now without waking up with the urge to puke anymore. And any day with Creme Brule is a good day! What did I ever do without Creme Brule???? |
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| Tuesday, October 04, 2005 |
Went to the doctor again today. No news is good news. If I deliver over the weekend, there's a likelihood that I will see a different doctor in the delivery room, which was news to me. Bummer. I will have to go early or wait for the weekend to end so I get my doctor. I did have a little back pain last night. It was pretty quick and just once, but it was definitely like they described in class. It felt like something was pulling on my tailbone. Here we go!!!! That's a sign something is working down there! It still could be a couple weeks away in all reality, but that's still a good sign that we're on our way! I put in my notice at work that I will be taking my leave of absence as of the end of this week. I started crying this morning because I was just so tired. I think it's time to stop worrying about it and just stay home. I counted out the weeks I'm allowed off and that lands me right after the new year, so that works for me. |
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| Sunday, October 02, 2005 |
I had another rought night last night and scared the b-jeebers out of Marti in the process. I finally got my appetite back, so needless to say, I kind of ate a lot for dinner and dessert. However, when I went to bed, the baby must have given my stomach a kick and shoved some up my throat, making it feel like I was throwing up. I jumped out of bed making a "MMMMMPPPHHH MMMMMMMPPPPPHHHH MMMMMPPPPHHHH" noise and just trying to make it to the bathroom in the dark and not step on the dogs. Of course, this woke Marti from a deep sleep (as it did the rest of us!) and he thought I was going into labor. I don't think it happens that quickly where I'll wake up in the middle of the night making weird noises, but it was still funny. I tried sleeping in the glider (like I did last time this happened) but this time, the upright angle put too much pressure on my bladder and I couldn't sleep because it felt like I had to pee the whole time. So, I went back to bed and gave it another try. No dice. One hour later, I was MMMPPPHHing again and running to the bathroom. I never did throw up, but it was disturbing all the same. So, I went down to the recliner downstairs and slept there until about 4am when I knew it would be safe to go back to bed horizontally. I'm having a half a rice cake for dinner tonight. (Just kidding!!!) |
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| Saturday, October 01, 2005 |
Saturday agenda: 1.) Cut melon and make melon ball salad for Marti. After Mom and Beryl brought over the salad for Jessica's shower, Marti determined that he loves melon balls. 2.) Clean out nursery. All the wonderful gifts (and MANY gift bags) are piled up in every corner still. 3.) Work on and maybe finish a crib bumper for Diane to put in the crib at her house. 4.) Continue wondering if today will be the day... |
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| Friday, September 30, 2005 |
Pretty uneventful day. The baby kicked a couple more people today, so we added Jessica and Angie to the "We got kicked by the baby" Club on the Milestones page. It seems that she isn't kicking as predictably lately or for as long either. She used to go on marathon sessions, but now she sometimes seems to stop before people can feel her going at it. My countdown timer is officially at single digits now!!!!! Looks like 9 days until my due date --- AND COUNTING!!!! I work with a guy who's sister was due a couple days after me. He got a call that her water broke tonight! It's her second baby I think, so it makes sense that she went a LITTLE early, but it still makes me a little nervous knowing it can be any time now. It will be interesting to hear if she makes it to October or if she delivers before midnight tonight, as it sounds like she'll be right on that September/October fence if she labors about3 hours after her water broke. |
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| Thursday, September 29, 2005 |
Long day today... Last night Sydney started shaking her head, so I had to figure out how to get her to the vet when I was supposed to be at work. We decided to take her to the groomers for a bath while she waited for the vet to open. That way, I didn't have to go in to work too late just waiting for the vet to open. When I got there, I learned that they were open till 9pm, so there would be no problem picking her up after work. However, the woman that happened to be at the vet's office early today said they can't walk her or give her food! I didn't think of that before we left the house, so the thought of her sitting in a kennel having to pee and being very hungry all day almost made me cry! (Is that pregnancy hormones or am I always like that about Sydney???) Anyway, I worked something out and then picked her up before the end of the day, so she wasn't even there all day anyway. The other thing that got me today was leaving Joey all alone! I realized as I was taking Syd out, that Joey had never been left ALL alone before and she was FREAKING OUT!!! Rather than come home to her eating holes in walls (again) or eating my cabinets, I gave her a Kong full of peanut butter. Sure, that's going to probably give her the runs, but that's easily fixed compared to missing walls and cabinet doors! Am I a bad mom for taking the easy way out on that one???? Ok, so it wasn't much baby news today, but I don't want Nonnie to worry about me if I don't write today. I heard from one of the pregnancy sites that stalking the pregnant lady will become a popular sport before I know it if I don't deliver on time. hahaha!!! |
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| Wednesday, September 28, 2005 |
We saw the doctor again today and she said she thinks the baby's head is dropping into my pelvis. She wasn't positive by what she could feel on my belly, so she got the ultrasound machine and verified that she was feeling her butt at the top of my abdomen. That would indicate that her not being able to feel the head anymore means it's dropped. So, looks like one more milestone down on the way to the delivery room. She still stands by her "first time mothers are usually a week late" theory, so I'm still working and doing my best to get things all set for my team to take over when I go. I figure the more time I spend at work, the more time I have with the baby after she's born. Plus I do NOT want to come back before the holidays are over, so I must make it to October at least! :) It's never been fun to work through the holidays, so I can't imagine it will be any better doing so while missing my little baby for the first time. |
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| Tuesday, September 27, 2005 |
Marti said that they have a pool going at work to guess my due date. One side is the date and the other is time of day with weight as the tie breaker. I think that is soooo funny!!!! If they keep it behind the bar, I'll have to go take a picture of it for this site later. |
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| Monday, September 26, 2005 |
Marti took today off work on a whim, and so did I. It turns out we have a couple of appointments to get things taken care of (not baby stuff!!!!) so it worked out great. I'm feeling crampy as of the last week or so, and it makes me wonder what's going on down there. I think it's starting to dilate a little, but we won't know that for sure. It's just my gut feeling on it. We see the doctor on Wednesday - maybe she'll know what it means, if anything. I don't know what I expect. I mean, I'm due in 2 weeks!!! What's she going to say? "Your body is getting ready to have a baby." I guess I don't need her to tell me that at this point! :) Marti was a sweetheart and made us dinner last night. I was nesting like an animal upstairs and came down to grilled lamb chops and asparagus ready to eat. I wasn't hungry, but I ate my dinner and even a candy bar later(left over from Jessica's shower still!). With all the stuff around this house right now, it's a good thing I don't have to go to work today. We have a bunch of big boxes to break down and stuff to find places for. I know what I'm doing today! Oh, and 1,000 thank you notes for all the cool stuff we got at the shower this weekend!!! Busy, busy! |
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| Sunday, September 25, 2005 |
The shower was fun! Mom and Beryl (and Ron!) made appetizers and stuff for everyone to eat. It seemed like there were a lot of people there, but I think it was more gifts than people. hahaha!! Charlee and Travis helped pass presents over to me so I could open them and Marti helped by writing down what we got so we can remember what cam from whom later. Amazingly, other than a lot of clothes (that we've been working on since the beginning) we didn't get any duplicates, so we didn't have to return anything. There were actually so many gifts that we missed a couple in the confusion. When we got home, I was sorting through it all and found a couple of cards and a present that didn't look familiar. Turns out it must have gotten shuffled over to the "opened" pile before its time. There were some games at the shower and they were short and sweet. Beryl and Mom gave everyone a cup of water with a baby in an ice cube and the first one to melt wins. Stuart won that round when his "water broke." Then there was the beer drinking from baby bottles. I think I got a few good pictures of that one! Tony won. After that, Everyone got a chance to guess how big around I've gotten. Diane tried reading my mind and went 10 (then TWENTY) inches over. hahaha! Marti played it safe and guessed under. (sweet man!) Luckily the few that guessed the same didn't win and have to split the prize. Tony won. Then Mom and Beryl chose a random number as I was opening presents. Turns out they chose 13. The thirteenth present to be opened won it's giver a prize. Tony won. We all told Tony he needed to go buy a lottery ticket on his way home. hahaha!!!! We managed to get all the presents home in one trip because Marti thought to drive the Explorer instead of the Honda. (smart man!) Then today we went shopping and got all kinds of odds and ends (and a stroller/car seat/carrier combo) for the baby. As I was unpacking and assembling everything, Marti went to Costco and bought all the diapers and wipes he could find. hahaha!!!! That room is PACKED!!!! I think we're as ready as we can ever be. All we need now is that baby! |
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| Friday, September 23, 2005 |
Tomorrow is the baby shower! After that, we will go shopping Sunday for any odds and ends we still need. We're pretty well set already, so it will be nice to finalize everything. I stopped by the store today after having dinner with Sandy (and Stuart and Jim & Diane) for her birthday. I got some popsicles, lip balm, and breath strips for the delivery. I was unable to locate the suckers the nurse recomended, but we'll either have to do without or get them later if I REALLY really need them. Baby's still pushing HARD on my belly, but not as frequently (or more so, CONSTANTLY) as she was before when it was driving me insane. Maybe she's getting cramped and wants out? I'm at 38 weeks now, so it wouldn't be unheard of. Denise's sister had her baby the day of her shower. That would be a little funny, but inconvenient for sure. |
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| Thursday, September 22, 2005 |
Today was a pretty good day. I felt good at work, but at home before bed, I started getting very uncomfortable. And the HEARTBURN!!!!! I couldn't eat enough TUMMS or drink enough water. Sleeping is also not so great anymore. My hips hurt and I make all kinds of noise trying to just roll over or get up to go to the bathroom. Marti is always asking me if I'm ok when I make all that noise. Poor guy! He knows even less than I do when the time will come. I think now that's the hardest part. Not knowing when. |
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| Tuesday, September 20, 2005 |
I'm feeling optimistic today. We see the doctor soon and I am determined to have a good day after that. I woke up to gentle squirming and crossed my fingers in hopes that it stays gentle for the rest of the day. Wish me luck! |
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| Tuesday, September 20, 2005 |
The good day thing is not working out so well today. The doctor said I'm Group B Strep positive, which means I need antibiotics during birth to protect the baby from a bacteria I carry. It's nice knowing 33% of women have this problem, but still one more thing to remember right now. Second, Marti HAD to go and ask... "How big do you think she'll be?" To which the doctor replied, "Oh, about 8 pounds -- 7 1/2 if she delivers today." I was hoping for a little 6 pound baby. Looks like we're already past that now. She measures my belly each week now to see how much I grow. I guess I've lost a little weight, but the baby is still growing, so that's good news. If I remember right, she measured me at 36 weeks last week and 38 weeks today. I'm really 37 weeks today, so not only is the baby a week bigger than normal at this point, she grew TWO weeks size in the span of one week. Scary stuff for the first time mommy-to-be! Oh, and my lunch sucks. |
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| Monday, September 19, 2005 |
Today kind of sucked. I'm getting pretty sick of the baby trying to tear through my abdomen wall like an alien and it's starting to show in my demeanor. Tonight I met Jessica for dinner and I was just so sick of the baby kicking me while I was trying to eat that I almost started crying right there at the table. Enough is enough, kid! KNOCK IT OFF!!!!!! I also noticed that when I scratch my belly it seems to tickle the baby. She moves around a lot if I scratch my belly. I can't tell if she loves it or hates it. Any kid of mine or Marti's will love scratches though, so maybe she'll grow into loving it when she's outside with us. |
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| Sunday, September 18, 2005 |
Baby was pretty active again today and actually kicked me so hard a few times that I yelped. She's been flirting with the idea of getting up under my ribs, but hasn't actually ventured in there yet. I've haven't been enjoying the kicks so much this last week, as it really hurts and feels like a foot is going to spilt my side open. I almost cried today when she did it once and then I felt nauseated afterwards. The good news of the day is that I am finally able to reach my toes again and I clipped them the way I like them clipped finally. It's been months since I've been able to get to them. I think my hips must have shifted to make room for the belly when I pull my leg up. Anyway, we're still waiting and counting down the days. It's about 3 weeks to my due date now. I can't say I'm to the stage you hear pregnant women in where they jsut want it out, but I'm getting close with all this kicking. Some of my maternity pants no longer fit well because they don't reach up over the belly anymore. When I'm walking, they slip below the belly and then there's nothing holding them up, as well as a big pooch of fabric below the belly that obviously doesn't belong there. With some pants I've resorted to hiding suspenders under my shirt so I don't have to keep hiking up my waistband (HAHA!!) every time I stand up. NO! I don't really own suspenders! I stole them off our bed -- they hold the sheets on when the dogs play rough and jump in and out of the bed all day. They are REALLY long, but if I cinch them up all the way, they work -- and it's only for a couple of weeks longer, so I'm not going out and buying real suspenders for the job. |
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| Saturday, September 17, 2005 |
Today was a busy day for the daddy-to-be, and I was plenty busy myself. Today started with Marti going to Daddy Boot Camp, which he said was the best class out of all the classes we took. It was taught by an ex-military guy and for the guys only. After that class, we went together to a breathing and relaxation class. We learned different ways he can relax me in the birth process besides telling me to relax. (DUH!) And he learned different massages as well as breathing techniques we can do that pretty much serve only to make sure I keep breathing if nothing else. While we didn't learn enough in there to justify how long we were in there, we did learn some things that will come in handy later. Another friend told me that he thought some of the stuff in his classes were a joke until the birth of his daughter when they were put to good use. I guess the frustrating part is that not everyone takes all the classes, so every time we go to a class, they keep covering some of the basics and we get bored. Anyway, the class ended at 5pm, at which time we had a friend getting married in Gilbert - about 45 minutes away from our class. We changed at the hospital and rushed over there for the reception and made it before they had entered with the bridal party. It was beautiful, but unfortunately, as a pregnant mom-to-be, I couldn't fully participate in the festivities and ended up being that sober person in the middle of a bunch of silly drunks. I have to say I was entirely entertained instead of annoyed like I usually would be. However, I was tired and VERY uncomfortable. It seems that the baby decided to kick up her heels and do a little dancing of her own -- all night!!!! Since before we left the class until well after 1am, that baby was kicking me and squirming so hard, I had to keep the palm of my hand on certain parts of my abdomen because it felt like she was going to come out my side! Scott and Linda are convinced it's a boy and Linda told me if the baby is moving around so much and so forcefully (she felt it!) that I have at least a week to go. She feels that because the baby has room to bounce around like that, then it's not ready to come out yet. She could be right, but I cna live without all these pokes! After the reception, I drove Tony and Jessica to meet a few of our friends at Scottsdale Z for another drink where we hung out for a little while longer. I was so tired by the time we got home, but I wanted to make sure Marti enjoyed his last hurrah before he get's tied to the house with our little bundle of joy brewing inside me. I was quite the trooper, if I do say so myself. |
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| Friday, September 16, 2005 |
Sneezing HURTS! At least it hasn't made me pee my pants yet. But MAN!!!!! It really does a number on my stomach muscles every time I sneeze! I want to hold my belly and brace for it, but then again, I want to cover my face when I sneeze, too. Which, if I try not to hold it inside, is quite necessary! If I hold it back at all, it makes my abdomen hurt even more! New subject: Parking issue at work. I've been blocked in a couple times now even when I'm not in the compact spots, so I am having a hard time finding a suitable spot sometimes. They used to park the school van in a solo reserved spot right up front, but it's in the garage these days so the spot sits open. I comandeered the spot the last few times I've seen it open even though it says reserved. Some lady came over to me and gave me a hard time today about parking there and said security would sticker my car. I told her I didn't want to get blocked in and she pointed to the next spot over. What she didn't understand was the next spot over had a car parked to the left that could very well leave and be replaced by a pregnant-lady's-car-blocker-inner, so I didn't move into it even though she seemed intent on getting me out of the reserved spot. Just so that I didn't come back to a sticker on my car and have her gloating all the way back to her desk after lunch, I checked in with security and it seems there is no such thing as stickers here and they've NEVER towed a car. Ever. Richard (el jefe) even laughed when I told him about it, so I'm not concerned that they would be out to get the reserved spot comandeerer (me). So, now it's almost (not quite) like the spot is reserved for ME!!!! Sort of. And only for a couple of weeks until I leave to have this baby. After that I'm back to the regular parking spots. But I told him I've been blocked in a couple times now and if my hips aren't too big one way, then my belly is too big the other and I have no hope of twisting into my car from the driver's side when that happens. And I'm CERTAINLY not going to climb over the center console and under the steering wheel to get in as long as I have this belly! OK - enough about parking, huh? |
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| Friday, September 16, 2005 |
Note: I'm going to try to post here every day now until the baby is born. That way, if you don't get a call from me or Marti when I go into labor (I think I'll have a lot on my mind!) and you see that I haven't posted on any given day, you will know I am probably in the hospital either hating life or loving it -- depending on when you check. :) So, if the material gets boring, it's just me making sure I post SOMETHING for that day. Skimming is definitely allowed. :) |
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| Thursday, September 15, 2005 |
Waking up to leg cramps - NOT COOL!!!!! This morning Marti got an earfull of "Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!!!!!!!!" I'm surprised it didn't send the dogs into fits. I've gotten them before, but I just flex my toes up as far as I can and they go away right away. Except this time. This time my calf muscle STILL hurts!!!! Oh, and I forgot to mention I stubbed my toe on one of the dogs hard rubber chew toys a couple nights ago running for the phone. I told Marti as I answered that I was ok so he didn't think there was something wrong because I was yelping and almost crying when I answered his call. Then, later he tells me I need to be careful because I can't see over my belly anymore. Nice. |
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| Thursday, September 15, 2005 |
Afterthought for today: Between the stubbed toe on my right foot still hurting, the leg cramp in my left calf still lingering, and the good solid waddle I have going on now, I must look like the picture of grace walking across the parking lot to my car! |
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| Wednesday, September 14, 2005 |
We saw the doctor today after a little delay. She was called away to deliver a baby so we had to wait about an hour or reschedule. I told them I'd try to have my baby after business hours. :) She checked me for dilation but I'm not started yet. It doesn't mean anything anyway at this point because I could be dilating and still not go into labor. Marti knew a lady that was 5 cm dilated and still bartending at a very busy restaurant in town!!!! That's insane!!! So, if half way dilated doesn't mean anything, then I'm not going ot bother finding out if I'm 1 cm or 2 cm or 3 cm or whatever until the time comes. She said they don't check every week unless I ask, so until further notice, I'm not having them check, so don't ask me about it. :) Besides, it hurts a little and it made me bleed (because the cervix is engorged with blood at this time) so I figure the less spotting to worry about, the better. She said when my contractions are starting 3-5 minutes apart and lasting 1 minute each and I can't speak when they are happening, then I'm in labor and to call them. She also said if it starts at night, to go to bed and not stay up trying to time them. She said if I can sleep, I'm not in real labor and to go to sleep in case I am in labor in the morning. If it turns out I'm in labor and wake up, then call and go to the hospital 15 minutes awawy. I'll be fine until I get to the hospital since first time takes a while. We decided to collect the cord blood in case it can be used later for diseases. She gave us a special box full of I don't know what, but we bring it to the hospital with us on delivery day. |
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| Tuesday, September 13, 2005 |
First of all, work is so completely out of hand busy that I don't know what I'm going to do. I want to put in a few 12 hour days and get under control again, but there's no way. Second, today we met with the pediatrician we will be going to which was nice, but it took a couple more hours out of my day that I just don't have right now. Third, we see the OB/GYN tomorrow morning, which will take me away from work some more because we're starting the weekly appointments with examinations now, so it won't be quick "do you have any questions" type appointments anymore. Fourth, we had another weekly meeting today as well as my having four 1 hour meetings with students today that prevented me from getting back to all the other things I need to do at work right now. Fifth, I have about 100 voicemails and emails (exageration) that I need to return, but I haven't had a second to breathe! Yes, I am stressed!!!!! The good news is I'm not alone in this and all my coworkers appear to be stressballs too! I'd love to just take off now, but I don't dare leave them with this ever increasing mess while we get a couple of new people in and trained. Plus, I'd have to come back to work in the middle of the holidays and I just don't want to do that. So, I sit here and type my frustrations. And eat chocolate caramel swirl ice cream. :) Marti chose it. He doesn't like caramel. He must have chosen it for me. What a sweetie!!!!!! :) I love him!!!! Ok, I feel better now. |
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| Monday, September 12, 2005 |
Last night SUCKED!!!! I woke up at about 11pm choking! You know when you swallow something down your windpipe and have a raging coughing attack mixed in with desperate wheezing for air? Yea, that happened to me. Except I was asleep for it. And it was heartburn juice that slipped into my windpipe, so not only was it terrifying, but it BURNED!!!! I was coughing so hard I woke up the neighbors dog and he started barking!!!!! And the windows were NOT open, so you know I was coughing up a storm! I finally calmed down and managed just a muffled cough here and there and tried to go back to bed. However, no matter how little I reclined, there was no amount that was not too much. I just wanted to go to sleep, but I couldn't lie down. Not even a little. So, last night I spent most of the night in the glider chair in the nursery. Yea, that sucked!!! On a lighter note, I had my very first nude pictures taken yesterday while I was in the bubble bath desperately wishing I didn't turn the hot water heater down to a safe level. Apparently the frozen beached whale with a shower cap look is "cute" to Marti. |
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| Sunday, September 11, 2005 |
Today I threw Jessica a baby shower. We kept it pretty small (10-15 people), but there was enough food for probably 3 times as many people. Mom and Beryl were a great help by bringing not only 2 massive fruit salads, but also helping me get everything ready to serve prior to, and as, everyone arrived. There is no way I would have been able to pull it off without their help. (Thanks Mom and Beryl!!!!!) My feet were pretty sore when I got up in the middle of the night last night to take care of business :) but today when I got up for good, they were better again. I think they would have been sore even if I wasn't pregnant because they always get sore when I spend the whole day downstairs on the tile cleaning house and stuff. So, now I sit here about ready for bed and I made it through the whole day without crashing out or needing to really sit out too much. Marti was helpful when I needed him to do this or that and didn't squack at all when we were in the final countdown and I got a little bossy. :) He just did what I needed him to and then resumed whatever it is guys do when the women are buzzing about the kitchen thinking up more silly favors to ask of the men. tee hee! |
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| Saturday, September 10, 2005 |
We took an Intensive Birthing Basics class at the hospital today with Jessica and Eugene. (If you don't know them yet, they are due 11/8, less than a month after us!) As she said, it wasn't as intense as we expected, but we did learn a few new things. For me, the most helpful part was seeing the epidural equipment and hearing a little more about how that works. It was fun having them there with us to share the laughs and a few grimaces as we watched videos and heard what we were in for. The funniest part was when I walked up and heard Eugene and Marti having fun mixing the idea of Fear Factor with the placenta video we just watched before that break. I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard when those two played Fear Factor Part 2 as the instructor spoke about the mucous plug. I shudder at the thought still!!!!! |
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| Friday, September 09, 2005 |
I don't get it. I'm not complaining, but isn't it odd that I've slept through the night without having to get up to go to the bathroom a few nights in the last week or so? I thought once the baby turned that it would place EXTRA pressure on the bladder and I'd have to go MORE often. Other than having this basketball under my shirt (with a squirmy creature inside it) I'm actually starting to feel more normal rather than more bizarre. I did wake up with a start last night about 5 minutes before Marti got home. I had a sharp pain in my abdomen, but that was it. It was quick and to the point, and nothing else followed. The adrenalin rush you get from something like that at this point in the pregnancy doesn't do much for being able to go right back to sleep though! I put a T shirt and sweats in the bag yesterday just in case, so at least I have SOMETHING to wear home if I do end up in the hospital sooner than planned. I also rearranged the closet and got ALL the 0-9 month clothes in there finally. The entire top rack is full and half the closet is double layer hanging - and full as well. Did I mention that I have 2 stuffed bags of clothes from Mom and a big box of Minnie's clothes from Nonnie still not hung up? This baby better not turn out to be a fashion nut with all this early exposure to wardrobe choices! I can't deal with a clothes horse in my house. We're just not like that here. |
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| Thursday, September 08, 2005 |
Bags are getting packed, slowly but surely, for the hospital. Marti keeps mentioning it and doesn't know I keep adding things to the suit case. I even packed him a new toothbrush so he doesn't have to remember to grab his that day. We're still chewing on a few names for the baby, but I have an idea which one it will be. Marti now says he doesn't want me to discuss it anymore with people, so from now on, mum's the word until she's born. I fixed teh printer after many months outof service. We'll be printing the announcements here after all because Kinko's can't print on pre-cut card stock. Well, they can outsource it for about $250, but that uh, kind of defeats the purpose of getting the do it yourself kit, doesn't it? I've been feeling pretty good this week. I'm carpooling with a friend at work this week, so I HAVE TO leave work on time when we do that. I had a thought last night that my family called her and asked her to ask to car pool with me so I'd get my butt home at night instead of working so many hours. I know, that's a VERY paranoid thought and I'm really just kidding, but that would be funny, huh? It's just as well because I have been slowly winding down these last few days. I really can't work the hours I was anyway, so it's a good time to start carpooling. We really should have done it a long time ago since we live so close to each other and work is so far. I've been cleaning "odd" things. Well, not odd for some people, but stuff I've never cleaned here before. I made Marti clean the OUTSIDE of an upstairs window this week! (Of course it rained today and got it wet, but it still looks much better.) I'm cleaning tracks for closet doors. I vacuumed BEHIND the monster desk. Now that Joey is house broken, we can get the carpets cleaned FINALLY!!!! (That's not odd, just impossible to schedule!) I'm throwing a shower for Jessica (due 1 month after me) so I've had this catalyst to clean the place up. I cna't say if I'd already be cleaning because of the nesting or if I'm just cleaning this week. I think it's a mix of both based on the things I'm cleaning upstairs. I mean, NOBODY is going to see the closet tracks at the shower! hahaha!!! However, saying we need to clean up for the shower has had a good effect on Marti chipping in more -- even on the random things I choose to clean. |
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| Thursday, September 01, 2005 |
Have I mentioned this week how annoying the baby hiccups are??? I feel like my belly is a watermelon getting thunked over and over by every picky old lady produce shopper in the world! I took some votes on the announcements yesterday and it looks like Pooh Bear is in the lead. Not that announcements have to match the nursery, but I guess Pook does go better with our outdoor theme better than the cutesy pinkish nursery rhyme ones. I'm hitting curbs like crazy in my car now. I feel like Mr. Magoo driving sometimes! I'm getting the feeling that I need to get my affairs in order at work in order to be ready to take the time off when the baby is born. I know I'm not due for a while, but I have this feeling like I need to be ready for it anyway. My ankles are getting swollen this week. I think it is partly due to my new socks. They seem to bind around my leg just above my ankles. (They are short socks.) When I take my socks off, I have all these lines across the front of my ankles where it looks like my socks bunch up. It's time to switch to sandals full time I think. |
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| Wednesday, August 31, 2005 |
Update from the doctor: She has turned and is now upside down! I start seeing the doctor every week after my next appointment in 2 weeks. Check the Milestones page for a picture of my "WTF?!?!?!?!" moment of the pregnancy. I got some announcements today and I'm going to show them to Marti and see what he thinks tonight. I'm still torn on what way to go with them and need to narrow down ideas here PRONTO! Feeling pretty good again this week! Still getting a little tired, but not so fatigued. I just can't put in a 60 hour week anymore is all. |
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| Tuesday, August 30, 2005 |
Well, I finally had to remove my wedding ring because it was getting too tight today. Now I get to run around town with a baby in my belly and no ring on my finger and see what kind of looks I get from strangers. I'm sure they'll think I'm just another unwed mother and either glare at me or feel sorry for me. Little do they know I have a lovely husband at home waiting just as anxiously for this little girl as I am. :) I was talking to one of my students today about her pregnancy (due around the same time as me) and we laughed that we hate when the alarm goes off on the left when we're laying on our right. What a production that can turn into just to hit the snooze button! Then we started thinking soon we won't need alarms. We'll either be up all night anyway, or just on leave and following the baby clock. THEN we came to the conclusion that soon we will actually be MISSING our alarm clocks! If you think about it, alarm clocks wake you from a deep sleep after hours and hours in bed. But with a new baby, you're up all the time and don't get to worry about setting the alarm. Who ever thought I'd miss my alarm and think to myself, "those were the days" when remembering an early morning alarm???? |
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| Monday, August 29, 2005 |
A while back Jessica and Eugene gave me a gift certificate for a pregnancy massage. Things were going so good that I decided to save it for when I really needed it. :) Well, after last week, I decided yesterday would be a good time to use that up! It was very nice and relaxing! Even the massage table was warmed when I hopped in. (Using the term "hopped" loosely here!) With pregnancy they have to avoid certain spots so they don't get labor going, but she said at 37 weeks they can do that on purpose if I want to get things moving. YIKES!!! That's less than 3 weeks away! I told her I'm waiting as long as I can and giving that little baby the full 40 weeks if I can stand it. So, for now, I got the massage that was very gentle and avoided whatever spots on my back that have a tendency to stimulate contractions. I think the best part was when she did my feet! When I get a pedicure, I'm always ticklish, but I didn't jump once yesterday! That was a rare treat for me. After the massage my mom and Beryl picked me up and we went to a movie in the same plaza. It was a movie I'd seen before, but welcomed the chance to see it again since I'd missed part of it while I was using the facilities, because, you know, I'm pregnant!!!! One of the little published side effects of pregnancy -- missing key parts in a movie if you go to the theater because you're peeing again! I came home to Marti's fantasy football draft party and the guys were all well behaved and apparently hard at work picking their teams for the next season. My entire downstairs looked like a boiler room operation with these guys pouring over pages of research and computers - complete with a 40"x60" white board to record their picks. Geeks! :) But it was cute. They had their little helmets with logos next to each pick on the board. hahaha!!!! I was anticipating them interrupting my sleep that night, but they were all but done with the draft when I got home and then when they played poker afterwards, all I could hear from my room was the chips. I tried hearing the guys talking and couldn't hear one peep! Thanks guys! |
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| Sunday, August 28, 2005 |
Bad Week, Part Deux Ok, now before everyone gangs up on Marti, know that he's been wonderful and I love everything he's done for me in his role as expectant daddy. However, last night had a comical moment (and gross, sorry) when he lost his focus. I will elaborate, but here's your warning: if you don't want to read anything gross, you must stop now. I'll try to stick to the basics and only be gross when necessary. So, we're on the way home from his birthday dinner last night and all of a sudden it hits me that I'm not done with the "other food poisoning related symptoms" mentioned in Friday's post. I was visibly pushing myself back up into my seat all the way home relaying to him whether or not I thought I could make it all the way home from Tempe or if we'd have to pull over somewhere and risk taking longer by trying to find me a restroom. So, I'm quite uncomfortable, but doing my best to just make it home so I can do my business in peace, but it keeps coming over me in waves and I eventually feel like I'm really really no-joke not going to make it no matter how hard I try. I finally tell him to pull off the freeway "here" because there's a McDonald's right off the exit that I know of that will suit me just fine. He honestly asked me if I was sure I couldn't make it home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahaha!!!!! I looked at him and as bluntly as could be, asked him if he was seriously questioning whether or not a pregnant woman with the runs and climbing up the back of her seat in the car with her guts audibly gurgling knew whether or not she really really really needed to go. He promptly pulled off the freeway as directed, dropped me off at the door to McDonald's and dutifully waited outside. :) At that point I didn't care where I went as long as we weren't circling a block looking for someplace open with a restroom. As long as the door to the place I was going to let go didn't have a Honda emblem on it, I figured it had to be an improvement!!! |
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| Saturday, August 27, 2005 |
JUST when I was thinking we were done with the bloody noses! I woke up Saturday night with a bloody nose for no reason whatsoever. Before now it's been MAYBE a blown nose gone bad, but if I'm asleep, what could I possibly have been doing to prompt this? |
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| Friday, August 26, 2005 |
This has been a relatively bad week for me. I missed work on Monday because I was so exhausted. Then I missed work again on Thursday for more of the same, but with extra stuff thrown in. It's been a really good pregnancy up until this week, but this week I have endured: 1.) Not having enough energy to sit up to send an email, let alone go to work and do so all day. Forget about having a phone conversation. 2.) Headaches 3.) Backaches 4.) Pretty much everything aches and makes it impossible to sleep comfortably 5.) Waking up all night to pee 6.) Waking up at night for no reason and laying there awake for nearly 3 hours. 7.) Waking up hungry 8.) Feeling nauseated during the day 9.) Severe stomach cramp 10.) "Other" food-poisoning related symptoms that I won't go into here. 11.) Not being able to get comfortable on left side, right side, in a recliner, or propped up in bed. (Are there any other options I missed????) 12.) Falling behind at work due to not being there, yet being so tired I can't stay late to get anything done. (You all know how much that kills me!!!!) 13.) Breathlessness to the point that sitting up is even too much for me. 14.) Having a full-on break down and crying for 15 minutes just because the dog jumped off the sofa onto my foot. (What a baby I was last night!!!!) The stomach cramp thing with the night restlessness had me thinking it could be early labor starting because I heard that's how it starts. However, the other symptoms make me think it was really just food poisoning. Well, that and the part about how I'm sitting here over 12 hours later with not one cramp since then. Watching these baby shows on TLC and Discovery, knowing women deliver much earlier than this, and then feeling a cramp like that with less than 7 weeks to go is really a reality check though! |
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| Tuesday, August 23, 2005 |
Oh my God I'm so tired! Good night. |
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| Monday, August 22, 2005 |
I'm not sure what's going on, but that thing I thought was a stretch mark is gone now. I noticed it looked like it was sort of cracking. I used some scrubby stuff in the shower and then a little emery board afterwards to really have at it (GENTLY!) and it scrubbed off! It's been there over a week and I thought it was going to stay. Now I'm just confused, but if I make it through without stretch marks, I'll be psyched! As for the sleep last night - MISERABLE again! I woke up a few times as usual and then with a case of RAGING heartburn! I really need to figure out how to deal with this. I don't want to sleep downstairs, but do we really need to drag the recliner up here for the once in a while heartburn attack? And if we do, what about when I want to watch TV downstairs with Marti? There's not room for both of us to relax on the sofa. If the recliner is upstairs, does that mean no hanging out in front of the TV anymore? |
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| Sunday, August 21, 2005 |
Last night was a miserable night! I tried rolling over every time I woke up, but it hurt my hips, my back, even my EARS!!!! That's right -- my ears hurt! I'm not sure what's going on lately with that, but it seems everything that is in contact with the bed or in contact with parts that are in contact with the bed (meaning all of me!) starts to hurt if I am in one position too long. I didn't make it to noon today without needing a nap after that bad night's sleep. Also, my baby seems to be moving differently now. She still kicks me from time to time in that tender spot (see August 15th post) but it feels like she has been rolling over for the last day or so. I think she's getting into position with her head down now. Wednesday, the nurse said she didn't feel a head yet, so chances are her head was elsewhere at the time and not near the birth canal yet. I've seen it in the sonograms, so I know there's a head in there somewhere! If I didn't know better, as of today, I could swear it's all arms and legs in there. Last night there was an large obvious lump on the right side as she was situating herself. I looked very lopsided! I'm not sure, but it could have been a butt. It wasn't hard, so I don't think it was her head. |
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| Sunday, August 21, 2005 |
Oh, and that mark I mentioned on August 17th... I'm certain now it's a little stretch mark. Bummer. It's starting... It looks like a little dab of dried glue on my skin and is a little darker than the rest of my skin. It's got a little shine to it in the light. Weird stuff. I hope it doesn't invite any friends to join it. |
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| Saturday, August 20, 2005 |
I forgot to mention something I've been doing lately. Normally my belly button is an innie. Lately it's been on the verge of becoming an outie, so the inside skin that has not gotten any physical contact except from the occasional lint ball is now exposed. Since it was not exposed before, it turns out it is quite sensitive. If I'm not wearing pants that come up over my belly, I have had to put a bandaid on my belly button to prevent chafing from my shirt rubbing on it when I move! How ridiculous is that?!?!?!?!?! |
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| Friday, August 19, 2005 |
Last night Marti came home and went upstairs to read as I watched TV from my recliner. At 3:00 AM, he came down and woke me up in front of a blaring TV! OK, so I should have gone to bed earlier, but I think I'm on to something! I was sleeping like a baby and didn't have one bit of heartburn! I think I'm going to fall in love with that chair shortly! I've noticed I'm getting short of breath and my arms feel like noodles even though I haven't done anything. I'm just getting TIRED! I can see now where it comes from when women in late pregnancy just want it OUT! I'm not there yet, but I know I have 2 months to go still. I can definitely see it coming soon! I'm also still spending half my day going to and from the ladies room. I moved my office closer (just to get the vacant office with floor to ceiling windows, not really to be closer to the ladies room) yesterday and had to put in a request to have my desk lowered. The guy that was in there before me liked his desk high and it feels REALLY weird right now. Anyway, I was thinking they should just move my computer and phone in to one of the stalls in the ladies room and I could get a lot more work done if we eliminate the 100 trips a day I have to make there. Tomorrow we have the tour of the hospital. It's just an hour and there is no class yet, but it will be fun to see where everything will happen soon. When we were there for the "sneak peak" class, a lullabye played on the the PA system. The nurses said that they play it every time a baby is born there! How cute!!! I guess they do the same thing at the hospital where Jane Granna volunteers. They'll play that song for us soon! Man! This whole time I keep thinking how soon it is coming up for me and then I think about my friend Tom! He's got just DAYS to go!!!! |
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| Wednesday, August 17, 2005 |
Uh-oh! I think I'm getting a stretch mark just to the right of my belly button!!!! Dang it! It's a little bit shiny, but not red (yet?) so I'm not sure if that's what it is. I hope it's not! |
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| Tuesday, August 16, 2005 |
Last night Mom took me out with all of my aunts for a birthday feast at The Keg. (Happy birthday, Pat! Happy birthday, Beryl!) I got the baseball cut sirloin knowing that I wasn't going to be able to eat much of it, but Marti was at home and I know he can't resist a perfect medium rare steak! So, I "let her" splurge on me and I nibbled to my heart's content until I thought I was full. Well, I was full until the waitress brought up dessert! And who am I to deprive my dear sweet baby inside of a little creme brulee? It wasn't really more food anyway since it's made with cream and egg yolks. Those are liquids originally, right? I thought of it like a big glass of milk and down the hatch it went in about 10 seconds flat! We need our calcium, you know! |
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| Monday, August 15, 2005 |
Lately it feels like my uterus has been stretched too thin on the right side where she keeps kicking me. The reason I think this is because it really does hurt when she kicks me there as opposed to anywhere else. I have this visual of the tissue and I compare it to a hand tossed pizza dough. Imagine that one spot that you can see the light coming through and you anxiously watch the guy twirling it wondering if it will break open or not. That's what my uterus feels like where she keeps kicking me. On another note, it's gotten so big that it (my uterus) takes up most of my middle now. I have a hard time eating anything of substance and then find myself a bit hungry later, so I snack a lot. I've had to completely avoid pizza, spaghetti sauce, and meals after 8pm in an attempt to keep the heartburn at bay. I have a feeling I'll be sleeping in the recliner downstairs soon so that I'm a little more vertical at night. If it's not heartburn, it feels like my stomach contents - whether it's dinner or just a drink of water - are just a little burp away from "part duex." And we all know sequels are never as good as the first one. |
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| Friday, August 12, 2005 |
Dearest Baby Inside Me: I know you are there and this kicking and scratching the inside of my uterus today will not get my attention any more than you already have. You already consume my every waking thought - and most of my sleeping thoughts, too. So, for the good of us all, you can stop whatever it is you're doing in there and go back to the cute little bumps and nudges you were doing a couple weeks ago. Don't get me wrong -- I love that you are in there having a good old time. It is comforting to feel you moving about. It's encouraging to know you're awake and active more than the 5-10% of the time that the newsletters say you should be right now. However, nobody likes a show-off, so you really need to turn it down a notch now before you make it a habit. If not, you're going to end up being that kid that gets picked on by the school bully and I hear that's no fun. Consider this you first piece of motherly advice. KNOCK IT OFF, KID!!!!! Love, Your dear sweet mommy |
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| Thursday, August 11, 2005 |
The baby newsletters I get have just told me that the baby sleeps 90-95% of the time now. If that is true, then she's making up for lost time now when she is awake!!!! She has been moving around SOOOOOO much this week that it seems I spend half the day just watching my belly. I'm sleeping pretty well except for having to get up multiple times to go pee. Also, the heartburn is really getting to me now. I keep a bunch of TUMMS by the bed and a few rolls in my purse at all times now. Also, I have to keep a snack with me in my purse. I can't eat much because my belly is so squished, so when I do eat, I get hungry pretty soon afterward. Eating late at night is not going to work anymore, as it feels like my stomach is in my throat and one false move could bring a little dinner "revisited." |
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| Wednesday, August 10, 2005 |
Well, I had thought we may change the name we chose from Hannah to something else, but I keep finding myself calling her Hannah, so maybe that's what it will be after all. In our minds she's already named maybe. |
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| Tuesday, August 09, 2005 |
I can't remember the last time my toenails got any attention, but now, courtesy of Dyan, they are back in tip-top shape again! What a treat to have them all fixed up again!!! Not to mention the massaging and exfoliating that comes with all that... I think pedicures should be included with all pregnancies from now on. I mean, seriously! You can't see your feet when you stand, let alone get them up to where you can reach them to trim them. And you can just forget about a nice color of nail polish, that's for sure! We're lucky to get them trimmed down far enough so that they don't poke through the ends of our socks. I even went so far as to ask Marti to help me trim them one time. Whoa! Was that a bad idea! You never realize how delicate an area that is until you trust someone else to clip for you. Yeah, I think I'll have another pedicure before this baby is born and make sure I don't have possum claws hanging over the end of the stirrups as I give birth. |
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| Monday, August 08, 2005 |
Where, oh where do my ankle bones keep going? I look down and see someone else's feet some of the time and it's very disturbing! I'm used to seeing boney veiney feet, but instead, when they swell up, I see what looks like someone else's feet. The feet themselves don't look too bad until you see the ankles! The feet, when swollen, look just normal for the most part. However, then ankles can get pretty bad. Well, at least for someone that is used to boney ankles! A couple of times it has gotten to the point where you could not see my inner ankle bones any more! And I thought exercise was supposed to be good for me!!! |
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| Sunday, August 07, 2005 |
I am officially becoming uncomfortable now. I have heartburn all the time and spent half the night last night eating tumms and peeing. If I sit up straight, I feel tired and want to slouch. If I slouch, I can't breathe and I get heartburn. I can't win! On another note, she's been moving around almost non-stop since the middle of last week. Not a half hour goes by without at least a bump and a nudge; and most of the time it's a lot more than that! Seeing my belly rise and fall in various places from across the room is getting to be a regular occurrence. |
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| Saturday, August 06, 2005 |
Today was Cydney's first birthday party and it was pure insanity! I can't tell you how many kids were there, but for my taste - and patience level - it was too many. Marti and I agreed that for this little one's first birthday party, we'll invite Everett so we can say there was a kid there and then whatever family wants to show up to see her trash an entire cake on a plastic tablecloth on the kitchen floor, and then call it a day. Maybe things change when you have kids, but 20 little ones running around screaming and yelling and having the best time of their 6-36 months on this planet was more than I can willingly subject myself to as a parent. As a guest I was able to step aside and watch it from afar, but as a parent you have to be in the middle of it. None for me thanks! :) My hat's off to Jon and Shelley for pulling the whole thing off without screaming at the tops of their lungs even once! |
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| Monday, August 01, 2005 |
Well, I am officially making other women sick! I had a feeling, but one of my students actually said it today! She said she has a baby boy and besides gaining a BUNCH of weight, she had just about every problem in the book with her pregnancy. It was sad and funny at the same time. I'm glad she had a good sense of humor! I hope people don't think poorly of me for saying what a good pregnancy I've been having. It's not like I'm gloating, I'm just happy about it. I speak just as freely about the bad stuff that led up to this, so I don't feel bad that this pregnancy is amazingly good and the other 2 were amazingly bad. I've earned this easy ride. :) |
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| Sunday, July 31, 2005 |
The funniest thing happened with the baby today! I was watching TV in bed with Marti, lying on my left side, when the baby started kicking Marti's right arm. Ok, that's not really that funny, but the next part was. As we were watching it and watching TV in between kicks, she really started some weird stuff. It was not the quick jab kicks she usually did, but instead it was long (5-10 seconds long) presses on the side of my belly. So much so that it looked like she was raising my side up about 1-2 inches each time! Marti said on one he wasn't even watching and could still see it out of the corner of his eye. I was laughing so hard I was crying and every time she did it, I started laughing again! It was really WEIRD!!! It was as bizarre to watch as the time the doctor flicked at a little ball of fat hanging out of a dog bite puncture on my arm. It was that same uncomfortable kind of laugh. It didn't hurt, but it really freaked me out. I told Marti it looked like an alien was going to come bursting out of there any second!!!!! I didn't dare get up to get the camcorder, but I wish I had a clip of that to show her sometime later. |
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| Thursday, July 28, 2005 |
I got my glucose test results back and everything is "perfect" as the nurse said. :) Yeah!!!! Another bit of good news is that I worked until 10:30 pm last night AND that was after spending a couple hours in the morning before work cleaning up our downstairs at home. I still have some stamina in me, even if it is getting sporadic. Now before you start telling me to take it easy, I only work like that when I feel like it and if I just feel like stopping, I have no problem stopping if my body just doesn't want to play along. It does feel good to still be able to get a few things done, though! :) |
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| Wednesday, July 27, 2005 |
Another unproductive weekend. Well I did spray down the patio, but given the storm tonight, that was a fruitless effort. I came home to standing water in the back yard all the way onto the patio with little areas of what used to be dust settling in the texture, now mud. I don't have the energy I used to. Tonight I left work as soon as my 8 hours were up. I guess that means I'm not doing a "flex" week. I took yesterday off and was going to work 4 ten hour shifts and save my sick time, but I really didn't feel like it today. I had the glucose tolerance test yesterday and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. The one on Wednesday last week made me feel sick and want to pass out. When I didn't pass that one, I got invited back for twice as much sugar, 3 times as much time spent in the office waiting, and 4 times as much blood drawn, and amazingly I wasn't feeling like a pile of dog vomit when I left there. I actually went out to lunch and shopping with my mom and Beryl for a new dress for a couple of weddings we'll be going to in the next month. After that, Mom and Ron and I got a bite to eat for dinner. All together it was a pretty good day of hooky! |
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| Friday, July 22, 2005 |
Baby was kicking like crazy last night and I had a hard time getting comfortable for the first time. I mean, I've had some joint pain in the past, but nothing that really interfered with my sleep. Last night, between the kicking, the uncomfortable issue, the dogs, and the storm turning the power off and on for a while, I had a really hard time sleeping. Today I am tired and want to go back to bed... really badly, too!!!! I hope this is just a fluke and the rest of the pregnancy isn't like this. I'm not ready to feel this way yet. |
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| Thursday, July 21, 2005 |
Today I was on the phone with a student and my other line rang. It was the nurse from my OB/GYN's office. I didn't notice the voicemail lamp until later in the day, so I didn't get the message until RIGHT AT 5:00pm when the office was already closed. :( Of course with the tests yesterday, she said if the results are normal, we will get an automated message from their new service. However, they never leave abnormal results on the machine and always call directly. (ding ding ding!!!) So, that can probably only mean one thing. I didn't pass the glucose tolerance test. :( I know a million people that have had to take the follow up test and everything came out fine, but it's just the fact that I have to take the 3 hour test that really gets me down right now. I'm going to feel like total crap for hours on end in preparation for the test and in recovering from the test. If normal people are floored by the glucose roller coaster, what is that going to do to me, the hypoglycemic kid? I have low blood sugar which I understood to be the exact opposite of diabetes, so the way I figure, test or no test, it's going to be hard for me to get gestational diabetes. I figure it's like telling an anorexic she's got high cholesterol. Sure, it's possible, but not likely. But I still have to do the test I think. The only other thing I suspect it can be is they did also test for anemia yesterday, so it could be about that. But I don't think it is because I have been taking my vitamins so how can I have low iron? Plus my blood is as red as can be - I see it all the time! hahaha!! I guess the bloody noses serve a purpose there? |
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| Wednesday, July 20, 2005 |
Today we met with the doctor again and it was time for the glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes. I was fine for a while, but eventually all the sugar got to me and I was in "going to pass out" mode for a while. Marti had to drive me home so I could sit it out. I didn't make it to work until noon! That was also the last of our monthly appointments and we're officially on to the appointments every 2 weeks now. |
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| Friday, July 15, 2005 |
If you are offended by bathroom talk, do not read any further on this day's posting. Otherwise, keep reading and I swear it is not that graphic, just comical. So, apparently, there are a lot of problems that pregnant women can have in the bathroom area, but so far, other than having to pee every 10 seconds now, I have been lucky enough to get away without any hemorrhoids or constipation. However, today pretty much sucked because all day I felt like I had to go poo, but every time I went to the restroom, I didn't have to go anymore. I was afraid to make an issue of it and push for fear of the hemmies, so I just grabbed my purse and headed back to my desk each time. Finally at about 4pm, after about 10 failed attempts on previous trips, I decided enough was enough and I was going to just sit there until it happened. I no sooner sit down and, wouldn't you know it, here comes the rolling garbage can that can only mean the janitor is coming to clean the bathroom. Knock knock, and I have to answer that the room is occupied. Knowing he waits outside the door, I decide to abandon ship and make alternate plans. So, as if that wasn't potentially embarrassing enough, I left the restroom and decide to go to another building completely to avoid the janitor situation. Sure enough, as I am walking out, the security guard asked me where I was going! (Since I had my purse on me, I think he assumed I was leaving for the day at 4pm and probably wanted to tease me since I normally leave MUCH later than that.) Of course, the "trying to find a safe place to poo" response probably wouldn't have been well received, so I just said I was going to another building and left it at that. Thankfully he chuckled only that it was approved and let me go on my way. I am equally thankful to say I ran into no obstacles on the way to the bathroom and was able to successfully take care of business in a nice quiet secluded restroom with no interruptions. I've heard holding it in and trying to force it out are the 2 main problem causers in the aforementioned problem areas, so I didn't want to have to resort to that. I've made it this far without needing a donut cushion for my desk chair; I don't want to start now! ;) |
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| Thursday, July 14, 2005 |
OH MY GOD my belly itches today! I think this linen has wool in it! If I pull my waistband below my belly it doesn't itch as much, so it has to be the pants. But I've worn them a few times and this is the first time they've made me itch this way. WHAT is going on?!?!?!?!?!?! What cruel person made maternity pants out of itchy fabric??? What were they thinking???? I've also found myself watching WAY too many baby shows on Discovery and TLC lately. They are even on in the morning now, so I get to watch them before work. The other night I fell asleep in front of the TV and woke to a woman screaming in agony as her breech baby (and an adult human hand) were being pulled through her nether regions. I guess sometimes it's not important how you do it, just as long as you get it done and nobody dies. Nobody would ever ask for that pain, but once it's over I don't know any mother that would say "I wish they would have just let that baby fade away so I didn't have to feel that pain." The doctor said she was afraid the head was going to get stuck if it came through backwards, so I guess that's why her hand was in there guiding the chin downwards and out. Yeah, this is what I watch for fun these days... |
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| Wednesday, July 13, 2005 |
Tonight I was sitting in my chair and mentioned to Marti that it smelled like tunafish. He informed me he had a tunafish sandwich for lunch that day. Pregnancy side effects: Itchy belly: CHECK Bloody noses: CHECK Heartburn: CHECK Increased sensitivity to smells: CHECK |
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| Tuesday, July 12, 2005 |
Today I got to watch Joey get spayed at the vet's office through a big glass observation window. COOL! Except I got a bloody nose as soon as I sat down and it was a doozie! I went through about 4 or 5 McDonald's size napkins trying to get it under control. I literally bled more than my puppy did while watching the surgery! The vet had a little stack of 2x2 gauze squares sitting there to dab the blood as she worked, and she may have gotten spots on about 5 of them. However, they were not soaked like my napkins were. So, yea, surprisingly I bled more than my dog that day. |
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| Monday, July 11, 2005 |
Today got off to an interesting start. I sat up in bed and felt the blood drip down my upper lip. This bloody nose thing is just WEIRD!!! Don't you normally get LOWER pressure from sitting up too quickly? Lower pressure shouldn't cause a nose bleed. Higher pressure does, right? Oh, and for the record, my belly is officially getting hard. I used to be able to squish it a little still and thought I remembered people telling me pregnant bellies were hard, so wasn't sure what was up with that. I thought it was just my extra fat. Well, it's hard now! Also, I keep seeing a girl at work that is about as pregnant as I am but we haven't spoken yet. Since we haven't spoken yet, it's getting weird because we probably both know we're looking at each other's bellies all the time as we pass. hahaha! I should introduce myself, but maybe I'm a little shyer than I thought I was. I was sitting right next to her in the lunch room today and couldn't make myself turn around and say hi. It was a weird feeling for me to not be able to just start up a conversation. Maybe it's that thing they say expectant mothers do. Maybe I'm turning inward these days. Who knows? |
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| Saturday, July 09, 2005 |
Well, the last 2 days have been absolutely ridiculous! My baby is doing gymnastics in there ALL DAY LONG! Remember when I said she calmed down and I thought she wasn't moving around as much because maybe it was getting a little cramped in there? Not any more! She's making up for lost belly jabs now! Seriously! Yesterday, not a half hour went by when I wasn't thinking "WHAT in the name of sweet Jesus is going on in there!?!!?!?!" Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration because I don't normally use "sweet Jesus" in conversation, but it seemed to fit in this case. Kind of like when I walked outside and was blasted by the furnace that was the first really hot day in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago. That was "sweet mother of God" day for certain! hahaha! Blasphemy aside though, sometimes I am just shocked and amazed at how much movement can really be happening in there as well as the stamina of that little one! She's been at it for 2 days straight! It all started with Diane feeding me some blueberries and whipped cream. Thanks a lot, Diane! hahaha! If this is how she's going to be, and if you spoil this grandbaby, I'm feeding her blueberries and cream before sending her over to visit you when she grows up. That will show ya'! hahaha! Ok, it's probably not a good idea to threaten the grandparents with hyper kids before the baby is even born. I take it back. I know this is the time when Marti and I still know everything and have great confidence in ourselves, but come October, I know that gets torn out of us along with this baby and I hear our hearts forever! :) Nothing will ever be the same and we will need all the help we can get. So Mom, Diane, and to all the rest of you around us that have been there and done that, get ready, because we're depending on you for guidance. Can you tell I'm getting scared? :) The emotions are starting to kick in, as well. This morning as I was getting ready I saw Val try to play-bite Joey and all of a sudden Joey had this cute puppy face again instead of that rabid beast ready to attack look she usually has when she play-fights. It was so cute it brought a tear to my eye. How pathetic is that? Well, apparently not as pathetic as the crying that followed! Yup, I was bawling because my puppy had a split second of sweetness on her face. I need to get a grip! Hahaha!!!! |
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| Wednesday, July 06, 2005 |
My baby had hiccups last night! Tee hee! With all the hype in the pregnancy articles I've read, I thought they'd be more pronounced, but I barely noticed them. Maybe they get stronger later -- hence the irritation factor "they" refer to. On another note, I slept on the toilet last night. Well, not all night -- not even close!!! I just had to get up to pee at about 3:30 am and I was so tired I shut my eyes for a bit. It was not much later when I realized I fell asleep there. hahaha!!!! Nursery check: I was originally going to hang a shelf in the remaining corner of the nursery, but decided it's too close to the crib and I don't want the little bugger trying to grab things from it - or even grabbing the shelf itself. It just didn't seem safe. So, I am painting cute little bugs and other creepy crawlies all over to fill the space since they can't fall off or be pulled into the crib. Marti said our kid is going to grow up an entomologist with all the bugs, but I was sure to point out there are reptiles (gecko) and amphibians (happy little frogs) also. Then you add in the birds in the tree and the various stuffed bears and mice around the room, and I think we have a pretty well rounded group of outdoorsy creatures. |
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| Tuesday, July 05, 2005 |
Last night proved to be an interesting 4th of July! We didn't plan to watch the fireworks, but it turns out we couldn't miss them if we tried! At 9pm I went downstairs to get a glass of water and Joey followed me. BOOM!!! It sounded like someone lit a Roman Candle in our back yard! Needless to say, Joey panicked and didn't know what to make of that! I settled her down and went upstairs, just thinking it was some neighborhood kids getting into trouble. Next thing I knew, they were going off like crazy! And I'm not talking the little fire cracker type that kids normally play with. I looked out the south facing window to see if I could see anything, as it's only houses to the north. I couldn't see a thing. It was as if they were directly over the house! Obviously there was something going on, so I decided to look out the other side of the house, and sure enough, there they were! It turns out that I had a perfect view of them while sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery! So, if they do it again next year, we will have a perfect view of the fireworks from Baby's own window! I wish I knew who put on the show. We could even hear the music when it was semi-quiet between booms. By counting the time between the visual and the audible on each firework, I determined they were about 2 miles away. That is, if the same holds true for thunder and fireworks. :) |
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| Monday, July 04, 2005 |
I love three day weekends! I get one day to do something fun, another day to rest, and another day to get things done. This weekend was kind of a mix between all 3, but I got to take my time knowing I could do it all. We went to Mesa to go swimming with the doggies and it turns out that we have not just one water dog, but TWO! Joey jumps in the pool with almost the same reckless abandon that Sydney does! They even race to the ball when it's floating and you can visibly see them turn it up a notch in an effort to win. That was the fun, then there was the rest. I had to take a few hours nap prior to going because I just didn't feel good. The rest did the trick and when I woke up, I was good as new and even swam a couple (really slow) laps in the pool when we got there. And, we've been working on the nursery all weekend, too. Marti was very helpful in completing the shutters and the faux window project. We finished a couple of shutters that we'd made last year and then made a couple more from scratch for the faux window - and even had time to hang all four! Next weekend I hope to make the curtain for the closet and hang it. When I picked up the thread, I got some cute flower and bug buttons to attach the tab tops with, and I want to see how that will look. I also got a curtain rod with leaf finials and hold-backs that should fit in well with the outdoorsy theme. I'm almost done!!!!!! All we need now is a little screaming, kicking bundle of joy and we'll be all set. |
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| Sunday, July 03, 2005 |
Oh my God! My hips hurt so bad these days! For the last week it's been building up, but now it's all the time when I sleep. I have to sleep on my side, so it seems that the pressure on whichever hip I lay on is enough to make it hurt. Also, my elbows and shoulder hurt sometimes, too. This sucks! I've never had a problem sleeping, but I can see this seriously cutting into my winks! Just rolling over is enough to make me grumble in my sleep and then once I GET rolled over, I'm not actually sure it hurts any less. Kind of like when part of your body is asleep -- sometimes it hurts to get it out of that mode, but it's necessary. |
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| Saturday, July 02, 2005 |
I couldn't resist. I bought a different changing table yesterday for a smokin' price! I'm selling the other one. I have heartburn every day now and can only take Tumms for it, which seems to make it worse! I'm still getting bloody noses for no reason. Well, no other reason other than I'm pregnant and it's normal. The doctor told me I have to do the diabetes test on our next visit and sent us home with a little bottle of orange stuff. I put it in the fridge for later. Marti and I both keep wanting to drink it because it looks like a little orange soda. :) I hear it's not that good though. Oh, this test is routine, so nobody get worried. :) There's nothing wrong that makes them want to do the test, it's just part of the drill. |
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| Friday, July 01, 2005 |
I can't believe I didn't write about our class on Monday night!!!! We took the "Sneak Peak" class and it was a lot of basics. Since we don't have experience with babies, it was all good info, but I stepped aside for the diaper changing and swaddling so Marti could test his skills. He did ok, but the nurse said the diapers need to be VERY tight across the top edge so that they don't leak all kinds of wonderful and colorful baby things all over us. It would have been better if we had a more realistic plastic baby instead of the stuffed sack with hands, feet and a head. Our practice baby didn't bend realistically, so it was a little stiff and hard to manage for Marti, as well as all the other parents that were unlucky enough to get that model. At least we didn't get the one with the sour look on its face. |
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| Wednesday, June 29, 2005 |
Last night I went and helped Jess put up wallpaper border in her nursery and found myself REALLY irritated by the dogs in the car on the way there and back. I thought it was just that they kept licking me, but today I'm super tired again, so maybe the third trimester slump is coming on. I'd better get to my projects soon or they may never get done. Funny thing is, I haven't been working as many hours this week, yet I'm more tired. It seems like the more I take on, the more energy I have. I think I'll still take it easy this week though just in case. Besides, with the work in the back yard being done, we have to keep the dogs penned up in a different area of the house and Joey's already pulled the carpet pad out of the bathroom closet, so I need to get home to them as early as I can anyway. Plus, it's fun to get home in the daylight hours and see the progress the guys are making on the concrete repair/resurface job. Today they started adding color to yesterday's texture and I think it's going to look REALLY nice!!!! Maybe I'll check the weather archives later and see what the mornings are like in September and have Jessica's shower outside at our place if it's going to be nice that time of year. :) Clean up will be a breeze if it is! Just hose it down and I'll be done! hahaha! |
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| Monday, June 27, 2005 |
I could visibly see my belly move this weekend -- and I wasn't even looking at it!!! It was so obvious that when I was watching TV, I could see my belly moving out of the corner of my eye! This is WEIRD!!! |
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| Sunday, June 26, 2005 |
As I sneak up on the 6th month, I'm getting more "in touch" with my bladder. It seems like I have to go every 10 seconds and getting up in the middle of the night is not uncommon -- again. I don't even really feel that much pressure from the weight of this baby yet, so I can imagine it's only going to get WAY worse!!!! Let the games begin... |
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| Wednesday, June 22, 2005 |
Until now I was concerned that I wasn't eating enough, but the doctor told me I'm doing just fine. She actually cautioned against eating anything extra on top of what I'm already eating, as extra weight in me or the baby makes delivery difficult. So, my theory that I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing until the doctor tells me otherwise still stands. I'm not overly hungry, so I don't have to worry about curbing my appetite. Also, since I don't feel like I'm eating a lot, I still don't have to concentrate on eating any more than I already am. That's good news and I feel better now. She also said the little thing I experienced yesterday was nothing to worry about -- probably just my blood pressure dropped and I need to get up slowly and stuff like that. She said some ladies can't take a hot shower in the morning because they get nauseous!!! I'm glad that's not me! I'd die without my relaxing showers!!! I gave up hot baths, but long warm showers? Forget it!!!! Although, as hot as it's been here, I could almost stand to take a shower outside with the hose and not notice the difference! (See Sunday, June 19 for outdoor bath review) |
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| Tuesday, June 21, 2005 |
So I'm wearing the little red top that I was wearing when the random person told me I was a cute pregnant lady. :) Guess what? I got the same comment today again! I'm going to go buy 20 of these little red tops and just make them my pregnancy uniform! hahaha! On a more serious note, I almost blacked out this morning before work. I made it to the bed to rest a bit only to be hopped on by 2 play-fighting doggies. It wasn't pretty. I had to just take it and luckily they got bored really fast and stopped. Want to hear what it feels like to have a 50 lb dog and a 20 lb dog step on your hair when you're resting??? It feels a little like this: AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! So, that's that. I feel great now so I have no idea what that was all about. It was like low blood sugar except I'd eaten breakfast already, so that wouldn't be it. I'll have to ask the doctor about that... |
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| Monday, June 20, 2005 |
Well, the closet organizer is finished and looks good. I just need to pick a curtain rod so I can make that curtain to replace the doors I removed. The frame for the "window" is cut and I put a final coat on it before work today. Once that is dry I can put up the frame and see how big the shutters need to be to finish that up. Let's see... I got some new hangers for the bird shelves in the tree since those keep falling down anyway. That's a small project on the list, but still needs to get done. Oh yeah, I almost forgot the little wooden "plus mark" that we'll put over the mirror to make it look more like a window. That needs to be cut and painted, too. Make & hang curtain, hang window frame, make & hang shutters, rehang bird shelves, make, paint and mount "plus" in the window... I think that's really it and then we're done. |
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| Sunday, June 19, 2005 |
The ongoing saga of the patio... This fine balmy June evening I was out spraying down the patio and washing away large chunks of concrete from the top layer and the dogs decided to join in on the action. Joey was so cute biting the water, but she doesn't have that sideways trick down like Syd does. Joey bites it head on, so basically the hose sprays straight down her throat. It was so cute in a sick sort of way. At this point I figured they may as well get their baths outside since they were already soaked. So, bathe, we did. Except now that it was business and no pleasure, Joey wanted nothing to do with the hose and decided to jump up on me and run around me as I was crouched down trying to wash her. What does this have to do with the pregnancy, you ask? Well, besides the fact that the little one inside got a nice blast of my "laughing my butt off" endorphins, I learned that I have no sense of balance now. So, rather than finding a way to fight off a 20 lb wet puppy, I had to give in and let her climb all over me. Needless to say I got soaked, too, and hence, the laughing my butt off. A good time was had by all. |
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| Friday, June 17, 2005 |
More of the same this week. Belly is big. Baby is kicking (although a little harder last night again instead of the mild version she's been doing lately). Working on nursery again this weekend (installing closet organizer). Absolutely nothing spectacular happened this week. |
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| Sunday, June 12, 2005 |
Ok, I think we made our final preparation trip to Home Depot today. Marti's had a few priceless looks on his face throughout this pregnancy, but when today's total came up, the look was not priceless. Actually, it had a specific dollar amount tied to it, and that number did not make Mr. Daddy happy today. Ok, ok, I'll stop shopping already! :) |
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| Friday, June 10, 2005 |
Braxton Hicks, meet my uterus. http://www.juniormagazine.co.uk/module-pagesetter-viewpub-tid-5-pid-29.html If you didn't already know, Dr. John Braxton Hicks was the guy that had these little practice contractions named after him. And boy, are we practicing a LOT these days! I think I feel that more than I do the baby kicking. My theory on that is the baby has less room to move around now that she's getting bigger, so she has less room to "wind up" for the swings, so the kicks are less dramatic now. I still feel her kicking, but it's not the kind that makes me think she's going to grow up to be a kick boxer some day. Now it's more like she's stomping grapes. Come to think of it, it probably wouldn't be such a bad thing to have a grape stomper in the family. Marti would have a permanent "in" with the wine makers and he'd be a happy boy. Anyway, I'm quite certain this feeling is Braxton Hicks because early on I remember telling Mom that I can almost feel when the baby is getting ready to kick. I imagine it is my uterus tightening up, then the baby reacts by kicking. Or I could be imagining the whole thing. That happens when you read too many books. |
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| Thursday, June 09, 2005 |
ITCHY BELLY!!!!!!! It has gotten so bad today that I pulled my tank top up, pulled my waistband down (what there is of it) and just scratched my belly like a dog scratches her ears! All this was in my office at my desk. I didn't care! Oils and lotions help, but MAN, some days it's just CRAZY!!! |
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| Wednesday, June 08, 2005 |
OK, this is just getting comical! I think I'm getting my (good) cosmic payback for having had the 2 bad pregnancies because this one is going so well. I'll explain why it's funny today in just a second... So, I was over visiting an old coworker in their new building and taking a little tour of the place at lunch today. It made me think for just a second that I wish I'd stayed with the team because the new offices are soooooo posh!!! There's landscaping with boulders and waterfalls - and the waterfalls even have mist coming out of them!!!! Also, there are abstract canvas ramadas (pet named the poppies) outside with little eating areas tucked away here and there in a kind of snail shell pattern of walls with different seating levels joined by flagstone paths. Why, there was even a guy sitting there on his break playing a guitar for his friends! It couldn't have been more perfect! Wish I was there! So, anyway, as I'm awestruck and walking through this place, some random person stops us at the elevator, points at my belly and says how cute she thinks I am as a pregnant woman! Tell me THAT doesn't feel good as I'm getting rounder and rounder!!!! :) It's been a great day so far -- and a great pregnancy all around. And I do mean ROUND! hahaha! |
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| Sunday, June 05, 2005 |
Our little girl learned a new trick and is quite a show off now! She's kicking hard enough to see my belly move every time now. I thought it would be kind of here and there that we got to see it move, but it's been consistent. We went to see Cinderella Man today and came home to a nap. If it wasn't for those 3 dogs, I would have slept until tomorrow morning! Alas, it finally got to me that I didn't know what they were up to, so I got up to make sure they wouldn't get into trouble. OH! I forgot to mention that Marti signed up for Daddy Boot Camp at the hospital. I guess a guy he knows recommended it and said he liked the class when he was a new dad, too. I'm off to sign up for a couple more classes myself. Who knows if all that breathing crap works, but I figure it can't hurt! I'm getting an epidural unless something stops me, so I anticipate feeling no pain until that wears off. However, if I get stuck in an elevator or something, I want something to believe in. hahaha! |
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| Saturday, June 04, 2005 |
Our plans for the morning were shot so we decided to register for baby stuff instead. WOW. I never thought it would be so involved! Marti thought it would take about a half hour, but we ended up spending about 3 hours in that store looking at all the stuff! He was so good about it and I think he was actually having some fun! He said it helped that he got to work the scanner gun, so I'm glad he got a hold of that before me. You should have seen him go for the "I love my daddy" bib! hahaha! He was so cute!!! Everything else we decided on, we discussed first, so when I saw him making a bee line for the bibs I had to laugh. Back by the high chairs we ran into someone we both know from the restaurant and were greeted with her 6 month old and husband. I didn't even know she got married, let alone had a baby. I guess it's been a while since we've seen her... We're also dog sitting this week so now we have 3 dogs. We were just getting a taste of the peaceful morning and now it's going to be mayhem all over again. But it will be fun. We love dog sitting Lobo because he gets along so well with Sydney and he wears our dogs out. He's a good doggie, too! |
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| Saturday, June 04, 2005 |
Today was fun! Marti and I woke up to 2 peaceful dogs in bed instead of yelping puppy downstairs. She's getting to the point where we can trust her not to make a mess while we sleep in. That's a nice change. But, the more fun part was when we got to feel the baby kick again. Marti could barely feel it, so she really put on a show to make up for it! As he was on the computer, I noticed what I felt like a kick that made the blanket move on my belly! I moved the covers and sat and watched. YUP! My belly is officially moving today! Marti got up in time to see the biggest one as he walked over to check it out. THAT was weird!!!! (But fun, too!) |
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| Tuesday, May 31, 2005 |
What must Eve have thought when "the first child that ever was" started kicking inside her? (Let alone what she thought when she pushed it out of herself!!!!) I mean, SERIOUSLY!!!!! Imagine not knowing what the freakin' heck is squirming around in there and kicking you like it's going to come bursting out like an alien at any moment. It must have been quite disturbing. Along those same lines, what do animals think since nobody ever explained the birds and the bees to them? I mean, you should have seen the look on Sierra's face (my now departed dog) when she let a big fart rip! Not to be gross, but she got up and ran away like some alien just crawled out of her butt!!! If a mere fart is that scary, then WHY do mother animals LIKE their little babies and protect them with their lives instead of running away when they ploop out? Granted, puppies are MUCH cuter than farts, but still! Do you ever wonder what goes through their heads? Ok, so I've been sitting here playing "tap the belly and wait for the response" too long tonight, and in the down time between responses I've been doing some deep philosophizing, but is that so bad? |
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| Monday, May 30, 2005 |
More work on the nursery this weekend and enjoying the long weekend. We went shopping for a dresser for the baby's room and found a nice tall one that looks ok in there. We talked about putting some cute kiddie drawer pulls on it to "kid" it up a little, so I found some that we can paint ourselves later when I finish all my other projects. The weather has been pretty good this weekend, but still warm. It's been nice for eating outside (in the shade or in the evening only) and even went for a swim yesterday! As usual, it took me forever to get in, but once I was in, it felt good. Marti and I bought a mirror for the baby's room instead of painting a window on the blank wall. I'll frame it and put shutters on the side to match the real window and that will be a lot easier. |
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| Friday, May 27, 2005 |
I forgot to mention that I've been sleeping in the extra bedroom for about a week now. I like sleeping on my side (which is good for the baby I hear) except my belly is getting so big that it doesn't let me roll over far enough to stay on my side. I always feel like I'm going to roll onto my back (which is not so good for the baby I hear). To fix this, I prop a pillow behind my back to keep me from rolling over, but that takes up so much room in the bed that we can't all be comfortable. So, off to the spare bed I went! :) Marti doesn't have to listen to me snore, I get to sleep with the blinds open and wake up to sunlight, and the dogs get all the room they want - as well as a choice of scenery depending on who they choose to sleep with that night. It works for us. Eugene said we should put both beds in one room and have a SUPER bed, but Marti didn't like that idea. I think he's enjoying the peace and quiet! But, it's funny to imagine 2 queen size beds in our master bedroom anyway! |
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| Thursday, May 26, 2005 |
So, what's the deal with Motherhood Maternity Store? They have a 10 day return policy on normal items and all bathing suits are final sale! Ok, probably works for them, but if the tags are on it and I decide I found something better the next day, I'm out of luck. I took may chances and bought it since it wasn't too bad, but I'm still insulted by the policy. What I wanted to do was go next door to see what Kohl's and Target offered, but Motherhood was closing a half hour before them, so I just bought it and figured it was good enough. Turns out Kohl's had nothing and Target had absolutely hideous suits, so it was the right choice, but I still would have liked the option. So, the point of the story is, we're going swimming on Sunday and I needed a new bathing suit! What a joy that was to buy! I chose a modest suit that covers the entire belly with a skirt thingie attached to the top. So, it's not as hip as a tankini, but it gets the job done. Had to get a large because the medium cut right across the middle of my belly and that didn't feel good now - let alone by the end of summer! I tried pushing it down, but that just seemed dangerous - even with the skirt hiding any wardrobe malfunctions that could occur from not having the bottoms pulled up all the way. So, I have this monstrosity of a bathing suit now that comes nearly up to my chest from the bottom and down past my hips from the top. Gramma would have been proud! |
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| Wednesday, May 25, 2005 |
Doctor said everything is fine again today. Nothing new to report there. My belly continues to grow and my belly button has been flattening out the last few weeks. I visited Mom last night and she felt the baby, but Ron wasn't able to feel her yet. He thinks his hands are too burley to feel anything that delicate yet. We'll keep her in training and soon he can feel her kicking him! Mom and Beryl gave us some more stuff for the baby last night. Lots of really cute clothes and another snow suit for up in Heber. That makes one for 18 mo from Nonnie and one for 24 mo from Mom. Easy on the snow suits if you are considering one for us. Hahaha! I think we're pretty well covered there for a while. I mean, there is Heber, but how many more do we need? Tee Hee! (I have to admit they are cute by nature and they make me giggle, though!) So, we're getting lots of clothes and I think the dresser shopping is going to take top priority in the next week or two. This stuff needs a place before the nursery gets out of control. Also, we have a project on our hands with that closet revamp. I'll figure something out there soon. I feel SOOOOO spoiled because we are getting so much stuff. I guess the family LOVES the idea of a new baby to spoil! :) |
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| Tuesday, May 24, 2005 |
Well, today was a big day. Other people can officially feel my baby dancing around in there! I got up and had a bowl of cereal in bed, and waited for the entertainment to begin. (Usually she gets active after I eat -- presumably because of the burst of sugar and nutrients she gets from my blood) She started kicking around and so I had Marti put his hand on my belly and wait. First kick: blank stare on Marti's face. Second kick: blank stare on Marti's face. Third kick: Marti's face!!!! hahaha! That was it! Yup, that was our baby. He's a little amazed and a little freaked out about it I think. It's a cute little mixture of both. |
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| Monday, May 23, 2005 |
Last night was funny! I think our little one got her hands around my guts and started yanking! I can't describe the feeling, but it was tickling from the inside and it made me laugh out loud in my bed. I finally was able to feel it from the outside, but by the time Marti made his way over to where I was, it had stopped. If that's what "real" movement feels like, then this is going to get fun! Up until now it's felt like nothing more than maybe a baby rat (or if you prefer, a baby bunny) squirming around in there, but now things are getting interesting! If this is what it's going to feel like, I can just see it now! My, sitting in my office laughing for no reason. They are going to take me away! |
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| Monday, May 23, 2005 |
Half Way Mark today! Yeah! That seemed to fly by quickly! |
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| Sunday, May 22, 2005 |
GOOD GOD! Who turned up the heat???? It got so hot all of a sudden this weekend that I think my body went into protest. We went to pick up a changing table and then took Danny to a movie since we were in the neighborhood (meaning within 30 minutes of Nonnie's house!). After that we went home and hung out and then out to dinner. I wasn't even out in it that long, but I was woozie and almost didn't make it in to dinner! Luckily, a good blast of A/C and I was good to go. It will be a very long summer - this I am sure of. |
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| Thursday, May 19, 2005 |
I'm still just waiting until the baby moving around can be felt from the outside so Marti (and anyone else that wants to) can feel it jumping around in there. Jane Granna watched the first ultrasound video and commented on how active this little bugger is. I feel it wriggling around all the time. It's not really kicks; it's more like scooching around. I guess this waiting will end in the last milestone that I can think of before the birthday. I was thinking it was just growing until then, but I really am looking forward to sharing that big deal. |
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| Wednesday, May 18, 2005 |
Marti and I have been talking about names and can't agree on one thing. We originally decided we liked the name Hannah, so we're kind of stuck on it. However, he wants a middle name starting with A after his grandfather Alec. My problem is that Hannah ends in an "A" sound, then you jump right back into another "A" sound and it sounds like you're choking on her name! It seems Marti is more tied to the "A" for Alec idea than Hannah, but he hasn't really given up Hannah yet, either. Stay tuned, as there will surely be more developments later. Little did he know picking a MIDDLE name would be such a big deal to me! hahaha! |
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| Wednesday, May 18, 2005 |
For those of you that don't know her, we have always called my grandma in CA "Jane Granna." In a recent conversation, we were discussing what this child will call her. Hmmmmm. She's got a point. I mean, "Jane Great Granna" is a mouthful for even me! So, now we not only have to start thinking about what to name the baby, but people we've called one name our WHOLE LIVES will now be known by new names. This baby thing is getting complicated! |
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| Tuesday, May 17, 2005 |
Nesting instinct is really getting strong these last few days. With all the great hand-me-downs we've gotten in the last week or so (Thanks Nonnie and Ted!) I've gotten to the point where it needs to go somewhere. I found a changing table and will get a good solid dresser that will last rather than some overpriced combo that we may not really want to have in the room once it's not a nursery anymore. I also decided to take the closet doors off for now to open up all the space in there and install some kind of organization system. You can't really hang onesies anyway, so what do we need with a rod that is about 5 ft from the ground and all that empty space under it? The only problem with that is the closet is stark white and it will stand out against all the painting I did last year. Or was that the year before? Seems like I've been in various stages of pregnant for 3 years now! I know dry skin is somewhat normal right now, but this is getting ridiculous! Sometimes I feel like sticking a big piece of duck tape across my forehead and pulling it all off! It's a never-ending peel going on these days and I can't tell if it looks better or worse with make up on. Oh, back to the hand-me-downs! I figured out the bouncy swing Ted gave me finally! Hung it from the door frame and it looked good! It was only missing one thing -- a baby! Well, I can't do much about that for now, but decided if I stuck Joey in there, it wouldn't be so bad. She's about 18 lbs now, so she's about the right size. Besides, she stands straight up like a person a lot of time, so she doesn't mind being upright. I'll post a picture of her in it later. |
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| Thursday, May 12, 2005 |
Posting another belly picture tonight, so check back later to see what 18 weeks, 3 days looks like. Marti and I discussed the fact that he doesn't want a lot of pink stuff now that we know it's probably going to be a girl. I'm sure he was happy to hear I agree! We just can't stomach seeing pink everywhere we look every day and that is what usually happens to little girls, so we're avoiding it. If a little pink sneaks through, that's fine, but we're just not targeting pink. If I have my way, Auntie Jessica will teach my little girl how to play basketball and we'll have lots of skinned knees, but no frilly pink dresses. That's my idea of a perfect little girl. :) |
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| Wednesday, May 11, 2005 |
Yes, I can regularly feel that little baby jumping around in there. That is what it is, I'm certain of it. I seemed to have an appetite which until now I've escaped. I ate a full plate of spaghetti for lunch and then a girl in the office said there was leftover food on a buffet in the next building, which we promptly raided. Well, what harm would another plate of pasta with a side of green beans and a couple of cookies be? :) |
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| Monday, May 09, 2005 |
Today was the "big day." Well, it was about as big as it gets for us so far and until the birth day. Today we had the 18 week ultrasound and, while the baby was "demure" as the doctor called it, they were pretty sure it is a girl. This news came with a warning to keep all the tags and a statement that they do not re-paint nurseries. :) So, from what we could see, it looks like we're going to be parents to a very modest, bouncing baby girl! In 2 more weeks we'll be half way there! |
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| Sunday, May 08, 2005 |
We had Mother's Day dinner at our house and I discovered I can't be on my feet for too long. By too long, I mean all day. HAHAHA! It felt like my calves were going to POP! I think it was a combination of the standing plus being on concrete or tile all day - with a hint of crappy shoes - that made my legs hurt so bad. I think I'll have to do things in little bunches from now on until the baby is born. No more marathon sessions and then standing to cook dinner on top of it all. Next time, it's cleaning on Saturday then dinner on Sunday. Not both in one day. |
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| Saturday, May 07, 2005 |
Well, if it's not the baby dancing around inside me, then my long lost tapeworm is back and it's doing "River Dance" in my belly. I thought I lost that thing when I shot up from a size 4 to a 10 (or so) in the years Marti and I have been together. Ok, ok, I know it's the baby and I know there really wasn't a tapeworm, but it was kind of fun thinking about getting back to a size 4 again! Today Marti was working on the shelves for the little stuffed birdies we're going to add to the tree. Tomorrow I'll get him to paint the crackle paint on them so they match the bark of the tree, then next week we'll get those hung. Also ready to hang are the 2 window boxes I made and covered with fabric. I can hang one now, but will wait and do them both together after we buy a little dresser/changing table for the nursery. I don't want to mount that one too high or too low and have to rehang it later. I think I'll add some cute little stuffed flowers to them that will stay, while the stuffed animals, etc. can come out and play. I think it will make them look more like window boxes if they have some kind of flowers in them. |
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| Thursday, May 05, 2005 |
When they said pregnant women get nasal symptoms worse than most, they were not kidding! My allergies are acting up and I feel like I'm going to sneeze (but then I don't) for the better part of my waking hours. Then, at night it gets a little better in that I don't feel like I'm going to sneeze, but instead, I just can't breathe at all! It's a great way to be for days on end. The better news is, we have scheduled the 18-20 week ultrasound and will know the sex of the baby shortly! Stay tuned for the big day. We'll be posting those results sometime next week! On another note, I've discovered I'm one of those silly women that love being pregnant! Well, at least so far, that is. But, we all know each pregnancy can be different, so there's no saying the next one (if we're so lucky) will be so lovely. I'll just enjoy this one for what it is and worry about all that other stuff later. :) |
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| Thursday, May 05, 2005 |
Good news! The AFP screening came back with less than normal risk, so that's another little triumph for this mother of "advanced maternal age." To read more on AFP screening, check this site: http://www.ucsfhealth.org/childrens/medical_services/preg/prenatal/afp.html They give a pretty concise description of what it is if you're curious. |
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| Tuesday, May 03, 2005 |
Finished one of the "window boxes" today. Managed to devise a plan to get the fabric around the box and get it all tucked in without any raw edges showing. It took me a full day of trial and error to figure it out on Sunday and I finally got to finish it today. One down, one to go. |
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| Tuesday, May 03, 2005 |
WEIRD! I am sitting here and I can feel my heart beating in my belly!!!! Must be the placenta. I thought it may be kicking (been feeling a little something down there lately from time to time, so we think that may be the baby) but this is constant and rhythmic, so definitely not the baby. Now I can't really tell when I'm feeling my heart or the flutters that I think are the baby. It's all jumbled!!! Booooooo for the jumbles!!!!! |
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| Sunday, May 01, 2005 |
So, I'm driving down the road and I get an itch on my arm. You know, that fat white part of the fore-arm that has the consistency of uncooked bread dough? hahaha! I feel a little bumpy and think it's just the dry skin thing I have spreading below the elbow, but when I looked down, there was this big patch of bumps and I had a rash! It startled me so much that I sort of screamed - but not really loud - and startled Marti, too! It was the kind of noise you'd expect when someone sees a cat in the road at the last second. Well, most people would make this noise. I'm not one of those sick people that squeals "Yee haw!" when they see a cat in the road. Thankfully it's going away now and I don't need to think about that anymore. |
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| Saturday, April 30, 2005 |
NESTING: Many women experience a phenomenon known as nesting. The overwhelming urge to clean and prepare the home for baby's arrival is common. Yeah, that's me. Luckily Marti has a friend that prepared him for this and he's being very understanding. It was funny. One morning we were sitting there talking about all the things I was doing and Marti said proudly, "You know what you're doing? You're nesting!" It was cute watching him get into the terminology of the occasion. So, now all my trips to the store for this notion or that are all justified because I'm nesting. Weeeeeeee! |
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| Friday, April 29, 2005 |
This week in fetal development: Reflex movements are fully functional as baby will regularly suck and swallow and loud noises outside the uterus may actually cause the baby to startle. HAHAHA!!!! I've always liked scaring the bjeebers out of friends and family; now I get to begin startling my unborn baby. Good times. Ok, I'm kidding. I wouldn't do that -- yet! |
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| Thursday, April 28, 2005 |
Well, I guess today wasn't interesting enough. When speaking to a student today I got another bloody nose. Must have been all that crying this morning. It wasn't so bad except it's hard to talk on the phone while pinching your nose and sounding all nasally. Taking anything resembling notes while pinching nose and holding phone is impossible. "Gotta go" is getting to be a very well used phrase in my vocabulary these days. |
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| Thursday, April 28, 2005 |
Well, today started out just plain weird! I woke up and the only thing that got me out of bed was that I had to pee so bad and I was starving. However, when I went downstairs to have some toast, I couldn't eat it because I started getting really upset for no reason! I was crying like a baby and couldn't stop! My mind had no idea what my body was doing. It was the strangest thing ever! Marti asked where happy Lisa went and I told him I felt like 2 different people at once. One was crying for no reason and the other was laughing at her. The more I tried to stop, the worse I cried. The more I cried, the more it made me laugh. I think I've finally lost my mind! |
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| Wednesday, April 27, 2005 |
Time to schedule the 18-20 week ultrasound appointment! Boy or girl? Who wants to place their bets now? The regular doctor's visits are becoming nothing more than "Do you have any questions" so there's nothing to report there. I do think I'm getting my appetite back and I'm sneaking up on the 140 lb mark on the doctor's scale, so that means about 5-6 lbs gained so far. She measured the height of my uterus and said it measured at 15 weeks. I'm at 16, but I think it just means it's sticking OUT further than UP since I'm showing so much for this early. Heartbeat is at 153 and seems to be holding there (just like at home). I've gotten a bit bored listening to it at home, so I don't do that every day as I thought I would want to. She did say I should begin to feel movement within a month or so. So, for the next month, we have the ultrasound to look forward to and "quickening" for me to start feeling. Curious term... Quickening. Like the quick and the dead? So feeling it move means it's coming to life? I guess they made up that term prior to being able to see via ultrasound the little buggers hopping around like Mexican Jumping Beans inside all the moms in the early weeks. Gotta go! I'm going to call the ultrasound folks since they supposedly book up quickly. |
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| Monday, April 25, 2005 |
Mental note to self: When exiting restroom, make sure you did not tuck those ties you now have on the back of all your shirts into the back of your pants. You look ridiculous that way! :) |
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| Sunday, April 24, 2005 |
Last night was interesting! I'm not sure if it was my getting up to pee over and over that woke the puppy up or if her waking up made me wake up and realize I could stand a little potty break. At any rate, she was not feeling well last night and Marti was showing off what a good daddy he'll be. He got up time after time and cleaned out her kennel and took her out to go to the bathroom. Finally, he realized it might be a better idea to take her downstairs and just sleep with her there and not have to keep cleaning out the kennel in the middle of the night. (Oh, the joys of having a tile floor!) I'd give Marti a 9.8 score for being good daddy last night. He could have earned a PERFECT 10 if he used a flashlight instead of turning on the room lights when he was cleaning the kennel, but a girl should just be happy she's got a 9.8 hubby, right? |
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| Saturday, April 23, 2005 |
More nesting today. I bought a story book, some fabric to cover the "window boxes," and a cedar toy chest. I also bought a few more maternity clothes for me! Why is it most maternity clothes are so frumpy you look like you should be hanging out at WalMart full time or else so stiff and starched you can't possibly think you'll be comfortable just hanging out on the weekends in them? Once again, I'm no fashion plate, but isn't there a happy medium we can shoot for? Or does it really get to that point where I'm just not going to care anymore? So far this has been such a perfect pregnancy; I don't want to jinx it by complaining, but COME ON! Why is it I have to either iron every stitch of clothing now or else look like I need to go home to my trailer? I don't live in a trailer, nor am I a starched and pressed Stepford wife. Cut us pregnant ladies some slack, Maternity Wear People! |
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| Saturday, April 23, 2005 |
Is that a baby I feel in my belly? Too hard to say right now, but we'll see... |
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| Thursday, April 21, 2005 |
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't I supposed to get most of the second trimester OFF from the frequent pee breaks??? Did I get signed up for the wrong program???? |
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| Thursday, April 21, 2005 |
Well, it's been a great pregnancy so far, but today when I came home for lunch I had to stay home. I wasn't feeling great, so I just wanted to lie down for a while, but after trying to get up and go back a couple of times, I ended up staying in bed until about 5:30. I guess I needed some rest. |
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| Wednesday, April 20, 2005 |
I stayed home from work today to oversee the concrete slab getting put down for the BBQ we ordered. Good thing, as I caught 4 pretty major screw ups that they were able to "fix" on the fly. I'd planned on going in to work after they got started, but it turns out it was not looking good, so I stayed home all day to see what they were doing. Since the muddy grass was finally gone and the patch covered up I decided it was time to finally clean the floors! I really got to cleaning and even took the dust buster out and vacuumed the sofa cracks while I was at it. (Of course we will never fully be rid of Morgan's lovely blonde fur even now that she's gone, but I did get rid of a lot today!!!) For those that are worried, I took my time cleaning and took LOTS of breaks. Plus, I used a stick vac to sweep and the Hoover to mop, so really all I did was push those tools around. Just standing up on the tile that long really did a number on my feet though! I finally finished cleaning the downstairs about the same time the concrete guy gave up for the night. TEN THIRTY PM!!!!! Can't say the guy wasn't trying to make that slab look good... Plus, seeing him out there working by flashlight and then finally by real work light motivated me to finish my job as well. |
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| Tuesday, April 19, 2005 |
Not much new going on. Just sitting here being pregnant. I enjoyed our beautiful weather today by eating my lunch outside. As I sit here now it makes me think of how hot it will be soon and how uncomfortable I will be all summer long. I mean, summer in AZ is bad enough, but add the discomfort of pregnancy and I think I'm going to be miserable --- and miserable to be around! |
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| Wednesday, April 13, 2005 |
So I was thinking that it was a little ridiculous that I'm wearing the maternity SHIRTS already since they just seem so big on me. However, today when I got ready, I put on a regular top and realized maybe I wasn't so ridiculous after all when I was wanting to wear my new maternity tops. My regular shirt is pulling at the buttons today, so I think it is just about outgrown around the belly area for now. :) I don't know... Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I think this belly is a welcome arrival and knowing my baby is in there is pretty cool. Oh, today it's almost 5 inches long I've read!!! WOW! On another note, Marti just realized today that I've been updating this site nearly every day. I showed him his cameo in the Milestones section and he got a good laugh out of the fact that I took a picture of his note for the site. Does that mean I cracked him up or did he crack himself up since it was his note? We have an ongoing debate on whether or not he thinks I'm funny. :) He thinks the crib picture is cheesy, but if he'd been reading the updates, he would have realized I put that there the week I mentioned in my journal that we bought the crib. Men. They never get it. |
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| Monday, April 11, 2005 |
Busy day yesterday! We picked out a little wooden plaque and some numbers to mount on the wall of the "house" that is the baby's room. The "address" of the house is the baby's due date. (awwwwww!) Also, I hung a little birdhouse in the tree I painted. The tree goes onto the ceiling, so the bird house is hanging in the tree from the ceiling. I think it looks good there. I got all the cds and vhs tapes of the sonogram made yesterday and shipped them out on my lunch hour today. Oh, and all the little glow-in-the-dark stars I put on the ceiling last year are falling down, so I took them all off so they don't fall in the crib. Oh, well. :) |
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| Sunday, April 10, 2005 |
I've heard that finding the clip of the sonogram is not easy on my site, so for those that missed it, it's at: http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=Sonogram-3252005-clip-5 You'll need to copy and paste that address in your browser address bar to make it come up. Or, just scroll down to the VERY bottom of the baby page and click on the link that says: Short clip of Sonogram 3.25.2005 I liked this clip because you can see the little legs dancing around on the walls of my uterus -- but it's still too little to feel that, so don't bother asking. ;) It reminds me of those creepy old dancing baby clips we used to see back in the mid nineties when the internet was getting big and we all still had dial up. |
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| Saturday, April 09, 2005 |
Last week I was showing a friend my belly and I couldn't really suck it in or push it out, but today I can and it made me laugh out loud! I'll post 2 pics today so you can see the difference. It loses something with clothing, but hey! This is NOT that kind of site! It's kind of funny how this week I CAN suck it in a little and maybe look "less pregnant" than a week ago. However, I can't walk around with that look on my face all day, so I just give in to the "medium" belly you see of one week ago. The big shirt makes it look bigger, btw. :) |
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| Friday, April 08, 2005 |
Feeling MUCH better today, thanks for asking. :) Tried loading a very short clip of the 11.5 week sonogram on this site. Check near the bottom of the main page for a link. It may take up to a day for the link to work, so if it doesn't work today, try again later. |
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| Thursday, April 07, 2005 |
Felt poopy today - not sure what this is all about. Not quite morning sickness, but I did want to just crawl under my desk. I had the lights turned off and my door shut in hopes of being left alone today. Finally I just ended up going home and calling it a day. On another note, Marti's acting like he's never seen boobs before. My belly is showing quite a bit at this early date, but after everything we've been through, it's a welcome sight. I have a feeling since I'm so short waisted that I will be huge by the time this baby is born. It seems it has no place to go but "out." |
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| Wednesday, April 06, 2005 |
Itchy belly!!!! |
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| Tuesday, April 05, 2005 |
Nosebleed right when I had to start talking in a meeting at work today! Whoopsie! |
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| Monday, April 04, 2005 |
Holy crap! The Doppler rental was delivered today and I got to hear my baby's heart beat at home! It varies between the 160s and 170s, so it's pretty fast. It's hard to find, but after a while I got the hang of it. I left Marti a voicemail of the heartbeat. I wonder if he'll know what it is before he talks to me. |
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| Monday, April 04, 2005 |
Nothing like spending half your lunch hour trying to get your nose to stop bleeding! Maybe I shouldn't have invested in so many crisp white maternity shirts. ;) |
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| Saturday, April 02, 2005 |
Yesterday Marti went and picked up the crib I found. Today we had to go back and get the duvet cover that we both forgot. The lady knows me by sight now for all the times I've been in there recently. :) Will post a picture of the crib later today with all the little bears and stuff in it. The look on Marti's face when he saw it set up in there was really cute. It didn't even have a mattress in it when he picked it up, so of course it wasn't even remotely sweet. But now, in the nursery with the stuffed animals and the crib set.... :) Not much else to report today. Oh, I'm pretty much 100% out of my "street" clothes and all maternal now. The belly has started taking over my life. I suppose I should post a picture of the belly today while I'm at it. tee hee!!! Oh! We took the dogs in for shots today and they had Morgan's ashes there to pick up. Wouldn't you know it, we forgot her there when we left!!! Poor Marti! I ran back in later to get her and gave the girls a faux scolding. "This is NOT how she looked when we left her here 2 weeks ago!" Yes, I'm sick. |
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| Wednesday, March 30, 2005 |
Well, I still have a miserable cold. I went out to WalMart last night to get some cough drops and soft tissues and some other necessities. (Maternity shorts and sports bras for those that really want to know) Wouldn't you know it, I got up to the register (finally!) and my WALLET was GONE!!!! I freaked out in my controlled way and called to cancel my cards and started the mental inventory of what I had lost. ($12.00, driver's license, free sub I'd finally earned, international stamps I bought over a year ago and never got around to sending the letters...) I looked in the car and couldn't find it, but somehow it was in there and I found it when I got home. Maybe it was because I'd calmed down a little and was looking coherently for it. Anyway, ANOTHER trip back up to WalMart later and now I'm sitting here with my soft tissues and cough drops trying to tell myself it's just a cold and stop being such a big baby! No work for me again today though because I can't imagine talking to students all day with this headache and blowing my nose every 10 seconds. Just call me Rudolph! I hear sinus problems are common in pregnancy, but I hope this passes soon. |
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| Tuesday, March 29, 2005 |
Ok, I just saw this a few minutes ago and I'm just about over it, but it's time to have a little talk with the expecting Daddy. I went to get the sonogram picture to load today and it was FOLDED!!! Not in half, but in QUARTERS!!!! Yup, after I handed it to him in an envelope to keep it nice, the excited dad folded that picture and stuck in his pocket at work. He was so excited he said he was showing everyone and I can't help but imagine a few of them must have been thinking, "Dude, you are SO busted when your wife sees what you did to this precious photo!" Lucky I didn't see that on one of my emotional days. ;) |
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| Tuesday, March 29, 2005 |
We made it to the mountains this weekend and the new puppy was pretty incredible - except for waking us up every 1.5-3 hours to go outside. I guess that's a sample of what we have to look forward to soon! This time Marti was a saint and took her out every time she cried at night--and it was COLD out there! I have a sneaking suspicion that next time we need to get up that much during the night, I'm going to be the one taking care of things. :) The ride home from Heber was pretty bad. I'm not sure if it was the flu, morning sickness or motion sickness, but either way, the dogs weren't the only one needing daddy to pull over for a pit stop. In my pathetic mess, I started crying since I already had a splitting headache and throwing up only made matters worse. Poor Marti didn't know what to do -- and what CAN you do? hahaha! Today I called in sick to work since the headache was still persisting and I didn't want to deal with talking to students all day like this. We did make it to our doctor's appointment, although it was later than planned because she had to run to a delivery. I got the message RIGHT as I was pulling out of the driveway--just in time! Marti almost didn't make it this time because he had another appointment scheduled, but she was late, too! So we both got to finally HEAR this baby's heartbeat today. It was a little anti-climactic since we'd already seen it on the sonogram screen twice already, but it was still fun. The heartbeat was 150 today, but the ultrasound tech told us last week that guessing the sex of the baby based on that is just going on averages, so it may not be accurate. It's like saying if you're 5'11, you're a man. Well, not necessarily. So, we all have our feelings on what we think it is, but until we see visuals on it, they are just guesses and hunches. For the record, Marti says it's a boy. :) |
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| Friday, March 25, 2005 |
Relief! The sonogram today showed a perfect little baby. Or, as a friend of mine says at this stage, a perfect little lizard. Marti is very happy now to see that it's alive and well and thriving. Getting the news about the blood test and today's measurements was positive. The test was for certain birth defects such as Down Syndrome and they say we have a very low likelihood of that even though I'm over 35. They gave us a video to take home and a few pictures. I'll work on getting that online as soon as we get back from the mountains. |
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| Thursday, March 24, 2005 |
Picked up a new puppy to keep Sydney company tonight! She's a precious little heeler! |
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| Wednesday, March 23, 2005 |
Marti wants to go see U2 in concert when they come in April. However, he has a friend who's a doctor that said we should ask our OB/GYN if that is advisable. We would be in an area of seats where I shouldn't get jostled about, but I think it's the noise and vibrations that are the concern. I see now that I'm home the business card for the OB/GYN has been moved. I wonder if Marti called her, and if so, what her take on this was.... |
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| Wednesday, March 23, 2005 |
Can't wait for our next appointment! This should be the big one. Last pregnancy at this time is when we discovered the baby's heart had stopped beating weeks ago. We thought before that ultrasound that the worst we'd have to deal with was news of possible Down's Syndrome. Well, this time we know we can still get news of greater chance of birth defects, but also we're prepared in case it's even worse news. Of course I'm still optimistic and hoping for the best. If it comes in ok, then this truly will have been a near perfect pregnancy so far. I'm hardly sick at all this time. Of course there are the bloody noses, but at least I FEEL ok when that's happening. My allergies are taking a leave of absence this spring - lucky me! Fingers, toes, arms, legs and eyes crossed in anticipation of that next appointment. It all is on target in this ultrasound, then we can breathe a big sigh of relief for now. |
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| Tuesday, March 22, 2005 |
We decided to get a new dog as soon as possible to keep Sydney company. Whether a dog or a pup, it will be good to get it situated before I get too plump and can't clean up as many land mines in the house if we have to deal with that. We REALLY want a puppy and I think it would be best to get one in and trained BEFORE I have to deal with diapers, so we're making a move on that now. We stopped by an animal rescue to see about a new puppy. I had a 5 month shepherd mix picked out (Murphy) but when Marti brought Sydney up to meet him, she wanted no part of that - or the 11 month old either. Just like in the dog park on Sunday, she snarled and tried to bite the dogs we introduced her to. (At the dog park she tried to take on a dog named Moose!) That is soooo not like our little Sydney Pidney!!!! She really is a wreck over this. I always thought she was blissfully ignorant of everything, but she really must be able to tell. |
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| Sunday, March 20, 2005 |
Remember that trip up north mentioned below? Well, that fun weekend turned into heartbreak when Morgan (my step-dogger) became very sick and agitated Friday night. We ended up having to put her to sleep after a very long day of trying to save her at 2 different vet's offices. I went with Marti to go "pick her up" and we prepared with some ground beef to feed her when she got home. However, she never made it home. We had a feeling when we left the house that EVENTUALLY that may happen, but I think we were in partial denial that we'd have to do it that day. In the back of my mind I went with him just to be his strength in case he needed to make the decision on the spot. Turns out my subliminal thoughts were right and it was a good thing I went with Marti so I could say good-bye to Morgan. However, the idea of being the strong one didn't quite work out as I'd planned. I cried harder than I did when I put down my very own Sierra. I guess I was a little more prepared for Sierra's passing -- and I wasn't almost 11 weeks pregnant at the time. The semi-funny thing about getting home from the vet was when I went to clean out my purse. I'd been stuffing tissues in there after using them and hadn't noticed I had a big bloody nose! Imagine my surprise when I pulled a bloody tissue out of my purse! The whole time I thought it was just boogers, but I was bleeding, too! Good thing the nurse gave us a box of Kleenex when it was all done! |
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| Friday, March 18, 2005 |
Well, the cloud passed and I'm feeling better now. We're heading up north this weekend, so that's a good thing. I still have this aversion to meat, so no prime rib this time. (It's nearly a tradition to have a roast up there.) I think Marti picked up stuff for the pasta dish he likes me to make. Mmmmmmm! Carbs and green leafy vegetables! I can get a whole bag of spinach into one big dish of pasta PLUS other veggies. As Martha would say, "It's a good thing!" I'm still supposed to take it easy, so no walking around while we're there. Marti got the next season of a show we watched last time, so I know what we'll be doing all weekend! SHIELD!!!! (I hear it's on FX, but I have yet to catch it on TV) |
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| Friday, March 18, 2005 |
I'm not sure what's going on this week, but where did my prefect pregnancy go???? I've been sick and puking in every sink I can find. That's right - not even making it to the toilet. I've have had a headache for 3 days or so now. I'm just feeling crappy all around -- and FREEZING at the office isn't helping anything. I'm walking around wrapped in my grandmother's blanket. I got another bloody nose yesterday just sitting in bed. Well, ok, I just finished eating Julio's tacos, beans and rice in bed, but that's another issue entirely. I've been hungry, but once again, nothing looks good, so I tried tempting myself with greasy Mexican food. (The food was greasy, not the people preparing it...) I suppose it worked because I got 1 1/2 tacos down and a little bit of beans and rice before I finally told Syd and Morgan, "OK, OK! You can have it." Then there was the worrying yesterday about my boobs feeling deflated all of a sudden. Well, when I got up last night to pee (I don't remember if it was the third time or the fourth time) they hurt again just for being there, so I guess they are still on track. Phft! I feel like poo! |
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| Thursday, March 17, 2005 |
Today in the shower I noticed my boobs don't feel so full. I hope that's not a bad sign. We have a sonogram scheduled a couple weeks from now. I wonder what we'll see. |
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| Wednesday, March 16, 2005 |
In case anyone was wondering, Mongolian BBQ does not taste good coming back up. So, the morning sickness enjoyability score is Strawberry smoothie: 1 Mongolian BBQ: 0 |
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| Tuesday, March 15, 2005 |
Today is the day we needed to send a blood sample in for the Ultrascreen. They check for possible birth defects by looking at 6 little drops of blood on this paper I send in, plus a sonogram later. I called home yesterday to have Marti be sure to leave me a reminder to do that test and my loving husband left me a nice note so I wouldn't forget. It went a little something like this: PAIN FOR U TOMORROW I love that man. :) So, today he got the pleasure of sticking my finger with a little lancet and making me bleed not once, but twice. So, the test is in the mail and I get to do the sonogram part of the test later to see what they think. Can't wait to see that little bugger again! :) If we're lucky we'll get to see it move around like another friend's did around this time in their pregnancy. |
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| Tuesday, March 15, 2005 |
Just did a quick check online to see where we're at these days. Found this page that is pretty cool that shows what to expect at 10 weeks. http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/pregnancycalendar/l/blweek10.htm |
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| Monday, March 14, 2005 |
A gallon of water a day? NFW! That's like 6 1/2 bottles of water a day! And not the little 12 oz. ones! On a lighter note - Marti gets to stick my fingers with lancets tomorrow morning so we can mail in my blood for another test that goes with yet another sonogram. Weeeee! Less than 2 weeks to go till I get to see "it" again! Top that with knowing it's a half day that Friday and I'm going to be a happy girl next week! |
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| Sunday, March 13, 2005 |
Note to self: carry Kleenex wherever you go. Since nose bleeds are a symptom of pregnancy, you really don't want to be caught in Home Depot with blood on your nose, hands and chin without a tissue. |
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| Friday, March 11, 2005 |
Could I have been more moody today? I don't think so! I actually had to leave my cousin's birthday dinner because I was so irritable. |
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| Thursday, March 10, 2005 |
Boobs. Yeah! That's all I have to say today. :) |
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| Tuesday, March 08, 2005 |
Scheduled another ultrasound today. There is a test they can do that replaces the amniocentesis and is non-invasive. I just need to stick my finger and put a few spots of blood on an envelope they gave me and mail it in. They analyze that for some chemical and also do the ultrasound to see the thickness of the skin at the neck of the baby and it indicates the odds of if the baby could have certain birth defects. Since I'm over 35, it seems this is covered and I get another ultrasound at about 11 1/2 weeks. YEAH! Then there's one more at about 18-20 where they should be able to tell the sex and that one is routine so it will be covered. Vicky, Dr. Donnelly's nurse called today with the blood tests and the results from the last ultrasound. It seems my blood work and all that fun stuff is "perfect" in her words. They also discovered I don't have any STDs of any sort. (I coulda told 'em that!) She said the ultrasound results were great but there's a little subchorionic bleed remaining from when I had the early spotting. She didn't seem concerned and when I looked it up, it seems these normally take care of themselves. Yada yada yada... I've been pretty hungry some days. So much so that sometimes I've been hungry less than an hour after eating. Today I had the joy of my stomach feeling empty only 15 minutes after I ate a bowl of noodles. What's up with that????? The good news is this doesn't happen every day, so I hopefully won't have to worry about packing on extra pounds. |
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| Sunday, March 06, 2005 |
Marti picked up a "chick flick" for me yesterday. The Notebook with James Garner. I didn't think it would be that good since I didn't hear much in the way of reviews, but it was good. It was so sad at the end that I cried. Not your normal "movie cry" where a tear runs down the cheek and if you are really good about it, the person sitting next to you may not even know you're crying. It was a full on sniveling sobbing cry that lasted a good 20 minutes to and through the end of the movie. I cried so hard I threw up. I haven't done that since Schindler's List!!! Now, granted, this movie was not nearly as moving as Schindler's List was. But then again, I wasn't pregnant when I watched Schindler's List, either. Yes, I think The Notebook was sad, but I think I bawled like a baby because of the hormones racing through my veins right now. Good times! I'm just glad we weren't in a theater with other people! Marti and I both got a chuckle out of it, but I would have been totally embarrassed if I was around anyone else. |
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| Friday, March 04, 2005 |
Ok, so I just uploaded the sonogram picture after sharpening it a little. Is it just me, or does that kid have a widow's peak already? If that's the case, this one puts Eddie Munster's hairline to shame! hahaha! |
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| Friday, March 04, 2005 |
Just got back from the sonogram appointment and everything looks great! This time the baby is exactly as big as it should be, so I take it that means it is thriving and will make it. The U/S tech printed a picture for us to take home this time, so that was cool. I'll have to scan it and put it on the site when I get home. The heart was beating as clearly as can be at 174 beats per minute. Yeah! I'm so happy today! :) |
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| Friday, March 04, 2005 |
Had my first morning sickness today at work. As far as these things go, it wasn't so bad. :) I have the sonogram to look forward to this afternoon, so who knows if it was just nerves playing with my stomach. |
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| Tuesday, March 01, 2005 |
Went to see the doctor yesterday and everything seems to be normal so far. She gave me an order for an ultrasound, so we'll do that soon to see how things look. I ended up going home and taking a nap after the appointment because I got so tired. This is a relatively uneventful pregnancy so far. I keep hoping that is a good thing. :) |
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| Monday, February 14, 2005 |
Only two more weeks till I see the regular OB/GYN. It seems like an eternity! But, then we'll know for sure based on the ultrasound if there's progress. With the 2/8 ultrasound, it could have been the day before the heart started beating for all I know. But waiting 3 weeks to find out is making me crazy! :) I don't feel pregnant at all. I have no symptoms to speak of. I'm not fatigued at all, I am not sick in the least, my boobs don't even hurt, and dang it, I don't think they are growing. :) I start my new job in 2 days. Yeah! This week I don't really have anything to do, so it will be good to get started over there. This weekend I had a little more spotting, but nothing bad. I started looking on the internet to see if it's the progesterone I'm taking and found a really interesting blog. It's a woman that had been through absolute hell with her infertility. The thing goes on for YEARS! I read it for hours because even in the worst times, her take on things was so fabulously, inappropriately hilarious! If you want to read a bit, it's at www.alittlepregnant.com and like I said, it goes on for years! |
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| Wednesday, February 09, 2005 |
I had some very light spotting yesterday so I gave the Doctor a call. They had me go in for an ultrasound and I got to see the sac in my uterus. However, the heart is not beating yet, but that can be because it's still too early. Only time will tell. I also have a massive cyst on my right ovary, but it's not causing any pain at all, so we're just waiting to see what happens with that. It will probably just go away on its own. I still see the doctor on 2/28, so unless anything changes, I'll probably get another ultrasound then and see if everything is progressing at that time. Two and a half weeks are going to seem like a long time, but there's nothing they can do if it's not going to develop, so I guess we just wait and give it time. |
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| Sunday, February 06, 2005 |
Still feeling great. I haven't had any morning sickness at all yet and I'm not too tired. I've been going to bed pretty early every night though, so that may be why I'm doing OK still. I quit my job and will start a new one with the same company on the 16th. I think it will be better for me to not have to think about work so much at the end of the day and just be able to go home and relax. It's starting to sink in that I will really miss some of the people in my office right now. With so much going on right now and not knowing what's going to happen, it's better this way. |
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| Saturday, February 05, 2005 |
Drew blood again yesterday and I should hear back from the doctor on Monday. Had some pretty serious cramps last night about midnight, but nothing else happened, so I'm hoping it's nothing. |
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| Thursday, February 03, 2005 |
The doctor wanted to draw blood yesterday to check some things, so I did that on my way to work. They called me today to tell me that the pregnancy test was positive. (As if that's something I didn't already know!) My hormone levels looked great and they will draw blood again tomorrow to see how I'm progressing. I think I read the levels should double every day if all is going well. |
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| Saturday, January 29, 2005 |
I had a cold this week, so I think I'm a little tired just from that. Otherwise, I feel pretty good still. No sickness at all yet. :) Went shopping with a friend today and probably rolled our eyes more than a few times at the thought of maternity clothes. Maybe someday I'll appreciate those majorly huge elastic waistbands on pants - or better yet, the panels! But for now I just want to be comfortable and maybe hang onto a tiny fragment of style while I'm in this weird phase of not being "eligible" to lose weight so I can fit back into my old clothes. Is that too much to ask? |
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| Thursday, January 27, 2005 |
Pregnancy test clearly showed I am pregnant today! Here we go again! |
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| Wednesday, January 26, 2005 |
Marti didn't want to tell anyone about the pregnancy until way later, but there's no sense trying to hide this from our mothers. The first time I sit down to dinner without a drink they'll know anyway! :) |
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| Sunday, January 23, 2005 |
Hi spot! |
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| Friday, January 14, 2005 |
Saw the specialist today. He said not to be too discouraged by the tests. There's nothing stopping us from having a baby as long as we keep trying and can deal with the possibility of disappointment. He said if we want a baby to pursue this aggressively NOW. I'm supposed to ovulate in the next couple of days. Fingers crossed... |
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| Tuesday, January 11, 2005 |
Results of the test were not good. I got a 15.8 and a 10.8. Over 10 indicates slightly higher odds of miscarriage. Over 15 indicates likely miscarriage. My eggs are mostly shot. |
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| Monday, January 03, 2005 |
Blood drawn today for a test. I call it the ovary obstacle course, but it's really the Clomid Challenge Test. They take blood, then I take these drugs that stimulate ovulation, then they take blood again. There's something they can check that will show the quantity and/or quality of my eggs. Waiting game starting..................NOW! |
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| Tuesday, November 02, 2004 |
Genetics appointment today. Sonogram revealed no heartbeat and it appears the baby stopped growing about a week after the first sonogram. D&C scheduled to remove baby. Booooo. Try again later. |
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| Tuesday, October 26, 2004 |
Argh! Just signed a 6 month lease with a new tenant and realized it expires a couple of weeks before my due date. Nice planning. Oh, well. :) Can't do much about it now and it's just good to have the rental filled and off my mind - even if for just a little while. |
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| Monday, October 25, 2004 |
Well, I'm actually stating to feel a little bit more energetic this week. I hope this is a trend and not a fluke! We go see the Doctor again on Wednesday, so perhaps I'll have a baby update instead of a mommy update after that appointment. I'm not sure what he'll have to tell me, but who knows. It's not like I'm expecting to find out if it's a boy or a girl yet, so what else can he say? "Yup, still pregnant. Eat healthy food and get your rest." Exciting stuff. I did go shopping for some maternity clothes finally. It's good to be in comfortable clothes again!!! I got some "miracle pants" from Motherhood and they are GREAT! They stretch, open up and expand in so many ways, it's incredible! Right now it's not a big deal except that I don't have a waistband cutting into my belly anymore! But I think they are meant to last through the 9th month, so that's exciting to me. Marti and I got a rare treat Sunday. We were out at the rental showing the property and a hummingbird hit a window in the garage. We picked it up and held it for a while until it got it got it's beak on straight again and flew away. It stuck around for about 10 minutes, so we really got to enjoy that. Maybe I'll post a pregnant pic so those that are far away can start to imagine the belly expanding. It's not too big yet, but I'll share what I have. |
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| Saturday, October 16, 2004 |
Just when I thought I was out of the morning-sickness-woods... Friday was absolutely horrible again. I ended up staying home from work after hours of being sick because I was still not feeling great and was so exhausted afterwards that I just couldn't get up. I'm not sure which is better: to be LITTLE sick all the time or to get it all over with in one day each week. Either way, just a few more weeks, I hope, and this will all be behind us. Marti said first thing he's going to do is spank that baby for making Mommy cry. He's just kidding, of course. What he doesn't realize is HE made me cry by making me think of RYE bread when I wasn't feeling well. TALK about emotional!!! On another note, I've noticed my appetite is really odd lately. I am always hungry, yet NOTHING looks good to me. I have an incredible urge to eat, yet when I open the fridge or cabinets, or even go to the store, NOTHING sounds good. I know I have to eat, but blah!!!! Maybe some cravings will kick in soon and I will not be able to resist something yummy. Even my old irresistible stands-bys (you know, that crap food I'm not supposed to eat) are not doing it for me right now. I can say I've barely enjoyed a thing I ate at all this week. Why now when I have a baby growing? Why not before when I WANTED to lose weight? So, I just force it down and do my best. Tonight is Judith's birthday party. Maybe she'll have chopped liver again like she usually does. I can NEVER resist that!!!! (Fingers crossed even though it's not a holiday dinner...) |
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| Wednesday, October 13, 2004 |
It seems the morning sickness is not so bad this week. Saturday I had a little bout, but nothing too bad. I'm still incredibly fatigued, but I hear that will taper off sometime in the second trimester also. I haven't gained any weight yet, but my pants are getting a little tight in the middle. I guess that's normal. Nothing else to really add at this point. I'm just sitting here waiting for May. :) |
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| Tuesday, October 05, 2004 |
Well, I promised everyone pictures of the ultrasound today, but for some unknown reason, the ultrasound tech refused to print one for us because you can't tell it's a baby yet. It's just a fuzzy spot with a heartbeat and an amniotic sac, but that's not the point! We brought our camera and she refused to allow Marti to take a picture, also. So, while I'm THRILLED that it's in the right place and the heart is beating, I'm so disappointed that she was so disagreeable. The heart was beating at 146-150 beats per minute so Diane thinks it's going to be a girl now. I'm still just sitting here shaking my head about the ultrasound tech not giving us our fuzzy little picture. I wasn't looking to see if it had blue eyes or black hair or a dimple in its cheek. I just wanted my first ultrasound picture. Is it just me or is this totally unheard of? Everyone I know who's had an ultrasound has gotten a picture. On another note, today is our 2nd wedding anniversary and I came home to chocolates, roses and a very sweet card from Marti. Also, we went to Starbucks for DECAF treats and the girl, for some unknown reason, didn't charge us for our coffees. It wasn't a mistake because when Marti asked, she said, "Can't I do something nice?" with a nice grin on her face. How sweet of her, yet how random... Maybe I looked bummed out. ;) |
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| Saturday, October 02, 2004 |
Well, today I was supposed to take the LSAT, but decided since I'm so spacey and can't fully count on not getting morning sickness, that I'd take a chance and reschedule for December. Good call!!! At 10:30, which would have been right in the middle of the test, I had a bad bout of morning sickness while Marti and I were out and about. As odd as it sounds, it made me feel good since then I knew I didn't make a mistake by postponing that test. There is NO way I would have done well, so I'm glad I just didn't take it. Mom and Ron are having a big party next weekend. I thought I would miss not being able to have a drink, but truthfully, I don't even want anything most of the time. I guess that makes it a lot easier for me. :) |
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| Wednesday, September 29, 2004 |
This has been an eventful week. Friday I left work early because the combination of allergies and morning sickness really got to me and I lost it. I spent the weekend unnecessarily miserable because I didn't know I can take anything other than Tylenol. Everyone is trying to be helpful, but it's driving me nuts. I wish I could just TELL everyone I'm pregnant and THAT'S what is wrong with me. Well, my manager knows after Friday's scene, and so does another co-worker, but that's it for now (in my office at least) unless someone has figured it out on their own. Tee hee. :) I missed work again on Monday, but now I'm functioning and the Dr said Sudafed is fine. THANK GOD! So, I saw Dr. McMillan today and we scheduled the first ultrasound for next Tuesday, which just happens to be our 2nd anniversary. That will be a nice day. :) I had blood drawn today, so they'll do what they need to there, whatever that is. She must have taken 5 tubes today. I didn't even feel the needle go in, so I think I'm going to like her. I haven't felt woozie since Friday and the Sudafed cleared me right up. Actually, I feel kind of good. Let's just keep it that way now. |
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| Friday, September 24, 2004 |
I decided not to take the LSAT next weekend. If I can't count on feeling good and doing AWESOME on the test, I'm going to wait until December. I've been so tired, and then sick, and I can't even think straight. I wouldn't say I've got my game face on for the LSAT. They say all my blood is working in places other than my brain right now, so that may explain why I feel a little stupid. Gosh, is this what teenage boys feel like? |
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| Thursday, September 23, 2004 |
Well, only a few more days until I see the doctor. He will want to schedule an ultrasound right away since I'll be in my 7th week. I can't wait to see the look on Marti's face when he hears the heart beat! As soon as we get an ultrasound picture, I'll post it here. We've decided we WILL find out as soon as we can if it's a boy or a girl. I'm glad we both feel the same about that so I don't have to try to keep it a secret from Marti if I find out. |
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| Sunday, September 19, 2004 |
It turns out that Hannah is Marti's great-grandmother's name. Maybe that's why he liked it and didn't even know. They had a nickname for her, so she didn't go by Hannah when he knew her. |
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| Friday, September 17, 2004 |
Hello, Morning Sickness! I got up today, took a shower, ironed my clothes, ate breakfast and made it all the way out to my car. I was about to sit down and BOOM! I thought it would pass in a short time so I just went inside and sat down for a while. Turns out, I had to call in to work because it wasn't going away. I'd feel fine after a while, try to get up, and feel like I was going to puke again. This part is no fun. :( |
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| Thursday, September 16, 2004 |
The heart should begin beating next week!!! When we get our first ultrasound we should be able to hear it loud and clear! |
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| Friday, September 10, 2004 |
Can't get enough of Babies Week on Discovery channel. :) Feeling soooooo tired this week and my boss sent us all home an hour and a half early today! Yeah! I can use the rest! I'm really dying to tell the rest of the family and friends about our little secret. I'm absolutely exhausted and can't tell anyone why. |
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| Wednesday, September 08, 2004 |
Called the doctor to make an appointment today. The receptionist said he's going to be on vacation, so I won't get to see him until 9/29/04. That's fine. There's nothing new to do until then anyway. :) |
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| Monday, September 06, 2004 |
I was "woozie" last Friday and I know you all really want to know that I yacked for the first time today for no reason. Marti is tending to me like the great husband that he is. I need to slow him down or I'm going to gain 100 pounds before my due date! I just can't eat portions of ALL the wonderful things I'm supposed to eat in EVERY meal. But, I really can't complain about breakfast in bed and getting the entire sofa to myself already. I'm not even showing and he's treating me so delicately. I'm still trying to stay active, but also making sure to take it easy. I did some yard work this weekend (trimmed 5 bushes with power tools to make it easy) and replaced a valve on the sprinklers on the rental. A 20-minute job took hours because I wanted to make sure not to overheat. That, and I did it wrong the first time, realized I'd bought the wrong size valve and had to go back to Home Depot, did it wrong again, finally got it right and a part was defective, so I had to go back to Home Depot again!!!! Could it be that the blood isn't getting to my brain already??? I guess it's time to get back to the nursery project. We still have to hang the shutters in there and construct the faux window. Must get a dresser first so we don't mount it too high or too low over there. Of course, pictures will follow... At this point, I don't know if we'll ask if it's a boy or a girl when we have a chance. We may find out on accident anyway, but I have a feeling I'll want to know as soon as possible. I never could sit back and wait!!! |
