Sunday, Aug 26, Mike and I headed to Calvert to eat crabs with my Dad. Before we left, I had Mike stop by Babies R Us so I could get one of those support belt things to help take the pressure of the baby off my pelvic area some. It's an odd contraption to wear under your clothes, but it seems to help!
On Tuesday, I had my second and final teeth cleaning of the pregnancy. One of the weird side effects of pregnancy that no one told me about was swollen, bloody gums. My teeth bleed EVERY time I brush my teeth and even bled when I was eating corn on the cob! It's gross and annoying. I'm glad my dentist made me go back after 3 months of the last check up because with swollen gums, there's more places for plaque to build up. They wanted me to keep using my electric toothbrush, but it is too bloody, so I've been using my manual brush every day.
Labor Day weekend Mike and I spent time cleaning the house and organizing things. We also went to dinner with the Clarks and Dennis's family that was in town for his Dad's birthday. Heather came over with Rosie and watched a movie. Well, tried to watch a movie with the dogs chasing each other all over the basement :)
School started this week so Mike's schedule went back to being somewhat normal, plus the football practices every day and two games a week.
That weekend I got another massage and pedicure with my leftover gift cards at Red Door and then Jess DeMarr came to visit and keep me company. She stayed Sunday for the Redskins game and we went to Mediterranean Breeze to watch the game. I was definitely "the pregnant girl at the bar," but I didn't care because the Redskins won!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Week 31
This is the week that sleeping started becoming a real issue. I wake up at least 2-3 times a night... sometimes I'm up for an hour or so for no good reason. They say it's preparation for what's to come...
On Monday, Aug 20, Mike and I attended a Baby Care class from 6-9pm at Reston Hospital. It was all about what to expect at birth and for the first couple weeks, and we got to practice swaddling, diaper changing, and "bathing." I had no idea Mike hadn't changed a diaper before! We were sad to leave our little black baby girl at the end, haha.
That week we got the wall decorations in the mail for the nursery. Mike surprised me by putting them up before I got home from work. Then, together, we put the up decal with his name on it. The nursery looked so much more decorated!
The pain in my pelvic area had gotten progressively worse over the past month and peaked on Friday, Aug 24 when I woke up and could not walk. I painfully got out of bed and stood up, but could not lift a leg to take a step. Lifting either of my legs while lying down was equally as painful. I was in tears because my complaints to the OB in the past were futile. There was nothing they could give me. I called them again that morning and they told me to come in. I had to call out of work. When I finally got there with lots of painstaking steps, they examined me and then sent me to the fetal specialist that I've been seeing to make sure my cervix was still closed. After their examination and monitoring, the doctor comes in and says "the baby is fine." Well I knew that! It is me in pain. I basically got a suck it up look and was sent home and told to take some Tylenol.. Gee thanks, Doc. I gave myself bedrest from 1pm, when I got home, until I went to bed. I woke up Saturday in a little less pain, so resting was definitely helpful.
I sucked up the pain, and Mike and I went to a more intensive class on Saturday at Virginia Hospital Center that I had scheduled weeks ago. It was an 8 hour class on everything from pregnancy and anatomy, to going into labor, to the stages of labor and breathing exercises. It ended with a tour of the labor and delivery floor. I thought that this floor would be filled with screaming women and babies and nurses and doctors flying around. I was surprised to see calm people, sleeping babies, and a fairly quiet floor. The walking tour of the hospital was a painful one, but I'm stubborn and refused the wheelchair! The couples in the class were really nice and most were having boys too! We were so exhausted from the class that we grabbed sushi out, went home, and passed out!
On Monday, Aug 20, Mike and I attended a Baby Care class from 6-9pm at Reston Hospital. It was all about what to expect at birth and for the first couple weeks, and we got to practice swaddling, diaper changing, and "bathing." I had no idea Mike hadn't changed a diaper before! We were sad to leave our little black baby girl at the end, haha.
That week we got the wall decorations in the mail for the nursery. Mike surprised me by putting them up before I got home from work. Then, together, we put the up decal with his name on it. The nursery looked so much more decorated!
The pain in my pelvic area had gotten progressively worse over the past month and peaked on Friday, Aug 24 when I woke up and could not walk. I painfully got out of bed and stood up, but could not lift a leg to take a step. Lifting either of my legs while lying down was equally as painful. I was in tears because my complaints to the OB in the past were futile. There was nothing they could give me. I called them again that morning and they told me to come in. I had to call out of work. When I finally got there with lots of painstaking steps, they examined me and then sent me to the fetal specialist that I've been seeing to make sure my cervix was still closed. After their examination and monitoring, the doctor comes in and says "the baby is fine." Well I knew that! It is me in pain. I basically got a suck it up look and was sent home and told to take some Tylenol.. Gee thanks, Doc. I gave myself bedrest from 1pm, when I got home, until I went to bed. I woke up Saturday in a little less pain, so resting was definitely helpful.
I sucked up the pain, and Mike and I went to a more intensive class on Saturday at Virginia Hospital Center that I had scheduled weeks ago. It was an 8 hour class on everything from pregnancy and anatomy, to going into labor, to the stages of labor and breathing exercises. It ended with a tour of the labor and delivery floor. I thought that this floor would be filled with screaming women and babies and nurses and doctors flying around. I was surprised to see calm people, sleeping babies, and a fairly quiet floor. The walking tour of the hospital was a painful one, but I'm stubborn and refused the wheelchair! The couples in the class were really nice and most were having boys too! We were so exhausted from the class that we grabbed sushi out, went home, and passed out!
Weeks 29-30
On Monday Aug 6, Mike and I went to an ultrasound appointment with Dr. Vyas. It was so great to see baby Hudson and the 4d pics were awesome too. She told us his bones were measuring above average at about the 60th percentile and he was about 5 days ahead of schedule.
That Saturday, Aug 11, was a crazy busy one... First off, it was my baby shower! Secondly, Mike's Dad (Mike Sr.) was flying in for a two week visit. My dad also decided that it would be a good time to finish the base molding in the bedroom downstairs while Mike thought having a party with the men at our house would be cool since the women would be at my shower. Whew!
Mom, Patti, and Christina showed up around lunch and Mike and I took them to Jackson's. Afterward, they went to set up and Mike went to pick up his dad from the airport. Dad, Vicki, and Aunt Susan showed up and Dad, as usual, began working after a long hello to his favorite Daisy. The shower started at 5pm and was AMAZING! My mom and friends pulled together a huge shower with not so annoying games, haha. It was great to see everyone in one place and having a good time. And I was truly showered with gifts. We filled the back of Mike's tacoma and our venza too!
The next day I was exhausted and ended up skipping a concert with the girls that I had bought tickets for months ago. But the Kenny Chesney/Tim McGraw concert didn't start until 4pm and I'm so glad I didn't go because it was hot and the girls didn't get home until after 1am on a Sunday night.
The rest of the week I spent time with Mike's dad who stayed with us. Mike started coaching the HHS freshman football team for the first time this year so he had practices most week days and Saturdays throughout August. We had no idea how much of his time it would take up being an assistant freshman football coach!
That Saturday was another busy Saturday. Courtney and Mike got married and Aunt Diane and Uncle Dave had a 50th wedding anniversary luau at their house. My dad and Vicki came out for the luau and Mike went there too. I went to Courtney's wedding stag and got to meet Jen Marie's new baby Cavin for the first time at just 5 days old! The ceremony was so pretty too! I left the wedding after the dances and met the family at the luau later in the evening. They had quite a turnout! Guess you make a lot of friends after 50 years of marriage :)
That Saturday, Aug 11, was a crazy busy one... First off, it was my baby shower! Secondly, Mike's Dad (Mike Sr.) was flying in for a two week visit. My dad also decided that it would be a good time to finish the base molding in the bedroom downstairs while Mike thought having a party with the men at our house would be cool since the women would be at my shower. Whew!
Mom, Patti, and Christina showed up around lunch and Mike and I took them to Jackson's. Afterward, they went to set up and Mike went to pick up his dad from the airport. Dad, Vicki, and Aunt Susan showed up and Dad, as usual, began working after a long hello to his favorite Daisy. The shower started at 5pm and was AMAZING! My mom and friends pulled together a huge shower with not so annoying games, haha. It was great to see everyone in one place and having a good time. And I was truly showered with gifts. We filled the back of Mike's tacoma and our venza too!
The next day I was exhausted and ended up skipping a concert with the girls that I had bought tickets for months ago. But the Kenny Chesney/Tim McGraw concert didn't start until 4pm and I'm so glad I didn't go because it was hot and the girls didn't get home until after 1am on a Sunday night.
The rest of the week I spent time with Mike's dad who stayed with us. Mike started coaching the HHS freshman football team for the first time this year so he had practices most week days and Saturdays throughout August. We had no idea how much of his time it would take up being an assistant freshman football coach!
That Saturday was another busy Saturday. Courtney and Mike got married and Aunt Diane and Uncle Dave had a 50th wedding anniversary luau at their house. My dad and Vicki came out for the luau and Mike went there too. I went to Courtney's wedding stag and got to meet Jen Marie's new baby Cavin for the first time at just 5 days old! The ceremony was so pretty too! I left the wedding after the dances and met the family at the luau later in the evening. They had quite a turnout! Guess you make a lot of friends after 50 years of marriage :)
Weeks 27-28
So the months got away from me and I'm at 36 weeks trying to catch up. Luckily, I post things on Facebook that helps me remember what I was doing and feeling each week, haha.
At week 27, I had the 3 hour glucose test which I barely passed... whew. Drinking that much sugar on an empty stomach is a horrible feeling! Nausea... and crash... upset stomach.
That weekend, Mike and I went to the 311 and Slightly Stoopid concert at Jiffy Lube Live. I surprised him with tickets because Slightly Stoopid has been his favorite band for years. I almost made it to the end. I was super uncomfortable in the plastic chairs and ended up leaving with a few 311 songs left, but I've heard them in concert before so it wasn't too disappointing. Plus we got out before the masses!
Week 28.. the beginning of the third trimester... the beginning of Hell on Earth.
This week hit me like a ton of bricks. All the sudden I was exhausted, and in pain more than usual. My mom had given me some gift cards to Red Door Salon so I got a massage and mani/pedi on Saturday that seemed to help a lot. Mike went to the Nationals game on Sunday and I opted out. I was able to relax and stay out of the heat :)
At week 27, I had the 3 hour glucose test which I barely passed... whew. Drinking that much sugar on an empty stomach is a horrible feeling! Nausea... and crash... upset stomach.
That weekend, Mike and I went to the 311 and Slightly Stoopid concert at Jiffy Lube Live. I surprised him with tickets because Slightly Stoopid has been his favorite band for years. I almost made it to the end. I was super uncomfortable in the plastic chairs and ended up leaving with a few 311 songs left, but I've heard them in concert before so it wasn't too disappointing. Plus we got out before the masses!
Week 28.. the beginning of the third trimester... the beginning of Hell on Earth.
This week hit me like a ton of bricks. All the sudden I was exhausted, and in pain more than usual. My mom had given me some gift cards to Red Door Salon so I got a massage and mani/pedi on Saturday that seemed to help a lot. Mike went to the Nationals game on Sunday and I opted out. I was able to relax and stay out of the heat :)
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Weeks 25-26
Coming back from vacation is never easy (except the sleeping in your own bed part). I went back to my new job with a new tan, but still no network access. I didn't get it until Thursday so the week went by pretty painfully.
I had a follow up appointment with the hematologist on Wednesday where I found out my platelets were still slightly high at 450 and my iron was still low. Dr. Felice didn't seem too concerned as there's nothing we can really do further since I'm pregnant. He wants me back about 4 weeks before my due date to recheck levels and continue taking the iron supplements twice a day (which I confessed to him I was really only taking once a day in order for my bowels to function, haha). As for the platelets, he said he would get concerned if they hit 900,000 and since 450 is far from that, we'll probably be okay. He wants to continue to see me after the baby is born to see if it was due to the pregnancy or if that is just my normal range.
That Friday, while Mike was working Friday Night Live, I took my overdue pregnant neighbor, Michelle, to dinner to eat some spicy food to get that baby wanting out! It didn't work, but she did end up going into labor Sunday night and little Kaitlyn Sue was born early Tuesday morning. We are so excited for them and to have them so close by. We know our kids will be great friends!
That Saturday, I went to Courtney's bridal shower and got to catch up with her, Lori, Jen Marie, and Elizabeth. We found out she didn't have a bachelorette planned so JM took the initiative to plan one for the following weekend.
Mike and I went Wed, July 18 to visit with a pediatric group down the street from our house. There were three other couples and the Doctor that sat with us has been practicing for over 50 years! He was really sweet and answered all our questions. We liked the practice a lot, but are checking out one more in Reston in September just to compare.
Friday night, Elizabeth met me at my house and we headed into the city to meet up with the rest of the girls for Courtney's bachelorette. I really thought it would be the scene out of the movie "Knocked Up" where we couldn't get into the club since I was 6 months pregnant and Jen Marie was 9 months pregnant. We got some funny stares, but we all ended up having a good time regardless :) At one point these two really drunk girls were dancing on a ledge and started to fall and I pushed them away and protected JM from their fall. Gotta look out for the pregnant girls in the bar! haha On our walk back to the hotel, we got stuck in a rain storm and we were all completely soaked. It was kinda funny, but I'm sure I looked like a wet dog... a wet pregnant dog... :) I drove Elizabeth back to the suburbs, but the other girls stayed in the hotel. We vowed to have another girls night sooner rather than later!
The next day, Mike and I drove to my Dad's house and went out for dinner. Then Mike and I went up to Annapolis for my 10 year high school reunion. Everyone was really friendly despite all the clickiness that comes with high school. It was really good to see and talk to people in person rather than look at their photos on Facebook. It wasn't a huge turnout (about 40), but I'm still glad I went. We left before midnight and headed back to my Dad's to stay the night.
I had a follow up appointment with the hematologist on Wednesday where I found out my platelets were still slightly high at 450 and my iron was still low. Dr. Felice didn't seem too concerned as there's nothing we can really do further since I'm pregnant. He wants me back about 4 weeks before my due date to recheck levels and continue taking the iron supplements twice a day (which I confessed to him I was really only taking once a day in order for my bowels to function, haha). As for the platelets, he said he would get concerned if they hit 900,000 and since 450 is far from that, we'll probably be okay. He wants to continue to see me after the baby is born to see if it was due to the pregnancy or if that is just my normal range.
That Friday, while Mike was working Friday Night Live, I took my overdue pregnant neighbor, Michelle, to dinner to eat some spicy food to get that baby wanting out! It didn't work, but she did end up going into labor Sunday night and little Kaitlyn Sue was born early Tuesday morning. We are so excited for them and to have them so close by. We know our kids will be great friends!
That Saturday, I went to Courtney's bridal shower and got to catch up with her, Lori, Jen Marie, and Elizabeth. We found out she didn't have a bachelorette planned so JM took the initiative to plan one for the following weekend.
Mike and I went Wed, July 18 to visit with a pediatric group down the street from our house. There were three other couples and the Doctor that sat with us has been practicing for over 50 years! He was really sweet and answered all our questions. We liked the practice a lot, but are checking out one more in Reston in September just to compare.
Friday night, Elizabeth met me at my house and we headed into the city to meet up with the rest of the girls for Courtney's bachelorette. I really thought it would be the scene out of the movie "Knocked Up" where we couldn't get into the club since I was 6 months pregnant and Jen Marie was 9 months pregnant. We got some funny stares, but we all ended up having a good time regardless :) At one point these two really drunk girls were dancing on a ledge and started to fall and I pushed them away and protected JM from their fall. Gotta look out for the pregnant girls in the bar! haha On our walk back to the hotel, we got stuck in a rain storm and we were all completely soaked. It was kinda funny, but I'm sure I looked like a wet dog... a wet pregnant dog... :) I drove Elizabeth back to the suburbs, but the other girls stayed in the hotel. We vowed to have another girls night sooner rather than later!
The next day, Mike and I drove to my Dad's house and went out for dinner. Then Mike and I went up to Annapolis for my 10 year high school reunion. Everyone was really friendly despite all the clickiness that comes with high school. It was really good to see and talk to people in person rather than look at their photos on Facebook. It wasn't a huge turnout (about 40), but I'm still glad I went. We left before midnight and headed back to my Dad's to stay the night.
Week 24 - Babymoon/Anniversary!
Finally! Vacation... ahhh. Two days at my new job started the week, followed by our mini-vacay to Captiva Island, FL.
The new job started out fine. I was bored out of my mind really because most were on vacation for the holiday week and I didn't have access to log on to the networks yet. So I sat around for 8 hours a day reading stuff I didn't understand.
We arrived to the hotel on Captiva around 6pm on the 4th of July. We went to dinner at a restaurant at the resort, but since I'm naturally a Type A, anxious worrier, I couldn't quite get into the vacation atmosphere after starting a new job and immediately jet-setting to Florida. So, at dinner, I decided to have my first glass of wine in over 5 months. It was enough to take the edge off and allow me to enjoy the rest of my vacation. And I have to say, I was a little tipsy! haha. After dinner, we skipped driving the 40 min back to see the fireworks because we were tired from the travel, but I was able to see some amateur ones on the beach.
The vacation was relaxing; spending our mornings and days by the pool with afternoon naps and evening dinners. My family laughed at me for booking a vacation to Florida in July 6 months pregnant, but it was beautiful and 88 every day with afternoon storms while it was 110 and stifling in the DC area, haha.
Saturday morning we met our Captain for the morning out on the peir at the resort to head out on a fishing excursion. I hadn't been fishing since I was a kid and Mike was no pro either, but Captain John was awesome and taught us everything we needed to know. It was nice because it was just the three of us. We caught trout, lady fish, grouper, and some other little fish I kept getting that fought like it was 100lbs but was probably like 2lbs. Mike hooked a HUGE tarpon on his first cast in a new spot and it jumped and thrashed out of the water, but broke free. It was crazy! We weren't expecting that AT ALL so we were all screaming, lol. We stayed out from 8am to 11:00am. Capt John scaled the trout for us and we took it to a restaurant called Lazy Flamingo where they grilled it up for us with salad and fries for $10. Fresh caught fish can definitely spoil your palate! All in all in was a great trip and hopefully we'll be able to return to the Sanibel/Captiva area in the future. Sunday was a travel day where our layover flight out of Atlanta was delayed for like 3 hours due to storms in the DC area. It was pretty miserable and I ended up downloading the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy on my Kindle to pass the time. I swore I wouldn't read it, but I was getting really bored of all the baby books. :)
Monday, July 16, 2012
The weekend no pregger woman wishes for in the summer
Friday night, June 29, I was home alone with Daisy while Mike was working Friday Night Live and went out afterward with some of the guys. I was watching a recorded TV show (probably Real Housewives of NJ or something equally trashy) when I heard the wind outside. I peeked out the living room curtains to see the color of the sky and the wind blowing sideways. Now, I've been in a couple tornados in my life while growing up in Southern MD, and I knew better. I grabbed Daisy dog and went downstairs into the only windowless room in the house: the bathroom. The rain literally sounded like it was knocking on the door and Daisy was not happy. Then the electric went out... and stayed out. I texted Mike asking him to come home as soon as it was safe. We waited to see if the electric was going to come back on and decided to go to bed around 11:30pm. I stayed on the couch downstairs and Mike slept in our bed upstairs. Did I mention it was about 90* outside? The next morning, still no electricity, and we had no cell or data service either. We had no way of connecting with civilization! Now my father was supposed to be coming that morning to add some base molding to the room we just had carpet installed and I knew he'd be coming early. I woke up at 4am and couldn't sleep thinking that he'd drive all the way out here for nothing. Finally at 7am, I walked down to a neighbor's house and used their landline phone to call my dad and caught him walking out the door! Whew... guilty conscious (and angry father) averted. I went out to get us breakfast and that's when I realized how bad it was. Our whole side of town was closed. No one had electricity. Saturday, the temps started rising to about 100*. Mike and I set up the spare bed in the new room downstairs so that we could both sleep in the basement that night if need be. The downstairs was about 75* while upstairs was about 85*+.
My good friend Jessica was planning on visiting that evening and staying the night, but I delayed on contacting her because I still had no cell phone and I was sure the electricity would come back on. Mike couldn't remember a time he had lost electricity in this house. At about 3pm, I went out to my car to charge my phone (and sit in the A/C) so that I could call her and tell her not to come, but within 5 minutes, she was knocking on my car window wondering what I was doing in my car. CRAP, she had totally driven all the way here and we didn't even have a cold house for her to relax in. She was such a good spirit about it though and said she'd stay regardless. We were all bored and hot so we drove to Mike's Aunt and Uncle's house to dip in their pool. We then continued with our original plans to go to the movies and see Magic Mike... in the A/C. Driving through town was crazy. Every place that had electricity was packed. No one in town was prepared for this storm and they all needed to eat so the restaurants that were open had lines out the door.
Sunday, the fridges and freezers in the house started to leak. Jess helped me through my anxiety attack of throwing out all the stuff in my fridge and half the stuff in my freezer. I packed up two coolers and Mike took them to his cousin's house to store in their deep freezer. I was so thankful we were able to save the expensive meats. I had just just spent over $200 at the grocery store the week before so it was all pretty depressing... dumping out full cartons of milk, tubs of margarine, salad dressings, cheeses. We took some hot dogs and buns down to Michelle and Dennis's and had a picnic of food that had to be eaten at their house. Michelle was about 37 weeks at this point, but she was a trooper. I think I would have been in a hotel after the first night. Jess left our house and I'm sure she was glad to get back to her house with electricity in MD. Mike and I got in the car with Daisy and drove to my Dad's house that afternoon. I needed a shower badly and had to get some clothes washed for work and our trip to Florida later that week. My dad was trying to convince us to stay the night, but I had my first day at a new job Monday and didn't want to risk the traffic in the morning from MD to VA. Mike and I headed back to the hot-house and slept for the third night Sunday with no electricity.
At about 12:30am, the hallway light downstairs came on and I woke up immediately. I got Mike to get up and close all the windows upstairs (we had opened them that night because the upstairs got up to 90*) and turn the A/C on. The sweet humming of A/C was a lullaby to my ears. I woke up again at 6am before my alarm went off and didn't hear the humming. I was immediately awake thinking the A/C broke. There was no way the upstairs was cool, but as I ran upstairs, I realized our A/C rocked and it was already 74* upstairs. This Thanksgiving, I will be sure to give thanks for not only my newborn son, but electricity too (Thomas Edison, right?)
My good friend Jessica was planning on visiting that evening and staying the night, but I delayed on contacting her because I still had no cell phone and I was sure the electricity would come back on. Mike couldn't remember a time he had lost electricity in this house. At about 3pm, I went out to my car to charge my phone (and sit in the A/C) so that I could call her and tell her not to come, but within 5 minutes, she was knocking on my car window wondering what I was doing in my car. CRAP, she had totally driven all the way here and we didn't even have a cold house for her to relax in. She was such a good spirit about it though and said she'd stay regardless. We were all bored and hot so we drove to Mike's Aunt and Uncle's house to dip in their pool. We then continued with our original plans to go to the movies and see Magic Mike... in the A/C. Driving through town was crazy. Every place that had electricity was packed. No one in town was prepared for this storm and they all needed to eat so the restaurants that were open had lines out the door.
Sunday, the fridges and freezers in the house started to leak. Jess helped me through my anxiety attack of throwing out all the stuff in my fridge and half the stuff in my freezer. I packed up two coolers and Mike took them to his cousin's house to store in their deep freezer. I was so thankful we were able to save the expensive meats. I had just just spent over $200 at the grocery store the week before so it was all pretty depressing... dumping out full cartons of milk, tubs of margarine, salad dressings, cheeses. We took some hot dogs and buns down to Michelle and Dennis's and had a picnic of food that had to be eaten at their house. Michelle was about 37 weeks at this point, but she was a trooper. I think I would have been in a hotel after the first night. Jess left our house and I'm sure she was glad to get back to her house with electricity in MD. Mike and I got in the car with Daisy and drove to my Dad's house that afternoon. I needed a shower badly and had to get some clothes washed for work and our trip to Florida later that week. My dad was trying to convince us to stay the night, but I had my first day at a new job Monday and didn't want to risk the traffic in the morning from MD to VA. Mike and I headed back to the hot-house and slept for the third night Sunday with no electricity.
At about 12:30am, the hallway light downstairs came on and I woke up immediately. I got Mike to get up and close all the windows upstairs (we had opened them that night because the upstairs got up to 90*) and turn the A/C on. The sweet humming of A/C was a lullaby to my ears. I woke up again at 6am before my alarm went off and didn't hear the humming. I was immediately awake thinking the A/C broke. There was no way the upstairs was cool, but as I ran upstairs, I realized our A/C rocked and it was already 74* upstairs. This Thanksgiving, I will be sure to give thanks for not only my newborn son, but electricity too (Thomas Edison, right?)
Weeks 22-23
Sunday, June 17 was Father's Day and we also through Dennis & Michelle a co-ed baby shower at our house with the help of some of the girls bringing different dishes. Luckily, it was a beautiful day out so the porch got a lot of use as well as the hammock, and cornhole was played in the back yard too. It was a Sunday, so I didn't think it'd get too rowdy, but I forgot who I was dealing with, and the the guys were in good form. What I realized after the party died down (and the boys went to the local pub) was that while the girls were upstairs watching Michelle open gifts, the boys were downstairs at the bar taking tequila shots. The rest of the afternoon made so much more sense after I found the empty shot glasses and sucked limes on the bar, haha. Needless to say, Mike was struggling at the Herndon Golf Tournament the following day.
That Tuesday, I had a normal check up with the OBGYN and Mike supervised the carpet installation in the spare room downstairs.
On Wednesday, I took off work and Mike and I visited three possible day cares for the baby. The first was a Kindercare Center which is a national company. It was a center that took kids from 6 weeks to 12 years old so there were A LOT of kids there. I can only describe it as a child/baby factory, lol. The Director and baby caregivers were very nice, but one of the baby caregivers was also the main cook for the whole center, so at 10am we were taking her away from the stove. The second place we visited was an in-home daycare on the same street we live on. She is an Asian lady with one full-time assistant. They're house is the exact same layout as ours except they have a garage too. She had only one baby under a year and the other 7 were about 2-4 years old. They kids were very cute and sweet and obedient. She was very sweet and I loved her demeanor. She also cooks and provides the food for the kids after they turn one (you provide milk/baby food up until then). The third place we looked at was called The Children's Place and is an independent child care center that takes kids up to 5 years old and has been in business as long as I've been alive. The place is in what looks to be an old house located right next to the high school were Mike teaches. The lady who showed us around was a larger foreign lady (we couldn't quite place from where) who seemed nice, but wasn't very eager to show us anything other than the baby's room. They have lunch and snacks delivered by a caterer daily. The babies that were there (about 4) seemed very content, but the decor, the toys, the supplies, and the furniture was all just very used. For the amount of money they charge, you think they'd replace them more frequently. Mike and I decided to go with the in-home daycare down the street from us. We loved that we could walk to get baby Hudson and he would get so much attention as the only baby there (or one of very few come January). As he gets older and more active, we can reassess if he needs to be around more kids in a center-like environment.
The following week, Mike and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary by going to get crabs at Capt. Pell's in Fairfax. He also surprised me with flowers when I got home from work. Our upcoming vacation to Florida was also in celebration of our anniversary.
On Friday (in preparation for this trip to Florida), I decided to get a bikini wax. Please stop reading here if you think you've already read too much.... So with my ever-growing belly, I could not easily groom my bikini area and I thought a brazilian would be a good idea and last a few weeks of bathing suit season. HOLY. MOLY. I was in that back spa room with this Asian lady for like 45 minutes! She started with regular hot wax and then moved to the hard wax. I'm not sure if she was new or what, but I got nervous when she said she had only had this same thing done to her once. Umm, I want my waxing lady to be a wax connoisseur and get it done herself on the regular! My lady parts swelled up and I still had to go home and take a mirror to get all the residual hard wax off with a warm wash cloth. I was in pain for at least 36 hours. Men have no idea what we put ourselves through!
That Tuesday, I had a normal check up with the OBGYN and Mike supervised the carpet installation in the spare room downstairs.
On Wednesday, I took off work and Mike and I visited three possible day cares for the baby. The first was a Kindercare Center which is a national company. It was a center that took kids from 6 weeks to 12 years old so there were A LOT of kids there. I can only describe it as a child/baby factory, lol. The Director and baby caregivers were very nice, but one of the baby caregivers was also the main cook for the whole center, so at 10am we were taking her away from the stove. The second place we visited was an in-home daycare on the same street we live on. She is an Asian lady with one full-time assistant. They're house is the exact same layout as ours except they have a garage too. She had only one baby under a year and the other 7 were about 2-4 years old. They kids were very cute and sweet and obedient. She was very sweet and I loved her demeanor. She also cooks and provides the food for the kids after they turn one (you provide milk/baby food up until then). The third place we looked at was called The Children's Place and is an independent child care center that takes kids up to 5 years old and has been in business as long as I've been alive. The place is in what looks to be an old house located right next to the high school were Mike teaches. The lady who showed us around was a larger foreign lady (we couldn't quite place from where) who seemed nice, but wasn't very eager to show us anything other than the baby's room. They have lunch and snacks delivered by a caterer daily. The babies that were there (about 4) seemed very content, but the decor, the toys, the supplies, and the furniture was all just very used. For the amount of money they charge, you think they'd replace them more frequently. Mike and I decided to go with the in-home daycare down the street from us. We loved that we could walk to get baby Hudson and he would get so much attention as the only baby there (or one of very few come January). As he gets older and more active, we can reassess if he needs to be around more kids in a center-like environment.
The following week, Mike and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary by going to get crabs at Capt. Pell's in Fairfax. He also surprised me with flowers when I got home from work. Our upcoming vacation to Florida was also in celebration of our anniversary.
On Friday (in preparation for this trip to Florida), I decided to get a bikini wax. Please stop reading here if you think you've already read too much.... So with my ever-growing belly, I could not easily groom my bikini area and I thought a brazilian would be a good idea and last a few weeks of bathing suit season. HOLY. MOLY. I was in that back spa room with this Asian lady for like 45 minutes! She started with regular hot wax and then moved to the hard wax. I'm not sure if she was new or what, but I got nervous when she said she had only had this same thing done to her once. Umm, I want my waxing lady to be a wax connoisseur and get it done herself on the regular! My lady parts swelled up and I still had to go home and take a mirror to get all the residual hard wax off with a warm wash cloth. I was in pain for at least 36 hours. Men have no idea what we put ourselves through!
Weeks 20 - 21
So, I've been slacking and now I have to look back on my handy dandy google calendar to see what happened. Not as exciting as real life thoughts, but it'll help me remember years down the road :)
Sunday, June 3, Mike and I went to a Nationals game with Dennis & Michelle and Rob & Jenni. I got tickets pretty cheap with Carrie from the US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) and the boys got free beers, so they were happy. But it was HOT out and I decided that it would probably be my final Nats game of this season eventhough we usually go to one or two a month during the summer.
That Monday, Mike went with me to what I thought would be my final sonogram of baby Hudson. All measured and looked well. I believe he was measuring 6 days ahead of schedule based on head circumference (eek!). The fetal specialist said they usually have someone with an elevated AFP come in every four weeks for an ultrasound, but she compromised with me since I was only "slightly elevated" and we booked a follow up ultra sound for 29 weeks. She said the final reason for the elevated AFP that she could think of that wouldn't show up on an ultrasound is an insufficient placenta. They won't be able to tell if the placenta is not providing sufficient nutrients and oxygen until the baby is further along and using 80-100% of it. At this stage, the baby is only using 30% of the placenta. So, when I go in at 29 weeks they will see if the baby is measuring small or low weight. If so, they'll have me come back a few weeks later to check again and may deliver him early! I'm confident all is well though.
Thursday evening we dropped Daisy off with my Dad and headed to Rehobeth beach for Paul and Katy's wedding. I got some quality beach time in with Silvana while the boys golfed and did groomsmen things. It was a beautiful beach ceremony followed by a reception on the top floor of the hotel with panoramic views. And Jason gave a best man speech comparable to Bill's speech for Mike at our wedding. It was hilarious!
The following week was Mike's last week of school before summer break, and we were trying to get the basement bedroom completed as well. The windows got replaced in the house leaving only 4 windows in the basement left to be replaced (woohoo!). We had a lot of wooden original windows and some were painted shut. Thanks Gonz Sr for the new windows!
Sunday, June 3, Mike and I went to a Nationals game with Dennis & Michelle and Rob & Jenni. I got tickets pretty cheap with Carrie from the US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) and the boys got free beers, so they were happy. But it was HOT out and I decided that it would probably be my final Nats game of this season eventhough we usually go to one or two a month during the summer.
That Monday, Mike went with me to what I thought would be my final sonogram of baby Hudson. All measured and looked well. I believe he was measuring 6 days ahead of schedule based on head circumference (eek!). The fetal specialist said they usually have someone with an elevated AFP come in every four weeks for an ultrasound, but she compromised with me since I was only "slightly elevated" and we booked a follow up ultra sound for 29 weeks. She said the final reason for the elevated AFP that she could think of that wouldn't show up on an ultrasound is an insufficient placenta. They won't be able to tell if the placenta is not providing sufficient nutrients and oxygen until the baby is further along and using 80-100% of it. At this stage, the baby is only using 30% of the placenta. So, when I go in at 29 weeks they will see if the baby is measuring small or low weight. If so, they'll have me come back a few weeks later to check again and may deliver him early! I'm confident all is well though.
Thursday evening we dropped Daisy off with my Dad and headed to Rehobeth beach for Paul and Katy's wedding. I got some quality beach time in with Silvana while the boys golfed and did groomsmen things. It was a beautiful beach ceremony followed by a reception on the top floor of the hotel with panoramic views. And Jason gave a best man speech comparable to Bill's speech for Mike at our wedding. It was hilarious!
The following week was Mike's last week of school before summer break, and we were trying to get the basement bedroom completed as well. The windows got replaced in the house leaving only 4 windows in the basement left to be replaced (woohoo!). We had a lot of wooden original windows and some were painted shut. Thanks Gonz Sr for the new windows!
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Ooops Weeks 18-19
Life gets crazy sometimes and much has changed in the past 4 weeks!
I had a dentist appointment for a cleaning on May 22 and found out they like to see pregger ladies every 3 months because plaque can cause low birth weight and other fetal issues. News to me. I'll be seeing her again in August. Oh the Drs. appointments...
Then I got a phone call on Wednesday from my fetal specialist that my prenatal test results came back abnormal. My AFP level was a multiple of 2.2 which is considered "slightly elevated" from the normal results of 0.5 - 2.0. Because of this, my risk factor for a spinal deformity was elevated to 1 in 121. Here is a quick blurb that explains it better than I can:
I had a dentist appointment for a cleaning on May 22 and found out they like to see pregger ladies every 3 months because plaque can cause low birth weight and other fetal issues. News to me. I'll be seeing her again in August. Oh the Drs. appointments...
Then I got a phone call on Wednesday from my fetal specialist that my prenatal test results came back abnormal. My AFP level was a multiple of 2.2 which is considered "slightly elevated" from the normal results of 0.5 - 2.0. Because of this, my risk factor for a spinal deformity was elevated to 1 in 121. Here is a quick blurb that explains it better than I can:
"The alpha-fetoprotein, or AFP, blood test checks the levels of AFP in the pregnant woman's blood. AFP is produced by the fetal liver and the levels in the woman's blood can determine the risk of problems, such as spina bifida or anencephaly. It is part of the maternal serum triple or quadruple screening test for chromosomal issues, such as Down syndrome or Edwards syndrome. The levels seen in the AFP screening determine the risk category that a fetus falls into for these congenital abnormalities. In addition to AFP levels, hCG and estrogen levels are also checked to better inform the evaluation of risk.
These tests are simply a screening, which means that once a risk factor is determined it is the mother's choice to move forward with more definitive testing, such as undergoing amniocentesis. Certain measurements on fetal ultrasound, such as the nuchal fold thickness and femur length during the first and second trimesters, are also factors that affect furthering diagnostic testing."
So, obviously I was a little taken aback. They had me come in for an ultrasound the following morning instead of waiting the two weeks (and letting me fret). Luckily, spina bifida and anencephaly are issues that can be spotted in an ultrasound (unlike down syndrome). Mike, unfortunately couldn't come because they had standardized testing and he has to proctor the exams. But, the doctor was awesome and she spent her entire hour long lunch break looking at the baby. The spine and brain looked perfect. He was back up and head down, so she couldn't see where the umbilical cord entered (another place the insides could be leaking out). So she told me to keep my original 20 week ultrasound and come back in. Plus, she wanted to see the heart chambers better which is hard to see at 18 weeks. It felt SO much better to hear the doctors reassurance that everything looked perfect on our baby. She was wrapping up and I said, do you think I could find out the sex now? It seemed like something insignificant to ask considering the circumstances I was in there for, but she said, "Oh I almost forgot!" She showed me the bottom of the baby and said, "Here's one leg, and here's the other leg..." and I shouted, "And that's the third leg!" She just laughed and said, "Yes, it's a boy. I'm glad when people can see it for themselves." I was so relieved because I had the instinct that it was a boy and didn't understand because I always wanted a girl! At this point, I was just happy he looked healthy.
One of my friends from high school contacted me about my "abnormal test results" when I posted it on Facebook to explain why we knew the sex two weeks early. She's a genetic counselor, which is the kind of doctor I would have had to gone to see if the ultrasound came back abnormal. I explained the test results and she said they don't even take patients unless the test result is a 2.5 or higher and that I had nothing to really worry about. Boy, did that feel awesome! Thanks, Colleen!
The same day of the ultrasound, I had a check up with my hematologist for my iron levels. I explained the AFP results to the blood specialist and he wasn't concerned either. But, my iron levels hadn't gone up much so he told me to switch iron supplements to a different type that absorbs in the body differently, and check back in 6 more weeks.
The same day of the ultrasound, I had a check up with my hematologist for my iron levels. I explained the AFP results to the blood specialist and he wasn't concerned either. But, my iron levels hadn't gone up much so he told me to switch iron supplements to a different type that absorbs in the body differently, and check back in 6 more weeks.
That Saturday, my dad and Vicki came to visit so he could spackle and sand the extra room downstairs to make it a spare bedroom. While we were waiting for the spackle to dry, we went to Babies'R'Us to pick up the crib he bought for us. When the people were loading it on the back of his pickup, he jumped up on the back quickly to guide it in and banged his knee on the metal gang box and sliced his knee open. I did my best to clean and bandage it up, but he ended up needing 5 stitches! Sorry, Dad! Thanks for the crib!
The following Saturday, I went to my first prenatal yoga class and it was awesome! It was cool to be in a room full of women who were in the same situation as me and it felt good to learn and do stretches and positions that was good for my pregnant body. I'd definitely be returning!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Week 16 & 17
I had more brown spotting in week 16, but it ended before the weekend began and I took it super easy this weekend. So far, so good!
Almost every night, I lay in bed and read, but it wasn't until Monday night (14 May) that I put my hand on my stomach and was surprised to feel such a large bump! It was surreal to feel from my ribcage down and up over this bump that felt foreign and back down to my pelvic bone. I still just look fat when I'm standing or sitting, but I guess lying down moves all the pre-existing squishiness to the back! Lol
Had a check up week 17 and I gained 3 lbs!! Now I know I'm supposed to gain weight in pregnancy, and I know 3lbs in 17 weeks isn't bad, but I'm still super paranoid about the weight gain! Doc said I should only gain 15lbs throughout the whole pregnancy due to my high starting weight! I'll continue to try and walk or elliptical every day, but I have a feeling that might get harder with the summer heat. I'll try my best to be the cute pregnant woman at the gym!!
Almost every night, I lay in bed and read, but it wasn't until Monday night (14 May) that I put my hand on my stomach and was surprised to feel such a large bump! It was surreal to feel from my ribcage down and up over this bump that felt foreign and back down to my pelvic bone. I still just look fat when I'm standing or sitting, but I guess lying down moves all the pre-existing squishiness to the back! Lol
Had a check up week 17 and I gained 3 lbs!! Now I know I'm supposed to gain weight in pregnancy, and I know 3lbs in 17 weeks isn't bad, but I'm still super paranoid about the weight gain! Doc said I should only gain 15lbs throughout the whole pregnancy due to my high starting weight! I'll continue to try and walk or elliptical every day, but I have a feeling that might get harder with the summer heat. I'll try my best to be the cute pregnant woman at the gym!!
Monday, May 7, 2012
16 weeks!
I survived Gold Cup weekend preggers! I have to admit it was pretty hard skipping the mimosas and I got kinda bored in between the horse races, but I had fun messing with the drunk people and people watching in general.
I've had a couple more bloody noses so I've been taking allergy medicine to reduce the number of sneezes per day.
Oh, and I literally got huge over the weekend. I wore my normal work pants all last week and then when I went to get dressed this morning... No can do! Good thing Lauren dragged me to the Leesburg outlets on Sunday because I picked up two pairs of maternity dress pants and I had to wear one today! Then I was getting tagged in all these pics from Gold Cup on Saturday, and I looked like a cow :( (don't bother trying to stalk, I denied tagging of the sideways pics of me) I'm not sure how long it takes to get used to getting bigger for the sake of a baby, but I'm not there yet. It doesn't help that I feel like people are constantly analyzing and scrutinizing how I look and how big I am. I've never been so self conscious in my life! And I have 5 months to go! So to counter the first bad eating weekend I've had since being pregnant, I had a bagel thin with light cream cheese for breakfast, a salad for lunch with some yogurt and I'll find something healthy to make myself for dinner tonight. So take that growing belly, hips, and arms!
I've had a couple more bloody noses so I've been taking allergy medicine to reduce the number of sneezes per day.
Oh, and I literally got huge over the weekend. I wore my normal work pants all last week and then when I went to get dressed this morning... No can do! Good thing Lauren dragged me to the Leesburg outlets on Sunday because I picked up two pairs of maternity dress pants and I had to wear one today! Then I was getting tagged in all these pics from Gold Cup on Saturday, and I looked like a cow :( (don't bother trying to stalk, I denied tagging of the sideways pics of me) I'm not sure how long it takes to get used to getting bigger for the sake of a baby, but I'm not there yet. It doesn't help that I feel like people are constantly analyzing and scrutinizing how I look and how big I am. I've never been so self conscious in my life! And I have 5 months to go! So to counter the first bad eating weekend I've had since being pregnant, I had a bagel thin with light cream cheese for breakfast, a salad for lunch with some yogurt and I'll find something healthy to make myself for dinner tonight. So take that growing belly, hips, and arms!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Rude!
So I'm at working sitting on what we call our "rolling mushroom" (it's basically a little stool on wheels and they're everywhere) talking to this woman who is VERY lonnnng winded. So really, she's talking and I'm listening. My nose starts to feel runny. I wipe my hand under my nose and see blood! So I politely interrupt her to explain I have a bloody nose and it's okay because it's a weird pregger side effect. She hands me a box of tissues and keeps talking! So I'm sitting on this uncomfortable mushroom with a tissue shoved up my nose nodding at her while she goes on and on. Four tissues later, I get her to wrap up her venting and go back to my desk in pure shock that she didn't let me go to the restroom. So I didn't feel bad at all that I left my bloody tissues in her trash can. :)
Monday, April 30, 2012
Making room for baby Gonz!
We had a yard sale with the neighbors April 14 to try and clean out some of the stuff in the house that is just taking up space! Seems as though all of Mike's things sold and my stuff was left to be admired, so of course my competitiveness kicked in and I pouted. Looks as though most of my extras will have to be donated. In all the digging, I did find the stuff my mom and grandmother had purchased before my child was even conceived. I think they've been planning this longer than I have. We also found some white cotton curtains with tab tops that Mike had used at some previous residence. I washed and ironed them and hung them in the spare room (soon to be nursery). What a difference from the dark burgundy curtains. I love the yellow walls as is so I'm glad it does not need to be painted.
We were also able to sell my full size bed that was in the spare room. We have an extra queen bed for the spare room downstairs so we didn't need it, but it was SO hard to sell! I've had that bed since high school and it fit me perfectly. I loved sleeping on it. The only thing that makes me feel okay about it is that it went to a girl who is a new roommate for a good friend and she was sleeping on a blow up bed. Now to convince my husband for a new bed...
We were also able to sell my full size bed that was in the spare room. We have an extra queen bed for the spare room downstairs so we didn't need it, but it was SO hard to sell! I've had that bed since high school and it fit me perfectly. I loved sleeping on it. The only thing that makes me feel okay about it is that it went to a girl who is a new roommate for a good friend and she was sleeping on a blow up bed. Now to convince my husband for a new bed...
Sunday, April 29, 2012
I must really like my doctors...
Made it to week 15! But my medical issues continue! The headaches persist but I have more energy so I'm not sure which is the worse of the two evils. I had to take an Excedrine last Wednesday because I couldn't function and was on the edge of a migraine. Doc said I could have one if it got that bad. I felt 100% better within the hour and had no headache on Thursday. My friend said her headaches ended after the 16th week, so I can hope!
At 15w1d, I felt crampy and had some brown discharge. I called the Doc just to be safe and, at this far along, they wanted me to come in right away. That kinda freaked me out but the exam went well. She still sent me for an ultrasound to check my insides and they were able to fit me in too. The ultrasound people I go to aren't just radiologists, they are fetal specialists so they are super knowledgable and informative. The doc is also really nice and checked the heartbeat, placenta, bone growth, and head size. Oh, and I have a "gorgeous cervix." LOL. I was prescribed no heavy lifting, no exercise, and unfortunately no hanky panky either. Doc said I probably lifted something a little too heavy and a blood vessel burst. Cramps were gas... How embarrassing!! These twice a day iron pills are a killer! Anyways, I'm glad everything is going to be ok. Oh and my nuchal scan ended up being fine and the chance for down syndrome or trisomy 18 is 1 in 10,000 which is basically the best odds you can get.
At 15w1d, I felt crampy and had some brown discharge. I called the Doc just to be safe and, at this far along, they wanted me to come in right away. That kinda freaked me out but the exam went well. She still sent me for an ultrasound to check my insides and they were able to fit me in too. The ultrasound people I go to aren't just radiologists, they are fetal specialists so they are super knowledgable and informative. The doc is also really nice and checked the heartbeat, placenta, bone growth, and head size. Oh, and I have a "gorgeous cervix." LOL. I was prescribed no heavy lifting, no exercise, and unfortunately no hanky panky either. Doc said I probably lifted something a little too heavy and a blood vessel burst. Cramps were gas... How embarrassing!! These twice a day iron pills are a killer! Anyways, I'm glad everything is going to be ok. Oh and my nuchal scan ended up being fine and the chance for down syndrome or trisomy 18 is 1 in 10,000 which is basically the best odds you can get.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
First Trimester Feelings
The whole reason in starting this blog was to track how I felt throughout the pregnancy and now that I'm at week 13, I really need to do some backtracking!
Little did I know that by the time you realize your preggers (if you have a regular enough cycle) you are already 5 weeks pregnant!
This is what I remember...
5-6 weeks - those first few weeks were mostly boob soreness (and growth!) and lots of peeing. I peed almost once an hour at work! My first OBGYN appointment for confirmation was the beginning of week 6. I found out later that week that my hemoglobin A1C was high (sugar) and my platelets and white blood cell counts were also high.
7-8 weeks - Oh the nausea... it's not just for mornings. I was lucky and never actually threw up, but these two weeks were rough. I felt like I had the flu/hangover. I ended up taking one day off of work to lay on the couch all day. Meat was not appealing to me at all and really sugar and cheese was all I was up for eating. I went to the first sonogram at 7 weeks to determine exactly how far along I was and I measured on point!
9-10 weeks - I figured out that if I ate every two hours, I felt a whole lot better. The key was to not let your stomach get empty! I changed from 3 larger meals a day to 3 smaller meals with a morning snack at 10am and an afternoon snack at 2pm. At this point I was really fatigued though. I came home from work and napped for an hour or two almost every day! I also purchased two new bras to accommodate my massive boobies. During the 10th week, I went back to the doctors for a 1 hour glucose test, and failed it miserably. I cut out all sweets and sodas from that point.
11-12 weeks - Breasts seemed to have stopped growing and weren't as sore (yay!) My naps became fewer and farther between. The nausea was pretty much gone unless I didn't eat for like 6 or 7 hours (oops). I took the 3 hour fasting glucose test the beginning of week 11 and passed! No gestational diabetes as of yet. I had a second sonogram for the nuchal scan to determine the risk for down syndrome. It was very cool to see the baby swimming around with 10 little fingers and 10 little toes. The face looked like a monkey, but the Dr. promised it was just a skull, haha. He/she measured 4 days ahead of schedule. In week 12, I visited the hematologist to address the high platelet and white blood cell counts. They took more blood at the visit and analyzed it right away. The platelets had been reduced from 583 in February to 503 in March to 426 the day of the appointment in April. The white blood cell count had also gone back down to normal. The hematologist suggested that I probably have an iron deficiency, which I believe considering I was borderline anemic during my college years (I couldn't give blood because of it). He ordered a full iron panel to determine if I needed supplements. At the end of the 12th week, I visited a friend's house in MD where I was able to share with a group of my college girlfriends the good news. They were very excited! I had a cute pregnancy shirt from zazzle that said "Expecting a little pumpkin in October"
13 week - Welp, I officially can't suck it in anymore. I have a baby gut. I wasn't exactly at my ideal weight when I got pregnant, but I was working out and trying to get there, so the baby is currently pushing my squishiness out. I've officially hit that awkward phase of "is she fat or is she pregnant?" My jeans still fit since they sit low, but my work pants are uncomfortable. When I stretch or yawn, I can feel my ab muscles tearing (ouch). It's kinda like the pain of being sore. I've also been sneezing involuntarily and without notice which makes me seem very inconsiderate when I don't cover my face! The hematologist called and said my iron was low so they recommended I get on some over the counter iron supplements with vitamin C and check back in a month. Hopefully this means less Drs. appointments because the 9 hour work days to make up for missed time is getting old!
Little did I know that by the time you realize your preggers (if you have a regular enough cycle) you are already 5 weeks pregnant!
This is what I remember...
5-6 weeks - those first few weeks were mostly boob soreness (and growth!) and lots of peeing. I peed almost once an hour at work! My first OBGYN appointment for confirmation was the beginning of week 6. I found out later that week that my hemoglobin A1C was high (sugar) and my platelets and white blood cell counts were also high.
7-8 weeks - Oh the nausea... it's not just for mornings. I was lucky and never actually threw up, but these two weeks were rough. I felt like I had the flu/hangover. I ended up taking one day off of work to lay on the couch all day. Meat was not appealing to me at all and really sugar and cheese was all I was up for eating. I went to the first sonogram at 7 weeks to determine exactly how far along I was and I measured on point!
9-10 weeks - I figured out that if I ate every two hours, I felt a whole lot better. The key was to not let your stomach get empty! I changed from 3 larger meals a day to 3 smaller meals with a morning snack at 10am and an afternoon snack at 2pm. At this point I was really fatigued though. I came home from work and napped for an hour or two almost every day! I also purchased two new bras to accommodate my massive boobies. During the 10th week, I went back to the doctors for a 1 hour glucose test, and failed it miserably. I cut out all sweets and sodas from that point.
11-12 weeks - Breasts seemed to have stopped growing and weren't as sore (yay!) My naps became fewer and farther between. The nausea was pretty much gone unless I didn't eat for like 6 or 7 hours (oops). I took the 3 hour fasting glucose test the beginning of week 11 and passed! No gestational diabetes as of yet. I had a second sonogram for the nuchal scan to determine the risk for down syndrome. It was very cool to see the baby swimming around with 10 little fingers and 10 little toes. The face looked like a monkey, but the Dr. promised it was just a skull, haha. He/she measured 4 days ahead of schedule. In week 12, I visited the hematologist to address the high platelet and white blood cell counts. They took more blood at the visit and analyzed it right away. The platelets had been reduced from 583 in February to 503 in March to 426 the day of the appointment in April. The white blood cell count had also gone back down to normal. The hematologist suggested that I probably have an iron deficiency, which I believe considering I was borderline anemic during my college years (I couldn't give blood because of it). He ordered a full iron panel to determine if I needed supplements. At the end of the 12th week, I visited a friend's house in MD where I was able to share with a group of my college girlfriends the good news. They were very excited! I had a cute pregnancy shirt from zazzle that said "Expecting a little pumpkin in October"
13 week - Welp, I officially can't suck it in anymore. I have a baby gut. I wasn't exactly at my ideal weight when I got pregnant, but I was working out and trying to get there, so the baby is currently pushing my squishiness out. I've officially hit that awkward phase of "is she fat or is she pregnant?" My jeans still fit since they sit low, but my work pants are uncomfortable. When I stretch or yawn, I can feel my ab muscles tearing (ouch). It's kinda like the pain of being sore. I've also been sneezing involuntarily and without notice which makes me seem very inconsiderate when I don't cover my face! The hematologist called and said my iron was low so they recommended I get on some over the counter iron supplements with vitamin C and check back in a month. Hopefully this means less Drs. appointments because the 9 hour work days to make up for missed time is getting old!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Finding out I was preggers
February 17, 2012 - Took a pregnancy test on a whim (wasn't due for my period for two more days). I was SHOCKED that it was positive. While we had been trying since May 2010, January wasn't a very good month for conception considering it was the end of wrestling season at the high school where my husband is the head coach, and he was gone at tournaments most weekends and too tired most nights. I had to take a second one to be sure, haha. I then tormented myself for two hours trying to figure out how to tell Mike. I thought about having a shirt made for our beloved dog, Daisy, but knew I couldn't keep this a secret to myself. Then I tried to rig something around her collar, but it wasn't working. I read those cheesy stories online about putting a hamburger bun in the oven... no thanks. I decided to just tell him. We had just finished the basement family room and bar area and the countertops to the bar were installed that week. So when he came home from wrestling practice, I said, "Do you know how I said throughout the basement remodel/adult cave creating that I'd probably get knocked up before I could be able to use the bar?" He kinda shook his head and then I handed him the stick and said I was right... as usual :) He was happy, but definitely incredulous too. After 9 months, you almost assume you're getting negatives in the tests.
That evening we were headed to MD to my mother's house to be in town for my grandfather's 80th birthday on Saturday. Of course, she immediately offered me a glass of wine when we got there and I said no thank you. She was pressuring and I kept saying no until she said, "You're Pregnant!" Now, I had all the intentions of doing something cute to tell my mom she was going to be a grandmother, but she ruined it, and I couldn't lie to her face. So she's known since literally, Day One. I think it was harder for her to keep it a secret than me or Mike.
To tell my Dad and step-mom, I was able to be a little more creative. I bought a silver picture frame that said "Grandpa & Me" and put the 7 week sonogram in it. They came to visit and see the finished basement on March 10. I gave my dad the wrapped frame and when he opened it, he didn't get it right away (apparently they didn't have sonograms for me, haha), but my step-mom did and jumped off the couch, ran over, and hugged me with tears in her eyes. My dad looked confused and she said "it's a baby!" The whole thing was pretty amusing. My dad isn't much for words, but he was already calling the baby a "he" and saying he was going to teach him how to do carpentry. I'll take that as happy :)
That evening we were headed to MD to my mother's house to be in town for my grandfather's 80th birthday on Saturday. Of course, she immediately offered me a glass of wine when we got there and I said no thank you. She was pressuring and I kept saying no until she said, "You're Pregnant!" Now, I had all the intentions of doing something cute to tell my mom she was going to be a grandmother, but she ruined it, and I couldn't lie to her face. So she's known since literally, Day One. I think it was harder for her to keep it a secret than me or Mike.
To tell my Dad and step-mom, I was able to be a little more creative. I bought a silver picture frame that said "Grandpa & Me" and put the 7 week sonogram in it. They came to visit and see the finished basement on March 10. I gave my dad the wrapped frame and when he opened it, he didn't get it right away (apparently they didn't have sonograms for me, haha), but my step-mom did and jumped off the couch, ran over, and hugged me with tears in her eyes. My dad looked confused and she said "it's a baby!" The whole thing was pretty amusing. My dad isn't much for words, but he was already calling the baby a "he" and saying he was going to teach him how to do carpentry. I'll take that as happy :)
Friday, March 30, 2012
A snapshot of "us"
Let's see, the quick lowdown:
- I'm 28 years old and my husband, Mike, is 35
- We were married June 26, 2010 near my hometown in Southern MD (no, not the Eastern shore)
- I'm an IT Consultant for Booz Allen and Mike is a high school English teacher
- We live in Northern VA
- We have a cockapoo named Daisy who is basically our first child
- Our first human baby is due Oct 21, 2012!!
Mike and I met playing kickball (Thanks WAKA) in the Summer of 2008. We were an active couple going to sporting events, wine festivals, family gatherings, bar crawls... we had an eventful courtship up until he popped the question Christmas 2008. I was shocked to say the least, but agreed to marry him with the acceptance of a long engagement. We spent our engagement in 2009 wedding planning and remodeling a split foyer from the 1970's that Mike actually grew up in! Well, I should add we're still remodeling (does it ever end?) I have to say that after the year of 2009, I'm hoping we can survive anything!
We had a beautiful wedding and if I ever get nostalgic, I may blog about the planning process one day. I wish I had the gutso to do that for a living, but I'd have to take sympathy-honeymoons after each wedding I planned, haha.
In April 2011, when I was 27 and Mike 34, I finally felt that timing was right to see if a family was in our future. Mike had wanted to start right after the wedding (he felt he wanted to be a young, energetic father), but I wasn't quite there yet. I wanted to have at least the first year together as just "us." Everything had happened so fast for us, I wanted a year to relax. We actually got a year and a half because it took us 8 months and 7 cycles to conceive. I guess being on birth control for 10 years without a break took a toll on my body. I was starting to sweat a little until I got the BFP (Big Effin Positive in Conception Talk) in February 2012. I was shocked because Mike coaches wrestling and there hadn't been a lot of time and energy for our wrestling sessions if you catch my drift. Oops, just realized family would probably be reading this... HI!
So ANYwhooo, we're really excited and our parents are very excited as well... way more excited than I expected actually, but we're blessed to have so much support!
The Beginning... sorta
So, this may be cliche in the blog world, but I never thought I'd be writing one of these. I never understood where people got extra time to read about other people's lives, nonetheless write about their own. Yet, as I sit in my living room on a Friday night, 10w5d pregnant watching my DVR, while my friends are out at the bar and my husband is at a Washington Wizards game, I realized that I now have time. I may not have the time in 6 1/2 short months, but I decided I wanted to record this roller coaster called pregnancy and perhaps even motherhood.
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