**Week 27

 

Maternity Clothes - I wore another shirt this week and I guess my belly has really popped out or the shirt really enhanced it because I got a lot of comments about how I look pregnant now.  I've still been making due with mostly non-maternity shirts though.

Cravings - went to Wendy's once this week.  Always want something a little sweet then have to counter with something salty.  It's a vicious cycle.  Nothing in particular though.

Symptoms - Been really sore the last few days.  Back, abdomen, thighs - things stretching out!  I get leg cramps in the middle of the night that wake me up sometimes.  I have occassional heartburn too.  Baby is still really low so my maternity belt is a MUST HAVE to save my bladder.  It also saved my back in the process so it's a double bonus.

Exciting Thing to Happen This Week - I guess this is more funny but Dallin laid his head on my tummy and was talking to the baby and she kicked him in the head.  Fiesty little thing!  It's becoming more and more real to him with him being able to feel her move more and more.  She's been very active this week.  We've also revisted the name game.  Still no decision reached.

To Do - Carseat decision...still.  Waiting for PCMC's hotline to call me back.  A bunch of Christmas card stuff.  Oh!  Our childbirth class is all-day tomorrow.  I'm kind of excited.

Weakness of the Flesh

I've had this post tossing around in my head for a bit now.  After my kidney/bladder pain the other day this kind of kept coming to the front of my mind.  I was in so much pain I didn't care anymore.  It was selfish and I just kept thinking, "This baby has to come out NOW, I can't handle this anymore."  Guess it's good prep for labor right?  I had to keep reigning in the thought of delivering a 26 weeker because 1. My doctor would laugh at me for being such a weakling, and 2. It's not about me anymore.  But all I could think about was helping my body get out of pain.

That's when I recalled the scriptures about the weakness of the flesh.  How fragile our bodies really are. But how strong and able they are one the other hand.  My body's been doing amazing (and crazy) things the last six months which have amazed me.  My 89-year-old grandpa just had a Pacemaker put in too.  His heart is tired but then his body pulled through the surgery like a champ and he feels like a million bucks.

And then there's poor Maggie.  Her inflammation is back.  It's contained in the joint capsule so it's not bulging out her skin but it's pushing her knee cap out of place again.  We did a steroid shot which seems to be helping significantly (with awful side effects. Thirst = more peeing and insatiable hunger).  So we're probably off to see the specialist again, maybe get a second opinion and I've been researching essential oils for dogs online to try and give her a more natural approach as to not destroy her liver.  (If anybody knows much or knows somebody/vet who deals with oils in dogs, I'd be interested in talking to them).  He knee is so bad but her body just keeps going and going and she is so mentally tough.  I need to take a lesson from her.

So those are my random thoughts for the day.

White Lamborghini

My drive home was kinda funny.  This white Lamborghini and black Ferrari got on the freeway right by me.  At first I thought they were friends driving together but after the white car took off, I think they were just coincidentally on the road together.

It was funny to watch the white Lamborghini try and navigate rush hour and weave in and out of traffic.  It's amazing how many people will get out of the fast lane for a Lamborghini but when I'm behind them trying to pass, they'll camp out there and be oblivious.

What was even funnier was when a Ford Focus and VW Jetta decided they were Lamborghinis too and started going 90+ MPH to stay up.  Because you know if anyone's getting pulled over, it's the Lamborghini.  Those cars' engines just didn't sound as nice and looked kind of ridiculous.

I'm not a car person but it sure was a pretty one to watch.

**Week 26

Maternity clothes - Still have a some non-maternity ones that fit so I've been using those.  Also found a few other ones in my winter clothes closet so I may not need to wear my maternity ones for a bit longer.  I did cave and get new bras during Black Friday and I'm kind of excited about them.  I think they'll be a lot more comfy.  I also got a couple new maternity lightweight sweaters that are super cute too.

Cravings - nothing in particular.  Been eating a lot of Fruity Pebbles for breakfast though, those seem to hit the spot.  Breakfast is my least favorite because I'm the most hungry and am not a huge breakfast food person.  I don't like to feel that heaviness in the morning but have to eat a ton to feel ok, so it's a bit tricky.

Symptoms - This week has maybe been the absolute hardest.  I've been battling that kidney pain and the baby and I had an epic battle of prime real estate, also known as my bladder.  She camped out there and when there is two pounds of body on a little organ that's not used to being squashed, let's just say it wasn't pretty.  I was in tears for days not knowing how I was going to handle the pain for 15 more weeks while she also played soccer on my kidney.  The pain relievers helped that but there was no relief for the bladder.  It constantly felt like I hadn't peed in days (the urge was that intense) and then nothing would come out and nothing felt better.  Wednesday was awful at work as I laid on my office floor trying to squish her out and also doing pelvic tilts and cat/cow yoga poses.  When I finally got her to move I didn't dare move because I couldn't endure her slipping down there again.  I called Dallin desperate after my mom suggested a maternity belt.  It was his day off and he ran out and got one and brought it to my work like the saint that he is.  And you know what?  It's helped tremendously.  If I'm on my feet too much I can feel her slipping down, down, down and I hurry and put it on to keep her in place.  The back support on it has helped a lot and eased some other aches and pains and gratefully spared my bladder.  I haven't worn it for a few days and have been ok but you can be sure I'll be keeping it handy at all times.  Also been keeping Tums handy for random heartburn flareups.

Exciting Thing this Week - Dallin was able to feel the baby's little kicks which means she's getting bigger and bigger!  She also enjoyed her first Thanksgiving meal and has been really wiggly the last few days.  I also got a lot of things added to my registries at Target and Amazon.com - finally buckled down and just made some decisions.  I also finished most of our Christmas shopping and got our decorations up!

To Do - Figure out the car seat situation still.  And figure out the inflammation in Maggie's leg to get her better.  Vet thinks she'll never be 100%, and we may have to do steroids to keep everything in check but I'm entertaining the thought of trying essential oils on her since steroids have some nasty side effects.  I need to get a few more gifts and figure out what to do with one of my Christmas crafts, I'm at a bit of a loss.

**Week 25

Maternity clothes - shirts are getting more and more snug.  I'm trying to make it another couple of weeks before I retire them all completely.  I've found a few that may work the whole time though so that is exciting.

Cravings - Wendy's.  And I'm proud of myself because I haven't gone at all this week.  Maybe it's just a burger thing, I can't get enough red meat.  Or maybe I just need more protein in my diet.  Nothing else in particular.

Symptoms - My chin is an acne/toxic mess which has turned into a lot of dry skin.  It's pretty gross.  Also had the kidney stone which should never happen to any human, let alone a pregnant one.  Thanks, I'll pass on a natural childbirth after that kind of pain.  I've also started to get heartburn.  I've never been one to have heartburn and for all you who suffer from it, I'm terribly sorry, it is awful.  According to an old wives' tale, that means she'll have hair though! 

Exciting Thing This Week - she quieted down for a few days but is active again.  She has been pounding on my cervix which is the strangest sensation ever and we could see her in little hand in the ultrasound pounding it like, "Let me out!  Let me out!"  But nope, you're going to be staying put little girl!  I've also been adding more and more things to my registry.

My depression/demons have been quieter this week too which has been a welcome reprieve.

To Do - so very many things.  And I'm so tired after the hospital last night I can't even think about them right now.  So I'm just going to say, make a salad for my brother's homecoming and and green bean casserole for Thanksgiving.  Other than that, no promises that anything will get done.

What a Night

Precious little face!

Yesterday was my last study as part of the NUM2B study at the U.  you can enjoy the pictures of our last little peek at the peanut.  She's growing great and is almost 2 pounds!  They said she's in the 61st percentile.  Her head is still measuring large but it was smashed down in my pelvis so they couldn't get a super good measurment on it.  She was all bent in half.  She has my whole upper belly to stretch out in and she's in the tiniest spot possible. It was amazing to see how big she is now.  She used to fit all on the screen but now you can only see half of her. 

On the way to the study, I started to get some pretty uncomfortable back pain.  I'd been straining to pee so I figured a UTI was coming on fast and strong.  I called the doc and since it was so close to 5, they said the nurse would call me tomorrow.



Long legs!

I survived the study appointment besides always feeling like I had to pee.  I decided to call the on-call doc since I was already at the hospital, I could just go pee in the cup at the lab and not have to come back tomorrow during work.  She told me to go the the Labor & Delivery ER immediately and get monitored and to make sure I didn't have an upper UTI (which is what my mom had when she delivered me 5 weeks early.)  So my mom and I headed over there while Dallin took his mom home.  I thought I'd pee in a cup, they'd monitor me for a minute and we'd be on our way.
 Everything from the cup came back clean and so they started doing more and more tests while the pain got more and more intense.  The only thing that felt ok was to sit and strain to pee which in turn made me throw up all the acid reflux I'd started having recently.  It was not fun.  At all.


Face with hands over her head

They put me on a blood pressure cuff since my pressure was high, ran more urine tests, blood tests, had the baby hooked up to the monitor and did a pelvic exam.  The good news was that it wasn't preeclampsia and I definitely wasn't in early labor (whew) but they couldn't figure out what was going on.  Once the blood tests finally came back, everything still looked fine so the only explanation was a kidney stone due to where the pain was in my back and how it was radiating around to my front.  They loaded me up with Lortab and sent me on my way after 3.5 hours.

I just wanted to get home so I rolled the windows down and sped my way there, I SO did not feel good.  I got home, had Dallin give me a blessing, and took my meds and felt amazing once they started to kick in.  I went to bed and was on the verge of falling asleep but could never get there.  And the hours ticked on. And on. And on.  The night really is long when you're up all through it.  The longest period of sleep I got was an hour and then the meds wore off and I was on the toilet every 45 min. or less, shaking in pain.  I've only had this pain one other time (same kidney) where they told me it was a kidney infection.  I really think it was a stone that time too.  6:30 a.m. rolled around (I'd been counting the hours until 9 a.m. to when the pharmacy opened so I could get more Lortab) and the pain subsided.  There was no way I could go to work after being up all night and I was terrified the pain would come back.  I NEVER want to feel that pain again.  So the assumption is that the stone passed.  For the pain to be that intense then suddenly disappear, and where it was all localized, that's the only explanation.

I stayed home from work and my boss decided to give the 3rd row U of U football tickets I'd won to Saturday night's game away since I wasn't there on Friday even though Dallin was going to go pick them up.  So nice of him.  I was pissed because that was the last thing I was wanting to deal with after being delirious in pain and not sleeping all night.  Plus, I was feeling better.  But whatever, I'm not surprised.

I slept until 2 p.m. today and feel a lot better except for being still so very tired, feeling like I got hit by a truck and my back is tender.  I'm so grateful that everything is better and that it was nothing more serious and the little peanut is still staying put and was ok through the whole ordeal.  Praying that NEVER happens again!

Welcome Home!

Last Friday was the day my mom had waited for for 2 years.  My baby brother was coming home from his mission.  The plan was to rush home, feed Mags and pack her up and head to my parents and then the airport while Maggie waited for our return and to meet her Uncle Brett.

Well, due to the humongous snow storm that day, Brett's plane got delayed 2.5 hours so we didn't have to rush, which was nice since the roads were snowy.

We hung out at my parents for a while waiting for Grandpa and my cousin to show up and then headed to the airport around 9 p.m.  We staked out our spot and hunkered down to wait.  And mom paced, and paced and paced.

There were 15 missionaries on the plane coming from Kansas City and 8 of them were staying in SLC which made for a very crowded airport.  Grandpa kept getting blocked by groups and we had to tell people to move. It was really special that grandpa made it. He's been dealing with heart issues and is scheduled for a pacemaker (at almost 89 years old) but the surgery was postponed so he could see his buddy/grandson come home first. He's really gone down hill the last couple months and struggles every day with his heart going out of rhythm and his blood sugars swinging 400 points. We are SO grateful he's hung in there and was able to be there.

Around 10 p.m. we finally we spotted this tall kid in a suit coming down the escalator.  Somehow my baby brother was all grown up into this man.  He'd grown about an inch (topping out at 6'5") and had gained 60 pounds.  But surprisingly, the poundage made him look more normal instead of emaciated like before.

Hugs and tears ensued.  I'm sure it was a surreal moment for him, knowing that feeling myself.  He made the rounds giving each of us a hug.  Mom couldn't get enough.  This is the moments moms live for, finally welcoming their children home from 2 years of serving The Lord.  We couldn't be more proud.

We chatted for a while and the bishop and his family even came to say hello. We piled back in our three cars and headed for home. They stopped at the stake president's home en route to the house to have him released. They finally arrived home just short of midnight. Enough time for Brett to meet Mags and us to head home, exhausted and happy. 

I was starving when we got home so we made ramen and mac and cheese and Dallin shoveled the driveway. We finally got to bed at 2:30 a.m. WAY past my bedtime and I don't plan on seeing that time on the clock again until there is a newborn demanding my time.

**Week 24

Maternity Clothes - My shirts are starting to get snug and short.  I wore my first maternity shirt today (see above) mainly because I wanted to wear something new.  The colder weather may entice me a little more to wear my shirts since they are all long-sleeved (mostly).  I like that they are long and for the most part, don't require an undershirt.

Cravings - Root beer and green apples are a staple.  So weird.  I didn't really even like apples until I got pregnant.

Symptoms - Still some headaches.  The arches of my feet are getting miserably sore so my terrific hubby rubs them for me.  I've also been fighting some really dark demons this week - depression, anxiety, self-esteem, despair, being overwhelmed, etc.  But I'm working through it.  Also, I'm constantly on the verge of tears.

Exciting Thing This Week - Could see the baby moving from the outside!  My tummy was bouncing all around.  Dallin felt her too!

And my brother gets home from his mission today!  SO exciting!  Makes me reflect on my mission and when I got home almost 8 (!) years ago.  I'm so proud of him.  He's had some rough times but hung in there and is such a strong person from it all.

To Do - I've got a lot of things researched this week and some decisions made, now it's just a matter of implementing them.  Still need a car seat/stroller decision.  There are so many options!

**Week 23

Maternity clothes - still the same.  I LOVE my panel front jeans.  The ones with just the little panel at the bottom like to fold down and/or cut off my circulation but they'll do.  I packed up a bunch of clothes in a tote that won't be fitting for a while.

Cravings - Hand one for root beer again this week.  I think I had too much sugar because any small amount has been making me ill.  I also had a craving for Scotcheroos and made them for my work Halloween party.

Symptoms - My neck keeps getting kinked again which has equated to headaches/migraines.  A couple of times at work it got to the point that I needed to lay down immediately or die or puke.  So I'd run out to my car and lay the seat back for a few mintues.  I've still been going to the chiropractor but maybe I'll have him do acupuncture again on my neck.  We'd been focusing more on my lower back this week.

I also cried last Saturday because I was so tired after running errands for hours.  I have waves of anxiety and moodiness and have also had some nesting moments.

Exciting Thing This Week - Baby Girl is still a wiggle worm.  She kind of calmed down for a few days which worried me but maybe I was just getting used to the feeling and didn't recognize it as much.  Now she's back with a vengeance.  We've also narrowed down bedding and furniture.  I can't wait for Thanksgiving break and the sales.

To Do - Write my maternity leave proposal for work.  I know.  Also pick our a car seat/stroller and watch Black Friday ads.  Oh, and we may be moving.  Stay tuned as that drama unfolds.