Christmas is one of my favorite times of year because its always an awesome excuse to hang out extra with friends and family! Besides that, there's always tons of good food to enjoy. But for once, I've had something else on my mind during this holiday season. Bet you can't guess what that is...HA HA! It's Jude of course. He isn't an outside part of the family yet, but he sure loves to make his presence known to mommy.
Since 26 weeks or so, I've been getting a lot more aches and pains. In particular, I've been feeling those pesky Braxton Hicks. With Bella, I always thought they were really cool to have because it was just a sign of how close I was getting to having a baby. That was not the case this time. My contractions with Jude are far more uncomfortable and they started 9-10 weeks earlier than they did with Bella. My oh my does it make for an interesting day. I can't imagine what people think when they look over at me and see my face contort while I brace myself to get through a BH.
Well, that went on until a couple weeks ago, then all of a sudden it slowed down. For a week. Now, and since last Sunday or so, I am getting a ton of these contractions and they are becoming really uncomfortable. I think it may have to do with my size as well. The contractions seem to pair with a decent amount of back pain. I am surprised though at how easily I'm able to cope with them. I suppose its the season and all the warm fuzzies that come with it. I am by no means silent about the discomfort, but its easy for me to remember that its all a part of the process and it just means I'm getting closer and closer to having a baby again!
Besides, I can always remind myself that when it comes to having a baby, the phrase "No pain, no gain" is extremely accurate :).
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
December brings colds (every stinking year)
I can safely say that having a cold while pregnant sucks. You're very limited in the meds you can take, and the ones you can take, you can only use for a certain amount of time. I've reached my limit for Affrin, which was the only thing keeping my nasal passage clear over night. BOO. I also have been having trouble breathing in the mornings. Usually, for me, that means this is going into an infection. This usually happens when I get a cold because I normally don't drug up much when I get sick unless I absolutely have to. Not because I hate taking meds, but more because I'm lazy and forget.
I've called my OB's nurses for advice and am waiting for a call back. Although, the more I think about it, I have no idea what they're going to tell me. I've tried everything I can try and its working somewhat. I just worry that if I let this go for too long (it has been 4 days so far), then its going to be more harmful that I can't breathe and have allowed myself to get an infection. So, I need to be told what other secret measures I can take to make this go away. It also doesn't help that I'm loosing energy and Bella just won't have that. She may be sick right now as well, but I think that she'll be able to kick this bug soon, then I'm in for a world of hurt!
I've called my OB's nurses for advice and am waiting for a call back. Although, the more I think about it, I have no idea what they're going to tell me. I've tried everything I can try and its working somewhat. I just worry that if I let this go for too long (it has been 4 days so far), then its going to be more harmful that I can't breathe and have allowed myself to get an infection. So, I need to be told what other secret measures I can take to make this go away. It also doesn't help that I'm loosing energy and Bella just won't have that. She may be sick right now as well, but I think that she'll be able to kick this bug soon, then I'm in for a world of hurt!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
In case of Emergency
Well, I was fairly successful taking care of my niece and daughter Monday night and Tuesday morning. The trick was getting Natalie to sleep. Of course, its difficult when you aren't really sure of her sleeping patterns or can't meet her every whim. Natalie almost always sleeps with Lynsie and I simply wasn't going to do that. But by rubbing her tummy after laying her in bed, she fell asleep and I could walk away. Nap time was a different story, but the cry it out method worked wonders! She whined for less than 5 minutes then fell asleep. BOO-YAH!
Unfortunately, this adventure came to an abrupt end shortly after Steve got home. He came home early to work from home in case I got overwhelmed. Such a nice guy! Anyway, my mom called to tell us Lynsie was being rushed into an emergency C-section due to bleeding. Luckily, once the birth was over, the bleeding had been stopped and the baby had come out screaming and kicking. I don't think we were worried about the baby quite as much as we were worried about Lynsie. We already knew the baby was going to be small but she was technically at term now and her doctors saw no problems prior to the induction.
Being induced is obviously hard, seeing as Lynsie wasn't making much progress to begin with, but then the emergency on top of that was just scary. Unfortunately, the placenta had started to rip from her uterus and well, that causes bleeding. I suppose the induction was a blessing in disguise, because if she hadn't been there for it, this same thing could have happened anyway later on. Lynsie was simply prone to placenta issues due to some choices of hers, which I will not go into. The thing that really matters is that both mother and baby are alright.
Lynsie is now in quite a bit of pain, which is no surprise, but she's doing just fine and will have a great helper in my mom to help her recover. The baby, Audrey Diana, is doing better than Lynsie, honestly. Even at 4 lbs, 12 oz, she's a healthy little girl and she stayed in the regular nursery from the start. Lynsie's also up and moving now, so she can have Audrey with her whenever she likes. Lynsie has to stay a little longer than Audrey in the hospital, so they'll both be there until the weekend. Other than that, things have gotten back to "normal", or at least the new normal now that Lynsie has 2 kids.
:) I get the old normal for another month and a half or so. Until then, I'm gonna relax as much as possible. It looks like I'll need to.
Unfortunately, this adventure came to an abrupt end shortly after Steve got home. He came home early to work from home in case I got overwhelmed. Such a nice guy! Anyway, my mom called to tell us Lynsie was being rushed into an emergency C-section due to bleeding. Luckily, once the birth was over, the bleeding had been stopped and the baby had come out screaming and kicking. I don't think we were worried about the baby quite as much as we were worried about Lynsie. We already knew the baby was going to be small but she was technically at term now and her doctors saw no problems prior to the induction.
Being induced is obviously hard, seeing as Lynsie wasn't making much progress to begin with, but then the emergency on top of that was just scary. Unfortunately, the placenta had started to rip from her uterus and well, that causes bleeding. I suppose the induction was a blessing in disguise, because if she hadn't been there for it, this same thing could have happened anyway later on. Lynsie was simply prone to placenta issues due to some choices of hers, which I will not go into. The thing that really matters is that both mother and baby are alright.
Lynsie is now in quite a bit of pain, which is no surprise, but she's doing just fine and will have a great helper in my mom to help her recover. The baby, Audrey Diana, is doing better than Lynsie, honestly. Even at 4 lbs, 12 oz, she's a healthy little girl and she stayed in the regular nursery from the start. Lynsie's also up and moving now, so she can have Audrey with her whenever she likes. Lynsie has to stay a little longer than Audrey in the hospital, so they'll both be there until the weekend. Other than that, things have gotten back to "normal", or at least the new normal now that Lynsie has 2 kids.
:) I get the old normal for another month and a half or so. Until then, I'm gonna relax as much as possible. It looks like I'll need to.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Now we need to focus!
December is generally a busy month for many people. You have to wrap up things at work before the new year. Its time again to think about holiday presents for your family and close friends. You have to get the decorations up inside and outside the house. Then there are usually some parties to be had.
On top of all that, sometimes, you get a lot of extra tasks put before you. For instance, Steve and I have a lot of baby related tasks to finish this month. We have to get a crib, the mattress, and bedding for Jude. My sister is planned to have her second girl December 7th and I get to take care of Natalie for her. I expect that to be one hell of an adventure. Two toddlers while 32 weeks pregnant.....its certainly going to be interesting. We also have a nursery to paint. We've got out colors! Its just a matter of tapping the room, moving the furniture out, and getting down to the task at hand. Bella will get to sleep in our room for a couple of days. That's always exciting!
With all of this going on, in addition to 4 birthdays and Christmas, its time that Steve and I focus on getting each bullet point completed. At the moment, this is what I've got planned:
Tuesday: double toddler day
Thursday: Bella's bone doctor
Sometime this week: buy for Lynsie, Bella, and Dad; buy baby furniture
Next weekend: Angela's birthday, Michelle's birthday (even though I sadly won't be where she is for that one), paint the baby room (so I've been promised...)
Dec. 15: make sure that Evelyn has gotten her birthday present!
Dec 17: go see Dr Potter and beg her to induce me in early January :) (I think I'll do some baking for the office to help my case, and ya know, cause they've been so wonderful the past 2 years)
Dec 19: Christmas/Baby party at Heidi's
Dec 23: make sure Natalie has an awesome birthday party
From there, its cake. We just have to make it there and make sure things are done on time. With me, there's no guarantee anymore, but I try my hardest! I hate not getting things done on time or having things that need to be done looming over my head, so this month is certainly keeping me on my toes. But its all worth it. I get to do good things for some great people and celebrate the holidays with family, including a new little member here in a couple of days! So, Happy Holidays! May your holiday to-do list be as easy to complete as I am hoping mine is :).
On top of all that, sometimes, you get a lot of extra tasks put before you. For instance, Steve and I have a lot of baby related tasks to finish this month. We have to get a crib, the mattress, and bedding for Jude. My sister is planned to have her second girl December 7th and I get to take care of Natalie for her. I expect that to be one hell of an adventure. Two toddlers while 32 weeks pregnant.....its certainly going to be interesting. We also have a nursery to paint. We've got out colors! Its just a matter of tapping the room, moving the furniture out, and getting down to the task at hand. Bella will get to sleep in our room for a couple of days. That's always exciting!
With all of this going on, in addition to 4 birthdays and Christmas, its time that Steve and I focus on getting each bullet point completed. At the moment, this is what I've got planned:
Tuesday: double toddler day
Thursday: Bella's bone doctor
Sometime this week: buy for Lynsie, Bella, and Dad; buy baby furniture
Next weekend: Angela's birthday, Michelle's birthday (even though I sadly won't be where she is for that one), paint the baby room (so I've been promised...)
Dec. 15: make sure that Evelyn has gotten her birthday present!
Dec 17: go see Dr Potter and beg her to induce me in early January :) (I think I'll do some baking for the office to help my case, and ya know, cause they've been so wonderful the past 2 years)
Dec 19: Christmas/Baby party at Heidi's
Dec 23: make sure Natalie has an awesome birthday party
From there, its cake. We just have to make it there and make sure things are done on time. With me, there's no guarantee anymore, but I try my hardest! I hate not getting things done on time or having things that need to be done looming over my head, so this month is certainly keeping me on my toes. But its all worth it. I get to do good things for some great people and celebrate the holidays with family, including a new little member here in a couple of days! So, Happy Holidays! May your holiday to-do list be as easy to complete as I am hoping mine is :).
Thursday, December 2, 2010
95th Percentile
So, its decided. This kid is huge. His measurements from the ultrasound put him in the 95th percentile of fetal growth for his gestational age. That's HUGE, especially compared to Bella. Now, I get to spend the next 9 weeks freaking out over having a c-section due to Jude not being able to make it out.
Of course, my doctor will continue to monitor my growth and it sounds like I'll have another sonogram in 4-5 weeks to see if Jude is still growing at this accelerated rate. The beauty of this situation is that Jude may have just had a freakish growth spurt and will level off in growth in the coming weeks. However, in most normal pregnancies, the baby grows about half a pound each week in the eighth month and a pound a week the last 4-5 weeks of the pregnancy.
There's also talk of inducing towards the very end if he's measuring 9-10 lbs and I don't go into labor on my own. As much as I would LOVE that, I'm not keeping my hopes up on that one. The word is that I need to get as close to 39 weeks as possible. There's nothing wrong with that. After all, its for the health of the baby. But again, since Bella was 2 weeks early, I highly doubt that this baby is waiting any longer than that to come into this world.
Still, I'll have to wait at least another 2 weeks to find anymore out. Every week, something could change, so I'll just have to wait for each doctor appointment to find out her latest thoughts on what will happen.
Of course, my doctor will continue to monitor my growth and it sounds like I'll have another sonogram in 4-5 weeks to see if Jude is still growing at this accelerated rate. The beauty of this situation is that Jude may have just had a freakish growth spurt and will level off in growth in the coming weeks. However, in most normal pregnancies, the baby grows about half a pound each week in the eighth month and a pound a week the last 4-5 weeks of the pregnancy.
There's also talk of inducing towards the very end if he's measuring 9-10 lbs and I don't go into labor on my own. As much as I would LOVE that, I'm not keeping my hopes up on that one. The word is that I need to get as close to 39 weeks as possible. There's nothing wrong with that. After all, its for the health of the baby. But again, since Bella was 2 weeks early, I highly doubt that this baby is waiting any longer than that to come into this world.
Still, I'll have to wait at least another 2 weeks to find anymore out. Every week, something could change, so I'll just have to wait for each doctor appointment to find out her latest thoughts on what will happen.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Gender Neutral
I started thinking today about buying things for babies. What of this and that people should buy? What brands do I prefer? What colors work well together? What kind of clothes different people might prefer? And something seems to always stick out to me when I look through baby websites or the aisles of a baby store: gender association. For some, its very important for their child to be decked out in the colors associated with their gender. For others, its very important to do the opposite. Then there are many parents who are stuck in between. Quite honestly, I think its easiest for these parents.
If you aren't very discriminate of what you buy for your child, then your options are fairly limitless. If you're obsessed with having all pink for a little girl, then you are limited to about half of the baby items out there. Same if you're obsessed with having all blue for a boy. Even if you want to go all gender neutral, your choices become quite limited, particularly for clothing (from what I've noticed).
I have tons of pink for Bella, but that mostly pertains to her clothing. Reasonable parents who expect to have more children will choose many of their toys and other such items in neutral colors so that they don't side with one particular sex. In fact, most toys do come in gender neutral colors. It just makes sense because there may be multiple children playing with these toys and chances are there are boys and girls in that mix.
The other factor is what have you been given from others. If someone offers you some clothes for your baby girl and they're all very pink, should you turn them all down because you want to stay strictly gender neutral? I guess you can...but I'd think you're a little crazy! Same goes for toys. Why can't a girl play with a dump trunk or a boy play with an easy bake? I don't know. A free toy is pretty awesome if you ask me, no matter what it is, for the most part. Hand me downs can be a huge blessing, especially if you want to save a bit of money. There's no reason to pass up the opportunity!
For myself, even before I found out I was having a boy this time around. I thought about some things that made sense to have gender neutral in case I wanted to reuse them for a little boy. Bella's walker, her high chair, her infant car seat all are in neutral colors, among other things. Even some of her clothing is gender neutral and I've set it aside for Jude. However, I also think that its great to let a little girl have pink things, just as its great to let a little boy have blue things. Bella's sheets are pink. A lot of her clothes are pink or in a girly style. Her big girl car seat is pink and brown. Why not!?! She's a girl and she's going to need some of these things at the same time as Jude anyway. Let her have pink!
One day she's gonna be old enough to have a preference for the way her clothing and personal items look. When that day comes, if she wants blue, by God, I'll get her blue! For now, I'm going to give her all kinds of things that have different gender associations. So long as she doesn't show a great distaste for whatever the item is, she should have clothes and toys and other things that are all of the different colors and styles under the rainbow!
If you aren't very discriminate of what you buy for your child, then your options are fairly limitless. If you're obsessed with having all pink for a little girl, then you are limited to about half of the baby items out there. Same if you're obsessed with having all blue for a boy. Even if you want to go all gender neutral, your choices become quite limited, particularly for clothing (from what I've noticed).
I have tons of pink for Bella, but that mostly pertains to her clothing. Reasonable parents who expect to have more children will choose many of their toys and other such items in neutral colors so that they don't side with one particular sex. In fact, most toys do come in gender neutral colors. It just makes sense because there may be multiple children playing with these toys and chances are there are boys and girls in that mix.
The other factor is what have you been given from others. If someone offers you some clothes for your baby girl and they're all very pink, should you turn them all down because you want to stay strictly gender neutral? I guess you can...but I'd think you're a little crazy! Same goes for toys. Why can't a girl play with a dump trunk or a boy play with an easy bake? I don't know. A free toy is pretty awesome if you ask me, no matter what it is, for the most part. Hand me downs can be a huge blessing, especially if you want to save a bit of money. There's no reason to pass up the opportunity!
For myself, even before I found out I was having a boy this time around. I thought about some things that made sense to have gender neutral in case I wanted to reuse them for a little boy. Bella's walker, her high chair, her infant car seat all are in neutral colors, among other things. Even some of her clothing is gender neutral and I've set it aside for Jude. However, I also think that its great to let a little girl have pink things, just as its great to let a little boy have blue things. Bella's sheets are pink. A lot of her clothes are pink or in a girly style. Her big girl car seat is pink and brown. Why not!?! She's a girl and she's going to need some of these things at the same time as Jude anyway. Let her have pink!
One day she's gonna be old enough to have a preference for the way her clothing and personal items look. When that day comes, if she wants blue, by God, I'll get her blue! For now, I'm going to give her all kinds of things that have different gender associations. So long as she doesn't show a great distaste for whatever the item is, she should have clothes and toys and other things that are all of the different colors and styles under the rainbow!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
That fever's a #^&%~!
Bella has been sick before. A couple of times. Not quite like many other babies who are sick often. But we haven't had to cope with a nasty fever before. This is decidedly not fun. Of course, what makes it worse is that there really isn't anything that you can do for her. She has to get over her bug on her own just like we do when we get a stomach bug or something of that sort. It makes it difficult when she's upset and there's no solution.
This bug has also kept her from wanting to eat any solids for a day or so now. While this may not be a huge deal for some, it kind of is for us. Bella has had so much trouble getting to eat solids that any set back seems like a major set back. Even with the vomiting, I thought she was going to stop taking bottles. Thankful, that wasn't the case, just the case for last night.
So, for the next couple of days, we're going to be loving on some pedialyte and enjoying extra formula. If anyone knows anything to help reduce a fever besides the normal Tylenol (which doesn't really seem to do too much anyway), I'm taking suggestions :)!
This bug has also kept her from wanting to eat any solids for a day or so now. While this may not be a huge deal for some, it kind of is for us. Bella has had so much trouble getting to eat solids that any set back seems like a major set back. Even with the vomiting, I thought she was going to stop taking bottles. Thankful, that wasn't the case, just the case for last night.
So, for the next couple of days, we're going to be loving on some pedialyte and enjoying extra formula. If anyone knows anything to help reduce a fever besides the normal Tylenol (which doesn't really seem to do too much anyway), I'm taking suggestions :)!
Friday, November 12, 2010
The Tantrum Factor
I'm at a bit of a loss. I'm obviously a very irritable person and don't cope well with people who overreact or whine a lot or are being extremely illogical. Well guess what. That would be my daughter. So how on earth am I going to handle this!?
For right now, when Bella is throwing a tantrum I tend to talk to her and tell her that everything is ok and there's no need to cry. As if that does any good... I have been thinking of other ways to handle this to nip it in the butt. I'm not going to be very sympathetic to her if she's crying for a ridiculous reason when I have a newborn who's crying for a very good reason. This is definitely a difficult task because Bella is so young. She understands crying gets her things but she doesn't understand that crying isn't the only answer to not getting what you want. I know that eventually she should be able to, but I'm sure we're still a little ways off from that.
That leaves the question of what to do. The only good thing I can think of is to set her in her crib and let her work out her anger on her own when nothing else will fix the problem. Sometimes kids cry for no reason. We've all heard it. But as they get older, you have to have some kind of solution! And I don't care what you say about crying it out. It seems to me that sometimes, that's just the way it works. Your kiddo wants to cry and there is nothing you can do about it. So, instead of getting frustrated that she won't stop crying, I just set Bella down and walk away for a couple of minutes. If she doesn't stop crying, then I can come back when I'm better composed again and try to soothe her some more. Its not going to help her if I'm sending off vibes of anger and frustration.
I don't know if its gonna work, but eventually somethings gotta give. To maintain my sanity and hopefully help Bella get past this tantrum phase, I'm going to work on finding ways to communicate to her that tantrums aren't the answer. I'm sure one day, when she's a bit older and starting to understand concepts more than just words, it will make sense to her. At least that's the hope :).
For right now, when Bella is throwing a tantrum I tend to talk to her and tell her that everything is ok and there's no need to cry. As if that does any good... I have been thinking of other ways to handle this to nip it in the butt. I'm not going to be very sympathetic to her if she's crying for a ridiculous reason when I have a newborn who's crying for a very good reason. This is definitely a difficult task because Bella is so young. She understands crying gets her things but she doesn't understand that crying isn't the only answer to not getting what you want. I know that eventually she should be able to, but I'm sure we're still a little ways off from that.
That leaves the question of what to do. The only good thing I can think of is to set her in her crib and let her work out her anger on her own when nothing else will fix the problem. Sometimes kids cry for no reason. We've all heard it. But as they get older, you have to have some kind of solution! And I don't care what you say about crying it out. It seems to me that sometimes, that's just the way it works. Your kiddo wants to cry and there is nothing you can do about it. So, instead of getting frustrated that she won't stop crying, I just set Bella down and walk away for a couple of minutes. If she doesn't stop crying, then I can come back when I'm better composed again and try to soothe her some more. Its not going to help her if I'm sending off vibes of anger and frustration.
I don't know if its gonna work, but eventually somethings gotta give. To maintain my sanity and hopefully help Bella get past this tantrum phase, I'm going to work on finding ways to communicate to her that tantrums aren't the answer. I'm sure one day, when she's a bit older and starting to understand concepts more than just words, it will make sense to her. At least that's the hope :).
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Just let it go
Its 6 am and I've already had a breakdown today. I think that this is just going to be the way things are from now on and I ought to get used to it. I understand that I don't have a very stressful life, but I don't seem to cope well with any stress.
Sometimes you just want to give up.
Sometimes you just need a vacation.
Sometimes you just want to walk away.
Then you realize that it isn't an option and you move on.
Just because you can't handle it does not mean that others have to suffer because of it, especially your kids. Whatever ails you needs to be pushed aside and you've got to do your job. Remember, its not about you anymore and you don't need to be selfish, even when you want to. Just let it go.
Sometimes you just want to give up.
Sometimes you just need a vacation.
Sometimes you just want to walk away.
Then you realize that it isn't an option and you move on.
Just because you can't handle it does not mean that others have to suffer because of it, especially your kids. Whatever ails you needs to be pushed aside and you've got to do your job. Remember, its not about you anymore and you don't need to be selfish, even when you want to. Just let it go.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Someone put the wreath up!
How early can you start decorating for Christmas? Well, Steve's rule is right after Thanksgiving. For me, if I had things to decorate for Thanksgiving with, then that would be an acceptable answer. However, I don't even have a fall wreath to put on the door! I am itching to decorate. The only thing that keeps me sane about it is the fact that I'm fairly large now and Bella is still so young that I don't have to worry about her remembering all of this. I figure you decorate enough to take some good pictures and all is well.
This also brings up the matter of how much do you do to decorate. This year, I would like to actually decorate outside. Get some lights in the bushes, maybe on the house! Perhaps find a couple of lit up figures to decorate the front yard. And I've already got the wreath for the door. You don't have to do much to decorate well. Now, when it comes to having school-aged kids....that's when the decorating becomes crazy. And that is certainly something I am excited for! Only a few more years, right?
This also brings up the matter of how much do you do to decorate. This year, I would like to actually decorate outside. Get some lights in the bushes, maybe on the house! Perhaps find a couple of lit up figures to decorate the front yard. And I've already got the wreath for the door. You don't have to do much to decorate well. Now, when it comes to having school-aged kids....that's when the decorating becomes crazy. And that is certainly something I am excited for! Only a few more years, right?
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
3 months left and counting down......
I am still finding it hard to believe that I really am having appointments every 2 weeks now. I still feel like I have a long time before I'm actually having this baby. But, its true. I am 1 day away from being in my 3rd trimester and I am 3 months to the day from my due date.
Some mommies despise going to the doctor so often. Its such a hassle to go up there only to be seen for a total of 5 minutes to find out everything is just fine. But I am the opposite. I love it. I absolutely love going to my doctor. To me, there's a camaraderie between all of the other pregnant women that come in. Most of the time I end up talking to someone about their experience, sharing stories. I also like knowing that I'm on track and hearing the heartbeat. I even like getting my blood pressure taken. Its like a competition with myself to see how low it will be this time. Not that I want it to be dangerously low, but I am notorious for having a healthy low blood pressure, even being overweight.
The other thing is that I don't even find myself waiting long for my short appointment. My doctor's office seems to be really efficient. Even today, I had a glucose test but I was only in the office for an hour. I got in early to drink the solution and exactly an hour later I got pricked on the finger. The test results are instant as well, so no waiting there. I just had to wait an hour for the glucose to go into my system. The appointments themselves are so easy now. I hardly have an questions even with having a completely different pregnancy experience. I don't know if its just that having a child now makes me worry less about the little things with this pregnancy or if its something else, but I'm far less stressed out about the little aches and pains.
One thing that is still a pain about the appointments is being weighed. I have an issue with sweets. A big one. Its a huge surprise that I'm NOT diabetic. But, you can see my love for sweets in my weight gain. Pregnancy is truly a wonderful time for me to show self restraint in this department. You want to gain weight, but you don't want to gain too much weight. So, its up to me to control my urge to bake and make sure I eat a healthy and balanced diet. With the home stretch in view, this is even more important. You gain most of your pregnancy weight in the last trimester because the baby's growth goes into overdrive. So, my goal for this holiday season is to control my urge to eat every pie, cake, or candy that comes my way and to make sure that I eat a balanced diet to make sure that Jude is gaining good weight and not just sugar weight.
3 months left and counting down......
Some mommies despise going to the doctor so often. Its such a hassle to go up there only to be seen for a total of 5 minutes to find out everything is just fine. But I am the opposite. I love it. I absolutely love going to my doctor. To me, there's a camaraderie between all of the other pregnant women that come in. Most of the time I end up talking to someone about their experience, sharing stories. I also like knowing that I'm on track and hearing the heartbeat. I even like getting my blood pressure taken. Its like a competition with myself to see how low it will be this time. Not that I want it to be dangerously low, but I am notorious for having a healthy low blood pressure, even being overweight.
The other thing is that I don't even find myself waiting long for my short appointment. My doctor's office seems to be really efficient. Even today, I had a glucose test but I was only in the office for an hour. I got in early to drink the solution and exactly an hour later I got pricked on the finger. The test results are instant as well, so no waiting there. I just had to wait an hour for the glucose to go into my system. The appointments themselves are so easy now. I hardly have an questions even with having a completely different pregnancy experience. I don't know if its just that having a child now makes me worry less about the little things with this pregnancy or if its something else, but I'm far less stressed out about the little aches and pains.
One thing that is still a pain about the appointments is being weighed. I have an issue with sweets. A big one. Its a huge surprise that I'm NOT diabetic. But, you can see my love for sweets in my weight gain. Pregnancy is truly a wonderful time for me to show self restraint in this department. You want to gain weight, but you don't want to gain too much weight. So, its up to me to control my urge to bake and make sure I eat a healthy and balanced diet. With the home stretch in view, this is even more important. You gain most of your pregnancy weight in the last trimester because the baby's growth goes into overdrive. So, my goal for this holiday season is to control my urge to eat every pie, cake, or candy that comes my way and to make sure that I eat a balanced diet to make sure that Jude is gaining good weight and not just sugar weight.
3 months left and counting down......
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Ok, I'm starting to feel like Alice chasing the White Rabbit now.
I think it's about time I come to grips with the fact that the next 3 months are going to go by very quickly. For that matter, the next 6 months are going to go by very quickly. Why, you might ask? Well, obviously you have the holidays but I also know quite a few pregnant ladies who are all due within weeks of one another. Already, this month has just flown away. To give you an idea of how fast this will be, here's a little timeline for you:
Two weekends ago: My cousin got married
Last Wednesday: Bella's first birthday
Last Saturday: Bella's first birthday party
Two big events in less than a week. Moving onto the future!
3 days from now: Halloween. Time to dress up and party hearty! Don't forget to hand out candy to the little ones.
4 weeks: Thanksgiving. Hooray for all that we've been given and the delicious stuffing and pies that come with this joyous holiday!
5 weeks: Hanukkah begins. A shout out to my few Jewish friends out there!
6 weeks: Miss Trisha is due with her first baby, a boy! Can you believe it? It's right around the corner!
7 weeks: Michelle's first baby, Evelyn, will celebrate her first birthday! Its already been a year since we had little newborns to take care of...now its time to bust out the 1 candle.
7-9 weeks: My sister is due with her second baby. There is a possibility that she is 2 weeks further along than her doctor originally thought, thus the 2 week span.
8 weeks: My niece (sister's first girl) will be 2 years old. Already to the terrible 2s :)
8 weeks and 2 days: Christmas. The biggest holiday for a lot of people I know. It is a great holiday to celebrate! For Christians, the greatest thing to celebrate happened on this day.
9 weeks and 2 days: New Year's Day. WHAT!?! Another year already....scary.
13 weeks: Heather's second baby boy will be 1!
14 weeks: My next baby is due. Trippy. Very trippy.
15 weeks: Angela H's first baby will be 1!
19 weeks: Kayla's baby is due. A first for her and her husband. A greatly anticipated first!
24 weeks: Heidi's baby is due. Another couple with a first. This one has been a long time coming :)!
All of this is going to happen in the next 6 months. I can hardly believe it. It feels like I just found out these girl's, and myself, were pregnant and now almost all of us are past the halfway point. INSANE! I've never felt that time was slipping away from me with my little girl, like many moms do, but now, it's happening.
With all of the holidays and events fast approaching, I know she'll be walking before I can realize it's happened. Once that happens, things are really gonna take off for her and I won't have a baby anymore, but a toddler. My life is never going to be the same again, for a wonderful reason of course. Even better, I'm going to get to say that many times in the next year and watch a lot of friends experience the same unique feeling!
Two weekends ago: My cousin got married
Last Wednesday: Bella's first birthday
Last Saturday: Bella's first birthday party
Two big events in less than a week. Moving onto the future!
3 days from now: Halloween. Time to dress up and party hearty! Don't forget to hand out candy to the little ones.
4 weeks: Thanksgiving. Hooray for all that we've been given and the delicious stuffing and pies that come with this joyous holiday!
5 weeks: Hanukkah begins. A shout out to my few Jewish friends out there!
6 weeks: Miss Trisha is due with her first baby, a boy! Can you believe it? It's right around the corner!
7 weeks: Michelle's first baby, Evelyn, will celebrate her first birthday! Its already been a year since we had little newborns to take care of...now its time to bust out the 1 candle.
7-9 weeks: My sister is due with her second baby. There is a possibility that she is 2 weeks further along than her doctor originally thought, thus the 2 week span.
8 weeks: My niece (sister's first girl) will be 2 years old. Already to the terrible 2s :)
8 weeks and 2 days: Christmas. The biggest holiday for a lot of people I know. It is a great holiday to celebrate! For Christians, the greatest thing to celebrate happened on this day.
9 weeks and 2 days: New Year's Day. WHAT!?! Another year already....scary.
13 weeks: Heather's second baby boy will be 1!
14 weeks: My next baby is due. Trippy. Very trippy.
15 weeks: Angela H's first baby will be 1!
19 weeks: Kayla's baby is due. A first for her and her husband. A greatly anticipated first!
24 weeks: Heidi's baby is due. Another couple with a first. This one has been a long time coming :)!
All of this is going to happen in the next 6 months. I can hardly believe it. It feels like I just found out these girl's, and myself, were pregnant and now almost all of us are past the halfway point. INSANE! I've never felt that time was slipping away from me with my little girl, like many moms do, but now, it's happening.
With all of the holidays and events fast approaching, I know she'll be walking before I can realize it's happened. Once that happens, things are really gonna take off for her and I won't have a baby anymore, but a toddler. My life is never going to be the same again, for a wonderful reason of course. Even better, I'm going to get to say that many times in the next year and watch a lot of friends experience the same unique feeling!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
4 years
It's moments like these that I can see how much my life has changed. In the past 4 years, I've graduated college, gotten married, had a child, and conceived another. That's a considerable amount of things for a 24 year old. Not that this hasn't been done before, but its still weird to think about.
It seems all the more real right now because, today, Steve and I have been married for 3 years and 5 months and tomorrow is Arabella's first birthday. Getting married changed everything. I no longer lived under my parent's roof. I actually felt kind of responsible for the other person in my house, just as he now felt responsible for me. I had to consider getting a full time job to help bring in some money, if for no other reason than to save it. Now, not all of these things actually happened (ie: the job), but these were the things I realized shortly after we got married and the reality of the situation hit me. The great thing is that Steve and I make a very good pair. Neither of us are very intense people and the pain in the ass idiosyncrasies we do have are evened out by the other person. We just work.
Since before we got married, I had the baby bug. I had no clue how much it would change things. You can tell expectant mothers that things will be very different, but it means nothing until they actually experience it. After a year, its very apparent to me how true that is. No experience is the same with a child. Its fun to compare notes with other mommies and find out what their kiddo does and likes, but your child is unique and you'll always find differences. Because of that, your overall experience will be different from other mothers. I think, though, that we can all agree that everything that changes is well worth it!
Right now, it may not seem like it for me, in a very small way. Getting up at 4 am for a runny nose is not my idea of a good time, but if baby doesn't feel well, she's gonna get some comfort. So I did my duty of clearing her nose some and giving her a little medicine. Soon enough, the hope is that she'll realize she still needs another few hours of sleep and will go ahead and catch up on that, leaving me to do the same!
But again, its all worth it.
It seems all the more real right now because, today, Steve and I have been married for 3 years and 5 months and tomorrow is Arabella's first birthday. Getting married changed everything. I no longer lived under my parent's roof. I actually felt kind of responsible for the other person in my house, just as he now felt responsible for me. I had to consider getting a full time job to help bring in some money, if for no other reason than to save it. Now, not all of these things actually happened (ie: the job), but these were the things I realized shortly after we got married and the reality of the situation hit me. The great thing is that Steve and I make a very good pair. Neither of us are very intense people and the pain in the ass idiosyncrasies we do have are evened out by the other person. We just work.
Since before we got married, I had the baby bug. I had no clue how much it would change things. You can tell expectant mothers that things will be very different, but it means nothing until they actually experience it. After a year, its very apparent to me how true that is. No experience is the same with a child. Its fun to compare notes with other mommies and find out what their kiddo does and likes, but your child is unique and you'll always find differences. Because of that, your overall experience will be different from other mothers. I think, though, that we can all agree that everything that changes is well worth it!
Right now, it may not seem like it for me, in a very small way. Getting up at 4 am for a runny nose is not my idea of a good time, but if baby doesn't feel well, she's gonna get some comfort. So I did my duty of clearing her nose some and giving her a little medicine. Soon enough, the hope is that she'll realize she still needs another few hours of sleep and will go ahead and catch up on that, leaving me to do the same!
But again, its all worth it.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Our Big October Weekend!
Although it may seem like we had a long weekend going all over one side of Oklahoma, going to a wedding and visiting friends. However, it was far shorter than I would have liked.
Its been a very long time since I've seen much of my family and we got a chance to do so this weekend for my cousin, Aaron's, wedding. Its great when so many of us are able to get together! We didn't end up staying for the barbecue afterwards, which I know would have been fun, but at least we had a great time before the wedding and at the reception. Its weird to think that almost all of my cousins are married now. There's only two or three left that have yet to get hitched. It seems like it was just yesterday that Andy and Aaron were visiting us in Keller and we'd play in the backyard, making up games that we thought would be fun for the four of us. Now, they're both married. I'm married. Lynsie has an almost 2 year old and one more on the way. Time just flew right by.
The other super fun thing we got to do this weekend was see the Fowlingtons and Millingtons. I jump at the chance to see Michelle. I used to see her so often that its weird now that we may only see each other 2 times a year. Being as sweet as always, Michelle got some cupcakes for Bella's birthday this next week and we got together at her parent's house to visit and relax. We also thoroughly enjoyed watching Bella and Evelyn tear into their cupcakes. Then we witnessed the sugar rush it caused. And finally, the crash that happens after you ingest any amount of sugar when you aren't used to having sugar almost at all. Very amusing. The girls had lots of fun playing together, or next to each other. They both kind of had their own toys they would mess around with, then they would look at one another and investigate what the other was doing. I was surprised that they played so well together because its pretty common for babies around their age to just ignore each other and stick to their own toys.
The other activity we did this weekend was go to a pumpkin patch with the Fowlingtons and Millingtons. We got to see all of the animals and Michelle's sisters, Meredith and Madison, fed as many of the animals as they could. We also got some pictures of the girls in a big pile of pumpkins. Some of the pumpkins were far bigger than either of them. In a couple years here, that won't be the case and it is going to be weird looking back at those pictures and seeing how they fit so easily in a pile of the little pumpkins. We also got some delicious fudge (the pumpkin pie pecan is ridiculously delicious) and some peach barbecue sauce to try out. I love locally made goods because they always have something a little extra special about them. Can't wait to try that barbecue sauce!
I can't tell you how wonderful it is to get to see not only a great friend but another mom who gets to experience the same kind of things you are. Having kids changes everything and having someone to compare notes with makes it all the easier, if for no other reason than you can truly see that every experience is different but we all end up in the same place. Michelle has always been a calming presence for me anyway, but its so nice to experience things at the same time.
I'm going to end this post with a shout out to another (future) Millington, Trish! She's about to join us in the mom club here in December and I couldn't be more excited for her! I'm glad I got to see her and her adorable belly since we'll miss her baby shower. Only 7 more weeks!
Its been a very long time since I've seen much of my family and we got a chance to do so this weekend for my cousin, Aaron's, wedding. Its great when so many of us are able to get together! We didn't end up staying for the barbecue afterwards, which I know would have been fun, but at least we had a great time before the wedding and at the reception. Its weird to think that almost all of my cousins are married now. There's only two or three left that have yet to get hitched. It seems like it was just yesterday that Andy and Aaron were visiting us in Keller and we'd play in the backyard, making up games that we thought would be fun for the four of us. Now, they're both married. I'm married. Lynsie has an almost 2 year old and one more on the way. Time just flew right by.
The other super fun thing we got to do this weekend was see the Fowlingtons and Millingtons. I jump at the chance to see Michelle. I used to see her so often that its weird now that we may only see each other 2 times a year. Being as sweet as always, Michelle got some cupcakes for Bella's birthday this next week and we got together at her parent's house to visit and relax. We also thoroughly enjoyed watching Bella and Evelyn tear into their cupcakes. Then we witnessed the sugar rush it caused. And finally, the crash that happens after you ingest any amount of sugar when you aren't used to having sugar almost at all. Very amusing. The girls had lots of fun playing together, or next to each other. They both kind of had their own toys they would mess around with, then they would look at one another and investigate what the other was doing. I was surprised that they played so well together because its pretty common for babies around their age to just ignore each other and stick to their own toys.
The other activity we did this weekend was go to a pumpkin patch with the Fowlingtons and Millingtons. We got to see all of the animals and Michelle's sisters, Meredith and Madison, fed as many of the animals as they could. We also got some pictures of the girls in a big pile of pumpkins. Some of the pumpkins were far bigger than either of them. In a couple years here, that won't be the case and it is going to be weird looking back at those pictures and seeing how they fit so easily in a pile of the little pumpkins. We also got some delicious fudge (the pumpkin pie pecan is ridiculously delicious) and some peach barbecue sauce to try out. I love locally made goods because they always have something a little extra special about them. Can't wait to try that barbecue sauce!
I can't tell you how wonderful it is to get to see not only a great friend but another mom who gets to experience the same kind of things you are. Having kids changes everything and having someone to compare notes with makes it all the easier, if for no other reason than you can truly see that every experience is different but we all end up in the same place. Michelle has always been a calming presence for me anyway, but its so nice to experience things at the same time.
I'm going to end this post with a shout out to another (future) Millington, Trish! She's about to join us in the mom club here in December and I couldn't be more excited for her! I'm glad I got to see her and her adorable belly since we'll miss her baby shower. Only 7 more weeks!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Keep the baby warm!
I'm on a quest to find something that will keep Bella warm at night that she will actually put up with. Tonight's experiment is with footie pajamas. My problem with them is that they don't fit to her body very well. A onesie and pants fit much more closely to her body and allow her to move better than she can in a one piece anything. And let me tell you, even in her sleep, this kid moves.
For the first 15 minutes, she's been playing just fine. Good start. However, if anyone has any suggestions for other things I can try that don't involve anything loose, I'm game to hear them!
PS: Because she moves so much, I can just see her crumpling the blanket up due to her movement during sleep and then planting her face right in it....sounds like mommy's worst nightmare to me.
For the first 15 minutes, she's been playing just fine. Good start. However, if anyone has any suggestions for other things I can try that don't involve anything loose, I'm game to hear them!
PS: Because she moves so much, I can just see her crumpling the blanket up due to her movement during sleep and then planting her face right in it....sounds like mommy's worst nightmare to me.
Sigh, Controversial topic ahead.
Yesterday at church, we got the baby talk. Now, when it comes from church, 9 times out of 10 its all about how abortion and other such life altering procedures are wrong. Most church officials you come across are very conservative and that's just what they are going to believe. This little "chat" was no different.
First, our priest talked about abortion. Its fairly safe to say I'm against this as well. I know there are some extenuating circumstances and I understand that. If its done, I'm not going to judge you. But overall, I was adopted, so that's generally the way I say you should go.
That's not what annoys me though about the baby talk. What drives me crazy is all the talk about how surrogates are a sin and in vitro fertilization and other such procedures are a sin. Give me a break! I can't tell you how many parents there are out there who were unable to have children without these medical miracles. I believe that there are tons of great people out there who deserve the chance to have their own children if it is possible. These procedures make it possible! If I could not have children of my own, I would certainly consider in vitro. If I knew someone close to me who could not carry a pregnancy but still wanted a chance to have a child of their own genes, you bet I'd be willing to be a surrogate!
The priest also talked about extreme situations where parents choose the genes of their child so that they would look a certain way or be a certain gender and again how it is a sin. Sin or not, I do think this is a little crazy. I wouldn't want to choose the way my child will look or what gender they'll be. That's half the fun of having a baby! Who will the child look like? You get to watch your baby grow up to find out! As for the gender, I settled a long time before we started trying for kids that if I didn't have a girl naturally, eventually I would adopt. I wasn't going to go through some long genetic process to try and have a girl. There are loads of children all over the world waiting to be adopted, both born and unborn. Being adopted myself, it seemed like the logically solution. Now, we know I've already had a girl but I still love the idea of adopting.
Going to church, these are just some of the things you're going to hear about that you may not agree with. Many of my friends are definitely not conservative and I'm sure have experienced the same thing. None of this is going to change my spiritual beliefs, whether they align with the church or not. Whenever there's talk about something I don't necessarily agree with, I smile and stay attentive, because when they're preaching its what you do :).
First, our priest talked about abortion. Its fairly safe to say I'm against this as well. I know there are some extenuating circumstances and I understand that. If its done, I'm not going to judge you. But overall, I was adopted, so that's generally the way I say you should go.
That's not what annoys me though about the baby talk. What drives me crazy is all the talk about how surrogates are a sin and in vitro fertilization and other such procedures are a sin. Give me a break! I can't tell you how many parents there are out there who were unable to have children without these medical miracles. I believe that there are tons of great people out there who deserve the chance to have their own children if it is possible. These procedures make it possible! If I could not have children of my own, I would certainly consider in vitro. If I knew someone close to me who could not carry a pregnancy but still wanted a chance to have a child of their own genes, you bet I'd be willing to be a surrogate!
The priest also talked about extreme situations where parents choose the genes of their child so that they would look a certain way or be a certain gender and again how it is a sin. Sin or not, I do think this is a little crazy. I wouldn't want to choose the way my child will look or what gender they'll be. That's half the fun of having a baby! Who will the child look like? You get to watch your baby grow up to find out! As for the gender, I settled a long time before we started trying for kids that if I didn't have a girl naturally, eventually I would adopt. I wasn't going to go through some long genetic process to try and have a girl. There are loads of children all over the world waiting to be adopted, both born and unborn. Being adopted myself, it seemed like the logically solution. Now, we know I've already had a girl but I still love the idea of adopting.
Going to church, these are just some of the things you're going to hear about that you may not agree with. Many of my friends are definitely not conservative and I'm sure have experienced the same thing. None of this is going to change my spiritual beliefs, whether they align with the church or not. Whenever there's talk about something I don't necessarily agree with, I smile and stay attentive, because when they're preaching its what you do :).
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Do you remember coming home?
Watching baby shows always gets me thinking. Today, my thoughts are going towards coming home with your new baby. From what I can remember, Bella's homecoming was actually somewhat quiet. We were excited to take her home, don't get me wrong. I think that we were just so relieved that she was well enough to go home and tired from the first week of going back and forth from the hospital that it was a subdued excitement. Once we got home, I don't remember being scared or at a loss of what to do. It was as if we just did what we always did. Whenever Bella was unhappy, she'd be fed and changed then she fell back asleep and we resumed what we were doing. So many parents talk about the anticipation and being in awe of their little bundle that coming home becomes a bit of a shock, but I just don't remember that.
It makes me wonder how things will be this time around. Will we have another week of back and forth to the hospital when Jude is born? Will I be at a loss for what to do if he's perfectly healthy and stays in my room with me? Can I cope with having 2 kids to keep up with? I think of all of the questions floating around in my head, the last is what worries me the most. I can cope with the late nights, having Jude in my room right away, and I can even cope with another stint in the NICU. However, juggling 2 kids scares the crap out of me.
My biggest worry is that Bella is already accustomed to things being her way. With a little brother, that will start to change. The thing I keep reminding myself of is that newborns don't actually require that much attention. When you compare a toddler to a newborn, one is up all the time and active and the other sleeps 2/3 of the day and can't move very much. But when a newborn needs something, they need it right then. If Jude has to eat, Bella has to take a backseat for a little while so mommy can feed her brother. Bella is able to play on her own sometimes, but again, she loves attention and is used to things being her way.
Other than that, I honestly don't see what is so scary about bringing a newborn home. If I'm gonna be scared at all, it would be the moment your child is born. Whether you're in the hospital or at home, that baby is now your responsibility and yours alone. The hospital just makes sure that no one steals your kiddo, you actually get to take care of him/her. If I had to guess, for myself anyway, being in the NICU for the first week gave me a lot of time to work with nurses and talk about what it takes to take care of this baby. I also saw what it takes to take care of an infant with special needs. So many of the other children in the NICU had serious problems and it made me realize just how lucky we were that Bella was going to be just fine with little need for extra help. After all of that, coming home seemed pretty minuscule on the scare charts.
Now, after a month or so, all of that changed.....my doctor's nurse and I talk A LOT. I suppose it just took a while for my paranoia to kick back in :). I'll find out soon enough if that paranoia is going to stick around or if Jude will have a much more relaxed mommy. Here's hoping for the latter!
It makes me wonder how things will be this time around. Will we have another week of back and forth to the hospital when Jude is born? Will I be at a loss for what to do if he's perfectly healthy and stays in my room with me? Can I cope with having 2 kids to keep up with? I think of all of the questions floating around in my head, the last is what worries me the most. I can cope with the late nights, having Jude in my room right away, and I can even cope with another stint in the NICU. However, juggling 2 kids scares the crap out of me.
My biggest worry is that Bella is already accustomed to things being her way. With a little brother, that will start to change. The thing I keep reminding myself of is that newborns don't actually require that much attention. When you compare a toddler to a newborn, one is up all the time and active and the other sleeps 2/3 of the day and can't move very much. But when a newborn needs something, they need it right then. If Jude has to eat, Bella has to take a backseat for a little while so mommy can feed her brother. Bella is able to play on her own sometimes, but again, she loves attention and is used to things being her way.
Other than that, I honestly don't see what is so scary about bringing a newborn home. If I'm gonna be scared at all, it would be the moment your child is born. Whether you're in the hospital or at home, that baby is now your responsibility and yours alone. The hospital just makes sure that no one steals your kiddo, you actually get to take care of him/her. If I had to guess, for myself anyway, being in the NICU for the first week gave me a lot of time to work with nurses and talk about what it takes to take care of this baby. I also saw what it takes to take care of an infant with special needs. So many of the other children in the NICU had serious problems and it made me realize just how lucky we were that Bella was going to be just fine with little need for extra help. After all of that, coming home seemed pretty minuscule on the scare charts.
Now, after a month or so, all of that changed.....my doctor's nurse and I talk A LOT. I suppose it just took a while for my paranoia to kick back in :). I'll find out soon enough if that paranoia is going to stick around or if Jude will have a much more relaxed mommy. Here's hoping for the latter!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Possible hobby
Birthday photos are super fun to take. Bella was so playful during her photo shoot. She tried to attack the camera, multiple times. She gave our photographer tons of smiles. Bella just loves being the center of attention!
Only problem is that they cost so much money! I think that I should make photography a hobby of mine. An iPhone can only do so much. There's also the fact that I can get some really cool photo software to enhance my photos.
Some things are worth pouring money into, and I think that, over time, this will be one of those things!
Only problem is that they cost so much money! I think that I should make photography a hobby of mine. An iPhone can only do so much. There's also the fact that I can get some really cool photo software to enhance my photos.
Some things are worth pouring money into, and I think that, over time, this will be one of those things!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
When you can't sleep
Last pregnancy, this wasn't quite an issue, but this time around, I am finding it hard to sleep through the night. Yeah, I have to go to the bathroom at least once a night, but that's once. I'm randomly waking up for an unknown reason. Now, if I make the mistake of not turning over or getting up for no reason, it takes me around an hour to get back to sleep. So what do I do to insure that I go back to sleep promptly to try to have enough energy to keep up with a near 1 year old? This.
1) Again, don't get up and walk around unless you need to potty. Get up, go, climb back into bed.
2) Roll over. If you seemingly woke up for no reason, staying in the same position will probably become uncomfortable very quickly.
3) Keep a cup of water right next to your bed. Take a drink and lay back down. Many people get a dry mouth over night (especially when pregnant and your body goes through water like crazy) and drinking some water will help you not stay awake thinking of how thirsty you are.
4) Don't be afraid to add pillows to aid your sleeping position. I only use one but could probably use more to help me be more comfortable.
5) Keep your eyes closed. This is important. It might just help you trick your body into thinking you never woke up.
6) If all else fails and you simply can't get a good nights sleep for days or even weeks then it starts to affect your daily life, don't be afraid to take some Benadryl. It is a pregnancy safe medication (category B) that doesn't pose a risk to your baby (category A and B are safe, anything C or lower is not recommended). In fact, taking it every once in a while to get a needed nights sleep is recommended by some doctors. Getting sleep is just important for you as it is for your baby. Just don't take it all the time and get to the point where you have to take it to go to sleep. I don't recommend that.
At least one of these things usually works for me and keeps me from being up for an hour trying to fall back asleep. Are there any tricks that work best for you? I'm always taking new ideas to try, especially if they'll keep me from waking up in the first place :)!
1) Again, don't get up and walk around unless you need to potty. Get up, go, climb back into bed.
2) Roll over. If you seemingly woke up for no reason, staying in the same position will probably become uncomfortable very quickly.
3) Keep a cup of water right next to your bed. Take a drink and lay back down. Many people get a dry mouth over night (especially when pregnant and your body goes through water like crazy) and drinking some water will help you not stay awake thinking of how thirsty you are.
4) Don't be afraid to add pillows to aid your sleeping position. I only use one but could probably use more to help me be more comfortable.
5) Keep your eyes closed. This is important. It might just help you trick your body into thinking you never woke up.
6) If all else fails and you simply can't get a good nights sleep for days or even weeks then it starts to affect your daily life, don't be afraid to take some Benadryl. It is a pregnancy safe medication (category B) that doesn't pose a risk to your baby (category A and B are safe, anything C or lower is not recommended). In fact, taking it every once in a while to get a needed nights sleep is recommended by some doctors. Getting sleep is just important for you as it is for your baby. Just don't take it all the time and get to the point where you have to take it to go to sleep. I don't recommend that.
At least one of these things usually works for me and keeps me from being up for an hour trying to fall back asleep. Are there any tricks that work best for you? I'm always taking new ideas to try, especially if they'll keep me from waking up in the first place :)!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Learn how to take a chill pill
I'm a little confused. So many third trimester symptoms have come to just hang out with me. I can't tell how easily I tired out. Then there's the massive heartburn. And discomfort's always an issue. All of these things help me not feel guilt when I bake. I figure I deserve a treat if I don't feel well. Makes sense, right? But its got me wondering, how many women have a tumultuous second trimester?
It is common for this to be the best, most exciting time of a pregnancy. You're feeling great and you get to enjoy your newly large belly. Sometimes you even get to start partying in anticipation of the new baby. Of course, my favorite part was the 20 week sonogram. However, this pregnancy isn't really giving me a resting period. With Bella, I was always pretty comfortable. I was super fortunate and didn't have morning sickness or growing pains. I had some heartburn but that was the least of the symptoms I could have gotten. At least, I think so. This time around, the pregnancy isn't very textbook but in the other direction. Instead of a picture perfect pregnancy, I'm enjoying all of the little aches and pains that can show up in a pregnancy.
Of course, it can always be worse. Don't ever think that it can't. I'm pretty sure I'm fortunate enough to not have to worry about gestational diabetes or preeclampsia, thankfully. Its the little stuff that nags you until you feel like you're just going crazy. So, I'm on a small mission to find out the things that make me feel better. So far, you have the obvious answers such as eating, resting, and drinking lots of water. But I'm looking to add some other things to this list. A pregnancy survival list if you will. This list is going to come in handy even more so in December and January when I'm as big as a house and might really find it difficult to be comfortable.
So, here's the beginning of my "Shut up and relax" list:
1) Go lay down. (duh)
2) Eat (or bake) a treat (whatever that may be for the day, i.e.: something Paula Deen makes).
3) Drink grape juice and pretend its that wine you crave so much.
4) Take Bella for a walk, even if its just around the house.
5) Stop doing house work for a few hours. It'll be there when you get back.
6) Call a friend. Seriously, it makes you feel better.
7) Watch Handy Manny with Bella. You know you like it just as much as she does.
8) Go through the baby clothes. No matter how tedious some people think it is, you know you love it.
Note: This list is tailored to the things that I love to do. It will need to be tailored to your own needs if you ever choose to make your own list.
It is common for this to be the best, most exciting time of a pregnancy. You're feeling great and you get to enjoy your newly large belly. Sometimes you even get to start partying in anticipation of the new baby. Of course, my favorite part was the 20 week sonogram. However, this pregnancy isn't really giving me a resting period. With Bella, I was always pretty comfortable. I was super fortunate and didn't have morning sickness or growing pains. I had some heartburn but that was the least of the symptoms I could have gotten. At least, I think so. This time around, the pregnancy isn't very textbook but in the other direction. Instead of a picture perfect pregnancy, I'm enjoying all of the little aches and pains that can show up in a pregnancy.
Of course, it can always be worse. Don't ever think that it can't. I'm pretty sure I'm fortunate enough to not have to worry about gestational diabetes or preeclampsia, thankfully. Its the little stuff that nags you until you feel like you're just going crazy. So, I'm on a small mission to find out the things that make me feel better. So far, you have the obvious answers such as eating, resting, and drinking lots of water. But I'm looking to add some other things to this list. A pregnancy survival list if you will. This list is going to come in handy even more so in December and January when I'm as big as a house and might really find it difficult to be comfortable.
So, here's the beginning of my "Shut up and relax" list:
1) Go lay down. (duh)
2) Eat (or bake) a treat (whatever that may be for the day, i.e.: something Paula Deen makes).
3) Drink grape juice and pretend its that wine you crave so much.
4) Take Bella for a walk, even if its just around the house.
5) Stop doing house work for a few hours. It'll be there when you get back.
6) Call a friend. Seriously, it makes you feel better.
7) Watch Handy Manny with Bella. You know you like it just as much as she does.
8) Go through the baby clothes. No matter how tedious some people think it is, you know you love it.
Note: This list is tailored to the things that I love to do. It will need to be tailored to your own needs if you ever choose to make your own list.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
When is it too much?
In the past few days, I believe I've been feeling some Braxton Hicks contractions come and attack my belly. It's a sticky situation because it could be that I'm right and I need to be sure that they are just Braxton Hicks and not the onset of premature labor. However, I could also be feeling some pressure from Jude moving around and pressing against a certain part of my belly. The word from doctors (including my own) is that if you feel 4 or more of these "contractions" in an hour, call the doc or go to the ER.
Now, these can be brought on by a number of things, most of which I do. For instance, getting dehydrated can cause your uterus to contract. Every so often I have this issue. It isn't common for me since I keep my 32 oz jug with me all of the time and have to fill it 2-4 times a day. I also have other things to drink throughout the day as well. But every so often, usually while I sleep, I don't get enough water and now I'm paying the price. Another factor that can cause Braxton Hicks is a full bladder. Well, with all the water I drink, that's bound to occur. I'm not gonna avoid that.
Braxton Hicks can also be brought on by a lot of activity, whether it be from you or the baby. Right now, I'm dealing with both. Jude has started to move more than before, much like Bella used to, and I'm constantly on the move, even while at home. With an almost 1 year old who is learning how to get around more and more every week, I don't have much of a choice but to move around with her. This is another thing that pretty much can't be avoided.
The worries I have are that too many Braxton Hicks could cause a problem or that they are a sign that there already is a problem. I haven't quite decided yet if I am going to call my doctor this next week or not. I know that these "contractions" can be normal but I also want to be sure that I'm not dilating. That would NOT be good. I love feeling my baby move. I'm just wondering when it's all too much.
Now, these can be brought on by a number of things, most of which I do. For instance, getting dehydrated can cause your uterus to contract. Every so often I have this issue. It isn't common for me since I keep my 32 oz jug with me all of the time and have to fill it 2-4 times a day. I also have other things to drink throughout the day as well. But every so often, usually while I sleep, I don't get enough water and now I'm paying the price. Another factor that can cause Braxton Hicks is a full bladder. Well, with all the water I drink, that's bound to occur. I'm not gonna avoid that.
Braxton Hicks can also be brought on by a lot of activity, whether it be from you or the baby. Right now, I'm dealing with both. Jude has started to move more than before, much like Bella used to, and I'm constantly on the move, even while at home. With an almost 1 year old who is learning how to get around more and more every week, I don't have much of a choice but to move around with her. This is another thing that pretty much can't be avoided.
The worries I have are that too many Braxton Hicks could cause a problem or that they are a sign that there already is a problem. I haven't quite decided yet if I am going to call my doctor this next week or not. I know that these "contractions" can be normal but I also want to be sure that I'm not dilating. That would NOT be good. I love feeling my baby move. I'm just wondering when it's all too much.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Looking back
I took a couple of minutes just now to look at my previous posts. I decided, I talk a lot. In talking a lot, I get many things off my chest that sometimes I didn't even know were there. I feel like this is common place for bloggers. Your blog is a journal for everyone to see. The only problem with that is that sometimes there are things you shouldn't talk about. I don't think I've entered that realm quite yet. And after a while, I am guessing that you become very good at knowing just what to type so as not to embarrass yourself :)!
Anyway, I couldn't help but get teary-eyed rereading some of my Bella blogs. Slowly, these Bella blogs have become Bella blogs and Jude blogs. Then, as they get older and begin to play together, they will become Bella and Jude blogs. Its weird to think how much my life has changed already and it has only been 6 months since I started this little blog. I'm sure I'll have so much more to say here, even if it is only to myself sometimes ;).
Anyway, I couldn't help but get teary-eyed rereading some of my Bella blogs. Slowly, these Bella blogs have become Bella blogs and Jude blogs. Then, as they get older and begin to play together, they will become Bella and Jude blogs. Its weird to think how much my life has changed already and it has only been 6 months since I started this little blog. I'm sure I'll have so much more to say here, even if it is only to myself sometimes ;).
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Warning: Baby poop is discussed.
So when do you stop worrying about something? I am wrestling with this idea as we speak. Bella changed formula recently to sensitive from the hypoallergenic kind. Now, I can't even wrap my mind around when something might be wrong or she's just being fussy or cranky. This also goes for her diapers. Most of you reading this are moms so you know that poop can look different even when you feed your kid the same thing. Well, Bella's standard is green (of varying shades) and either quite thick or quite thin with what looks like mucus.
Of course, the mucus scares the bajeezus out of me because that is what Bella dealt with when she had her milk allergies going out of control! Now, I'm really glad there's no blood, so that gives me hope that nothing is actually wrong. But how do you know? She does fuss a good amount. Not like she used to, but Bella gets cranky. This leaves me wondering if she's teething, if she is having tummy issues again, or something else is bothering her. Right now, I don't really have anything new to talk to her doctors about because they know what I've been seeing recently since this change.
We have a month and change until her year check up, so I am trying to hold out as long as possible. I don't need to freak out just because she's cranky sometimes, despite my usual being to do just that. So, I'm on the watch. Maybe, just maybe I'll let this one go for the next month and we'll either have nothing to worry about or she's still got some tummy issues and things will just get worse.
Let's keep in mind, though, that Bella has been eating solids without problems in the digestive department. If you can eat carrots, Cheerios, bananas, and chicken (etc.), then why would a sensitive formula give you trouble? FYI, the difference between Alimentum and Sensitive is that Alimentum breaks down the milk proteins so much that its virtually impossible to have an allergic reaction and Sensitive cuts out the lactose to reduce gas and fussiness. The milk protein allergy generally goes away as an infant gets older and their digestive system beefs up. We'll see how it goes. Though, I think it's safe to say that she won't be having cows milk anytime soon!
Of course, the mucus scares the bajeezus out of me because that is what Bella dealt with when she had her milk allergies going out of control! Now, I'm really glad there's no blood, so that gives me hope that nothing is actually wrong. But how do you know? She does fuss a good amount. Not like she used to, but Bella gets cranky. This leaves me wondering if she's teething, if she is having tummy issues again, or something else is bothering her. Right now, I don't really have anything new to talk to her doctors about because they know what I've been seeing recently since this change.
We have a month and change until her year check up, so I am trying to hold out as long as possible. I don't need to freak out just because she's cranky sometimes, despite my usual being to do just that. So, I'm on the watch. Maybe, just maybe I'll let this one go for the next month and we'll either have nothing to worry about or she's still got some tummy issues and things will just get worse.
Let's keep in mind, though, that Bella has been eating solids without problems in the digestive department. If you can eat carrots, Cheerios, bananas, and chicken (etc.), then why would a sensitive formula give you trouble? FYI, the difference between Alimentum and Sensitive is that Alimentum breaks down the milk proteins so much that its virtually impossible to have an allergic reaction and Sensitive cuts out the lactose to reduce gas and fussiness. The milk protein allergy generally goes away as an infant gets older and their digestive system beefs up. We'll see how it goes. Though, I think it's safe to say that she won't be having cows milk anytime soon!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Stop worrying about your stupid registry
I have now decided that I hate my registry. I feel like it is constantly mocking me with things I should and shouldn't have on there. It hasn't even been an entire week since I found out this baby is a boy! I think we finally nailed down our nursery colors and so I changed the bedding to a set that Steve liked a little more than the laguna stuff. Now its all forest creatures, which is super cute! Even though that makes things a little less stressful, I find myself constantly going back and editing the registry to whittle it down to what I would really like to have. I know I want to get all of the room decor and bedding. I also want the clothing accessories such as socks, mittens, and hats, because it IS going to be cold outside when Jude arrives.
Everything else on those two lists are things that I would like but can live without. Some of it I wouldn't even bother getting and some of it I would retrieve at a later date. So what's worth even keeping on the registry? Hell, what's actually gonna be bought off of it? It feels stupid to worry about a registry when you don't even know if you'll get anything off of it. Nor should you worry about getting something off of it. With a first baby, registries are awesome! Everyone is so excited for you having your first baby and its time to get you started off on the right foot! Subsequent children get gifts, but you've already gotten so many of the things that make up your daily arsenal of infant and children's products that you don't need a whole lot.
So, as frustrating as that is, it really isn't something that's worth worrying about. This is a great mantra to repeat to yourself when you're worrying about something frivolous. I'll be doing as such in the future and instead focusing my energy on more important things :)!
Everything else on those two lists are things that I would like but can live without. Some of it I wouldn't even bother getting and some of it I would retrieve at a later date. So what's worth even keeping on the registry? Hell, what's actually gonna be bought off of it? It feels stupid to worry about a registry when you don't even know if you'll get anything off of it. Nor should you worry about getting something off of it. With a first baby, registries are awesome! Everyone is so excited for you having your first baby and its time to get you started off on the right foot! Subsequent children get gifts, but you've already gotten so many of the things that make up your daily arsenal of infant and children's products that you don't need a whole lot.
So, as frustrating as that is, it really isn't something that's worth worrying about. This is a great mantra to repeat to yourself when you're worrying about something frivolous. I'll be doing as such in the future and instead focusing my energy on more important things :)!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Fun with Registries
Alright, I registered for stuff! I had a lot of it planned out already anyway, but I updated bedding and blankets and some clothing to reflect that we're having a boy! I was surprised that I ended up picking so many things, but granted, some of them I just liked and don't have to have. In reality, there are a lot of things that I don't have to have. It would be good to have extras of some things like towels and another high chair (or booster since Bella will be big enough!).
Of course, I need boy clothes. I do already have a small head start from things my mom had stashed (for whatever reason, seeing as she has all granddaughters until now) and a friend who's willing to let me pick out some of hers since her kiddo is too big for a lot of his clothing now. I find it more difficult to find cute boy clothing, mostly due to one fact: I hate overalls. I think they look silly. I also am a fan of lighter colors and a lot of boy clothes are brighter and have big characters on them, etc. I have a feeling I will have good luck with the clothing I'm swiping from Heather though. I've seen it in pictures and I assure you I have seen many cute things!
I would like new bedding for the crib I'm going to need. I think we're going to go with a laguna/sea theme. I'm super picky with boys bedding because so much of it is too cartoon-y in my opinion. Either the colors are really bright or the characters look ridiculous. But the bedding I picked out has a more muted color scheme and decent characters. I really liked the idea of green for the nursery walls since the kids will share a bedroom for a while. So, this laguna theme bedding is a perfect fit! Bella will keep her pink birds bedding even though it won't quite match, but that's fine because she's a girl and I love pink! Besides, I guarantee you there will be a princess corner of that room. I'm sure there will be plenty of Star Wars paraphernalia to counter act it.
I mixed up my registries this time. Instead of going solely with Target, I also registered with Babies R Us. Target has a limited selection of bedding and I wasn't really a fan of any of it. There's also the fact that Babies R Us has a load of everything. You can find pretty much anything you want! Now, I learned that when you actually go to purchase from a gift registry there, the lists they give you are a little confusing. It can be a pain to try and find something if you have no clue where it is and the lists don't give you much clue of where to go. But, again, Babies R Us has a lot of great things, so I registered for most of my items there.
I can't lie, even though it feels a little weird to register for a second baby, I loved every minute of it. Picking out baby stuff is the bomb! Whether I get any of it or not is no big deal, I'm just glad I got to have fun running around with a scanner!
Of course, I need boy clothes. I do already have a small head start from things my mom had stashed (for whatever reason, seeing as she has all granddaughters until now) and a friend who's willing to let me pick out some of hers since her kiddo is too big for a lot of his clothing now. I find it more difficult to find cute boy clothing, mostly due to one fact: I hate overalls. I think they look silly. I also am a fan of lighter colors and a lot of boy clothes are brighter and have big characters on them, etc. I have a feeling I will have good luck with the clothing I'm swiping from Heather though. I've seen it in pictures and I assure you I have seen many cute things!
I would like new bedding for the crib I'm going to need. I think we're going to go with a laguna/sea theme. I'm super picky with boys bedding because so much of it is too cartoon-y in my opinion. Either the colors are really bright or the characters look ridiculous. But the bedding I picked out has a more muted color scheme and decent characters. I really liked the idea of green for the nursery walls since the kids will share a bedroom for a while. So, this laguna theme bedding is a perfect fit! Bella will keep her pink birds bedding even though it won't quite match, but that's fine because she's a girl and I love pink! Besides, I guarantee you there will be a princess corner of that room. I'm sure there will be plenty of Star Wars paraphernalia to counter act it.
I mixed up my registries this time. Instead of going solely with Target, I also registered with Babies R Us. Target has a limited selection of bedding and I wasn't really a fan of any of it. There's also the fact that Babies R Us has a load of everything. You can find pretty much anything you want! Now, I learned that when you actually go to purchase from a gift registry there, the lists they give you are a little confusing. It can be a pain to try and find something if you have no clue where it is and the lists don't give you much clue of where to go. But, again, Babies R Us has a lot of great things, so I registered for most of my items there.
I can't lie, even though it feels a little weird to register for a second baby, I loved every minute of it. Picking out baby stuff is the bomb! Whether I get any of it or not is no big deal, I'm just glad I got to have fun running around with a scanner!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Meet Jude Alexander!
FINALLY! I have made it through the past 5 weeks. I have waited with great anticipation to have this sonogram and see my baby again. And of course, to find out if we were going to have a boy or a girl. Well, in the sonogram room, while Randy was looking at the baby I made it known, again, that I thought we were going to have a girl. Then when he started looking at the crotch area, I saw 3 white lines! I thought, "OK, its totally a girl!" That was when I said that out loud and got a good laugh from Randy. He then informed me of the extra limb hanging out past those three white lines.
The lines were really just the outline of his testicles. I had to laugh, too, of course. What a ridiculous mess up to make, but not an unreasonable one :). After all, I am not an experienced sonographer! Anyway, He went on to take more pictures, a couple of which show Jude's eye and its open. It looks kinda creepy, but cute anyway because he is my kid after all. It won't be quite so creepy later.
Jude is also measuring a week bigger than our due date. This, of course, scares me a little because I would really prefer he not come as early as Bella did. Its most likely that he will be around 2 weeks early, especially since he is measuring big, but I'll live so long as he isn't any earlier! At least his room isn't measuring big. In that respect, we are right on track! So everything looks perfect and we couldn't be more pleased! A healthy baby makes a happy mommy!
The lines were really just the outline of his testicles. I had to laugh, too, of course. What a ridiculous mess up to make, but not an unreasonable one :). After all, I am not an experienced sonographer! Anyway, He went on to take more pictures, a couple of which show Jude's eye and its open. It looks kinda creepy, but cute anyway because he is my kid after all. It won't be quite so creepy later.
Jude is also measuring a week bigger than our due date. This, of course, scares me a little because I would really prefer he not come as early as Bella did. Its most likely that he will be around 2 weeks early, especially since he is measuring big, but I'll live so long as he isn't any earlier! At least his room isn't measuring big. In that respect, we are right on track! So everything looks perfect and we couldn't be more pleased! A healthy baby makes a happy mommy!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Neuroticism at its best
So, I have become more and more neurotic everyday this week. I am neurotic anyway, but I'm a little out of control. I called Bella's pediatrician for the exact same thing I called them about last week. At the time, it seemed like a major problem. Yeah, it isn't. And I felt like an idiot waiting for them to call back over nothing.
This leads me to wonder if I need something to do. A mom's group. Perhaps do something at church? I don't stay at home all day, everyday, but it is getting to the point that more than a few hours at home is driving me crazy. Or maybe I need to learn how to calm myself when I start to feel a little crazy.
I would say I could bake, because that usually helps, but we are trying to save money and I would like to not gain too much weight this pregnancy :). So now I search for ideas!
PS: I can also cling to my grape juice that is keeping my strong desire for red wine at bay.
This leads me to wonder if I need something to do. A mom's group. Perhaps do something at church? I don't stay at home all day, everyday, but it is getting to the point that more than a few hours at home is driving me crazy. Or maybe I need to learn how to calm myself when I start to feel a little crazy.
I would say I could bake, because that usually helps, but we are trying to save money and I would like to not gain too much weight this pregnancy :). So now I search for ideas!
PS: I can also cling to my grape juice that is keeping my strong desire for red wine at bay.
Monday, August 30, 2010
One week to go
This is going to be one of the longest weeks of my life. I have no plans. I have something big to look forward to. One week from tomorrow I will have my second sonogram for this pregnancy. Most of you know what that means: gender identification. Of course, Randy will make sure that the baby is developing well and everything looks right for the anatomy. I want everything to be OK on that front, but we all know that the fun part, the part you look forward to, is finding out the gender.
I felt the same way waiting for Bella's gender sonogram. I was so anxious. I thought time couldn't fly fast enough. The sad part is that I was working at the time. Now, I don't have that to pass the time. Although I have Bella to take care of now, time seems to move more slowly because I am waiting for things for her as well. So much waiting can drive you MAD! Though, the only difference between this time and last time is that I wasn't nearly as concerned with something being wrong with Bella.
Everything with her was so new and amazing. I knew that anything could happen, but I just felt that I had been lucky thus far and nothing could go wrong. This time, I have been more cautious. It isn't just now, it has been this way throughout the pregnancy. I don't really know why, but things feel more realistic than fairytale. Either way, a good part of me is still all excitement. I can still push those worried feelings aside and get excited. And I will tell you, I am VERY excited to find out the gender and see that things are looking good for our newest peanut!
So, that leaves the question: boy or girl?
I felt the same way waiting for Bella's gender sonogram. I was so anxious. I thought time couldn't fly fast enough. The sad part is that I was working at the time. Now, I don't have that to pass the time. Although I have Bella to take care of now, time seems to move more slowly because I am waiting for things for her as well. So much waiting can drive you MAD! Though, the only difference between this time and last time is that I wasn't nearly as concerned with something being wrong with Bella.
Everything with her was so new and amazing. I knew that anything could happen, but I just felt that I had been lucky thus far and nothing could go wrong. This time, I have been more cautious. It isn't just now, it has been this way throughout the pregnancy. I don't really know why, but things feel more realistic than fairytale. Either way, a good part of me is still all excitement. I can still push those worried feelings aside and get excited. And I will tell you, I am VERY excited to find out the gender and see that things are looking good for our newest peanut!
So, that leaves the question: boy or girl?
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
I heart Discovery Health!
I have a slight obsession. I blame my mom for this obsession, as she tends to read A LOT of medical articles on the Internet. Steve thinks I'm crazy because of this obsession. What is it? I watch health shows. A lot of them. Whether the outcome is positive or negative, I watch it. The most common response I get from my husband is "How can you watch that!? It's so depressing!" I understand that often the stories are sad, even if things turn out alright. But I am someone who wants to know whats possible. Even the most obscure diseases and conditions can strike anyone at anytime. Now, I may not know if I or someone I love gets one of these conditions even if I've seen something about it, but I'll eventually remember it.
I work under the motto "Know all of the possibilities. Expect nothing." I started trying to live by this after having Bella. I had expectations that were blown out of the water. So, I feel it best to not expect anything but be prepared for anything instead. This is another reason I like watching these shows. I may never encounter any of these medical conditions, but I'll have heard of it if I do! However, not all of these shows talk about obscure conditions and diseases. There are tons of pregnancy, infant, and ER shows that talk about common conditions that people encounter everyday. I think its a good idea to know about some of these things.
Besides that, there are a lot of these stories that are inspirational. If they can get through this, then so can you. You can find the strength to get through the rough spots in your life because it can be done. So many people survive common and obscure diseases and conditions everyday. They find the strength to make it through. I like seeing it happen. It gives me faith and it makes me happy! So, if you get some time, go watch Discovery Health. See if you can catch an episode of Mystery Diagnosis or Untold Stories of the ER. Or perhaps watch an episode of Birth Day or NICU. It might not strike the same chord with you as it does with me, but you won't know unless you watch :).
I work under the motto "Know all of the possibilities. Expect nothing." I started trying to live by this after having Bella. I had expectations that were blown out of the water. So, I feel it best to not expect anything but be prepared for anything instead. This is another reason I like watching these shows. I may never encounter any of these medical conditions, but I'll have heard of it if I do! However, not all of these shows talk about obscure conditions and diseases. There are tons of pregnancy, infant, and ER shows that talk about common conditions that people encounter everyday. I think its a good idea to know about some of these things.
Besides that, there are a lot of these stories that are inspirational. If they can get through this, then so can you. You can find the strength to get through the rough spots in your life because it can be done. So many people survive common and obscure diseases and conditions everyday. They find the strength to make it through. I like seeing it happen. It gives me faith and it makes me happy! So, if you get some time, go watch Discovery Health. See if you can catch an episode of Mystery Diagnosis or Untold Stories of the ER. Or perhaps watch an episode of Birth Day or NICU. It might not strike the same chord with you as it does with me, but you won't know unless you watch :).
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Time is a Slug
Due to a little need for maneuvering for schedules, I still have 2 weeks until my next sonogram. We are 8 weeks away from Bella's first birthday. There are about 11 weeks left until her next MRI. 13 weeks and change until Thanksgiving. 17 and a half weeks until Christmas. AND 23 weeks until my due date.
None of these are particularly large numbers, so why does it feel like they're so far away? Besides that, why does it feel like time can't go fast enough? So many people I know are in no rush for time to fly by, but I am the exact opposite. I'm not saying I want things to fly by, but it doesn't even seem like things are coming at a normal rate of time!
One thought I had about this weird situation of mine is that perhaps I have TOO much to look forward to. I am naturally a planner and I think ahead constantly. This has turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing. I constantly stress myself out with the feeling that something needs to be done, so I keep a tight schedule and plan my events as far in advance as possible. While this does make me feel better once I'm in the midst of things, waiting for something to happen can be very distressing.
I like to think that I need to take things one day at a time, but I haven't been very good at living this mantra. I'm not sure that I want to stop planning, but perhaps finding more ways to fill my day will help calm my nerves. So, I'm taking suggestions. Preferably suggestions that don't cost anything. Or at least cost less than 5 bucks! Maybe then I can find something to do without staring at a calendar, wondering when time is going to speed up!
None of these are particularly large numbers, so why does it feel like they're so far away? Besides that, why does it feel like time can't go fast enough? So many people I know are in no rush for time to fly by, but I am the exact opposite. I'm not saying I want things to fly by, but it doesn't even seem like things are coming at a normal rate of time!
One thought I had about this weird situation of mine is that perhaps I have TOO much to look forward to. I am naturally a planner and I think ahead constantly. This has turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing. I constantly stress myself out with the feeling that something needs to be done, so I keep a tight schedule and plan my events as far in advance as possible. While this does make me feel better once I'm in the midst of things, waiting for something to happen can be very distressing.
I like to think that I need to take things one day at a time, but I haven't been very good at living this mantra. I'm not sure that I want to stop planning, but perhaps finding more ways to fill my day will help calm my nerves. So, I'm taking suggestions. Preferably suggestions that don't cost anything. Or at least cost less than 5 bucks! Maybe then I can find something to do without staring at a calendar, wondering when time is going to speed up!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
No! I don't like your funk music!
Ugh, that's all I have to say. I think it's high time that I take a day to reflect. I am naturally an emotional person who is easily affected by things, no matter how much I pretend I'm not. That makes life a little bit difficult when things don't go your way. So, the past few days have tested me and I'm not a huge fan. I wouldn't go so far as saying I am a heavily depressed person, but I easily sink into a mild depression when things seem to be constantly weighing me down. I do still have my spa gift certificate that Steve gave me for mother's day. I think that soon I'm going to take that day and relax. I know I can't always have a spa day when I'm feeling down in the dumps, but this time around I'm lucky enough to have the option!
The great thing about these little funks of mine is that it doesn't take much to wake me back up to reality. Just a little bit of relaxation, whether it be with good company, a little getaway, or a delicious dessert, will make all the difference in making me feel better. I think that relaxation is the best way to take a moment and reflect on what's really important. No matter how stressful life gets, I still have friends and family, Steve still has a job and we are well provided for, and we are always taking baby steps to the next big hooray! Time for a big woo-sah to get back to a little bit of normalcy around here!
The great thing about these little funks of mine is that it doesn't take much to wake me back up to reality. Just a little bit of relaxation, whether it be with good company, a little getaway, or a delicious dessert, will make all the difference in making me feel better. I think that relaxation is the best way to take a moment and reflect on what's really important. No matter how stressful life gets, I still have friends and family, Steve still has a job and we are well provided for, and we are always taking baby steps to the next big hooray! Time for a big woo-sah to get back to a little bit of normalcy around here!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Heat Wave
Home has never been so awesome! I can safely say that Disney World with an infant is an adventure. You need to have lots of patience. You also have to accept that your child will cry. And more than anything, children under the age of 2 do not care about rides. At all. They just don't. Often, rides are loud and there is almost too much going on for the baby to be able to really enjoy it. Also, don't go on The Great Movie Ride. That turned out to be our worst decision of the week.
Another suggestion I would give to anyone thinking about taking an infant to an amusement park: know your kids cues and obey them to a T! It will save you some grief. When Bella got fussy, we quickly assessed the situation and figured out what she wanted. And you know what, she napped! At the park! I wasn't really expecting that. And it made a world of difference. When Bella napped at the park, she was able to enjoy everything else while awake.
Now, what DO babies like at the parks? You'd be surprised, but the big characters. At such a young age, I think its less likely for a baby to find the large characters scary. It seemed to me that all Bella saw was a bunch of color and she loved it! Especially Tigger. Orange seems to be a favorite of hers. The other main attractor was the Princess tent. You could walk in and meet the Disney Princesses. Well, of course Bella loved that! There were pretty faces smiling back at her! She eats up that kind of attention like its the source of life! The other super fun thing to do with babies: eat a good meal. Going to a sit down restaurant was almost imperative for a good time. You got cool air and some good food, and Bella loved relaxing and eating some cheerios. Save up the money to sit down because it is worth it!
No matter the good times or the stressful times of this vacation, I can safely say that I am more than thrilled to be home. I am exhausted! I know have less than 3 weeks until I have my next sonogram! And, while I was gone, my little tummy baby turned into a mango on the LilyPie ticker! I think I'm gonna spend the rest of this pregnancy blissfully at home, soaking up the changes my body will go through, including counting those kicks I've started to feel already!
Another suggestion I would give to anyone thinking about taking an infant to an amusement park: know your kids cues and obey them to a T! It will save you some grief. When Bella got fussy, we quickly assessed the situation and figured out what she wanted. And you know what, she napped! At the park! I wasn't really expecting that. And it made a world of difference. When Bella napped at the park, she was able to enjoy everything else while awake.
Now, what DO babies like at the parks? You'd be surprised, but the big characters. At such a young age, I think its less likely for a baby to find the large characters scary. It seemed to me that all Bella saw was a bunch of color and she loved it! Especially Tigger. Orange seems to be a favorite of hers. The other main attractor was the Princess tent. You could walk in and meet the Disney Princesses. Well, of course Bella loved that! There were pretty faces smiling back at her! She eats up that kind of attention like its the source of life! The other super fun thing to do with babies: eat a good meal. Going to a sit down restaurant was almost imperative for a good time. You got cool air and some good food, and Bella loved relaxing and eating some cheerios. Save up the money to sit down because it is worth it!
No matter the good times or the stressful times of this vacation, I can safely say that I am more than thrilled to be home. I am exhausted! I know have less than 3 weeks until I have my next sonogram! And, while I was gone, my little tummy baby turned into a mango on the LilyPie ticker! I think I'm gonna spend the rest of this pregnancy blissfully at home, soaking up the changes my body will go through, including counting those kicks I've started to feel already!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Vacation Bliss? Or Blunder?
What really is a vacation? Is it a getaway to another place? Is it taking time away from all of your stress? Is it having fun with family or friends? It can be all of those things! But what really makes a vacation what it is, in my opinion, is being able to relax and have little to no responsibility. So, I'm going on a so-called vacation. This vacation is to Disney World. To me, that is not a stress free vacation. There's so much to do that you don't get much time to sit back and relax. Its all about seeing the park and riding all of the attractions you love so much. You want to catch your favorite characters. Now, take all of that excitement and add a 10 month old baby, a nearly 4 month pregnant mom, and two unwelcome colds. Not cool.
How am I gonna make this all worth it? Well, I can't do anything about our colds except wait them out and try to make Bella and myself comfortable until they go away. I also won't do anything about being 4 months pregnant. That's here to stay! And I'm not leaving Bella behind, because I think that everyone (aside from my mother, who would take care of her if I left her with anyone) would be very upset if I said the baby wasn't going to go. What I can do is adapt to the situation. Its going to be hot outside, so we'll need to make sure we have lots of cool water and find indoor activities when possible. I think it would be wise to get a mini-fan for the baby, as well. Both of us will tire out easily, due to multiple reasons, so activities that involve sitting and opportunities for Bella to nap in someones arms are a must.
Two things I plan to take full advantage of on this trip, to make things easier, are all of the extra sets of arms that can take Bella when I need a break and the pool that the hotel offers. It will be hot and we'll probably spend a good amount of time at the hotel so that Bella can have her naps (and probably myself, too). Why wouldn't I go down to the pool to keep cool? I've got a maternity swimsuit (not that I really need it quite yet) and Bella has 2 swimsuits, a floatie, and 3 summer hats for shade. We're ready for the pool.
I think the one obstacle that can really make this trip a bummer, though, is our colds. Who wants to be sick on a vacation? NO ONE! If you do, you're really, really weird. So, I'm hoping that she stays perky, like she has thus far, and I'm hoping that it doesn't get any worse. At least for Bella. I can cope with being sick pretty easily. But I'm not a fan of her being uncomfortable or in pain. I've got the meds and remedies for our colds ready to go, so all we have to do now is go!
How am I gonna make this all worth it? Well, I can't do anything about our colds except wait them out and try to make Bella and myself comfortable until they go away. I also won't do anything about being 4 months pregnant. That's here to stay! And I'm not leaving Bella behind, because I think that everyone (aside from my mother, who would take care of her if I left her with anyone) would be very upset if I said the baby wasn't going to go. What I can do is adapt to the situation. Its going to be hot outside, so we'll need to make sure we have lots of cool water and find indoor activities when possible. I think it would be wise to get a mini-fan for the baby, as well. Both of us will tire out easily, due to multiple reasons, so activities that involve sitting and opportunities for Bella to nap in someones arms are a must.
Two things I plan to take full advantage of on this trip, to make things easier, are all of the extra sets of arms that can take Bella when I need a break and the pool that the hotel offers. It will be hot and we'll probably spend a good amount of time at the hotel so that Bella can have her naps (and probably myself, too). Why wouldn't I go down to the pool to keep cool? I've got a maternity swimsuit (not that I really need it quite yet) and Bella has 2 swimsuits, a floatie, and 3 summer hats for shade. We're ready for the pool.
I think the one obstacle that can really make this trip a bummer, though, is our colds. Who wants to be sick on a vacation? NO ONE! If you do, you're really, really weird. So, I'm hoping that she stays perky, like she has thus far, and I'm hoping that it doesn't get any worse. At least for Bella. I can cope with being sick pretty easily. But I'm not a fan of her being uncomfortable or in pain. I've got the meds and remedies for our colds ready to go, so all we have to do now is go!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Zzzz's don't always agree with you
I am amazed at how different this pregnancy is. Most of it is due to the fact that I feel more because I was pregnant less than a year ago (although, lots of women feel more in their second pregnancy regardless of when it is). I cramp like crazy, I have headaches, and my sinus' are nonstop overactive. My least favorite of all of the problems, though, is lack of sleep. I slept so well while pregnant with Bella, even at the end of the pregnancy. Now, I can't seem to get a full night of sleep. I always wake up at least once for some reason, then it takes quite a while to go back to sleep. It always seems to be a different reason, usually due to another pregnancy symptom or Bella waking up in the middle of the night. I'm kind of hoping that my sinus chill out after summer starts to cool off, because I'm under the impression that they are causing most of my issues: the headaches, not being able to sleep, nausea. I think I'll feel a lot better after my sinus' calm down.
On the bright side of life, Bella is getting another tooth (hopefully soon) and she sits up on her own like she always knew how to. She'll roll around and roll right into sitting up in one fluid movement. Its weird to see her do that. I'm really hoping that by the time we see her newest doctor (the developmental pediatrician), there will be nothing she can tell us but "Why are you hear again? This kid is on track." After all, we won't even see her until at least January. There are so few of these specialists and so many patients that it takes forever to get an appointment. So, hopefully, we'll have the MRI again just after Bella's birthday (what a present, right...) and they'll come up with nothing. No surgery, no pain, no problems. Then we'll even be wondering what exactly the developmental pediatrician will have to look for. She's also standing on us (not furniture quite yet) and she's still getting on all fours and rocking, like she has for over a month now. Its odd how something can take her months to master and other things take 2 days. I'll never really understand that.
Anyway, everything's on the up and up for the time being. Life changes at the drop of a hat though, so I'm not expecting everyday to be better than the last. Its the overall outcome that we want to be positive. And at least I have something to look forward to so I can keep my mind off all of the potentially negative things: next sonogram on September 7th. Boy? Girl? I don't know, but I'm excited to find out.
On the bright side of life, Bella is getting another tooth (hopefully soon) and she sits up on her own like she always knew how to. She'll roll around and roll right into sitting up in one fluid movement. Its weird to see her do that. I'm really hoping that by the time we see her newest doctor (the developmental pediatrician), there will be nothing she can tell us but "Why are you hear again? This kid is on track." After all, we won't even see her until at least January. There are so few of these specialists and so many patients that it takes forever to get an appointment. So, hopefully, we'll have the MRI again just after Bella's birthday (what a present, right...) and they'll come up with nothing. No surgery, no pain, no problems. Then we'll even be wondering what exactly the developmental pediatrician will have to look for. She's also standing on us (not furniture quite yet) and she's still getting on all fours and rocking, like she has for over a month now. Its odd how something can take her months to master and other things take 2 days. I'll never really understand that.
Anyway, everything's on the up and up for the time being. Life changes at the drop of a hat though, so I'm not expecting everyday to be better than the last. Its the overall outcome that we want to be positive. And at least I have something to look forward to so I can keep my mind off all of the potentially negative things: next sonogram on September 7th. Boy? Girl? I don't know, but I'm excited to find out.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
4 more weeks
So I have another doctor's appointment coming up on Wednesday. I always look forward to these appointments because there is nothing more reassuring than hearing the heartbeat of the baby. Of course, until you can feel the baby kick, then you have a daily reminder! Anyway, I'll be exactly 14 weeks when this visit occurs. That means one awesome thing: no more first trimester. Its gone. Over with! DONE! Not to say that I still don't use the bathroom all the time. Or have waves of nausea. But soon enough, it will subside.
There is one more exciting fact about this visit and that is it is the last visit before my next sonogram, most likely. My next visit will happen at 18 weeks or shortly thereafter. Last pregnancy, I was 18 weeks and 5 days along when we did our second trimester sonogram and found out our peanut was set to be a girl. And shortly after that, I started to feel some kicking. So, I'm pretty excited about getting through this next month and onto the next milestones. I should feel kicking a bit sooner than last time, but of course there is no guarantee. And that next appointment, we should find out if this baby is a girl or a boy, but, again, you never know. We could have a shy baby. I hope not.
If I can make it through Disney World and my mom's birthday, then its only a matter of time. With all of the things going on this month, I'm really hoping it goes by quickly!
There is one more exciting fact about this visit and that is it is the last visit before my next sonogram, most likely. My next visit will happen at 18 weeks or shortly thereafter. Last pregnancy, I was 18 weeks and 5 days along when we did our second trimester sonogram and found out our peanut was set to be a girl. And shortly after that, I started to feel some kicking. So, I'm pretty excited about getting through this next month and onto the next milestones. I should feel kicking a bit sooner than last time, but of course there is no guarantee. And that next appointment, we should find out if this baby is a girl or a boy, but, again, you never know. We could have a shy baby. I hope not.
If I can make it through Disney World and my mom's birthday, then its only a matter of time. With all of the things going on this month, I'm really hoping it goes by quickly!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
What is the brain really like?
Yea for clean scans! I've been told by one of Dr. Smart's colleagues that Bella's scans look good. They were checking for hydrocephalus more than anything, but we are for sure clear of that. Her gigantic head comes from her daddy and it just happened to catch up with her more quickly than expected. However, they found that a piece of her cerebellum is longer than the other. At least that's what I think he told me :).
The doctor said that the radiologists pointed that out on the scans only because they are supposed to point out any abnormalities they find, whether they may be cosmetic or not. He's fairly certain this is something that we won't need to worry about. But because Dr. Smart is out of town, he is leaving the scans for her to look at when she returns and then she can decide whether she thinks its worth calling the neurologist about. Worst case scenario, we'll have to do another MRI in another 6-12 months. That way they can be certain whether it is something that needs to be dealt with or not. But I'm thinking its merely a fluke, just like her rapid head growth. Things happen, right?
Anyway, like we thought (despite my usual worrying), nothing is wrong. All of our problems get blown out of proportion and then turn out to be small manageable issues. I'm thankful for that, but I'll tell you, it sure is tiring. Doesn't help that I'm pregnant again. This poor kid is gonna come out predisposed to stress because someones big sister likes to cause trouble :)! Oh well, things are great. Bella wants to crawl and has started the army shuffle to get short distances in front of her. She gets out of sitting easily and she's trying desperately to sit up on her own. She stands using us as her solid object. For sure, things could be a whole lot worse!
Keep moving forward! That's what we are doing and will continue to do! (PS: Its from "Meet the Robinsons". Go watch it! Its awesome!)
The doctor said that the radiologists pointed that out on the scans only because they are supposed to point out any abnormalities they find, whether they may be cosmetic or not. He's fairly certain this is something that we won't need to worry about. But because Dr. Smart is out of town, he is leaving the scans for her to look at when she returns and then she can decide whether she thinks its worth calling the neurologist about. Worst case scenario, we'll have to do another MRI in another 6-12 months. That way they can be certain whether it is something that needs to be dealt with or not. But I'm thinking its merely a fluke, just like her rapid head growth. Things happen, right?
Anyway, like we thought (despite my usual worrying), nothing is wrong. All of our problems get blown out of proportion and then turn out to be small manageable issues. I'm thankful for that, but I'll tell you, it sure is tiring. Doesn't help that I'm pregnant again. This poor kid is gonna come out predisposed to stress because someones big sister likes to cause trouble :)! Oh well, things are great. Bella wants to crawl and has started the army shuffle to get short distances in front of her. She gets out of sitting easily and she's trying desperately to sit up on her own. She stands using us as her solid object. For sure, things could be a whole lot worse!
Keep moving forward! That's what we are doing and will continue to do! (PS: Its from "Meet the Robinsons". Go watch it! Its awesome!)
Thursday, July 22, 2010
That's the spot!
A lot has happened recently. New car, new carpet, another well baby check up. Enough stuff to cause some stress. Now, I'm not saying my life is hard by any means! It's not a walk in the park, but things could be a lot tougher than they are now. However, I could always go for a good massage. That was my mother's day present. A massage, a manicure, and a pedicure.
I waited on it some because of my surgery on my toes. They still aren't 100% healed, but they are well enough to be poked and prodded. But then, I found out I'm pregnant. Unfortunately, that means no massages for a while, prenatal or not. There's a slight risk that you could miscarry if a certain place on your body is rubbed or moved too much. I'm not sure exactly how that all works, but I just know that its recommended you wait to get a prenatal massage after your first trimester.
Being 12 weeks means that the second trimester is near! However, I'm still skeptical to get a message so soon after the benchmark, so I'll wait until my next check up and talk to my doc about it. I figure that's usually a good plan. I am very excited for a massage though, I must say. I carry a lot of tension anyway because I have a tendency to stress myself out over nothing.
It will be nice to let some of that go for a little while! I think that a great time to do this would be right before our Disney trip. If I'm relaxed before we go, then perhaps it won't be so stressful while we're there. If I'm relaxed, then maybe Bella will chill out with me! Or I could leave it for the return, to get over the busy week. Either way, its going to be a welcomed mini-vacation from worrying and stress! Can't wait!
I waited on it some because of my surgery on my toes. They still aren't 100% healed, but they are well enough to be poked and prodded. But then, I found out I'm pregnant. Unfortunately, that means no massages for a while, prenatal or not. There's a slight risk that you could miscarry if a certain place on your body is rubbed or moved too much. I'm not sure exactly how that all works, but I just know that its recommended you wait to get a prenatal massage after your first trimester.
Being 12 weeks means that the second trimester is near! However, I'm still skeptical to get a message so soon after the benchmark, so I'll wait until my next check up and talk to my doc about it. I figure that's usually a good plan. I am very excited for a massage though, I must say. I carry a lot of tension anyway because I have a tendency to stress myself out over nothing.
It will be nice to let some of that go for a little while! I think that a great time to do this would be right before our Disney trip. If I'm relaxed before we go, then perhaps it won't be so stressful while we're there. If I'm relaxed, then maybe Bella will chill out with me! Or I could leave it for the return, to get over the busy week. Either way, its going to be a welcomed mini-vacation from worrying and stress! Can't wait!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
You're gonna run out of problems soon, right?
Sometimes I question whether we should have had a child at all. I know it sounds terrible, but I feel like Bella has just had a miserable time. Nothing seems to go her way. First, we had a week in the NICU due to sugar levels and possible bowel obstruction. OK, we got through it. Two and a half months later, she develops a food "allergy", or more her digestive system doesn't develop at the proper rate to handle regular breast milk or formula. We got through that, too. At four months, she stops gaining weight. We figured out the food problems, and we got through it. Six months, delayed physical development. We aren't out of the woods yet, but we work on it everyday. Also at six months, "Oh hey mom! I hate solids. I'm only gonna eat this disgusting formula." Again, we're working on it.
Well, now we've made it to nine months old and I was pleased that my sanity is still in tact, mostly. Obviously, that wasn't meant to last. Now, after 7 months of rapid growth, Bella's head circumference has gone from being in the 5-20th percentile to being in the 97th percentile. While initially I thought that this was just weird that her head had grown so fast, I quickly came to terms with what it really could mean. It helped that our doc mentioned that she would need an MRI, so this could possibly be a very serious thing. To give you an idea of the rapid growth, here's the percentiles she has been in for head circumference at each well baby visit:
Birth: 13%
2 months: 1.7% (no clue what happened there)
4 months: 56%
6 months: 79.7%
9 months: 97%
I could care less if Bella has a big head, that's not a big deal. But it isn't the fact that her head is large that concerns her doctor, it's the fact that it has gone up 80% since birth. Normally, a child's growth in any respect (height, weight, or head circumference) will grow at a curve and stay relatively close to the same percentile range. I was always around the 50th percentile as a baby. My niece's head has always been 75% or more. So, having a growth like this is slightly alarming. Alarming enough to run tests.
At first, I thought that I wasn't worried about the MRI itself. I was more concerned about the fact that Bella will need to be sedated. Getting anesthesia is always a scary business, because you can't be sure if there will be no problems. Then I started thinking more about the implications of what this rapid growth could mean. There's always a chance that its just an odd occurrence and nothing is wrong. Steve's head is big, so it wouldn't be a surprise for her to have a large head. However, we don't really know how fast his head grew or if he just always had a larger head.
After browsing the internet for possible answers, I found a few articles that suggest a rapid growth like hers could be an early indicator of autism. Not many studies have been conducted on this topic yet, but the results of the ones that have occurred have shown a correlation between the two. OK, this I can cope with. I know that it wouldn't be easy, but it would sure be a welcomed alternative to my other guess: a tumor. To me, a tumor could fit this. Bella has now shown an accelerated head growth. She also has a history of delayed motor skills. I don't think that her cognitive skills are behind, but I suppose you can never really be sure as they are less easy to detect than the physical skills. Now, none of these things are direct signs that she could have a tumor, thankfully, but none of them help rule it out.
Unfortunately, I get to stew on these thoughts and concerns for at least another 2 weeks, probably more. I will hopefully get a call later today with a scheduled MRI, then I can look forward to waiting another week or so after that until we get the results back. I've learned over the past few months, that you can't take anything for granted. You are never guaranteed an easy ride in anything. If you don't have any problems, then that's wonderful! If you do, take it a day at a time. Don't expect anything, because nothing is set in stone. The best you can do is know what can happen and hope for the best.
Rich words coming from me....I'm finding it very difficult to stay positive anymore.
Well, now we've made it to nine months old and I was pleased that my sanity is still in tact, mostly. Obviously, that wasn't meant to last. Now, after 7 months of rapid growth, Bella's head circumference has gone from being in the 5-20th percentile to being in the 97th percentile. While initially I thought that this was just weird that her head had grown so fast, I quickly came to terms with what it really could mean. It helped that our doc mentioned that she would need an MRI, so this could possibly be a very serious thing. To give you an idea of the rapid growth, here's the percentiles she has been in for head circumference at each well baby visit:
Birth: 13%
2 months: 1.7% (no clue what happened there)
4 months: 56%
6 months: 79.7%
9 months: 97%
I could care less if Bella has a big head, that's not a big deal. But it isn't the fact that her head is large that concerns her doctor, it's the fact that it has gone up 80% since birth. Normally, a child's growth in any respect (height, weight, or head circumference) will grow at a curve and stay relatively close to the same percentile range. I was always around the 50th percentile as a baby. My niece's head has always been 75% or more. So, having a growth like this is slightly alarming. Alarming enough to run tests.
At first, I thought that I wasn't worried about the MRI itself. I was more concerned about the fact that Bella will need to be sedated. Getting anesthesia is always a scary business, because you can't be sure if there will be no problems. Then I started thinking more about the implications of what this rapid growth could mean. There's always a chance that its just an odd occurrence and nothing is wrong. Steve's head is big, so it wouldn't be a surprise for her to have a large head. However, we don't really know how fast his head grew or if he just always had a larger head.
After browsing the internet for possible answers, I found a few articles that suggest a rapid growth like hers could be an early indicator of autism. Not many studies have been conducted on this topic yet, but the results of the ones that have occurred have shown a correlation between the two. OK, this I can cope with. I know that it wouldn't be easy, but it would sure be a welcomed alternative to my other guess: a tumor. To me, a tumor could fit this. Bella has now shown an accelerated head growth. She also has a history of delayed motor skills. I don't think that her cognitive skills are behind, but I suppose you can never really be sure as they are less easy to detect than the physical skills. Now, none of these things are direct signs that she could have a tumor, thankfully, but none of them help rule it out.
Unfortunately, I get to stew on these thoughts and concerns for at least another 2 weeks, probably more. I will hopefully get a call later today with a scheduled MRI, then I can look forward to waiting another week or so after that until we get the results back. I've learned over the past few months, that you can't take anything for granted. You are never guaranteed an easy ride in anything. If you don't have any problems, then that's wonderful! If you do, take it a day at a time. Don't expect anything, because nothing is set in stone. The best you can do is know what can happen and hope for the best.
Rich words coming from me....I'm finding it very difficult to stay positive anymore.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Ooo, new car!
New cars are exciting right? Well, yes and no. You have a brand new toy to drive around and get used to, but, at the same time, you just spent a lot of money. Steve and I just spent a lot of money. It was kind of a necessary evil. We bought the car for two reasons: we needed a vehicle with more trunk space and we needed a vehicle that could easily fit two car seats in the back seat. We looked a minivans and trucks mostly. I wanted a Sienna. I really wanted a Sienna. However, we would need to buy one used because they cost a pretty penny. While I can totally live with a used car, it just depends on how used it is. The 2009 we say was pretty used. Things were already falling apart, like a piece of the passenger seat door armrest. And it had an old, crusty french fry on the floor. I was quickly turned off of that van.
We also looked at Kia Sedonas. Kia is known for having cheap vehicles (in both senses of the word), but the Sedona got some good reviews and had good crash test ratings. Well, Steve really thought that van was a POS when we test drove it. Not to mention, it was just as much as a new Sienna. Where's the value in that? It didn't take long to nix the Sedona off of our list.
The other car we looked at was the Mazda 5. Now this is a mini minivan. It seats 6, but not very comfortably. So where is the appeal. If you aren't going to haul around extra people all the time, you fold down those back two seats and you have loads of storage space! Another appeal is that the two middle row seats are captain's chairs. They can be moved forward or backward for however much space you'd like to have and they can lean back for napping as well! For us, that's where the car seats go. We can push the seats back to leave more room for the rear facing infant seat. Something that appealed to me was that the Mazda 5 isn't a big car. It's between the size of a Toyota Camry and Avalon. I know this because my mother and sister have these cars, so I could compare. I like that fact because that's around the size car I'm used to driving. Overall, this car had the things we wanted without being overkill. So, it won the buy a car battle!
Although, it is going to be interesting to make car payments now, Steve is smart with money and I'm more than willing to listen to him and work out a plan on how to save money (which we really have already done). In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy my pretty new car, who I named Perry. Yes, I named him after Perry the platypus, because Perry the platypus is really freaking cool! Soon enough, my new mom car is gonna be full and that's OK. When the kids reach elementary school and extracurricular activities, Steve and I will reevaluate the minivan situation. Because I can tell you right now, I'm ready and willing to be the mom who helps haul the kid's friends around for fun times! We'll see, though, in 5 years :).
We also looked at Kia Sedonas. Kia is known for having cheap vehicles (in both senses of the word), but the Sedona got some good reviews and had good crash test ratings. Well, Steve really thought that van was a POS when we test drove it. Not to mention, it was just as much as a new Sienna. Where's the value in that? It didn't take long to nix the Sedona off of our list.
The other car we looked at was the Mazda 5. Now this is a mini minivan. It seats 6, but not very comfortably. So where is the appeal. If you aren't going to haul around extra people all the time, you fold down those back two seats and you have loads of storage space! Another appeal is that the two middle row seats are captain's chairs. They can be moved forward or backward for however much space you'd like to have and they can lean back for napping as well! For us, that's where the car seats go. We can push the seats back to leave more room for the rear facing infant seat. Something that appealed to me was that the Mazda 5 isn't a big car. It's between the size of a Toyota Camry and Avalon. I know this because my mother and sister have these cars, so I could compare. I like that fact because that's around the size car I'm used to driving. Overall, this car had the things we wanted without being overkill. So, it won the buy a car battle!
Although, it is going to be interesting to make car payments now, Steve is smart with money and I'm more than willing to listen to him and work out a plan on how to save money (which we really have already done). In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy my pretty new car, who I named Perry. Yes, I named him after Perry the platypus, because Perry the platypus is really freaking cool! Soon enough, my new mom car is gonna be full and that's OK. When the kids reach elementary school and extracurricular activities, Steve and I will reevaluate the minivan situation. Because I can tell you right now, I'm ready and willing to be the mom who helps haul the kid's friends around for fun times! We'll see, though, in 5 years :).
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Symptoms
When you first see your OB for your first pregnancy, you generally start to hear one phrase over all others: "Every pregnancy is different." Why do doctors, friends, and family start to tell you this? Because it is 100% true. Already, I know for a fact that not everything about your subsequent pregnancies will be exactly the same. For instance, I had very little nausea with Bella. This time, at least one meal a day, I get sick the moment I put food in my mouth. Thank heavens my doc believes in medicating a pregnant woman with the appropriate drugs so that she can survive the rough parts of pregnancy. The medicine they give me helps a ton.
There's also the fact that growth alone will cause your pregnancy to be different. I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I already look like I did at 15-17 weeks last time. I am now 10 weeks. I've started to show quickly, so I've had the growing pains more quickly as well. You know those cramps and twinges that come with your uterus rapidly doubling in size over and over again. To get an idea, your uterus doubles in size by somewhere around the 10th week in most first pregnancies. You can't even tell a woman is pregnant by then, and that thing has already doubled! In a lot of cases, ladies don't start having growing pains until after that doubling point. Well, I think its safe to say that I'm past that.
Then there's the moodiness. Things that normally wouldn't bug me, bug me. For instance, during our trip to Tulsa, we talked about what a crunchy mom is. The more I thought about it, the term just really bugs me. When you think about it, the style of parenting isn't crunchy, that makes the parent sound abrasive. It's more of a natural style. Those moms and dads do things in a more natural way, just as parents would have had to do centuries and even millennia ago. Although, some of these moms and dads can be abrasive about their beliefs, so can parents with other parenting styles. Its bugged me enough that I'm sticking with natural mommy, not crunchy mommy (besides, they aren't peanut butter either....).
Another aspect of moodiness is the weeping. Oh yeah, I cry like a little girl, often. ESPECIALLY if you put a medical show on that either deals with children, infants, or birth. It also doesn't matter the age of the child. So long as they are talking about a mother or father and their child, I get weepy. This honestly just never left. After having Bella, I became more emotional about things like weddings and birth and hardships. I couldn't go a day with out watching a baby show and getting teary eyed. I started to get a bit better about it, but by May, that was over. I was back to weepiness!
There are loads of symptoms I have yet to deal with, like back pain that has nothing to do with me picking something or someone (Bella) up. Or the intense heartburn that comes with having no room for your food to work itself out in. Then there's the best symptom of all that doesn't usually cause a mommy pain but joy instead: fetal movement! I know not every mom is with me on this one because often times, baby kicks mommy in the ribs or the stomach or the bladder, but for me, it is my absolute favorite thing about pregnancy! With the annoying, pain in the butt stuff comes the wonderful, stop-in-your-tracks-and-smile stuff. Its only a matter of time until I get to re experience all of these things (most likely), but I think I'm ready for it. BRING IT ON BODY!
There's also the fact that growth alone will cause your pregnancy to be different. I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I already look like I did at 15-17 weeks last time. I am now 10 weeks. I've started to show quickly, so I've had the growing pains more quickly as well. You know those cramps and twinges that come with your uterus rapidly doubling in size over and over again. To get an idea, your uterus doubles in size by somewhere around the 10th week in most first pregnancies. You can't even tell a woman is pregnant by then, and that thing has already doubled! In a lot of cases, ladies don't start having growing pains until after that doubling point. Well, I think its safe to say that I'm past that.
Then there's the moodiness. Things that normally wouldn't bug me, bug me. For instance, during our trip to Tulsa, we talked about what a crunchy mom is. The more I thought about it, the term just really bugs me. When you think about it, the style of parenting isn't crunchy, that makes the parent sound abrasive. It's more of a natural style. Those moms and dads do things in a more natural way, just as parents would have had to do centuries and even millennia ago. Although, some of these moms and dads can be abrasive about their beliefs, so can parents with other parenting styles. Its bugged me enough that I'm sticking with natural mommy, not crunchy mommy (besides, they aren't peanut butter either....).
Another aspect of moodiness is the weeping. Oh yeah, I cry like a little girl, often. ESPECIALLY if you put a medical show on that either deals with children, infants, or birth. It also doesn't matter the age of the child. So long as they are talking about a mother or father and their child, I get weepy. This honestly just never left. After having Bella, I became more emotional about things like weddings and birth and hardships. I couldn't go a day with out watching a baby show and getting teary eyed. I started to get a bit better about it, but by May, that was over. I was back to weepiness!
There are loads of symptoms I have yet to deal with, like back pain that has nothing to do with me picking something or someone (Bella) up. Or the intense heartburn that comes with having no room for your food to work itself out in. Then there's the best symptom of all that doesn't usually cause a mommy pain but joy instead: fetal movement! I know not every mom is with me on this one because often times, baby kicks mommy in the ribs or the stomach or the bladder, but for me, it is my absolute favorite thing about pregnancy! With the annoying, pain in the butt stuff comes the wonderful, stop-in-your-tracks-and-smile stuff. Its only a matter of time until I get to re experience all of these things (most likely), but I think I'm ready for it. BRING IT ON BODY!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Traveling with a baby
Saturday, we're going to Tulsa for a couple of days to visit friends. Now, its so close, that it doesn't make sense not to drive. BUT, how easy is driving for any length of time with an infant anyway? Well, I take Bella to my mom's a good amount and that is an hour long drive. The typical for those trips is Bella being awake for around 5-20 minutes of the drive, playing with toys and what not, then the other part she is asleep. Easy peasy! The only drive we've taken at length was in Pennsylvania and that was around a 2 and a half hour drive. No big deal really. I think I had to get in the back and feed her on the way back. Again, there was a lot of sleeping.
This time, however, is different. It's almost double the length of a trip, so Bella will need to eat probably at least once during the drive. Then there's the fact that I'm pregnant. I can't be cramped in a car for too long before I start whining about something. Bathroom, food, leg pain, back pain. Something usually comes up. So, who's gonna be more trouble: mom or baby? And how is Steve going to cope with all of this? I don't think that it will be as much trouble as I might be making it out to be, but the journey is surely going to be interesting. So, stay tuned for vacation news. Will Steve survive? How many times will we have to stop the car? Will the baby or myself whine first? And will we get to relax while there (its highly unlikely since I won't be able to just sit in a hotel, that would be a waste of my 2 and a half days with Michelle and company!)? Then there's also the fact that this is just a warm up for Disney World in August.....ugh. I think its safe to say that that trip will NOT be relaxing. But at least I'll eat like a queen.
This time, however, is different. It's almost double the length of a trip, so Bella will need to eat probably at least once during the drive. Then there's the fact that I'm pregnant. I can't be cramped in a car for too long before I start whining about something. Bathroom, food, leg pain, back pain. Something usually comes up. So, who's gonna be more trouble: mom or baby? And how is Steve going to cope with all of this? I don't think that it will be as much trouble as I might be making it out to be, but the journey is surely going to be interesting. So, stay tuned for vacation news. Will Steve survive? How many times will we have to stop the car? Will the baby or myself whine first? And will we get to relax while there (its highly unlikely since I won't be able to just sit in a hotel, that would be a waste of my 2 and a half days with Michelle and company!)? Then there's also the fact that this is just a warm up for Disney World in August.....ugh. I think its safe to say that that trip will NOT be relaxing. But at least I'll eat like a queen.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Do you have a second shower?
I've been thinking a lot lately about what's to come in the next few months. There are quite a few logistical problems that I'm going to have to tackle. For instance, how on earth am I going to grab Bella out of her crib with a big belly? Then there's also the fact that I technically can't pick her up after a few months of pregnancy. Pretty sure that that won't be happening, but I'll do my best. Then, I thought about what I'm going to do with Bella when I go to the doctor's office. The best idea I could come up with was take the stroller. I looked at my mom when she mentioned this and laughed in disbelief. I thought, "How am I gonna fit a normal size stroller in that tiny little room!? Is she nuts?" Then she suggested I take her umbrella stroller. That should fit ok, but I can't just leave her on the floor, the doctor will trip over her. She'll fall out of the chair if I sit her down. I can't hold her because the doctor needs to get to me. Then there's the carrier. No, its heavy. Not gonna happen. Stroller it is.
Out of all of these thoughts that have come up, though, one sticks out in my mind more than the rest. Do you have a party for a second baby? Especially one who will be born so close to my first. I would say yes, but that isn't really a universal belief. And if I do have a shower, how do I go about having it? I don't really have anyone near by to throw me one, which is fine. I do live in BFN north Dallas. So, I just asked my mom if we could throw a party at her house. Essentially, my mom and I threw the party. I did all of the invites and what not because she didn't know a lot of my friends and she invited a few of her friends and provided food, cake, etc. This time around it seems silly to even do that much. Its my second baby, so I shouldn't want a shower, right?
There is also the fact that it is unlikely that I will need anything for this baby anyway! I already have a ton of stuff. Especially if this baby is a girl. I won't need toys, bedding, clothes, a car seat, etc. All I really need is a second crib and a duo stroller for convenience. Even if this baby is a boy, I will need some clothes, but buying a wardrobe isn't quite as daunting as buying all of the equipment and toys that a baby needs. So where is the need for a baby shower? Well, I tell you what. Personally, why the hell would you NOT celebrate EVERY BABY! Babies are awesome and they are totally worth throwing a party for. Who cares about the presents, the baby gives you an excuse to get together with friends and say "Yay, we're having a baby! Isn't that awesome?" Cook out, talk about future plans, all the crazy things that you're about to endure! Even cooler, I heard an idea of having a gender announcement party. I thought that it would be really cool...if I had the patience to wait to tell people. Besides, some of the people I would want to invite would probably not be able to make it down anyway.
So, whether I will actually have another baby shower, I do not know. But I'm not saying it definitely won't happen. And what if it were you? Would you want another shower? Or something of the sort to celebrate the new baby?
Out of all of these thoughts that have come up, though, one sticks out in my mind more than the rest. Do you have a party for a second baby? Especially one who will be born so close to my first. I would say yes, but that isn't really a universal belief. And if I do have a shower, how do I go about having it? I don't really have anyone near by to throw me one, which is fine. I do live in BFN north Dallas. So, I just asked my mom if we could throw a party at her house. Essentially, my mom and I threw the party. I did all of the invites and what not because she didn't know a lot of my friends and she invited a few of her friends and provided food, cake, etc. This time around it seems silly to even do that much. Its my second baby, so I shouldn't want a shower, right?
There is also the fact that it is unlikely that I will need anything for this baby anyway! I already have a ton of stuff. Especially if this baby is a girl. I won't need toys, bedding, clothes, a car seat, etc. All I really need is a second crib and a duo stroller for convenience. Even if this baby is a boy, I will need some clothes, but buying a wardrobe isn't quite as daunting as buying all of the equipment and toys that a baby needs. So where is the need for a baby shower? Well, I tell you what. Personally, why the hell would you NOT celebrate EVERY BABY! Babies are awesome and they are totally worth throwing a party for. Who cares about the presents, the baby gives you an excuse to get together with friends and say "Yay, we're having a baby! Isn't that awesome?" Cook out, talk about future plans, all the crazy things that you're about to endure! Even cooler, I heard an idea of having a gender announcement party. I thought that it would be really cool...if I had the patience to wait to tell people. Besides, some of the people I would want to invite would probably not be able to make it down anyway.
So, whether I will actually have another baby shower, I do not know. But I'm not saying it definitely won't happen. And what if it were you? Would you want another shower? Or something of the sort to celebrate the new baby?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
About a month ago, I lied...unintentionally!
A month ago, today in fact, I wrote about having more babies and when was the appropriate time to do so. WELL, little did I know that I was in fact pregnant again. I would not find out for another 4 days, but that doesn't make it any less true. I figured that once things got back on track and we could start trying again, it would take a few months. That's not uncommon for women. So I thought that maybe after the summer we'd be pregnant again. HA. Somebody had other plans. But, there's nothing wrong with that. The more I thought about it, after Bella was born, I thought that I would prefer having kids pretty close together. Like between 18 months and 2 years. That was a huge decision for me because Bella's first year has been pretty difficult so far.
When the time came to choose birth control, I told my doctor I wasn't worried about it. We figured we'd start trying to have another baby over the summer (which began 2 days ago....). She figured that's great, go for it! Well, a week after that, after visiting Melanie, an all to familiar visitor came back. Thanks for that dear :)! I thought, "Ok, now you have to be careful if you want to wait a little longer to have a baby." That didn't happen, but I still didn't think that I'd get pregnant so quickly. Once my birthday rolled around, I was supposed to get another period. It didn't come. Took a test. Negative. Waited 2 days. Nothing. Took a test. Negative. FINALLY, almost a week after I missed my period, I bought another set of tests. The first one had a faint line. I took another. Guess what? Faint line. I started to get excited. I called my doctor and told them what was going on, so they set me up for a sonogram which was today.
For the 3 weeks that followed the positive tests, I started getting nervous. Not because I was gonna have two babies 15 months apart. More because I thought something could be wrong. I had no reason to think so at the time, and I honestly haven't had any reason to think so in the past 3 weeks. But still, I stayed cautious. I decided a couple people HAD to know, so I called them. And then as I saw some people in person, we went ahead and told them as well. Now, we have a heartbeat. I'm measuring just as I thought I would be. My first OB appointment is set. I know there are no garauntees that everything will be ok until after your first trimester, but seeing the heartbeat is always a really good sign.
Anyway, I'm amazed at how fast everything is moving this time. Symptoms that I didnt get until well after 10 weeks are already making their pressence known. I had morning sickness (at night though) for the first time ever. I had a very light amount of nausea with Bella, but this time I got to a point that I couldn't eat without feeling sick. At 8 weeks, I look like I did at 15 weeks last time. Granted that's alot of bloating, but my lord, I can't wear most of my normal pants anymore! I'm still not quite as excited as I was last time, but its just nerves. I think once 13 weeks hits, I'll feel even better than I already do knowing there's a heartbeat. And then, of course, there's kicking. I think that was my favorite part of being pregnant with Bella. Of course, I never really got kicked in the ribs or anything like a lot of women do. Bella was super good in the womb, then decided it was time to stir up some "fun" when she arrived.
For now, I'm just gonna take it day by day and enjoy a whole new, yet familiar set of milestones (whenever they may come about this time).
When the time came to choose birth control, I told my doctor I wasn't worried about it. We figured we'd start trying to have another baby over the summer (which began 2 days ago....). She figured that's great, go for it! Well, a week after that, after visiting Melanie, an all to familiar visitor came back. Thanks for that dear :)! I thought, "Ok, now you have to be careful if you want to wait a little longer to have a baby." That didn't happen, but I still didn't think that I'd get pregnant so quickly. Once my birthday rolled around, I was supposed to get another period. It didn't come. Took a test. Negative. Waited 2 days. Nothing. Took a test. Negative. FINALLY, almost a week after I missed my period, I bought another set of tests. The first one had a faint line. I took another. Guess what? Faint line. I started to get excited. I called my doctor and told them what was going on, so they set me up for a sonogram which was today.
For the 3 weeks that followed the positive tests, I started getting nervous. Not because I was gonna have two babies 15 months apart. More because I thought something could be wrong. I had no reason to think so at the time, and I honestly haven't had any reason to think so in the past 3 weeks. But still, I stayed cautious. I decided a couple people HAD to know, so I called them. And then as I saw some people in person, we went ahead and told them as well. Now, we have a heartbeat. I'm measuring just as I thought I would be. My first OB appointment is set. I know there are no garauntees that everything will be ok until after your first trimester, but seeing the heartbeat is always a really good sign.
Anyway, I'm amazed at how fast everything is moving this time. Symptoms that I didnt get until well after 10 weeks are already making their pressence known. I had morning sickness (at night though) for the first time ever. I had a very light amount of nausea with Bella, but this time I got to a point that I couldn't eat without feeling sick. At 8 weeks, I look like I did at 15 weeks last time. Granted that's alot of bloating, but my lord, I can't wear most of my normal pants anymore! I'm still not quite as excited as I was last time, but its just nerves. I think once 13 weeks hits, I'll feel even better than I already do knowing there's a heartbeat. And then, of course, there's kicking. I think that was my favorite part of being pregnant with Bella. Of course, I never really got kicked in the ribs or anything like a lot of women do. Bella was super good in the womb, then decided it was time to stir up some "fun" when she arrived.
For now, I'm just gonna take it day by day and enjoy a whole new, yet familiar set of milestones (whenever they may come about this time).
