a Close Call

Well, as many of you may know, I have been placed on indefinite bed rest until our sweet baby officially decides to make his/her entrance into this world. After showing signs of early labor last Thursday for 5 hours (cramping, pressure, low back pain, and contractions around 10 min apart), I was given a medication called Procardia to help stop these symptoms. The next morning, when these labor signs were subsided, but not gone, I was placed on another medication called Terbutaline. Throughout the weekend I was given orders to be on strict bed rest until Tuesday where I would be re-evaluated. Since they have given me all the medication they can and I still have yet to be 24 hours symptom free, they have decided it is best for me to lay low and lay down (I'm only allowed out of bed to use the restroom and shower)! So what better time than to catch up on some blogging than now! A lot has happened these past few weeks, including my mom coming, finishing up the nursery, and my first baby shower! So sit down, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the blogs below! 

P.S. I did these blogs in reverse order so you could read this message first. Hope it works out as I planned!

Still to come: baby shower blog, baby info, nursery pictures, and my 36 week appointment. Let's hope we make it that far!!!

Spoiler Alert!!

It's time. Every one knows. Except the few on facebook. Future grandparents know. Siblings know. Close friends know. Might as well, just let it all out. I know, I know. I've made it this far without a formal announcement, what's a few more weeks. Well, just like my child, I am an impatient person (or is it, my child is like me? yeah, I think that's it). I'm just horrible at surprises. So, I thought, what the hey - we all know anyways.

Awhile ago Chris and I decided against professional maternity pictures, because we are trying to save as much money as possible since my time away from work will be unpaid. So, my good friend Abby came over with her digital camera and we got creative. I used an editing program to help create the end product. Here is a peek at what we came up with! These pictures are currently hanging in the nursery and will eventually be replaced by newborn pictures. Through these you will see what our precious little baby will be!! 

Boy or girl?!? Time to find out!!! :)

Surprised?! Or not? So excited to meet our baby girl!!!
*Pictures taken at 32 weeks

much needed mom time!

The week my mom came was a week full of stress, tears, and tons of laughs. Prior to my mom coming, that Monday I was placed on modified bed rest for the week due to my constant lightheadness and new symptom of vomiting. My mom was scheduled to be at our house Tuesday afternoon. She arrived right on time and we wasted no extra minutes! I took her right upstairs to the soon to be nursery and showed her all the baby stuff I had been compiling! Mom had also brought me boxes of clothes she had picked up over the last few months and some of my baby stuff from when I was a newborn. It was so great to have this one on one time with her and catch up on some lost time! The next few days consisted of painting, moving, repainting, store runs, rearranging, organizing, and a lot of mom's cooking! And all of this was done primarily by my mother. I, on the other hand, kept busy laying down, sitting around, and eating.

There's my dear, sweet mom!

Here's me pretending to do work, with my mask. I was forced by my mom to wear this mask if I wanted to be in the baby room while she was painting:(

 Now, I don't want to give away too much on what the end product of the nursery looks like, mainly because although all the hard work is done and most of it is put together, the truth is - it is still an unorganized mess of baby clothes, shower gifts, and random items that I have not been able to put away yet. Thankfully my amazing sister in law is planning on coming over to help me in my last minute preparations. Thanks Ellie! When this happens, it will be pictures galore!!!

Now what did I realize during the time my mom was here to spend with me? How much I love and miss my mom. I am one of the lucky few to have such an amazing, open, and loving relationship with my mom. She is truly my best friend above anyone else, and I don't know what I would do without her. I probably talk to my mom on the phone every day and is the one person I know I can count on NO. MATTER. WHAT. I hope she knows how much I look up to her, what an amazing woman she is, and how proud I am to say I am her daughter. Thanks mom for just being you!

My first unofficial Mother's Day

My husband was smart enough (with some prior coaching) to recognize that this Mother's Day might be a good thing to celebrate in this household if he didn't want to be spending the night on the couch. Just as fate would plan it, Mother's Day also fell on the end of year track dinner. Surprise, surprise. So, after a day of running around getting ready for the dinner and eating a lot of fried chicken, we were able to head home where my thoughtful husband kept his Mother's Day gift for me. The best kind of gifts to me are simple and straight from the heart. I am not a flashy person. I do not need a big show. Just love.

Now, for you to understand the joke behind the hand made card, I should probably tell you about an unfortunate ice cream incident from a couple weeks back. One evening my brother in law offers to get ice cream. Asking me if I wanted some was like asking a homeless man if he wanted a roof over his head. So, I gave my order and Drew and Chris were out the door. A half hour later, my husband and brother in law walk through the door, with Chris holding a wee little cup from Dairy Queen. When asking where mine is, Chris held up the cup he was holding, while mentioning that I probably didn't need it. Now, let me remind you. At this point I am 7 1/2 months pregnant, moody, and hungry. So, slightly disappointed in the size of my ice cream and irritated by his sarcasm, I let Chris know about my let down with a few choice words. Now these choice words may or may not have included a couple of f bombs spoken with a raised tone. Apparently pregnancy has turned me into a raging drunken sailor. Unattractive and sad, but true. When I go to actually grab my ice cream, I see that Chris has eaten almost half of my Snickers Blizzard (3 'bites' according to Chris). Now hold the f'ing phone! Not only did Chris get me the smallest size possible, but then proceeds to eat half of it! Where was his ice cream? Oh, he didn't want any?!? That's right, he didn't need to buy any because the awesome wife I am, bought special ice cream for him a few days ago that was still in the freezer (and by special, I mean buying him a kind of ice cream I don't like so he can have it all to himself, all while buying myself none). I think you see where I'm going with this. I'm getting all hyped up just thinking about it. Well, luckily for my husband, and this household, he kept his mouth quiet through the whole ordeal but likes to laugh about it to this day - telling me that I'll never live that night down. It's okay. I still strongly stand by my outburst.

As you can see, this ice cream is lactose free, gluten fee, fat free, and a mere 150 calories. In other words, all the fun and goodness has been sucked out of this little pint of Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream. Now bless my personal trainer-programmed husband's heart for trying, but even he wouldn't touch this tasteless imposter! Deep down, it was the heart behind it that I appreciate so much! :)

But husbands, words to the wise and moral of the story:

Don't mess with momma's ice cream!

*You can see more fun and creative hand made cards by my great friend, Abby, at http://www.etsy.com/shop/akpurplegiraffe !!

One discomfort for another

So this has been an interesting week. I guess you could say it was a 'trial run' at what being at the hospital could be like when the big day finally arrives. Let me give you a little background. As I mentioned in my most previous post, I have more recently struggled with dizziness and difficulty breathing. Overall, it feels like I'm on the verge of passing out. I have heard from coworkers this these feelings could be a symptom of high blood pressure, which is a cause for concern during pregnancy. So, Tuesday morning, after a long weekend and morning of lightheaded-ness, I asked my supervisor if I could run over to employee health real quick to get my blood pressure taken. I'll keep this short and sweet. Let's just say that this little request soon turned into an all out Emergency Room spectical. Before I knew what was happening, my doctor was on the phone and not long after I was getting rolled through my work hallways in a wheelchair to a car to be taken to the hospital. Did I faint?! Was I too whoozy to stand?? No. I was perfectly fine, insisting this was all a 'little much'. "Better safe than sorry" everyone kept saying. Due to my dizziness and difficulty breathing with chest pain, my doctor ordered me straight to the emergency room to have everything checked out. And my poor husband. He comes full running into the waiting room, on the verge of tears, unsure of exactly what is going on with his wife and poor baby. 4 hours later, a chest xray, 4 blood tests, and a liter of liquids through an IV, we were able to go home for the day and rest. So what did they find?? Nothing. Not a dang thing.

I was told to rest and call if anything got worse, which it hasn't. But, on the bright side, I was able to get a very small taste of what it will feel like to be all set up in a hosiptal room. Granted, I was in the ER which is different then the maternity ward, I'm sure. Either way, the pure thought of potential labor was instantly terrifying!!!

Week 32: Since my ER visit on Tuesday, my dizziness is minimal and breathing difficulty comes and goes. My struggle with back pain is starting to level out and my gallbladder is less tempermental, but now what is causing serious discomfort is the recent onset of sciatic nerve pain. I knew this was something that was a possibility towards the end of my pregnancy, with a growing uterus pressing on the nerve in my spine which sends sharp shooting pain up my back and down my legs (mainly the right one). This makes trying to sit down, stand up, walking, or even turning around a major pain! Pun intended. I feel like a pirate with a wooden leg everywhere I go because lifting my right leg and then pressing down on it again just to walk is serious work, all while holding back tears every step of the way. This pain isn't new territory for me, as I have suffered from a bulging disk a few years ago, which creates the exact same pain as the disk can pinch or rub against the sciatic nerve. Familiar or not, this is an foe I strongly despise.

By the end of this week our little munchkin could weigh anywhere between 3-4 pounds and 16-18 inches in length. How is all that fitting in such a confined space?!? Well, this space is about to get much smaller as bean is about to start packin' on some major poundage, around 1/2 a pound a week! Our sweet baby has plenty to do; blinking, grabbing, making faces, and practicing breathing for that big first breath! Oh, and did I mention working those karate chops and jump kicks? He/she has those down pact!

Next week: My mom comes (on Wednesday)!!!! Plenty of pictures to post coming up!

The cat (or should I say baby) is out of the bag.

Today could of been a sad, sad day for my husband Chris. I was busy minding my own business while I thought he was out cleaning the garage, when all of a sudden he busted into our bedroom and found me in the middle of taking this picture (below) to frame in the nursery. Now, what you can't see in this picture, is the color of ribbon tied around my waist. Now, I know what you're thinking - I was only asking for it when taking such an important picture with Chris in the midst. Well, for one, I didn't think it would take me that long to take just one picture. And two, I thought Chris was plenty busy two floors below me. Either way, it doesn't matter. Chris admitted to me that he's suspected the real gender of our baby for the past few months anyways. Apparently I'm not very good at keeping secrets or understating the obvious. Come to find out he figured it out when we were shopping one day at Costco and he noticed I 'diverted more to one gender of baby clothes more than the other'. And here I was thinking I was throwing him off the scent! So, although I am bummed and feel a little guilty I wasn't able to hide his surprise a little better, Chis is not upset in the least bit (which I knew he wouldn't be). If anything, it now makes things easier on us. BUT I'm sorry to say we have decided to continue to keep this secret to ourselves. Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough!

Week 31: One week away from 8 months. 8 weeks away from 40. What a long, but wonderful journey we have been on, and still 2 more months to go. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more than ready to no longer be pregnant. Walked by a table of margarita mixes at the grocery store tonight and my mouth started salivating at the pure sight. Long days of excruciating back pain have now been accompanied by dizzy spells, which makes it difficult to be up and around. Breathing can be very challenging, even when just sitting. Which reminds me, I never mentioned how my glucose test I took at 28 weeks turned out. Luckily my glucose levels were normal (whew! no gestational diabetes for this girl!) but my iron levels were significantly lower than they should be. So my lightheaded-ness could easily come from that. I am to take 325 mg of iron a day! That's 4 pills! Plus my regular prenatal vitamin, fish oil vitamin, anxiety medication, and my progesterone (twice!). I've started a nice little cocktail of pills. I usually prefer moscato wine for cocktail of choice, but I suppose these will have to make do for now. Other than that, I've been feeling pretty good. I really should not be one to complain. These past few months I've been blessed with nothing but minor complications where there could be much worse! Lil' bean is always on the go and sometimes I have to stop and talk to the belly asking "What exactly are you doing in there?!?" Movements are never painful or uncomfortable. I have yet to feel any major jabs to bodily organs, like I've heard from other pregnant people I know. I have felt Bean kick up in my ribs once, but it was more ticklish than hurtful. Now don't be getting any ideas sweet baby!

I'm super excited for these next few weeks as I continue to prepare for my mom coming into town to jump start the nursery (I finally bought our crib!! Craigslist, of course) and also my first baby shower!!! Yippee!

After Giving Birth Joys

I was given this blog about pregnancy and all the interesting and funny experiences that come with it. Who ever writes this blog, is brutally honest but totally hilarious! I love it!

Check out this post about the joys of giving birth and the aftermath!
*Beware for explicit language and T.M.I!

Happily After Giving Birth – 10 Things They Don't Tell You

You know in the movies when the woman gives birth and they hand her a perfect, clean 3-month old movie baby? The husband puts his arm around her and they gaze lovingly into each others eyes? Ahhhh, the end. Well, here are just a few of things that can happen after the credits roll. Most of them aren't movie friendly so sadly, the don't get discussed unless you have really good friends that let you in on these little secrets. Not all of them happen to everybody but, chances are, one or more will be added to your new role as motherhood so don't be alarmed.

1. You will have a really heavy period. No matter how you give birth (c-section or va-j-j) you will have postpartum bleeding. This delightful discharge is called lochia and it sounds about as appealing as it is. It lasts as little as two to three weeks or as long as six weeks after birth. The best part is you're given giant, thunderpads in the hospital because you can't use tampons during this time (it can introduce bacteria into your healing uterus) so you have the added pleasure of feeling like a 15-year old girl from 1974.

2. Your crotch might be a mess. You may be dealing with a swollen, stitched up mighty mess that even Stephen King couldn't dream up. There are a variety of elixirs and contraptions to help ease the horror including sits baths, frozen bags of peas and a little water bottle that you squirt on yourself while you pee. In my experience I've found that it's best not to look – it was actually worse than I thought it would be. Dear God so bad.

3. You're still fat. You will need clothes after you've had this kid because you'll be sort of second trimester doughy for a while. This is yet another reason I hate those damn model asshats that are wafer thin 10 minutes after they've given birth because it isn't realistic. Everything is very different when you've had your tummy tuck during your elective c-section and you can hand your baby off to a nanny and have a personal trainer up in your face everyday. Pilates and brown rice my ass. Stupid starlets. Except Heidi Klum. I love Heidi Klum and that bitch earned her wings.

4. You might cry. A. LOT. Some women get off really easy with this one and don't ride the hormonal roller coaster after they've had a baby and to them I say "lucky, lucky whore". It doesn't help that it can run the gamut from absolutely nothing to full blown post partum depression so not everyone is sympathetic if you have the Niagara Falls boo hoos if they didn't. The other tricky thing is that you might not recognize how bad it was until you're out of it. It's best to have people that actually know you keep an eye on this one. If they tell you that you're losing it, you probably are so listen to them and go see your doctor. Nobody wins if you're miserable.

5. Your hair might fall out. I know. Don't you feel pretty now? So here you are all post partum and doughy and to add insult to injury you might start losing some of your hair. Here you were all excited about your luscious locks while you were pregnant, well, sorry Cinderella but the party is over and the hair fairy wants her glass slippers back. This is one of those wonderful hormone side effects that can come with giving birth. At least there will be less to worry about when pulling your hair up into your new-mom crack-ponytail.

6. Breastfeeding might be difficult. If you choose to breastfeed your baby, be prepared for a little bit of work. Not everybody has a smooth ride (me included) and it can be anything the soft, bonding vignettes they plaster all over "Breast is Best" pamphlets. The good news is once you're over the hump it's pretty maintenance free and you can never forget your baby's lunch on the counter. If you have an easy time of it, awesome! Don't brag though, you're liable to be beaten to death with Bugaboo strollers by hormonal mothers in the park.

7. You might hate your husband. I have two theories of nature. One, babies look like their fathers when they are born so the father is reassured that the baby is his and won't take off. Two, nature takes care of you not conceiving right after giving birth by making you want to punch in his face every time you see him. Again, it's probably hormone related. Again, this isn't always the case but I'm just warning you that you might stare at his peaceful sleeping face at 2am and wonder what the hell the point of him is and how can that son of a bitch just lie there sleeping like while you try to get your baby to sleep for the umpteenth time. You're not alone and a jury full of mothers with newborns wouldn't convict you if you bludgeoned him to death with a breast pump. That said, he may be worth keeping around so take a deep breath and ignore the urge......for now.

8. You might be hot. No, not good hot. Gross, sweaty, fat man hot. Thank your hormones. Once again they may be to blame for giving you hot flashes and making feel like a high-noon whore. Nothing says sexy like a woman with 20lbs of extra baby weight, who's losing her hair and walking around like she just ran for a bus. I'm adding that to my theory of nature's birth control along with number 7.

9. Hard boobs. You know those crazy porn boobs you see on some women that are just gigantic and don't move? No? Well, try skipping a feeding while you're nursing and you'll have a pretty good idea what that's like. It sounds cool but it isn't so don't add stripper heels to your registry....well, not for this reason anyway.

10. Pooing is scary. I saved the best for last, non? No matter what exit your baby used, your BM equipment is close by and you'll have to use it eventually. I think the phrase "tentative terror" best sums up this act and may I suggest picking out extra names because you're going to want to name your first poop after you take such tender care bringing into the world. Gross? Sorry. Fact? Yep.

Haven't I painted a pretty picture here? Aren't you looking forward to all the treats that come with motherhood? Well, thankfully, not all of them happen to everybody and you (and everyone around you) will be so focused on the new little person that you'll have little time or energy to worry about much else. And hey, who cares, you made a person. A whole person. It doesn't matter if you're a surly, bald, sweaty garden slug for a while, you just performed a miracle so unless you're booked to walk the runway in your underpants in two weeks, don't worry about it and tell anybody who says otherwise to eat shit. Hey, you can always blame it on your hormones.

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