Week 8 - A hellacious day.

One thing I’ve been pretty stoked about with this pregnancy is that I don’t have the all day long, never-ending nausea.  I’ll have random bouts of it throughout the day, but it’s nothing I can’t handle, and it’s far less than the first go-round when I was pregnant with Anna.  However, I’d trade daily nausea for this one day of pure hell that I just experienced.

Warning: If bodily fluids gross you out, leave now.

I woke up around midnight on Monday morning feeling out of sorts.  I wasn’t necessarily nauseated, just not feeling quite right.  Trying to fall asleep next to a snoring husband is nearly impossible, so I grabbed my gear and went to lie down on the living room sofa.  After a few short minutes, all hell broke loose, and the demons were released.  When I say demons, I mean poop and puke – fun stuff like that. 

I figured, eh, it’s probably just that little bug that Anna had last week.  She was only vomiting with this thing for a few short hours.  A few shorts hours of vomiting for me turned into an entire day of not keeping anything down or in.  Every sip of water came right back up.  The worst part about all of this was that I was on mom duty all day while Joe was at work.  I couldn’t even fix my child food without running to the bathroom sick to my stomach. 

After about 12 hours of this nonsense, I could no longer move.  I called in reinforcements.  Joe came home from work loaded down with essentials like orange sherbet (the only “food” I could think of that didn’t send me rushing to the bathroom) and bottles of Gatorade.  My mom left work early to come and watch Anna for me.  At her urging, I called my OB’s office to see what they recommended.  Had I not been pregnant, I would’ve sucked it up, but at this point I was concerned about the lack of fluids and how it would impact my baby. 

After waiting for what seemed like forever (and two calls later), the on-call nurse told me to head to the ER stat.  How am I supposed to do that when I’m too weak to even walk?

I forced myself to shower and get ready, but halfway through, I needed help to even do that because I was just so darn weak.  Then right before we left, the last bit of drink and sherbet that I managed to keep down finally made an exit.  At that point, I knew I was making the right decision by going to the hospital. 

We get there and only had to wait about 30 minutes before they put me in a room in the ER.  I was hooked up to saline and given a shot of Zofran right away.  That drug is nothing short of miraculous – within a few minutes, I felt like my old self again.  No more nausea, no more pain, no more urges to purge.  It was wonderful! 

I guess from all of the pain of getting sick so much throughout the day, my entire abdomen, back and legs were cramping up.  So, they took all kinds of blood and then decided, later on, to let me get an u/s to make sure that everything was OK with the baby.  The blood results came back showing that I had high levels of ketones in my urine which is an indication of muscle breakdown due to vomiting.  Other than that, all of my other levels checked out OK which makes me think I’m Super Woman! 

I had to keep drinking tons of the best drink on the planet – Ocean Spray Cran Grape – to fill my bladder enough to have a clear u/s.  Unfortunately, I was so dehydrated that even with an entire bag of saline and four boxes of Cran Grape that I couldn’t fill my bladder quickly enough.  I had to wait and wait and wait.  The worst part is that my mom and Joe were back in the first room where I was treated, so of course they were freaking out since it was taking so long. 

We eventually managed to get a decent shot of the baby, and everything checked out well in baby land.  I had visions that all of the amniotic fluid had dried up, but everything checked out fine.  It’s amazing how you can be on your death bed, practically, and your baby is completely unharmed.   The u/s tech told me that the baby will always take what it needs from you, no matter what.  Selfish little thing!

I was wheeled back into the first room and started feeling a little nauseated again.  Oh, hell no!  I started begging for more anti-nausea meds just to avoid that horror again.  The first Dr. mentioned Reglan.  Uh, isn’t there some class action lawsuit against this drug because it causes birth defects?  When I told him that, he started naming off issues with it.  Uh.  No thanks.  I’ll just deal.  Then the next Dr. on call recommended a shot of Phenergan.  She said it would knock me out pretty quickly, so that’s why they always give Zofran – way less side effects. 

The idea of being knocked out sounded good at that point, so I agreed.  And they weren’t kidding.  I was slurring my speech and unable to walk after just a few short minutes.  I wonder if there are any Phenergan addicts out there.  I can see why.  It’s was pretty darn nice!

We finally got discharged after the Dr. went over all of my test results and said everything checked out fine.  They wheeled me out to the car which was a good thing since I couldn’t walk by that point, and I got in and immediately fell asleep.  After that, I don’t remember much except Joe stopping for gas and feeling bad for my mom that she had to drive back home this late at night.

I guess I forgot to mention that we dropped Anna off at my cousin’s house down the street.  She watched Anna for a year, so Anna feels right at home there.  I am SO thankful that she was able to help us out like that and care for her while we were at the hospital.  After Joe brought me home, he took off and picked up Anna from her house.  I vaguely remember Anna crying for me when she got home, but after that, I was totally out until 1 a.m. when she woke up screaming for me.  She eventually came into our bed and slept with us the rest of the night. 

So, now I’m feeling 100% better, weak, but better.  Thinking of yesterday and the horror of it all makes me shudder, but I got through it having a whole new appreciation for women who suffer from hyperemesis throughout their pregnancy.  Bless you. 

Today will be an all liquid diet day, and tomorrow I’ll start on soft foods like mashed potatoes, breads, etc.  I’m actually able to think about food now without retching, so I’m definitely on the mend.

Here’s where the baby is today:


I am 8 weeks pregnant.


—  If my face is touched, I turn away.
  
— Someday, my new diaphragm will help me breathe real air.
  
— The nerve connections in my spine are forming.
  
— I've been told I have nice ears.
  
— My belly now has an appendix.
  
—  Now I have brains AND brainwaves! 

—  My collar bones and jaw bones begin to harden. 

— Something else is moving. It's my hands!

Aversions: Water, fruit, vegetables, basically anything healthful for you

Cravings: Chili cheese fries, mashed potatoes, french fries, basically anything horrible for you

Symptoms:
Hair is starting to look normal again
Mild nausea periodically
Aversions, cravings
Sore boobs

There are some days where I honestly don’t even feel pregnant which can definitely be scary at times, but I’ll just be glad that my symptoms are few and far in between. 

See ya next week!

Week 7

Today marks the beginning of week 7.  This time with my last pregnancy, I was in full swing with morning sickness and just general ickiness.  The past few days have been really rough, but today was pretty darn near fantastic.  No nausea, no food aversions, no extreme fatigue and exhaustion.  Honestly, my pregnancy symptoms, or lack thereof, are a bit disconcerting, but I’m going to try not to worry especially since everything checked out A-OK at yesterday’s (August 22) ultra-sound. 

Here’s where the baby is today:




—  I have a really big head—it's one third of me.
   
—  My kidneys are getting ready for action.
  

—  I have hands but where are my fingers?
  

—  The main sections of my lungs are just like a grownup's.
  

—  Joints are forming in my wrists. 
—  I am glad to have feet but where are my toes? 
—  I twitched for the first time! 
—  You can see all four chambers of my heart in action.

Anna had a really bad stomach, puke-y bug this past weekend which was really tough because 1) I had to fight my own urge to vomit and 2) I didn’t get but maybe 30 minutes of sleep that night 3) it rips my heart out to see my child hurt like that.  That coupled with a bout of nausea and major food aversions made for a very miserable weekend. 

I was so weak getting ready for work on Monday morning that Joe had to bring a kitchen chair into our bathroom for me to sit in.  Now that I’m feeling better, I like to sit in it because I’m lazy. 

I managed to keep it together and make it to my first ultra-sound/blood work appointment.  Every pregnant woman in my town had an appointment before me, so it took quite a while before we were able to get the U/S.  Joe was on his lunch break, so it was a bit nerve-wracking having to wait so long.  The U/S technician was the same woman who did our last ultra-sounds, so it was nice seeing her again.  She remembered us right away because we’re just so damn cool and unforgettable.  Or maybe she just read our folder and pretended to remember us.

She was able to find the baby pretty quickly and focused in on the heartbeat. 130 beats/minute, perfect heart rate.  The baby is measuring a few days behind the original due date, but the Dr. is still keeping my due date as April 15th.  I think the IRS should give me a huge fat refund check if my child is born on tax day. 

Here’s the baby’s first photo shoot.  It’s essentially a little blob. 



Here’s Anna’s first photo:


They could be twins for real!

I labeled the above photo as leg 1 and leg 2 many years ago, but looking at the photo above, I don’t think legs were formed yet.  Dumbness, I had it.

The technician decided to tease us and say we were having twins when she got a clear shot of the baby and the yolk sac.  It really wasn’t funny at all.  We’re still recovering from the trauma of that thought.

Symptoms and other tidbits:

Late last week my OB called to tell me that I had bacteria in my urine, so I’m currently taking 7 days worth of antibiotics (every six hours around the clock).

My hair is still falling out quite a bit although it does seem to be letting up a bit.  Good thing ‘cause I wouldn’t look good bald. 

I had a bad bout of nausea, exhaustion, food aversions that lasted about 5 days, but today (August 23), I feel fantastic and symptomless. 

I’m still convinced I’m having a boy.

I announced my pregnancy to my FB friends and family, so everyone knows now. 

I’m still trying to get Anna excited about her future brother or sister, but she’s not really on board yet.  She loves babies (and is so great with them), so I’m really hoping she’ll love her brother or sister.  I think once my belly starts to grow, maybe she’ll grasp the concept a bit more.  She’s in a role playing phase where she likes to pretend she’s a baby.  Let’s hope she doesn’t revert when the baby is here.

I have another OB appointment two weeks from now to fill out paperwork and discuss my blood work results from my ultra-sound visit. 

My clothes are starting to get a little tight around my waist, but I’m definitely not showing yet – well, not until the evening, that is.  Evening bloat is the worst!  I leave home with my pants loosely fitting around my waist and come home looking like I have a 1/2 dozen muffins over my top.  I got all of my maternity clothes back from my sister, but I definitely need to stock up on more winter clothing since I was pregnant during the summer the last time.

See ya next week!

Week 6.

Today marks the beginning of week 6.  This is what my little peanut looks like currently:


Pretty spooky looking, to be quite honest.  It’s amazing how a life transforms so dramatically. 

Here’s what’s going on inside:

- I am floating inside the amnion.
   
- There's a cord where my belly button should be.
   
- My windpipe is also forming.
 

- Already, my heart beats faster than my mother's!
   
- I have really, really short arms and legs.
   
- I can't pronounce cerebellum, but I have one.
 
- If I could see, I could see my insides!
   
- My brain now has five main sections. (6 wks, 4 days)
   
- More of my brain shows up almost every day. (6 wks, 4 days)

We’ve been telling a few more people here and there, but my pregnancy is still a secret to most people until we get to go to the first appointment which is next Monday, August 22.  Joe is becoming more and more excited about the possibility of having a boy, and my gut instinct this go round is telling me boy. My early symptoms seem to be different in some ways, so I’m wondering if this is just a normal pregnancy thing or if this is because we’re going to be blessed with a little boy.  Either way, I will be super happy.

My upper respiratory infection seems to be getting better, but it’s being replaced by other aches and pains that are just as irritating.  It was nearly impossible for me to sleep last night because I have a super amount of pressure/pain in my lower left back that shoots through my ass and into my leg. I’ve read about sciatica, but I think it may be too early to be experiencing this.  Whatever it is, it certainly sucks.  I hope it doesn’t stay around for too long because I won’t be a happy camper. 

No morning sickness yet, and I’m hopeful that will stay away this time.  Things are starting to taste funny now, and I am wondering if I’m going to have any food aversions this time like I did the last.  I’ve been craving more healthful foods instead of my usual carb-y nonsense, so let’s hope this trend continues although as I’m tying this, the thought of chili cheese fries seems more appealing than a salad.  I guess we’ll see how this pans out over the next few weeks.

I’ve been having a hard time sleeping through most nights, but that’s because Anna has been waking me up nightly.  The issue is that I can’t fall back asleep after this (which was never a problem before). 

Oy, it certainly sounds like I’m complaining a lot in this post.  I just wanted to write about all of my symptoms so as to never forget! 

I’m looking forward to Monday when we’ll get to see the baby for the first time (and hopefully hear his/her heartbeat, too). 

Week 5.

By the time this posts, I will be well past the 5 week mark.  I’m just going to post my weekly updates every day until I’m caught up to the week where I currently am.  Since I wanted to keep this hush for a while, this is how it will have to be, yo. 

Today marks the beginning of week 5 for the little peanut.  Here’s what’s going on inside:


The baby looks like a long tongue or a partially severed snake.

(I know it says 3 weeks.  I am 5 weeks pregnant with a 3 week old embryo.  Confused yet?)


   — The three main sections of my brain are here.

   — Blood vessels seem to be forming everywhere.

   — My heart is shaped like a long tube.
  
   — My heart is beating! (3 wks, 1 day)
 
   —  Part of my thyroid gland is here. (3 wks, 1 day)

Today was my first OB visit.  I decided to go today because I’m dealing with some sort upper respiratory thing and didn’t want it to turn into full-blown pneumonia.  When I was first pregnant with Anna, I got bronchitis immediately.  OR whatever germ it is that eventually turns into bronchitis.  By 6 weeks, I was hacking up my lungs, and if Anna’s lungs had been developed by that point, I would’ve hacked hers up, too.  To avoid this nightmare again, I called my OB’s office and was surprised to get in the next day (today).

Since I’m still so early, we opted out of an ultra-sound and just did the un-fun stuff like my annual exam and discussing which foods to eat and which foods to not eat (pretty much everything).  You don’t truly realize how limited a pregnancy diet is until you’re on it yourself.  No sushi?  WHAT?  I can’t have 20 cups of coffee anymore?  No fair!  It’s all worth it in the end, though.  That’s for sure.

They confirmed via pee test that I’m, indeed, pregnant.  However, I’ve already confirmed this with the 35 pee tests I’ve taken at home.  Here’s a digital test just for funsies:



My Dr. wrote prescriptions for lots of stuff but recommended that we take a wait and see approach with this upper respiratory thing just to make sure I don’t take unnecessary antibiotics.  So, here’s hoping that my body does what it’s supposed to do and just heals itself.  Then again, I have a little life force sucking away all of my life force, so who is to say if my body can even accomplish this huge task.

Here are my other early pregnancy trials and tribulations:

- My hair is a rat’s nest.  Knots, falling out in clumps, dull, flat, hideous.  Honestly, my odd hair was one of my first tip-offs that perhaps some weird hormonal thing was going on (aka pregnancy)

- Exhaustion but inability to sleep a full night (most of this is due to my precious toddler)

- Sore boobs

- Mild nausea, no real food aversions at this point. 

- I sound like a 30 pack a day smoker w/ this upper-respiratory issue. 

So, we’re moving along as we should.  I go back to the OB in two weeks for an ultra-sound and blood work.  It will be fun to see the baby on the screen and know someone is actually in there.  By then his/her heart will be formed, so hopefully we’ll get to hear it beat.  I can’t wait!

Oh, and Joe has finally gotten over his initial shock of it all, and he’s, dare I say, kind of excited!  He’s really excited at the possibility of this baby possibly being a boy and carrying on our last name.  He would be the only male in our family (at this point) who could do that, so this poor kid already has a lot on shoulders (if he is, in fact, a he).  I guess we’ll see soon enough.

’Til next week!

And so it begins…again.

I’m pregnant.

Yep, you read that right. 

I found out on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at 7:53 a.m.  How do I know the exact time?  ‘Cause I sent Joe a text of my pee stick exactly 3 minutes later when this pink little stripe showed up:


I know it’s hard to see, but I promise you it’s there.  And it came through in only three minutes.  And it came through 5 days before I should’ve really tested.

You see, I’m not known for being a patient person.  When I feel like something is “off” with my body, I pee on a stick.  What was off the night before?  I was an emotional, sobbing, tired wreck of a woman.  Watching Beyond Scared Straight shouldn’t really cause a bucket load of tears, but it did with me.  As I sat there with a soaking wet t-shirt from all of the tears I shed, I took a step back and thought, “Self, what the hell is wrong with you?  Could you be?  Are you…PREGNANT?”  Nah, no way.  Not me. 

Just an hour or two prior to that, I fell asleep in Anna’s bed.  I had such an inescapable exhaustion that was very reminiscent of the exhaustion I felt the first go-round.  So, I took a step back and thought,
“Self, what the hell is wrong with you? Could you be? Are you…PREGNANT?” Nah, no way. Not me.

Joe and I were in the “one and done” camp.  I had a few weeks of baby fever insanity.  That’s all it takes.  Well, not ALL it takes, but this is a PG-13 blog. I spent 9 months wishing and waiting for Anna to happen, but this baby happened much more quickly.  So, I think of this baby as a miraculous gift from God.  Granted, I think all babies are miraculous gifts from God, but this one is certainly a gift.  I already love him/her and can’t wait to blog about this pregnancy journey. 

Joe is still in shock mode, but I know he will eventually get used to having more than one child.  It’s certainly going to be an adjustment, and I will admit that I’m not looking forward to the sleepless nights, breast-feeding issues, inability to go out for date nights very often because now we have TWO kids which will mean double the babysitting expenses or double the aggravation for our family if they watch the kids. Daycare = Oy Vey!  Diapers again, oy.  Bottles, jar food.  Eeek. 

I wasn’t an active blogger when I was pregnant with Anna, so I truly regret not keeping better track of things.  It would be so nice to be able to go back and compare week to week.

My good friend Dusty over at All Things G&D kept a fabulous record of every week of her pregnancy, and I plan on doing the same.  Since I’ll be keeping things on the down-low for a while (until I’m at least 8 weeks pregnant), these posts will be hidden for a while.  Hopefully it won’t be too confusing for the 2 people who read this blog. 

I may as well start with my symptoms.

- Extreme exhaustion
- Hormonal, crying ball of mess

- Sore boobs
- Heartburn/indigestion (although they say you can’t get this so early on in the game.  I beg to differ).
- Night bloat (stomach is flat in the a.m. and bloated at night)


I can’t honestly say that these symptoms are much different than my normal monthly symptoms, but now that I know I’m pregnant, it all seems to make sense.  I don’t have the extreme sensitivity to smells this early on like I did with Anna. 

So, here we go!

Summer bubbles, havin’ a blast.

Now that summer is drawing to a close, thankfully, I want to cram as many summer fun photos in as possible.  So, anytime my child forces me to go outside with her, I grab my camera and hope to catch a few moments of childhood bliss. 

Watching Anna play takes me to a peaceful place where there are no bills, no jobs, no annual pap smears.  It takes me back to my own childhood where I would play outside all day and only come back home for meals.  How nice would it be to go back to that time and experience that level of freedom for just one more day? 

I know that with the world in the crapper the way it is, that level of freedom will be non-existent outside of our house.  So, I choose to allow my child to be free and express herself in other ways.  Like the way she dresses, for example.  On her days off of school, she can wear whatever the heck she wants.  Mom’s high heels?  Sure!  A winter jacket with a tutu?  Go for it, child!

Today’s outfit of choice is this beauty that she chose all by herself.  While she may not win any fashion awards anytime soon, she certainly looks adorable!

 

I hope you’ve had an enjoyable summer!  We’re looking forward to the fall!