Week 11. How ‘bout ‘dem Saints?

Here’s where we are today:
—  I open my mouth and can even move my tongue.
   
—  I have eyelids, but they are fused shut.
   
—  I can drink whenever I want.
   
—  I sigh, stretch, and move my head.
   
—  If I am a girl, my ovaries now contain my very own reproductive cells.
   
—  For some reason, I love sucking my thumb. Usually the right one.
   
—  Did you know I can grab things with my hands?
   
—  Sometimes I just feel like yawning so I yawn!
—  My vocal cords are forming. I can't wait to use them.




The good news is that the baby is looking more like an actual baby and less like some weird alien life form. 

What’s happening…

I’m feeling pretty good.  Most days I don’t even feel pregnant which can be a blessing and a curse.  It’s a blessing because I don’t need to haul around Anna’s potty training toilet in case of sudden yack attacks, but it’s a curse because I often freak myself out thinking that something might be wrong.  My symptoms were so strong with Anna that there was never any doubt things were moving right along in there.  The 1st trimester is such a pain in the ass.  I’m looking forward to at least feeling some kicks or stretching or something just letting me know that things are as they should be inside.

I have had some very mild cramping lately that I’m going to chalk up to growing pains. 

I’m a little bumped out at this point.  It’s not bloat bump, it’s baby bump.  However, to most outsiders, I don’t look pregnant – just like I’ve eaten a huge meal.  So, basically I’m in that horrible in between phase where people just think I eat a lot. 

My main issue at this point is clothing.  I can’t really wear my tight shirts because of my gut, but maternity stuff is overkill.  Joe and I went on a little shopping excursion the other day, and I walked out empty-handed.  Plus, we’re in the midst of a season change, so all of the cute summer shirts I’d traditionally like are out, but it’s too hot to start stocking up on turtle necks and sweaters. 

Hurry up and change, weather!  Mama is impatient and in DESPERATE need of some new clothes.

I just got over a head cold that may be a result of a recent weather change.  It feels nice to be able to breath out of both nostrils again. 

I haven’t weighed myself lately, but I imagine I’ve gained a few lbs.  Maybe +1.  I’m still able to wear my pre-maternity jeans, but I have to leave them unbuttoned.  Most pants still fit me in the butt/thigh area.  My pee stick hadn’t even dried yet when I was out of regular clothes w/ Anna, so this pregnancy is certainly different. 

I’m a hormonal bastard on speed this go ‘round.  I’m one fava bean shy of gnawing off someone’s face.  I certainly hope that the 2nd trimester will bring some relief from these insane mood swings.  I know Joe is hoping this as well.  He’s been wonderful throughout this entire process, thankfully.  I need to give him an award of some kind when all of this is said and done.  Maybe I’ll win the lottery and can surprise him with a navy, black or silver Z28 Camaro – <--- his dream car. 

One can dream.

How ‘bout ‘dem Saints?!
So, Joe and I decided to take the little bean to his/her first football game!  We bought tickets for the Saints/Bears game on Sunday, September 18 – a surprise from Joe for our anniversary.  We had a blast!  How could you not enjoy a butt whooping game like that?  Well, unless you are a Bears’ fan. 

Sorry, Cutler.  Perhaps your fans will be less douchey the next time we play you on your field.  You know what they say about karma, right?

Here are some photos from the day:

Saints running in.


Glorious dome behind me!


Champion Square in the background.

We were idiots and didn’t bring cash with us, so we spent the better part of an hour running back and forth to ATMs to pay the parking attendant.  This meant that we had to skip the Champ Square festivities and run to our seats to get there before kickoff.  Oh well, you live, you learn!

It was all worth it since we finished with a  beautiful score of 30 – 13 with 6 sacks on Cutler.  It was a fantastic game.  I’m just glad our offense AND defense were on fire this time.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen them play with such fury! 

The baby enjoyed the game, I think. 

Anna got to stay home and play with grandma, so it was a great weekend!

See ya soon!

Quotable Quotes to Quote.

Now that Anna’s vocabulary has expanded, she has turned into a 3’ ball of hilarity. 

The other day it dawned on me that I need to write this stuff down somewhere because it’s just too cute not to.

So, if she keeps it up, I will share it all with you!

Quote 1:
While taking a bath…
Anna: Shut up, Shut up, Shut up (a lovely new phrase she must’ve learned at daycare)
Me: Anna, what did you just say?
Anna: Mommy, I said I love you.

Quote 2:
While sitting at the dinner table, Anna’s Uncle Chris was talking about a guy on TV and said…

Uncle Chris:  That guy is SICK!
(Anna thinking he said “six”)
Anna: Yeah, he’s SIX…seven, eight.

Quote 3:
While watching an episode of Golden Girls, Anna stands up, points her arm to the sky (SHE-RA style) and shouts…

Anna: I AM ROSE NYLUND!

Week 10 and more.

Here’s where things stand this week:

—  I breathe in and out once in a while, even without air.
   
—  My skin is getting thicker and harder to see through.
   
—  I often prefer moving one hand more than the other.
   
—  If I am a boy, I am now making testosterone just like dad.
   
—  I roll over and can even do flips!
   
—  My joints are a lot like my parent's joints.
   
—  I already have more than 4,000 body parts—just 500 more to go!
   
—  Today I am a little embryo. But tomorrow I'll be a big fetus.
   
—  My hair is starting to grow on my brow and near my mouth.



Remember the adorable jeans that I bought from Old Navy?  Yeah, they were horrible.  They fit cute enough, but the belly band was just as tight as regular jeans.  By the middle of the day, I was wishing I could go home and just slip into my comfy pants.  Totally miserable!  So, I’m bringing them back today. 

THESE JEANS SUCK:


I’ve replaced them with these Secret Fit jeans from Motherhood.




Admittedly, most of their jeans make my ass look like a square, so I was apprehensive about buying jeans from there.  This fit, though, makes my ass look rectangular, so I guess that’s a step up.

What’s happening:

- My OB’s office called me yesterday and told me that I was negative for Toxoplasmosis which is a relief since I still sometimes change out the litter box if Joe has ignored it for a few days.  I do wear gloves, though, and our cats are pretty much inside 99% of the time.  I also no longer have Vitamin D deficiency which I had prior to getting pregnant.  I take 5,000 units/day, so it would be a bit ridiculous if I still needed more.

- I’ve filled out all of my family history paperwork and am done with all of the boring OB office visit stuff.  I have another appointment in a few weeks where I’ll hopefully get to hear the h/b on the Doppler. 

- I’m feeling pretty great, actually.  Very, very mild nausea that typically goes away when I eat and stays away most of the day.  My fatigue is bearable, no worse than it was prior to getting pregnant.  I’m extremely hormonal, though, which is one super crappy aspect of pregnancy.  Thankfully I have a very understanding husband who has been doing everything within his power (most days) to keep me from having a breakdown.  My hair loss has subsided, and I’m finally getting to the place where I don’t think I’ll be losing any additional hair this pregnancy.  This is good because I was seriously contemplating ordering a wig if the hair loss continued.  It was a bit unsettling!

- Up until a few days ago, I’d had no weight gain.  I weighed myself this morning, and it looks like I’m +1. 

What else is going on in our lives…
Anna Kate is officially weaned from the paci!  Words cannot express how elated we are that this thorn in our side is GONE.  It took us nearly 3 years, but we’re here, and we still have our sanity (some of it). 

Basically, I cut the tip off of one of her pacis.  She took it and was like WTF, mom.  She still used it, but I kept filling her head with mom lies.  “Anna Kate, pacifiers are dirty and have poo poo on them.  Pacifiers are only for little babies.”  So, the more she associated pacifiers with poop and little babies, the less inclined she was to take one.  Granted, this is probably not the best approach, but when you’re desperate, you do what you can.  Even if it means telling your child her pacifier has crap on it.  Don’t judge.

Anna is now officially night potty trained, too.  After putting countless pull-ups on her and her waking up dry, I decided it was time to just put her in regular panties at night and hope and pray it worked.  Thus far, it has!  She did have an accident the other night, but this was the first time in weeks she did, and I blame myself for letting her drink lots of fluids before bed. 

Anna’s 3rd birthday is coming up in about a month!  The party theme this year is Super Hero because she’s obsessed with all things super hero related.  My good friend created an adorable graphic in Anna’s likeness (and other little super hero kids), and I made this invite for her party:


And as luck would have it, Zulily.com had a sale on the most PERFECT super hero girl costume ever:


The mask is a little scary, but everything else is perfection!  Plus, I can put this on her for Halloween, too!  $18 for a dual purpose costume?  I’ll take it!

That’s it for now!  See ya soon!

Week 9.

Here’s where we are this week:

—  My heart is almost complete.
— I now have testes if I am a boy and ovaries if I am a girl. 
—  I can turn my head from side to side.
 

—  As the notches in my hands and feet grow, my fingers and toes emerge.
 

—  Sometimes I hiccup, sometimes I don't.
   
—  My hands touch each other and my feet touch too! (7 wks, 4 days)
   
—  My new knee joints help me bend my legs. (7 wks, 4 days)
   
—  Two hands, each with five free fingers. What fun! (7 wks, 4 days)
   
—  I have ten free toes and they're beautiful! (7 wks, 6 days)




I ordered my official first pair of maternity jeans this past week after experiencing a very uncomfortable day in my regular jeans.  Some days I’m more bloated than others, so I don’t think I’m 100% to the point of needing to be in maternity clothing full-time.  I have to admit that I’m kind of looking forward to wearing maternity clothes again.  I mean, it’s like wearing scrubs all day long.  You can’t beat it!

Then by the end of my pregnancy I’ll be dreaming of zippers and buttons and a flat stomach again.  I’m never happy, I tell ya!

Here’re the jeans I ordered from Old Navy:

When I was pregnant with Anna, it was in the middle of summer, so all of my maternity clothing from before is all summer.  Granted, it stays warm down here a lot longer than most places, so I can still wear most of it, but the cute summer dresses and tank tops won’t be making their grand appearance this go-round.  I guess this just means I’ll have to buy new stuff.  Darn.  What a pity.

Actually, it is – I hate shopping.  I’m a dude, I swear.

Anna is still not really feeling the whole brother/sister thing.  When I tell her I have a baby in my belly, she tells me that she also has a baby in her belly.  Then I ask her if she wants a brother or a sister, and she always says, “No.”  A few times she’s said she wants a sister.  I guess we’ll know soon enough!


Oh, and I found out yesterday that my sister is also pregnant and is three weeks behind me.  My poor mom.

Symptoms

My hair is hopefully on the mend.  It better stop falling out soon or I’ll need to invest in some propecia.  It’s pretty unsettling how much hair I’ve been losing. 

The nausea isn’t as bad this time as it was with Anna.  I get periodic waves of it, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.  I’ve taken Zofran a few times just because I didn’t want to feel nauseated at all, but then I feel guilty for taking medications when not absolutely necessary. 

I only crave crappy food – french fries, bread, mashed potatoes, has browns, tater tots – basically anything that doesn’t have vegetables or fruit in them.  I’d like to say this is abnormal for me, but I’m this way when I’m not pregnant, so, eh.

I went to the Dr. today and did my OB paperwork and went over my blood work/lab results from my last visit.  Everything checked out A-OK, fortunately.  My Dr. wants to test me for  Toxoplasmosis since I have cats (even though Joe has been cleaning out the box for me). 

I haven’t gained any lbs. thus far.  My Dr. didn’t see too concerned.  The incessant vomiting from the week before could be the culprit. 

I’m on the fence about the genetic screening test that is coming up soon.  I still need to weigh my options with that. For now, I’ve opted out.

I have to get a flu shot in the next few weeks. 

That’s it for now!  See ya next week (or in between if I get off my lazy butt and load some cute pictures of my daughter).

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).