So it's kindof a joke now that I have had every non-life threatening pregnancy side effect known to woman. Now we have a new one to add to the list!
Somewhere around last Wednesday my belly started to itch something awful. Just one spot right below my belly botton which I assumed was just going to be a massive stretch mark. Well, sure, it was, but it was also more. By the time we got to birthing class last night it had spread to my whole belly from button down. I hadn't slept in three nights because the itching is really amazing. I asked Yvonne, our doula who teaches the class as well, and she asked to see it. She immediately said, "that's PUPP!". Oof. I really needed this one...
"About 1 percent of women develop itchy, red bumps and larger patches of a hive-like rash on their bellies in the second half of pregnancy, usually in the last month or two. These irritations are called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP for short) or polymorphic eruption of pregnancy. They usually show up first on the abdomen around or in stretch marks (if you have any) and then spread to the thighs, the buttocks, and sometimes the arms. They're harmless for you and your baby, but they can itch like crazy! Your doctor or midwife will want to see you for a diagnosis and will probably prescribe a topical ointment to give you some relief. In severe cases, you may need a course of oral steroids. PUPPP should disappear within a few days after delivery for most women. And fortunately, it seldom happens again in subsequent pregnancies. This condition is usually a familial one and can be traced back through the father's side of the family."
This may be the worst thing yet. I actually found several medical message board threads where doctors induced women with this because they were almost suicidal over the itching! I know, you're thinking, "it's just an itch"... oh is that the understatement of the century!
Monday, November 21, 2005
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Insight
Sometimes, when you're reading stuff about being pregnant, it's just too dead on!
Dr. Sears Says:
"You will spend most of your ninth month "in labor." Of course, this extended labor will not be as powerful as the labor you will experience on the day or so leading up to delivery. It's more obstetrically correct to talk of "labor month" rather than "labor day." Throughout the weeks prior to delivery, your mind and body will get ready for one of the most memorable events in your life – the birth of your baby.
EMOTIONAL CHANGES
Take all the emotions you've felt over the past eight months, intensify them, and you've got an idea of what you can expect emotionally during month nine. You may be tired of being big, tired of being tired, and very ready to get the pregnancy over with. Your preoccupation with the upcoming birth and change in your lifestyle can mean more emotional ups and downs, but the inevitability of what's ahead may make it easier for you to cope. Most women report they feel:
MORE AMBIVALENT
Many women do not want a pregnancy to end. Ambivalence over no longer being pregnant can lead to anxiety about making the transition from pregnancy to parenthood, especially if you are a person who doesn't handle transitions well. Realize that grieving the loss of your pregnancy is a very real need. Give yourself the time and space to do it now – you'll be too busy once baby comes.
MORE SENSITIVE
Anticipate being more touchy this month, and bothered by well-meaning but insensitive comments. You may feel more irritable toward your spouse, impatient with your children, and provoked by little things that normally wouldn't faze you. It's normal to be irritated and overwhelmed by all this advice and to wish people would just leave you alone and let you have (and rear) your baby your way. You may find yourself becoming very protective of your peace. This is nature's way of protecting you from outside influences that may distract you from the higher-priority event that is soon to come, conserving your energy for what's ahead. If a bit of advice is headed your way, go ahead and temporarily zone out. Even better, stay away from people who make you nervous.
MORE CONCERNED
You sometimes lie awake at night going over everything in your head. In your desire to be super-prepared, you make lists so you don't have to worry about forgetting anything, but then you worry about what you may have forgotten to put on the list in the first place. (Keep a pad and pencil next to your bed so you can jot it down and relax back to sleep.) Remember, anything you have forgotten will probably turn out not be so important after all.
MORE SCARED
Even if you've prepared for this event for the past nine months, it's normal to have second thoughts. Obviously, there is no turning back, and billions of women before you have gone through labor, including your mother. If this is your first baby, fear of the unknown naturally leads to dread. Let your mind work through these thoughts early in the ninth month before your body is asked to do a very strenuous job. The more you trust that your body knows what to do, the more your mind will relax.
MORE NESTING INSTINCTS
Nature often provides you with a nice burst of energy to go along with the urge to prepare your home for the important newcomer. A day of yielding to this energy spurt may provide you with a healthy diversion from the boredom of those endless last weeks. It puts you in control and gives you a sense of accomplishment. But don't overdo it. Even though this nesting instinct may be common among females of the animal kingdom, human mothers don't really need a clean and sanitized nest. Don't let yourself get carried away; you'll end up overtired. Many of these tasks can be done by someone else or gradually after D- day, with baby snuggled in a baby sling sleeping peacefully.
PHYSICAL CHANGES
FEELING BIGGER
You may find the muscles in your abdomen hurt from working so hard to support your belly, or that your crotch and thigh bones ache when you walk. In the first week or two of the ninth month, enjoy your bigger silhouette in the mirror because your baby will soon be dropping lower into your pelvis, and the bulge will change. You may wonder how you are going to lug yourself around for another month.
MORE TIRED
Many mothers find themselves physically exhausted this month. You may be tired of dragging a top-and-front heavy body up and down stairs. Even getting up off the sofa can leave you out of breath. First-time moms will be getting used to a pattern they've never experienced before -- light sleep. Nursing the baby, seeing that older children are covered with blankets, comforting during nightmares, sitting up through illnesses, reassuring a wakeful one – all these things dictate light sleeping for a number of years.
LOSING WEIGHT
Even though your baby may gain a couple pounds during this month, your weight may increase only slightly, stay the same, or actually drop by a pound or two. Weight loss in the final month is usually due to a decrease in the amount of amniotic fluid, as hormones begin shifting fluid around in your body. You produce less amniotic fluid, and the increased frequency of urination may lead to an overall drop in total body water, and therefore a decrease in your weight.
HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING COMFORTABLE
You may not be able to get comfortable – anywhere. You're not comfortable sitting, standing, or lying in one position for more than a few minutes at a time, and have great difficulty finding the right position for sleep. Short, frequent naps are a necessity this month. So are the relaxation techniques you've been practicing.
FEELING A LITTLE BETTER
Two of the more common annoyances of earlier months, breathlessness and heartburn, often ease during the ninth month. Yet you'll need to urinate more frequently as baby's head begins to press more on your bladder. And while the upper digestive tract may feel better, the crowded lower tract may once again feel constipated and bloated.
EXPERIENCING NEW PELVIC PRESSURES
As your baby descends into your pelvic cavity, you may find yourself prone to sharp, stabbing pains at the base of your spine or in the middle of your pelvic bone, making it uncomfortable to walk. The increased pelvic aches and pains of the ninth month are most likely due to the relaxation and stretching of your pelvic ligaments in preparation for the job to come. You can ease these discomforts by changing positions. Continue to exercise gently every day. If you cannot walk or exercise without pain, a chiropractor experienced in working on pregnant bodies can give you some gentle pelvic adjustments to get your hips back in balance. It is our personal theory that chiropractic attention in pregnancy not only helps avoid or relieve back pain, but also can affect your labor by helping your back and pelvic structures be better prepared to handle the stresses of labor and birth.
FEELING DIFFERENT KICKS
Babies move even less in the ninth month than they did in the eighth, but what these movements lack in frequency they make up in power. You may feel hard kicks in your ribs and punches in your pelvis. Sometimes it may even feel like baby is moving his hands or feet into your vagina – a very odd sensation.
GENERAL ACHES AND PAINS
During the ninth month some women feel stiff all over, the way they imagine that arthritic, elderly people feel. Baby's head pressing against the nerves and blood vessels in the pelvis may also cause cramps in the thighs. Like the pelvic aches and pains, these changes are due to the influence of pregnancy hormones on the ligaments of all of your joints. The overall loosening of your ligaments has been known to cause the knees and wrists to feel weak, too, making even light lifting tricky and walking less inviting. However, movement keeps your body tuned up and once you get started on your daily walk the aches and pain will diminish.
Dr. Sears Says:
"You will spend most of your ninth month "in labor." Of course, this extended labor will not be as powerful as the labor you will experience on the day or so leading up to delivery. It's more obstetrically correct to talk of "labor month" rather than "labor day." Throughout the weeks prior to delivery, your mind and body will get ready for one of the most memorable events in your life – the birth of your baby.
EMOTIONAL CHANGES
Take all the emotions you've felt over the past eight months, intensify them, and you've got an idea of what you can expect emotionally during month nine. You may be tired of being big, tired of being tired, and very ready to get the pregnancy over with. Your preoccupation with the upcoming birth and change in your lifestyle can mean more emotional ups and downs, but the inevitability of what's ahead may make it easier for you to cope. Most women report they feel:
MORE AMBIVALENT
Many women do not want a pregnancy to end. Ambivalence over no longer being pregnant can lead to anxiety about making the transition from pregnancy to parenthood, especially if you are a person who doesn't handle transitions well. Realize that grieving the loss of your pregnancy is a very real need. Give yourself the time and space to do it now – you'll be too busy once baby comes.
MORE SENSITIVE
Anticipate being more touchy this month, and bothered by well-meaning but insensitive comments. You may feel more irritable toward your spouse, impatient with your children, and provoked by little things that normally wouldn't faze you. It's normal to be irritated and overwhelmed by all this advice and to wish people would just leave you alone and let you have (and rear) your baby your way. You may find yourself becoming very protective of your peace. This is nature's way of protecting you from outside influences that may distract you from the higher-priority event that is soon to come, conserving your energy for what's ahead. If a bit of advice is headed your way, go ahead and temporarily zone out. Even better, stay away from people who make you nervous.
MORE CONCERNED
You sometimes lie awake at night going over everything in your head. In your desire to be super-prepared, you make lists so you don't have to worry about forgetting anything, but then you worry about what you may have forgotten to put on the list in the first place. (Keep a pad and pencil next to your bed so you can jot it down and relax back to sleep.) Remember, anything you have forgotten will probably turn out not be so important after all.
MORE SCARED
Even if you've prepared for this event for the past nine months, it's normal to have second thoughts. Obviously, there is no turning back, and billions of women before you have gone through labor, including your mother. If this is your first baby, fear of the unknown naturally leads to dread. Let your mind work through these thoughts early in the ninth month before your body is asked to do a very strenuous job. The more you trust that your body knows what to do, the more your mind will relax.
MORE NESTING INSTINCTS
Nature often provides you with a nice burst of energy to go along with the urge to prepare your home for the important newcomer. A day of yielding to this energy spurt may provide you with a healthy diversion from the boredom of those endless last weeks. It puts you in control and gives you a sense of accomplishment. But don't overdo it. Even though this nesting instinct may be common among females of the animal kingdom, human mothers don't really need a clean and sanitized nest. Don't let yourself get carried away; you'll end up overtired. Many of these tasks can be done by someone else or gradually after D- day, with baby snuggled in a baby sling sleeping peacefully.
PHYSICAL CHANGES
FEELING BIGGER
You may find the muscles in your abdomen hurt from working so hard to support your belly, or that your crotch and thigh bones ache when you walk. In the first week or two of the ninth month, enjoy your bigger silhouette in the mirror because your baby will soon be dropping lower into your pelvis, and the bulge will change. You may wonder how you are going to lug yourself around for another month.
MORE TIRED
Many mothers find themselves physically exhausted this month. You may be tired of dragging a top-and-front heavy body up and down stairs. Even getting up off the sofa can leave you out of breath. First-time moms will be getting used to a pattern they've never experienced before -- light sleep. Nursing the baby, seeing that older children are covered with blankets, comforting during nightmares, sitting up through illnesses, reassuring a wakeful one – all these things dictate light sleeping for a number of years.
LOSING WEIGHT
Even though your baby may gain a couple pounds during this month, your weight may increase only slightly, stay the same, or actually drop by a pound or two. Weight loss in the final month is usually due to a decrease in the amount of amniotic fluid, as hormones begin shifting fluid around in your body. You produce less amniotic fluid, and the increased frequency of urination may lead to an overall drop in total body water, and therefore a decrease in your weight.
HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING COMFORTABLE
You may not be able to get comfortable – anywhere. You're not comfortable sitting, standing, or lying in one position for more than a few minutes at a time, and have great difficulty finding the right position for sleep. Short, frequent naps are a necessity this month. So are the relaxation techniques you've been practicing.
FEELING A LITTLE BETTER
Two of the more common annoyances of earlier months, breathlessness and heartburn, often ease during the ninth month. Yet you'll need to urinate more frequently as baby's head begins to press more on your bladder. And while the upper digestive tract may feel better, the crowded lower tract may once again feel constipated and bloated.
EXPERIENCING NEW PELVIC PRESSURES
As your baby descends into your pelvic cavity, you may find yourself prone to sharp, stabbing pains at the base of your spine or in the middle of your pelvic bone, making it uncomfortable to walk. The increased pelvic aches and pains of the ninth month are most likely due to the relaxation and stretching of your pelvic ligaments in preparation for the job to come. You can ease these discomforts by changing positions. Continue to exercise gently every day. If you cannot walk or exercise without pain, a chiropractor experienced in working on pregnant bodies can give you some gentle pelvic adjustments to get your hips back in balance. It is our personal theory that chiropractic attention in pregnancy not only helps avoid or relieve back pain, but also can affect your labor by helping your back and pelvic structures be better prepared to handle the stresses of labor and birth.
FEELING DIFFERENT KICKS
Babies move even less in the ninth month than they did in the eighth, but what these movements lack in frequency they make up in power. You may feel hard kicks in your ribs and punches in your pelvis. Sometimes it may even feel like baby is moving his hands or feet into your vagina – a very odd sensation.
GENERAL ACHES AND PAINS
During the ninth month some women feel stiff all over, the way they imagine that arthritic, elderly people feel. Baby's head pressing against the nerves and blood vessels in the pelvis may also cause cramps in the thighs. Like the pelvic aches and pains, these changes are due to the influence of pregnancy hormones on the ligaments of all of your joints. The overall loosening of your ligaments has been known to cause the knees and wrists to feel weak, too, making even light lifting tricky and walking less inviting. However, movement keeps your body tuned up and once you get started on your daily walk the aches and pain will diminish.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Still Pregnant...
So I'm still pregnant...that's about the most interesting news I have!
My feet are so swollen that they look like nasty hobbit feet and I feel like an elephant. My back is killing me and for some reason the position I have to assume to drive and not have my belly bisected by the steering wheel sends me straight into contractions. I can't sleep for more than an hour at a time and I just feel like crap in general. Oh, and none of my maternity bottoms fit anymore. Actually, they fit, but my stomach skin is so sensitive that I can't stand anything touching it so I've been living in sweatpants (just my crappy old ones) that I can wear below the belly.
I am having some early labor symptoms that are a bit too gross to share, so here's hoping that this babe does make an early appearance! Of course, they do say that early labor can last two to three weeks...
My feet are so swollen that they look like nasty hobbit feet and I feel like an elephant. My back is killing me and for some reason the position I have to assume to drive and not have my belly bisected by the steering wheel sends me straight into contractions. I can't sleep for more than an hour at a time and I just feel like crap in general. Oh, and none of my maternity bottoms fit anymore. Actually, they fit, but my stomach skin is so sensitive that I can't stand anything touching it so I've been living in sweatpants (just my crappy old ones) that I can wear below the belly.
I am having some early labor symptoms that are a bit too gross to share, so here's hoping that this babe does make an early appearance! Of course, they do say that early labor can last two to three weeks...
Monday, October 31, 2005
Birthing Class Goes Halloween...
So Sunday nights' class culminated in viewing the birthing videos. Joy! First we got to see a C-Section, which begged the question of which one of us would pass out first to have to deal with that. Everyone I know who's had one has said that those sheets that they put in front of you are useless and that you can see everything anyway. So here's hoping that's not something I have to deal with! Then we saw a vaginal birth from the 80's in a hollywood birthing center. It was au natural so that was encouraging since the woman didn't kill anyone. But there was something familar about her...and had it not been halloween and had I not just watched Carrie, I don't know if I would have figured it out. It was P.J. Soles -the girl who wears the baseball hat through Carrie and also in the first Friday the 13th movie. Pretty funny. Now we've seen more of her than either of us ever wanted to :)
Friday, October 28, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Worlds Worst Doctors
I think that I officially have the worlds worst doctors.
Back up for a minute... a few months ago I failed the 1-hour Gestational Diabetes test by 2 points with a cold. By the time I get the order for the 3-hour test, I have full-on bronchitis. I make ten phone calls to the lab, the ob, my dr. etc to find out if I should still take the test. They all say yes. So I spend four hours, not able to eat, drinking something narsty and being poked repeatedly. Results come back high, so I'm sent to a diabetic specialist, a nutritionist and an endocrenologist. The diabetic specialist tells me to test 4 times a day, the nutritionalist tells me I need to stop eating carbs and then I get to the endo. By this point I've become a neurotic monster with bloody fingers and I'm so crazed over what to eat that I'm ready to NOT eat anymore. Everytime I followed my "meal plan" my sugars would be on the high side - still not bad, but higher than when I just ate what I wanted when I was hungry. So I told him I was done and the first thing he says is that I should never have taken that test sick that it always has an effect. Thanks. So he asks me to retake it. No way! I'm not spending another 5 hours like that. So he gives me an A1 test which will show the pattern of my sugars over the past few months and tells me to just watch my sugars one or two days a week. The test comes back...drumroll...abnormally LOW. He thinks it's probably a misdiagnosis and just tells me not to worry about it.
So our crappy Blue Cross HMO makes me go to Facey - which is basically like a kaiser type thing - and they blow. I had my first appointment with the doctor today. Brooks went in to work late so that he could go with me. We were both optimistic since we were meeting with the only woman in the practice (there are 4 or 5 doctors total). WRONG! She kept us waiting in the exam room for 40 minutes. Then she came in and didn't look up ONCE from my chart - no introductions, nothing. She asked about the GD and I told her I was meeting with the endo. She wanted to see my test results and I told her I only test twice a week and she was all pissy and tried to send me for blood work. I asked what for and she said an A1 - I explained the above story to her (and reminded her that maybe she should tell everyone in her office that you should NOT take it sick!) and that my scores came back really low on the A1 that I JUST did. And she asks why I haven't taken the 3-hour test again - I told her I didn't want to spend another day at that damn office fasting and being poked. She was less than thrilled. So then she has me lay down to measure my belly and check the heart rate. She measures me with no comment, heart rate is fine, and then, out of nowhere, she pushes HARD on my pelvis. I screamed and she said "yeah, sometimes that hurts". WHAT?!?! So I asked then why did she do it, and she says that she wanted to check if the baby was head down. Hello! I just had an ultrasound last week and all you had to do was ask and I would have told you that! Or at least you could have warned me! Then she left with a see-you-next-time mumble. Brooks was screaming obscenities before the door even closed.
I think we may reconsider a home birth after this! :)
Back up for a minute... a few months ago I failed the 1-hour Gestational Diabetes test by 2 points with a cold. By the time I get the order for the 3-hour test, I have full-on bronchitis. I make ten phone calls to the lab, the ob, my dr. etc to find out if I should still take the test. They all say yes. So I spend four hours, not able to eat, drinking something narsty and being poked repeatedly. Results come back high, so I'm sent to a diabetic specialist, a nutritionist and an endocrenologist. The diabetic specialist tells me to test 4 times a day, the nutritionalist tells me I need to stop eating carbs and then I get to the endo. By this point I've become a neurotic monster with bloody fingers and I'm so crazed over what to eat that I'm ready to NOT eat anymore. Everytime I followed my "meal plan" my sugars would be on the high side - still not bad, but higher than when I just ate what I wanted when I was hungry. So I told him I was done and the first thing he says is that I should never have taken that test sick that it always has an effect. Thanks. So he asks me to retake it. No way! I'm not spending another 5 hours like that. So he gives me an A1 test which will show the pattern of my sugars over the past few months and tells me to just watch my sugars one or two days a week. The test comes back...drumroll...abnormally LOW. He thinks it's probably a misdiagnosis and just tells me not to worry about it.
So our crappy Blue Cross HMO makes me go to Facey - which is basically like a kaiser type thing - and they blow. I had my first appointment with the doctor today. Brooks went in to work late so that he could go with me. We were both optimistic since we were meeting with the only woman in the practice (there are 4 or 5 doctors total). WRONG! She kept us waiting in the exam room for 40 minutes. Then she came in and didn't look up ONCE from my chart - no introductions, nothing. She asked about the GD and I told her I was meeting with the endo. She wanted to see my test results and I told her I only test twice a week and she was all pissy and tried to send me for blood work. I asked what for and she said an A1 - I explained the above story to her (and reminded her that maybe she should tell everyone in her office that you should NOT take it sick!) and that my scores came back really low on the A1 that I JUST did. And she asks why I haven't taken the 3-hour test again - I told her I didn't want to spend another day at that damn office fasting and being poked. She was less than thrilled. So then she has me lay down to measure my belly and check the heart rate. She measures me with no comment, heart rate is fine, and then, out of nowhere, she pushes HARD on my pelvis. I screamed and she said "yeah, sometimes that hurts". WHAT?!?! So I asked then why did she do it, and she says that she wanted to check if the baby was head down. Hello! I just had an ultrasound last week and all you had to do was ask and I would have told you that! Or at least you could have warned me! Then she left with a see-you-next-time mumble. Brooks was screaming obscenities before the door even closed.
I think we may reconsider a home birth after this! :)
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
The Creature
Brooks and I were at the mall the other day and saw this in the window of some lame accessories store. We couldn't resist. Have you ever seen anything so awful? My pregnant bladder almost gave out on me. We were laughing so hard that the sales chick probably thought we were stoned. I had originally planned to give this to someone as a great Christmas gag gift, but now I can't even bring myself to put it away. We get way too much enjoyment out of it. If for some reason this doesn't look ridiculously hideous and make you want to piddle yourself, then all I can say is that it loses something in print, and you should come see it. 
Some research shows that it's part of the "Babes in the Wild" Series. If you google that, you can see the whole rest of the line, although none seem this creepy. Well, almost none...
Baby in a box?
Some research shows that it's part of the "Babes in the Wild" Series. If you google that, you can see the whole rest of the line, although none seem this creepy. Well, almost none...
Baby in a box?
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Assume The Position!
Life's been more than busy lately, but I had to share some pics of yesterday's ultrasound!
Baby boy is in perfect position for birthing (which was a relief to me) and my placenta has moved up (which is an even greater relief and why I had the ultrasound in the first place).
Check out this cutie...
Baby boy is in perfect position for birthing (which was a relief to me) and my placenta has moved up (which is an even greater relief and why I had the ultrasound in the first place).
Check out this cutie...
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Escape Attempt #1
So I've had this awful cold for a while now, and on Tuesday Brooks convinced me it was time to go to the Dr. So I got in to see my regular NP and was diagnosed with bronchitis. After much conferring with various OB's, it was decided that I should go on antibiotics so it wouldn't turn into pneumonia. So I started the dose yesterday morning, and within two hours, WHAM, I became violently ill (I know this is my blog, but thank me for sparing you those details). In the midst of this full body spasm of sickness, the passenger decided that he'd rather just get out than deal with all of that - so I got my first dose of labor with some serious contractions. By the time all was said and done, I didn't have to rush to the hospital, just some good old bedrest got everything stopped. So I'm laid up in bed again today - to make sure there are no more contractions and also to try and finally kick this cold. I can only take so much daytime TV (although Bon Jovi was on Oprah yesterday!)....
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Sick and Tired
So, with our home finally free of houseguests for the moment, I find myself....sick. The headcold Brooks kept claiming as allergies, is in fact...a cold. And now I have it. But I can't take NyQuil and bask in it's blissful slumber. Nooo. I have to grin and bear it. Ugh.
As I was laying in bed this morning, at 3am, wide awake, barely able to breathe, I was thinking that it's funny that so many of the people I watched on TV shows as a little girl are having babies at the same time. (Apologizing in advance for my spellings, I'm not up to "research")Soliel Moon Frye - Punky Brewster of course - had a daughter a few weeks ago. Miyum Byalik - Blossom - is having a baby any day now. And Melissa Joan Hart - Clarissa Explains it all and if you're younger, Sabrina the Teenage Witch - is due right after me. It's funny to think that all those babies will be the same age as my little one. Supermodel Heidi Klum just had her baby with Seal and Tina Fey had her first child, a daughter, this week as well. Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are due to welcome their new arrival around the same time I am. And of course, there are daily reports of Britney Spears cheeto, I mean, baby, springing forth as I type. I think it's interesting to keep kindof a record of all this so that my son can someday know who was born around the same time :)
I had some more complaining to do, so be glad I got sidetracked. I'll get to carpal tunnell, braxton hicks, gestational diabetes and low-lying placenta later I guess. Now it's time for a nap!
As I was laying in bed this morning, at 3am, wide awake, barely able to breathe, I was thinking that it's funny that so many of the people I watched on TV shows as a little girl are having babies at the same time. (Apologizing in advance for my spellings, I'm not up to "research")Soliel Moon Frye - Punky Brewster of course - had a daughter a few weeks ago. Miyum Byalik - Blossom - is having a baby any day now. And Melissa Joan Hart - Clarissa Explains it all and if you're younger, Sabrina the Teenage Witch - is due right after me. It's funny to think that all those babies will be the same age as my little one. Supermodel Heidi Klum just had her baby with Seal and Tina Fey had her first child, a daughter, this week as well. Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are due to welcome their new arrival around the same time I am. And of course, there are daily reports of Britney Spears cheeto, I mean, baby, springing forth as I type. I think it's interesting to keep kindof a record of all this so that my son can someday know who was born around the same time :)
I had some more complaining to do, so be glad I got sidetracked. I'll get to carpal tunnell, braxton hicks, gestational diabetes and low-lying placenta later I guess. Now it's time for a nap!
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
No, Ok, Few Complaints
Some of Brooks' High School friends came into town this weekend to celebrate his 30th birthday a tad early. We had a great time but I really need to learn that I just can't keep up like I used to. I've been feeling pretty good lately, so it's difficult to remember that my body is very busy and that means that I need more sleep, more breaks, etc.
Overall, I can't complain too much about this pregnancy. I have not forgotten about how much the morning sickness sucked and how little energy I had that first trimester, but I know others have had it much worse. I'm still having major issues with swollen feet, sciatica and now carpal tunnel, but none of them are bad enough to keep me at home or in bed or otherwise impaired. Let's hope that this smooth-ish sailing continues! :)
Overall, I can't complain too much about this pregnancy. I have not forgotten about how much the morning sickness sucked and how little energy I had that first trimester, but I know others have had it much worse. I'm still having major issues with swollen feet, sciatica and now carpal tunnel, but none of them are bad enough to keep me at home or in bed or otherwise impaired. Let's hope that this smooth-ish sailing continues! :)
Friday, August 26, 2005
Ants & Moodswings
Life has been pretty hectic lately. We had a few ants downstairs (maybe 10-15) and so we got the house sprayed. Well, according to Terminix, we angered them. The result? I came downstairs yesterday afternoon and opened the cabinet to a scene out of a bad horror movie- ants were EVERYWHERE. I called Brooks in a panic and he rushed home to meet the Terminix man and help me clean up. In the end, they had to bomb the walls and so Brooks and Veda and I spent a few hours at Starbucks while the chinchillas played over at Judy's. Many hours, some $300 in trashed grocieries and four dishwasher loads later, we were almost done...sigh.
To top it off, I've been having some serious mood swings. To Brooks' joy, I'm not much of a bitch, but I have become quite the cryer. It's bad and it comes out of nowhere. I'm also experiencing some times of intense depression and hopelessness that are balanced at the other end of crazy by these moments of such serenity that I can't even put into words. As my brother eloquently pointed out (after watching too much Discovery Health Channel), "you're really messed up right now"...(me- "what do you mean?")..."You have more hormones in your body right now than you do over every menstrual cycle in your lifetime combined". Yowza! No wonder I'm so outta whack.
I'm working on the nursery this weekend, so I promise next week to get some almost-done pictures up!
To top it off, I've been having some serious mood swings. To Brooks' joy, I'm not much of a bitch, but I have become quite the cryer. It's bad and it comes out of nowhere. I'm also experiencing some times of intense depression and hopelessness that are balanced at the other end of crazy by these moments of such serenity that I can't even put into words. As my brother eloquently pointed out (after watching too much Discovery Health Channel), "you're really messed up right now"...(me- "what do you mean?")..."You have more hormones in your body right now than you do over every menstrual cycle in your lifetime combined". Yowza! No wonder I'm so outta whack.
I'm working on the nursery this weekend, so I promise next week to get some almost-done pictures up!
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
No News
Not too much going on lately, just working on the nursery and trying to get some sleep - the insane energy boost of the second trimester is quickly wearing off and becoming the exhaustion of the third trimester. So with that, I'm off to take a nap, but I'll leave you with another of the edited images for the baby's room :) 
(First one is Gi-Gi, my fathers' mother and the second one is Chief, my fathers' father)
(First one is Gi-Gi, my fathers' mother and the second one is Chief, my fathers' father)
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Developing a Birthing Plan
Tons of people have told me I'm crazy and I'm sure tons more will tell me before I'm done, but I want a natural birth. And yes, that means no drugs. We've researched all our options, read all the books, toured all the hospitals and hired a doula (who is also teaching our birthing classes starting in Oct.). I don't know how I could be more prepared for it.
I've been having some pretty interesting anxiety dreams lately, but last nights was pretty telling. I had nightmares all night of long, miserable, endless flights. If you read my post about flying home a few weeks ago, you know that it was beyond awful - I had drama coming out both ends, a sinus issue and my feet and one hand got so swollen I was terrified. I stood through most of the flight.
I guess because I was a psych major, I like to pick apart my dreams. And as I was thinking about this one (I was on a plane and the only person on the plane who spoke english and I had awful seats and there was no room and it was supposed to be a 14 hour flight) it hit me - the plane is the hospital and the flight is the birth. I'm not delusional, and just because I want a natural birth doesn't mean that I'm planning on having very little pain and a short labor. I know it will be hard, I know it will be work, I know it will hurt, but I also know that my body will be doing something that it was made to do. But this dream gave me a new way to explain that to other people...
Say you have this 14 hour flight to some beautiful tropical island. You know it's going to be cramped and miserable and that you'll get sick and feel awful, but the tickets were expensive and are non refundable and you WANT to go. So you prepare yourself in any way you can. And then someone offers you some medication. It will make you sleep through much of the flight and although you'll still be plenty uncomfortable, you'll be able to relax better. Sounds great, right? Well, there's also a great chance that this miracle medication will make you sick once you land. So sick, in fact, that you'll miss the whole beginning of your vacation being in a fog. And you can have side effects too, although they're rare. You might have a horrific headache for days or temporary paralysis...and some other things we'll just not talk about. (Of course, this says nothing for how bad all this is for the baby).
So the way I see it, I'd rather have a miserable, long, uncomfortable, painful flight and know that at the end of it all, I'll be able to walk off the plane unassisted and enjoy a little bit of paradise as I get to know this new person in my life.
I've been having some pretty interesting anxiety dreams lately, but last nights was pretty telling. I had nightmares all night of long, miserable, endless flights. If you read my post about flying home a few weeks ago, you know that it was beyond awful - I had drama coming out both ends, a sinus issue and my feet and one hand got so swollen I was terrified. I stood through most of the flight.
I guess because I was a psych major, I like to pick apart my dreams. And as I was thinking about this one (I was on a plane and the only person on the plane who spoke english and I had awful seats and there was no room and it was supposed to be a 14 hour flight) it hit me - the plane is the hospital and the flight is the birth. I'm not delusional, and just because I want a natural birth doesn't mean that I'm planning on having very little pain and a short labor. I know it will be hard, I know it will be work, I know it will hurt, but I also know that my body will be doing something that it was made to do. But this dream gave me a new way to explain that to other people...
Say you have this 14 hour flight to some beautiful tropical island. You know it's going to be cramped and miserable and that you'll get sick and feel awful, but the tickets were expensive and are non refundable and you WANT to go. So you prepare yourself in any way you can. And then someone offers you some medication. It will make you sleep through much of the flight and although you'll still be plenty uncomfortable, you'll be able to relax better. Sounds great, right? Well, there's also a great chance that this miracle medication will make you sick once you land. So sick, in fact, that you'll miss the whole beginning of your vacation being in a fog. And you can have side effects too, although they're rare. You might have a horrific headache for days or temporary paralysis...and some other things we'll just not talk about. (Of course, this says nothing for how bad all this is for the baby).
So the way I see it, I'd rather have a miserable, long, uncomfortable, painful flight and know that at the end of it all, I'll be able to walk off the plane unassisted and enjoy a little bit of paradise as I get to know this new person in my life.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Does this mean I have to grow up?
So I was talking to my friend John today and laughing about some of the silly things I did in college and I realized...this is it, I think I finally have to grow up! So you finish college and you lose the "but I was in college" excuse. Then you move into your own place and feel a little more adult, but you still aren't really grown up and can pretend you're still in college. Then you get married. That's a big one, but if you do it right, you get a playmate and you can both still refuse to grow up completely. Then you buy a house. Sure someone has to mow the lawn and do the laundry, but once that's done you're free to play video games until your hands cramp up so bad you can't move your fingers. Then you have a baby...and I'm starting to feel like that has to be where it all ends.
From now on, every decision I make not only affects me and my life, but also the life of this innocent little person who I am now COMPLETELY responsible for. That's an awfully scary thought. I've always had a difficult time with the concept of being defined by my relationships with others - most notably when I got married. It was a sad sad day when I changed my last name, although I know it made the most sense and I did it for all the right reasons. It's still a challenge for me to understand that I can change my last name, which is so deeply a part of my identity, and that I can become someone's partner in life and that it's ok for me to be defined as such and that doing that doesn't take away from who I am but only adds to it. Now, being defined as someone's mother is still something I'm grappling with. Although Brooks assures me that we'll still have time to play video games :)
From now on, every decision I make not only affects me and my life, but also the life of this innocent little person who I am now COMPLETELY responsible for. That's an awfully scary thought. I've always had a difficult time with the concept of being defined by my relationships with others - most notably when I got married. It was a sad sad day when I changed my last name, although I know it made the most sense and I did it for all the right reasons. It's still a challenge for me to understand that I can change my last name, which is so deeply a part of my identity, and that I can become someone's partner in life and that it's ok for me to be defined as such and that doing that doesn't take away from who I am but only adds to it. Now, being defined as someone's mother is still something I'm grappling with. Although Brooks assures me that we'll still have time to play video games :)
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Photoshopping a Nursery
We decided that we didn't want any characters in the nursery. Nothing with a face since I think that's creepy. So the question became what to do with the walls? I saw some cool picture frames and got an idea. It's a psychological fact that babies LOVE to see other babies, and since we're so far from family, I decided to collect baby pics of our parents and grandparents and siblings and old ancestors etc. I bought a bunch of craft frames and I'm working on decorating each one so that they add some flavor to the room. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to try and hang them with ribbons or just hang them. When I was telling my Uncle Tom my idea, he suggested that I handcolor the photos so that they all look uniform and also have a bit of a younger appeal to them. I did and it's working great! Here's a sample - my mother's mother. The one on the left is the original and obviously the one on the right is the one I handcolored. They're all turning out pretty cool too! 
Meanwhile, I got wayyy too much enjoyment out of a story on Defamer today detailing how Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas PEED herself at the San Diego show last weekend. My first thought was that maybe that Duhmel dude got her all knocked up and she couldn't help herself. Too funny. Link to Defamer at right, scroll down the page for the story.
Meanwhile, I got wayyy too much enjoyment out of a story on Defamer today detailing how Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas PEED herself at the San Diego show last weekend. My first thought was that maybe that Duhmel dude got her all knocked up and she couldn't help herself. Too funny. Link to Defamer at right, scroll down the page for the story.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Confessions of Pregnant Driver
Ok, so I must start this post by saying that 1) I have always prided myself on being a GOOD example of a woman driver and 2) I have always opposed any medicalization of pregnancy that treats the pregnant woman as if she has some sort of ailment or disease. That said, pregnancy has made me a BAD driver. REALLY BAD. When I first noticed that the part of my brain that controls driving skills to mush, I was horrified. I did something stupid in traffic and actually rolled down my window and waved and hollered "oops". It was aful, an out of body experience where I was watching myself be that stupid woman everyone shakes their head and scowls at.
That said, something in my pregnant temper (more on that later) has switched over this week and I've somehow learned to embrace my pregnant driving. Today I cut someone off on purpose. And I LIKED it! When she pulled up next to me to yell, I yelled right back, flipped the bird and drove away laughing like the wicked witch of the west. Maybe it's because I know that I'll be driving like a granny with a baby in the back pretty soon, but it felt good.
So the moral of the story is, if you see a giant blue car piloted by someone who looks like they have no business being on the road, GET OUT OF MY WAY! Because I'm going to enjoy driving for the next few months...
That said, something in my pregnant temper (more on that later) has switched over this week and I've somehow learned to embrace my pregnant driving. Today I cut someone off on purpose. And I LIKED it! When she pulled up next to me to yell, I yelled right back, flipped the bird and drove away laughing like the wicked witch of the west. Maybe it's because I know that I'll be driving like a granny with a baby in the back pretty soon, but it felt good.
So the moral of the story is, if you see a giant blue car piloted by someone who looks like they have no business being on the road, GET OUT OF MY WAY! Because I'm going to enjoy driving for the next few months...
Friday, July 22, 2005
Alone Time & The Pregnant Glow
Brooks was in Denver on business last night, so I had the house to myself. I don't think you ever grow out of that initial rush you get when you realize you are going to have the whole house to yourself for a whole night - then again, maybe it's still a thing for me since my parents would have missed a meeting with the Pope if it meant I'd have the house to myself for a night. So after that inital rush, it always sets in that going to bed alone sucks. I think I slept maybe an hour or two at most. Keeping my eyes open at work today has been quite taxing. But as I was watching TV and trying to soothe myself to sleep (yes that IS Ron Perlman as the Lawsayer in The Island of Dr. Moreaux) and Piglet was a wiggly worm in my belly, I realized that this could very well be the last time I have the whole house to myself overnight - ever. It was a very very odd feeling.
And if one more person tells me I'm glowing, I'm going to take my greasy face and rub it against theirs and point out that now they're "glowing" too! That's right folks, nasty, greasy skin is NOT glowing! You don't tell someone who just finished a marathon that they're glowing. No you say that they're sweaty. So let's get it right. If you'd like to comment on my skin, you're more than welcome to complement how I really am looking "oily" with this pregnancy. And while I'm at it, why do people have such a hard time seeing the nutritional value of the milkshake. It's milk people! Calcium, Dairy, Good Protein, Dammit!!
And if one more person tells me I'm glowing, I'm going to take my greasy face and rub it against theirs and point out that now they're "glowing" too! That's right folks, nasty, greasy skin is NOT glowing! You don't tell someone who just finished a marathon that they're glowing. No you say that they're sweaty. So let's get it right. If you'd like to comment on my skin, you're more than welcome to complement how I really am looking "oily" with this pregnancy. And while I'm at it, why do people have such a hard time seeing the nutritional value of the milkshake. It's milk people! Calcium, Dairy, Good Protein, Dammit!!
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Who is that fat lady in the middle??
Here are some pictures of me and the boys before the rehearsal dinner this past weekend. Mom is behind the camera - see it's genetic! I swear I don't feel so big until I see myself in pictures
...sigh
...sigh
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Underwear? & More Swelling
Oh sad sad day. As I was getting dressed this morning, Brooks commented that I had on cute undies. Amazed that anything as large as my panties could be considered "cute", I had to look and see what I was wearing (the pregnant memory is quite short) and realized....I couldn't SEE THEM! That's right, my belly has taken over and I can no longer see what underwear I have on unless I take them off or look in a mirror. And yes, I tried to look around the side, and that didn't work either. Sigh.
So we're back from the DC wedding - and my feet are still so swollen they look like tiny Michelin men. We took the red eye in to DC and I slept for maybe 20 mins. When I woke up, I was amazed that the size of my feet and right hand had tripled! (It is worth noting that somehow my left hand avoided this fate, just how I'm still not sure) I had to wake Brooks up to be sure I wasn't hallucinating from lack of sleep. Nope. I spent the rest of the flight pacing and trying to get them to look more normal. They did lose some of their swell, but they're still not looking right today. Thank God that was my last pregnant flight!
I'll post pictures of the wedding when I get them developed.
So we're back from the DC wedding - and my feet are still so swollen they look like tiny Michelin men. We took the red eye in to DC and I slept for maybe 20 mins. When I woke up, I was amazed that the size of my feet and right hand had tripled! (It is worth noting that somehow my left hand avoided this fate, just how I'm still not sure) I had to wake Brooks up to be sure I wasn't hallucinating from lack of sleep. Nope. I spent the rest of the flight pacing and trying to get them to look more normal. They did lose some of their swell, but they're still not looking right today. Thank God that was my last pregnant flight!
I'll post pictures of the wedding when I get them developed.
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