36 weeks 3 days
Walking has become an... experience. Even getting up for the bathroom becomes its own venture. Baby's head has started thinning out my cervix (his head is pressing down on my lady bits) such that even sitting down I can't go an hour without needing the bathroom. A simple outing like grocery shopping is its own ordeal.
Not only did I have to walk around the store at waddling speed, I had to stop every couple of minutes to catch my breath. Baby is completely vertical, meaning while his head does a number on my bladder his butt is pressing against my lungs. I got halfway through the store before I felt like I couldn't get a deep breath, and I knew I needed to sit down by the time we got to the checkout line. Hubby can tell when I'm completely wiped and ready to leave. He often gives me the car keys when we're checking out so I can go to the car and just sit. I used to have regained enough energy to help bring the groceries in, but I've since lost that ability. I barely had enough energy to get in the house and plant myself on the couch.
Today, baby decided that he wasn't done with me. He's started kicking up a storm as soon as I sat down, making it hard to regain functionality. It feels like he's trying to claim as much space as he possibly can, no matter which of my organs might be in the way.
Just thinking about how I have another month of this makes me exhausted. I'm glad I don't have any trips planned, and soon I may have to stay home and send my husband out on errands for me. I'm all for giving baby every chance to fully develop, but I'm ready to have my body back.
Baby and Wedding Countdown
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Christmas in Bed
36 weeks 0 days
Two days ago was Christmas, and I wasn't initially going to blog about how our Christmas went because this blog is more about how the pregnancy and our marriage are going. But this little moment is worth sharing.
Christmas morning, I'm tossing and turning as is usual for me, trying to catch snatches of sleep as I can. at 8:30am though, my husband rolls over and looks at me. I figure he was going to go back to sleep, but he sits up and tells me that he has awful acid reflux and can't get back to sleep. He takes a few minutes to really wake up before rolling out of bed. I was starting to try to get up as well, but he tells me to stay there. I'm starting to get my normal bout of acid reflux myself because I hadn't had anything to eat or drink yet, but I was curious what hubby was going to do. So I prop myself into a sitting position and try to push baby down off my stomach.
My darling husband comes back in the room carrying the Christmas gifts he and I had gotten for each other and sets them on the bed. He crawls back into bed sitting up, and the two of us had a non-traditional Christmas in bed. It was fun to get to have Christmas from the comfort of our own bed. The cat even joined us and claimed a present of some ribbon for himself. We liked it so much that we're considering making it a tradition in our household. We followed it up with Zantac for both me and him so we could stop feeling miserable.
Baby Update
The hand swelling has gone down, but the doctor told me it's just going to be a normal symptom from now on. *grumbles* My cervix hasn't made any progress yet, but he's beginning to measure a little ahead of his due date. We suspect that means he's growing to the larger size we're anticipating. I'm pretty sure he's head down, but I'm going to ask at the appointment later this week. Whatever position he's in, it's made walking around pretty uncomfortable. He could really come anytime now, but we're still secretely hoping he comes a few days late.
Two days ago was Christmas, and I wasn't initially going to blog about how our Christmas went because this blog is more about how the pregnancy and our marriage are going. But this little moment is worth sharing.
Christmas morning, I'm tossing and turning as is usual for me, trying to catch snatches of sleep as I can. at 8:30am though, my husband rolls over and looks at me. I figure he was going to go back to sleep, but he sits up and tells me that he has awful acid reflux and can't get back to sleep. He takes a few minutes to really wake up before rolling out of bed. I was starting to try to get up as well, but he tells me to stay there. I'm starting to get my normal bout of acid reflux myself because I hadn't had anything to eat or drink yet, but I was curious what hubby was going to do. So I prop myself into a sitting position and try to push baby down off my stomach.
My darling husband comes back in the room carrying the Christmas gifts he and I had gotten for each other and sets them on the bed. He crawls back into bed sitting up, and the two of us had a non-traditional Christmas in bed. It was fun to get to have Christmas from the comfort of our own bed. The cat even joined us and claimed a present of some ribbon for himself. We liked it so much that we're considering making it a tradition in our household. We followed it up with Zantac for both me and him so we could stop feeling miserable.
Baby Update
The hand swelling has gone down, but the doctor told me it's just going to be a normal symptom from now on. *grumbles* My cervix hasn't made any progress yet, but he's beginning to measure a little ahead of his due date. We suspect that means he's growing to the larger size we're anticipating. I'm pretty sure he's head down, but I'm going to ask at the appointment later this week. Whatever position he's in, it's made walking around pretty uncomfortable. He could really come anytime now, but we're still secretely hoping he comes a few days late.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
35/35, Diapers, and Swollen Hands
35 weeks 0 days
I will have to keep this brief as my hands are painful and swollen. Don't worry, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow where hopefully they will be able to help me (and confirm it isn't due to blood pressure problems).
Today is a neat milestone. I'm 35 weeks along and have exactly 35 days until my due date. From here on out, I will have less days to go than how many weeks along I am. It really puts into perspective that he could come anytime, although we're sorta more hoping for a late baby than an early baby.
Also, I've officially gotten in my cloth diapers I ordered. I've got 2 dozen newborn prefolds, 10 or so small prefolds, 6 newborn covers, and 1 one size flip cover. I have to buy more flip covers eventually, but seeing as how he won't fit in them until he's a month or so old, I'm not in a big hurry. When my hands are feeling better, I will need to prep them, a process which involves washing them on hot then drying them at least 5 times to make them absorbant. I may employ the trick of boiling them for half an hour first to reduce how many times I have to wash them. We already suspect washing cloth diapers may kill our second-hand dryer within a year.
I apologize in advance if my posts get more sporadic. I may have to post about certain milestones retroactively, but I will at least try to post major updates as I can. As long as my hands are still swollen though, I have to keep my typing to a minimum.
I will have to keep this brief as my hands are painful and swollen. Don't worry, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow where hopefully they will be able to help me (and confirm it isn't due to blood pressure problems).
Today is a neat milestone. I'm 35 weeks along and have exactly 35 days until my due date. From here on out, I will have less days to go than how many weeks along I am. It really puts into perspective that he could come anytime, although we're sorta more hoping for a late baby than an early baby.
Also, I've officially gotten in my cloth diapers I ordered. I've got 2 dozen newborn prefolds, 10 or so small prefolds, 6 newborn covers, and 1 one size flip cover. I have to buy more flip covers eventually, but seeing as how he won't fit in them until he's a month or so old, I'm not in a big hurry. When my hands are feeling better, I will need to prep them, a process which involves washing them on hot then drying them at least 5 times to make them absorbant. I may employ the trick of boiling them for half an hour first to reduce how many times I have to wash them. We already suspect washing cloth diapers may kill our second-hand dryer within a year.
I apologize in advance if my posts get more sporadic. I may have to post about certain milestones retroactively, but I will at least try to post major updates as I can. As long as my hands are still swollen though, I have to keep my typing to a minimum.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Is it January yet?
33 weeks 6 days
Yep, it's another complaining post. But I wanted to post an update on how the pregnancy and baby preparation is going.
My nesting hormones are going into overdrive! They're trying to convince me that I should be ready for the baby to come any day now even though I have another month and a half before my estimated due date (I emphasize ESTIMATED because it's more of a guess date). Whenever I sleep deep enough for dreams, the hormones turn these dreams about mundane baby items or to-do lists into senseless nightmares. I had a nightmare about a swarm of onesies that had shrunk for goodness sake! Even when I'm senselessly tired, I feel compelled to do things. I spent what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend stressing about getting all the baby clothes washed and sorted as well as freaking out that we hadn't put in the order for our cloth diapers yet.
I did get a lot done this weekend though. Everything cloth that baby will touch, from his clothes and blankets to the covers on the secondhand swing and walker, have been washed in baby safe detergent. I also used the gift cards we got from the wedding and baby showers to order cloth diapers so I have time to prep them for use. Hubby even caught some of the nesting mood and cleaned the bathroom with the bleach spray I'm not allowed to use.
I did get upset when I thought I was done and discovered a massive giftbag of clothes I completely overlooked, and we don't have the space to put everything away nicely because we haven't gotten a dresser yet. I haven't even started going through the bags of non-clothing baby items yet because we don't have the storage containers to put it all in. There were some problems initially with the gift cards before I went on the card websites to register them with my name and address, but I thought for a while I would have to dip into our savings to cover the purchases and use the gift cards elsewhere. There's still so much cleaning and organizing we need to do, and we haven't begun babyproofing the house.
Despite the feeling that there is still so much to do, there's some emotional part of me that is ready to have the baby now. Perhaps it is the Christmas season. Perhaps I just want to get it over with while I still have the resolve to fight for the kind of birth I want. Perhaps I'm scared of how much more tired and achey I can possibly get before D day. It's selfish of me to want to have him now because he could really use the last few weeks to mature and be ready for the world. We do have enough ready that we would be able to take care of him if he were born today. We may not have a crib, changing table, or cloth diapers yet. But we have enough to make do. Hopefully we won't have to. As neat as it would be to have a Christmas baby, it's for the best that he wait until at least New Year's.
Yep, it's another complaining post. But I wanted to post an update on how the pregnancy and baby preparation is going.
My nesting hormones are going into overdrive! They're trying to convince me that I should be ready for the baby to come any day now even though I have another month and a half before my estimated due date (I emphasize ESTIMATED because it's more of a guess date). Whenever I sleep deep enough for dreams, the hormones turn these dreams about mundane baby items or to-do lists into senseless nightmares. I had a nightmare about a swarm of onesies that had shrunk for goodness sake! Even when I'm senselessly tired, I feel compelled to do things. I spent what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend stressing about getting all the baby clothes washed and sorted as well as freaking out that we hadn't put in the order for our cloth diapers yet.
I did get a lot done this weekend though. Everything cloth that baby will touch, from his clothes and blankets to the covers on the secondhand swing and walker, have been washed in baby safe detergent. I also used the gift cards we got from the wedding and baby showers to order cloth diapers so I have time to prep them for use. Hubby even caught some of the nesting mood and cleaned the bathroom with the bleach spray I'm not allowed to use.
I did get upset when I thought I was done and discovered a massive giftbag of clothes I completely overlooked, and we don't have the space to put everything away nicely because we haven't gotten a dresser yet. I haven't even started going through the bags of non-clothing baby items yet because we don't have the storage containers to put it all in. There were some problems initially with the gift cards before I went on the card websites to register them with my name and address, but I thought for a while I would have to dip into our savings to cover the purchases and use the gift cards elsewhere. There's still so much cleaning and organizing we need to do, and we haven't begun babyproofing the house.
Despite the feeling that there is still so much to do, there's some emotional part of me that is ready to have the baby now. Perhaps it is the Christmas season. Perhaps I just want to get it over with while I still have the resolve to fight for the kind of birth I want. Perhaps I'm scared of how much more tired and achey I can possibly get before D day. It's selfish of me to want to have him now because he could really use the last few weeks to mature and be ready for the world. We do have enough ready that we would be able to take care of him if he were born today. We may not have a crib, changing table, or cloth diapers yet. But we have enough to make do. Hopefully we won't have to. As neat as it would be to have a Christmas baby, it's for the best that he wait until at least New Year's.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
I get to birth a normal sized baby?!
33 weeks 1 day
I looked at the family history of baby weights to guess how big we thought the baby was going to be. My older brother was nearly 9 lbs, and I ended up being 9lbs 3oz. Talking to my mother in law, I learned my husband was also 9lbs 3oz. So naturally I assumed that it would be my fate to deliver a 9lb baby.
Today at the doctor's office, I got my bump measured as usual. I've been expecting at any time now to hear that I'm measuring ahead, but he smiles and says, "Right on track. We can expect to see a 7 and a half pound baby!" My husband and I look at each other shocked. I explain to the doctor we weren't expecting that because we were both over 9lbs. He says, "Oh, we don't like big babies around here. I think you're going to be just fine," and gives us a reassuring smile.
I've just gotten used to the idea that the newborn sized clothes would end up utterly useless or that we wouldn't be using the newborn insert in the carseat for very long. Now I'm adjusting to the idea that this pregnancy will be completely complication free, including not having the doctors fret over trying to deliver an oversized baby. There's still time for him to go through a growth spurt and be as big as we anticipated, but I like the idea of probably having a baby 2lbs less than I feared.
I looked at the family history of baby weights to guess how big we thought the baby was going to be. My older brother was nearly 9 lbs, and I ended up being 9lbs 3oz. Talking to my mother in law, I learned my husband was also 9lbs 3oz. So naturally I assumed that it would be my fate to deliver a 9lb baby.
Today at the doctor's office, I got my bump measured as usual. I've been expecting at any time now to hear that I'm measuring ahead, but he smiles and says, "Right on track. We can expect to see a 7 and a half pound baby!" My husband and I look at each other shocked. I explain to the doctor we weren't expecting that because we were both over 9lbs. He says, "Oh, we don't like big babies around here. I think you're going to be just fine," and gives us a reassuring smile.
I've just gotten used to the idea that the newborn sized clothes would end up utterly useless or that we wouldn't be using the newborn insert in the carseat for very long. Now I'm adjusting to the idea that this pregnancy will be completely complication free, including not having the doctors fret over trying to deliver an oversized baby. There's still time for him to go through a growth spurt and be as big as we anticipated, but I like the idea of probably having a baby 2lbs less than I feared.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Travel with the Sniffles
32 weeks 6 days
This past weekend was my second baby shower in my hometown. I ended up driving by myself as the shower was on Saturday morning and hubby had to work Friday night. Although it was a good weekend, I'm glad we made a point to not plan anymore big trips for the rest of the pregnancy.
The luxury of driving by myself is I could stop when and where I wanted to. I stopped about every hour to relieve my over-squished bladder, and I was able to stop by a fast food place they only have on the east side of the state that I love. Plus I gave myself plenty of time to get there so I could run an errand with my bank, enough time to hang out with a friend and her family until my own family claimed me for the rest of the evening.
The baby denied me my plans of sleeping in, so my mother and I got an early start. We decided to surprise my husband by getting his car detailed, and we killed some time before the shower. I had a minor case of the sniffles the day before, but just before the shower I started feeling borderline feverish. I got some air and was able to compose myself just in time for the shower.
I'm truly floored by the turnout! There must have been 15-20 ladies at this shower. I admit half of them I didn't even know except by name. But these women remembered me because I grew up in the church we were holding the shower at. We ate and played a party game before I began going through the massive pile of presents. It literally took me 2 hours to get through all the presents (I had to call a bathroom break midway), and they were good quality presents. About a third included hand knitted blankets, shoes, hats, or jackets that I knew these women had probably made themselves. They reminded me of my Granny who had often knitted me clothes for my baby dolls when I was little, and it made me smile to think that even though my baby won't get to meet Granny that he'll still get to enjoy hand knitted items made just for him.
I put on a brave face at the shower, but by the end of it I was really drained. Unfortunately, we still needed to make a stop at a maternity store to stock up on nursing bras. I rested at home for a few hours after getting the bras before we had to go right back to the church for the Christmas cantata. Then some friends kidnapped me for the evening. I didn't actually take my temperature, but I was worried I was going to end up with a fever. I took it easy for the rest of the night and went to bed early.
Luckily, if I did have a fever, it must have broken in the night. I had a sinus headache and the sniffles, but otherwise I was functional. After spending time with a few other friends, I managed to drive myself home. However, driving in the dark with congestion and a sinus headache with a 4 lb kicking baby dancing on my bladder isn't an experience I want to repeat anytime soon. Although I half considered travelling to hubby's father's house for Christmas, I think I'll stick to our original plan of letting people choose to come to us this year.
This past weekend was my second baby shower in my hometown. I ended up driving by myself as the shower was on Saturday morning and hubby had to work Friday night. Although it was a good weekend, I'm glad we made a point to not plan anymore big trips for the rest of the pregnancy.
The luxury of driving by myself is I could stop when and where I wanted to. I stopped about every hour to relieve my over-squished bladder, and I was able to stop by a fast food place they only have on the east side of the state that I love. Plus I gave myself plenty of time to get there so I could run an errand with my bank, enough time to hang out with a friend and her family until my own family claimed me for the rest of the evening.
The baby denied me my plans of sleeping in, so my mother and I got an early start. We decided to surprise my husband by getting his car detailed, and we killed some time before the shower. I had a minor case of the sniffles the day before, but just before the shower I started feeling borderline feverish. I got some air and was able to compose myself just in time for the shower.
I'm truly floored by the turnout! There must have been 15-20 ladies at this shower. I admit half of them I didn't even know except by name. But these women remembered me because I grew up in the church we were holding the shower at. We ate and played a party game before I began going through the massive pile of presents. It literally took me 2 hours to get through all the presents (I had to call a bathroom break midway), and they were good quality presents. About a third included hand knitted blankets, shoes, hats, or jackets that I knew these women had probably made themselves. They reminded me of my Granny who had often knitted me clothes for my baby dolls when I was little, and it made me smile to think that even though my baby won't get to meet Granny that he'll still get to enjoy hand knitted items made just for him.
I put on a brave face at the shower, but by the end of it I was really drained. Unfortunately, we still needed to make a stop at a maternity store to stock up on nursing bras. I rested at home for a few hours after getting the bras before we had to go right back to the church for the Christmas cantata. Then some friends kidnapped me for the evening. I didn't actually take my temperature, but I was worried I was going to end up with a fever. I took it easy for the rest of the night and went to bed early.
Luckily, if I did have a fever, it must have broken in the night. I had a sinus headache and the sniffles, but otherwise I was functional. After spending time with a few other friends, I managed to drive myself home. However, driving in the dark with congestion and a sinus headache with a 4 lb kicking baby dancing on my bladder isn't an experience I want to repeat anytime soon. Although I half considered travelling to hubby's father's house for Christmas, I think I'll stick to our original plan of letting people choose to come to us this year.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Showers of Friends
31 weeks 6 days
Hubby and I got in last night from travelling to our first baby shower. A good number of friends live in another state 5 hours away and wouldn't be able to come to the shower in our home state, so a friend organized a shower closer to everyone. Added with Thanksgiving travelling to visit my parents, we drove almost exactly 1000 miles this weekend and had to fight through Sunday after Thanksgiving traffic to get home. But it was definately worth it.
A particular friend of ours (we'll call him Chaz for the sake of internet anonymity) really went out of his way for us this whole weekend and coordinated with people to meet us wherever we were so that we could see as many friends as we could. We got to see a friend the evening before who wasn't going to be able to make it to the shower, but we unfortunately missed the chance to see a few other friends because they were late and showed up as we were leaving the restaurant. The next day, my husband and Chaz took me to an awesome local diner while the appartment was decorated for the baby shower. Within that short hour, they had hung banners and streamers all over the living room and even in front of the bathroom and the bedroom we were staying in. The guys promptly escaped the scene so that they could meet up with some other friends and go see "Immortals".
The shower was a blast! They had a bunch of shower games planned from trying to remember the names of TV and movie kids to mad libs themed around how the delivery of the baby will go. We did the clothespin game where you couldn't say the word baby (which I promptly lost), and we blindfolded each other to try to feed each other pudding baby style. They even brought plain onesies we got to decorate for our future little dork and promised plenty of pictures when he's big enough to fit in them. We rounded off the evening by going out to Chili's and chatting about the game we all play. Some of them went out again to get dessert, but I was wiped by this point and made a date with the bed.
We got a few of the items from our registry, but the day was more about getting to have a good time with friends and celebrate the new baby. Hubby had more fun being out with his buddies than he would have had he stayed at the shower, and I got some girl bonding time. We got to see a lot of people in the area, including meeting up with another friend on our way out of town. There is definately a trip planned a few months after baby's birth day to give friends the chance to meet the baby. They probably don't have the most kid friendly vocabularies, but they're people I wouldn't mind having in baby's life.
Next weekend is shower #2 where I hope we get more of what we need. I doubt anyone will actually get the crib for us, but you never know as we got the stroller we wanted delivered to our door this morning.
Hubby and I got in last night from travelling to our first baby shower. A good number of friends live in another state 5 hours away and wouldn't be able to come to the shower in our home state, so a friend organized a shower closer to everyone. Added with Thanksgiving travelling to visit my parents, we drove almost exactly 1000 miles this weekend and had to fight through Sunday after Thanksgiving traffic to get home. But it was definately worth it.
A particular friend of ours (we'll call him Chaz for the sake of internet anonymity) really went out of his way for us this whole weekend and coordinated with people to meet us wherever we were so that we could see as many friends as we could. We got to see a friend the evening before who wasn't going to be able to make it to the shower, but we unfortunately missed the chance to see a few other friends because they were late and showed up as we were leaving the restaurant. The next day, my husband and Chaz took me to an awesome local diner while the appartment was decorated for the baby shower. Within that short hour, they had hung banners and streamers all over the living room and even in front of the bathroom and the bedroom we were staying in. The guys promptly escaped the scene so that they could meet up with some other friends and go see "Immortals".
The shower was a blast! They had a bunch of shower games planned from trying to remember the names of TV and movie kids to mad libs themed around how the delivery of the baby will go. We did the clothespin game where you couldn't say the word baby (which I promptly lost), and we blindfolded each other to try to feed each other pudding baby style. They even brought plain onesies we got to decorate for our future little dork and promised plenty of pictures when he's big enough to fit in them. We rounded off the evening by going out to Chili's and chatting about the game we all play. Some of them went out again to get dessert, but I was wiped by this point and made a date with the bed.
We got a few of the items from our registry, but the day was more about getting to have a good time with friends and celebrate the new baby. Hubby had more fun being out with his buddies than he would have had he stayed at the shower, and I got some girl bonding time. We got to see a lot of people in the area, including meeting up with another friend on our way out of town. There is definately a trip planned a few months after baby's birth day to give friends the chance to meet the baby. They probably don't have the most kid friendly vocabularies, but they're people I wouldn't mind having in baby's life.
Next weekend is shower #2 where I hope we get more of what we need. I doubt anyone will actually get the crib for us, but you never know as we got the stroller we wanted delivered to our door this morning.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Wait, we're going to have a baby of our very own?
31 weeks 0 days
This weekend, we took a tour of the hospital we're going to be giving birth at. We can't think of it as this abstract place in our distant future anymore. It's a real place with nice rooms, wood panelled bassinets, and a nursery. Even though I hope to spend as little time as possible in this place, it's a place of great significance to us. This is where we are having our firstborn, our little boy! And it's going to happen in 2 months!
Baby has definately been real to me for several months (I have the acid reflux and lack of sleep to prove it), but seeing the hospital is like being shown a glimpse of the finish line. It's a lot easier to visualize the birth when I've seen where I'm going to be for it. No, I may not end up in that exact room, but it's a hospital, not a luxury hotel with 20 unique room styles. If I have a textbook birth, I'm going to be spending a good amount of time getting acquainted with the room before the big debut anyway.
As we were looking through the windows at the nursery, a pregnant woman obviously in labor was wheelchaired past us. It wasn't the stereotypical screaming laboring woman either. Other than being red and sweaty, she didn't look much different than myself or the other 6 or so pregnant women on the tour. She was actually texting on her phone, probably telling family and friends that it was time. I couldn't help relating to her, automatically envisioning myself in her exact position. I bet I wasn't the only one on that tour who did the same thing.
I feel a lot calmer knowing how things are going to go at the hospital. For some reason, I also feel calmer having that sense of knowing that we're going to have an actual baby in our arms. Maybe it's hormones of some kind, but I'm not anxious or over excited. I'm calmly pleased by the thought. Maybe I'm just relieved to be seeing proof that 9 months of all the obstacles of pregnancy will be worth it.
I'm in the home stretch. I have every hope of making it to January 24, but in reality it could be anytime. Every day gives him time to grow and be strong enough to be ready for the outside world.
This weekend, we took a tour of the hospital we're going to be giving birth at. We can't think of it as this abstract place in our distant future anymore. It's a real place with nice rooms, wood panelled bassinets, and a nursery. Even though I hope to spend as little time as possible in this place, it's a place of great significance to us. This is where we are having our firstborn, our little boy! And it's going to happen in 2 months!
Baby has definately been real to me for several months (I have the acid reflux and lack of sleep to prove it), but seeing the hospital is like being shown a glimpse of the finish line. It's a lot easier to visualize the birth when I've seen where I'm going to be for it. No, I may not end up in that exact room, but it's a hospital, not a luxury hotel with 20 unique room styles. If I have a textbook birth, I'm going to be spending a good amount of time getting acquainted with the room before the big debut anyway.
As we were looking through the windows at the nursery, a pregnant woman obviously in labor was wheelchaired past us. It wasn't the stereotypical screaming laboring woman either. Other than being red and sweaty, she didn't look much different than myself or the other 6 or so pregnant women on the tour. She was actually texting on her phone, probably telling family and friends that it was time. I couldn't help relating to her, automatically envisioning myself in her exact position. I bet I wasn't the only one on that tour who did the same thing.
I feel a lot calmer knowing how things are going to go at the hospital. For some reason, I also feel calmer having that sense of knowing that we're going to have an actual baby in our arms. Maybe it's hormones of some kind, but I'm not anxious or over excited. I'm calmly pleased by the thought. Maybe I'm just relieved to be seeing proof that 9 months of all the obstacles of pregnancy will be worth it.
I'm in the home stretch. I have every hope of making it to January 24, but in reality it could be anytime. Every day gives him time to grow and be strong enough to be ready for the outside world.
Friday, November 18, 2011
"Spaces in your Togetherness"
"You were born together, and together you shall be forever more.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup, but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread, but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow" ~ Khalil Gibran, "The Prophet"
I doubt my husband has read this, but in our marriage he seems to be following these words as much as I am. A comment he made today made me think again about this passage.
A friend and I are having a disagreement/misunderstanding about something. Although he has stepped in to help in the past, he's decided it's best to let me deal with it. Even though he hates seeing me upset, he admits I'm dealing with the situation better than he would. We make a point to allow the other to have breathing room in our relationship and believe that it allows for better results to deal with life as separate people still. We are similar but still very different people with different pasts that guide our decisions. In marriage, we get to benefit from each other, but it doesn't mean tying our hands together.
The same could be said of friendships I suppose. We don't (usually) tie ourselves to friends as much as we would a spouse, but it's unrealistic to expect friendships to go on without any problems. Sure, it's healthy to walk away from friendships that do nothing but hurt, but it is our differences with the people around us that truly help us grow and evaluate the parts of ourselves we should outgrow. We walk our path side by side with those we choose to be there with us. But we also get to choose how close we walk with them. Some friends you want within arms reach, some perhaps are meant to be within shouting distance. Some are only meant to be with us for a season before taking their lives down a different path.
Well, this post was supposed to be about marriage, but isn't marriage just a really close friendship anyway?
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup, but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread, but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow" ~ Khalil Gibran, "The Prophet"
I doubt my husband has read this, but in our marriage he seems to be following these words as much as I am. A comment he made today made me think again about this passage.
A friend and I are having a disagreement/misunderstanding about something. Although he has stepped in to help in the past, he's decided it's best to let me deal with it. Even though he hates seeing me upset, he admits I'm dealing with the situation better than he would. We make a point to allow the other to have breathing room in our relationship and believe that it allows for better results to deal with life as separate people still. We are similar but still very different people with different pasts that guide our decisions. In marriage, we get to benefit from each other, but it doesn't mean tying our hands together.
The same could be said of friendships I suppose. We don't (usually) tie ourselves to friends as much as we would a spouse, but it's unrealistic to expect friendships to go on without any problems. Sure, it's healthy to walk away from friendships that do nothing but hurt, but it is our differences with the people around us that truly help us grow and evaluate the parts of ourselves we should outgrow. We walk our path side by side with those we choose to be there with us. But we also get to choose how close we walk with them. Some friends you want within arms reach, some perhaps are meant to be within shouting distance. Some are only meant to be with us for a season before taking their lives down a different path.
Well, this post was supposed to be about marriage, but isn't marriage just a really close friendship anyway?
Monday, November 14, 2011
I get so ANGRY about being moody!
29 weeks 6 days
I feel like I've been nothing but moody lately. Poor hubby has had to put up with me getting annoyed with him at little things he does (or doesn't do). I feel like I've lost all patience for him, our cat, and even myself. I'm at the point where I get annoyed with myself when I forget to take my medicine or have to get out of a comfortable position to pee.
I know I have the right to use a lot of excuses. I'm pregnant, I haven't slept well in a few months, I have acid reflux so bad that some nights I can't even lay down without getting sick, and baby likes to test his strength by kicking my cervix. The truth is that I never like using excuses because I always consider it stronger to just 'man up' about it and overcome it. I'll allow myself to use the hormone excuse only because otherwise I feel like an awful person for how I've been behaving.
Having no patience is a new experience for me. Perhaps it is a cruel biological joke of learning how to function without certain luxuries like a full night's sleep or a content stomach. My poor husband has been so patient with me as I have to relearn the meaning of patience under less than ideal circumstances. I've gone so far as to criticize the way he plays his video games, and he's mostly taken it in stride with a few exasperated "yes dear"s.
I sure hope I get my patience back soon. I hate being the pregnant lady monster.
I feel like I've been nothing but moody lately. Poor hubby has had to put up with me getting annoyed with him at little things he does (or doesn't do). I feel like I've lost all patience for him, our cat, and even myself. I'm at the point where I get annoyed with myself when I forget to take my medicine or have to get out of a comfortable position to pee.
I know I have the right to use a lot of excuses. I'm pregnant, I haven't slept well in a few months, I have acid reflux so bad that some nights I can't even lay down without getting sick, and baby likes to test his strength by kicking my cervix. The truth is that I never like using excuses because I always consider it stronger to just 'man up' about it and overcome it. I'll allow myself to use the hormone excuse only because otherwise I feel like an awful person for how I've been behaving.
Having no patience is a new experience for me. Perhaps it is a cruel biological joke of learning how to function without certain luxuries like a full night's sleep or a content stomach. My poor husband has been so patient with me as I have to relearn the meaning of patience under less than ideal circumstances. I've gone so far as to criticize the way he plays his video games, and he's mostly taken it in stride with a few exasperated "yes dear"s.
I sure hope I get my patience back soon. I hate being the pregnant lady monster.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The Bunny Baby
29 weeks 2 days
My husband and I have decided to impliment a few new changes for the sake of the cat. He's used to getting a lot of attention and having the run of the house (except our bedroom which he is never allowed in without supervision). So when we cleaned out the baby's room a week or so ago, we went ahead and shut the door to it and declared it a no cat zone. Aside from not wanting him to pee on the spare mattress we set up in there (he has a history of peeing on beds), we don't want the cat in the room with baby unsupervised. Starting yesterday, we began the next phase of cat/baby acclimation: operation bunny baby.
I took a stuffed bunny about the size baby should be when born and swaddled it in a blanket we've been given already. My husband and I have been taking turns holding bunny baby in our laps. Kitty has been somewhat interested in this new thing in his world, but he's so far been acting how we want him to around a baby. He sniffs it and even gave it a lick, but he's been careful not to step on baby bunny or lay too close to it. He must be getting the message by the way we hold bunny baby (and occassional talk to it when we feel the silly urge) that this is something to be respected because it is important to the humans. Our hope is that he will be so used to having bunny baby in his life that he won't be completely horrified at a swaddled baby in our arms. I plan for the last stage of operation bunny baby to include swaddling the bunny in a blanket baby has used so that the cat has a day or two to associate the swaddled bunny with the smell of a swaddled baby.
There will likely be mention of bunny baby in posts to come since he is a surrogate baby for us as well. I'll be using bunny baby to teach hubby how to properly swaddle baby as well as how to work a cloth diaper. Bunny baby will also be good practice for him to learn how to properly hold a newborn. He made the comment that bunny baby is like the high school parenting class assignment of taking care of an egg. At least we don't have to worry about bunny baby cracking if we drop him and getting a bad grade.
As for the cat, I think he's more upset about losing access to the baby room right now. I'd be a bit miffed too if I was confined to the living room/kitchen and a bathroom. He's still our fuzzy baby, and we want him to still feel loved even after we bring our baby home.
My husband and I have decided to impliment a few new changes for the sake of the cat. He's used to getting a lot of attention and having the run of the house (except our bedroom which he is never allowed in without supervision). So when we cleaned out the baby's room a week or so ago, we went ahead and shut the door to it and declared it a no cat zone. Aside from not wanting him to pee on the spare mattress we set up in there (he has a history of peeing on beds), we don't want the cat in the room with baby unsupervised. Starting yesterday, we began the next phase of cat/baby acclimation: operation bunny baby.
I took a stuffed bunny about the size baby should be when born and swaddled it in a blanket we've been given already. My husband and I have been taking turns holding bunny baby in our laps. Kitty has been somewhat interested in this new thing in his world, but he's so far been acting how we want him to around a baby. He sniffs it and even gave it a lick, but he's been careful not to step on baby bunny or lay too close to it. He must be getting the message by the way we hold bunny baby (and occassional talk to it when we feel the silly urge) that this is something to be respected because it is important to the humans. Our hope is that he will be so used to having bunny baby in his life that he won't be completely horrified at a swaddled baby in our arms. I plan for the last stage of operation bunny baby to include swaddling the bunny in a blanket baby has used so that the cat has a day or two to associate the swaddled bunny with the smell of a swaddled baby.
There will likely be mention of bunny baby in posts to come since he is a surrogate baby for us as well. I'll be using bunny baby to teach hubby how to properly swaddle baby as well as how to work a cloth diaper. Bunny baby will also be good practice for him to learn how to properly hold a newborn. He made the comment that bunny baby is like the high school parenting class assignment of taking care of an egg. At least we don't have to worry about bunny baby cracking if we drop him and getting a bad grade.
As for the cat, I think he's more upset about losing access to the baby room right now. I'd be a bit miffed too if I was confined to the living room/kitchen and a bathroom. He's still our fuzzy baby, and we want him to still feel loved even after we bring our baby home.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Defining "Failure"
29 weeks 1 day
Today, I got the chance to talk to one of the doctors about my birth plan. I'm wanting to go as natural as I can with little intervention unless there's something wrong. My husband laughed at how precise my birth plan was, but being on the pregnancy forums at thebump.com really opened my eyes to just what all can happen during birth.
For the most part, the doctor agreed with a lot of what I put down. He didn't agree with my wish to not have an IV, but he took the time to explain that during labor that the stomach is being squeezed too and wouldn't be able to process fluids properly. I know that getting IV fluids can slow down labor, but that is actually a legit reason to consider getting one eventually. I'll probably end up drinking water while I'm laboring at home and have them check to see if I'm dehydrated when I get admitted.
Something he said really stuck with me though. He felt it important that I keep an open mind and not consider myself a failure if we don't get to stick exactly with the birth plan. It could have just come from what he's been taught to say to talk mothers into getting c-sections, but there's something I can still take from it. We're going to fight tooth and nail to not get a c-section unless I need it, but I do need to be ready for the possibility. It is my body, but during labor there's little I can do as to what it's doing. It isn't my fault if baby goes into distress nor if my muscles just give up after hours of pushing. I'm going to be doing everything mentally and physically that I can to have the birth that will be best for me and the baby. But I need to remember that having to deviate from this plan doesn't make me a failure as a mother.
At the end of the day, the hospital is there to do everything they can to put a healthy baby in our arms. Yeah, getting a c-section would suck, and I'd probably need to have a private moment to properly mourn the loss of my natural birth ideal. But I need to remember that it doesn't make me a failure. The doctor's words need to bounce around in my head for a while for me to really internalize it. This is important enough to take the effort to internalize.
Today, I got the chance to talk to one of the doctors about my birth plan. I'm wanting to go as natural as I can with little intervention unless there's something wrong. My husband laughed at how precise my birth plan was, but being on the pregnancy forums at thebump.com really opened my eyes to just what all can happen during birth.
For the most part, the doctor agreed with a lot of what I put down. He didn't agree with my wish to not have an IV, but he took the time to explain that during labor that the stomach is being squeezed too and wouldn't be able to process fluids properly. I know that getting IV fluids can slow down labor, but that is actually a legit reason to consider getting one eventually. I'll probably end up drinking water while I'm laboring at home and have them check to see if I'm dehydrated when I get admitted.
Something he said really stuck with me though. He felt it important that I keep an open mind and not consider myself a failure if we don't get to stick exactly with the birth plan. It could have just come from what he's been taught to say to talk mothers into getting c-sections, but there's something I can still take from it. We're going to fight tooth and nail to not get a c-section unless I need it, but I do need to be ready for the possibility. It is my body, but during labor there's little I can do as to what it's doing. It isn't my fault if baby goes into distress nor if my muscles just give up after hours of pushing. I'm going to be doing everything mentally and physically that I can to have the birth that will be best for me and the baby. But I need to remember that having to deviate from this plan doesn't make me a failure as a mother.
At the end of the day, the hospital is there to do everything they can to put a healthy baby in our arms. Yeah, getting a c-section would suck, and I'd probably need to have a private moment to properly mourn the loss of my natural birth ideal. But I need to remember that it doesn't make me a failure. The doctor's words need to bounce around in my head for a while for me to really internalize it. This is important enough to take the effort to internalize.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Wait, I thought I was done with 1st trimester!
28 weeks 5 days
First, I apologize for the time between posts. Between finishing the name change process and a healthy helping of sleep deprivation, I just hadn't been in the mood to update here. I'll start with a brief description of how the glucose test went.
I had to fast before the test, and my stomach was sure making some interesting noises that morning. It was a relief when I got to drink the glucose solution. I wished I had to take more of it I was so hungry. While I was in the examination room waiting for the hour to pass so they could take my blood (and so I could eat an actual meal), I started sugar crashing. But I was determined to power through the rest of the appointment. However, after the technician drew the blood for the test, I started sweating and feeling dizzy. I told the tech I wasn't feeling well, so she turned on the fan and put an ice pack to the back of my neck. I spent the next 10 minutes trying not to vomit and focused on breathing. Luckily, I didn't actually pass out or vomit, and I got myself well enough to leave and get some real food in me.
While I was recovering, the technician went ahead and tested my blood glucose levels. I passed with flying colors. My score was in the 80's (it would have had to have been above 130 for me to fail), so I do not have gestational diabetes. So I get to continue eating whatever I can stomach without worrying about it affecting my blood sugar.
However, my stomach gets upset when I have too much sugar anyway. Having extra halloween candy around doesn't help that any. Tomato sauce and corn remain my main aversions, but even with my bland diet I have to take Zantac every day to keep the acid reflux down. I'm really looking forward to eating like a normal human being again. I may have to limit some foods if baby gets gassy from the breastmilk, but at least it won't be because certain foods make me feel like death.
The sleep deprivation continues. I'm waking every hour or two, so I know I'm not getting the deep sleep my body craves to actually feel rested. I'm lucky I have my husband around to drive me places because I feel half coherent most of the time. On top of the major sleep deprivation is an increase in joint acheyness. I know it's due to the hormones loosening up my hip joints for birth, but it makes the rest of my body feel like I've just run a race.
Baby has taken a preference to kicking my left side. As a result, when I'm sitting on the couch, I often have to have a pillow next to that side to sit comfortably. When I sleep, a pillow has to prop up the bump when I lay on that side (since my achey joints make it impossible to stay on one side for very long). Baby has some oomph behind his kicks now, and he applies some major pressure whenever he flips over. He's probably running out of room, so his dance routine has become more painful.
We've got some baby showers planned in a few weeks, and I'll make a point to post updates on how those go.
First, I apologize for the time between posts. Between finishing the name change process and a healthy helping of sleep deprivation, I just hadn't been in the mood to update here. I'll start with a brief description of how the glucose test went.
I had to fast before the test, and my stomach was sure making some interesting noises that morning. It was a relief when I got to drink the glucose solution. I wished I had to take more of it I was so hungry. While I was in the examination room waiting for the hour to pass so they could take my blood (and so I could eat an actual meal), I started sugar crashing. But I was determined to power through the rest of the appointment. However, after the technician drew the blood for the test, I started sweating and feeling dizzy. I told the tech I wasn't feeling well, so she turned on the fan and put an ice pack to the back of my neck. I spent the next 10 minutes trying not to vomit and focused on breathing. Luckily, I didn't actually pass out or vomit, and I got myself well enough to leave and get some real food in me.
While I was recovering, the technician went ahead and tested my blood glucose levels. I passed with flying colors. My score was in the 80's (it would have had to have been above 130 for me to fail), so I do not have gestational diabetes. So I get to continue eating whatever I can stomach without worrying about it affecting my blood sugar.
However, my stomach gets upset when I have too much sugar anyway. Having extra halloween candy around doesn't help that any. Tomato sauce and corn remain my main aversions, but even with my bland diet I have to take Zantac every day to keep the acid reflux down. I'm really looking forward to eating like a normal human being again. I may have to limit some foods if baby gets gassy from the breastmilk, but at least it won't be because certain foods make me feel like death.
The sleep deprivation continues. I'm waking every hour or two, so I know I'm not getting the deep sleep my body craves to actually feel rested. I'm lucky I have my husband around to drive me places because I feel half coherent most of the time. On top of the major sleep deprivation is an increase in joint acheyness. I know it's due to the hormones loosening up my hip joints for birth, but it makes the rest of my body feel like I've just run a race.
Baby has taken a preference to kicking my left side. As a result, when I'm sitting on the couch, I often have to have a pillow next to that side to sit comfortably. When I sleep, a pillow has to prop up the bump when I lay on that side (since my achey joints make it impossible to stay on one side for very long). Baby has some oomph behind his kicks now, and he applies some major pressure whenever he flips over. He's probably running out of room, so his dance routine has become more painful.
We've got some baby showers planned in a few weeks, and I'll make a point to post updates on how those go.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Preggo at the Fair
26 weeks 6 days
We took a trip to the State Fair for a friend's birthday yesterday. I came armed with a 2.2 liter water bottle, and my husband came prepared to buy me whatever food I required while we were there. We scouted out a park and ride lot to reduce our walking back to the car at the end of the day, and I put on my comfy walking sneakers. I knew I was going to be so sore after this excursion, but I needed out of the house anyway. Besides, I love the fair! I just couldn't go on any of the rides this year.
At first, walking around wasn't too much of an issue. The fair was so crowded that often we were reduced to a speed that was comfortable for me anyway. But then we ended up taking a wrong turn in the festival. The map made it look like it looped back around to the rides, so we kept on the path. It did loop around... all the way back behind the rides where fences kept us from rejoining the throng! We must have added an extra mile by taking that long-cut. However, the crowds were thinner back there, so hubby had to flag down the group a few times to slow down for the waddling pregnant lady.
Luckily, before we took this side-route, a friend and I took a detour to get deep fried cheesecake. To the uninitiated, it doesn't sound appealing. But I had the pleasure of trying one last year, and it heaven on a tray! Just the mention of the state fair a few weeks ago made my cravings go into overdrive for deep fried cheesecake. Indulging served to qualm my craving, but it also gave me the energy boost I needed to survive the scenic route.
We finally circle back around to the rides, and I find an eating area to sit down. For the next hour or two, our group went off and rode rides, but someone always came and sat with me to keep me company. I munched on a few corndogs and experienced the sensation of feeling loud music reverberating in my abdomen. Baby was twitching a little bit, but overall he must have been rocked into a deep sleep from all the walking. I wish I couldn't done a few rides, but having someone sit with me while my aching legs and feet got a break really made the time go faster.
By sunset, I'm just about ready for us to be heading home, but there was one more thing we had to do first. I wanted to go on the ferris wheel, mostly because it was the only ride I could really go on. 5 of us ended up going on it. While most everyone else in it was too preoccupied with our friend who was freaking out because she's afraid of heights, I looked out over the fair and all the lights on the rides and stands. I thought back to an image earlier that day of a dad holding his probably 1 year old daughter and seeing her face full of amazement looking at all the flashing lights. It's made me excited for next year and the years after when we get to bring our little boy to the fair. It's a magical place for a child, and I couldn't wait to share it with him.
Naturally when I got home, my feet swelled, my back ached, and I was incoherently tired. However, D got to watch baby kick so hard that my entire abdomen twitched and changed position. I've never felt him kick so hard before! I guess baby had a fun day too. :)
We took a trip to the State Fair for a friend's birthday yesterday. I came armed with a 2.2 liter water bottle, and my husband came prepared to buy me whatever food I required while we were there. We scouted out a park and ride lot to reduce our walking back to the car at the end of the day, and I put on my comfy walking sneakers. I knew I was going to be so sore after this excursion, but I needed out of the house anyway. Besides, I love the fair! I just couldn't go on any of the rides this year.
At first, walking around wasn't too much of an issue. The fair was so crowded that often we were reduced to a speed that was comfortable for me anyway. But then we ended up taking a wrong turn in the festival. The map made it look like it looped back around to the rides, so we kept on the path. It did loop around... all the way back behind the rides where fences kept us from rejoining the throng! We must have added an extra mile by taking that long-cut. However, the crowds were thinner back there, so hubby had to flag down the group a few times to slow down for the waddling pregnant lady.
Luckily, before we took this side-route, a friend and I took a detour to get deep fried cheesecake. To the uninitiated, it doesn't sound appealing. But I had the pleasure of trying one last year, and it heaven on a tray! Just the mention of the state fair a few weeks ago made my cravings go into overdrive for deep fried cheesecake. Indulging served to qualm my craving, but it also gave me the energy boost I needed to survive the scenic route.
We finally circle back around to the rides, and I find an eating area to sit down. For the next hour or two, our group went off and rode rides, but someone always came and sat with me to keep me company. I munched on a few corndogs and experienced the sensation of feeling loud music reverberating in my abdomen. Baby was twitching a little bit, but overall he must have been rocked into a deep sleep from all the walking. I wish I couldn't done a few rides, but having someone sit with me while my aching legs and feet got a break really made the time go faster.
By sunset, I'm just about ready for us to be heading home, but there was one more thing we had to do first. I wanted to go on the ferris wheel, mostly because it was the only ride I could really go on. 5 of us ended up going on it. While most everyone else in it was too preoccupied with our friend who was freaking out because she's afraid of heights, I looked out over the fair and all the lights on the rides and stands. I thought back to an image earlier that day of a dad holding his probably 1 year old daughter and seeing her face full of amazement looking at all the flashing lights. It's made me excited for next year and the years after when we get to bring our little boy to the fair. It's a magical place for a child, and I couldn't wait to share it with him.
Naturally when I got home, my feet swelled, my back ached, and I was incoherently tired. However, D got to watch baby kick so hard that my entire abdomen twitched and changed position. I've never felt him kick so hard before! I guess baby had a fun day too. :)
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
3rd Trimester, Here We Come
26 weeks 0 days
I've got a few days until I'm officially 3rd trimester, but I definately feel like I'm crossing that threshold. Ever since the wedding, baby has been increasingly active. It's to the point where his activity keeps me from sleeping soundly. He's been hanging out low, so I haven't felt any jabs to the ribs yet (although I've gotten some ill aimed kicks to the hip bone). He's definately rolling around for a good 10 minutes at a time before going to sleep for a couple hours.
I've gotten increasingly achey all over. My feet hurt when I'm on them too long, a good walk causes round ligament pain around the bump, my boobs are going through a growth spurt (and already leaking), and my poor back gets the brunt end of the acheyness. My acid reflux is barely contained by the Zantac (although there hasn't been anymore vomitting thanks to its help) and contributes partly to the sleep deprivation. I just can't stay comfortable no matter how I lie or sit down. Flipping sides in the night becomes its own affair as I'll occassionally pull something in the process or the movement will wake baby and get him kicking. He hates when I'm on my left side for whatever reason.
I finally feel like I'm round enough for strangers to notice I'm pregnant. They don't say anything because they don't want to be rude if I'm actually not pregnant, but I love getting to flaunt the bump. However much I love the bump though, I'm going to love more getting to show off my baby. :)
Next week is the dreaded glucose test for gestational diabetes. I can't eat at all that morning, and they have to draw blood an hour after drinking a glucose solution. I'm expecting to also be told it's time to count kicks. I don't think that part will be any problem. I just hope I'm over this dratted cold before then. Here's to hoping for a "boring" pregnancy without anymore scares so I can blog more about planned parenting styles than complications.
I've got a few days until I'm officially 3rd trimester, but I definately feel like I'm crossing that threshold. Ever since the wedding, baby has been increasingly active. It's to the point where his activity keeps me from sleeping soundly. He's been hanging out low, so I haven't felt any jabs to the ribs yet (although I've gotten some ill aimed kicks to the hip bone). He's definately rolling around for a good 10 minutes at a time before going to sleep for a couple hours.
I've gotten increasingly achey all over. My feet hurt when I'm on them too long, a good walk causes round ligament pain around the bump, my boobs are going through a growth spurt (and already leaking), and my poor back gets the brunt end of the acheyness. My acid reflux is barely contained by the Zantac (although there hasn't been anymore vomitting thanks to its help) and contributes partly to the sleep deprivation. I just can't stay comfortable no matter how I lie or sit down. Flipping sides in the night becomes its own affair as I'll occassionally pull something in the process or the movement will wake baby and get him kicking. He hates when I'm on my left side for whatever reason.
I finally feel like I'm round enough for strangers to notice I'm pregnant. They don't say anything because they don't want to be rude if I'm actually not pregnant, but I love getting to flaunt the bump. However much I love the bump though, I'm going to love more getting to show off my baby. :)
Next week is the dreaded glucose test for gestational diabetes. I can't eat at all that morning, and they have to draw blood an hour after drinking a glucose solution. I'm expecting to also be told it's time to count kicks. I don't think that part will be any problem. I just hope I'm over this dratted cold before then. Here's to hoping for a "boring" pregnancy without anymore scares so I can blog more about planned parenting styles than complications.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Wedding Part 3: One Big Party
This is the last of my series of posts about the wedding.
As can be expected the morning of a wedding, it was buy and hectic. Yet I wouldn't necessarily call it as stressful as I feared. Most everyone had their tickets, the bridesmaids knew what they needed to do to get ready, and the outfits were all sorted out.
We got up at 6am (before the sun was even up) and spent the first hour and a half doing our hair. Then we met my parents downstairs for breakfast. We got to say a quick hello to other family and friends staying in the same hotel (with our hair all up in braids with flowers and circlets keep in mind) before we had to scurry back upstairs to finish getting ready. My mom came up to snap a few pictures before I asked if she would go get us a luggage trolley for my bridesmaids' things as they were going to a different hotel that night. It was only then, about 30-45 minutes before we had to leave, that things started getting a bit hectic.
My brother comes up to the room to bring up D's stuff and get our officiant so she could ride with D to the renaissance festival. Just at that moment, dad called being all stressed out. Apparantly my mom decided to go back to their room first in time to see dad all stressed out because his outfit wasn't fitting him properly somehow and that we should get our own trolley. My brother immediately left and got us a trolley as it was really getting time to go. We got most of the bridesmaids things loaded up, but our officiant's bags somehow got left behind in our room. It worked out in the end though because the hotel was moving D's and my stuff to a different room with a king sized bed, and her stuff just got moved with ours and picked up after the wedding.
I load up in the car with the bridesmaids and make it to the festival with plenty of time to spare, probably just when traffic was starting to pick up. We get to the festival, and my parents tell me that D is freaking out because he didn't get his VIP parking pass from my brother, and my brother had left my phone behind with me when he rushed off to get us the luggage trolley. We ran my brother around like a madman that morning trying to distribute last minute tickets, and he somehow got the parking pass to D in time. I probably won't ever know just how much effort he put in that morning, but I got to go in as soon as the festival opened and place the programs before cooling my heals before the wedding.
15 minutes or so before the wedding, a hoard of our friends dressed in full in-period garb came into the wedding area and told me D was coming and I needed to go hide. So I gather the wedding party to go hide behind some bleachers only to realize we forgot to grab my dad. A groomsman goes to retrieve him, and then we wait. We're not sure if anyone is coming to get us, but our event coordinator apparantly took charge and got someone where we were to signal us.
After that time, the day went (mostly) according to plan. Dad and I got our entrance complete with a trumpeter (noone knew where the other trumpeter was >.<; ) and honor guard with swords. D was waiting for me at the altar with a single yellow rose, such a romantic gesture. He even got on one knee to give his vows because he didn't do a proper proposal on one knee. I only had eyes for him, but apparantly a lot of people were tearing up during our vows. We exchanged vows and rings and a kiss, and we were married! We proceeded out to signify the end of the ceremony.
We went back in for pictures, but the actors for the king and queen and their royal court came in and stole the show. They mingled with our guests before leading us in a procession to the joust. We got a special announced entrance as well as a toast from the king. We got to sit on the main platform with the queen during the joust, and I got to hand out the medals to the winners of each contest. It was a lot of fun, and I could tell our guests were enjoying the show too (although maybe I should've warned more of them to bring hats and sunscreen).
The reception ended up not being this big deal. People drifted in and out the whole time we had it. As a result, not everyone was there for milestones like the cake cutting, first dance, and throwing of the bouquet. In the end though, it felt like this fun, informal party that people could enjoy coming and going as they pleased. Even though not everyone got to be there for the keystone traditions, it still ended up being a great time.
The receiving of guests later that night at the hotel really rounded off the "weekend-long party" feeling. Just like the reception people came and went at their leisure, and we wouldn't have had it any other way. We were both so happy to see that everyone had a good time at the festival in their own ways. But after all the excitement of the weekend, my readers can forgive me for taking nearly a week to just get back in a relaxed mood enough to feel up to writing all about it.
As can be expected the morning of a wedding, it was buy and hectic. Yet I wouldn't necessarily call it as stressful as I feared. Most everyone had their tickets, the bridesmaids knew what they needed to do to get ready, and the outfits were all sorted out.
We got up at 6am (before the sun was even up) and spent the first hour and a half doing our hair. Then we met my parents downstairs for breakfast. We got to say a quick hello to other family and friends staying in the same hotel (with our hair all up in braids with flowers and circlets keep in mind) before we had to scurry back upstairs to finish getting ready. My mom came up to snap a few pictures before I asked if she would go get us a luggage trolley for my bridesmaids' things as they were going to a different hotel that night. It was only then, about 30-45 minutes before we had to leave, that things started getting a bit hectic.
My brother comes up to the room to bring up D's stuff and get our officiant so she could ride with D to the renaissance festival. Just at that moment, dad called being all stressed out. Apparantly my mom decided to go back to their room first in time to see dad all stressed out because his outfit wasn't fitting him properly somehow and that we should get our own trolley. My brother immediately left and got us a trolley as it was really getting time to go. We got most of the bridesmaids things loaded up, but our officiant's bags somehow got left behind in our room. It worked out in the end though because the hotel was moving D's and my stuff to a different room with a king sized bed, and her stuff just got moved with ours and picked up after the wedding.
I load up in the car with the bridesmaids and make it to the festival with plenty of time to spare, probably just when traffic was starting to pick up. We get to the festival, and my parents tell me that D is freaking out because he didn't get his VIP parking pass from my brother, and my brother had left my phone behind with me when he rushed off to get us the luggage trolley. We ran my brother around like a madman that morning trying to distribute last minute tickets, and he somehow got the parking pass to D in time. I probably won't ever know just how much effort he put in that morning, but I got to go in as soon as the festival opened and place the programs before cooling my heals before the wedding.
15 minutes or so before the wedding, a hoard of our friends dressed in full in-period garb came into the wedding area and told me D was coming and I needed to go hide. So I gather the wedding party to go hide behind some bleachers only to realize we forgot to grab my dad. A groomsman goes to retrieve him, and then we wait. We're not sure if anyone is coming to get us, but our event coordinator apparantly took charge and got someone where we were to signal us.
After that time, the day went (mostly) according to plan. Dad and I got our entrance complete with a trumpeter (noone knew where the other trumpeter was >.<; ) and honor guard with swords. D was waiting for me at the altar with a single yellow rose, such a romantic gesture. He even got on one knee to give his vows because he didn't do a proper proposal on one knee. I only had eyes for him, but apparantly a lot of people were tearing up during our vows. We exchanged vows and rings and a kiss, and we were married! We proceeded out to signify the end of the ceremony.
We went back in for pictures, but the actors for the king and queen and their royal court came in and stole the show. They mingled with our guests before leading us in a procession to the joust. We got a special announced entrance as well as a toast from the king. We got to sit on the main platform with the queen during the joust, and I got to hand out the medals to the winners of each contest. It was a lot of fun, and I could tell our guests were enjoying the show too (although maybe I should've warned more of them to bring hats and sunscreen).
The reception ended up not being this big deal. People drifted in and out the whole time we had it. As a result, not everyone was there for milestones like the cake cutting, first dance, and throwing of the bouquet. In the end though, it felt like this fun, informal party that people could enjoy coming and going as they pleased. Even though not everyone got to be there for the keystone traditions, it still ended up being a great time.
The receiving of guests later that night at the hotel really rounded off the "weekend-long party" feeling. Just like the reception people came and went at their leisure, and we wouldn't have had it any other way. We were both so happy to see that everyone had a good time at the festival in their own ways. But after all the excitement of the weekend, my readers can forgive me for taking nearly a week to just get back in a relaxed mood enough to feel up to writing all about it.
Wedding Part 2: Rehearsal Dinner Toasts
Prior to the rehearsal dinner, D has his sister arrange beforehand who wanted to give toasts. As such, D's family in particular had some interesting, memorable toasts planned for the occassion.
D's dad planned out this entire funny presentation complete with embarassing childhood pictures. It got the room laughing so hard that the restaurant closed the room doors on us because we were disturbing the rest of the restaurant. Everyone had a good laugh at the pictures (some of which have now disappeared now that we're home), but his stories were not as memorable to my mind at least as what his mother had to say.
D's mother begins with how D was over 30 pounds by the time he was 1. This is why I have no hopes for a small baby, and I suspect by how quickly I get hungry again after meals that we're gonna have another eater on our hands. She then tells how D refused to talk when he was little. Our friends were aghast at the very idea! D has been renowned as not only a long-winded talker but capable of putting people to sleep with his rambling. Our friends' expressions alone was worth the story. But she confirmed D's intellect from a young age with the story about how he had taught himself to read with the speak and spell toy. D played with the toy for hours at a time, and his mom had no idea that he was learning how to read until he read her the entirety of 3 Little Pigs at age 4 at the library. Now that's an impressive feat for any child, even for someone as advanced as I knew D was.
My parents' toasts contained the same message: how I was my own, independent person from a young age. The subtext from my dad with that message is that despite what he had in mind for me, I had the perseverance to keep pushing for my own path. I got the sense that he had made peace with that idea, that even if I didn't do exactly what he had planned, he could still find a way to be proud of my accomplishments. Mom I think meant it in a more sentimental kind of way, that I've grown up to make my own choices. Whatever their intentions might have been, I was grateful for what they had to say.
D's best man offered up an Irish blessing for us as well as saying how much he considers us to be good friends, that we were the kind of people who would drop everything to come and help him (which is definately true).
D's sister finished off the toasts by alluding to certain family stories she and D had growing up. She only had to name the stories, and D laughed uproariously. But she wasn't there to tell those stories. She knew that D and I (and our baby(s) ) would be making our own stories we would be telling for years to come. So she gave us a leather-bound custom engraved journal saying "The Silverman Storybook" where we could write our own stories. We think it's such a neat idea to have a place for our family stories in writing. A week later, I've already filled the first few pages with some of the stories from our wedding (although in less detail than what I've written in the few posts on here). Although we have stories from our dating years, for it to be a family storybook, we wanted to start when our family began. The ultrasound facepalm story will find its way there, but we have many years still to fill it with the stories we can share with our grandchildren and pass on as a family heirloom.
D's dad planned out this entire funny presentation complete with embarassing childhood pictures. It got the room laughing so hard that the restaurant closed the room doors on us because we were disturbing the rest of the restaurant. Everyone had a good laugh at the pictures (some of which have now disappeared now that we're home), but his stories were not as memorable to my mind at least as what his mother had to say.
D's mother begins with how D was over 30 pounds by the time he was 1. This is why I have no hopes for a small baby, and I suspect by how quickly I get hungry again after meals that we're gonna have another eater on our hands. She then tells how D refused to talk when he was little. Our friends were aghast at the very idea! D has been renowned as not only a long-winded talker but capable of putting people to sleep with his rambling. Our friends' expressions alone was worth the story. But she confirmed D's intellect from a young age with the story about how he had taught himself to read with the speak and spell toy. D played with the toy for hours at a time, and his mom had no idea that he was learning how to read until he read her the entirety of 3 Little Pigs at age 4 at the library. Now that's an impressive feat for any child, even for someone as advanced as I knew D was.
My parents' toasts contained the same message: how I was my own, independent person from a young age. The subtext from my dad with that message is that despite what he had in mind for me, I had the perseverance to keep pushing for my own path. I got the sense that he had made peace with that idea, that even if I didn't do exactly what he had planned, he could still find a way to be proud of my accomplishments. Mom I think meant it in a more sentimental kind of way, that I've grown up to make my own choices. Whatever their intentions might have been, I was grateful for what they had to say.
D's best man offered up an Irish blessing for us as well as saying how much he considers us to be good friends, that we were the kind of people who would drop everything to come and help him (which is definately true).
D's sister finished off the toasts by alluding to certain family stories she and D had growing up. She only had to name the stories, and D laughed uproariously. But she wasn't there to tell those stories. She knew that D and I (and our baby(s) ) would be making our own stories we would be telling for years to come. So she gave us a leather-bound custom engraved journal saying "The Silverman Storybook" where we could write our own stories. We think it's such a neat idea to have a place for our family stories in writing. A week later, I've already filled the first few pages with some of the stories from our wedding (although in less detail than what I've written in the few posts on here). Although we have stories from our dating years, for it to be a family storybook, we wanted to start when our family began. The ultrasound facepalm story will find its way there, but we have many years still to fill it with the stories we can share with our grandchildren and pass on as a family heirloom.
Wedding Part 1: The Costume Debacle
I'll start by apologizing for not posting wedding details right away. I wanted to take a few days to unwind from wedding planning mode and really let it sink in that we are now married. I wanted to write these posts because I wanted to, not because I felt like I had to. It's important to me this blog feel fluid and natural, and I can achieve that by not making it an obligation. I'm not posting pictures or names here for reasons of privacy, but if enough people really want to see them, I'll post a few.
If you're just here for the baby update, I will put one at the end of this post. You can expect mostly baby updates at this point.
D's costume debacle
D had a personal friend make his costume for the wedding. We went up to his friend's house the weekend before the wedding, and it apparantly hadn't even been fully put together yet. I didn't get to see it because it was kept a surprise, but I didn't like what I heard. Still, D was confident it would get done. He arranged for his friend to drive by on Wednesday to drop it off.
So Wednesday comes and goes without so much as a phone call from his friend. I offer that I could drive out to pick it up, but when D calls, he says it isn't finished yet. It turns out his friend just got a new job and hadn't had the time to put the finishing touches on it. The plan was made that his friend would drop it off down at the wedding site the following evening. By this point, D is disappointed. Honestly, it boggles our minds how people we depend on for big important parts of our wedding think they can just not tell us when complications come up. We were completely sympathetic to the new job, but isn't it common courtesy to let us know?
Thursday, we have to be at the rehearsal, and D has his bachelor party that evening. My bridesmaids and I come back home for the evening when D calls and says that his friend is going to come by our place that night to give us D's costume. My bridesmaids immediately offer to stay up to wait for him as I'm pregnant and have trouble keeping my eyes open past 11pm. They stay up until 2am, and they haven't seen him yet. So they text D who tells them to go on to bed and he will tell his seamster to leave the outfit on the porch. The next morning, the outfit was on the porch as promised, but I can tell my bridesmaids had stayed up late waiting for the outfit. I'm so tempted by this point to look over the outfit, but I maintain the secrecy and keep it in the bag.
We drive down to the town where we are getting married. This is a day before the wedding mind you, and D has arranged to do a fitting with his seamstress mother to make sure his outfit looks alright. D later told me that his mother took one look at the jacket his friend made and cringes audibly. For those who know how to sew with patterns, let me explain the problem. The pattern for the sleeves consisted of two pieces for each sleeve, one front and one back piece. In his haste, D's friend had sewn 2 front pieces together and attached it as a sleeve then 2 back pieces together for the other sleeve. I did not see this atrocity, but I understood right away what a disaster that was. To make matters worse, D had grabbed my sewing machine but forgot the power cord! I felt so bad hearing about how she spend the afternoon hand stitching the seams back together to turn the coat into a vest. Luckily, D called his sister who brought a sewing machine so his mother could finish the vest in a better manner.
D's mother really saved the day! She rescued his outfit such that it looked like it was on purpose. It wasn't exactly how he imagined, but D still looked like a dashing renaissance groom.
If you're just here for the baby update, I will put one at the end of this post. You can expect mostly baby updates at this point.
D's costume debacle
D had a personal friend make his costume for the wedding. We went up to his friend's house the weekend before the wedding, and it apparantly hadn't even been fully put together yet. I didn't get to see it because it was kept a surprise, but I didn't like what I heard. Still, D was confident it would get done. He arranged for his friend to drive by on Wednesday to drop it off.
So Wednesday comes and goes without so much as a phone call from his friend. I offer that I could drive out to pick it up, but when D calls, he says it isn't finished yet. It turns out his friend just got a new job and hadn't had the time to put the finishing touches on it. The plan was made that his friend would drop it off down at the wedding site the following evening. By this point, D is disappointed. Honestly, it boggles our minds how people we depend on for big important parts of our wedding think they can just not tell us when complications come up. We were completely sympathetic to the new job, but isn't it common courtesy to let us know?
Thursday, we have to be at the rehearsal, and D has his bachelor party that evening. My bridesmaids and I come back home for the evening when D calls and says that his friend is going to come by our place that night to give us D's costume. My bridesmaids immediately offer to stay up to wait for him as I'm pregnant and have trouble keeping my eyes open past 11pm. They stay up until 2am, and they haven't seen him yet. So they text D who tells them to go on to bed and he will tell his seamster to leave the outfit on the porch. The next morning, the outfit was on the porch as promised, but I can tell my bridesmaids had stayed up late waiting for the outfit. I'm so tempted by this point to look over the outfit, but I maintain the secrecy and keep it in the bag.
We drive down to the town where we are getting married. This is a day before the wedding mind you, and D has arranged to do a fitting with his seamstress mother to make sure his outfit looks alright. D later told me that his mother took one look at the jacket his friend made and cringes audibly. For those who know how to sew with patterns, let me explain the problem. The pattern for the sleeves consisted of two pieces for each sleeve, one front and one back piece. In his haste, D's friend had sewn 2 front pieces together and attached it as a sleeve then 2 back pieces together for the other sleeve. I did not see this atrocity, but I understood right away what a disaster that was. To make matters worse, D had grabbed my sewing machine but forgot the power cord! I felt so bad hearing about how she spend the afternoon hand stitching the seams back together to turn the coat into a vest. Luckily, D called his sister who brought a sewing machine so his mother could finish the vest in a better manner.
D's mother really saved the day! She rescued his outfit such that it looked like it was on purpose. It wasn't exactly how he imagined, but D still looked like a dashing renaissance groom.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Reassuring Answers
23 weeks 6 days
We went to the doctor today about vomitting blood early yesterday morning. I hadn't thrown up since then although the nausea was still pretty constant. Luckily we got seen pretty soon after we arrived.
Much to our relief, my symptoms describe a bad case of acid reflux. It means the blood is caused by stomach acid induced bleeding in my esophagus. She described how during pregnancy that the muscles at the top of the stomach don't hold the acid in as easily. We discussed a few options for medication, and we decided that we wanted to try over the counter antacids before we tried stronger anti-nausea medication that would make me sleepy. She also suggested eating a milder diet with no fried or spicy foods. We got some Zantac on the way home, and I'm going to stick with bland stuff for the rest of the week.
I was really happy with the doctor visit. She was informative about the condition and medications, but she also put our minds at ease that this wasn't something serious (without making us feel like hypocondriacs). She gave us the practical advice to go into the ER if I vomit a lot of blood, but talking to her made me feel like we were working together to solve this problem, not just being handed a prescription to blindly take. Her checking the baby even though this issue wouldn't have affected him helped put me at ease even more. I kinda hope she's the one on call when I go into labor.
So far, the Zantac has helped, but the real test will be when I go to bed. Luckily I have a car and a cell phone should it become something more serious. I'm going to take it easy foodwise and try not to overexert myself.
Wedding Update
We are less than 5 days away from the big day! I've got a list of what all I need to pack (which I'm starting on tomorrow), most of the big complications seem worked out, and we've had a few moments of appreciating together the step we are about to take. The weather is wonderfully mild these days too. We ended up with extra tickets, but I put out a general announcement on facebook for people to claim them. I'd prefer them to go to people instead of being wasted.
I'm going to be away from my computer after Friday, and I've got packing and last minute confirmations to do this week. As such, unless there's a noteworthy event before the wedding, don't expect another post here until after the wedding. Cya on Sunday!
We went to the doctor today about vomitting blood early yesterday morning. I hadn't thrown up since then although the nausea was still pretty constant. Luckily we got seen pretty soon after we arrived.
Much to our relief, my symptoms describe a bad case of acid reflux. It means the blood is caused by stomach acid induced bleeding in my esophagus. She described how during pregnancy that the muscles at the top of the stomach don't hold the acid in as easily. We discussed a few options for medication, and we decided that we wanted to try over the counter antacids before we tried stronger anti-nausea medication that would make me sleepy. She also suggested eating a milder diet with no fried or spicy foods. We got some Zantac on the way home, and I'm going to stick with bland stuff for the rest of the week.
I was really happy with the doctor visit. She was informative about the condition and medications, but she also put our minds at ease that this wasn't something serious (without making us feel like hypocondriacs). She gave us the practical advice to go into the ER if I vomit a lot of blood, but talking to her made me feel like we were working together to solve this problem, not just being handed a prescription to blindly take. Her checking the baby even though this issue wouldn't have affected him helped put me at ease even more. I kinda hope she's the one on call when I go into labor.
So far, the Zantac has helped, but the real test will be when I go to bed. Luckily I have a car and a cell phone should it become something more serious. I'm going to take it easy foodwise and try not to overexert myself.
Wedding Update
We are less than 5 days away from the big day! I've got a list of what all I need to pack (which I'm starting on tomorrow), most of the big complications seem worked out, and we've had a few moments of appreciating together the step we are about to take. The weather is wonderfully mild these days too. We ended up with extra tickets, but I put out a general announcement on facebook for people to claim them. I'd prefer them to go to people instead of being wasted.
I'm going to be away from my computer after Friday, and I've got packing and last minute confirmations to do this week. As such, unless there's a noteworthy event before the wedding, don't expect another post here until after the wedding. Cya on Sunday!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
A 2am scare
23 weeks 5 days
For the past month, I've had nausea in the evenings, especially after 9 or so. I had read on a pregnancy forum about how some other women were having problems with milk and had similar symptoms, so I'd been trying to cut down on my milk intake lately, including yesterday. I started feeling kinda off yesterday afternoon, but I didn't think it was more off than how it's been lately.
Sure enough, when 9pm came around, I got the nausea. I tried napping in the recliner for a while, and it did help me push down the nausea enough to get some sleep. At 1am I decided to try going to bed, but it just got worse while laying down. By 2, I couldn't hold it in anymore and had to throw up. It was all bright red tinged, and I knew it was blood, a good amount of it by the looks of it.
D had only just gone to bed, so he got up with me. We were both scared to death that there would be something wrong with the baby. I called the pager number for my OBGYN, and the doctor reassured me that I would be more lightheaded from blood loss before I lost enough to actually affect baby. She advised that if I threw up again the same morning to go to the ER, but she said if I didn't lose anymore blood that I could get an appointment on Monday. We were relieved that baby wouldn't be affected, but I had trouble getting my stomach to feel calm enough to even lay down again.
D did some google searching, and the cause could be anything from esophagus damage to a stomach ulcer. He stayed up with me so I could have some company while we waited to see if I would be sick again. I sent him to bed about 5:30am, but it took me another hour or so before I felt safe enough to try laying down. I got maybe 3 hours of sleep on the couch, but even that wasn't consistant enough to feel much rested.
My stomach still seems to not be ready to make up its mind to calm down, but I was able to keep down some egg biscuits for breakfast. We have to travel today to check on D's wedding outfit, but I'm going to take it easy once we get there. I'll post again after the doctor's appointment tomorrow what they say about this.
For the past month, I've had nausea in the evenings, especially after 9 or so. I had read on a pregnancy forum about how some other women were having problems with milk and had similar symptoms, so I'd been trying to cut down on my milk intake lately, including yesterday. I started feeling kinda off yesterday afternoon, but I didn't think it was more off than how it's been lately.
Sure enough, when 9pm came around, I got the nausea. I tried napping in the recliner for a while, and it did help me push down the nausea enough to get some sleep. At 1am I decided to try going to bed, but it just got worse while laying down. By 2, I couldn't hold it in anymore and had to throw up. It was all bright red tinged, and I knew it was blood, a good amount of it by the looks of it.
D had only just gone to bed, so he got up with me. We were both scared to death that there would be something wrong with the baby. I called the pager number for my OBGYN, and the doctor reassured me that I would be more lightheaded from blood loss before I lost enough to actually affect baby. She advised that if I threw up again the same morning to go to the ER, but she said if I didn't lose anymore blood that I could get an appointment on Monday. We were relieved that baby wouldn't be affected, but I had trouble getting my stomach to feel calm enough to even lay down again.
D did some google searching, and the cause could be anything from esophagus damage to a stomach ulcer. He stayed up with me so I could have some company while we waited to see if I would be sick again. I sent him to bed about 5:30am, but it took me another hour or so before I felt safe enough to try laying down. I got maybe 3 hours of sleep on the couch, but even that wasn't consistant enough to feel much rested.
My stomach still seems to not be ready to make up its mind to calm down, but I was able to keep down some egg biscuits for breakfast. We have to travel today to check on D's wedding outfit, but I'm going to take it easy once we get there. I'll post again after the doctor's appointment tomorrow what they say about this.
Friday, September 30, 2011
One Week
Prestressing about the wedding has so far actually proven effective. I'm one week out, and I can't really say I have a major concern anymore. The tickets are in my hands, the cake fiasco has seemingly concluded, and the rehearsal may not end up such a waste of time anymore. My biggest concern is that people won't get the memo about when to get their tickets from us, but that's mainly their problem, not ours. I've even had time to contact all my banks/credit cards about the name change and figure out what I will need to do after the wedding.
I'm finally getting some time to let the truth sink in. I'm getting married! The autumn weather somehow reminded me of my awkward school days when I didn't want to talk to anybody. Having a moment of getting into that mood really reminded me of just how much my life has been enriched since then. It's of course due to the series of people who have come and gone, but I had to give myself some credit too. Somewhere in there I made the decision that I wanted to be happier and have more for myself. And now at 24 I get to marry someone who truly cares for me, and I have the ability to care for him back. Those who know where I've come from can attest to how much of an accomplishment that is for me.
Sure, it's the end of a life. I have someone else I have to consider in my decision making for the rest of my life, and I can no longer consider other men as dating possibilities. But I also get the security of someone else there with me no matter what through the tough times. And dating always felt like a daunting task anyway, so a part of me is relieved that I'm now excused from that. It's gonna be harder to just go out on a whim with a family to consider, and my spending splurges no longer dent just my pocketbook. But I get to help and watch this child grow and learn from day 1, and we have more opportunities as a couple to explore financial opportunities like owning a home.
I'm nervous about the wedding itself, but I'm looking forward to the marriage.
I'm finally getting some time to let the truth sink in. I'm getting married! The autumn weather somehow reminded me of my awkward school days when I didn't want to talk to anybody. Having a moment of getting into that mood really reminded me of just how much my life has been enriched since then. It's of course due to the series of people who have come and gone, but I had to give myself some credit too. Somewhere in there I made the decision that I wanted to be happier and have more for myself. And now at 24 I get to marry someone who truly cares for me, and I have the ability to care for him back. Those who know where I've come from can attest to how much of an accomplishment that is for me.
Sure, it's the end of a life. I have someone else I have to consider in my decision making for the rest of my life, and I can no longer consider other men as dating possibilities. But I also get the security of someone else there with me no matter what through the tough times. And dating always felt like a daunting task anyway, so a part of me is relieved that I'm now excused from that. It's gonna be harder to just go out on a whim with a family to consider, and my spending splurges no longer dent just my pocketbook. But I get to help and watch this child grow and learn from day 1, and we have more opportunities as a couple to explore financial opportunities like owning a home.
I'm nervous about the wedding itself, but I'm looking forward to the marriage.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Is there an off switch on these things?
22 weeks 6 days
WARNING: This post contains copious amounts of leaking boobs. If you are offended by hearing about leaky boobs, skip this post. There will be other pregnancy related posts later.
For the past few weeks, my colostrum has been coming in. I have moisture stains all on my sleep shirts, and I've had to invest in nursing pads just to keep my bra from smelling like warm milk. It's been an adjustment, especially since at the same time the girls have been growing. In fact, their size is what's been making it hard for the baby bump to be apparant.
Well this morning, one of them actually squirted at me. It only got my arm this time, but it's the first time there's been enough of it to actually be squirted. I'm happy to be getting signs that baby isn't going to go hungry, but shouldn't it be too early for this? I'm not even out of the 2nd trimester yet! There isn't a way to stop them from doing it either. *sigh* I guess it's time to resign myself to wearing the nursing bra 24/7 and changing out the nursing pads on a regular basis.
Wedding Update
We're now 12 days out from the wedding. I finished the cupcake stand last night, mostly anyway. I need to get another divider for the top tier, but otherwise it's finished. I put some gifts for parents into gift bags, and I'm arranging to have the festival tickets and food coupons mailed to me this week. I need to make a trip to Staples to print out the programs, get my phone charger back so I'm available for last minute questions, buy makeup, and make sure I have everything packed that I'm going to need. I've also got to put the finishing touches on my vows and make sure I have them printed or written out.
I hope to have a lot of the important stuff done this week so I can spend next week really letting the reality of the wedding truly set in. I want to enjoy the day and appreciate the milestone, and I'll feel less guilty doing it if everything is in line.
WARNING: This post contains copious amounts of leaking boobs. If you are offended by hearing about leaky boobs, skip this post. There will be other pregnancy related posts later.
For the past few weeks, my colostrum has been coming in. I have moisture stains all on my sleep shirts, and I've had to invest in nursing pads just to keep my bra from smelling like warm milk. It's been an adjustment, especially since at the same time the girls have been growing. In fact, their size is what's been making it hard for the baby bump to be apparant.
Well this morning, one of them actually squirted at me. It only got my arm this time, but it's the first time there's been enough of it to actually be squirted. I'm happy to be getting signs that baby isn't going to go hungry, but shouldn't it be too early for this? I'm not even out of the 2nd trimester yet! There isn't a way to stop them from doing it either. *sigh* I guess it's time to resign myself to wearing the nursing bra 24/7 and changing out the nursing pads on a regular basis.
Wedding Update
We're now 12 days out from the wedding. I finished the cupcake stand last night, mostly anyway. I need to get another divider for the top tier, but otherwise it's finished. I put some gifts for parents into gift bags, and I'm arranging to have the festival tickets and food coupons mailed to me this week. I need to make a trip to Staples to print out the programs, get my phone charger back so I'm available for last minute questions, buy makeup, and make sure I have everything packed that I'm going to need. I've also got to put the finishing touches on my vows and make sure I have them printed or written out.
I hope to have a lot of the important stuff done this week so I can spend next week really letting the reality of the wedding truly set in. I want to enjoy the day and appreciate the milestone, and I'll feel less guilty doing it if everything is in line.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
A Sucky Day in Last Minute Wedding World
Note: This is a vent. To those I'm venting about, know that I understand your circumstances and don't think they are unreasonable. I'm frustrated at the situations in general because there's nothing we can do about it. I'm not starting drama; I'm just at my wit's end for today.
I swear, I feel like today is out to get me! First at the Wal-Mart, D has difficulty finding the shoes that he wants for the wedding. He doesn't trust his own sense of style as to what counts as in period, plus he feels the need to wear the shoes for 10 minutes to figure out if they're comfortable enough. We end up overspending on what we needed to get today, such as the cake boards and cake cutting knife.
Then I get home to a message saying that my officiant and a groomsman won't be able to come to the rehearsal. We only have 3 groomsmen, and one of them we already knew wasn't going to be able to make it due to work. So now we're only going to have 1 groomsman and no officiant at the rehearsal. That adds worry that people aren't going to know where they need to be when on the day of the wedding! We'll just have to hope that they figure it out because we won't get time for another rehearsal before the wedding. I'm grateful enough to my bridesmaids just for showing that they're gonna get a nice dinner somewhere that evening.
I take a shower to calm myself down, but all I can think about are the last minute details I have to make sure I tell guests. It's important stuff too, like when they can pick up their tickets and not to bring gifts to the actual wedding. So I go straight to the computer and spend half an hour composing the message to send to everyone, not realizing until too late that I'm not spending time with D before he disappears to work for the evening. It just makes me more unhappy. Then I get a message from a friend saying she can't come to the wedding. Because that helps my mood any.
So then I decide I'm going to try to distract myself with something productive. I turn to constructing the cupcake stand. I bought these cardboard cake platters with rounded petal detailing and silver surfaces. I've got 4 clear jars I'm planning on using for supports and some paint pens if I decide it needs some more sprucing up. I'm still working on the calculations for how big this sucker has to be, but I go look for the tacky glue I had out only a week ago... and it's gone missing. I looked all over the living room, the spare room, even in the junk basket. That was the last straw!
I'm beyond frustrated with today. It was supposed to be a good, productive day, but instead it's turned into one disappointment after another. And there's still more to do tomorrow, like go out to purchase gifts for D's mother and the event coordinator (not to mention now I need more glue). I also need to get something to put in the jars, finish trying to figure out how many tiers the stand needs, and double check that the cupcakes will even fit in the 3 inch space I'm planning to have between the tiers. Plus I think I'm going to need either more empty jars of this size or something different with all the tiers I may end up needing.
Oh, and in the midst of all this, I'm nearly forgetting my OBGYN appointment next week! If it wasn't on my calendar, it'd probably be driven right from my mind. Can the wedding be over yet? Please?
Saturday, September 17, 2011
We are officially 3 weeks away from the wedding! D pointed out today that I've been chanelling my prewedding jitters to all the planning needed to get the wedding under way. The problem is I'm starting to run out of things that need further attention! My parents are going to be ensuring that the cupcakes make it to the festival, and my professional photography is perfectly happy not getting her check until the day of the wedding. We've got a shopping trip planned to get our shoes and gifts for the event coordinator and another family member, and we're also getting the marriage license next week. Hotel arrangements are made, and I'm sending the festival the final ticket count next week so we can go ahead and pay for them.
So yeah, there's enough to do to keep me occupied for a week probably, especially since D is now in wedding mode and with me to get everything done ASAP. I'll probably still be paranoid that I'll forget to plan something or make sure I bring something important to the wedding, like the cake topper or his wedding ring. At least I have a productive outlet for the usual prewedding stress. I'll continue to make lists and insist we get things done. I'll probably not be able to relax until the wedding is actually over.
Baby Update
21 weeks 4 days
Baby has definately gotten more active. Last night, he woke me up at 3am and kept moving around for 2 hours straight. I don't know if he was doing gymnastics or just had the hiccups, but I couldn't get back to sleep no matter what I did. When I conceded defeat at 5am and got up, he stopped moving. He did wake up later in the evening however to kick the cat repeatedly (he had decided the baby bump made a comfortable cat bed). The cat gave my belly the wtf/death glare, but he refused to move. I look forward to future interactions between the kitty and the baby bump.
I've been eating ravenously! I swear that my body has decided to put me on the hobbit eating schedule. I can eat a good sized meal and then be ravenously hungry again 2 hours later. I'm easily eating 2 breakfasts, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, supper, and desert. Either baby is going through a monster growth spurt, or this is going to be the norm for the next 4 months. I hope it doesn't stay this bad through breastfeeding and I can get away with only having to add one extra meal instead of 3!
Despite the increase in food intake, I've been feeling a bit off this evening. I blame the lack of sleep, but I have that awful pre-fever feeling. It doesn't bode well for tomorrow. Thankfully, Dr. Google says that a fever at this point won't be harmful to baby unless it's 103 or higher or if it lasts a long while. Hopefully I can sweat it out tonight and tomorrow so I can be up and about for wedding planning next week.
So yeah, there's enough to do to keep me occupied for a week probably, especially since D is now in wedding mode and with me to get everything done ASAP. I'll probably still be paranoid that I'll forget to plan something or make sure I bring something important to the wedding, like the cake topper or his wedding ring. At least I have a productive outlet for the usual prewedding stress. I'll continue to make lists and insist we get things done. I'll probably not be able to relax until the wedding is actually over.
Baby Update
21 weeks 4 days
Baby has definately gotten more active. Last night, he woke me up at 3am and kept moving around for 2 hours straight. I don't know if he was doing gymnastics or just had the hiccups, but I couldn't get back to sleep no matter what I did. When I conceded defeat at 5am and got up, he stopped moving. He did wake up later in the evening however to kick the cat repeatedly (he had decided the baby bump made a comfortable cat bed). The cat gave my belly the wtf/death glare, but he refused to move. I look forward to future interactions between the kitty and the baby bump.
I've been eating ravenously! I swear that my body has decided to put me on the hobbit eating schedule. I can eat a good sized meal and then be ravenously hungry again 2 hours later. I'm easily eating 2 breakfasts, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, supper, and desert. Either baby is going through a monster growth spurt, or this is going to be the norm for the next 4 months. I hope it doesn't stay this bad through breastfeeding and I can get away with only having to add one extra meal instead of 3!
Despite the increase in food intake, I've been feeling a bit off this evening. I blame the lack of sleep, but I have that awful pre-fever feeling. It doesn't bode well for tomorrow. Thankfully, Dr. Google says that a fever at this point won't be harmful to baby unless it's 103 or higher or if it lasts a long while. Hopefully I can sweat it out tonight and tomorrow so I can be up and about for wedding planning next week.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Dress Making Vacation and More Wedding Worries
After 2 and a half days more in Wilmington America
Today, Wednesday, I actually finished the hemming on the dress as well as attached a loop to the train so that I can hold up my train easily while at the festival. I'm very pleased with the dress and have all confidence that it's going to look awesome at the wedding.
Then this evening I get a call from my cake maker. It turns out that he is expecting us to provide the cupcake stand for our arrangement, and he's also planning on driving up to set it up the morning of the wedding. He lives probably a good 4 hours away from the wedding site, and the window for setup is between 9am and 9:30am by which time he will need to be off the premises. I'm very concerned about this plan of his (not to mention a bit put off by finding out 3 and a half weeks before that we need to provide the cake stand). I've got a bad feeling about this whole ordeal now with the cake. We've got a backup plan, but because I'm a personal friend who I've helped numerous ways, I feel a bit put out.
Vacations can't last forever, and the reality is the wedding is 3 and a half weeks away. It's definitely crunch time now, and there's no rest for the weary, even the pregnant.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
It's a boy!
Aug 31, 2011
19w 1d
Me and D had been bouncing around about this ultrasound all week. It's anatomy scan day, and we get to take home a DVD of the ultrasound. I occupy myself by focusing on wedding planning, making some adjustments to the wedding program and such. D got annoyed with me for trying to talk to him about wedding stuff when he was already stressed and excited about the ultrasound.
We left early to grab lunch beforehand, and this time I got a coffee. The ultrasound tech advised last time that coffee helps baby be more active. Considering last time baby was being so uncooperative, I didn't want to chance getting there and baby not being willing to show off the goods. I even had the foresight to not gulp it all down at once, which was fortunate because we were a while in the waiting room. They were apparently behind schedule that day, and the nurse was a bit short with us when D asked if I had actually gained any weight this time.
At last it was our turn in the ultrasound room! She did the anatomy portion first, making a DVD for the doctor. She took all the measurements, showed us the 4 chambers in the heart, and we got to see the blood flowing through the umbilical cord. I was a proud mama seeing how well baby was doing and that the cord had all the vessels it was supposed to have. Baby was at this point folded like a taco with its feet up by its head. Luckily, by the time she put our DVD in for our recording, baby had moved its legs back down so that its knees were merely up by its chest instead of stretched all the way up.
We got a full body view and saw the baby squirming a bit before the ultrasound tech zeroed in on the goods. It took a minute to get a good look because baby had one of its legs crossed with its foot on its knee. But then we saw it, a clear white dot! We're having a boy! The technician make sure to get a good still picture with the tell-tale sign.
We got some more video of him moving around and some profile pictures. I wasn't crying per se, but I had tears in my eyes watching my little boy. I was so proud of him for being so healthy and active and thinking about all the wonderful times he would bring to my life. We got some good still pictures from the doctor's ultrasound for our DVD and some more movement shots before she called it a day.
The reason why I didn't post this the day it happened is because we decided we wanted to surprise my parents who are coming up for labor day. We are also telling other family in a special way, and I'm not sure if they check this blog or not.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
"What do you mean the bed doesn't include the actual bed?"
We are looking at new furniture soon. My parents have offered to replace our couch, chair, and our bed as a wedding present. We were floored by the offer, especially since we were talking about replacing all 3 items soon anyway. The current couch and chair I got for free, so it came pre cat-scratched. It's earned some stains, rips, and more cat scratches since it has come into my possession, not to mention the cat likes to pee on it in retaliation when we leave for a few days or when his litter box gets full. The bed belongs to D, and he doesn't even remember when he got it. It now has 2 sagging indents where we sleep, and we both complain of back trouble. So yes... these are upgrades we greatly need.
My parents are coming up this next weekend to take advantage of labor day sales. We looked at one furniture place a few weeks ago, but they were so overpriced that we knew it wouldn't be in the budget. Who honestly has the money to blow $5k on a couch? So today we ventured out to big lots. That ended up being a bust for furniture (although we got DVDs for an impending ultrasound and some food), but in the same lot was a Badcock furniture. We didn't expect to find much better than the other place we went, but we figured it wouldn't hurt.
As soon as we walked in, there was a leather recliner. D has his heart set on getting a leather recliner in the house, and these were not only affordable but comfortable. We made our way around the store, him trying every leather recliner, me trying every couch. He eventually found a recliner that rocks, swivels, and reclines that he's absolutely in love with. Better yet, it's affordable! Well, moreso than the first store anyway. I found a few couches that meet my requirements for $500, much better than $5k. Needless to say, we've decided by that point that this is where we're bringing my parents next Monday.
Then we go to look at their beds. D is delighted to find beds for $500. I tried to point out to him that the price probably didn't include the mattress, but he wouldn't believe me. Before we continued looking, we ask the sales associate at the counter. "Do the prices of the beds include the mattress?" "No, it's for the headboard, footboard, and the rails." To this, D has to respond with the snarky comment, "So it's the bed without the actual bed..." I changed the subject to asking what sales they will be having to which he gave me a flier where they were advertising their most expensive stuff. Meanwhile, D is still shaking his head in disbelief.
We found a cheap "bed" in the store we will probably get and consented to having to go to a previously explored mattress store for the actual "bed" portion. Poor D is out of place in stores like this. And I can't help but poke fun at it. (although he simultaneously pokes fun at the fact that I'm comfortable in high end stores)
Baby Update
19w 0d
I'm still able to feel the occassional movement, but there's nothing consistant yet. I notice baby is most mobile in the evenings, unfortunately right when I'm trying to wind down for bed. This doesn't bode well for the baby years. However, once we get our new bed, the old one is going in the baby room for my use at night so I don't have to walk across the house to breastfeed. I hope having them in their room from the beginning will help them sleep.
We are getting the ultrasound later this week to find out the gender. However, I'm not making the post for the ultrasound for a few days. We have someone we want to surprise first, and I'm not sure if they keep up with my blog. Once we've had our surprise, we'll post all about on here and on facebook.
My parents are coming up this next weekend to take advantage of labor day sales. We looked at one furniture place a few weeks ago, but they were so overpriced that we knew it wouldn't be in the budget. Who honestly has the money to blow $5k on a couch? So today we ventured out to big lots. That ended up being a bust for furniture (although we got DVDs for an impending ultrasound and some food), but in the same lot was a Badcock furniture. We didn't expect to find much better than the other place we went, but we figured it wouldn't hurt.
As soon as we walked in, there was a leather recliner. D has his heart set on getting a leather recliner in the house, and these were not only affordable but comfortable. We made our way around the store, him trying every leather recliner, me trying every couch. He eventually found a recliner that rocks, swivels, and reclines that he's absolutely in love with. Better yet, it's affordable! Well, moreso than the first store anyway. I found a few couches that meet my requirements for $500, much better than $5k. Needless to say, we've decided by that point that this is where we're bringing my parents next Monday.
Then we go to look at their beds. D is delighted to find beds for $500. I tried to point out to him that the price probably didn't include the mattress, but he wouldn't believe me. Before we continued looking, we ask the sales associate at the counter. "Do the prices of the beds include the mattress?" "No, it's for the headboard, footboard, and the rails." To this, D has to respond with the snarky comment, "So it's the bed without the actual bed..." I changed the subject to asking what sales they will be having to which he gave me a flier where they were advertising their most expensive stuff. Meanwhile, D is still shaking his head in disbelief.
We found a cheap "bed" in the store we will probably get and consented to having to go to a previously explored mattress store for the actual "bed" portion. Poor D is out of place in stores like this. And I can't help but poke fun at it. (although he simultaneously pokes fun at the fact that I'm comfortable in high end stores)
Baby Update
19w 0d
I'm still able to feel the occassional movement, but there's nothing consistant yet. I notice baby is most mobile in the evenings, unfortunately right when I'm trying to wind down for bed. This doesn't bode well for the baby years. However, once we get our new bed, the old one is going in the baby room for my use at night so I don't have to walk across the house to breastfeed. I hope having them in their room from the beginning will help them sleep.
We are getting the ultrasound later this week to find out the gender. However, I'm not making the post for the ultrasound for a few days. We have someone we want to surprise first, and I'm not sure if they keep up with my blog. Once we've had our surprise, we'll post all about on here and on facebook.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wait... This is my reality?
Ever have those moments when you suddenly stop and realize just what you're doing? I've had those moments before, like when I had dropped out of college and preparing to move 3 hours away, or when D and I first started dating and I realized I was in an actual relationship. I've had another one of those moments recently, and it helped remind me to appreciate what I have acquired with all the work I put into the last few years.
With the wedding little more than a month away and the baby starting to regularly wiggle and kick, I had to stop a moment to let the two facts sink in. It's like getting 2 of my little girl fantasies at the same time! I get to marry a man who loves and respects me (and who I love and respect back), and I get to experience pregnancy and have a baby of my very own! It's still surreal and probably will be for a while yet. As recent as 3 years ago, I lamented my deplorable mostly nonexistant dating history and wondered if I'd be lucky enough to find someone who would want to spend the rest of their life with me. Yet suddenly, just as I made the decision to live my life for myself and not based on the ideal set by family and friends, everything started working out perfectly.
There was this guy who was interested in me, yet we were far enough away from each other that I couldn't throw myself too quickly into it like I did with my last "relationship". He happened to have a place nearby and well established when all hell broke lose and I could stay in my apartment anymore. We've had nearly 2 years of living together to get the chance to learn each other's nuances. Despite pestering from both families, we had the chance to do some growing up without feeling pressured into getting married. Then, not 3 months after we reached the point where we were both ready to get married and start a family, we learn that we get to welcome a baby into our lives long enough after the already planned wedding to really establish ourselves as a couple first.
I had to just stop and realize this wasn't some romance novel. This was my life! And it all started with me making the decision to take back ownership over it. It's a dream come true for anyone, moreso for the person I used to be. There'll be some new challenges ahead I've probably never even dreamed of. But for right now, life is good.
Blog Update: I apologize for not updating regularly as was my plan. I have to be in a certain mood apparantly to have the patience for posting. Until October 8, I am now officially shifting my attention to the wedding and will probably be posting more about that. There will still be some important baby posts, such as the post coming up soon about the gender. But if you're here for baby posts, you should check back after October as I blog about baby showers, setting up the nursery, and all the joys of pregnancy symptoms. Thanks for reading my blog! ^_^
With the wedding little more than a month away and the baby starting to regularly wiggle and kick, I had to stop a moment to let the two facts sink in. It's like getting 2 of my little girl fantasies at the same time! I get to marry a man who loves and respects me (and who I love and respect back), and I get to experience pregnancy and have a baby of my very own! It's still surreal and probably will be for a while yet. As recent as 3 years ago, I lamented my deplorable mostly nonexistant dating history and wondered if I'd be lucky enough to find someone who would want to spend the rest of their life with me. Yet suddenly, just as I made the decision to live my life for myself and not based on the ideal set by family and friends, everything started working out perfectly.
There was this guy who was interested in me, yet we were far enough away from each other that I couldn't throw myself too quickly into it like I did with my last "relationship". He happened to have a place nearby and well established when all hell broke lose and I could stay in my apartment anymore. We've had nearly 2 years of living together to get the chance to learn each other's nuances. Despite pestering from both families, we had the chance to do some growing up without feeling pressured into getting married. Then, not 3 months after we reached the point where we were both ready to get married and start a family, we learn that we get to welcome a baby into our lives long enough after the already planned wedding to really establish ourselves as a couple first.
I had to just stop and realize this wasn't some romance novel. This was my life! And it all started with me making the decision to take back ownership over it. It's a dream come true for anyone, moreso for the person I used to be. There'll be some new challenges ahead I've probably never even dreamed of. But for right now, life is good.
Blog Update: I apologize for not updating regularly as was my plan. I have to be in a certain mood apparantly to have the patience for posting. Until October 8, I am now officially shifting my attention to the wedding and will probably be posting more about that. There will still be some important baby posts, such as the post coming up soon about the gender. But if you're here for baby posts, you should check back after October as I blog about baby showers, setting up the nursery, and all the joys of pregnancy symptoms. Thanks for reading my blog! ^_^
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
4am Wakeup Call
18w 1d
This is starting to become a regular thing. I wake up in the wee hours of the morning either to pee or because I hear D come home. This morning, it was technically the latter, and I should've gotten up to pee when I first woke up at 2:30. But I held it and had to go pee at 3:30am, and now here I am, having conceded defeat and up posting online at an ungodly hour. This has been going on in similar fashion seemingly every night for a while now. To add insult to injury, I haven't been able to nap properly during the day lately.
I know this is normal, but there's absolutely no reason I shouldn't be getting more sleep than this. Dunno really how to fix this, and I'm getting that constant tired look about me. I do feel baby more when I get up this early, so maybe baby is actually the one nudging me awake. This won't do at all...
This is starting to become a regular thing. I wake up in the wee hours of the morning either to pee or because I hear D come home. This morning, it was technically the latter, and I should've gotten up to pee when I first woke up at 2:30. But I held it and had to go pee at 3:30am, and now here I am, having conceded defeat and up posting online at an ungodly hour. This has been going on in similar fashion seemingly every night for a while now. To add insult to injury, I haven't been able to nap properly during the day lately.
I know this is normal, but there's absolutely no reason I shouldn't be getting more sleep than this. Dunno really how to fix this, and I'm getting that constant tired look about me. I do feel baby more when I get up this early, so maybe baby is actually the one nudging me awake. This won't do at all...
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Baby backstrokes and thinking about the birth
17w 5d
For the past few weeks, I've felt some indistinguishable sensations in the baby bump. They were way too faint to know for sure, and at first I passed it off as just some of my body's normal functions. The past few days however, I've felt little flutters and a whooshing sensation! It doesn't feel like other body functions, so I can almost confidently say that I'm feeling baby move now! It's exciting to have reached that milestone. Now I can have the occassional reminder that baby is still there and growing.
As far as other symptoms go, my lower back is achey which makes my shoulders hurt too. What I wouldn't give for a proper massage about now. Sleep is also in a consistant pattern of sleeping for a few hours then waking up. Sometimes I can go back to sleep, sometimes I can't. I blame not being able to stay in a single position for too long. I know it won't get any better once the baby comes, but it makes me feel like I constantly have a lack of sleep which doesn't help my mood swings any.
Birth Day Concerns
I had a bit of a breakdown about a week ago about how the birth is going to go. Because the only birthing center is nearly 2 hours away, we've opted to use a local hospital. But then I picked up a book from our library about the Bradley method of birthing. What I didn't expect to find was a long list of reasons why everything they do from a hospital can add to a cascade of losing control of my own delivery. Even the IV can be enough to cause complications that would lead to fetal monitoring, drugs, and C-sections. It made me feel hopeless in my choices because I know that Medicaid won't pay for a midwife to deliver the baby at home.
At my last appointment, I got some answers to what procedures and accomidations they have. I was glad to hear that they let the mother keep the baby for the first hour to allow bonding time before whisking them away for tests. They will also let the baby stay in the room with me so we can establish a breastfeeding schedule. She said they require an IV and fetal monitoring, but I'm going to go back and see if we can compromise with a heparin lock and intermittant fetal monitoring. It would certainly help me feel better about it. I also need to make sure that the doctor, the nurses, and D are all aware of my wishes and make sure D will help advocate for me that I don't need drugs or unnecessary procedures unless the baby is in distress.
As the wedding looms closer, I can't help but begin to worry about it. By the wedding date, the baby will technically be viable to survive outside the womb if I went into premature labor. I want us to be ready for delivery by the wedding, but it's hard convincing D that we should do any prep before the wedding.
For the past few weeks, I've felt some indistinguishable sensations in the baby bump. They were way too faint to know for sure, and at first I passed it off as just some of my body's normal functions. The past few days however, I've felt little flutters and a whooshing sensation! It doesn't feel like other body functions, so I can almost confidently say that I'm feeling baby move now! It's exciting to have reached that milestone. Now I can have the occassional reminder that baby is still there and growing.
As far as other symptoms go, my lower back is achey which makes my shoulders hurt too. What I wouldn't give for a proper massage about now. Sleep is also in a consistant pattern of sleeping for a few hours then waking up. Sometimes I can go back to sleep, sometimes I can't. I blame not being able to stay in a single position for too long. I know it won't get any better once the baby comes, but it makes me feel like I constantly have a lack of sleep which doesn't help my mood swings any.
Birth Day Concerns
I had a bit of a breakdown about a week ago about how the birth is going to go. Because the only birthing center is nearly 2 hours away, we've opted to use a local hospital. But then I picked up a book from our library about the Bradley method of birthing. What I didn't expect to find was a long list of reasons why everything they do from a hospital can add to a cascade of losing control of my own delivery. Even the IV can be enough to cause complications that would lead to fetal monitoring, drugs, and C-sections. It made me feel hopeless in my choices because I know that Medicaid won't pay for a midwife to deliver the baby at home.
At my last appointment, I got some answers to what procedures and accomidations they have. I was glad to hear that they let the mother keep the baby for the first hour to allow bonding time before whisking them away for tests. They will also let the baby stay in the room with me so we can establish a breastfeeding schedule. She said they require an IV and fetal monitoring, but I'm going to go back and see if we can compromise with a heparin lock and intermittant fetal monitoring. It would certainly help me feel better about it. I also need to make sure that the doctor, the nurses, and D are all aware of my wishes and make sure D will help advocate for me that I don't need drugs or unnecessary procedures unless the baby is in distress.
As the wedding looms closer, I can't help but begin to worry about it. By the wedding date, the baby will technically be viable to survive outside the womb if I went into premature labor. I want us to be ready for delivery by the wedding, but it's hard convincing D that we should do any prep before the wedding.
Monday, August 8, 2011
The right to complain
15w 6d
I occasionally make comments on facebook about some of the pregnancy symptoms I have including aches and lack of sleep. I want to share it with friends because facebook is the only medium I get to talk to a lot of them right now. What I didn't count on was older friends and family making comments similar to "get used to it; you'll have 18 more years of it."
At first, they were funny and maybe a bit witty. But I don't make these posts to get that kind of response out of people. Perhaps I do look for pity in a few of my status updates, but I want my current concerns to be recognized for what they are. Yes, I am aware some of these symptoms will not go away anytime soon, but does that mean I don't deserve validation for my current suffering? It is all for a wonderous, joyful reason, and belittling it now because I'll have years of it negates that sense of my experiences now for the sake of the baby in my arms someday. I would almost prefer comments to constantly say "hang in there; it's all for baby" than what I can only interpret as reprimands for daring to complain now.
I know that I'm going to be bombarded by these comments by well-meaning people who think they're being funny or realistic. But why can't people trust that I already know these things? I know I'm going to have backaches and lack of sleep for years to come, but it's not about the backache. It's about the experience of being a parent and getting to watch someone be their own person from day 1. Yes, I'm hormonal and sometimes need to vent; but when I'm venting, the last thing I want to hear is that I have years of it ahead of me. I do my best to focus on the positives of life before me, but it doesn't mean I'm not entitled to letting off steam every now and then. It makes me want to block my status messages from all but my friends who don't yet have kids fully raised.
I occasionally make comments on facebook about some of the pregnancy symptoms I have including aches and lack of sleep. I want to share it with friends because facebook is the only medium I get to talk to a lot of them right now. What I didn't count on was older friends and family making comments similar to "get used to it; you'll have 18 more years of it."
At first, they were funny and maybe a bit witty. But I don't make these posts to get that kind of response out of people. Perhaps I do look for pity in a few of my status updates, but I want my current concerns to be recognized for what they are. Yes, I am aware some of these symptoms will not go away anytime soon, but does that mean I don't deserve validation for my current suffering? It is all for a wonderous, joyful reason, and belittling it now because I'll have years of it negates that sense of my experiences now for the sake of the baby in my arms someday. I would almost prefer comments to constantly say "hang in there; it's all for baby" than what I can only interpret as reprimands for daring to complain now.
I know that I'm going to be bombarded by these comments by well-meaning people who think they're being funny or realistic. But why can't people trust that I already know these things? I know I'm going to have backaches and lack of sleep for years to come, but it's not about the backache. It's about the experience of being a parent and getting to watch someone be their own person from day 1. Yes, I'm hormonal and sometimes need to vent; but when I'm venting, the last thing I want to hear is that I have years of it ahead of me. I do my best to focus on the positives of life before me, but it doesn't mean I'm not entitled to letting off steam every now and then. It makes me want to block my status messages from all but my friends who don't yet have kids fully raised.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Super Pregnancy Senses & Some Final Wedding Arrangements
15w 1d
As Daniel likes to point out, I've developed an acute sense of smell. Certain smells are enough to set me off and make me nauseous, but others make me want to hunt down the source of the smell. It's helped me determine what I shouldn't eat and what I'm craving. I've smelled food I'm craving even when I know I can't actually be smelling it. Because what I crave seems to change day by day (and sometimes by the hour), I've used it to figure out what my body wants.
I still have evening nausea, but I think I'm finally getting over my constant lack of energy. I still feel better when I get a nap and get into bed by 10, but I find I'm still fairly functional even if I don't get the nap. I'm looking at getting more active again, but the heat outside is still hard for me to handle, especially since my water needs have increased. I may take up my dad's advice and look into a local YMCA for water aerobics or something of that nature.
Wedding Home Stretch
I realize there hasn't been many updates on the wedding planning lately. As the wedding gets closer, there are suddenly so many more things to do to get ready for it! I'm trying to make sure everyone has something in period to wear, but it's hard to do that when most of the people needing outfits talk to my fiance more than I get to talk to them. He probably thinks I'm nagging by asking them to check on their progress, but I know this needs to get under way now for the outfits to be done by Oct 8.
I've still got to arrange a time for the rehearsal although I don't know if I can expect all the groomsmen to be there or not as my fiance is the main contact person for them. There's also the marriage license (which includes verifying that our officiant is registered), completing arrangements with the photographer, getting a final headcount for the rehearsal dinner for the restaurant, arranging purchase and pickup of the festival tickets, and figuring out how I'm distributing the tickets to everyone.
I feel like there's a lot to do, yet I also get the feeling that a lot of the hard planning is already done. It helps to make it clear to people that it's their responsibility to contact us instead of us contacting them. I guess I'm just frustrated by the fact that I've reached the point where a lot of the final planning is out of my hands and depends on people being responsible. In the end all I can do is keep track of where things stand and step back to let them do their parts. I know the wedding day will come together because I've made several backup plans to possible problems (what if the cake doesn't arrive? what if the photographer can't come? what if more people than we planned show up? etc.).
As Daniel likes to point out, I've developed an acute sense of smell. Certain smells are enough to set me off and make me nauseous, but others make me want to hunt down the source of the smell. It's helped me determine what I shouldn't eat and what I'm craving. I've smelled food I'm craving even when I know I can't actually be smelling it. Because what I crave seems to change day by day (and sometimes by the hour), I've used it to figure out what my body wants.
I still have evening nausea, but I think I'm finally getting over my constant lack of energy. I still feel better when I get a nap and get into bed by 10, but I find I'm still fairly functional even if I don't get the nap. I'm looking at getting more active again, but the heat outside is still hard for me to handle, especially since my water needs have increased. I may take up my dad's advice and look into a local YMCA for water aerobics or something of that nature.
Wedding Home Stretch
I realize there hasn't been many updates on the wedding planning lately. As the wedding gets closer, there are suddenly so many more things to do to get ready for it! I'm trying to make sure everyone has something in period to wear, but it's hard to do that when most of the people needing outfits talk to my fiance more than I get to talk to them. He probably thinks I'm nagging by asking them to check on their progress, but I know this needs to get under way now for the outfits to be done by Oct 8.
I've still got to arrange a time for the rehearsal although I don't know if I can expect all the groomsmen to be there or not as my fiance is the main contact person for them. There's also the marriage license (which includes verifying that our officiant is registered), completing arrangements with the photographer, getting a final headcount for the rehearsal dinner for the restaurant, arranging purchase and pickup of the festival tickets, and figuring out how I'm distributing the tickets to everyone.
I feel like there's a lot to do, yet I also get the feeling that a lot of the hard planning is already done. It helps to make it clear to people that it's their responsibility to contact us instead of us contacting them. I guess I'm just frustrated by the fact that I've reached the point where a lot of the final planning is out of my hands and depends on people being responsible. In the end all I can do is keep track of where things stand and step back to let them do their parts. I know the wedding day will come together because I've made several backup plans to possible problems (what if the cake doesn't arrive? what if the photographer can't come? what if more people than we planned show up? etc.).
Monday, July 25, 2011
Fighting down food and watching politics
13w 6d
Ok, I usually don't like making complaining posts, but I feel myself justified in this case.
I've developed a complete intolerance for evenings. When I can fight down some dinner, I lose it about a quarter of the time these days. The nausea medicine seems to work best to get through my day without being nauseous, but it doesn't help much at mealtimes. Breakfast and lunch are my main sources of food that stays down, and that doesn't end up being very much food. My weight had gone down, but now it seems to be remaining stable although the baby bump makes it look like I'm gaining.
I've also developed an intolerance to reclining. It's an annoyance because that used to be my most comfortable position to relax in the evenings. I have to lean forward every now and then to stop the nausea and be most comfortable. It isn't helping my back any nor are the pillows I try to use while I sit up.
We have another pressing concern as well. With our government not coming to an agreement on the debt ceiling, I worry we may be at risk of losing Medicaid. If the government defaults, they can choose to stop entitlement programs altogether. For me it would mean no more doctor visits for a while, including delaying the ultrasound to find out the gender of the baby. I have an appointment in 2 weeks that I'm prepared to cancel if I find out Medicaid isn't functioning as it should. We just can't afford doctor visits without it. Plan B in that scenario is if I develop a complication that D and I get a legal marriage so I can get health insurance coverage. We don't think that's necessary, but it's an option we are willing to accept.
So while the nation watches current politics for the sake of our economy, I watch it right now for the sake of little squirmer. Either way, I'm sure they'll be fine, but I would still prefer to be seen by a doctor regularly at this point. In the meantime, I'll continue to endure these 2nd trimester aches and come up with creative solutions for them.
Ok, I usually don't like making complaining posts, but I feel myself justified in this case.
I've developed a complete intolerance for evenings. When I can fight down some dinner, I lose it about a quarter of the time these days. The nausea medicine seems to work best to get through my day without being nauseous, but it doesn't help much at mealtimes. Breakfast and lunch are my main sources of food that stays down, and that doesn't end up being very much food. My weight had gone down, but now it seems to be remaining stable although the baby bump makes it look like I'm gaining.
I've also developed an intolerance to reclining. It's an annoyance because that used to be my most comfortable position to relax in the evenings. I have to lean forward every now and then to stop the nausea and be most comfortable. It isn't helping my back any nor are the pillows I try to use while I sit up.
We have another pressing concern as well. With our government not coming to an agreement on the debt ceiling, I worry we may be at risk of losing Medicaid. If the government defaults, they can choose to stop entitlement programs altogether. For me it would mean no more doctor visits for a while, including delaying the ultrasound to find out the gender of the baby. I have an appointment in 2 weeks that I'm prepared to cancel if I find out Medicaid isn't functioning as it should. We just can't afford doctor visits without it. Plan B in that scenario is if I develop a complication that D and I get a legal marriage so I can get health insurance coverage. We don't think that's necessary, but it's an option we are willing to accept.
So while the nation watches current politics for the sake of our economy, I watch it right now for the sake of little squirmer. Either way, I'm sure they'll be fine, but I would still prefer to be seen by a doctor regularly at this point. In the meantime, I'll continue to endure these 2nd trimester aches and come up with creative solutions for them.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Shy and Uncooperative
12 weeks 4 days
This all happened 2 days ago, but since we've had company, I didn't get the chance to relay the frustratingly entertaining story of Thursday's ultrasound to check for down's syndrom.
We started out by being taken back first to the ultrasound room. It's the first time they used the on-the-stomach reader because I'm far enough along now. The technician told us that size-wise the baby is right on track, and they are 2 inches long now. She did the standard stuff, taking measurements of the baby and pointing out all the body parts for us. However, baby decided it wanted to be uncooperative.
The baby was just barely in the position where the tech couldn't see the back of their neck to get the measurement she needed for the down's syndrom test. She was already pressing on my stomach quite hard to see the baby, but the technician felt it necessary to bounce the reader up and down on my stomach to get the baby to move. I watched the monitor with apprehension as the baby continued to float around, at one point getting the hiccups from all the movement. When that didn't work, the technician decided to use the vaginal ultrasound. It's not the most fun way of getting the ultrasound, especially considering that the technician was still jostling my stomach to get the baby to move. This all took 30 minutes, and I was so sore that every movement made my abdomen hurt.
Eventually the technician gave up. She told us that we would come back in after she'd done ultrasounds for a few other patients. In the meantime, we were to see the docor. I was glad for the break, but I dreaded going back for another torture round. As I walked around, I willed the baby to wake up and move. After waiting for the doctor for about 10 minutes, the technician came into the room and told us happily that she could get another attempt because someone canceled. I was not too anxious to get back on the table, and I just hoped that baby had finally moved. It didn't look at first as if they had, and the tech had to push on my stomach again in an attempt to get them to move. Hardly daring to breath, I saw the baby slowly rotate. For a fraction of a second, baby showed the back of the neck to the technician. They backtracked in the recording and found the frame they were looking for. I gave a sigh of relief as I knew the torture session would now be over.
Now she could focus on getting us some pictures for our baby book. The baby had turned back to the position it was in before, then it did something the technician had never seen before. The baby was facepalming! Repeatedly! D was laughing, and I was so fascinated that I used all my will to keep from laughing and losing the picture. Baby has confirmed that it is indeed our child, and it is a story they will likely hear for the rest of their life.
This all happened 2 days ago, but since we've had company, I didn't get the chance to relay the frustratingly entertaining story of Thursday's ultrasound to check for down's syndrom.
We started out by being taken back first to the ultrasound room. It's the first time they used the on-the-stomach reader because I'm far enough along now. The technician told us that size-wise the baby is right on track, and they are 2 inches long now. She did the standard stuff, taking measurements of the baby and pointing out all the body parts for us. However, baby decided it wanted to be uncooperative.
The baby was just barely in the position where the tech couldn't see the back of their neck to get the measurement she needed for the down's syndrom test. She was already pressing on my stomach quite hard to see the baby, but the technician felt it necessary to bounce the reader up and down on my stomach to get the baby to move. I watched the monitor with apprehension as the baby continued to float around, at one point getting the hiccups from all the movement. When that didn't work, the technician decided to use the vaginal ultrasound. It's not the most fun way of getting the ultrasound, especially considering that the technician was still jostling my stomach to get the baby to move. This all took 30 minutes, and I was so sore that every movement made my abdomen hurt.
Eventually the technician gave up. She told us that we would come back in after she'd done ultrasounds for a few other patients. In the meantime, we were to see the docor. I was glad for the break, but I dreaded going back for another torture round. As I walked around, I willed the baby to wake up and move. After waiting for the doctor for about 10 minutes, the technician came into the room and told us happily that she could get another attempt because someone canceled. I was not too anxious to get back on the table, and I just hoped that baby had finally moved. It didn't look at first as if they had, and the tech had to push on my stomach again in an attempt to get them to move. Hardly daring to breath, I saw the baby slowly rotate. For a fraction of a second, baby showed the back of the neck to the technician. They backtracked in the recording and found the frame they were looking for. I gave a sigh of relief as I knew the torture session would now be over.
Now she could focus on getting us some pictures for our baby book. The baby had turned back to the position it was in before, then it did something the technician had never seen before. The baby was facepalming! Repeatedly! D was laughing, and I was so fascinated that I used all my will to keep from laughing and losing the picture. Baby has confirmed that it is indeed our child, and it is a story they will likely hear for the rest of their life.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Definately feel more pregnant these days...
12 weeks 1 day
The past few days have been torturous. Not only was I trying to deal with wedding information packet mixups at Staples, but I just wasn't feeling well. I haven't eaten dinner in a couple days because I've been entirely too nauseous. I'm still drinking water religiously, but it never seems like it's enough water. Also, I've noticed that whenever I get up too quickly or roll over in bed too quickly that my abdomen starts to hurt. I've taken to holding it whenever I switch positions or stand up, and it seems to help.
The most troubling part though is that I'm losing weight. I'm definately more noticeably pregnant now, but I've lost 4 pounds from my prepregnancy weight. I'm not sounding the alarm bells yet as I was 40 pounds overweight anyway, but it's enough to make me start taking my nausea medication more regularly. It's supposed to be a "take as needed" medicine, but I want to make sure I give baby every chance to be healthy by getting enough food. Although I would love if I came out of the pregnancy at a more reasonable weight, I'm still supposed to be gaining some weight, right?
I go back to the OBGYN tomorrow to get some tests done for down syndrom. I'll voice my concerns with the doctor and see what she says. If she's still unconcerned, then so should I.
The past few days have been torturous. Not only was I trying to deal with wedding information packet mixups at Staples, but I just wasn't feeling well. I haven't eaten dinner in a couple days because I've been entirely too nauseous. I'm still drinking water religiously, but it never seems like it's enough water. Also, I've noticed that whenever I get up too quickly or roll over in bed too quickly that my abdomen starts to hurt. I've taken to holding it whenever I switch positions or stand up, and it seems to help.
The most troubling part though is that I'm losing weight. I'm definately more noticeably pregnant now, but I've lost 4 pounds from my prepregnancy weight. I'm not sounding the alarm bells yet as I was 40 pounds overweight anyway, but it's enough to make me start taking my nausea medication more regularly. It's supposed to be a "take as needed" medicine, but I want to make sure I give baby every chance to be healthy by getting enough food. Although I would love if I came out of the pregnancy at a more reasonable weight, I'm still supposed to be gaining some weight, right?
I go back to the OBGYN tomorrow to get some tests done for down syndrom. I'll voice my concerns with the doctor and see what she says. If she's still unconcerned, then so should I.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Disgruntled about information packets
I was having troubles converting my word files to be pdf's that could be easily printed. We do not own a printer, so we have been going to staples for printing out our wedding paperwork (invitations, RSVPs, etc). Because the pdf converter wasn't functioning, I made xps versions of the documents I needed as well as took the time to make jpg versions in case they can't read that format. I wrote my instructions quite clearly for them and left the files and instruction paper with them.
When I got back, at first everything seemed in order. I admit I didn't take a close look at everything before I left as I was tired and hot. The information packets themselves seemed fine, but the font is off on the Rehearsal invitations. Then I look at my carefully formatted RSVPs and see that the font is different there too. They didn't follow my instructions and instead printed straight from the word documents. My instructions told them they had to either print from the xps or jpg documents. I had the word documents for my own records, not for them to use.
Not only did they print from the wrong documents, they printed the wrong number. They printed the RSVP document 5 times even though I only had on the sheet I needed one copy of that. The rehearsal invites were also printed 5 times even though my instructions stated I needed 21 copies of those! So not only did she print from the wrong files, she printed the wrong number of copies. I can't even use the RSVPs because the formatting went off because they don't have the fonts installed that I used. It's why I wanted them to use the image file. I know better now than to trust them with having the original word document on the drive when I want them to not print from them.
Now we have to go back tomorrow to reprint rehearsal invitations and RSVPs. I'm so angry that I don't even want to work on getting envelopes ready for the information packets tonight. How disappointing.
When I got back, at first everything seemed in order. I admit I didn't take a close look at everything before I left as I was tired and hot. The information packets themselves seemed fine, but the font is off on the Rehearsal invitations. Then I look at my carefully formatted RSVPs and see that the font is different there too. They didn't follow my instructions and instead printed straight from the word documents. My instructions told them they had to either print from the xps or jpg documents. I had the word documents for my own records, not for them to use.
Not only did they print from the wrong documents, they printed the wrong number. They printed the RSVP document 5 times even though I only had on the sheet I needed one copy of that. The rehearsal invites were also printed 5 times even though my instructions stated I needed 21 copies of those! So not only did she print from the wrong files, she printed the wrong number of copies. I can't even use the RSVPs because the formatting went off because they don't have the fonts installed that I used. It's why I wanted them to use the image file. I know better now than to trust them with having the original word document on the drive when I want them to not print from them.
Now we have to go back tomorrow to reprint rehearsal invitations and RSVPs. I'm so angry that I don't even want to work on getting envelopes ready for the information packets tonight. How disappointing.
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