Paper Towel Micro-Mini

I am now on an every-two-week OB appointment schedule. I guess they figure hey--she's 30 weeks pregnant, what else is she doing? Whatever. I don't want to argue, so I roll on in, and face the scale.

Today was my appointment. I am something like 31 weeks and 5 days. We were not scheduled for an ultrasound or anything "cool," so Jerry didn't go with me. He was at work, so Grace did.

My doctor had been called away to the hospital for a delivery. Would I like to see another doctor? Come back later in the afternoon? Reschedule? I was there. I was dressed. I was even wearing mascara. I had just single-handedly wrestled Grace into public-appropriate clothing and managed to keep her clean from the house to the car AND during the 45-minute ride to the Doctor's office. Did I mention it was apparently monsoon season, and we were both now dripping from the jog (yes, 8-months-pregnant and wearing flip-flops, toting a toddler and a 45-lb diaper bag RAN in the rain) from the car to the door? All I could do was stare at the nurse, trying to think of a decent way to express my sentiment. It must have been obvious, because before I could say anything, she looked me over, turned to her clipboard, and mumbled, "I'll put you on the shortest list."

After chasing Grace around the waiting room for a bit, I was called back. Weight gain? 2 pounds in 2.5 weeks--not bad! Blood pressure? Lovely considering the waiting room Olympics in which I had just contended. When the nurse asked me if there were any problems or changes, I mentioned I'd been having a good number of Braxton Hicks contractions. (I know it was because we just got back from a road trip and I was doing a lot of chasing Grace around in the heat, but I promised Jerry I'd mention it, so I did.) So, because of this, the nurse assumes the doctor will want to check me and hands me a paper blanket thingy, escorts me and Grace to a room, gives us the once over and says, "Bottoms off. " She leaves the room.

There we are. The three of us. Me, Grace, and the paper blanket thingy, which, for a normal-sized non-pregnant woman who is not chasing around and 11-month-old, I'm sure it drapes nicely over the lap.... I can picture this serene woman, lounging fully-covered, flipping through the latest issue of Vogue, waiting patiently for the doctor. Believe me, this was not the picture in MY exam room...

I had to settle for wrapping the thing around me and tucking it, like a towel while I chased Grace around the room. She was due for a nap, which for some reason always results in hyperactivity...So, as I'm crouched down, simultaneously trying to coax her into reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, again, and pry the mystery medical instrument she just discovered in a drawer out of her fist, she decides that Mommy's paper dress looks interesting. She grabbed a fist-full and pulled. The second her little hand ripped the paper, her eyes lit up. She was either attracted to the ripping noise or the sound of my dignity flying out of the window. Suddenly, the child was all hands. Every time I looked at her, she had another fist-full of paper.

So, by the time the doctor, WHO WAS NOT EVEN MY DOCTOR OR PERSONALLY KNOWN TO ME, came in to check me, I was perched on the floor reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, holding the biggest piece of the blanket thingy Grace had left me, which was, by the way, no bigger than a cocktail napkin. I just looked up and smiled.

The contractions were probably because I was dehydrated. Everything was/is fine. Wesley is measuring right on track. I'm to keep up the good work, etc. And I pray I never have to look that doctor in the face again.

Grace's birthday is next week. People keep asking me what appropriate gifts would be. Seems to me paper cover-ups pilfered from Doctor's offices would be ideal and cost-effective.

Pregnancy brain is REAL

OK, so I know most of you have heard of "pregnancy brain," right? Where pregnant women have difficulty focusing or remembering? I'm here to tell you its REAL. Lately, I've been really bad...It's taking me longer and longer to get myself together to leave the house, checking and rechecking things I've packed. I've put the salad dressing away in the Tupperware cupboard instead of the fridge. I spent at least 20 minutes trying to find my cell phone and couldn't for the life of me find it only to realize it had been in my hand the ENTIRE time. A woman on my pregnancy board nearly left home without her pants. I hadn't done anything THAT bad. Until...

Grace and I, celebrating our Summer vacation, had plans to have lunch with a friend. My friend met us at our house, and I was going to drive. She parked behind me. She asked me if I had enough room to get around her. I walked to the back of the car, looked, and said, "oh yeah...plenty of room." I then got into my car, started it, threw it into reverse and promptly smacked into the front of her car. Thank goodness there was no damage...but SERIOUSLY??? Is the oxygen in my blood being re-routed from my brain to finish growing this baby?

Glucola, Horse Shots, and Giant Babies

When you're 28 Weeks Pregnant, the doctors like for you to come in and be de-sensitized to needles. I had my appointment today. First, on my way there, I had to drink an unreasonably large serving of this Glucola drink...a cross between maple syrup and flat orange soda. The only reason I held it down was because I KNEW (from prior experience) that if I ralphed, the nurse at the office would NOT feel bad for me. And she would give me ANOTHER Glucola drink and I'd have to start all over....

At the Office...

After being weighed (4 pounds for the month, thank you...) and blood pressured (fine, fine...no worries) and given a "specimen cup" to umm....leave a specimen (and are these things getting smaller at each appointment?), the nurse unapologetically took at least three tubes of blood. And because my blood is Rh-, it was time for my Rhogam shot. Apparently, my doctor's office was out of regular injection needles and borrowed some horse needles from a vet's office somewhere. Needless to say, the nurse was able to inject the Rhogam into my marrow. She did have the courtesy to ask whether I'd prefer to be incapacitated in my right or left arm for the week...

Bandaged and bruised, it was off to the Ultrasound room. I knew I was going to be getting another U/S to check for low fluid (it was critically low with Grace, but we only caught it by accident. There is no increased risk for low fluid with this pregnancy. I think maybe the Dr was only checking because I was worried?) so I brought the team with me. I lay serenely on the paper-covered table staring up at the big-screen ultrasound, the baby inside me assaulting me from the inside with all his might, attacking every internal organ in his proximity (which at this point is all of them). The baby outside of me was attacking her dad with every ounce of force and all the skill available to an 11-month-old. While he tried to get her to focus on the books in her bag, she was screaming in her baby-language what Jerry and I know was "OUTSIDE! OUTSIDE!"

Despite the minor distractions, here's what we learned: Baby Wesley is doing great. He's measuring right on track for his gestational age. He has plenty of fluid to swim around in. He is DEFINITELY a boy and had his boy parts proudly on display. He's also measuring in the 70th Percentile for weight/length. So, despite my best efforts (and success, I might add) in the moderate-weight gain department, my baby is still on track to weigh in at over eight pounds when he's born. Ouch. Again.

On my way out, the nurse snagged me again...she needed just one more vial of blood....eh.

We're HOW MANY weeks?

Where has the time gone? 27 weeks pregnant is coming up this Saturday. The best part about that is, if for some reason, Wesley HAD to be born, he would have an 85 % chance of survival. Good news, yes, but let's all hope he stays right where he is for the time being...

Meanwhile Grace is walking! Seriously...she is walking and sometimes RUNNING! And she's so proud of herself. And we're so proud of her, too... Its been a rough couple of weeks for her. Starting three weeks ago, when Ms. Martha (the best day-care provider in the world) called me in my classroom and says, "I'm just calling to make sure...you know Grace has Thrush, right?" to which I responded, "Ummm....what's thrush?"

So, one doctor's visit and three prescriptions later, we were treating thrush, the yeast infection that goes with it, oh...and let's not forget the ear infection that somehow snuck in there.

Flash forward about 10 days; the end of the antibiotic. Grace is running a fever and has a cough. We go back to the Dr. Seems her Thrush is all cleared up (on both ends) but the ear infection switched sides? We were prescribed a stronger antibiotic. That was Friday. Today is Wednesday. I haven't slept since then. I took Grace BACK to the Dr today, convinced she STILL had the ear infection. The kid was whiny, clingy, not eating, not sleeping.... No ear infection. Turns out the meds were making her sick. So, because the infection was gone, we ditched the rest of the antibiotic and are hoping for a good night's sleep tonight, and seriously, it would be nice to make the rest of the school year without having to take time off to take her in!

Back to Wesley: I read in some other pregnant someone's blog this past week that being very pregnant feels like being crowded. I couldn't put it any better. I feel crowded. I'm being squeezed out of my own body. Of course, this someone was 36 weeks pregnant, looked like a blond supermodel, and her 36-week belly looked like my 12-week belly, and I hate her. Yet, I digress...

I am still jogging and doing strength training. I had another appointment last week. I only gained four pounds the previous month. I'm very proud of my not getting out of control with my weight-gain. Like I said before: anything less than double the recommended weight gain and I'm golden.

I'm starting to notice the swelling, though...feet and face (I don't mind the feet so much, because I can't see them anymore). Of course I'm watching the sodium, but it doesn't help that everything delicious has a ton of sodium. AND the back pain...I feel like t his kid is ripping me apart, and he's starting at my tailbone! All I can do is stretch, because getting to the chiropractor requires extra energy and also child-swapping coordination, which Jerry and I have not quite perfected yet...

Wesley is extremely active. Grace was, too, but this is different. This kid means business. He's so rough! Maybe he's trying to chew his way out, or something?

Ok, so, next appointment is June 5th, and I'll be doing the delicious glucose test, for the second time this pregnancy, hopefully, with equally stellar results as the last time. (The only reason I can hold that glucola swill down is knowing that if I yak, they're just going to make me drink another one.)

Cravings are getting the best of me....

Let me preface, with the fact that I only gained THREE pounds last month!!! (Thank you jogging, working out, and eating..um....sensibly....)

BUT THEN, yesterday, for lunch, I splurged because McDonalds had their 1/4 pounder with cheese buy one/get one for a penny, SO, a lady I work with and I both got one and split an order of fries....I had milk to drink (ok, TWO milk chugs, but so what?) so I wasn't feeling TOO bad about it. I got home, jogged, did some squats, lunges, weights with my arms blah blah blah....

Jerry's night to cook, so we had CHINESE!!! Again, I was trying to be sensible...I ordered wonton soup (ok, it was a large, but I saved half) and chicken with mixed veggies (I really tried to eat only half, but I was SO HUNGRY I ate it all, but with only like a REAL ONE PORTION of brown rice--like two tablespoons or whatever)

So I woke up this morning with a real desire and every intention to have like a low sodium, high protein, salad kind of day.

Only THEN, I NEEDED a decaf during my planning period, so when I pulled up to the drive through my body says to me, "bacon egg and cheese biscuit. BaconEggAndCheeseBiscuit.BACONEGGANDCHEESEBISUIT!!!!!!!" and suddenly, I was STARVING (don't forget, I'd already eaten low-fat peanut butter and honey on a double fiber English muffin) So, trying to be reasonable, I ordered my small decaf with one cream and one sugar and a plain biscuit, which, I might add, was the most delicious biscuit I've ever eaten in my entire life.

Then, I ate my sensible lunch, like a GALLON of water (to stave off the hunger pains)...and just now, in rapid succession I had cravings for pickled ginger, coconut, and dark chocolate peanut M&Ms (NONE OF WHICH I ATE, by the way).

I am hoping that our baby Wes is just having a growth spurt, and the duration of my pregnancy will not be plagued with these ridiculously impossible to tame cravings!

And the survey says.....

It's a boy!
Wesley David is on the way...

We had our Level II Ultrasound scan yesterday, and everything looked good (or otherwise the tech didn't say anything different...)and there were definitely boy parts. The tech was doing her scan, and I was watching as Grace was climbing on Jerry's head (she really was such a good girl...). The baby was coming in and out of focus...I could see a little head then little arms. I saw little feet, then little legs, then the tech rotated the angle, looking at the legs from underneath...and I said, "Whoa...I see boy parts!" The tech smiled and nodded....So, its a boy.

Not much other excitement right now. We took Grace to the beach last weekend. The weather was awesome (a little windy) but the water was much too cold to get in. Let's call this picture my 19 week "belly shot" because no one needs to be scrutinized THAT much, right?
















Anyway, after the beach, we went home and had lunch on the lanai. Here is a picture of Grace after she's eaten an entire banana popsicle....

Flu season is upon us

There is a flu epidemic in Southwest Florida. How do I know, you ask? Well, when I brought Grace to the pediatrician to find out why she's fussy, uncomfortable, and running a fever, the Doctor told me, "Your baby has tested positive for Influenza B. Not surprising; there is an epidemic."

Hmmm. Good to know.

So, poor little Gracie has been battling the flu. Friday night, she ran fever up to 103.9 before I quit taking it. I called the on-call nurse who told me that as long as she is responsive, to continue to treat the fever at home. So, after a tepid bath and a dose of Motrin, the thermometer read 103.9 and I decided that I was only scaring myself. It was a rough night that turned into a rough weekend, that turned into a rough week.

She can't go back to daycare until her fever has been gone for 24 hours. Today is Wednesday and she has been running a consistent temperature of between 99.5 and 100.7. All we can do is give her Motrin. She is coughing all night and leaking vibrant colors. She is so miserable, but still manages to smile with us and play. Jerry stayed home with her yesterday and today. He's such a good dad.

So, this past Monday, I had an appointment with my OB. I am currently in my 17th week (we switch on Saturdays). Baby bean is still right on track. She didn't do an ultrasound, just listed to the heart rate with a Doppler. Everything looked good. I did have to do my sugar test (blech), and the results should be in by Thursday. My weight gain was more than what I expected, but hey...it wasn't double, so I'm proud. Exciting news is I scheduled our level II ultra sound (where they tell us the gender) for March 30th at 3:30!

On the subject, I guess I should mention that I'm defintitely "showing." I'm carrying a lot different with this one, though. With Grace, I gained weight everywhere--and lots of it. With this one, although I'm gaining more than average, I'm carrying most of it in my belly. I'm still out walking/jogging to keep in shape, and I'm doing toning exercises to try to stave off the flabs.

I am occaisionally feeling Baby Bean move. I can feel lights taps and flutters a few times a day. I like the reassurance that comes with feeling him/her jump around. According to my books, he/she is developing inner ears and can sense light, even though his/her eyelids are still fused shut. All very exciting stuff.

So far, so good...

We went for another checkup today. The doctor says everything looks great and the little bean is measuring right on schedule for his/her August 23rd due date.


They also did an "interview" Jerry and I call the Department of Children and Families interview. It goes like:

Nurse: Do you ever go to bed hungry because there's no food in the house?

Me: Does it still count as "yes" if I have eaten all the food in the house in the two hours before bed?

Nurse: Do you feel safe in your home?

Me: Um....yeah, (twirling hair) we, like...have an alarm.....

and you get the idea.



Because we were scheduled to see the interview nurse and the financial counselor AND the doctor, our appointment lasted about two hours. Grace was such a trooper. She finally had a melt down as we were looking at the ultrasound. Poor thing. She was just tired, bored, and ready to get the heck out of there. I felt the exact same way, and if I could have gotten away with a screaming fit, I probably would have thrown one, too...


Anyway, the long and short of it is, Baby Bean looks great. I feel great. Everything is going great. I do have to do an extra sugar test (yum yum) at the next visit because Grace was so big (8 lbs, 9 oz). But hey--I'm watching what I eat and trying to gain a more reasonable amount of weight this time (anything less than twice the recommended would be fine...)


So, in four weeks, I go back for the sugar test/blood work and to check the baby with a doppler. But the NEXT appointment, four weeks after that, is the BIG ultrasound, where we find out if Baby Bean will wear blue or pink! We're totally excited about that. I can't imagine not wanting to find out the gender. I'm way too much of a planner.

Don't feed the Preggo

I am ravenously hungry. All the time. And believe me, I'm eating. I am aware that I need enough calories and protein to breastfeed a 7-month-old and grow a human. I get it. I eat well. But my body is trying to mutiny. Apparently, it doesn't agree with my "wise" choices for how I get my calories. I eat fruit, cheese, soy milk, granola bars, oatmeal, and herbal tea during the day. I usually have some lean protein wrap or salad for lunch. I eat normal, healthful dinners.

My body wants to eat everything it sees and/or smells and/or thinks about. Unless its a carrot, then my body wants to projectile vomit. I understand that I am pregnant and that comes with some cravings, so I am trying to be compassionate to my body's demands. I would love to choose one craving to acquiesce per day, but I can never choose one thing above the others; I simply want to eat everything. All the time. I am never full.

Well, there it is

I am determined not to become "o-beast," as one of my high-schoolers put it today.

With Grace, let's just say I gained more than double the recommended weight. Let's also just say that my weight when admitted to the hospital to deliver my 8 lb, 9 oz baby was roughly the same as a small VW, which is what I told the nurse, who then insisted on my backing onto a scale. If Jerry wouldn't have been afraid of my raging hormones, he probably would have made the "beep, beep, beep" noise of heavy equipment being thrown into reverse, which would now be funny, looking back, I guess.

So, by this time, with my first pregnancy, I had gained more than double of my current weight gain, 7 pounds. Which isn't really a weight gain, so much as the last seven pounds of my baby weight that just wouldn't come off for "some reason," which turned out to be that I was, in fact, pregnant again, and my last 7 were also my 1st 7. I am still in my regular pants, though they may or may not be buttoned, depending on the time of day. I am eating reasonably (not counting the super-awesome brownies my neighbor brought over today) and exercising regularly. I feel good and I think I am barely showing. Which , considering I've only known I'm pregnant for a week, is good.

This is why I was so surprised today when I overheard my 6th period class arguing about who was going to "ask her." I knew exactly what they were wondering, and when one kid finally drew the short straw and asked, in front of the whole class, whether or not I was pregnant, I was a little dismayed. I neither confirmed nor denied....I just said to him, "do you realize you just said to me that I look chunky?" I laughed it off, and so did everyone else, but there it is.

Are you kidding me with this?

Ok, just to catch you up, Jerry and I have been together since October 2004. We were married on June 30th, 2007. Our beautiful daughter, Grace Kelly, was born on July 1st, 2008. We live in Florida. We love the sun and the water. We are an active, healthy, all-american family.

I have been working as a teacher in Title I schools for more than 7 years. Jerry will have his six-year anniversary as a fire fighter in March. Life is good.

Grace has been just perfect. She is a good baby. She sleeps well and eats anything. She has Jerry's laid-back attitude, and nothing much bothers her. She smiles all the time. she's so happy and absolutely perfect.

So, that brings us current. Last week, I realized I was probably "off" on charting my cycle. (We use Natural Family Planning, from the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility, by Toni Weshler, http://www.tcoyf.com/). So, my first step was to take a pregnancy test, then I was going to take Ovulation tests until I was confident that I was "on track." Well, surprise, surprise, the pregnancy test was a BFP--Big Fat Positive.

Jerry was on shift, and I didn't really know what to tell him, since I was feeling sort of at fault; it was sort of my "job" to track things, and he would always ask me, "are we good?" before anything. Long story short, I picture mailed him a picture of the positive pregnancy test. I guess it wasn't as obvious as I thought, because he had to pass it around the station until one of the guys finally interpreted for him.

The thing was, with the new baby, being together hadn't been high on our priority list. I immediately thought back and blamed the whole thing on Jerry's birthday, January 3rd, which would have put me about six weeks along. Before Grace was born, we had a miscarriage at about 10 weeks. So, when I found out I was expecting Grace, my doctor immediately put me on Progesterone supplements. Monday morning, I called my doctor's office as soon as it opened and explained my question about progesterone, not to mention I am still breastfeeding Grace, and I wasn't sure about how the pregnancy would affect that, or vise versa. They were extremely understanding and scheduled an appointment for the following day.

When the ultrasound came up at the appointment, Jerry and I were expecting a tiny bean of a baby with a flickering heartbeat. What we saw was a GIANT baby with a head and arms and legs and he/she was wiggling all around! My concern to my doctor was expressed something like this, "Holy Crap! How big is THAT baby?" Turns out, I was 11 weeks along. One week shy of being done with the first trimester. No need for Progesterone. The new baby is big with a strong heartbeat. The due date is August 23rd. Grace will be 13 months old.

Keep smiling,

Kate