Unscathed

On July 5th, our church made a mistake that has impacted every part of our lives. They cashed 8 tithing checks at once which effectively bottomed out our bank account. We had 75 cents left. We had to move all of our savings to our checking account to cover bills that had gone out- mortgage, day care, etc. When we got paid again, we thought we were in a better place, but then our account was back to $0.

We've been dealing with a severe lack of money for a month now. It's caused us to cancel a lot of things- including a school field trip for The Big One. I know that he won't remember it. He won't remember not going to the zoo on August 3, 2018. He's only 3. He won't remember. but I will. I grew up being made fun of and being bullied because we had no money and I routinely was left out of "extra" school activities. I never went to birthday parties because we couldn't afford to bring a gift. I never had the latest toys or clothes or anything because it wasn't in the budget. It kills me that this is something The Big One has experienced now.

In order to save money and rebuild our savings, Hubs and I have instated some pretty strict rules for the rest of the year:
- No gyms we have to pay for
- No vending machines
- No restaurants
- No Perrin Tradition pre-church Dunkin runs
- No buying alcohol or soda
- No non-essential food (desserts, snacks)
- No extraneous or unnecessary driving
- No non-essential shopping (the kids have plenty of clothes, both mine and Hubs' clothes are in good condition)
- Increase thermostat setting in the summer, lower in the winter
- No birthday/Christmas/anniversary/etc gifts for anyone for anything until next summer at the earliest.

And, you know that if you're having some type of financial problem, something important will break. For example, our upstairs air conditioner. It broke. And Hubs' car needs some minor repairs.

Puppy had some abnormal senior exam results.

My best friend, G.E., had a miscarriage at 8 weeks pregnant.
My good friends' sister had a late miscarriage at 22 weeks.
An old coworker who had beaten cancer 4 times in the 5 years I've known him received new scans that show the cancer has metastasized and is scattered through his body. He's 45 years old and has 6 children- the youngest is 5. They are going to stop treating the cancer and start treating the pain.

My sister-in-law is battling several health issues, including a 1" mass on her thyroid. It's being biopsied tomorrow. The mass was only found after she received more scans due to abnormal results on some brain imaging.

We had to cancel a trip to visit Hubs' brother and his wife in West Virginia because we can't afford to drive there, rent a hotel, feed our family, and drive back over the span of 4 days.

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I would be lying if I didn't say that in this time we have also been blessed. Both of our families have taken excellent care of us, and have asked nothing in return. My mom had a double sleepover with the kids so we could get the upstairs AC repaired.

Hubs' parents have stocked our fridge and have lent us money to get us through those first few weeks.

We've also been blessed by strong friendships with people who are not judgmental when we've had to cancel plans (or trips), by generally good health all around, and by jobs at good companies.

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It's been a hard month, and will continue to be hard months while we rebuild, but we will come through on the other side unscathed.

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Also, I changed our tithing from physical checks to automatic direct deposit so this can't happen again.

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Also, you haven't met Charlotte, aka, The Little One, aka TLO, yet. Here she is on her first birthday, which she almost shares with me. (12 more hours and we would've shared!). She is the definition of a loving and sweet baby. She's full of joy and belly laughs and tacos. She's almost walking (any day now, really). This child has brought so much joy to our house. 

And she loves her first set of wheels. I renovated The Big One's old Cozy Coupe into a VW Bus for her birthday.

The Big One (TBO) now has a "Baman Mobile" (his words).

Five Stabs and One IV

Two nights ago (Tuesday), at 28 weeks pregnant with CL, I made my first pregnancy-related trip to the hospital. 

Monday during the day and evening I was feeling fine, but Monday night I was up sick a few times. This would have been pretty par for the course with my previous pregnancy, but not this time around. I got up Tuesday morning, and other than feeling tired from being up most of the night, I felt fine. Went to work, continued to eat and drink water like usual. But around 10am, something just felt off. My typical non-painful Braxton Hicks contractions turned into fairly regular painful contractions. Like stop-you-mid-sentence painful. I spent much of the day feeling nauseous but not actually getting sick.

After a hasty presentation I had to make around 1145am, I hurried home to take a quick nap, hoping that I was feeling so poorly because I was lacking sleep. After an hour and a half (yes, I know I took a REALLY long lunch break) of tossing and turning because of the painful contractions, I got up and went back to work. My usual Braxton Hicks remedies were not working (hydrate; change positions; relax; etc). 

Starting to worry, I texted the Chef over at Pettus Pie who suggested I wait a day unless things just got unbearable. Fully trusting her and already having an appointment set up with the OB the next day, I decided she was right. 

Tuesday night got worse and worse. The pain in my so-called Baby Ball had become a constant radiating pain, and had traveled to my entire back - upper, middle and lower, and I spent several hours lying on the couch just trying to find a position that I could tolerate. But whenever I had another Braxton Hicks contraction, it felt like sharp daggers and made me cry. After a very long bath (one where I accidentally fell asleep), my pain was worse, and it was all I could do to lie on my bed and writhe and cry. My mom called Hubs to come home (I'd been trying to not be dramatic, and said he could go to an event he had planned with friends), and as soon as he walked in, all he said was "Can you ride in the car?"

We got to the hospital around 11pm and I could hardly stand upright or breathe. Couldn't finish sentences and was practically crying just trying to stand.

It turns out I was so dehydrated (which I still can't believe because I regularly drink 100oz of water per day or MORE!) that it was causing the pain and the contractions. The dehydration led to this seriously-needle-phobic Mama getting stabbed FIVE times for the sake of one IV. The first IV attempt was a fail, and it hurt so bad while the nurse rolled that needle around in my arm that I was bawling literally begging to go home and suffer in pain there instead. The next IV tries came with a lidocaine shot (which is why there were a total of 5 stabs for three actual IV attempts). The third attempt was successful in a very uncomfortable place - the side of my wrist next to my thumb. 

I spent the remainder of the night and most of Wednesday getting rapid fluids and attempting to not be sick/have contractions anymore.

I was able to come home last night, leaving the hospital around 6pm, pumped full of fluids, and sporting a few bruises on my wrists. I don't think I've ever slept so well as I did last night.

Important thanks go to:

Tom, my father-in-law, who, without question, gave up his chair, his water, and food when I showed up unexpectedly in his office Tuesday afternoon near tears and about ready to pass out. The quickness with which he responded to my needs is probably what got me home safely from work.

Diana, my mother-in-law, who graciously cancelled her own plans with my sister-in-law to come help me with TH Tuesday night while Hubs was out.

My mom who knew I wasn't feeling well and was preparing dinner when I got home (side note- she's been living with us while recovering from a surgery a few weeks ago), so I didn't have to attempt to stand over the stove to cook for my family.

Hubsandwich- who knew to take me to the hospital and only left my side to take TH to school in the morning and pick him up from school in the evening. 

My nurses - Nicole and Trina - for being generally and all-around awesome.

Dr. Conrad (what list would be complete without him?!) for coming by first thing in the morning to check on me AND after he'd finished a long day at work to see how I was doing and discharge me. I've never met a doctor so caring and sincere.

Sarah, my sister-in-law, who came to visit me in the hospital and ended up arriving in time for the nurse to take out my IV, holding my hand through that process, and then driving me home. 

And my coworkers for picking up the slack of all the things I needed to get done at work yesterday,

But not one girl at work- a "frenemy," if you will. During my entire pregnancy with TH, she constantly told me that I wasn't really sick and I wasn't really itchy and that it was all in my head. Even this time around, she told me that if I started to itch again that it was in my head and if I told myself I wasn't itchy, then I wouldn't be. On Tuesday, she told me to "suck it up and stop being so dramatic" and that I wasn't really feeling badly, and that it was instead all in my head. Let's all just take a moment and thank her for not being a doctor.

22 Weeks & the Answer to Your ICP Question.

At 22 weeks pregnant, I'm becoming more and more aware that I could starting itching any moment.

During my pregnancy with TH, the first time I mentioned itching, I was 26 weeks along.

I know it's not a hard fact that I will have Intraheptic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) again, but my chances are very good. Most women have it in successive pregnancies, and I've never been one to be the exception. For most women, the symptoms of ICP start earlier and are more severe with each pregnancy.

The first time I itched during this pregnancy was actually before I knew I was pregnant- it's what convinced me to take a pregnancy test. Sure enough, it was positive. I continued to itch mildly on and off for a few weeks, and then it went away.

Now at 22 weeks, I haven't itched since about 14 and I feel like I can sense it coming. Every day I make it through without itching is considering a victory. Some days I have a random itch (like a normal person) and it freaks me out. You'd think after almost 2 years, I'd be past this, but it's so much more traumatizing than a person who hasn't lived it can understand. That alone makes it hard to deal with - relatively speaking- very few people have experienced this.

To the outside person, you're just itchy. No big deal, right? Wrong. You can't just scratch this itch and move on. You can't put on lotion to moisturize and hope for the best. You can't take a Benadryl to help with an allergy. (Well, you CAN put on lotion and take a Benedryl, but neither will help). Instead, you take cold baths hoping to numb your body, and afterward, when you're still uncontrollably itchy, you sit on the side of your bed or on the floor, and cry.

Anyway.

Another difference so far with this pregnancy has been a distinct lack of nausea and sickness. I have had only one day where I was sick all day, and typically the only time I feel nauseous is while I brush my teeth (though I've always had a bad gag reflex.. it's just magnified currently). My only hospital visit during this pregnancy was because I accidentally tried to cut off my finger using a mandolin in the kitchen.

The general update:

How far along?- 22 weeks this Thursday
Total weight gain?-  6 pounds
Symptoms?- Nothing really. No real nausea, no itching, no food aversions, not even any food cravings except for the occasional taco.

Maternity Clothes?-  Yep. I swear I've been wearing maternity clothes since at least 10 weeks. I still wear a few non-maternity t-shirts around the house, and I've been caught (by TSA) using the handy hair-tie trick for my non-maternity jeans.

Sleep? - Yes, please. I wish I could sleep all day every day.

PEAK of the week? - I bought TH some super cute Thomas the Tank Engine undies for our upcoming adventures in potty training.

Pit of the week? - I'm working in the middle of the night all week (last time until after CL - Charlotte- arrives!!)

Missing anything? - Hot, hot baths and sometimes a sip of wine.

Food Cravings - An occasional taco.

Anything making you feel sick or queasy? Brushing my teeth.

Happy or Moody? Happy overall.

Looking forward to? - 6th annual beach trip. I need some R&R.

Speaking of the beach trip, this year's will be very different. The main group has changed unfortunately, and some of my favorite people aren't going. I'm still excited to get away with friends for a nice 5 days and sleep in, lounge on the beach, pee a lot, and sun a bit.. but I would be lying if I said I weren't sad about the circumstances surrounding the absences. 

The Perrin Reserve, Etc

Unfortunately, I've tricked you. This will not be a post about our new-ish house. You know, the one we moved into almost a year and a half ago. This will be a post about our life at the Perrin Reserve. Our joys, our fun, our play time, bath time, bed time, small moments, and big trips.

(Disclaimer: there will be a LOT of photos. I give the people what they want.)

I would be in big, big trouble if I didn't first announce our biggest joy- a little sister for TH! Charlotte is due in August, and I'm hoping to make it that far (note that TH was due in July and he was born mid-June). So far this pregnancy has been worlds better than the general disaster zone of my pregnancy with TH. No sickness, only mild nausea in the mornings, no food aversions, and, as of right now, only very minimal sporadic itching.

 

Tiny Human has done a lot of traveling (near and far) in the months since his first birthday. We visited Clarksville, TN for Papa's half-century bike ride, the TN Aquarium in Chattanooga with Mimi, Tuscaloosa for his second Alabama game, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to visit my side of the family, and Disney World! Some brief highlights from these and others below.

September 2016:

November 2016:

December 2016:

February 2017:

March 2017:

(Maybe one day I'll finally post about the new house. To be honest, it's not looking promising at this point.)