So this is the big week. It's officially Monday morning. In three days, Husband and I will go to the hospital, and we won't leave until we have a beautiful little boy.
In three days, our entire life will change. Forever.
In three days, we'll start a completely new journey together. One of hardships and teamwork; decisions and scary moments; pride and joy; and more love than we ever knew we had- for each other and for Hugo.
As any about-to-be-a-new-mom would be, I'm terrified. I'm excited. I'm nervous. I'm ready. I'm not ready.
I get to see that little face, those little fingers and those little toes, and all that hair that we keep being told he has. I get to see the tiny human who has turned me into a submarine. A whiny, itchy, hungry, urinating machine. I get to see the tiny ears and nose of the little human who The Lord has given to me to raise and cherish and grow and teach and hold and hug and kiss and discipline and play with and love forever.
I get to watch my wonderful and loving husband turn into a wonderful and loving father to his son. A father who intends to be the best role model for our son. To teach him how to pray, and to behave with friends and family. To teach him how to treat a woman, and how to play some sick Metallica solos on the guitar. To teach him to love classical literature and music, as well as how to have a sense of humor and a sense of pride. To teach him how to be proud of himself, and to stand up for himself in adversity and how to treat others with the respect they deserve.
I get to watch our parents turn into grandparents who thought they couldn't love anyone more than their own children, find out they were wrong, when they get to meet this Little Man of ours. I get to watch them turn from try-not-to-spoil-the-kids to all-the-toys-and-all-the-sugar! (This is actually a little scary.) I get to see them be proud of Husband and I, and the life we've built, and the choices we've made. I get to see them decide who Hugo looks most like, and which features he got from which parent. I get to see them tell stories of when they were younger and how Husband and I acted when we were kids.
And I will get to see myself change. I can't be sure of all the changes that will be made in me, but I know already that I can't imagine my life with Hugo- and I haven't even met him yet. I finally get to share this tiny human who has been growing and thriving inside of me. I get to share his kicks, and his movements, and his weight (thankfully!). I get to nourish him and love him in a way that only I can. I get to learn him and study him and know him in a way no one else does. I get to read to him and hum the hymns I've been collecting from church bulletins. I get to spend countless hours- both during the day and at night- bonding with this little life that has been a part of mine for 260 days already.
And I get to do all this forever. With my son. Who will start his long journey to life outside the womb in just three short days.
I'm just the luckiest around.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Friday, June 5, 2015
35 Weeks and 6 Days.
First, an update of weekly photos:
Don't be fooled, I'm absolutely miserable in all these photos.
Second, a preview into what I do in the middle of the night when I can't sleep because of the itching:
A completed nursery. Just needs a baby to call it home.
This will decorate Hugo's hospital bassinet, and hopefully
will add some pizzazz to the hospital newborn photos.
Unfinished hospital door decoration.
Third, a little diddy about how the house things are coming along. Oh wait, have I not mentioned that we're building a new house, to fit our growing family? Well, we're building a new house to fit our growing family, and while preparing the current house for a baby, we're also preparing the current house to stage. (What the heck were we thinking??) It's a lot of work. Hubs and his dad worked long hours on the flowerbeds last weekend, and they have a little more work cut out for them this weekend.
My stunning husband.
Fourth, baby updates. On May 18, I was put on bed rest, so I've been at home for three weeks now, working on house-staging and puppy-loving. I've also been trying to sleep during the day, since I can't at night (see second point). After a few hit-or-miss appointments, we thought we would be delivering Hugo this week (Week 35). And honestly, we were pretty excited about it. Then after a few good appointments, our high-risk OB instructed our regular OB to schedule our induction for 37 weeks. This news was both good and bad. Good, obviously, because that means that Hugo is growing and thriving well, despite the cholestasis. Bad, because that means I still have another few weeks of no sleep and no itch relief. There is still a chance we'll deliver before our scheduled induction date, but it's looking unlikely.
By the way, the induction is scheduled for June 19. June 19 sounds like a good day for a birthday. And Hubs will get the best first Father's Day gift ever.
An update on me: I'm not doing well. I'm having more and more emotional breakdowns and crying fits. It's really difficult and frustrating to not be able to sleep, to not be able to stop itching, and to have no relief. I've been given several different medicines, but nothing has worked to stop, or even help, the itching. Everything itches, all the time. I have cuts and scratches all over my arms, legs and feet. Thankfully, the only part of my body that doesn't itch is my face- though my eyes, scalp, and ears itch. I've begged our OBs to let us have Hugo earlier, so I can stop itching. Even as I type this post, I have to stop to scratch every few words.
How far along?- 35 weeks
Total weight gain?- 26 pounds
Symptoms?- Heartburn, dizziness, itchiness.
Total weight gain?- 26 pounds
Symptoms?- Heartburn, dizziness, itchiness.
Sleep? - Nope.
PEAK of the week? - We went to Tuscaloosa this week to see Dave Matthews Band!
Pit of the week? - Scheduling our induction for two long weeks away.
Missing anything? - Feeling normal.
Food Cravings - Salad, cold water.
Anything making you feel sick or queasy? Pizza.
Happy or Moody? Moody, emotional, frustrated.
Looking forward to? - Hugo's arrival.
Upcoming Events?- Hugo's arrival.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
8 Months and Some Serious Itching.
Overall, my thirties haven't been that great so far. Thirties regarding to Weeks Pregnant, that is. Week 30 was my last post- an overnight hospital stay due to possible pre-eclampsia, and Week 31 through birth has been, and will continue to be plagued with illness.
On Saturday, May 2nd, the palms of my hands and soles of feet began to itch, and on Tuesday, May 5, we had an OB appointment. Our OB was out of town on vacation, so we were scheduled to meet the other OB in his practice. We really liked her. When she walked in to our room, I was furiously scratching the sole of my right foot. Before even introducing herself, she said "how long has this been going on?" "Since Saturday afternoon." Then she asked how bad it has been, and if it's kept me up or otherwise interfered with my day and life. I told her the truth- I hadn't slept since Saturday night because the itching was so bad. She insisted we have a blood test before leaving. She listened to Little Man's heart tones, which sounded good to her, but seemed extremely low to me. Typically, his heart beat is somewhere between 145-155, but at this appointment, she recorded him at 125. I was displeased and concerned, so we were hooked up to the fetal monitor. Two hours later (it took so long because he kept moving so the monitor wasn't super effective, until they finally found a good spot to listen), it was decided that his heart tones were sounding good, and we learned that variations in the beats per minute are actually a good thing. I asked when we should expect to get the results from our blood test, and the nurse said that the doctor had ordered them "stat" so we should hear from the office by the end of the day (5pm).
At 4:45, I still had not heard from the office, so I called, and was dismayed to find that they had already forwarded their phones to the answering service for the night- 15 minutes early.
Wednesday morning, I called first thing when they opened. I was told a nurse would call me. Around 10:30am I called again, a little more perturbed, and was told, again, that a nurse would call me. Then at 11:15, on my way to have lunch with a friend, I called again, and refused to hang up until someone told me something real- as opposed to their standard line. I was told that the doctor had my results and that she needed to speak with our regular OB, and that I would hear back within three hours. About an hour and a half later, on my way back to work, I get a call from a nurse in the office, who sounds hurried and worried. "Can you come in today, before 2, to meet with the doctor to go over your blood test results?" Instantly I knew there was something to worry about. If there wasn't they would have said "your test results came back negative and everything's fine! Have a great day!" I hung up with the nurse, and called Husband to see if he'd be able to leave work to go meet with the doctor.
We got there, and they did the typical pee-in-a-cup, get-weighed, check-blood-pressure routine. I was surprised, as this wasn't a typical appointment, but I guess you do those things no matter the reason you go? They sat us in Room 1, and we waited for the doctor. She came in, looking nice, and not at all worried until she started talking. The words "Cholestasis of pregnancy," "high risk OB," "high risk pregnancy," "bed rest," and "extra monitoring" were tossed around. Truth be told, I didn't hear much of it. It's a good thing Husband was able to go too. He asked good questions.. that I can't remember. I remember that we were told we'd have an appointment with a High-Risk OB tomorrow (Thursday), at 2. I remember that I was given a thick pack of papers to fill out before then, and that I was told not to go back to work today, or to go in the following day. I was also told to expect longer appointments because each one would include ultrasounds and fetal monitoring, and to expect more blood tests, more often. And I was told that we would have two OB appointments per week, not exceeding 3 days between them.
I ended up going back to work only to talk to my superior to tell him I wouldn't be in the following day and why, and to grab my work laptop to bring home.
The high-risk OB appointment occurred on Thursday, May 7 at 2pm. I got there before Hubs, and I was triaged (which sounded like a funny way to say that they took my standard pregnancy vitals- weight, blood pressure, urine sample). Hubs was there when I finished with that. Next up, we had an in-depth ultrasound. So detailed and such a powerful machine, that the ultrasound specialist could see hair on my little boy's head! HAIR! Yay! We learned that at each of these visits, we'll get a cd with ultrasound images, which, I must admit, is a teeny tiny perk. Then the doctor came in. She wasn't warm or friendly, and no happy feelings resonated from her. She was knowledgeable and quick with her answers to our questions (which I had three pages of, with 2-3 blank lines in between for answers). She simply confirmed what our other doctor told us, explained what they'll be monitoring for at each appointment, explained that I'll need to do kick counts 3 times per day, every day, and explained how she wanted them done, and when to call. She ordered another blood test to check for something that was left off the previous one.
Cholestasis of pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic is defined as:
"Cholestasis of pregnancy occurs in late pregnancy and triggers intense itching, usually on the hands and feet but often on many other parts of the body. Cholestsasis of pregnancy can make you intensely uncomfortable but poses no long-term risk to an expectant mother. For a developing baby, however, cholestasis of pregnancy can be dangerous. Doctors usually recommend early delivery."
The symptoms are simple. For me, I have intense itchiness all over my body. Imagine the biggest, worst, most intense itch you've ever had. All over your entire body. At one time. And scratching doesn't help. The symptoms for Hugo are much less severe, until they aren't. The symptoms he can experience are early birth (preterm labor) or still birth. Because of this, we will be delivering early; more on that later.
Overall, there is no relief. Because the itching is not a topical problem (like a rash or allergy), topical treatments, like lotions, and Epsom salt baths, don't work. I was offered a medicine that would help me sleep though, but it's likely to basically put me in a comatose state, considering DayQuil puts me to sleep for a few hours.
The illness, itching and all, goes away within a few days of delivery, which we've been told can be anywhere between tomorrow and Father's Day (37 Weeks).
Speaking of early delivery, 37 Weeks is the optimal number the doctors would like to get us to. It's not guaranteed. It's not promised. And we've sort of been told that it's really not likely. It all depends on Hugo, and how he's doing. At 32 Weeks right now, our doctors are wanting to get to at least 35 Weeks.
At each of our appointments, which are twice a week now (Mondays at our regular OB, and Thursdays at the high risk OB), we will get ultrasounds and fetal monitoring. The ultrasounds are checking the amniotic fluid levels, overall movement, weight, and size of Hugo. The monitoring will be checking his heart tones for good variations. Anywhere between 120 BPM and 160 BPM is where we want to be. If, at any point, Hugo starts to show any signs of distress - that is, fluid levels are low, he loses weight or isn't moving as much, he doesn't have 10 movements in 2 hours (checked during my kick counts), or his heart tones don't look good, our doctors will intervene.
The level of urgency will decide the method of delivery. Both doctors have stated that a vaginal delivery is the first choice, and a c-section is the second choice.
The deciding factors will be:
Level of urgency - if Hugo is showing serious signs of distress and is in danger, a c-section will be performed right away. If there is time, vaginal delivery will be attempted.
My body - depending on how early Hugo shows signs of distress, my body may not be prepared enough to handle a vaginal delivery, even with an induction.
The other, Creepy Uncle at The Family BBQ symptom I've been fighting is a lack of sleep. In the last 10 days or so, I've probably gotten 1-2 hours of sleep per night, if even that much. The itching is fairly unbearable all day, but as soon as I decide it's time for bed, it intensifies even more somehow. I can't relax enough to fall asleep because I'm constantly fighting the urge to scratch an itch somewhere on my body. And I've learned- if you scratch one place, another place will definitely need to be scratched too. And another, and another. And so on. Most nights, over the last 10ish, I try to sleep for about two hours. Then I usually get up, sit on the edge of the bed, have a good cry, then lie back down. An hour or so later, I get up, take a warm lavender-scented Epsom salt bath (knowing it won't help the itching), in hopes that the lavender will relax my body and mind enough to allow me some sleep. About an hour later, I get up, sit on the couch and cry before deciding to organize the nursery a little more. Sometimes I make mine and Hubs' work lunch around 3am.
Husband has been sweet. He's purchased multiple calming lotions, anti-itch sprays, and gels. He's done research to find what's helped other women who've suffered cholestasis of pregnancy. He scratches my back. He scratches my toes (the tops of my toes, and the spaces in between them are so itchy, all day, and I can't reach them very well, and honestly, I want to cut off my toes so I don't have to feel it).
I've tried taking half an adult dose of Benadryl at night (one pill instead of two), and while it definitely makes me very sleepy, it doesn't make me sleepy enough to disregard the itching. Also, it doesn't help with the itching.
At our OB appointment Monday this week, I literally broke down into tears when our doctor voiced my biggest fear- that there was nothing he could do to help with the itching. It took almost 30 minutes to calm me back down. I truly think the tears were fatigue- and exhaustion-induced, and not actual sadness, and I fear that it may happen again tomorrow at our second appointment this week.
The only release I have in this is:
The knowledge that I didn't do anything wrong to cause it.
The knowledge that we have a team of doctors vigilantly monitoring me and Hugo for my safety and his health.
The knowledge that it will be over sometime in the next 1-5 weeks.
In all of our pregnancy-induced illnesses (January's hospital stay due to hyperemesis, our Week 28 quick visit to the hospital due to questionable leaking fluid, our Week 30 overnight stay due to possible pre-eclampsia, and this cholestasis), I've done my best to remain positive and try to look happy and rested and well. I rarely discuss the aches and pains of pregnancy, or the sicknesses or situations or hardships we've faced. Husband is amazed that I can put on that face. I do it, though, because I know how blessed we are to be able to conceive and carry our child. I know how blessed we have been to have been able to make it to 32 Weeks pregnant. I don't want to be the person who constantly complains about being pregnant.
I knew that person.
I hated that person.
Because while she complained about her "mistake" and how it was an "accident" and all her symptoms (which were the common pregnancy symptoms, like peeing a lot, light swelling, tiredness, and back ache), my husband and I tried and tried so we could be in her shoes.
How far along?- 32 weeks
Total weight gain?- 24 pounds, still.
Symptoms?- Heartburn, dizziness, slight nausea, itchiness, not sleeping.
On Saturday, May 2nd, the palms of my hands and soles of feet began to itch, and on Tuesday, May 5, we had an OB appointment. Our OB was out of town on vacation, so we were scheduled to meet the other OB in his practice. We really liked her. When she walked in to our room, I was furiously scratching the sole of my right foot. Before even introducing herself, she said "how long has this been going on?" "Since Saturday afternoon." Then she asked how bad it has been, and if it's kept me up or otherwise interfered with my day and life. I told her the truth- I hadn't slept since Saturday night because the itching was so bad. She insisted we have a blood test before leaving. She listened to Little Man's heart tones, which sounded good to her, but seemed extremely low to me. Typically, his heart beat is somewhere between 145-155, but at this appointment, she recorded him at 125. I was displeased and concerned, so we were hooked up to the fetal monitor. Two hours later (it took so long because he kept moving so the monitor wasn't super effective, until they finally found a good spot to listen), it was decided that his heart tones were sounding good, and we learned that variations in the beats per minute are actually a good thing. I asked when we should expect to get the results from our blood test, and the nurse said that the doctor had ordered them "stat" so we should hear from the office by the end of the day (5pm).
At 4:45, I still had not heard from the office, so I called, and was dismayed to find that they had already forwarded their phones to the answering service for the night- 15 minutes early.
Jennifer, me, Stephanie S, Stephanie W,
and Anna at Stephanie S's baby shower.
Wednesday morning, I called first thing when they opened. I was told a nurse would call me. Around 10:30am I called again, a little more perturbed, and was told, again, that a nurse would call me. Then at 11:15, on my way to have lunch with a friend, I called again, and refused to hang up until someone told me something real- as opposed to their standard line. I was told that the doctor had my results and that she needed to speak with our regular OB, and that I would hear back within three hours. About an hour and a half later, on my way back to work, I get a call from a nurse in the office, who sounds hurried and worried. "Can you come in today, before 2, to meet with the doctor to go over your blood test results?" Instantly I knew there was something to worry about. If there wasn't they would have said "your test results came back negative and everything's fine! Have a great day!" I hung up with the nurse, and called Husband to see if he'd be able to leave work to go meet with the doctor.
We got there, and they did the typical pee-in-a-cup, get-weighed, check-blood-pressure routine. I was surprised, as this wasn't a typical appointment, but I guess you do those things no matter the reason you go? They sat us in Room 1, and we waited for the doctor. She came in, looking nice, and not at all worried until she started talking. The words "Cholestasis of pregnancy," "high risk OB," "high risk pregnancy," "bed rest," and "extra monitoring" were tossed around. Truth be told, I didn't hear much of it. It's a good thing Husband was able to go too. He asked good questions.. that I can't remember. I remember that we were told we'd have an appointment with a High-Risk OB tomorrow (Thursday), at 2. I remember that I was given a thick pack of papers to fill out before then, and that I was told not to go back to work today, or to go in the following day. I was also told to expect longer appointments because each one would include ultrasounds and fetal monitoring, and to expect more blood tests, more often. And I was told that we would have two OB appointments per week, not exceeding 3 days between them.
The five of us at my church baby shower. I have to admit
it's nice to not be the shortest in every group.
I ended up going back to work only to talk to my superior to tell him I wouldn't be in the following day and why, and to grab my work laptop to bring home.
The high-risk OB appointment occurred on Thursday, May 7 at 2pm. I got there before Hubs, and I was triaged (which sounded like a funny way to say that they took my standard pregnancy vitals- weight, blood pressure, urine sample). Hubs was there when I finished with that. Next up, we had an in-depth ultrasound. So detailed and such a powerful machine, that the ultrasound specialist could see hair on my little boy's head! HAIR! Yay! We learned that at each of these visits, we'll get a cd with ultrasound images, which, I must admit, is a teeny tiny perk. Then the doctor came in. She wasn't warm or friendly, and no happy feelings resonated from her. She was knowledgeable and quick with her answers to our questions (which I had three pages of, with 2-3 blank lines in between for answers). She simply confirmed what our other doctor told us, explained what they'll be monitoring for at each appointment, explained that I'll need to do kick counts 3 times per day, every day, and explained how she wanted them done, and when to call. She ordered another blood test to check for something that was left off the previous one.
Cholestasis of pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic is defined as:
"Cholestasis of pregnancy occurs in late pregnancy and triggers intense itching, usually on the hands and feet but often on many other parts of the body. Cholestsasis of pregnancy can make you intensely uncomfortable but poses no long-term risk to an expectant mother. For a developing baby, however, cholestasis of pregnancy can be dangerous. Doctors usually recommend early delivery."
Hubs sleeps uncomfortably while we wait
for test results during our last hospital visit.
The symptoms are simple. For me, I have intense itchiness all over my body. Imagine the biggest, worst, most intense itch you've ever had. All over your entire body. At one time. And scratching doesn't help. The symptoms for Hugo are much less severe, until they aren't. The symptoms he can experience are early birth (preterm labor) or still birth. Because of this, we will be delivering early; more on that later.
Overall, there is no relief. Because the itching is not a topical problem (like a rash or allergy), topical treatments, like lotions, and Epsom salt baths, don't work. I was offered a medicine that would help me sleep though, but it's likely to basically put me in a comatose state, considering DayQuil puts me to sleep for a few hours.
The illness, itching and all, goes away within a few days of delivery, which we've been told can be anywhere between tomorrow and Father's Day (37 Weeks).
Speaking of early delivery, 37 Weeks is the optimal number the doctors would like to get us to. It's not guaranteed. It's not promised. And we've sort of been told that it's really not likely. It all depends on Hugo, and how he's doing. At 32 Weeks right now, our doctors are wanting to get to at least 35 Weeks.
At each of our appointments, which are twice a week now (Mondays at our regular OB, and Thursdays at the high risk OB), we will get ultrasounds and fetal monitoring. The ultrasounds are checking the amniotic fluid levels, overall movement, weight, and size of Hugo. The monitoring will be checking his heart tones for good variations. Anywhere between 120 BPM and 160 BPM is where we want to be. If, at any point, Hugo starts to show any signs of distress - that is, fluid levels are low, he loses weight or isn't moving as much, he doesn't have 10 movements in 2 hours (checked during my kick counts), or his heart tones don't look good, our doctors will intervene.
The level of urgency will decide the method of delivery. Both doctors have stated that a vaginal delivery is the first choice, and a c-section is the second choice.
The deciding factors will be:
Level of urgency - if Hugo is showing serious signs of distress and is in danger, a c-section will be performed right away. If there is time, vaginal delivery will be attempted.
My body - depending on how early Hugo shows signs of distress, my body may not be prepared enough to handle a vaginal delivery, even with an induction.
Someone got a haircut
The other, Creepy Uncle at The Family BBQ symptom I've been fighting is a lack of sleep. In the last 10 days or so, I've probably gotten 1-2 hours of sleep per night, if even that much. The itching is fairly unbearable all day, but as soon as I decide it's time for bed, it intensifies even more somehow. I can't relax enough to fall asleep because I'm constantly fighting the urge to scratch an itch somewhere on my body. And I've learned- if you scratch one place, another place will definitely need to be scratched too. And another, and another. And so on. Most nights, over the last 10ish, I try to sleep for about two hours. Then I usually get up, sit on the edge of the bed, have a good cry, then lie back down. An hour or so later, I get up, take a warm lavender-scented Epsom salt bath (knowing it won't help the itching), in hopes that the lavender will relax my body and mind enough to allow me some sleep. About an hour later, I get up, sit on the couch and cry before deciding to organize the nursery a little more. Sometimes I make mine and Hubs' work lunch around 3am.
Husband has been sweet. He's purchased multiple calming lotions, anti-itch sprays, and gels. He's done research to find what's helped other women who've suffered cholestasis of pregnancy. He scratches my back. He scratches my toes (the tops of my toes, and the spaces in between them are so itchy, all day, and I can't reach them very well, and honestly, I want to cut off my toes so I don't have to feel it).
I've tried taking half an adult dose of Benadryl at night (one pill instead of two), and while it definitely makes me very sleepy, it doesn't make me sleepy enough to disregard the itching. Also, it doesn't help with the itching.
At our OB appointment Monday this week, I literally broke down into tears when our doctor voiced my biggest fear- that there was nothing he could do to help with the itching. It took almost 30 minutes to calm me back down. I truly think the tears were fatigue- and exhaustion-induced, and not actual sadness, and I fear that it may happen again tomorrow at our second appointment this week.
I have made some decent progress on the quilt.
The only release I have in this is:
The knowledge that I didn't do anything wrong to cause it.
The knowledge that we have a team of doctors vigilantly monitoring me and Hugo for my safety and his health.
The knowledge that it will be over sometime in the next 1-5 weeks.
In all of our pregnancy-induced illnesses (January's hospital stay due to hyperemesis, our Week 28 quick visit to the hospital due to questionable leaking fluid, our Week 30 overnight stay due to possible pre-eclampsia, and this cholestasis), I've done my best to remain positive and try to look happy and rested and well. I rarely discuss the aches and pains of pregnancy, or the sicknesses or situations or hardships we've faced. Husband is amazed that I can put on that face. I do it, though, because I know how blessed we are to be able to conceive and carry our child. I know how blessed we have been to have been able to make it to 32 Weeks pregnant. I don't want to be the person who constantly complains about being pregnant.
I knew that person.
I hated that person.
Because while she complained about her "mistake" and how it was an "accident" and all her symptoms (which were the common pregnancy symptoms, like peeing a lot, light swelling, tiredness, and back ache), my husband and I tried and tried so we could be in her shoes.
Hair on Hugo's head!
How far along?- 32 weeks
Total weight gain?- 24 pounds, still.
Symptoms?- Heartburn, dizziness, slight nausea, itchiness, not sleeping.
Sleep? - Nope.
PEAK of the week? - Learning that Hugo has hair!
Pit of the week? - Crying at the doctor's office.
Missing anything? - Dreaming, not itching, not being dizzy and lightheaded, wine, console (though not the hours)
Food Cravings - Steak. Cold water.
Anything making you feel sick or queasy? Pizza.
Happy or Moody? Moody. 100% due to the lack of sleep. I'm crabby and I hate it. Hubs can't touch me, lest he make that spot itch.
Looking forward to? - Baby shower this weekend!
Upcoming Events?- Baby shower this weekend; the birth of Little Man sometime in the next 5 weeks.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Thirty Weeks and One Long Night
It all started on a Tuesday morning. I left work around 1130 am because I had completed the hours I'd needed for the week before starting my round of midnight shifts. I got home and my feet were hurting and tingling. Took off my socks to find some pretty crazy swelling! This is the first swelling experience I've had with pregnancy, and I'll admit, I was a little shocked to see such swelling so early in day, when I'd really only heard about the typical end-of-the-long-hot-summer-day swelling from friends. I didn't think much of it, and continued on my through to-do list.
I'd written bills, done the dishes, prepared food for my midnight shift, worked on Hugo's quilt and finally, around 130, I decided to take a shower. In the shower, I got really lightheaded and felt like I might faint, so I slowly lowered myself to the seated position.
I finished my shower (which was now cold water making fun of me), dried off and got dressed. I decided to take a short nap since it was still early. About an hour later I woke up to strangely blurry vision (even with my glasses on) and more dizziness. Fell back asleep for another 45 minutes or so.
Hubs came home around 5, we ate dinner, and then I went to bed around 6 to prepare for my coming midnight shift.
I woke up around 7 in tears from a horrible sharp pain just below my ribs. Decided to get up and use the restroom, and ended up getting sick (and all the while thinking, "Oh no, are we back at the end of the first trimester?).
I went out to the living room and sat with Hubs and struggled to take off my wedding rings because my hands had swollen up.
We decided to call the doctor's office to see what they thought.
"Go to Labor and Delivery and we'll page the doctor for you." Now, even when I was in the hospital in January, the nurse never told us she would inform our doctor, so at this point, Husband and I were starting to get worried.
As an aside, my mom went to the hospital when she was 30 weeks pregnant with me, with several of these symptoms, and didn't leave until 3 weeks and a birth (mine) later. So we were truly hoping not to follow in her footsteps.
We arrived to L&D and they got us set up in a room quickly, and hooked me and Hugo up to the fetal and contraction monitors, took my blood pressure, a urine sample, and asked us some routine questions. Every few hours, the nurse would come by and look at our monitors, and one time, she said "Okay, we're going to page Dr. C now and we'll get back to you."
I asked what they were seeing that they still wanted us to see the doctor, in spite of the hope I had that they'd say "Oh everything is alright, you guys go home and take it easy."
The nurse told us that they'd been monitoring Hugo's heart rate and that they had noticed it drop several times for no apparent reason. They'd also seen that I had experiences a few contractions (not related to Hugo's heart rate dropping as the times didn't coincide), which I was finally able to attribute to the random general belly and pelvic pains I'd been getting throughout the day.
They decided to keep us over night to monitor Hugo's heart rate. So then Hubs was tasked with getting Poor Lonely Puppy to his parent's house, at midnight, in the pouring rain, while I thirsted for water because the nurse kept forgetting to bring me some.
Hubs got back about 2 hours later with some nice warm socks for me, and a pair of sweat pants for him to sleep in. He zonked out pretty quickly, but I had a hard time getting comfortable with the two hockey pucks and elastic bands around my middle. And every time I did actually fall asleep, the nurse would have to come in to reposition the monitors so that it picked up Hugo's heartbeat.
After a long night of not a lot of sleeping, Dr. C came by in the morning with good news- everything looked OK. He did ask that we go to his office for an emergency/unscheduled ultrasound to make sure that Hugo is doing well.
After our ultrasound around noon Wednesday, we waited in a room to get to speak to the doctor. As expected, he vetoed our plans to go to Chicago this weekend (that makes two attempts to visit Chicago foiled by Hugo, if you're counting), and took me off shift work stating that the stress on the body to change sleeping patterns was too much for us (us= Hugo and I).
We were told, though, that Hugo looks perfect. The word "perfect" was used to describe my son. He is growing and thriving perfectly, and is the perfect length and weight for his gestational age. We were also told that even though I've been having a bit of a rough go at it, that I am also in picture-perfect health and that the side effects I've been experiencing (most notably the dizziness) is just a normal side effect, that is amplified because I'm naturally just smaller, over all.
The dizziness comes and goes pretty much on time if: I stand or walk for any length of time, or eat too much or too fast. And nauseous, apparently.
Unfortunately there is no remedy for the dizzy spells, except to avoid the triggers. And thus- why we were denied our trip to Chicago where our plans included walking around the city for 3 days, and attending a Bulls Playoff game where our seats were in the nose-bleed section (seriously, if I have a hard time walking up one flight of stairs, how would I have ever gotten to the nose-bleed section?!).
All in all, I'm happy we went to the hospital and didn't just write off the symptoms I was having (which all pointed to pre-eclampsia, which my mom had in both of her pregnancies, and grandma had in all three of hers). I'm happy they kept us overnight in order to get a better look at the trend of Hugo's heart rate, rather than a few worrisome snapshots. It ended up being determined that the most likely cause of his heart rate drops was when I rolled over and he may have landed on his cord or something, because as soon as I fell asleep, his heart rate leveled out perfectly.
I'm bummed that we had to cancel our second trip to Chicago this year, and I'm bummed that I'm no longer going to be working on console until after I return from maternity leave, but I'm happy we were told that everything with both Hugo and I is looking perfect and that we have a healthy baby boy coming soon (but hopefully not too soon).
How far along?- 30 weeks
Total weight gain?- 24 pounds
Symptoms?- Heartburn, extreme dizziness.
I'd written bills, done the dishes, prepared food for my midnight shift, worked on Hugo's quilt and finally, around 130, I decided to take a shower. In the shower, I got really lightheaded and felt like I might faint, so I slowly lowered myself to the seated position.
I finished my shower (which was now cold water making fun of me), dried off and got dressed. I decided to take a short nap since it was still early. About an hour later I woke up to strangely blurry vision (even with my glasses on) and more dizziness. Fell back asleep for another 45 minutes or so.
Hubs came home around 5, we ate dinner, and then I went to bed around 6 to prepare for my coming midnight shift.
I woke up around 7 in tears from a horrible sharp pain just below my ribs. Decided to get up and use the restroom, and ended up getting sick (and all the while thinking, "Oh no, are we back at the end of the first trimester?).
I went out to the living room and sat with Hubs and struggled to take off my wedding rings because my hands had swollen up.
We decided to call the doctor's office to see what they thought.
"Go to Labor and Delivery and we'll page the doctor for you." Now, even when I was in the hospital in January, the nurse never told us she would inform our doctor, so at this point, Husband and I were starting to get worried.
As an aside, my mom went to the hospital when she was 30 weeks pregnant with me, with several of these symptoms, and didn't leave until 3 weeks and a birth (mine) later. So we were truly hoping not to follow in her footsteps.
We arrived to L&D and they got us set up in a room quickly, and hooked me and Hugo up to the fetal and contraction monitors, took my blood pressure, a urine sample, and asked us some routine questions. Every few hours, the nurse would come by and look at our monitors, and one time, she said "Okay, we're going to page Dr. C now and we'll get back to you."
I asked what they were seeing that they still wanted us to see the doctor, in spite of the hope I had that they'd say "Oh everything is alright, you guys go home and take it easy."
The nurse told us that they'd been monitoring Hugo's heart rate and that they had noticed it drop several times for no apparent reason. They'd also seen that I had experiences a few contractions (not related to Hugo's heart rate dropping as the times didn't coincide), which I was finally able to attribute to the random general belly and pelvic pains I'd been getting throughout the day.
They decided to keep us over night to monitor Hugo's heart rate. So then Hubs was tasked with getting Poor Lonely Puppy to his parent's house, at midnight, in the pouring rain, while I thirsted for water because the nurse kept forgetting to bring me some.
Hubs got back about 2 hours later with some nice warm socks for me, and a pair of sweat pants for him to sleep in. He zonked out pretty quickly, but I had a hard time getting comfortable with the two hockey pucks and elastic bands around my middle. And every time I did actually fall asleep, the nurse would have to come in to reposition the monitors so that it picked up Hugo's heartbeat.
After a long night of not a lot of sleeping, Dr. C came by in the morning with good news- everything looked OK. He did ask that we go to his office for an emergency/unscheduled ultrasound to make sure that Hugo is doing well.
After our ultrasound around noon Wednesday, we waited in a room to get to speak to the doctor. As expected, he vetoed our plans to go to Chicago this weekend (that makes two attempts to visit Chicago foiled by Hugo, if you're counting), and took me off shift work stating that the stress on the body to change sleeping patterns was too much for us (us= Hugo and I).
We were told, though, that Hugo looks perfect. The word "perfect" was used to describe my son. He is growing and thriving perfectly, and is the perfect length and weight for his gestational age. We were also told that even though I've been having a bit of a rough go at it, that I am also in picture-perfect health and that the side effects I've been experiencing (most notably the dizziness) is just a normal side effect, that is amplified because I'm naturally just smaller, over all.
The dizziness comes and goes pretty much on time if: I stand or walk for any length of time, or eat too much or too fast. And nauseous, apparently.
Unfortunately there is no remedy for the dizzy spells, except to avoid the triggers. And thus- why we were denied our trip to Chicago where our plans included walking around the city for 3 days, and attending a Bulls Playoff game where our seats were in the nose-bleed section (seriously, if I have a hard time walking up one flight of stairs, how would I have ever gotten to the nose-bleed section?!).
All in all, I'm happy we went to the hospital and didn't just write off the symptoms I was having (which all pointed to pre-eclampsia, which my mom had in both of her pregnancies, and grandma had in all three of hers). I'm happy they kept us overnight in order to get a better look at the trend of Hugo's heart rate, rather than a few worrisome snapshots. It ended up being determined that the most likely cause of his heart rate drops was when I rolled over and he may have landed on his cord or something, because as soon as I fell asleep, his heart rate leveled out perfectly.
I'm bummed that we had to cancel our second trip to Chicago this year, and I'm bummed that I'm no longer going to be working on console until after I return from maternity leave, but I'm happy we were told that everything with both Hugo and I is looking perfect and that we have a healthy baby boy coming soon (but hopefully not too soon).
How far along?- 30 weeks
Total weight gain?- 24 pounds
Symptoms?- Heartburn, extreme dizziness.
Sleep? - Still very well, thankfully. As a predominantly back-sleeper, I've devised a way to trick my body into thinking I'm sleeping on my back, by resting a pillow under my right side, to prop me up (and to avoid having my uterus squish all those important arteries).
PEAK of the week? - Learning that Hugo is looking perfect in all his tests!
Pit of the week? - Basically everything else in today's blog post.
Missing anything? - Being able to walk around a store without a buggy to lean on when I start to get dizzy.
Food Cravings - Ice cold water, still. Grapes. Waffles, again.
Anything making you feel sick or queasy? Pizza.
Happy or Moody? Happy, except for that food thing, still.
Looking forward to? - Nothing happening in the next week or so for me.
Upcoming Events?- A few expecting friends and I are throwing the dads-to-be a Beer and Diaper Shower, and I'm pretty excited about that.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Sweet, Sweet Success
On Wednesday, April 8, I had my glucose screening for gestational diabetes.
I woke up and didn't eat breakfast (if you've read my blog at all, you know that food is a vital part of my mood) because I wasn't allowed to. Then I got dressed, and prepared myself to drink a really disgusting fruit-punch- flavored sugary drink in 5 minutes.
FIVE minutes. That is NOT a long time. I'm more of a sipper, if you will. But I was not afforded that luxury. I had to chug this drink, which basically put more sugar into my body than I'd had over the last 2 days. It made me gag. It made my body shake. It nearly made me sick.
Handsome Hubbin paints my toenails.
Anyways, I arrived at our appointment, was weighed and had my blood pressure checked like always, then shoo'd into the restroom to provide a urine sample to check for protein (a sign of pre-eclampsia). By the way.. it's getting harder to provide this urine sample. I know my body down there hasn't changed in, like, 26 years. But that doesn't make it any easier to hold a small cup down there out of sight now- and try to pee in it.
After that, they came and took my blood. This is never something I am okay with. I find it to be rude, and it's painful, and I'm so, so, so scared. We continued with the remainder of our appointment, where the nurse listened to Hugo's heartbeat (149 bpm!), and our doctor came in and measured the uterine height, as well as answered our (many, many) questions.
We were told that we'd find out the next day via a call, or a lack of a call, if I needed to come in for more tests, or if I passed.
27 Week Bump and a maxi skirt that I
finally don't need a safety pin to hold up.
I waited all day and never got a call. Then, so as not to get too excited, I waited all the next day and still never got a call. I think it's safe to say, I do not have gestational diabetes!
In other news around the world, my hand-me-down sewing machine has finally been fixed, so after a hiatus of almost a month, I'm finally back to work on Hugo's quilt. Oh, have I not mentioned that I'm attempting to make Hugo a quilt? Here's a general layout. I colored in the top half of the background so I'd be able to better visualize how it would look when all put together. I haven't picked the fabric for the bottom half yet, and thus, no coloring.
It's actually turning out pretty well so far, considering I've never sewn anything aside from a "sit-upon" in Girl Scouts in elementary school.
Puppykins has recently been promoted to sleeping freely in our room, as opposed to in her house. She curls up into a sweet little ball on my side of the bed. She gets up with me and follows me to the restroom in the middle of the night. Presumably to keep me company?
Work has been pretty good lately too. After my sleep-at-work-three-times-over-the-course-of-a-month saga, I've received two awards. One from the company I work for, Arcata, and one from the Head Honcho. The Big Cheese. NASA itself has awarded me with a "Paving the Yellow Brick Road" award, to signify the dedication it takes to run the International Space Station. The actual award is kind of silly, but the thought is very nice.
How far along?- 28 weeks! That's 7 whole months for those who aren't so good with math.
Total weight gain?- 19 pounds!
Symptoms?- Heartburn and constant mind-bending itchiness. Like, can't-focus-on-anything itchiness. I can only slather so much lotion on my body before I'm just slippery!
In other news around the world, my hand-me-down sewing machine has finally been fixed, so after a hiatus of almost a month, I'm finally back to work on Hugo's quilt. Oh, have I not mentioned that I'm attempting to make Hugo a quilt? Here's a general layout. I colored in the top half of the background so I'd be able to better visualize how it would look when all put together. I haven't picked the fabric for the bottom half yet, and thus, no coloring.
It's actually turning out pretty well so far, considering I've never sewn anything aside from a "sit-upon" in Girl Scouts in elementary school.
Puppykins has recently been promoted to sleeping freely in our room, as opposed to in her house. She curls up into a sweet little ball on my side of the bed. She gets up with me and follows me to the restroom in the middle of the night. Presumably to keep me company?
Don't mind the socks.
Work has been pretty good lately too. After my sleep-at-work-three-times-over-the-course-of-a-month saga, I've received two awards. One from the company I work for, Arcata, and one from the Head Honcho. The Big Cheese. NASA itself has awarded me with a "Paving the Yellow Brick Road" award, to signify the dedication it takes to run the International Space Station. The actual award is kind of silly, but the thought is very nice.
The Arcata award, with my NASA superiors, my Teledyne superiors,
and a coworker who also got the award. Also, I'm very short.
That's me actually getting my Yellow Brick. Which is wooden.
And painted. And colored on, sort of like a small child would do.
And also has a heart-shaped sticker.
How far along?- 28 weeks! That's 7 whole months for those who aren't so good with math.
Total weight gain?- 19 pounds!
Symptoms?- Heartburn and constant mind-bending itchiness. Like, can't-focus-on-anything itchiness. I can only slather so much lotion on my body before I'm just slippery!
Maternity Clothes?- Yep. Today, though, I'm wearing a non-maternity shirt. And one of my favorite dresses lately isn't maternity.
Sleep? - Except for the peeing, and the hip pain when I try to roll over, I'm sleeping very well.
Sleep? - Except for the peeing, and the hip pain when I try to roll over, I'm sleeping very well.
PEAK of the week? - Getting back to work on Hugo's quilt! Going to the Melting Pot with Hubs to celebrate my NASA award and getting two cheese courses instead of an entree or dessert! The most amazing bath I took last night! Hubs spending like 10 minutes just scratching my back (he also scratched my ankle and toes, and it felt amazing...)! Not having gestational diabetes!
Pit of the week? - The girl who cut me off three times, then almost side-swiped me earlier this week. Here's my PSA for the week: If you're texting, YOU ARE NOT DRIVING. Pick one, for the safety of everyone else- even if you don't care about your own safety.
Missing anything? - The ability to sit up. I love laying down in the warm bubble bath, but sitting up is a bit difficult.
Food Cravings - Ice cold water, Rocket Pops (also called "Bomb Pops" popsicles), anything Hubs grills for dinner.
Anything making you feel sick or queezy? Pizza, still. And Hubs and I walked into a cigar shop yesterday (I didn't go in the smoky part), and the smell instantly overwhelmed me and I felt nauseous.
Happy or Moody? Happy, except for that food thing, still.
Looking forward to? - A week from tomorrow we have our first baby shower!! I'm so excited to feel all the love our sweet baby boy already has. (Also next week I get to meet a new astronaut!)
Upcoming Events?- Baby shower next week, a 5K next week, meeting with my HR rep next week, and my mom is coming to visit next week. Big week!
A few maternity pictures!
Friday, March 27, 2015
6 Months + A Little
I can tell I've changed a lot, not only in terms of physically due to Hugo, but also in general. How, you ask? Because Handsome Hubsandwich and I went on a mini beach vacation last weekend and I only took a handful of pictures. I remember the days where I'd have taken 100+ pictures over the course of two days. I'm sure that part of me will come back after Hugo is around (on the outside of my womb, that is).
At 6 months pregnant, Hubs and I decided to take a last minute non-baby-moon mini-vacation to Pensacola, because we realized it was the last weekend that I had off until the end of May. (To clarify, I do have several other weekends off between now and the end of May, but they are filled with holidays, friends' baby showers, our baby showers and a trip to Chicago.) (So they don't really count as being "off".)
Anyways. The first night (of two) Hubs and I decided to try our luck at getting into McGuire's Irish Pub for dinner. Surprisingly enough, we were successful and we got to enjoy some yummy drinks and dinner. Well, I enjoyed some good, old fashioned water, and Hubs got their signature drink- the Irish Wake.
The following day, we took our time waking up and getting dressed in the morning, stopped by Wal-Mart for a few necessities, then made our way to the beach. Side note: Many thanks to the Wellmans and the Harveys for lending us their beach umbrella and a cooler, respectively.
Poor Hubs burnt, and burnt badly. Below, a picture of his peeling neck.
And some physical updates:
When we got back from the beach, it was miraculously already Week 25, and Hubs took me out for a delightful dinner at Pan E Vino in downtown, and gave me a "You're already a great mom, and thank you for carrying our little boy" present, in the form of an engraved Tiffany & Co ring! "HTP" is engraved on the inside for Hugo's initials. The last time he gave me a Tiffany & Co ring, I said to an important question ("Will you marry me?)
In other news, Puppy got a "dogbun" which I would like to equate to a "manbun." Here is the "Who Wore It Better?" between her and Leonardo DiCaprio.
At 6 months pregnant, Hubs and I decided to take a last minute non-baby-moon mini-vacation to Pensacola, because we realized it was the last weekend that I had off until the end of May. (To clarify, I do have several other weekends off between now and the end of May, but they are filled with holidays, friends' baby showers, our baby showers and a trip to Chicago.) (So they don't really count as being "off".)
Anyways. The first night (of two) Hubs and I decided to try our luck at getting into McGuire's Irish Pub for dinner. Surprisingly enough, we were successful and we got to enjoy some yummy drinks and dinner. Well, I enjoyed some good, old fashioned water, and Hubs got their signature drink- the Irish Wake.
The following day, we took our time waking up and getting dressed in the morning, stopped by Wal-Mart for a few necessities, then made our way to the beach. Side note: Many thanks to the Wellmans and the Harveys for lending us their beach umbrella and a cooler, respectively.
Hubs carries most of the stuff in one go, because
he would rather suffer once, than have to walk
back and forth in the sand repeatedly.
I dug a hole for my belly, so I could lay on my stomach and read.
Hello, Hugo!
Hubs *tries* not to get a sunburn.
The last of my pictures, as we're preparing to head in for the night.
Poor Hubs burnt, and burnt badly. Below, a picture of his peeling neck.
Pretty gross, no?
"Hello, feet. I'll miss you."
Six whole months of baking time for Brownie.
Three to go.
When we got back from the beach, it was miraculously already Week 25, and Hubs took me out for a delightful dinner at Pan E Vino in downtown, and gave me a "You're already a great mom, and thank you for carrying our little boy" present, in the form of an engraved Tiffany & Co ring! "HTP" is engraved on the inside for Hugo's initials. The last time he gave me a Tiffany & Co ring, I said to an important question ("Will you marry me?)
She won, hands down.
Week 25 picture:
Holy smokes, kid! Slow down already!
Aaaaand our updates:
Total weight gain: 16 pounds. Whoa. But as you can see, it's all in one place (the Baby Belly).
Maternity clothes?: All day, err day.
Sleep?: Pretty well, though I hurt my hip a while back, and that makes rolling over pretty painful sometimes. I've also gotten a bit better at waking up in the mornings.
Peak of the week?: Hubs getting to see Hugo kick!!
Pit of the week?: Having to go all weekend without my nausea medicine because Target was slacking... again.
Missing anything?: I've sort of been wishing I could have a glass of wine. Why, at six months, I'm finally missing wine/beer, I couldn't tell you, but here we are.
Food cravings: Nothing in particular.
Anything that makes you feel sick or queasy?: Still any pre-made pizza. Even the thought of it makes me feel sick.
Happy or moody?: Happy. But there was that one night that I was in a seriously bad mood because I was hungry and Hubs was chatting with a neighbor for over an hour. There is a clear trend with my bad moods: don't get in between me and my food!
Maternity clothes?: All day, err day.
Sleep?: Pretty well, though I hurt my hip a while back, and that makes rolling over pretty painful sometimes. I've also gotten a bit better at waking up in the mornings.
Peak of the week?: Hubs getting to see Hugo kick!!
Pit of the week?: Having to go all weekend without my nausea medicine because Target was slacking... again.
Missing anything?: I've sort of been wishing I could have a glass of wine. Why, at six months, I'm finally missing wine/beer, I couldn't tell you, but here we are.
Food cravings: Nothing in particular.
Anything that makes you feel sick or queasy?: Still any pre-made pizza. Even the thought of it makes me feel sick.
Happy or moody?: Happy. But there was that one night that I was in a seriously bad mood because I was hungry and Hubs was chatting with a neighbor for over an hour. There is a clear trend with my bad moods: don't get in between me and my food!
Looking forward to: Starting our prepared childbirth classes next week, the great forecasted weather next week, and grilling with good friends!
Thursday, March 19, 2015
All The [Small] Things.
I know that it's hard to believe after the my last four posts, but things other than Hugo have been happening in our lives. Of course, he's front and center currently, which is why I haven't spent much time on other things.
I promise that even though there will be many pictures, the post won't be ridiculously long.
OK nevermind, I take that back. But I'm going to try, for sure.
++
A quick round-up, starting in October 2014.
I'm a little ashamed that the better part of half a year has escaped me before writing about my big sister's wedding!
First, some pre-wedding activities, including getting our nails done.
The following day, we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Melissa's fiance's family was about an hour late, so our family filled in their spots.
The morning of the wedding, we did what we always do in Weston the morning before a big event. We ate at Bagelmania. As some of you may know, I ate at Bagelmania the morning I moved to Huntsville. It's sort of a rite of passage.
I took Melissa out for a stroll.
I promise that even though there will be many pictures, the post won't be ridiculously long.
OK nevermind, I take that back. But I'm going to try, for sure.
++
A quick round-up, starting in October 2014.
I'm a little ashamed that the better part of half a year has escaped me before writing about my big sister's wedding!
First, some pre-wedding activities, including getting our nails done.
The following day, we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Melissa's fiance's family was about an hour late, so our family filled in their spots.
Top right, my grandma pretends to be the flower girl; bottom
right, Hubs and the Wedding Coordinator pretend to be Lu's parents.
The morning of the wedding, we did what we always do in Weston the morning before a big event. We ate at Bagelmania. As some of you may know, I ate at Bagelmania the morning I moved to Huntsville. It's sort of a rite of passage.
Then we got to the venue- a gorgeous yacht club-
and started to get dressed. Mimosas in hand, of course.
I took Melissa out for a stroll.
I told her that we should go scout out some great areas
for photos, but really, I was trying to calm her down because
she was starting to get a little tense. As an aside, we did get
lots of photos on this dock.
The photographer told me not to smile, but I'm not sure why it
is so hard to stop yourself once someone tells you not to.
It's starting to creep in.
The ceremony. The weather was nice, sunny, and slightly breezy thanks to the water.
Here's a couple comparison photos from my wedding to Melissa's. Just because I love my wedding photos so much and I don't show them off enough. It's amazing how the colors and flowers in the photos (of the clothes and the backgrounds) really say a lot about how different my sister and I are.
9/10/11 and 10/17/14. Three years, one month, and seven days apart.
We were both so glad so much family could come. Left to right in
Melissa's: Mommal, Amanda, Mom, me, Melissa, Lu, Timmy, Kim, Jeff, Rocky.
Mine: Kim, Mommal, Aunt Elaine, Hubs, me, Timmy, Mom, Danielle, Melissa, Amanda
I begged Melissa to do that picture, and I'm so happy everyone played along!
Sadly, I don't have any really good pictures of Melissa and Lu at their reception on hand. Maybe one day I'll put some in! No promises.
Halloween:
My Dora the Explorer costume worked out so well, that a close friend didn't recognize me, and introduced herself. Win!
November 2014:
We started out the month enjoying a housewarming party for Nate and Rachel Brown! They have a beautiful home, and I look forward to lots of future fun there.
Fun fact: this is the last known picture of us before we knew about Hugo.
A week or so later, Hubs and I traveled to Nashville with the Harvey's for an Interpol concert! I don't think four people have ever planned so well for a one night trip and concert. Hubs and I had prepared by buying Home Depot "Let's Do This" orange buckets for us to sit on while we waited outside (the tickets were general admission- no assigned seats, so we had to get there early, naturally), we also brought umbrellas. The Harvey's, however, supplied road snacks (in the form of a GIANT bag of Sour Patch Kids!) and games to play while we waited.
The top row is before the rain started. We're using Micah's jacket and
legs as a playing surface for some serious Spicy Farkle. I don't always
use my friends' husband's legs as a table, but when it's cold and rainy and
I'm waiting outside a concert venue sitting on buckets, I do.
Yea, we were in the front row.
One thing to note: this is the same concert venue that a few years prior caught on fire and ended the show about 10 minutes in to the main event. It did not catch on fire this time around.
The next morning we played around imitating the paintings at our hotel, and ate some seriously amazing pancakes at the Pancake Pantry.
December:
Christmas 2014 was really fun. Hubs and I went to cut down a Christmas tree, and we got it home, and stood it up. But then I had to go to work. So Hubs was chilling with it at home, not decorating it per my request. Then he texts me and says it's infested with spider webs and spiders. Naturally, it had to go.
So sad, but so necessary.
Then, thankfully Hubs' parents lent (gave?) us their upstairs fake tree, which is incredibly huge, so I had an excuse to buy more ornaments. I bought a ton of ornaments. All on sale because Christmas was only a few days away! Thanks, WalMart!
Puppy skeptically sits in the way of the photo.
We spent a few days enjoying time at Hubs' parents' house, baking, decorating, and eating cookies, and taking family selfies, of course.
I only have a few photos (and they're all basically the same) from New Year's Eve since I had to leave super early to get to work at 6:30 the next morning.
Looks at Hubs' sexy wooden bow tie. Wait, wooden? Yes, wooden.
2015
January:
Nothing to note happened in January except Sarah's birthday, but I don't have any pictures she would be OK with me sharing.
February:
I finally got to visit sweet Gus Pettus outside of the hospital! My first visit was lack-luster because in addition to hardly being able to hold myself up, I could only look at this sweet child of God.
Don't mind our less-than-dapper appearances. I'm hooked up
to an IV and recently had been given large doses of Benadryl and
nausea medicine, and poor Hubs lovingly slept in the what had
to be the most uncomfortable looking "pull out" chair/bed thing.
BUT! I got to meet him for real in February.
Both Gus and I have plumped up nicely. Twinsies?
Also in February, Hubs and I hosted an Oscar's Party that I did not attend. Below are photos from Meg.
Clockwise from top left: Ryan, holding Gus, will soon be holding his own sweet baby.
Meg, Joe, Sarah and Jonathan enjoy posing for a picture. Zach, Daniel and Hubs.
The Palmers looking fabulous as usual. The Big Winners of the night: Sarah, Meg and Joe.
The Big Not-Winners of the night: Wade (holding Emmett), and Stephanie.
I missed the Oscar's Party because I was on a last-minute trip to Houston for work. I have about 100 more pictures I wanted to include. I will not. Here are some of the funnest.
I rehydrated Space Lemonade, drank it, and
couldn't finish it. It was horribly sweet.
While I was in Houston, this was happening at home:
Truth be told: I'm glad I missed it.
And so far, nothing big has happened in March that isn't baby-related.
Now, the Puppy roundup.
Top row: October 2014 through December 2014.
Bottom row: January 2015 through March 2015.
Clockwise: Wanting attention; wanting attention while I sort
laundry; enjoying her fourth birthday; enjoying piggy back rides
from Daddy; not only wanting attention, but then demanding it as
she invited herself into Hubs' lap; proud after de-fluffing a toy.
Now the Astronaut roundup.
First Hispanic female astronaut, Ellen Ochoa; NASA astronaut Steve
Swanson's autograph on my poster; NASA astronaut Steve Swanson;
European astronaut Alexander Gerst; Russian Cosmonaut Oleg Artemiev;
Russian Cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov; and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman.
Ok. Fine. But only because you asked politely.
24 weeks. 6 months. When did that happen?!
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