Baby S. is HERE!

I have been terrible about posting, though I think about doing it often. I could have spent hours bitching and moaning about how miserable and stressed out I was, both physically and mentally during the last leg of my pregnancy...but I spared you.

Instead, I will share Baby S.'s birth story...

The night before last, I was awakened by a rush of stomach acid up my esophagus. At first I couldn't breathe and it scared the holy crap out of me. I then spent the rest of the night waking up every hour on the hour puking my guts out. This same thing had happened right after Christmas too. I was absolutely miserable.

At around 7am, the vomiting stopped and was replaced by "the other end." I couldn't keep anything in and started feeling extremely dehydrated really fast. Excessive thirst, inability to pee, dizziness, weakness, etc.

At 10, I called the OB/GYN's office and the nurse practicioner said, "it's a stomach virus. Take some immodium." I got upset and she appeased me by saying, "if you still feel bad at 2pm, go to Labor & Delivery.

Luckily, I trusted my body more than I trusted her. I called my parents to come pick me up (hubby was working several hours away) and bring me to the hospital. By 1:00, I was on an IV for severe dehydration.

While I can't explain the case of the "cha-cha-chas," there is no way this was a stomach virus. Monitoring of the baby showed that even though my cervix wasn't dialated, my contractions were coming 6 minutes apart.

The doctor decided not to stop labor since I was already 36 weeks and within an hour, I was being prepped for a c-section. My husband made it within minutes to be in the OR with me when the baby arrived.

Baby S. came out easily and was crying almost right away. After a few minutes though, he started turning blue and was very still. Thankfully, they were able to revive him, but they decided to put him in the NICU to be safe.

Stats:
Born Friday, February 26, 2010
4:30pm
6 pounds, 2 ounces
19 inches

While we can't completely tell yet, it looks like he has my eyes (or at least, my brow bones), hubby's nose and chin, and hubby's complexion and hairline. ;)

I haven't had a chance to hold him yet, but am hoping to be able to in the NICU in about 30 minutes. I can't wait! Welcome, beautiful baby, S.!

Baby S. - 6 Month Ultrasound

Pregnancy Ailment #202

On Tuesday night at around 5:30, I started having what felt like menstrual cramps. Obviously, not a good thing to experience when you are pregnant. It continued throughout the night, sometimes more intense than others, but went away while I was asleep.

The following morning, it picked back up again. This time, more intensely. I called the nurse and she told me to go to Labor & Delivery at the hospital.

Turns out, I have a UTI. Never in a million years would I have thought that a UTI could cause that kind of pain, but apparently, when you are pregnant they can be very dangerous. Letting one go too far could even bring on early labor.

Interestingly, I didn't have any symptoms. I was completely clueless. They sent me home with a prescription of Kelflex and told me to take it easy. On my way home, all of the sudden I started feeling the symptoms....not pleasant.

After two days of antibiotics, I am starting to feel better. At least I will know what to look out for, in case this happens again. Let's pray it doesn't though.

There's a Burning in my Heart

I have suffered from heartburn even before pregnancy, so I should have expected that it would be worse during pregnancy! Still, I don't remember getting it this bad when I was pregnant with J (maybe I blocked it)!

Anyhow, I couldn't sleep last night because I had the world's WORST heartburn. So bad, in fact, that I ended up puking up about a pound of bile.

Ugh, the joys of pregancy!

21-Week Ultrasound

Top 10 Reasons I'm Glad I'm Having Another Boy

1. No drama (especially in the teenage years)
2. When you have a boy, you only have to worry about one penis; when you have a girl, you have to worry about ALL the penises
3. Will not need to buy two sets of clothes - hand-me-downs are a beautiful thing
4. Ditto goes for toys
5. Less money on clothes and toys for kids = more money for shoes and bags for Mommy
6. My husband can take the boys away for weekend outings, leaving me to relax and enjoy peace and quiet (or a weekend with my girlfriends)
7. Boys love their mamas more than anything in the world
8. I will be Queen of the Household
9. I pretty much already know what to do
10. If one boy is gay, it's okay! The other can carry on the family name

It's DEFINITELY a Boy!!!

Innoculated!

Yesterday, I got the H1N1 vaccine, as did my son. The more research I've done on it, the more I decided that it was worth it, since a lot of people in my area have contracted it and the flu season isn't even in full swing yet.

When I was pregnant with J, I ended up getting the flu twice and it was absolutely miserable. I could not imagine going through that again, but worse.

I felt a little achy yesterday, but woke up this morning feeling fine. My son had no issues at all.

I know that there are certain people who would give me a hard time for doing it, and to them I say, it's a personal decision and everyone has to make the choice that they feel is right for them.

H1N1

These are crazy times to be pregnant in this world. Many of my pregnany friends (and right now, I have a lot of pregnant friends) have expressed confusion and uncertainty about whether or not to get the H1N1 vaccination.

At first, my stance was strongly against it. For one thing, it is highly experimental and they have no data determining what harm could come to an unborn baby if the mother gets the vaccine. Additionally, I took a look at my risk of contracting the disease, which in the grand scheme of things is relatively low: I work from home and have a son who is in an in-home daycare with five other kids, only one of which has a school-aged sibling.

Then, the flu started to become more widespread in my geographic area. I know people who have contracted it, and I know people whose children have contracted it. The really scary stories are starting to come out too...a friend of a friend died of it not too long ago.

So now, I am re-thinking things because I am starting to stress about it and find that when I am out in public, I am in fear of touching things. I even called my Ob/Gyn to find out when the vaccine would be available, which won't be until later next week.

In the meantime, I'm being vigilant. When I go out, I carry hand sanitizer in my purse or in my hands and apply it often. I wipe the grocery carts when shopping. I make a conscious effort not to touch anything, including and especially my face. I wash my son's hands like crazy. I use my elbows to touch doors and elevator buttons. You name it, I am doing it. Anything to avoid germs.

I am still up in the air about getting the vaccine, but every day I lean closer towards it. I will be sure it is the injection without the mercury if I do get it, and will be doing a lot of praying that no harm comes to the little one in my belly.

What Am I - 10??!?!

This pregnancy has got me reverting back to my childhood for old favorite foods...corn dogs, Spaghetti-os,Boo Berry cereal, Totino's pizza rolls,peanut butter & jelly, etc.

I swear, it's like I am 10 again!

Quickening

Nothing too exciting going on here, except that a few days before I hit 14 weeks, I started feeling the baby move. This is about 5 weeks sooner than when I felt J moving around, which is pretty cool. It seems to happen in the afternoons and at night before bed, and is more of a rolling sensation than the other ways I've heard it described. If I remember correctly, it felt like flutters when I was pregnant with J. Strange how it might be different. Anyhow, it's always reassuring to be able to feel the baby move, so I won't be so stressed at my 4-month visit on Monday.

Nothing That a Good Pair of Maternity Jeans Can't Cure!

Let me first say that I love jeans. My sister is a "denim specialist" at a high-end department store and got me addicted to premium jeans. I got my first pair of Seven for All Mankind jeans for Christmas two years ago and have gone nuts ever since. My favorites are Joe's Jeans, which fit me the best and come in petite sizes, but I also love my Sevens, Hudsons, and Rock & Republics.

That said, I have been feeling really frumpy lately because of all of the weight gain. Being in this early stage of pregnancy is tough when you look like you eat a lot of dessert, vs. being pregnant. The only pair of jeans that fit me are an old pair of size 10 Express jeans that I bought when I was pregnant with J. Worse yet, they are a light wash, which everyone knows makes you look bigger.

Soooooo, I caved and decided to splurge on a gorgeous pair of Citizens for Humanity maternity jeans. They came in the mail yesterday and I told my husband they were an early birthday present (from his mom, because she always gives cash). It seems silly to buy such an overly expensive pair of jeans that I will only wear for a short time, but, as I told my friend, C., "it's an investment in my self-esteem."

Besides, I can always sell them on eBay later and make some of the money back.

It's a ... Boy?

Since we have to wait two months for the next ultrasound, I decided to go out and buy an Intelligender test. To do this test, you have to pee in a cup and then transfer the pee to the test cup, which has little crystals in it. You put it in, swirl it around for 10 seconds, and 10 minutes later, you get a result.

According to the test, we are having a boy! It will be interesting to see if it is accurate. In the meantime, J has already started calling the baby by the boy name we selected. Not because of the test, but because it's the only name we've selected so far.

Time will tell if we need to think of more names!

12 Week Ultrasound - in 3D!

The Doctor Switch

So, the more I thought about my first doctor's appointment, the more I unsettled I became, so I decided to make an appointment with my old doctor's office. I decided that giving birth in a new hospital isn't exactly worth it if you have to worry about the competency of your doctor because he is too damn goofy.

When I went to my "new" old doctor, I was impressed. Take note that I never actually saw a doctor when I went to their practice before because I wasn't pregnant. Only pregnant ladies are graced by the presence of actual MDs.

Anyhow, I had to wait 45 minutes, and the doctor apologized profusely for the wait. He was professional but nice, and asked all the right questions. I felt completely comfortable and confident in him.

The nice thing is that he scheduled my c-section, which is what I was hoping for. So, as of now March 18 is the day! This is cool because it's my sister's birthday. It is also the anniversary of my granddad's passing, but he lived a relatively long life, so I see it as a day of honor and celebration.

I go back on September 9th for another ultrasound.

9 Week Ultrasound

Meeting the Ob/Gyn

Yesterday, I had my first prenatal ob/gyn appointment. I am still having mixed feelings about the experience.

When I had J, we lived on the other side of the state and my doctor's office was phenomenal. The waiting room was comfy and quiet, the wait was short, and the staff were competent and friendly.

I chose my new doctor based on where I wanted to deliver, as there is a new hospital near our house with a gorgeous birthing center. Also, my acupuncturist, who is also a doula, says that he is a great surgeon, which is important since I will be having a c-section.

The office is brand-new, and was very nice, but the people in the waiting room looked like they could have been waiting for food stamps. Yes, that sounds very elitist of me, but it made me feel uncomfortable. Also, there were no magazines in the waiting room, which I thought was weird.

The worst part was that my appointment was at 2 and I didn't get to see the doctor until 3:45. WTF?!? To me, this tells me that they do not feel that the patient's time is valuable.

The doctor almost made up for it. First off, he was very cute. More than that though, he had a great sense of humor and made you feel like you were his only patients, which was nice. I am guessing that this is also why it took so long to see him though.

My only complaint about him was that he was a little TOO silly. I'm all for fun, but in a doctor, I also need some level of seriousness so that I can trust in his abilities and his level of competence. He'd be great fun at a dinner party, but do I want him cutting into my belly?!?

So, I am going to talk to my acupuncturist about my concerns and I plan to go to my next appointment with him next month. If I am still having reservations, I am going to switch back to my old ob/gyn in town.

Thanks, Swine Flu!

Yesterday at work, we saw a presentation on safety which included things like "active shooter on campus" and pandemics, such as the Swine Flu. Let me tell you...after the presentation, I was terrified!

For one, Swine Flu appears to be much more deadly to pregnant women for some reason. Additionally, college kids are germ infested little monsters. They are expecting to have several reported cases by September.

Lucky for me, my boss was also in the presentation and shared my fears of contracting the disease. She suggested I telework exclusively during flu season. I was supposed to teach this fall, so I got in touch with a few people and got out of it.

Now I can sleep until 7:59, dress comfortably, and take naps during my lunch break. A happy girl I am!

Belly Envy

I cannot help but envy those girls who only gain weight in their bellies. Not me. No, sir! I gain weight EVERYWHERE! You should see me right now - even my arms are pregnant! I keep telling myself that I will get my body back next year, but it is slightly disheartening to be only 8 weeks along and look like I am 5 months pregnant.

That said, it is not that I am ungrateful...trust me, after all we have been through I am THRILLED to be pregnant! I just can't help but to wish I was one of those girls who didn't get fat when with child.

Maybe it's because I haven't experienced too much nausea. I was terribly nauseous with J and didn't gain much weight in the beginning (thought I sure did - 52 pounds to be exact - in the end). This time around I have had some nausea, but not significantly so.

Guess THAT is something to celebrate! Where's the cheese?

One Baby, One Heartbeat!

We had our first ultrasound this afternoon and were relieved to find that there was only one baby and that he/she has a very good heartbeat! While twins would have been fun (at some point), our lives will be chaotic enough with just one!

We will go back on the 19th for a second ultrasound, and then I will be done with the RE. For good, I hope. After this baby, I am DONE! Our family will be complete. :)