I was sort of dizzy yesterday, which is totally normal when you're pregnant. However, my dizziness didn't go away with food, rest, my head between my knees, etc. This morning, it was even worse, to the point that if I just moved my head too quickly, I felt like I was going to puke. So, I called my OB and she asked me to go into the Urgent Care to get checked out.
They run a gamut of tests and determine that I have a piece of crystallized matter trapped in my inner ear which is affecting my equilibrium. They can't see into my inner ear, and they don't even know for sure if it's crystal (My head is quite the gold mine, I've learned over the years....it could be iron, or ore, or maybe even a diamond!), but nonetheless, they give me pills for nausea (BABY SAFE!) and teach me a couple of "exercises" I can do with my head to try and help this little nugget of wonder dislodge itself and work its way out. This process could take 2 days to 2 weeks, depending on how stubborn my newfound mineral wants to be. If in 2 days it STILL hasn't dislodged (ie: I'm still super dizzy), then I have to see an ENT and it could require surgery to remove. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Au Naturale
When I was pregnant with Bryce, I was scared. Being adopted, I never saw my own mother pregnant, nor in labor. In fact, up until about the age of 10, I believed in order to have a baby, you just went to the hospital, put in your order, and they gave you a baby. That being said, I decided pretty early on that I wanted an epidural for pain. I had friends and relatives both who told me that was definitely the way to go. There were of course the "crazy" women, the ones who had their babies NATURALLY, without an epidural and pain meds, and they tried in vain to convince me I should have a NATURAL child birth. At the time, my thought was, "If God wanted women to suffer infinitely in childbirth, he wouldn't have created the doctors who created epidurals." And frankly, though I've matured some, I am still of the opinion that anytime you deliver a child, whether with pain meds or none, vaginal or C-section, it is NATURAL. There is nothing more natural than a woman bringing a child into the world.
Toward the end of my pregnancy with Bryce, I developed pregnancy-induced hypertension (apparently not full-blown preeclampsia, but pretty damned close). They put me on modified bedrest, and about a month earlier than normal, I began my weekly trek into the OB's office to give blood, urine, and have my blood pressure monitored. It was always the same: I was always running about 5 minutes late, so I'd be racing to the office, so my BP was up. They'd have me lay on my left side for 5-10 minutes, test me again, and it would be normal. They'd tell me to put my feet up, drink plenty of water and come back in a week. At week 39, nothing went as planned.
I went in for my appointment, and my BP was up per usual. But after 10 minutes, it was still elevated. My OB looked at me excitedly, told me to head for the hospital and call Brett. He was going to have me induced.
Long story short, I'm at the hospital, Brett is there, I'm hooked up to an IV, and we're just waiting for a nurse to become free to monitor me. Oh yeah, my BP was normal again, but hell, I was there, so they may as well induce me, right? So, every 3 hours a NEW routine starts. A nurse comes in, tells me that they're just about to finish up with another woman and then she would be MY nurse and would get my pitocin drip started. Inevitably, someone else would go into spontaneous labor and that nurse would become HER nurse. Apparently, I was in the hospital the day every nurse decided to call in sick or take vacation, and every woman in Puget Sound decided to go into spontaneous labor. Because my BP was normal and Bryce wasn't in distress, we were bottom of the priority pole. Next morning at 6AM, my OB came in after being on call all night, told me he was heading home, and that I could either stay a few more hours to see if a nurse finally freed up, or we could just head home and he'd schedule me in for an induction within the next few days.
Brett and I looked at each other, and I knew that we were thinking the same thing: We came here to have a baby, and we're not leaving here until we have one.
The pitocin drip started at 7:30AM. When I hit about 4 or 5 cm, they broke my water. I felt about 1 1/2 hours of REAL contractions and was then given my epidural (I apparently told the anesthesiologist that he was my hero in front of Brett, who was not very thrilled with my comment...if only he understood...). At 9:32PM on August 9th, we had a 7 1/2 lb little boy in our arms. We were so happy! And we got our baby!
Now, what's the big deal, you may be asking yourself. You had your baby, had your epidural, he was healthy and all was well.
Well, here's the deal. Sometime later (much later, after sleep deprivation was a thing of the past and we were thinking about possibly adding another child to the M Clan), I began to realize that, I never got to pace around the house, timing my contractions. I never got to wander around the hospital in an unflattering gown, holding hands with my husband, stopping only momentarily to breathe through a contraction. I didn't get to sit in the brand new jetted spa tubs they had just installed in all the birthing suites to help ease the pain. My labor didn't start on its own. My bag of water didn't break on its own. And the pain I WAS able to feel was NOTHING compared to what most women experience. So, really, other than the fact that I brought a child into the world (which truly is nothing to shake a stick at), there was nothing NATURAL about my birthing experience.
I haven't explained this to Brett yet, because I know he'll think I'm absolutely crazy. And, I would never jeopardize the health of our baby in order to have things MY way. I just think that, now that I've gone through it once with very few opinions as to how things went, this time I'd like to see what I'm really capable of. I'd like to have those experiences that I didn't get the first time around. Is that nuts?
Toward the end of my pregnancy with Bryce, I developed pregnancy-induced hypertension (apparently not full-blown preeclampsia, but pretty damned close). They put me on modified bedrest, and about a month earlier than normal, I began my weekly trek into the OB's office to give blood, urine, and have my blood pressure monitored. It was always the same: I was always running about 5 minutes late, so I'd be racing to the office, so my BP was up. They'd have me lay on my left side for 5-10 minutes, test me again, and it would be normal. They'd tell me to put my feet up, drink plenty of water and come back in a week. At week 39, nothing went as planned.
I went in for my appointment, and my BP was up per usual. But after 10 minutes, it was still elevated. My OB looked at me excitedly, told me to head for the hospital and call Brett. He was going to have me induced.
Long story short, I'm at the hospital, Brett is there, I'm hooked up to an IV, and we're just waiting for a nurse to become free to monitor me. Oh yeah, my BP was normal again, but hell, I was there, so they may as well induce me, right? So, every 3 hours a NEW routine starts. A nurse comes in, tells me that they're just about to finish up with another woman and then she would be MY nurse and would get my pitocin drip started. Inevitably, someone else would go into spontaneous labor and that nurse would become HER nurse. Apparently, I was in the hospital the day every nurse decided to call in sick or take vacation, and every woman in Puget Sound decided to go into spontaneous labor. Because my BP was normal and Bryce wasn't in distress, we were bottom of the priority pole. Next morning at 6AM, my OB came in after being on call all night, told me he was heading home, and that I could either stay a few more hours to see if a nurse finally freed up, or we could just head home and he'd schedule me in for an induction within the next few days.
Brett and I looked at each other, and I knew that we were thinking the same thing: We came here to have a baby, and we're not leaving here until we have one.
The pitocin drip started at 7:30AM. When I hit about 4 or 5 cm, they broke my water. I felt about 1 1/2 hours of REAL contractions and was then given my epidural (I apparently told the anesthesiologist that he was my hero in front of Brett, who was not very thrilled with my comment...if only he understood...). At 9:32PM on August 9th, we had a 7 1/2 lb little boy in our arms. We were so happy! And we got our baby!
Now, what's the big deal, you may be asking yourself. You had your baby, had your epidural, he was healthy and all was well.
Well, here's the deal. Sometime later (much later, after sleep deprivation was a thing of the past and we were thinking about possibly adding another child to the M Clan), I began to realize that, I never got to pace around the house, timing my contractions. I never got to wander around the hospital in an unflattering gown, holding hands with my husband, stopping only momentarily to breathe through a contraction. I didn't get to sit in the brand new jetted spa tubs they had just installed in all the birthing suites to help ease the pain. My labor didn't start on its own. My bag of water didn't break on its own. And the pain I WAS able to feel was NOTHING compared to what most women experience. So, really, other than the fact that I brought a child into the world (which truly is nothing to shake a stick at), there was nothing NATURAL about my birthing experience.
I haven't explained this to Brett yet, because I know he'll think I'm absolutely crazy. And, I would never jeopardize the health of our baby in order to have things MY way. I just think that, now that I've gone through it once with very few opinions as to how things went, this time I'd like to see what I'm really capable of. I'd like to have those experiences that I didn't get the first time around. Is that nuts?
Random Ramblings
It's amazing to me how fast a foot and a half of snow can go down to nothing with one good day of rain. One day we had so much snow all you could see was white. The next morning, I can see the grass in our backyard. Bizarre.
Christmas is over, and I hate to admit it, but I'm glad. This year it snuck up on me and I just wasn't in the mood for it. My brother got us gifts, even after we agreed not to, so then we felt bad, so we took them out to dinner. They only stayed one night, though I wish they could have stayed longer. I always have a blast with my brother and his wife, I wish we lived closer together so we could get together more often.
It's currently raining sideways. This means the wind is picking up. Heavy rain and melting snow is a recipe for disaster around these parts. I'm expecting to see "FLOOD WATCH 2008" on the news any day now. Last year the flooding was so bad that there were several feet of water of I-5 down south of Olympia and people were stranded for days and days. Scary stuff.
In other news, I'm having a stretchy day today. If you've ever been preggers, you may know what I'm talking about. If not, bear with me as I try to explain. See, this is the term I've invented to describe the odd sensation that I get every few days in my lower abdomen. It's sort of a cross between a warm, tingly feeling, a bit crampy, kind of tickly, and an overall odd sensation. I decided when I was pregnant with Bryce that this feeling was my lower belly/uterus/baby stretching out and getting bigger. It happens every 2 or 3 days and lasts all day. It makes me just want to lay on the couch and do nothing. It's not painful, just....I don't know, hard to describe. I am 6 weeks and 5 days today, for those of you keeping score.
Christmas is over, and I hate to admit it, but I'm glad. This year it snuck up on me and I just wasn't in the mood for it. My brother got us gifts, even after we agreed not to, so then we felt bad, so we took them out to dinner. They only stayed one night, though I wish they could have stayed longer. I always have a blast with my brother and his wife, I wish we lived closer together so we could get together more often.
It's currently raining sideways. This means the wind is picking up. Heavy rain and melting snow is a recipe for disaster around these parts. I'm expecting to see "FLOOD WATCH 2008" on the news any day now. Last year the flooding was so bad that there were several feet of water of I-5 down south of Olympia and people were stranded for days and days. Scary stuff.
In other news, I'm having a stretchy day today. If you've ever been preggers, you may know what I'm talking about. If not, bear with me as I try to explain. See, this is the term I've invented to describe the odd sensation that I get every few days in my lower abdomen. It's sort of a cross between a warm, tingly feeling, a bit crampy, kind of tickly, and an overall odd sensation. I decided when I was pregnant with Bryce that this feeling was my lower belly/uterus/baby stretching out and getting bigger. It happens every 2 or 3 days and lasts all day. It makes me just want to lay on the couch and do nothing. It's not painful, just....I don't know, hard to describe. I am 6 weeks and 5 days today, for those of you keeping score.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas to All
My day actually started at midnight last night. I went to the 11PM candle light service at church and sang "Joseph's Lullaby" as a solo (see previous blogs). It began to snow during the Pastor's Homily, which was very fitting. We now have a good foot and a half of snow here. I then drove home at midnight, in the snow, listening to Christmas carols in the car, alone.
I began to cry.
I had to pull over, and just let the tears come.
I can't tell you why I cried precisely. It could have been the culmination of the holiday stress finally hitting me. Or the fact that, despite getting to spend Christmas with my husband's family, I DON'T get to spend it with my own. I always miss my dad at Christmas, and all the crazy things he did and stories he'd tell. And then there was just the realization that God IS ALWAYS here. I couldn't help but thinking about how absolutely perfect last night was. A beautiful candle light service. Beautiful Christmas carols. A beautiful, snowy drive by myself. It all came together at once for me last night, about 15 minutes into Christmas morning. And I cried like a baby.
I began to cry.
I had to pull over, and just let the tears come.
I can't tell you why I cried precisely. It could have been the culmination of the holiday stress finally hitting me. Or the fact that, despite getting to spend Christmas with my husband's family, I DON'T get to spend it with my own. I always miss my dad at Christmas, and all the crazy things he did and stories he'd tell. And then there was just the realization that God IS ALWAYS here. I couldn't help but thinking about how absolutely perfect last night was. A beautiful candle light service. Beautiful Christmas carols. A beautiful, snowy drive by myself. It all came together at once for me last night, about 15 minutes into Christmas morning. And I cried like a baby.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Can You Imagine?
Every year around Christmas, I end up finding a song that just really...I don't know...
...fits, my mood for the season, or really strikes a chord with me.
This year, it is "Joseph's Lullaby" by MercyMe.
It's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.
Please listen hard to the lyrics of this song. The video is beautiful also, but can detract from the words:
Joseph's Lullaby
Go to sleep my son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before you
Rest your little head.
Do you feel the weight of your glory?
Do you understand the price?
Or does the Father guard your heart for now
So you can sleep tonight?
Go to sleep my son
Go and chase your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace.
I believe the glory of heaven
is lying in my arms tonight
Lord, I ask that he, for just this moment
simply be my child.
Go to sleep my son
Baby, close your eyes
Soon enough you'll save the day
But, for now, dear child of mine...
oh my Jesus...sleep tight.
Can you POSSIBLY imagine what must have been going through Joseph's head that night, as he helped birth our Savior? Holding the tiny babe, knowing he is the King of Kings, but so desperately wanting him to just be his little son for awhile? I can't even begin to comprehend.
Thank you, Lord, for such a precious gift in Jesus, and his selfless earthly parents, Mary and Joseph.
...fits, my mood for the season, or really strikes a chord with me.
This year, it is "Joseph's Lullaby" by MercyMe.
It's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.
Please listen hard to the lyrics of this song. The video is beautiful also, but can detract from the words:
Joseph's Lullaby
Go to sleep my son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before you
Rest your little head.
Do you feel the weight of your glory?
Do you understand the price?
Or does the Father guard your heart for now
So you can sleep tonight?
Go to sleep my son
Go and chase your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace.
I believe the glory of heaven
is lying in my arms tonight
Lord, I ask that he, for just this moment
simply be my child.
Go to sleep my son
Baby, close your eyes
Soon enough you'll save the day
But, for now, dear child of mine...
oh my Jesus...sleep tight.
Can you POSSIBLY imagine what must have been going through Joseph's head that night, as he helped birth our Savior? Holding the tiny babe, knowing he is the King of Kings, but so desperately wanting him to just be his little son for awhile? I can't even begin to comprehend.
Thank you, Lord, for such a precious gift in Jesus, and his selfless earthly parents, Mary and Joseph.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Poor Palm Trees...
We moved into our house in July of 2007. At that point, the house was 3 years old, and the head of the family who lived here previously was from Hawaii originally. Apparently, his home state influenced his landscaping choices here. So, we have PALM TREES in our back and side yards. These poor palm trees just do not know what to think of this weather:
We're still not supposed to be much above freezing the next couple of days, and they're predicting snow on and off all week. Should be a white, and interesting Christmas!
I'm not great at estimating depth, either, so maybe you can guestimate how much snow we have now based on these photos.
We're still not supposed to be much above freezing the next couple of days, and they're predicting snow on and off all week. Should be a white, and interesting Christmas!
Baby James Princess
So, I told you I'd tell you where my son came up with this nickname for the new baby growing in mommy's tummy. He's a creative little monkey, I'll give him that.
He and my cousin's daughter, who is a year older than Bryce, were playing together a couple of weekends ago (before I knew I was preggers). She had a doll, and they had her entire bedroom sprawled out in the living room, and we were trying to get the kids to put the toys away. Well, D hands me her doll and says that she can be "my real baby." So, playing along as I always do, I asked Bryce what we should name the baby. He is obsessed with Thomas the Train, and decided we should call it "James", after one of the trains on the show. I asked D for a middle name, and she though Princess sounded nice. So, Brett and I were joking as I was holding the baby doll that our new child was Baby James Princess.
Flash forward a week, as I'm explaining to Bryce that I didn't eat a baby, and that he doesn't have a baby growing in his tummy, only mommies can grow babies in their tummies. He then decides that the baby needs a name and the perfect name for it is "Baby James Princess". And so it begins
He and my cousin's daughter, who is a year older than Bryce, were playing together a couple of weekends ago (before I knew I was preggers). She had a doll, and they had her entire bedroom sprawled out in the living room, and we were trying to get the kids to put the toys away. Well, D hands me her doll and says that she can be "my real baby." So, playing along as I always do, I asked Bryce what we should name the baby. He is obsessed with Thomas the Train, and decided we should call it "James", after one of the trains on the show. I asked D for a middle name, and she though Princess sounded nice. So, Brett and I were joking as I was holding the baby doll that our new child was Baby James Princess.
Flash forward a week, as I'm explaining to Bryce that I didn't eat a baby, and that he doesn't have a baby growing in his tummy, only mommies can grow babies in their tummies. He then decides that the baby needs a name and the perfect name for it is "Baby James Princess". And so it begins
Sunday, December 21, 2008
FINALLY!
After several months of trying, my positive test finally arrived! :) I am officially 6 weeks pregnant, due on August 20th! I swore that I would never have another summer baby, as being 6-9 mo pregnant in the heat of summer SUCKS, but at this point, I don't care (I'm sure I'll be re-thinking that come July). It was only Bryce and me here when I got my positive test, so he was the first one I told. He looked at me like I just told him we were having chicken for dinner, said "cool, mommy!" and went back to watching Cars. :) He has named the little bean Baby James Princess for now (long story for another blog).
In other news, we did gingerbread houses yesterday, and had several left over, as the crazy snow blizzard prevented several from making their way here. We had a dad who took over his son's house after he lost interest and went upstairs to play. He crafted a lanai out of pretzels and made an alligator for the porch. He decided his gingerbread house was built in Florida. :)
Pretty creative! I told him that he's going to really have to be imaginative next year if he ever hopes to top this year's house!
Now onto actual Christmas/Christmas Eve!
Wherever you are, and whatever you do or believe, I hope that you and yours have a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful holiday season!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
I'm Back Now
Well, I apologize for the very LARGE delay in getting back to this blog! I seem to have forgotten that I needed an outlet every now and then!
Christmas is upon me. Finally. Every year since my dad passed, I've had a difficult time finding my Christmas spirit. However, usually after a few days of Christmas songs and movies, I'm there. This year, Christmas quite literally snuck up on me, and from the sounds of things around my office, it appears I'm not alone. I've updated my favorite Christmas tunes to include my handful of new songs, and have just decided this year, it's all about the REASON for the season, and not the commercialism that the holidays often bring.
Case in point, all grown ups agreed, NO presents this year. Not enough money, nor the drive to shop, so no gifts. The annual friend Christmas/White Elephant Gift exchange is relegated to re-gifting old, gently-used gifts, or homemade gifts. The nieces/nephews still get gifts, but they are being made with my own loving, patient (and sore) two hands. Brycey and Shayann will still get their usual gifts from Santa, but Santa has advised that he had to lay off some elves, so no one is getting as many gifts as in years past. I understand, thanks to the abysmal economy, we've all had to make sacrifices.
So, Christmas will be simple this year. Just the way I like it.
Christmas is upon me. Finally. Every year since my dad passed, I've had a difficult time finding my Christmas spirit. However, usually after a few days of Christmas songs and movies, I'm there. This year, Christmas quite literally snuck up on me, and from the sounds of things around my office, it appears I'm not alone. I've updated my favorite Christmas tunes to include my handful of new songs, and have just decided this year, it's all about the REASON for the season, and not the commercialism that the holidays often bring.
Case in point, all grown ups agreed, NO presents this year. Not enough money, nor the drive to shop, so no gifts. The annual friend Christmas/White Elephant Gift exchange is relegated to re-gifting old, gently-used gifts, or homemade gifts. The nieces/nephews still get gifts, but they are being made with my own loving, patient (and sore) two hands. Brycey and Shayann will still get their usual gifts from Santa, but Santa has advised that he had to lay off some elves, so no one is getting as many gifts as in years past. I understand, thanks to the abysmal economy, we've all had to make sacrifices.
So, Christmas will be simple this year. Just the way I like it.
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