HTML Map

10.31.2009

10.30.2009

just because

Doc appointment this morning... good news is there are no secondary infections! No ear infections, no bronchitis, and no pneumonia. And, contrary to how I felt last night, no cracked ribs either.
Last night was HORRENDOUS. I was in pain that brought me to tears. Pain that had it been one iota worse, or had I not had the doc appointment scheduled for this morning already, I would have had Trav take me to the hospital. Doc thinks its just a badly sprained muscle (right side rib area towards the back)... though obviously/unfortunately not a muscle I can rest! Every cough, sneeze, yawn is horrible... and I have episodes of spasms that are agonizing. So I got a prescription cough medicine to hopefully keep me from having the big episodes of coughing, which should give the muscle a chance to heal. In the meantime, I can ice it and take the Tylenol. Yuck.

Now, two things to make me feel better.
Because the baby animals make me feel all melty inside:


(Seriously, if that little sea otter paw grabbing the side of the bin doesn't make you go "aww", you have no heart!)

And because I LOVE me some Polamalu, and this makes me laugh:



Now off to finish my day and get my weekend started.

10.29.2009

::cough:: owwww

This week is busy... two big events at work (Monday and Wednesday), and a doc appointment every other day (midwife on Tuesday, dentist today, and regular doc tomorrow). Its more that a bit crazy and I can't wait for the weekend to get here.

I'm feeling pretty good except for this lingering cough, which just keeps going. And lingering. With the coughing. Ugh. The worst part... I definitely pulled a muscle or bruised a rib on my right side from all the coughing, so now every. single. one. hurts like a mo-fo. Seriously hurts. Which makes coughing even more annoying... and not just for me, I'm sure, since I sound something like this: ::cough, cough, cough:: uhhhhhh.
I brought in Clo.rox wipes today to disinfect my mouse, keyboard, phone, etc. in an attempt to not get myself resick, or get my coworkers sick.

On a nicer note, both work events went well! And the Phillies tromped the Yankies at their stadium, which is just so nice and satisfying. I didn't stay up for the whole game (past my bedtime people), but absolutely loved Cliff Lee's super cool, ain't-no-thang catch of that pop fly.

Just in case you missed it:


Love it.

Okay, have to get to work now so I can get lots done before my dreaded dentist appointment (dun-dun-dun!)... I hate those things. Bye!




Ps. THIS is a very touching article about the president witnessing first hand the casualties of war. Its sad, but a good reminder of that each individual lost is a horror.

10.27.2009

::pop:: goes the belly...

Weekly Review

How far along? 23 weeks (I'm in my 6th month people!)

Total weight gain/loss: + 6lbs!!! (as of this a.m.)

Maternity clothes? oh yes to the pants... but still rocking out pre-maternity tops.

Stretch marks? not on the belly

Sleep: loving every second of it, and now that i'm not super sick, getting it again!

Best moment this week: laying in bed with my belly against trav's back, and having her kick him! he definitely got wide-eyed, and was like, "that was a little weird!"

Movement: oh yea, bopping around in there all the time now.

Food cravings: White sauces... I actually had a dream about biscuits and sausage gravy, and one about Béchamel sauce. So weird.

Gender guess/Actual Gender: GIRL!

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly Button in or out? Innie, though for how much longer is the question!

What I miss: warm apple wine... so good this time of year.

What I am looking forward to: Viability week, next week.

Milestones: Our little one is about a pound now!


10.26.2009

fun with the pup

See what happens when you're sick and basically don't leave the house for a week, with only a puppy as your companion for most of the day:

(Wearing Trav's sweater... then trying to tear it off.)

(Sad puppy eyes... Mommy, I don't want to wear the sweater.)

Sitting "like a human" with Trav:


The weekend was very relaxing. We didn't leave the house at all... just to take the pup out obviously. We both slept a lot, and ate a lot, and just took it real easy. It was exactly what we needed. I still have a bit of a cough, and a bit of the snuffles, but otherwise I'm feeling good.

Now I'm back at work, which is a bit weird since I haven't been here in almost a week. Hopefully I can get all caught up quickly, and not too run down on my first day back.

10.23.2009

radio silence

Sorry for the radio silence people... we have had The Sick. Big time. I haven't been to work since Monday, and I have been miserable. I think this is the most sick time I've taken in a row since I started this job, and maybe the most I've taken in a year!

Monday I had a little tickle in my throat, but it wasn't anything. I put together a bit crockpot full of beef stew that night, to cook the next day. That night though, no sleep... I was coughing constantly, and it was miserable.
Tuesday we had the ultrasound, then I came back home and decided to call out for the rest of the day since I was feeling so run down and still coughing a ton. I called the midwives and was told I could take Robitussin DM for the coughing and Tylenol for aches, plus lots of liquids and rest. So that's what I did. Didn't have any appetite though, so Trav got to dig into the beef stew alone. I hear it was fab. That night, still no sleep... the Robitussin wasn't putting a dent in the coughing. Plus, all the stuff down the back of my throat and into my stomach made me sick, physically sick three times. Miserable for both Trav and I. If we had a guest bedroom that could be slept in right now (unforch its full of all the stuff from our office right now and you can't even find the futon), I would have slept there, just so the poor guy didn't have to be up all night with me.
Wednesday I was supposed to have my normal monthly appointment, but spent all day on the phone with the midwife, and we obviously decided to reschedule. My temp got up to 100* so she called in a prescrip for Tamiflu, which I pick up that afternoon. Neither of us is sure if it is just a really bad cold or the flu, but we want to play it safe. She warns me that if its the cold, the Tamiflu is not going to help. I have to take it twice a day for 5 days, plus I'm still doing the Robitussin and Tylenol. This day was definitely the worst. The lack of sleep is really doing me in, and I just feel miserable all over. I actually break down in tears twice because I just feel so Bad. My only goals for the day are to try to keep the liquids flowing, and take my meds on time. I talk to the boss about the situation and he tells me to take all the time I need to be better. That night I sleep!! Still wake 4 times, but otherwise my sleep is sound! The only weird thing... some horrible night sweats. My fever breaking?
Thursday I wake up and want to eat something! Hallelujah! I continue all the meds, and drink tons, and actually eat some food. The boss tells me not to come in on Friday... sometime I had been debating. I'm still feeling sick, but I feel so much better. Then the icing on the cake, another really really good night of sleep. I think I only woke up 2 or 3 times... though I have some of the night sweats again.
Friday, this morning, I wake up feeling about 200x better then before... which is only compounded when I eat and then take my first shower since Tuesday morning! I feel (and yes, probably smell) like a new woman. Still coughing, but not nearly as often.. and the shower helps loosen some stuff up in my lungs. My appetite is finally really back too (hopefully I'll finally get to have some beef stew tonight!). I've eaten more today then I have in the past two days combine, maybe even the past three. I'm drinking tons of water, and still resting. Obviously I'm still taking the Tamiflu religiously and am still doing the Robitussin, but have cut out the Tylenol since my temp was back to normal yesterday and today. I plan to rest all weekend, but it will be back to work for me on Monday.

Now here's hoping that Trav doesn't come down with anything. He was feeling a bit off Wednesday night, but thought it might have just been because the poor guy was also suffering from lack of sleep. He said he felt so much better after getting some real rest, and said that he felt fine today. Lets hope that he really did avoid this!!

Lets also hope the my funny feeling ears are just funny feeling ears (maybe from the rest of my head being so full of gross stuff), and not the beginnings of an earache... since that is an unfortunate side effect of both cold and flu.

I think the worst part of the whole business was that I was worried about our little girl the whole time too. I was worried that I wasn't getting enough good stuff in me to keep her content... plus, I'm sure she was wondering why her water bed kept getting sloshed around all the time from all that coughing. ;-) But hopefully I'm fully on the mend now. I'm still not sure whether I just had a horrid cold or if I really had the flu... so many of my symptoms were boarderline between the two, but I'm so glad that I took the Tamiflu either way.

Well, I'm going to get back to my spot on the couch... surrounded by tissues and glasses of water and snacks... and get back to relaxing. But look for those promised pictures on Monday, when I'll actually have access to a scanner again!
(I also posted my weekly review, which I had filled out Tuesday morning before I really got sick... but hadn't posted because I thought I was going to add ultrasound pics that day! Its up now, just sans pics.)

10.21.2009

weekly review

Weekly Review

How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Find out tonight! I'm guessing 1-3 lbs up.

Maternity clothes? Yes. Definitely.

Stretch marks? Just the same old ones on my thighs, nothing new.

Sleep: Disturbed right now since I'm sick, but otherwise not bad.

Best moment this week: Hearing that our little GIRL was a-okay.

Movement: Yup, throughout the day.

Food cravings: Not much in particular (though last week I really wanted Arby's), just rich fall foods in general.

Gender guess/Actual Gender: Its a GIRL!!!! :-)

Labor Signs: Nope.

Belly Button in or out? Innie! Though much shallower then before... I think its beginning the slow creep out.

What I miss: Sleeping on my back, being able to get into our very high bed easily, and sushi with wine.

What I am looking forward to: Viability, week 24!

Weekly Wisdom: Try to keep your cool. The docs are going to err on the side of caution... so try to not assume the worst until they actually determine it to be the case.

Milestones: Finding out the gender!

10.20.2009

update!

Just a quicky since I am sick today and need to go eat some soup and lay down, but I didn't want to leave you hanging. We are just fine! Fluid levels look good and our girl is still measuring perfectly. :-) I'm still going to keep drinking tons of water, but the doc said we have nothing to worry about. ::deep breathe out::

Thank you all so much for your well wishes. I'll be back tomorrow with a "weekly review" and new ultrasound pictures, but for now I'm off to rest.

10.19.2009

ultrasound pic, prayer request, and weekend away

First off... here is our little girl, with her hands up by her face:

Isn't she a cutie? ;-)

As for that prayer request...
I just got a call from the Birth Center that while everything looks perfect with our little girl (her measurements are all spot on), my amniotic fluid is low. So I have to go in for another ultrasound tomorrow morning with the perinatologist to see if it was a fluke thing (mis-measurement, I was a little dehydrated, one off reading) or something we need to worry about (depending on the level could mean monitoring, bed rest, hospital stay for fluids, etc). I'm trying to be relaxed about this and just assume that it is nothing until we hear otherwise, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared. Can I seriously just not have a normal pregnancy?!
Prayers or low-fluid experiences are requested. Thanks.


On a nicer note... we had a wonderful weekend away! The weather was chilly and it rained/drizzled off and on for the whole time we were there... but the B&B we stayed at was wonderful, and we had a really nice, relaxing time. Plus, the fall foliage there was lovely.

Some pictures:


Train ride:

Waiting for the steam train to pass:
"Haunted" tour through the old jail:





It was an easy drive up and back, the place we stayed was very nice, and the pup was good for Trav's coworker (who puppy sat). All-in-all, it was a wonderful weekend away, and I'm so glad we did it.

Now its back to work for me... though Trav still has two days off (one each furlough and vacation). Back tomorrow afternoon with news.

10.15.2009

And the gummy baby is....


We are so excited! Our little gummy baby is going to be our sweet daughter, Gwenivere Mae. She looked good... all limbs and organs in the appropriate locations. And we didn't have to wait the whole ultrasound to find out either... as soon as the tech put the wand on my tummy, there were two little legs with a hamburger in between. LOL. I'll post an ultrasound picture next week after I get to scan it, but I just had to share our excitement!

A girl! Wow!

10.14.2009

bouncing round the room...

I'm having a bit of trouble concentrating today... I don't know how I'm going to get through my half-day tomorrow! I'm just so excited for our ultrasound, and then for the weekend to follow...

::bounces up and down and tries to concentrate on work::

10.13.2009

3 years of i do, 9 years of love

Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue to exist, a wonderful living side by side can grow up, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole and against a wide sky.

- Rainer Maria Rilke: Letters to a Young Poet





(Above is Jim Thorpe, where we will be celebrating our anny this weekend.)































Happy Anniversary Love.

Thank you for 9 years of love, and for 3 amazing years of marriage. I can't believe how the time has flown by. I can't imagine life without you, and you make everyday something special... something more then it would be without you.

I love you so much.

Yours forever and always,
Wife



Love is the answer
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? And where do we go? And how come it's so hard?

It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing it's always better when we're together....


-- Jack Johnson "Better When We're Together