Two weeks until your due date!
Today is also my last day at work, before heading out for maternity leave. I'm definitely ready to be done with work. Things have been so hectic, prepping for my leave. And the last couple of days at work have been full of last minute, unexpected things that have distracted me from getting everything done that I wanted to get done. At this point, I'm just going to have to accept that I can't finish it all.
Hopefully you're not planning on coming within the next couple of days. I have a mile-long to-do list I'm hoping to make some progress on in the next few days or so, in preparation for your arrival. Plus, Daddy decided now would be a good time to tackle a big remodel project in the master bedroom (ripping out walls, doing a whole bunch of electrical work, and then putting everything back together again). I'm feeling kind of anxious about it... but I've decided to just step away from it and let him do his thing. I'm sure it's his form of nesting!
In other news, we got a little trial run to labor & delivery on Wednesday. I had been feeling some sharp pain in my upper right abdomen starting Tuesday night, sometime after dinner. It lasted through the night and into the next day at work. We had an appointment with the doctor that night, so I figured I'd wait and talk to her about it then. But, in the afternoon I got a call from the doctor's office that they needed to cancel my appointment because she had to go to the hospital to deal with multiple deliveries. I ended up calling back to talk to the advice nurse, and told her what I was experiencing (the sharp upper abdominal pain and a duller pain in the same spot on my back). She told me to go to the hospital's emergency room and get checked in to labor & delivery. She said it sounded like it may be a gallbladder issue, but that I should get checked out, and since there were no doctors in the office (they were apparently all at the hospital delivering babies), I needed to go there.
I tried to maintain my calm, and headed home from work a little early. The whole ride home on BART I researched gallbladder issues and pregnancy, so I could mentally prepare. It seemed pretty spot on, symptom-wise, which both was disappointing (because there's really nothing that can be done at this point, and it seems like the common "cure" is surgery to have the gallbladder taken out, which seems awfully extreme as a first step), and somewhat reassuring (because there are much worse things that could be happening). When I arrived home, Daddy was on the phone dealing with an important work matter, so I took a few minutes to (finally!) start packing a hospital bag. I only threw in what I figured I'd need if they admitted me over night, and left everything else at home. I was not planning on having you that night, and if by some chance I did, I figured we only lived 10 minutes from the hospital so we could easily arrange for someone to go get whatever we needed.
Once we got to the hospital they checked me in and wheeled me upstairs to labor and delivery, and got Daddy and I settled into a room. They hooked me up to the fetal monitor and a blood pressure cuff that went off every 15 minutes. They also had me give some urine, and drink some water and apple juice. They seemed mostly concerned with checking me for signs of pre-eclampsia. I guess I had a trace amount of protein in my urine, and the abdominal pain is something that can occur with pre-eclampsia. But, my blood pressure looked fantastic, and I wasn't having any other symptoms, and they did blood work to check my liver and everything came back totally normal. (They checked my platelets too, and it dropped a little bit in the last month from 115k to 107k). The nurse also checked my cervix, and it was "soft" but fully closed. So, no baby that night! Although, I know better than to take that as a sign that we're nowhere near having you (since cervical checks are a poor predictor of labor). Dr. Pham-Thomas came in and released us to go home, and said she suspects it is my gallbladder acting up. She said there's not much to do about it now, except to avoid fatty foods (and then she said "like fried chicken"... and wouldn't you know it, I've been craving fried chicken now for the last couple of days!), and then if it continues after you're born I can look at getting surgery. In the meantime, I'll be researching other ways to deal with the issue.
The pain is still continuing today, but the intensity seems to get better/worse. I've been trying to monitor it a bit, and I think it seems to act up the most about an hour or so after eating. I also have found I can't really lie on my right side anymore, because that seems to hurt it (I'm guessing that it puts pressure on it, making it hurt), and sometimes you'll be pushing around up there and it seems to hurt more then too.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
37 weeks
We're now officially "full term"! Although, I'm still not ready for you to make your debut just yet. And, despite being "full term", you could still stand to have a little more time in the oven so you're sure to come out just perfect.
It does, however, smack home for me how close we really are to meeting you. I mean, really, it could be any day now, although I have a feeling you won't be coming for at least a couple more weeks. Maybe around your due date... I think my gut is telling me probably a few days after your due date. But, we'll see! I'd love to have at least a few days of maternity leave to relax and also to wrap up a few projects and things, before you arrive. But, even if you did arrive earlier, I think we're prepared enough.
Last weekend was extremely hot -- it got up to 105 degrees in Dublin on Saturday. It made it hard to get a lot of stuff done, because at times all I wanted to do was hang out in front of the fan. Sunday was Father's Day, and it was a little bit cooler (but still pretty hot). We went over to your Grandpa Rick's and Grandma Joan's for a BBQ with them and Uncle Jason and Aunty Yen.
On Monday, I started not feeling well in the morning, and wound up with nausea and vomiting, just like a couple of weeks ago. This time, it lasted through Tuesday, and I spent most of Tuesday night hanging out in the bathroom, rocking back and forth to ease the stomach pain, and hoping I'd just vomit. Finally, I did, and it made me feel better enough that I was able to get to sleep. I felt much better the next morning, and the nausea/vomiting/indigestion/stomach pain hasn't returned since. Hopefully this won't be a recurring theme in the last few weeks!
Outside of stuff like that, and the low platelets and other relatively minor things, I think I've been pretty blessed with this pregnancy. I never had my belly button pop out, like so many women do (it's just a very shallow innie). I did start getting some stretch marks a month or so ago, and now I have two decent patches on the bottom side of my belly. But, I tell Daddy that they're my "tiger stripes". Honestly, I don't see them as that big of a deal. I first got stretch marks in high school. They faded eventually, and if you look closely you can see them on my thighs and breasts and a few other parts. But I've never really felt self-conscious about them (maybe a little in high school... but not very much that I can recall) So, I know that these ones aren't worth worrying over anyway. In fact, they're like a little badge of honor that I carried you. And if someone wants to judge me for having them, then quite frankly they're the loser with low self-esteem. I've also noticed recently that I've been getting tiny skin tags on my neck, which is apparently not uncommon. I don't notice them when I look in the mirror -- only when I stroke my neck with my hand. What else have I experienced...? Some nights my feet swell up a bit, but it's never been too bad. I can still squeeze into most of my shoes (and haven't really had to go up a size yet). And I think I've gained a bit of weight in my butt, hips and thighs (I've noticed a couple of small stretch marks on my upper thighs recently). Other than that, I can't think of too much!
It does, however, smack home for me how close we really are to meeting you. I mean, really, it could be any day now, although I have a feeling you won't be coming for at least a couple more weeks. Maybe around your due date... I think my gut is telling me probably a few days after your due date. But, we'll see! I'd love to have at least a few days of maternity leave to relax and also to wrap up a few projects and things, before you arrive. But, even if you did arrive earlier, I think we're prepared enough.
Last weekend was extremely hot -- it got up to 105 degrees in Dublin on Saturday. It made it hard to get a lot of stuff done, because at times all I wanted to do was hang out in front of the fan. Sunday was Father's Day, and it was a little bit cooler (but still pretty hot). We went over to your Grandpa Rick's and Grandma Joan's for a BBQ with them and Uncle Jason and Aunty Yen.
On Monday, I started not feeling well in the morning, and wound up with nausea and vomiting, just like a couple of weeks ago. This time, it lasted through Tuesday, and I spent most of Tuesday night hanging out in the bathroom, rocking back and forth to ease the stomach pain, and hoping I'd just vomit. Finally, I did, and it made me feel better enough that I was able to get to sleep. I felt much better the next morning, and the nausea/vomiting/indigestion/stomach pain hasn't returned since. Hopefully this won't be a recurring theme in the last few weeks!
Outside of stuff like that, and the low platelets and other relatively minor things, I think I've been pretty blessed with this pregnancy. I never had my belly button pop out, like so many women do (it's just a very shallow innie). I did start getting some stretch marks a month or so ago, and now I have two decent patches on the bottom side of my belly. But, I tell Daddy that they're my "tiger stripes". Honestly, I don't see them as that big of a deal. I first got stretch marks in high school. They faded eventually, and if you look closely you can see them on my thighs and breasts and a few other parts. But I've never really felt self-conscious about them (maybe a little in high school... but not very much that I can recall) So, I know that these ones aren't worth worrying over anyway. In fact, they're like a little badge of honor that I carried you. And if someone wants to judge me for having them, then quite frankly they're the loser with low self-esteem. I've also noticed recently that I've been getting tiny skin tags on my neck, which is apparently not uncommon. I don't notice them when I look in the mirror -- only when I stroke my neck with my hand. What else have I experienced...? Some nights my feet swell up a bit, but it's never been too bad. I can still squeeze into most of my shoes (and haven't really had to go up a size yet). And I think I've gained a bit of weight in my butt, hips and thighs (I've noticed a couple of small stretch marks on my upper thighs recently). Other than that, I can't think of too much!
Friday, June 15, 2012
36 weeks
4 weeks until our due date! It's not enough time! Heck, you could come any time now, really. And I don't feel fully prepared. The good news is that if you did come at any point after now, you should be pretty good. You could stand a little more baking time for optimal lung development and such. And mama could stand a little more time for getting the nursery situated, transitioning out at work, and maybe even relaxing a little during the time I've arranged to take off before the due date.
I've been doing pretty good this last week. I'm definitely seeing more swelling in my feet by the latter half of the day. Although, I'm still able to fit in most of my old shoes (except a few pairs that were really snug to begin with), so that's a good thing! Last night I woke in the middle of the night with a cramp in my right leg, on the outside of the calf. I know it's pretty common with pregnancy, especially in the second half, but this was a first for me. Daddy helped me massage it out, and brought me water and prepared a hot water bottle. After a few minutes, it finally subsided.
Last night we had another doctor's appointment. We got to have another ultrasound (although we didn't get any copies of the pictures) to check your position. You're definitely head down! We got to see your nice, round melon of a head on the monitor, way down low right where we want it. She also was able to pull up your heart, so we could see that beating nice and strong. Everything else looked good, except that my blood pressure was a little high -- but I had also had a stressful day, and had a feeling my blood pressure was going to be high at the appointment. Hopefully next week it will be back to normal.
I've been working some more on getting your nursery set up. I finally finished making the crib skirt. I still need to lengthen the curtains, and hang stuff on the walls. Nana Shirley gave me a bag of old baby clothes -- some of which were things she wore as a baby, and some were from when I was a baby. I spent some time sorting through it tonight and picking a few things to frame and hang in the room. Nana used these garments at the baby shower to decorate the back patio.
I've been doing pretty good this last week. I'm definitely seeing more swelling in my feet by the latter half of the day. Although, I'm still able to fit in most of my old shoes (except a few pairs that were really snug to begin with), so that's a good thing! Last night I woke in the middle of the night with a cramp in my right leg, on the outside of the calf. I know it's pretty common with pregnancy, especially in the second half, but this was a first for me. Daddy helped me massage it out, and brought me water and prepared a hot water bottle. After a few minutes, it finally subsided.
Last night we had another doctor's appointment. We got to have another ultrasound (although we didn't get any copies of the pictures) to check your position. You're definitely head down! We got to see your nice, round melon of a head on the monitor, way down low right where we want it. She also was able to pull up your heart, so we could see that beating nice and strong. Everything else looked good, except that my blood pressure was a little high -- but I had also had a stressful day, and had a feeling my blood pressure was going to be high at the appointment. Hopefully next week it will be back to normal.
I've been working some more on getting your nursery set up. I finally finished making the crib skirt. I still need to lengthen the curtains, and hang stuff on the walls. Nana Shirley gave me a bag of old baby clothes -- some of which were things she wore as a baby, and some were from when I was a baby. I spent some time sorting through it tonight and picking a few things to frame and hang in the room. Nana used these garments at the baby shower to decorate the back patio.
 |
| Nana Shirley's outfits from when she was a baby |
 |
| The Christening outfit Nana Shirley made for me, when I was a baby |
 |
| Nana Shirley and me, in the Christening gown she made for me, April 1981 |
 |
| The outfit Nana Shirley brought me home form the hospital in |
 |
| My first Christmas outfit |
 |
| One of my baby sweaters |
 |
| One of my baby outfits |
 |
| Another baby outfit that belonged to me |
 |
| A few of my baby shoes -- the yellow ones have little ducky heads and feet on them |
 |
| Some of my bibs, and a bonnet of mine |
Friday, June 8, 2012
35 weeks
5 weeks to go until your due date! I'm definitely feeling the crunch of time, and like there's still so much to do. I'm also ready to be done with work, but I have three more weeks left of that.
Here's my 35 week picture. I was comparing it to the 30 week, and it's crazy how much my belly has grown in only a few weeks! I can also see it in my legs a little more now, but I have been getting more swelling in my legs and feet lately.
I know a lot of women at this point start complaining that they're "done" being pregnant, and just want it to be over and for the baby to be here. I'm certainly excited to meet you soon, but also not quite ready to be done being pregnant. I actually like being pregnant, and for the most part it has been a really enjoyable, special experience. I love my pregnant body -- even the stretch marks (correction: tiger stripes) that recently popped up on the underside of my belly. I love feeling you move around inside me -- even when you are pushing on my bladder, or jamming a foot sharply out of my side. I love how your daddy will tenderly stroke my belly and lay his face up against it and giggle when you start kicking his face. I love how he speaks to you with his face pressed in close to my belly, and how he leans down to give "you" kisses hello and goodbye.And, I can't deny the fact that it's nice to be able to stuff myself at a meal, and instead of looking fat I just look pregnant!
Last Friday your Daddy and I went to see the Beach Boys at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, for their 50th anniversary reunion tour. Daddy splurged on VIP tickets, which got us access to the venue early, seats in the first 10 rows (we were in row 8), and we were able to attend the sound check. It was a lot of fun, and except for the part where I had to stand around for a bit (which is getting pretty uncomfortable now), I think I handled it pretty well. You seemed to handle it in stride too... you weren't "freaking out" like you were the week before at the A's game. Although you did get a little active when they played "California Girls"!
We spent most of the weekend getting some more stuff done in the nursery and around the house. Daddy and our neighbor Aaron pulled the dresser up the stairs on Sunday (which was not an easy task!), and I went to work right afterward getting all of the stuff from the baby shower unpacked and organized.
I took Monday off of work, to spend some extra time with Daddy, since his birthday was on Tuesday. We slept in, and then each ran a few errands in the morning. Then we went out to lunch at a Chinese place in San Ramon called Kings Palace. Afterward, we went to ZaZa for mani-pedis. It was so relaxing.
On Tuesday, I took your daddy out for dinner at Forbes Mill in Danville, where he had a Kobe beef filet mignon that he said not tops his list for all-time favorite filet mignons. It's just a bummer that I can't really eat steak right now (at least not cooked the way I like it, medium-rare). So, we'll have to go back there another time. It was nice having a quiet, romantic dinner out with Daddy -- something we probably won't get to do a whole lot for a while, once you're here. Although, I'm sure we'll try to find time to do nice things like that here and there. Daddy and I both agree that it's important for us to continue to nurture our relationship, so that you and any future siblings can grow up with a strong model for what a healthy, happy marriage looks like.
On Wednesday, we had another doctor's appointment, with Dr. Pham-Thomas. I got my results back from the bloodwork I did Monday morning, and unfortunately my platelets dropped again, this time to 115! It's not in the range where treatment is needed, but it was like a 20 point drop, which makes me wonder how much it might drop in the next month, when I have to come back and test again. I tried to ask the doctor some questions about it, but unfortunately the answer I got was mostly a "we don't really know much about why it happens". That's definitely not an answer I like to hear.
Here's my 35 week picture. I was comparing it to the 30 week, and it's crazy how much my belly has grown in only a few weeks! I can also see it in my legs a little more now, but I have been getting more swelling in my legs and feet lately.
I know a lot of women at this point start complaining that they're "done" being pregnant, and just want it to be over and for the baby to be here. I'm certainly excited to meet you soon, but also not quite ready to be done being pregnant. I actually like being pregnant, and for the most part it has been a really enjoyable, special experience. I love my pregnant body -- even the stretch marks (correction: tiger stripes) that recently popped up on the underside of my belly. I love feeling you move around inside me -- even when you are pushing on my bladder, or jamming a foot sharply out of my side. I love how your daddy will tenderly stroke my belly and lay his face up against it and giggle when you start kicking his face. I love how he speaks to you with his face pressed in close to my belly, and how he leans down to give "you" kisses hello and goodbye.And, I can't deny the fact that it's nice to be able to stuff myself at a meal, and instead of looking fat I just look pregnant!
Last Friday your Daddy and I went to see the Beach Boys at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, for their 50th anniversary reunion tour. Daddy splurged on VIP tickets, which got us access to the venue early, seats in the first 10 rows (we were in row 8), and we were able to attend the sound check. It was a lot of fun, and except for the part where I had to stand around for a bit (which is getting pretty uncomfortable now), I think I handled it pretty well. You seemed to handle it in stride too... you weren't "freaking out" like you were the week before at the A's game. Although you did get a little active when they played "California Girls"!
We spent most of the weekend getting some more stuff done in the nursery and around the house. Daddy and our neighbor Aaron pulled the dresser up the stairs on Sunday (which was not an easy task!), and I went to work right afterward getting all of the stuff from the baby shower unpacked and organized.
I took Monday off of work, to spend some extra time with Daddy, since his birthday was on Tuesday. We slept in, and then each ran a few errands in the morning. Then we went out to lunch at a Chinese place in San Ramon called Kings Palace. Afterward, we went to ZaZa for mani-pedis. It was so relaxing.
On Tuesday, I took your daddy out for dinner at Forbes Mill in Danville, where he had a Kobe beef filet mignon that he said not tops his list for all-time favorite filet mignons. It's just a bummer that I can't really eat steak right now (at least not cooked the way I like it, medium-rare). So, we'll have to go back there another time. It was nice having a quiet, romantic dinner out with Daddy -- something we probably won't get to do a whole lot for a while, once you're here. Although, I'm sure we'll try to find time to do nice things like that here and there. Daddy and I both agree that it's important for us to continue to nurture our relationship, so that you and any future siblings can grow up with a strong model for what a healthy, happy marriage looks like.
On Wednesday, we had another doctor's appointment, with Dr. Pham-Thomas. I got my results back from the bloodwork I did Monday morning, and unfortunately my platelets dropped again, this time to 115! It's not in the range where treatment is needed, but it was like a 20 point drop, which makes me wonder how much it might drop in the next month, when I have to come back and test again. I tried to ask the doctor some questions about it, but unfortunately the answer I got was mostly a "we don't really know much about why it happens". That's definitely not an answer I like to hear.
Friday, June 1, 2012
34 weeks
Today marks 34 weeks, which is also a significant milestone in your development -- at this point, should you be born, your chances of survival are very high. But, let's keep you baking in there a little longer!
Last Friday, Daddy and I went to an A's game and tailgate with a bunch of Daddy's coworkers. I'm not sure you were liking all the noise in the stadium, because you were really moving around a lot, and pushing hard on my belly. When the crowd would really get going at something, you'd get especially active. Or... maybe you're just destined to be a big A's/sports fan! There was also a fireworks show after, and that seemed to get you riled up too.
Memorial Day was over the weekend, so I had Monday off. Daddy and I got lots more progress done on the nursery. He and Grandpa Rick worked on repainting the dresser. Nana Shirley and I went to the Pleasanton Antique Fair on Sunday, and I hoped to find some fun stuff for your nursery. We spent about 5 hours there, and perused the whole thing, and left nearly empty handed! I think I came home with a small picture frame and some vintage costume jewelry pieces I plan to use to make a special letter (of your first initial) to hang on the wall of the nursery. Then on Monday, we had JT, Aaron and Adam over for a little BBQ. Adam was showing off his upside-down crab walk, where he scoots around on back side using his legs and head, with his back arched up. Pretty cute!
The rest of this week was a little rougher. Wednesday morning, I woke up with some yucky indigestion, which quickly turned into nausea. I went into work, but ended up throwing up a couple of hours later. I felt pretty crummy the rest of the day, and barely felt like eating. Even the next day, I was still feeling not so hot, and not wanting to eat a lot. I stepped on the scale this morning, and I'm pretty sure I lost a couple of pounds over the last couple of days. Yikes.
Tonight Daddy and I are going to see the Beach Boys (they're doing a 50th anniversary reunion tour), in Berkeley at the Greek Theater. We bought a VIP package, which gets us seats within the first 10 rows, and we can attend the sound check. Daddy is super excited, and keeps saying how he hopes you're a Beach Boys fan too. I'm looking forward to it as well, but slightly apprehensive that it may bother you, considering how you were reacting at the A's game last Friday.
Last Friday, Daddy and I went to an A's game and tailgate with a bunch of Daddy's coworkers. I'm not sure you were liking all the noise in the stadium, because you were really moving around a lot, and pushing hard on my belly. When the crowd would really get going at something, you'd get especially active. Or... maybe you're just destined to be a big A's/sports fan! There was also a fireworks show after, and that seemed to get you riled up too.
Memorial Day was over the weekend, so I had Monday off. Daddy and I got lots more progress done on the nursery. He and Grandpa Rick worked on repainting the dresser. Nana Shirley and I went to the Pleasanton Antique Fair on Sunday, and I hoped to find some fun stuff for your nursery. We spent about 5 hours there, and perused the whole thing, and left nearly empty handed! I think I came home with a small picture frame and some vintage costume jewelry pieces I plan to use to make a special letter (of your first initial) to hang on the wall of the nursery. Then on Monday, we had JT, Aaron and Adam over for a little BBQ. Adam was showing off his upside-down crab walk, where he scoots around on back side using his legs and head, with his back arched up. Pretty cute!
The rest of this week was a little rougher. Wednesday morning, I woke up with some yucky indigestion, which quickly turned into nausea. I went into work, but ended up throwing up a couple of hours later. I felt pretty crummy the rest of the day, and barely felt like eating. Even the next day, I was still feeling not so hot, and not wanting to eat a lot. I stepped on the scale this morning, and I'm pretty sure I lost a couple of pounds over the last couple of days. Yikes.
Tonight Daddy and I are going to see the Beach Boys (they're doing a 50th anniversary reunion tour), in Berkeley at the Greek Theater. We bought a VIP package, which gets us seats within the first 10 rows, and we can attend the sound check. Daddy is super excited, and keeps saying how he hopes you're a Beach Boys fan too. I'm looking forward to it as well, but slightly apprehensive that it may bother you, considering how you were reacting at the A's game last Friday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)