Well, here I am, at 24 weeks. It's New Years Eve. My belly is finally big enough that I feel like I look pregnant. I've been waiting for that, because I have wanted to be pregnant for so many years, and now that I am, I want everyone to know it!
My sister-in-law just gave birth to her little girl, and it has made me super eager to see my Lexi. I can't say that I'm looking forward to labor, but everything after that should be fun. Right now, I am most enjoying being able to see my belly jump when she kicks hard enough. She's beginning to reach my ribs every once in a while, but she doesn't kick hard enough for it to hurt yet. It just feels like a tickle-flutter in my lower rib cage. Usually, on the right, which is funny, because in my belly she's usually on the left.
Lately, I've been missing my mommy an extra lot. I can't even tell you how badly I wish she could be with me while I experience all this. I want her to be able to put her hand on my belly and feel her granddaughter kick. I want Lexi to hear her Nina's voice. I especially want my mom to be able to be at the hospital when I'm in labor...but there's just no way. It would take her 11 hours to drive here. Even if she WERE able to leave on the fly as soon as she found out I'm in labor, she would likely not make it here in time. I just know that it is going to be so difficult for me to go through that without my mommy by my side. I will have my mom-in-law, and she is also awesome, but I just don't think there is any replacement for the woman I grew up with. But, there is nothing I can do about this. I will survive, and I know I'll be seeing my mom not long after, because she is saving money to come up and meet her granddaughter. I am going to cry so hard when I finally see my mommy again! It's so hard not to be near her.
Well, anyway, I read this week that all of Lexi's senses are fully developed. She can hear, taste, touch...her eyes are fully developed, but still closed, and the iris has no pigment yet, and if she weren't in amniotic fluid, she would be able to smell. She's officially considered viable, so I guess according to the "pro-choice" crowd, she's finally alive. Well, she's been alive to me from the moment I saw that plus on my pregnancy test. Even more so, from the first time I saw her on ultra sound, and the first time I felt her fluttering around my belly. What's even cooler is that, if she were to be born today, she'd have almost a 50% chance of survival. That's pretty good, for somebody who's only a little more than half way through creating themselves!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Bigger Leaks and Kicks!
So, a week or so ago, I was sitting on my bed, reading facebook, and my arm brushed against my shirt. I was surprised, and wondered at first, what I had spilled on myself. Then it dawned on me. I had not spilled anything. I was leaking! Ever since then, I've been wearing nursing pads, but I have not leaked in that quantity again. Still, that was pretty amazing.
In other good news, I now have two bras that kinda fit. I'd bought one a while back, with room to grow into, and have now over-filled it. It was the only one I had that I could wear. So last week, I went back to the store I'd bought that one at to get another one. Unfortunately, they don't sell bras bigger than the one I'd already over filled, so I had to settle for another in the same size. Without going into too much info, let's just say they sell bigger bras than walmart, and leave it at that. But, at least I have two bras now, that I can wear.
Even better news: Russ was finally able to feel Lexi kick! He didn't realize it was a kick at first, because she's only JUST strong enough to be felt from the outside, and he said it felt more like a wave. But it was definitely a kick! It was really exciting that he was finally able to feel her!
It is so much fun to feel her moving. It brings a smile to my face every time. Well, except when she's kicking my bladder, lol. But it just feels like such a miracle. It's something I've waited so long for, and I couldn't be happier to finally be getting my dream!
In other good news, I now have two bras that kinda fit. I'd bought one a while back, with room to grow into, and have now over-filled it. It was the only one I had that I could wear. So last week, I went back to the store I'd bought that one at to get another one. Unfortunately, they don't sell bras bigger than the one I'd already over filled, so I had to settle for another in the same size. Without going into too much info, let's just say they sell bigger bras than walmart, and leave it at that. But, at least I have two bras now, that I can wear.
Even better news: Russ was finally able to feel Lexi kick! He didn't realize it was a kick at first, because she's only JUST strong enough to be felt from the outside, and he said it felt more like a wave. But it was definitely a kick! It was really exciting that he was finally able to feel her!
It is so much fun to feel her moving. It brings a smile to my face every time. Well, except when she's kicking my bladder, lol. But it just feels like such a miracle. It's something I've waited so long for, and I couldn't be happier to finally be getting my dream!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Kicks and leaks
I have hit a couple new milestones in the last week. Now, I hope this first one isn't too much info, but my breasts have begun leaking just the tiniest little bit of liquid. It's not enough to stain my bra yet, or anything like that. It's such a small amount, I don't notice it until I get undressed at the end of the day, and I notice that it has dried onto my nipples, and I have to gently scratch it off. A couple of times, I have squeezed gently, just to see some of the liquid bead up, because it makes me feel really excited. I guess that's because, for the first time in my life, my breasts are actually functioning the way they were meant to. That is really exciting to me, and kind of awe inspiring. I've got to say, watching my body shift and change and grow in this way....well, it's all the proof I need that there's a God. It seems incredible to me that my entire body was DESIGNED for this! It just never ceases to amaze me.
Anyway, the second milestone occurred yesterday morning, as I was waiting for Rusty's bus. I was resting my hands on my belly, and Lexi kicked, and I felt it with my hands. It surprised me, and at the same time, made me feel really giddy. Of course, I couldn't go back to sleep after that. I wanted Russ to feel it, but he slept in, and by the time he woke up, she was not being active. We tried again today to get her to kick so he could feel it. He kept his hand on my belly for quite a while, but she was not moving for him. As soon as he'd pull his hand away, she'd start karate chopping me again, and I'd say, "Quick! Put your hand back!" And she'd stop. Go figure. He is being exceptionally patient though. Well, he doesn't really have a choice. :p But we both know that sooner or later, he will be able to feel her moving.
What I really can't wait for, is for her to be big enough and strong enough that we can feel all of her movements through my belly, so that I can let Rusty feel her moving. Rusty is quite eager to be able to interact with her. He puts his ear on my belly trying to hear her. I keep telling him, "You probably won't hear anything yet. But if you talk to my belly, she can hear you." So, for now, he is settling for telling my belly good morning and good night, and occasionally, giving my belly a kiss. He is going to be such a wonderful older brother!
Anyway, the second milestone occurred yesterday morning, as I was waiting for Rusty's bus. I was resting my hands on my belly, and Lexi kicked, and I felt it with my hands. It surprised me, and at the same time, made me feel really giddy. Of course, I couldn't go back to sleep after that. I wanted Russ to feel it, but he slept in, and by the time he woke up, she was not being active. We tried again today to get her to kick so he could feel it. He kept his hand on my belly for quite a while, but she was not moving for him. As soon as he'd pull his hand away, she'd start karate chopping me again, and I'd say, "Quick! Put your hand back!" And she'd stop. Go figure. He is being exceptionally patient though. Well, he doesn't really have a choice. :p But we both know that sooner or later, he will be able to feel her moving.
What I really can't wait for, is for her to be big enough and strong enough that we can feel all of her movements through my belly, so that I can let Rusty feel her moving. Rusty is quite eager to be able to interact with her. He puts his ear on my belly trying to hear her. I keep telling him, "You probably won't hear anything yet. But if you talk to my belly, she can hear you." So, for now, he is settling for telling my belly good morning and good night, and occasionally, giving my belly a kiss. He is going to be such a wonderful older brother!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
IT'S A GIRL!
Today was my "20 week" appointment. Okay, technically, I'm only 19 weeks, but in two days I'll be 20, so they rounded up. First I had my ultra sound, which was, by far, the best part. I'M HAVING A GIRL!!! I'm SO SUPER excited about that! I've wanted a girl since LONG before I got pregnant. When my mom told me, she was done having kids, and all I had was two little brothers, I told her, "Well fine, I guess I'll just have to have a daughter then." Since getting pregnant, I've been afraid to hope too much for a girl, so I kept telling myself, "It's going to be a boy." to psych myself out, so that I wouldn't be disappointed. But ever since we told Rusty that I was pregnant, he has insisted that he is going to have a little sister. We told him several times, "We don't know yet. It could be a boy. The baby has to decide what it wants to be." His response, every time, was "Well....it's gonna be a girl." During the ultra sound, when she told me it is a girl, I started crying. It felt like winning the lottery. I'm still absorbing it. I'M GOING TO HAVE A DAUGHTER!!! I am definitely on cloud nine! Another cool part about the ultra sound was that as the technician looked at all the parts, and took all the measurements, she kept saying everything looked "beautiful" and "perfect". So we know that our daughter is physically healthy! My friend, Brittany, was able to be there too, and we had picked up Rusty early from school so he could be there, and of course Russ was there. It was awesome to have several important people there to watch, and to get the news with me!
After the ultra sound, I had a regular appointment. I finally got to meet my OBGYN, and I really like her. She's from Texas! She's about my age, and she's really nice. I liked her right away. I had several questions for her, and she answered all of them, and we had a fun conversation. I had to have a little bit of blood drawn, for a thyroid test. I've been battling with depression, and since I know that thyroid problems run in my family, we decided to check and see if that could be the cause of it.
January is going to be a VERY busy month. First, my next appointment is scheduled for Jan 7th. I also have a dermatology appointment scheduled for Jan 17. I also signed up for three of the free classes that are offered at the hospital, Preparation for Childbirth, on Jan 12, Breastfeeding Class on Jan 24, and a Sibling class for Rusty on Jan 29. Not to mention, my birthday is Jan 21st, and sometime that month, my sister-in-law is supposed to give birth. Should be a fun month!
After the ultra sound, I had a regular appointment. I finally got to meet my OBGYN, and I really like her. She's from Texas! She's about my age, and she's really nice. I liked her right away. I had several questions for her, and she answered all of them, and we had a fun conversation. I had to have a little bit of blood drawn, for a thyroid test. I've been battling with depression, and since I know that thyroid problems run in my family, we decided to check and see if that could be the cause of it.
January is going to be a VERY busy month. First, my next appointment is scheduled for Jan 7th. I also have a dermatology appointment scheduled for Jan 17. I also signed up for three of the free classes that are offered at the hospital, Preparation for Childbirth, on Jan 12, Breastfeeding Class on Jan 24, and a Sibling class for Rusty on Jan 29. Not to mention, my birthday is Jan 21st, and sometime that month, my sister-in-law is supposed to give birth. Should be a fun month!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
The Latest and Greatest
My tummy feels so WEIRD! I'm not even sure I can accurately describe it. Sometimes it hurts a little bit, mostly on the sides. More often it's kind of a mild pressure, or fullness. What's weird is, every week, when I look at my pregnancy pictures, I swear my belly looks smaller. Russ keeps assuring me it's just moving up and rounding out, and I guess he's probably right. I just wish it would hurry up and grow! (I know, I'm being impatient.) But I guess it must be doing something, because my center of gravity is definitely changing. I keep losing my balance for no reason. Standing up, or getting out of the car, will totally throw my balance off, and I have to catch myself on something. It's even happened a few times when I was just walking.
I feel the baby moving a LOT now. Off and on throughout the day, I will know when it gets active. It's active right now. Some women describe that feeling like fluttering or bubbles. I don't think I ever would have called it that. At first, it felt like a muscle twitch. Lately, it's stronger than that. It feels like a sporadic heart beat that moves around my belly. Russ is eagerly anticipating the day it gets strong enough for him to feel. Every once in a while, when it's really active, I'll tell him and he'll put his hand on my belly to see if he can feel it yet. Nope, not yet.
My back pain has still been consistent. It's usually not so bad that I can't move around, but every once in a while, if I move wrong, I will have to use a cane for the rest of the day. I've learned to avoid bending at the waist and twisting. Those movements tend to set it off.
I am happy to say that, since the day I went to the hospital, I have not had any more Braxton Hicks contractions. I have been watching myself carefully, making sure I don't do too much in one day. That seems to be the key. There are some days, when I'm out running errands, that I get dizzy and a little bit breathless. Generally, if I sit down for 10 to 15 minutes, I'm okay. Some days, my body just says "You're not walking today." If I try it, I get a sharp, pulling pain on one side of my belly that hurts with every step. The only solution to that is....don't walk. But that doesn't seem to happen very often.
My next appointment and ultra sound are getting closer. Only a week and a half away! There was a scheduling conflict, because somebody else has something very important to do on that same day, only two and a half hours before my appointment time, and only one and a half hours before we need to leave the house, if we're going to pick up Rusty from school. Luckily, my friend Brittany saved the day. She will probably pick up me and Rusty in her car, and Russ will follow us on his motorcycle. It's the perfect solution, because it was either that, or I would have had to reschedule my appointments, and this doctor is usually booked WEEKS in advance. And with two appointments, one right after the other, it would have probably been another three weeks or more before I could get everything set up.
Speaking of the doctor, it looks like Obamacare is already changing some things. Now, I have to have TWO insurance plans. Medicaid will still cover some things, and this other insurance, called Magnolia, or something like that, will cover other things. Now, I have to make sure that my doctor is going to be taking this other insurance, or else I might have to switch doctors. It takes affect in 90 days. Wouldn't that be great news, half way through my pregnancy? But, I guess it is what it is. We'll see how that turns out.
Anyway, I guess that's everything important for now. And probably some stuff that isn't important too. :p
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Body Changes
This might sound funny, but I pee differently than I used to. People used to marvel at how fast I could pee. When a friend went to the bathroom with me, she said that I "power peed". In other words, it came out like turning a faucet on full blast. Well, now that my uterus is smashing my bladder, and everything that goes along with it, I no longer "power pee". Now it trickles out so slowly. It comes out at a different angle than it used to. Last time the doctor asked me to pee in the cup, I peed all over my hand, because I was holding the cup where the pee would have gone in the past, but now it goes an entirely different direction. This is not so much a complaint, as just an observation that I find interesting. I would not have thought, before, that pregnancy would change the way I pee. But it makes sense, doesn't it?
Another cool thing! The last post I made, I was frustrated with how slowly everything is progressing. Well, my belly still hasn't really grown, BUT I have begun to feel the baby a lot more frequently. The day after that post, I felt it three times, which was more than I'd ever felt it in one day. Over the last couple days, it's become more and more frequent. Today, I kept feeling it all morning long! I even gently poked it, and I guess it swam away, because I didn't feel it for a little while after that. But, every once in a while, as I'm going about my business, I will feel a little fluttery feeling, and get a big, goofy grin. THAT'S MY BABY! :D
Another cool thing! The last post I made, I was frustrated with how slowly everything is progressing. Well, my belly still hasn't really grown, BUT I have begun to feel the baby a lot more frequently. The day after that post, I felt it three times, which was more than I'd ever felt it in one day. Over the last couple days, it's become more and more frequent. Today, I kept feeling it all morning long! I even gently poked it, and I guess it swam away, because I didn't feel it for a little while after that. But, every once in a while, as I'm going about my business, I will feel a little fluttery feeling, and get a big, goofy grin. THAT'S MY BABY! :D
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Getting Impatient
Okay. I'm not really complaining, but....my belly doesn't seem to have grown at all in three weeks. In fact, if it's possible, it seems to have gotten a little bit smaller. That could just be because it's moving up out of my pelvis, and found more room to move back into. I don't know. I am still feeling baby movements, once or twice a day, as little butterfly motions in my stomach. The thing is....I WANT MORE! I want my belly to grow some more, I want the movements to get stronger! I know that will happen eventually, but I want it NOW!
When people keep asking me, "How's the baby?" I don't know what to say. I usually end up saying, "Well...still in there." How should I know how it is? All I know is I feel it move every once in a while, and my belly's not getting any bigger. I assume the baby is perfectly fine. At least, I sure hope it is.
I know, I know...everybody has told me this would happen. They all said, "It's going to seem like your belly stays the same forever, and then one day you will wake up, and it'll be like it just grew overnight." Well, I'm ready for it. Now GROW! Every day, I am sure I can feel my belly stretching. I have been getting round ligament pains every time I roll over in bed, and every time I stand up too fast, and even when I just laugh too hard. My belly often feels tight, even pressure. So, that definitely means something will happen soon.....right?
I also can't wait to find out the gender. I'm still so excited to have that ultra sound scheduled, but it seems like it's going to take forever to get here! I still have most of a month to wait! I just wanna KNOW already!
I am really trying my hardest to be patient. I keep telling myself that I've got another 5 months, at least, and that's plenty of time for me and Baby to grow. In the mean time, I am trying really hard not to pinch my sciatic nerve anymore...because that hurts. Sometimes, when I roll over or twist wrong, I can feel a warning twinge...like my back is saying, "Hey, keep it up and I'll cripple you!" Twice, I have already found myself hobbling around on a cane. Even when my sciatic nerve is not involved, my back just aches. I've been prescribed flexeril for my back ache, but I don't want to become dependent on it, so I only allow myself to take it every other day. So, on my "no flexeril" days, I just take extra strength Tylenol...which does nothing...and suffer through it. On my "flexeril" days, if I feel like I can go without it, I do. I only take it if my back is REALLY bothering me. Which it is, today, but unfortunately, this is a "no flexeril" day.
I'm still drinking all my water. I am proud of myself for keeping up my water intake. I've never drunk this much water in my life. At first, it was really hard to force myself to drink this much, and I felt like I was trying to drown myself. By now, if I wait too long to have my next glass of water, I actually get thirsty! Wow! My body actually likes this! Who knew?
So, anyway...yeah...that's it. Nothing much to report. I am achy, I am keeping myself as healthy as I can, and I am getting very impatient.
When people keep asking me, "How's the baby?" I don't know what to say. I usually end up saying, "Well...still in there." How should I know how it is? All I know is I feel it move every once in a while, and my belly's not getting any bigger. I assume the baby is perfectly fine. At least, I sure hope it is.
I know, I know...everybody has told me this would happen. They all said, "It's going to seem like your belly stays the same forever, and then one day you will wake up, and it'll be like it just grew overnight." Well, I'm ready for it. Now GROW! Every day, I am sure I can feel my belly stretching. I have been getting round ligament pains every time I roll over in bed, and every time I stand up too fast, and even when I just laugh too hard. My belly often feels tight, even pressure. So, that definitely means something will happen soon.....right?
I also can't wait to find out the gender. I'm still so excited to have that ultra sound scheduled, but it seems like it's going to take forever to get here! I still have most of a month to wait! I just wanna KNOW already!
I am really trying my hardest to be patient. I keep telling myself that I've got another 5 months, at least, and that's plenty of time for me and Baby to grow. In the mean time, I am trying really hard not to pinch my sciatic nerve anymore...because that hurts. Sometimes, when I roll over or twist wrong, I can feel a warning twinge...like my back is saying, "Hey, keep it up and I'll cripple you!" Twice, I have already found myself hobbling around on a cane. Even when my sciatic nerve is not involved, my back just aches. I've been prescribed flexeril for my back ache, but I don't want to become dependent on it, so I only allow myself to take it every other day. So, on my "no flexeril" days, I just take extra strength Tylenol...which does nothing...and suffer through it. On my "flexeril" days, if I feel like I can go without it, I do. I only take it if my back is REALLY bothering me. Which it is, today, but unfortunately, this is a "no flexeril" day.
I'm still drinking all my water. I am proud of myself for keeping up my water intake. I've never drunk this much water in my life. At first, it was really hard to force myself to drink this much, and I felt like I was trying to drown myself. By now, if I wait too long to have my next glass of water, I actually get thirsty! Wow! My body actually likes this! Who knew?
So, anyway...yeah...that's it. Nothing much to report. I am achy, I am keeping myself as healthy as I can, and I am getting very impatient.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Hospital visit
First of all, Halloween was a great day! While Rusty was in school, I spent the morning with a good friend. We spent a good deal of time window shopping in several stores, then went back to her house for lunch, and watched the first episode of Dr Who. She got me back home before Rusty's bus.
After Rusty got home, I gave him his snack, helped him paint a pumpkin, and shortly afterward, got ready to take him to the zoo for trick-or-treating. It was just me and Rusty, at the zoo, because Russ had to work. The majority of the time we were there was spent waiting in lines. There were a LOT of people there! They had about 16 games set up that we stood in line to play. After Rusty played the games, they would give him candy or small toys. By the time we got through the game area, I was feeling pretty exhausted. That was when Rusty announced that he needed to go to the bathroom. Of course, we were on the opposite side of the zoo from the ONLY bathrooms they had. So we walked all the way across the zoo, then all the way back. While we were en route back from the bathroom, I stopped at a concession stand and bought Rusty some cotton candy, and me some trail mix. Then, Rusty got in a bouncy house. There was a bench set up by the bouncy house, which was intended for parents to sit down on, but instead, it was crowded with a bunch of teen agers. I didn't feel like trying to butt into their crowd, so I sat on the ground a short distance away. I was so tired, and my feet were killing me. I let Rusty jump around for at least 30 minutes, then got him out so we could go find the "Spooky Train". We stood in line for the train for about 30 - 45 minutes. There was another bench at the front of the line, and when we reached it, some old lady had a stroller parked in front of it, blocking up enough space for about three people to sit. I NEEDED to sit down, so I kindly asked her if she could make some room for me to sit. She scooted the stroller a fraction, so I squeezed in anyway, and Rusty sat in my lap. It was a relief when the train came back around, and me and Rusty lumbered our way onto it and got in our seat. That was at least a 15 minute ride, and the whole time, I was thankful to be sitting. By then, I had developed a stitch in my side, and I was panting a lot as we walked. But I was still having a lot of fun. After the train ride ended, I insisted to Rusty that it was time to go. I knew I couldn't handle much more walking around. We made the rather long trek back to the parking lot, and at long last, I collapsed into the car. Rusty was still FULL of energy, and bouncing around. For dinner, I got him a happy meal from McDonalds, and once he'd finished eating that, I quickly got him to bed. The sugar worked in my favor, because when he laid down he was practically vibrating, but shortly afterward came the famous "sugar crash" and within ten minutes he was out cold.
The next day, when I woke up, I felt fine....for a little while. Around noon, I started getting bad cramps. They were radiating up the sides of my belly, and down into the rectum area, and they were so bad that it was hard to breath, and I couldn't move. They came in waves, it was not a constant pain, and I quickly discovered that they were less frequent and less intense if I wasn't moving or walking around. At first, I thought I was constipated, because sometimes that will give me sharp pains, but after going #2 twice, I was still getting the cramps just as bad. Everybody was starting to get a bit worried. Around 2:15, Russ called his boss to let him know he was not going to come in to work, because he was taking his wife to the emergency room. At that point, I hadn't actually made up my mind to go yet, but Russ wanted to be there, just in case. Rusty got home around 3:30, and I was still getting cramps. Finally, I called my nurse practitioner, and asked her if I should go to the hospital. She said it sounded like I was having round ligament pains, but they shouldn't be that severe, so she suggested I go ahead, just to make sure everything was okay.
We arrived at the hospital around 4pm. We had Rusty with us. We sat in the first waiting room a deceptively short time. When we walked in, I had marveled at how few people there were, and thought they weren't that busy. After about a 15 minute wait, they took me into triage. When they were done with triage, they sent me to a DIFFERENT waiting room, and this one was packed! We sat in there for a little over two and a half hours. It was almost 7 when I finally got a room. At this point, having sat still for quite a while, the cramps were becoming pretty mild and bearable, but I was still worried about my baby.
Once we were in our room, we waited some more. At first it seemed like maybe things would be happening more quickly now. Pretty soon, a lady came in to get my ID and insurance information. Shortly afterward, a nurse came in, took my vitals, and asked some questions about the cramping. Not too long after that, another nurse came in and took some blood, and left an IV thing in my arm. Rusty felt very sorry for me, for having to get poked. Around 7:30, the doctor came in and let me know that he was going to schedule an ultra sound, but we would have to wait until the results of the blood work came back from the lab. I was also informed then, that for the ultra sound, I would have to have a catheter. I was a little bit less than thrilled about that, but complied. Just before 8, a nurse came in to put in my catheter.
Shortly after the nurse left, Rusty, who had been more and more restless the whole time, started crying. Since it was almost his bedtime anyway, Russ took Rusty home. He got Rusty some dinner, put him to bed, and turned in a school project, before coming back. While he was gone, I did....nothing. I was very uncomfortable. I had a catheter in, it hurt to bend my arm, my butt was going numb from being sat on for so long, and I couldn't easily adjust myself. A nurse came in to check on me every 30 minutes or so, and assured me that it wouldn't be much longer. At some point while I was waiting, I felt the baby moving. That was very reassuring. Russ got back to the hospital by 9:30. It was almost 10 before somebody finally came to take me to my ultra sound.
They wheeled me into the ultra sound room. Russ was not allowed to go with me. When we got there, they rolled me into a room a little bigger than a broom closet. And then, I waited about 20 minutes for something to happen. I could hear the technician in another room, rummaging around or something, but it took a long time for him to come in to give me my ultra sound. I was not allowed to see the ultra sound. When I asked why, he said it was a policy. My best guess is that if something actually had been wrong, they wouldn't want me panicking. So, I asked him if he could at least tell me if it was moving. After several minutes, he told me that it looked like it had the hick ups, and that it was bouncing all over the place. He took lots and lots of pictures that I didn't get to see. Meanwhile, I studied the ceiling. I wondered if anybody had ever noticed that one of the ceiling tiles was placed the wrong direction. It bothered my OCD. When he'd finished, he wiped of his ultra sound tool, and started to leave the room. I was still lying on my back with jelly all over my tummy. I said, "Umm....could I get a towel?" He said, "Oh, of course", and grabbed one from a shelf on the wall. I wiped my own stomach off, and by the time I'd finished, he was gone. I was still lying on my back, which I know I'm not supposed to do in the second trimester. So, I managed to roll myself onto my side, and layed there waiting. About 10 minutes passed before somebody came to get me. I asked them to sit me up, and they did.
By the time I got back to the room, it was a little after 10. A nurse came in to check on me, and to let me know that they couldn't take the catheter out until the doctor had a chance to look at all the ultra sound pictures, just in case he needed another angle or something, and they had to send me back. So....we waited. For about another hour and a half, I just sat there with the catheter making me uncomfortable, whining to Russ that I wanted it out, and wanted to go home. I was tired, I was hungry, I hadn't felt any cramping in hours, and I felt stupid for being there.
Finally, after 11:30, they came to take the catheter out, and let me know that I would soon be discharged. Yay! A while later, the doctor came in, and discussed the results with me. He said the baby looked fine, I looked fine, and he figured the cramping was probably Braxton Hicks contractions. He said they were probably triggered because I over-exerted myself on Halloween. He essentially put me on bed-rest today. I am allowed to be a little more active tomorrow, but I need to take it easy. Then, I should be fine, as long as I don't over do it again. At long last, a nurse came to take out the IV thing that they never used, and I signed my release paperwork. We left the hospital around midnight. We went by Wendy's so that I could eat something, came home, and went straight to bed.
I did call my OBGYN today, to see if they wanted to schedule a follow up appointment. They told me that unless I have more problems before my next scheduled appointment, I should be okay. So, as of right now, I will be looked at again in about 3 1/2 weeks. For the time being, I am just glad to know that everything is okay, and extra glad to be out of the hospital!
After Rusty got home, I gave him his snack, helped him paint a pumpkin, and shortly afterward, got ready to take him to the zoo for trick-or-treating. It was just me and Rusty, at the zoo, because Russ had to work. The majority of the time we were there was spent waiting in lines. There were a LOT of people there! They had about 16 games set up that we stood in line to play. After Rusty played the games, they would give him candy or small toys. By the time we got through the game area, I was feeling pretty exhausted. That was when Rusty announced that he needed to go to the bathroom. Of course, we were on the opposite side of the zoo from the ONLY bathrooms they had. So we walked all the way across the zoo, then all the way back. While we were en route back from the bathroom, I stopped at a concession stand and bought Rusty some cotton candy, and me some trail mix. Then, Rusty got in a bouncy house. There was a bench set up by the bouncy house, which was intended for parents to sit down on, but instead, it was crowded with a bunch of teen agers. I didn't feel like trying to butt into their crowd, so I sat on the ground a short distance away. I was so tired, and my feet were killing me. I let Rusty jump around for at least 30 minutes, then got him out so we could go find the "Spooky Train". We stood in line for the train for about 30 - 45 minutes. There was another bench at the front of the line, and when we reached it, some old lady had a stroller parked in front of it, blocking up enough space for about three people to sit. I NEEDED to sit down, so I kindly asked her if she could make some room for me to sit. She scooted the stroller a fraction, so I squeezed in anyway, and Rusty sat in my lap. It was a relief when the train came back around, and me and Rusty lumbered our way onto it and got in our seat. That was at least a 15 minute ride, and the whole time, I was thankful to be sitting. By then, I had developed a stitch in my side, and I was panting a lot as we walked. But I was still having a lot of fun. After the train ride ended, I insisted to Rusty that it was time to go. I knew I couldn't handle much more walking around. We made the rather long trek back to the parking lot, and at long last, I collapsed into the car. Rusty was still FULL of energy, and bouncing around. For dinner, I got him a happy meal from McDonalds, and once he'd finished eating that, I quickly got him to bed. The sugar worked in my favor, because when he laid down he was practically vibrating, but shortly afterward came the famous "sugar crash" and within ten minutes he was out cold.
The next day, when I woke up, I felt fine....for a little while. Around noon, I started getting bad cramps. They were radiating up the sides of my belly, and down into the rectum area, and they were so bad that it was hard to breath, and I couldn't move. They came in waves, it was not a constant pain, and I quickly discovered that they were less frequent and less intense if I wasn't moving or walking around. At first, I thought I was constipated, because sometimes that will give me sharp pains, but after going #2 twice, I was still getting the cramps just as bad. Everybody was starting to get a bit worried. Around 2:15, Russ called his boss to let him know he was not going to come in to work, because he was taking his wife to the emergency room. At that point, I hadn't actually made up my mind to go yet, but Russ wanted to be there, just in case. Rusty got home around 3:30, and I was still getting cramps. Finally, I called my nurse practitioner, and asked her if I should go to the hospital. She said it sounded like I was having round ligament pains, but they shouldn't be that severe, so she suggested I go ahead, just to make sure everything was okay.
We arrived at the hospital around 4pm. We had Rusty with us. We sat in the first waiting room a deceptively short time. When we walked in, I had marveled at how few people there were, and thought they weren't that busy. After about a 15 minute wait, they took me into triage. When they were done with triage, they sent me to a DIFFERENT waiting room, and this one was packed! We sat in there for a little over two and a half hours. It was almost 7 when I finally got a room. At this point, having sat still for quite a while, the cramps were becoming pretty mild and bearable, but I was still worried about my baby.
Once we were in our room, we waited some more. At first it seemed like maybe things would be happening more quickly now. Pretty soon, a lady came in to get my ID and insurance information. Shortly afterward, a nurse came in, took my vitals, and asked some questions about the cramping. Not too long after that, another nurse came in and took some blood, and left an IV thing in my arm. Rusty felt very sorry for me, for having to get poked. Around 7:30, the doctor came in and let me know that he was going to schedule an ultra sound, but we would have to wait until the results of the blood work came back from the lab. I was also informed then, that for the ultra sound, I would have to have a catheter. I was a little bit less than thrilled about that, but complied. Just before 8, a nurse came in to put in my catheter.
Shortly after the nurse left, Rusty, who had been more and more restless the whole time, started crying. Since it was almost his bedtime anyway, Russ took Rusty home. He got Rusty some dinner, put him to bed, and turned in a school project, before coming back. While he was gone, I did....nothing. I was very uncomfortable. I had a catheter in, it hurt to bend my arm, my butt was going numb from being sat on for so long, and I couldn't easily adjust myself. A nurse came in to check on me every 30 minutes or so, and assured me that it wouldn't be much longer. At some point while I was waiting, I felt the baby moving. That was very reassuring. Russ got back to the hospital by 9:30. It was almost 10 before somebody finally came to take me to my ultra sound.
They wheeled me into the ultra sound room. Russ was not allowed to go with me. When we got there, they rolled me into a room a little bigger than a broom closet. And then, I waited about 20 minutes for something to happen. I could hear the technician in another room, rummaging around or something, but it took a long time for him to come in to give me my ultra sound. I was not allowed to see the ultra sound. When I asked why, he said it was a policy. My best guess is that if something actually had been wrong, they wouldn't want me panicking. So, I asked him if he could at least tell me if it was moving. After several minutes, he told me that it looked like it had the hick ups, and that it was bouncing all over the place. He took lots and lots of pictures that I didn't get to see. Meanwhile, I studied the ceiling. I wondered if anybody had ever noticed that one of the ceiling tiles was placed the wrong direction. It bothered my OCD. When he'd finished, he wiped of his ultra sound tool, and started to leave the room. I was still lying on my back with jelly all over my tummy. I said, "Umm....could I get a towel?" He said, "Oh, of course", and grabbed one from a shelf on the wall. I wiped my own stomach off, and by the time I'd finished, he was gone. I was still lying on my back, which I know I'm not supposed to do in the second trimester. So, I managed to roll myself onto my side, and layed there waiting. About 10 minutes passed before somebody came to get me. I asked them to sit me up, and they did.
By the time I got back to the room, it was a little after 10. A nurse came in to check on me, and to let me know that they couldn't take the catheter out until the doctor had a chance to look at all the ultra sound pictures, just in case he needed another angle or something, and they had to send me back. So....we waited. For about another hour and a half, I just sat there with the catheter making me uncomfortable, whining to Russ that I wanted it out, and wanted to go home. I was tired, I was hungry, I hadn't felt any cramping in hours, and I felt stupid for being there.
Finally, after 11:30, they came to take the catheter out, and let me know that I would soon be discharged. Yay! A while later, the doctor came in, and discussed the results with me. He said the baby looked fine, I looked fine, and he figured the cramping was probably Braxton Hicks contractions. He said they were probably triggered because I over-exerted myself on Halloween. He essentially put me on bed-rest today. I am allowed to be a little more active tomorrow, but I need to take it easy. Then, I should be fine, as long as I don't over do it again. At long last, a nurse came to take out the IV thing that they never used, and I signed my release paperwork. We left the hospital around midnight. We went by Wendy's so that I could eat something, came home, and went straight to bed.
I did call my OBGYN today, to see if they wanted to schedule a follow up appointment. They told me that unless I have more problems before my next scheduled appointment, I should be okay. So, as of right now, I will be looked at again in about 3 1/2 weeks. For the time being, I am just glad to know that everything is okay, and extra glad to be out of the hospital!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Random thoughts
Okay, so I was a bit off about when my next appointment will be. I said it was going to be the day before
Thanksgiving, because normally, Thanksgiving is on the last Thursday of the month. But, Thanksgiving is actually the FOURTH Thursday of the month, and this month, there's five Thursdays. My appointment is the last Wednesday of the month, so it will be almost a week after Thanksgiving.
Anyway, I felt the baby move again today! This time, it felt like the baby was hanging out on the right side of my belly, and flipped over or something. It made me feel so giddy and happy! I can't wait until the motions are stronger. Only a little over four weeks until I know the gender! I am counting the days! By then, I should definitely be feeling the baby move a lot stronger.
It seems like the milestones are happening early for me. I started showing a couple weeks before all the websites say I should. Now I've started feeling movement a couple weeks before the websites say I should. But, then again, I already know I'm going to have a big baby. Every woman in my family has had big babies, and at my first ultra sound, the technician said the baby was about a quarter of an inch longer than average. So, I guess that's probably why.
Looking down at my belly is such a strange feeling right now. I'm not used to looking down and seeing my belly. Every time I go to the bathroom, I admire it. When I'm walking, I look down and watch my belly wiggle back and forth with every step. It's really cool! My belly feels so WEIRD! It's like a tightness. It doesn't hurt, it's just very weird. And my whole stomach feels firm now. I like to poke it.
Last night, I almost went to the hospital. I got a really bad stomach ache, and diarrhea, and I was nauseous. I was pretty worried, there for a little while. But every time I went to the bathroom, my stomach felt a little better, and the nausea slowly passed. Around ten, I felt mostly better, so I decided to go to sleep. By the time I got up this morning, I felt completely better, so I am okay. Today, I have been feeling pretty good, if not a little depressed. My emotions have been so off the wall. Depression seems to come and go pretty regularly. I might need to mention that next time I'm at the doctor. But I think I know what it feels like to be bi-polar. The depression is frequently off-set by feeling elated and extra happy. I have the memory of a goldfish right now, so if I've already said some of this, I apologize.
I've also had some pretty crazy dreams. In one dream, I was growing what I can only describe as udders. I was thinking, "Nobody told me this was going to happen." And I went to a doctor, who said, "Oh, that's perfectly normal." In another dream, the baby was born able to walk and talk. In most of my dreams, the baby is a boy, but a few times, it's been a girl. I like the girl dreams. I'd be really happy if I found out it was a girl. But, I have been psyching myself up for it to be a boy, so that I won't be disappointed, either way. I know that when my mom was pregnant with me, she was sure I was going to be a boy, and with both of my brothers, she was convinced she was going to have girls. Anyway, I'm going to leave it there for now. I know I've been jumping from topic to topic. That's my ADD coming out, lol.
Thanksgiving, because normally, Thanksgiving is on the last Thursday of the month. But, Thanksgiving is actually the FOURTH Thursday of the month, and this month, there's five Thursdays. My appointment is the last Wednesday of the month, so it will be almost a week after Thanksgiving.
Anyway, I felt the baby move again today! This time, it felt like the baby was hanging out on the right side of my belly, and flipped over or something. It made me feel so giddy and happy! I can't wait until the motions are stronger. Only a little over four weeks until I know the gender! I am counting the days! By then, I should definitely be feeling the baby move a lot stronger.
It seems like the milestones are happening early for me. I started showing a couple weeks before all the websites say I should. Now I've started feeling movement a couple weeks before the websites say I should. But, then again, I already know I'm going to have a big baby. Every woman in my family has had big babies, and at my first ultra sound, the technician said the baby was about a quarter of an inch longer than average. So, I guess that's probably why.
Looking down at my belly is such a strange feeling right now. I'm not used to looking down and seeing my belly. Every time I go to the bathroom, I admire it. When I'm walking, I look down and watch my belly wiggle back and forth with every step. It's really cool! My belly feels so WEIRD! It's like a tightness. It doesn't hurt, it's just very weird. And my whole stomach feels firm now. I like to poke it.
Last night, I almost went to the hospital. I got a really bad stomach ache, and diarrhea, and I was nauseous. I was pretty worried, there for a little while. But every time I went to the bathroom, my stomach felt a little better, and the nausea slowly passed. Around ten, I felt mostly better, so I decided to go to sleep. By the time I got up this morning, I felt completely better, so I am okay. Today, I have been feeling pretty good, if not a little depressed. My emotions have been so off the wall. Depression seems to come and go pretty regularly. I might need to mention that next time I'm at the doctor. But I think I know what it feels like to be bi-polar. The depression is frequently off-set by feeling elated and extra happy. I have the memory of a goldfish right now, so if I've already said some of this, I apologize.
I've also had some pretty crazy dreams. In one dream, I was growing what I can only describe as udders. I was thinking, "Nobody told me this was going to happen." And I went to a doctor, who said, "Oh, that's perfectly normal." In another dream, the baby was born able to walk and talk. In most of my dreams, the baby is a boy, but a few times, it's been a girl. I like the girl dreams. I'd be really happy if I found out it was a girl. But, I have been psyching myself up for it to be a boy, so that I won't be disappointed, either way. I know that when my mom was pregnant with me, she was sure I was going to be a boy, and with both of my brothers, she was convinced she was going to have girls. Anyway, I'm going to leave it there for now. I know I've been jumping from topic to topic. That's my ADD coming out, lol.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Catching up!
Well, I've had a couple milestones since my last post! First of all, I felt the baby move! At first, I wasn't sure what I was feeling. It was like a muscle twitch in my belly. I suspected it might be baby movement, but I wasn't too sure, because it's still kind of early for me to be feeling that, so I mostly kept it to myself. A week later, I got a really good movement. It was like a ripple that went up the front of my belly. There was no doubt in my mind what that was. It was the strongest movement I've felt so far, and I got really excited!
A couple days ago, I went to my second doctor's appointment. It went much quicker than my first did. They did not need to take any blood this time! I heard the baby's heart beat again, and managed not to cry this time. I got the results of all my lab work, and found out that I'm in great health, except for a mild bacterial infection, which she assured me is pretty common during pregnancy. This appointment, like my last one, was with my nurse practitioner. I have not actually met my OBGYN yet. So she made a note that my next appointment needs to be with my OBGYN, so that I can meet her. My next appointment will be my 20 week appointment. It will be the day before Thanksgiving, and I will have my second ultra sound on the same day. They should be able to tell me the gender! I'm completely excited about that! I can't wait to know! Boy or girl, I really don't care. I just want to know whether to call it Anthony or Alexandrea. Andy or Lexi?
Today, I had my first, truly weird pregnancy food. Pickles with chocolate syrup. In my defense, I only decided to try it after my mom mentioned that she'd seen chocolate covered pickles for sale somewhere, and that they were big sellers. Since I'd already thought about trying it, I simply had to, after hearing that. I totally expected it to be disgusting, but instead, it was really good. I ate three pickles with chocolate syrup. I wouldn't say it's something I'll crave, but it's definitely not bad. I think I must be crazy!
Anyway, I'm going to try my best to keep up with this better. I haven't felt too great for the last week or so, but I want this blog to be a good way for people to keep up with what's happening with me. :)
A couple days ago, I went to my second doctor's appointment. It went much quicker than my first did. They did not need to take any blood this time! I heard the baby's heart beat again, and managed not to cry this time. I got the results of all my lab work, and found out that I'm in great health, except for a mild bacterial infection, which she assured me is pretty common during pregnancy. This appointment, like my last one, was with my nurse practitioner. I have not actually met my OBGYN yet. So she made a note that my next appointment needs to be with my OBGYN, so that I can meet her. My next appointment will be my 20 week appointment. It will be the day before Thanksgiving, and I will have my second ultra sound on the same day. They should be able to tell me the gender! I'm completely excited about that! I can't wait to know! Boy or girl, I really don't care. I just want to know whether to call it Anthony or Alexandrea. Andy or Lexi?
Today, I had my first, truly weird pregnancy food. Pickles with chocolate syrup. In my defense, I only decided to try it after my mom mentioned that she'd seen chocolate covered pickles for sale somewhere, and that they were big sellers. Since I'd already thought about trying it, I simply had to, after hearing that. I totally expected it to be disgusting, but instead, it was really good. I ate three pickles with chocolate syrup. I wouldn't say it's something I'll crave, but it's definitely not bad. I think I must be crazy!
Anyway, I'm going to try my best to keep up with this better. I haven't felt too great for the last week or so, but I want this blog to be a good way for people to keep up with what's happening with me. :)
Monday, October 15, 2012
Busy Day
Today was kind of fun. My husband and I finally got the first SSI check for our son, which included back pay since March. So, needless to say, we had a good bit of money. We took our son to Walmart and got him a BUNCH of stuff he's been needing. School clothes for the winter, socks and underwear, pajamas, sandals, a robe, sunglasses, a new back pack, a light jacket and a heavy jacket. He picked out everything himself, except the school clothes. I guess he's growing up, because instead of going for Spider Man or other little boy things, he kept picking camo. He got a camo back pack, and underwear, and both of his jackets are camo. His robe is red and black plaid. Plain brown sandals. Red, reflective sunglasses. The only thing remotely childish was his pajamas,which are covered in Angry Birds.
By the time we finished that, my feet were already hurting. We stopped at McDonalds for a snack, then went to Winn Dixie for groceries. The grocery shopping took longer than I would have liked, because we weren't familiar with that store, and we had to hunt for everything. But, we did get off cheaper. After all that, I was so completely wiped out! But I would still have to say that I got through that a lot better than I would have a week ago. I have so much more energy now. It's nice.
I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. I will get to go spend some time with a good friend I haven't seen in over a week! I will really enjoy that!
Also, I think I'm showing more, because I can finally buckle the seat belt under my belly. I'd been a bit worried about that lately, because I was showing a little bit, but not enough to go over the seat belt, so when I buckled up the belt went just over the bottom of my belly. I was afraid if we did have an accident that would cause some problems. But now, I can tuck the belt under my belly and I feel safe. :D
By the time we finished that, my feet were already hurting. We stopped at McDonalds for a snack, then went to Winn Dixie for groceries. The grocery shopping took longer than I would have liked, because we weren't familiar with that store, and we had to hunt for everything. But, we did get off cheaper. After all that, I was so completely wiped out! But I would still have to say that I got through that a lot better than I would have a week ago. I have so much more energy now. It's nice.
I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. I will get to go spend some time with a good friend I haven't seen in over a week! I will really enjoy that!
Also, I think I'm showing more, because I can finally buckle the seat belt under my belly. I'd been a bit worried about that lately, because I was showing a little bit, but not enough to go over the seat belt, so when I buckled up the belt went just over the bottom of my belly. I was afraid if we did have an accident that would cause some problems. But now, I can tuck the belt under my belly and I feel safe. :D
Sunday, October 14, 2012
And the second trimester officially begins!
All day yesterday, something kept bothering me. Well, okay, to be honest, lots of things kept bothering me. I was angry at everything all day long. But in particular, what kept bothering me was that I didn't FEEL pregnant. I couldn't figure out why I didn't feel pregnant. All day long, I was looking at my belly wondering if something was wrong.
I went to sleep, and woke up this morning, with the first thought in my head being, "I STILL don't feel pregnant!" It took a few minutes before I realized, "OH! I'm in my second trimester! I'm SUPPOSED to feel better!" I just want to dance and sing and celebrate! The hardest part is over! Well....until labor anyway. And today, another second trimester symptom hit me. HUNGER! I can't seem to snack enough. And I don't want to eat us out of house and home, so I'm trying to control it. But GOSH I'm hungry!
Well, I'm excited. And in only about 7 weeks, I should be able to find out the gender of my baby! I am looking forward to that SO much!
I went to sleep, and woke up this morning, with the first thought in my head being, "I STILL don't feel pregnant!" It took a few minutes before I realized, "OH! I'm in my second trimester! I'm SUPPOSED to feel better!" I just want to dance and sing and celebrate! The hardest part is over! Well....until labor anyway. And today, another second trimester symptom hit me. HUNGER! I can't seem to snack enough. And I don't want to eat us out of house and home, so I'm trying to control it. But GOSH I'm hungry!
Well, I'm excited. And in only about 7 weeks, I should be able to find out the gender of my baby! I am looking forward to that SO much!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
How it all began
Well, I thought I'd start this blog as a way of putting down all my thoughts and feelings about my pregnancy, and later on, about my child. I will try to keep up with it, though I've always been bad about forgetting to update blogs and stuff like that.
I am 13 weeks pregnant. It was a surprise pregnancy, and came at a really bad time financially, but I'm still thrilled about it. How can I not be? I've known I wanted kids since I was 7, have felt like I was ready since I was 21, and had begun to fear that I'd never get a chance to experience it, as I watched everybody my age having kids. Now, at 27, for this to finally have happened to me, I couldn't be more excited!
I found out I was pregnant at 5 weeks. That month, pregnancy had been the farthest thing from my mind. I knew my period was late, but I have had some late periods every once in a while, so at first I didn't think anything of it. I just thought that I COULDN'T be pregnant. On the 7th day after my period should have started, I began to feel nauseous. The day before that, I'd accidentally eaten some raw chicken, so I thought that was causing it. My biggest tip off was my coffee. I am a self-proclaimed "coffee-holic". When I got my daily coffee that morning, it tasted nasty to me. That was the first time I thought, "Maybe I should take a pregnancy test." But even then, I really didn't believe I could be pregnant. Still, I decided I'd take the test the next morning. When I woke up, on the 8th day after my period should have started, I thought I was cramping. I debated whether I should not take the test after all. If I was cramping, then surely I'd start my period soon. But, I decided that I'd go to the bathroom, and if I hadn't started yet, I'd go ahead and take the test. Once I got in there, and found that I hadn't started, I reluctantly opened a test, feeling certain that I was wasting it. I took the test, set it on the counter, wiped myself, and glanced over to watch the lines appear. I fully expected to see a minus sign, but instead I got a plus. My first reaction was to say, "OH!" and start shaking violently. It took a minute before I even felt I had the strength to stand up. When at last I did, I was still shaking like crazy. I picked up the test, ran to my bedroom, and climbed back into bed next to my husband. I shook him awake. Groggily, he turned to me and said, "What?" Feeling unable to speak, I simply thrust the test at him. The poor man was only half awake. He blinked at it a few times, then said, "Okay...How are you feeling?" I shrugged. "I don't know yet. I can't quit shaking." He hugged me and told me everything was going to be okay, and then we spent some time talking about what we needed to do.
A few days after that, I went to a free clinic to get an official pregnancy test, and a "proof of pregnancy" to take to the medicaid office. Even at that point, I really didn't fully believe that I could be pregnant. I kept thinking, "Maybe the test was wrong." After they did the test there, the woman came back into her office and let me know that the test was positive. I felt light headed, as she wrote me up a proof of pregnancy, and we talked about what I needed. This clinic operated as a charity, and everything they did was free. Before I left, she had given me an entire wardrobe of maternity clothes.
Not long ago, I had my first doctor's appointment, and later, my first ultra sound. Both were extremely mind blowing. At my first appointment, I got to hear my baby's heart beat for the first time. I was overwhelmed by emotions, and bawled. They also took so much blood from me that I fainted. Woops! At my first ultra sound, I got to see my baby for the first time. It wasn't moving around much. I think it was sleeping. It did move once. I cried there too, but not as much, because I was too busy watching it. I just kept saying "Wow!" Even now, when I look at the pictures they gave me, I get teary eyed.
By now, I am starting to show, just a tiny bit. I'm finally starting to wear the maternity clothes that the clinic gave me. I can't wait to be much bigger, and obviously pregnant. I can't wait for a random stranger to walk up to me, touch my belly and congratulate me. All of this is something I've wanted to experience for so long, and even the uncomfortable parts, I am glad to be experiencing, because it's all part of a miracle.
I am 13 weeks pregnant. It was a surprise pregnancy, and came at a really bad time financially, but I'm still thrilled about it. How can I not be? I've known I wanted kids since I was 7, have felt like I was ready since I was 21, and had begun to fear that I'd never get a chance to experience it, as I watched everybody my age having kids. Now, at 27, for this to finally have happened to me, I couldn't be more excited!
I found out I was pregnant at 5 weeks. That month, pregnancy had been the farthest thing from my mind. I knew my period was late, but I have had some late periods every once in a while, so at first I didn't think anything of it. I just thought that I COULDN'T be pregnant. On the 7th day after my period should have started, I began to feel nauseous. The day before that, I'd accidentally eaten some raw chicken, so I thought that was causing it. My biggest tip off was my coffee. I am a self-proclaimed "coffee-holic". When I got my daily coffee that morning, it tasted nasty to me. That was the first time I thought, "Maybe I should take a pregnancy test." But even then, I really didn't believe I could be pregnant. Still, I decided I'd take the test the next morning. When I woke up, on the 8th day after my period should have started, I thought I was cramping. I debated whether I should not take the test after all. If I was cramping, then surely I'd start my period soon. But, I decided that I'd go to the bathroom, and if I hadn't started yet, I'd go ahead and take the test. Once I got in there, and found that I hadn't started, I reluctantly opened a test, feeling certain that I was wasting it. I took the test, set it on the counter, wiped myself, and glanced over to watch the lines appear. I fully expected to see a minus sign, but instead I got a plus. My first reaction was to say, "OH!" and start shaking violently. It took a minute before I even felt I had the strength to stand up. When at last I did, I was still shaking like crazy. I picked up the test, ran to my bedroom, and climbed back into bed next to my husband. I shook him awake. Groggily, he turned to me and said, "What?" Feeling unable to speak, I simply thrust the test at him. The poor man was only half awake. He blinked at it a few times, then said, "Okay...How are you feeling?" I shrugged. "I don't know yet. I can't quit shaking." He hugged me and told me everything was going to be okay, and then we spent some time talking about what we needed to do.
A few days after that, I went to a free clinic to get an official pregnancy test, and a "proof of pregnancy" to take to the medicaid office. Even at that point, I really didn't fully believe that I could be pregnant. I kept thinking, "Maybe the test was wrong." After they did the test there, the woman came back into her office and let me know that the test was positive. I felt light headed, as she wrote me up a proof of pregnancy, and we talked about what I needed. This clinic operated as a charity, and everything they did was free. Before I left, she had given me an entire wardrobe of maternity clothes.
Not long ago, I had my first doctor's appointment, and later, my first ultra sound. Both were extremely mind blowing. At my first appointment, I got to hear my baby's heart beat for the first time. I was overwhelmed by emotions, and bawled. They also took so much blood from me that I fainted. Woops! At my first ultra sound, I got to see my baby for the first time. It wasn't moving around much. I think it was sleeping. It did move once. I cried there too, but not as much, because I was too busy watching it. I just kept saying "Wow!" Even now, when I look at the pictures they gave me, I get teary eyed.
By now, I am starting to show, just a tiny bit. I'm finally starting to wear the maternity clothes that the clinic gave me. I can't wait to be much bigger, and obviously pregnant. I can't wait for a random stranger to walk up to me, touch my belly and congratulate me. All of this is something I've wanted to experience for so long, and even the uncomfortable parts, I am glad to be experiencing, because it's all part of a miracle.
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