The "morning" (aka all day) sickness has kicked in for sure. I don't want to complain too much, but I was trying not to lose a stomachful of Saltines on the asphalt of my college's parking lot yesterday afternoon, so maybe I can just a little?
This morning, I angrily vowed to never eat another banana after I learned that they taste very acidic and creamy on their return trip. And "creamy and acidic" are two things I will never request in a restaurant. For lunch, I munched on a leftover steak, and now just the very thought of meat - beef, pork, chicken, I don't care what kind - has me gagging uncontrollably. Except, oddly enough, for the synthetic-y, probably-going-to-take-several-years-off-my-lifespan meat in canned Ravioli. I just about nearly destroyed our kitchen cabinets searching for a can of that stuff, then sent a text to my hubs asking for him to bring me home 5 cans of it instead of the Buffalo Wild Wings he had planned on. And that is how I really, really know that my life will never be the same.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
pregnancy brain
At school today, my professor asked when the baby is due, and I replied, "July... of next year." Because, you know, I didn't want her to think I could travel back in time, or that the Coors/Garcia gestation period is longer than that of the average human.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Seven weeks and an emergency room visit
Warning: Do not read if easily made uncomfortable or grossed out.
I was meaning to post again sooner than this, but between school and work and being a wife and holiday family time, I just didn't make the time. I also don't have any updated "bump" photos yet, but I guarantee that if I took one right now, you'd just be looking at a whole lot of post-Thanksgiving weight gain - and who really want to see that?
Since I last posted, things had been going pretty smoothly: some slight nausea in the mornings, increased fatigue, unexplainable and often embarrassing mood swings (think standing in line at Subway and crying because you can't decide what sandwich to eat for lunch), and a couple of mornings with brown spotting, but nothing substantial. Today, though, was another story. I woke up around 6am and, for about the twelfth time, rushed to the bathroom to pee. When I sat down, I gasped in horror because I saw a huge puddle of burgundy-colored blood pooled in my underwear, but when I blinked, it was gone. It was early, and I had just leaped out of bed, so I guess my mind was playing tricks on me. My relief was enormous, though, and I remember laughing a little at myself for creating that image. Then I wiped, and the tissue was covered in burgundy blood, just like I'd imagined a minute before, and then I really got scared. I was sure I'd started my period and was losing the baby, so I sat there praying desperately for a moment, then I yelled for Felipe. When I told him what had happened, he hugged me tight and asked if I wanted to go to the emergency room, but I said that we could just call my obstetrician when her office opened at 8 to see if she'd be able to see me today instead of next Wednesday as we had scheduled. We both laid back down, and I again prayed for willingness to accept whatever God's purpose is in this situation. It was a strong reminder for me that the desires of my heart need to be led by a complete acceptance that God's will is best, and my thoughts are not His thoughts.
When I called my doctor's office, their line went to voice mail, so I left a message and then tried calling again several minutes later. Same thing. It occurred to me that they must have closed for a long weekend, but I was continuing to bleed, and we decided that going to the emergency room would at least give us some peace of mind. My mom agreed to accompany us, so we stopped to pick her up, and I was admitted around 9:30. After several extremely comedic interactions with various staff/nurses (which my mom used her notepad to jot down the hilarious details of), passing out after getting blood drawn and being hooked up to an IV, my first experience with a transvaginal ultrasound, and about four and a half hours of waiting, a doctor came in to tell me that the baby is indeed developing just fine, implanted nicely in my uterus with a perfectly good heartbeat, and the cause of my bleeding is Subchorionic Hematoma. Since I am still early in the first trimester, he said this is quite common and not really something to be concerned with. There is, I am sure, a lot of information about it online if you're interested in researching the condition more in depth, but I was surprised that all of the times I had Googled "bleeding in first trimester of pregnancy," it never once came up as a possible cause! Just another reason to be afraid of "Doctor Google" and his/her incorrect diagnosing abilities.
We toured the birthing center of our hospital after I was released, and we were quite impressed. It was built/redesigned three years ago, according to the secretary who gave us our tour, and it is so peaceful! One semi-superficial aspect that I wasn't aware of but which I really like is that their newborn photographs are taken by an extremely talented local photographer who travels to the hospital with her props and captures baby in a very natural, peaceful manner. If only I could travel back in time and destroy my own newborn pictures before they ever got leaked!
p.s. I'm pretty sure that I'm lucky I still have an arm. The EMT who drew my blood and attached the IV forgot to remove the band he had tied above my elbow, so for about two hours, I laid in bed with my right hand and forearm turning more and more purple, growing more and more swollen, and freezing -- oh, it was SO cold! I eventually pressed the "Call" button on the remote I'd been given, and the EMT walked straight in, ripped off the band in horror, and asked whether I'd had more blood drawn or if it had been there the whole time. His face definitely told us that this was a big deal, and he apologized sincerely. It's a good thing he'd won us over earlier, because if it had been frowny faced registration lady, she might not have gotten off quite so easily...
I was meaning to post again sooner than this, but between school and work and being a wife and holiday family time, I just didn't make the time. I also don't have any updated "bump" photos yet, but I guarantee that if I took one right now, you'd just be looking at a whole lot of post-Thanksgiving weight gain - and who really want to see that?
Since I last posted, things had been going pretty smoothly: some slight nausea in the mornings, increased fatigue, unexplainable and often embarrassing mood swings (think standing in line at Subway and crying because you can't decide what sandwich to eat for lunch), and a couple of mornings with brown spotting, but nothing substantial. Today, though, was another story. I woke up around 6am and, for about the twelfth time, rushed to the bathroom to pee. When I sat down, I gasped in horror because I saw a huge puddle of burgundy-colored blood pooled in my underwear, but when I blinked, it was gone. It was early, and I had just leaped out of bed, so I guess my mind was playing tricks on me. My relief was enormous, though, and I remember laughing a little at myself for creating that image. Then I wiped, and the tissue was covered in burgundy blood, just like I'd imagined a minute before, and then I really got scared. I was sure I'd started my period and was losing the baby, so I sat there praying desperately for a moment, then I yelled for Felipe. When I told him what had happened, he hugged me tight and asked if I wanted to go to the emergency room, but I said that we could just call my obstetrician when her office opened at 8 to see if she'd be able to see me today instead of next Wednesday as we had scheduled. We both laid back down, and I again prayed for willingness to accept whatever God's purpose is in this situation. It was a strong reminder for me that the desires of my heart need to be led by a complete acceptance that God's will is best, and my thoughts are not His thoughts.
When I called my doctor's office, their line went to voice mail, so I left a message and then tried calling again several minutes later. Same thing. It occurred to me that they must have closed for a long weekend, but I was continuing to bleed, and we decided that going to the emergency room would at least give us some peace of mind. My mom agreed to accompany us, so we stopped to pick her up, and I was admitted around 9:30. After several extremely comedic interactions with various staff/nurses (which my mom used her notepad to jot down the hilarious details of), passing out after getting blood drawn and being hooked up to an IV, my first experience with a transvaginal ultrasound, and about four and a half hours of waiting, a doctor came in to tell me that the baby is indeed developing just fine, implanted nicely in my uterus with a perfectly good heartbeat, and the cause of my bleeding is Subchorionic Hematoma. Since I am still early in the first trimester, he said this is quite common and not really something to be concerned with. There is, I am sure, a lot of information about it online if you're interested in researching the condition more in depth, but I was surprised that all of the times I had Googled "bleeding in first trimester of pregnancy," it never once came up as a possible cause! Just another reason to be afraid of "Doctor Google" and his/her incorrect diagnosing abilities.
We toured the birthing center of our hospital after I was released, and we were quite impressed. It was built/redesigned three years ago, according to the secretary who gave us our tour, and it is so peaceful! One semi-superficial aspect that I wasn't aware of but which I really like is that their newborn photographs are taken by an extremely talented local photographer who travels to the hospital with her props and captures baby in a very natural, peaceful manner. If only I could travel back in time and destroy my own newborn pictures before they ever got leaked!
p.s. I'm pretty sure that I'm lucky I still have an arm. The EMT who drew my blood and attached the IV forgot to remove the band he had tied above my elbow, so for about two hours, I laid in bed with my right hand and forearm turning more and more purple, growing more and more swollen, and freezing -- oh, it was SO cold! I eventually pressed the "Call" button on the remote I'd been given, and the EMT walked straight in, ripped off the band in horror, and asked whether I'd had more blood drawn or if it had been there the whole time. His face definitely told us that this was a big deal, and he apologized sincerely. It's a good thing he'd won us over earlier, because if it had been frowny faced registration lady, she might not have gotten off quite so easily...
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Five weeks and five days!
Before I get started, I'm just going to say that I never thought, not in a million years, that I'd be starting a pregnancy blog at the age of twenty, only over a couple of months into my marriage. In fact, I wasn't sure I'd ever even have children, much less share the (often mundane, I thought) details of my journey with the whole world.
I understand that it's common for people to wait until the second trimester to share their happy news of pregnancy with others, because of a high chance of miscarriage in those first 12 weeks, and I completely get that hesitation. But since I already shouted out, "I'm PREGNANT!" at a complete stranger in the Kroger restroom after getting positive results, I guess I'm just not cut out for secret keeping. It seems to me that, even if Felipe and I do tragically lose our first baby, I'd still want to have documentation of the joy and excitement that came before the sorrow, and some record of the latter, too. Maybe that could even help someone else not feel quite so alone. Of course, we're praying that it is God's will for us to make it through this pregnancy with a healthy baby, but we know there are risks. Without further ado, here is our first picture of our little chickpea:
Of course there's no actual bump yet, just a lot of bloating right now, but it will be fun to compare over time. Future pictures will not be, I hope, selfies from my smartphone in the bathroom mirror.
If you can't tell, we are so very excited to become parents! I have spent the last week scouring the internet for information on all things baby, from breastfeeding to sling carriers to co-sleepers to gentle parenting methods to cloth diapers, and I am astonished at how many wonderful bloggers there are who give such helpful product reviews and share their parenting experiences so freely. It's perhaps the first time I've really been incredibly thankful for this resource, and for the doors it opens up. And you better believe I'll starting up my cloth diapering collection on Black Friday!
Symptoms so far are pretty minimal. I've had no morning sickness, thank goodness, but I do have tender/swollen breasts, constipation (yuck), extreme fatigue, and several food aversions. Apparently, this little one isn't a huge fan of salad. Oooh boy! Yesterday morning, I had a tiny little bit of spotting and nearly had a heart attack, but when I called the doctor's office (still sitting there in horror with my hands shaking like crazy, no less), I was told this could be very normal in early pregnancy, and to just drink a lot of liquids and take it easy for the rest of the day. Nothing else has happened, and I've been drinking water like a camel ever since. I'm thankful for a day off work today, though I should be in class right now, but my car wouldn't start this morning; so much for the trusty 1996 Ford Escort station wagon.
Some baby-related links I've enjoyed:
Naturalish Mama: BumGenius 4.0 Review - I found this super helpful, because it details some very easy-to-make mistakes regarding washing/caring for these diapers. Plus, Cotton Babies sent her all new replacement diapers when she wrote them about what had gone wrong -- now, that's customer service!
Everything I Know About Cloth Diapering - Great information about what's necessary when starting out with cloth diapering, but be aware that her estimates on cost don't seem to add up quite right.. at all.
The Art of Simple: Simplifying Babyhood - I needed this so much! After stepping foot in Babies 'R' Us last Saturday and seeing that there were about 10,000 options for each so-called "baby necessity," I was really considering prematurely filing for bankruptcy, but after reading this, I realized that there are definitely responsible alternatives, and it's certainly not depriving a child to take the minimalist approach to a nursery.
Lulastic and the hippyshake - Just overall, I've really enjoyed reading her blog, and that she really seems to do what she believes is best for her babies without allowing societal influences to affect her.
I understand that it's common for people to wait until the second trimester to share their happy news of pregnancy with others, because of a high chance of miscarriage in those first 12 weeks, and I completely get that hesitation. But since I already shouted out, "I'm PREGNANT!" at a complete stranger in the Kroger restroom after getting positive results, I guess I'm just not cut out for secret keeping. It seems to me that, even if Felipe and I do tragically lose our first baby, I'd still want to have documentation of the joy and excitement that came before the sorrow, and some record of the latter, too. Maybe that could even help someone else not feel quite so alone. Of course, we're praying that it is God's will for us to make it through this pregnancy with a healthy baby, but we know there are risks. Without further ado, here is our first picture of our little chickpea:
Of course there's no actual bump yet, just a lot of bloating right now, but it will be fun to compare over time. Future pictures will not be, I hope, selfies from my smartphone in the bathroom mirror.
If you can't tell, we are so very excited to become parents! I have spent the last week scouring the internet for information on all things baby, from breastfeeding to sling carriers to co-sleepers to gentle parenting methods to cloth diapers, and I am astonished at how many wonderful bloggers there are who give such helpful product reviews and share their parenting experiences so freely. It's perhaps the first time I've really been incredibly thankful for this resource, and for the doors it opens up. And you better believe I'll starting up my cloth diapering collection on Black Friday!
Symptoms so far are pretty minimal. I've had no morning sickness, thank goodness, but I do have tender/swollen breasts, constipation (yuck), extreme fatigue, and several food aversions. Apparently, this little one isn't a huge fan of salad. Oooh boy! Yesterday morning, I had a tiny little bit of spotting and nearly had a heart attack, but when I called the doctor's office (still sitting there in horror with my hands shaking like crazy, no less), I was told this could be very normal in early pregnancy, and to just drink a lot of liquids and take it easy for the rest of the day. Nothing else has happened, and I've been drinking water like a camel ever since. I'm thankful for a day off work today, though I should be in class right now, but my car wouldn't start this morning; so much for the trusty 1996 Ford Escort station wagon.
Some baby-related links I've enjoyed:
Naturalish Mama: BumGenius 4.0 Review - I found this super helpful, because it details some very easy-to-make mistakes regarding washing/caring for these diapers. Plus, Cotton Babies sent her all new replacement diapers when she wrote them about what had gone wrong -- now, that's customer service!
Everything I Know About Cloth Diapering - Great information about what's necessary when starting out with cloth diapering, but be aware that her estimates on cost don't seem to add up quite right.. at all.
The Art of Simple: Simplifying Babyhood - I needed this so much! After stepping foot in Babies 'R' Us last Saturday and seeing that there were about 10,000 options for each so-called "baby necessity," I was really considering prematurely filing for bankruptcy, but after reading this, I realized that there are definitely responsible alternatives, and it's certainly not depriving a child to take the minimalist approach to a nursery.
Lulastic and the hippyshake - Just overall, I've really enjoyed reading her blog, and that she really seems to do what she believes is best for her babies without allowing societal influences to affect her.
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