Christmas Came Early!

I've been "off the grid" for the past month, and I have a really good excuse!  Baby Bossy Bud arrived one month early on December 3rd at 7:59 pm.

Let me explain what happened......

I went in for a routine doctor's appointment after work on Monday, December 3rd.  I gave my urine sample and waited to be called back to see my OB.  I saw the nurse first who weighed me (+ 5 pounds in two weeks) and took my blood pressure.  She commented that my blood pressure was a little higher than they liked to see.  She said that my doctor was probably going to admit me that afternoon.  Wrong thing to say to a pregnant woman who thinks she has 5 more weeks!  Mr. Bossy was at work, and I was alone at this appointment.  Tears started streaming down my face.  I was scared out of my mind.

My OB came in and discussed a few routine things with me.  Then she confirmed that she was admitting me to the hospital.  I was to drive straight there.  She explained that I possibly had pre-eclampsia.  She was ordering tests be done when I arrived, and she would come later to make the decision if our bundle was going to be born that night.  I left the clinic in tears and phoned Mr. Bossy with shaking hands.  He left work immediately to meet me at the hospital.  I called my mom next, but couldn't reach her.  Dad was next on my list.  Once I explained to him what was happening, he said that he would get in touch with my mom.

The nurses at the hospital assigned me my room, and I was instructed to get into a hospital gown.  They hooked me up to some machines and began monitoring Baby Bossy's heartbeat.  Mr. Bossy and my parents arrived right after me.  I was so scared; I couldn't stop shaking.  The nurses were fabulous, though.  They took great care of me and assured me that everything was going to be fine.  Blood was drawn to determine if I did indeed have pre-eclampsia.  I was told that we were waiting for one specific test result to decide if Baby Bossy would in fact be a December baby. 

My doctor arrived about an hour and half after I did.  She walked into my room and explained that she had my test results.  I had pre-eclampsia, and Baby Bossy was going to arrive via c-section within the next hour.


To be continued........

Bossy Bud

Baby SB is Here! Part I

Yes, you read that correctly.  Mr. William decided to come 4.5 weeks early on May 10, 2012.  He weighed 6 lbs 4 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.  Amazingly, no NICU was required.  He came out perfect and I cannot even begin to tell you how lucky I feel.

I must warn you though - reading my birth story is not for the faint of heart.   Even though I had a wonderful outcome, my labor and delivery was kind of a train wreck and probably would scare the curap out of me if I was reading it having never gone through the experience.  So please read at your own risk.

I woke up the Monday before my delivery and immediately took my blood pressure as I had every morning for the past three months.  It was then that I knew something was wrong.  Usually in the morning it is between 115-120/70 or 80s.  That day it was 142/84.  Even though it was a reading that was not in the danger zone for my blood pressure, I knew it was not normal for me.  I called my doctor's office to inform them, and they told me to sit tight and if any other symptoms came about, to come down to triage.  Sounded like a plan.

I continued about my day, but around 5 pm I became extremely dizzy and light headed.  A call was placed once again to my doctor's office and Mr. SB and I made our way down to triage at our hospital.

**Side Note** Even though my water didn't break and I was no where near delivering, Mr. SB still treated our trip to the hospital as though I was in active labor.  He drove like a maniac, almost plowed over some poor old lady in the elevator with a walker (he claimed she blended into the wall) and I was told to "hurry up and walk faster."  I thought this was hilarious.

Once in triage, my blood pressure numbers were high.  Again, not extremely high, but worse than what they were.  For the first time ever my labs were slipping as well.  Kidney function was getting worse and my platelet numbers were dropping.  After surviving over 8 weeks since my diagnosis, pre e was starting to rear its ugly head.

I was admitted to the hospital for overnight observation and was sent first thing on Tuesday morning for a growth ultrasound.  Little SB was measured to be 6 lbs and 14 ounces at 35 weeks and 3 days.  I knew at that moment they were going to push for delivery.

After my ultrasound as I had predicted, a few doctors came in to talk to me about my options.  They recommended delivery.  My labs were getting worse and although I was not in danger yet, it was around the corner (pre e can go from mild to scary pretty quickly).  They said that if I wanted, I could stick it out in the hospital and see how much my body could take, but that was not worth the risk to me and my baby.  I agreed to go in for an induction and a few hours later I was whisked away to labor and delivery.

Stay tuned for my next installment :)

Ups and Downs

Things are going pretty well over here in SB Land. I had my weekly doctor's appointment (went from twice a week to once a week). My blood pressure was 118/62 and there was trace levels of protein in my urine. No swelling, no weird vision. I fully understand that this can take a turn at any time, but I am hoping with two good doctor's appointments under my belt, this is more of an indication that I can make it to 37 weeks. Dr. B even suggested that I can take my appointments to twice a month now. I declined simply because of the fact that I am a spaz.

Speaking of being a spaz......

I had my second growth ultrasound two Saturdays ago. Since the diagnosis, they want to make sure the baby is still growing and getting everything he needs. So I go about once every 4 weeks to go and get him checked out now. Dude, our baby is getting what he needs and plenty more of it where that came from. HE IS BIG! In the 81st percentile for his growth and at 31 weeks he was weighing in at about 4.5 lbs. No surprise really. Mr. SB was an 8 pounder and I was a 9 pounder so to think our baby was going to small was pretty much a figment of our imaginations.

Well, during this appointment, I noticed the tech taking extra pictures of the baby's head (which by the way is measuring 4 weeks ahead!!!!) and measuring it. This let me into hysterics because I was convinced she was doing all of these measurements because the baby is brain damaged. Rational and logic aside (umm, her job is to measure - that's pretty much what we went in for), I was prepared to take in the bad news at my doctor's appointment. Needless to say, everything was fine and I will just add that instance to the list of why I will be the craziest mother on earth (If you are a hypochondriac, just wait until you get knocked up - then you have two people to obsess about).

However, pre e has not come without a few bumps in the road. I was in the ER twice in past week.

The first time was for high blood pressure that would not go down. Mr. SB and I went out for lunch and I don't know how to explain it but I just felt...off. We were going to go and finish up some baby shopping after, but I asked him to take me home - I didn't feel well. Once I got home, I took my blood pressure. It was sky effin' high. So I put my feet up, drank some water, and tested again - still high. Repeated this one more time and then called my doctor's office. They told me to come in.

Once in triage, my blood pressure went down to safe levels and all of my blood work came back normal. I was sent home with another 24 hour urine test to do (I'm such a pro at this now). My levels came back slightly elevated from last time, but nothing to be concerned about.

The second trip was because I am a little crazy and thought my water broke. I'm going to go all TMI on you guys here and tell you that holy mother of cats do I have a ton of discharge in my third trimester. Needless to say, my water is still in tact, but that didn't stop them from keeping me in triage for FOUR HOURS because my blood pressure was high (umm no shit - I thought my water broke). But I guess it is best to be monitored, and after a few blood tests and other blood pressure readings, I was sent home again.

Tomorrow I will officially be 33 weeks (which marks 6 weeks since my diagnosis of pre e). One week away from our first goal of 34 weeks and I must admit, it feels pretty good to have made it this far. Let's just hope that my body can endure this for 4 more weeks. Every day I am considering a blessing.

I'm going to leave this post on a positive note and say that I also had my baby shower this month. It was so cute! My cousin did a baby bird theme for me. Here are some pics:

Pre Eclampsia - I Has It

Hi All! Sorry to have been MIA - just have kind of been on a whirlwind of emotions that has to do with the title of this post.

At my 27.5 week appointment, I thought it was going to be a normal run of the mill appointment. Go to Dr. appointment, get told my blood pressure was a little high, hear Dude's heartbeat get sent home. Guess what? It didn't go that way.

Apparently the first blood pressure taken was so high they wouldn't even tell me the numbers. After the doctor came in and listened to the heart beat, he took it again and said it was still on the high side and sent me to triage (kind of like the ER for pregnant ladies) for a few hours to do rolling blood pressures. He told me he didn't think anything was wrong, but he wanted to be sure.

When I got to triage they hooked me up on all kinds of monitors and had my blood pressures taken. I was pulling high numbers - I was stressed out. They took blood to make sure my liver and kidneys were still functioning properly and took a pee sample to look at the protein levels.

The blood tests turned out fine, but the pee test showed my proteins were up to about 280. The cut off for pre eclampsia is 300. Due to the high blood pressure numbers I was pulling in triage (160s and 180s/80s) I won the prize of a night stay in the hospital. I had never stayed in the hospital overnight before so I freaked out a little bit more.

I did a 24 hour urine sample in the hospital and had my blood pressures taken every 4 hours. The BP came down significantly - in the 120/130 and a few in the 140 range, but the pee test came back at 320, so the diagnosis of pre eclampsia was given.

I was scared to be diagnosed so early. All I kept thinking was that I was going to have a premature baby at 28 weeks, which is terrifying. However, they said my condition was mild, but it could turn around at anytime.

Things I have to be mindful of:

1. Spots in front of my eyes (Can I tell you how many "spots" I think I see now? I'm almost positive I see them when I turn my head and come to find it is just a bug. I talked to my doctor about it and he said that those spots are normal - I'm sure he thinks I'm psycho)
2. Pain in my upper right quadrant (I have this all of the time on my right and left sides - especially when Dude is in my rib cage)
3. Headaches that are severe or don't go away (Want to know how many phantom headaches I have a day? Don't ask)
4. Nausea or vomiting (another symptom I've been having when Dude is doing back flips in my belly)

So ya, give a hypochondriac (me) a list of symptoms and I swear I have them all and that I'm going to die. My only saving grace is my blood pressure machine at home. I take it about 3 times a day (sometimes more because I'm a little obsessed with it) and record my pressures. They are almost never high when I'm at home which is a relief.

I guess I'm kind of on a modified bed rest. I don't really go anywhere except places where I know I can sit and much walking isn't involved and I work from home 4 out of 5 days a week now. Seems to be working.

I've went from 2 appointments a week back down to one since my BP on Tuesday was 122/60 and my proteins came back negative on the dip test (I had another 24 urine same the week before and levels were only up 30 points), so I'm feeling a little better. Although the terms "seizure" "stroke" and "premature baby" still tend to haunt me.

But for now, I guess I'm holding steady. I've had this for almost 4 weeks now and in 1 day, I will be 31 weeks pregnant. No blood pressure meds and no full bed rest. If Dude can hold out for at least 3 more weeks, I will be ecstatic - although I know he needs to cook longer than that.

Oh, and I have a new "due" date too. Since they won't let me go past 37 weeks, looks like I'm having the baby no later than May 19th. Yes, I'm having a baby next month. Four days after my 30th birthday to be exact.

Sounds like the best birthday present ever to me. Let's just keep praying for 37 weeks.

Second Trimester Recap

Well, I have one more day in my second trimester, so what better time than the present to give everyone a recap?

My second trimester started out uneventful (besides the pukes that seemed to linger longer than they should have), but has proven to be quite the spectacle.

But I'm going to start things off on a positive note. Here are the things I loved about my second trimester:

1. Being able to eat like a normal human again
2. Actually looking pregnant and not just like I gained some more fluff
3. Not wanting to choke someone because they burnt something in the toaster in our break room
4. I'll be honest here - the attention I got from everyone when I "came out"
5. Finding out I'm having a boy!
6. Feeling the little Dude's kicks for the first time
7. My doctor
8. Hearing the baby's heartbeat on the doppler for the first time


But second tri did not come without problems. Listed below are my issues:

1. High blood pressure. I'm pretty sure this started even before I went to a regular OB. Ever since 12 weeks, I have been about 140/70. Won't go up, won't go down. Minor swelling and no protein in the pee, but now I have to start taking my blood pressure from home two times a day and reporting back to my doctors office. I'm also scheduled for sonograms every six weeks to make sure he is growing correctly. Funny thing? I was always a 120/80 kind of gal. Everything about this pregnancy is stressing me out. Oh, the best part? The 24 urine test I had to do at 16 weeks. It was like pissing in a gasoline container all day.
2. Stretch marks. Seriously? I'm a frickin road map.
3. Fat legs and arms. Hi - why didn't anyone ever tell me that you gain weight EVERYWHERE not just your belly??? On the positive side - I do like my bigger ass.
4. Failing my one hour glucose test. Going back on Wednesday for the 3 hour. Hopefully I pass.


I'll keep everyone update on the blood pressure and glucose issues - cross your fingers and toes for me. See you in the third trimester!

It's Been An Interesting Week

It's been an interesting week.

On Tuesday, I went in for my 34 week appointment. My BP had crept up slightly again and I was suddenly tapped to be tested for pre-eclampsia. Unbeknownst to me, this included a 2 hour glucose tolerance test (GTT). Awesome. I'm 8 months pregnant, its noon, and you're telling me I need to hang out and wait to eat for two more hours. Of course I did it, but still.

On Wednesday evening, after office hours, I get the message that I'd apparently failed my GTT and had Gestational Diabetes. Not a total shocker given that I have three major things going for me that make me likely to develop GD: Strong family history (mom and grandfather have diabetes), I'm an older mom-to-be at almost 35, and I was overweight at the start of the pregnancy. Still, my head was kind of spinning being told the news. I had no idea what I was now 'allowed' to eat or how to manage this new issue. The doctors message indicated I should come by the office to get a prescription for the testing materials and such.

On Thursday morning, I swing by to get the prescription. That quick pit stop turned into a meeting with my doctor in which I made sure that she was aware that I was not fasting before I took that GTT test. I totally would've if I knew it was coming, but when I'm blindsided by a test mid-day...yeah, I'll have eaten. Turns out to be a good thing I told her that as that potentially voids out my results. I'm doing a do-over of the test early next week, at my next appointment. So yeah, in the scheme of less than 24 hours I thought I might have Pre-E, was diagnosed with GD, and then had that diagnosis rescinded.

Then, to top off an already eventful week, the power went out. Big time. Regional power outage. It was about 100* yesterday when it happened, too. Thank goodness the heat wave broke overnight and we only were without power for about 7 hours (some customers are still without). But still. Power out from Southern LA to Tijuana, Mexico and west to Yuma, Arizona...including ALL of San Diego. Wow.

(Image Credit: http://tinyurl.com/3wttmwo)

How far along: 34 weeks and 6 days. 35/35 is tomorrow!

Total weight change: Going by the doctors scale at my 34 week appointment on Tuesday, +26.

Maternity clothes: Always. I've pretty much moved into dresses at this point. It kills my hips to get pants on and off.

Stretch Marks: No new developments since last week.

Movement: I've got a wriggler in there.

Sleep: Pathetic this week. Being really pregnant and living in 100* heat with no central air has been a challenge.

Best Moment This Past Week: This evening when we were sitting on the couch, my husband got to see the little guy move. Mr CB hasn't seen him move before and, much to my dismay, hasn't tried to feel a movement yet. It meant a lot to me to see the look on his face that that's his little boy in there. Now if I can just get him to feel it...

Most Difficult Moment This Past Week: The GD fiasco. Hoping to get some definitive resolution to that early next week.

Belly Button In or Out: Still an inny.

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing major.

Symptoms: More of the same. The Braxton Hicks are increasing in frequency and sometimes intensity and the little guy is sometimes putting pressure on my cervix. He's still not dropped yet though.

16w4d

I know everyone says this, but this pregnancy really is starting to fly by. I feel like just yesterday I was celebrating 6 weeks and then 8 weeks and now I am moving right along in 2nd tri!

I have had a rough week. Last Monday, I had my monthly OB checkup. I told her about some vision issues I had and my blood pressure was very elevated at the beginning of my appointment. I don't have any real doctor anxiety so I can't attribute it to that. My b/p went back down by the end of the appointment but she wants me on weekly appointments until we can get it in check.

On Wednesday, I had to make an emergency appointment with the OB's office because I was showing symptoms of developing mastitis for the 3rd time since my IVF cycle. This is very unusual and almost unheard of for a non-breastfeeding woman to develop. In fact, both this OB and my previous OB had never seen it in many years of practice. I was noticeably upset at my appointment, so the OB offered to have a breast specialist come in to look at me. He just happened to be working out of their office today. He made me feel a little better about things and he thinks the infection is probably related to the amount of hormones I was on during my IVF cycle. I have to go back for a follow up check after the infection is gone.

On a good note, we scheduled our anatomy scan! It s scheduled on the first day they would see me, 18w (March 9th). We cannot wait to find out what we are having. I am very excited that the u/s office is letting Mr. Sassy Bud's parents come to the scan with us. This will be their first grandchild and they are really looking forward to finding out with us. After the u/s, we will be doing some shopping! I have really resisted buying anything up until now (except for the few great deals I posted about previously).

I'll report back once I know if we are pink or blue!

Oh, Bed Rest

Luckily, this isn't me quite yet!

So, update since the last time I was here....

After my appointment monday I got my bloodwork results back right away. Everything checked out except my liver showed some slight abnormalities. Dr said it could be due to taking tylenol for my headaches (which I hadn't had any in about 4 days prior to that bloodwork). He ordered that I get a 12.5mg shot of betamethasone Tuesday and Wednesday. It should help determine whether or not my liver functions were actually abnormal or if due to the tylenol. It also, I learned at the Drs office, is a steroid that will help increase Mister MBs lung growth capacity just incase this turns into something bigger and we go into Pre Term Labor.

So, I got the two shots (whoa did they sting compared to my progesterone shots!) and my blood redrawn today to double check for those elevated levels. Daddy MB wasn't so happy about the steroid, for his own personal reasons he kind of got into an uproar and I know my dad only has my best interests at heart - but I trust my Dr. He's gotten me this far on a pregnancy that we both thought we were going to lose at the beginning.

As far as work/bed rest goes - basically started on Monday when they wrote me out of work. I went in Tuesday for a half day to learn that they couldn't accommodate my half-day schedule that the Dr was requesting and I had to start my maternity leave today. FMLA is 12 weeks, I have 14 weeks to go. At first it was a little stressful but we got it all worked out and Hubby MB and I are confident this is the right thing to do. Even if our entire family is worried sick about our finances (I've got GREAT benefits and get 100% salary for the first 8 weeks and 67% salary for the last 4 weeks), it's clear to me and the doctor this is working.

How, you ask? Well, my BP yesterday was back down to 120/70 - still a tad bit high for me but back to non-dangerous levels. My headaches, dizzy spells, contractions, swelling, and everything else that was creeping up on me last week are nearly gone. And most importantly, that BP is lower. Woot woot!

Stay tuned to what I've been doing since being on modified bed rest (because I'm still allowed those 4 hours a day to do what I want)!

35 Weeks, ANOTHER night in L&D, ANOTHER missed baby shower, and Bedrest

From the title of my post you can tell its been fun huh? So when I was 34 weeks on a Friday I called my doctor because I was having a headache that would.not.go.away. It hurt so very very bad. I tried everything. I decided to take my BP since its been going up and low and behold it was up there in the 140s. I decided then to call my doctor normally when resting it never got up that high. The on call doctor asked me to try to get rid of it with caffeine and Tylenol and if it didn't go away go into the hospital. Don't worry he said, you won't stay over night. YEAH RIGHT.

We got in and my BP was in the upper 150s. I blamed nerves. Once I rested and the nurse went out it went down dramatically. They had be start the 24 hour urine collection and did some blood work. I thought I would be discharged and go home. Not the case. The nurse said they wanted to hold me over night and watch me for 24 hours. That meant I would miss my baby shower.. AGAIN. WTF I wanted to cry but I knew there was no use. By now it was just hilarious. Apparently my daughter is shy and hates attention on her.

I called all my friends and the girls hosting the shower to let them know of the news and like great friends they are they were all understanding and considerate. We decided to have people come up to the hospital and eat cake.. YUM!

Overall it was a WONDERFUL shower. I have some wonderful friends who were very considerate and generous. I got released after the shower and told to follow up with my doctor on Monday and continue with the 24 hour urine collection. Oh and bed rest for the weekend.

I checked up with my doctor and my BP is slowly rising and looks like I'm developing Pre-Eclampsia. I know I'm super close to being full term so I'm trying not to worry about this at all but I did have to stop working and got put on bed rest.

While bedrest sounds wonderful for the first hour it sucks. Let me tell you. I know what I am doing is for the best but the nesting urge is ridiculous and I want to do so much but can't do anything. I can go from bed, couch, bathroom, back to bed, couch. I have one day a week I can go to dinner with Mr. OB or to a movie but he has to drop me off as close as possible to the entrance and limit my walking.

It looks like my BP is doing okay while I'm resting but if I get up and do anything it goes up to the 140s/80s. My doctor is hopeful I can make it to 37 weeks (FULL TERM!!!) and we can induce. We were planning on inducing anyways because little Pepper (or shall I say BIG) is measuring 3 weeks ahead.

So right now I'm just laying here and playing on the internet. In the past week I have watched so much TV and I feel like a bum. I'm not going to lie I'm envious of those women who can still do things at 35 weeks. I hate that I'm stuck here but I know its for the best for ME and PEPPER. And I also know in a couple of weeks I'm going to be WISHING I could lay on the bed and have nothing to do.

I could use many prayers right now that my BP stays low and that Ms. Pepper stays in me until I'm at least 37 weeks. I'm so close I can taste it!

And here is a 34 week photo of my belly. It sucks because now I don't really get dressed now but I told Mr. OB I promise to keep up with the photos. This was a photo I took of the dress I was GOING to wear to my shower. Boo! Instead I wore an awesome nursing nightgown.

24w & 26w Update

Well, I've been laying low - Dr's orders! But here are a few updates on us....

At my 24 week appointment two weeks ago, we got a scare with my Blood Pressure - 130/100 (yikes!). I laid down in the office for 15 minutes and it went down to 120/70 but that was still somewhat high for me and my OB mentioned my BP is rising slowly. My uterus was measuring a week ahead, I was up 1lb since my last apt (at 20w), and now I've got to watch out for continuous headaches, vision problems, swelling (which, had already happened), and more. I was ordered to lay on my left side for two hours a day - which did not include overnight sleep - when would I find the time to do this working full time and remodeling our kitchen?!

Somewhere during week 25 my blood pressure spiked to 152/84 after a day's work and a huge amount of swelling. I called the On-Call dr and he said not to worry unless it got over 160 for the top number.

I had my follow up appointment today, checked BP, did my GTT (glucose test), and had an ultrasound. In two week's I've gained 5lbs - which seemed a bit high to me but the NP said it wasn't abnormal - and some of it might be water retention related to my high BP. My blood pressure first thing was 142/80, so again it's increasing. I told her about all of my non-stop headaches, my dizzy spells, troubles breathing (this wasn't totally abnormal she said, I'm losing room in there!), and my all-day Braxton Hicks contractions that turned into 3-4 real contractions. We discussed at minimum a modified bed rest schedule with work. I am no longer to work a full 9-hour day - if I can work it out with HR, I'll be on a 4-hour/day schedule.

They took my blood to check for Pre-Eclampsia (my urine samples are coming back clear) and if the results are abnormal, then I am to start bed rest fully right away. I sort of knew it was going to go in this direction after my 24week appointment and my continually rising BP. I notice a huge difference in my symptoms and the way my body reacts in days that I work and days that I'm at home resting. (I work on my feet as a makeup artist and am also the Assistant Manager in our store).

Time for some good news! Little MB is measuring in the 55th percentile, so he's right on track and average. He's weighing in at about 2lb 3oz and I even caught him smiling on the ultrasound! AND! He's totally got my nose! I did find out that he's now transverse - his head and feet are under my left rib while his booty is under my right rib. He's totally cramped in there and it's only going to get worse!

I can't wait to meet him - preferably not for another 14 weeks, but I am very excited! Hopefully whether or not my blood work comes back abnormal - the modified or full bed rest will keep me healthy enough so he can bake fully and wait to make his appearance until November!

32 weeks, a visit to L&D and a surprise work shower

Well things are getting pretty hectic and busy in the life of Mr and Mrs. Obsessive Bud. First off we had a wonderful shower in my hometown when I was 30 weeks. We got such great gifts from a pack and play to a little activity mat. We are so blessed. Here are some photos from that shower.I still have about a million thank you letters to write and hopefully by the end of this weekend they will be finished!

Yum Yum! Best cake ever!

My Mom and Me

This passed Friday we had some excitement.. to say the least.

On Friday around lunch time I felt like someone was punching me in the bladder/uterus/ I didn't know what was going on. I didn't feel like they were contractions but I couldn't really walk without hurting REALLY bad. I thought I just had to pee super super bad went to pee and it still hurt. So I'm walking at work an one of my coworkers said oh it might be round ligament pain and I said yeah probably so. Call my doctor they said the same thing. Well I went to sit down because thats when it felt better and the pain just got worse so I called my doctor and said I'm heading into L&D. Well this entire time I'm trying to contact my husband at work and he is MIA.

Little did I know he was IN my office for my 'SURPRISE' shower that my coworkers planned. Hence the reason why she didn't want me to leave =) They came and told me and said, guess its time to tell you its today. Nice!

Then I feel horrible but know something isn't right so I decided just to go with Mr OB.

We get there and I'm really thinking they are going to say, you are a first time mom, its braxton hicks weirdo. Or get out of here its nothing. Well yeah thats not what happened. The nurse was pretty sure I was having a pain from a really bad UTI from my description and the fact that it was constant pain. They take my sample hook me up and low and behold Im having contractions but I dont feel anything because I'm in pain from the UTI so I really didn't know what was going on.

Anyways they gave me meds for the contractions and the UTI and sent me on my way. I will say my poor bladder was so irratiated and sore but besides that we are all fine and I'm so happy I went in. I really thought I was going to feel stupid and they were going to say its RLP.

Lesson learned: If you think something is wrong, something is probably wrong.

Here are some photos from that shower that I didn't get to attend but I'm so happy they were able to 'party it up' without me. Not only that but they gave us such wonderful gifts! A much needed swing and snap and go! Hopefully later this week, Pepper and I can bake them some goodies to tell them thank you for all they have done for us!

The organizers

The whole gang!

Yum Cake!

Awesome gifts!

After I got discharged from the hospital we had to go back to my office to get some cake, I mean, Mr. OB's car. Can you tell I have my priorities in line? We then had to pack up to take the trip to Baton Rouge where Mr OBis from for a shower there. I'm not going to lie that drive was miserable. We didn't even make it out of Houston and I was bawling. It hurt so bad to walk, to pee, to move, to do anything. I wanted to stay home and really should have to rest up but sucked it up and went. 6 1/2 hours later we finally made it. And its only a 4 hour trip. Its good we went to see family and friends, I just wish I wasn't so miserable. Needless to say I feel wonderful now! Some pictures from that shower.

Yum Cake!

Me and a friend. She made us some awesome burp cloths. All sewed by hand

32 Weeks

We had our 32 week checkup appointment on Tuesday. Everything went well. Good news is I'm only up 13 lbs. For being this far into the game and having weight issues all my life this is amazing to me! What a great feeling. My little Pepper is measuring a wee bit ahead. Wee bit is an understatement. 5 weeks to be exact. Right now that means nothing. Seriously nothing. Anything can happen and measurements are just estimates. We are having an ultrasound this Thursday to verify she really is that big and if she is we will just go with the flow. Right now I'm not worrying about it or stressing about it. Not much we can do. My blood pressure for some reason every single time I go to the doctors office is elevated however when I take it at home AND even at the pharmacies its low. So I have a feeling I just get worried and freaked out when I'm there and they are taking it. My doctor said right now I don't have any of the signs of pre-eclampsia (head aches, seeing dots, swelling, protein in my urine) so it might just be stress when I walk into the office.

I can't believe how far I am now. I swear just the other day I was peeing on a stick and before you know it she will be here! While Im excited to meet her she can stay in there as long as needed. I want her to. I'm not ready. And if one more person asks me if I'm ready.. I'm going to lose it =) Are you ever ready?

We really don't have that much more to do in her nursery. Its all pretty much finished. We just need to hang some stuff up from the ceiling and we are finished! All what is left on my to do list is packing my bag (finishing packing it), making some frozen dinners from dream dinners, get a freezer for the frozen dinners, take a CPR infant class, finish thank you notes, and organize her closet. Oh and get a carseat. We REALLY need to get that.

31 weeks? Where did time go?

Where did the time go? How the heck did it get to be July.. almost August? How the heck did I get this big? How the heck am I going to make it? Eeek. Is this really happening?

Besides being scared I’m doing great. Well great minus the regular appointment I had with my doctor. Apparently while I was there my Blood Pressure was a little high. Not that high but something to be watched. As a good girl, and as hard as it is to do nothing and have Mr. OB do everything, I have been sitting on my butt doing nothing. I don’t know if that is what is causing my Blood Pressure to go down or if that day it was just a fluke but it is nice and low and the way I like it to be. No more scares please.

Pepper kicks all the time. She loves to kick after I eat or in the afternoons. She loves FRUIT. Seriously if I have cake or fruit in front of me, FRUIT IT IS! I love it. All kinds. I’m not partial. She also loves Corn and Peanut Butter. Not together or maybe? I also ate french fries and dipped them in my frosty from Wendy’s and her father had this look of disgust on him. Seriously it was awesome. Sweet and savory. I want some now!

She is also on top of my bladder which means every day and night I have to constantly pee. Seriously I should wear a diaper. Its getting pretty crazy. I think I pee about every 2 hours at nigh. I guess that’s getting me ready for the sleep I’m not going to get right?

I’m beginning to prepare and get ready. I need to get my hospital bag packed and hope to get everything in it and purchased this weekend. Also Pepper’s nursery is really coming along great. Pictures will be at the bottom! We still need to put the decal in the custom frame her dad made her, however since we are keeping her name a secret it wont go in there for a while. Also I'm making some wall decor for the other side of the hutch. We are also waiting for the poms to come in to hang and Worry Bud made Pepper this awesome fabric mobile we need to put up. I can't wait. Knowing all we have to do is hang up stuff makes me so happy. That really doesn't take much work or effort at ALL!

We had our first shower this weekend and it went so well! We got wonderful gifts including a pack and play and an activity mat. She is so spoiled! My next shower is this weekend and I can't wait to visit Mr. OB's hometown of Baton Rouge. If only the Tigers were playing..

31 weeks!

Pepper's Nursery

18 weeks pregnant?

Apparently, sometime while I was asleep, Smudge grew to about 7 inches long, and 7 ounces. A little foot is now an inch long and s/he can recognize my voice when I talk.

When the heck did that happen?

So, since this apparently happened overnight, here are some of the things I HAVEN'T blogged about this month.

First, these are pictures from my 14w5d ultrasound that I bullied my OB into doing before i went back to work after the sub chorionic hematoma:










The one on the left, Smudge is waving and the one on the right is my scary alien baby... but it's really cool (i think) because you can see the structures in the skull, the developing brain, the rib cage, the heart, the upper arms and the beginning of the pelvic bone. Smudge spent the overwhelming majority of the ultrasound snuggled on my placenta like it is a body pillow. It was really cute.

Most importantly, you can't see the SCH... it was gone and I went back to work. I still hate my job. SO hate my job. There are more issues every day. And as much as I love my OB, she's just never going to get it. I hope I'm able to convince her later on that she's going to need to pull me early. I just can't do it much longer. By 34 weeks, I want to be out. I really don't want to get into all of the issues here, but the bottom line is I have an assistant manager who would be more than happy to get rid of me. People tell me she keeps coming after me because she knows she can make me cry. Which is nice for her, but sucks for me, because being a hormonal mess at work REALLY isn't my thing. I'm still looking for another job. I probably send out 5-10 resumes every week. I thought I had something lined up for a little while, but it didn't work out.

The only pregnancy issues I've been having lately have been blood pressure related. And my blood pressure is ONLY elevated at work.

For now, I'm hoping the rumors of voluntary lay offs are true, and I'll be able to leave work with a full unemployment package. That would make things much better for us right now. My stress level would drop considerably and we would just figure out the money. Maybe not the most financially responsible thing I can do - but the best thing, health wise, i can do for my child and for me.

Nothing is more important than this baby.

I've been having wicked round ligament pain - to the point of being doubled over and wanting to vomit. This is normal. Who knew that pregnancy hurt? We all knew labor hurts, but pregnancy? Just gives me an excuse to rub my belly, though. Oh, and i'm still on pelvic rest because of the SCH, bleeding and the lost twin, so we're still on standby in the bedroom. Dr Loh wants to wait until after the anatomy scan to check the placenta again before she clears us. Last weird pregnancy thing for today... I'm already leaking. At 18 weeks, I can express fluid from my breasts. It's so weird. But it's clear, and it's normal, and I guess it means i'm getting ready. Almost 1/2 way there. I can't believe in 5 months, I'm going to be a momma.

Other pregnancy related news is that I made the decision that barring medical complications, I'm going to have a natural delivery. It's been discussed with my OB and she's completely on board. I've even hired a doula to help me through it (click on the link for my doula's website). It's really important to me that after EVERYTHING my body has screwed up in the last two years, I can prove to myself that it can do this ONE thing that nature intended it to do. And staying Team Green is part of it... our "green-ness" is going to be the light at the end of an unmedicated tunnel for me.

Meanwhile, we've been TRYING not to baby shop... I had a HUGE moment the other day though, while I was browsing in Gymboree while Mr. DB was drooling over the iPhone 4 in the apple store. Unfortunately for my wallet, they had the cutest collection of gender neutral monkey clothes. Mr. DB has a HUGE monkey thing, and I'll be honest. I do too. Here are some of the first things I've bought for Smudge (fair warning - cutest clothes ever below):























Other things we've purchased are just little things... whatever discount cloth diapering supplies we can get our hands on, some clearance things on discount websites, like an organic moby wrap for about $11 and a boppy with organic cover for $29.99.

But here's the big one... we haven't purchased it yet, but I'm pretty sure we've decided. We picked out our furniture. We still need a glider arm chair with an ottoman for the nursery, but the crib and all we finally picked. We LOVE the Essex collection from Munire in Chestnut.

photo credit

In other baby news, I had my 18 week appointment yesterday. My uterus is perfect. Heartbeat is perfect and Smudge was really active during the doppler. My OB kept asking if I could feel the movements, but I can't quite yet. Hopefully soon. The best news? My blood pressure (94/58) and my weight (only gained 7 pounds so far!). I'm going to have to start wearing compression hose at work (stupid spider veins and swelling), but if that's what it takes to avoid the varicose veins my dad has, I'll do it.

And I'll leave you with this. I can't believe my fat ass is posting it here, but here goes nothing. This is an 18 week bump picture. You'll have to trust me that it isn't all regular fat. It truly is a baby bump. I'm hoping it becomes more obvious. We're going to start taking weekly pictures from here out. But I'm definitely starting to look pregnant and not just fat.


DH and I also had a conversation about #2 last night. Sounds kind of silly, since #1 isn't even here yet. But since our post baby plan for birth control is our mutual infertility, we're sort of hoping for a miracle baby within the first year. If miracle baby doesn't show up within the first year, we plan on going back to Dr Z as soon as Smudge is weaned to cycle for #2. It always makes me feel good to have a plan.

Anatomy scan is two weeks from today. Can't wait to see Smudge again. Until then....