Week 9

I’ve been blog-lazy lately, and to be honest, it has felt good.  It has been a great week, and my husband has just left again for work.  Luckily, Grandma will be coming in about a week to stay for a little while and keep us company while helping me out.

I’ve made it to week 9, officially.  Apparently the baby is now considered a fetus, and has webby hands and feet (according to pregnancy.org).  I’m feeling great this past week.  I’ve had the nausea/indigestion thing in spurts, and my last bout was over a week ago, so that’s great. 

I had my first doctor’s appointment and got my blood tests back.  Everything is looking great so far.  We haven’t yet heard a heartbeat or had an ultrasound.  That will be at the end of May. 

I’ve started to eat red meat again (in moderation) and have kept it down.  I haven’t eaten a burger again, but all in due time, right?  I’ve had a cup of coffee or two this week, and 1 coke.  They have been WONDERFUL!!! 

Today I went shopping on Motherhood Maternity for a couple things, and they are sending me a $50 gift certificate to a restaurant too.  That shall be fun.  We are planning a trip to Dallas in June, so we can use it then.  I should be set on maternity clothes, if I can ever fit in them.  The tummy fits, but the butt does not.  I’m definitely not complaining, although I would be if it were not for my belly band. 

Doc and I are considering not finding out the sex of the baby.  I’m not sure if I can do it.  The more I think about it, the more I just want to know.  We do have two names picked out for the baby, whatever it may be.  I’m excited about both names, but am keeping them to myself for now. 

I told Bert the names and he did not approve.  He apparently prefers “Lightning” or “Curley Shirley.”  You’re right when you think, “WTF?”  Kids are funny that way.  Ernie has 3 babies in his belly that he helps grow by eating “candy” and “dessert.”  I think to myself, Man, if only I could grow my baby on a diet of candy and dessert!  Must be nice!

The doctor gave me the go ahead to exercise AS MUCH AS I WANT!  No heartrate monitoring or anything.  She said, “Listen to your body.”  I did, and it told me to play tennis on Tuesday, arc train and weights (very light) on Wednesday, and play tennis league game on Friday night.  I had SO MUCH FUN!  I just hope I can play pregnant tennis through the summer.  That would be cool.

As always, I’ll be very careful.  Baby is always first.  Did I mention that baby seems to like Mexican and Sushi right now?  Only cooked sushi for me (even when not pregnant), but last night was GOOD!

Well, not promising anything in the blog department  between this week and next.  I’m going on a partial blog strike for the moment.  I will share one little cute thing my 3 year old said the other day.

“Mommy, I loved going to the park lasterday.”  So cute!

Week 8

Today is the start of week 8 of my pregnancy.  Week 8 has made itself known already.  Yesterday right after lunch I started feeling nauseous again, and finally had a slight reprieve this morning at around 10am.  Shortly after (by lunch), my stomach was up to no good again. 

I love to eat.  It is a challenge to eat small meals many times a day.  I’m used to eating 3 meals and 1-3 snacks a day, but I cannot do an entire meal.  I’m eating sandwiches 1/4 at a time.  If I feel good, I eat some more.  The problem with this is that I feel constantly hungry, but when I think about eating or smell things, I feel nausea come on. 

Other than my newly acquired eating habits, I’m doing well.  Strong smells are not my friend right now.  I actually dread going into a restaurant to eat.  The drive thru is my friend.  I also found out that Pine Sol is not a good smell right now when I had to mop the bathroom floor at work.

I’m about the same size as last week.  The belly is still popped out.  I’ve gotten a “belly band” from Motherhood Maternity and that is an awesome invention.  It is allowing me to wear all my pre-pregnancy clothes without buttoning them. 

I’ve still been tired and taking a  nap every afternoon.  Thankfully working at the nursery is conducive to that nap schedule as I get home everyday by noon.  I’ve not been bothered by the smell of diapers so far, but then I haven’t changed a really bad one yet either.  We’ll see what happens there.

I’ve been using Palmers Cocoa/shea butter on my tummy and boobs.  I did it religiously the first pregnancy with almost 100% success in keeping away stretch marks.  I did not keep it up with the second pregnancy and I have marks on my tummy to show for it.  Now, either the cream works, or the fact that my second child was 1 1/2 lbs heavier than the first made the difference.  Either way, I’m applying this stuff religiously again, just in case.

My tummy has been itching a little from time to time, and I’ve felt some slight round ligament pain already.  It’s very quick to pass, and it’s very mild so far.  I’ve had some lower back pain as well, but again not too bad and quick to pass. 

My first doc appointment is on Monday morning.  I have off work until Tuesday (yay!) and am hoping to have a great appointment.  I will only see the nurse on Monday, so I doubt that they will do anything more than patient history and blood tests.  Shoot!  As I was typing this I realized that I never had my records transferred from my old doc to my new doc.  I guess I’ll do that on Monday after my appointment.  Crud!!  I guess it’s not a huge deal.  Better late than never, right?  (I had a professor in college who would exclaim “Better never than late!” when a student walked into his class late.  People hated it, but I always thought it was funny.  You can guess I was never late.  He was also my favorite math prof.  Had him for 3 or 4 classes).

Anyway, that’s how I’m doing and hopefully the nausea won’t get any worse.  I might talk with the nurse on Monday about it just in case I need to get a script later on.  Right now it’s doable.  Of course, my husband might not agree.  He doesn’t see any reason for me to suffer with nausea at all.  He says, get some zofran. 

Week 7!!

I’m so happy right now.  Today (Friday), is officially the first day of my 7th week.  Now while I realize this doesn’t completely get me out of the danger zone, I do feel a certain amount of relief that I have passed the 6 week mark where I lost the last pregnancy.  I’d like to say that I was carefree now, but unfortunately that is not the case completely.  I’m still a little nervous about this pregnancy.  My symptoms this week have been occasional cravings, constantly swollen belly (mostly from bloating, but even when I don’t seem very bloated I am noticing my belly is bigger.  3rd child effect, perhaps?), and slightly uncomfortable boobs.  Oh yeah, add the additional 4-5 lbs. I am seeing on the scale too.  I’ve been able to eat almost anything, although I am still avoiding hamburgers and corn.  I’ve gotten my sweet tooth back.  I’m working out 3-4 times a week still, but I maintain a heart rate under 140, and do stuff that is not too taxing on my body.  My tennis league starts next Friday, so that will get interesting in the next month or so as I grow out of my only tennis skirt and struggle to find something to wear on the court that does the job and yet doesn’t freak anyone out.  My pants are getting tight already.  If I had access to my maternity clothes, I’d be going through them already I think.  Unfortunately I have to wait until my husband comes and visits since all the clothes are in the attic.  While I would climb around up there, I cannot get the stairs down by myself without being creative if I’m not pregnant.  Not trying while pregnant.  Not worth it.  So, for the next week I will continue to “dunlap” over my pants that are getting too tight and try as much as possible to wear my workout clothes (which are also getting tight). 

The working out must be working though, because I gained 8-10 lbs by my first doc appointment with both of my other pregnancies.  What can I say? I gain a lot of weight while pregnant.  One would think that I am just eating and eating, but really I think I’ve not really eaten anymore than normal.  Not sure where this weight is coming from. 

Well, you all have a wonderful weekend! 

Haha! Buda Belly!

This is what a third pregnancy is like at 7 weeks.  You look further along than you really are.  My stomach popped this past week.  Crazy!! (and I am not arching my back—just standing straight.  I got a little booty on me too)

Henoch Schonlein Purpura (HSP) and My Crazy Day!

What a crazy past few days! 

This is potentially a wordy post, so I will try to limit myself as much as possible since I have to pack for our trip tomorrow.  Yesterday, after Doc left for his latest away rotation, we took the boys to Bert’s field trip at the local park.  An easter egg hunt and snacks ensued.  We had a great time!

Got home and pulled off Ernie’s socks and shoes to find little red bites on his ankles forming right along the line where his socks ended on his ankles.  I asked him if it hurt or itched, and he said no.  I figured chiggers and went along my way.

Fast forward bath time, I am cleaning Ernie off and his red “bites” are now the size of nickels and his ankles are swollen.  I panicked a little, but called my husband who finally picked up the phone.  Explained to him the new find on his ankles (I had mentioned to him earlier the “bites” I found) and he told me to take him to the walk in clinic. 

Got to the clinic, and their computers were down.  I forgot my insurance card at home and they turned me away until I could produce the card.  Called Doc back and he called his friend who graduated med school with him.  Doc H said to bring him up to the ER and call him before I got there.  He’d see us.  Doc H is a pediatrician who runs the pedi-ER.  He’s very reliable and great at what he does.  He cared for Ernie when we had to admit him to the hospital when he was only 2 weeks old. 

Doc H told us that he has HSP.  (you can read about it on the HSP link)  I won’t go into detail other than to say that his rash that he has will get worse before it gets better, it involves swelling and arthritic pain of the joints, and lasts about 6-12 weeks.  He has to have urinalysis tests for a while to have blood in his urine ruled out.  He can also get colicky stomach pain with it (thankfully he hasn’t gotten that).  The rash started on his ankles and is now starting to appear on his elbows as well.  It doesn’t itch, thank goodness.  Oh, and only 15 in 100,000 cases are found each year.  CRAZY!!

He appears to have a mild case, which 95% of them are.  This can recur but mainly occurs in childhood and to boys. 

He had no blood in his urine today (yay!) and his blood count was normal (yay!).  He did have protein in his urine that indicated HSP and his blood tests confirmed it.

The cause of all this???  It is a reaction to an infection.  Guess who has strep throat AGAIN?  I didn’t even know it!!!  Ernie tested positive today, and we now have him on meds.  If you remember correctly, I think I posted that he was sick just a month ago (then again, maybe I didn’t.  Don’t remember).  He had strep throat then too.  JEESH!

Now, another kicker? 

I’ve been drinking after him ALL WEEK.  Guess who’s going in for a strep swab tomorrow morning before we leave for our trip?  Also, our pedi was nice enough to also swab Bert too.

Whew!

These past two days have been crazy.