I always knew that being Diabetic would add challenges to being pregnant. I accepted this with the first positive test and I have become accustomed to the twice daily injections and all the finger sticks to check my sugar. I've even gotten used to missing out on dessert and staying away from the carbs I so dearly love. What I was not prepared for, however, is the ever growing list of things that have made this pregnancy more than memorable and not for the best reasons.
Having to been seen emergent-ly at 15 weeks for bleeding, never a good thing. Being sent home from work for a week on bed rest at 23 weeks because of high blood pressure, never a good thing. And then there has been this week. 27 weeks pregnant and I have been fighting a Migraine headache so bad I'm going cross-eyed. I have a list of medications and home remedies to try, as headaches can be a common symptom of pregnancy. However, after the first 5 or 6 that make you nauseous and cause blurry vision you start asking for something a little stronger from the Dr. At first we assumed that the headaches were related to the Diabetes and I would get less headaches if the blood sugar was in better control. Then it was bad headaches because the blood pressure was to high. Now both of those two oppositions are well controlled I have no excuse for the headache that its rapidly approaching the end of day 2 with me.
After fighting through blurry vision and dizzy spells at work for a day, i finally got up the nerve to call the doctor. Nothing is ever and easy phone call with them, so half an hour later, I was sitting in an exam room waiting to see the big man. Hearing the nurse tell you that you have gained almost 5 lbs in a week when I've gone almost 28 weeks and only gained 9 total is shocking and disturbing. That's about the same amount of fluid an average IV fluid bag holds. Swelling in my lower legs and feet was starting to show, to the point of being able to push on my calf and have your finger print stick around a while. I was given two options. Go to Labor and Delivery at the hospital and get started on IV fluids and IV pain medication to get on top of the headache, or get sent home with Narcotic's and strict instructions to rest, as well as being started on blood pressure medication. I choose option #2 and went home, or rather straight to the pharmacy to drop off the new list of medications to be filled.
Somewhere, I'm sure, there is a breaking point in me. Luckily I haven't found it. I'm ready for baby to make this easy for mama. I'm having a very hard time this week imagining why women would ever want to go through this more than once. If you have any idea's, or words of encouragement to help me realize my lot is not that bad, and I'm sailing through pregnancy more easily than other women, I'm all ears!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
learning to take it "EASY"
Every pregnancy has its hiccups, as i was so comfortingly told by my Dr. last week. You just have to roll with the punches and learn to listen to your body, and Learning I am.
After a busy day at work on Monday i called the Dr. to let them know what my sugars had been over the last week, and mentioned some cramping and pressure i was having at the end of the day. Silly me to think it would just be pushed aside and i could continue on my merry way. After confirming with the on call Dr. I was sent for monitoring at 5pm. After a quick Ultrasound to check on baby and make sure all was well, i had to see the Dr. My blood pressure had sky rocketed. 150/90. i was told to go home and rest, and check my pressure again in the morning.
After our staff meeting the next morning, I had my manager check my pressure again. 158/94. Needless to say I was sent home from work with strict instructions to lay low and rest, no work, house or otherwise and to follow up with the Dr. again on Friday. So after a few tears, and trying to make sure my shifts for the week were covered, i went home.
Its very difficult to rest. Being laid up on the couch when you don't feel bad is so hard. It was a major lesson in patience. I am so very thankful for my husband and all the extra he did around the house while i was unable to do it. I am also so very grateful for the amazing friends i have that checked up on me and made sure i was surviving.
Thankfully my appointment on Friday morning went great. My pressure is back down to normal and i was ok'd to go back to work under strict instructions that I check my blood pressure often and take it as easy as possible.
Today's the first day back, wish me luck!
After a busy day at work on Monday i called the Dr. to let them know what my sugars had been over the last week, and mentioned some cramping and pressure i was having at the end of the day. Silly me to think it would just be pushed aside and i could continue on my merry way. After confirming with the on call Dr. I was sent for monitoring at 5pm. After a quick Ultrasound to check on baby and make sure all was well, i had to see the Dr. My blood pressure had sky rocketed. 150/90. i was told to go home and rest, and check my pressure again in the morning.
After our staff meeting the next morning, I had my manager check my pressure again. 158/94. Needless to say I was sent home from work with strict instructions to lay low and rest, no work, house or otherwise and to follow up with the Dr. again on Friday. So after a few tears, and trying to make sure my shifts for the week were covered, i went home.
Its very difficult to rest. Being laid up on the couch when you don't feel bad is so hard. It was a major lesson in patience. I am so very thankful for my husband and all the extra he did around the house while i was unable to do it. I am also so very grateful for the amazing friends i have that checked up on me and made sure i was surviving.
Thankfully my appointment on Friday morning went great. My pressure is back down to normal and i was ok'd to go back to work under strict instructions that I check my blood pressure often and take it as easy as possible.
Today's the first day back, wish me luck!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The Great Name Chase
Being an expectant mother brings on more emotions than one person should be allowed to experience at one time. Its both wonderful and cruel. I work in an OB/GYN office so I'm surrounded daily by mothers, small babies, and the hormones of all the above. One would think that after a few years, you would become accustomed to the hormones and daily changes in feelings. Just wait until it happens to you.
Know that we are for sure this little person will be a Girl, the name chase is on. How does a mother and father go about naming a child? Are there stead fast rules that must be followed? is there a guideline somewhere that lets you in on all the little secrets that a first time mother should be aware of when naming a tiny person? The more you ask around, and the more you search on the Internet....the more terrified I have become.
Everyone has an opinion and everyone has that one perfect name. I unfortunately have neither. There are a few family traditions I plan to stay with, like giving the first boy the fathers name for his middle name. While I love my job, I often drive home wondering what kind of drugs some parents where on when they picked out the name of their new little life. I don't want my kindergartner to struggle learning to write his/her name on the paper and making it fit on the line. I also don't want the playground bully picking on him because i choose a name no child should have to live with.
These are the kinds of things i stay up at night thinking about. The dreams of a nameless child wondering through life... the thought of "what if i pick a name and the baby comes out looking completely different" "what if i can't agree on a name" Am I alone in the name chase? completely over-hormonal and emotional to pick a name and be happy with the way it sounds and flows? What will my nameless baby be?
Know that we are for sure this little person will be a Girl, the name chase is on. How does a mother and father go about naming a child? Are there stead fast rules that must be followed? is there a guideline somewhere that lets you in on all the little secrets that a first time mother should be aware of when naming a tiny person? The more you ask around, and the more you search on the Internet....the more terrified I have become.
Everyone has an opinion and everyone has that one perfect name. I unfortunately have neither. There are a few family traditions I plan to stay with, like giving the first boy the fathers name for his middle name. While I love my job, I often drive home wondering what kind of drugs some parents where on when they picked out the name of their new little life. I don't want my kindergartner to struggle learning to write his/her name on the paper and making it fit on the line. I also don't want the playground bully picking on him because i choose a name no child should have to live with.
These are the kinds of things i stay up at night thinking about. The dreams of a nameless child wondering through life... the thought of "what if i pick a name and the baby comes out looking completely different" "what if i can't agree on a name" Am I alone in the name chase? completely over-hormonal and emotional to pick a name and be happy with the way it sounds and flows? What will my nameless baby be?
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Big Changes are a comin
I realize that this blog takes a backseat to the rest of my life. Its been neglected and left out many times. I should feel bad about it, but I just can't seem to muster up the energy to care that much.
Life moves forward at an alarming rate these days. Christmas has come and gone, spring is here, although in the NW we have yet to see it. Its still raining daily with cold weather keeping us in jackets and long pants. No gardening has happened as all my flower beds are mud puddles. The deck furniture can't come out of storage because it would always be wet...not very conducive to outside sitting in a soggy chair.
On a very bright and shiny note, Ryan and I will be welcoming the newest member of our little family in August. We are expecting our first, a little girl the end of the summer. I'm 18 weeks this week and finally starting to feel her move. Its the craziest and most amazing feeling.
Lucky me, being Diabetic makes this a high risk pregnancy and I'm being followed by a maternal fetal medicine specialist and I'm on insulin injections twice a day for now. They are keeping a very close eye on both of us. At the end of April i have to have a fetal Echo cardiogram done to make sure the diabetes hasn't caused any heart issues with her.
Poor Ryan, he will be sorely out-numbered but he is going to make the most amazing dad. I am so very excited to bring this little person into the world with him.
We have also finally finished painted. Our bedroom is finished and i will get pictures up as soon as i find my camera. The nursery has a fresh coat of paint and thanks to my amazing Co-worker Natalie, we have a natural wood crib waiting to be put together. Nat had twin girls that will be three this summer and are moving into big girl beds so we get the old crib. Very exciting news after looking at how expensive they are brand new.
We also got new light fixtures for our bedroom and the back bedroom. Ryan also updated all the locks and door handles on all the outside doors so i feel much safer in this old house.
Life moves forward at an alarming rate these days. Christmas has come and gone, spring is here, although in the NW we have yet to see it. Its still raining daily with cold weather keeping us in jackets and long pants. No gardening has happened as all my flower beds are mud puddles. The deck furniture can't come out of storage because it would always be wet...not very conducive to outside sitting in a soggy chair.
Little hand in front of her face
Poor Ryan, he will be sorely out-numbered but he is going to make the most amazing dad. I am so very excited to bring this little person into the world with him.
We have also finally finished painted. Our bedroom is finished and i will get pictures up as soon as i find my camera. The nursery has a fresh coat of paint and thanks to my amazing Co-worker Natalie, we have a natural wood crib waiting to be put together. Nat had twin girls that will be three this summer and are moving into big girl beds so we get the old crib. Very exciting news after looking at how expensive they are brand new.
We also got new light fixtures for our bedroom and the back bedroom. Ryan also updated all the locks and door handles on all the outside doors so i feel much safer in this old house.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Kitchen Floors and puppy baths
I realize that these two things probably don't belong together. But in the crazy world of our little house, they really do. I don't know many people who would be willing to have carpet in the kitchen, but on top of just carpet, we have really pretty red carpet. In the grand skeam of things, i was really pretty content to let this be one of the last things we changed in the house because it really is the newest looking floor in the house. Ryan thought differently when he found an amazing deal on craiglist and could get hard wood pine flooring for way cheaper than the Depot could get it for us. So the project started.
Not having any idea what kind of flooring was underneath the beautiful red carpet..Ryan went full force ahead and ripped out the carpet. What we found was only a tiny bit scary. Laminet flooring that has been down for only heaven knows how long. The subfloor was generally ok except in front of the dishwasher so we lucked out not having to completely replace the kitchen floor. It only took an hour or so to get the floor ready for the new stuff. With some Christmas gift cards and our sweet Craigslist deal we were off and running with what was supposed to be a cheap and easy upgrade.
4 boxes of new floor measured cut and layed down we came to a screeching hault. 2 of the 6 boxes of flooring were not the same. Different pattern, different color, different size. It was terrible. Just about 3/4th of the floor had been done. The stove was in the middle of the kitchen as only half of the cubby underneath it had been done, the fridge was in the dinning room. We were at a stand still. Home Depot looked at us like we were crazy when we told them we needed to match the floor we were putting down. Why didn't you bring your recipt and we could match the UPC numbers? Where did you buy the first 4 boxes? That kind of flooring has been discontinued. Of course it has. Because nothing is ever easy.
After many internet searches and many phone calls to the maker of the flooring we learned that they upgraded the flooring type and were no longer making the kind we had already put down in the kitchen. We would need to order two new boxes that would match the color and just hope that the locking fit would be close enough to hold them together. The old stuff required you to lay down some insulation padding first. The new stuff comes with the pad already on the back of the floor piece. Oh, and lucky Us, Depot would have to special order the flooring and it would take 7-10 business days to arrive in the store. SO... that left us with a half done kitchen, a lopesided stove and a fridge in the dinning room for what could be two weeks. Good thing I'm a go with the flow kind of women. Besides, with a kitchen torn apart, I don't have to cook dinner.
We finally got the call that the new floor was in and Ryan went and picked it up that same day. The kitchen is finally finished and it looks AMAZING. Totally worth the wait and hassel. We also finished the paint in the dinning room and front room and hung pictures up on the wall. It looks like a home now and I love it. I owe many thank yous and much appreciation to my wonderful Husband for all his hard work. I would be lost without him. Here are some pictures of the process.
Not having any idea what kind of flooring was underneath the beautiful red carpet..Ryan went full force ahead and ripped out the carpet. What we found was only a tiny bit scary. Laminet flooring that has been down for only heaven knows how long. The subfloor was generally ok except in front of the dishwasher so we lucked out not having to completely replace the kitchen floor. It only took an hour or so to get the floor ready for the new stuff. With some Christmas gift cards and our sweet Craigslist deal we were off and running with what was supposed to be a cheap and easy upgrade.
4 boxes of new floor measured cut and layed down we came to a screeching hault. 2 of the 6 boxes of flooring were not the same. Different pattern, different color, different size. It was terrible. Just about 3/4th of the floor had been done. The stove was in the middle of the kitchen as only half of the cubby underneath it had been done, the fridge was in the dinning room. We were at a stand still. Home Depot looked at us like we were crazy when we told them we needed to match the floor we were putting down. Why didn't you bring your recipt and we could match the UPC numbers? Where did you buy the first 4 boxes? That kind of flooring has been discontinued. Of course it has. Because nothing is ever easy.
After many internet searches and many phone calls to the maker of the flooring we learned that they upgraded the flooring type and were no longer making the kind we had already put down in the kitchen. We would need to order two new boxes that would match the color and just hope that the locking fit would be close enough to hold them together. The old stuff required you to lay down some insulation padding first. The new stuff comes with the pad already on the back of the floor piece. Oh, and lucky Us, Depot would have to special order the flooring and it would take 7-10 business days to arrive in the store. SO... that left us with a half done kitchen, a lopesided stove and a fridge in the dinning room for what could be two weeks. Good thing I'm a go with the flow kind of women. Besides, with a kitchen torn apart, I don't have to cook dinner.
We finally got the call that the new floor was in and Ryan went and picked it up that same day. The kitchen is finally finished and it looks AMAZING. Totally worth the wait and hassel. We also finished the paint in the dinning room and front room and hung pictures up on the wall. It looks like a home now and I love it. I owe many thank yous and much appreciation to my wonderful Husband for all his hard work. I would be lost without him. Here are some pictures of the process.
The old laminet flooring and tac strip. Really pretty yellow color isn't it?
Notice the darker yellow spots and the green boarder...
In front of the dishwasher had to be replaced because the sub floor had rotted out. we can blame the leaking pipe from the dishwasher for that one.
Don't mind my Giant puppy Harley, but this shows that red foam pad that was under the new floor and how only half the room was finished for 2 weeks while we waited for the new floor to come in.
Finished product!
Isn't it so nice? Its a dark pine. I love it. we put a white tall floor board around the cupboards.
I tried to find a picture of the red carpet that was in the kitchen when we started but i was unsucessful.
I have to throw in a picture of Kiya's first bath time in the kitchen sink. She looks like a drowned rat. poor thing. She really loves the warm blow dryer after the bath though. Makes her look like a giant fluff ball.
Poor Kiya. good thing Mama loves her.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
January 2011, its here and its all brand new and shinny clean. There are so many things the new year brings. Millions of people jumping on the wagon, joining that gym, eating better, making thousands of millions of promises to ourselves and others that in reality may never see completion. But its new, and its all own to make of it what we want. We have much to be thankful for with the coming of a new year. A roof over our heads, Jobs to go to whether we like them or not, cars to drive us to work and to play, and family and friend to enjoy the ride with. 2010 was a rough year, and brought many painful and terrible things to many of the people in my life, and its exciting to have a fresh start. I hoping for every ones sake, that the miserable things we endured last year have only made us stronger and much more ready to enjoy the blessings of 2011. Happy new year to my loved ones. you mean more to me every day.
Christmas
I read the blogs of my friends and family and think to myself that there are so many amazing writers among us. Why our blogging community is not on the New York Times best sellers list I'm not sure. I enjoy getting lost in the lives of people around me. Makes it much easier to deal with the day to day of my own life.
My cute little nephew celebrated his 6th Birthday on 12/12/10. We had a family party at his house with his favorite food lasagna. He opened lots of presents and we had cake and ice cream. Dawson is very into Yo-Yo's and rocks. All he asked for was one red light up yo-yo and millions of rocks. Easy to please right? Here are some pictures of the adventures.
Another year passed and I didn't not make it home for Christmas. Another holiday spent on the phone wishing loved ones Merry Christmas instead of sitting on the front room floor of my grandma's with all the cousins and aunts and uncles waiting for Santa to come and bring us pj's. Or waiting oh so impatiently for mom to take a picture of the tree and all the Santa goodies before claiming the perfect present opening spot on the sofa. Its this time of year that reminds me like a cold slap in the face how much I miss being in Utah with my family.
Don't get me wrong my in-laws are great and do a wonderful job of filling in the void. Brady was even here with my Dad for the week so I was able to spend time with him. Christmas eve we had a feast at Ryan's mom and dads house with Stacey and her family. We exchanged gifts and sang Christmas songs and read the night before Christmas. Here are the pictures from this adventure.
My cute little nephew celebrated his 6th Birthday on 12/12/10. We had a family party at his house with his favorite food lasagna. He opened lots of presents and we had cake and ice cream. Dawson is very into Yo-Yo's and rocks. All he asked for was one red light up yo-yo and millions of rocks. Easy to please right? Here are some pictures of the adventures.
I apologize for the blurriness. I had 2 year little brother Nixon in my lap and it was not easy to hold him still and take pictures.
Don't get me wrong my in-laws are great and do a wonderful job of filling in the void. Brady was even here with my Dad for the week so I was able to spend time with him. Christmas eve we had a feast at Ryan's mom and dads house with Stacey and her family. We exchanged gifts and sang Christmas songs and read the night before Christmas. Here are the pictures from this adventure.
Dawson and Papa getting the Chestnuts ready to roast
Dawson rocking out on his new Paper thin Guitar while dad and Kaelin watched in amazement
Daw and Papa reading the night before Christmas
Our attempt at Stacey's family picture. Nixon in the chair all alone, Dawson facing the wrong way, and everyone else just trying to smile.
On Christmas morning I woke up to a gift, a new addition to our little family.... A puppy! I know it sounds crazy, but we brought home a little Pug/Yorkie mix that we named Kiya. She is a whooping 2.4 lbs and will probably max out right around the 8-10lbs mark. She is incredible sweet and loves to cuddle. She is also very brave and not afraid of her big sister Harley or the cat Stella. It took a day or two but all three of them seem to playing nicely together and so far, Kiya has not been stepped on by the big dog.
Kiya needed a sweatshirt so she wouldn't freeze.
I love her face
Harley 10mo and Kiya 11wks
We had a great christmas even though I didn't get to see family and there was no snow. Hope all of you had a great holiday season!
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