be sure and tell em....

large marge sentcha.

yeah, i feel like it about now. doc appt today. says i'm measuring 30 weeks... even though i am only 28. i am pretty damn big though.

doc says olivia is healthy, doing good, and everything is on track! next week, i have a childbirth class, as well as booking a hospital tour so that i know what to do when the time comes!

it seems like it's all getting so close. i have two and a half months until she gets here... and it's scary yet so exciting. i cant wait to meet her! the one who has been kicking the crap out of me for the last few weeks. lol

quick timeline of pics so far!

8 weeks.



12 weeks.



20 weeks.





28 weeks.

4,3,2,1.....

the countdown starts.

well after moving my due date back so i have even LONGER to wait... i'm finally at 28 weeks. third trimester. i have an appt on thurs which should be good. hopefully i can talk the doc into an ultrasound to see how the heck she is sitting in there.... she moves and kicks all the time, but always in the same spot.. it's like i swallowed super glue and she is just stuck there...

heartburn is still driving me crazy. i've moved on to zantac, which i should be buying stock in. headaches still the same. i feel like an old woman or a puppy, because i pee every 2 minutes. it's especially nice when she gives a good heave ho to the bladder and i pee places that god did not intend... like my jeans, for instance.

not really getting so nervous about delivery. i've done it before, and i can do it again. i know that after almost 16 years, my body has forgotten it's role in all this, and may make things a little more difficult, but hopefully it will be okay.

other than that, not much else new. just cant wait to meet the little bugger!

appts and such

had my appointment last week.

kind of a shock to learned that i had gained 8 pounds since my last one. that's not really something i wanted to hear.

also concerned me that they said my uterus was measuring at 29 weeks... and according to my ultrasound,olivia is measuring 10 days small.

i really dont see how thats possible.... i could just have a petite bebeh.... because otherwise, i would have ovulated 24 days after starting my cycle... which is really long and ridiculous. but..... what do i have to go off of besides an ultrasound? i guess we'll see if they are right towards my due date (which is 2/24 now)

anyways, back to the weight gain and such.... it could have been because i ate about a cup of sunflower seeds per day, and about 5 sodas.... i know, i know... bad ellie, right? well doc says she's keeping an eye on it from now on. and then next day, i went and had my gestational diabetes test. 1 hour glucose. holy crap that tasted like shit! but i downed it all at once... felt queasy and sat there for an hour until my blood draw.

they should call me with the results soon. i kind of put myself on a little diet at home.. just cutting out stuff like fast food, soda, etc. hopefully that should at least keep me at the weight im at for a while. i weigh enough, baby hardly weighs anything, and she'll be fine.

my fear is having GD and having to SEVERELY restrict my diet. but i guess we'll see!

so excited to go to my mom's this week! i cant wait to see her! i'll be there for about 4 days, and we're having a small baby shower up there, which i cannot WAIT for!

anxious

i'm so incredibly anxious. i have this little human being inside of me... constantly kicking and moving and letting me know she is there. i am just anxious as hell to meet her.

25 weeks today.

long overdue

update... not baby... he he he.

i have no idea what i updated on last time. so i may just repeat myself.

i'm 22 weeks along now! holy cow. speaking of cows, i definitely feel like one. i've only gained 10 pounds so far, but i feel so much bigger!

out little girl weighs about a pound already! she is growing so big!

went for level 2 ultrasound yesterday, where they make sure she has 10 fingers and 10 toes, and a healthy heart and organs and such. doc said everything looks great and that she is a girl! he he.

she is moving around and kicking up a storm, although i'm not feeling it as much as i should because the doc informed me yesterday that i have an "anterior placenta"... which basically means that the placenta is laying in front of her and she is kicking that so it cushions what i feel. it's soft, but i definitely do feel her!

as far as *I* go, nausea is pretty much non existant. had a touch of it last night, but didnt have to take anything. only thing i really have, is horrible heartburn and headaches on a daily basis. tums and tylenol... tums and tylenol.

at the appt, doc said olivia was measuring a week behind. she was at the first u/s too, so not sure if she's just a small baby or if my due date will change! i guess we'll see a little later though!

foodie

so with some of my symptoms starting to subside, and new ones cropping up, my pregnancy is not as easy peasy as i figured.

nausea is slowing fading, although not completely gone. getting a little more energy back, which is neat.

heartburn is ridiculous. and i have NO desire to eat.... at all. i'm losing a little bit of weight and kind of concerned that i'm not giving her enough nutrition.

the one GOOD thing i can truly say makes me happy, is that i feel her moving around every day. knowing that she's in there and healthy and safe makes me heart so warm.

hubby is being so amazing. he talks to her, and is working hard on fixing up the things she'll need and customizing things for her. he is going to be the best father ever.

i cant wait for olivia jo to get here!

it's a....

GIRL! we had an ultrasound last week and it looks like a healthy baby girl! she is moving all around, being a little acrobat. she is so precious already and i cant wait until she gets done cooking and gets here!!!!!!!!!!

i'm still full of symptoms. it's kind of ridiculous. sneezing is a new one. i sneeze, literally about 20 times a day.... soooo annoying. and if i'm lucky, i get the added benefit of peeing on myself while i do so.. yayyyyy.

nausea is still there... i have my good days, when i only need 1/2- 1 zofran.. and my bad days (rare) in which i may need three.... headaches are still here. heartburn has me up to about 10 tums a day. exhaustion is still hanging around, although i can get out for a little more at a time now. yesterday we went to lowes and the grocery store... and by the end, i was ready to collapse, but i made it! LOL. again with the second coming of puberty. new zit every day... lol. which is awesome.

even through all these symptoms, i'm so excited about this little girl! hubby has been working on her changing table and crib, and is getting ready to paint them and customize them for her.

we have given the baby a name. her name is going to be olivia jo. jo, you ask? yes... jo. lol. jo is part of my grandmother's name, who passed years ago... amazing woman. and jo is also my mother's middle name. :D

i think it's a beautiful name and i cannot wait to meet her!

news and updates

ladies and gentlemen, we have movement! the monkey is definitely jumping around and doing acrobatics in there! it's the neatest feeling ever!

tests came back and our monkey is healthy! no major birth defects! have another ultrasound in about 2.5 weeks or so.

next friday, we're going to get an ultrasound to see if we can find out the gender! i cant wait to find out if we have a hamburger or a hot dog. lol.

sickness is still here, but it's definitely less than it was.

however, no let up on the energy part... i have none... zero. and it sucks.

last

this is going to hopefully be my last pregnancy. while i am so excited about the little screaming bundle of joy that is the prize of this ordeal.... getting there is damn near killing me.

i just spent the last 3 days on my couch, because of the most intense migraine ever. i tried EVERYTHING to get rid of it... and it eventually just took sleep... lots of it.

every pregnancy symptom that i can possibly have.... i have. and to the tenth power. i dont think i can deal with this again after this....

aaaaand, cue the hormones.

one thing... all it took was one thing. i watched some sappy vid a friend posted on FB and i started crying after about 10 seconds.

i've pretty much been crying nonstop since then. everything is getting to me right now.

is there ONE pregnancy symptom i can go without please? sheesh.

ok, so i lied.

i thought i would be okay because i had a day without the zofran.

nonsense. it's been even worse. and because mother nature loves me so much... she threw in the heartburn. so i've got all that going at once!

dr appt tomorrow. new doc, so hopefully that goes okay!

ding dong

the nausea is dead! well... day one of no nausea at least.

although it was replaced by a wicked case of heartburn..... hooray for tums

what if?

all i can think about lately, is the negatives. what if something is wrong? what if he or she has a birth defect? i'm completely consumed with this right now. i wonder about the tests, how accurate they are, when i can have them..

and what if? what if i cant handle this?

so many things that could wrong.... im terrified.

the second coming!

no, not christ... puberty!

i feel like i should be checking myself out for new body hair while im at it.

my face is so broken out! i rarely get any kind of skin issues... and for some reason, my face is a damn pizza pie right now.

so as i'm in the in between stage where i dont exactly look "pregnant" to those who may not know... i'm also breaking out, and acting completely bitchy.

i wish i could wear a sign around my neck that says "dont mind me... i'm pregnant"

woods

okay, so i'm "out of the woods" i guess.... i'm past the point where i need to worry a whole lot about losing this little guy (or girl!). i should be able to relax and enjoy (ha ha) the rest of the pregnancy!

if only..... if only my nausea would go away... i'm still popping these nausea pills like candy. in fact, i feel like im taking MORE now. my boobs still hurt, i keep getting these headaches. it would just be nice to feel normal! LOL

doctor appt next week. she couldnt get me in any sooner. i should be scheduled for another ultrasound.. this one to test for genetic issues and birth defects.

scale

my last blog was about all the non pregnancy weight i gained over the last couple of years.

so.... i figured with all my weight gain in the last year, that i would absolutely blow up with this bebeh.... although i've only gained a total of one pound so far. that is mind boggling. i've lost 2, gained 2, and lost 1. i should have gained between 3-4 so far.

granted i have been battling morning/noon/night sickness.... every since i got this medicine, it's been much better... i just havent been hungry so much. i try... but nothing really sounds good.

i've been trying to snack on healthier stuff... drinking lots of milk (which i despise) and healthier stuff.

i just hope that this slow start in gaining doesnt catch up with me and later i gain 20 lbs in a month... lol.

what's up?

my weight.

well, it's been up for a while now. someone once told me i was making excuses for my weight gain. but i can assure everyone out there, that i really dont eat so much. i dont sit on my kitchen floor in the middle of the night making love to chocolate cake. i dont eat packages of cookies in one sitting, or have 5 cheeseburgers for lunch. i really dont eat all of these horrible things that people think i do. i mean, sure, i'll have a scoop of ice cream or something once in a while, just like everyone else. but i really dont go overboard.

quite simply, i had bells palsy, pneumonia, and surgery on my neck (that got infected and required a hospital stay and lots of drugs to cure)... and all within the course of a YEAR. all three.... required steroids. number one side effect? weight gain. thanks for playing.

then.... within the last 2 years or so, i was going to a neurologist. what did they do at the neurologist? trigger point injections. a series of 6-10 shots in the back of my head, and neck. come to find out.... steroids. had i known this.. i would never have taken the shots!

anyways, i gained a whopping 40 lbs since last summer. and about 80 lbs total in the last 2.5 years. i used to be a size 8. not only do you gain weight quite easily on steroids, but taking it off is a real issue.

i'm now pretty damn chubby. i had just started losing weight when i got the news that the baby would be here next feb. so.... obviously, i just have to eat healthy and do the best i can for this baby. i cant gain too much with this pregnancy, it wont be healthy for anyone. i can gain 25 lbs.

but afterwards, it'll be different. i cant be overweight and chasing around after a toddler. it just wont work. so i need to talk to my doc about the easiest way to take off all this weight.


oh well... cant think about all this now. just need to enjoy my baby!

bitch bitch bitch

but hey... it's my own little space to do it right?

dont get me wrong... i'm happy. joyous. ecstatic to be in my delicate condition. i'm so thrilled to be growing this new life inside of me that i can hardly stand it.

although the side effects, i sure could do without. nausea, vomiting, headaches, exhaustion, and other issues i cant mention for fear of a reader with an easily upset stomach.

now that my nausea and vomiting has been cut pretty much by 90%, i'm left with this damn exhaustion. i am up and around better than i was, but i was low on energy pre-bunintheoven. so this is absolutely not helping.

today, i tried to hold my own. by the end of the night, i was ready to fall over. my feet were killing me, and i damn near fell asleep on the drive home.

there WILL come a time, when the symptoms disapear for a while, and i can relax and enjoy this miracle... but for now, i'm just.... blech.

follow up

back to the doctor in a little bit. follow up from the ultrasound and everything. will update when i get home!

appt went well! just confirmed that monkey is indeed growing and is the right size. because that particular doctor does not see pregnant patients past the first trimester, we were referred out. i found a new doc, and have an appt on the 10th of aug. yay! we should be able to tell the sex by then with an ultrasound. woo hoo

nothing to see here.... move along

yeah, not much of anything today.

slightly sick to my tummy a little. popping zofran like PEZ. i've definitely felt worse though. this stuff is a godsend!

i'm excited to find out what we have. a bunch of women on my mommy group board have used the "intelligender" to see what their babies are. it's sold in stores.. but it's 35 bucks... i dunno if i wanna lay down that kind of cash on something that may or may not be accurate.

i could just wait the 6 or 7 weeks to see what we're having.

our names are pretty much picked out, so it's just a matter of seeing which one we get to use! LOL

what's up, doc?

doc appt today went well! i saw the doc, whom i really liked, but was informed that he does not see pregnant patients after the first trimester.. booo so he'll send me to one of his fellow OB doctors.

after my "exam", we went into the office. we talked about my constant nausea and vomiting. he said just to continue drinking water... and i said "no! ZOFRAN!".... he said that he wondered how i knew what that was... ha ha.. i'm a smart cookie. zofran was developed for chemo patients and their nausea and vomiting, but FDA approved for morning sickness as well. so i got my scrip.. and these little pills (40 dollars each normally) were fully covered by insurance. yayyyy!

then i was scheduled for a dating ultrasound, in which they tell me how far along i really am. that was for 3 hours later.

with a full bladder, we drive to the imaging center. after a short wait, a perky little blonde calls us back. she was completely sweet and took her time. when i asked how many pics they printed out, she said that they dont print them out there. :( POOP. but she did allow me to take a couple with my cell phone which was awesome.

she said everything looked great! i'm measuring where i'm supposed to! 10 weeks, 1 day. baby looks great. i'm so excited! we saw the little heartbeat flickering on the screen, nice and healthy!

back at home. EXHAUSTING day of errands, cooking, and cleaning. the zofran makes me a little sleepy, but it's definitely helping with the nausea. i feel it EVER SO SLIGHTLY for a min or so at a time, but i feel 90% better!

breakdown

i had a complete emotional breakdown.

i'm so sick of being sick. i know this is normal. i should be filled with pride and joy over the creation of this new life.

but making friends with the toilet is not exactly how i wanted to spend the first part of my pregnancy. i should be glowy, and happy, and telling anyone who will listen about this miracle i'm baking.

but it's non stop nausea. i'm trying anything and everything. i havent been able to keep any food down today. liquids either. i sent hubby out for some soup and 7up, and am hoping that helps. i'm also going to try some emetrol, and hopefully that keeps the nausea down for 10 minutes... grrrrr.

i guess i just had my first good crying spell for no "serious" reason at all... gotta love the hormones.

and i REALLY have to love my hubby for dealing with such an emotional basketcase.

argh. insurance

i need to make a doctor appointment.

so i get insurance, and no one accepts it. 2 hours of phone calls later, i have secured said doctor appointment. although not without some attitude and bitching.

note to insurance companies... please keep your provider information up to date, so i dont have to call 20 different doctor's offices, and then call YOU and yell at you. kthx.

i'm really excited to go though. i hope everything goes well.

update on the nausea. hubby bought me some vitamin B6 yesterday, and last night, felt pretty good. however today, i'm back at square one, and ready to camp out next to the bowl for a while....

i thought this was supposed to stop soon. :(

down with the sickness

i have no idea how to tell people how far along i am. technically.... i'm in my third month, although i'm 10 weeks pregnant.

either way you put it, i'm excited to be pregnant. a lot of my time is filled with daydreams of our future.

will we have a boy or a girl? what will we name baby? who will the baby look like? how will we decorate the baby's room?

lately though, the most common thought going through my whole family's mind... is when the hell am i going to feel better? day and night, it's hard for me to keep my meals down...it's a constant struggle. i was told that i should be thankful for my ever present nausea and vomiting. that means my hormones are doing what they should.

with my loss years ago, i remember not feeling very sick at all. with zoe, i seem to remember feeling like i do now, so maybe it's a good sign?

it's quite funny to watch me on a daily basis... all we have to do is pass by a fast food place or something that doesnt appeal to me, and watch me freak out and start dry heaving. my food aversions are quite lovely as well. the biggest one is lettuce. for some reason the thought of it sends me into a dry heave.... as it just did. every time hubby goes somewhere to fullfill one of my many cravings, i make sure and tell him "no lettuce!" being the smart ass that he is, and me having told him 80 times before, he replies "extra lettuce? okay!".

then we get the headaches. i've suffered from horrible debilitating headaches for years now. surgeries, steroids, injections, medications, etc. so to get them now, and have the only thing i can take, be tylenol, is a nightmare. i can tell you first hand, that tylenol doesnt do crap for my headaches. still, i down as many as stated on the manufacturer's instructions, and take a couple sips of soda with caffeine, hoping that helps too. (i'm off the caffeine throughout this miraculous journey!)


i think my family is more concerned with my hormones. to say that my personality changed is putting it mildly. i'm extremely confrontational, grumpy, and just plain.... bitchy. i cant wait for that to pass, and have ME back again!

all right... i've got more day dreaming to do, so i'm done for now. i have about 8 billion other blogs that i dont keep up on, so hopefully i'll be able to to keep up on this one.