Sunday, February 24, 2008

BUSY weekend!!!!!

Sometimes I need someone to remind me that I can't do a whole lot anymore! In all actuality, I DO have people telling me to take it easy, but I kind of ignore them sometimes. lol But it's just barely Sunday, and I feel like I've been run over with a truck.

This month alone, I've been invited to almost 10 babyshowers. Of course, I couldn't go to them all, but it's still a lot of shopping to do! I can't WAIT until I can shop for MY baby instead of someone else's! lol Yesterday, I had to shop for yet another baby shower being given by a woman I work with for her daughter....whom I've never met. lol And since I already have a kid and know what to do regarding registries, Dot had me shop for HER gift too. lol

I figured it would be a good time to finish up my registries at BabiesRUs and Target, so my mom, Dean, and I kind of made a day of it. We started at Target, because I found their website to be ridiculously difficult to use. Apparently, there is so much stuff that you can ONLY get online, that they don't even list that you can get it in stores too. So, I had to go in person and scan the stupid items in. lol I was also having a hard time deciding a theme for the baby's nursery. Well, obviously, the baby isn't getting a nursery until our lease is up and we can get a 3 bedroom, but I still wanted some color coordination for the bedding. lol Target definitely doesn't have a lot to choose from, so we went to BabiesRUs from there.

Anyone who has ever been to BabiesRUs knows that it is a mecca for the most overpriced, most unorganized baby things around. I would never willingly shop there for things that I can get online or somewhere else for half the price. I mean, WHY would you spend $300 on a car seat/ stroller combo when you can get one for $159 elsewhere. And when you walk in, the first thing you see in front of you is the cutest baby outfit for $20 that is. lol And when you go to pick out clothes, good luck. Nothing is separated by age group (newborn, 0-3 months, etc...), things that would make sense to have together (booties, socks, mittens, and hats) are spread on opposite ends of the sections, etc.

BUT, they are the best at having nursery themes laid out for you to see. It's not just a little picture in a magazine that you HOPE will match all the other stuff you're getting. I had already been thinking something jungle-themed, or even just something with animals on it..lots of greens, yellows, stuff like that. Well, I actually did find the perfect one! We decided on the Sweet Safari theme (Well, I didn't give Dean much of an option to agree or, and from there it was a lot easier to finish the registry and get out of there. lol

From there, I had to run over to Walmart and finish getting gifts for the baby shower. Like I said, I don't even know the chick..never met her in my life, so I certainly wasn't going to get her something off her registry....especially since the chick ONLY listed top-dollar stuff! Seriously, her registry had nothing but EXPENSIVE-ass stuff on it! For example, she listed entire nursery themes...not only the bedding (which is pretty standard to put on a registry), but the furniture itself...the crib, changing table, rocking chair, dresser, etc. Not only that, but for SOME reason, she was requesting more than one set. She had 3 different cribs, dressers, and changing tables picked out. Yeah....she really expects people to shell out $300 at a time for her. lol

So, I decided I was going to put together a nice basket full of stuff she was going to NEED. Like wipes and wipe refills, baby shampoo and soap, lotion, Q-tips, Desitin, petroleum jelly, burp pads, stuff like that. I still wound up spending like $40 on her, but I think it was appropriate for someone I'd never met. :-) I also had to buy a car seat for her (Dot's gift). Dot just handed over her credit card and told me to buy it for her since I knew what I was doing. lol

But between picking up Dean that morning in Pasadena, dropping Dalton off at grandpa's house, going to 3 different stores, taking Dean back out to Pasadena, getting the baby shower stuff ready, dropping it off, etc...I wore myself OUT! My doctor's appointment is tomorrow morning. They're already watching me for high blood pressure and stuff, so I'm quite sure I'm going to get reamed out for not doing like they told me...."Get someone else to do it." lol So what if I'm supposed to get someone to do the running around for me? lol I had fun, I got to look at all kinds of baby stuff (which invariably either makes me sappy and giggly, or hormonal and crying over cute things.) lol. Not to mention, I've been practically sitting on my butt for 24 weeks. It gets really lonely. :-( I NEED to get out sometimes. lol

Thursday, February 21, 2008


I'm definitely feeling a little better than I was on Monday. It was a huge shock hearing something might be wrong with my baby. It's one thing to be considered high-risk and to go through a lot of pain when it's ME that the problem is with. It's another when your baby is the one in trouble. It's a lot scarier.

I still know that the outcome of the amniocentesis is not a factor in considering whether to keep the baby or not. I know for a lot of women, having a baby with Down's would make them abort or adopt the baby out. I'm NOT one of them. So, you can quit looking at me with horror and asking, "Oh my god, what are you going to do!??" What do you mean, what am I going to do? lol That's a stupid question. It doesn't change the fact that I WANT this baby, more than anything. Dean and I FOUGHT to get pregnant; I'm certainly not going to be displeased with the results! lol

It's still hard not knowing the results of the test, though. This is going to be the toughest 2 weeks of my life, I think. Emotionally, I'm not taking it as hard. But, I'm not the type of person to be patient. I'm used to getting answers immediately. If someone else doesn't know, I find out myself. This is hard not having a choice but to wait. I guess I just need distractions at the moment. lol

Monday, February 18, 2008

Today's Ultrasound

I keep thinking that with everything else that's happened with this pregnancy, that nothing else can go wrong. Yeah...I was wrong. lol I kept thinking that the tech was taking either a really long time with the ultrasound or that he was being extra-thorough. Anyone who has had an ultrasound knows that they usually check a few things, tell you the sex, give you some pics, and kick you out the door.

I had to lay there through almost an hour of him checking and re-checking EVERYTHING. Arm length, leg length, circumference of the head (about 20 different times), hand and feet length, amount of amniotic fluid, the C-spine, T-Spine, and L-Spine (from every possible angle.), the heart, the blood flow going to and from the baby, the kidneys, the stomach, the bladder...he even checked the FACE! Ok, so it was cool getting to see my baby's face, but it's not all that normal for them to look at it for so long. Oh, and btw, unless you're getting one of those 4d ultrasounds, your baby's face looks like skeletor. It's kind of creepy, but it made me laugh. I've got the pics to prove it.

After, he checked all of that, he just blurted out, "It's a boy." Yeah, so I already knew that, and even if we didn't, we would WANT to know. But I felt like telling him, "Thanks for ruining the surprise." lol I guess it's a good thing we DID want to know. Otherwise, he would have been rude as hell. lol

Then, after ALL of that, he sat there for 20 minutes looking over everything. Then he said those words NO mother wants to hear..."Hold on, don't wipe off your stomach...let me go get the doctor." Yeah....scared the SHIT out of me. I mean, what could be wrong? I've had several ultrasounds and none of them ever showed anything. I do what I'm supposed to...I don't smoke, I don't drink, no drugs, etc. And I TRY to eat right. So, Dean and I sat there for 20 minutes wondering what the hell was going on.

The doctor comes in and starts explaining about the structure of the umbilical cord. Turns out that an umbilical cord has 3 blood vessels - 1 vein that carries nutrients and oxygen to the baby, and 2 arteries that carry waste from the baby to the placenta. Well, my baby has what's known as a single umbilical artery. The cord is missing 1 artery. So, I just have a vein and an artery. The doctor says that only 1% of single-baby pregnancies have this. The missing artery in itself usually isn't a big problem. The other artery will normally grow larger to compensate...much like someone who only has 1 kidney does fine. It gets bigger and compensates.

The problem with this, though, is that so far the artery that IS there doesn't appear to be larger; although, it may still grow with time. Also, a single umbilical artery is a marker for Down's syndrome. It's only ONE marker in several that they could look for. The triple-screen I had back in the 15th week came back normal, so that's good. Also, the baby himself looks to be developing normally as well, which is also good. That's why the tech was spending so much time MEASURING things. Babies that are born with Down's syndrome typically have shorter limbs and wider heads. His don't appear to be. However, the doctor did say that basically, an ultrasound is a picture. They couldn't know for sure until the baby was born...or they did an amniocentesis.

Dean and I decided that it didn't matter either way. We are going to have this baby and keep it, of course. So, the results don't matter. But I couldn't stand to go through 16 more weeks not knowing! I would rather know for sure, and if it's positive...well, then we'll just have more time to prepare. Doing an amniocentesis, though, carries it's own risks. Miscarriage, bleeding, fetal injury or death...none of them are good. And the risks are high. 1 in 200. That's high.

They went ahead and did the amnio right then and there, since it takes 2 weeks to get the results back. If you ever have to have one, and they tell you that it feels like getting blood drawn, with maybe a little cramping like you're having your period....they are LYING, lying, lying!! Sure, it's not the most painful thing you'll ever undergo...including labor, lol, but it feels like you're being stabbed in the belly with an ice pick. And, the cramping is PAINFUL. Lying ass heifers, all of them...

So, now, I get 24 hours of more bedrest. If I don't have any cramping tomorrow, they said I should be fine. I can deal with some cramping...duh, I'm female. But I feel pretty overwhelmed and I'm terrified that my baby isn't going to have a normal life. So, back to bed and another round of crying...

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Valentine's Day

I've never been a person to make a big deal out of Valentine's Day. Whether I'm single or not. lol I just see it as an excuse to force the person you're with to buy you meaningless crap just because tradition says to do it. And yes, roses, jewelry, and chocolate are meaningless when they're given under the pretense of, "Well, I have to get her something. It's Valentine's Day." Of course, they're nice, thoughtful gestures when it's not expected.

And, ladies, don't give me that crap that it's NOT expected. Yes it it! And you know it. If your man DOESN'T get you anything, you get all butt-hurt and whine about it. Personally, flowers and candy are completely overrated anyways. You get something that dies in 2-3 days, and something that's going to make you even fatter than you already are. And even if it's not going to add extra weight, you're going to guilt trip yourself for eating it! If you have a man that actually got you jewelry for V-day, then you better damn well hold onto him! Now, if you get a man that doesn't get you ANY of those, actually thinks outside the box, and gets you something UNIQUE, then you better chain him to the wall when you're going to be out of sight. You don't want to lose that! lol

Now, this year (being all hormonal and prego), all the candy and flowers was well appreciated! lol Of course, roses aren't my favorite, but it gave me something to look at other than the same damn 4 walls in my living room. (Being practically confined to your house for so damn many months gets old after a while. lol) And of course, I'm not ever going to turn down chocolate. I'm pregnant. It's my excuse to eat it all in one sitting if I so please, and then to send my hubby out for more! lol Not to mention, for some reason, I lost the filter between my brain and my mouth right around week 15 or so, and bluntness serves very well. I can state, demand, beg, plead, etc whatever it is I want, and actually get it! lol Where I got lucky was in having a husband who smiles, kisses me, and says, "Of course, be right back."

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Congrats to Ashleigh!!

So, my cousin Ashleigh FINALLY tied the knot! lol Even if she DID elope without me!! lol

Been A While....





Wednesday, February 6, 2008


So, I'm about to attempt the "go to work sick" feat. And yes, it IS a feat. Trust me. I can barely hold my head up on my own, is always waiting. Better to go in and get it done, than to wait until I've got so much work stacked up that I have to stay late. lol I guess I'll see how it goes....*sigh*

UPDATE: Yeah, the whole "work" thing didn't really work out. lol I got there, Dot saw me and asked if I was still sick. I told her yes, and she told me to go home. lol So, I spent all of 5 seconds at the office. lol

Tuesday, February 5, 2008


Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I've said a million times how much I want a girl, but I couldn't be any happier with another little boy! :-) And we weren't even supposed to find out until the 18th. lol
I had my doctor's appointment yesterday, and since I've been sick as a dog all weekend and wasn't feeling the baby move a whole lot, she decided to check and make sure I had enough fluid. While she was looking, she decided to go ahead and see if she could tell if it was a hamburger or a hotdog. lol

And of course, he would NOT cooperate! He kept moving around, wiggling his feet around, etc., but towards the end, she actually got a little peek in between the legs. lol She actually thought that it was a girl at first, because there was so much in the way, it was hard to see, but at the last second, he decided to be bold and flash us! lol Of course, I didn't get to see it, but both Dean and the doctor did. :-)

I'm going to try to get the latest sonogram pic in here when I can, but I have to borrow someone's scanner since ours doesn't work. I've got bronchitis, so I'm restricted on what I can do right now, so check back later, and it might be here! :-) It doesn't show much, but it's still cute!

Friday, February 1, 2008

Update :-)

So, I've finally got some new baby belly pics. :-)

21 weeks

Trust me, it's a little bigger than it looks! lol I already feel like a whale most of the time, and it's definitely getting harder NOT to waddle when I walk! lol My high risk doctors finally got me in to see the pain management doctor, and SURPRISINGLY, they actually found a nerve problem. Apparently my left ilioinguinal nerve is all messed up. Yeah....try saying that 5 times fast. lol It turns out that it got damaged when I was in labor with Dalton. The usage of vacuum to get him out caused the nerve damage, and because my stomach, obviously, didn't stay as big, I didn't notice the problem. But now, since my belly is getting bigger again, it's stretching the nerve and causing pain. They gave me some lidocain patches to use, and it actually does help a little. :-) But there's obviously another underlying problem since I'm still in pain, but they don't know if they can do anything about it. I have another appointment with my high risk doctor on Monday, so I guess we'll see. lol