The post in which I apologize.

I'm sorry. I'm a bad blogger. Life got in the way of blogging and I can't seem to keep up anymore with a lot of different things. Of course, it doesn't help that the holidays have been keeping me busy and away from my phone or computer. I don't even have a bump pic for like the past two weeks except some that my aunt took.

Anyways, life has been a little hectic and worrisome lately and it's not good to make the hormonal pregnant lady worry, because then she will get mad that she's worrying and then her madness will turn into angry tears. Cue the water works because everything lately is making me cry. It could be another twist in the pregnancy symptoms or it could be because I am an angry crier. Instead of counting up for the weeks of the pregnancy, I am now past the halfway point and am starting to feel like I have so much to do and not enough time to do it in. I know this is an over reaction and I just need to get my butt in gear.

In an effort to catch up, here is the post for weeks 20 and 21. I'm sorry for being a poor blogger, friend in life and on FB. I'm not going to lie and say I will do better because I know the next week will be even worse for being online. I am taking a mental and physical break. Starting today I will be off work for an entire week. Wahooo! I will be visiting my parents and in laws for several days around Christmas and phone/internet service is spotty up there. (Yes I am from an area that barely got antenna service for TV for my entire life. No joke -- we didn't get more than two snowy channels until I was in high school.)

I digress. I will be back. Eventually. If you need me, pick up a can and talk through the string. (This reminds me -- we had a rotary dial phone until I was a senior in high school. That was in 1999 people. ROTARY PHONE. I swear to you that if we called one of those places where you had to press 1 for English, WE COULDN'T PRESS 1! Do you know how hard that is????)

My mornings: I'm getting up at 4 a.m. But on a brighter note, I will be off for 7 days!!!

My nights: Sleep is OK except that my hips are hurting more and more. Thanks to some great advice from some experienced mamas, I am going to go shopping for a Snoogle or a Boppy tomorrow.

How far along: 21w, 4d

How big is baby: Baby He-Man is 10.5 in and the size of a banana. At my anatomy scan last Friday, the tech told me the baby was already 14 ounces and according to the little fruit scale ticker thingees, we are measuring above the normal average, so YAY!

Weight:

Starting weight: 130

Total weight gain: 17

This week: 147

How I’m changing: The child is growing in my boobs and now my lungs. I think my uterus has relocated there. Breathing while sitting in a chair is getting harder. I have to stand up a lot more at work. I think the baby keeps swimming up and hugging my lungs.

What I miss: Good deep sleep.

Symptoms: I haven't had a headache in 4 days. FOUR DAYS! Do you know how long that is? It's a whole lotta time!!!!

Cravings: Gatorade. Specifically Orange gatorade.

Food Aversions: Nothing.

Highlights this week: We got to surprise the family with the news that we're having a boy!

Maternity clothes: Yep. Love them.

Stretch marks: I think I am getting them on both my butt cheeks.

Sleep: I wish it was better, but I will take it for right now.

Movement: I 'm feeling him more and more. DH hasn't been able feel him yet and he is really looking forward to it.

Gender: We're Team He-Man!!

Labor signs: Nope. Way too soon.

Belly button: I will still be an innie for a while, but I can tell that it's changing.

What I am looking forward to: My next appt is Monday. Should be a standard checkup. Quick pee, blood poke, heart doppler and then head home. Christmas is the next major event and I am looking forward to more family time, apple cider and lots of relaxing time. I plan on unplugging and turning off my phone. I'm not on call but I know work will be trying to get me to come in because it's inevitable that the scheduled workers will call in sick.

Milestones: Half baked!!!! I HAVE to get started on the nursery soon!!!

When you make a cheese sandwich...

Pro tip: Do Not leave the bread on the counter. 

Four pieces of bread were kept unmonitored on the counter as I turned my back. This is the look that Bella gave me when I asked her about it. And unless Minnie grew wings, I don't believe it was the tiny doxie. 

The secret is out!!!!

I apologize for not updating last night. We didn't get home until late but the night was a big success. 

Like I said before, my SIL and brother were the only ones who were aware that the announcement was coming. Every family member asked me when the date of the US would be, why we couldn't find out sooner and how excited they were to eventually know if there would be a boy or girl coming into the family. 

Mom even said wouldn't it have been great if I could have found out that day so I could have announced at the party. I just kept saying, "We will find out soon." 

I pulled my aunt aside and told her the plan. She is the resident family photographer. She's forceful enough to line the group photos up. It's my one chance to sit aside and enjoy how mad people get when you force them to grin with each other for 5 minutes. It's so painful. And yet so hilarious. Thank goodness I am not the one lining up the little ants. I love not having to take the pictures when she is there. I can sit and enjoy and actually be in some photos. Irony happens when she pulls out last years photos and people always thank her for taking the family photos but then cry like little crap covered infants during the chaos. 

Back to the story ... We were scared the self timer option wouldn't be optimal for capturing the best reactions so my aunt decided to stay behind the camera while my parents, kids, and grand kids were lined up. The rest of the family was standing around watching the goat rodeo known as family picture time. 

She took two pictures, set up her secondary camera to record (secretly) and then said lets take one more. When she normally would have counted down to smile, it was my turn to announce ...

"Everyone say, 'It's a BOY!!!!!!'"

We're TEAM HE-MAN!!!!!

DH is proudly showing off the babies junk and bragging that the size is world record material. It's nice to see him really excited about the pregnancy. Don't get me wrong. He was happy but he's been so worried and antsy about everything up until now. Since the US and the doctor's assurance that everything looks normal and developing fine, he's been more relaxed. 

We got a few pictures yesterday at the US but I have to wait on the reveal pics from my aunt. That's the only downside from not being the photographer. 

All night long people kept asking if I was serious and if it really is a boy. They're all very excited. Dad's already planning what gun to buy the baby first. Redneck for lyfe y'all! 

By the power of Grayskull, here's He-Man... 

Is it a BOY or a GIRL?

It's almost time. Clicky poll is on the right on the sidebar!!!

The poll will be open until I make the big reveal to family tonight. After that, I will announce to my stalkers. Happy clicking!!!

If you can't click on the poll or are on mobile, feel free to comment with your answer.

Yesterday. I'm just glad it's over.

Can we just forget that yesterday ever happened? Mark it off the calendar. Erase it from my memory. Scratch it up to one of my worst days EVAR. 

Even without being pregnant, yesterday sucked. This whiny post isn't even really about pregnancy. I'm not even sure what's going on is related to gestating. 

I got off night shift at 6 am, felt a headache coming on, drank some water and took a couple Tylenol. My recent headaches (read as almost daily headaches) have been staying just headaches and not turning into migraines. My theory is they're caused dehydration. As long as I'm drowning my kidneys with water, the headaches subside quickly or stay pretty dull. 

Bed was calling my name and I figured the headache would go away while I slept. Wrong. 

Wrong. 

I couldn't have been more wrong. Around noon my belly was cramping and I immediately ran to the bathroom. I have the opposite of constipation problem right now so this didn't surprise me. Add another reason it's been difficult to stay hydrated. Headache was still there but not worse so I went back to bed. 

The final time I woke up was around the cut off point time for calling in sick to work. I've called in sick a couple times but thought that I didn't feel too bad to make it. About 20 minutes later, I regretted that decision. It was a full blown migraine and I was laying naked on the bathroom floor throwing up. 

Normally, if I get sick, the migraine will ease up. Wrong again. I don't even know how many more times I threw up. DH wanted to call in for me but I said I would tough it out or come home sick after my relief person could come in. 

That plan didn't take long since I didn't even make it to my console before I threw up again. My supervisor was awesome and didn't even give me the choice to stay. She sent me home. Me and her are both stubborn people and it takes a lot for us to abandon work. And that's exactly how I feel when I call in sick. I feel like that shift is my responsibility and I should be there. She feels the same. I did the same to her one day when she had an abscessed tooth and was in tears because she couldn't even talk. Guess what? Talking is pretty important in our job. Communicating with callers, officers, firemen and paramedics is kinda important. Same goes for puking. I may or may not have dispatched via portable radio or by headset from the bathroom before but the sound of vomiting when answering a 911 call or radio is not something you want to be recorded. 

::side story-- we have a dispatcher who can't stand the sound of someone throwing up. Not surprisingly, we get a lot of medical calls where throwing up can be heard in the background or by the caller itself. "Hello. I need an amb...(vomit) ambulance to 112 first stree ...(voooooomit) street, please." 

This dispatcher will throw up everything the caller throws up. End story:: You're welcome for that visual.

Anyways, I was back home, but not too soon since the car movement and lights from vehicles and houses really ticks off my migraines and triggered another session of naked bathroom time. Don't ask me why but if I am throwing up at home, I have to be naked. 

Today, I'm feeling better. My stomach and my head still aren't friends. But at least they've called a truce and are existing painlessly right now. As for these migraines and for yesterday, I'm going to try to forget about both because as soon as I get a twinge of pain I'm instantly scared that it's going to happen again. And I would really like to not be naked on the bathroom floor in the near future. 

For your viewing please, here's a pic before I got naked again yesterday. 

Half baked!

Who knew that 20 weeks could fly by so quickly? 

A longer post will come later, but I wanted to mark this day down. It's a milestone that seemed impossible some days. I still can't believe it sometimes. 

19 weeks: You say Tom-A-to. I say Tom-a-TO.

My mornings: I'm getting up at 4 a.m. How do you think I am doing? ::work related whine::

My nights: Sleep is actually going better once I fall asleep.

How far along: 19w,7d. ONE MORE DAY UNTIL HALF BAKED!!!

How big is baby: Skeletor is fattening up a little more this week. The size of an heirloom tomato, baby is 8.5 ounces at 6 inches in size.

Weight:

Starting weight: 130

Total weight gain: 14

This week: 144

How I’m changing: The child is growing in my boobs. I think my uterus has relocated there. 

What I miss: A job with normal hours.

 

Symptoms: Headaches are still causing me problems. I get one about everyday.

Cravings: Another firehouse salad. House dressing. Extra dressing and extra cheese please. My awesome coworker bought me a pint of the salad dressing. MMMmmmmm.

Food Aversions: Nothing.

Highlights this week: We know the sex of the baby!!!! But I am not telling. muahahhaahaha. We did a quick ultrasound and found out the sex. It was awesome to see the baby again. My anatomy scan is set for this Friday and once we have that done, we will be surprising my family with it on Friday evening during a big Christmas dinner. I am so excited to let the cat out of the bag!

Maternity clothes: Yep. Wearing them more and more. 

Stretch marks: I think I am getting one on my butt.

Sleep: I wish it was better, but I will take it for right now.

 

Movement: I feel some bubbles, twists and turns in there a couple times a day now. I was using the doppler on Friday, Dec. 6 and when I pressed the wand into my stomach a little ways, the baby kicked it and I could see the doppler physically get moved from the kick. It was such a hard kick that I could feel it from inside and outside and it shocked the crap out of me.  

Gender: NOT TELLING!!!!!! Stay tuned!

Labor signs: Nope. Way too soon.

Belly button: I will still be an innie for a while.

What I am looking forward to: I finally get a chance to surprise people with something! My anatomy scan was supposed to be sometime in the middle of the month. Also this month is my family's annual Christmas dinner with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. It's one of the only times we can get all the sides of the family together.

 

My plan is to get the family together for our standard group photo and when it's time to say "cheese" I am going to announce the gender. I keep going back and forth between this idea and hiding the surprise in a gift during the Dirty Santa game so when someone opens the gifts either balloons are inside or something that says, "It's a ..."

Milestones: Almost to 20 weeks!!! One more day and I will be half baked!!

I have a secret

And I can't tell you guys either! 

Neiner. Neiner. Neiner.

Soooooo...we sorta, kinda, maybe had an ultrasound earlier than expected and we know what we're having. 

Buuuuutttt, I'm not telling anyone until next week. I am determined to surprise my family with the news, so that means you all get to wait too. 

As for other news, Baby Skeletor is moving like crazy lately but DH still hasn't been able to feel. I did learn that I have an anterior placenta so it may be a while before he can feel it too. 

This post is one giant tease so I will leave you with some pics of baby skeletor.

Here's a creepy US pic for you. It freaks me out that you can see baby's eye balls! Crazy! Yet, I love it. 

Temps are in the 60s this week, so me and the furry monster went on a walk at my alma mater yesterday. 

Week 18: Sweet potato. Mmmmmm Thanksgiving feast week!

My mornings: Hello night shift. Goodbye sleep.

My nights: I can go to sleep OK, but it's staying asleep that is a challenge.

 

How far along: 18w,6d

How big is baby: Skeletor is fattening up this week thanks to the holiday meals. Baby is the size of a sweet potato and I ate loads of sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. Baby weighs about 6.7 ounces and is 5.6 inches.

Weight:

Starting weight: 130

Total weight gain: 14

This week: 144

My official weight at the doctor's appointment last week was 144. With some recent vomiting and stomach issues, my weight has been up and down a couple pounds lately. 

How I’m changing: The child is growing in my boobs. I think my uterus has relocated there.

What I miss: A good night's sleep and warm weather.

Symptoms: Headaches are my main problem right now. They're getting in the way of normal life and making me sick and/or miss work.

Cravings: Another firehouse salad. House dressing. Extra dressing and extra cheese please.

Food Aversions: Nothing.

Highlights this week: I had my 18w OB appointment which was quick. Pee in a cup. Poke my finger. Doppler on the belly and done. I'm glad I remembered to ask the OB about my previous bloodwork (everything was fine except that Antibody N thing but it will have no affect on me or pregnancy) and my frequent migraines. He prescribed a drug that has a sedative, aceptamenophen, and caffeine to help stop a migraine when it first starts. I have used it once this week. It worked OK as far as knocking me out but it's not a miracle drug that completely gets rid of the crippling pain, vomiting, sickness, inability to tolerate light and noises, etc. But at least I got a couple hours of sleep from it.

 

Maternity clothes: Yep. Wearing them more and more. I had to buy some more pants. Despite the dozens of pants that were loaned to me, there were only two pair that were long enough for me. I bought one extra pair that I think should last me through the whole pregnancy. The other two that fit are low panel ones and they are getting uncomfortable as the belly grows.

Stretch marks: None. I think I am getting one on my butt.

Sleep: Ha. Stupid Sleep. My body hates sleep.

Movement: I feel some bubbles at least once a day now. Sometimes more.

Gender: I still think Boy. We did the ring test and it said boy too. We shall see soon.

Labor signs: Nope. Way too soon.

Belly button: I will still be an innie for a while.

What I am looking forward to: I finally get a chance to surprise people with something! My anatomy scan was supposed to be sometime in the middle of the month. Also this month is my family's annual Christmas dinner with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. It's one of the only times we can get all the sides of the family together. With some help from my SIL ::howdy and waves:: we were able to plan the date for Dec 13. SIL and brother always host it at their house. I originally had the ultrasound set for Dec. 16 which is the date that I told my mom and family members. BUuuuutttt, I rescheduled for Dec. 13 and we're now planning on a surprise gender reveal at the party. I will update the blog with the reveal options to get some opinions as we make more plans.

Milestones: Each day and week is another milestone. I am cleaning out the spare room and thinking of nursery ideas.

18 weeks UK hoodie shot! 

  

The best part about today...

I'm pretty sure I am the luckiest pregnant girl EVAR! How awesome is it that I am pregnant on Thanksgiving and Christmas?!? Although I would have loved being pregnant any time of the year, I got extremely lucky that I am out of the first tri and away from the odds of being sick from smells or aversion to certain things. 

I'm also in the nice zone where gaining weight is acceptable and eating isn't painful yet. And whoever created maternity pants needs a gold medal! 

I'm planning my entire outfit based on my stretchiest pants. Woohoo! Bring on the turkey. And the dressing. And the potatoes. Corn! Pie!!!! Cobbler!!! And more importantly, ALL THE LEFTOVERS!!!

(Side note: I just ate a pancake and just blogging about this has made me hungry.) 

My pregnancy is backwards.

You know those classic pregnancy symptoms that most people get in the first tri? Nausea, vomiting, sickness all day, headaches? 

I didn't get any of it. Well except for a few minutes here and there when I didn't eat every other second, I felt sick. I felt faint. Passing out seemed like a good option. 

I lucked out and felt good for the majority of the first tri. Someone forgot to tell my body that the second trimester should be easier. It's the honeymoon of the pregnancy stages. Sickness should be gone. Energy returns. Intervals between pee times are back to normal human standards. That's what they say. "They" who are the experts and listen to all sorts of pregnant women can't be wrong. 

My body laughs at their assumptions and  "they" can kiss my butt. 

The last few weeks have not been as awesome as the first tri. My stomach and my mouth are not speaking to each other. The breakdown in communication between them is only hurting my tummy even more. Now it's hungry. But it can't think of anything it wants to eat. My mouth makes suggestions and in turn my stomach makes my mouth gag. 

My head is also trying to get in on the action and trying to piss off what's left in my stomach. Migraines have been a problem for years. But recently they stopped for several months. I even thought I might get lucky and not get any throughout the pregnancy. Wrong again.

Over the past couple weeks, I've had 3. I can't take my usual Rx and can only drink caffeine, take Tylenol and try to sleep it away. Fortunately my OB gave me a new Rx. I hope it helps so I don't have to call in sick, miss work and projectile vomit all over my bathroom. 

I've heard stories of women vomiting without any warning or gagging over nothing at all. I can now say I've experienced it. Well at least I have some bragging rights now? I guess I should look on the bright side. It's not convenient but neither is needing to pee 8 times a night. That's not even an exaggeration. EIGHT TIMES! My bladder and my body's need for sleep are obviously not communicating either, 

On the bright side, my favorite holiday is coming up. I don't even care if I vomit up turkey, I will eat the stuffing out of it and all the other amazing Thanksgiving foods.

I do admit though that there really isn't better time to be pregnant than at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Eat.All.The.Things!!1!1!! Plus I have giant stretchy pants. I'm going to be well prepared! 

Oh happy day!

I'm calling it. At 17w,5d I officially am sure than I am feeling baby movement! 

As I laid in bed flat on my back this morning, there was distinct bubbly feelings going on. 

It happened about 4-5 times and I was afraid to get up because I was scared it would stop.

I've been feeling a bubble pop here and there every few days for the past couple weeks but this was the first time that I was like "That's definitely it!" 

I can't wait until DH can feel it from the outside. He's excited for it. 

That was the good part of me day. The rest of it went to shat quickly when I got called into work and then dealt with women work drama all day long! But at least work is over and I am getting paid extra. 

Also, someone needs to get me this. KTHXBAI

You know it's bad...

You know it's bad when you need the toilet, trash can and kleenexes to contain all the bodily fluids spewing from you. 

You're welcome for that graphic description, by the way. 

Also, whoever the genius was who said "morning sickness" was only in the first tri or that a migraine is only a headache needs to show up at my house today. I have a set of dull scissors with his testicles name on it. 

17 weeks: Onion. Great, now I want a Blooming Onion.

My mornings: I have never been a morning person. I wake up every day tired. My college roomie used to sing when she was getting ready. My reaction was to plan ways to murder her. 

My nights: Last night I went to bed at 9. I woke up and 10 and proceeded to take a nap every 30 minutes until 4 am. An infant has been sleep habits than me. If I cry it out, will that help me go to sleep? 

 

How far along: 17 weeks, 1d

How big is baby: Skeletor is putting some meat on the bones and is now the size of an onion at 5.1 inches and 5.9 ounces. 

 

Weight:

Starting weight: 130

Total weight gain: 12

This week: 142

How I’m changing: I'm starting to get more of a prominent belly. And I think my boobs are growing again. The largest bra that I have isn't fitting as well. So it looks like I may have to go shopping again soon. 

What I miss: A good night's sleep.

Symptoms: My blood volume is increasing causing more moments of breathlessness and rapid heartbeat. 

 

Cravings: ALL. OF. THE. CARBS!!!!

Food Aversions: Nothing. 

Highlights this week: I got a hands free nursing bra for free. I paid S&H and its a nice little bra. I hope it works well! 

Maternity clothes: Yep. Wearing them more and more. 

Stretch marks: None.

Sleep: Ha. Stupid Sleep. My body hates sleep.

Movement: I feel some bubbles every couple days when I lay still. Nothing that I can identify when I'm moving around though. 

Gender: When I shop for items I am drawn to the girl stuff but I still feel boy most if the time. 

Labor signs: Nope. Way too soon.

Belly button: I will still be an innie for a while.

What I am looking forward to: My OB appointment will be Nov. 25. Then I will get the appt date for my anatomy scan. I can't wait to see the scan and make sure everything is OK plus find out the gender.

Milestones: Nothing too important right now but I was able to get DH to go into BRU with me. He looked so confused and basically told me to take my mom and SIL with me to officially register. His answers to what items to pick were based on cuteness and color. Oh and of course, price. To him, buying the cheapest thing is OK. He didn't understand the importance of some items over others. But at least he's willing to give me full reign over picking out things. 

And now for a visual...

16 weeks: Avocado

Remember those days when I actually updated this blog? Yeah, those were the good old days. Unfortunately, I keep thinking "No one cares that I ate a 1/2 bag of doritos and haven't pooped for several days" or "No one needs to hear anymore about how I haven't slept 3 hours straight in months" or "The only thing I want to blog about is food and then that makes me hungry. Great. Now I need to eat again."

Somehow, my mind completely forgot about the week 16 update. Nothing much has been changing lately. There is so much to look forward to but right now I am just counting the days away until the next milestone. So here's a quick 16 week udpate and then I will throw up the 17 week questions shortly. Kisses to all!

 

My mornings: I still hate mornings. Always have. Always will. I wish that I liked coffee. It might make waking up easier.

My nights: Pee. Sleep. Pee. Nightmare. Pee. Sleep. Luckily, I haven't peed in the bed yet so that's a bonus.

 

How far along: 16 weeks

How big is baby: Baby is the size of an avocado, about 4.6 inches and 3.5 ounces. Skeletor is growing eyelashes, hair and eyebrows.

 

Weight:

Starting weight: 130

Total weight gain: 12

This week: 142

How I’m changing: I'm officially looking pregnant the majority of the time now. The bloat belly doesn't disappear at night any more.

What I miss: A good night's sleep.

Symptoms: I've had some weird nausea and vomiting that has no warning. Thank goodness I have been in the bathroom both times lately, but it's like there is no feeling of "I may vomit?" It's like all of a sudden it just happens.

 

Cravings: SALAD! And mashed potatoes. And ALL. OF. THE.CARBS!!!!

Food Aversions: Nothing yet but smelling leftovers or old food makes me gag.

Highlights this week: DH told me I look pregnant now and it's getting obvious now in my clothing.

Maternity clothes: Yep. Wearing them more and more.

Stretch marks: None.

Sleep: Ha. Stupid Sleep.

Movement: Nothing but gas.

Gender: I feel a boy. It varies every day though.

Labor signs: Nope. Way too soon.

Belly button: I will still be an innie for a while.

What I am looking forward to: My OB appointment will be Nov. 25. Then I will get the appt date for my anatomy scan. I can't wait to see the scan and make sure everything is OK plus find out the gender.

Milestones: Making it another week. It feels good that it is going by so quickly. Some days it seems like it is going slow, but this week can be an example of how fast it is going because I didn't realize the week had passed and I hadn't posted the update. Whoopsie.

A post full of randomness.

It's official. My craving is definitely a southern friend chicken salad from my favorite local BBQ joint. The house dressing that comes with it could make a turd taste good. (This is according to my coworker and I am not about to challenge that statement.)

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Just when I think the powerful and overwhelming hunger pains have stopped, along comes a middle of the night moment when your body HAS TO HAVE 1/4 bag of doritos, bowl of frosted flakes and a large glass of chocolate milk. And by "HAS TO HAVE" I mean, I would have died from hunger within the middle of the night if I hadn't eaten at 2 a.m.

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I have 9 more night shifts to go before switching over to an 11a.m. to 11 p.m shift that will work better for future newbown and child care purposes. I am soooooooo excited to get off this rotating schedule.

-----
DH and I have been discussing names and there are only two that we can agree on. If the resident in utero is a male, he will be named He-Man. A little girl will be named She-Ra.

It seemed like appropriate names since he has been calling the baby Skeletor until we find out the gender. Since, I am not a fan of people offering their opinions on our name options, I think I may start telling people that He-Man and She-Ra are the real name choices. DH even offered up the name of Prince Adam as an option for realsies. Yes. I want my child's first name to be Prince. Sounds like a good plan. His rational was that Prince Adam could be his God given name of Eternia but he could be nicknamed He-Man.

This is all coming from a man who used to run around in his underwear and raise his little plastic sword aloft, and say, "By the Power of Grayskull..."

If you don't get that reference, then we can't be friends and GET OFF MY LAWN WHIPPERSNAPPERS!! Golly, I am old. Random fact: He-Man the cartoon came out 30 years ago.

-----
Our car seat fits both of our cars. Isn't that handy? Apparently, the Britax B Safe car seat has some issues with not fitting in smaller cars. The seat is 2 inches longer than most others meaning the baby can stay in the infant seat for longer. However, that 2 inches makes a big difference when your car has limited back seat leg room.

It felt kinda odd taking the car seat outside to test this out when we've got several months left before needing it.

-----
It's 5 a.m., I really wish the next shift's crew would get here soon. I have a coupon for Hardee's Biscuit and Gravy and the little Skeletor is getting HANGRY! 

15 weeks: There's an orange in mah bellah.

My mornings: There's been a new development: Morning headaches. But as long as they don't turn into migraines, then whatevs, I can deal with it. I did have a sick one last week and it was ridiculously painful and terrible.

My nights: Night starts at 5 p.m. Daylight savings kiss my patooie. I don't like feeling like it's time for bed at supper time. 

 

How far along: 15w,6d

How big is baby: Baby is the size of a orange and weighs about 2.5 ounces.

Weight:

Starting weight: 130

Total weight gain: 10

This week: 140. Holding steady at 140.

How I’m changing: Getting a little rounder and fuller in the belly.

What I miss: I miss sleeping. A lot. Plus running.

Symptoms: Headaches, more cramps, and my nose has some random spurts of bleeding.

Cravings: A salad with house dressing from my favorite BBQ place. I could eat three a week.

Food Aversions: Nothing.

Highlights this week: I bought a car seat at Babies R Us on clearance this week. Me and mom found it while on a shopping trip. It was half off and it was the exact one that I had been lusting over. It's a Britax B safe and I'm so excited that I made my first big purchase.

Maternity clothes: Yep. I am in them and loving them.

Stretch marks: None.

Sleep: I almost dread going to bed because I never know if my sleep will include waking each hour, peeing every other hour, insomnia or crazy, scary nightmares.

Movement: I keep feeling little bubbles popping when I lay still. I am hoping that it is movement. I can hear lots of movement on my doppler.

Gender: I think Boy. 

Labor signs: Nope. Way too soon.

Belly button: I will still be an innie for a while.

What I am looking forward to: My next OB appointment will be Nov. 25.

Milestones: Buying my first big item. Plus, I have started sharing the news with more people. We may eventually publicly announce soon. However, we may be the only people to announce the pregnancy with a birth photo since we are waiting so long to tell some people. :)

 

It's 911 calls like this that make us giggle uncontrollably.

Thank heaven for the genius who invented the mute button on our phones at 911. Because those magical buttons cover up so much laughter, gasps, and even tears.

Tonight, it was just laughter though.

I answered a 911 call from an elderly lady. She requested an ambulance for her 55 year old son, but wouldn't tell me what his complaint was. She kept repeating, "Just get them up here. I can't talk about it on the phone."

911: Is he in pain?
Caller: He's in his room moaning.
911: Can you go in there and ask him where he is hurting?
Caller: NO. Just get them here now. Something is wrong.
911: (long silent awkward pause is a secret way to get people to start talking. People will usually always fill the silence.)
Caller: It's ... He has a problem with his male organ.
911: Is it bleeding? Swollen? Stuck?
Caller: Nooooooo. Just get them here. (hangs up phone)

You can probably see where this is going. We predicted it when she wouldn't go back into his room, but Old Mama walked in on her adult son masturbating. Apparently, she thought his moans were cries for help.

Sidenote: Officers were sent because she mentioned that he was screaming at her earlier so we sent them just in case. The officer that was a smart ass to me earlier in the evening was dispatched to this call with no courtesy warning of what he was walking into. That will teach him to not piss off his dispatcher.

Pardon the mess. Everything is under Construction.

This site looks like a goat rodeo. A monkey humping a football. A pen full of chickens with the heads cut off.

Whatever you want to call it, this blog is a little discombobulated. (Apparently, spell check recognizes that as a real word. Who knew?)

Sorry for the mess. I am in the middle of redoing the design again. The last design was expiring soon and I haven't had much extra time to revamp everything so there are a few bugs here and there. Oddly, there were some random birds in the upper right hand of the design that took me an hour to get rid of. I honestly have no idea how I killed them but they're gone. Thank goodness.

When you combine night shift, medical emergency with a family member, and little to no sleep for an already tired dispatcher, you get one tired girl who can barely function. I don't even want to talk about what my house looks like. We're getting close to the point where Bella's shedded fur is going to morph into a third dog soon. There's already enough to knit Minnie a new sweater.

I hope to return to regular blogging soon. And, depending on when I give a mouse's hiney, I may try to fix the blog again in the future. Kisses on your heads!

14 Weeks: Lemon

My mornings: I don't think I have ever woke up in the morning with a cheery attitude. That certainly isn't happening now or in the future.

My nights: I'm back on night shifts and not sleeping very well during the day. So what's new?

 

How far along: 14w,6d

How big is baby: Baby is the size of a lemon and weighs about 1.5 ounces.

Weight:

Starting weight: 130

Total weight gain: 10

This week: 140, up 1 pound since last week

How I’m changing: DH keeps commenting that my belly finally looks pregnant, so that's better than the pudgy bloat I had before.

What I miss: I miss sleeping. A lot.

Symptoms: I had a few days of boob soreness again, plus they feel like they weigh about 10 pounds each. When I go from laying down to standing up, it's like there are little weights that gather in my boobs and suddenly start jerking them down. It's kinda odd for a former member of the Itty Bitty Tittie Committee to grow so much in so little time.

 

Cravings: DH introduced me to frozen yogurt in a tube at his mom's house. I now consider it the greatest creation in the world and have been eating at least one a day. I think I have bought 3 boxes of them over the past week to keep some at work and home.

Food Aversions: Nothing.

Highlights this week: This is kinda good and bad news, but my Dad had to go to the ER and then have surgery this week for a rare thing called "twisted fat." I think the medical term was Odendum Infarct. He is back home now, but that has completely thrown my schedule upside down. Thus, why I am late to getting this 14 week update ready.

Maternity clothes: Yep. I am in them and loving them. I am still not big enough to really wear maternity shirts much, but a few of them are beginning to fit and show off more than a pudgy belly. One of DH's coworkers saw me walking to meet them for lunch and said, "Well she actually looks pregnant now." DH told him to not say a word to me because he knows that I am sensitive to not looking fat vs. looking pregnant. He mentioned it to me later but it was a compliment to me. I was happy for it. I just don't want someone to say, "She's looking fat."

Stretch marks: None.

Sleep: I almost dread going to bed because I never know if my sleep will include waking each hour, peeing every other hour, insomnia or crazy, scary nightmares.  

Movement: I don't want to be one of those crazy first time mom's that is adamant that she feels movement at 9 weeks, but I swear I have felt a few little "somethings" that have been noticeable enough to think that it may be movement. When I lay on my stomach in bed or lay flat on my back trying to go to sleep, I have felt a few little flutters (for lack of a better word). It kinda feels like a little bubble popping in my belly and it's always in the spot right where I find the heartbeat on the doppler. It feels nothing like gas and I don't notice anything at any other time. I hope that it is movement and I know it will be a while before I really can feel it more distinctly.

Gender: I'm still feeling boy. I have felt this for a couple weeks now, but I will probably change again soon.

Labor signs: Nope. Way too soon.

Belly button: I will still be an innie for a while.

What I am looking forward to: My next OB appointment will be Nov. 25. It's with a different practice than the one I started out with. I liked them a lot better and am extremely happy that I switched. After that, the doc will schedule my anatomy scan and we will find out the gender!

Milestones: Being officially in the second tri is awesome. I still have moments of worry and haven't even announced to the whole world yet, but I did tell a few more close friends this week so it's nice that it is becoming a little more real.

A post from the bathroom

This is what I see when I try to use the bathroom. But you have to imagine that there's a weenie dog on my feet and this furry eyeball is outside my door. 

Dog pictures. Adorableness inside!

I was going to write a blog post, but this keeps getting in my way. 

Have you ever seen a prettier dog? 

Then again, there is this little cereal beggar. She's pretty adorable too. 

Diet of a pregnant lady.

My diet today has consisted of a toaster strudel, three dill pickles, a raw potato and plum juice. 

The potato was going into my crock pot to swim along with the roast but it looked better in my mouth. 

And the plum juice is just for good measure for my intestines. Plus, it's much yummier than prune juice. 

Do not. I repeat DO NOT eat as I do. Your stomach will only regret it. 

Now, what's for lunch? 

Annoying coworker is annoying

Good morning and welcome to a middle of the morning post! 

Know why I am here? Because my coworker is annoying the bejeezus out of me and I'm looking busy over here so she will stop talking. 

Today was supposed to be the start of my 7 day break from work but I got called in. Whoopideedoo. 

The only good part is two words: Overtime Pay! 

Downside: it's with my arch nemesis and the biggest attention hoar I've ever met in my entire life. I can't even explain how bad this girl is. 

Me and another girl were talking about a recipe. Attention Ho piped in and said what she made for supper last night for her ex husband and son.

::Ok. Great. We weren't talking to you.::

Me and other coworker continued on talking about a recipe for cookies that I made last week. Attention Ho speaks up about candy that her baby daddy brought her. (Completely different father from the ex husband baby daddy)

::Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.::

At this point, we're 10 feet away from her and turned the opposite direction and whispering! We're obviously not including her. During a conversation about the Jackass TV show, she butts in and starts talking about something funny that Baby Daddy #2 did. 

I swear she doesn't know how to speak without it being about herself. I could say "I like potatoes." She would then tell me some completely off the wall story about her child, baby daddy, getting drunk and eating potatoes. 

This post makes absolutely no sense but it really doesn't need to. The main purpose of it is to make me appear completely engrossed in my phone so she won't bother me. It would be a lot easier if I could wear ear plugs at work. 

Unfortunately, they frown upon not listening to 911 callers.

At this point, I'm wishing for the 911 lines to ring because I need something to do. But it never works out like that. As soon as you wish for an end to the boredom, the whole world lays down and takes a nap and no one calls. But when you're praying for 15 free seconds so you can go pee, then all 12 lines start ringing. 

Take yesterday for example, I had gulped down about 186 ounces of water and needed to pee like a race horse. We were slammed busy and I was debating how humiliating it would be to pee my pants. I swear at that moment I would have gladly inserted a catheter just to get some relief. 

I should bring an extra pair of underwear and pants to work. That would be a good plan.

Or an adult diaper. 

13 weeks: Hello 2nd Trimester!!!!

My mornings: Dayshift begins with a wakeup at 4 a.m. so right now my mornings suck big hairy balls.

My nights: I go to bed at 8 p.m. I am apparently 90 years old.

How far along: 13w, 3d

How big is baby: Baby is about 2.9 inches and .81 ounces. In fruit terms, it is about the size of a peach. The head makes up 1/3 the size of the body. Vocal cords are forming and the baby already has fingerprints.

Weight:

Starting weight: 130

Total weight gain: 6.8

This week: 136.8

 

How I’m changing: The bloat isn't going away each night and the little bump is showing a little more.

What I miss: I miss running. I am clear to go back to running but work has been crazy so I haven't done it yet. Hopefully when I am off next week, I will get in a few days of activity.

Symptoms: The fatigue still comes and goes but I think a lot of that is because my sleep schedule is all out of whack.

 

Cravings: Nothing new. I am thirsty pretty often and chocolate milk tastes so good right now.

Food Aversions: Nothing yet.

Highlights this week: We had our NT scan and all the test results were good. The US Dr gave us a couple of 3D pictures. One of them shows the face with an arm over it and DH keeps looking at it and saying it looks like me. I don't think he realizes how much it will change before the birth and it is so tiny right now. But because of this, he thinks it looks like me and that it is a girl.

Maternity clothes: I can still fit into pants and wear them when I'm only going to have them on for a couple hours. Otherwise, I go with some stretchy pants and regular shirts. I have a few loose fitting shirts that are still hiding it some.

Stretch marks: None.

Sleep: My job does not allow this. It's a cross that I have been bearing for years. You would think that I would be used to it by now.

Movement: Nothing but gas.

Gender: I am still feeling boy but DH is adamant that it is a girl.

 

Labor signs: Nope. Way too soon.

Belly button: I will still be an innie for a while.

What I am looking forward to: My NEW OB appointment. After a couple disagreements on the quality of customer service at my previous OB's office, I scheduled an appointment with another doctor's office. I will not tolerate being on hold on the phone for longer than 10 minutes on the same line that handles appointments, questions and concerns that need non-urgent and urgent care by a doctor.

Milestones: I am in the SECOND TRIMESTER!!!!1!111!!!! I am so excited that I am past the first tri and moving on. Some days it feels like the time is flying by and then other days, it feels like I am barely progressing. I can take a quick look back at blog posts and see how much is changing each week and it makes me feel like it is going fast.

Much less bloat this week but the little pudge is getting a little more noticeable.

Look! It looks like a real baby!

NT scan is done! After the drama of scheduling it last week and the following days of crap with that OBs office, I was glad to walk out of that office today. 

Let me back up a bit though. The prenatal test (also called the NT or nuchal fold scan) can help the healthcare practitioner assess the baby's risk of having down syndrome and some other chromosomal abnormalities as well as major congenital heart problems. We apparently want the result to be under 3mm in the space around the neck or something like that. The US doc was going over this crap while he had my results in his hands. I wasn't listening to a single word he said as I was too worried about the results. I just wanted to interrupt him and say, "Excuse me. I don't need a Wikipedia review and definition of the test. Please just tell me if it is OK or not."

He said anything above a 3 would cause him to worry but said ours appeared normal at 1.3 or something like that. 8 swear I heard the words "within normal range" and then completely tuned him out. Oopsie. Way to listen to details Mama. 

This US was soooo much cooler than the previous ones. The little booger doesn't look like a gummy bear anymore and actually looks like a real skinny baby with a giant head. :) 

You could see the heart beating and the little skinny arms moving all over the place. The legs were kicking around as the US tech kept pressing the wand down on my stomach. The hand and arm  kept moving above its head and laying on its face or getting close to sucking the thumb. The tech wasn't getting detailed enough shots of that but was more concentrating on the neck but it was pretty awesome to say the least. 

Have I told you how stinking amazing it is to have a regular on top of the belly US? Because it is! I should be done with transvaginal dildo cam ultrasounds for the time being. 

My 13 week update will be coming soon. But until then, here's a few pics!!!

You can see the arm over the face and the other fist beside the face.

Profile shot and heart rate was 158. Everything looks great and I feel great. Except for the drama with the OB's office, things are going smoothly. It's almost too good to be true. 

12 weeks. Hello little plum!

My mornings: I'm on night shifts again. What is this day light crap coming in my windows? Someone needs to turn off the sun.

My nights: Shut eyes. Wake up. Pee. Over and over and over ... You get the idea.

How far along: 12w, 4d

How big is baby: Baby is the size of a plum and is about 2.1 inches and .49 ounces.

 

Weight: Can we skip this question? I broke down and bought a digital scale for the house. I knew it would probably be higher than the 130 that my scale was showing. According to this scale and my doctor's scale I have gained 14 pounds in the first tri.

Now I know that it's more likely that I started at a higher weight and have gained less than 10 pounds but this weight thing has bummed me out. I am in that tough period where I don't look pregnant. I look really pudgy. I look like I have gained several pounds in my waistline and it's not easy when you're trying to keep a pregnancy secret but also don't want people to think you've gained 10 pounds in just a few short weeks.

How I’m changing: I'm starting to get a little bump that's noticeable to me. The bloat still goes down when I sleep but by the end of the day I look pregnant. It's hard to hide right now.

What I miss: I miss sleeping. A lot.

Symptoms: I had a few days of fatigue again this week, as well as some heartburn. That's new to me and it's been at random times so I haven't had a chance to really pinpoint if anything is causing it or not.

 

Cravings: Nothing in particular.

 

Food Aversions: Explain this to me. I like bananas. I can eat about half of a banana and suddenly can't swallow the bite because if I do I will vomit it back up. This makes no sense to me.

Highlights this week: My first OB appointment and hearing the heartbeat on the doppler. It was strong at 159.

Maternity clothes: I can still fit into pants and wear them when I'm only going to have them on for a couple hours.

 

Stretch marks: None.

Sleep: It's been a little better this week. I've gotten more quality sleep and haven't been waking up as much.

Movement: Dr. H could tell when the baby was moving during the doppler. Everytime she found the HB, the baby would squirm to another location. She kept pointing out the scratchy sound the doppler made and said that was when the baby was moving around.

Gender: I'm feeling boy this week. There is no particular reason why but I just do.

Labor signs: Nope. Way too soon.

Belly button: I will still be an innie for a while.

What I am looking forward to: I am looking forward to looking pregnant. I can't hide it with my work shirts and the maternity shirts make me look more pregnant than just a loose fitting t-shirt.

(Picture side note: my arm looks abnormally large. I either have massive muscles or my mirror is being weird.) 

Milestones: Today was my last dose of Crinone!!!!1!!1!1 I can't tell you how happy this makes me. Of course, I am nervous, but I am also excited to be past this point in the pregnancy.

The post in which I am very pissified.

Bear with me. This post is full of hormonal rage and pissiness.

Also, I am going to make up about a dozen words that describe my pisstified level.

Today was my first OB appointment. (The important news of the appointment will be at the end of this lengthy post. Scroll down if you want to see that first.) It was with Dr. H who I will try to rename soon. My medical records and files are in her system because her and Dr. A are in the same teaching hospital group so she should have had access to all of my information when they scheduled this appt.

Because of this, they should have known beforehand that I was 12w,2d today and needed my NT scan done. But, nooooooo. The stupid moronic staff didn't do that, even though I called beforehand and asked if I would be receiving a US for the NT scan today. They didn't have an answer and said they would check.

I even called back this morning to make sure so I would know if DH should take off work to come with me.

One ringee dingee. Two ringee dingee. Three ringee dingee ... 45 ringee dingees.

(Hangup and dial again)

One ringee dingee. Transfer to automated system. Press buttons. Press more buttons. Press even mooooore buttons. Cue horrible hold music and a recorded voice about how important I am.

5 minutes later. I am still being told how important I am. While I appreciate the admiration from the robot voice and affirmation that I am indeed the most special person in the entire world, I was not being helped.

(Hangup. Dial again.)

10 MINUTES LATER I am back to the affirmation and now it is pissing me off and making me stabbity. I am ready to murder the robot lady. 10 minutes is a long time to wait, especially when this is the exact same line I would need to call if I have an urgent question for my doctor or nurse. By now, I am on speaker phone, cursing and pacing my kitchen.

::You're call is important to us, please ...::

Live person picks up and guess what her first words are. "Dr. Slow Ass OBGYNs office, can you hold please?"

"Sure, I have already been on hold for 10 minutes. What's the big deal about holding for another 30 minutes," I asked.

By now I have her attention. She apologizes and makes an excuse about how busy they are and are short staffed. I reminded her that no office in the world should take three phone calls and this much wait time before speaking to a live person.

Now she's pissedthehelloff at me like I insulted her mother. Trust me honey. I know what it's like to have 13 phone lines to answer between 4 people. Don't talk to me about how tough your job is. I know you have medical students and college interns floating around like flies on shit, so why don't you sit one of their butts in a chair and make them work.

Anyways, she finally answered my questions by not actually answering the questions. She was no help because she didn't know anything.

I met with Dr. My Office Staff is Stupid and we discussed a lot of the normal stuff. Yada Yada Yada ... don't smoke crack. Don't drink lots of alcohol. Stop being a prostitute. Don't do laundry ever again. Tell DH he has to cook supper every night. Blah, Blah, Blah, all the normal stuff.

She looked at my chart and was also confused as to why the NT scan wasn't scheduled. There's only one doctor that does them and I am only available on Friday and Monday. Guess what? He doesn't work on Fridays and by Monday it would be too late. It has to be done before 13 weeks. Monday will be 13 weeks. I am working night shifts through Thursday night and I CAN NOT wake up during the middle of the day to come for a 15 minute scan and then go back to bed. There's no way I could sleep again. I have sleep problems anyways. It's not going to happen. So she asks I can come early in the morning.

"Sure. Does he open at 6 a.m.? Because that's a good time for me."

She detects my sarcasm but doesn't think the other doctor will appreciate my humor and open up at 6 a.m.

At this point, it looks like I may not have the NT scan done. Thanks a lot Office of Lazy Butts OBGYN for flubbing up this schedule.

Since she works at the teaching hospital office, she only delivers at one particular hospital. It was the one hospital that I didn't want to deliver at. She had some valid reasons why it is better including that it is the major hospital for the are and has the only NICU, level 3. The other hospitals all transfer to this one when there is a problem. But, around here, more people are going to the newer, prettier hospital because this one has the reputation of being dirty. Now, I could just be hearing only the bad stories of this medical center, and unfortunately, I don't have many people I can ask about it because most of the people that I know that have delivered in recent years have went to the other perty, new building. But it looks like I don't have that option unless I switch OBs.

The downside to that would be that I would have to go with a practice that rotates OBs. You will never know which doctor you will see or deliver you. With Dr. H, she said she doesn't rotate because she doesn't take many private patients. The only ones she sees are Dr. A's fertility patients and higher risk patients, including multiples and other high risk pregnant mothers. She said delivers about 90% of her patients and the only reason she wouldn't deliver is if she is out of town or in surgery or something like that. I like fact about her practice but there are so many other problems that are ticking me off that I don't know I if I want to stay with her or not. 

I had a pap smear, flu shot and was violated a little more by the OB. It's never awkward to be felt up by another woman. I am almost positive that I am not a lesbian now too. So there's that.

Fast forward to her instructions to schedule another appt for 4 weeks from now. Sounds easy doesn't it?

I met the check out student who was studying medical terminology flashcards at the desk. I hope he studies them real hard because his common sense and customer service skills are lacking. He should really not go further in the secretarial field. I tell him my desire for an appt on a date 4 weeks away. No dice. Dr. is not available that day.

He tossed out an option and I said nope, I am on night shifts for three nights then and explain I work 6-6, 12 hour shifts. It's not possible for me. He then asks if the very next day is an option.

I am 5 seconds away from letting my head hit the desk. "Nope. I am still on night shift. It's not an option."

I asked for something the following week after my day shifts end. He asks if I can come in before work. 

"Sure. I will take your earliest appt at 5:30 a.m."

He does not see my humor or the obvious answer.

Two weeks later we find a day that works for us both. By that point I will be 18 weeks. He can't tell me if I can go ahead and get the anatomy scan at that time. This does not shock me. At this point, I'm pretty sure these people are glorified monkeys pressing buttons because they don't know Jack or his Uncle Shit. I ask him to find out. That wasn't an option either. He said I would have to call back another day and find out.

"Awesome," I said. "I love your office's hold music."

_______________

I must end this on a good note, since this whole day and other things have been putting me in a pisstacular state.

The appt went well as far as the baby stuff goes. I talked about my worries with weight gain. According to the office scale and my scale at home, I am up almost 10 pounds. I told her I am worried I may gain 60 pounds. She wasn't worried about my weight gain and said it will even out or we will monitor it closer in my third tri because that's when it could really affect things.

She was able to find the heartbeat on the doppler after about 2 minutes of searching. I was about to stop breathing and had to remember to breathe when I finally heard it. The little booger was running from the doppler. Even when she would finally get it to register for about 10 seconds, it would move away again. She chased it all over my stomach. The heart rate was 159 and sounded amazing.

My doppler that I ordered off eBay should be here Thursday. I can't wait to hear it at home and let DH listen to it.

So there it is. One of my longest posts ever and it's full of piss and crap. Any advice, hugs or flat out answers that make me not have to make a decision are welcome.