Bump Bound - Week 6

(Originally written 08/04/12)

Talk about moodiness!  Whoa!  Its like I have a split personality.   One day I’m happy and friendly and the next day I want to strangle someone for breathing too loudly.  It’s the strangest thing.  I’m so unbelievably happy but everything keeps pissing me off.  I keep having to stop and talk myself through things and calm myself down.  My bursts of moodiness are completely irrational, and I know that, which makes me get even more worked up.  Its been quite the adjustment.

Bloating?  That’s an understatement!  More like Blimping!  It hasn’t been so bad during the day but come 7:00 watch out! I feel like and look like a blimp.  My pants stop being able to button and it hurts so badly.  There’s no release either.  I’m not sure where all of this gas is going because its not coming out and by morning I feel back to normal….somewhat.

Nausea and Food Aversions?  Not so much.  I’ve actually worried myself sick because I haven’t been sick – At least not to the point where I thought I’d be sick when pregnant.  I’ve definitely been a little queasy and have had several gag moments but I still haven’t fully thrown up yet…..Which makes me worry.  I’ve always had it in my head that I would have full-blown, hold your hair back morning sickness.  But I don’t so far.  I tend to be a little a lot neurotic sometimes and I come from a long line of worriers so it’s in my genes to worry.  Thanks to the internet these days, I can usually help calm my worries and irrational thoughts with a little research.   I love to research random things. When I’m bored at work I research everything.   So of course, what do I do?  I researched morning sickness.  When it’s supposed to show its face and the different levels of it.  And what do I run across?  A study that says morning sickness is a good thing and those women who don’t experience morning sickness have a higher rate of miscarrying.  Dah!  Why did I research that?!?!  I’m such a tool!  Like that’s going to help me worry less.  Geeze!  My husband has now banned me from pregnancy research.

The great news?  We had our first appointment this week.  I was 6 weeks and 6 days along.  Since we had such a long road trying to conceive, my doctor insisted that we do an ultrasound at about 6 weeks to verify the pregnancy was viable and that it wasn't ectopic.  (As if the three blood tests they performed weren't accurate enough).  Waiting for this appointment was torture.  Every little twinge or discomfort I experienced made me wonder if it was in fact an ectopic pregnancy.  Gah!  Stupid neurotic self!  Just as my husband assured me it would be, everything was fine with our little grasshopper.  It is progressing just as it should be and had a nice strong heartbeat of 130 beats per minute.  Yay!!!  What an amazing sound to hear.  The ultrasound was cool to see too but the baby is still so small that it didn't really look like much more than a blob.  Sadly my husband wasn't able to make this appointment.  His yahoo of a boss made him extend his business trip and miss the appointment OR ELSE.  That guy’s a regular RICHARD!  I reassured my husband that he’ll get to go to the first official appointment and see the baby soon enough.  

Seeing and hearing the heartbeat was insane and of course, I started crying – A regular occurrence these days. 

That's the heartbeat  sound waves

The tiny blob

Bump Bound - Week 5

(Originally written 7/30/12)

I know it’s still very early in the pregnancy and everything I’ve read says that you may start to experience “mild” symptoms this week, but holy moly!  I would say that I’m definitely starting to experience some symptoms.  The “ladies” are so unbelievably sore.   They are sorest first thing in the morning and then again late at night.  Don’t get me wrong, they hurt like mad during the day but for some reason the morning is the worst.  I think I’m going to have to bust out the sports bra to sleep in tonight.   As it is, I have to cuddle my chest when I roll out of bed and go to the bathroom.…….Oh the bathroom.  That’s another thing I’ve noticed.  I never need to use the bathroom during the night but for the past few nights I wake up at least twice a night with a major urge to go.  I also counted the other day at work.  I went 6 times before noon!  SIX times!  I didn’t even drink anything.  Where is this pee coming from?  Seriously, I want to know.  Does anyone know?   If this is “mild” then watch out in the coming months!  I just may take up full-time residence at the pooper………Oh and that’s another symptom.  Holy butt cramps!    This is probably TMI but I have had the worst pressure in my butt.  Like the constant urge to “go” but I don’t really have to go, with massive bloating.  Apparently the pressure is a common symptom if you have a tilted uterus – which I do.  And I hear it only gets worse, so it sounds like this is a symptom that I better get used to.  Fabulous.  So if I make a constipated face while talking to you, just ignore it.  Its probably a butt cramp. LOL!

Cravings?  You wouldn’t think so but I usually get random cravings when I’m not pregnant so I’m not really surprised.  Well, I’m not surprised at the fact that I had a craving but I’m pretty surprised by what I was craving……It was like 1:00 in the morning and all of the sudden I was starving.  I mean, chew off my own hand off kind of starving.   I should preface this with the fact that a few nights earlier I had a dream that I went apple shopping with my mother-in-law.  Yes, apple shopping.  It was very important to pick out a handful of every kind of apple in the store.  That was it.  That was the entire dream.  A day of apple shopping.  Weird, I know!  So anyways, at 1:00 in the morning all I wanted was a Granny Smith Apple with some Carmel dip and some Lays Potato Chips.  Now if you know me at all, I don’t usually eat apples and I despise Lays Potato Chips.   I want something with “flavor” like Doritos or something…..At least, the non-pregnant me wants something with “flavor”.  The pregnant me was about to drive to the store to pick up some plain potato chips.   Luckily, we have a big box of Lays Potato chips in our pantry because we had already eaten all the good kinds in our lunches.  Score!  They may have expired last March but they should have a long shelf life right?  Maybe a little stale but they still tasted good!  As for the Granny Smith Apple with Caramel?  We didn’t have any and I was out of luck.  My husband said he would go to the store and pick some up but I told him that it was way too early in the pregnancy for him to be running out in the middle of the night to satisfy my cravings.  I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities later on, but I SO appreciated his offer.  And of course, the next day he picked me up some Granny Smith Apples and Caramel dip to get me through my next weird craving.  Would you expect anything less from him?  He’s so amazing!

Yeah, yeah, I know that's not a Granny Smith Apple, but I ate them all.  Oops.

Can you say flibity-jibit?

(Originally written 07/25/12)

I have been on cloud nine this entire week!   I’ve been so consumed with joy that I haven’t paid attention to anything.  It’s almost comical the things I’ve been doing since we found out we are pregnant.  I carried the remote control upstairs and into the bathroom with me.  I’m not sure what my subconscious thought I needed it for in there.   I also found my bra on the kitchen counter the other morning but I have no clue when I took it off and left it there.  Then, while carrying gifts to my friend at her baby shower, I was day-dreaming about our own baby and knocked over a metal lawn decoration that made a huge crash.  If things continue this way, people may need to hide their T.V. remotes as well as anything breakable for the next nine months.  I’m guessing your bras are safe but who knows at this point. 

I don’t have many symptoms yet.  Just some tender ta-ta’s and a sense of smell that seems to be in full gear.  I’ve always had the nose of a Bloodhound but it seems to be even more sensitive than normal.   My husband mowed the lawn and the grass was a little damp as it usually is around here.  Once he was finished he put the lawn mower back into the garage.  The next day as I pulled my car in the garage I smelled a foul odor coming from outside my car.  The minute I opened the door I started gagging.  “Gross! It smells like something died in here.”  

 I asked my husband to go check on the smell in the garage.  He responded “I don’t smell anything.  What does it smell like?” 

“Come here.  I’ll show you.”  I walked to the garage and opened the door.  The smell hit me between the eyes and I started gagging again.  “You really don’t smell that?”  

“No, I really don’t smell anything” he said, “but I’ll take care of it”. 

When I came home the next day my husband was out front hosing off the lawn mower to help fix the smell.  He’s so thoughtful!  I’m really lucky to have such a sweet and compassionate guy. 

I can’t wait to shout our news from the rooftops.  I'm looking forward to everything.  I want to experience every pregnancy symptom out there.  I’m sure I will regret saying that in a few weeks but right now I am so overjoyed and thankful for this, that I’m looking forward to everything that comes my way. 

Third Times the Charm!

(Originally written July 2012)

I love the saying “The third times the charm!”  Why?  Because it usually holds true.  After a long road and several months working with the fertility clinic, we just received the best news of our lives.  Guess what?!?!

It was Thursday afternoon on July 19th.  I had been especially irritable that week but I didn’t really know why.  I mean, 5-alarm butt-head!  Things that wouldn’t normally set me off seemed to really get me fire me up.  I got into it with the IT guy at work three different times, I interpreted an email from a friend to be a personal attack and “spoke my mind” about a few things, and then there’s my poor husband.  We rarely find anything wrong with one another but for some reason even the way he pushed a shopping cart around the store was irritating.  He kept pushing it diagonally and wouldn’t walk in a straight line.  I know, the audacity!

What was wrong with me?  Why was everyone around me so annoying?  Then it dawned on me.  It had to be because I was expecting “the phone call” with my pregnancy test results in a few days and I just knew it was going to be negative again.  So much so, that my husband and I had a long conversation the night before on what our next step was going to be if this didn’t take.  After all, the doctors said this was our third and final try and if we weren’t pregnant then we needed to explore more extreme measures.  I knew in my heart it was negative.  

I was completely shocked when the voice on the other end of the phone said “Its positive”.  

I responded sadly, “oh, okay.  WAIT. WHAT?!?  Did you say it was positive?”

“Yes, its positive”. 

I started bawling on the phone.  The nurse could barely understand me after that.  She said I would have to go in again in two days and repeat the blood test to be sure it was a viable pregnancy, but as of right now everything looked pretty good.  I called my husband and was still crying when he answered.  He’s gotten this emotional sobbing wreck of a phone call two times before so his first words were “oh babe, I’m so sorry.  We’ll just try again”. 

I replied, “no, sniff, sniff, its positive.  We’re going to be parents”.  There was silence on the other end of the line and then we both burst into tears and laughter. 

  

After a very long two days, we headed back to the clinic to repeat the blood test.  We've never been so nervous in our lives.  Hours later, we still hadn’t received a phone call so we tried to keep busy.  We were in a parade that morning and then we headed to the local farm to pick up some produce.   My husband ran inside to get a watermelon while I waited in the car.  As he came out, watermelon in hand, I gave him a big two thumbs up.  His face lite up with excitement and he mouthed “Really?”  Then I realized why he was so excited.  “Oh crap, NO, NO, NO,” I said, while waving my arms back and forth.  “They didn't call.  I was giving you thumbs up because you picked out a great watermelon.  Good job!” 

   

“Geeze babe!  Don’t do that to me.”  He said.  

“Oops, sorry.  I was just really excited about the watermelon.  It looks like a good one!  Hahahaha.” 

When the call came in, we got the news we were hoping for.  However, since my “positive” levels were so low with the first blood test they wanted us to come back in another two days for a THIRD blood test.   Three blood tests?!?!  Couldn’t I just pee on a stick like everyone else?  The third blood test was also positive.  After a long year and a half of hoping and praying for a baby, our prayers have been answered.  But of course, I still had to pee on a stick to see for myself!

I Wonder.....

• Why do you get deodorant balls in your armpits? 
• Why do people find it necessary to take a poo in the middle stall of an empty bathroom? C'mon, at least try to quarantine your stink in a corner stall. 
• Why do hang nails hurt so badly?  I'd take a giant gash in my arm over a hang nail any day.
• Why is it so hard to fart when you are sooo bloated and NEED to fart? If just one would come out it would make the world of difference.  But alas, they don't come.  Sigh. 
• Which brings me to my next question. Why do they call them farts?  That's soooo not a pretty word. 
• Why is the last part of a bar of soap the part that lasts the longest? 
• Why do some mammals mate for life (dolphins, penguins, etc..) while some of the so-called smarter mammals (aka humans) can't stand each other for more than a week? 
• Has anyone actually ever eaten a kumquat?  What is it? And where do you buy them?
• How come your feet get stinky in shoes but your hands don't get stinky in gloves?
• Why is the bathroom the dustiest room in the house?
• What is that smell that comes from the AC in a car?
• Why do we have eyebrows?  What's the point of these hairy face catipillars?

What is up with the universe?

Is it just me or are people acting more disrespectful than normal?  Is there a full moon on the horizon or something?  I swear, about 90% of the people I've encountered this week are dillholes and its only Wednesday.  And so I will rant......Maybe my patience is running thin but I really think people are just completely oblivious to the people around them.  Guy who tried to run me off the road yesterday and made me cry for a half an hour?  Dillhole! (Although, you deserve more colorful language!)  Lady who tried walking past me and shoulder slammed me because apparently I was walking to slowly for her?  Dillhole!  Lady who saw me rushing towards the elevator but didn't hold the door when I was 5 feet away?  Dillhole!  Numerous people who won't let you over in traffic?  Dill....er, never mind.  I guess I'm guilty of that one too sometimes. :)

Seriously though, what is wrong with people? At least the guy at my favorite lunch spot gave me a free item today just to see if I liked it.  That totally made my week and possibly restored my faith in humanity!  That's all it took.  Just someone being nice during a week where everyone has been rude.

Only one more day to go and then a nice, long 4-day weekend. That reminds me.  I really need to paint my toenails so they look nice for the wedding this weekend in Cali. What color should they be?  Hmmm, decisions, decisions.

*Update:  I meant to post this last week but totally forgot to hit "post".  Oops.  The wedding in Cali was amazing!  And I really think that last week people were just down right cranky!  This week people are so much nicer!  Keep it up.  Keep it up!   I still need to paint my toenails.  Dah!

Project Yard, COMPLETE!

We moved into our house in 2008.  In 2009 we built a fence which has been amazing at providing a sense of privacy (I say "we" built a fence but we all know I didn't have much to do with it).  Since then we haven't done much with our backyard. And when I say we haven't done much, I mean, we haven't done anything.  We didn't even water it.  Occasionally my husband would take the lawn mower out back into the dust storm and mow the foot tall weeds, but that was the extent of our yard work.  All of our attention was focused on the front yard.  We knew we wanted to re-vamp the backyard but it would take a few years of saving and planning before we could do what we wanted.  Well......I'm proud to say that after four years of dreaming of a yard we would want to spend time in, Summer 2012 was that year for us!  We now have a wonderful backyard to enjoy for years to come!

A big thanks to Vick Landscaping for their hard work and dedication to giving us a beautiful backyard!  

Before

Before

Before

Before

Before

Before

Even the dirt is an improvement from before

Setting the pathway

Laying the foundation

The paver process begins..

Ta Da!