Trashboat

Fiona is ten weeks old tomorrow. Have a list detailing the past month and a half that I neglected to post about.

1. I am completely recovered from the birth, and the blood vessel tumor thingie on my lip has almost entirely disappeared. Yay!

2. I am ten lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight.

3. Fiona had a lot of trouble sleeping to begin with. She took very, very few naps during the day and never for longer than 45 minutes or so. For example, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. one day she slept a little over three hours broken up into 30-45 minute increments throughout the day. As babies should be getting a metric fuck ton more sleep than that, the upshot was that she would get fussier and fussier and fussier as the day progressed because she was exhausted. She also did not want to sleep in her crib, and she would only sleep at night if someone held her or if she laid next to someone in the bed. Gradually over time, she got much better about sleeping in her crib. She's been taking all naps in her crib for a few weeks now, and the frequency and duration of her naps has increased. She's also sleeping for much longer stretches at night, and last night she slept the whole night in her crib with nobody having to hold her (only waking up to eat and going right back to bed). The relief we feel is indescribable, especially since our first child was (and still is) a champion sleeper. Josh has said on more than one occasion that if Fiona had come first, he would not have been so eager to have another. LOL

4. Colic is totally managed. She doesn't do any more colicky crying. We give her prevacid every morning. I don't get why they don't make a suspension of it; crushing up the pill and mixing it with water is annoying. I know tons of babies take this medicine, so they'd do well, I think, to make a version that caters to that market. We've also elevated the head of her crib and are using the Playtex Ventaire bottles which reduce fussiness, gas, and colic.

5. I stopped feeding her from the breast last week although we are still feeding her breast milk; I'm pumping. After a couple weeks of life, she started having trouble nursing--fussing at the breast and crying--and I attributed it to the colic since my research indicated that many colicky babies fuss at the breast. When we started giving her occasional bottles (and she had her first bottle at the end of the first week of August because I had a surprise meeting to go to), she never fussed. We started giving her bottles at night because she didn't fuss and so that she would drink more and hopefully sleep more. I finally had a hysterical fit last week when every single time I nursed her she just screamed and screamed. It was incredibly frustrating because I am making tons and tons of milk. I have no production problems, and the doctor can't find anything wrong with Fiona to make her fuss at the breast like that. She doesn't have thrush and he can't see anything weird in her throat to make her do that; plus, if she did have some throat problem, it would affect her when she's drinking bottles as well as from the breast. We've gone exclusively to bottle feeding now, and we've started transitioning her to formula. We're using Similac Alimentum; we started Friday with a 3 oz breast milk to 1 oz formula ratio and upped it to 2/2 this morning. We'll do this for a few days, step down to 1/3 for a few more, and then I'll be done breastfeeding. I'm a bit relieved, actually. I'm glad that I'll have been able to give her almost three months of breast milk, but trying to nurse her became so nerve-wracking. I'm also ready to start eating dairy and soy again (although I have discovered several non-dairy items that are worth eating), and I'm ready to wear a bra that actually supports my titties once more. I know it's incredibly vain, but these nursing bras make me look about 10 lbs heavier than I really am.

6. Fiona and I are taking a walk around the neighborhood every morning. I am so out of shape, it's not funny. I'm concerned that once I stop breastfeeding and my metabolism slows (and I start eating dairy again!), that I'll gain back the weight I've lost. I do not want that to happen. I'm also using wii-Fit to measure my weight loss.

Obviously, this post contains graphic commentary on childbirth, breastfeeding, and other bodily functions. :)

( Fiona's Birthday )

I went to the doctor today. Gained 17 lbs, two cm dilated, blood pressure good. Still just playing the waiting game.

Everything is still going great. I've gained 14 pounds, my blood pressure is good, and no signs of preeclampsia. Whoooooooo!

He checked my cervix and not much going on down there. LOL Boy, is it not fun having your cervix checked. I've been all crampy and contractiony ever since.

In the last week and a half, I suddenly feel terribly uncomfortable. I cannot breathe. I have indigestion and possibly heartburn (it's hard to say as I have never had heartburn before, and this isn't so much a burny sensation as a feeling that I have a constant burp in my throat and am so full, if that makes any sense). I am as exhausted as I was in the first trimester. I have slowed waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down. I am a waddler. LOL I don't remember any of this from being pregnant with Emma. I think Ems was a much smaller baby, though, and as I was on bedrest at this point in that pregnancy, I guess I didn't really have much opportunity for waddling.

I can wear my swimsuit from last summer! I am so stoked. I am about to hit the pool and stay in it until Fiona is born. My enormous belly will brown in the sunlight. It will be glorious.

The nursery is so close, so close--just piddly shit left to get ready really (a shelf to put up, art to hang on the walls. No biggie.). I feel this overwhelming urge to GET THE ROOM PERFECTLY READY OMG! and then I go in there and just kinda stand around all indecisively. LOL

Next appt in two weeks.

I went to the doctor again this Tuesday and saw my actual doctor instead of the nurse practitioner. My next appointment is in three weeks, and I'm super pleased. I felt like the NP was being a bit hyper-vigilant by having me come in so often, and I'm glad he eased up the schedule of my visits.

My blood pressure was fine with no protein in my urine. Whoooo!

Every other time I've been to the doctor it's been in the morning and I haven't eaten. This doctor's visit was directly after I went to the lab to do the one hour glucose test and I had just eaten a pretty big lunch because I was starving. So I feel like my weight is a bit off this visit because of that LOL but according to their measurements, I've gained 13 lbs at this point which is still really great.

We got another bookshelf and I was able to clean out some things from the closet in Fiona's room. The last major hurdle in there is to get the closet functional, and that will happen when Mom and Dad come to visit in April.

Fiona is super active. She's pretty much constantly kicking and squirming and rolling around. It feels deeply weird and sometimes horrible. LOL I don't remember Ems being this active, but that was roughly a million years ago, so who knows? At least she doesn't do it at night; she doesn't keep me awake with her movement, so that's a good thing.

Other than that, nothing much else to report. :)

I had the 24 week appointment yesterday, and everything was fine. I've gained 6lbs total at this point, so yay! Not gaining too much weight! the only downside is that my blood pressure was a little high. I have to start going every two weeks now instead of four so they can monitor me for preeclampsia. *sigh* Everything else has been so fantastic that I was hoping we could skip the preeclampsia this round. I am going to remain optimistic, but I guess I better start thinking about transferring my classes to online instruction if I have to go on bed rest again (which will be easily done because they're already web-enhanced). We are also scheduled to go to a wedding in April followed by my defense, and those might need to be canceled if my blood pressure worsens. I just don't want to have another premie, and I really don't want to have a C-section. Bah.

I have noticed that I am way more emotional, crying for no reason, tears welling up for any emotion, even positive ones. I think a lot of it is the dissertation, and once that's over, I can relax and not be so wound up. We'll see.

Other than that, nothing much different to report.

So, I used to think that the reason I didn't gain much weight when I was pregnant with Emma is because I threw up approximately every thirty seconds. While I'm sure that didn't help matters, I'm starting to wonder if I'm just one of those people who don't gain a whole lot of extra weight when they're pregnant. I can still wear most of my pre-pregnancy clothes, and as of last week, I hadn't gained any weight. I think this week I finally look pregnant because a lot of people came up to me today and congratulated me at work. LOL

I've been having some breathlessness off and on, and I really noticed it today in my last class when I was lecturing. I had to kinda sit down and breathe for a few minutes before I could go on, but not really a big deal.

Since a little before the holidays, my right hip has been going pins and needles at night when I am trying to go to sleep. That hasn't happened in a few nights, but it's really annoying when it does. It doesn't last for too long, but it's irritating enough to keep me awake.

I haven't had a headache in a nice long stretch which I'm grateful for.

Mostly just riding out the rest of this month and hoping nothing exciting happens. :)

I had my second doctor's appointment today. I've lost three pounds which is fantastic (and surprising LOL). I'm so glad I haven't gained weight yet; I know that I don't need to gain a substantial amount of weight to sustain this pregnancy, and most of the weight gain should come at the end, so score one for me!

My blood pressure was a little elevated, but I don't know if that's white coat syndrome or if it's really starting to elevate. *shrugs* The doc didn't seem worried.

I had a moment of panic when they fumbled around for awhile trying to find the baby's heartbeat, but eventually they found it over to the left side instead of in the middle, and the doctor said the heartbeat sounded just great.

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop or someone to pull the rug out from under me, but other than exhaustion, headaches, breast tenderness, congestion, and trouble sleeping, I really don't have any pregnancy symptoms. I can easily forget that I am pregnant for long stretches at a time. Before this pregnancy, I never understood how people could be pregnant for months and just not know, but if being pregnant can be like this, I kinda get it. I mean, I could see somebody being stressed (headaches! exhaustion! trouble sleeping) and thinking they have some lingering cold and not even realizing they're pregnant. Of course, I still don't understand how you get to the point where the baby is moving around and not realize that Something is Different. LOL

But, I can't believe this has been this easy. It worries me. Naturally.

Doctor gave me the thumbs up on everything, so I'm just sitting tight until the next appointment which is for Jan. 2 at 15 weeks. I imagine that'll be a repeat of the same unless something changes between now and then. I did have them check my thyroid just because mom's crapped out in her early thirties after two pregnancies, and I have been cold. I NEVER EVER get cold. I am by nature a hot and sweaty individual, and pregnancy is by nature a hot and sweaty enterprise as the increased blood volume tends to make you warmer. But I have been cold ever since I got pregnant, like long pants with socks with a tank top and a long sleeved shirt and sometimes a robe and under a blanket kinda cold. IN SEPTEMBER, MIND YOU (which in the South is essentially July LOL). So, worth checking out.

I am very impressed with this practice. I did not wait more than ten minutes in the waiting room for either appointment; both started on time, and I was not left to languish in an examination room either time.

Emma and I had some good bonding time today. We went to Michael's and picked out crafts for her birthday party. I had the grand idea that if all of the birthday party is regimented activity time, nobody has any time to argue. So we are making cookies--sugar cookies with several different kinds of sprinkles and icing to be piped on, and I got little tins for the girls to take some home--and several different Christmas ornament craft things, and these little wooden boxes they can paint and bejewel. We're having a wii bowling tournament, and playing at least one board game and going to the Mexican restaurant for tacos, so that sounds like a full evening to me. It was good to hang out with her and focus on her; I definitely want her to understand that Trashboat is not supplanting her in our affections at all.

Final bit of miscellany: Trashboat is the size of a lime!

I went to the doctor yesterday to get a referral to an OBGYN and to get a blood test to confirm the pee test(s!) I took at home. They drew my blood and then told me that I can call on FRIDAY for the results. LOL I don't know what I expected to happen--maybe the skies to open and a heavenly light to shine down on my stomach while the doctor extolled, "Yes! You are pregnant, the best and most pregnant I have ever seen! Go forth and glow, Lorraine!" LOL

I did get a good referral though, a practice that two of the nurses at my GP's have actually used recently, so that makes me feel good. We are close to two major cities, and while Major City A would be more convenient, I want to go to a doc in Major City B because they have a NICU. If I do have preeclampsia again, I do not want to be put in the position of being separated from my baby. When they induced Emma early, we were living in Oxford, and the hospital there is a tiny Baptist hospital with no NICU. I cannot describe to you the utter terror I felt when the doctor told me, "Welp. Looks like you're having a baby today. She's early, so there might be complications. If there are, you have to stay here, and we'll transport the baby to Saint Jude's in Memphis, and it'll be at least a week before we discharge you because of your condition."

Um, no. I am not fucking doing that again. So, I got a referral to a doc in City B and have an appointment for November 7th. They want you to be at least 7 weeks at your first appointment so that they can do an ultrasound. I am stoked!

My blood pressure was a wee tad high yesterday (130/87) which pisses me off. My blood pressure is always good; I guess gaining all that weight back did a doozy on my BP. *sigh* I do not want to start the pregnancy off with a high BP already, darn it.

And also, in a bit of a Walt Whitman moment, I know I said a few posts back that I am feeling pretty zen and all that, but I'm starting to get a bit freaked out that I'm not feeling sick yet. I wish that instead of watching eight hours of Law and Order a day, I had kept track of how my pregnancy with Emma went. LOL I see online that most people don't start to have morning sickness until the 6th week, and I'm just at 4. I wish I could remember how quickly I got ill with her. I know it sounds weird, but there's something kind of reassuring about being sick as a dog. You can't feel the baby move for such a long time, but if you're puking, then that baby's still gelling. LOL

Maybe I won't be sick at all. I'd never hear the end of it from my mother. LOL