Bed Rest & Dilating, 36.5 weeks

I've been on bed rest for about a week now. My blood pressure is high and I'm retaining water like a camel. My ankles look like manatees. I'm irritable and emotional, getting upset over the littlest things. I've dilated, but no more than two centimeters. Bud's still in there, squirming around, keeping his feet tucked way up in my rib cage. I stayed in the hospital Monday night for observation, but there weren't any huge changes. I'm going back again next week for more observation.

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far along: 36.5 weeks.
Size of baby: The length of a head of romaine lettuce!
Total weight gain/loss: A lot, apparently. 40 pounds...
Maternity clothes: I haven't been wearing pants much lately, unless we leave the house. My belly is too uncomfortable.
Gender: Still a boy.
Movement: So much movement. Kicks, punches, and hiccups.
Sleep: Not so much. I'm uncomfortable.
What I miss: Sleep.
Cravings: Sleep, haha.
Symptoms: Uncomfortable. Heavy. Tired. Crabby. Fat. Difficulty bending over.
Best moment this week: One week closer to delivery! Less than 4 weeks to go.

Identity Theft and 34 Weeks

Zac and I went with my parents to New Orleans for Kylie's birthday party. My feet are killing me and I've got blisters from walking around in the worst shoes because of course. There was a nice employee at Hot Topic who offered me a bandaid. As we were leaving, Zac used the ATM to get some cash out for lunch, but we had a large negative number looking at us. He called the bank and discovered someone was using his debit card number to buy cell phone minutes and rare coins (what even). I have a suspicion it was someone at the fast food place we stopped at on our way to the city. She kept our card for a longer-than-normal amount of time before returning it to us. It'll take a few days, but everything should be okay.

I went to my OB appointment and discovered I've got high blood pressure, which explains why my limbs keeps swelling up. I don't know if it's from the stress of moving or just being huge, or anxiety of being a mother, but I've got to do something about it. The heat outside isn't helping, I'm sure. Humidity is the worst. I go back to see Dr. N on Thursday to get my blood pressure checked again and to get the Group B strep screen. If my results are positive, I'll have to be hospitalized for observation. If my blood pressure stays high or gets higher, or if I start cramping or get headaches that don't go away with pain-killers, I'll have to be induced to get Bud out ASAP. I've got six more weeks to go, more or less. I'm just ready for this all to be done and I'm ready to hold my little Bud and be a family. Meanwhile, I'm confined to bed rest.

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far along: 34 weeks.
Size of baby: A cantaloupe!
Total weight gain: Too much. Grr.
Maternity clothes: Pajamas.
Gender: Still a boy.
Movement: Oh yes.
Sleep: Not as much as I'd like, even though I'm usually super tired.
What I miss: Not being pregnant.
Cravings: Spicy and salty foods.
Symptoms: Tired, hip and back pain, occasional headaches.
Best moment this week: Bud is healthy and measuring on target. The end is so close, but so far.

The Belly

In high school, I struggled with my body image, so I haven't posted many belly pictures. It's something I've dealt with for years and right now, watching my body do things out of my control is scary and slightly traumatic. I'm reminding myself to think of Bud and not be selfish, but when you have a state of mind for so long, it's hard to change the perspective. I'm working on it. So, behold, a big baby belly.

Mom had an Easter lunch gathering for the family, so Zac and I made the trip to Mississippi to see everyone. Meredith gave me a ton of much-needed maternity clothes and some baby items. I can finally wear pants that button.

Sugar Rush

The glucose is IN.MY.VEINS... I can feel it like sludge as I type and I can't relax. My skin is crawling and my legs are restless. I want to purge so bad. Ugh.

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far along: 31.5 weeks.
Size of baby: A coconut! Jeez.
Total weight gain/loss: About 30 pounds?
Maternity clothes: Pajamas.
Gender: A baby boy.
Movement: Very much.
Sleep: Aside from the glucose testing, I'm sleeping alright.
What I miss: Sitting and standing more easily, being able to run, walking without having to sit... My waist.
Cravings: Chinese food.
Symptoms: I feel huge. I get tired easily, though I feel energetic. I waddle.
Best moment this week: Hearing Bud's heartbeat.

Glucose rant

Last week's doctor appointment was atrocious. I mean, I'm finally at the correct weight and Bud is healthy, so it wasn't too horrible. But I talked with Dr. N about whether or not I should have blood work done to check for gestational diabetes. I told him I wanted to wait on it until the next appointment. The very next day he calls and says I need to come in ASAP for the blood work. I asked the nurse if I should eat or not and the she said I could eat if I wanted to, that they weren't doing the glucose test. Zac and I woke up early, picked up a coffee, and made it to Dr. N's office a bit early. As it turns out, not only did they want to do blood work, but to do the glucose screening drink-test as well, which tests for sugar levels that determine whether or not I have gestational diabetes. I was completely surprised and even informed them that I had a coffee because I was told there would be no glucose test this morning. Guess what? They had me drink the stuff anyway, knowing that I had the coffee. My results came back (duh) HIGH, so they scheduled me for a second glucose test, as well as blood test. Oh. My. Freaking. LORD. I have to go back Saturday to do it all over again "the right way". I really am starting to hate Dr. N.

Liver me timbers

When I was little, my parents used to buy the family-sized deal of fried chicken from Popeye's. I think it was a Sunday tradition. One time, they ordered a side of chicken liver. Gross. I swore I would never try it. But then, Dad offered me a taste, disguised as "dark meat" and it was delicious, though I still felt weird eating it. I went zombie-mode on that chicken liver and never looked back. One year, when I was going to church, the youth-leader was making an order for Popeye's and I was the weirdo who wanted the livers. I found it amusing that nobody wanted to even try a tiny piece. My fat ass indulged with unbridled jubilation and I was "the girl who munched livers".

Earlier this week, I had a craving for chicken liver and convinced Zac that it was a life-or-death situation. I would turn myself inside out if I couldn't eat the livers. He reluctantly went out to make the purchase to soothe the beast Bud within. After consuming the much sought-after craving, followed by an enormous glass of Barq's Red Cream Soda, I ran right to the toilet and became a human volcano. I will never touch liver again (at least not any time soon). The same goes for Wendy's Junior Bacon Cheeseburgers.

Tonight, Zac brought me to a seafood restaurant for a late-Valentine's Day dinner. We usually do celebrations after the holidays to avoid the wait and to get the discounted seasonal things. The idea that gumbo would be tasty popped into my over-crowded brain. I made the order, but once it arrived and I smelled it, something churned and told me do not put it in my mouth. What did I do, you ask? I put it in my mouth. A few minutes later, I knew I'd be seeing that bite again. As I was hurrying to the bathroom, I bumped into a girl I used to go to church with. She chatted with me for a second with the "Hey, oh my god, it's been forever!" speech, while I struggled to be polite and nod, desperately trying to keep my food dynamite from detonating. I hope I wasn't rude when I excused myself quickly and rushed into the bathroom and threw everything up. My waitress copped an attitude with me when I asked for a To-Go box, but I was ready to get out of there and get home. This little Bud is making my food choices unpredictable.

23 Weeks

I went to my appointment yesterday and heard Bud's heartbeat. He's doing just fine, growing as he should. Unfortunately, I've gained about 10 more pounds in the past five weeks, so I'm on a "diet". I'm so aggravated that they keep changing things back and forth. My weight is fluctuating to the extremes and I don't know why, they don't know why, and I'm crumbling. My fingers are fat, my ankles are fat, and my face is fat. Fat, fat, fat. They keep telling me everything is normal. No high blood pressure, no diabetes, or anything along those lines. Just "weight gain". It's so confusing.

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far along: 23 weeks.
Size of baby: A papaya!
Total weight gain/loss: 20-25 pounds. Ugh.
Maternity clothes: My overalls and pajama pants.
Gender: Still a boy.
Movement: Very much lately. He even gets hiccups.
Sleep: This week, I've slept really well.
What I miss: Nothing still.
Cravings: Bean burritos from Taco Bell still. No onions.
Symptoms: Having to pee all the time.
Best moment this week: Eating a bean burrito and feeling full.

All the boxes

Wow, I haven't written in here in a while, huh? Sorry. I've been busy sorting through our things, packing junk into boxes and making trips with Zac to Hammond and back. Kenny is letting us move back into the house and we're trying to clean and get a nursery set up for our little Bud. I'm hoping this weekend will be our last trip so we can get settled. It's exhausting!

New Year's 2006

Happy New Year!

Zac and I went to my parents' last week to celebrate a late Christmas. Emily and Alex have moved in with them temporarily until they find their own apartment. We all went to Meredith's to see little Molly and pass her around. She fell asleep in my arms while I was giving her a bottle. She's so tiny and cute. I'm so ready to hold my own baby already.

Christmas 2005

Zac and I have the house to ourselves since Mawmaw in in Mexico for the holidays. We're pup-sitting Mac and Otis while she's away. Our Christmas was cozy. I didn't feel like riding in the car to visit my family, so we spent it together. We played WoW and had our own tiny Christmas dinner of canned vegetables and a rotisserie chicken and watched a few Christmas movies. I fell down in the shower this evening since my belly is throwing me off balance, but everything is okay. Bud wasn't moving for a little while, so Zac started yelling at him and he fluttered. There's no blood, so I'm not stressing. I'm annoyingly clumsy right now, even with a small belly. I've got bruises and scratches all over from bumping into all the things. We're going to stay up late and see how many times we can watch A Christmas Story while it runs its marathon on TV.

Happy Holidays, from us *clink*.

It's a...

BOY!
I had an ultrasound this afternoon. We are definitely having a baby boy! His growth was on target, heartbeat was strong. I could see his little skull and spine, hands and feet, etc. It was awesome! My perfect baby boy.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 18 weeks.

Size of baby: A bell pepper!

Total weight gain/loss: Gained about 15 pounds.

Maternity clothes: I live in my maternity overalls.

Gender: Boy!!

Movement: Yes, though it isn't very strong yet.

Sleep: Super tired with many naps, but random bouts of energy. Vivid dreams.

What I miss: Nothing right now.

Cravings: Taco Bell's bean burritos and ice. I want to crunch ice often.

Symptoms: Sore boobs, frequent trips to pee, super tired, not so nauseated anymore.

Best moment this week: Feeling him kick.

Auntie

Congrats to Meredith! She's the proud mama to Baby Molly.

Just One Little Thing...

I was sitting at the counter in Mawmaw's kitchen, sipping hot chocolate and daydreaming about Bud and baby names and sushi. Zac was letting Zoey outside to do her business, when he came back in and asked me to go outside with him to see how pretty the sky looked. I was hesitant to go outside because it's cold and Mawmaw's kitchen was warm and cozy. When we were dating, we were walking around the mall and he kept hinting that we go into B. Dalton, a bookstore. I kept telling him no, that we had to hurry and get home, yaddayaddayadda. Later, I found out he wanted to buy me a book I'd had my eye on for a while. I didn't want to disappoint him again, so, despite the freezing cold, I said, "Alright."

Sure enough, the moon was bright, the sky was cloudy and blue-grey. I was shivering, so Zac put his arm around me. We were just looking up at the sky at the moon when he asked, "Will you marry me?" Obviously, I said, "Of course!" and kissed him on the cheek. That's when he pulled out a little white box and said, "No, really, will you marry me?" Needless to say, I'm engaged! I think Bud could feel my excitement because I felt the tiniest of tiny flutters tonight while I was lying on the bed.

Home Date

I had an OB appointment Monday, but didn't get an ultrasound. I still don't know for sure if Bud is a boy or a girl. According to Dr. N, I'm healthy and gained a few more pounds. My tests were clear and Bud's growing on schedule with a strong heartbeat. I go back in three weeks for another check-up.

Zac surprised me with a home-date last night. He set us up with popcorn and hot chocolate and we watched an Ellen special on HBO. I love Ellen. I don't think we've laughed so much in a long time. Man, it's going to be so weird having a baby squished between us on the bed in a few months, but I'm looking forward to it.

Thanksgiving 2005

We made a trip to Mississippi to see my parents' new apartment and visit for Thanksgiving. After Hurricane Katrina, my parents had some damage to their Louisiana apartment. Since Carlton and Meredith live in Mississippi, Mom wanted to be closer to them, so they moved a while back. It's a cute place, nice and cozy with a fireplace. Mom cooked so much food. I've been gorging nibbling on fudge and watching old Bugs Bunny cartoons with Dad, Zac, and Emily. Carlton and Meredith and their families are arriving tomorrow.

Zac's Birthday

Happy Birthday to my sweetheart!

We were going to eat beignets at the train station but they were closed today. Instead, we snuggled up in bed and watched movies and napped.

I'm sorry this entry is so tiny. I've been feeling sick. If I had a laptop, I could write from my bed, but for now, I'll just struggle to update when I can.

13 week Ultrasound

I went to my OB appointment and saw my little Bud again on the monitor. Zac brought a video tape so we could record his/her first video. Dr. N thinks it's a boy, so I'm excited! It's still a little early to tell, but there's evidence of boy parts forming. I'm gaining weight a little fast, so I'm changing to a lighter diet. I swear, one week it's "Eat more!" the next it's "Eat less!" My body can't handle all the wishy-washy crap.
Oh, but isn't this little black-and-white creature just the cutest?

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 13 weeks.

Size of baby: A lime!

Total weight gain/loss: It's getting up there.

Maternity clothes: A few. Two pairs of jeans and three shirts. My regular jeans are uncomfortable now.

Gender: Possible boy!

Movement: Nothing yet.

Sleep: Restless. I've been sleeping a lot, but not thoroughly and my dreams are weird.

What I miss: Piña colada daiquiris. 

Cravings: Mexican food and Chinese food. Salty stuff and Icees.

Symptoms: Bloated-looking, tired, occasional nausea, hungry more often, bigger boobs.

Best moment this week: Seeing Bud on the screen again.

Belly Buddies

Meredith and Matt are in town from Mississippi for a few days. Zac had to work, so they offered to pick me up and take me to lunch. It was nice visiting with them, as I don't see them often. Meredith and I have never been very close, but she's my big sister and we're pregnant together. She's at the end of her pregnancy while I'm at the beginning, but we're both becoming mothers.

Announcement

I read somewhere once that Olive Garden is a place where people tend to break news to others, whether it's good or bad. Got fired? Go to Olive Garden and let the spouse know. Someone died? Go to Olive Garden and eat your feelings. Pregnant? Go to Olive Garden and tell the family.

Today is Mawmaw's birthday. Zac's Aunt Janie and Uncle Dean treated all of us to dinner at Olive Garden. Christmas is approaching, so Aunt Janie asked Zac and me what we'd like. A nervous glance to each other, a hesitation, and a list of "baby stuff" came tumbling out like quarters in a casino jackpot. Things got weird quickly as the subject changed from congrats-on-the-bun to you-need-to-get-married. Zac and I are in no rush to pay for a wedding, especially since these same people didn't want us to get married last year when we wanted to elope to Vegas. Right now, we're just going to keep saving money. Once the baby comes, we'll think about marriage again.

Birthday

Zac took me out to dinner for my birthday. I feel like I'm not eating enough, even though I'm clearly eating more than enough. I've also been needing to walk around after eating anything lately, otherwise, I get horrible pains all over. So, we walked around the mall and hung out in the book store for a bit. Zac bought me a paperback copy of Interview With the Vampire (one of my favorite books) and we looked at a few engagement rings (eep!) before heading to Baskin Robin's for ice cream. All I want now is sleep. So much sleep on a cool pillow under clean sheets. Ah, bliss.