le bump, 15wks (currently...)

 

So...I'm like, 40% DONE with this pregnancy already! Can you believe it? Because I can't. Seriously, no space of time has gone faster. I am so grateful to be flying through it, with an almost healthy card, but it could slow down a bit and I would be just fine with that.

I'm over the bump survey thing, so there is my personal version of that:

• Eating: everything in sight! Especially ceasar salad, tomato soup, and any kind of pasta with vodka sauce. YUMMMM!


• Wearing: Non-maternity clothes! I know, right?! 15 weeks and I fit perfectly into a pair of work pants that have hung in my closet because they've always hung weird on me...well not anymore! They fit perfectly and I don't need a belly band to hold them up. Also, no mat. tops either. I'm loving still wearing my regular clothes.


• Baby is...starting to make itself known! The other night I was up with Logan and as I settled back into bed, I felt three distinct thump.thump.thumps! It was so sweet! And now, if I'm really still and paying attention, I can feel the flutters. This is 4 weeks earlier than the first time I started to feel Logan. Wow.


• Differences: So far, this baby is right on track, whereas Logan was always nearly 2 weeks behind in size, which explains his 6.6 pounds at 41 weeks. My peanut.


• Predictions: I think this baby is a GIRL and that I will deliver on time.


• No fun: migraines and low back pain. I am seeing a chiropractor this afternoon and I cannot wait!


• Way fun: Logan kisses my belly and if prompted, will say hi to the baby, whom he is now saying is a girl (before, for weeks, he kept saying "boy" and "brother").


• Undecided: on a boy name. I hope that works out for us in the long run! ;)

There. That was a lot more fun.

Sunday Social-Newbie Here

I haven't done this before but I like how it sounds and I actually have a Sunday evening to myself to type it out. So here goes!

Name 4 jobs you've had in your life.

1. The first job I had in high school was working in a movie theater. I loved it. I had the best perks and, being that my entire family is pretty obsessed with movies, I had a blast. I was able to see any movie I wanted with my family, all comped, as long as the movie was at least 2 weeks old and not still selling out. This was all while Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Star Wars were coming out. It was a fantastic job. I quit when I started college.

2. I had a job as a paraprofessional in a high school. I was one-on-one with a student who had a traumatic brain injury. It was a crazy school year, but I loved going to all his classes with him. The job was challenging, but I got to do freshman year all over again and it was great.

3. I worked part time at a chiropractor while I was working at the high school. I got free adjustments all the time, but it was a commute to another town and I was not available enough.

4. Now I work in a hospital and I love it. I get to see pregnant mamas in labor come in and then see them leave with their little babies a few days later. I love it. I am keeping my eyes open for something where I could have more patient contact as a unit assistant, something which does not require certifications and such.

Name 4 movies you could watch over and over.

1. Knocked Up. Best comedy ever.

2. The Notebook. Best love story.

3. Harold and Maude. Best black comedy.

4. Inglorious Bastards. Best action/war movie.

Name 4 places you have lived.

I have only ever lived in Colorado, except for a short stint in New Jersey over the summer.

1. Lavallette, New Jersey, summer of 2006. This town was hit so hard by Hurricane Sandy.

2. Grand Junction, Colorado. 3 years for college.

3. Steamboat Springs, Colorado. AKA Ski Town USA. Lived there for 7 years.

4. Current Town, Colorado. I keep this private.

Name 4 of your favorite foods.

1. Butternut Squash Ravioli.

2. Guacamole.

3. BBQ wings.

4. Vodka sauce penne pasta.

Name 4 things you always carry with you.

1. Phone.

2. Keys.

3. Wallet.

4. Baby bean. ;)

Name 4 places you have been on vacation.

1. Isle of Mann, June 2002.

2. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, May 2000 & April 2009

3. London, England, June 2002

4. New York City, New York, countless times.

I was hoping we'd talk about TV, so since we didn't I will just mention that I am curbing a migraine right now by watching the pilot episode of Gilmore Girls and drinking a cherry coke. It's working.

eff off bob the migraine!

I'm in so much pain. I'm going on almost 4 weeks of chronic headaches and a week straight of one, solid migraine that only disappears while I'm asleep. So I named him. Bob. Of course the migraine is masculine. And I've asked Bob to sweetly take a hike and never return but something is getting lost in our line of communication and I think it has to do with the pain that he's inflicting on me. But in all seriousness, this fucking sucks. I've never had  a migraine before and I am sure that anyone who has, no matter how sweet and well-mannered, has used foul language in describing one. I've seen my husband go through them and there are certainly different levels of pain and differences in intensity. B will actually get physically sick, while I am in just so much pain it hurts to keep my eyes open.

Unfortunately for me, there is really nothing I can take or do to rid myself of this migraine since I am with child. So I am trying every little trick I can and so far, no luck. I try drinking a ton of water and even some water with electrolytes in it to keep my energy up. B has been massaging my neck, I'm using a heat bag, drinking caffeine, and taking Tylenol. Nothing is working. My midwife even gave me a stronger version of Tylenol and even that is not working. So rather than taking medication that is clearly doing nothing, here I sit and suffer. I have dimmed the light on my screen so I can barely see the words I'm typing, but the light is just too intense. I laid in bed most of the day in the dark clutching my head and praying for sleep or the pain to subside. No luck today.

The only thing I can hope for right now is that this is a temporary 2nd trimester bump in the road that will/should subside in a few weeks. That day cannot come soon enough.

Thankful

This has been a roller-coaster year with much to be thankful for. I am always giving thanks in the right circumstance, as often as I can. I pray and give thanks for everything we have and for everything that is yet to be had. But on Thanksgiving, the reflection is stronger. The realization of what we actually have to be grateful for increases and the importance grows.

This year, I am most thankful for:

• My husband.


• My son.


• Our home. Buying our first home this year is a feat we are thankful for every time we walk through the doors. And I cannot say we are thankful for our home without giving thanks to the people who helped us get there: B's dad and his fiance. We love them so much and are so grateful for the help.


• Baby bean. I'm so thankful that I have a body that is compatible with pregnancy, that holds onto healthy babies and continues to grow each day.


• My friends. The friends, near and far, and those of you I've never met. I'm thankful for the bond we share.


• My job. Any job, really, is something to be thankful for. I'm just extra thankful that I enjoy it.


• School. So thankful for formal education so I can learn how to do what I'm so passionate about.

And so much more. Cheers to another year, day, minute of thanks.

a little late

Tomorrow, I'm 14 weeks and officially in the 2nd trimester of this very fast-moving pregnancy! I really cannot believe how fast it feels.

The ups:

I feel like I am carrying this baby higher than I did with Logan. I can still wear my work pants and today, I just discovered that I really don't even need the belly band. Maybe I really did need it for the last few weeks, but the baby/my uterus has moved up some.

I look pregnant. People notice and comment. I love this stage where it is obvious and the attention to my belly is nice. I've always loved having a pregnant belly.

B and I had a date night on Saturday. It was amazing. I love him so much.

Heidi has found a house to move into! She and her kiddos should be making their way out of our digs in the next week or two. We are all so happy and excited for the next step in her transition here.

The downs:

I have been having pregnancy-induced migraines. I never had migraines prior to this pregnancy and they suuuuuuuck. I have a script for powerful tylenol and they're upping the dose because NOTHING is working. I am also scheduling a massage and maybe even a chiropractor adjustment. I'm even looking into buying a 10s unit.

Logan is in a weird phase, one which I am sure is going to last awhile. He cries over almost everything he wants and cannot have. It's exhausting.

The First Birth

I wrote a post about my first birth experience as a spectator. Read it here.

Wordless Wednesday