On my Welch side of the family, it is well known that Grammy rests before or after doing a big event. It's important for her so she can have the energy to do the things she wants to do. I didn't realize it was a strategy I would be using so soon! After this weekend I've realized I'm going to be using it a lot in the next 3 months.
Late Wednesday night, I ran around like a mad woman getting clothes and things packed for the weekend. Jimmy kept asking what he could do to help and I was glad to be able to give him a few things. It was wonderful to sleep in my own bed that night! Jimmy even woke me up to a backrub when he came to bed.
Thursday morning I left around 10 with Katie in tow. She is a good road trip dog and needed some bonding time after being separated for 5 days. I wanted to get to my mom's with enough time to get refreshed before the racing baby shower! The trip was pretty uneventful, thankfully.
Ginger, my dad's girlfriend, had very generously offered to throw a "Grandpa and Mommy" shower with a racing theme, along with Sheila, one of Dad's coworkers. Everything was so cute! The cake was like a sidewall of a racetrack, with little ducks racing. The diaper cake had black and white ribbon with the ducks in it. There were racing table decorations. It was so nice to meet some of Dad's coworkers who I've heard so much about. The shower was a lot of fun and Jimmy and I are so appreciative of the kind gifts! I'm excited to dress the baby up in a NASCAR Hall of Fame onesie from Grammy and checkered flag socks from Ginger and Sheila on the day of the Daytona 500! Looking at some of the photos on Facebook, I can definitely tell that I had been on steroids--I look sunburnt! Sometimes the 'roids cause a major flush.
Friday I had to get bloodwork done at the lab I used to go to in high school in college. It was kind of funny to be back there. Dr. M had said not to worry about Nplate on Thursday and just get counts on Friday. We knew I wouldn't really need the Nplate and who knows if it's even working anymore. My counts were 341! Take that OB doctors!
After I got back, Mom needed to run several errands. We managed to go to Chuck Wagon for lunch--hooray! Then we had to go to Gastonia to Target, the rental car place, and to Ingles. I also made dinner for Mom when we got back to her house. It wasn't much, literally just putting a turkey loin and Stouffer's spinach souffle in an oven and letting it sit for 45 minutes, but man was I tired! I'm sure it's a cross between the steroids and the start of the third trimester coming up. We went to Nanny's so I could borrow her hand mixer to make the two dips for the shower. She is so happy in her new space, but it is so weird to stay at what has always been her house and she doesn't live there anymore.
The Saturday shower went very well! I really miss everyone from "home" and events like this always make me wish we lived closer. There is my wonderful extended family--aunts, uncles, cousins--and then friends like the Jankowski women. It seems like when Jimmy and I come for a visit, there is never enough time to see everyone. The cake was red velvet with cream cheese icing and I made two dips from Pinterest that I was very excited about. We had Dr. Seuss decorations, based on "One Fish, Two Fish" that were so cute. Jimmy and I received such precious and useful things. We are so grateful for everyone's kindness!
Nanny, Mom, and I went to the mall for a little bit--only 2 stores, and if you know Nanny that is holding back! She had called me earlier wanting to go, and I agreed, knowing Mom and I would be tired, but would enjoy spending time with her. Mom said she could tell that I hit a wall with my tiredness or hungriness, she wasn't sure which. I didn't feel that hungry, but we stopped at a quick Japanese place and I basically devoured my meal--a small one, not one of the huge ones. Mom laughed at me! She said I normally ate much more delicately. I guess this is true. I didn't realize I had eaten so much until my plate was almost empty.
Sunday morning I woke up to a very sweet email from my husband. He told me he was ready for me to be home. We're not away from each other often and after being together most of the week, it was odd to be apart. I got to see my cousin Cindy Sunday morning and it was wonderful to catch up with her in person. I'm really thankful to Facebook because I feel like I've gotten to know her so much better. Love her! Mom fussed at me to not carry things out to the car and pack them. I did manage to get everything packed, with enough room for Katie. Mom was surprised, but Steve Welch is an excellent car packer and taught me well. A few hours later, Katie and I were pulling into the driveway at home. Jimmy and I basically spent the evening sitting next to each other on the loveseat and enjoyed being together. He enjoyed looking at all the sweet baby things. We are looking forward to working in the nursery this weekend!
I forgot to write about what the Wednesday nurse said about my weekend. I made the comment that I had to get out of the hospital because I had friends and family planning to host showers on Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon. That awful woman had the nerve to tell me I should cancel them! I had to pick my chin up off the floor at her rudeness, then told her that we did not put life on hold for my ITP, that as soon as my counts were where they should be I would be good to go. Even though it was busy and I was exhausted by Sunday evening, it was a wonderful weekend. Thanks to Grammy's example, I know how to better conserve myself in the future!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Surprise! It's a hospital stay!
Sunday night I had a nosebleed. I didn't think too much about it because it stopped pretty well and sometimes the change in humidity from the beach to other parts of the state.
We had an early start Monday morning, due to my appointment at 8 with Dr. M. Things went fine during the appointment...the basic ITP questions of, "Are you bleeding when you....?" Quick exam, quick overview of how the pregnancy has gone so far (only 10 pounds gained so far, woohoo!), quick blood draw, then we were off to Lakeview for the OB appointment.
The beginning of my OB appointment was a little disappointing. After not eating, they told me I couldn't do my GD test because I wasn't 26 weeks yet. Apparently if they did it at 25 weeks, 4 days, they would have to redo it when I was 26. Hmph! I saw Dr. S for the second time and we really like her. Fundal height was measuring right on track and baby's heartbeat was doing well. I explained to her that my nesting was definitely coming in as nervousness and questions and she was able to help me with both. The plan is if my platelets are still doing this rollercoaster business, I will come into the hospital a few days early, get treatments to increase my counts, then have an induction. Now, if your platelets are under 100k, it is very difficult to find an anesthesiologist who would be willing to do an epidural. I would really like to go without an epidural anyway. *Soapbox Warning* I'm glad people are reading this because then I don't have to see the faces some of you are making. Honestly, I'm tired of the faces. When I've told a few people about my desire to go without, they make an awful face. Thank God for my Nanny, who birthed 6 kids without and laughed about people making that face--"An epidural? What's that?" So, that's the end of it. If people are going to be negative, I'm just not going to discuss it any further. *Soapbox Over* Dr. S said they could induce me without pitocin, which usually makes contractions significantly more painful and increases risks of complications and cesarean. When I told her I was born in 3 hours as my mom's first child with just her water being broken, she was very encouraged. Of course, at the end of the appointment, my nose started acting up. My ultrasound appointment (for monthly growth scans) was at 12, so Jimmy and I got some breakfast.
During the wait, my nose kept getting worse. I was trying to crochet and it just kept trying to bleed. About 11:30, Dr. M called and told me I was at a 1k and we'd need to start Dex again. I truly didn't expect a 1. Around 11:45, they called us back for ultrasound and I mentioned something to Jimmy about my platelets--he had been asleep in the car. The tech said, "Oh you're the one with the platelets! I need to go get the doctor, they want to talk to you!" Dr. S came in and said with my counts being so low, she wanted to admit me for observation until my counts got higher with the steroids. She also nixed the ultrasound because she didn't want to risk the pressure on the placenta. She told us to go straight over to the hospital and up to L&D.
When you go up to L&D, you do have to check in through the ER. Believe it or not, I was forced to put my crochet hook and child safety scissors back in the car because they were considered weapons in the medical detector. So ridiculous! We waited for about an hour to get put into a room--fastest time EVER. Our birth class instructor came out and told us where we would need to go (a floor I was on the last time) and we joked about trying to get a tour of the L&D ward. Obviously Jimmy and I didn't expect to see her again so soon! We get settled...and wait...and wait...for my dex. I actually didn't have to get a line put in, which shocked me. I kept waiting for them to change their mind. I was pretty put out that it took 5 hours from the time we got there for them to give me the first dose of dex. Jimmy went out during that time to get us some lunch since we hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. Doctors were in and out that night, but nothing remarkable. They did a non-stress fetal test, hooking me and baby up to a heart rate monitor, and the baby hated it! They were kicking away at the monitors, but oh, listening to that tiny heart beat for like 30 minutes was just amazing and makes me teary now to think about. The doctors said Wednesday morning it was one of the best NSF tests they had seen for a 25 week fetus! I got about 5 hours of sleep that night...it always seems like you're waiting on someone else to walk into the room and you just KNOW when you get to sleep, they're going to come in.
Tuesday was Jimmy and mine's 3rd anniversary. Hospital visits on his birthday, our anniversary...I'm half convinced the kid will wait until my birthday to be born. Or a holiday. During the day Tuesday, several doctors were in and out. Dr. M had formulated a new plan since our old one had been failing us. We would do two days of 40 mg dex, one day of 20, one day of 12, then a dose of 2-4 mg/day for the forseeable future. Long term steroid use was on my list of things I didn't want, but if it's going to be the best for me and the baby in the long run, so be it. These rollercoasters are not safe. An ultrasound technician came into the room and did our ultrasound. My heart rate had been increased while doing the morning NSF test and they continued to monitor it during the ultrasound. While they were doing the ultrasound, my heart rate dropped into the 80s, which was great. The baby weighs about 2 pounds and has long toes! The best quote all week came from the ultrasound tech, They may have come from Jimmy's dad.
Labs came back sometime that morning and they were a disappointing 3k. The OB team said they wanted me to be at 25k before I left. I asked my nurse to ask them if they would do another blood draw during evening labs, because I really just wanted to leave (because there was nothing they were doing for me that I wouldn't be doing at home) and thought I could be at 25k 24 hours after a dose of dex. Jimmy went out to get our special dinner from our favorite Durham restaurant because we knew it would be late if we were able to leave anyway. While he was out, the OB team sent in a resident to let me know they would not be doing a blood draw. I have never been more infuriated. To not even check my platelets--I wasn't asking to go home if they weren't 25k, I understood that, but to NOT EVEN CHECK?!?! When I asked why, the resident brings up a few reasons: 1) they don't want to cause more trauma to my arms, 2) they don't want to take more platelets out of my body that could be working inside of it (total crap because I wasn't having symptoms anymore), and 3) it was my anniversary, apparently I was on pelvic rest (which no one had told me so far), and they didn't trust me to not follow it. I completely lost it and told them they were being unreasonable to not even check, and no one had mentioned pelvic rest, did they really think I was going to put myself at more risk? The resident kind of got an attitude and said I could talk with the attending, but I knew it wouldn't make a difference. I called Jimmy and let him know. I also emailed Dr. M after I had calmed down. I am sure that resident will think twice before leaving her people skills outside a room when dealing with a pregnant patient on dex.
Wednesday morning, I got a little more sleep, but as soon as I woke up, I was chasing down the lab people. I'd been told they drew labs at 4:30, so when it was 6:15 I became paranoid I'd missed them. Thankfully, they came in just a bit later and I hadn't. The kindest OB resident came in a little while later. She said, "I've heard it's your anniversary today and we really want to get you out of here." I told her that that it was actually the day before, and no one seemed very encouraging about it Tuesday night. When I told her what the other resident had said, she had the good grace to look surprised and tell me she wasn't sure why the other resident had said that, because that had not figured into the discussions (apparently all these people are talking about me behind my back). She did the courtesy of letting me know Wednesdays were conference days and it would be later in the morning when OB did rounds. However, this resident did call me and let me know when my counts came in, even though they weren't ready for rounds yet. Counts were 55k! Hooray for going home!
Oh wait. The maternal fetal medicine doctor came in and let me know they were concerned about my heart rate being high and my shortness of breath. They thought it could be a blood clot in my lung. I told them I felt normal for being on dex, and didn't think there was anything to worry about, and asked if they truly thought there was a threat. They did. I was going to have to get a VQ scan. That involves an EKG, chest x-ray, and the actual scan. Jimmy and I were nervous about the radiation factor, but the doctors thoroughly explained the risks, which were pretty low. Apparently you would have to have like 500 x-rays to cause damage to the baby, and since I am so far along and major organ systems are in place, they didn't feel it was a risk, and the scan would be slightly different for me--less concentrations of the nuclear medicine. The doctors said they would do everything they could to get me out of there by evening. Around midafternoon, we were taken downstairs to have the scans done. Dr. S actually called while we were waiting and apologized for me being in the hospital for so long! I told her I completely understood everyone wanting to be safe and if they truly thought these things were necessary, I would do them. I told her the night before was just a total shock to me. I do really like this doctor and I would love for her to deliver me. When Dr. M found out about the newest development, he was so exasperated! How ridiculous would that be to treat?! We would be pumping me full of things to increase platelet counts then giving me a blood thinner! By 5:30, the scans were done and found to be normal! Also on Wednesday I was able to get my flu shot and a booster from when I'd gotten a pneumococcal vaccine before my splenectomy.
The nurse I had Wednesday left a LOT to be desired. She was so weird! She left me hooked up to the NSF for like an hour. She tried 3 times to get me naked, or in some state of various undress. Then when we were trying to leave, she's trying to be all cutesy with my discharge instructions. I was so ready to escape her by that point.
Around 6:45 we were leaving the hospital and driving to get our fur babies! We didn't get home until almost midnight because we waited on the rain to slack off before packing all of the animals in the car.
We had an early start Monday morning, due to my appointment at 8 with Dr. M. Things went fine during the appointment...the basic ITP questions of, "Are you bleeding when you....?" Quick exam, quick overview of how the pregnancy has gone so far (only 10 pounds gained so far, woohoo!), quick blood draw, then we were off to Lakeview for the OB appointment.
The beginning of my OB appointment was a little disappointing. After not eating, they told me I couldn't do my GD test because I wasn't 26 weeks yet. Apparently if they did it at 25 weeks, 4 days, they would have to redo it when I was 26. Hmph! I saw Dr. S for the second time and we really like her. Fundal height was measuring right on track and baby's heartbeat was doing well. I explained to her that my nesting was definitely coming in as nervousness and questions and she was able to help me with both. The plan is if my platelets are still doing this rollercoaster business, I will come into the hospital a few days early, get treatments to increase my counts, then have an induction. Now, if your platelets are under 100k, it is very difficult to find an anesthesiologist who would be willing to do an epidural. I would really like to go without an epidural anyway. *Soapbox Warning* I'm glad people are reading this because then I don't have to see the faces some of you are making. Honestly, I'm tired of the faces. When I've told a few people about my desire to go without, they make an awful face. Thank God for my Nanny, who birthed 6 kids without and laughed about people making that face--"An epidural? What's that?" So, that's the end of it. If people are going to be negative, I'm just not going to discuss it any further. *Soapbox Over* Dr. S said they could induce me without pitocin, which usually makes contractions significantly more painful and increases risks of complications and cesarean. When I told her I was born in 3 hours as my mom's first child with just her water being broken, she was very encouraged. Of course, at the end of the appointment, my nose started acting up. My ultrasound appointment (for monthly growth scans) was at 12, so Jimmy and I got some breakfast.
During the wait, my nose kept getting worse. I was trying to crochet and it just kept trying to bleed. About 11:30, Dr. M called and told me I was at a 1k and we'd need to start Dex again. I truly didn't expect a 1. Around 11:45, they called us back for ultrasound and I mentioned something to Jimmy about my platelets--he had been asleep in the car. The tech said, "Oh you're the one with the platelets! I need to go get the doctor, they want to talk to you!" Dr. S came in and said with my counts being so low, she wanted to admit me for observation until my counts got higher with the steroids. She also nixed the ultrasound because she didn't want to risk the pressure on the placenta. She told us to go straight over to the hospital and up to L&D.
When you go up to L&D, you do have to check in through the ER. Believe it or not, I was forced to put my crochet hook and child safety scissors back in the car because they were considered weapons in the medical detector. So ridiculous! We waited for about an hour to get put into a room--fastest time EVER. Our birth class instructor came out and told us where we would need to go (a floor I was on the last time) and we joked about trying to get a tour of the L&D ward. Obviously Jimmy and I didn't expect to see her again so soon! We get settled...and wait...and wait...for my dex. I actually didn't have to get a line put in, which shocked me. I kept waiting for them to change their mind. I was pretty put out that it took 5 hours from the time we got there for them to give me the first dose of dex. Jimmy went out during that time to get us some lunch since we hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. Doctors were in and out that night, but nothing remarkable. They did a non-stress fetal test, hooking me and baby up to a heart rate monitor, and the baby hated it! They were kicking away at the monitors, but oh, listening to that tiny heart beat for like 30 minutes was just amazing and makes me teary now to think about. The doctors said Wednesday morning it was one of the best NSF tests they had seen for a 25 week fetus! I got about 5 hours of sleep that night...it always seems like you're waiting on someone else to walk into the room and you just KNOW when you get to sleep, they're going to come in.
Tuesday was Jimmy and mine's 3rd anniversary. Hospital visits on his birthday, our anniversary...I'm half convinced the kid will wait until my birthday to be born. Or a holiday. During the day Tuesday, several doctors were in and out. Dr. M had formulated a new plan since our old one had been failing us. We would do two days of 40 mg dex, one day of 20, one day of 12, then a dose of 2-4 mg/day for the forseeable future. Long term steroid use was on my list of things I didn't want, but if it's going to be the best for me and the baby in the long run, so be it. These rollercoasters are not safe. An ultrasound technician came into the room and did our ultrasound. My heart rate had been increased while doing the morning NSF test and they continued to monitor it during the ultrasound. While they were doing the ultrasound, my heart rate dropped into the 80s, which was great. The baby weighs about 2 pounds and has long toes! The best quote all week came from the ultrasound tech, They may have come from Jimmy's dad.
Labs came back sometime that morning and they were a disappointing 3k. The OB team said they wanted me to be at 25k before I left. I asked my nurse to ask them if they would do another blood draw during evening labs, because I really just wanted to leave (because there was nothing they were doing for me that I wouldn't be doing at home) and thought I could be at 25k 24 hours after a dose of dex. Jimmy went out to get our special dinner from our favorite Durham restaurant because we knew it would be late if we were able to leave anyway. While he was out, the OB team sent in a resident to let me know they would not be doing a blood draw. I have never been more infuriated. To not even check my platelets--I wasn't asking to go home if they weren't 25k, I understood that, but to NOT EVEN CHECK?!?! When I asked why, the resident brings up a few reasons: 1) they don't want to cause more trauma to my arms, 2) they don't want to take more platelets out of my body that could be working inside of it (total crap because I wasn't having symptoms anymore), and 3) it was my anniversary, apparently I was on pelvic rest (which no one had told me so far), and they didn't trust me to not follow it. I completely lost it and told them they were being unreasonable to not even check, and no one had mentioned pelvic rest, did they really think I was going to put myself at more risk? The resident kind of got an attitude and said I could talk with the attending, but I knew it wouldn't make a difference. I called Jimmy and let him know. I also emailed Dr. M after I had calmed down. I am sure that resident will think twice before leaving her people skills outside a room when dealing with a pregnant patient on dex.
Wednesday morning, I got a little more sleep, but as soon as I woke up, I was chasing down the lab people. I'd been told they drew labs at 4:30, so when it was 6:15 I became paranoid I'd missed them. Thankfully, they came in just a bit later and I hadn't. The kindest OB resident came in a little while later. She said, "I've heard it's your anniversary today and we really want to get you out of here." I told her that that it was actually the day before, and no one seemed very encouraging about it Tuesday night. When I told her what the other resident had said, she had the good grace to look surprised and tell me she wasn't sure why the other resident had said that, because that had not figured into the discussions (apparently all these people are talking about me behind my back). She did the courtesy of letting me know Wednesdays were conference days and it would be later in the morning when OB did rounds. However, this resident did call me and let me know when my counts came in, even though they weren't ready for rounds yet. Counts were 55k! Hooray for going home!
Oh wait. The maternal fetal medicine doctor came in and let me know they were concerned about my heart rate being high and my shortness of breath. They thought it could be a blood clot in my lung. I told them I felt normal for being on dex, and didn't think there was anything to worry about, and asked if they truly thought there was a threat. They did. I was going to have to get a VQ scan. That involves an EKG, chest x-ray, and the actual scan. Jimmy and I were nervous about the radiation factor, but the doctors thoroughly explained the risks, which were pretty low. Apparently you would have to have like 500 x-rays to cause damage to the baby, and since I am so far along and major organ systems are in place, they didn't feel it was a risk, and the scan would be slightly different for me--less concentrations of the nuclear medicine. The doctors said they would do everything they could to get me out of there by evening. Around midafternoon, we were taken downstairs to have the scans done. Dr. S actually called while we were waiting and apologized for me being in the hospital for so long! I told her I completely understood everyone wanting to be safe and if they truly thought these things were necessary, I would do them. I told her the night before was just a total shock to me. I do really like this doctor and I would love for her to deliver me. When Dr. M found out about the newest development, he was so exasperated! How ridiculous would that be to treat?! We would be pumping me full of things to increase platelet counts then giving me a blood thinner! By 5:30, the scans were done and found to be normal! Also on Wednesday I was able to get my flu shot and a booster from when I'd gotten a pneumococcal vaccine before my splenectomy.
The nurse I had Wednesday left a LOT to be desired. She was so weird! She left me hooked up to the NSF for like an hour. She tried 3 times to get me naked, or in some state of various undress. Then when we were trying to leave, she's trying to be all cutesy with my discharge instructions. I was so ready to escape her by that point.
Around 6:45 we were leaving the hospital and driving to get our fur babies! We didn't get home until almost midnight because we waited on the rain to slack off before packing all of the animals in the car.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Childbirth Classes and the State Fair
I thought it would be better to break this week up into a few posts, because there's just so much! I don't want to get confused.
Saturday and Sunday Jimmy and I had our birthing class in Durham. It feels like forever ago. Our instructor was this sweet nurse who I'd met the first time I was in the hospital. We both really liked her and knew we'd see her again since she's the charge nurse on the Labor and Delivery Floor (we just didn't realize how soon!). Jimmy was so sleepy because our class started at 9 AM, and we didn't get very much sleep the night before. The class was kind of like a crash course in what happens during labor and delivery, relaxation and breathing techniques, cesareans, and pain management. We learned a lot and have a book, handouts, and I made sure to take notes (Thanks Erin!). I know I feel more comfortable with what's going to happen and how to cope and Jimmy learned ways to help me through the process. There was another couple there that was also 25 weeks, but most others were 32 weeks or so.
Saturday we checked into our hotel after the class. Mom generously let us use some of her gazillion points to stay in Durham for the weekend. Jimmy had said something about having some Subway breakfast coupons in his bag but I didn't think much about it. After getting settled, he tosses some papers to me and says, "Here are my coupons." He totally surprised me with Tift Merritt tickets! I had seen where she had a show at the State Fair and we had talked about going, but kind of forgot about it. You can listen to one of my favorite songs by her here, called "Good Hearted Man." The show was Sunday, but we decided to go see the sights of the fair since we weren't sure about how much time we'd have Sunday. Our class on Sunday was 1-5 and the concert was at 7:30. We saw the goats, pigs, and cows, and met up with some people from Jimmy's hometown. I got to hear several Jimmy and Brandon stories, too. Jimmy went into a fun house, but we didn't ride any rides. After only about 4 hours, I was exhausted. As soon as we got settled in the car and on our way, the baby gave this huge kick as if they were angry!
We got back to the hotel and chilled out for a little while. Jimmy researched some dinner options, but we ultimately decided to pull a Steve Welch Expedition. We checked out a few places--of course, one was closed--and we actually parked at another before deciding not to eat there. We wound up at this place called Papa Mojo's Roadhouse. I was skeptical. They were also setting up a band and sometimes the volume of live music really bothers me. We decided to eat there anyway since the menu looked so good. Best decision ever. The food was great and the music was good and not too loud. We stayed until very late and watched the whole show.
Sunday morning, instead of using the Subway coupons, I did some breakfast in the room. You can't do canned biscuits in the microwave. You can try, and they will rise and cook slightly, but not actually bake. They just turn into pale, biscuit shaped rocks. Just a word to the wise.
After class, we ate dinner at Moe's Southwest Grill. Moe's has the greatest soda machine ever. It has like 15 different sodas and then you can customize them with the different syrup flavorings. It was amazing.
When we got to the fair, we came into the gate where the poultry exhibition was. It is ridiculous how much more interesting chickens are at the fair when you actually own some. We probably spent almost half an hour in there and looked at all of them. Then...the concert!
The concert was awesome! Sometimes I don't think musicians sound as good in person as they do on a record, but I'm glad to say Tift Merritt was an exception! She played a good mix of old and new songs. The baby was moving up a storm! Jimmy had asked the day before what we would do if our baby had bad taste in music, because his child wasn't allowed to have bad taste in music. I don't think we have to worry about that immediately! After the concert, we bought a cd and met her. She autographed her CD and was just so sweet and gracious. I'll definitely be watching her tour schedule for any Eastern NC stops! Jimmy was so tickled that he actually managed to surprise me. It must not be as hard as he thinks it is.
Saturday and Sunday Jimmy and I had our birthing class in Durham. It feels like forever ago. Our instructor was this sweet nurse who I'd met the first time I was in the hospital. We both really liked her and knew we'd see her again since she's the charge nurse on the Labor and Delivery Floor (we just didn't realize how soon!). Jimmy was so sleepy because our class started at 9 AM, and we didn't get very much sleep the night before. The class was kind of like a crash course in what happens during labor and delivery, relaxation and breathing techniques, cesareans, and pain management. We learned a lot and have a book, handouts, and I made sure to take notes (Thanks Erin!). I know I feel more comfortable with what's going to happen and how to cope and Jimmy learned ways to help me through the process. There was another couple there that was also 25 weeks, but most others were 32 weeks or so.
Saturday we checked into our hotel after the class. Mom generously let us use some of her gazillion points to stay in Durham for the weekend. Jimmy had said something about having some Subway breakfast coupons in his bag but I didn't think much about it. After getting settled, he tosses some papers to me and says, "Here are my coupons." He totally surprised me with Tift Merritt tickets! I had seen where she had a show at the State Fair and we had talked about going, but kind of forgot about it. You can listen to one of my favorite songs by her here, called "Good Hearted Man." The show was Sunday, but we decided to go see the sights of the fair since we weren't sure about how much time we'd have Sunday. Our class on Sunday was 1-5 and the concert was at 7:30. We saw the goats, pigs, and cows, and met up with some people from Jimmy's hometown. I got to hear several Jimmy and Brandon stories, too. Jimmy went into a fun house, but we didn't ride any rides. After only about 4 hours, I was exhausted. As soon as we got settled in the car and on our way, the baby gave this huge kick as if they were angry!
We got back to the hotel and chilled out for a little while. Jimmy researched some dinner options, but we ultimately decided to pull a Steve Welch Expedition. We checked out a few places--of course, one was closed--and we actually parked at another before deciding not to eat there. We wound up at this place called Papa Mojo's Roadhouse. I was skeptical. They were also setting up a band and sometimes the volume of live music really bothers me. We decided to eat there anyway since the menu looked so good. Best decision ever. The food was great and the music was good and not too loud. We stayed until very late and watched the whole show.
Sunday morning, instead of using the Subway coupons, I did some breakfast in the room. You can't do canned biscuits in the microwave. You can try, and they will rise and cook slightly, but not actually bake. They just turn into pale, biscuit shaped rocks. Just a word to the wise.
After class, we ate dinner at Moe's Southwest Grill. Moe's has the greatest soda machine ever. It has like 15 different sodas and then you can customize them with the different syrup flavorings. It was amazing.
When we got to the fair, we came into the gate where the poultry exhibition was. It is ridiculous how much more interesting chickens are at the fair when you actually own some. We probably spent almost half an hour in there and looked at all of them. Then...the concert!
The concert was awesome! Sometimes I don't think musicians sound as good in person as they do on a record, but I'm glad to say Tift Merritt was an exception! She played a good mix of old and new songs. The baby was moving up a storm! Jimmy had asked the day before what we would do if our baby had bad taste in music, because his child wasn't allowed to have bad taste in music. I don't think we have to worry about that immediately! After the concert, we bought a cd and met her. She autographed her CD and was just so sweet and gracious. I'll definitely be watching her tour schedule for any Eastern NC stops! Jimmy was so tickled that he actually managed to surprise me. It must not be as hard as he thinks it is.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
-15 weeks...Start panicking.
As I write this, I'm having a slight anxiety attack. A Xanax or glass of wine would be much appreciated, but since those two options are not good ideas right now, I'll just write it out.
There are 15 weeks until this baby comes. And that's if it doesn't come early. 105 days. And in that 105 days, there are 4 major holidays. Including Christmas. In that amount of time, we have to get a nursery ready, a birth plan made, Christmas presents done...It's starting to feel overwhelming. Jimmy just told me to stop thinking about it.
This weekend we have our birthing class and Monday is full of doctor's appointments, including the dreaded glucose challenge. I'm on the fence about it. I'm not too worried because I haven't gained a lot of weight, yet I've definitely been craving and eating more carbs than I did prepregnancy. Almost every day I want something sweet. We went to CiCi's the other day and their dessert options were just incredible to me. I try not to keep a lot of sweet things around the house, but I did break down and make chocolate chip cookies this week. What's frustrating is that there are few clear indicators/risk factors for gestational diabetes. I'm making lists of questions for the doctor, for the birth class, and everything else I feel like has to be done. Hopefully that will help with the anxiety.
This week, so far, counts were good: 423 on Monday, 475 on Tuesday. I go back tomorrow. I'm hoping my numbers will be below 400 so I can get my shot.
There are 15 weeks until this baby comes. And that's if it doesn't come early. 105 days. And in that 105 days, there are 4 major holidays. Including Christmas. In that amount of time, we have to get a nursery ready, a birth plan made, Christmas presents done...It's starting to feel overwhelming. Jimmy just told me to stop thinking about it.
This weekend we have our birthing class and Monday is full of doctor's appointments, including the dreaded glucose challenge. I'm on the fence about it. I'm not too worried because I haven't gained a lot of weight, yet I've definitely been craving and eating more carbs than I did prepregnancy. Almost every day I want something sweet. We went to CiCi's the other day and their dessert options were just incredible to me. I try not to keep a lot of sweet things around the house, but I did break down and make chocolate chip cookies this week. What's frustrating is that there are few clear indicators/risk factors for gestational diabetes. I'm making lists of questions for the doctor, for the birth class, and everything else I feel like has to be done. Hopefully that will help with the anxiety.
This week, so far, counts were good: 423 on Monday, 475 on Tuesday. I go back tomorrow. I'm hoping my numbers will be below 400 so I can get my shot.
Friday, October 7, 2011
-16 Weeks...Well, Crap.
Wednesday I knew my counts were going to be low. My nose was trying to bleed all day. It would get stopped but as soon as I got up and started moving around, it would start again. When I woke up Thursday to go get counts, I had sores on my lip. I am usually a lip biter, but I made a serious attempt Wednesday to not bite it, because I knew I didn't have many platelets.
It was no surprise when they came back 3k yesterday. I called Dr. M and he said to do 3 days of dex, since I was being symptomatic. So I started on it yesterday at lunch. Since my nose was still really acting up, Jimmy and I decided it was better for him to stay home from work. He put me on "bedrest" and would fuss at me if I got up to do more than go to the bathroom. I needed to go grocery shopping and he went and did that for me. He also fixed dinner. By the end of the night, my nose had completely stopped bleeding. I am so thankful he was able to step up and be there for me and give me a chance to heal.
It was no surprise when they came back 3k yesterday. I called Dr. M and he said to do 3 days of dex, since I was being symptomatic. So I started on it yesterday at lunch. Since my nose was still really acting up, Jimmy and I decided it was better for him to stay home from work. He put me on "bedrest" and would fuss at me if I got up to do more than go to the bathroom. I needed to go grocery shopping and he went and did that for me. He also fixed dinner. By the end of the night, my nose had completely stopped bleeding. I am so thankful he was able to step up and be there for me and give me a chance to heal.
Monday, October 3, 2011
-17 weeks
Last Thursday my counts had gone up to 609! What a shock. Today they were 181. This is great for a couple of reasons:
I finished my first sleepsack and matching hat! It's so cute. I can't wait to make some more, but they'll have to take a back seat to my Secret Stork present for my KTT Mama Friend!
- I don't have to go on steroids
- I was able to get my shot today
- We stayed at 3.5 mcg
- We'll be able to see if 3.5 mcg is the correct dosage, without steroid interference.
I finished my first sleepsack and matching hat! It's so cute. I can't wait to make some more, but they'll have to take a back seat to my Secret Stork present for my KTT Mama Friend!
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