Category Archives: Pregnancy

Oy, what a week! (17w3d)

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So, I’m still sick. Haven’t been back to work since I left on Wednesday. Rest and fluids aren’t seeming to help, since I was worse this morning than I have been all week. Seriously thought I popped a rib after a particularly bad coughing fit this morning. I can hardly do anything without getting so winded I can barely talk.

I e-mailed Dr. Schwartz this morning to update him on my condition and ask what I should do. (Seriously, I wasn’t sure if I should go to Urgent Care or what at this point…) He called in a prescription for antibiotics (a Z-Pack) into my pharmacy for me to start today. While there, I took the opportunity to check out the sugar-free Robitussin, which turns out to have the SAME INGREDIENTS as the cold pills that Paul has here at home. DANGIT. So I’m on those pills now too (Mucinex DM – half a pill every 6 hours.) [start Whingy McWhingerson] I can tell the pills are working… I’m not coughing as much as I was before, but I feel like I have to cough all the time. I know this is better, but not all that much. [end Whingy McWhingerson]

What I don’t get though? Why did I develop a whiz-banger of a headache this afternoon? Seriously, I’d call this a migraine. Under normal circumstances, I’d have taken one of my migraine pills hours ago. But I can’t take those. So I take Tylenol and cringe with every coughing fit. It takes a minute or two to recover after every cough. I *really* hope this headache is gone tomorrow morning. I cannot afford to burn any more sick leave, but I feel like such ass right now. wah.

On a slightly brighter note: I really wish I could tell what the baby is thinking these days. I gotta imagine that between my frequent bouts of hiccups and now these body-racking extended coughing fits, the baby has gotta be pretty annoyed at me. Worst hotel ever, ya know? I can picture it kicking like crazy and banging a tiny broom on the ceiling. I’ve taken to patting my tummy and apologizing after the worst of the coughing. I hope it doesn’t take it’s (presumed) irritation out on us on Wednesday.

Sick but entertained (16w6d)

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So I’ve managed to contract a cold or something. Cough, throat, colorful sinuses – the whole bit. I tried to put in a full day at work today (locked in my office so I wouldn’t breathe on anyone) but I couldn’t make it and had to go home at 2:00. I brought home work with me though so if I can’t make it into work tomorrow I can at least still get some stuff done and maybe not burn so many sick hours. (It’s killing me that I’m burning paid leave like this…)

But I did get a nice thing today too. On Friday night I was trying to do some baby-stuff research at our desktop PC, but I was so uncomfortable after a full day at my desk. I just couldn’t hack it at our living room desk. Paul suggested (like he has been for over a year now) that I look at getting a netbook. But for some reason, it didn’t seem so ludicrous this time, especially in light of the $11/mo price with a Dell special right now. My new netbook was delivered today, and I’m typing on it now from the couch, with my feet up. I named it Weeble, because it is wee at a mere 10″.

I feel like crap, but at least I’m entertained for the moment. I’ve been given clearance to take tylenol and diabetic Robitussin, but nothing for my sinuses. wah. Here’s hoping rest and fluids will help, and quick!

So many options! (16w)

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This afternoon (while Kishou was at the vet, getting lumps ice-cream-scooped out) we went to Babies R Us for the first time. I’ve been doing a lot of research online about all the various baby gear we need, but I really wanted to go somewhere and see these products first-hand.

I was too involved with the details of the strollers and car seats what whatnot to get emotional. But it was really awesome to be in there and not feel like a fraud. We looked at Travel Systems, Convertible Car Seats (the kind that go from infant 5lb to grade-school 65lb), Pack & Plays, Bouncers, Cribs, and I introduced Paul to the concept of Onesies. We detoured briefly into the nursing area, but Paul was getting squicked out, so we cut that short for now. Heh. He can’t even *say* “breast pump” yet. hahaha

I’ve gotten a lot of great advice tonight on a Car Seats discussion board I’ve recently joined on the advice of a friend. We’ve decided how we’re going to work out the car seat situation between our two cars. Paul will use the carrier-based car seat from the travel system, and I’ll use a convertible car seat that will go from infant to 65lb. I’m really happy with the convertible seat I’ve found – it’s safe and high quality, but not nearly as expensive as the Britax brand that has been so highly recommended to me over the years.

I’ve been cataloging my researched items in an Amazon wishlist, but I was gratified tonight to see that Target’s prices are just as good as Amazon’s, and the Target registry process is a lot more accessible to friends and family. (Nevermind the whole concept of being able to physically go and look at stuff there at Target.) I’m hesitant to register at Babies R Us like so many others have, just because their prices are so nutty! I dunno, they did seem to have a good price on the breast pump. (no wait, just checked. Target’s is better on that too.)

So anyway. It’s fun to be finding stuff for the baby. (Is there a point to buying a crib bedding set? Does the adorable comforter thing ever get used? All we need is bumpers and eleventy-million fitted crib sheets, right?) It’ll be even more fun when we know what we’re having and can nail down designs instead of just figuring out what models of crib and stroller we like. But in the meantime, I feel like I’m accomplishing something by finding stuff now.

(Hey moms reading this… I’d love to hear what your favorite baby gear thing is!)

Little brat. :) (15w6d)

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Today’s appointment would have been very short were it not for the uncharacteristically long waits in the waiting room and in the exam room.

My weight is down a pound, my blood pressure is in a happier range, and my blood sugars are making Dr. Schwartz smile. (For once he didn’t change my insulin dosage!) Dr. Schwartz walked in the exam room, looked at me sideways and asked “How’s your boobs?” (I emailed him last week about a sudden re-occurance of tear-inducing breast pain. Turns out it’s just another Joy of PregnancyTM. But he did offer some advice on bras and whatnot that he assured me he had to research, as opposed to knowing off the top of his head. I’ve linked the worst of the pain to a ridiculous sensitivity to cold, so I’m making sure to stay well covered up, especially at night. Because crying during one’s morning shower sucks.)

We chatted a bit and he reassured me that I’m doing fine, baby is doing fine and if I wanted, I could space my appointments out to three weeks for a while since he’s confident that I don’t need to be ‘checked on’ as often now that we’re out of the scary 1st trimester when so many things can go wrong. (Holy run-on sentence, Batman!) I’ve even been given leave to stop e-mailing him my blood sugars if I don’t want to. (I think I still will though, cuz I feel like I’ve barely got a handle on them.) I think I’ll start spacing out the appointments though, so that I don’t burn any more sick leave than I have to. The more I can horde, the longer I can stay out on maternity leave.

The next appointment is February 10th which will be lots of bloodwork (including the quad-screen to follow up the 1st trimester’s triple-screen) and the BIG anatomical ultrasound – so it should take nearly an hour. We’ll find out the sex, assuming the little critter cooperates.

Speaking of the little brat… We tried to see the sex today, but the critter was having none of it. It turned it’s back to us three times. The tech actually had trouble isolating the heart because the baby wouldn’t stop flopping and flailing around. I was disappointed that I didn’t get much of a look, but I’m OK with not knowing for two more weeks. I’d really like Paul to be there when we do. We’ll be sure to get a DVD of the next ultrasound, and hopefully it will include some good pictures.

Daycare, take II (15w2d)

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As much as the first place squicked me out, I LOVE the second place.

Once I was buzzed in (no one gets through the door w/o someone at the front desk allowing it) I was greeted warmly by the center’s director, Traci. We started the tour in the infant room, after first putting plastic booties on over our shoes. The infant room was light years beyond the first place. It was bright and organized. The cribs were lined up against the walls, with pictures of the babies and their families attached to each at baby-eye height. They were CLEAN. There were three exersauser things in use, a couple of swings that weren’t in use, and two rocking chairs. The large rug on the floor covered like 80% of the room. Two little girls started toddling over to me as soon as I came into view.

The teachers (all three of them for the 9 babies there yesterday) greeted me when I entered and introduced themselves. They all agree I’m having a girl. The babies seemed happy and content. (Truth be told, I had a bit of trouble paying attention to the director while in there… my baby radar was pinging like crazy and I could hardly take my eyes off the little ones!) The diaper changing area was clean, the pad looked new and clean and there were a couple cans of Lysol wipes on the counter – I’m confident that they really are cleaning and sanitizing everything as often as they claim. The refrigerator was organized, with every baby’s little container labeled and full of labeled & dated bottles. When the bottles are used, the staff washes them out and puts them in the baby’s bag in the closet, so Mom & Dad just grab the bag and the baby to go home. Each baby has a drawer for diapers, rash cream and changes of clothes. Everything was well organized and CLEAN!

Parents are encouraged to drop in anytime. They love having breastfeeding moms come by for lunch. There’s two video cameras in each room, so we Mom & Dad can log in to see how the little one is doing. The teachers seemed engaged with the children and genuinely happy to be there.

We progressed through the center, checking out the toddler room, the up-to-2.5 year room where they start potty-training, the up-to-3 year room where the potty-trained move to, the pre-K room that was filled with 15 3.5 & 4 year olds who were eagerly reciting their multiplication tables. (One 4 year old had a 4″ tall bright red mohawk!) The kindergartners (they have a private kindergarten) were waving at us as they lined up to go outside to play. Every room was clean, and decorated to the hilt! It was a tad overwhelming to me, but I imagine that a 3 year old thinks it’s the best thing ever. Lots of stimulation for the kids. They’re encouraged to learn by playing, so lots of art projects and hands-on activities were around. The kids start on computers at 3 years old. They start twice-weekly Spanish classes at 2. Music appreciation starts at infancy. Optional on-site karate or dance lessons are available starting at age three.

We passed the kitchen which had restaurant size & quality appliances. It was closed because lunchtime was over, but it was spotless. The first place had drying dishes piled everywhere and there was hardly an open surface anywhere.

What struck me the most (other than it being clean – I was looking in corners and under tables too) was that the kids and staff all seemed happy to be there. In every room we went into, the teachers at least nodded and smiled to me as they continued their activity, if not introducing themselves. The kids (while not getting up from their assigned spots on the carpet) shyly waved as we passed through their rooms.

Everything I’ve read online about how to choose a daycare says right off to go with your gut. Well, I was darn-near skipping as I left Kids R Kids yesterday. Their prices will turn out to be cheaper than the other place, but honestly I’d be OK with paying more. Their policies seem fair, and everything they do seems to err on the side of the children.

So Paul and I talked last night about all this, and he read through all the literature I brought home. He asked a lot of good questions, and we talked about some stuff. He had suggested that he could request that work never give him a weekend off once the baby comes so he could watch the baby two days a week and we could save on two days’ worth of daycare. I explained that the price difference between 3 and 5 days a week would be a lot less than he thought (like $40 or less) and honestly I feel that it’s worth it to pay for the full week so that he *can* have the occasional weekend day off. I explained that our marriage needs to be a priority for us after the baby comes, and we’ll need to work to find time together because the baby will change everything about our lives. I asked him not to try to lose weekends so that we can hopefully have more time together as a family, and time together as a couple. Paul asked if he had a late starting day at work if he could keep the baby home and take it in late to daycare on his way to work or keep the baby home if he has a mid-week day off. I didn’t cry when he asked if he could spend the day with his child, but I did kiss him and assure him he’s welcome to spend as much time with his baby as he’d like.

Paul wants to tour the facility before we lock anything in, but he’s on board with me. This place is 3 miles from my office – less than 10 minutes and easy for Paul to get to in about 20 minutes. I feel confident about leaving our baby in these people’s care. I’m glad to have one more thing tackled on The List. (Paul realized last night that we’re gonna have to pick out a pediatrician. He is encouraging me to get on that. hehe)