Merry Christmas!

I wish a peaceful and joyful Christmas eve and day to everyone!

Teacher learns from the pupil

Bret teaches me something new every day. I woke up yesterday morning to a baby with his left eye crusted over. Eye infection? In a 6 week old? I called the DR and made an appointment for that afternoon.

I called my sister, friend and cousin to let them know that Bret may have an eye infection because we were around their kids over the past few days.

The DR looked at him and said that it's his congestion that is making his eye water and gooey. It's not infection goo that is coming out of his eye but booger goo. His sinuses are draining in his eye. Gross.

I guess I never thought that boogers can come out of your eye. Thank God it's not an infection. I asked her about the whites of his eyes (they're still cloudy/pale yellow). She said that breast-fed babies that are a little jaundice at birth tend to take a long time to totally clear up. His colon absorbs the nutrients from the breast milk and the bilirubin. Oh, ok. She said that she'd send me to the lab to ease my concern. He got his heel pricked and he was totally fine with it until the lady (actually, one of our friends) kept squeezing his heel. Then he got p!ssed and started to cry - but a total fake cry. The DR's office called last night and said that his number is normal (9.0) and his liver function is good.

I've been trying to keep on with the sleeping-in-the-crib thing. He usually eats around 9am and naps until about 11am. I fed him this morning, rocked him a bit and laid him into bed at about 10am. He laid there *quietly* for 1/2 hour then started to cry. It's a start.....As soon as I picked him up - he's out like a light. Unreal!! Let's see what happens when I put him down again.

What else should I do to acclimate him to his crib and make him feel comfortable sleeping in it?

One giant leap

I am so excited today....No, it's not because there's about 8 inches of snow on the ground. Since Bret's furniture arrived, I've been telling myself that I'm going to start acclimating him to his crib. Today I decided that I was going to be diligent. After his 10am feeding, I put him down in his crib and he slept for 2 hours!! He slept only 6 minutes the first time I put him in his bed! We'll see how he does tonight!!

6 week pic - Yes, my son does not have a neck! LOL

Daily ramblings

Today I had my 6 week check up. The DR said that I healed really well and that I can resume all physical activity *wink wink*

Got all our christmas shopping done and most of the gifts wrapped. Now I just can't wait to get the holiday over with. It's just so chaotic. I would much rather spend a quiet evening home with a small group of family and a nice dinner. Instead we have a million and one parties over the next couple of weeks. I love the holidays and I love our families - just not together. I haven't decided if I'm (we're) going to send out christmas cards either. UGH

To be honest, I'd hibernate all winter if I could. I used to love the cold and snow when I was at Tech. Snowshoeing, snow volleyball, Carnival.....oh I miss it so much :( But being in the LP with no snow in the middle of December seems kind of depressing. Jason mentioned going up north to the cabin after christmas for a few days. I think that sounds like a plan. Bret and I may need a change of scenery and Jason needs to jump on his snowmobile for a while!

I can't wait 'til spring.

Hooray for furniture!!

I got a phone call from The Baby's Room on Tuesday to set up a time for delivery on Wednesday. YAYYYYY

We bought three pieces - crib, combo dresser/changing table and a 4-drawer chest. After the furniture was placed in the room, it looks a lot smaller!! I'm just glad it finally came in.

Now Jason has to hang everything on the walls and then the room will be *done*

We went to a Christmas party last night. Jason's boss hosts one every year. I was super nervous because Bret didn't sleep very well during the day and I had a feeling that he was going to be fussy. He fell asleep in the car and I thought for sure he'd sleep for about an hour....Yeah right. He woke up right when we got there and stayed up the whole time. He was alright for about an hour and then got super crabby. I think it was because there were a lot of people around, it was a new environment, he was tired from not sleeping, etc. Needless to say, we stayed for about two hours then left. Maybe he'll do better at our families' Christmas parties. He's 5 weeks old, what do you expect?!

I have my postpartum appointment this week. Hopefully everything healed properly.

Other than that, not too much.

Like the onesie Uncle Jeff sent from Charleston?!

Pic

Bret - 1 month old

After eating :)

1 month old!

We celebrated Bret's 1 month day by taking him to church for the first time. He slept through the entire mass, up until communion. Jason carried Bret to communion with him (to get a blessing) and it was over after that. Bret made it clear that he was hungry and not happy that we woke him up.

I bought some Baby Gas-X hoping that it'll decrease the belly aches and spitting up. I gave Bret some before a feeding today, so we'll see if it works. He spit up twice after eating/burping but seemed very calm. Maybe he'll have more sound sleep at night - he seems to wake up if he farts / poops.

Other than that, not too much going on. Jason and I will decorate for Christmas tonight. I'll post pics sometime tonight / tomorrow.

Bret has his 1-month wellness appointment tomorrow. I chose the wrong profession......his pediatrician gets paid $150/visit. I wish that was my 1/2 hour rate!!

Bad day

Today was a bad day. Actually it started yesterday. Bret wasn't sleeping, he was fussy and seemed gassy. I rubbed his stomach, pumped his legs and fed him short, frequent feedings. He cried and cried - inconsolably. Within 24 hours, he probably slept a total of 4 or 5 hours. I even cried. Jason rocked him for a couple of hours so that I could sleep but then I felt guilty because he had to work in the morning so I took over.

No change this morning so I called the doctor's office. I was told to bring him in since he's so little. Of course I cried then too. The doctor looked him over and said that it seems like he may be constipated. OK. He pooped this morning but when is it constipation?! She advised that we feed him 1 oz of apple juice to get things going and, just for precautions sake, get blood work done to rule out any infections.

Jason and I took him to the lab right after the doctor's appointment. The technician called us back and when she looked at Bret she wasn't expecting a baby. She said that we have to wait until a second technician comes back so that she can hold his arm. What?! I asked her if the blood sample was coming from his heel and she said 'no, it has to be a sterile sample so we're going to draw it out of his arm'. Again, I started to cry. Jason told me to go for a walk and that he'll stay with Bret. I came back from my walk and heard Bret screaming. I almost lost it. I don't know who's the bigger baby, me or Bret. It was so sad.

I fed him the apple juice and nursed for a short time afterwards. He seems much calmer and is actually sleeping. *THANK GOD* Is there anything else I should do???

The doctor called with the results this afternoon. He's fine - no infections. She wants to see us back on Monday. Worst part about this whole ordeal is that Jason left for a business trip and won't be back until Friday. So, the baby that I am called my grandma and asked her if she'd spend the night with me. Thankfully she is driving down right now.

I pray that Bret is ok......I hate to see what a mess I'll be if something serious ever happens to him - God forbid.

New mom....can you tell?!

Precious moments

Thanksgiving has come and went. Now we have to look forward to Christmas. Bret did really well around the family. It was the first time he actually did the newborn thing - diaper change, eat and pass out - all day long! I couldn't believe it!



He's an angel. The only time he cries is when I don't feed him fast enough. It's so funny because he gets so excited and he starts squirming around with his mouth wide open. I start to laugh and then he gets mad and screams. He's starting to make noises (cooing and ahhing) and I love that he can focus on me instead of staring out into space. I love it when he looks at me and smiles. It makes me want to cry.

Some things I've learned since becoming a mom:

• I love giving Bret a bath (he smells so clean and baby-like; even if it's only for about 2 hours)
• Baby spit up is nasty
• Breastfed baby poop doesn't really smell that bad (I'm dreading it when he starts on solids!!)
• If a boy's weiner isn't pointed down in the diaper, pee will find any and every opening in a diaper (thanks Erika for that tip)
• Some 0-3 months clothes aren't really meant to fit until he's 3 months old
• If I've showered and brushed my teeth, then that's a successful day

I called the furniture place yesterday for an update on our order. Unfortunately, I did not get any good news. The guy told me that the estimated arrival date is "middle of January". Thankfully I did not blow up on the guy. I reminded him that the middle of January is way past 14 weeks for delivery and something has to be done about it. This is getting to be a little ridiculous. He advised me to talk to the owner. Great. The only thing I want to say to the owner is how absurd the delivery time is for furniture. Are customers expected to order furniture in their first trimester and then hope that it arrives on time? How does this place stay in business? GRRRRR

Jason is going out of town for work tomorrow through Friday. Bummer.

Other than that, things are going really well. I'll post 1 month pictures this weekend. Can you believe 1 month has gone by already?! Good grief.

Poopy stories

Yesterday was an overwhelming day, for several reasons. First, it seemed like Bret was having a difficult time pooping all day. He had plenty of poopy diapers but I knew whenever he was trying to "go". Poor guy. It was a struggle. I didn't know what to do for him so I just held him, rubbed his belly and pumped his legs to at least make him fart. The pediatrician said that breastfed babies can go a week without pooping because breast milk has such low "residue" (i.e. junk the body can't digest). I couldn't believe that!! How sad! Any advice on how to make his sessions less stressful? Is it something I ate?

Second reason why yesterday was overwhelming - Jason. Every Tuesday he works 1/2 day at the office and 1/2 day at home because of the conference calls to China and the 13 hour time difference. He told me on Monday that one of his co-workers is leaving the company and his last day is Wednesday (today). Jason wanted to know what I thought about him either working a full day on Tuesday so that he could go out to lunch w/ Phil before his last day or work his typical 1/2 day then meet up w/ his co-workers at a bar in the afternoon for a couple. It didn't matter to me, so I told him to make the decision since it's his co-worker. He decided to work a full day and go out to lunch. Cool. At 4pm, he called me and wanted to know if it was alright if he went to the bar for a couple of drinks after work. GRRRRR. Are you kidding me?! I didn't tell him what I was really thinking but I did let him know that I wasn't too keen on the idea. I ended the conversation with "if you go, I would appreciate it if you have one then come home". He was home at 4:30pm. He didn't go. I felt bad for about 2 seconds.

Our situation really stinks right now because everything of Bret's is scattered everywhere. His furniture hasn't come in yet so I'm changing him in his P@ck -N- Pl@y and a lot of his clothes, bath stuff, etc are just tossed in his room because I have no where to put them. Very frustrating. On weekday nights, I basically sleep downstairs on the couch b/c everything is there, plus Jason gets uninterrupted sleep (hopefully). I sleep in bed on the weekends but not for the entire night since Bret gets up around 1 - 2am and again at 3 - 4:30am. Once Bret's furniture comes in, he'll be in his crib and I'll *finally* be able to sleep in bed again. Hopefully he'll take to his crib easily! It's such a big bed for a little guy :)

Not trying to sound dismal today (although the weather is awful right now), just venting since I am super tired. I know it'll be a lot better once Bret can skip the 1 - 2am feeding. Hopefully in the next month or so!! No matter what, I'm truly grateful for him. He is half my heart.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I like to pretend

Well, it's been 2 weeks since we brought Bret home and it's been a learning experience. The first night was really tough - he didn't sleep much, seemed to be hungry all the time (my milk hadn't come in yet) and somewhat fussy. After that night, Jason and I were wondering what we had gotten ourselves into!! Since then, it has reached a good place. Bret seems to have somewhat of his own schedule. He feeds every 2.5 - 3 hours, stays up about an hour to 1.5 hours in between feedings and sleeps for about 3 hours at a time. I'm still trying to get into the groove of night feedings though. He eats around 10pm and will fall asleep around 11pm. By that time, Jason is already in bed and I sometimes end up spending most of the night downstairs. I will be the first to admit I hold Bret a lot. I know, I know (I could use some advice).....He tends to sleep longer and uninterrupted if I hold him as opposed to putting him down after he falls asleep. I don't want him to get used to someone holding him all the time but I also want him to sleep well. What should I do?

This may be TMI, but breastfeeding is going really well. Jason and I have introduced a bottle to him (he's fed from a bottle twice now). I need to look for a slower flow nipple b/c the @dvent #1 nipple still seems to be too fast for him. He gets a mouthful of milk and either drools it out from the corners of his mouth or just stops eating altogether. Are there any "newborn" nipples / bottles? I know he's eating well because he gained almost a pound within 8 days of being discharged from the hospital!!

I cut his nails for the first time yesterday. I was SO NERVOUS. They're not quite groomed how I'd like them to be, but they're better than they were before.

His belly button thingy fell off so I think I'm going to try his first bath tomorrow. This should be interesting. I have a feeling he is going to scream bloody murder.

I got an update from the furniture place. His chest and changing station/dresser are in but not the crib. Let's hope it comes in soon b/c I want to start getting into a routine with him to make the days/nights a little easier. Speaking of which, how soon did you (other moms) introduce a routine?

Other than that, it's been pretty mundane (thank God). He has a DR appointment in a couple of weeks. I'll post pics every month.

I pretend like I know what I'm doing!! LOL

Introducing......

.....Bret Daniel Stark

November 1, 2007

7lbs 15oz

21 inches

Here's how it all went down - it's going to be a long story:

At about 8:30pm on Halloween, Jason and I decided to go for a walk since it was so nice out and the kids had just wrapped up trick-or-treating. When we got home, I started to feel some contractions but that was "normal" for me after a 2 mile walk.

At about 10:30pm, the contractions didn't subside but getting closer together (about 4 minutes apart). I told Jason that if they didn't slow down by 11:00 then we'd go to the hospital. Needless to say, we ended up going a half hour later. A room was prepped for me and we were settled into it by midnight (so much for an October baby, right?!); my nurse checked me and I was dilated to 6cm and about 85% effaced. I was hooked up to an IV and walked around the L&D area for about 2 hours. My nurse came in around 2 am and said that she was going to break my water. At this point I started to get nervous because I knew there was no turning back. I can honestly say that that was almost the grossest feeling in the world. I felt like I was peeing my pants forever. As most of you know, I wanted to go unmedicated. The contractions were coming fast and furious after my water broke (about every 2 minutes) and I quickly dilated to 7cm. I will be the first to admit - I tried to be really strong and get through labor without an epidural but after laboring for an hour without one, I couldn't do it anymore. Jason kept telling me to get the epidural because he didn't want to see me struggle so much and the pain was so intense; so I did. At 3am, the epidural was administered and I felt like a million dollars. I slept until 6:30am, when I was checked again. My nurse said that I was ready but not thinned out totally. We waited until 7:30am when I started to push. The baby was born at 8:46am. Now I understand what other moms (and dads) mean when they say you can't describe into words what you feel when your baby is born. Very overwhelming and beautiful.

More later - Bret crying.

Nothing new, unfortunately

Jason and I have decided against induction on Monday. I called the DR's office and cancelled, then made my 39 week appointment for Wednesday.....*wishful thinking* maybe he'll tell me to go to the hospital after the appointment. We figured to let the baby bake for another week then make a decision.

We have a pretty relaxed weekend planned....didn't do too much last night, just stuck around the house. Today I'm going to a volleyball tournament (one of my friends is the coach). That should be fun. Tomorrow Jason and I are going to a local orchard to get some doughnuts and cider. I've been dying for some since October 1st!! Question - am I allowed to drink cider if it's not pasteurized?? I can't remember if I asked that already or not. So, not too much to say. Hopefully soon.

Prenatal Appointment #12

Well, I've progressed since last week. The non-stress test showed that the baby is very active today (which is different from the past tests). The 20 minute test records baby's movement, heartbeat and any contractions. The minimum number of movements is two, so if the baby doesn't cooperate, then the nurse stimulates the baby by making me drink ice cold water or, if he's really stubborn, by this thing that looks like a vibrator. I had three contractions during the test (all about 7 minutes apart). The nurse seemed happy because it's showing a pattern- albeit the start of one.

I'm 4 cm dilated but still about 70% effaced. My doctor seemed quite confident that I'm in the final stretch. He said that if we wanted to have the baby today, he'd break my water and I'd probably go into active labor on my own. I think that was too real of an option, so Jason and I declined the offer! The doctor said that he'd be very surprised if I made it to the weekend. He won't be on call at the hospital until Monday, so he may not be delivering the baby. Because of the gestational diabetes concern, he did schedule an induction for Monday just in case I don't go on my own. Jason and I weren't too happy about that because we told him we want to go as natural as possible. He assured us that induction for me, at this point, just meant breaking my water. We were glad to hear that. I promise I'll post a really short note on the day I go to the hospital. Hopefully it'll be before Monday!! Friday would be nice.

Prenatal Appointment #11 - Now It's Getting Exciting!

Had a OB appointment today....Everything went well. I was checked for progression and I'm 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced. The doc said that I could go as early as this weekend - which would be good because he's in the hospital this Sunday and Monday. If I don't go on my own by next week, then he said it'll be up to me if I want to schedule an induction. Let's hope I don't have to make that decision because I don't want to be induced and choose the baby's birthday.

The funniest part of the exam was when the doctor said that the baby is really low. He showed us by the middle knuckle of his middle finger when he touched the baby's head. I laughed hysterically when Jason looked at me, after the doctor left the room, and said, "we are NOT having sex anymore." That was the highlight of my day.

So, the time is getting closer and we're feeling more anxious (in a good way). I just can't believe how fast this pregnancy has flown by!

Prenatal Appointment #10 and Other Stuff

Nothing really too exciting happened except that a nurse hurt my feelings. Now, anyone who knows me knows that when my feelings are hurt I don't get sad, I get angry. Here is what happened:

Nurse: Step on the scale, please.
*So I do*
Nurse: Oh my, you've gained 3 pounds this week. Do you feel puffy?
Diana: No. Is gaining 3 pounds in one week a lot at 36 weeks?
Nurse: It's more than we expect. What have you been eating?
Diana: I haven't eaten anything new. The only difference is that I didn't go for my walks last week because it was so hot.
Nurse: Oh.
Diana: *under my breath to Jason* - Bitch.

Other than that, the doctor didn't have much to say other than my Strep B test results are negative and that he'd start examining me for thinning and dilation at the next appointment.

Friday was my last day of work. YIPPPEEEE! I spent all day yesterday doing baby laundry, trying to clean the house a bit and shopping. Of course I did the shopping first. Headed to Babies R Us to pick up a few things that we didn't get off of our registry. I almost choked when the total came to $450 - but thank God for gift cards!! After using every single one of them, I paid $180. Not bad!!

Today I'm going to take it a bit easy. I woke up today with contractions at 4am. Not bad, but I was praying that they'd go away because I wanted to sleep some more. Lately I've been getting up four times a night to go to the bathroom. What a joke. There are times when I pee like a race horse and times when it's a trickle and I can't believe I had to get up.

Jason and I agreed on a name! I am so excited!! We're not telling anyone until he is born. Sorry. We are currently looking for a pediatrician. Since I'm off work, I figured now's a good time to pick a couple and visit their office to look around and ask a few questions. I'm mostly interested in vaccination schedules. Since we found out we're having a boy, I've been doing some research on autism and the alleged link to vaccines. Jason and I have decided to vaccinate _______, but on an extended time horizon. I was on the American Pediatrics website and the association recommends a certain schedule. Well, I think it's a little much at one time. Since I'll be home, I don't mind going to the doctor's office every month (starting at 2 months) for 2 vaccines. Plus, I don't like the idea of the "cocktails" where the office combines vaccines into a shot to decrease the number they have to give in one visit. Sometimes I feel like I'm being paranoid, but there isn't enough research or agreement in the medical community to totally disprove that vaccines may or may not contribute to the onset or progression of autism. Some articles I've read link autism to a deficient immune system. That may be true too. The statistics alone freak me out!! 1 in every 150 kids is diagnosed with some level of autism. Out of the 150 kids, 4 out of every 5 of them are boys. I wonder why?

Plus, I'm reading Jenny McCarthy's new book about her son being autistic. The emotional rollcoaster is heartbreaking.

What are your views on vaccines? Did you vaccinate on the "recommended" schedule, extend it or not vaccinate at all? I'd like to know.

Precursor to Labor?

I had the night from hell last night. At about 11:30pm, I woke up with really uncomfortable tightness in my belly. I figured maybe it was something I ate or because the baby was really active during the day or because we had sex earlier in the night.

I couldn't get comfortable no matter which side I chose or if I sat straight up in bed. The only thing I found to somewhat soothe the achy, crampy feeling was to drink water and walk around the house. At about 1am, I was so tempted to get dressed and walk around the block. That's how uncomfortable it was for me. This lasted 'til about 3am when I was finally able to fall asleep. Yes, 2 hours of sleep and I am a zombie today.

So, my questions are - is that feeling "normal"? Was that a Braxton Hicks moment? If so, should it have lasted that long?

I want to call my OB's nurse to ask her if I should come in but I don't want to sound like a worry wart. I feel better today though. After last night, I'm beginning to rethink the epidural thing......


UPDATE: I called my OB's office and the nurse said as long as the tightness has gone away, it doesn't hurt when I pee and the baby is moving "normally", then there is nothing to worry about. She said that I'm being prepared for labor. Ok lady....

Prenatal Appointment #9

Yesterday's appointment was pretty cool in an odd sort of way. Started off w/ the standard stuff; also had a NST (non stress test) done. The nurse reviewed the tape and said that there is some activity that the doctor needs to see. She showed us an area where the heart rate looked like the cutting edge of a saw blade (jagged, up and down). She said that that type of heart rate could be from the baby laying on or playing with its umbilical cord or low amniotic fluid. She leaves the room to check w/ the doctor. A minute later she walks in and says we have to get an ultrasound "just to make sure everything is alright".

The woman doing the ultrasound was so cool. She was just supposed to take a few measurements of amniotic fluid pockets (which turned out to be normal), but instead she had us in the room for 1/2 hour doing cool 4D stuff! We saw an awesome 4D image of the baby's profile, arms, legs, etc. He definitely has Jason's nose. He's got super chubby cheeks and full lips. Very adorable :) We left the room w/ like 15 ultrasound pics. She was so awesome. The baby is ~18" long and weighs about 5 lbs 9 oz.

I have 7 days of work left (woo hoo). My last day is on the 12th. So, you can call me, e-mail me at any time!!

We had our baby shower this past Sunday. Surprisingly, we only got two doubles - a lot of fun gifts and gift cards to spend!! The funnest thing I got is a bunch of decorated onesies and burp clothes.....YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!! They are frickin' hilarious. Even Jason laughed at the "I've got a gun" onesie. My favorite one is the "Future AGD lil' nut". Thank you!!

Last but not least is a pic of my 35 week old belly. Not the most flattering but I promised to post one. Enjoy.

Prenatal Appointment #8

Lots to update about!

Jason and I completed the childbirth classes and I had a breastfeeding class last week. The breastfeeding class was the best $5 I ever spent. The consultant was awesome. She was able to answer all my questions, bash all myths and provided excellent reference material.

As mentioned in my last post, my doctor upped up due date. He said everything looked fine but with 'family history' as a major factor, he's pretty confident that I'll deliver sometime at the end of October. Yay, a halloween baby and fun costume parties!!! I'm only 34 weeks but starting this week, I see my doctor every week until I deliver. I'm starting to get a little nervous.

My blood sugar levels have been really good with the exception of a few. The dietitian is really happy and said that there is no need for me to get on medication (THANK GOD). I've had a few "high" numbers (>120) but I know it's what I ate. I experiement with food to see what affects me in what way. I've found that I can eat a piece of cake or a brownie or a hot dog w/ a bun. It's the amount that I need to watch for from now on. I can't eat a hot dog w/ chips and pasta salad, for example. Or 2 brownies with a glass of milk. Seems pretty simple. I'm just really, really glad that I don't have to take meds.

I'm starting to feel the aches and pains of pregnancy. My right side gets really sore - ankle and knee crack all the time and my hip kills. I have good and bad nights of sleep. I feel sorry for Jason because when it's a bad night, I toss and turn forever. I know, I know I still haven't posted a picture of my belly. I PROMISE I'LL DO IT TONIGHT.

We have a tour of Labor & Delivery at the hospital in a couple of weeks. That should be interesting. More later on tonight!

Finally...My hormones kick in with a complete meltdown

And I was having such a good day yesterday, too.....



I just had this feeling about the baby's furniture all day yesterday so I called the store to get an update on the order. The guy said he had to call the manufacturer because the furniture was not at the store.



REWIND TO AUGUST 27th - I went to US@ Baby to order the furniture. After doing a lot of research, I knew exactly what I wanted, in what color and what pieces. Very easy sale. Jason wasn't too happy about how much it was going to cost, but he didn't say too much. The first thing I tell the salesman is exactly what I want and my due date (at this time it's 10 weeks away). I asked him if the timing would be a problem. He said, "It's store policy to tell customers that orders take about 8 - 14 weeks for delivery, but since you want a new line it shouldn't take more than 8 weeks because the manufacturer has the furniture in stock at the warehouse." So I put the order in and paid in full.

FAST FORWARD TO SEPTEMBER 24th - I get home from work and there's a message on the answering machine - it's US@ Baby with an update on the furniture. Estimated delivery date (to the store) is December 2. SAY WHAT????? As a reminder, my due date is November 8 - oh, and did I tell you that my doctor bumped up my due date to November 1 and said that I "probably won't make November."?!?! I'll update you on that in a separate post. Back to the furniture. The guy said that he figured I wouldn't be happy and that he called another store to 'see what he can do'. The best they can do is to give me a floor model, free delivery and 10% off. The other store has my crib and chest in stock but not the dressing station - a double dresser in place of the station. To make me feel better he said, 'The double dresser is more expensive and we'd give it to you for free.' Thanks a@#hole but that's not what we ordered and we didn't pay $2200 for a floor model.

After crying hysterically (and Jason thinking that I'm a whack job), I looked at the sales slip for the refund policy. I can get my money back in full within 60 days of purchase (not delivery) as long as it isn't a special order. I'm nervous because I don't know what constitutes a special order. I plan on calling another store (one I haven't dealt w/ yet so they don't know me) and asking to define a special order. If I can get a refund, I will.

It's not just the hormones

I am so hurt and angry right now that I think even the baby is hurt and angry......

Prenatal Appointment #7

It's been a crazy week!

On Tuesday and Wednesday I met with a diabetic counselor and dietitian. They gave me a really good explanation on gestational diabetes (GD) and how pregnancy hormones literally make your body go totally wacko. Before the appointment, I was asked to keep a food diary. After the dietitian looked over my list, she had only one complaint.....I ate way too much for breakfast. WHAT???? My typical breakfast (before Wednesday) consisted of either a bowl of cereal (Kashi or plain Cheerios) w/ fruit and a glass of something to drink or a bagel w/ veggie cream cheese w/ yogurt and fruit. I didn't think that was bad. Well, come to learn that people are most glucose intolerant in the morning (since you sleep all night) and because of that, you shouldn't eat a huge breakfast because that'll make your blood sugar level skyrocket. Now I eat something on the order of 1 piece of toast and an egg or an egg w/ a glass of milk.

I've learned to count carbs. It seems like *everything* has a carb point associated with it. The first day was tough, but I'm getting the hang of it. Plus everytime I've checked my glucose level this week (since I got the meter), I've had "normal" readings.

Yesterday I had my biweekly appointment w/ my OB and it was pretty uneventful. He asked how the earlier appointments went and if I had any questions. He was glad to hear that my readings are good, explaining that he is mostly concerned b/c of my family history. He did something that kind of caught me off guard.....He measured my belly. Is that an indirect way of "measuring" the baby??? He explained to me that my belly should be around the same number in centimeters as I am in weeks along - which I was exactly that. He said the baby is head down on my left with his back curled around my belly and his feet are just above and to the right of my belly button. So that's the hard-as-a-rock lump that I've been feeling at 4am every day! I always thought it was his butt or something.

Jason and I start childbirthing class on Monday (2 classes from 6:30 - 8:30pm). That's going to be a trip. This is going to give me a good indication of how he's going to handle the birth. I find it to be extremely unattractive and semi-gross. That's just me. Hopefully Jason will be better than me. We've discussed labor and he pretty much said it's up to me since I'll be going through with it. I want to try really hard to deliver naturally (meaning no pain treatment). Nothing against epidurals or anything like that, but I feel that my body will naturally tell me when the baby is ready and feeling the contraction (as painful as I heard they are) will tell me when to push. Why interfere with what my body will tell me to do on its own? That is just my perspective. Obviously a ton of factors will come into play on the day of delivery that may take that choice from me. I'm fine w/ that too.

This weekend my cousin is throwing us a diaper party.....Typically diaper parties are just for the guys. Since women have the baby shower; guys get together, bringing a pack of diapers to the party and drink, play cards, do whatever guys do when they're together. Well, when my cousin was pregnant, I hosted one for her, but made it more of a family affair. So, in return, she's doing the same for Jason and me. That'll be fun.

Not much else going on - for now!

Prenatal Appointment #6 - New Doctor

I had my first appointment with my new OB/Gyn and it went better than I had expected. When I checked in, his nurse gave me a packet containing a boat-load of information; a preferred list of pediatricians/family doctors, a 1-year free subscription to Parents magazine, office and appointment protocol, emergency phone numbers, hospital information, etc. That was pretty cool. I actually begin to feel like the doctor believes it's important to have informed patients.

My appointment started off with the typical - blood pressure reading, weigh in and pee in a cup. Then I met the doctor in his office to talk about family history, how I'm feeling, answer any questions, etc. He said my weight gain was right on target and to keep walking because it's going to help me tremendously right before and during labor.

The only real concern he had for me was failing the glucose test. He explained that the 'normal range' is below 140 mg/dl, 'pre diabetes range' is 140 - 200 mg/dl and 'diabetes range' is above 200 mg/dl. My result was 197 mg/dl. He said he wasn't too concerned about my result, but what made him concerned was that my grandma died of complications due to diabetes. He suggested that I bypass the 3-hour test because of my family history, he's going to treat me as a diabetic. Therefore, I have to meet with a dietitian to discuss what and when I eat during the day.

I will never forget what my high school biology teacher said about procreation......"Be careful who you choose to share your genetic profile with because it's going to directly affect your children." I would like to thank my family members for some of my undesirable genes.

Other than that, everything is going really well. The bedroom is done, the furniture is ordered, we're registered and the baby shower is planned. Now we just wait......

Lots to talk about!

I have lots to say today, so here it goes:

-I found a new OB/GYN! I'm so super excited! His office isn't too far from my house (about 6 miles) and is affiliated w/ Toledo Hospital (also about 6 miles away). Aside from the poor disposition of my old doctor (OD), I was more concerned about hospital affiliation. The OD is affliated w/ Mercy Memorial in Monroe, which is about 15 miles away. It really bothered me when I found out that Mercy doesn't have a NICU. If something happened during delivery or with the baby, then he would be life flighted to Toledo Hospital. Needless to say, I would feel a ton better if I was at a hospital that could deal w/ a high level emergency, if necessary. My first appointment w/ the new doctor is on the 22nd. His office staff were so nice. The woman I talked to about my insurance explained *everything* to me - tailoring the conversation to the insurance plan Jason and I have. Everything from the cost of a natural birth to C-section to ultrasounds to pain meds during delivery, etc. Basically, I will know exactly how much it's going to cost for this baby to be delivered. Thank God for insurance. The only thing that I'm concerned about is his office hours. I hope I don't have to take too much time off from work to get to my appointments. With my OD, I was able to leave work at my "regular" time and get to his office on time. We'll see - at this point, it's a small sacrifice to feel a little more comfortable and happy w/ prenatal care.

-I went in yesterday for my gestational diabetes test. A nurse from my OD's office called today to tell me that I "failed". A normal glucose level is 140 (for a 1-hour test) and mine was 197. Now my OD wants me to go in for a 3-hour test. I'm not going to do it before my new doctor has a chance to review my records. Has anyone else "failed" their test? *sigh* I eat well and have stayed active. I've only gained 14 lbs so far. Is it genetic?

-One of my pet peeves is creeping up again.....Remember when I said that my plan all along was to find out what we are having and NOT tell anyone? Do you remember why? Because I'm afraid that if we tell people we're having a boy or a girl, we'll get EVERYTHING in blue or pink, respectively. Well, bless her heart, my MIL brought over a bag of baby clothes. All of the outfits are super adorable and to die for, but they're all blue. I didn't have the heart to say "don't start this evil trend" because the clothes are really, really cute. So, I just vented to Jason.

-Speaking of Jason, he's coming home tomorrow from China. I hate China. He's been gone for 2 weeks and it sucks. I don't sleep well when I'm alone. I get really paranoid that someone is going to break into the house and kill me. I know, I watch way too many scary movies......I can't wait for tomorrow :)

-Creepy story: I got three calls yesterday from a number that I didn't recognize, so I didn't answer the phone (cell phone). On the third call (at 8:30 pm), I decided to answer it because I thought that maybe it was a friend that had changed their cell phone number and wanted to make sure I got it. HUGE MISTAKE. This guy was on the other end babbling something about the freight company he works for is trying to deliver a package to my sister (he didn't identify her as my sister, but said her name - although mispronounced her first). Then he said that there is a sticker on the package that says if it's lost or undeliverable to call "Dina or Deanna" at *my cell phone number*. Anyone who has known me for a long time knows that I get very leary when it comes to my sister. Why? Because she's used my name for credit, she's opened accounts in my name, used me as a reference on loans she and her hubby have reneged on, etc. Not very trustworthy, to put it mildly. Now since he mispronounced my name, I totally played it off like I had no idea who he was talking about. I said that I didn't order anything and my name wasn't either of the two he mentioned. I apologized for not be able to help. I don't know if he wanted me to give him my address or what, but I started to get edgy when he didn't want me to hang up. I repeated that I didn't order anything and that I wasn't who he's looking for. After I got off the phone, I immediately called my sister. She said she didn't order anything and had no idea why this creep was calling me. I got a copy of my credit report to make sure everything is kosher and it was, thankfully. I tried calling the number that guy called from (at work so he didn't recognize the number) and it rang forever. No voicemail, no secretary, no answering machine. Hmmmmmmm

-Guess what today is?! The first Lions' preseason game!!! YIPPEEE - football season is here! Cheers to spending Sundays on the couch for 6 hours straight! I love football. I'm trying to get on a Fantasy league. The league I was on last year didn't invite me back because I won 2nd place by beating 14 other guys (at least that's what I think). I'm trying to get with the league I was on 2 years ago. The people were super fun, I just didn't like how the commissioner ran the league. We'll see how this year goes.....Game time is at 7:30 pm against the Bengals.

More later.

Ballpark Trip 2008

We've decided to hit Yankee Stadium next summer. I guess '08 is the last season before the team gets a new ballpark. It'll be fun because I love NYC and Jason has never been there. I already know where we're going to stay, now we just have to wait until March 1st for the 2008 schedule to come out!!!

Traveling with an infant (the baby is going to be about 10 months old) is going to be a challenge but we have to do it. If we're going to travel once a year to a park, then we might as well break him in early. This could get interesting....We haven't decided if we're going to fly or drive. My vote is to fly. I'd rather take my chances on a 2 hour flight than an 8 or 9 hour drive.

I'm excited and it's a whole year away!!

Prenatal Appointment #5

I truly wonder why I'm still seeing this OB/GYN. Jason and I had our prenatal appointment last week and I still am not totally comfortable with this doctor. Firstly, his staff just seems so miserable. No one smiles, no one seems happy to see pregnant women, no one seems to even act fake around patients. Whenever I have an appointment, I'm never instructed on what to do. Although I know I'm going to get weighed, have my blood pressure checked and pee in a cup. I've started my own routine. Instead of following the assistant, I walk directly to the scale, sit next to the blood-pressure-taker-machine and go to the bathroom. What irritates me is whenever I step out of the bathroom the assistant has already directed Jason into an exam room and I have no idea which one it is. So I walk around like an idiot until I find him. That really bugs me.

Anyway, back to last week's appointment:

The doctor comes in and asks us if we're interested in getting the triple screen test done. WTF?! I must have had the dirtiest look on my face because this was the conversation:
Idiot Doctor (ID): Is something wrong?
Diana Stark (DS): Yes, we were offered the test during my first trimester and we declined it. Why are we being asked again?
ID: Well, your chart says you're 15 weeks.
DS: No, I'm 25 weeks - almost my THIRD trimester.
ID (looking at his assistant): Who's the idiot that wrote this?
DS: That idiot reflects poorly on you as a doctor. You've been seeing me every month since March so you should know that I'm past 15 weeks.
ID: I was wondering why you looked so big if you were 15 weeks.

After about 2 seconds of silence (a blessing at this point because I just wanted to call him an incompetent asshole and leave) I asked if we were still scheduled to talk to the nurse (his wife) about family history. "Oh yeah, yeah. Sure." Basically, thanks for the reminder. GRRRR

Didn't get the ultrasound I was supposed to have (because of the hypothyroidism) but that didn't bother me too much because I didn't want to give him the pleasure of charging our insurance for another $300.

I'm fed up with his unprofessional attitude. Have you, or anyone you know, changed doctors in the middle of a pregnancy??? HELP!

Celebrating Independence

Despite the craziness of the world, let's not forgot how lucky we are to live in this wonderful country. Happy 4th of July everyone!

Prenatal Appointment #4

During yesterday's appointment, the ultrasound confirmed that we're having a boy. After 5 seconds of silence and one tear later, I was happy. I have to admit, I knew all along that we're having a boy. I still wanted a girl.

The measurements of the fluid sac, head, femur and base of the skull were normal. The heartbeat was/is 143, which is very good. The normal range is 120 to 180. The baby cooperated very nicely for the ultrasound. He's laying across my belly with his head on my left and feet on the right. Although it seemed like he was flipping during the ultrasound. We got an image of his profile, face (that is still way freaky to me), feet, manhood and hands. It was kind of funny because he was kicking and moving a lot. Based on the measurements, I'm 20 w and 6 d. That will probably guarantee that he will be born in October. I hope. Jason was all puffed up and beating his chest since he's having a son. He was really sweet to me since he knew that I was minutely upset about not having a daugher. At least it guarantees we'll have a second child!!

All in all, I was really happy to hear that the baby appears to be in good health and normal.

Yesterday's ultrasound would've been the last for a "normal" pregnancy, but because I have hypothyroidism, I'll have an ultrasound every month until the baby is born. The doctor wants to monitor the baby's size and development. That's fine with me!

Now time to paint! More next month......

Why are people so irritating?

One of my friends, Mandy, approached me a couple of weeks ago to start talking about the baby shower. We've been throwing ideas around about date, place, food, etc. Nothing too concrete. I know that Jason's aunts will "throw" a shower for me since they do for every nephew in the family. So far not one aunt has called me yet.

I decided to take yesterday (Thursday) off from work to focus on getting a date and place set for the baby shower. My first choice, our church hall, is booked for the entire months of September and October (Saturdays and Sundays). STRIKE 1. That sucks. Since I'm very organized and extremely anal about planning stuff, I started to panic [slightly]. I told Mandy on Tuesday about trying to get a place so that I don't worry about it anymore. She offered to call around to community centers, restaurants and banquet halls to get pricing. Thank God for teachers and summer vacations!!

She called me on Wednesday and gave me a list of 4 places to choose from. Two were definitely off the list because of price. One place was charging $14/person and that didn't even include soft drinks (just coffee and tea). Yeah right. The other place charged $16/person and that included drinks. I'm sorry, but we paid $30/person for our wedding. I can not see paying that kind of money for a baby shower. Sorry baby. Anyway, I checked out the other two places yesterday and neither of them really struck me as outstanding. I picked the better of the two. The place is slightly outdated with its paint job and small kitchen set up, but I think I can overlook it....I think. The smell was slightly musty because I'm sure the facility isn't used every weekend. Nothing a few Plug-ins can't fix. I'm beginning to realize that I am WAY too particular about details.

So, the baby shower is planned for a Saturday at the end of September. Now for the irritating part:

I get a phone call from one of Jason's aunts telling me that she's "upset that I went to Mandy to plan the shower instead of talking to the aunts". Why? I didn't approach Mandy to plan my baby shower. Mandy approached me. Which I'm grateful for because obviously we didn't plan enough ahead or else we'd have the shower at Mount Carmel. Anyway, I tried to explain the situation with Mandy just wanting to gather ideas and to book the place since we've already run into a road block with my first choice. The rest of the details can be planned whenever and by whomever. Does this really have to be a big deal??? Jason's aunt said that I should've approached them if I wanted to start planning the shower. Firstly, I'm not going to call one of Jason's aunts and say, "when are you going to plan my shower?". Secondly, it shouldn't be my responsibility to plan my shower. THEY should approach ME. Right? I will be more than happy to tell them what I want and have them plan it. Plus, it's a little more complicated b/c I am having only one shower. That includes my family, too. So instead of planning for 50 or 60 people, they're going to have to plan for about 80 to 90 people. She said that they weren't thinking about plans for the shower until sometime in July and have the shower in October. Um, no. Reminder: I'm due November 8. I don't want a shower 3 weeks before my due date. What if the baby is early? I want my shower in September. Am I being too crazy? Again, why does this have to be a big deal? Maybe if they would've talked to me about it instead of assuming the shower would be in October, then we wouldn't be having this discussion. I'm not mad though.

To make matters worse, Jason's mom is in Charleston until July 3rd so I can't talk to her about it. She'll be the peace maker :)

Let the answering machine get it

A message left on my answering machine today:

"Hi Diana, this is Hazel from Mount Carmel. I'm sorry to tell you this, but I was looking at the wrong month when I told you the hall was available for your shower on the 23rd. I was on October instead of September. Please let me know if you have another date in mind. Again, I'm sorry."

Yeah, me too. It's only June and September is pretty much booked up for us - with the exception of the 23rd. Now I'm probably going to be forced to do one of two things: 1. have the shower at the beginning of October (which I was trying to avoid in the first place), 2. have the shower somewhere else. I guess I'll call Hazel and see what she can do. Maybe I'll entertain the idea of having the shower on a Saturday. Has anyone attended a shower on a Saturday? If so, then let me know.

I feel much better now.

Prenatal Appointment #3 & Pet Peeves

Does anything ever happen during these appointments?? Jason and I spent more time in the waiting room than with the doctor. Geez.

Everything is going well so far. Basically, he asked how I've been feeling and that was pretty much it. He also asked about any spotting or cramping; which I haven't experienced either at that time. He checked the baby's heartbeat and was done. Had blood drawn to check Rh compatibility. We were in and out in about 20 minutes. I wish I made $70 in 20 minutes. Things are going well. I'm starting to "stick out" and not even trying to conceal the belly anymore. It's actually kind of amusing.

Pregnancy pet peeve #1: Touching my belly - Only 1 person in this whole world is allowed to touch my belly without permission and that's Jason. If you're not Jason (Stark, that is), then you MUST ask permission. Even then I reserve the right to say 'no', depending upon my mood.

Pregnancy pet peeve #2: Pointing out my weight gain - Honestly, I think I look pretty good for almost 5 months preggers. Yes, I've gained weight (~10-15 lbs). You don't have to point that out to me. I have a closet full of clothes that don't fit right now. That is my daily reminder. Thank you.

Pregnancy pet peeve #3: Asking about names - I apologize to all my friends who've had children and I've asked you this very question. We still have 4 months to go (hopefully). You'll find out then.

Pregnancy pet peeve #4: Asking about the baby's room - See logic mentioned above.

Pregnancy pet peeve #5: Asking if I feel anything yet - Can't I enjoy *something* without 100 people asking about it? I feel flutters and indigestion. Is that good enough?!

Pregnancy pet peeve #6: Asking if I know what we're having - If I did, I'm not telling anyone. So there.

Pregnancy pet peeve #7: Asking if I'm ready to be a mom - Let's seriously think about this. Um, if I'm not, then I have 4 months to prepare. If I'm not ready then, then I have to fake it. What kind of question is that, really?

Pregnancy pet peeve #8: Asking how close the next one will be - Are you kidding me? Let's focus on our first child.

Pregnancy pet peeve #9: Treating me like I'm an invalid - I can do things for myself, really I can. I'll let you know if I don't feel comfortable doing something.

Pregnancy pet peeve #10: Treating me like I have 'outs' for everything - No, not true. I can't eat whatever I want. No, I can't drink carbonated/caffeinated drinks whenever I want. No, I can't sit on my a$$ all day long. I can only do these things if I want to weigh 250 lbs, have gestational diabetes and feel miserable at 8 and 9 months pregnant. I don't eat cheeseburgers w/ large fries and a Mountain Dew. I don't drink coffee anymore (that one hurts). I walk. Why? Because being proactive now will save me a lot of heartache later :)

More updates to come......

Now For the Crappy News

Jason was out of town the last week of April. He got home around 3pm on that Friday and waited for me to get home from work. When I did, he asked me if I had closed the door to the basement. Naturally, I said no because we keep Caicos' litterbox in the basement. Strange, because I check the basement door every morning before I leave the house. Jason started walking around the house and when he walked into the sunroom (a room off of the kitchen) he noticed something lying in the middle of the floor. He asked me what it was and I immediately said, "we've been broken into". The lock to the patio door was lying in the middle of the floor. When we pulled the blinds back on the patio door we saw the damage. There were apparent crowbar marks on the outside and casing/frame of the door. The glass didn't break, but both locks on the door were pried off of the screws. GREAT. what a way to start a weekend.

After looking around we realized that our iPod and video camera were stolen. Jason initiated the call to the sheriff's dept and we waited for a person to show up.

In the meantime, I went across the street to ask if my neighbor saw anything. She works from home and her office window faces the front of our house. She said that she saw a guy about our age walk out from our backyard with what looked like a toolbox at around 2:30pm. She said she didn't think anything of it because she figured one of our friends was doing some work on the house. She gave me a description of the a-hole and I thanked her and left.

I went next door (to the right) because she's a stay-at-home mom but she didn't see anything. I went to my other next door neighbor but they weren't home from work yet. The neighbors two houses down were outside so I dropped by to ask if they noticed a strange vehicle parked in front of their house. I proceeded to tell them what had happened and asked if they had seen anything. Kathy said that it was strange I asked because when she got home from work, the handle to their garage door was messed up. I suggested that they take a look at their patio door because it sounded like they got broken into as well.

In the end, our next door neighbors (who weren't home when I went over), two houses down from us (Larry and Kathy) and our house were broken into on Friday afternoon. We were lucky. A lot more stuff was stolen out of the other two houses than ours. We must've been the last house that was hit. Bastard.

Now we get the joy of dealing with our insurance company. Is hasn't been too bad yet, but then again, the new door hasn't been installed. More to come.

Prenatal Appointment #2

It's been a while and I apologize....

On April 16th, Jason and I had our second prenatal appointment. It started off extremely uneventful - weigh in, pee in a cup and wait for the doctor. Once he and his assistant walked in, small talk ensued - 'how are you feeling?', 'any new cravings?', etc. I told him that I feel extremely blessed because I feel really good. I've never been sick and the worst I've felt is slightly tired at night. Other than that, I seriously have no reason to complain. *Please God don't change anything*

I had about 2 pints of blood taken (ok, only 4 vials) to check for Rh compatibility, STD's, etc. He asked if we wanted to be tested for the risk of Down's Syndrome. If the test results came back as an elevated risk, then why worry about it for the next 6 months; especially if it was a false positive. So, we declined the test. The most exciting part was hearing the baby's heartbeat. That was cool. Since I'm new at this, I kind of expected the baby's heartbeat to be a lot faster than what it sounded like. It wasn't quite double mine, but it was a little bit faster. Of course the superstitious family members were predicting the gender based on the heartbeat. Prediction: Boy.

So far, I've gained about 4 pounds. It doesn't sound too bad, but those 4 pounds sure do make my clothes fit a lot differently! I've gone to wearing my clothes with a rubber band to fasten my pant buttons to not wearing the rubber band because it feels so good to just let my belly hang out. I've come to the realization that I must start shopping for maternity clothes. Which I plan on doing today on my way home from work.

Jason and I have talked about names. We agree on the boy's name but not the girl's. I told him we're sticking with my selection unless he thinks of another acceptable name. Guaranteed I'm going to win this one!! Cross your fingers for a girl :)

We decided to wait until around August to start with the baby's room. I have a ton of ideas but haven't decided which one to go with. Jason's input is "You tell me what you want and I'll do it." Sounds good to me!!

I've started buying diapers everytime I go grocery shopping. Holy crap are they expensive! The baby's room smells like diapers - it's so cute!

Our next appointment is on the 15th. I promise I'll update you sooner than 3 weeks later!!

Prenatal Appointment #1

Jason and I had our first prenatal appointment today. I didn't know what to expect, so I was kind of nervous. We were called into an exam room with ultrasound equipment and the nurse explained to us what was going to happen. A camera captured the baby's location. The image on the screen was so weird. We saw a little sac that was black and in the center of it was a white blob. The nurse explained to us that the black sac-like area is the placenta and the white blob is the baby. The cool thing was when we saw the heart beating!!! It looked like a flickering light. Way cool. The heart beat was 129 which we were told is very good at this stage of the pregnancy. The baby's heart beat is expected to be above 100. The baby is 6.7 mm long and is 6 weeks and 4 days old.

Our due date is November 8th. I'm hoping for a Halloween baby! Just think - costume parties for a birthday every year!!! We are so excited and feel very blessed. My next visit is in four weeks so I'll have another update!

Oh, one more thing.....I've been CRAVING chocolate milk like a mad woman. I never believed women who told me about their cravings. I thought, "yeah right". It's so true and it's terrible. I rarely drank chocolate milk. I can probably count the number of times in one year on one hand. The doctor yelled at me. He said to "limit the chocolate milk consumption". He said that drinking too much of it will cause me to gain unneccesary weight. Fiiiiiinnnnneeee.

Much more to come. Hooray for baby Stark :)

SHHHH! Don't Tell Anyone....

Well, it's been about 6 weeks since I've blogged and I figured tonight is a good night to start again.

Jason and I are happy to announce that we're expecting our first child this fall. We don't know the due date yet since our first prenatal appointment isn't until Monday so....DON'T SAY ANYTHING TO OUR FAMILIES!!! LAURA THAT MEANS YOU!! LOL

I knew something was up because I've fallen asleep before 9pm every night for the past 2 weeks. Plus I've had this gag reflex for about a week. Let's not forget the sore nips whenever the stream of water in the shower hits. That friggin' hurts.

Sorry we can't give more information but we're still in shock ourselves. I promise, promise, promise that I'll blog more often now and fill you in on what's going on.

Erika and Heather - start sending the books whenever you're ready :) Not to mention book a damn trip out here. Geez, what's it gonna take......a pregnancy?! He, he, he.

Hugs and kisses to everyone.

The Long Awaited Update

Yes, it has been a while and a lot has happened since my last post. I'm warning you now - this is going to be long.

November: Ever since I got back from Tech I was really 'down in the dumps'. I don't know what it was, but nothing excited me nor interested me. I was just blah. Then I began to notice that my work clothes were getting tight. That seemed really strange to me since I've been the same size for about 7 years. So what would be my natural response??? GO TO THE GYM. And that's what I did. Spent Thanksgiving with my family this year (Jason and I alternate families to be fair). All was alright...or so I thought.


December: All the working out I was doing - about 5 weeks worth at this point and no change. Not even ONE POUND. Plus I started skipping periods *again* and I started to worry. I called my gynnie and scheduled an appointment for an exam and to voice my concerns about the irregular cycles, weight gain and the blah-ness I've been feeling. When I told my gynnie everything he sent me to have my blood drawn for a 'hormone check'. Then he prescribed Provera and Clomid (50mg) and told me to see him in 5 weeks. I was kind of in shock and didn't even think about what the meds were for or what they treated, etc. Christmas was really nice although I did want some snow. It was brown and gross and, well, blah.

January:At the beginning of the year I checked in with my gynnie and the first thing I noticed was his attitude. When he walked into the exam room, I tried to be jovial by asking, "What's up doc?" and his response was, "Well, not your hormone level" and he hands me a piece of paper (my blood work results). Doesn't explain the numbers to me at all. That pissed me off so I said to him, "I'm an engineer not a doctor so please explain these numbers to me". He proceeds to tell me that I have hypothyroidism and my hormone levels are at a premenopausal woman - i.e. zero ovulation. GREAT. He started his shpeel about how the thyroid controls hormone levels which control metabolism, mood, energy, etc. My underactive thyroid is to blame (for the most part) for my bitchiness, weight gain and wacked out periods. Prescribes more Provera and Clomid (150mg) then adds Synthroid 100mcg and Glucophage. By this time he makes some really rude and unnecessary comments to me, which I don't feel like repeating. The Glucophage freaked me out because my diabetic grandmother took that for insulin control. I asked him if I was diabetic and he said no, but he wanted to make sure I didn't become it. Through all of this, I had a really nice birthday.

January 30, 2007:I've educated myself on Provera, Clomid, Synthroid and Glucophage. Because of my condition, I've accepted the fact that I'll take Synthroid until the day I die. Glucophage was a 90-day script and done. I will not be taking Provera again. Now for the Clomid. Depending upon the source, I get similar and differing information. The risks are mild but, if the pill is taken for a prolonged period of time, it can lead to an increased risk of ovarian cancer. The more I read, then more things become clear. I just get this awful feeling that my gynnie is taking the wrong treatment path. He sees money in pregnacies, deliveries and babies. He is prescribing Clomid so that I will become pregnant. Don't get me wrong, I want to have babies. However, I want to take things one at a time. I feel strongly about properly treating the hypothyroidism and once that is in check, ovulation and pregnancy will soon follow. I don't want to put the buggy before the horse. In a lot of the literature I've read about hypothyroidism, if left untreated or not treated properly, it can lead to miscarriages, very difficult pregnacies and mental retardation in babies. That's scary. Because of how serious hypothyroidism affects babies, every newborn is tested. What's even scarier is that hypothyroidism is genetic and favors women. I found out that my grandma (not the diabetic one because she's passed away) has hypothyroidism. I would put money on it that if my mom had lived long enough, she would have started seeing symptoms of the disease, too. Now that I'm informed, and if I ever have a daughter, I will be able to pass that information on.

So, that is my last 90 days in a nutshell. I have to be honest, since I've been taking Synthroid I've lost weight, felt a million times happier and more energetic. I feel like being social again. It has been a God-send. I'm just really thankful that I now know why I was in a funk and how to treat it. HOORAY