7 months postpartum

At almost 7 months postpartum, here is what is going on with my body. Let's start at the top and work our way down.

Right around 4 months pp, I started to lose my hair again. This was right around the same time as it happened after having Izzy. The major hair loss also lasted about as long as it did after Izzy too- about two months. The hair on my head is growing slowly...at least for now and is pretty dry.

Throughout my pregnancy I had two raised marks on my face (cysts?). They were frustrating because they weren't zits (so I couldn't pop them) and no matter what I did they didn't go away. Well soon after delivering Wes I noticed they were gone! I did have two skin tags near my arm pits and unfortunately, they never went away so I guess I am stuck with them. At least they are small.

My few black chin hairs (thanks Lupron!) grew like crazy during pregnancy, slowed down after giving birth, and have now ramped up growth in the past month or so (boooo!!).

For the first four months postpartum, I had the WORST body odor. I showered as much as possible, used deodorant like crazy, etc. but it didn't matter. I did some research online and found out this was normal as many other women have this happen after giving birth...but it was weird because I never had it with Izzy. It must be a hormonal thing because once my period came back (around 4 months), the body odor went away. So weird!

My boobs are still huge because I am still nursing. I have no idea what size I am right now but plan on getting resized once I am done nursing. Right now I am feeling guilty that my supply is not fantastic, but dropping down to two pumps a day at work has been nice. Possibly by the end of the month I will only pump once a day at work. I would like to continue nursing Wes in the morning and night for a while but it all depends on him and my boobs.

I am about 10 pounds lighter than when I got pregnant with Wes which is great. I still have a squishy midsection though....I assume that I need to do some work on my diet, work out some more, and finish breastfeeding for that to go away.

Finally, my feet got bigger when I was pregnant with Izzy, didn't get smaller after giving birth, and then stayed big throughout my pregnancy with Wes and now postpartum. Sadly while some of my size 10 shoes fit, I'm more like a 10.5 or an 11 these days. :-(

Birth Story/Hospital Stay Part 1

Day before C-section (7/14/16)

Remember when I wrote that I felt totally unprepared for a baby? Well after finishing up work I then rushed around the house cleaning a bit, putting together the pack n play, and washing some more clothes. Just doing that really helped me feel a bit better about Wes' arrival the next day. We decided to go out to dinner and ice cream as our last night as a family of three; unfortunately Izzy drank way too much water at dinner and peed her car seat heading home for the first time (great timing!). After she went to bed I headed to Target to buy diapers and pack n play sheets. I also packed my hospital bag, wrote an email to my mom about Izzy's schedule and we finally hit the sheets at midnight.

C-section day (7/15/16)

CP and I were up early and both helped Izzy to get ready for school. We asked her what she wanted to name her baby brother- her answer "poopy butt!" (Her go-to answer these days.) As we headed into the hospital, we were even more relaxed than last time. We arrived to find that the OR was running behind and we would have to wait. No biggie but I'm certainly glad that this didn't happen with Izzy!

Once I am in the OR the numbing agent hurt more than I remember but the spinal block quickly flooded my legs. I got nauseous quickly- just like last time- but knew it would happen and the doctors were quick to push medicine to make me feel better into my iv. The surgery started around 10:20 and CP came into the room.

Wesley was born at 11:10am weighing 8 pounds 3 ounces- same as Izzy! But instead of her beautiful cry, he made more of a gurgling sound and had to be suctioned A LOT. I started crying in relief once he was out. Finally CP got to hold him and Wes gurgled/cried most of the time. Unlike last time when the anesthesiologist made conversation to keep my anxiety down, the anesthesiologist this time was silent and boring.

With Izzy the fast part was getting her out and the longer part of the surgery was stitching me back up. Just getting Wes out took the doctors almost an hour and it would take them over an hour more to get me closed up. I had lots of scar tissue from the previous c-section that my doctors had to remove, along with bladder adhesions (my doctor didn't touch these because it would just come back with this surgery anyway) and lots of blood loss. Because of the scar tissue from the first c-section, my doctor decided that she needed to cut a different, thicker part of my uterus for the surgery so that is part of the reason the surgery took so long- it required the doctors cutting through more layers and stitching back up more layers. Towards the end of the surgery, I definitely started to feel more of what they were doing but kept thinking that it would be over soon so I didn't say anything.

Over two hours later, surgery was finally over. I didn't have as much teeth chattering and shaking as with Izzy which was a nice change. Before I was wheeled out of the room, my doctor came over and told me that the surgery "was complicated." I was then moved to the recovery room where my parents could come in to meet Wes! He was sleepy after all of that crying in the OR so he wasn't really interested in nursing. My sister and brother in law were able to get a few pictures with Wes before he was put under the warming lamp because his temperature was a bit low. I had to kick my sister and BIL out after a while because I was exhausted from a tough surgery. My doctor also had to give me a medication in my butt because I think that they were worried about my bleeding? (It's a little hazy now) Finally Wes went to get cleaned up in the nursery and I headed up to my room.

Unfortunately, the NICU team came in with Wes quickly to tell us that his oxygen levels were low so they were going to run some tests. He got an Xray to see if he had fluid in his lungs which was negative. Since Wes wasn't around to breastfeed I asked for a breast pump and surprisingly, I was able to pump 10 ml the first time! I then start to pump every three hours to try to get my milk to come in as soon as possible. I also got compression boots to try to manage the fluid in my legs (and to prevent blood clots).

That afternoon my parents stopped by with Izzy and she looked sad and confused that when she came into the room. "Why you in bed Mommy?" Her mood quickly turned around when we told her that she had gifts from her baby brother Wes. Siblings with all of their vaccinations are allowed into the NICU so CP took Izzy down to meet Wes. I guess she held his hand and sang him "Happy Birthday." (I so wish I had seen this). After about five minutes she was bored.

That night I wanted to see Wes, so a day earlier than usual, I got out of bed and into a wheelchair in order to head down to the NICU around 8pm. I got some skin to skin time and Wes curled up on me. Unfortunately, his breathing was rather rapid the entire time- it was obvious that he was working very hard. His O2 (oxygen) level started at 60% (you want it as close to 100% as possible) when he got to the NICU and had decreased to 43% despite Wes being on a cannula (the tube up his nose). He also had a feeding tube down his nose since they didn't want to give him bottles or boobs while he was working so hard to breathe.

Finally at 10pm I was exhausted and headed upstairs. Every three hours I would wake up CP to get the pump supplies ready, pump, then have CP clean the parts, call the nurses station to have them take the milk down to the NICU (at this point I had very little), then go back to sleep. This repeated all night long.

To be continued...

Third trimester recap

Overall, I do think that my third trimester with Wesley was easier than my third trimester with Izzy. Or, it is possible that I simply didn't have the time to dwell on every ache and pain because I was a card-carrying member of the "Just F*cking Do It" club. :-)

So, starting at the beginning of the third trimester I was dealing with some oh-so-fun sciatica pain. It stuck around for the rest of the pregnancy, but after a while it would come and go instead of being a constant pain. I also found what seemed to be a scab on my areola on my right breast. My OB wasn't concerned and thought that it could just be a skin tag that will go away after I gave birth (so far it is still there). I also found a skin tag near my arm pit- it also hasn't gone away.

Other issues around the same time included pain in my left thumb from the nurse hitting a nerve instead of my vein when putting my IV in at labor & delivery. That pain stuck around for a few weeks but eventually went away. I started to dread going to bed around this time as well because I just knew that I wasn't going to get a good sleep. Most of the time when I would wake up after sleeping on my right side my right hand would be puffy and asleep. I also started to have fluid buildup in my ankles and feet which would go away a bit by the morning but I couldn't wear a lot of my shoes from this point on in the pregnancy.

Once I got closer to 33 weeks the veins in my boobs popped out which I took to be a good sign of my milk getting ready. I would frequently wake up drooling which is something I *never* do normally- thanks extra saliva during pregnancy! I also had one night where I freaked out until Wes moved because I fell asleep on my back for two hours.

A week later I did something to my foot. Buster stepped on it but he steps on my feet a lot so my feet should be used to it. I limped around for a good few weeks, trying to ice as much as possible, and finally going to the doctor where they determined that it wasn't broken. I randomly tried my engagement ring on- surprisingly it still fit but I ended up taking it off later that day because it got too tight after wearing it around in the heat.

34 weeks was around the time that I started to feel Wes hiccuping.

Sadly at 37 weeks I found my third hemorrhoid and I started to get red/brown freckles/marks on my belly (something I also got with Izzy). I had tons of Braxton Hicks contractions the few days leading up to the c-section and my red stretch marks from my previous pregnancy on my belly became very pronounced. Sleep could have been worse- I was only waking up 2-3 times a night to pee and although I swore by the snoogle last time, I didn't use it at all this pregnancy! I definitely had sore hips and had to turnover a bunch of times per night but not having to turn over every hour definitely made for better sleep.

Finally, the front of my chest/my cleavage had raised red/brown almost open sores/zits from some seriously dry skin. Unfortunately I still have them despite putting lotion on my chest all the time. Hopefully they go away soon.

So overall? Another good pregnancy....but I am glad that I don't have to do it again.

Next up? Wesley's birth story which was not quite as easy as Izzy's.....

Third trimester bump photos

27 weeks with an Izzy photobomb

28 weeks

29 weeks

 Then I forgot to take a picture two weeks in a row- whoops!

32 weeks- my belly looks pointy!

33 weeks

34 weeks and a Buster photobomb

35 weeks

Argh! I kept meaning to take my 36 weeker and never got around to it!

37 weeks

And finally, my last belly shot.

38 weeks

Baby #2: This time I'm not ready!

Tomorrow is the big day. Boy did July 15th sneak up on us. I feel so unprepared and simply not ready to have a newborn in our house! I am laughing because it is completely opposite of what I was feeling last time.

The house is not in order and could be much cleaner. Waiting until last Sunday to take down infant and newborn stuff from the attic was a mistake. We were able to go through all of Izzy's old clothes and give away everything that was 12mo and larger to a friend. I have another box of girl clothes from newborn-9mo just waiting to figure out where to drop it off. The gender-neutral clothing that baby #2 can wear still needs to be washed. All of the infant contraptions need to be put together and are in pieces, mostly on our living room floor.

The nursery is a disaster with hand-me-down clothes strewn all over the place and boxs of toys and other items placed haphazardly throughout the room. I know that baby #2 is not going to sleep in there for a while but at least point I we couldn't even use the changing table or really the room.

This morning I freaked out because although we have the pack n'play ready to go, I couldn't find the bassinet part and that is where we plan on baby #2 sleeping for the first two months or so. CP and I traded text messages on whether we could order a new one from Amazon or what we were going to do. We couldn't even remember what it looked like! Thankfully my boss allowed me to work from home today so I got out the manual to figure out what I was looking for and went searching in the basement, closets, the attic, etc. finally finding both the bassinet, the infant bath sling, the Boppy, and My Brest Friend in a plastic container that I thought was empty. For a while there I was seriously freaking out though.

After I get off of work today I still have a bunch of things to do:

-pack hospital bag. Yep, I totally waited until the last minute to do this. I just found my nursing bras and tops on Sunday and had to wash them!

-continue washing infant soft items and clothes

-clean up nursery- at least enough so that we can use it for diaper changes, put away clothes, burp clothes, etc.

-buy diapers and probably a going-home outfit because I don't think that I have one?!?

-wrap Izzy's gifts from baby brother & pack in hospital bag.

If I was having a vaginal birth I wouldn't worry about some of these things because although I would assume that I would be sore, I would be able to move around and do more. I re-read my post on recovering from the c-section and think that things are going to be tougher this time around because of Izzy. I have told her a couple of times that I won't be able to pick her up for a while and she will be in daycare during the day, but I don't think that she is going to understand. :-(  Thankfully my mom and CP are going to be around the first week, then my MIL will be coming in for two weeks.

I wish that I felt more ready, but he's coming tomorrow whether I like it or not. Here goes nothing!

Just F*cking Doing It Club

Two nights ago I was up until 1am crying and anxious because how was I going to deal with having two kids? How was I going to juggle work, kids, Buster, etc. especially when CP is traveling? I should be cherishing the time that we have left as a family of three, instead I am feeling guilty because I am tired and annoyed. 

Yesterday I went to see my primary care physician about my foot. 10 days later I'm still limping and in pain so it was time to make sure that I didn't do something silly to it. After an appointment and X-rays, it was deemed by a student doctor that I didn't have a break that they could see in my foot but maybe I have a tiny stress fracture? And that the slight bit of extra fluid in my feet and the extra weight due to pregnancy are not helping. Their answer? Ice and Rest. Okay, so I will continue to suck it up as I have been and continue to get sh*t done.

Later in the day I had an appointment with my OB and talked to her about the possibility of getting postpartum depression if I didn't have it the first time. I have been more emotional this pregnancy and my google searching while up crying the other night didn't yield any answers. My OB's response was that it would be highly unlikely to get PPD if you didn't have it the first time, however, with a second baby there will likely be more anxiety and guilt. For instance, I could get anxious if both kids are crying so it was important to use my support network to help with Izzy while I am busy with the baby- especially before Baby Boy has a schedule. 

That didn't really make me feel any better, but reading this article- The Just F*cking Doing It Club- helped me a bit because it is so true. Once I had Izzy I was asked numerous times how I fit everything in. You just do. You figure out what works for you and you just do it because you have to. And that is what I will do once I have two kids.  I'll figure out what works for me and just f*cking do it.

Things left to do

Completed tasks for Baby #2:

-Infant car seat installed in the minivan

-Ergo purchased (the one I used with Izzy was a loaner)

-Childcare for Izzy and Buster procured (my parents)

Tasks in process:

-Sort hand-me-downs from friends into various sizes and wash

During Izzy's long nap on Sunday (we had a good pool workout that morning so she slept for almost three hours!), I opened up all of the bags and boxes of clothes we have received from two different friends. I was amazed at how many pieces of clothing we received- I really am not going to have to buy much of anything for Baby boy which is awesome! If he grows as fast as Izzy has been we don't spend that much time in each clothing size anyway.

Piles from L to R- newborn (0-3 mo), 3-6 mo, 6-9mo, 9-12mo, 12mo

Yet to do:
-Purchase diapers
-Bring down Izzy's old clothes from the attic and wash gender neutral clothes
-Bring down infant toys and contraptions from the attic (MamaRoo, playspace, bathtub, etc.)
-Purchase standing board for stroller for Izzy
-Set up Pack n Play with bassinet in our bedroom
-Pack hospital bag
-Book newborn photographer
-Finish all tasks at work and prepare the person who will fill in for me as much as possible

I feel like we should have more tasks to do to get ready for Baby Boy. What am I forgetting?

Almost 34 week doctor appointment

It's been three weeks since my last appointment with my doctor and thankfully nothing exciting has been happening so it was a semi-boring visit (I'm just fine with it staying that way). Baby boy has been performing some big movements recently which surprised me because I guess I thought he didn't have a lot of room in there. Today it looks like he is breech because a strong heartbeat could be found for the first time towards the top of my belly. Breech doesn't cause an issue with a scheduled c-section but it does mean that a pediatrician will be in the delivery room if he stays that way (hospital policy).

Otherwise, I am feeling better than I was last time at 34 weeks. Biff and Harry the hemorrhoids are still hanging around, but aren't causing any issues so that's helpful. I am sleeping better- I remember getting up to pee every hour and needing to change positions every hour last time- again, still having to pee once or twice a night, but it's not an every hour sort of thing (not yet at least). Baby boy doesn't feel like he is pushing up on my lungs and making it hard to breathe (doctor attributed that to the fact that my ligaments have already stretched so baby is sitting a little lower this time around). I'm not taking Tums three or four times a day, so I'm guessing that this baby is not coming out with a lot of hair (if the old wives tale is true)? And while I would love a nap most days, I am not struggling without one- although I am likely drinking more caffeine than I did with Izzy (I tried not to drink any with her). No caffeine this time around would NOT be possible.

That being said, I am super emotional. The last two nights I have been crying. The first night was towards the end of CP's 40th birthday and I felt bad that I didn't make it more special (it was a Tuesday night)...but I was exhausted and sometime exhaustion makes me cry. I went to bed over an hour earlier than usual which was very necessary. Yesterday I had a rough day at work where my problem employee was causing me lots of stress, then I came home to a manical Izzy who was overtired and upset about everything (example: she was mad that I wouldn't give her a popsicle before dinner). She was hitting and kicking me and generally melting down while CP was asking me to bring plates and stuff outside for dinner, then CP made a snarky comment about not helping and I just dissolved into tears because I was doing my best to handle Izzy and couldn't do two things at once. He apologized, but I just felt like I couldn't do anything right. Argh.

But back to the doctor appointment- I did talk to her about tying my tubes during my c-section. She said that recovery is a bit tougher, but that it wouldn't affect my hormones at all. I would still get the same period as usual and the procedure would lengthen the amount of time I am in surgery (of course). If I had a lot of scar tissue then they wouldn't make a huge effort to tie the tubes. I then asked whether birth control would be a the better option for me because of my previous history of endo and my ongoing issue with fibroids. She did say that birth control or the Mirena IUD could be good options because they could keep some hormones in check and could slow/stop the growth of both conditions. Many women go on birth control between ages 45-50 anyway as odd issues with periods like heavy flows, sporadic bleeding and hot flashes tend to happen. I have to talk to CP, but I really am leaning towards the birth control or possibly the IUD. I really don't want a longer recovery than need be. I'm already going through a major surgery- why complicate things even more? And while I am adamant that this is my last baby, what if something happened to my kids? Would I want to have another one? I hate to shut the door just in case.

Needless to say, Baby boy is growing well and had a strong heartbeat. My next appointment is in two weeks where I will finally get another ultrasound to see how he is doing.

Snippets

So many thoughts, so little time to flesh them out into longer posts.

*Tomorrow I will have hit 30 weeks in this pregnancy and I'm so happy that I have made it this far. Although I know that this will be my last pregnancy and that I should savor being pregnant, I'm already ready to be done. Believe me, I feel horrible for saying that. I don't have any major issues other than sciatica pain, but being pregnant with a toddler is hard. I truly don't know how SAHM do it because at least I get a "break" during the workweek. I know that even after birth I won't truly get my body back because I will be recovering from the c-section and nursing for a while, but this 37 year old is looking forward to it. Eight more weeks.

*Last week CP and I were in the middle of a conversation and he mentioned if it would be possible for me to get my tubes tied while I had the c-section. Uhhh whaaaat?? We have NEVER talked about this before and frankly before this miracle pregnancy, we would have never thought that it needed to be talked about either. We are definitely done after two kids but I sort of thought that I would just take birth control pills. He hasn't mentioned it since then so I am not sure if this is something that he actually wants to talk about or not.

*Today I dropped off all of my leftover meds at my RE's office from the cycle that never was. Hopefully a self-pay person is very happy as some of the more expensive medications were part of the huge bag that I dropped off (Gonal f, Menopur, Ganerelix, Minivelle patches, etc). The staff was very nice and they were excited to see my baby bump. As I drove away it felt like a huge weight had fallen off my shoulders. Maybe after having this baby I can go back to the healthy person I was prior to trying to have a baby.

*With two kids in the house, we are trying to determine whether we get a double stroller or just get an add-on so that Izzy can stand on the stroller if she gets tired of walking. We don't use the stroller with Izzy right now and haven't in a while, but do have to carry her when we are walking around a lot. I think that if I was a SAHM I would get a double, but we would only use it on the weekends so right now I don't think we need one?

*Other than the stroller stand thing, I think that the only other thing we need to buy for the baby is an Ergo carrier. I used one with Izzy but it was borrowed from my friend and she is currently using it with her newest kid. Luckily, my friend that gave me the Bjorn didn't need it back so I will use that for when the baby is small and then transition to the Ergo when he gets a little heavier and I need more back support.

*CP and I are currently mulling over options to remodel our house. We may have an opportunity because of my very generous parents to expand the house now (well, next summer) instead of waiting many years until daycare payments are over. Stay tuned.

Second trimester bump pictures

My how things change during the second trimester!

15 weeks
Whatcha doing Mommy?

16 weeks
Woof woof woof?

17 weeks
In Hawaii!

18 weeks
In Hawaii!

19 weeks

20 weeks

22 weeks
(I missed 21 weeks)

23 weeks
Buster is bored this time around

24 weeks
Yes, Buster follows me everywhere these days

25 weeks
Yep, Buster in the background again

26 weeks
I'm not joking. He is quite the stalker.

Second trimester recap

I'm officially into the third trimester as of this weekend! Yay for 27 weeks!

It's funny to look back on my last second trimester recap with Izzy to see the similarities between the two pregnancies and the differences.

Similarities

• I gained my energy back in the second trimester. I didn't need as many naps and I was somewhat better rested and ready to deal with a toddler. 
• I started to get some swelling in my fingers and feet, especially if I was out walking a lot in hot weather or on the flight back from Hawaii.
• Despite the posterior placenta placement, I didn't feel the baby until 18 weeks. Maybe because I have had less time to sit down and really concentrate on whether I was feeling something? This time around instead of feeling bubbles in the beginning, I started feeling kicks right off the bat.
• Hard belly after eating and/or drinking.
• A fairly stable mood with some odd instances of crying (see at Sesame Street Live with Izzy). :-)
• Sadly, Harry the Hemorrhoid and his friend Biff never truly went away after my last pregnancy. So far I haven't had any issues with burning or itching from them but I know that they will want to make themselves known soon. Ugh.

Differences

• Bleeding gums after flossing. That one has been interesting and required me to get an electronic toothbrush. Hopefully my gums are not as sensitive in a few months! 
• Shooting pain in my breasts. I don't remember that from last time....
• Insomnia. Ugh. Although I haven't been as tired, I basically dread going to bed every night because the combination of hip pain, bathroom wake-ups, and overall uncomfortableness makes it so that I am rarely happy with my night of sleep.
• At my 19 week appointment I had a pain in the side of belly when the doctor put the doppler on to get Baby Boy's heartbeat. She checked it out on ultrasound and couldn't find anything wrong and thankfully the pain was gone by the time my Level II ultrasound rolled around.
• I'm not sure when I started to have to pee all of the time last time but around 21 weeks I felt the need to pee only 10 minutes after peeing the first time.
• Aching legs.
• My wedding ring came off very early this time- around 19 weeks. As long as it stays cool my engagement ring should be on for a while.
• Huffing and puffing after walking up the stairs- especially if I am carrying Izzy at the same time. This didn't start until the third trimester last time so this doesn't bode well for the next 11 weeks.
• Around 24 weeks I started to see the baby kick and move my stomach already!
• Sore and swollen labia. This is probably TMI, but it's super annoying and uncomfortable when sitting down at work all day.
• While my fingernails and toenails are growing like crazy, the hair on my legs is growing very slowly. That worked out well when we had a really nice day a couple of weeks ago and I hadn't shaved my legs in probably two weeks. The black hairs on my chin were growing rapidly in the beginning of the pregnancy, but have slowed down their growth recently.
• An oh-so-fun trip to Labor & Delivery at 26 weeks.

So far I have gained 17 pounds in this pregnancy. I assume that I am going to gain a bit more than in my pregnancy with Izzy (I think that I gained 20 or 25 pounds?), but I hope not too much more as the more I put on, the harder it will be to get it off.

Onwards and upwards to the exhausting third trimester!

Hospital visit

Sunday night as CP and I were headed to bed after watching Game of Thrones (yay! It's back!), I started to get a stabbing pain in my lower right belly. I tossed and turned for a few minutes but quickly realized that I was just going to keep CP up so I headed downstairs to see if I could get into a comfortable position on the couch. After two hours of considerable pain and no relief no matter what position I was in coupled with nausea, I called my doctor's office who told me to go to Labor & Delivery. 

CP was worried about me driving myself, but we didn't have anyone to watch Izzy as she was upstairs sleeping, so I drove myself. I arrived at 12:15am and started to feel a bit better but figured that because I was already there I would get checked out. Labor & Delivery checked me in and led me into the room where CP and I got ready before Izzy's delivery. Baby boy looked fine on the monitor and the cervix check went okay. My urine was a little cloudy, but tests on it and my blood showed elevated white blood cell count. At this point doctors were not concerned about the baby or anything going on in my uterus- they thought that it was something happening unrelated to the pregnancy.

No ultrasounds happen in the middle of the night until it is a true emergency, so I was moved to another floor and told to get some sleep before an ultrasound in the morning. According to my Fitbit, I dozed off around 3am and woke up at 5:45am. Another blood draw to see if my white blood cell count had changed and CP showed up after dropping Izzy off at daycare. He had been scheduled to fly out to NYC that morning, but with me in the hospital and with no idea what was going on, his trip was cancelled.

It took two different IV nurses to get an IV in my arm since I hadn't had any liquids since 7pm the night before. The first nurse hit a nerve and the pain in my thumb finally went away yesterday. From the four tries to get an IV (two on each arm) and the two blood draws, I ended up having 6 holes in my arms after this experience.

See the blood at the bottom of the lower gauze?
I thought that these nurses were supposed to know what they were doing???

The general surgeon came in to let us know that they were thinking possible appendicitis because of where the pain was located and the higher white blood cell count. My 10am ultrasound was inconclusive because it's hard to see your appendix normally- even harder when you are pregnant. The tech also checked out my gall bladder, which was normal.

Meanwhile, I was hungry and thirsty as they wouldn't let me eat anything because I may have to go into surgery. Finally around 2pm I was taken in for an MRI so that they could get a better image of what was going on. I have never had an MRI before, but it was pretty awful. The tech put on some Billy Joel and took about 5 minutes worth of shots but realized that baby boy was kicking so much, he was moving my appendix and that they would have to go over/above my uterus to get the right shots. 

I'm not a claustrophobic person but the worst part of the MRI was having to try to hold my breath as long as possible so that my belly would stay still while the machine made loud noises. Holding your breath for long periods of time when you are 26 weeks pregnant is not an easy task. Not to mention that at the beginning of the MRI I wanted to cry because baby boy was kicking so much and I kept thinking that the MRI was hurting him or something (I know that doesn't make any sense- if the MRI wasn't hurting me then he was also fine but I was running on less than 3 hours of sleep and worried about a potential surgery while pregnant). 

The final result? My appendix looked fine and because the doctors couldn't figure out what was causing the pain, they let me go around 6pm Monday night. I still had some pain that night but it was nowhere near the pain I had Sunday night and by Tuesday morning as I got up for work it was gone. So now of course I feel guilty that I subjected baby boy to an MRI for nothing (my Google research has shown that MRIs are okay when you are pregnant). I'm so thankful that I didn't have to go into surgery and that everything seems to be back to normal but I was really hoping to not have to visit Labor & Delivery prior to July 15th.

Scheduled

Yesterday I had a regular appointment with my OB and the most pressing matter was the recommendation that I received from the MFM during my second Level II ultrasound to deliver at 37 weeks. My OB said that while there is a greater risk that I would deliver early because this is my second delivery, she was surprised to see the recommendation. Usually that recommendation is for women that have paper thin uterine lining because of previous surgeries- I don't have that issue.

So after talking it over, we decided on delivering exactly at 38 weeks. The risk of the baby having breathing problems goes from 5% (at 37 weeks) to less than 2%. So, baby boy will be delivered on Friday, July 15th! You hear me baby boy? No coming out any earlier!  

Otherwise, the appointment was rather boring as this pregnancy is rather boring (which is a GOOD THING). Heartbeat sounded good, belly growth is right on track. I also did my gestational diabetes test which I am crossing my fingers that I passed because I ate breakfast and lunch beforehand (I didn't have any notice). I'll find out soon enough. If I passed, then no more blood donations the rest of this pregnancy!

Today I'm 25 weeks so I am one week past viability. YAY!

Two announcements

I have been so busy that I haven't even had time to write about how the announcements of my two big pieces of news went over at work!

Announcement #1:
Three days after I received word that I was being offered the Supervisor position I went into my boss' office and awkwardly (is there any other way?) told him that I was pregnant. His first comment was "first off- congrats!" Then he laughed and said that it was a good thing I waited until after the position had been filled. I knew he was kidding about that but it is probably a good thing- both for me to get the position without having to worry if my pregnancy would effect my selection AND for my boss to not have to worry about any other candidates complaining that I got the position only because I am pregnant and they didn't want a potential lawsuit filled by me.

His next thought went to whether I would be back at work in time to do performance reviews for my employees- I KNEW that this was going to be one of the first things that popped into his mind! I should be back in time- especially now if I decide to follow the MFM's advice to deliver early. I then assured my boss that I would be coming back to work after the baby comes and that this was the last baby. Lol. One of his last comments was "Mr. X's (his boss) head is going to explode when he hears this news." (In that, he is going to be worried about my work getting done while I am gone.) I am in the process of hopefully being able to get an employee from another division that just did a rotation under me to maybe take some of my work on a part time basis, but we'll see what her supervisors think of that. My boss will have to take over my supervision duties during my maternity leave, but at least we wouldn't have to find someone else in our already-strained division to do my other work.

Announcement #2:
Last week was our division's staff meeting and my boss decided that it was time to announce my promotion. Most people congratulated me; the guy to my right who I'm pretty sure also applied for the position didn't say a word... but the funniest part of the meeting was later on when we were going around doing staff updates. This customer service person (who is not a great worker and files lots of unsubstantiated claims against management) didn't have an update but said instead "(Old boss), I have some grave concerns that I need to bring to your attention and will need to talk to you about it after the meeting."

I wanted to giggle because it was clearly about the fact that I was becoming her boss, but was able to hold it in. I mean really- right in front of your new boss? You couldn't wait 5 minutes to voice your concerns until after the meeting? Ha ha. My boss came over to my office after the meeting and laughingly said "welcome to management!" I joked that a lack of tact and telling it like it is were great traits for a customer service rep! She sure is going to make things interesting!*

At the same meeting I also announced to everyone that I was pregnant and due in August. One woman commented "wow what a great year for you!" and another one tried to butter me up by asking if I was sure I was having the baby this August because I didn't look pregnant (I like being pregnant but not for almost two years!!).

So now that the cat is out of the bag on both fronts I don't have to hide anything which is nice. But quickly I am learning that taking this new job is going to entail so much more work than I originally thought (which is why an interview would have been nice because I would have had an inkling of what they expected). I'm up for the challenge but boy am I going to be busy!!


*The funny thing is, we don't have a bad relationship. She just isn't a fan of change. Good thing I know her and was able to laugh about the comment later. Someone from the outside may not have been able to react that way.

Follow up Level II ultrasound

Yesterday I went back for my Level II follow up appointment. It was actually sort of nice to see the baby again and to have a second pair of ultrasound tech and MFM doctors' eyes on the baby. This time the baby was more cooperative and the doctor was able to check out everything that he needed to see. I liked him a lot better than the previous MFM because he talked the entire time so I wasn't in danger of possibly falling asleep! The cyst in the brain that the first MFM found is already gone and yesterday the new MFM reiterated that if only the cyst is found there is no cause for concern.

However, he did mention that he would like to see me deliver at 37 weeks. There is a 10% chance of uterine rupture (my uterus was weakened after having a myomectomy) if I wait too long before having my c-section...so in order to stay away from that, he recommends that I deliver at 37 weeks. As far as risks to the baby, there is about a 5% chance that the baby will need some breathing help when delivered that early. I asked if they do steroid shots that late in the pregnancy but he said that they stop doing them earlier on- I think he said 34 weeks?

Ultimately it is my decision whether to deliver early and I will make that decision after talking to my OB. But now that I have had some time to think about it, I do have some more questions. What is the likelihood that I would go into labor at 38 weeks? Is there a higher chance of me going into labor early because this is my second child? Maybe because of my age?

Have you guys ever heard of delivering early for a second c-section?

Level II ultrasound

This morning CP and I went to the Level II ultrasound to see how Baby Boy is doing. The ultrasound tech was very nice and throughout her exam kept saying great things like "this is perfect", "this looks good", etc. Baby Boy was not super cooperative and so there were a few shots that she had difficulty getting. Then the MFM doctor came in and explained that because I was of advanced maternal age, he would be taking a close look at Baby Boy's heart because after chromosomal abnormalities (basically ruled out with the bloodtest two months ago), the heart is where doctors see more abnormalities in older women.

In complete contrast to the ultrasound tech, he wasn't very talkative after his introduction and the way his arm was situated made it hard for me to see the screen so I got a little bored. He also kept digging into the side of my belly which was a bit painful.

After he finished with the ultrasound, he turned to us and let us know that he did find a choroid plexus cyst, which is a pocket of fluid filled space in the brain.  It's only seen in about 1-3% of pregnancies. It can be associated with Trisomy 18, however, if it is the only issue found during an ultrasound (and it was) AND the mother has already undergone genetic testing (which I did and everything came out normal), it's no big deal and something that will go away. The doctor also saw Baby Boy's hand open and close which is something that Trisomy 18 babies are not able to do. 

So, we are not worried about Trisomy 18. But because Baby Boy was not cooperating with the doctor either, I will have to go back for another Level II ultrasound in two weeks to get better views of a few organs. The doctor did mention that he didn't see anything concerning, but wanted to get a few clearer shots. So I head back on the 29th to get those images.

I wish that I didn't have to go back but I guess I should look at it as a good thing as I will get to see Baby Boy on the ultrasound again. If I am being honest, I am a little nervous because he got the shots that he needed but they aren't as clear as he would like them to be....does this mean that he possibly sees something? CP thinks that I am just being silly, but I'm pregnant so of course I am going to be a little irrational.

Still waiting

I have a couple of things that I am waiting on....

1. As you know, I was referred for an interview for the supervisor position a right before leaving for Hawaii. While I was on vacation I checked in with my boss a couple of times to find out when interviews were going to happen. My boss and his boss decided not to hold any interviews and submitted the person's name that will get the offer on Monday. If I get the job I am going to be super happy that I didn't have to deal with an interview but if I didn't get the job then I am going to be pissed that I didn't get the chance to argue that I will be the best person for the position in an interview. So now I just wait for either someone to contact me with a job offer or possibly some announcement that someone else got the job (I don't know if they contact the people that didn't get the job to let them know that someone else will be hired). My boss doesn't make the offer so I still have no idea where I stand. It's a very frustrating process and I'm getting rather impatient. Hopefully soon.

2. Meanwhile, because I have work friends on Facebook, I haven't made an announcement online about the pregnancy just yet. This isn't a big deal because even during Izzy's pregnancy I made the announcement but didn't talk about my pregnancy or post any pictures until Izzy was born. I plan on doing that again. However, not being out on FB yet just means that we have to be careful on which pictures we post from our trip because you can definitely see a baby bump in some of them!

3. Along with not telling anyone on Facebook, I'm not telling anyone at work just yet either. I don't know if people just aren't saying anything or if I am just doing a stellar job hiding the bump under cardigans. I figure that if I don't have any news by March 15th on the supervisor position (the date of my Level II ultrasound), I will let everyone know. Two more weeks of hiding the bump!

4. The Big Island is a four hour time difference from Chicago. Saturday night we left Hawaii and took a red-eye to Chicago, getting back around 5am. I slept for about 1.5 hours on the flight. Everyone went back down to sleep when we got home but we were all dragging for the rest of the day. That night I was sure that I was going to pass out but was up until almost 1am unable to get to sleep. Monday night I did pass out but last night I was up until midnight, unable to sleep again. I'm crossing my fingers that this jet lag or pregnancy insomnia doesn't last long because I am seriously dragging every day. I don't want to wait to long to feel normal again. 

Are you waiting on anything in your life right now?

Good and Bad

Good: Izzy is feeling much better after her tough Superbowl Sunday ear infection. She is back to normal.

Bad: CP has now come down a fever/sore throat combo which kept him out of work yesterday and had him come home halfway through the day on Monday. He is headed to the doctor today and hopefully he starts to feel better soon.

Good: Last year we set up a dependent care account through my work. The max we can put in is $5000 but we almost quadruple that amount in daycare expenses. I submitted the forms last week and we already got paid! That money allowed us to pay off our car loan on the Prius (we had already paid the car off before but took out another low interest loan through our credit union to pay for siding our house a few years ago). Now we are back to one car payment again. YAY!

Bad: This weekend as I was backing out of our driveway in the minivan I was veering away from the Prius but hit a small retaining wall, scratching up and slightly knocking the front bumper (on one side) out of whack. I was so pissed. The leftover amount of money from the dependent care claim will likely go towards fixing it. Ugh.

Good: We leave for Hawaii in two days! Izzy is very excited to wear her "swimming suit" and to not have to wear a coat or hat. Me too kiddo.

Bad: Nothing bad about a vacation!!

Good: On Monday Izzy's daycare had an in-service day and I had the day off so we had a mommy-daughter day where we went to the local children's museum. Izzy spent most of the time doing crafts that she was super proud of. In addition, we went to the fabric store where Izzy picked out the fabric that I will eventually make into curtains for her new room. I also got blackout material to sew onto curtains in our sunroom to make them heavier to hopefully trap more heat in the room.

Painting with colored ice

Gluing onto a mixed-media masterpiece

Bad: She didn't take a nap that day so she was a little nuts that night. Her napping has gotten better though and I don't think that she is ready to drop her nap just yet (thank goodness).

Good: Recently we signed Izzy up for Highlights the magazine (High Five- the toddler version). Not only does Izzy love getting something in the mail on a monthly basis ("it's mines?"), but she loves the content in the magazine as well! CP and I remember getting Highlights as a kid so we were happy to order it for her. For our big plane ride we got Izzy a book of hidden pictures so hopefully that keeps her busy for a while. (Not being paid to promote this but thought it was a good idea for other toddler parents.)

Bad: We have to read the same magazine every single night. :-/

Good: I have now been outed to my neighbors as being pregnant and everyone is excited. We had a wine party on Saturday night and early on one of the wives noticed that I wasn't drinking. She quietly asked, I said yes, then she announced to everyone the big news (I didn't want to do a big announcement so I was more than happy for her to do it).

Bad: I had let one of the other IVF neighbors know the week before that I was pregnant (she is done having kids) and she was super excited, but didn't get to talk to the other one (tried to have a second kid through IVF and it never worked- now is divorced). I didn't get a chance to speak to her that night so I hope that she is okay.

Good: My job application went in last week and I was selected as one of the best qualified candidates so my boss received my application package (we have a weird way of doing things around here). Yay! Hopefully I will get scheduled for an interview soon.

Bad: My boss literally just came to my door and said that they have to make a decision on the position by February 29th- the day that I get back into the office from vacation. So it looks like I might either have to interview tomorrow or while I am on vacation. Not ideal but if it has to be done, it has to be done. Guess I won't have to out myself as pregnant before the selection is made!