Friday, October 26, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
People Celebrity Baby Blog
I love reading People.com's celebrity baby blog. A lot of the moms that write on there are really funny, and write things that I can completely identify with.
One of the recent entries was by Elisa Donovan (who was in the movie Clueless). Click here to read the original article. I've included some of the things she said that I loved:
One of the recent entries was by Elisa Donovan (who was in the movie Clueless). Click here to read the original article. I've included some of the things she said that I loved:
"After staring at the blue plus sign on the EPT test in our bathroom, I secretly had the shameful sensation of wanting just another month or so before becoming pregnant. Just a little extra corner of time in order to prepare, to get ready, to — I don’t know … drink wine more heavily? Go out salsa dancing til 2 a.m.? To squeeze the marrow out of my non-parent adulthood? It was a familiar feeling, like that of wanting just one more day of vacation, or wanting to stay up just an hour later when I was 10."
"Then there’s the morning sickness. I had the misconception that “morning sickness” happened in the morning (call me crazy), and that you just threw up once or twice and then went about your day. For me it felt like the worst hangover imaginable coupled with jet lag, and it lasted for three to four months straight.
Charlie would leave for work in the morning, and I would be in bed in sweatpants. He would come home from work in the afternoon, and I would be on the couch in sweatpants. I was horizontal virtually all day and night, sitting up from time to time to eat some Saltines or take a sip of ginger ale. It was the worst.
One day Charlie came home and sat next to me on the couch. He stroked my head, an oily, matted-down mess of hair, and gently whispered: “Listen E … you have to take a shower. At some point, you really need to take a shower.”
I thought my reply was not only logical but exemplified economy of time and energy: “But I’m just going to be back on the couch again tomorrow, so…?” “You’re smelly,” he said, kindly. “You really are.”
One would think this would have catapulted me into action. Not so much. Though I did promise to consider it for tomorrow’s task."
Charlie would leave for work in the morning, and I would be in bed in sweatpants. He would come home from work in the afternoon, and I would be on the couch in sweatpants. I was horizontal virtually all day and night, sitting up from time to time to eat some Saltines or take a sip of ginger ale. It was the worst.
One day Charlie came home and sat next to me on the couch. He stroked my head, an oily, matted-down mess of hair, and gently whispered: “Listen E … you have to take a shower. At some point, you really need to take a shower.”
I thought my reply was not only logical but exemplified economy of time and energy: “But I’m just going to be back on the couch again tomorrow, so…?” “You’re smelly,” he said, kindly. “You really are.”
One would think this would have catapulted me into action. Not so much. Though I did promise to consider it for tomorrow’s task."
Monday, October 1, 2012
Sunday, September 30, 2012
13 Week Update
I have started feeling normal again. I really think my prenatal vitamins are making me feel worse during the day--need to make sure to ask the OB about that next time I go. I'm really hesitant to say I'm feeling better, for some reason!
I'm really going to be one of those moms--I can already tell. Want to know how I know? I keep looking at my ultrasound pictures, and I am sad that my next appointment does not involve a look at the nugget.
I got a bunch of my maternity clothes in the mail this week. It was fun trying them on, and trying to imagine myself fitting into them in just a couple of months. I got 2 really nice pairs of jeans from Old Navy--one demi panel, and one full panel. I'm really impressed with ON's maternity selection. Plus, with my discount, I was able to get 3 tanks, 4 shirts, and 2 pairs of jeans for $100. Score.
Confession: I wore the demi-panel jeans to community group this week. Oh, my, gosh. I don't need them desperately yet, but my tummy is definitely bigger, and jeans really cut into my tummy in a painful way already. That demi panel was amazing! I can already see myself on What Not To Wear in a few years, as one of those non-pregnant ladies still wearing their pregnancy pants!
I have done 3 weddings, 3 weekends in a row. I usually spend all day Sunday on the couch, sleeping and icing/heating my back. I am headed to Philadelphia/New Jersey next weekend for a double-wedding weekend. Should be interesting.
I have always had lower-back problems after a long wedding-shooting day. But after the first wedding I did this month, I started getting sharp, stabbing pains right between my shoulder blades. They hurt a lot worse after sitting for a while. Last week, after suffering through wedding #2, I couldn't deal with it anymore, and went to a chiropractor that my stuntwoman friend recommended. Because I am pregnant, he can't do X-rays to determine if there is anything structurally wrong, but based on my symptoms, he believes that there is. He is treating me as if there is a structural problem.
Basically, my trapezius muscle (wraps around your shoulder blades and attaches in the middle of your back) is strained. This has caused neck aches and headaches that I have had for a long time. There was one examination that he did where he put very light pressure in a spot on my shoulder, and told me to let him know if I felt anything--my right hand went numb in about 3 seconds. He said on a normal person, he could put pressure on that spot for 4 minutes with no effects. Someone with acute problems would feel something in about a minute. And I felt it in 3 seconds. He said I have probably had problems for a long time, but because I am an athlete, I probably put things off (he asked if I have any trouble when I run--and I mentioned that my hands go numb, which I thought was a form thing--but he said it was this muscle controlling that).
The treatment is a few stretches that I need to do throughout the day, and then icing as I feel sharp pain. I also go to the chiro at least twice a week for treatment. He stretches me out, does a short eval, and then gives me electro stim treatments--exactly like what I used to get at Cedarville when I strained/tore my quads! It feels AMAZING. He also does an adjustment each time I am there.
This last time when I was leaving the chiro, there was another woman that was leaving, and I would say she was 7 months pregnant. The Dr. said she is having the exact same symptoms that I am having, and she is doing the same treatments that I am doing. When you are pregnant, the hormones and chemicals running through your body really soften your muscles up, so it is much easier to strain them. He told me I am going to need to be really careful about lifting or pulling things away from my body, because it will put a lot more stress on my muscles than I am probably expecting. He also said I need to try to avoid doing the "athlete thing", and ignoring the signs that my body is telling me. This is going to be really tough, since I carry 15lbs. of equipment with me every weekend for weddings. I'm just going to have to be really conscious about how I hold my camera.
I'm really going to be one of those moms--I can already tell. Want to know how I know? I keep looking at my ultrasound pictures, and I am sad that my next appointment does not involve a look at the nugget.
I got a bunch of my maternity clothes in the mail this week. It was fun trying them on, and trying to imagine myself fitting into them in just a couple of months. I got 2 really nice pairs of jeans from Old Navy--one demi panel, and one full panel. I'm really impressed with ON's maternity selection. Plus, with my discount, I was able to get 3 tanks, 4 shirts, and 2 pairs of jeans for $100. Score.
Confession: I wore the demi-panel jeans to community group this week. Oh, my, gosh. I don't need them desperately yet, but my tummy is definitely bigger, and jeans really cut into my tummy in a painful way already. That demi panel was amazing! I can already see myself on What Not To Wear in a few years, as one of those non-pregnant ladies still wearing their pregnancy pants!
I have done 3 weddings, 3 weekends in a row. I usually spend all day Sunday on the couch, sleeping and icing/heating my back. I am headed to Philadelphia/New Jersey next weekend for a double-wedding weekend. Should be interesting.
I have always had lower-back problems after a long wedding-shooting day. But after the first wedding I did this month, I started getting sharp, stabbing pains right between my shoulder blades. They hurt a lot worse after sitting for a while. Last week, after suffering through wedding #2, I couldn't deal with it anymore, and went to a chiropractor that my stuntwoman friend recommended. Because I am pregnant, he can't do X-rays to determine if there is anything structurally wrong, but based on my symptoms, he believes that there is. He is treating me as if there is a structural problem.
Basically, my trapezius muscle (wraps around your shoulder blades and attaches in the middle of your back) is strained. This has caused neck aches and headaches that I have had for a long time. There was one examination that he did where he put very light pressure in a spot on my shoulder, and told me to let him know if I felt anything--my right hand went numb in about 3 seconds. He said on a normal person, he could put pressure on that spot for 4 minutes with no effects. Someone with acute problems would feel something in about a minute. And I felt it in 3 seconds. He said I have probably had problems for a long time, but because I am an athlete, I probably put things off (he asked if I have any trouble when I run--and I mentioned that my hands go numb, which I thought was a form thing--but he said it was this muscle controlling that).
The treatment is a few stretches that I need to do throughout the day, and then icing as I feel sharp pain. I also go to the chiro at least twice a week for treatment. He stretches me out, does a short eval, and then gives me electro stim treatments--exactly like what I used to get at Cedarville when I strained/tore my quads! It feels AMAZING. He also does an adjustment each time I am there.
This last time when I was leaving the chiro, there was another woman that was leaving, and I would say she was 7 months pregnant. The Dr. said she is having the exact same symptoms that I am having, and she is doing the same treatments that I am doing. When you are pregnant, the hormones and chemicals running through your body really soften your muscles up, so it is much easier to strain them. He told me I am going to need to be really careful about lifting or pulling things away from my body, because it will put a lot more stress on my muscles than I am probably expecting. He also said I need to try to avoid doing the "athlete thing", and ignoring the signs that my body is telling me. This is going to be really tough, since I carry 15lbs. of equipment with me every weekend for weddings. I'm just going to have to be really conscious about how I hold my camera.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Second OB Appointment (12 Weeks)
Nick and I had my second OB appointment on Wednesday. Believe me, I was most excited that we were past the transvaginal ultrasound stage! No more peeing on the ultrasound tech! Yay! :)
This was the first appointment with blood work. Oh, goodie. My favorite thing. As they were putting in the needle, I just kept thinking of mom getting needled every day for years, and I didn't complain. Of course, I didn't love it, but once life hits you in the face with a dose of perspective, you tend to do things differently. I just kept looking at my "strength" tattoo.
Filling out the paperwork (I look handicapped here):
I am up 4 pounds from the last visit, to 180. I was actually shocked that it wasn't higher, as it has been toooooo hot to run (for example: it was 106 when I got home today), and I have been eating like crazy. Everything I have read says that you're not supposed to gain in the 1st trimester, but since eating keeps me from feeling more nauseous, I consider 4 pounds a victory. It will hopefully cool off again soon, so I can get back to running. This kid is definitely a mix of Nick and I: its favorite foods are french fries and pasta!
I absolutely love the ultrasound part. It's so cool to see the heartbeat flutter, and see all the new parts that have formed. The nugget now looks more like an actual baby (with a *huge* head--like Sputnik!), instead of a tadpole. I am thankful I don't have to be like Rachel (from "Friends") and ask the ultrasound tech where it is over and over--I had no trouble making everything out on the screen. Clear head and body, arms and legs. Nugget had their hand up where the nose would be, so it looked a little like Pinocchio or something. I'm thinking either Nugget is self-conscious of its nose already, or it was giving us the Fist Pump of Power!
One temporarily nervous moment was when the ultrasound tech was looking for the nuchal wall (the thickness between the skin and the spine on the back of the neck--includes the muscle tissue), and she kept looking and looking. I got a little uneasy, thinking, "Is this a bad thing, or a good thing?" She eventually got the angle she was looking for, measured, and told us that it was the correct thickness (a symptom of Down's Syndrome is to have a nuchal wall thickness of 3 or more--mine was 1.3).
While she was looking, though, she kept the ultrasound wand still for a few seconds, and I got to see the little Nugget jump a little bit! Until now, it's just been kind of a static image, without any noticeable movement. So it was amazing to see it move on it's own, instead of moving because of the ultrasound movement.
I was really nervous before the appointment for some reason, that we wouldn't hear a heartbeat, or that the baby would be stillborn or something. I haven't had any worries about that before now, so it was weird that that was kind of running through my head. I guess because I was feeling a little bit better in the afternoons, and I thought that maybe it meant that something was wrong. Just crazy talk.
I did mention to the doctor about my being down in the dumps (Andrea). She did seem very concerned, and has Nick on "sadness watch". She said if I'm not better in two weeks, that I am supposed to go back. I'm hoping that feeling better physically will help me to feel better mentally. (She did suggest maybe having a sweet tea every now and then would make me feel better. Hey--if the doctor orders it...)
I also did a breast cancer screening, since I can't do any mammograms while pregnant/nursing. It will check for the breast cancer gene. It's an expensive test, but since we're definitely going to hit our deductible this year, it is as good a time as any.
I'm going to have to start doing a weekly photo--my shorts are getting tighter, so I'll actually have something to show!
This was the first appointment with blood work. Oh, goodie. My favorite thing. As they were putting in the needle, I just kept thinking of mom getting needled every day for years, and I didn't complain. Of course, I didn't love it, but once life hits you in the face with a dose of perspective, you tend to do things differently. I just kept looking at my "strength" tattoo.
Filling out the paperwork (I look handicapped here):
I am up 4 pounds from the last visit, to 180. I was actually shocked that it wasn't higher, as it has been toooooo hot to run (for example: it was 106 when I got home today), and I have been eating like crazy. Everything I have read says that you're not supposed to gain in the 1st trimester, but since eating keeps me from feeling more nauseous, I consider 4 pounds a victory. It will hopefully cool off again soon, so I can get back to running. This kid is definitely a mix of Nick and I: its favorite foods are french fries and pasta!
I absolutely love the ultrasound part. It's so cool to see the heartbeat flutter, and see all the new parts that have formed. The nugget now looks more like an actual baby (with a *huge* head--like Sputnik!), instead of a tadpole. I am thankful I don't have to be like Rachel (from "Friends") and ask the ultrasound tech where it is over and over--I had no trouble making everything out on the screen. Clear head and body, arms and legs. Nugget had their hand up where the nose would be, so it looked a little like Pinocchio or something. I'm thinking either Nugget is self-conscious of its nose already, or it was giving us the Fist Pump of Power!
One temporarily nervous moment was when the ultrasound tech was looking for the nuchal wall (the thickness between the skin and the spine on the back of the neck--includes the muscle tissue), and she kept looking and looking. I got a little uneasy, thinking, "Is this a bad thing, or a good thing?" She eventually got the angle she was looking for, measured, and told us that it was the correct thickness (a symptom of Down's Syndrome is to have a nuchal wall thickness of 3 or more--mine was 1.3).
While she was looking, though, she kept the ultrasound wand still for a few seconds, and I got to see the little Nugget jump a little bit! Until now, it's just been kind of a static image, without any noticeable movement. So it was amazing to see it move on it's own, instead of moving because of the ultrasound movement.
I was really nervous before the appointment for some reason, that we wouldn't hear a heartbeat, or that the baby would be stillborn or something. I haven't had any worries about that before now, so it was weird that that was kind of running through my head. I guess because I was feeling a little bit better in the afternoons, and I thought that maybe it meant that something was wrong. Just crazy talk.
I did mention to the doctor about my being down in the dumps (Andrea). She did seem very concerned, and has Nick on "sadness watch". She said if I'm not better in two weeks, that I am supposed to go back. I'm hoping that feeling better physically will help me to feel better mentally. (She did suggest maybe having a sweet tea every now and then would make me feel better. Hey--if the doctor orders it...)
I also did a breast cancer screening, since I can't do any mammograms while pregnant/nursing. It will check for the breast cancer gene. It's an expensive test, but since we're definitely going to hit our deductible this year, it is as good a time as any.
I'm going to have to start doing a weekly photo--my shorts are getting tighter, so I'll actually have something to show!
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