Ear, teeth, lungs, cranky-pants!

Well you would think a mother who has all summer off with her gorgeous baby would write more often about the wonderful trips we are taking, the long hours spent in the library, the daily trips to the pool, etc. Or you may think that’s one crazy and busy momma, we’ll hear about all the fun at the end of the summer… That’s my hope.

Michael and I have used the phrase “we just can’t get ahead” quite often in our life together. Most of the time this has referred to him getting laid off at inopportune times (when is it opportune?). Just when we think things will work out, we can finally get a bill paid off, something snaps and we are back to square one. I guess you could say this is how my summer started off.

I was all set to walk a group of my students down for graduation the Sunday of my first summer off and woke with a horrible pain in my “lower left abdomen”. A quick trip to the ER, blood work, and a CT scan later I had appendicitis. Surgery the next day and sent home with lifting restriction of 20lbs for 15 days. Thanks to my perfect DNA combine with Michael’s, also perfect, DNA we made a huge baby and yes at 7month she weighed just that, 20lbs!

"Just can’t get ahead" – We are still paying off Michael’s appendectomy from 2009!

So the first week my mom and Michael do what they do best and cared for me and the Bean. The second week Stella and I took an impromptued visit to my mom’s and stayed the week with friends and lifting assistance, it’s easy when your babies cute!

The third week things started to get back on track. I figured out Stella preferred a grand schedule that alternated solids, and bottle feedings, and naps almost to a T. I was thrilled. Things were going well. We made a stop by the library, the pool, play-dates with other babies…

But alas “We Just can’t get ahead”

Stella developed a bad ear infection (her first, and God willing her last) over the weekend. This gave her breathing problems and a low-grade fever. She’s been on Albuteral treatments and antibiotics since Saturday; another scare and glitch in the system life. Her breathing seems to be better, and then worst, so I can’t figure out if we’re ever on the upswing with that. The infection and pain in her ear seems to be subsiding, but the antibiotics are giving her diarrhea and bad diaper rash. She doesn’t have an appetite, therefore she only want a bottle (this doesn’t help the diarrhea) so I’m slipping rice into her bottles.

She started teething again. I hope this time is for real and we actually see some results. I think I feel bumps and I think this is another cause of her low appetite. Needless to say she's uncomfortable, sleepy, and just plan cranky.

Hopefully things thin out this week and we just get ahead!

Photo of my "Sick Bean" taken by her Auntie Michele

"Has it been easy?"

Well I have never really thought about my stats regarding my pregnancy until someone asked me the other day “have you had an easy pregnancy?” After really thinking about it I had concluded that I have not had an exactly "easy time" with this; nonetheless, I would do it again in a heart beat.

What makes this “not easy”:
1. I have had morning sickness since week six and I’m slowing venturing into my 21 week and still have it.
2. I had minor spotting week four and had to be put on progesterone supplements and go in for a pelvic.
3. Bad cramping in my abdomen at 15 weeks and went to the ER, it was just round ligament pains.
4. Road Trip to South Carolina – kicked me in the butt, swollen ankles and feet, constant vomiting, and headaches.
5. Migraine, can’t take anything strong enough for them while pregnant.
6. Choroid Plexus Cyst was found on one of the ultrasounds and had to do extra blood work and another ultrasound to test for chromosomal disorders.
a. I haven’t blogged about the CPC, because it was scary stuff and to put myself though that was though enough, and to blog about it would have been harder. I did get my blood results back and all is fine. We are scheduled for the Level II ultrasound next Thursday, July 29. But I’m thinking all will be okay.

All in all I think we are doing rather well considering. I’m not complaining by any means it just got me thinking when I was asked that, as I haven’t really had to put together the components of the equation before.

Last night was my first night I felt really uncomfortable lying on by belly. I could feel the hardening of my belly and I don’t think the baby appreciated it much, as she seemed to move around a lot more.

My favorite time of day is just after dinner when we sit down and watch TV. I can for sure feel her move then and I’m finding I look forward to that moment of the day more than any.

Over all life is still swell! God bless the pregnant ladies.

A Trip to the ER

So like I said before I am trying to not be the typical first pregnancy lady with a million questions and another million reasons to go running off to the hospital every five minutes... Well that didn't last long.

First, in my defense I thought it was appendicitis... didn't even really consider it being something with the baby.

The Saturday night before Michael and I left on vacation, a 15 hour car ride to South Carolina, we did the packing and some major house cleaning as I like to return to a clean house. About 7:30PM I started to get a very sharp pain right behind my belly button. About 9:30PM it was still there.

The thoughts racing through my head were as followed: I need to get this looked at before the long car ride. I don't want to be in South Carolina and have to visit the hospital. I need to talk to a professional. Is it just gas? Should I be worried. Why is it still hurting?

So I called the doctor hot-line and never got an answer back... "Mikey I think I need to go to the ER"

So after blood work, an IV of saline, a mortifying pelvic exam, and an ultrasound they sent me home with round ligament pain. Worthless two hours and I felt so ridiculous! Everyone was reassuring me that it was better to be safe than sorry. . . I guess I'm ultimately glad it wasn't anything too major.

Due to the lack of sleep the night prior to leaving, the 15 hour car ride resulted in a huge migraine, three vomit pit stops, a full up-chuck cup, and two really swollen feet.