So, I'm home today trying to relax.

I was not feeling well this morning.

I actually started feeling crappy last night. After I got home from my OB appoinment (off topic..I unknowingly drove by a murder scene! There was a shooting in Middletown at Wesleyan University...and when I was driving home, I passed the library where there was yellow tape everywhere. It didn't dawn on me THEN that it was CRIME SCENE tape. Anyway, I joked to Daryl--who I was talking on the cell phone with--that I might be on the news. I drove right behind where the local news stations were filming. I still wonder if my red truck showed up on the six o'clock news. And I think they still haven't caught the shooter, who was the boyfriend who shot his girlfriend. What a scary world we live in!!!)

Anyway, after I got home, I started to feel kind of yucky. And I was ravenous becuz I had barely eaten much during the day, at least not much protein. And suddenly I realized something was different with my belly. It was going through brief periods of tightening and hardening and feeling slightly uncomfortable. No pain. After the second time it happened, I mused aloud to Daryl, "I wonder if I'm having Braxton Hicks contractions? I have no idea what they feel like."

I was already drinking water at this point but I went inside the house (cuz I was outside with the dogs and Daryl) and refilled my glass and attempted to lay down on my left side on the couch, with a small pillow between my knees. I was SO uncomfortable in that position, and found it slightly hard to breathe so I ended up sitting up and reclining, feet raised. I was so hungry by this point and all we really had in the house was pasta and I seriously was jonesing for PROTEIN. I told Daryl I wanted Taco Bell. I think I surprised even him with how much I consumed.

By this point, the belly contractions were going on for about an hour and a half to two hours, but maybe only like four or five or total? I wasn't quite sure when they started/stopped and if it was a NEW one or the same. And like I said, no pain, so I wasn't concerned. After a full belly, and two more glasses of water....relief!! I started to feel better! For the second night in a row I got a very decent night's sleep. Only woke up once or twice.

Anyway, this morning I woke up feeling fine. Hours later, fully showered and dressed, I took the puppy outside on his leash and felt a bout of dizziness while out there. I brought him in and put him in his crate, then when I bent over to latch Daisy in her crate, I felt another wave of dizziness accompanied by nausea. I was not comfortable with hopping in the truck to drive at that point so I called work to tell them I'd be about a half hour late so that I could sit down and breathe for a few minutes.

I wasn't feeling any better so I finally opted to stay home. I have to say, after eating a second breakfast (I ate first at seven a.m., then again at about 10:30am) I started to feel better but not great. I continued to hydrate with water. Then at noon, I realized I had to eat AGAIN cuz I was ravenous. Once I had lunch, and some ginger ale, and after spending most of my day reclined on the couch, what a difference!! I feel a lot better now.

So obviously this is a big lesson to me. LISTEN TO MY BODY. Continue to eat when I'm hungry and stop worrying about "eating too much" and drink water often. And REST. Something I don't do enough of.

Lesson learned.

Went to my doctor's appointment this afternoon. Things are looking good.

Granted, I've gained six freakin' pounds in the past four weeks. I asked the doctor if that seemed excessive but based on my weight gain thus far, she wasn't worried about it. However, when it came time to measure my fundus height, she said, "Well you are measuring big."

I am measuring at about 30 weeks. I'm only 26 and a half weeks (I'll be 27 weeks on Sunday). While this concerned me a bit, again my doctor didn't seem worried. She said at my next ultrasound in two weeks, we'll check the fluid and make sure there is not too much. Has anyone else measured 3-4 weeks ahead like that? Does it mean anything? I mean, I read it could mean absolutely nothing, other than the fact that I'm measuring "big". Just curious.

Also, at that ultrasound we'll be checking the location of my placenta to see if it has moved up (as it should). Let's keep our fingers crossed that this bad-boy-placenta has hitchhiked up north!! I'm really hoping for a vaginal birth, and not a c-section, if I can help it!

I was also given the go-ahead to have my 1-hour glucose test done. I got my bottle of orange-flavored yumminess (that was sarcasm, in case you wondered) and I'm not looking forward to that, at all! I've heard too many stories from other ladies about how sickeningly sweet it is (and you're listening to a girl who doesn't like normally sweet drinks as it is, never mind something that will probably taste over-the-top grossly sweet to me!). And then exactly one hour later, I have to get the bloodwork done. So I'll probably do that one morning this week. Since I have to fast three hours (after my meal) before I can drink it, I'll have to do it on a weekday morning. We already have plans for 10:00am on Saturday, otherwise I'd just do it then.

Anyway, we listened to baby Hunter's heartbeat and it sounded perfect! And my doctor cracked me up. While we were listening, she said, "Hello there, honey!" You can tell she is a Mommy, herself. ;-) My blood pressure as well was "great". So for the most part, things are looking up!

After my ultrasound appointment, we go to appointments every two weeks. In the words of Daryl, "Holy moly!" Time seems to be speeding up now. Just more reason for me to feel anxious about all the unfinsihed items on our to-do list!

Wow. It's been seven years, Dad.

Where has the time gone?

Some days when I think of you, it's as if I just saw you yesterday. My memory images often alternate between your last days with your sparse, graying hair (you never had any gray before the chemo) and your thin face. You talked less and less the sicker you got and I remember missing the sound of your voice. Even if what you said made no sense, from the morphine, I still relished every second. And when you couldn't really speak much, between the oxygen and not having the strength, the depth in your dark brown eyes told endless stories.

But more often than not, I picture you healthy. And strong. Your broad chest and muscled arms, your dark brown hair so much like my own. Our matching Smith noses above big toothy grins. Your skinny "chicken legs" poking out from your red shorts. Your voice, so deep and smooth, as you belted out with reckless abandon, the songs you loved the most. I still can't hear "Benny and the Jets" without your voice playing in my head.

We weren't a family that said "I love you". We showed it more than said it. But I remember on my 21st birthday, after a long lovely weekend of celebration with my family and my boyfriend at the time...I was resting in my bedroom, watching Mtv. That dreaded Mtv that you hated so much.

But despite whatever silly program was on, you came in and perched on the edge of my bed, looking slightly out of place.

"Did you have a good birthday?" You asked with a knowing smile. I reasusred you that it was great, one of my best.

"Good, I'm glad." You patted my leg and stood up, as if to leave. Before you walked out, you said, "Happy Birthday, April. I love you."

And I think I almost melted into a pile of mushy, emotional goo. Once you walked out of the room, of course. That is one of my most favorite memories, Dad. So simple. But so unforgettable!

I know I say it all the time, and I definitely think it every day, but here it is again. I miss you with all my heart and soul. And I love you!

And I'll end this with one of my favorite quotes that always makes me think of you:

"Time is too slow for those who wait,

Too swift for those who fear,

Too long for those who grieve,

Too short for those who rejoice,

But for those who love,

Time is not."

26 weeks: Our baby Hunter

We're almost out of the second trimester...one more week until the third tri!!

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby weighs more than 2 lbs (1000g), measures 9.6 inches from crown to rump (24cm) and its total length is about 15.3 inches (34cm). If your baby were born now, he would have about an 85% chance of surviving. Nonetheless, your baby still needs another 13 weeks of in utero development to be considered full term. (Hearing the statistic of him having an 85% chance of surviving if born right now, I find SO comforting! Not that I WANT him to come yet, so keep on cooking in there, little man!)

Your baby's eyes, no longer fused shut, are now open. (I often wonder what the world looks like to a baby in utero!)

Your baby's skin still has a very wrinkled appearance, but it is protected and nourished by the covering of vernix, a waxy coating that keeps the skin supple.

Your baby looks almost like a full term baby, but is still much thinner and smaller than he will be at birth. (Yay! Happy growing, little string bean!!)



My weekend was pretty much a bust.

Between a cold I've been fighting off (which I now think may be allergies...as the "symptoms" continue to come and go) and a MEAN stomach ache (think debilitating, bend over as sharp shooting gas pains pierce your belly...THAT kind of stomach ache. I get them too often now if I overeat. Which I can't quite figure that out...I mean I only had--ahem--(almost a whole box of) macaroni and cheese. Go figure.), we ended up canceling almost all of our plans.

I did end up getting a good portion of cleaning done when it was only the "cold" holding me back, but yesterday during my tummy ache? I spent all day on the couch. No shower. PJ's all day. Feeling so blah and tired and worn out that I could just cry. But thankfully I didn't, once my belly started to feel better (around 5pm), Daryl tickled the heck out of me till my frown turned into an unwilling, but much needed, smile!!

And now it's Monday. Gloomy. Blah again. *SIGH*

We did it! Daryl, Hunter and I are in the home stretch.

99 Days to go (till estimated due date)!!!

Why is it that seeing that triple digit number go down to double digits makes it seem like time is going to WHIP by now??

Maybe becuz we still have so much to do?

Yikes!

Since Big D started his second (part time) job, time has been a little hard to come by, to get stuff done. We still have to finish:

1. the crown molding in Hunter's nursery along with one wall's chair rail
2. putting up a closet door (and finishing emptying all MY crap out of his closet!)
3. ordering the dresser/changing table that goes with his crib (it takes 2 weeks to come in, so we're not in a huge rush for that...however...I have NO WHERE to put anything in his room right now since Hunter's closet is still full of my clothes!)
4. calling the hospital to sign up for the birthing classes, as well as a tour
5. finish organizing the REST of the house in preparation for all the schtuff that comes along with this little person in my belly!
6. washing all the sweet little baby boy clothes we have (I obviously won't be able to do that with the stuff from the shower till July, but in the meantime I might get cracking on what I've got so far). I also have a ton of cute hand-me-down's from Carsa's two boys, and since those have been sitting around gathering dust in our unused finished attic, I will re-wash those as well.
7. putting the second coat of paint on Hunter's letters so that I can hang them up over his crib.
8. solidifying some things at work regarding my Maternity leave and hours coming back afterward (more on that in a future post)
9. find a pediatrician (do you guys have suggestions on this? I have two recommendations from friends but what do I DO? Do I set up to meet with each one? And what questions should I be asking? Help!)

I know there is much more, but my brain is shot right now. It is looking more and more like our kitchen renovations will be on a looooong standby, at least until after the baby is born. With everything else going on, we just don't have enough time OR money to get it done before that. I'm really bummed out by that, cuz the disarray (especially when I enter into Full-Fledge Nesting Mode) is goign to drive me batty!! And I am not looking forward to the dust flying when little Hunter is in the house to be breathing it in! I'm thinking when it gets to that point, I'll have to hang a sheet up or something to try to contain most of it in the kitchen. *SIGH*

Life is starting to get crazy now with summer approaching. Plans have been materializing left and right and our calendar is already filling up! This weekend Big D has orientation at his new job (8am-5pm Saturday and 9-1pm on Sunday). So I will be going by my pregnant self to my friend's Jess's daughter's communion Saturday morning. Then in the evening we have a friend coming over for dinner (although SHE is making it for us! She is a chef. Mmmmm!!). And Sunday we are probably going to be going out to dinner with Joe and Erin. And then next weekend is just as crazy with plans with friends, Mother's Day breakfast with my Mama and just lots of general running around.

I'm getting tired already, just thinking of it all.