Monday, September 16, 2013

24 week appointment

I was busy most of last week, mostly making messes with G and then took a break from the computer over the weekend so I'm just now getting around to writing up my latest midwife appointment notes.

24 weeks, 6 days
Midwife Amy
Flexing (well in mid flex...Mark is not the most patient photographer)
Don't all pregnant women flex?
Wait till I complete Body Beast post prego, you will probably be tired of my flexing. 
(or you could join me...Always an option) 

1st paragraph is TMI, so skip it if you don't want to know THAT much about you.  Everything else is PG!

This appointment was supposed to include the normal baby checking activities as well as another procedure to check for the possibility of cervical cancer. This cervical cancer screening is not a normal procedure during pregnancy, but I pretty much denied the chance to have further testing done after an abnormal pap back in February. Why would I do that? I'm crazy! Ok, well, not entirely, but my regular doctor who caught it said it was low grade and probably would go away on it's own, but he sent me to a Gyn for further testing/discussion. She did not see anything when she looked, but suggested a test. Turns out it was an expensive test. I didn't find out how expensive the test was until the day of the appointment and well, even though we have always have enough and at times more than enough money, money still freaks me out and that made me decide not to do it. I was already apprehensive about further testing because even this doctor told me it usually goes away on it's own and can show up 1 test and be gone a few weeks later. Had I had my pap 1 day later, it could have come back perfect and we would have never known it had been abnormal just the day before. Plus, she said (as well as countless internet sources noted...yes, I know not to believe everything I read online, but ya still gotta check ya know) that eating healthier (ie. fruits, veggies, etc) can take away any bad cells. I am all for treating/preventing with food. So Amy did her own looking around and decided there is nothing visible that would suggest further testing needs to be done until after the baby arrives. 8 weeks PP I will need to get rechecked though.

So then comes the normal part of this checkup, except I'm not exactly sure how my appointment was scheduled because Amy didn't seem to know anything about the normal checkup part. She did listen to the baby's heartbeat (140-150 so normal) and they took my weight. Of all things to remember they remember the darn scale. Other than that, no belly measurement or anything. Although I'm not sure what else could have been done. Maybe blood pressure?

Amy had done my initial pregnancy exam so she saw her note to have my thyroid rechecked. She didn't see any follow up notes, so she asked if I had been rechecked. Well, no, of course not! She told me I could get it done today if I wanted. sure, what's a little blood work on a Wednesday afternoon? It would just require a stop at the lab at the end of the hall. So I get dressed and she tells me she will see me in the hallway. I am a super fast dresser so of course she is nowhere to be found so the nurse see me and walks me to the checkout desk, which is just at the other end of the hallway right in front of the lab. On my paperwork it says 1. have thyroid retested 2. return in 4 weeks for a normal appointment and a sugar test. Checkout lady (I'm sure not her real title) asks me if I would like to return on 10/9. Sounds good. Then she asks me morning or afternoon. Ummm, don't you have to be fasting for the sugar test? She says no. I say, well, isn't it 2 hours long. Again she says no. But at my last appointment I was told you guys no longer do 1 and 3 hour tests, just the 2 hour and if you fail that's it, you are just a failure and proceed as a prego diabetic. She tells me that apparently those tests were not working great so they stopped them. Interesting! So I pick an afternoon appointment and she asks if I need a parking sticker. Yes, I sure do. I get the sticker and she tells me to have a good day. Ummmm, did you not see the part on there that says have thyroid rechecked. Aw, yes, she says as the lab tech walks past her saying she will return soon. She tells her I will be waiting and then I wait. While I'm waiting, I swear the next person says she needs a morning appointment for her 2 hours sugar test since she will be fasting and the checkout lady says ok. HUH?????? But I do not ask because it just seems like too much trouble and I'm sure I will just end up more confused.

Finally the tech makes it back but for some reason she doesn't know I'm the one waiting and doesn't ask. So I'm hanging out holding the wall from falling over when the checkout lady finally says that I can just go back there. Blood is drawn and I am finally done. I get all the way home before noticing my appointment sheet says OB appointment and has no mention of a Sugar test. I could call and clarify, but I think I will just take my chances :)

Moral of the story: one picks midwives because they choose not to intervene or do unnecessary things. One does not pick them for their organizational skills, as clearly this is lacking.

Prego complaints: my legs are taking turns giving out after simple activities and it is quite painful.

The Baby: he's a kicker and a mover and clearly has restless leg syndrome (or maybe restless everything syndrome...is that a thing?). Either way I like it. Better to have movement than no movement. I think he may be getting big like G. Scary, but unless something weird happens between now and his birthday I don't imagine I will have any more sonos so I guess we'll just be surprised.

Random thoughts: I have this really great picture idea in mind for him and G for Christmas so is it bad of me to hope he arrives about a week early? G was 13 days early so I already have it in my head that Baby B will be early too. If not, no big deal. G will get to do it alone.

Speaking of Baby B, I keep thinking of the other boy name I wanted. Might just start up that convo with Mark again. That should bring more interest and fun to the next 15 weeks :)

On baby clothes: I have clothes coming out of my ears, closets, drawers, and any other crevices you can find. Mark just went and picked up another tote of clothes out of storage that I somehow missed this morning in the living room. Trying to organize everything so it gets worn is impossible, but I am organizing and reorganizing none the less.


I only picked up 50 more hangers at Target the other day.
I don't think that is going to be enough. 
How in the world did we have this many clothes?
The boy's closet is already full. 
On the boy's room and play room: just came up with a great decoration idea for the play room. Will start working on that soon. For the boy's room we just discovered that the corvette bed comes in blue finally so now we wait for the darn thing to go on sale. Once this whole baby naming business is for sure, I can order his name in street signs like G's and get those hung. Will need to rearrange some of the pictures and hang a pendant too. I still want a glider so that will have to get bought. Other than that, we are pretty good.

Wow, that was quite the post. If you made it this far, you deserve some kind of prize. Let me know what I owe you :)  I make no promises, just curious what you come up with. That was way longer than I imagined it would be for a simple 4 week OB appointment. 

Monday, September 9, 2013

My First Prego Grievance

I can't believe I have made it past 24 weeks without being ticked off by something some crazy person said to me about my prego body.  Well, I showed super early with this one, like pretty much immediately.  That was fine with me.  What is annoying is the people who ask to touch my belly and then tell me how squishy it is, like they expect it to be super hard or something.  Really?  Not everyone gets rock hard abs from being prego.  Just saying!

Well, there it is.  My one grievance about ridiculous people, all women.  What is wrong with women?  If you don't remember what you looked like, felt like, acted like, etc while pregnant keep your mouth shut.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Life's Messy Decisions

 

So, it is just kind of hitting me that there are going to be 2 boys.  I am going to be the mom to 2 sons.  That is awesome and scary all at the same time.  At the moment I don't really feel ganged up on because lets face it G really loves his mommy.  He is just now getting used to daddy.  Blame nursing, blame my amazing momminess (haha), who knows, but up till recently he has been my kid.  That doesn't mean that he isn't all boy, all the time.  He is more dirty and gross than I prefer, but really he is a sweet cuddly little human being.

Back to the messy decisions of life....

We need to order a few personalized items for the boy's room and finish getting it set  up completely.  We need to buy a few things we wished we had the first time or that somehow broke along the way.  That is the fun stuff. 

Then there is the crappy stuff, the stuff that stresses me out and brings tears....that very first decision you have to make as a mom and a dad to a son...circumcision.  Sorry guys if you are reading this (or even mommas), but seriously I did my research before I had Garrett and for whatever reason I still let Mark talk me into letting G have it done.  So recently I tried the discussion again and of course cried.  Not the messy mascara running type of crying but more the head in my arm, faced down on the bed so he won't see me type of tears.  I'm not a boy I don't understand whether it bothers a boy to either be or not to be, but the process freaks me out and makes me sad and I know it causes pain.  What mom in their right mind consciously causes their brand new baby pain?  I did and it still haunts me.  I actually still feel guilt over that very first decision. 

Mark thinks the boy's need to be the same and that if they do not have everything the same their whole entire life it will cause conflict.  Do I care about conflict.  Not really.  I don't want them to be the same and I don't think it is necessary or realistic to assume that their entire life they are going to want or need the exact same of everything.  Apparently I am not a boy and just don't understand. 

I'm not really sure what to do, but ultimately this was the one and only reason I never wanted to have another son.  This one decision.  I know with kids you make 5 million decisions, some hard, some easy, and that is just before they turn 5 but seriously this one gets to me.  If this kid is anything like G, he will hurt himself enough over the years without me adding to the mix. 

I have seen the debate on many mom groups and right now this family is divided. 

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

A baby boy revealed in pics

I'm not even sure what to say about these photos.  I love them of course.  She captured our expression and that is exactly what I wanted.  It is just funny to see how shocked we are! 

To KT, sorry G was not feeling you that day.  He just wanted to run and play and sitting was not in his game plan.  He is a total mommas boy though and that is quite apparent here.  I still love his serious little face.  We'll bring his favorite "bubba" as a prop for his birthday shoot next month.  That should do the trick :)

To Kendra, your clothing choice was adorable.  As I was putting them in the closet this last weekend, I was getting excited for him to wear them.  He will be all cuddly in them and look adorable of course. 

From beginning to end....here goes:


It is the perogative of an almost 2 year old to do the opposite of what you ask. 
Such is life!
Patiently waiting

Not so patiently waiting.

It's A.......
 


BOY!!!!  Clearly the fact that those are boy clothes was quite entertaining to me. 



We look shocked and I just realized Mark hasn't even moved his arm.  LOL
Now we hug and celebrate.  Hehe
Mark is smiling.  That is a good sign!

G looks a bit terrified. 
Yes son, you are getting a baby brother!  Hide your toys :)



OMG I love his face!

Still digesting what all those little boy clothes could possibly mean.

 
 
3 weeks of torture over with just one pull of a clothes pin. 
Happy to know that it is a boy and so excited to get everything ready for him. 


Our creative photographer. 
Love the way we receive pics now :)
 

Monday, September 2, 2013

Labor Day Weekend

This was one of those super jam packed weekends that resulted in the need to clear out and make room for a soon to be family of 4. 
 
A 3 day weekend in pictures.
 
Toys were moved to the red room/guest room/new toy room.
 
Our second pile of giveaway stuff for the weekend.

More of the red/guest/toy room

Reading nook


Fall mantle with random stuff from around the house.

 
G and I going through ALL the clothes we still had stored in the house. 
I am pretty sure there are still more in storage.
Pants are always optional in this house :)
 
Garrett's closet became a G and little brother closet. 
Short sleeves on the right from little to big.


Long sleeves on the left from little to big.
Blankets hung up on hangers. 
Too many to store, so I decided to hang.

Shoes, shorts and pants from little to big.
Did you know they don't make pant hangers for little clothes that you can buy.
Well, they might, but I didn't search for very long
I made my own with clothes pins and hangers. 

3 giant boxes of wipes. 
Mark is my overstocker.

4 boxes of size 5 diapers.
G only wears a size 4.
Did I mention my husband, the overstocker?

This house isn't perfect, but all 4 bedrooms have a walk in closet
and that is pretty darn close to perfection if you ask me.

Daddy said it was time for G to give up his beloved high chair and be a big boy at the table.
 
And this is where G decided he would be happier this morning for breakfast. 

Our 11th anniversary. 
We are sitting on the leather seats for Mark's F150 that arrived that day.
Nothing says Happy Anniversary dear wife like 2 giant boxes of leather seats that need to be installed.

Going in for a kiss, because even though he is crazy
he is my crazy and I love him.

While his mommy and daddy were kising in the entry way and having a
little anniversary alone time, G spent the day with his Great Aunt Lisa, Great Uncle
Bruce and cousin Cydney.  Want to know how to get a teenage girl to the top of
the Chickfila play structure?  Show your slide loving toddler the indoor playground!
He also got to feed ducks at the park.  What a fun day for him :)