Half-pint update!

Augh, my perfect posting record is over!  I failed to post yesterday.  Alas.  I wish I had a better excuse other than just being tired and not motivated.  But the past is in the past...today is a new day, and this is a new post.  And it's a Half-pint update post at that, so yay! 

 

 

I've been back and forth with doctors appointments this week.  Yesterday was my cardiologist appointment and today we had a long morning of appointments for baby - a nonstress test, ultrasound and doctor's visit.  I now smell like hospital...you know?  That disinfectant smell you can't quite get rid of without a shower?  Guess who will be getting a shower later? 

 

 

Anyway, so yesterday's appointment with the cardiologist went fairly well.  The new medication he put me on, the third of my blood pressure meds, has really  helped lower the heart rate and blood pressure.  The only downside to this is it lowers it a ton, and then towards the middle of the day I'm basically exhausted and am a walking zombie.  It was getting pretty bad.  So we've decided since I have just two weeks left of pregnancy, Half-pint and I will be working remotely from home.  That way I can nap if needed, relax and not push myself too hard.  Of course, yesterday when I was working from home, that included laundry and swiffering the floors.  Until T told me to lay down via text message.  Hey, I'm nesting!  What can I say?

 

 

Today at the NST, Half-pint was super stubborn and decided that, while her heart rate was perfect, she wasn't moving.   I drank juice, that didn't work.  I poked her.  Nope.  Finally she started moving a little bit, so they got enough to officially "pass" me.  40 minutes later, of course.  We headed to our ultrasound next, and wouldn't you know it?  The little girl starts moving like a mad woman!  She wasn't having getting her picture taken.  It was pretty humorous because she kept pushing away the ultrasound camera every time they lady pushed on my stomach.  They measured her again, and she's still a big baby.  Right now she's in the 94th percentile for growth and has an estimated weight of 7 lbs 9 oz.  And she has two more weeks to grow.  Holy. cow.  Actually, it's officially two weeks as of tomorrow.  Place your bets now as to how big this kiddo is getting!  I just hope she fits into the newborn stuff we bought her for a short period of time at least. 

 

 

The exciting news is all I have left is one more doctor's appointment next week.  ONE.  Thank God!  The end is in sight!  And I'm more than ready for her to make her appearance....after the Superbowl hoopla leaves downtown Indianapolis, of course.  (Side note:  Tom Brady and his cohorts are staying at the hotel attached to our hospital.  Not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing.  I'm going with bad.) 

 

 

Promise to be back tomorrow with another post!  I'm not going anywhere yet :-)

  



That's what real love is....

Some time ago, T and I found ourselves watching a Dateline episode (I hope I'm getting the right show here...) about Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the horrible tragedy that took place in Arizona that almost took her life and took the lives of so many others.  The episode went on to follow Gabby in her recovery, showing the trials and adversity she and her husband faced throughout the journey to recovery.  Watching the State of the Union address on Tuesday evening and seeing her in the Congress Chambers and her husband watching proudly from the gallery, I thought again about that episode.  And how that couple truly exemplifies love. 


It was so moving seeing a couple grow stronger by a tragedy.  Here was a man who in one moment thought he lost the love of his life, then realizes he still had her and every day, was at her bed side, supporting her in her recovery.  It's that unconditional love that I think goes so unrecognized these days, and it's that same unconditional love that makes a relationship strong and makes it last. 


I couldn't even begin to imagine what they went through and how hard it was.  I couldn't imagine watching someone you love, someone who has always been so strong and independent suddenly go through something so hard.  How tough it must have been for him to watch her struggle to make those daily accomplishments, those minute tasks we all take for granted but for her were huge hurdles she overcame.  All of a sudden he was the one who needed to carry them both, to be the strong one.  And he did this with such grace and such love.  It was truly something amazing to witness. 


I think we all can learn something from watching a couple as strong as those two.  Too much in my daily life, I know that I personally don't always exemplify that love.  I take it for granted.  But when it gets down to it and when I bring myself back to the day when I stood before my family and friends, looked deeply into T's eyes and pledged my life and love to him, this is what I meant.  This is what "for better, for worse" is all about.  And this is what I want to remind myself of every day as I wake up next to T and every night when I fall asleep next to him.  And every moment in between. 

Vacation, all I ever wanted...

This week we received a piece of mail from Disney addressed to our "family."  It's like Disney was aware we were with child and was already cashing in on the hundreds of dollars they will most certainly get from us during Half-pint's lifetime or at least her childhood.  Don't get me wrong...I went to Disney World as a little girl, and I have every intention of taking our children there, too, but let's wait until the kiddo is out of the womb.  Or maybe let's wait until she's old enough to know what's going on, too, when she's at the park. 


Despite the bad timing of Disney's advertisement, T and I have been talking about starting a tradition of taking annual vacations as a family.  In previous years, we haven't really done that just the two of us.  Any "vacations" we have taken have either been to visit out of town family or tagging along with my parents somewhere.  And while that's all fun and well and good, etc., it's not what we want to do every single year.  Now that we have a little one on the way, we want to start taking vacations - just us.   One of those vacations will definitely involve a visit to Disney in the future (Be ready, Sprite's Keeper!)  This year, however, we're a little low on funds and vacation days (thanks unpaid maternity leave!), and well, Half-pint is going to be pretty little still.  But we're still determined to do some sort of mini vacation.  I think we deserve it after this year, don't you? 


So right now, our destinations are limited...within driving distances, of course.  We're leaning towards St. Louis but have absolutely no idea of what we would want to do there, where to stay, etc.  So anyone who has been to St. Louis or has any good ideas of nice Midwest destinations, do share!    What does your family do for vacations?  Is it important to have that time to get away as a family and just explore? 

Three Weeks

Three weeks from as I type this blog I will be getting ready for surgery.  T and I will be at the hospital, anxiously waiting for the arrival of our little girl at 11:00 a.m  It blows my mind that three weeks is all we have.  Of course, she could always come sooner, but regardless, it's just three weeks. 


It feels like I've been pregnant forever, I am not going to lie.  I forget what it's like to not be pregnant.  And they say that your ninth month is a tough one, and man, they aren't lying.  Today alone, I sit here chewing Tums like candy to keep the heartburn down and can barely walk because my right hip hurts so much from the ever expanding Half-pint.  I'm ready for her to be here.  I'm ready for her to be in my arms and not in my belly. 


Last night, I found myself drawn to Half-pint's nursery.  I sat there in there for a good twenty minutes in my rocking chair, looking around and picturing how much is about to change.  She'll be sleeping in that crib soon.  All of those soft blankets and pink outfits I have carefully washed and folded will be put to use in just a few weeks.  In a few weeks, those books on the shelf that T reads to her in my belly, he'll be reading to her as he rocks her to sleep.  It's almost here. 


T found me in the nursery last night with tears in my eyes.  I was crying because I was happy, but also because, well...I'm a little nervous and scared, too.  I'd be lying if I didn't say that these past nine months haven't been hard.  These past few weeks have been the hardest.  All of the health scares and doctor's appointments, all of it...she and I have both been fighers and we're almost to the end of the battle here.  And I want 100 percent reassurance that it is going to go well.  I want to know that the surgery will be just fine and that she will come out just fine and so will I.  I'm not the kind of person who just goes with the flow.  I want guarantees.  But I also know that isn't reality.  Instead, I sat there praying.  Praying that God will watch over the both of us these next few weeks. 


Three more weeks.  That's all we have.  Three more weeks and I meet my little girl. 

True love

Occasionally, T and I will have those morbid discussions that couples have about how you don't want to lose that person ever or anything ever to happen to them, etc. etc.  We were having one the other day...not sure in what context or why, and this is what I told T:


"Don't worry, sweetie...I'm going to be with you forever. I'm not going anywhere. I'm like Herpes...always there, and occasionally I flare up and cause you discomfort and agitation..."


Now that, my friends, is the definition of true love. 


Sorry you only get a short post today, but I was bound and determined to post one anyway....keeping to my consistently posting goal that I set last week :-)  I'll be back with more tomorrow...promise!

A restful weekend

It's hard to describe the feelings I have as each weekend comes to an open and a close.  Usually I get really excited about the weekend and then super sad when the weekend ends.  And while, yes, I do get excited to think about sleeping in and not doing anything, and yes, the thought of work does bring me back to those days when I was in school and hated Sunday evenings.  However, there's a different feeling there.  See, this Wednesday, it's is officially 3 1/2 weeks until Half-pint makes her arrival.  Every weekend, every day that ends brings me closer to her.  So, I'm not sure how to feel when a weekend comes and goes.  I found myself feeling this way off and on this past weekend.  

 

 

With her arrival getting closer, I've been trying very hard to take it extra easy over the weekend.  It was one of those gloomy and chilly weekends out, so T and I had very little to do outside the house and spent the majority of our time just hanging out and getting various things done.  We've been freezing meals every weekend, and we froze two more meals this weekend for when Half-pint arrives and we have very little time to cook.  I caught up on my thank you notes for baby showers, and I got a good start in for Half-pint's Baby Book.  And...I was lazy.  But I need to be.  We cleaned on Friday night, and Mommy pushed herself just a wee bit too hard...Half-pint responded by pushing down on my lower stomach super hard, causing me a great deal of discomfort.  Her way of saying "slow down, please!" So I won't make that mistake again :-)  (Sorry, kiddo!)

 

 

On Sunday we went to church and got the chance to catch up with friends afterwards.  We've remained friends with our sponsor couple who counseled us before we got married, so we enjoyed a nice breakfast with them after mass.  After church, too, our priest was giving the sacrament of anointing of the sick.  For those of you who are not Catholic, it's a sacrament where the priest blesses you if you are facing a serious illness, medical procedures, etc.  T suggested I go, and my immediate response was "why?  I'm not sick!"  T and Carol convinced me to go saying that my c-section surgery was major surgery and being on multiple medications for my heart was a serious thing.  The stubborn girl in me has a hard time seeing that.  Sure, I'm high risk, but in my mind, I'm not "sick" and certainly not in need of that kind of spiritual attention, right?  I'm glad I did go, and I know it meant a lot to T, too.  I mean, seriously...the big surgery could be any day now.  Or at least 3 1/2 weeks from now!

 

 

I hope we have a few more weekends like this past one ahead of us.  I'm enjoying them while we can because our lives are about to change immensely (for the better!).  Here's to a quick work week and another relaxing weekend ahead!

 

TGIF!

TGIF everyone!  So I'm happy to report that I'm not in a mood that would substitute for one of the seven dwarfs...sorry for that brief bout of grumpiness today.  Today, I'm kind of just....here.  I'm tired, which isn't unusual, and unfortunately that's not going to change any time soon until well after she arrives.  Stupid medicine making me tired.  What I wouldn't give for a nice couch or lounge chair in my office to take a nice nap during my lunch break.  So maybe I am one of the seven dwarfs today....Sleepy.  But that's better than Grumpy, right? 

So guess who's a big radio star?  Wait, no, let me qualify that...guess who is a big local A.M. radio star?  Two times in the past two weeks I've been on the local A.M. station here where my work is located to talk about our legal aid program.  Let me tell you...I've been crazy nervous both times, but it's good to do...you know, get our message out there and inform people about a program that can really help them.  Of course, I will not listen to how I actually sound on the radio.  I can't even stand listening to my voice on an answering machine, let alone during a 15 minute segment on the radio.  I'm sure I said "uh" or "um" about fifty times.  It's very similar to the times I have had to read transcripts of myself during trial.  I find myself thinking "Dear God, do I have no grasp of the spoken English language?"  So while I won't be listening to it, it is pretty cool.  And kind of fun, too. 


Other than that, my Friday has been pretty low key.  I hope this low key-ness goes into the weekend because with the weekends counting down to Half-pint's arrival and my energy level quickly depleting, I definitely need some low key time.  Maybe I can catch up on some things I've been meaning to do before her arrival.  Or maybe I can just...I don't know...sleep?


Sorry this isn't much of a post, but I swore to myself that I would force myself to do another post this week if it killed me.  I will NOT get into slacker mode again...nope, not going to happen.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!  Here's for a low key one for T&A and no surprises or anything like that :-)  We're not quite ready for that to happen yet....