OMG- I've Been Preggers for Half a Year!!!!

Wow. What a thought. Today's post is completely random- but that's why I call it random musings....





Taurus Horoscope for Today on iGoogle: “It's tough for you to overcome the inertia of being at rest (read: Pregnant!), so you may get off to a very slow start today.” Oh you have no idea. We (me + BabyW, as it’s all about her now….LOL) have hit another patch of fatigue. Even in my college days where my motto, “You can sleep when you’re dead” applied have I been as tired as I’ve felt the past two days.... that is until I get to experience the first few months after BabyW’s arrival as Leah, Jenn and Paige have informed me (hey, good friends don’t sugar-coat it!) The fatigue has also been accompanied by another new symptom- fleas. Just kidding- but it feels like it. My legs itch like crazy and when that strikes along with my nerves falling asleep, it’s a very strange feeling, or should I say, lack there of! But I think I found some temporary relief in Bath & Body Work’s “Shea Butter.” Although it reminds me of Crisco, it’s been four hours without so much as a little itch! Unfortunately the jar is almost empty- damn- looks like I’ll have to go there tonight… and a little birdie told me that it’s the semi-annual sale. (Hi, Honey! LOL) Now, if only I could get BabyW to shift to the right so my left leg quits falling asleep!







I had to take the mid-point glucose tolerance test over the weekend. It seems like I did this not too long ago but my OB is extra careful about me developing gestational diabetes. Any level over 140 means that you have to take the 3-hour test and then get put on a bland diet. With the baby’s cravings for popcorn, M&M’s, choco-covered raisins and Milk Duds at Saturday’s movie (hey, we shared with Jason!) Sunday was probably not the optimal time to take the test, but it had to be done. We go to the closest lab to our house- and the crotchety lady says they don’t do prenatal glucose over the weekend there as they don’t have medical staff- I guess “any” lab is subjective then. Thanks for making a hungry, tired (BabyW had a party all night long- Mommy wasn't invited) pregnant girl cry, you hag! Dear, dear husband is trying to console me the whole long 7-minute drive to the hospital- and “!!!I don’t freakin’ know!!!” is not really sufficing for “What’s wrong?….”







At the lab they administer a 50g dose of said nasty crap- great, at least this time it’s lime-flavored humming bird food. The tech wasn’t amused when I asked for my shot of tequila as a chaser…. “Come back in an hour to have your blood drawn and oh yeah, don’t leave the hospital.” Fun. And I didn’t even get a Scooby band-aid or lollipop. But, it’s amazing what pancakes can do to elevate my mood!
…and I passed the test- phew- no 3-hour one for me this time. YAY. Excuse me as I go have a Snickers….

Food Fun with BabyW

Is there such a thing as 7/8th’s vegetarian? If so, sign me up. I can’t say that I’m a 100% veggieasaurus, but meat definitely is not my cup of tea these days thanks in part to BabyW. Now mind you that I wasn’t a terribly picky eater PP (pre-prego chick) but I did have my likes and dislikes- mashed potatoes & gravy, pasta, Peeps, and a daily shot of caffeine rank high on my faves list while onions, pizza and liver (duh!) are on my icky list. The hormones and daily changes as the result of hatching BabyW has now made me a very finicky eater!

For the first 15 weeks, I can say that coffee turned my stomach- good for the development of baby and the budget without a daily run to the local Starbizuck’s (but now I have returned to regular dosings of my favorite Medium Non-fat Sugar-free Vanilla Latte, especially from Peet’s!). Okay peanut gallery- pipe down! The doctor says 100mg or under of caffeine is okay… my drink is certainly under that and I limit all other sources… so there. Besides, have you ever seen me without my coffee???

I digress. I no longer have morning sickness (although when driving by an In-N-Out, I have strong recollections of Weeks 6-15) but finding a food that appeals to BabyW is a challenge. My appetite is increasing- not to those levels yet that I hear pregnant women are usually famous for- but enough that it takes more than smoothies and Sugar Smacks to sustain us. And to add to the challenge- what sounded good when I ordered it at the restaurant, is no longer the power pellet of choice once it arrives to the table. Hence the half-eaten Cheesecake Factory salad in my fridge. It’s also hard to manage a well-balanced diet. Thank goodness that I still crave healthy things… the half bag of gourmet caramel corn and carrot sticks that BabyW had for lunch yesterday were certainly a lifesaver! And PP, I loved cooking, but can you imagine how fun it is too cook in this state? Who ever came up with that label "barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen" was clearly delirious. Bless you dear husband for surviving these non-cooking days (kinda reminds you of when we were dating, huh?) ( ;

Mom offered to cook my birthday dinner last week of my favorite chicken-fried steak, mashed taters and gravy and etc. Then as BabyW not-so-gently bumped around, I was reminded that it might not be a good idea. So I placed an order of beef stroganoff- at least I could pick around the meat- I managed to eat about two chunks of meat (see? 7/8ths veggiesaurus) before I started Plan B. At least everyone else enjoyed the stroganoff! ( :
The week prior we went to Benihana’s which ranks high on the list of special occasion restaurants and I LOVE their fried rice. YUM. Usually I order filet mignon- um, the veggie delite just pales in comparison. But it was fun watching it steam on the grill while the big old bubble inflated as it cooked. Definitely not worth the price. I nibbled on a bit of Jason’s filet, and it wasn’t so appealing this time (thanks, BabyW), neither were mushrooms, which I formerly loved…. but the rice…. Did I mention the rice?

So, what's for lunch today... no telling, but I do have a feeling that it won't consist of meat (Veggie sandwiches rankshigh on my food list now) and I'm sure this child is going to come out with a sweet tooth like nobody’s business! (That is definately from Daddy!)

"Honey, Will You...?"

... and he does. See, I've been blessed with a supportive husband (who might even be suffering from his own sympathy symptoms!) who has been floating on Cloud 9 ever since I could share with him the good news. He's always asking if I need this or that, or whatever.... and he bolts up in the middle of the night wondering if I'm okay (mind you it's after the 3rd bathroom trip of the night!)- I'm so lucky! So, call me surprised when I sweetly asked for mashed potatoes from Jack's and he claims it's going to be a long 8 months! Do you know that cravings are very hard to curb? And who wants to make a pregnant woman cry!

I swear, I'm really not high maintenence- and this science experiment calls for just a wee bit of TLC, right? LOL. I think I've heard this comment at least once before too... but for him it's only 8 months, for me, it's going to feel like the gestation period of an elephant.... especially during the nice and cool Sacramento summers!

I haven't really had many cravings- the first few weeks I was hungry- no, make that ravenous and wanted whatever popped into my head. A cheeseburger from In-n-Out (I haven't had one for over a year), chocolate ice cream (I'm a plain vanilla kind of girl!), chips and dip for a few days, and since then not really anything in particular in the last few weeks. Actually, food doesn't sound good at all the majority of the time and not because of morning sickness, just because it doesn't. So, when I scarfed up those yummy mashed potatoes, I was a happy pregnant chick. (I'm sure it was the lopsided pout - thanks to the cold sores- that won my DH over!)- at least I'm a cheap date right now! Okay, my energy level has just been depleted (do you hear that beeping like your cell phone!) and it's time for bed.... and this coming from a reformed night owl! TTYL!

Spin the Wheel and Win....

... a random symptom or two! So, here we are at nearly 7 weeks and I've had the pleasure of experiencing a wide range of pregnancy-related symptoms. Seriously, it's like a new part of "The Price is Right!" Ladies and dear husband, what random symptom shall we deal Carol today???? Personally, I'd settle for the $1,000 bonus round, but the outcome of this little experiment will be a priceless bundle of joy, right? Yeah.

So, I've been fortunate enough to not have morning (or noon or night) sickness to the extent that I've heard others have had. Mine is more like an unexplainable little feeling in my stomach that goes away if I eat a cracker or two, or whole package for that matter. I'm hoping that that is the bulk of it. But, I'm prepared- with toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash and gum in my purse just in case; and of course the box of Nilla Wafers is patiently sitting by my bed (hoping to be turned into a trifle in about 6 more weeks!) This little feeling hit last Saturday, just about exactly at the 6 week mark. I felt like I was constantly eating- it might have also been the altitude as I was attending a conference in Denver! Speaking of food....

So the first two weeks, I couldn't get enough to eat- and I was ravenous when I did eat. Now, the thought of food turns my stomach. What sounded good two minutes ago doesn't so much anymore! Cereal is my trusty friend. I was almost in tears the other night when my dear husband (DH) tried to force me to eat. Oh, and I am a morning-cup 'o joe- fiend- my usual Venti Sugar Free Vanilla Latte is no more. Partially because of cutting down on the caffeine- the doctor says to keep the intake as low as possible, but I can have a minimal amount- but also because coffee just doesn't always taste good. Now, this is to the bewilderment of my DH who thought he would never see the day that he is the Star-biz-uck's regular, not I! (Me too!) Also helps in saving a little $$, but c'mon- that's my only vice left! (Should I trade it in for weekly pedis???) So, there have been a few cravings- ice cream, an In-N-Out cheesburger once (extra pickles!), and lots of veggies. I love veggies right now. Mostly, I've been relying on cereal and PB&J sandwiches- anything that is easy on the tummy! I think this child is going to be a picky eater... LOL.

I would have to say that fatigue is the worst thing to deal with- it makes everything just a tiny bit harder to accomplish. (And alas, no caffeine to help with energy!) Well, there is alot going on at work- moving into a new office with absolutely no help, launching a two-week long training class, and trying to juggle four new projects on top of a daily commute that had doubled- so absolutely nothing is getting done at home. I have a reserve of energy only about two hours long once I get home, and it quickly fades. Mind you, I was a night owl before- not so much anymore- I'm in PJ's once I hit the door and in bed fast asleep by 9:30 tops! Thank goodness for my DH who is taking over so much of the responsibilty for right now- I awoke to a sparkling clean kitchen the other night- yay! Oh, and let's not even talk about the two days within the past few weeks that were spent sleeping- all day! Not a marching band nor a forest fire kept me awake! It's amazing how this little being takes control of your body- oh how we'll see when BabyW actaully arrives!

So aside from above, the occasional headache or sore back, the tendency to cry when someone just says hello, my favorite random symptom has been the cold sores and dealing with the 'girls' if you know what I mean! I've suffered from cold sores as long as I can remember but for crying out loud hormones- do you have to unleash your wrath on my lips all at the same dang time! Oh but I fight back- Abreva and this new kick-a$$ topical medicine I found at Safeway, along with rubbing alcohol- it hurts crazy, but these cold sores are so wrong.... anyways, I've pretty much had one non-stop since I found out we were expecting. Probably the hormones, the fatigue, stress, you name it. Note to self to ask the doctor if lysine and acyclovir is safe. ... oh, and about the 'girls,' I've had to wear a bra non-stop to help alleviate some of the tenderness which has led to a rash. See what I mean- random stuff? I know that once lil Baby W comes, none of this will matter, but it's so much fun to reminice on!

I'm also noting all of this in my Belly Book- the cartoon on the cover says Hello Belly, Good Bye Feet! Cute! So, until the Wheel 'o Symptoms spins again.....