Hey Humble Readers...
Greetings from the not so frozen flatland! This has been the weirdest winter I have ever seen on the prairies. I swear the weather forecasters are just sitting in their studios flipping coins, because they have a fifty-fifty shot of getting it right. Either it will be snappin' a$$holes cold or it will feel like the beginning of spring. By Thursday it's supposed to be around 7C here. Our regular temps for this time of year are in the -7 to -10 range. I'm not complaining... I'm just confused. We'll probably end up with snow in May and June.
So I had a revelation the other day. Being 24 weeks pregnant sounds like I've still got a long way to go, but given the GD and everything, I am very likely only going to be pregnant for another 13 or maybe 14 weeks (assuming that they don't want me to go much past 38 weeks). And that sounds a whole heck of a lot shorter. Nesting instincts are starting to set in... I really need to be making some progress on my to do lists. I have much organizing and cleaning to do, and rearranging in the nursery to accomplish. I also want to have the carpets steam cleaned before Easter. I want to get Ginny's baby book up to date, and make a few casseroles and other meals to freeze like I did last time.
I finally got a call from my new OB's office last week. My first appointment with her is next week Tuesday. One of the things I'm contemplating asking about is, assuming that I will be having a C-section again, how possible is it to get a tubal ligation done at the same time? My Beloved and I have always discussed him being the one to get 'snipped' but if they have me open anyway, wouldn't it make sense to just get it done and over with? Our goal has always been to have two children, and given everything the last four years have brought, I don't think an oops pregnancy (wouldn't that be a kick in the pants?) a year or two down the road would be wise for us. And I DO NOT want to be on bcps for the rest of my life. What do you all think?
On to the update...
How far along? 24w0d
Maternity clothes? Yup...
Body Oddities? VERY dry skin, alternating constipation and IBS flares, acne, bruises from insulin injections, back ache, cracking joints, super sore & slightly leaky boobs, increased earwax, dry/itchy eyes, leg cramps, round ligament pain, heartburn is much worse, tingly fingertips
Sleep? Good for the most part. I have been pretty tired the last few days, but I'm still mostly sleeping okay at night.
Best moment this week? when my Beloved felt the halfling move. He was sooo happy and excited.
Worst moment? When I woke up on Thursday with the buggered up neck and shoulder. As soon as I opened my eyes I knew that something was wrong.
Movement? Lots and lots. He/she tends to be quiet in the afternoons, but other than that he/she is a little soccer player... kicking at my belly button all the time.
Food cravings/aversions? Still wanting milk like crazy. This week I want chocolate milk like nobody's business. Nausea is still showing up on occasion, but no specific foods are triggering it.
Rings? Still on.
Gender? Still think it's a girl.
Intense Dreams? I had one the other night in which Ginny was meeting her little sister (yes, the Halfling was a girl in my dream). I was still worried about Ginny's lack of talking, but when she saw her sister she said "Baby ____!" (baby's name). After that, Ginny talked non-stop.
Medical Concerns? Gestational Diabetes (insulin 5 times a day), High blood pressure (on 100mg of lobetalol 3x daily), continued heartburn (on 150mg of zan.tac 2x daily), kidney stones, low lying placenta.
What I miss? Sushi, orange juice, maple syrup.
What I look forward to? Meeting my new OB (FINALLY!!) next week.
Emtional State? Pretty good for the most part. Pain makes me bitchy, tho.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Ginevra @ 14 Months
SHey Humble Readers...
So it's been a couple of months since I posted some pics of our wee sweet girl and Ginevra is growing and changing by leaps and bounds...
Like I mentioned recently, she's walking and practically running every which way all the time. She still loves her Stanley (her stuffed puppy) and we can't go anywhere without him. The only place he doesn't go is in bed with her. She has a special bedtime bear for that. One day, shortly after we got home from K-town, Ginny was in the kitchen, sitting on the floor and crying her little heart out. I couldn't figure out what was wrong until I realized that sometime earlier in the day I had set Stanley on the counter and she could see him, but she couldn't reach him. It was tragic! :) Other toys that are favourites are her talking teapot and her Leap Frog picnic basket.
Her talking, or lack thereof, is starting to concern me a little. She has a few words (baby, dada - which applies to everyone, bear, puppy) and she babbles non-stop. I don't know if I should really be concerned, or just let it ride. My Beloved, when he was small, didn't talk much at all until he was five. His parents had just made plans for testing for him when all of a sudden he started talking. I'm probably just worrying over nothing.
Ginevra is a good little eater, most of the time. She's developed this new habit of taking things out of her mouth to examine them mid-chew. She loves potatoes, rice, pasta (with sauce), peas, corn, tomatoes, grapes, meatloaf, chicken, pork chops, tilapia, scrambled eggs, applesauce, pears, bananas, plums, sweet potatoes, yoghurt, peanut butter, grilled cheese, chicken noodle soup (with lots of crackers), cheerios, oatmeal, and gold fish crackers. She's also discovered the wonders of french fries with ketchup. Mama (my mom) introduced her to the world of chocolate and rice pudding while we were out visiting them. Really the only food still on the no-fly list is carrots. I try them with her every now and then, and they just don't go down. We're going to be attempting to let her start to feed herself (with utensils) soon.
She LOVES tv commercials. It's actually quite funny. She'll be off playing, and whatever I'm watching will go to commercial and she'll come running. Particular favourites are the coke commercial with the polar bears and the Jennifer Hudson Weight Watchers commercials.
Ginny needs another haircut desparately, but it just hasn't worked into the schedule recently. She has 7 teeth right now, with another three or four that are giving her grief right now. Her nap schedule is still pretty wonky, like today... she went down for her morning nap at 10am and it's now almost 4 hours later and she's still asleep. And speaking of sleep, she loves to have her blanket over her head while she sleeps. Of course it freaks me out a bit, so I always move it, but by morning it's always back over her head.
Ginevra gets so excited when we go outside, even in the bitter cold. She still hates wearing socks and shoes so it always makes getting dressed to go out a bit of a challenge. She loves hanging out by the window on really cold days and watching her breath fog up the glass.
She's an adventurous soul. She's figured out that she can stand on top of some of her toys when she's in the play-pen she can stand higher and reach farther. Because the only stairs we have here are the outdoor concrete steps, I haven't allowed her to try climbing yet. She has also figured out how to turn herself around and slide off the couch.
All in all, she's a healthy happy little girl. She's the light of our lives and I am so thankful that God has blessed us with our little honeybear.
So it's been a couple of months since I posted some pics of our wee sweet girl and Ginevra is growing and changing by leaps and bounds...
Like I mentioned recently, she's walking and practically running every which way all the time. She still loves her Stanley (her stuffed puppy) and we can't go anywhere without him. The only place he doesn't go is in bed with her. She has a special bedtime bear for that. One day, shortly after we got home from K-town, Ginny was in the kitchen, sitting on the floor and crying her little heart out. I couldn't figure out what was wrong until I realized that sometime earlier in the day I had set Stanley on the counter and she could see him, but she couldn't reach him. It was tragic! :) Other toys that are favourites are her talking teapot and her Leap Frog picnic basket.
Her talking, or lack thereof, is starting to concern me a little. She has a few words (baby, dada - which applies to everyone, bear, puppy) and she babbles non-stop. I don't know if I should really be concerned, or just let it ride. My Beloved, when he was small, didn't talk much at all until he was five. His parents had just made plans for testing for him when all of a sudden he started talking. I'm probably just worrying over nothing.
Ginevra is a good little eater, most of the time. She's developed this new habit of taking things out of her mouth to examine them mid-chew. She loves potatoes, rice, pasta (with sauce), peas, corn, tomatoes, grapes, meatloaf, chicken, pork chops, tilapia, scrambled eggs, applesauce, pears, bananas, plums, sweet potatoes, yoghurt, peanut butter, grilled cheese, chicken noodle soup (with lots of crackers), cheerios, oatmeal, and gold fish crackers. She's also discovered the wonders of french fries with ketchup. Mama (my mom) introduced her to the world of chocolate and rice pudding while we were out visiting them. Really the only food still on the no-fly list is carrots. I try them with her every now and then, and they just don't go down. We're going to be attempting to let her start to feed herself (with utensils) soon.
She LOVES tv commercials. It's actually quite funny. She'll be off playing, and whatever I'm watching will go to commercial and she'll come running. Particular favourites are the coke commercial with the polar bears and the Jennifer Hudson Weight Watchers commercials.
Ginny needs another haircut desparately, but it just hasn't worked into the schedule recently. She has 7 teeth right now, with another three or four that are giving her grief right now. Her nap schedule is still pretty wonky, like today... she went down for her morning nap at 10am and it's now almost 4 hours later and she's still asleep. And speaking of sleep, she loves to have her blanket over her head while she sleeps. Of course it freaks me out a bit, so I always move it, but by morning it's always back over her head.
Ginevra gets so excited when we go outside, even in the bitter cold. She still hates wearing socks and shoes so it always makes getting dressed to go out a bit of a challenge. She loves hanging out by the window on really cold days and watching her breath fog up the glass.
She's an adventurous soul. She's figured out that she can stand on top of some of her toys when she's in the play-pen she can stand higher and reach farther. Because the only stairs we have here are the outdoor concrete steps, I haven't allowed her to try climbing yet. She has also figured out how to turn herself around and slide off the couch.
All in all, she's a healthy happy little girl. She's the light of our lives and I am so thankful that God has blessed us with our little honeybear.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
A Pain In The Neck
Hey Humble Readers...
I hope you're all well, where ever you are.
The 'three-week' rule that has proven true throughout this pregnancy (being that I get sick/something goes wrong health-wise every three weeks) is right on time. I woke up this morning barely able to move my neck and shoulders. Ugh!
I have been putting off seeing my chiropractor because we only have limited coverage and it's not really in the budget. But he's a good doctor and, even though he's always trying to get me to buy into some program or other, I trust him to take care of me. I got a lot out of having regular adjustments last time around, and I really think it was a part of why I was able to recover so quickly.
The adjustment tonight was just a step into getting things back to normal, but I am feeling a bit better. Poor Ginny had to hang out in her play-pen most of the afternoon because I couldn't chase her around the house.
Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to do a bit of a clean on the house tomorrow. We have a babysitter coming over (Beloved and I are going on a date... woohoo!) and the layer of dust on the furniture is bordering on icky (and as much as I can look past it, I can't allow the teenage daughter of one of my church friends to see the current state of our hobbit hole).
I hope you're all well, where ever you are.
The 'three-week' rule that has proven true throughout this pregnancy (being that I get sick/something goes wrong health-wise every three weeks) is right on time. I woke up this morning barely able to move my neck and shoulders. Ugh!
I have been putting off seeing my chiropractor because we only have limited coverage and it's not really in the budget. But he's a good doctor and, even though he's always trying to get me to buy into some program or other, I trust him to take care of me. I got a lot out of having regular adjustments last time around, and I really think it was a part of why I was able to recover so quickly.
The adjustment tonight was just a step into getting things back to normal, but I am feeling a bit better. Poor Ginny had to hang out in her play-pen most of the afternoon because I couldn't chase her around the house.
Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to do a bit of a clean on the house tomorrow. We have a babysitter coming over (Beloved and I are going on a date... woohoo!) and the layer of dust on the furniture is bordering on icky (and as much as I can look past it, I can't allow the teenage daughter of one of my church friends to see the current state of our hobbit hole).
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Week 23: Feeling Fat(ter)
Hey Humble Readers...
I hope that you're all doing well this evening. Things here at the hobbit hole are pretty mellow now, but it was a bit of a challenging day. Ginny had a rough day, experiencing what I think was her first tantrum. We're in an a bit of a transition stage right now, with morning naps slowly phasing out (getting shorter all the time), and when you throw in teething and a burgeoning sense of independence... well things come to a head easily.
Today's drama involved a part of my Beloved's desk that the wee girl can reach, and the items that she likes to pull off the desk (pencils, check book, tape dispensers). Every time she would go near it, I would say no and move her away. Finally, I said no for the enth time and she just lost it. She dropped to the floor, and shrieked for a good five minutes. I didn't make a big deal about it, but she was cranky and whiny all day after that. It made for a frustrating day for both of us. I was never so thankful to see my Beloved walk through the door tonight.
In other news, some of the weight I have lost in the past couple of months seems to have found me. I'm not quite where I was at when I first found out I was pregnant, but if I have another week like this one, I'll be back there pretty darn quick. I know that plus sized women are 'supposed to' gain between 11-15 pounds during a pregnancy, but I will admit that I was kind of hoping for a repeat of last time... only gaining 8lb, and that came on in the last six weeks. Of course, I have slipped off the diabetic diet a bit this week, and that may have something to do with it as well. *sigh*
How far along? 23w0d
Maternity clothes? Absolutely. I've even noticed a difference in how my lazy day clothes (sweats, etc) are fitting. But unless I specifically tell someone, they still can't tell I'm pregnant.
Body Oddities? VERY dry skin, alternating constipation and IBS flares, acne, bruises from insulin injections, back ache, cracking joints, super sore & slightly leaky boobs, increased earwax, dry/itchy eyes, leg cramps, round ligament pain. NEW THIS WEEK: heartburn is much worse, even with my rx meds.
Sleep? Pretty good this week, so long as I got to bed at a decent hour. (Made the mistake of staying up late on Saturday night playing Zuma and listening to music on my Beloved's computer. Didn't get to bed until 1 in the morning, then I couldn't sleep)
Best moment this week? Getting a couple of hours to myself to get caught up on my DVR shows. (I am addicted to Downton Abbey!!!)
Worst moment? losing Uncle Jack, stepping on the scale this morning and seeing that gain
Movement? Lots. It seems like it might be triggered when I eat... like right now (finished dinner an hour ago)
Food cravings/aversions? Still craving milk. And I've found that recently it's been easy for nausea to kick in... something grosses me out, and I end up gagging for several minutes.
Rings? Still on, but my fingers have been a little puffy the last couple of days, so we may be seeing the beginning of the end.
Gender? Still leaning towards girl, although most of my Beloved's family seems to think it's a boy.
Intense Dreams? All my dreams are really influenced by what I watch on tv, what I read, or what I listen to just before I go to sleep. Like on Saturday night, when I finally did get to sleep, I dreamt of Donnie Wahlberg (was listening to NKOTB) and medieval France (was reading Philippa Gregory)
Medical Concerns? Gestational Diabetes (insulin 5 times a day), High blood pressure (on 100mg of lobetalol 3x daily), continued heartburn (on 150mg of zan.tac 2x daily), kidney stones, low lying placenta.
What I miss? Being able to get down on the floor easily to play with Ginny. Getting back up is a challenge too.
What I look forward to? I've decided that for the first week after I'm home from the hospital, I'm going to allow myself to eat whatever the heck I want to. Then I'll endeavor to be a good girl. Sushi, ice cream, and chai tea lattes will be on the menu.
Emtional State? Pretty good, mostly. When my back starts aching, and when my blood sugars are wonky (both have been happening a fair bit this week) I get grouchy.
I hope that you're all doing well this evening. Things here at the hobbit hole are pretty mellow now, but it was a bit of a challenging day. Ginny had a rough day, experiencing what I think was her first tantrum. We're in an a bit of a transition stage right now, with morning naps slowly phasing out (getting shorter all the time), and when you throw in teething and a burgeoning sense of independence... well things come to a head easily.
Today's drama involved a part of my Beloved's desk that the wee girl can reach, and the items that she likes to pull off the desk (pencils, check book, tape dispensers). Every time she would go near it, I would say no and move her away. Finally, I said no for the enth time and she just lost it. She dropped to the floor, and shrieked for a good five minutes. I didn't make a big deal about it, but she was cranky and whiny all day after that. It made for a frustrating day for both of us. I was never so thankful to see my Beloved walk through the door tonight.
In other news, some of the weight I have lost in the past couple of months seems to have found me. I'm not quite where I was at when I first found out I was pregnant, but if I have another week like this one, I'll be back there pretty darn quick. I know that plus sized women are 'supposed to' gain between 11-15 pounds during a pregnancy, but I will admit that I was kind of hoping for a repeat of last time... only gaining 8lb, and that came on in the last six weeks. Of course, I have slipped off the diabetic diet a bit this week, and that may have something to do with it as well. *sigh*
How far along? 23w0d
Maternity clothes? Absolutely. I've even noticed a difference in how my lazy day clothes (sweats, etc) are fitting. But unless I specifically tell someone, they still can't tell I'm pregnant.
Body Oddities? VERY dry skin, alternating constipation and IBS flares, acne, bruises from insulin injections, back ache, cracking joints, super sore & slightly leaky boobs, increased earwax, dry/itchy eyes, leg cramps, round ligament pain. NEW THIS WEEK: heartburn is much worse, even with my rx meds.
Sleep? Pretty good this week, so long as I got to bed at a decent hour. (Made the mistake of staying up late on Saturday night playing Zuma and listening to music on my Beloved's computer. Didn't get to bed until 1 in the morning, then I couldn't sleep)
Best moment this week? Getting a couple of hours to myself to get caught up on my DVR shows. (I am addicted to Downton Abbey!!!)
Worst moment? losing Uncle Jack, stepping on the scale this morning and seeing that gain
Movement? Lots. It seems like it might be triggered when I eat... like right now (finished dinner an hour ago)
Food cravings/aversions? Still craving milk. And I've found that recently it's been easy for nausea to kick in... something grosses me out, and I end up gagging for several minutes.
Rings? Still on, but my fingers have been a little puffy the last couple of days, so we may be seeing the beginning of the end.
Gender? Still leaning towards girl, although most of my Beloved's family seems to think it's a boy.
Intense Dreams? All my dreams are really influenced by what I watch on tv, what I read, or what I listen to just before I go to sleep. Like on Saturday night, when I finally did get to sleep, I dreamt of Donnie Wahlberg (was listening to NKOTB) and medieval France (was reading Philippa Gregory)
Medical Concerns? Gestational Diabetes (insulin 5 times a day), High blood pressure (on 100mg of lobetalol 3x daily), continued heartburn (on 150mg of zan.tac 2x daily), kidney stones, low lying placenta.
What I miss? Being able to get down on the floor easily to play with Ginny. Getting back up is a challenge too.
What I look forward to? I've decided that for the first week after I'm home from the hospital, I'm going to allow myself to eat whatever the heck I want to. Then I'll endeavor to be a good girl. Sushi, ice cream, and chai tea lattes will be on the menu.
Emtional State? Pretty good, mostly. When my back starts aching, and when my blood sugars are wonky (both have been happening a fair bit this week) I get grouchy.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Ups & Downs & All Arounds
Hey Humble Readers,
I hope you're all well and thawed out if you have been in the deep freeze for the past week. We didn't get Tilly the Toyota started until Saturday because it was so freaking cold around here. Ginny and I stayed snuggled up in the house all week, but I feel for anyone (like my Beloved's nephew... putting up/repairing power lines) who has to work outside. It looks like we're going to get a respite for the next week, but then temps are expected to dive again. Gotta love life on the Canadian prairies!
*****
I (and many other bloggers) have a favour to ask of you all, or at least those of you who use Blogger and have your comment form embedded below your posts. For the time being, can you change your settings to 'pop-up window' or 'full page'? Google has acknowledged that there is a problem with their new comment system and because of that, blogs are freezing up when configured with an embedded comment form. (Have you noticed that you have had a drop in comments this past week? This is why.) Google is trying to fix it, but who knows when it will be working.
*****
Ginny has been walking a whole lot more lately. As in, only crawling when she's underneath the kitchen table or has just had a bigger stumble and is unsure on her feet. She thinks she's all that... walking around with her arms flung wide and a big grin on her face, as if to say "Ta-da! Look at me!"
*****
Sadly, we lost a family member yesterday. My Beloved's Uncle Jack, who was 85 and had been frail for quite some time, passed yesterday morning. We knew it was coming, but his loss will be felt keenly at all our family gatherings. He was a funny old soul, and was always getting himself (and anyone around him) into mischief. He was one of the first of the extended family that I met when I came into the family, and I loved him instantly. Of course, it didn't hurt that he loved my cooking. :)
*****
In church news, our congregation is one step closer to a full time pastor. It has been a long time for us to go without a regular pastor (Pastor J. left in February of 2010). Our interim, semi-retired fill in pastor has been good, but it has had an impact on our congregation to be without full-time leadership. The candidate will be coming early next month to preach and for a meet and greet with the congregation. My Beloved has been on the call committee, and this has been a challenging journey. I'll be glad if this potential pastor is a good fit, not only for the benefit to our congregation, but also because it will be one less set of meetings my Beloved will have all the time.
*****
I am in desparate need of a haircut. Not just a trim, which is what I've been doing rather infrequently over the last couple of years, but a full on 'give-me-a-new-look' haircut. The only time in my life when I have truly liked my hair was around the time when my Beloved and I me, were dating, and got married. But at that point I had the expendable income to see my long-time trusted hairdresser every six or eight weeks. I would get my hair coloured and highlighted regularly. I know I can't/shouldn't colour my hair right now, but I NEED to do something. My biggest frustration is trying to find hairstyle pics for plus sized women. I don't want to cut all my hair off... I want it to be something easy but cute, and can still be put back in a clip or a pony for everyday. I'm not demanding, am I?
*****
Please stop by my friend Alana's blog and offer her some love and support. She experienced a miscarraige earlier this month and is facing some hard decisions.
I hope you're all well and thawed out if you have been in the deep freeze for the past week. We didn't get Tilly the Toyota started until Saturday because it was so freaking cold around here. Ginny and I stayed snuggled up in the house all week, but I feel for anyone (like my Beloved's nephew... putting up/repairing power lines) who has to work outside. It looks like we're going to get a respite for the next week, but then temps are expected to dive again. Gotta love life on the Canadian prairies!
*****
I (and many other bloggers) have a favour to ask of you all, or at least those of you who use Blogger and have your comment form embedded below your posts. For the time being, can you change your settings to 'pop-up window' or 'full page'? Google has acknowledged that there is a problem with their new comment system and because of that, blogs are freezing up when configured with an embedded comment form. (Have you noticed that you have had a drop in comments this past week? This is why.) Google is trying to fix it, but who knows when it will be working.
*****
Ginny has been walking a whole lot more lately. As in, only crawling when she's underneath the kitchen table or has just had a bigger stumble and is unsure on her feet. She thinks she's all that... walking around with her arms flung wide and a big grin on her face, as if to say "Ta-da! Look at me!"
*****
Sadly, we lost a family member yesterday. My Beloved's Uncle Jack, who was 85 and had been frail for quite some time, passed yesterday morning. We knew it was coming, but his loss will be felt keenly at all our family gatherings. He was a funny old soul, and was always getting himself (and anyone around him) into mischief. He was one of the first of the extended family that I met when I came into the family, and I loved him instantly. Of course, it didn't hurt that he loved my cooking. :)
*****
In church news, our congregation is one step closer to a full time pastor. It has been a long time for us to go without a regular pastor (Pastor J. left in February of 2010). Our interim, semi-retired fill in pastor has been good, but it has had an impact on our congregation to be without full-time leadership. The candidate will be coming early next month to preach and for a meet and greet with the congregation. My Beloved has been on the call committee, and this has been a challenging journey. I'll be glad if this potential pastor is a good fit, not only for the benefit to our congregation, but also because it will be one less set of meetings my Beloved will have all the time.
*****
I am in desparate need of a haircut. Not just a trim, which is what I've been doing rather infrequently over the last couple of years, but a full on 'give-me-a-new-look' haircut. The only time in my life when I have truly liked my hair was around the time when my Beloved and I me, were dating, and got married. But at that point I had the expendable income to see my long-time trusted hairdresser every six or eight weeks. I would get my hair coloured and highlighted regularly. I know I can't/shouldn't colour my hair right now, but I NEED to do something. My biggest frustration is trying to find hairstyle pics for plus sized women. I don't want to cut all my hair off... I want it to be something easy but cute, and can still be put back in a clip or a pony for everyday. I'm not demanding, am I?
*****
Please stop by my friend Alana's blog and offer her some love and support. She experienced a miscarraige earlier this month and is facing some hard decisions.
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