Well, the magic blog tracker says less than 100 days to go. That's a little scary...especially since those wonderful Braxton Hicks contractions have made their debut. I was thrilled in the hospital when the nurse said I had three contractions in 2.5 hours - I hadn't felt a thing, woohoo!! These new contractions, although very sporadic and random in nature, are not nothing. It's not exactly unbearable, but it's not exactly nothing either. They make my face contort in a way that has Thomas running across the room to make sure I'm okay. At least they don't happen that often.
The other awful part about the impending countdown is that it is only going to get hotter. Can I apply for a waiver regarding work clothes? I'm pretty sure that my sanity (and survival) may very well depend on the ability to show up to work in a tank top and shorts. I've been trying to get to work as early as possible so that it is "cool" when I walk in and the sun isn't out in full effect. I need to set a threshold or something - if the humidity is over 75%, just assume the pregnant lady isn't leaving the comfort of her air conditioned home and will be dialing it in. I'm already sweating non-stop, and let me just say that sweat + the major coverage of preggo clothing = red, itchy bumps all over the upper belly region. So not cool...like there isn't enough icky stuff already to deal with.
I've also started reading and rereading (and re-rereading) the labor and delivery section of all my preggo books. I'm hoping I get to bypass the labor part and just get the epidural and c-section (no judging...just expressing my personal preference and yes, I'm well aware that both options are really no picnic). Chances are, I'll get what I'm hoping for, especially with what is going in the heart department (no changes - all is good since I'm on the meds), but just in case, I'm "preparing" for the other choice. Let's just say these readings are inciting a little bit of a panic. How can such a short trip take so long and be so painful?!? Really - I'm pretty sure it is just a few inches...I'm perplexed that medical science has yet to figure out a way to make this a less arduous and painful process. Well, until the time comes, let the countdown continue.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
A Bump in the Road
So it's been a crazy past few days. Let me start with Friday. My coworker and I decided that Chipotle sounded like a great idea for lunch (and it was!). On our way back to NASA, we were talking about driving - a topic on our minds especially since she was just rear-ended on Wednesday and still wasn't feeling fabulous. As I crossed through and intersection, the car in front of me started stopping quickly, so I hit the brakes as well. Enter squealing tires and then a nice big thump/crash as a red truck hits us from behind. There really was no good place to pull over, so we threw on the hazards and I jumped out to exchange information. We got pictures of both cars (and the license plate), insurance information, phone number, but didn't call the cops (which in hindsight, probably would have been in a really good idea). I was feeling okay, so we headed back to the office so I could deal with insurance, call the doctor, and most importantly, eat my Chipotle tacos.
When I called the insurance he gave me to report the claim, it turns out that I was given invalid insurance information - the policy he showed me belonged to a deceased person. I'm guessing he had inherited the truck and hadn't put it on his insurance yet - I'm not optimistic, but maybe, just maybe, he gave me the correct telephone number and the insurance can get in touch with him and he actually has a valid policy. If not, that's why I have good insurance with uninsured motorist coverage. My company has been really easy and wonderful to work with. Woohoo for that!
What wasn't so fun was that when I called my doctor's office to see what they wanted me to do (it really wasn't that hard of a hit - the car is messed up a little, but nothing too bad), they said ER. Not what I was wanting to hear, but I knew it was important to be checked out, just in case. I went to the ER and went got back in about 10 minutes. After going through triage, sitting in another waiting room, getting a 1 minute checkout by a doctor, going to another waiting room, getting a fetal heart rate test and going through registration, I was sent upstairs to the perinatal assessment center. I was hooked up to a contraction monitor and a baby heart rate monitor, which came off quickly once they realized very quickly that Liam's heart was strong, and the noise gets old very, very quickly. It was about this time Deb arrived. I should mention that I called her on my way to the ER while she was in the middle of student presentations. I managed to get the important details of what was going on before she had to go, only to call back 2.5 seconds later when she asked if I was driving myself or going in an ambulance.
Deb sat with me while my blood was drawn (twice) and while we waited for Thomas to get there. They only let one person in the room at a time, so Deb headed home (smart girl - there is food on the outside) once Thomas showed up. We waited forever for them to take me down for an ultrasound. I got to the ER at 1:30-ish and it was about 5:15 when I got started heading toward the ultrasound. However, it was 7pm when I was done with the ultrasound. They let a student do the first ultrasound for about an hour, then the "real" person came in, looked at what she did, deleted most of it, and did another ultrasound for almost another hour. It was ridiculous. Keep in mind that at this point, the pregnant lady hadn't eaten in almost 6 hours. I was starving and not happy. When the ultrasound was finally done, the tech wheeled me upstairs into labor and delivery. Imagine my moment of panic...especially since no one had told me or Thomas anything except his heart rate looked great. She had just made a wrong turn, and I was taken back into my assessment unit home.
It was another 2.5 hours before I got dismissed. The nurse came in and said the doctor got into a (I quote) "pissing match" with the ultrasound people because they hadn't signed off on my ultrasound as normal. Apparently, the ultrasound people only make notes if there is something abnormal. Please note, no food for the pregnant lady for 8.5 hours - immediately after being dismissed, I made a beeline for Burger King for some chicken fries. I've never tasted anything so good in my life. Apparently, they couldn't feed me in case they had to take me to labor and delivery for real - and since the test results hadn't been signed off on...you get the picture. So not a happy person...especially since that meant Thomas woke me up at 4:45 am on Saturday so we could head to Rogers since our Friday trip was postponed.
The rest of the weekend was fairly uneventful, if you discount the fact that we packed up Frank's house on Saturday (well, I didn't pack, I "supervised" from a super comfy chair while the moving squad - Jake, Thomas, Dad and Andrew - packed up the U-Haul) and we drove it all to Houston on Sunday. I'm definitely at my limit for the past three days - I'm exhausted, grouchy, and ready for bed. I need to get some serious sleep before work tomorrow, plus all the other craziness that will come this week - car repairs, follow-up doctor visits, explaining to Frank why it doesn't make sense to put a couch in front of a table in front of a window...just a typical day in Becky-land. Told you, office mates, my life would make a spectacular reality TV show. ;-)
When I called the insurance he gave me to report the claim, it turns out that I was given invalid insurance information - the policy he showed me belonged to a deceased person. I'm guessing he had inherited the truck and hadn't put it on his insurance yet - I'm not optimistic, but maybe, just maybe, he gave me the correct telephone number and the insurance can get in touch with him and he actually has a valid policy. If not, that's why I have good insurance with uninsured motorist coverage. My company has been really easy and wonderful to work with. Woohoo for that!
What wasn't so fun was that when I called my doctor's office to see what they wanted me to do (it really wasn't that hard of a hit - the car is messed up a little, but nothing too bad), they said ER. Not what I was wanting to hear, but I knew it was important to be checked out, just in case. I went to the ER and went got back in about 10 minutes. After going through triage, sitting in another waiting room, getting a 1 minute checkout by a doctor, going to another waiting room, getting a fetal heart rate test and going through registration, I was sent upstairs to the perinatal assessment center. I was hooked up to a contraction monitor and a baby heart rate monitor, which came off quickly once they realized very quickly that Liam's heart was strong, and the noise gets old very, very quickly. It was about this time Deb arrived. I should mention that I called her on my way to the ER while she was in the middle of student presentations. I managed to get the important details of what was going on before she had to go, only to call back 2.5 seconds later when she asked if I was driving myself or going in an ambulance.
Deb sat with me while my blood was drawn (twice) and while we waited for Thomas to get there. They only let one person in the room at a time, so Deb headed home (smart girl - there is food on the outside) once Thomas showed up. We waited forever for them to take me down for an ultrasound. I got to the ER at 1:30-ish and it was about 5:15 when I got started heading toward the ultrasound. However, it was 7pm when I was done with the ultrasound. They let a student do the first ultrasound for about an hour, then the "real" person came in, looked at what she did, deleted most of it, and did another ultrasound for almost another hour. It was ridiculous. Keep in mind that at this point, the pregnant lady hadn't eaten in almost 6 hours. I was starving and not happy. When the ultrasound was finally done, the tech wheeled me upstairs into labor and delivery. Imagine my moment of panic...especially since no one had told me or Thomas anything except his heart rate looked great. She had just made a wrong turn, and I was taken back into my assessment unit home.
It was another 2.5 hours before I got dismissed. The nurse came in and said the doctor got into a (I quote) "pissing match" with the ultrasound people because they hadn't signed off on my ultrasound as normal. Apparently, the ultrasound people only make notes if there is something abnormal. Please note, no food for the pregnant lady for 8.5 hours - immediately after being dismissed, I made a beeline for Burger King for some chicken fries. I've never tasted anything so good in my life. Apparently, they couldn't feed me in case they had to take me to labor and delivery for real - and since the test results hadn't been signed off on...you get the picture. So not a happy person...especially since that meant Thomas woke me up at 4:45 am on Saturday so we could head to Rogers since our Friday trip was postponed.
The rest of the weekend was fairly uneventful, if you discount the fact that we packed up Frank's house on Saturday (well, I didn't pack, I "supervised" from a super comfy chair while the moving squad - Jake, Thomas, Dad and Andrew - packed up the U-Haul) and we drove it all to Houston on Sunday. I'm definitely at my limit for the past three days - I'm exhausted, grouchy, and ready for bed. I need to get some serious sleep before work tomorrow, plus all the other craziness that will come this week - car repairs, follow-up doctor visits, explaining to Frank why it doesn't make sense to put a couch in front of a table in front of a window...just a typical day in Becky-land. Told you, office mates, my life would make a spectacular reality TV show. ;-)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Milestones
Today was a significant day, and not just because I managed to stay standing for an hour and forty-five minutes straight in heels. Today was my oral exam for my Master's Degree, the final hurdle before graduation. The good news - me and Liam will be making our way across the stage on May 14. The bad news - me and Liam will probably also have to make our to the bathroom 6 times in the amount of time it takes for the graduation ceremony.
Of course, no day in the life of a pregnant lady would be complete without a moment of craziness, and thus we have our second milestone of the day. I reached a completely new level in preggo nuts status. Coming back from A&M, I decided to come home Hwy 6, thinking I could miss most of the traffic. FYI, Hwy 6 is Hwy 290 for part of the way (and I'm sure there was a sign that said that) and DOES NOT go through the city of Hempstead. So I drove on to Bellview and Sealy before turning on 10. A few extra miles, but not too bad. Thomas suggested I jump on the Beltway, which I did, and missed the exit for 45, so I got to come home on Hwy 3. I blame part of it on the sheer exhaustion - I really haven't slept in three days - but I blame the other part on the belly and the fact that I probably used every single bit of brain power I could muster to not screw up my oral exam. The actual driving part of the trip wasn't exactly a total disaster. I did see a truck hauling a 20 foot tall cow statue down the highway. That almost made the extra mileage worth it.
Beyond that, we are rapidly approaching some seriously busy weekends - baby showers, parents move, graduation, and so on and so on. Seeing how well I functioned today under stress and exhaustion plus a still sick tummy, I'm not sure I'll be cognizant the entire month of May. I may need a chauffeur because I clearly have no business operating heavy machinery. Any takers?
Of course, no day in the life of a pregnant lady would be complete without a moment of craziness, and thus we have our second milestone of the day. I reached a completely new level in preggo nuts status. Coming back from A&M, I decided to come home Hwy 6, thinking I could miss most of the traffic. FYI, Hwy 6 is Hwy 290 for part of the way (and I'm sure there was a sign that said that) and DOES NOT go through the city of Hempstead. So I drove on to Bellview and Sealy before turning on 10. A few extra miles, but not too bad. Thomas suggested I jump on the Beltway, which I did, and missed the exit for 45, so I got to come home on Hwy 3. I blame part of it on the sheer exhaustion - I really haven't slept in three days - but I blame the other part on the belly and the fact that I probably used every single bit of brain power I could muster to not screw up my oral exam. The actual driving part of the trip wasn't exactly a total disaster. I did see a truck hauling a 20 foot tall cow statue down the highway. That almost made the extra mileage worth it.
Beyond that, we are rapidly approaching some seriously busy weekends - baby showers, parents move, graduation, and so on and so on. Seeing how well I functioned today under stress and exhaustion plus a still sick tummy, I'm not sure I'll be cognizant the entire month of May. I may need a chauffeur because I clearly have no business operating heavy machinery. Any takers?
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Isn't It Too Early?
I guess I thought it was too early for Liam to have opinions, but he does have them (and is not shy about making them known!). For example, after spending the past several days helping out the Reduced Gravity team at Ellington Field (shameless friend plug - Go Sara Go!!), I know for a fact that Liam does not like airplane noise. Or at least not the really loud airplane noise you get as the T-38s take off with a roar. Each time one of the planes shoots off into the sky, I'm awarded with multiple sharp kicks to the belly. Hey, I put my ear protection in and its not so bad...doesn't he have built in ear protection-something kind of like the shuttle's water sound suppression system? Hang in there, little man, only a couple more days of airplanes.
Of course, he is Thomas and my kiddo so his opinions don't stop at airplanes. Here are a couple of other things Liam has opinions about:
1. Cookies and Cream ice cream - still doesn't like it, I'm not yet sure I can forgive him for that. However, we have compromised over Dairy Queen's Oreo Blizzard...not exactly Blue Bell, but a decent substitute.
2. Going to bed at a decent hour - if he doesn't think its time to sleep, I get kicked for a good 15 minutes.
3. Waking up at 6am - major dislike (and I'm on his side there). I'm assuming he's grumpy early in the morning because I get kicked and he throws in some rolling around (which makes me nauseous) for good measure.
4. The color green (oh, wait...that's me - but he probably wouldn't have liked it in his nursery either)
Sara reminds me that he gets 9 months, but I get 18 years. I like that outlook - driving your kids crazy is just one of the many perks that comes with parenthood. I know my parents took that idea to heart (love you Frank!!).
Of course, he is Thomas and my kiddo so his opinions don't stop at airplanes. Here are a couple of other things Liam has opinions about:
1. Cookies and Cream ice cream - still doesn't like it, I'm not yet sure I can forgive him for that. However, we have compromised over Dairy Queen's Oreo Blizzard...not exactly Blue Bell, but a decent substitute.
2. Going to bed at a decent hour - if he doesn't think its time to sleep, I get kicked for a good 15 minutes.
3. Waking up at 6am - major dislike (and I'm on his side there). I'm assuming he's grumpy early in the morning because I get kicked and he throws in some rolling around (which makes me nauseous) for good measure.
4. The color green (oh, wait...that's me - but he probably wouldn't have liked it in his nursery either)
Sara reminds me that he gets 9 months, but I get 18 years. I like that outlook - driving your kids crazy is just one of the many perks that comes with parenthood. I know my parents took that idea to heart (love you Frank!!).
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Losing It
Pretty sure I've lost my marbles. Or at least most of my marbles. I make random mistakes on emails, documents, phone numbers, etc. all the time. I can't remember what I've told people I would do for them. It takes three times as long to accomplish tasks as it used to, and wouldn't you know it, I've got loads of school work to be finished. Yup, pregnancy brain has arrived and is in full effect. Some people think this is a myth, but I'm pretty sure most of my brain function (along with various other functions) has been devoted to a little person currently residing in my belly.
Again, I go back and say that one of the strangest things about pregnancy isn't the physical changes, but the mental changes. I'm definitely not a "normal Becky". By my very nature I'm a numbers whiz. I know my checking account number, bank routing number, and I can complete a debit card transaction without ever grabbing my card out of my purse (actually, that's kind of scary - I know the number, date of expiration, and the three digit code by heart - I must use it way too often!). Earlier this week, I couldn't even get the telecon number I use practically every other day right on an email...which of course I didn't notice until after the meeting. So not like me. I also spent today convinced an important event was on April 8 and not May 8 - and got to send multiple emails correcting myself. Complete and total loss of brain power.
I should come with a warning sign - or at least my emails should have something at the bottom letting the reader know what they are up against. If people can put "Forgive all spelling mistakes - this was sent from my iPhone", then surely I can write "Forgive all mistakes - I'm pregnant". I think that should suffice. :)
Again, I go back and say that one of the strangest things about pregnancy isn't the physical changes, but the mental changes. I'm definitely not a "normal Becky". By my very nature I'm a numbers whiz. I know my checking account number, bank routing number, and I can complete a debit card transaction without ever grabbing my card out of my purse (actually, that's kind of scary - I know the number, date of expiration, and the three digit code by heart - I must use it way too often!). Earlier this week, I couldn't even get the telecon number I use practically every other day right on an email...which of course I didn't notice until after the meeting. So not like me. I also spent today convinced an important event was on April 8 and not May 8 - and got to send multiple emails correcting myself. Complete and total loss of brain power.
I should come with a warning sign - or at least my emails should have something at the bottom letting the reader know what they are up against. If people can put "Forgive all spelling mistakes - this was sent from my iPhone", then surely I can write "Forgive all mistakes - I'm pregnant". I think that should suffice. :)
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