Overwhelmed…

I should probably step away from the computer right now. I’m not in the greatest frame of mind and this will probably be a rambling, whiny post. I know I promised you all Cooper’s birth story but right now I need to write about what’s been happening in the weeks since he’s been born.

The definition of faith: belief and trust in and loyalty to God

I’ve always said I had faith in God. I believed in Him. I believed He had a plan for my life, and I trusted in that plan.

It’s so easy to say that you have faith and trust when things are going your way. It isn’t so easy when things are chaotic and out of control. It’s harder to put your faith into action when you are asking “why me?” or in my case, “why my child?”

Cooper was born on January 14th, 2009. I tried to breastfeed right away but was not successful. Over the course of three days, with the help of the lactation consultant and many nurses, I tried and tried to get him to latch on and eat. He weighed 6lbs 12oz when he was born and had dropped to 6lbs 4oz by the time we left the hospital. He also developed jaundice on our last day there, so the first week he was home we had to take him to the pediatrician every single day for weight checks and to get his bilirubin levels checked. He was on the bili lamp at home for four days. 

I started to supplement with formula just to get his weight up but I really and truly wanted breastfeeding to be successful. I did everything I could think of – herbs, pumping, saw a lactation consultant – and I finally had to admit that it just wasn’t working. My milk never came in, despite taking medication. On my own I was starving my child, so I finally made the decision to just switch to formula. That first week was such a battle – I didn’t realize I wasn’t producing, so I’d put him to breast and he’d try to eat and just scream because he was hungry. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong until I started pumping and could only get an 1/8oz in 15 minutes from both breasts. When he went to only formula, he went from 6lbs 4oz to 7lbs 2oz in a matter of a few days.

I didn’t exactly bounce back after pregnancy, either. Besides your normal complaints, my blood pressure remained elevated even after I delivered. I started having horrible headaches that Motrin couldn’t touch and that lasted all day. My mom stayed with us the week after Cooper was born, and she took me to CVS to use their BP machines on the day that I had a particularly bad headache, and it was as high as it had been when I had been hospitalized for pre-eclampsia. My OB has put me on blood pressure medicine, but so far my BP still hasn’t come down to “normal” levels. I thought once your delivered pre-eclampsia went away? I never had high blood pressure before I got pregnant, although it does run in my family.

One Friday a couple of weeks ago, Jason and I were driving home from a doctor’s visit when we got a call from the pediatrician’s office. Jason answered, and I could only hear his side of the conversation: “OK. Um hmm. Yeah, we’ll see you then.” The nurse had told him that Cooper’s blood work had come back abnormal and we needed to bring him in for more testing. And all my husband says is “Um hmm”? MEN.

I called back for more details. I’m not sure if every state does this, but in South Carolina the hospital draws blood and sends it to DHEC for a newborn metabolic screening. Cooper’s levels of acyl-CoA were abnormal. The nurse was quick to assure me it could be a false positive or a lab error, but all I heard is SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY BABY. We made it home in record time and I made a mad dash for the computer to figure out what this meant. Girls, take it from me: don’t Google when your doctor gives you a possible diagnosis. No good will come of it. All you will do is freak yourself out. TRUST ME.

From the DHEC website: Medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency causes an error in fatty acid metabolism resulting in a child's blood sugar becoming dangerously low. About 20 percent of children with MCADD die before diagnosis if screening is not in place and those who survive may have serious residual effects. That was the best definition and prognosis I found. Other websites said babies with this condition should be diagnosed immediately after birth, because days or weeks undiagnosed and untreated leads to significant brain damage. Oh, and children with MCADD also had a very high risk of dying of SIDS.

So of course all I took away from that is best case scenario my child is mentally retarded, and worst case he dies. I was hysterical – to the point that Jason called them pediatrician’s office, who was five minutes from closing, to tell them someone had to talk to me and calm me down because he didn’t know what to do with me. God bless our wonderful pediatrician, Dr. Pittard, who called and did his upmost best to reassure me that everything would be fine. I almost believed him. Almost.

Before I offend someone, I do want to let it be known that I am not saying I wouldn’t want to have a child with special needs or who is mentally retarded. I am a social worker, and I work with clients who are all diagnosed as mentally retarded. I love my clients, and I do love and would love my child no matter what his needs. However, no parent wants to hear their child is going to have any sort of pain or struggles, and I’m no different. Because of the work I do, I know firsthand how much children who are different in any way struggle. They are beautiful, loved, and blessed, but their lives are different in a way that children who do not have special needs can not understand. I won’t apologize for not wanting my child to experience that. If Cooper did have special needs, I would accept it, love him, and do my utmost best to help him lead a wonderful life. But do I want that for him? No.

Here’s where my statement about faith and trust comes into play. Everyone around me kept telling me that it would be fine – it was sure to be a false positive – but all I could focus on was what if it wasn’t fine? What if it was positive? All I could see when I looked at my baby was the what ifs. What if something happened to him? I spent my weekend in a state of panic and tears until I received some excellent advice from my friend Melissa, who advised to me give my worries to God, let it go, and let what happens, happen.

That was easy to hear, but not so easy to do. I said I had faith in God and trust in His plan, but as soon as I would pray for him to take away my worries, I’d find myself crying and worrying yet again. One day when I was in the shower, I found myself praying yet again for God to take the stress and worry away, and to help me truly trust in His plan for Cooper’s life. I visualized the stress being taken away from my shoulders… and suddenly I didn’t feel quite so overwhelmed. I was still scared, but I felt better able to handle my fear than before.

The following Monday, we took Cooper back in to the pediatrician’s office (Oakbrook Pediatrics in Ladson, SC) to have the blood work redone. His normal pediatrician was out that day, so we saw Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith examined Cooper, and we mentioned that his umbilical cord had fallen off the night before. He examined it and noticed it was bleeding a tiny bit, and recommended it be cauterized with silver nitrate to stop the bleeding. The nurse brought in the kit, and Dr. Smith looked at and said “Hmm, I’ve never seen one of these before” and “I don’t know how to use this” before saying “oh yeah, this is the same thing you use on cold sores.” Looking back, I don’t know why I didn’t snatch my baby up and run out of that office, but I didn’t. I trusted him to perform what I assumed was a simple medical procedure on my child.

The doctor wet the silver nitrate, which was in a q-tip form. He used a lot of water, and it welled up in Cooper’s belly button and spilled out onto his stomach. The doctor finished up and wiped off his stomach, and I asked if we could bathe him. The doctor told us to stick to sponge baths for the time being. Shortly thereafter we left the office and headed home.

Once we got home and changed his diaper, we noticed the area around his belly was grey. Jason has used silver nitrate on the submarine before, and he said it was common for the skin to turn black, so we didn’t think anything of it. That night Jason woke up for the 4am feeding, and I woke up because Cooper was screaming. When Jason went to pull off his diaper, the skin around Cooper’s stomach came off with it.

The night the burn happened 

About a week later

We called the nurse on-call, and while we were waiting on a call back, Jason got online and found the directions for the silver nitrate kit the doctor had used. #1 on the directions was to cover the surrounding areas with Vaseline to prevent possible burns. The nurse called back and we explained what happened – she tried to brush us off and told us to just wait until morning and bring him into the office. We ended up taking him to the ER, and the doctors there confirmed it was a second degree chemical burn.

The next day, we did take him back to the pediatrician’s office. Our normal pediatrician was scheduled with someone else, and we made it clear we didn’t want to see Dr. Smith. We ended up with the Nurse Practitioner, Mary Lou. We explained step by step what had happened and Mary Lou told us “you shouldn’t blame Dr. Smith. It could happen to anyone. I don’t use Vaseline and I’ve been doing this for 30 years. It could have happened to me, too.” He was prescribed silverdine cream for the burn and we were supposed to keep it covered, watch for infection, and return in three days.

I stewed over what had happened and their response, and finally called the next day to file a complaint with the office. They had me speak with the office manager, and I explained what had happened. I told the OM that I understood that people make mistakes, but this had happened at the expense of my 2 week old infant. I do not hate Dr. Smith and I don’t want to see him punished because I do not believe he set out to hurt my child. What I wanted was an apology and some sort of reassurance that this would never happen again. I was told that the OM would speak with Dr. Tillman, the owner of the practice, and she would get back with me. I explained that I didn’t want to leave the practice because I love our regular pediatrician, Dr. Pittard, and would only stay if I could be assured I would only see him in the future.

I never got a call back from the OM. We took Cooper back on Friday to see Dr. Pittard and to have him look at the burn. I asked the nurse to bring in Dr. Tillman (the owner of the practice) just so she could see what Dr. Smith had done. She came in, pushed Dr. Pittard to the side, examined my baby, and said “This should heal just fine. He shouldn’t scar.” and left the room. Jason and I were infuriated – first of all, I didn’t ask her to come in to examine and diagnose him. Dr. Pittard was there for that. All I wanted was her apology and assurance that it wouldn’t happen again, as owner of the practice and the person who had hired Dr. Smith. After she left, we vented to Dr. Pittard, who was the only person to tell us he was sorry about what had happened. He also told us that due to the nature of the burn, Cooper could scar. As we were leaving, we saw Dr. Smith, and he did not acknowledge us.

We decided after we left that day that as much as we loved Dr. Pittard, we couldn’t justify staying with the practice. We would wait until Cooper’s test results came back and then switch him to the military clinic. After talking it over all weekend, we decided to contact a lawyer. It isn’t because I want money, but because I feel like they have completely ignored our complaints. I don’t feel reassured that this won’t happen again, and if I need to file a lawsuit to make them take me seriously, I will.

So needless to say, things have been overwhelming. Besides the lack of sleep, there has been a whole host of other problems to deal with as well. I’ll be glad when things calm down and all I have to worry about is a baby who sleeps all day and is up at night.

Update: I saved this post because I wanted to have the test results before I posted it on the blog. The results are in, and they are NORMAL! It was a false positive. Praise God, and thank you to everyone who prayed for us. It means so much to me. His burn is also much better although it does look like it might scar. We are still looking for a good lawyer, so if you have recommendation for medical malpractice in Charleston, SC please let me know!

Cooper has arrived!

Time flies, doesn’t it? It is hard to believe that just a few weeks ago this was me:

  30 weeks

36 weeks

And now this is me:

   

Cooper Brayden

Born on January 14th, 2009 at 3:55 p.m.

6 pounds, 12 ounces

17 inches long

To see more pictures, visit my Facebook album. I promise to update with Cooper’s birth story and recent happenings soon!

The Nursery is Done!

When I first found out I was having a baby, I immediately began thinking about what I wanted the nursery to look like. I didn’t know if it was a boy or girl, but that didn’t stop me! One thing I did know is that I didn’t want to break the bank on nursery decor. To that end, I scoured Craigslist, Goodwill, and other secondhand stores for supplies and furniture. I wasn’t afraid to get my hands dirty, and the husband was on board as well.

A friend of mine, knowing my love of all things zebra, emailed me to tell me TJ Maxx had this Wendy Bellissimo baby bedding on sale. I scored the crib skirt, bumper, and sheet for $69.00.

At that point, I knew I had something to work with. I hit the web in search of inspiration and found it via Design Dazzle. I absolutely loved this room and knew I wanted to do something similar.

We didn’t start to work on the nursery – at all – until Thanksgiving, when Jason painted the room. We’re big believers in procrastination in this household. The stripes were a nightmare, according to the husband, but I think that is because he didn’t have any help. (Thank you, friend who promised to help and bailed. You stink.)

Here’s a tip for painting stripes, straight from the husband: purchase a few two by fours in the dimensions/width of your stripes. We did stripes of varying widths, so he went to Lowes and had them cut pieces of wood to match. Then he leaned the two by fours up against the wall (propped up by another piece of wood – he did this when he was home alone one weekend) and traced with a pencil. Easy peasy (but tedious) once he figured out that step.

The paint is all from Lowes (Valspar Signature). I had no idea how expensive paint was! I think this was the most expensive purchase, honestly. Paint and supplies came to about $200.00. Three of the walls are painted green, and the stripes are white, chocolate brown, khaki, and green.

Progress stalled on the nursery until the last week in December, when we decided to kick it into high gear. My mom, the master sewer, took on a massive project. She sewed the rocker & ottoman cushions, curtains, bed skirt, pillows, and lamp shade. It took her two full weekends.

When I found out I was being put on bed rest, I honestly thought there was no way the nursery would get done before he got here. My mom, Jason, and my wonderful friend Angel rallied together to help me this weekend. And by help, I mean they did all the work while I supervised.

Without further adieu… here’s the finished room!

The view looking in from the door

Looking straight ahead

I didn’t realize how small the room was until we began to try and fit everything in. I had actually purchased a changing table that there isn’t room for, so that project was scrapped. This room was originally our guest bedroom, so I wanted to incorporate a bed. It will be a great place for guests and mom to sleep when needed.

The bed was purchased  from Craigslist for $65.00. I didn’t even have to paint it! I got the comforter and sheet set from Target for less than $20.00. My mom was browsing at Kohl’s one day and happened to see a sheet set that matched my crib bedding perfectly, so I snapped that up ($35.00). She made the bed skirt and pillows out of that fabric. The small pillow is actually a drop cloth from Lowes ($5.00) with letters embroidered from leftover fabric.

Close up of the crib bedding – it matches perfectly!

The prints are from Etsy (4 prints for $40.00 – including shipping from India). The frames were 40% off at Michaels. Even at 40% off, the frames were a little more than I wanted to spend ($100.00) but I love the dark, rustic wood. If I had more time, I would have searched Goodwill for frames and painted them, but time ran out for me. 

 

 

 

 

 

The cushion on the ottoman was recovered by my mom, and she created the pillow as well. The toy bin was a shower gift from my cousin and aunt.

I scoured Joann’s, Hancock, and Hobby Lobby for fabric. I ended up with the tan and brown for the rocker/ottoman, the jaguar print for the curtains and lamp shade, and a green/white/brown combo for the moses basket, which you’ll see a little later. I spent a total of $120.00 on fabric.

The curtain rods are bamboo ($6.00 each at Hobby Lobby). The curtains are drop cloths ($5.00 per panel – I used a total of 4 panels) with a little fabric embellishment. I spent about $50.00 on curtain hardware and ring clips. (Who knew rings clips were so dang expensive? Not me.)

My crib is the Graco Victoria, and was a gift from my parents. 

The rocker is another Craigslist find - $50.00! I was going to paint it white, but once we got it in the room I liked the cherry brown. I thought it balanced out all the other white furniture in the room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This little wastebasket was just sitting in my garage, and I repurposed it and the mirror for Cooper’s nursery. They are demos from my days as a Southern Living at Home consultant. 

This is one of my favorite things about the room! We purchased skinny bamboo rods ($10.00 for a set of 6) from Hobby Lobby, and used jute and hot glue to make block letters spelling his name.

The dresser came from Craigslist as well ($65.00). It was originally black. We cleaned the dresser with a heavy duty degreaser, and then lightly sanded. Jason did two coats of primer and two coats of white paint. The drawer pulls are from Babies R Us. The canisters and vase were repurposed from other areas of the house. The frame is a cheap acrylic frame, backed with fabric and pictures of Jason and I as babies. 

 

 

 

 

 

Adorable bin I received at my shower – it is packed with blankets.

We had a little empty space left, and thanks to some Target gift cards purchased this bookshelf. The wicker baskets are from Target, and the safari basket was a shower gift.

I picked up the lamp for $6.00 at Ross. It had a hideous shade, but I loved the base. My mom took some extra fabric and made one long continuous sash. The she just wound the sash around the shade, overlapping slightly for the “bunched” effect. I love it!

The last project (and according to my mom, the hardest) was the bedding for the moses basket. I found the moses basket and stand on – you guessed it! – Craigslist for $50.00. The bedding is reversible.

 

Well, there you have it! Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to let me know what you think!

Updates

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you see a resemblance? All we need are some garden tools!

Wow, it’s been an eventful week. I’m 36 weeks (9 months) pregnant and boy, are things moving right along!

I went in Monday to by OB for my weekly appointment, expecting more of the same: waiting, weighing, blood pressure, measurements, and “see you next week!” Um… not so much. My blood pressure was sky high and there was protein in my urine (signs of preeclampsia). I was seen immediately by the doctor, who checked me (I’m 2 cm dilated) and decided to send me to Labor & Delivery for monitoring. I believe the exact words out of the mid-wife’s mouth was “you might have a baby today!” I think I made it out of the doctor’s office before I started crying.

I actually feel very foolish, because there were several signs of preeclampsia over the weekend. On Friday, my mom and I were at Wal-Mart, and I decided to use one of their machines to check my blood pressure, which was 192/130. I was sure that the machine was malfunctioning, so I just ignored it. I also had a wicked headache, and on Saturday my vision was blurred (which I blamed on needing new contacts). Genius, Andrea.

Once I got to L&D, they did blood pressure checks every 10 minutes and a non-stress test to monitor Cooper’s heart rate. He was fine… I was not. My blood pressure was 180/120 at the highest point, probably because I was scared out of my mind. After about an hour, another doctor from the practice came into to tell me she was admitting me for 24 hour observation. I’d receive regular blood pressure checks and do a 24 hour urine collection (which is what it sounds like… every pee is emptied into a big jug, and they test it for creatine and protein at the end of the 24 hours).

The hospital stay was no fun, but my blood pressure did eventually come down into the 155/100 range. The 24 hour urine test showed extremely high levels of protein and creatine, so I was ordered home on bed rest. I saw yet another doctor (there are 5 in my OB practice) who said that she did not expect me to make it past 38 weeks, and at this point, they were simply shooting for me to make it one more week (to 37 weeks).

I went back for another appointment today, and my BP and protein levels are still elevated. I’ve been scheduled for an induction for next Thursday (1/14/10) but there is still the possibility they will need to induce before then due to my preeclampsia or perhaps he will come on his own. Of course, the hope is that he would come on his own, but I don’t think that will happen.

I really don’t know what to think. The past week has been a roller coaster of emotions and at this point I just am happy to have something semi-settled so I can plan. All I want is for my baby to be healthy and I’m trying to quiet all my expectations about how I wanted my birth experience to be because his health and my health trumps what I thought I wanted to happen, you know? Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I would appreciate it!

A few questions:

• Any advice from those who had been induced? (No horror stories, please – I’m scared enough)
• Anything I should or shouldn’t pack for the hospital?

Andrea’s Guide to Pregnancy, Part II

It’s been awhile since I published the first edition of the Andrea’s Guide to Pregnancy: The Things the Books Don’t Tell You But Your Girlfriends Will, which was written when I was about 20 weeks along. Now that I’m almost at the end of my journey, I figure it’s about darn time that I updated with all the other juicy tidbits I’ve learned about pregnancy. Remember my policy of keepin’ it real? Well, read on at your own risk.

Disclaimer #1: I’m not an expert, and yes, this is my first pregnancy. This is meant to be a fun, tongue in cheek account of my journey through the unpleasant side of pregnancy. If you are trying to conceive or are expecting, these things may happen to you and they may not. My mama always said “to be forewarned is to be forearmed”… or something like that.

Disclaimer #2: I love my child. I can not like *some* aspects of pregnancy and still love my child. And yes, I know this will all be worth it in the end.

With that said, let’s get started!

Andrea’s Guide to Pregnancy: The Things the Books Don’t Tell You But Your Girlfriends Will, Part II

The Dark Brown Line

Some women get this line and some don’t. It is, as it sounds, a very dark brown line that runs down the length of your lower stomach. It’s relatively harmless and it will eventually fade and/or disappear entirely.

Some women (me) are complete and total freaks, and instead of getting a vertical line, they get a horizontal line. Seriously! My dark brown line circles my natural waistline. It’s awesome. Really.

Heartburn & Acid Reflux

I talked about this in the first edition, but it deserves a second mention because it only gets worse the further along you are in your pregnancy. It will keep you from sleeping, and when you do go to sleep, it will wake you up. You’ll be starving and won’t be able to eat because it will feel as if your food lodges in your throat.

There are triggers for every woman, and I advise you to pay attention and figure out what yours are. I’m still working on this, but I do know I can’t eat spicy foods and onions are now a no-no. I’ve found milk helps me, and I’ve been through more bottles of Tums that I care to admit. If it gets really bad, talk to you doctor about a prescription medication.

Super-Sized Panties and Urkel Waistlines: When Did I Become My Grandmother?

This is one area that I’m sure some of my fellow mommies and mommies-to-be will disagree with me. There are some women who can get away with wearing their regular underwear and pants for most, if not all, of their pregnancy. They wear their low-rise pants and panties with pride, happy to still be fashionable and excited about not spending money on a pregnancy wardrobe.

To those women I say: you are crazy! Why? God blessed us women with maternity clothes and I say you should wear them with pride. Maternity pants are the best things ever… stretchy and non-binding, which as you get further along are super important. I, personally, love the full panel pants. Some women want the type that go under their belly but I wear my pants tucked up under my boobs with pride.

I wore hipster type underwear before my pregnancy, and while I can still wear them, I won’t. Granny panties might not be attractive but there is nothing worse than sitting down and having your big belly push your underwear down. Again, wear them with pride! I don’t know about you, but being sexy isn’t on this pregnant momma’s list of things to do.  There’s time for that… maybe around the time I want to think about getting pregnant again.

While we’re on the subject, let me advise you to invest in some pads or panty liners around the 20 week mark. Another fascinating and lovely side effect of pregnancy is the (to put it politely) wetness down there.

2nd Trimester Dizziness

This was a hard one for me. It always happened while I was in the shower. I had to be extremely careful not to get too hot, and steam really bothered me. I usually ended up showering in cool water with the curtain open halfway. In spite of those precautions, many times I had to go lie down after getting out of the shower because I felt like I was going to pass out. It’s normal, and it’s related to the massive amount of extra blood your body is producing and storing in your second trimester. My advice – take it easy and sit down immediately if you feel dizzy. Better safe than sorry!

Morning Sickness Isn’t Only A 1st Trimester Thing

I also mentioned morning sickness in the first edition, but it also bears a repeat. Don’t buy into the hype that morning sickness will only last for 12 weeks. It could be less, or it could be more. Mine lasted for 18 weeks. Friends of mine have reported that theirs lasted the entire pregnancy. I would die.

Here’s what helped me and what didn’t:

• Some sort of caffeinated, sugary beverage first thing in the morning – Pepsi was my drug of choice.
• Breakfast ASAP – I felt best when I ate protein and carbs together. I loved bagels with eggs.
• Eat whatever you feel like eating. If you are truly suffering, now is not the time to worry about your diet. Often the things that appeal to us are the things our body needs or knows we can tolerate.
• Ginger ale was worthless, and Preggo Pops did nothing for me. Peppermints did help.
• If you feel sick, go with it. The best I would feel all day would be right after throwing up. Embrace it. It isn’t going away.
• Keep grocery baggies in your car and purse. You never know when you’ll need them, and trust me, it’s better to be prepared than not. Word of caution: check the bags for holes, and don’t ask me why I know you should do that. You can imagine.
• Invest in a travel toothbrush and toothpaste. Keep them in your purse. Use them often.
• Be careful when brushing your teeth. I still throw up if I brush too far back on my tongue.

The Myth of the 2nd Trimester Energy Boost/Sex Drive Increase

I hope this happens for you. I really do, but it didn’t for me. I will say I was not as exhausted in my second trimester as I was in my first. The first trimester was brutal… I often felt boneless and weightless, I was so tired. In the second trimester, I was just plain tired, and that’s really never gone away.

And as far as my sex drive goes? Hahahahahaha. There are no words. I have not once, during my entire 35 weeks of pregnancy, felt the desire to initiate sex. I really don’t even think about it. For your husbands’ sakes, I hope you all feel differently. Then again, for your sake, maybe it’s for the best. Save that energy for important things, like trips up and down the stairs for snacks.

While we’re on the subject, there is something I’ve read about (Jenny McCarthy’s Belly Laughs) called the Blue Twinkies. I can’t vouch for what she wrote, but apparently certain areas of your lady parts turn blue at some point during pregnancy due to increased blood flow in the area. Y’all with the increased sex drive -- report back to me on this, mmmkay?

Cankles

I think it’s safe to say every woman will experience swelling at some point during her pregnancy. Mine didn’t start until my 30th week of pregnancy, but my co-worker Dawn blew up like a holiday lawn decoration around her 16th week.

Of course the most popular area to swell seems to be the feet and ankles, leading to the ever attractive cankle. Your feet may get bigger and wider, and you may find you can’t wear your shoes anymore. You may have been a fashionista prior to your pregnancy, but once the cankles come to town all you’ll want to wear are slippers, flip flops, and the dreaded Crocs. Drink lots of water, and avoid foods high in salt. While I love olives, they make me puff up like a blow fish. Be sure to call your doctor if it gets out of control, because swelling can be a sign of other problems in pregnancy.

Another place you might experience swelling is your nose. You nose may swell and/or widen. Don’t freak out… it will probably return to normal after pregnancy. Probably.

The Pregnancy Mask

The actual term for this is melasma, and some women (myself) get it even when they aren’t pregnant. This refers to dark brown splotches on your skin that develop during pregnancy (and in my case, whenever I don’t use lots of sunscreen when I’m not pregnant). Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to prevent melasma, and it is extremely hard to get rid of. I have several patches on my skin, and a rather awesome crop of it on my upper lip that looks suspiciously like a moustache.

Since I’ve dealt with this pre-pregnancy, I will tell you that chemical and physical exfoliants help to lighten these areas. I recommend the Clarisonic skincare brush and mandelic acid (not while you are pregnant!). Laser skin treatments are pretty much the only way to get rid of this completely.

Oops, I Tinkled Again (and again, and again….)

Be prepared to go to the bathroom 5, 899 times a day. When you do go, you will tinkle the smallest amount possible, and five minutes later you’ll have to go again. This isn’t so terribly bad during the day, but it’s a pain in the patootie at night. Your child may decide to use your bladder for kickboxing practice as well, in which case you’ll probably pee your pants.

Dreams

Pregnancy dreams are both horrifying and awesome. I’ve had wonderfully detailed dreams about deceased family members visiting me and reassuring me about my future. I’ve had dreams about conversations with my husband that were so realistic that I act upon them next day. I’ve had hot, erotic sex dreams (which totally make up for the lack of a sex drive – they are THAT good). I’ve also had terrible nightmares about babies with three heads. The last wasn’t pleasant, but the others have been pretty darn interesting.

Crotch Pain

I shared a little about this gem in one of my previous posts. This is brutal and for me was totally unexpected.

This happens for a couple of reasons. In your third trimester, your baby begins to descend and his/her weight begins to press against your pelvic area. Your ligaments are also stretching. You may experience a sharp, stabbing pain at times during pregnancy, maybe when you cough or sneeze. This is round ligament pain and (as long as it goes away) is totally normal.

If your crotch pain is brutal like mine, ask your doctor to write you a prescription for a pregnancy belt. This and staying off my feet as much as possible for a few days helped tremendously.

Fat or Pregnant? Fat AND Pregnant?

If you are a plus-size mom-to-be, you may experience pregnancy in a totally different way than our smaller moms-to-be. It’s ok! Don’t let this get you down.

Try not to get upset if you don’t develop a perfectly round basketball belly. I didn’t start showing until I was 22 weeks, and even then I looked more fat than pregnant. I wasn’t noticeably pregnant until I was about 26-28 weeks along. Even now, at 35 weeks, people still assume I am only 6 months pregnant.

I had a lower belly pooch before pregnancy, and for the longest, I had two separate bellies – upper and lower. It was super sexy and attractive, trust me! I’m just now starting to round out and merge into one belly, and I have that awesome horizontal dark line around my waist. Let’s just say this girl didn’t take any belly shots, that’s for sure.

Sleepless Nights

Between 20 bathroom trips a night, back pain, and the inability to stay in one position longer than an hour, I don’t get much sleep at night anymore. There isn’t a lot you can do about this, unfortunately. There comes a point in your pregnancy when you’re just plain uncomfortable.

I love my pregnancy wedge pillow, which I got at Babies R Us. I lodge it up under my belly and it relieves the pressure of the baby on my back and spine. I also sleep with a body pillow and a pillow between my legs. When the heartburn is bad, I sleep on my back, propped up by pillows. Try sleeping in a recliner – I wish I had one!

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now. Experienced moms and moms-to-be, do you have anything to add? Moms-to-be or those thinking about moms, is there anything you want to ask me? You all know I’m an open book, so ask away, and if I don’t know, I’ll find out for you.

Stay tuned for my next installment, hopefully coming soon:

Andrea’s Guide to Labor and Delivery: What Childbirth Classes Don’t Prepare You For and Your Girlfriends Won’t Tell You Because They Want You To Have Babies, Too

Pregnancy Photo Shoot

Jason and I had some pictures done two weeks ago and I finally got some proofs back today. I didn’t want a traditional pregnancy photo shoot (bare belly is not the look for me) and I wanted to incorporate us as a family somehow. Here are some of my favorite pictures. What do you think?

Just a quick aside: I didn’t really realize how much my body had changed until I saw these pictures. When I first got pregnant, I read the Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy, and the author makes a comment in the book about how she didn’t realize how much bigger her rear end had gotten until she got an unexpected glimpse in the mirror. Well, I didn’t realize how many chins I have acquired…. or how my butt is now able to support a tray without it falling…. or how I have stubby fingers and t-rex arms until I saw the proof of this photo shoot. Haha! Oh, well… there’s time to worry about that after Cooper arrives.

 

  

    

Friend Makin’ Mondays

Today I’m participating in Friend Makin’ Mondays, hosted by Amber at aefilkins.

 

Today’s topic is a quick survey… right up my alley! I love surveys.

1. Favorite website

I love Google Reader. I import all my blogs onto my reader, and it’s one stop shopping for all my bloggy needs. I also love celebrity gossip sites, like Perez Hilton and the like. I actually can’t stand Perez Hilton, but I do love my daily fix of celebrity pictures and news. It’s my guilty pleasure.

2. Favorite color

Pink!

3. Facebook?

My husband refers to this as MyFace. Find me at andrearhouse at yahoo dot com. Let me know who you are so I can be sure to add you!

4. Favorite Christmas song?

O Holy Night – love Martina McBride’s version. My favorite Christmas CD is Point of Grace. It’s classic songs, sung beautifully. Please check it out.

5. Christmas tree: Real or fake?

I’ve actually never had a real Christmas tree. Apparently when I was little, my parents did real trees, and once when my dad was at work, the whole tree fell over in the middle of the night. My mom switched to artificial and never looked back.

I’m the crazy person who has a tree for every single room in her house (even the bathrooms – miniature trees, of course!). Last year I stalked Target and Goodwill and got 4 pre-lit trees for less than $15 each. Score!

Of course I’m not doing Christmas decor this year but let’s not remind the hubs of that fact, mmmkay? He still grumbles and mumbles about the trees when he has to enter the garage.

6. Hottest celebrity?

Chris Pine (Star Trek)

7. Favorite restaurant?

Have you guys ever been to Five Guys? Best burgers and fries ever! I love me some Carrabbas as well. Of course, you can’t go wrong with any place that serves soup and salad. Olive Garden = yummy in my tummy!

8. Favorite magazine?

US Weekly. Again, guilty pleasure. Don’t judge me.

9. Favorite thing to drink around the holidays?

I’ve never had eggnog, which I suppose would be the obvious answer. I don’t like cider either, so I’ll go with my usual sweet tea.

10. Favorite Christmas movie?

I’ll tell you what it’s not – Love Actually. I had to rent this movie FOUR TIMES to get all the way through it. That movie is just painful.

Moving right along…

Happy Thanksgiving (a little late….)! I hope you all had a wonderful day and cherished the time spent with family and loved ones. I wanted you all to know how very thankful I am for each and every one of you. It really does mean so much to me that you continue to read my blog despite the fact that in the past 7 months I have not been a very good blogger. I wish I had some amazing excuse to offer as to why my updates and posts are so sporadic, but the truth is that blogging has had to take a backseat to work, pregnancy, household chores, nursery projects, and the other aspects of life. I do love my readers, and I am visiting your blogs… I’m just not doing a very good job with leaving comments.

A few updates….

My shower was in early November, and it was fabulous! Cooper is fully outfitted. Seriously – my Target and Babies R Us registries were completely cleaned out. I’m so incredibly thankful and grateful for all the blessing my friends and family have provided. Here’s a few pictures of the big event:

A close up of the cake my aunt made… isn’t it gorgeous?

 

 

 

Dessert table and table decor

 

 

 

 

Here I am, posing with Jason and my mother

If you happened to send me a gift and I have not thanked you, could you please email me? I got a gift from Amazon (a book) that had no packing slip. I have no idea who it was from. It was addressed “To the parents of Cooper ____ ____” and had no enclosures other than the book. If it was from you, I want to thank you! Please let me know.

I’ve had a few interesting experiences over the past few weeks. The other day I was sitting on the bed, folding laundry, when some clothes fell off the side of the bed. I bent over to pick it up and had a sharp, stabbing pain in my stomach. It was so severe that it took my breath away but it passed once I sat up. Right after that, I started coughing, gagged, and ended up throwing up blood. Y’all, I was FREAKED OUT. I immediately called the doctor and while I was talking to the nurse, realized my nose was dripping blood. Color me embarrassed – the blood must have went down my throat when I bent down. I had no idea nosebleeds were common during pregnancy.

This weekend I started to feel an incredible amount of pain in my groin area – like the bones of my vajayjay hurt. It seriously feels like I’ve been riding a horse for a week. I don’t know what the dealio is, but trust me – it isn’t pleasant. It hurts to walk at this point.

In general I’m just starting to feel very uncomfortable. The baby is moving and kicking up a storm, and my stomach feels very heavy. My back is starting to hurt and I experienced swelling for the first time this weekend (hello, cankles!).

Cankles defense would like me to mention that I was on my feet, shopping, from 9:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Friday and 10:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Bite me, cankles. Black Friday happens once a year, darn it.

While I was in Augusta, shopping it up with my mom, Jason was home painting the nursery. He’s been working so very hard and the nursery looks amazing! It’s a work in progress, of course, but we’ve got one thing crossed off our to-do list.

One wall is stripes

The other walls are green

Well, readers, that’s about it for now. I would promise to post more often but I’m a little incapable of promises right now. If you are on Facebook, add me! I’m updating that pretty frequently because I can do that from my phone. My email is andrearhouse at yahoo dot com. Please just send me a note to let me know you are coming from my blog. I’m also trying to update Twitter as well so follow me there as well if you have an account (the info is in my sidebar).

Have a great week!

Tuesdays at the Table

Today I’m participating in Tuesdays at the Table, now hosted by Cole at All The Small Stuff. Head on over to her place to link up!

Muffin Pan Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Red potatoes (large)
• Salt & pepper
• Cheddar cheese, shredded
• Green onions, diced
• Heavy cream
• Butter

Start by wrapping potatoes in saran wrap and microwaving for about 15 minutes. Let cool, and then slice thinly. Spray your muffin tin with Pam. Layer one pat of butter, one slice of potato, salt and pepper, cheese, and scallions. Add another layer of potato, salt and pepper, cheese, and onion to each tin. You should be able to fit at least two layers in each tin. Top with one more pat of butter. Fill each tin with about a tablespoon of heavy cream. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

These were delicious! I paired them with sliced tomatoes and teriyaki chicken. Yum!

Pregnancy Update

Today I am 27 weeks and 4 days pregnant. Holy cow! Where has the time went? I can’t believe I am officially in my third trimester and only have 12 weeks to go… and that’s IF the little man doesn’t decide to come early.

You would think that I would have some nursery pictures to show you, wouldn’t you? Well, I hope you aren’t holding your breath, because I haven’t even started. Wow, just typing that caused me to hyperventilate a little….

The last time I did a pregnancy update was at 18 weeks, and a lot has happened since then! I went in for my anatomy ultrasound when I was 21 weeks pregnant, and Cooper is perfectly healthy! Praise God!

The ultrasound itself was NOT a pleasant experience. The ultrasound technician was completely rude and did not converse with Jason or I at all. I had to ask her what I was looking at and if everything was normal, and even then I only got one word responses. The images themselves were super grainy (I haven’t even scanned them – they are that bad) and indistinguishable. My 2d images from my 3d ultrasound experience are 10x better. I am so incredibly grateful that I decided to get the 3d ultrasound done because it was a such a beautiful and special experience. I only get two ultrasounds through my insurance company, so if I that had been the final opportunity to see my baby in detail I would have been devastated.

I finally felt him move around 22 weeks. As a first time mom, I was completely panicked and worried at that point, but it turns out that I have an anterior placenta and it is normal to feel movement a little later in the pregnancy. That was the most amazing experience of my life – I can’t even put into words how it feels. I had felt love for my child since the beginning of the pregnancy, but at that point he was real to me, if that made sense. As much as he is moving now, I still stop and smile every single time I feel him move.

I went in for my one hour blood sugar test last week, and I failed. I am going in tomorrow morning for the three hour test, and let me tell you, I don’t have the greatest attitude about it. Can someone explain to me how it is realistic to expect pregnant women to fast from 10pm until 12pm the next day? I know it is necessary and I also know I’m being a whiny baby but DANG. I am not going to be a pleasant person to be around tomorrow. I’m just hoping I don’t get sick and have to do the whole test over again.

Jason and I started our childbirth awareness classes last week. They are hosted by our delivery hospital and run for two hours each week for four weeks. It makes for a long day after working for 10 hours, but the information is reassuring. I still have no idea where I stand as far as natural childbirth/medication and breastfeeding/formula goes but hopefully this will help me to really get a handle on what I want and what is best for baby.

Registering was such an overwhelming experience. The weekend that I registered, my mom, aunt, and cousin came down to help me. We headed out to Babies R Us on a Saturday, which was my first mistake. It was packed! I also registered at Target. I was completely panicked by the end of the day. It’s such a huge list and I just kept thinking “are people seriously going to buy me this?” I’m grateful to my cousin because she has passed down boy clothes, a highchair, a bath chair, bobby, bumbo, jumperoo, exercauser, and a bouncy chair so those are items I don’t need to purchase. If you want to critique my registry and offer some suggestions on what else I might need, let me know!

My family baby shower is next weekend and I am so super excited! I’ll take pictures and let you know how it all turns out.

I’ll leave you with a couple of recent pictures of me.

23 weeks

26 weeks

P.S. Did I mention that I am going to Disney World in December? Yeah, I’ll be 31 weeks pregnant. What was a I thinking?! To my credit, this was planned before I got pregnant. I love me some Disney but I’m very worried I will be miserable for this trip.