Eye of the Tiger

Cue Rocky music...  I know you all know it! 

So far the third trimester has proven to be incredibly challenging on my body and mind.  I hurt. My fuse is very short.  However, I am still really grateful, so don't get me wrong.  These are just my rants and opinions of one loco pregnant lady that is all.  So, when I say things it is by no means coming from a place of bad intention.  Just whats bouncing around in my head. 

I have decided to go through with getting the steroid shot in my hand (it has taken me about 4 days to compose this post).  The numbness is crippling through my hand and fingers.  It has now has found its way all the way up to my shoulder.  I couldn't even do downward facing dog last week and trust me, this girl needs her yoga at least!  I have tried to battle it out and now I am waving the white flag to "pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome". 

Hello Braxton Hicks contractions!  I have mentioned these in previous posts hoping that was not what was going on, but today there is no doubt that is exactly what is happening.  Ladies, any advice on these?  What I have learned in my body is they are tricky little contractions.  Sometimes really intense and painful other times just a tensing/hardening feeling through the belly.

I could go on and on about the other things my body is experiencing, but I will stop and leave you with this last one because quite frankly (though miserable) it is funny.  Last night alone I had to get up and go pee 11 times between 11pm & 6am (and I am not being dramatic with the number 11, it was 11).  WTF?!  I am convinced while the Ninja is asleep he uses my bladder as a body pillow and while he is awake he uses it as a trampoline.  I told one of my friends this today and her response was "next time just sleep on the toilet yo".  ha ha ha ha  Have I mentioned how much I love my friends?  They keep me laughing, that is for sure. 

I will write more later, for now I am keeping my eyes in the prize- NINJA and playing Eye of the Tiger as my daily theme song......   hahaha

Take that demon drink!!

The results are in- I passed, I passed!! No gestational diabetes here.  They also checked my hemoglobin and that was fine too (this means I am not anemic or in need of iron supplements).

Jen, I am going to need some more skittles, gummy bears and twizzlers -stat!!!  Hahaha

Hope you are all having a lovely Pre-Halloween weekend :)

What a week!

Wow, it has been quite the week between work and Ninja stuff!

We attended the second session of Infancy 101, I did not like it that much.  We had a new instructor and I was not impressed.  The topics that were discussed were really important and there wasn't that much time spent on them, she just sped through.  So I left frustrated. 

Good news though, this will not keep us from signing up for more classes!  It is on our list for this weekend to pick more and most importantly get our hospital and room tour (though I am pretty sure I have already been on the delivery floor after my 1st uterine septum surgery in 2009).  If you aren't sure what the uterine septum surgery was and you are curious, please refer back the STILL blog.  All posts are marked with my name. 

The highlight of our week was getting the 3d/4d Ultrasound.  Attached is the full video or our session.  Warning, it is long and I do not intend for you to watch it all, but for those of you who are considering having it done, I would highly recommend.  It was just so heart warming to see him kicking, dancing, sword fighting, smiling & sticking out his tongue.  Joe would tell you it was most excellent to see that the Ninja is still in fact a Ninja and not a Ninjetta.  haha  You can already tell the Ninja looks a heck of a lot like his Daddy!  I have to say he has my fire though.  We are even more excited to meet him now!

The absolute worst part of my week was the nasty glucose drink and surprise shot in my booty (I will get to the shot later).  This drink wasn't as bad as I thought, but it was....  It is both thick and sugary.  My mind processed it as if you took one of those ring sucker things melted it down, chilled it and drank it.  Fruit punch flavored.  Blek. 


Within about 5 minutes of taking it I got really light headed.  Mind you, you cannot drink or eat anything after you ingest this demon juice.  You would really think they would have come up with something much more sophisticated to test for gestational diabetes, but alas, no. 

Once I got to the doctors office I felt like a balloon.  Dizzy, blurry vision.  It sucked.  After an hour it was time for the nurse to draw 3 large viles of blood (this took me back to our fertility days).  Thank God she was as amazing as Ruby from Dr. M's office.  Quick and to the point.  I haven't felt the same though all day.  Very pukey.  Hopefully our results are in tomorrow and everything looks good. 

We moved on to meet with Dr. D'A's nurse and then the doc.  I have officially gained 30 pounds.  Holy Mother of the Lord.  My blood pressure is still looking great.  SURPRISE, I get a shot today.  What?  Yes. 

I have O negative blood type.  This means (in Haylee's non doctor terms mind you) I have to have a shot called the Rh Shot (RhoGAM).  It keeps my antibodies from attacking the Ninja's antibodies.  This shot is given in the booty and it hurt.  BAD.  Again, this reminded me of all the fertility shots we have been though.  NONE of them were this bad.  Crazy, right?  So now my booty hurts and I am not sure if these pukey side effects are a combo of GSD testing and shot or one of the things.

Dr. D'A said everything was measuring right on track and we got to hear Ninja's heartbeat again (also great).  We were able to touch on many different topics today.  I am so grateful to have such a on top of it doctor.  Here is a list of things we discussed:

-Pediatrician:  Yes, we need to start interviewing now and have that lined up very soon.
-Whooping Cough vaccine:  Yes, Joe and I (and anyone that will be around the Ninja a lot - that means you Grandma Mary Ann) will get the whooping cough vaccine. 
-Teaching and practicing yoga for me:  Scale back a little- listen even more to my body.  Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but it makes sense.  Trust me, it is better than not being able to do it at all.  I might go batty.
-Maternity leave:  Starts January 1st
-Steroid shot:  Yes, more shots-  this one I am still considering.  It would be for my right hand & arm since the left is not as intense (helps with the pain and numb feeling).  Dr. D'A reminded me it would not hurt the baby.  She reminded me it is only going to get worse from here as the body will naturally start to swell more in these final weeks.  Once again she is right.  But you know me, I am going to try and see how it goes for now, but still highly consider at the same time.
-Kick counts:  Start today!  Ninja must kick at least 12 times a day every day.  If less, call the doc ASAP!  Trust me, he's got this down! 

Last, but certainly not least we found out today I will be having a C-section.  This date will be planned & set at our next doctors visit in 2 weeks.  I have moved into seeing Dr. D'A every 2 weeks now.  I like it a lot, we are so close!!  :)

Abundance

Though I do not like getting up early (5:45am today), this morning I was reminded why I used to like teaching early morning classes. 

After I quit my job trading in 2009 sleeping in used to be 5:30am (no joke, some days I was up by 3:45am and most days into work by 4:45am).  So it was only natural that I started teaching early morning yoga classes.  The studio is quiet & serene as you start to see the sun pop up over the mountains.  Walking from the chilly lobby into the heated yoga room feels so nice (especially on a fall morning).  If there are windows you start to see signs of early morning sun glisten in from them.  Not to mention, the early morning practitioners are some of the best and most dedicated you will meet. 

Once my job shifted into more than teaching getting up early was no longer optimal for the job.  I started to go in later and later.  It took quite a long time to sleep past even 6am once I started this transition, but now, 2 years later it is quite difficult for me to get up this early.  I have never really been a morning person, which is so funny given the professional field I was in for 10 years.   

Needless to say it was super tough when the alarm went off this morning.  Even Kona didn't want to get up.  I am sure it doesn't help that I do not sleep much anymore (I am averaging 3-4 hours on and off through the night right now).  Once Kona and I were up we headed out for our morning walk.  It was still dark and crisp outside.  I promised him if he was all business we could play later today.  He complied (what a good golden). 

Off to the studio I went.  It is nice to be reminded of the simple things.  I enjoyed not only a beautiful Denver sunrise, but a great class.  The instructors theme for class was "abundance".  This prompted me to look up the literal meaning as I thought it was a lovely way to set the day.  And for reals, the word has DANCE in it.  Who doesn't like to do that?!? 

a·bun·dance

   /əˈbʌndəns/ Show Spelled[uh-buhn-duhns] Show IPA

noun

1.

an extremely plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply: an abundance of grain.

2.

overflowing fullness: abundance of the heart.

3.

affluence; wealth: the enjoyment of abundance.

Even though this pregnancy is kicking my ass, the Ninja is my abundance.  He is my enjoyment and overflowing fullness.  I am so excited to have him here with Joe and I when he decides to make his way into this world.  Until then-  I will continue to remind myself of the little things, like today. 

Ramblings from the pregnant lady...

Just a quick update here, today has been challenging & my body is revolting. 

This week is a big week as I wrap up 28 weeks and enter week 29.  We have the second session of Infancy 101, our 3d/4d ultrasound, Gestational Diabetes testing & meeting with Dr. D'A.  Out of all of these I cant wait for the ultrasound.  I can't wait to see how big our Ninja is now.  He certainly feels healthy and powerful!

Here are some random changes in my day to day life with pregnancy: 

Crystal Light-  I was grocery shopping the other day and all the sudden remembered my friend Annie making this for me when I first found out I was pregnant.  It was by far the most delicious non alcoholic beverage I had ever had.  What is even funnier is I totally forgot about this drink until now.  It is still delish and the on the go packs are great for work!

Tums-  Though I do not like Tums at all, I have to take them every night now due to pregnancy induced heartburn.  It's pretty hot stuff to be belching away in bed.  haha!  If you have to eat Tums though, I do highly recommend the Smoothies it is much easier to convince yourself you aren't eating flavored chalk.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula for Stretch Marks ("light scent"- I would hate to smell the non light scent)-  This stuff smells like crap.  OK, to me.  It smells like chocolate and makes me want to gag (if you don't know me- I do not like chocolate), but alas I keep using it as it is said to be the "best" lotion to fight again those hot stretch marks.  If you ladies out there have any other effective non chocolate smelling lotions, please send my way! 

My bed- last, but not least. I love my bed, however, I no longer get sleep there. Today I spent most of the day in bed with cramps (I am now thinking maybe some Braxton Hicks contractions and not just round ligament), pains throughout my legs, feet & numbness through both arms. I am exhausted and nothing helps.  My amazing husband was great and made sure I had all the essentials of my phone, ipad, food, drinks & Kona.  Maybe this is just what my body needed?  Tomorrow will tell.


Back track to Saturday (it's how the pregnant mind works sometimes): I walked into my office and found a surprise from Lara. Are you kidding me? Is this not the cutest beanie you have EVER seen? Thank you so much Lara!  The Ninja is going to look so cute in this!

Infancy 101

It is official.  My left hand has joined ranks with my right.  My right hand I cannot even begin to explain the pain 24/7 from fingers through my arm.  The left isn't nearly as bad, but I fear it will be before too long.  This makes it so hard to type.  I tried to write on a post it note yesterday and holy cow, you should have seen my handwriting!  I think a 1st grader has better penmanship!

My foot and heel have issues on and off with numbness and swelling.  My body is still sore almost all day long & there has been some interesting belly cramping as of last night (round ligament perhaps?).  I am happy to report the nausea has FINALLY subsided to only the morning.  It is a relief amongst everything else! 

I am finally starting to show.  I feel like a whale, though the ladies tell me I am still very small.  My belly button is freaking me out.  It is like a huge canyon.  I won't even talk about my aching hooters.  Or my thunder thighs.  haha  I have gained a total of 25 pounds and my body is definitely feeling it.  To be perfectly honest, right now I feel like my body is falling apart.  If it isn't one thing it is another.  And the lack of sleeping isn't helping at all.  I do keep a smile on my face though and when I get down- eyes on the prize-  Ninja. 

I got hit with a ton of bricks the other day when I realized we only have about 11 more weeks before the Ninja is due to be here.  And this is assuming I go full term.  Holy Mother of the Lord!  haha  Yes, we are so ready to meet him and have him here, but we still have so much to do and get in order!! 



Cover of our Infant 101 packet, kinda funny.

First things first- Joe and I went to our first baby class last night.  Infant 101- a two part series.  I'm not gonna lie.  I was skeptical.  But, it is essential because what the hell do we know about once the Ninja is here??  NOTHING.    I am so happy to report it was really great.  The woman who led the class had a way about her that wasn't judgemental (I am finding quite a bit of nasty judgement in some other Mom's when it comes to what you should or should not do, it's rather annoying).  Yes, she had her opinions and she was quite comfortable to share them, but she did so in a way that made you think- not resist.  Though there were points I didn't totally agree with some of them made me think more.  There was also so much information I had not yet heard about and ways to make those situations better and what to do.  I really liked her.  

Oh lawdy the BUMPER for the crib.  We spent some time talking about this in class and I decided to return the beautiful elephant bumper that Grandma Mary Ann generously purchased for the Ninja's crib.  Now that I have learned even more about how UNSAFE and UNNECESSARY they are it will go back.  I have broken up with the cuteness of it and moved to the reality of the safety for the Ninja.  Yes, I think I shed a little tear upon returning it.  I did exchange it for cute sheets & a blanket!  There was some left over on a gift card that I will use for some more of the fun elephant things.  Yes!

 We are still waiting for some of our nursery furniture to be delivered, so that is why I have held off in posting any pictures.  I promise the before and afters are coming soon!

Here are a couple Ninja goodies from my BeeF BooB, Traci in NashVegas & sweet Kathryn from work.  Thank you ladies!

I'm A Big Kid Now?

I don't know about you guys but I took a look at my make up the other day and kinda threw up in my mouth a little when I started thinking how OLD it is (Kristy, when did you get married?  Yea, don't answer that, I know when it was).  Ew.  I figure it is something that is easy to overlook when you rarely wear it?   

As luck would have it one of my good friends was also in the same boat.  So, off we went to Nordstrom's to the Bobbi Brown makeup counter to get our makeup done by the professionals.  I have never used Bobbi Brown products, but we picked this based off of a glowing recommendation from another friend.   

We had a lot of fun and ended up really liking the products.  After making the purchase of our new "big girl" make up (complete with some real foundation and concealer- these products are new to me) we wondered how we would duplicate their work.  Surely we will remember & surely we will look just as great when applied by our own hands? 

In a way it did make me feel like a grown up though.  Then I thought, wait, I am 35.  I am a grown up?  Nah.  Age is just a number and you are only as old as you act.  Ha! 

The arsenal of "big girl" makeup

Here is my take away from the experience.  I slowed down and had a ton of fun with a friend.  Priceless.  I have also successfully used the concealer, mascara & bronzer.  I will keep ya posted on the rest. 

Hope everyone is having a great week and finding some time to slow down and have fun with a friend.