Wow, I suck at keeping this thing caught up.
As of today, I am 36 weeks along (read: nine months). Human pregnancies are actually 40 weeks (ten months), but since most women don't realize they're pregnant during the first month, the average lay-person calls it a nine-month process.
Monday one of my closest friends and I went up to the big hospital for my weekly check-up. The doctor there (last name HAMMER! How badass is that?!) confirmed that Princess Wiggle-Worm is indeed head-down and seems to be posterior-facing, which is good. I'm measuring exactly where I should be for dates, Wiggle-Worm's heartbeat is very healthy and I'm already between two and three centimeters dilated.
Had some very intense Braxton-Hicks contractions last night, but a glass of water and some relaxing on my left side helped. Only four weeks to go and I can sleep on my tummy again! WOO HOO!!!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Wiggle-Worm on the Big Screen
Drove through all kinds of yuck last night to get to our ultrasound appointment at 6:15. Princess Wiggle-Worm is in the 35th percentile for growth. This is good; the doctor said that anything between 15 and 80 is normal and healthy. She also suggested that the baby may very well rival my munchkin in birth weight. Munchkin-girl was 8lbs, 10oz with a 13.5 inch head. Eep! Oh well. I did it once vaginally; I can do it again.
My IF seemed to be a bit calmer after our appointment than usual; but I'm sure he'll find something else to worry about before long. Poor guy.
My IF seemed to be a bit calmer after our appointment than usual; but I'm sure he'll find something else to worry about before long. Poor guy.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Fun and Games
Eep! My friend Heather has tagged me to post seven things about myself. I'm not sure if these are supposed to be little-known facts or what, but I'll try to make them at least a little bit interesting, nonetheless.
1.) I am a die-hard role-playing geek. Dungeons and Dragons? Yes please! Vampire the Masquerade, Werewolf the Apocalypse (really anything having to do with White Wolf's World of Darkness)? Absolutely! Feng Shui? Deadlands? Call of Cthulhu? Oh yeah! I've even gone so far as to help create a system for playing Mutants, which wound up being fairly popular at college -wink to Heather and Ende, here- And yes, I also do bulletin-board RP online.
In fact, that's how I met hubs. I was running said Mutants game on an RP website and he joined the game. I IM'ed him one day to ask a question and well, to make a long story short we became good friends, and things went very well from there.
2.) As has surely become clear to all my readers by now, I am female. Yet I do not share the female fondness for chocolate. Once in a while I will desire it, generally in moderate amounts, but it does not entice me as it does my fellow ladies. I prefer fruity and salty foods.
3.) Despite my fondness for drawing, inking and coloring, I have not done any of the above in almost three years. I just can't find the inspiration and the few times I have *found* the inspiration, my hands refused to put on paper what my thinkmeats told it to.
4.) I have my own strange vocabulary (as demonstrated above). In fact, I have my own strange everything. Not everyone gets to see it; I am proficient at behaving if I have to, but I thrive on silliness.
5.) Until hubs, I was never engaged. I had proposals, but I couldn't honestly see myself happy with any of the proposers for the rest of my life.
6.) I love to be touched. And hugged. And snuggled.
7.) There is only one cat to which I have not found myself allergic. He belongs to my stepdad and lives in my house.
1.) I am a die-hard role-playing geek. Dungeons and Dragons? Yes please! Vampire the Masquerade, Werewolf the Apocalypse (really anything having to do with White Wolf's World of Darkness)? Absolutely! Feng Shui? Deadlands? Call of Cthulhu? Oh yeah! I've even gone so far as to help create a system for playing Mutants, which wound up being fairly popular at college -wink to Heather and Ende, here- And yes, I also do bulletin-board RP online.
In fact, that's how I met hubs. I was running said Mutants game on an RP website and he joined the game. I IM'ed him one day to ask a question and well, to make a long story short we became good friends, and things went very well from there.
2.) As has surely become clear to all my readers by now, I am female. Yet I do not share the female fondness for chocolate. Once in a while I will desire it, generally in moderate amounts, but it does not entice me as it does my fellow ladies. I prefer fruity and salty foods.
3.) Despite my fondness for drawing, inking and coloring, I have not done any of the above in almost three years. I just can't find the inspiration and the few times I have *found* the inspiration, my hands refused to put on paper what my thinkmeats told it to.
4.) I have my own strange vocabulary (as demonstrated above). In fact, I have my own strange everything. Not everyone gets to see it; I am proficient at behaving if I have to, but I thrive on silliness.
5.) Until hubs, I was never engaged. I had proposals, but I couldn't honestly see myself happy with any of the proposers for the rest of my life.
6.) I love to be touched. And hugged. And snuggled.
7.) There is only one cat to which I have not found myself allergic. He belongs to my stepdad and lives in my house.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Princesses
Princess Wiggle-Worm is active, and... active, and... active. Her kicks and hiccups are almost palpable from the outside now, which amuses my own little Princess to no end.
And to THAT end, I thought I might write a little about my Pixie Princess. My bold, brassy, independent-thinking monkey-girl. (Sorry, Fianna; when you see a good idea, steal it and RUUUUUN!) Tonight was her very first public art show. Yes, it was a school function, but the artwork is not being displayed at the school; it's being displayed in the local library. There was even live harp music and food! She says it wasn't the piece SHE would have chosen to mount and display, but she was a featured artist nonetheless.
She's also been cast as an Oompa Loompa in her very first community theater production of Willy Wonka. She was very gracious in accepting this role, as she had of course initially auditioned for the parts of Veruca Salt and Violet Beauregard. But considering that this was her first audition and she was woefully unprepared (her mother found out about it only the day before, and with no detail), the fact that she got a part speaks well of her.
Anyway... You know that curse that every mother throws at her children in fits of frustrated rage? "I hope you have children JUST! LIKE! YOU!" Well, my mother chose to make it more of a blessing. Consciously. She was very specific about her blessing, too. "I hope that when you have children, they have all of your best qualities and none of your flaws." What a lovely thing to say! However. I think she and I sometimes diverge where "best qualities" and "flaws" are defined.
My mother is a born-again Christian. This works well for her, and I am glad that her faith does her well. She values obedience and honesty and hard work and compassion and loyalty and conservative behavior and dress.
I am a pagan. I agree with my mother where honesty and hard work and compassion and loyalty are concerned. I also value independent thought, which often prevents immediate and unquestioning obedience. This is admittedly sometimes a pain in the proverbial tookus, but overall I think I would rather my daughter obey me because she sees the sense in what I am instructing her to do, than "just because I said so." And we often argue over the sense of the requests and demands I make of her. And being a child, she doesn't always see the reasons behind everything, but eventually... She will.
My Princess is bull-headed, like her parents (all three of us). She makes choices based on the information at hand and goes at them full-throttle. She's intelligent and compassionate and charming, which is most often used for good, but occasionally turns toward the egocentric.
My Princess is talented. She sings like a little angel; she loves to dance; she wants to be in theater; she loves to draw and paint and create. This, of course, leads me into realms of parental bliss. No, I don't always love her choices in music, but I don't suppose my parents loved listening to Nine Inch Nails or Garbage, either. The long and short of it is: I. Hate. Sports. I will watch them as a good, supportive mother should, if I have to. But I am EVER so thankful that I don't have to. Take me to art shows, theater productions, dance recitals, concerts; I will watch and look and clap and whistle and throw roses with all the enthusiasm in my heart.
My Princess is articulate. As parents, her father and stepfather and I have made it a point never to talk down to any child. If we use a five-dollar word, we want our Princess to ask what it means. To learn, always. To speak at a level that matches her intelligence. And she has risen to the challenge magnificently.
My Princess is a culinary adventurist. Most ten-year-olds stick to a chicken-nugget, hot dog, hamburger, macaroni-and-cheese diet. You know, "kid foods." My Princess likes sushi and broccoli (most veggies, really) and steaks and soups and pretty much everything other kids refuse to eat. When we go out for subs, she gets more veggies on hers than the hubs or I do.
My Princess is a million things that make me proud, a thousand things that make me happy and a handful of things that drive me nuts, but in truth, it's probably a good thing she keeps me on my toes anyway.
And to THAT end, I thought I might write a little about my Pixie Princess. My bold, brassy, independent-thinking monkey-girl. (Sorry, Fianna; when you see a good idea, steal it and RUUUUUN!) Tonight was her very first public art show. Yes, it was a school function, but the artwork is not being displayed at the school; it's being displayed in the local library. There was even live harp music and food! She says it wasn't the piece SHE would have chosen to mount and display, but she was a featured artist nonetheless.
She's also been cast as an Oompa Loompa in her very first community theater production of Willy Wonka. She was very gracious in accepting this role, as she had of course initially auditioned for the parts of Veruca Salt and Violet Beauregard. But considering that this was her first audition and she was woefully unprepared (her mother found out about it only the day before, and with no detail), the fact that she got a part speaks well of her.
Anyway... You know that curse that every mother throws at her children in fits of frustrated rage? "I hope you have children JUST! LIKE! YOU!" Well, my mother chose to make it more of a blessing. Consciously. She was very specific about her blessing, too. "I hope that when you have children, they have all of your best qualities and none of your flaws." What a lovely thing to say! However. I think she and I sometimes diverge where "best qualities" and "flaws" are defined.
My mother is a born-again Christian. This works well for her, and I am glad that her faith does her well. She values obedience and honesty and hard work and compassion and loyalty and conservative behavior and dress.
I am a pagan. I agree with my mother where honesty and hard work and compassion and loyalty are concerned. I also value independent thought, which often prevents immediate and unquestioning obedience. This is admittedly sometimes a pain in the proverbial tookus, but overall I think I would rather my daughter obey me because she sees the sense in what I am instructing her to do, than "just because I said so." And we often argue over the sense of the requests and demands I make of her. And being a child, she doesn't always see the reasons behind everything, but eventually... She will.
My Princess is bull-headed, like her parents (all three of us). She makes choices based on the information at hand and goes at them full-throttle. She's intelligent and compassionate and charming, which is most often used for good, but occasionally turns toward the egocentric.
My Princess is talented. She sings like a little angel; she loves to dance; she wants to be in theater; she loves to draw and paint and create. This, of course, leads me into realms of parental bliss. No, I don't always love her choices in music, but I don't suppose my parents loved listening to Nine Inch Nails or Garbage, either. The long and short of it is: I. Hate. Sports. I will watch them as a good, supportive mother should, if I have to. But I am EVER so thankful that I don't have to. Take me to art shows, theater productions, dance recitals, concerts; I will watch and look and clap and whistle and throw roses with all the enthusiasm in my heart.
My Princess is articulate. As parents, her father and stepfather and I have made it a point never to talk down to any child. If we use a five-dollar word, we want our Princess to ask what it means. To learn, always. To speak at a level that matches her intelligence. And she has risen to the challenge magnificently.
My Princess is a culinary adventurist. Most ten-year-olds stick to a chicken-nugget, hot dog, hamburger, macaroni-and-cheese diet. You know, "kid foods." My Princess likes sushi and broccoli (most veggies, really) and steaks and soups and pretty much everything other kids refuse to eat. When we go out for subs, she gets more veggies on hers than the hubs or I do.
My Princess is a million things that make me proud, a thousand things that make me happy and a handful of things that drive me nuts, but in truth, it's probably a good thing she keeps me on my toes anyway.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Completely Unrelated
I'm in a funk. I got two phone calls the other day from The University of Phoenix and The University of Chicago, regarding inquiries I had made into their nursing degree programs. Both informed me that I am nowhere near being eligible for their nursing programs, as they only offer RN-to-Bachelors of Science in Nursing programs. So I looked around for information on how to get my RN. Basically I'd have to start out by taking a course to get certified as an LNA (licensed nursing assistant). Then I'd have to work as an LNA for a while. After that, I could take two years' worth of college courses to become an LPN (licensed practical nurse), do more practicum, then take the NCLEX-RN (test to become a registered nurse), do some more practicum, THEN and ONLY then could I go to school for an additional four years of college to get my BSN.
Or I could go back to an in-state college and rack up another $60,000+ in college loans, on top of what hubs and I owe for HIS college education. Sorry folks, can't afford to do that. Even if hubs hadn't just finished his degree, I still couldn't afford to quit my job to go back to school full time.
So then I thought, well my ultimate goal was to be a midwife, right? So I looked up direct-entry midwifery laws by state, and there aren't very many states in the US that have outright outlawed direct-entry midwives. "Excellent!" I thought. "I could just go to midwifery school! There's one within an hour's drive of my house!" But oh yeah; there's that pesky *tuition* thing. Sure, my state's student assistance corporation offers grants to some students who attend in-state schools, but I'm not eligible for any of them because I make too much money. Hooray for circular arguments. I can't quit my job because we have bills and college loans to pay off, but no one takes bills and spouse's loans into consideration when reviewing the other spouse's financial situation for aid.
In addition, there are some other issues that have arisen with other people with whom I associate. The issues are old and, I thought, dealt with. Apparently not. So I can do no right, and am not a woman of whom anyone can be proud.
*Please note: This is not MY opinion of myself. This is someone else's attitude toward me. I realize that I have accomplished a good deal in my life thus far, and have hopefully had some positive impact on a few people at least.
Regardless, it hurts to know that someone who I thought WAS proud of me is not only *NOT* proud of me, but is angry at me for something for which I've made reparations.
There are other things dragging me down, but I am not at liberty to rant about them at current, as they do not directly involve me.
Or I could go back to an in-state college and rack up another $60,000+ in college loans, on top of what hubs and I owe for HIS college education. Sorry folks, can't afford to do that. Even if hubs hadn't just finished his degree, I still couldn't afford to quit my job to go back to school full time.
So then I thought, well my ultimate goal was to be a midwife, right? So I looked up direct-entry midwifery laws by state, and there aren't very many states in the US that have outright outlawed direct-entry midwives. "Excellent!" I thought. "I could just go to midwifery school! There's one within an hour's drive of my house!" But oh yeah; there's that pesky *tuition* thing. Sure, my state's student assistance corporation offers grants to some students who attend in-state schools, but I'm not eligible for any of them because I make too much money. Hooray for circular arguments. I can't quit my job because we have bills and college loans to pay off, but no one takes bills and spouse's loans into consideration when reviewing the other spouse's financial situation for aid.
In addition, there are some other issues that have arisen with other people with whom I associate. The issues are old and, I thought, dealt with. Apparently not. So I can do no right, and am not a woman of whom anyone can be proud.
*Please note: This is not MY opinion of myself. This is someone else's attitude toward me. I realize that I have accomplished a good deal in my life thus far, and have hopefully had some positive impact on a few people at least.
Regardless, it hurts to know that someone who I thought WAS proud of me is not only *NOT* proud of me, but is angry at me for something for which I've made reparations.
There are other things dragging me down, but I am not at liberty to rant about them at current, as they do not directly involve me.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Princess Wiggle-Worm
Is all kinds of wiggly. My I.F. isn't going to name her until she's born, and since it's not my place to give her a proper name, I have dubbed her "Princess Wiggle-Worm." My I.F. finds this amusing, so perhaps it will even stick! Wouldn't that be hilarious?
I developed a birth plan last week, and showed it to my I.F. for his approval. We're going to go over it in more detail later on, but for now it sounds as if he's alright with most of it.
Oh! So the second round of plague turned out to be a systemic allergic reaction to the erythromycin I was administered by my regular doctor. Was it my regular doctor who discovered this? Nope. It was the obstetrician. I went to his office the Friday following our ultrasound looking like I had lost a boxing match with a kangaroo. Fun. Anyway, it's mostly cleared up now, but I have now developed two blocked lubrication ducts in my right eye. I suspect this may have something to do with the fact that I had to spread vaseline around my eyes while I was recovering from the allergic attack, so that the skin around my eyes wouldn't crack and bleed. That was fun. Hopefully these will resolve themselves soon and it will be life as usual again.
Hopefully.
I developed a birth plan last week, and showed it to my I.F. for his approval. We're going to go over it in more detail later on, but for now it sounds as if he's alright with most of it.
Oh! So the second round of plague turned out to be a systemic allergic reaction to the erythromycin I was administered by my regular doctor. Was it my regular doctor who discovered this? Nope. It was the obstetrician. I went to his office the Friday following our ultrasound looking like I had lost a boxing match with a kangaroo. Fun. Anyway, it's mostly cleared up now, but I have now developed two blocked lubrication ducts in my right eye. I suspect this may have something to do with the fact that I had to spread vaseline around my eyes while I was recovering from the allergic attack, so that the skin around my eyes wouldn't crack and bleed. That was fun. Hopefully these will resolve themselves soon and it will be life as usual again.
Hopefully.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Illness and Better News
Last Wednesday night I went to see the doctor for itchy, puffy eyes. Of course, I thought that it was conjunctivitis (pink eye), so the NP gave me a prescription for erythromycin to treat it. On the way home I was suddenly attacked by several different forms of The Plague. The battle was short but hard-fought. I tried to summon my immune system to provide backup, but it was being kept busy in the general area of my navel, protecting the little bun in my oven. And so my defenses fell and The Plague took over. For five. Freaking. Days. Over the course of these five days, what was left to me of my Immuno-Forces was able to slowly beat back The Plague, with the help of Robitussin DM, Vicks Vapo-Rub, Sleep, My Mum, My Hubs and My Munchkin. I'm still a little plague-ridden, but it's on the run. During the course of this epic battle, I discovered that the erythromycin was not fixing my eye problem. So I sent Hubs out to contract with the forces of Claritin, to see if that might help, and fired the eye goop. This helped. A visit to the doctor again last night provided an extra antihistamine and a prognosis of "stop using the blanket your mother-in-law gave you, as it seems to be the only variable since you left home." My eyes are currently looking like they're about 90 years old, but at least I can see through them now!
Today I got to go to the big hospital for the final ultrasound! This was the anatomical one where they check to make sure the baby has all its bits and that those bits are working as they should. It's also the one where they can tell what the baby's sex is! HUZZAH! Thankfully, my I.F. wanted to have this information, so I can now safely tell all that IT'S A GIRL!!! The doctor said she's in perfect condition, is exactly the right size for her date (which as of today is 18.6 weeks), and all her bits are working perfectly. (He said "perfect" a lot.) This means that the chances of chromosomal abnormalities is down to no more than 1%, which was a relief to I.F. He was more worried about that than finding out the baby's gender. He didn't really mind which sex the baby was, just so long as she was healthy.
Don't bother asking me about names for the baby. She will be named after she's born.
P.S. Hubs and I are thinking we'll start trying to get pregnant for ourselves around December, 2011-January, 2012, barring other people's needs (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!) or unforeseen circumstances.
Today I got to go to the big hospital for the final ultrasound! This was the anatomical one where they check to make sure the baby has all its bits and that those bits are working as they should. It's also the one where they can tell what the baby's sex is! HUZZAH! Thankfully, my I.F. wanted to have this information, so I can now safely tell all that IT'S A GIRL!!! The doctor said she's in perfect condition, is exactly the right size for her date (which as of today is 18.6 weeks), and all her bits are working perfectly. (He said "perfect" a lot.) This means that the chances of chromosomal abnormalities is down to no more than 1%, which was a relief to I.F. He was more worried about that than finding out the baby's gender. He didn't really mind which sex the baby was, just so long as she was healthy.
Don't bother asking me about names for the baby. She will be named after she's born.
P.S. Hubs and I are thinking we'll start trying to get pregnant for ourselves around December, 2011-January, 2012, barring other people's needs (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!) or unforeseen circumstances.
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