It's a boy!

Wow. That's a big surprise. We were sure it was a girl. Time for the big dispersal of Victoria's clothes 2012.

Back from the fetal survey. Everything looked "perfect" and my risk of DS was 1 in 230 based on my previous testing. Today after the fetal survey the MD changed it to 1 in 460. The risk of amnio was 1 in 400. We decided not to to do the amnio. I had a pretty rough morning - tons of cramping, dry heaves, and nausea. Just resting currently and watching the new fish tank. More on that later.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. We found out the sex too.

pregnancy

This pregnancy has been so different that the first one. ( It is very surprising that I get to experience this again). I felt rotten from the get-go. Lower energy, severe acne, terrible night sweats, insomnia. I was 100% sure menopause was calling my name. There were food cravings of Pad Thai, mashed potatoes, Indian, pizza, cereal, salads with Ranch (don’t usually use it), apples, soy milk and mainly cold Diet Coke. Very icy cold Diet Coke. Last pregnancy I had nausea a little bit in the mornings, and a little bit before bed. This time, I had a LOT of nausea, headaches, and feeling totally hung over. I ended up using Zofran sporadically that my OB gave me just in case. Zofran is fabulous.

About week 14 I started feeling better and had more energy. I think being pregnant and four years older than I was previously (now 38) is much, much more tiring. Plus I have a little one to look after. I think that is a biggie. Now, I’m almost 19 weeks. Tuesday we go for our fetal survey and a possible amniocentesis, of which I am terrified X1000. Resting afterwards, taking it easy, this will be difficult. Plus, I am afraid of the complications from Amnio. The people I’ve spoken to make it seem like a walk in the park, which I guess it is in most cases, but there is always that small chance of something happening. People have asked why do it unless you are going to do something with that information?. Honestly, I don’t know what I would do if there was something wrong. But I think it is important to know. I did not have one with V since I was 34, but now I’m 38 and it is an entirely new ballgame. Thankfully, all my markers to this date have been normal.

As far as sex, I really, really don’t have a preference. Health is the most important to me. However, I am going to find out the sex. I find that so exciting! One day I’m convinced it is a girl, another day, a boy. I think my husband would like a boy for balance, to carry on the family name (whatever), and because he is a boy too. I do know girls better, I grew up with a sister, almost all girl cousins and friends. Plus we already have all the girl stuff.

Please pray that my amnio goes well and that there is a healthy little one in there!

very bad morning

P is out of town. He usually does the morning get ready stuff and drops off Victoria. I go into work for 7:30 and leave by 4:00 or 4:30 and pick V up by 5:00, leaving me very precious time on some days to run errands unencumbered. Today, I didn’t get into work until 8:30. I put on all the lights and let V get herself out of bed. She refused to use the potty or get out of her pajamas. I finally had to turn off the lights and pretend to go downstairs and then she cried, but got on the potty. She demanded books to be read. I told her we didn’t have time. She cried. I tried to change her shirt, etc while she was sitting on the potty. She whined and cried and protested.

I got her downstairs. She refused juice and water, shouting, crying, and whining. I put a banana in my bag and she started bawling and crying for it. It was the only one and really didn’t have anything else much to eat. Plus I knew I would give it to her and she wouldn’t eat it so it would be wasted. I am fairly obsessive about making lunches the night before, but last night I didn’t. I was making her lunch and took her water bottle and mixed in some water and diet ginger ale (it masks the taste of the miralax). She bawled and cried that “she didn’t want water”, AT LEAST 40 times. I ended up yelling at her twice to be quiet. I couldn’t take anymore. Finally I went over to try and get her dressed. She bawled about the choice of shoes and protested. I told her I was going to wear them then and she screamed and cried. I put her hat on her and she bawled and yelled because she “wanted to do it by myself”. She then fell off the chair and bawled. She kept asking for chex in a cup which I gave her. She kept on whining because the quantity wasn’t sufficient. I kept adding more. I helped her put her coat on and finally she would accept the shoes. I moved her Chex cup and she was so upset and grabbing it that she fell off the chair again. More bawling. I took one chex out of the cup and ate it (Have you tried the chocolate chex, they are good!) and she got so mad she hit me in the face. I was so angry. I sat her down in the chair, ripped her hat off, and made her look at me while I told her never ever to do that again. She cried and cried. She wanted to put the coat “on herself!” and pulled it off after all of my work and coaxing. I finally was seeing red and took out the bags to the car where again she followed me bawling that she needed “her coat zipped” and crying.


This entire 45 min I spent with my child today was made up entirely of her yelling, bawling, crying, screaming, and me yelling. I feel like a jerk. I finally got her into the car and strapped in. She said, “I love you momma”. I started to cry. I apologized for yelling at her, but told her she needed to listen and be a helper for mama.

Activities

Growing up in a small town in the 70’s and early 80’s there were not the number of organized children’s activities that there are now. In the spring and early summer we played girls’ softball in a community league. In grade school and junior high we played basketball in the fall and winter. I belonged to the community Girl’s Club (back when the Boys Club and Girls Club were separate), where I did ceramics, roller skating, pool, crafts, and cross country skiing. I finally got to play an instrument (clarinet –yick) in junior high. My family did a lot of hiking, biking, swimming in the summer, tons of roller skating, and cross country skiing. My older sister was super athletic. She got to do swimming for a year, then ice skating for a year (they didn’t have anything for the younger kids like they do now), guitar. She mostly did softball and basketball. I didn’t play these sports in high school because I wasn’t good enough to make the team. The bad thing about not being that great is that I did a lot of bench sitting. I wish they would have had things like soccer, volleyball and dance and karate because I would have really liked those. We had a small dance studio in town but it was super expensive, so I never got to go. There was no co-ed soccer.

I put V into a young child’s class of gymnastics back in June. She loves it! It’s 45 minutes once a week split up into balance beam, tumbling, bar work, trampoline, and free play. Is she good at it? I don’t know and I don’t care. I’d love for her to be good enough to continue. It’s so amazing to watch the other girls there and see the flexibility and strength. She took dance for 8 weeks and loved that even more. If I could find a time that worked for us, I would have her in both. I think it’s so great that she gets exercise, is gaining confidence, learning to take turns, and having fun. I also would like to start her in Piano when she is four.

Plus she is so darn cute in the leotard and dance dress.

Newsflash!

Here’s the scoop.

I’m pregnant.
Yes it happened the old fashioned way.
I found out September 11th and was AGAIN in total shock that I could be fertile. AGAIN.
I’m currently 15 weeks.
I was in some sort of funk about it (every though I am happy and blessed) for a month. I blame hormones, nausea, and fatigue.
The nausea was much worse with this one than with the first one. OMG. Actually been having to use some Zofran.
The breast pain is worse with this one than with the first one.
Biking at 7 weeks in a national park when you are exhausted is not recommended.
I try to tell V that there “is a baby in Momma’s belly” and she says there is a “baby in HER belly”. Named Ainsley.
Being four years older than last time and late 30’s really makes me tired and pregnant.
I hope the medical establishment is totally happy they have me freaked out about “advance maternal age”.
Didn’t want to say anything until I am sure things are going well. I was counseled early on about a high risk of miscarriage.
It’s so weird that I am pregnant. AGAIN. I had a 5% chance of conceiving on my own 8 years ago.
This time AGAIN I was on regular iron and I had dropped five pounds (PCOS) after my jaw surgery. Think those two things knocked the old egg right out me.

1st Haircut

Victoria’s hair was looking even worse than usual. I understand that is negative, but she does indeed have some really kooky hair. The front is untouched, sparse, and short. The back is long and straggly, thin, frizzy, different lengths. We were out by the mall for her Pediatric GI appointment (more on that later), and afterwards I took her to play place in the mall. We passed by a Regis on the way out with no customers. We went in and I asked for a haircut. We got a friendly girl named Amber. She said, “Ma’am, there really isn’t anything to cut here.” I agreed, but she conservatively trimmed the back so it was all one length and it did look better. V never moved a muscle or said a word. It cost $11. Afterwards she told me, “I got my hair cut”.

I’ve tried to make her hair less flyaway and crazy. I’ve tried baby gels, leave-in conditioners, etc. It works for a few hours after the bath and then done. We do carry the AXIN2 gene in my family that causes thin hair. I think V may have it.

1st haircut at 3.3 years. Next one will probably be another 3 years. I got choked up a bit when I saw how big my baby is.