Thursday, October 30, 2008

28 Week Ultrasound

A big sigh of relief ... and only tears of joy after today's ultrasound. Baby is measuring 28 1/2 weeks, and I just turned 28 weeks today. She's in the 55th percentile and everything looks good. My blood pressure was even quite good today and I was at the hospital in the high risk part, so go figure, you'd think that would stress me out more... They estimate that she currently weighs 2 pounds, 10 ounces, which is almost a full pound bigger than PB when he was born (which would have been yesterday in terms of where I am gestationally in this pg). Crazy to think about.

So, so far, so good! We'll just hope and pray that all continues to go well, and Redheaded Momma, I may just put up a few of those signs!

We have SO MUCH TO DO to get ready for this little girl!!! Her room isn't even painted. Oh well, it will all happen, it always does. I did, FINALLY, pick out bedding. Do you know that Restoration Hardware now has kids' furnishing and nursery bedding, even clothes--like a pottery barn kids kind of. Anyway, really cute stuff and I ordered some from there. Of course, I don't use bumpers, so it's really just a crib skirt and fitted sheets, but it's cute nonetheless... oh, actually, let me try to post a picture:




Halloween tomorrow--one big, sugar-induced tantrum waiting to happen with parties and trick or treating galore that pretty much goes from the minute PB wakes up!

Friday, October 24, 2008

ups and downs

this week has been exhausting and good and scary...then rinse and repeat. mostly it's been good--saw an old friend, pb's in a good place, I've felt pretty good for the most part, though more tired than I had been.

then i had my dr. appt. yesterday and it all fell apart--my blood pressure was up to the highest level it has been, and I just lost it ... AGAIN. I think I freaked my doctor out though he hasn't suggested therapy ... yet, suprisingly. everything else looks good, so i'm trying to focus on that--can I tell you how many times a day I examine my ankles for swelling?. The crazy thing is that when i took my bp myself at my gym a couple of hours after the dr.--it was back to down to where it's been--at least 15 points lower than the dr. office. so i know i'm stressing myself out and of course stress about that. So i'm trying to focus on the fact that this is all out of MY hands. All I can do is take care of myself and get rest, etc. but really other than that and being vigilant (which is totally stressful for me)there's NOTHING I can do. So that's that. Maybe once I get past the point in this pg when PB was born (next week), I'll feel more relieved...I don't know. I do have another ultrasound next week, which I pray shows the baby is still growing great. If it does, that will do a lot to reassure me too. If only I could just relax and enjoy all of this...

I am looking forward to this weekend. a little shopping tomorrow, then meeting a friend for dinner and a movie. do you have any idea how long it has been since I saw a movie?! sunday we have a picnic for PB's school, which should be fun. I also have a stack of magazines up to my neck and a book I'm dying to read (Julia Glass's new one!) so I'm going to make time for those as well. ... and, of course, a little work. because all play and no work makes me ... even more stressed out come Monday :) have a great weekend!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

26 Weeks

Today I am 26 weeks along. This is the same week that I went into the hospital with PB. I was in D.C. for business for four days--a very fun, but exhausting trip. I love being back there, and truly feel like it's home. It's where I had my first "real" job out of college, where I got my master's degree, where I met my husband. I would move back there in a heartbeat if I ever got the chance. It was great to see my friend Gretchen too in addition to some good work done--the real purpose the trip.

But when I got back home Tuesday night (after a very emotional reunion with PB--who I missed like I couldn't believe)I looked at my ankles and they were puffy; swollen. Just like the were in my last pregnancy. I've been watching them like a hawk since I first saw two lines on the pg stick, but they've always remained bony. Not this time, there was no questioning if they were swollen. They just were. And at that point, I thought, "Oh no, here we go again". I was an emotional mess yesterday, in uncontrollable tears for most of it, flashing back to what had happened with PB and imagining going through it all (and probably worse) again. But somehow I made myself get a grip, and went to the grocery store to take my b/p, which was just fine--a little elevated (probably due to stress) but still well within normal limits. So i relaxed a little bit and regained some composure to make it through the rest of the day...and my ankles started looking better.

This morning I'm happy to report that my bones are sticking out just like normal. There isn't an ounce of swelling to be seen, and my b/p (took it again this moring) is just great. So I'm feeling relieved and greatful and hoping it was just the pressure from the plane, an exhausting trip and walking around in heels for three days. Let's hope ... and pray.

What kills me is my emotional fragility right now. I know it's understandable given what we went through and with pregnancy hormones on top of it, but my God, I can become a mess quite easily... which i'm sure is just great for my b/p.

If my body (and mind!) can just hold on for about 11 more weeks, that's all I ask ...