Top 10 Crazy Questions to Scare Your Doc About Pregnancy

Hello Readers,
     It's only been about 10 weeks since my last post...There's an art to blogging and I'm like the kindergarten kid eating the craft glue at the table next to the kid drawing at a 5th grade level. Admittedly, I am a failure. In an effort to redeem myself, I created a Tumblr account; the lazy bloggers dream. You can follow me here.  Anyways, since it's been near 10 weeks since my last post, I decided to post 10 crazy questions.

1.  My baby kicks all the time; will she actually be a soccer player?
2.  Is it safe to go in for my regularly scheduled bikini wax? Or what are new moms doing now?
3. I just got a positive result on a pregnancy test; when can I call MTV?
4. Are you testing me for STDs because it's clear I put out?
5. Do you have a house phone?
6. Is it safe to bleach my 'stache? My lip hair has roots showing.
7. Can I get a c-section? I really don't want my baby to look like a cone-head; I didn't buy a lot of hats.
8. I want to name my baby Oscar Melvin; is it true that could lead to emotional scarring?
9. My baby is half Puerto Rican; but my husband says that Puerto Ricans that aren't born in Puerto Rico are diluted to 1/2 of what their blood quantity is....so would that make my baby 1/4 Puerto Rican and 1/4 New Yorker?
10. If my baby hasn't been delivered by my due date, can we just call it good and cut her out?

How's mom doing?
    Mom is going crazy; clearly shown by the above questions. I have a lot of time on my hands with my not sleeping and all. Back-aches and potty-break wake me every hour; like clock work. I've gained 9 lbs now and feel huge. What scares me most about that is the fact that I still have 3 months to expand. I set myself a goal of 15 lbs....so I have two pounds a month now...yeah, we'll see how that works out. I've experienced some mild swelling, but luckily only a few times. My appetite is back with a vengeance; big girl is back fo' sho. And lately, all I've wanted is junk. I have to force down the healthy foods and reward myself with a bowl of ice cream...or a pizza. I am growing increasingly impatient to hold my baby girl. But I know it will come all too fast.

How's baby?
Baby is 2.5 lbs, 16 inches long, and roughly the size of a head of cauliflower. I don't feel her move as often as I did before, but that does not mean she doesn't move. She's become so big that she has less room to swim around. I feel a lot stronger kicks and jabs though. She also likes to roll. It feels so gross when she pushes her whole body against the wall of my stomach to turn around. She still loves to kick and punch my bladder; and because she's stronger, I've nearly peed my pants every day. She is most active mid-morning, after dinner, and when I'm trying to sleep. She's got the hiccups a few times, but not as much as I've heard other women report their babies to have. Her favorite game is "make mommy have to pee suddenly at inconvenient times". I love this girl, but she is just like her daddy...enjoys making me uncomfortable and slightly irritated.

Alex and I on a nice weekend together with the bump.

25 weeks, spending time with Alex and Luci.

18 weeks

Hello everyone,
    I am now 2 weeks away from being half way through my pregnancy. That is crazy to me! I have some updates for my 18th week.

Mommy:
    I'm feeling pretty great lately. I'm tired, but that's because back pain has been keeping me up. My stomach is definitely starting to stick out...More than usual. I have been extra weepy lately. Thank you hormones; like I need help being emotional. I've got that one covered. I haven't really gained any weight. Which I think is ok at this point, but I have a prenatal appointment today and I will know for sure.

Baby:
   The baby is now 6 inches from crown to rump (like a large mango) and weight a half a pound. That seems huge to me....but again, I've been monitoring it's progress since it was the size of a poppy seed. My baby is moving with more control and it's bones are becoming stronger. The disgusting fact this week is that my baby is now covered in vernix caseosa or cheese varnish in Latin. Vernix caseosa is a waxy substance that will protect my baby's skin until birth. I have been feeling my little guy or girl squirming around int here. Sometimes the kicks and rolls are more noticeable and other times I barely feel anything for most of the day. I do think that it will be getting more consistent within the next few weeks.

Cheerleading:
The cheerleaders are doing great. We are working hard at finishing up our routine. Regionals is next week, so this week is going to be killer. I think they will do well. They are all very young, but very hard workers. I am looking forward to seeing them perform...and also to having my evenings back...but mostly seeing them perform. Only 2 more weeks and the season is over. It's crazy how time flies.

Thanks for reading! :)

Elizabeth Peratrovich Day

Hello readers,
     I am so excited that today is Elizabeth Peratrovich day. She is a hero of mine...I am a huge fan of this amazing woman.

Elizabeth Peratrovich was born July 4th, 1911 in PETERSBURG, ALASKA. It's funny that she was born on July 4th because of her tremendous efforts towards creating equal rights. Elizabeth Peratrovich was born into a world that taught her, because of her ethnicity, she was not worthy of the same things that "white" Americans were. Outside of restaurants and barber shops were signs that read "no dogs, no natives". She grew up strong and became vice president of the Alaska Native Sisterhood. Her husband, Roy Peratrovich, became grand president of the Alaska Native Brotherhood. ANB and ANS are civil rights organizations. Something I found extremely cool is that a member of my family Henrietta Newton spoke something at a meeting, in which Elizabeth Peratrovich was in attendance, that moved Peratrovich to speak on Civil Rights. Henrietta spoke of a horrible experience. She had made a hair appointment at a local beauty salon and that same day her husband, a Tlingit man and my relative, escorted her down the same street the salon was located on. The shop employees saw this couple strolling through town. The next day they refused her service saying "we do not cater to indian trade". Henrietta responded with the fact that she was 100% Swiss and would not take their perm if they gave it to her for free. This happened in Juneau, Alaska...Alaska's capital.

Because of the injustice to her people, Elizabeth felt the need to take action. There had been much movement in civil rights for Alaska. Finally the territorial senate had decided to meet and discuss a bill that would give Alaska civil rights to Native people. Sure enough, Elizabeth and Roy were in attendance. Sadly there were members of the senate who could not grasp the idea of Natives being equal members of the community.  Senator Tobler Scott spoke "'Mixed breeds are the source of trouble, it is they only who wish to associate with the whites. It would have been better had the Eskimos put up signs 'No whites allowed.' This issue is simply an effort to create political capital for some legislators. Certainly white women have done their part in keeping the races distinct, if white men had done as well there would be no racial feeling in Alaska."....let me tell you....WHITE WOMEN LOVE NATIVE MEN!....have you seen Twilight, those boys are fine. Don't kid yourself. But this isn't my argument, Elizabeth Peratrovich won this battle. Senator Frank Whaley spoke out against the bill "Far from being brought closer together, which will result from this bill," he said, " the races should be kept further apart. Who are these people, barely out of savagery, who want to associate with us whites with 5,000 years of recorded civilization behind us?" Today, my blood boils over that statement. Imagine Mrs. Peratrovich managing to sit calmly until she got her turn on to speak on behalf of ANS.  Whaley also stated he did not want to sit next to an Eskimo in the theater...because they smelled.

Roy Peratrovich was allowed to speak first for the ANB. He spoke eloquently about discrimination and how Fairbanks had managed to win the fight against discrimination. He made them understand that their decision was clear. They could not pretend to pity the Natives of Alaska and still vote to discriminate against them. "Only Indians can know how it feels to be discriminated against," Peratrovich said. "Either you are for discrimination or you are against it accordingly as you vote on this bill," he added. He stepped down.

Elizabeth rose from the gallery and asked to be heard. This where my mouth would get me in trouble. But Elizabeth, being the lady she was, spoke in a more motivating way.

"I would not have expected," Elizabeth said in a quiet steady voice, "that I, who am 

barely out of savagery, would have to remind gentlemen with five thousand years of recorded civilization behind them of our Bill or Rights. When my husband and I came to Juneau and sought a home in a nice neighborhood where our children could play happily with our neighbors' children, we found such a house and had arranged to lease it. When the owners learned that we were Indians, they said 'no.' Would we be compelled to live in the slums?" Her intelligence was obvious, her composure faultless. After giving a potent, neatly worded picture of discrimination against the Indians and other Native people, Mrs. Peratrovich said, "There are three kinds of persons who practice discrimination. First, the politician who wants to maintain an inferior minority group so that he can always promise them something. Second, the Mr. and Mrs. Jones who aren't quite sure of their social position and who are nice to you on one occasion and can't see you on others, depending on who they are with. Third, the great superman who believes in the superiority of the white race." Discrimination suffered by herself and her friends, President Peratrovich told the assembled body, "has forced the finest of our race to associate with white trash." There was an awesome silence in the packed hall, you could hear a pin drop.

Asked by Senator Shattuck if she thought the proposed bill would eliminate discrimination, Elizabeth Peratrovich queried in rebuttal, "Do your laws against larceny and even murder prevent those crimes? No law will eliminate crimes but at least you as legislators can assert to the world that you recognize the evil of the present situation and speak your intent to help us overcome discrimination."

When she finished, there was a wild burst of applause from the gallery and senate floor alike. There was tears, crying. Her plea could not have been more effective. Opposition that had appeared to speak with a strong voice was forced to a defensive whisper at the close of that senate hearing by a five foot five inch Tlingit woman. The Senate passed the bill 11 to 5 on February 8, 1945. A new era in Alaska's racial relations had begun.

Bold Text from http://www.alaskool.org/projects/native_gov/recollections/peratrovich/Elizabeth_1.htm

Every time I hear this story I get choked up. How incredible was this woman? so strong, intelligent, passionate. She did the work so we wouldn't have to. Elizabeth Peratrovich has made it possible for me to feel equal to any person based on race. I am a proud, educated, employed Tlingit woman. I could not guarantee that I would be the person I am today, if it weren't for her standing in front of those senators and telling them what was right. I will strive to be the kind of woman she would be proud of.

My Baby is a Ninja

Hello everyone,
   It's been a while since I've last posted and it's been kinda crazy.

Cheerleading update:
    We are competing at regionals. I lost one cheerleader through that decision, but we are ready to move on. The girls are hitting stunts that they were struggling with for weeks. I chalk it up to an attitude adjustment...and I am so proud of them.

Mommy (me) update:
I am still getting headaches, but not as debilitating. I have been feeling super tired and struggling to make it through the day. I also have been feeling dizzy. Last night I had vertigo pretty bad and couldn't walk on my own with out running into things...embarrassing. I went to the doctor today, thinking I had an ear infection. I have a sinus infection (which I get pretty often when I'm not pregnant) and a urinary tract infection (which I guess is fairly common when you're pregnant...it's my second one since I've been pregnant). I am going on "baby-safe" antibiotics and should be feeling better soon.

Baby update:
They pushed back my ultrasound to the week of my birthday (March 5th-March 9th). Just to put my at 20 weeks instead of 18. The baby has been having days of laziness and days of mad kicking.It is now the size of a sweet potato or 5.5" and weighs 5 oz. My uterus is now the size of a cantaloupe and up to my belly button. The baby can yawn, hear a little better (not well), and hiccup.

Valentines Day
Alex and I agreed on Saturday that we just give each other time for Valentines Day. He started work and is pretty busy. I am at cheerleading until 7 or so every night. So the best gift for each other is time. We ordered pizza and watched tv. It was great! When we went to bed the baby started kicking up a storm. Alex was rubbing my stomach; which has become a ritual from the morning sickness days. While his hand was resting on my stomach the baby started kicking right where his hand was at. I told him the baby didn't like his hand there. He got excited that the baby had seemed to respond to his hand on my stomach. I told him he could try to put a little pressure and see if he could feel it. We had tried this the week before and he was disappointed because the baby is so small he couldn't feel the kicks.  He tried it anyways. We both were really quite (like it would help the baby move). The baby kicked the most I've felt it kick in one place. I told Alex "it's kicking!". He looked at me with a frozen look on his face. Then he said "I felt it" "really" "I think so, it was just like dink (as he tapped my hand)" "yeah, that's what it feels like!" "that's amazing, let me see it again". He didn't feel it again, but he was really excited to have felt it at all. I went to sleep a little concerned that I had got him excited about a muscle twitch and not the baby. However, it seemed like too big of a coincidence.

Today at the doctor's office the baby kept running away from the doctor. She would find the heartbeat and then the baby would move and she'd have to search again. I laughed a bit and told her the baby liked to hide from the doppler. Finally the baby was still enough for her to get it's heartbeat. Then it kicked like crazy. "the baby is kicking the doppler" I laughed. She said "I know, I felt it bump it". "Really?" I asked. She said "yeah, you're going to have your hands full". I busted up "yeah, the baby is just like it's daddy. Neither of them can sit still." My day was made in that moment. I had confirmed that Alex probably had felt the baby kick. He had been waiting and waiting for it, and now it was here. He could feel more like a part of it. I will never forget the first time someone else felt my baby kick and the first time I believed it. :).....my baby is a ninja.

Why competition is a tough concept to rookie teams.

Hello readers,
   I am going through a rough patch. Working my regular job from 8-3:30 and then going to cheerleading from 3:30-7 (7:30ish) makes for a long day. I have been getting migraine headaches; which the doc says just happens sometimes in pregnancy and there's not a whole lot that can be done.  I'm exhausted by the end of the day. However, most of the time I feel accomplished and like we are moving forward.

Lately the cheerleaders have been stuck in a rut. They are struggling with motivation and energy. That's the hard part about a rebuilding year. None of my girls have ever even seen a cheerleading competition...so they are having a hard time understanding why I am kicking their butts every day. They've come a long way, but it's a bummer when they don't understand the importance of keeping a positive attitude. That has always been their strong point; attitude. We are deciding today if we move forward for the next 3 weeks or if we don't want to compete this year and use it as a learning experience. Either way I feel like I'm fighting a battle. I'm not one to beg my girls to work hard. They either want it or they don't. On the other hand, I've never backed down from competition....although, it would be nice to be home in time for dinner...it's a tough choice either way. I'm so very proud of how far the girls have come. Either way, we've achieved what some have thought impossible. Keep us in your prayers. :)

Homecoming weekend

Hello Readers,
  I am now 16 weeks and 3 days pregnant. I've hit 4 months! :) Whoo!

Homecoming weekend was super busy. We ended up taking the ferry on Thursday at 10:15pm; which landed us in Wrangell around 2am. So I was exhausted on Friday. I had requested practice time around 1pm on that day. The school called 11am and told me that they didn't have gym time available after 12, so if I needed practice it would have to be before then....again, they called at 11am. I was so frustrated. I met the girls at the school at 1 and got them warmed up. We marked through everything we could, but we couldn't do much without a place to stunt. The JV games went fine, we did basic stunts since we didn't have practice. We then went out to find a place to warm up our more complicated stunts. When we asked the athletic director for a space he pointed out the top level of the common area complete with balcony. I decided balcony's and flying girls didn't work out. So we were offered their middle school commons, we went to that area and threw the flyer in a half. (pretty much they were holding her feet at shoulder level, a basic stunt). She could touch the ceiling with her hands....so we ended up in their band room....it was awful.

The varsity games that night didn't go much better. The girls were in their cheer line-up...cheering, when one of my freshman was harassed by an old man (like in his 70's +). He told her to leave because her fans were on the other side of the bleachers. This just wasn't true, we had Viking fans directly behind him. I told her to shake it off and keep her chin up. I also informed the athletic director that his crowd member was being rude and that needed to be checked...he did nothing. Later that game half of my line-up stared at me with their jaws dropped. I asked what was wrong and one of girls said "he just threatened to hit her with his cane"...I just about jumped over 2 rows of crowd members to get to the old man. "sir" I told him " if you are upset with somebody about her cheering here, you can be upset with me; because I told her to stand there".  He informed me he did not care. I  replied " you are a grown man. This child is a freshman, she was just in middle school. All she is doing is exactly what I tell her to." He told me that our fans were over on the other side of the bleachers and we needed to move. "sir, if you are not enjoying the game you can always change your seat. Please grow up." He again told me he didn't care..."Sir, you will care".  I raged out of the gym to track down the athletic director. I was shaking from my poorly controlled anger. I practically screamed at the athletic director "your crowd member just threatened to hit my FRESHMAN cheerleader with his cane." The director thought I was joking...until he saw my face. I told him that something needed to be done and I would like the man removed from the court if he could not stop threatening little girls. He said he would take care of it. He told the man he should be embarrassed of himself and needed to stop.....not quite what I was hoping for. I called our principal and told him what had happened and how unhappy I was with how things were handled. Our principal told me that I had every right to pull the girls from the court and let them cheer from the stands. I considered this because my girls were upset; as was I. I told him thank you and that I would think about what our next move would be. I decided the girls could stick it out because I wasn't going to let my girls be bested by a grumpy old man.

Thank God I have a great squad and tough girls. They stuck it out and cheered their hearts out.

The next day was uneventful in comparison. The highlight being that I had a migraine and got to chaperone the dance...ugh.

Homecoming

Hello everyone,
    I am getting ready to head on over to Wrangell on the ferry for their homecoming. I am excited to see how the cheerleaders perform over there. I may not write for a few days; as homecoming weekend tends to be super crazy. I will make sure to do a post when I get back. :)

Fellow bloggers

Hello readers/bloggers,
    I am looking for more pregnancy blogs to read. If you know of any, I'd love to hear about them.

I'm currently reading:
My OB Said What...
The Pregnant Chicken
and
G.I. Joe's Wife.


Thanks,
Veronica

Nursery

Hello Everyone,
   I am now 15 weeks 2 days pregnant. I am dying to get stuff ready for the baby. I have been staring at our nursery for about 2 months now just hoping it would clear itself of all the storage items we have been keeping there...well, that never happened. Last night I took matters into my own hands. I moved all the storage junk into the guest room, asked Alex to clear it today, and felt very accomplished. :) Then I got to work cleaning it up and organizing it as best I could. Because we don't have much baby stuff, it took me about an hour. I vacuumed, dusted the few items we had in there, and organized baby clothes by age. I was quickly surprised by how much relief I felt by just doing that little chore to prepare for baby.

Now the room is ready to be painted.  The photos are of the nursery now, so it's not the color we want it to be. If it's a girl, we are planning on changing the dark pink to dark brown, the green to white, and the light pink to purple (the same purple as some of my bridesmaids dresses. Photo at bottom). If it's a boy, it would be the same as the girl colors, except the purple would be a blue. I'm not sure what shade of blue. I want it to be light, but not pastel.

The purple for a girl is the lighter of the purples. :)

Also, I have felt my tiny dancer squirming around today. Pretty awesome!

Thanks for reading,
see ya next time

What a crazy Thursday!

Hello readers,
    After a night's sleep, I am feeling refreshed and ready to tell you about my crazy Thursday.

It all began on Wednesday night. I was leaving cheer practice, had snowed a great deal while I was in practice, and I was walking to my car. On the way to the car, I had one of those slips where one foot decides it hates you, skids out from underneath you, and tries to kick you in the face. Because I'm so graceful, I quickly twist my whole upper body to catch myself on the sidewalk...turns out my lower half decided to stick it out and stay right where it was at. I ended up throwing my back out and cramping in my stomach muscles. I didn't think to much of it; it's not anything out of the norm for me to almost eat-it every day.

That night I was "grandma-walking" around my house and doing the usual tricks to get the kinks out of my back (hot shower, laying on a hard floor, stretching, etc).  When I went to bed, I felt some odd cramps in my lower abdomen. It didn't hurt (like the rest of my body), but I kept telling Alex "something feels wrong", "something's weird". I text my aunt about it and asked her if I should be concerned enough to go to the ER. She is a CNA at our hospital and it helps when you're in a panic about baby stuff. She told me that as long as it doesn't start to hurt or get worse, I should be ok until morning. I felt a little better. However, the cramping kept me up ALL night.

The next  morning right when the clinic opened, I called to make an appointment. Lucky for me, there was a cancellation and I was able to go right in to see my doctor. When we got there, the panic got the better of me and I was trying to choke back sobs as the nurse got my vitals. I kept saying "I'm sorry, I didn't get much sleep. So I'm very emotional". She was very reassuring that it was ok to be upset and that I was doing a good job taking care of my baby. After she left, the doctor came in. She asked what had happened, what was hurting, and what my concerns were. I told her about the fall and that my back and sides were hurting. I was having cramping in my lower abdomen, but it didn't hurt. It just felt wrong. She then got me up on the exam table and started looking for the baby's heartbeat using a Doppler. She moved around on my stomach for a bit trying to find it. I got more panicked by the second. She finally told me it was not terribly unusual for the Doppler to not find the heartbeat. I tried not to cry (unsuccessfully). I remembered that during one of my previous visits, they had to bring in the bedside ultrasound because they couldn't find the heartbeat using the Doppler. But that wasn't very calming at this point. The doctor said she would like to get an ultrasound to check on the baby anyways, so we could confirm the heart rate that way. Because our doctor is so great, she asked the ultrasound tech if she could get us in right away. And thank God she was able to.

We were in the waiting room for about 10 minutes (long enough for me to drink some water and get ready for the ultrasound). The ultrasound technician brought us back and got us ready. She told us she had already been praying for us (that made me feel A LOT better, like God was telling me that He was with me). As soon as she put the wand to my stomach, she said the baby was just fine. I cried...again. I was so relieved...and shocked, our baby looked like a baby! the last time we saw it, it looked like a bean. (picture on left) Now it looked like a real baby. I couldn't help but let the tears slide down my cheeks as the technician caught my baby's little movements and profile. It was amazing. Alex, who was at the foot of the exam table, started rubbing my foot (because he couldn't hold my hand). He was just as relieved and excited to see our baby had grown so much.

While we were staring at our beautiful baby on the monitor, the ultrasound tech asked if I had any fibroids  (a non-cancerous tumor in the uterus). I told her that I didn't think so (I had no idea what they were at the time). She told us she was going to step out and look at my previous ultrasound.  The look on my face must've been panic because she said "but first let me put up a good picture of your baby so you have something to focus on while I'm gone". She stepped out and I tried to relax and enjoy the good news of my baby's well-being. When she returned she informed me that I was having Braxton-Hicks contractions (small contractions of the uterus to prepare for labor; these start in the 2nd trimester and continue off and on until labor starts). I suddenly understood what felt weird and wrong the night before. It had felt like my uterus was contracting, but without the pain, I thought it had to be something terrible. The ultrasound tech printed off a photo of the baby for us and sent us back to the clinic.

We reported the heartbeat (150 bpm) to the doctor and she gave us the ok to go home. She asked that I stay home and rest. When we got home, my aunt called in a panic (she had heard that I was in the clinic because I fell and that we couldn't hear the baby's hearbeat). I told her the news and we got off the phone shortly after. Then Lena called. I told her everything that had happened and we talked for about a half hour. When I got off the phone, I was ready for bed. I asked Alex to wake me up at 12 to go to work...he didn't. I slept until 2:30. When I got up, I ran to work to check in. Not much was going on. So I went to cheerleading practice and had a short practice. By 7pm I was ready for bed; my back ached and I was emotionally drained. So I hit the hay and woke up the next day feeling tired, but much better....look at how stinkin cute my baby is! it has been said the baby has Alex's nose. (which is known to be large). so adorable.

to be continued

Hello readers,
    I will be posting tomorrow about my crazy night last night and scary morning this morning. I am super sleep deprived and jumping in to bed right after this post. Look forward to writing to you tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!

Wacky Wednesday

Hello all,
    First off, I am thinking of doing a daily photo of me and my baby gut. Please post your opinions on that in a comment. Today is Wednesday. I've decided to share with you some myths about pregnancy that are just wacky and not very accurate:

1. Cocoa butter prevents stretch marks.
   -Cocoa butter actually makes your skin more sensitive and does nothing for stretch marks.
   
2. You can't eat sushi.
   -Sushi is permissible except for mackerel, shark, tilefish and swordfish. And don’t eat too much tuna.
   
3. Dying your hair is harmful to your baby.
   -Most chemicals in hair dye will not cause problems with your pregnancy.
   
4. You shouldn’t have sex/lift your hands over your head/touch your toes while pregnant.
   -Unless a doctor tells you otherwise, this does not hurt your pregnancy.
   
5. You shouldn't take hot baths while pregnant. (TRUE TRUE TRUE)
   -You can take warm baths, just not any of those baths that would raise your temp to 102.
   
6. You shouldn't drink coffee while pregnant.
   -Everything in moderation.
   
7. You should sleep on your left side and never on your back.
   -Sleeping on one side can cause hip discomfort and sleeping on your back is fine as long as it's comfortable.
   
8. Walking can make labor go by faster.
   -Labor will take it's sweet old time.
   
9. When you're pregnant, you should eat for 2.
   -FALSE! when you're pregnant you only need an additional 200-300 calories a day...less than a candy bar, more like a Tillamook yogurt cup.
   
10. Drinking beer can help breast milk come in.
    -Nope. Although it make relax the mother; which will help breast milk come in.

And your awkward photo title at bottom.

 "how long did it take you to figure out she was suppose to be a troll?"

2nd Prenatal Appointment

Hello Readers,

   Today I had my 2nd prenatal appointment. I was excited for it all day! Here's how it went:

1. They checked my vitals; my blood pressure was low and I had a normal temp.
   
2. I peed in a cup; there was nothing unusual to be found.
   
3. Alex played Angry Birds while we waited for the doctor...cause he's a grown up.
   
4. The doc came in and asked how I was doing and if my headaches had gone away. I told her I am doing well, but the headaches are still semi-bothersome.
   
5.  She asked if I had any questions. I had this one "I can't stay asleep; I wake up at least every hour and it's really difficult to get some rest. Is there anything I can do?" She said that it was ok to take a Benedryl or Tylenol PM (because Tylenol PM is pretty much Tylenol and Benedryl); but she recommended only taking it when I really needed it. I told her I might give it a shot for a night or two.
   
6. I got to jump up on the exam table and listen to my baby's heart beat (posted at the end of this post). I always love that part. I find that I was secretly worrying that my baby had disappeared until I hear that noise. It was around 140 bpm. Which is kind of mid-range; the range being 130-160.
   
7. I told her that I planned on going to Sitka for the birth (because our small town can't provide labor and delivery services) and asked if the OB from there was going visit town (because the ones out of Juneau make stops through 1 or 2 times a year). Sadly, my OB will not be stopping through.
   
8. The doctor informed me that I would need to leave for Sitka at 38 weeks, around the 7th of July...I am kinda bummed that I will be stuck in Sitka for around two weeks, but hopefully it will go quickly and smoothly.
   
9. Lastly I asked about my weight. She informed me that I am the same weight that I was before I got pregnant. This is mostly because I lost 9 lbs (12 when I was super sick) in my first trimester from morning sickness. I quickly put that weight back on once I could eat properly. I was extremely excited that I hadn't gained anything overall. I voiced my concern about being an overweight mother and gestational diabetes. She said that women should gain 15-20 lbs during pregnancy and that I wasn't showing any signs of gestational diabetes. My urine had no "sugars" in it. She did mention that they won't really check for gestational diabetes for a while longer, but as long as I ate frequent small and healthy meals, I should be fine. I was relieved to hear that. I have been struggling to eat frequently, but I am working on it day by day.
   
   The appointment was short and sweet...oh, I also have to do blood work in two weeks (which I HATE) and I have another appointment on the 21st of February. The doctor said we should be able to have an ultrasound and confirm gender that same week; I'm really looking forward to that. So, 4 more weeks and I should know if it's a boy or a girl. (you can vote on what you think it is by the little box on the right of the blog).
   
   Thanks for reading!
   
   

Can't you hear that boom badoom boom, boom badoom boom bass?! yeah, that's that super bass!

Tagged

I've Been Tagged

I was tagged by Megan at Butterfly Dreams N' Things Here are the rules lovelies!

The Rules
1. You must post the rules. (And link up who tagged you)
2. Post 11 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for  you in their post, and then create 11 new questions to ask the people you've tagged.
4. Tag however many people you want.
5. Let them know you've tagged them.

The Facts
1. I am 14 weeks 3 days pregnant.
2. I have been married for 1 year 5 months.
3. My favorite part of cheerleading is any sort of stunting.
4. I don't think that table tops are real jumps.
5. I love 2/7 of my Pandora play lists are good old music (love is a battlefield and leather & lace)
6. Shows I can't live with out are on almost every day: Glee, Ghost Hunters, Vampire Diaries, Grey's Anatomy, Grimm, Dexter, Biggest Loser.
7. I have 2 sets of best friends; 2 in the CO and 2 in the AK.
8. Wayne's World is still to this day one of my favorite movies.
9. I hate flying...not because it's scary....but it's SO BORING!
10. Before I got pregnant, I would cry if I found out some one was pregnant. "why *sob* does *sob* everyone get to have babies but me?! *wail*"
11. I would love to quit my job and open a cheerleading gym, but the success rate in such a small town makes it impossible.

The Questions
1. What was the last song you listened to?
Rhiannon-Fleetwood Mac
2. What was your favorite book as a child?
Ella Enchanted
3. If you could meet any celebrity, who would it be and why?
Ryan Gosling...need you ask?
4. What did you want to grow up to be when you were little?
A rock star (but during my kindergarten graduation, I said "artist")
5. What is your favorite show on TV?
Vampire Diaries...but mostly because I just finished catching up and am now obsessed.
6. Who is your favorite band/musician and what is your favorite song of theirs?
Florence and the Machine- Howl...but I love most of their songs.
7. Did you play sports or were you in any clubs growing up?
I tried volleyball for a few years, but cheerleading was my sport.
8. How long have you been blogging and why did you start?
I have been blogging off and on for about a year. I started to document my weight loss.
9. Where did you meet your best friends?
the 2 in CO I met through cheerleading at the Fort. the 2 in AK I met growing up here.
10. Do you hate Valentine's Day like I do?
not really, I like the idea of celebrating your love, but I don't think it has to be anything huge.
11. If you could be any movie character who would you be and why?
Bella Swan, so I could ditch the zero and get with a hero (Jacob Black)


New Questions
1. Team Edward or Team Jacob?
2. Team Angelina or Team Jennifer
3. Do you watch sports on TV?
4. What shows do you watch regularly?
5. Who is your fav famous person and why?
6. If you could only bring 3 (non-survival) things to a deserted island, what would they be?
7. If you had to bring one celebrity with you to the deserted island, who would it be and why?
8. Would you eat human flesh if you had nothing else to eat?
9. ....would you eat your dog?
10. What is a song that you hated before you loved?
11. If you had to pick a super power, what would it be?

Now, for the fun part. Tag! You're it!
Lou @ Guinn and Bare It

Cheerleading

Hello everyone,
     As I've mentioned in the past I coach cheerleading. I cheered all through middle school, high school, and 3/4 years of college. This is my 2nd year of coaching, so I have been involved in cheerleading for near 12 years. I am addicted.  For September-March I wake up, go to work, go to cheer practice, eat, and go to bed. It's a glamorous life...

My methods of coaching are simple:
You either want to work hard or you don't want to cheer.
If you whine about something, I make you do it more often.
If you look like an idiot, I'll let you know.
If you get hurt because you weren't doing what you're told, I won't pity you.
If you're not broken or bleeding, suck it up!(unless it's a kick to the face, then you get a drink of water)
When you do something right, I will congratulate you...and tell you 2 things to make better next time.


Why would a girl want to cheer for me? Honestly, sometimes I don't know...but then I look back at what my girls have accomplished over the season, and I'm proud...so proud that sometimes I want to pregnant cry for a few minutes.

How has pregnancy effected my coaching?
I find that I'm a lot quicker to get on my girls' cases for making rookie mistakes.
I have low tolerance for chatter.
If I get mad, they run until I'm no longer mad...and it takes longer.
I get hungry mid-practice...more often.
I can be super proud of them for hitting a new stunt and then super ticked off when they take too long to get a drink...in a matter of seconds.
But the one thing that hasn't changed is that I love each of those girls and ask myself to go as far as they would go for me. They're my kids, and they're awesome.....ok, pregnancy may have made me more sappy...but shut the heck up, it's my team, I'll get mushy when I want!

The one thing my doctor warned me about what spotting my girls stunts. If they are doing a new stunt, I am normally standing right up in their business in case a fall occurs. However, the doctor would prefer me to stand far enough away that I don't get kicked or elbowed in the stomach.This would be easy to some, but I have been involved in cheerleading for 12 years. I am conditioned be there just in case. My girls normally don't need me there, they catch well....I just feel like I need me there. As my pregnancy has been progressing, it has been easier for me to step back. It's mostly because the girls experience less scary falls and more controlled ones. But I am realizing that I want to take a step back to protect my little break dancer (baby). It's a weird feeling to be out of the danger zone, but it's what the doc wants for my baby, so it's gotta be right.


Any who, I have a prenatal appointment tomorrow, so hopefully I will have some cool stuff to share then. But right now, I will leave you with some jokes:

Questions to ask your health care provider- (I put my favs in bold)

My husband and I are very attractive. I’m sure our baby will be beautiful enough for commercials. Whom should I contact about this?
Your therapist

How will I know if my vomiting is morning sickness or the flu?
If it’s the flu, you’ll get better. 


The more pregnant I get, the more often strangers smile at me. Why?
‘Cause you’re fatter than they are. 

What’s the difference between a nine-month pregnant woman and a model?
Nothing, if the pregnant woman’s husband knows what’s good for him.  

What does it mean when the baby’s head is crowning?
It means you feel as though not only a crown but the entire throne is trying to make its way out of you.


Does labor cause hemorrhoids?
Labor causes anything you want to blame it for.


And your awkward pregnancy photos titled "Staying Active?":

Don't forget to click Follow Me! See ya next post!

Week 14 and Baby stuff

Hello readers,
    Well, I am officially 14 weeks and 1 day pregnant and into my 15th week. :) My friends in Colorado were telling me about a blogger who would post what she was suppose to be feeling while pregnant vs. what she actually felt. So I thought I would share in a similar fashion. So here goes:

Info for week 15:
My baby is 4 1/2" long and weighs 2-3 ounces; it is roughly the size of a large navel orange. It is looking less like an alien and more like an actual human fetus. It ears have moved to it's face, instead of looking like deformed gills on the side of it's neck. My baby has the coordination and strength to flip you the bird (or wiggle it's toes and suck it's thumb...your move, chump). Also, my baby can breathe and suck in that nasty amniotic fluid (which I learned a few weeks back it was able to poop in....I was not impressed...I may or may not have dry heaved for 20 minutes after learning that bit of info).

Info for mommy on month four (From What to Expect When You're Expecting):
Physically I may or may not feel some or all of the following-

• fatigue
• does it ever stop?
• decrease urinary frequency
• I'm not sleep-walking to the bathroom any longer, so round 1 to the good guys!
• An end to, or a decrease in nausea and vomiting
• This ends for some women completely?! I bet it's those skinny bitches...all cute and pregnant. Big Girl, over here, still feels sick at least once a week...but that's better than hugging the toilet all day and night; like the first trimester.
• Constipation
• This is a problem I NEVER had until I was pregnant. My family has no problem with the bathroom, it's one of our fav places to be...however, being pregnant I spend a lot less time there (peeing aside)....which isn't so bad, as I am still able to make regular visits.
• Occasional headaches
• YES! It sucks, I get headaches often and with force...but hopefully it levels out later on...please baby Jesus!
• Increased appetite
• Weird, I've felt this before pregnancy...I guess I'm just one of those girls who's body is more aware of pregnancy than the mind is... ;)
• Varicose veins of legs and/or hemorrhoids.
• I have Varicose veins in my feet! WTH! I also have some on my upper thighs, not a cute look when I slip back into my bikini....LOL! and I already promised myself I wouldn't get hemorrhoids. So no problem there!
• Fetal movement near the end of this month.
• Check! :)

Emotionally

• Mood Swings
• Hmm, I have really noticed anything except my husbands increasing ability to piss me off.
• Excitement/or apprehension if you started to look or feel pregnant at last
• I definitely cried over a huge blue vein on my side for about an hour sobbing "I don't want to be ugly AND fat!" while Alex kept me from collapsing in self-pity.
• Frustration at being "in between" your regular wardrobe and looking pregnant enough for maternity clothes.
• Oh man, I put on maternity pants right after I got a positive on my pee stick. I'd been saving those bad boys for the day it would be socially appropriate for me to wear them...not really...but really.
• A feeling you're not quite together, your scattered, forgetful, drop things, have trouble concentrating.
• I honestly don't think I've hit the "pregnancy brain" stage yet. Although, I have become increasingly clumsy.  Still awaiting the "crap where'd I put that sandwich" phase.

And that my friends, is how pregnant I've been feeling :)


On a separate note:

    I was laying in bed today (watching The Vampire Diaries...oh, those Salvator boys...*day dream*) and started to wonder what I needed to buy for our nursery. To some of you this may seem like an obvious question, but I found myself wondering what I was forgetting.  I got the basics: crib, changing table, rocking chair, bedding, etc. But then I got to the tricky stuff; like baby swings, bouncy chairs, Bumbo seats, play mats, monitors, diaper pails...the list goes on. And if you know me at all, I feel that I need all of those things in order to be properly prepared. So I started working on a budget....and became instantly aware of how poor I will be after checking off the items on my shopping list.

*sigh* it is a good thing that I am having this baby in the summer. My husband's job relies on the fishing from the Alaskan summers. Therefore, we should be able to purchase these things; which makes me feel very lucky. I imagine going through this without the financial means to purchase all the wants I have for my baby and I realize I'm already stressed out enough even with the ability to buy these things. So I took a moment to thank Jesus for blessing my family with the ability to purchase baby junk. Hallelujer! Not only that do I feel blessed to have the financial means to buy what my baby needs, but I also live in a great community and have amazing friends who are willing to hand-me-down their baby things.

Also, I've decided to start leaving you guys with some comics, etc....but each post will have an awkward pregnancy photo included. This week's title "I wonder how she got pregnant?" Enjoy!

Ok, that last one's a bad joke...but a pretty funny one.

Questions:
What do you think the first symptom of pregnancy is?
Did you have a symptom that made you think "I should pee on a stick?"
Is there a symptom you have heard about that isn't on the list for this trimester?
Do you stress about being able to provide for a child if or when you have one?
Are there things you'd like to hear about on my blog?

Thanks for reading! Click to follow me and leave me a sweet-sweet comment! ;)

Exciting stuff

Hey--- you--- guys----!,
      This week my baby was the size of a lemon! That might not seem very large to some of you; but when you've been tracking it's growth from the size of a poppy seed, it's pretty amazing. It has been very difficult for me not to cheat and look ahead to see what the next chapter of What to Expect When You're Expecting holds for my baby and I...or to change the due date in the 5 apps I downloaded to my phone so that I can see one day ahead of where I'm at. I feel like I am rewarding myself for a job well done each time I get to read more information about my pregnancy.

My husband hates that I always have my nose in a book or my face glued to my phone's screen. The day I found out I was pregnant, I ran out to the book store and bought a arm-load of books on pregnancy. My husband was quick to question my purchase. "Why do you need a book to tell you about being pregnant? Women get pregnant all the time; my sisters didn't have books to tell them how to be pregnant.".....ahhh, Alex.....You know who you married....why do you ask such silly questions. Each piece of information I get keeps me from going completely nuts waiting for my baby. I found out I was pregnant so early that it feels like I am waiting FOREVER for each of the cool little things that happen in a pregnancy; like hearing the heartbeat (which we heard 4 weeks ago), or the "gender revealing" ultrasound (near a month plus away).

However, I did get to some of the exciting "milestones" already.

Firstly, I got to see my baby again via ultrasound (photo to the right) in early December to make sure the baby was ok after all the cramping I had early on. Honestly, it wasn't much to look at, but at the time, it was the most incredible thing I'd ever seen. The little blob had melted my heart. I got all teary as the ultrasound tech pointed out the baby's heart and head...there wasn't much else to point to, but it was enough to choke me up for the next day.

Secondly, I have a tendency to get tension headaches and migraines in general...Turns out when you're pregnant, the headaches can increase. Last week I had a tension headache from Tuesday-Saturday. By Friday I was feeling dizzy and sick. If I weren't pregnant, this wouldn't have warranted a call to the doctor. However, my uterus started cramping. I hadn't had that happen since the first month of knowing I was pregnant. It freaked me out. I was worried, so I called the doctor. I told Alex I was going in because of the headaches (there's something about voicing a concern that makes it seem more real, so I didn't mention anything to him). He told me to call him if the doctor said anything important. I went in to the clinic and got checked out by the doctor. The first thing they did was check for the baby's heartbeat with a Doppler...The doctor couldn't find the heartbeat. I was trying to choke back sobs, fearing my worries had been correct. The doctor was quick to reassure me that this didn't mean that anything was wrong. She stepped out and grabbed a little machine that looked like a mini-karaoke machine. Turns out it was a bedside ultrasound machine. She had the screen turned away from me and wasn't saying anything....I wanted to scream. Finally she said "well, no wonder we couldn't find a heartbeat. The baby's just swimming around in there". When she turned the screen towards me, I saw my tiny baby throwing it's own little dance party. It's tiny feet and hands were waving all over the place. It had clearly been growing from my little blob to my tiny dancer. The head was still large in comparison to the rest of the body, but my pelvis is hoping that it will grow into it. I called Alex right after the doctor's appointment and told him about it. He was super bummed that he had missed out on seeing how far our baby had come from being a "fetal-pole"/little blob to a little more human looking. Sadly, now we have to wait another month or so before we get to see our baby on the big screen again. But I know that will be amazing!

Lastly, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day I woke up at 6am with a terrible stomachache. I hadn't had morning sickness in a couple of weeks, so I was hugely disappointed to have it return. I was in and out of bed until 7:15 when I got up for work. Alex grabbed me some water and crackers to help me fight off the tummy ache. When I was ready to leave, the car wouldn't start. I told my boss that I would be a few minutes late while I waited for the car to get running. He replied "it's a holiday"....UGH! I was so peeved that I had got up and ready (make up and all) to go to work when I could've slept through the morning sickness. I got up and ate an apple and yogurt, made Alex an egg sandwich.....and crawled back under my blankets. As I lay there trying to fall back asleep, I felt an odd sensation in my lower left abdomen. I was laying on that side and thought "great, now I have to fart or else this is going to get really uncomfortable"....nothing happened and the sensation continued. It felt like little really really soft tapping. I thought that was weird, but quickly feel into a sleepy-coma. When I woke up I was suddenly very excited. I ran out to the living room and yelled to Alex (who was watching Storage Wars....for hours) "I think I felt the baby move!!!". I quickly backed that up with "I mean it's really early to feel it move and it's still really tiny, but I think I did." We looked online and in my pregnancy books for a description of a baby's first movements felt by the mother. It was said that it would feel like: gas, butterflies in your stomach, popcorn popped, and tiny bubbles bursting. I debated whether or not I could call the doctor to ask about it with out being "that mom"....I voted against it. I was worried that I was wishing it into being the baby moving. After all, it's still really early in the pregnancy, it's my first baby (which supposedly means you are likely to not feel the first movements), and I'm a Big Girl....but the sensation felt like what the books described. We had a family dinner that night, so I asked my aunts about it. They said it sounded like I had definitely felt the baby move. I was so happy. I haven't felt the baby move again, but it's early, so hopefully soon it will become more consistent.

Questions for you readers:
What would you like to hear about in my posts?
If you haven't had a baby, do you plan to and when do you think you'll be ready? (Lou & Meg *cough* cough*)
If someone close to you has been pregnant, what was the first most exciting part for you?
 Do you have any safe remedies for a tension headache?
If you've been pregnant before-
When did you first feel your baby move?
When did you finally feel like "yeah, there's a baby in there"?
What was the first exciting thing you went through with your pregnancy?

First Trimester

Hello everyone,
    I figure the best place to start would be to recap on what my first trimester was like...You didn't miss anything too exciting.

....A little background....
Alex and I had started trying to have a baby mid-October. I have an irregular cycle, making it incredibly difficult to track my ovulation. I had just removed Mirena (the IUD birth control) and hadn't had that 5-7 day virus that turns me into a crazy bitch. I figured I would get my birth control removed and start tracking my cycles. That way we could those people with the scheduled sex...Alex was more for the "let's pull the plug and see what happens" track. (I think he believed that would lead to more sex) Anyhow, the story begins.





November:
     Alex and I had just returned from a trip to Ketchikan; where we visited my mom and watch my cousin B wrestle in a tournament there. The night we were unpacking I decided I NEEDED Bloody Mary mix with lime; just the mix...and I had to have it right that minute. I begged Alex to come with me to the liquor store so I wouldn't feel like an alcoholic making a run for drink mix at 10 o'clock at night. He agreed after 15  minutes of whining. I made a jest "wait until I'm pregnant, then the fun will really start."

The next day, (November 14th) I decided to take a pregnancy test. I had stocked up on these bad boys so that when I occasionally (once a week) woke up thinking I was experiencing pregnancy symptoms (normally just gas) I could ensure that I was or wasn't pregnant. It was 7am, for those of you who don't know, mornings transform me into a mindless zombie. I went into the bathroom and took the test while still half-zombie. I sat on the toilet while I waited for the test to "soak". About 20 seconds in, there is a faint 2nd line next the first line (which alone normally makes me cry from baby-crazy-syndrome). I stared (zombie-ly) at the test for about 5 minutes. I had to be sure that the 2nd line wasn't just because I was sitting in the dark...on the toilet.

After the 5 minutes of "test anxiety", I ran out of the bathroom and woke up my husband. It went something like this:

ME: I'm pregnant!
Alex: ZZZzzZZZ
ME: ALEX! I said I'm pregnant!
Alex: ZZZzzZZZ
(violent shaking off the bed until Alex stirs...at which point I try to look like I was just standing there)
ME: I'm pregnant! (holding out the test with my trembling hands)
Alex: you pregnant.....you are?!
ME: yep, now I gotta call Lena. She'll be pissed I told you first.

later that day, I went to the doctor to confirm the pregnancy. I had been guzzling water all day because I was sure that my baby needed extra...which made my pregnancy test come back negative at the clinic. I bawled in the doctor's office. It was awful, I felt like I should have known that I couldn't really be pregnant. Luckily, our doctor decided it was worth running a blood test to make sure I was or wasn't pregnant....4 hours later, while I was at cheerleading practice, the doctor confirmed my pregnancy. An ultrasound later that week showed the baby to be about 6 weeks.

Being that I am a super impatient person, I convinced Alex into letting me tell our family that night...they were all sooo excited. The downside was that through out November I had major cramping; which sent me to the hospital 3 times and put me on bed rest for days. Every time I felt the slightest cramp, I was kicking myself for telling everyone so soon that I was expecting. My baby was still so fragile, so many things could've gone wrong.

December
Holy smokes, when women say they were tired during their first trimester I always thought that I could deal with that....It's awful. I felt so tired that I wanted to just cry....ALL THE TIME. I could barely keep my head up 90% of the time. I was peeing at all hours of the day. I was sick ALL DAY. Morning sickness is not restricted to the morning hours. I was constantly nauseous and often puking. I swore off bananas after eating one that I was sure was rotten (it wasn't). I lost 12 pounds during November and December from morning sickness.

January
In the last week of December and first week of January, I noticed I was able to eat again. I woke up one day and realized "I haven't thrown up yet"...it was glorious. Needless to say, I quickly put weight back on. The first week of January, I went to Colorado Springs for one of my best friend's weddings. It was amazing. However, being pregnant meant getting sick on the plane and being tired the whole time. I now thank Lena for being in my wedding when she was 7 months pregnant. It was so tiring at 3 months...oh yeah, I passed my first trimester the day of the wedding. I had 2 things to be excited for that day.

Now, I am back to work and coaching cheerleading. My life feels so busy. Some days, I'm not sure how I will manage it...but I love it.

We're expecting....a baby

Hello all,
    I have greatly neglected my blogging. However, with an exciting change in my life, I have decided to pick it back up again. My husband and I are having a baby. I am pregnant with our first; our due date is July 21st. Which makes me 13 weeks and 5 days pregnant as of now. We were very surprised to find out that I was pregnant...well, we were trying to conceive, so we weren't that surprised. The surprising part is that we got pregnant right away...like 3 weeks later. Anyways, if you would like to follow me on this crazy-new adventure, read along and share in this with me. :)