It's Sunday night and we took the weekend to tell the people closest to us that we are expecting a little Rockwell in September. Yep. The official due date is actually September 11.
It's scary (scarier) and has more realness now that people know. Before it was just our little secret that we could talk about together but had to be careful not to discuss with the parentals or mention to friends on the phone. We learned on Thursday that there's less than a 10% chance of miscarriage after a heartbeat is detected and we could definitely hear one from our hummingbird, so we thought it was safe to tell. And now that grandma knows, everyone will know.
Another reason we felt it was ok to share the news is that I've been getting super sick. My nausea is getting worse. I've been sidelined over the past 48 hours with increasingly annoying and frequent trips to the bathroom. I hope the next four weeks go by swiftly and "morning" sickness goes away sooner rather than later. I'm a terrible patient and I'm just plain bad at being sick. I've decided that morning sickness is mother nature's way of desensitizing women like me. I gag at the idea of spittle, turn away from anything going the wrong direction from the mouth (ie - out, not in), and rather than help Clint when he's been sick, I put in ear plugs and hope it's over soon. This is my payback. I've learned my lesson! It can end now! I won't run away any more and I'll try to stop gagging when I see babies spit up! Please make it stop, please.
It's possible I'll be in this state of misery for another SIX weeks. SIX! And there's a terrible internet posting that says some women have 'morning' sickness throughout their pregnancy. If that's me, I will cry myself to sleep each night until September.
Here's the scale, in case you missed it earlier:
1- Nausea free! (technically, I haven't felt like this since January 1)
2- Fully functional. This means I can do normal stuff, but feel like I'm on a boat
3- Open with strangers. When asked how I'm doing, I tell them the truth: shitty. But I can complete most activities, minimally rushing to the bathroom
4 - Dizzy and paranoid. Will I make it to the grocery store? And back?
5- Show me the sickness bags. Keep them close, because this is gross.
6- This can't be normal.
7- I know how dirty it is on my bathroom floor.
8- I know I smell but I don't care, I'm not going anywhere.
9- Comatose.
10- One kid will be more than enough.
I've been a solid 8 today. It's 9:30 at night and I'm still wearing the clothes I slept in last night. I planned to shower earlier, but it hasn't happened yet. Inconvenient. That's next on my list of things to do right after I get sick next-- I have a 5-10 minute window of feeling good when I can do things like organize laundry, disinfect the toilet (a new past-time) or tidy up a bit. The shower is my priority now.
What else about the "8" today? I can't ride in a car without feeling uber nauseous and nothing is appetizing. Nothing. I've had to work in the back office to be close to the bathroom, and I'm running low on plastic baggies for travel purposes. At least now that everyone knows, I can share my misery with my family and friends!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
It's real!
There it is! One of the first photos of the nugget. That squiggly line on the bottom? That would be the heartbeat of our little hummingbird. Our first appointment with the doctor was this week and we learned that we'll be delivering at the platinum baby ward in the fancy pants hospital, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
I got a purple folder that has an outline and forms from the hospital and an outline of courses we can take but the ones they offer are only four weeks of 2 hours of class. Is that enough? I can't imagine Clint sitting though these classes to begin with, picturing Steve McQueen in THE HUNTER . He may surprise me, but this doesn't seem like it's within his comfort zone. The poor guy offered me raisins the other day when I was hunched over the toilet (again).
Today's reading on the Morning Sickness scale: 5
Why: I am publishing this post and heading straight for the bathroom.
Monday, January 25, 2010
a PSI of relief!
I'm instituting a scale for my morning sickness. Keep this in mind for future posts. It's sorta like the 10 stages of drunkenness (see below), only a lot worse because there's simply no joy (now) in reaching any of the following levels.
1- Nausea free! (technically, I haven't felt like this since January 1)
2- Fully functional. This means I can do normal stuff, but feel like I'm on a boat
3- Open with strangers. When asked how I'm doing, I tell them the truth: shitty. But I can complete most activities, minimally rushing to the bathroom
4 - Dizzy and paranoid. Will I make it to the grocery store? And back?
5- Show me the sickness bags. Keep them close, because this is gross.
6- This can't be normal.
7- I know how dirty it is on my bathroom floor.
8- I know I smell but I don't care, I'm not going anywhere.
9- Comatose.
10- One kid will be more than enough.
After a weekend of hovering around 7/8, am delighted to say that today was merely a 3/4 on the morning sickness scale. I started out heading toward another high number but somehow turned it around. How?
PSI BANDS!
Ok, so I'm a sucker for anything that might make me feel normal. And I admit, I paid $16 for two somewhat chic things that look like Swatch wrist bands from 5th grade. I put them on around 9am because I wasn't doing well on my own and figured they couldn't hurt. I purchased these last week after talking briefly with my doctor, who asked how I was feeling at week 5 and a half and when I said, "I kinda feel like I'm on a boat," she said, "Just wait." I figured that didn't bode well, so I immediately went to the internet and found everything I possibly could that might alleviate the symptoms looming around the corner. I'm not sold on the ginger and lemon infused spray yet, but I'm grateful for these little plastic bands:
Within an hour of putting them on, I was beginning to feel like I might have a normal day. I managed to eat some dry cereal and keep it down! This was huge! I did some laundry! I opened the refrigerator! I still ran to the bathroom a few times, but not nearly as much as I have over the past 3 days. A window on a new day was opening thanks to my trendy little wrist bands.
To confirm that this wasn't all in my head, it's 12 hours later and I just took them off. They really work. Seriously. I've already been to the bathroom twice in the past 30 minutes and while I am regretting their removal and not looking forward to another night of misery, I don't think I should wear them all the time. Gotta look into that more. But I'm definitely putting them back on tomorrow.
And here are the 10 Stages of Drunkenness, because I know you're curious:
(A special thanks to a former CBS boss, who shall remain nameless-- you taught me more than you know...)
Everyone starts 0) Sober
1) Witty and Charming
2) Rich and Powerful
3) Benevolent
4) Clairvoyant
5) Fuck Dinner
6) Patriotic
*7) Crank Up the Enola Gay
8) Witty and Charming, Part II
9) Invisible
10) Bulletproof
1- Nausea free! (technically, I haven't felt like this since January 1)
2- Fully functional. This means I can do normal stuff, but feel like I'm on a boat
3- Open with strangers. When asked how I'm doing, I tell them the truth: shitty. But I can complete most activities, minimally rushing to the bathroom
4 - Dizzy and paranoid. Will I make it to the grocery store? And back?
5- Show me the sickness bags. Keep them close, because this is gross.
6- This can't be normal.
7- I know how dirty it is on my bathroom floor.
8- I know I smell but I don't care, I'm not going anywhere.
9- Comatose.
10- One kid will be more than enough.
After a weekend of hovering around 7/8, am delighted to say that today was merely a 3/4 on the morning sickness scale. I started out heading toward another high number but somehow turned it around. How?
PSI BANDS!
Ok, so I'm a sucker for anything that might make me feel normal. And I admit, I paid $16 for two somewhat chic things that look like Swatch wrist bands from 5th grade. I put them on around 9am because I wasn't doing well on my own and figured they couldn't hurt. I purchased these last week after talking briefly with my doctor, who asked how I was feeling at week 5 and a half and when I said, "I kinda feel like I'm on a boat," she said, "Just wait." I figured that didn't bode well, so I immediately went to the internet and found everything I possibly could that might alleviate the symptoms looming around the corner. I'm not sold on the ginger and lemon infused spray yet, but I'm grateful for these little plastic bands:
Within an hour of putting them on, I was beginning to feel like I might have a normal day. I managed to eat some dry cereal and keep it down! This was huge! I did some laundry! I opened the refrigerator! I still ran to the bathroom a few times, but not nearly as much as I have over the past 3 days. A window on a new day was opening thanks to my trendy little wrist bands.
To confirm that this wasn't all in my head, it's 12 hours later and I just took them off. They really work. Seriously. I've already been to the bathroom twice in the past 30 minutes and while I am regretting their removal and not looking forward to another night of misery, I don't think I should wear them all the time. Gotta look into that more. But I'm definitely putting them back on tomorrow.
And here are the 10 Stages of Drunkenness, because I know you're curious:
(A special thanks to a former CBS boss, who shall remain nameless-- you taught me more than you know...)
Everyone starts 0) Sober
1) Witty and Charming
2) Rich and Powerful
3) Benevolent
4) Clairvoyant
5) Fuck Dinner
6) Patriotic
*7) Crank Up the Enola Gay
8) Witty and Charming, Part II
9) Invisible
10) Bulletproof
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Pregnant = Productive
It's incredible!
Today I managed to hold down most of what I ate, which gave me enough energy to organize paperwork and do taxes. Really quite incredible.
Last year I didn't get around to this until, oh... March Madness?
I can't be stopped!
Does this last? Let's hope so, I have a lot of things that need organizing.
Today I managed to hold down most of what I ate, which gave me enough energy to organize paperwork and do taxes. Really quite incredible.
Last year I didn't get around to this until, oh... March Madness?
I can't be stopped!
Does this last? Let's hope so, I have a lot of things that need organizing.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Morning Sickness? Misnomer.
For those people who think morning sickness only happens in the morning, I'm about to share with you of one of big lies I've discovered about pregnancy. It's not just morning sickness, it's middle-of-the-night, early morning, regular morning, afternoon and evening sickness. It stays with you and it's unpredictable how to shake it. What works one day will most certainly not work the next, and I am speaking from three days of experience here. 3 DAYS. That's all it has taken and I'm no expert at pregnancy, but I'm suddenly very good at having so-called morning sickness. Once I got home from my recent business trip in Texas things have gone downhill for me in the eating and drinking department. Misery!
The problem is two-fold:
1) I'm not the kind of gal who falls ill. I work out when I have a head cold, I don't shy away from swimming because I just washed my hair, I run to beat traffic lights, bike around town in the rain, and I'm generally pretty tough. But this so-called morning sickness thing is knocking me out. And it's really cramping my style, not to mention causing fear every time I put something in my mouth.
2) I love to eat. My pal Kayla asked me recently what I do for fun and remembered my reply. Apparently, I told her I like to eat. So when eating became a problem a few days ago, this became a frustration of massive proportions. For example, the first thing I truly managed to eat today was half a tomato. And a few hours later, after thinking and trying not to think about food, I have managed to hold my California and spider rolls for about 3 hours. This is a 72 hour record. Yay.
I've identified the problems, and here are the solutions (according to the Internet, which so far has been my main source of pregnancy information):
- Eat Saltine crackers. I swear, the Premium brand is in business thanks to us pregnant ladies. This was working for a while, but now that I'm dehydrated, the salt thing isn't so appetizing.
- Eat many small meals. This shouldn't be a problem for me since I graze anyway, but the definition of 'small' is different in my current condition than in my normal state. So I have to change this from eat many small meals to eat the same number of meals, only much, much smaller.
- Try some ginger. This may actually be working, since I ate all the ginger I could get my paws on at dinner tonight. I love it anyway, so this is good. However, I know from this afternoon that too much ginger can also be a bad thing. I won't elaborate on that one.
- Don't lie down after eating. Who does this?
- Don't drink when you're eating and vice versa. I'm puzzled by this, but willing to try anything at this point.
There are all sorts of other suggestions, many of which include basic common sense (don't stand on your head after you eat! Don't sunbathe!) but I'll be sure to share whatever works, since I'm sure to be suffering more in the days to come. Yowza.
The problem is two-fold:
1) I'm not the kind of gal who falls ill. I work out when I have a head cold, I don't shy away from swimming because I just washed my hair, I run to beat traffic lights, bike around town in the rain, and I'm generally pretty tough. But this so-called morning sickness thing is knocking me out. And it's really cramping my style, not to mention causing fear every time I put something in my mouth.
2) I love to eat. My pal Kayla asked me recently what I do for fun and remembered my reply. Apparently, I told her I like to eat. So when eating became a problem a few days ago, this became a frustration of massive proportions. For example, the first thing I truly managed to eat today was half a tomato. And a few hours later, after thinking and trying not to think about food, I have managed to hold my California and spider rolls for about 3 hours. This is a 72 hour record. Yay.
I've identified the problems, and here are the solutions (according to the Internet, which so far has been my main source of pregnancy information):
- Eat Saltine crackers. I swear, the Premium brand is in business thanks to us pregnant ladies. This was working for a while, but now that I'm dehydrated, the salt thing isn't so appetizing.
- Eat many small meals. This shouldn't be a problem for me since I graze anyway, but the definition of 'small' is different in my current condition than in my normal state. So I have to change this from eat many small meals to eat the same number of meals, only much, much smaller.
- Try some ginger. This may actually be working, since I ate all the ginger I could get my paws on at dinner tonight. I love it anyway, so this is good. However, I know from this afternoon that too much ginger can also be a bad thing. I won't elaborate on that one.
- Don't lie down after eating. Who does this?
- Don't drink when you're eating and vice versa. I'm puzzled by this, but willing to try anything at this point.
There are all sorts of other suggestions, many of which include basic common sense (don't stand on your head after you eat! Don't sunbathe!) but I'll be sure to share whatever works, since I'm sure to be suffering more in the days to come. Yowza.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Vitamin Madness
I know how important it is to take folic acid before and during pregnancy, but why must all of the prenatal vitamins be pink? Why do they have little pictures of ladies with round bellies on the boxes? Uh, hello? Will someone please tell the men who design these boxes (they've gotta be men, because women know that being pregnant doesn't immediately make you blow up like a balloon) that they don't need to make their boxes pink?
While we're at it, someone also needs to tell the drug companies that these special vitamins don't need names like Gesticare or Expecta. Seriously, please just call them prenatal vitamins or something equally descriptive yet simple.
On a related note, I really liked going Back to Basics with some J&J baby shampoo on a recent vacation (thanks, Mum!). When I returned home, I thought I might as well get myself a bottle. So I cruised the shampoo aisle in my favorite red and white box-store-which-shall-remain-unnamed. The baby shampoo isn't kept with the adult shampoo. Not even close. It's in the middle of the store with the baby stuff. ? Why can't the shampoos all be together? Conspiracy! Everybody knows that baby shampoo, even with that patented tear free formula, is super cheap! The store designers want you spending $4 on a bottle of shampoo. But I digress.
Back to the vitamins. I really don't think it's necessary for these special formulas to come in frilly packaging (some don't, but even the red-and-white-box-store-brand is pink!) and I certainly don't want pictures of mamas with swollen bellies on my vitamin boxes. Can't they make some macho prenatal vitamin packaging? Or better yet, something in the shape of a Flintstone? Those would be much more fun.
While we're at it, someone also needs to tell the drug companies that these special vitamins don't need names like Gesticare or Expecta. Seriously, please just call them prenatal vitamins or something equally descriptive yet simple.
On a related note, I really liked going Back to Basics with some J&J baby shampoo on a recent vacation (thanks, Mum!). When I returned home, I thought I might as well get myself a bottle. So I cruised the shampoo aisle in my favorite red and white box-store-which-shall-remain-unnamed. The baby shampoo isn't kept with the adult shampoo. Not even close. It's in the middle of the store with the baby stuff. ? Why can't the shampoos all be together? Conspiracy! Everybody knows that baby shampoo, even with that patented tear free formula, is super cheap! The store designers want you spending $4 on a bottle of shampoo. But I digress.
Back to the vitamins. I really don't think it's necessary for these special formulas to come in frilly packaging (some don't, but even the red-and-white-box-store-brand is pink!) and I certainly don't want pictures of mamas with swollen bellies on my vitamin boxes. Can't they make some macho prenatal vitamin packaging? Or better yet, something in the shape of a Flintstone? Those would be much more fun.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Workout? I'm winded already!
After a few weeks of feeling the same, I am definitely not feeling normal. I first noticed that things were strange when I was winded after walking up a flight of stairs at my first class of the semester. Ironically, the class is titled "Fitness Testing and Health/Risk Appraisal" and I don't think I would be scoring very well on any test if I get tired going up 20 stairs. Luckily, I get to test a friend throughout the semester instead and I'll be absent the week of class when they're doing VO2 max testing. I know I'm nowhere near the 154 I held a few years ago.
The stair climbing fatigue aside, I do fine in my dance/Yoga Booty Ballet classes . But I can tell that I'm not as strong as I was even a month ago, which means it's time to dust off the weights and get my bum down La Cienega to TRAIN . Time to do a little research. Can I lift weights in my fragile condition? To the library!
The stair climbing fatigue aside, I do fine in my dance/Yoga Booty Ballet classes . But I can tell that I'm not as strong as I was even a month ago, which means it's time to dust off the weights and get my bum down La Cienega to TRAIN . Time to do a little research. Can I lift weights in my fragile condition? To the library!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Holy Rusted Metal, Batman! We're pregnant!
For those of you who thought we'd be on a permanent honeymoon, would never puree food (at least til we're nonagenarians), or would never get Play-doh stuck in our carpets, it looks like we're about to prove you wrong.
It's really early today so you may not be reading this 'til we feel it's ok to announce from the treetops that we really will have a little Rockwell later this year. Mama and Papa Rockwell will be grandparents for the first time, and the Snyders will have a grandchild on the west coast to compete for mantle space next to the charming Cummins boys.
We are hoping that by March we'll be able to explain why we haven't bought tickets to the wedding we've been looking forward to attending in New York or the vacation that we will have to reschedule. There's a little person coming! Since this is our first, there's a lot to learn. There's also a lot out there! I am planning to use this blog to share (not too much) and hopefully provide a little insight/amusement/observation on the enormous industry that caters to wee little people.
Read on for more!
It's really early today so you may not be reading this 'til we feel it's ok to announce from the treetops that we really will have a little Rockwell later this year. Mama and Papa Rockwell will be grandparents for the first time, and the Snyders will have a grandchild on the west coast to compete for mantle space next to the charming Cummins boys.
We are hoping that by March we'll be able to explain why we haven't bought tickets to the wedding we've been looking forward to attending in New York or the vacation that we will have to reschedule. There's a little person coming! Since this is our first, there's a lot to learn. There's also a lot out there! I am planning to use this blog to share (not too much) and hopefully provide a little insight/amusement/observation on the enormous industry that caters to wee little people.
Read on for more!
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