OK; those of you out there who have had babies will read this and say "Yeah? So what?" but, since one of the purposes of this blog is to chronicle my pregnancy -- the good and the bad -- I've got to post about the lovely changes to my body that have been going on recently.
1. I have a lot more blood in me, and it likes to come out of unusual places.
For example: I 've had a few spectacular nosebleeds lately. In addition to the increased blood volume caused by pregnancy, I think this was compounded by the fact that this is the Worst Allergy Season Ever for me (and many others), and that I can't take any medication for it, due to my condition. Correction: the doctor said I can take medications, but none that actually work. I've tried Claritin for the allergy symptoms (it's crap) and Tylenol for the headaches (might as well just hit myself over the head with a 2x4). No Aleve. No Sudafed. So most days I walk around in a kind of fog -- not just because of the headache and head congestion, but because my contacts are coated in pollen, too...which brings me to
2. My contacts don't fit anymore. I'd heard that this might happen. My frog-belly isn't the only thing that's changing shape these days; apparently my corneas are suffering from some sort of sympathy expansion or something. "Wear your contacts less, and your glasses more," say the books and websites. Well, my glasses are more than 4 years old and not quite strong enough, so whatever I do -- contacts or not -- I'm going to be walking around squinting like an 80-year-old.
3. My gums are sensitive. I went to the dentist recently, and he tried out these new-fangled tiny-bristled brushes that go between your teeth and work even better than floss. It felt great, like a dental shiatsu massage; trouble was, I bled like a stuck pig. It was truly a spectacular eruption of blood from my gums. "That's normal for pregnant women," said my elderly male dentist, smiling. He is so cute. Anyway, I'm apparently more prone to gingivitis now, so I'm trying to take extra care of my teeth, and thus I've taken to swishing with Listerine every time I brush. Listerine, even in its new "Natural Citrus" flavor, is still as grody as I remember it being when I was a kid and wanted to emulate the grownups by gargling. I am still traumatized by that incident, but we won't go there right now.
4. I have Perma-Headache. It's always there to varying degrees, like an annoying bug bite. Only it hurts more than a bug bite, of course.
5. Now the good news: my skin has not broken out for a couple of months now (I usually get monthly PMS zits). I'm pretty sure my lactose intolerance has abated. My boobs look fantastic. And so far, it looks like I've only gained about 5 pounds.
So there are the ugly or not-so-ugly details.
Still having those ambiguous little flutters in the tummy. The doppler is currently on a truck in Ohio, according to DHL. No news of the Bella Bands or Buffalo Undies.
MurkyDad and I are going up to Maine in July to a yearly festival in my hometown. We're staying at a B&B there, and we'll probably get together with some of my high school friends at some point. It'll be nice to get back to Hometown before the baby is born. I want to take a preg-photo of us there :-)
Somehow I've managed to reserve enough energy to do laundry and some other chores tonight. Off to put the first load into the dryer and the second into the washer...
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Meet the Murkys
Greetings from MurkyDad. You may be wondering about all the Murkyness floating about here, and why we may have chosen that particular word to describe ourselves. Well, as the name of the blog indicates, both MurkyMama and I are nerds, and as nerds, we enjoy playing video games. Specifically, we both play World of Warcraft. I started playing back in December (my main is a level 41 Night Elf Druid, specced feral), and MurkyMama soon followed, to see what all the fuss was about (her main is a level 33 Human Priest, mostly holy specced).
We don't have a problem. We regularly go out, see friends, read books, see movies, etc. We just happen to enjoy playing WoW. Anyway, there are these in-game creatures called Murlocs, and they are fish-like things that make some pretty funny sounds in-combat, along the lines of "Mwralagahahahahah", you know, all throaty and gurgly sounding. Apparently, at some big Blizzard convention, they gave away secret codes so you could get your very own Baby Murloc Pet, and hence, Murky was born. He is a tiny little baby Murloc and makes cute, baby-like Murloc sounds when you click on him. Just so you know, the secret codes are selling on Ebay for hundreds of dollars, and no, we didn't buy one. But we did think it was cute enough to name the as-yet-unknown little one Murky, and hence, we are MurkyMama and MurkyDad.
Image courtesy of Allakhazam.com
We don't have a problem. We regularly go out, see friends, read books, see movies, etc. We just happen to enjoy playing WoW. Anyway, there are these in-game creatures called Murlocs, and they are fish-like things that make some pretty funny sounds in-combat, along the lines of "Mwralagahahahahah", you know, all throaty and gurgly sounding. Apparently, at some big Blizzard convention, they gave away secret codes so you could get your very own Baby Murloc Pet, and hence, Murky was born. He is a tiny little baby Murloc and makes cute, baby-like Murloc sounds when you click on him. Just so you know, the secret codes are selling on Ebay for hundreds of dollars, and no, we didn't buy one. But we did think it was cute enough to name the as-yet-unknown little one Murky, and hence, we are MurkyMama and MurkyDad.
Image courtesy of Allakhazam.com
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
I hate the internet
Tonight I decided, quite innocently of course, to follow a link from BabyCenter.com about maternal blood testing in the early second trimester, for possible chromosomal defects in the fetus. If you listen to every site that's out there (and if you believe the sarcasm that follows), I have about a 1 in 2 chance of having a baby with Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18, spina bifida, or other. You know, because of my "advanced maternal age" of 32 (by the time the baby is born), etc. But anyway, it's scary, and I want to have the testing over and done with.
I think that the ambiguity of pregnancy must be designed to get you used to a lifetime of constant worrying after the birth. There are so many unknowns at this point -- the sex, the condition of the fetus, blah blah blah -- that I just can't help letting my mind wander and go to places it really shouldn't. I hate reading through message board posts and reading about people who lost babies to miscarriage or stillbirth and were even farther along in their pregnancies than I am right now. I thought BabyCenter told me I was basically out of the woods now that I'm into the second trimester!!! Then again, BabyCenter told me that right around this past weekend I should have experienced a huge surge of energy, which would last three months, which would be long enough to get my house and my life and everything ready for Baby before I turn into a lumbering buffalo (aka the third trimester). Right. From 5:30-8:30 each night, I'm comatose. After 8:30, I'm a semi-lumbering wildebeest.
Yesterday I ordered a 6-month rental of a fetal Doppler machine, so that we can listen to little Murky's heartbeat anytime we want. I can't wait until it arrives: DHL's website says it's still in Colorado right now, though :-( And I still haven't received my Bella Bands or my preggo underwear, and I'm already stretching out my Regular Lady wardrobe. I would like for at least just ONE pregnancy splurge to arrive!
I also need to do something about my car -- specifically, it's a 2-door coupe that, except for the fact that it's not actually a 2-seater, makes it just about the worst BabyMobile ever. I can't even get my dog into and out of the back seat, even unbuckled, these days. How the hell am I going to wrestle a baby in there? The answer is that I'm not. So in a couple of weeks (once the blood tests and 16-week visit are over), I'm calling my sales guy and we're gonna talk about breaking the lease and getting me in something more suitable. You know, like a Sherman tank. Ooh, that would be really safe! But does it have LATCH?
I think that the ambiguity of pregnancy must be designed to get you used to a lifetime of constant worrying after the birth. There are so many unknowns at this point -- the sex, the condition of the fetus, blah blah blah -- that I just can't help letting my mind wander and go to places it really shouldn't. I hate reading through message board posts and reading about people who lost babies to miscarriage or stillbirth and were even farther along in their pregnancies than I am right now. I thought BabyCenter told me I was basically out of the woods now that I'm into the second trimester!!! Then again, BabyCenter told me that right around this past weekend I should have experienced a huge surge of energy, which would last three months, which would be long enough to get my house and my life and everything ready for Baby before I turn into a lumbering buffalo (aka the third trimester). Right. From 5:30-8:30 each night, I'm comatose. After 8:30, I'm a semi-lumbering wildebeest.
Yesterday I ordered a 6-month rental of a fetal Doppler machine, so that we can listen to little Murky's heartbeat anytime we want. I can't wait until it arrives: DHL's website says it's still in Colorado right now, though :-( And I still haven't received my Bella Bands or my preggo underwear, and I'm already stretching out my Regular Lady wardrobe. I would like for at least just ONE pregnancy splurge to arrive!
I also need to do something about my car -- specifically, it's a 2-door coupe that, except for the fact that it's not actually a 2-seater, makes it just about the worst BabyMobile ever. I can't even get my dog into and out of the back seat, even unbuckled, these days. How the hell am I going to wrestle a baby in there? The answer is that I'm not. So in a couple of weeks (once the blood tests and 16-week visit are over), I'm calling my sales guy and we're gonna talk about breaking the lease and getting me in something more suitable. You know, like a Sherman tank. Ooh, that would be really safe! But does it have LATCH?
Monday, May 28, 2007
14 Weeks Today
...and still tired. I can't imagine having the energy not only to get through the day, but to get through a day of taking care of a baby! I'm getting more headaches now, I guess because of the increased blood flow throughout my body. Rolling over in bed is perilous, since my ligaments are loosening up and I can easily pull a muscle at any moment -- standing up, sitting down, coughing, sneezing, peeing, etc.
The good news is that I'm 99% sure that those flutters I'm feeling are baby kicks :-)
Visited BabyDaddy's family this weekend. Went to the mall on Sunday, where he treated me to some maternity outfits (they make me look pregnant instead of just fat!), and I treated him to his first Father's Day present -- a portable hammock. I love you, BabyDaddy!
I'm on the fence as to when to tell people at work about the pregnancy. I'd hoped not to start showing until mid-June (after my performance evaluation is complete), but things seem to be starting to "pop." I'm able to take the paperwork to the lab for the standard maternal triple-screen blood test, which detects risk factors for fetal abnormalities. Then, we've got a 16-week visit on June 11.
Yikes -- there are fireworks going off nearby, and my dog just FREAKED. He's hiding in the bathroom now :-( Poor baby.
The good news is that I'm 99% sure that those flutters I'm feeling are baby kicks :-)
Visited BabyDaddy's family this weekend. Went to the mall on Sunday, where he treated me to some maternity outfits (they make me look pregnant instead of just fat!), and I treated him to his first Father's Day present -- a portable hammock. I love you, BabyDaddy!
I'm on the fence as to when to tell people at work about the pregnancy. I'd hoped not to start showing until mid-June (after my performance evaluation is complete), but things seem to be starting to "pop." I'm able to take the paperwork to the lab for the standard maternal triple-screen blood test, which detects risk factors for fetal abnormalities. Then, we've got a 16-week visit on June 11.
Yikes -- there are fireworks going off nearby, and my dog just FREAKED. He's hiding in the bathroom now :-( Poor baby.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
First Official Post
Well, it's official: We're having a baby!
I've waited until now, when I'm just about out of the first trimester (or well out of it, depending on which trimester guide you go by), to start preggy-blogging. As you may know, my first pregnancy, during my first marriage, ended in miscarriage at about 8 weeks, and I was heartbroken. So I was a bit concerned about this one, too. But we've already been to 3 appointments, all showing strong, fast heartbeats, and 2 of those with ultrasounds -- both of which showed a reasonable-enough looking blob that, I assume, is going to wind up as an infant (or an alien). I'll post those ultrasound shots as soon as I can scan them.
Anyway, my due date is November 26, which puts me at 13 weeks, 3 days today. I've been feeling remarkably fine, except for about 6 weeks of bone-crushing exhaustion that ended, mercifully, about a week or so ago (although I still get retardedly tired between about 4:30 and 7:30 each night). I've only had a few moments -- knock wood -- of semi-nausea, but I am a little concerned that I haven't had much of an appetite lately, since I'm not actually sick. Shouldn't I be wanting to devour everything in sight?
Emotionally, I'm doing OK -- or as OK as can be expected with the hormones that are ravaging my bloodstream, causing me to be a raging bitch one moment and a weepy wimp the next. I haven't told everyone at work yet (I am a library administrator), except for a few close advisors and my assistant. I hope to wait until after my 16-week appointment (June 11) to break the news; by then, I'll probably be pretty obviously showing.
I've had a few weird fluttery, rolling feelings in my abdomen here and there over the past week. As time goes by and the baby gets bigger and kickier, I'll be able to decide whether what I'm feeling sporadically now is the baby or just gas (although it feels different from any gas I've ever felt before -- sorry if too much info!)
BabyDaddy and I are pretty sure we want to find out the sex of the baby ahead of time, if possible. Maybe they'll be able to tell at the next ultrasound. Why not?
I've waited until now, when I'm just about out of the first trimester (or well out of it, depending on which trimester guide you go by), to start preggy-blogging. As you may know, my first pregnancy, during my first marriage, ended in miscarriage at about 8 weeks, and I was heartbroken. So I was a bit concerned about this one, too. But we've already been to 3 appointments, all showing strong, fast heartbeats, and 2 of those with ultrasounds -- both of which showed a reasonable-enough looking blob that, I assume, is going to wind up as an infant (or an alien). I'll post those ultrasound shots as soon as I can scan them.
Anyway, my due date is November 26, which puts me at 13 weeks, 3 days today. I've been feeling remarkably fine, except for about 6 weeks of bone-crushing exhaustion that ended, mercifully, about a week or so ago (although I still get retardedly tired between about 4:30 and 7:30 each night). I've only had a few moments -- knock wood -- of semi-nausea, but I am a little concerned that I haven't had much of an appetite lately, since I'm not actually sick. Shouldn't I be wanting to devour everything in sight?
Emotionally, I'm doing OK -- or as OK as can be expected with the hormones that are ravaging my bloodstream, causing me to be a raging bitch one moment and a weepy wimp the next. I haven't told everyone at work yet (I am a library administrator), except for a few close advisors and my assistant. I hope to wait until after my 16-week appointment (June 11) to break the news; by then, I'll probably be pretty obviously showing.
I've had a few weird fluttery, rolling feelings in my abdomen here and there over the past week. As time goes by and the baby gets bigger and kickier, I'll be able to decide whether what I'm feeling sporadically now is the baby or just gas (although it feels different from any gas I've ever felt before -- sorry if too much info!)
BabyDaddy and I are pretty sure we want to find out the sex of the baby ahead of time, if possible. Maybe they'll be able to tell at the next ultrasound. Why not?
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