I am clearly insane…

I have decided to do something great.  Or it could be crazy.

I have decided to have a full and ready freezer by the time this kid makes its’ appearance in March.

So what does that mean?

It means that I will have a complete plan of every meal we will eat from the middle of February through March.  It also means that I will have a goodly number of those meals in the freezer ready to pop in the oven.

No, I do not plan to keep Stouffer’s or Banquet or even Schwann’s in business for the next 6 months.

I plan to cook almost everything myself.  Yep, mostly homemade stuff.

I realized that after Phoebe was born, there was about 6 weeks where we ate a lot of junk because I was just not up to cooking healthy meals and Moo wasn’t up to gourmet cooking either.

Don’t misunderstand that.  My husband is a great cook.  He’s the only man I’ve ever met who doesn’t know how to grill, but he’s a great cook.

It was just that by the time he got home from dinner, listened to whatever post-partum rant I had going on, and decompressed from work, the only thing to cook were burgers or hot dogs.

I have decided this time will be different.  I have decided that this time, the only grocery trips right after the Nugget arrives will be for fresh milk, bread and whatever I’m craving.

So how to plan something like this?

First, I needed to know how many meals we were talking about.  I decided that this calendar needs to start the week before my due date because I’ll have the c-section about a week before that.  My meal planning cycle starts on Saturdays so I started my calendar on the Saturday of the week before.  I also decided that since I will at that time be 9 months pregnant, there’s no way that I’ll want to do anything much besides lie on the couch like a beached whale anyway.

I want the meals to be planned through March and again, since my plans always run Saturday through Friday, that takes us through April 1st.  That is a total of 6 weeks.  That’s 6 weeks of breakfasts, lunches and dinners.  I also wanted to include snacks but decided to give up that – at least for now.

So 42 breakfasts, 42 lunches, 42 dinners!  WOW!!!

The next thing is to come up with things to fill in.  I came up with a list of everything I can and like to cook.  I decided the like to cook would be important since I don’t want this to be a huge mountain of dread.

I came up with a list of 50 items that I can cook/prepare.  I say prepare cuz I’ve got cold cereal on that list.  YES, I COUNTED CEREAL.  MY KID LOVES IT!!!

Not every one of these meals will freeze beautifully to quote “Steel Magnolias”.  So I had to notate which ones will have to be made from scratch – like a big salad – we love big salads in this house - and also the ones that were slow cooker meals.  I also noted where something was a good lunch option or would also work for breakfast (this is important cuz who doesn’t like breakfast for dinner?)

My goal is for every meal to be something that requires less than 20 minutes of prep time.  Note, I did not say 20 minutes of cooking time.  Most of the meals that I plan to cook ahead need to thaw in the fridge overnight and then be cooked in the oven for at least 30 minutes.

I already do a lot of this now.  It’s why I love my slow cooker.  Take 10 minutes in the morning to put together an amazing meal, throw it into the cooker on low and it’s magically done in time for dinner.

One example of something that totally fits my requirements is my homemade veggie beef soup.  It’s simple simple simple.  It takes 2-1/2 to 3 hours to cook, but most of that is simmering time.  There’s very little prep work – only about 10 minutes of chopping.  Then, all I have to do is keep an eye on it.  If I want to add homemade cornbread, I just set a timer for an hour before dinner is done to remind me, then at that time, I throw together the ingredients and stick it in the oven.  It adds maybe another 10 minutes of prep time.

Part of what I’m trying to avoid come March is that feeling that there’s nothing to eat – even though I’ve got a cabinet full of stuff – but it’s all going to TAKE SO MUCH WORK… <insert whining> when I’m already tired… <more whining> and then we’ll have to go to the groooooooccccceerrrrryyyyyy stoooooooooorrrrrrrreeee.

In my head, I’m thinking is that if I’ve got something already planned and the majority of it is in my freezer or thawing in my refrigerator and all I’ve got to do is wander into the kitchen at 5:30 and throw it into the oven, then I’ve got no real excuse.

And Mickey D’s will not make any money off of us this Spring cuz I’m too <whining> TIIIIIRRRRRREEEDDDD

I’ll post my list when I get it done…

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Adventures in Pregnancy

Last week was… interesting.

On Tuesday, I went to the perinatologist’s office for the 16 week ultrasound and the second blood draw for genetic testing.

I have decided not to post the ultrasound photo, because frankly, unless you are a trained professional, there’s no way that you’re gonna see anything.  I had to ask the technician to tell me what the picture showed and I still don’t see it…  Anyways, the Nugget measured in at 16 weeks 3 days and looked really good.  Placenta looked good; fluid was perfect.

Preliminary results from the first blood draw were back with my risks of Down’s Syndrome being 1 in 2000 and Trisomy 18 is 1 in 10,000 so again, I’ve got the risk of a 20 year old of having a child with these issues.  However, since I’m an asshole, my child has a 50% chance of that so you know.. whatever…

Wednesday, I spent the morning at the OB/Gyn’s office.  I had to do a 1 hour glucose tolerance test and they had to re-do my Pap smear from the 12 week visit.  They didn’t get enough cells the first time to get a reading. 

I met with a new doc this time: Dr Francis – a sweet lady about my age with 7 year old twins.  She was incredibly gentle during the pap smear procedure, but still there was a spot on my cervix that bled like crazy.  She said it wasn’t a polyp but rather just a really sensitive spot that bled the moment she touched it with the collection q-tip.  It bled enough that she used a little silver nitrate to make it stop.  I started cramping while she worked on me and the cramping and some light spotting continued for the rest of the day.

I drank the lovely orange Glucola before the examination so about the time we were done with the exam, it was time for my blood draw.  I wonder now if I was dehydrated because it was really difficult for the tech to get blood.. she ended up hitting my good donation spot and it fizzled out before she got enough so she ended up hitting the top of my hand.

I must digress here.. I do not have good veins and as this story continues you’ll hear about the adventures that causes.  The veins in my arms are small and roll like crazy.  I have one good spot on my right arm that once you hit it, will give whatever you need but you’ve gotta work for it a bit.  It’s for this reason that I don’t give blood.. it’s just too hard to stick me…

So I go home, feed the kiddo lunch and then lay on the couch the rest of the day.  The cramps were pretty bad and I will admit here and now that I was worried.  I even started timing them like contractions for a little while.  They kept coming in waves and I was concerned.

Thursday morning, I wake up with just a slight twinge of cramps and during the day, the spotting stopped.  I didn’t think anything else about it until about 6PM as I took a quick pit stop before I started dinner.

Y’all, I was bleeding like I had started my period and there were clots.. not big ones but clots nevertheless.

I freaked out.

I knew I needed to go to the hospital but I didn’t know whether I should go to Labor and Delivery or to the Emergency Room.  I called my OB’s office.  My hands were shaking so bad when they called back that I hit the wrong button on the phone and sent the call to voicemail.

Thank goodness, the nurse on call left a message telling me to go to the emergency room.

Moo would be home any moment so I moved fast.  I packed Phoebe’s diaper bag with extra diapers and snacks, filled her water cup up, and packed a few toys.  And then I found and put on my shoes, located my wallet and keys and sat down with my feet up to wait on Moo.

By 6:25, we were in the car headed for the hospital.

I freely admit that I was scared to death.  I freely admit that I cried all the way.

I was so upset that by the time I got there, my blood pressure was sky high: 180 over 101…

Now, I’ve had a problem with hypertension in the past.  I also know that I’m one of those delightful people that on the outside looks calm and peaceful but on the inside is seething.   I could go into a whole diatribe about how our blood pressure goes up to help us deal with stress at hand, getting us ready to flee if necessary.  Medical personnel see blood pressure like mine on Thursday evening and freak out.  They see me as a stroke waiting to happen.  I know that I am simply reacting to the problem at hand and given the opportunity to calm down, my blood pressure is perfect.

I sent Moo to the cafeteria with Phoebe for dinner.  Meanwhile, I’m sitting there scared.  Right before I get called back, Moo and Phoebe return from dinner. 

I get back to the examination room and I’m greeted by the most wonderful young doctor, a Dr Zirkin.  I explain the pap smear fiasco and tell him about my tendency towards hypertension when stressed and he says “Of course your blood pressure is up.  You’re upset. That’s what it’s supposed to do.”

At last!  A doctor with common sense!!

He orders an ultrasound and blood work.

The ultrasound reveals that Nugget is fine.  It reveals that I do not have placenta previa which was one of the potentially bad things causing the bleeding.  The ultrasound also reveals that my cervix is long and tightly closed, so the pregnancy isn’t in danger right now.

Having seen my little one waving at me on the screen and greeted with good news, my blood pressure drops like crazy. 

It takes 3 people and SIX needle sticks before blood work is finally together.  Two nurses can’t get me, the experts in the lab are behind at least 3 hours so the nurse brings in the delightful Dr Zirkin.  He goes for the radial artery in my right wrist.  This is painful but not as bad as getting an IV in your foot – don’t ask.  Again, I’m stingy with my blood.

Blood work reveals that I’m clotting normally and blood counts are good.  The OB on call wants me admitted for observation and to see me the next morning.

So we got to the ER at about 7, got called back about 8, and I got put into the “Short Stay” unit at about 2. 

Dr Zirkin told us about 11:30 they were keeping me and I sent Moo and the baby home.  She was starting to get a little wiggy and there was no way she was going to sleep in the stroller.

The room I was in was nice, but very small.  Just big enough for the bed, a chair, a hospital tray on wheels and a door to a tiny bathroom with only a toilet and a sink.  No shower as people weren’t supposed to be in this unit for more than 24 hours.

The nurses finally left me alone about 3 and I used Airplane! to help me go to sleep. Well except for the hospital bed that seemed to be possessed.  Every once and a while, it would suddenly start “roaring” and the mattress would inflate and then deflate.  Weird.

So I finally got to sleep and slept until about 7 when the nurse woke me up to take my vitals.  Then Dr Schaeffer, the OB who wanted me admitted came in.

He asked me questions about my last pregnancy, talked to me about the exam on Wednesday and talked to me about what was happening in this pregnancy.

It’s been determined that I have cervicitis or inflamed cervix – I’m calling it an “angry cervix”.  Basically during pregnancy, there’s tons of extra blood flow to that whole area.  The cervix is already sensitive so if anything “disturbs the peace” like sneezing or coughing or sex or even going over a speed bump too hard, you can have a bleed.  It’s not dangerous – just scary as all get out.

I’ve been ordered to take it easy for a few days – not exactly bed rest but just not doing a ton of running around. 

And as a reward for all the aggravation, Nugget did major flip flops for me yesterday and today…

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15 weeks and 6 days – when will I feel better again?

When I was pregnant with Phoebe, sometime around the 4-1/2 month mark, I started feeling better. I got some energy back. I wasn’t so nauseated.

I’m getting close to that same time now and I feel like dog crap. I ache all over. I’ve had a migraine off and on for 2 days now. I’m tired, tired, tired. I’m not able to eat more than a few bites before I feel like I’m gonna hurl. Oh the nausea has mostly passed, but it still rears it’s ugly head on occasion.

The truth of the matter is that I’ve got a lot on my plate right now.

Phoebe is in the middle of some kind of stage right now – she’s learning language really fast. We’re beginning to hear all kinds of words out of this kid, like “Mama, TREES!” while she points madly at the trees outside. Or “SHOES!” which usually means she’s either seen a pair of shoes in a book, on TV, or in the house or that she wants to put them on.

She’s fun to put to bed right now. She sings, talks or jumps in the crib for anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours every night. She’s also had a nightmare or something a couple of nights ago. When she finally woke up enough to start calming down, she did a lot of gesturing madly and telling me what had happened. I only wish I understood.

Add on that I’ve started a part time work at home job that keeps me busy during her naps and early mornings.

Still on the list are getting ready for an upcoming craft workshop and the PURGE.

THE PURGE is what Moo and I decided to do before we get the nursery ready for Nugget. Right now, Nugget’s room is a combo office/guest room. We’re gonna keep the bed in there, but Moo’s office has to come out and the closet emptied in preparation for Nugget’s things. We also need to paint that room.

Before we can really move the stuff out of Nugget’s room, I’ve got to move stuff around and declutter our bedroom to make way for one of the bookcases in the office. I still don’t know for sure where the other bookcase will go.. maybe the dining room?

Our bedroom is about 50% where it needs to be and I also want to tackle our kitchen which has already begun. We tackled the cupboard under the stairs a couple of weekends ago which is a closet in our kitchen – I don’t think you could classify it as a pantry… too strangely shaped.

Add on top of this that my foot – you know the one with the WART!!! – EWW EWWW EWWW EWWW EWWW – has been bothering me again. I went to the doctor last week, because I had a sort of.. swelling? on my foot and come to find out the swelling is the wart and it’s bigger and badder than before. So big and so bad that I’m putting acid – yes ACID – on it for the next 2 weeks and then I’m having laser surgery to take off the rest of it sometime next month.

So I’m kinda busy.

And tired.

And achy.

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Introducing… Nugget

Pregnancy Countdown: read on for more info…

Had our first appointment with the perinatologist this morning.  This visit was to do a look-see and perform the Nuchal Translucency test.

Here’s the first pic:

The baby’s head is on the right side looking up and it’s little hand is on it’s face.  For those of you like me that have a hard time seeing these things, I’ve added an enhanced version that I think will help you see better…

See? Aren’t these ultrasounds incredible?  LOL

This kid has a heartbeat of 167 and is measuring a full week ahead.  And because of this, they are changing my due date from March 10 to March 3. So I’m officially, 12 weeks 5 days pregnant right now…

The measurement on the nuchal fold was excellent and I gave them the little dots of blood they needed to run the Ultrascreen…

While we were watching, Nugget turned over and turned it’s back on us like “Leave me alone” and put it’s fingers in it’s mouth.

An improvement this time is the placement of the placenta.  Phoebe had an anterior placenta which made finding the heartbeat with a doppler difficult and made scans difficult too.  This time we’ve got a posterior placenta so it should be easier to “hear” things on the scans and I will probably feel the baby a little earlier.

While I’m still mostly exhausted, I’m also feeling so much better.  The nausea of a few weeks ago is largely gone – THANK GOODNESS!

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TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE!

I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. This is a very common hormonal disorder that has the following symptoms (from WebMD):

• Few or no menstrual periods or
• Heavy, irregular vaginal bleeding.
• Male pattern baldness
• Male-type hair growth (hirsutism) on the face and body
• Acne and oily skin, caused by high androgen levels.
• Depression or mood swings
• Obesity

If you watch I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant, then women with PCOS are also obviously idiots.

We have a DVR and I tape a lot of stuff. Most of it, I end up deleting without watching. Just not enough time. But sometimes I’ll have a few minutes and will fill it with something mindless. This show, generally is pretty mindless but it always PISSES ME OFF!

When I was diagnosed with PCOS, I asked my doctor what it meant. She went through the symptoms and talked about what could be done. I asked about the affect on fertility and she told me that it meant that it might be difficult but not impossible for me to conceive.

Again, DIFFICULT, but not IMPOSSIBLE.

I was put on the birth control pill because I didn’t want a child at the time and it would help some of the symptoms. I was also told that there was some chance that the hormones would level my hormones out enough that there was a possibility getting pregnant during the 7 days I was off the pill each month. So, I was advised to use a back-up birth control during those 7 days. I was also told that antibiotics could disrupt the pill and that I should also have a back-up for those times as well.

I was also advised that if I missed a period, I should assume I’m pregnant and test. If I missed two periods, I should call the doctor’s office.

I have no idea how many pregnancy tests and condoms I bought over the next 6 years. I had a good bit of trouble with sinus infections during this time too and every time I’d pick up a prescription for antibiotics, I’d buy a box of condoms too.

In 6 years, I was late numerous times. My period would be late and I’d test and it would be negative. Then a few days later, I’d start. I never missed more than one period. If I was really late, I’d test multiple times and I’d decide the date that I’d call the doctor. That usually meant I’d start the next day. Irony is a bitch. LOL!

On one occasion, I was 42 days late. I wound up at the emergency room on day 24 because of excruciating pain and found out I had a cyst on my ovary. I had written down a date just a week out on my calendar when this happened, so I was already planning to get my doctor involved.

So I’m telling you what my story of PCOS and doctor’s care is.. what the hell kind of care have these women had? One woman was told it was IMPOSSIBLE for her to get pregnant and goes on about her business until she delivers a baby in a toilet. If a doctor told me ANYTHING was IMPOSSIBLE, I’d be getting a second opinion.

Is that the difference between me and some of these folks? Or have I made the decision to take charge of my care? I think it’s the latter.

Do we think that because a doctor says something that that automatically makes it so!?!? When I was pregnant with my daughter, I had a doctor tell me I would probably die on the operating table. Did I just give up and make out my will? HELL NO!! I got mad and made it my mission to be as healthy as possible.

Hate your doctor? Fine. Find another one. But find a medical provider who looks at you as a person and not as a machine or in the case of some of these women – defective machines.

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR BODY AND YOUR HEALTH!!!

Find out how your ladybits work!! Read Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. Even if you aren’t interested in starting a family, this can help you really understand your cycle at ALL POINTS IN YOUR LIFE!! I read it while I was trying to get pregnant and after my daughter was born to understand when my period might come back.

Ms. Weschler also has a great book for teens called Cycle Savvy. I’m already planning to buy a copy for my kid when she’s 8 or 9.

I think the thing I hate about this show is that the women are all treated like some kind of victim. At some point, they are all shown hysterical at some point, which just makes me sad. Sad that they are so disconnected from their bodies that they couldn’t tell or ignored that something was "off” or so ignorant of their health that they took as a sure thing what was told to them by a medical professional.

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Walking Ball of Misery

Pregnancy Countdown: 7 weeks, 1 day

I had forgotten how miserable morning sickness was.

I get up and feel pretty ok.  Then after about 30 minutes, I am in the pit of hell.  Nothing I eat helps.  Nothing I drink stops it.  I just get more and more nauseous until I puke up whatever I’m eating to make it better.

I’ve got a prescription for some Phenerg*n and that’s helping – even though it makes me loopy and sleepy and dizzy.

With SM, I found the key was eating a frozen waffle within about 20 minutes of getting up.  Tried that this time and it didn’t even touch it.

Interestingly, popcorn is absolutely DELICIOUS right now.  And I am craving MEATBALLS – and not just any meatballs but the meatballs and sauce of a little restaurant that used to be open in the little town I live in.  Yes, I said, USED TO BE OPEN.  I am craving their noodles and sauce and meatballs like crazy.

A couple of days ago, I told Moo that I wanted fajitas and he took me to our local hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant.  Those were the absolutely BEST FAJITAS EVER!!!

The thing is, I AM STARVING.  From the time I get up until about 4 or 5 PM everything I eat either comes back or threatens to.  Then, I am hungry.  Ravenously hungry.  The nausea is still there but it’s more subdued and I can subdue it with food.

I keep telling Moo that I just have to figure out what the puzzle this time.. I just have to keep trying things that keeps the sickness under control and then I will fill the HOUSE WITH IT!!

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The Way Things Go Sometimes

Remember last summer when I talked about us deciding to let nature take it’s course reproduction wise?

Well, we did.  Whether to have another child or not has often come up in conversation and we’ve mostly been on the path of whatever happens, happens.

Well Mother Nature is an interesting mistress and she and God got together and decided we weren’t done…

YES!!  I AM PREGNANT!!!

WOO HOO!

I’m due March 10, 2011.

No drugs.  No crazy charts.  Just wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am. 

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2!

My daughter turned two on Friday. 

Over the last few weeks we’ve been having a bit of fun round these parts.  Firstly, I took my darling girl to a speech therapist to have a speech evaluation. 

By the time they are two, children should know between 25 and 50 words and should be beginning two word sentences.  SM knows about 20 and uses about 10 consistently.

We had her hearing evaluated first and she passed with flying colors.

So the next week, we got her speech evaluated.

Her receptive language – or the language she understands and responds to, follows directions and commands, etc – is on the level of a 20 month old or within “average” guidelines.

Her expressive language – or the speech she can say – is on the level of a 13 month old – well UNDER “average” guidelines.

She is a “late talker” rather than being diagnosed as “speech delayed” and so far, insurance will pay for the evaluation but not the weekly recommended therapy priced at $330 an hour.

And while she’s a late talker, that doesn’t mean she’s quiet.  Anything but.  She “talks” constantly.  Some words you will probably understand and some you definitely won’t.

We go for her 2 year wellness trip on Monday and I am eager to see how tall she is now.  Last time, she was 35 inches tall and I know she’s taller than 3 feet now.

She is altogether delightful.  She is a ball of energy and wants to RUN RUN RUN all the time.  Keeping up with her sometimes is absolutely exhausting.  But she is wonderful. 

She’s started her own version of dancing in the last few days.  It involves wiggling her backside and jumping up and down.

She runs and runs and then comes over to me and wants a hug.  She wraps her little arms around my neck and pats my back when she hugs.  Then it’s down for more running.

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40!

I turned 40 a couple of weeks ago.  I would have written before now, but there’s been so much going on.  Truthfully, I should do a better job. But I digress…

When I was 20, I thought about what life would be like when I was 40 and I have to say that as I look around me, it’s nothing like what I imagined. But I am happy.  I have a wonderful husband and a beautiful daughter.  We have a cute little house with a new roof and we’re mostly debt free.

There are things I’d like to change and some things I will change myself.  Other things will change on their own and I believe the rest will stay pretty much the same.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just reality. 

At 40, I am more convinced than ever that things can and will get better.  I am still convinced that people are good at heart.  But I always watch my back.  I call it pragmatic optimism.

There’s always more to do; more places to go; more people to meet.  I find myself busier these days.  I’ve got a couple of irons in the fire right now that will affect the future that will make me busier still.  I’ll be telling you more about that as they come to fruition…

So to sum up: happy, busy, loved and loving.  Yep, that’s me at 40.

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Sunday Evenings Bring me Down

When I was a kid, Sonny and Cher were on Sunday night.  After I had my bath and blew dryed my hair (it was really long then too), I’d watch Sonny and Cher and then it was time to go to bed.  Except for a long time, I’d get sick to my stomach by the end of the show.

It wasn’t the fault of Sonny nor of Cher, but because I had to go to school the next day and I really hated my teacher.

This lady had a serious vendetta against me.  I never understood exactly why.  I knew I added work to her schedule because I was reading 3 grades beyond most of the class so I had to have my own reading group.  At the start of the year, I was also a vivacious talkative little girl.  By the end of the year, I was reserved to the point of shyness.  Any infraction meant being called in front of the class for rebuking and ridicule.  Other children were encouraged to rebuke me as well and would refuse to play with me on the playground because I was a “troublemaker”.

My mother had more than one conference with this teacher and the principal.  All my mother could really get out of me was that she was “mean” to me.

The next year, we moved to another area and I switched schools.  There I found the best teacher I had until high school who looked at my super achievement at reading as something of a challenge and kept me busy and happy.  Although I never have quite recovered from the shy part… but that’s another blog post.

The point is, I have a long hatred of Sunday evenings.  All the stores shut down around here about 6 pm and in the summer time, there’s still 2-3 hours of daylight. 

I liken it to what Douglas Adams describes in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe when he talks about the Wowbagger The Infinitely Prolonged:

In the end, it was Sunday afternoons he couldn't cope with, and that terrible listlessness that starts to set in at about 2:55 when you know you've taken all the baths you can usefully take that day, that however hard you stare at any given paragraph in the newspaper you will never actually read it, or use the revolutionary new pruning technique it describes, and that as you stare at the clock the hands will move relentlessly on to four o'clock, and you will enter the Long Dark Teatime of the Soul.

Except my teatime starts about 7:30.  Whether its because I just dread Mondays or don’t want the weekend to end, I don’t know.

I just hate Sunday evenings.

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