No Pain, No Gain

My sister first told me this when I was getting ready to go into high school I think. If I remember right, I was doing some "beauty" thing, popping a zit or plucking my eyebrows for the first time, or something else that hurt, and I wanted to give up and she looked at me and said "no pain, no gain my sister". How true her words were, and still are, to everything related in life. Pregnancy included.

The first trimester can be painful, especially if you are sick. You are tired, feel like you are going to throw up all the time, if you aren't already, and can have cramps on top of it all. Food tastes like crap, you are constipated, and that glow that you are supposed to have? Well, lets just say the only glow I had was a tint of green.

Everyone says the second trimester is so much better. Maybe it is because you normally don't feel so sick anymore, but it brings with it it's own pains. Round ligament pain ring a bell? Feeling like your ovaries are being ripped apart, along with your growing uterus? Pressure on your bladder, or stomach, or other organs? Being hungry, but not able to eat because you have no room, causing either hunger pains if you don't eat, or pains of being full because you did eat and there is no place for your food to go? Sound a little painful? There is also the pains you get in your lower back, the cramping that never seems to go away, the kicks and jabs in your ribs and crotch. All of these things are pretty painful if you ask me. You can also be lucky like me and your baby sits on your nerves and you limp around in horrible pain (thanks Pumpkin) for months, having to actually go to physical therapy in hope of relief... that you don't get. Or you can loose circulation and get to wear the ever so sexy compression socks to help regulate your blood like your grandmother does. But don't worry, its just the second trimester. Next, you get to enter the third trimester.

The funnest of them all because time drags painfully on as you await your little one. You also can't sleep without 50 pillows around you, under you, and in between your legs. Laying down hurts, so you try to walking around. No luck. Your lower back hurts so bad, you feel like its going to snap at any moment. As your bundle of joy moves into position, your crotch breaks into two. Not literally, but it really does feel like it. I remember "walking" through the store right before Pumpkin was born, and I thought I was going to faint from the pain. It scared me too. I called Dr K because I really thought my crotch bone was breaking. She informed me that this was normal, and its actually 2 bones held together by cartilage, and that feeling I was having was the cartilage separating to help open up the birth canal for the baby to be able to come out. Oh, ok, so much better. But still painful.

You will survive all 3 trimesters though, and then you get to give birth! The contractions rock your world. Think menstrual cramps x168165191163874931561. They get you from the front, and the back. And just when you think you are going to get a break from one, another starts. It sucks, I'm not going to lie. Everyone's labor is different, so I am just talking from my experience with Pumpkin. The contractions are followed by pushing. They say pushing a baby out is equivalent to a man trying to pee out an orange. No big deal right? Remind your SO of that when you are trying to give birth and they seem to think its no big deal. Then I got an episiotomy, and tore the rest of the way anyways. Pumpkin's shoulder caught my tailbone on his way out and cracked it. I think that was the worst part (after the rest I should say). I couldn't sit for weeks. And then there is breastfeeding.

I was under A LOT of stress after Pumpkin was born. I mentioned a little about it here. I think because of all this stress, I was never able to get a supply in. I tried to breastfeed though. My nipples cracked and bleed and they hurt constantly. Oh so, so painful. But with PPD, a really mean nurse telling me I was starving my baby but yet didn't help me at all, and the stress of everything else, I couldn't do it, and that was emotionally painful.

I am not trying to scare you, or discourage you, honestly! Obviously the pain is all worth it if I have tried so hard to put myself back into the same situation! And, despite all these "pains", you do get the greatest gain of all. Your baby. And there isn't a pain in the world that isn't worth holding your child for the first time or the love that you feel towards them.

Right after Pumpkin was born with my sister who told me those ever so true words

What pains are you scared most about? Or what pains do you think are the worst?

I Swear I'm Not 80

I think Peanut must be sitting on a nerve, or vein, or something she shouldn't be on because the bottom of my legs keep falling asleep. I can be sitting, or standing, or laying in bed, and within a few minutes, numb. I don't seem to have any issues with getting enough blood to my nose though since I have been waking up every morning with bloody noses.

I called Dr K, and talked to her nurse A (who is my favorite nurse ever by the way) and she suggested "support hose". I really don't like that name, it makes me sound like I am 80, so we are going with the much cooler name of compression socks.

Our local medical equipment place has the best selection of compression socks around, so I headed there with my prescription for a pair. The lady was really nice, and even called them compression socks for me! She got me fitted with a correct pair, gave me instructions as to when to wear them (all day, but not to bed), and sent me on my way.

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Yep, that's them. Nothing fancy or special, just look like a pair of plain ol' knee high socks. The difference though? They are super tight around the ankle. Its hard enough lately to put on socks, but these puppies are SO tight that its a real struggle. Do they make something to help you pull your socks up? Anyways, they are real tight around the ankle, then kind of taper wider as they move up, almost making a cone shape.

The lady explained it to me as the pressure of them is what makes your blood keep flowing. I was still skeptical though because they do look like my other knee highs, despite the fact that they are so tight. I put them on when I got home though and guess what? My legs didn't fall asleep! All day I had circulation! It was amazing!!!! They are comfortable too, and I don't notice how tight they are around the ankle.

I only bought one pair to try first. So yes, I know its gross, but I wear the same pair of socks every day. To make myself feel better about this, I always put a pair of ankle socks over the top, so the outside doesn't get dirty. Luckily it is winter here, so my feet don't get hot and sweaty in them either. You can wash them normal, but have to line dry. I think I will have to go invest in another pair though to be able to switch back and forth since I do have a little over 3 months to go.

It may seem like I am 80, but man, support hose, I mean compression socks, are the way to go if you need a little help getting your blood circulating correctly. Oh, and another bonus? I don't know if this really is related or not, but my bloody noses have stopped! Yay for support compression socks!

Have you had to purchase anything during your pregnancy that you never thought you would?

Meet Marli

If it were up to me, we would have a zoo of animals. Unfortunately, M doesn't let me. So, as of right now, we only have 2 animals, our Silver Lab Mater (Pumpkin named him :) ), and our little black cat Marli.

We got Marli from the Humane Society. She, along with her brother who M wouldn't let me bring home too, was a stray. She won me over right away because of how small she was, playful she was, and just so darn cute! Pumpkin was a fan of her too :)

The day we brought Marli home

Marli has been a part of our family since the spring of 2010. She was supposed to be an inside cat, but likes to sneak out during the summer. During the winter, she prefers my lap :) I couldn't imagine our family without her, so I was a little taken back when my sister asked me the other day if I was getting rid of her before Peanut was born. Of course not! But it did get me thinking of the reasons why people will get rid of their cats during pregnancy. The main one that I could think of is the litter box.

Since we try to make Marli an inside cat, we do have a cat box. During the summer she doesn't use it as often because she spends so much time outside, but she won't leave the house during the winter, therefore using her potty lots.

I have always been the one to clean the cat box. It doesn't bother me. Its in the laundry room, next to the garbage, and doesn't take anytime to do so. My mom wasn't so keen on the idea of me cleaning the cat box while pregnant though since cat feces can carry Toxoplasmosis. She tried to convince M to clean it, which he did once, but other than that, I still clean the cat box.

I did do some research on the ever so trustworthy internet, and found out some interesting things on Toxoplasmosis. The 2 sites I found most helpful where the Human Society and Baby Center.

The Human Society's site was most helpful to me. It talked about how cats can get Toxoplasmosis (or T. gondii) from other things rather than just mice, like any raw meat they may eat even given to them by their owners. It also explains the incubation period, and how changing the litter box daily can prevent you from contracting the disease.

Also, since cats are normally exposed to T. gondii as kittens, they are less likely to transmit it as adults. Since Marli was a stray, her chances of getting it as a kitten (because of eating anything she could find) are pretty good.

The major thing that stuck out to me in this article is how people contract the disease:

"...since oocysts are transmitted by ingestion, in order to contract toxoplasmosis, a woman would have to make contact with contaminated feces in the litter box and then, without washing her hands, touch her mouth or otherwise transmit the contaminated fecal matter to her digestive system."

Um, gross. I am super anal about washing my hands, so they even get washed when I get out of the shower! But, even I wasn't like that, pretty sure I would still wash after cleaning the cat box!

The interesting thing I got from the Baby Center's website was that you can get Toxoplasmosis from gardening! Yep, not just your stinky ol' cat box. Since I got pregnant with Peanut this summer, I did quite a bit of gardening in the soil that Marli has roamed in. I am probably actually more likely to T. gondii from the soil since there were many times I would wipe my nose with the back of my gardening glove while working, or get dirt on my face from digging, etc.

After my research on Toxoplasmosis, I have concluded that Marli will stay a part of our family (this really was no question), and that I will continue to clean the cat box regularly as I always have.

Since this was a long, boring, scientific post (ha!), I will leave you with another cute picture of darling Marli! She is trying to attack the camera here :)

How do you feel about cats during pregnancy? Do you have a litter box that you clean even while pregnant?

ABC's of Pregnancy

When you have kids, the ABC's are everywhere! Books, blocks, flashcards, wall hangings, etc. And most of the books and flashcards have cute little things that go with the letter. A is for Apple, B is for Book, C is for Cow...

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Well, as I was laying in bed, wishing sleep would make its way to me, I was thinking about the ABC's of pregnancy. So, here is my alphabet!

• A is for Ass. If you didn't get any, you wouldn't be here! HAHA! Just joking, kind of ;) But A is for Ass, my ass. It used to be cute and bubbly and now it is BAM! In your face, all over the place!
• B is for Boobs. Get ready for some big boobs! With Pumpkin, I started at a nice C, and by the time he was born, I was in an E or F or whatever comes after all the D's! 
• C is for Cravings. Mine this time around? Cheese, Ramen Noodles, sweets, chocolate (although it doesn't always like me - see H), mashed potatoes, noodles, and did I say sweets?!
• D is for Digestion. Or lack of. Lets just say my #2's are few and far between. And when they do show up, you better watch out!
• E is for Eyes. Mine have been extremely dry. I even lost a contact one day because of it!
• F is for Fear. I have many fears. It scares me when I can't feel Peanut move. It scares me when I lift something heavy or run a little, or anything that might hurt her. And one of my biggest fears lately, not being able to breastfeed.
• G is for Gas. It happens. You don't know when, or where, until its too late.
• H is for Heartburn and Hair and Hemorrhoids. I have never had heartburn before. And I always thought it was supposed to be spicy things that give it to you, but I seem to get it when I eat chocolate! And hair. Man does it grow in nice and thick, EVERYWHERE! I have had to up my finger shaving, and face de-fuzzing, and my stomach now see's the razor on a regular basis! Hemorrhoids are one of those things that people don't tell you about when you get pregnant, but they are a very real thing, unfortunately.
• I is for Ice-cream. Yes please. Especially if its fried.
• J is for Juice. I can't get enough of it.
• K is for Kicking. I love those little kicks inside my belly!
• L is for Legs. Mine get HUGE.
• M is for Milk and Muscles. I am so scared my milk won't come in and I won't be able to breastfeed. And muscles. Yes, there used to be some in my stomach, and no, not all stretched out like they are now!
• N is for Nose. My sense of smell has kicked up, but every night, I get so stuffy I can't breath. And then it bleeds all the time.
• O is for Open Up. You have to spread your legs a lot while you are pregnant.
• P is for Pee and Pain and Privacy. I pee a lot. I even have little accidents when I sneeze. And the pains. I have cramping a lot, either from the #2's, or the growing, or the pinched nerves, or the sore muscles. You get the point. And then there is the labor... Which leads me privacy. Once you get pregnant, you never have any again. I can't tell you the last I was able to go to the bathroom without Pumpkin walking in.
• Q is for Quite Time. Enjoy those moments of silence, because once you have kids, good luck finding some!
• R is for Random. I get random cravings. I randomly clean the house. Randomly get tired (why can't this happen at night?!).
• S is for Stretch Marks and Swelling. Oh yes. My belly isn't so bad (at least not yet), but my legs, and that big ol' ass is covered. Along with the boobs. And the swelling sets in fast. There are some days I can't even move my rings. You retain everything!
• T is for Tears. They come so much easier! I cry about everything!!!
• U is for Underwear. Thongs? A thing of the past! Granny panties hold the panty liners better, and help to control that ass a little bit more.
• V is for Van. It really does cross your mind to buy one....
• W is for Weight and Water. I have always tried to loose weight, and I know that it going up now is a good thing, but man, its hard to see some of those numbers! And water? I gained about 20 lbs in water weight at the end of Pumpkins pregnancy.
• X is for X-it. Yes, I know that its really spelled E-X-I-T, but bear with me, its all I got. Yes, that baby is going to have to make an exit.
• Y is for Years. It may seem like pregnancy takes years, but once you have kids, they fly by.
• Z is for Zoo. My house will be a zoo. It already is with Pumpkin, a dog, a cat, and husband. I can't even imagine what its going to be like when Peanut gets here!

That is my version of the ABC's of Pregnancy! What would you add, take away, or change?

Slight Freakout

My GF L came by yesterday with her baby, which is almost 3 months old. She had gotten shots the day before and was.... grumpy to put it nicely. I have to admit, I had a small freakout from it.

Pumpkin was SUCH a good baby. Never cried, never was crabby, never fussed, nothing. I was very fortunate to have such an easy baby. When I saw L's baby being, not easy, I didn't know what to do. Granted L did things that I would not have, like picking her up and stuff while she was content and sleeping, causing her to wake up and fuss more, but still. What if Peanut is a fussy, crying, crabby baby? How will I handle?

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Having an almost 4-year-old running around the house can be extremely tiring, and I guess I was being extremely naive thinking that Peanut would be an easy baby, therefore not making it too hard having 2 kids at home.


I am praying that part of L's crabby baby was because of how L "spoils" her, and that my baby won't be the same. I am really hoping I don't have blinders on as to how Peanut is going to be.

24 Weeks

We have made it to 24 weeks! It is a relief to know that if Peanut was born now, she has a chance at surviving. I would rather her stick tight until due date though :)

I haven't bought anything for her yet. To be honest, I can't pinpoint the reason why not either. This pregnancy has been going really well, and she is a SHE, but when I go to the store... nothing. I do find things I love and want, and tell others about them, but I have yet to take anything home. I feel scared to have stuff for her already, like I might jinx it all or something. I want to shop and buy, but just haven't been able to actually take that leap.

Peanut likes to kick my in the crotch, a lot. When she moves, its always her little feet doing a dance down there. I do love feeling her move, but kind of wish she would kick a little higher! There are some days that she hardly moves at all, and when she does its really faint. I really don't like those days. Its funny though. With Pumpkin, I would have been calling Dr K to tell her and make sure everything is OK, but with Peanut, I am more relaxed about it all. I hope that is a good thing... We have another dr appt on Thursday, so I guess we will find out then if everything is still looking good! ;)

Sleep...

Or lack of. Its 3 in the morning. I am wide awake. I have slept for maybe 2 hrs tonight.

I was so excited because its "fall back" tonight, and so we get an extra hour of sleep, but I can't sleep! I don't know why. I don't even feel a little tired. I tried to make myself sleep, but I couldn't. So, now I am sitting here, wishing I was sleeping. I know that it is going to make for a long day, but I don't know what else to do!

If these sleepless nights keep happening, I am going to have to ask Dr K if there is something I can do. I have to be able to function during the day, especially with Pumpkin around!

I guess if this keeps up even after Peanut is born, that would be a semi good thing. I wouldn't have to drag myself out of bed to do nighttime feedings, I would be waiting for her to wake up!

I need some sleep....

Six Babies?

I had a pretty vivid dream last night. I went to my hair lady's place, which turned into my Dr's office, and went into labor. With 6 babies.

For some reason though, I only was with 2 of them, a boy and a girl, and the boy grew really fast. Within 2 days, he was like huge, the size of a 3-yr-old, but still a baby. M was at work. He never came to see me or the babies. In fact, I didn't see him until I came home, and then it was just randomly.

It was such an odd dream, and I have no idea what it means, if anything. Maybe it means M will be at work when I go into labor. Or that he will miss the birth (I pray not!). Hopefully it is just a weird random pregnancy dream though. It is sticking with me though, almost like a nightmare.

OVER Half Way

I just realized the other day that I am 5 1/2 months pregnant. That means we are over half way there. It does not seem real at all.

I feel like we have so much to do (which we do), and tons of time to do it. I mean, we still do have lots of time, but I would like everything done by January, or at least in January. I don't want to have to worry about things in February, I just want to relax and enjoy the last month. Plus, if Peanut decides to come early, I want to be completely ready. I get too much anxiety waiting until time is getting close!

I just can't believe how soon we will be meeting our little Peanut. This year has already flown by, and the next 2 months are going to be crazy with Thanksgiving and Christmas, that time isn't going to slow at all. I am so excited, and can't wait to start getting things done!