stalking my phone. and you.

• I went window shopping on Friday for baby stuff. Then I ended up starting a registry at Babies R Us. Then I bought some baby clothes. I have no self control.

• I lost my phone. I looked everywhere. I couldn't find it. I asked my friends to look in their cars. They said they did and couldn't find them. I couldn't find it in my house. Or my car. So I called the phone company and had them put a restriction on it in case some freak had it. I didn't want it being used by some weirdo. I was mad though because all of my contacts are on there along with my pictures and...a lot of things. I was mad.

• But then, Husband discovered the GPS function. It's an extra $5 a month which we don't need, so he signed up for a free trial in order to find my phone and then he'll cancel it before the 15 days are up. It found my phone! In the back seat of my friend's car! It showed us a map and I recognized the area as the Starbucks parking lot. I knew it was in her car because I knew she was there that day. That building off to the left is Starbucks.
  

• She gave me a hard time, saying it was creepy. Well what was I supposed to do? Buy a new phone? I never would have found it otherwise because she said she already looked. Now it's this huge joke that we bugged her car and are following her everywhere. Or is it? Maybe we did!!

• We had to go to the hospital the same day to visit Husband's grandma. We happened to see a car in the parking lot that belonged to our friends. We thought maybe something was wrong seeing as they were at the hospital. She's pregnant, so I became all paranoid of course since she isn't due yet. Husband texted her husband asking if everything was okay since they were at the hospital. Apparently they were taking some birthing class. But I'm guessing they thought it was creepy that we knew they were there and they hadn't told us. Know how we can avoid things like this? Avoid living in a small town. Tempting.

• I made pancakes.

• I was going to get a manicure today, but I'm going to wait until next payday. It's only $20, but Husband and I are going to go out for dinner tonight (since I won't be home on Valentine's Day), and we're kind of tight with money right now. I could get a manicure, but then we wouldn't be able to go out for supper. Oh well.

• I don't have much else to say. I had a baby appointment yesterday. Heart rate was 146bpm. We'll find out if it's a boy or a girl on March 3rd. I can't wait!! :)
  

pregnancy symptoms

Someone mentioned I should keep track of my pregnancy symptoms. Why? I don't know. Maybe because she thinks it's funny. :) Or, maybe it'd be helpful for other people. Also, it's nice to look back and remember, "Oh yeah, I remember that. That was really super. I loved having cramps in my left butt cheek for extended lengths of time!"

So, some things I've experienced to date.

• Nausea - This started two weeks before my missed period and didn't let up until I was around 13 weeks pregnant. No joke, I was nauseous all day long. It was horrible. I didn't take medication for it. I just dealt with it. Nothing helped.

• Dizzy spells - This was an early symptom, and one of the first things that made me know I was pregnant. It happened both times. I'd get dizzy spells for no reason, mainly at night. It wasn't low blood sugar or lack of water. It was...well, I don't know what it was. It was me bring pregnant.

• Dry heaving (YEAH!!) - This went along with the nausea. Sometimes I still get it, usually after I brush my teeth in the morning, along with the excess saliva. I don't know if it's because of the toothpaste or what. Nausea usually follows, and I'm currently at 15 weeks. I don't like it.

• Heartburn/acid reflux - Disgusting. The pregnancy hormones relax the ring between your esophagus and stomach (which normally stays closed to prevent stuff from your stomach coming up), which causes a lot of great things. Mainly, stomach acid comes back up causing heartburn and it sucks. For me, drinking milk helped and so did eating Tums. But I think Tums are gross. Drinking water didn't help. Eating bland food helped. If this is happening to you, stay away from acidic food because it will only make it worse. You might have to sleep upright too.
  

• Headaches - I haven't had many of these. Just a few, and they've been pretty bad. I find that staying hydrated helps.

• Mild cramping/pulling on the sides and lower areas of my abdomen - This has subsided for the most part, but I still get it now and then. It's nothing to worry about. The ligaments that hold up your uterus stretch as your uterus grows, so this is referred to round ligament pain. It's totally normal, but you should call your doctor if you're concerned about any cramping or anything that has you bending over in pain.

• Dry mouth - usually in the mornings, probably because I'm dehydrated.

• Excessive saliva (eww) - this usually comes along with the nausea and makes it worse. See the above comment about brushing my teeth.

• Constipation - this hasn't been terrible. Staying hydrated and eating a lot of fiber helps, but not always. It's pretty normal, unfortunately.

• Diarrhea - same as above.

• Mood swings - Unfortunately for my husband, this probably won't go away anytime soon. I've noticed that it has tapered off slightly since the first trimester. I think it was worse initially because of the sharp increase in hormones. But, this is normal too. Try not to be irrational. Then again, that's next to impossible. I can't even begin to tell you what I've gotten upset or cried about. It's a losing battle.

• Dry, itchy skin - Use lotion. Drink water. That's all I can say!
  

• Pretty hair - My hair doesn't fall out in the shower anymore. It's long and thick and shiny and I love it! I did have to go and get it thinned out because it was becoming unmanageable due to it growing so fast and not falling out. That's okay with me. This has been a great thing.
  

• Stuffiness/congestion - This started about a month into the pregnancy and has not stopped. And, it probably won't. Every morning my nose is stuffed up and I'm sneezing. It might be partially because it's winter, but this is super common in pregnancy, known as "rhinitis of pregnancy." It will go away after you have the baby.
  

• To go along with the above, nose bleeds - Oh joy! I haven't had anything bad; usually just when I blow my nose. But it can be worse for some other people. What helps is having a vaporizer in your room (especially if it's in the winter time). Don't confuse this with a cold water humidifier. You need an actual vaporizer. It prevents bacteria from being spewed into the air from whatever is in the water. Get one, it helps a lot, and you feel better.
  

• Hot flashes - This started recently. Up through the first trimester, I was always cold. Now I find myself kicking the covers off at night.

• Feeling cold - See above. I was freezing. Our heating bill sky rocketed. Then again, it has been a very cold winter, but I haven't been feeling as cold lately.

• Lower back pain - This happens if I sit for too long. I have a desk job, and I find if I don't get up regularly, my lower back and tailbone hurt really badly. Going to a chiropractor on a regular basis has helped a ton.

• Shoulder/neck pain - Usually if I'm not sleeping right. Good pillows and a good bed are really important. And a good husband to rub you. :)

• Patulous Eustachian Disorder - This has been the star of the show recently. I thought something was wrong with me because my left ear has been acting like I'm in an airplane...and it has felt that way for nearly two weeks now. It's like I'm walking around with a bucket on my head. If I turn my head all the way to the left, or if I press on my neck, or hang my head upside down, or lay down, it goes away. I can't function that way though. My ears feel so stuffed up, and the doctor said that they appear clear and not swollen or infected. So they can do nothing for me. Here's a better explanation of this symptom, which is apparently common in pregnancy for some people. Sorry if you have it. It blows.

• Lack of appetite - first trimester. Usually because of nausea. I ate plain pasta and that was it for several weeks.

• Being really hungry - Now I'm hungry, but can't think of what I want to eat half the time.

• Weird cravings - I haven't had a ton of specific cravings lately. Usually, I want something and I get it, and then the craving never comes back. Except for my craving for meat lately, mainly cheeseburgers. Even that is starting to taper off though. I haven't told my husband. I think it might make him sad.

• Fatigue - This isn't as bad now, but it was pretty bad during the first trimester. I felt like I couldn't get enough sleep. Now, I find myself tired in the mornings and at the end of the day, but I'm usually able to get through a full work day without a problem.

• Insomnia - This comes and goes. Taking Benadryl before bed helps me stay sleeping, and that has been okay with my doctor. But, you should make sure it's okay before you do that. Also, getting up to pee every two hours doesn't help much. Sometimes I'll wake up at 2am and can't get back to sleep. It's not fun!

• Leg/butt cramps - Occasionally (like last night) I will get cramps in the back of my thigh and up to my butt cheek. Stretching sometimes helps, but it didn't last night. I slept with my legs elevated and was able to get some rest, but it's still hurting. If Husband wasn't gone this weekend, he would rub it and it would feel better. I'm going to see if eating a banana might help, because maybe I'm lacking potassium. Drinking water helps too. But, unfortunately, sometimes there's nothing you can do. I've heard a warm bath helps, but I haven't tried that.

• Bleeding/spotting - usually light pink or brown, and for some people red. I have not experienced this. I did experience it with my first pregnancy, but that doesn't count because I was miscarrying. So, if this is happening to you, it would be good to tell your doctor. It can be pretty common, especially in the first trimester, and usually okay. Sometimes it happens shortly after implantation, known as implantation bleeding, after the embryo has burrowed itself into the side of your uterus. A friend of mine had it in the second trimester, and it turned out to be from her round ligaments stretching (she was fine). But if it's bright red and includes tissue, that's not good. You should always call your doctor anytime you have bleeding just to make sure it's okay.

• Bleeding gums - I have not experienced this, but this is common, too. Your gums become sensitive and swollen and will bleed when you brush or floss. No fun, but nothing to worry about.
  

motherhood in the animal kingdom

I left work early. Something is funked up with my eustachian tube in my left ear. Apparently, it's staying open, and that's not supposed to happen. When it does, it makes you feel like you are on an airplane. I can hear myself breathing and talking and it sounds funny and it's annoying. It goes away if I turn my head all the way to the left, if I press on my neck, or if I lay down. I went to the doctor for it and he said that it will have to fix itself. It's common in pregnancy and I don't know why but I'm angry. :(

On another note, I got this email titled "motherhood in the animal kingdom" so I thought I'd share.

On the riverbank...


In the arctic....


In Africa....


In the jungle....


In the ocean....


Somewhere near a Wal-Mart....

uninspired

I apologize for not saying much lately. Honestly, I've been really tired and haven't been inspired to say a whole lot. But nonetheless, I figured I had better come up with something.

A few days ago, Fred screamed into my ear. Like right into my ear. My ear was ringing for a couple of hours. Now, and since then, my left ear sounds like it's under water or something. If that makes sense. I'm really getting annoyed because I can't hear very well. It isn't good.

I've been drinking a lot of rootbeer lately. Rootbeer and chocolate. And eating burgers. It's a vicious cycle.

Here are a few interesting search keywords that people have used and stumbled upon my blog lately. Haha!

• femullet
• what consistency for italian meringue for icing cupcakes
• why would lemonade that taste like glue
• dinosaur ultrasound
• boobs compare with coconut
• coconut made breasts bigger
• dreams about a friend cleaning up my poop
• old people who ate coconut
• my butt goes numb when i spin bike?
• bike spinning and migraine

I'm learning that a lot of people like to search for things involving boobs and coconut together, and that kind of disturbs me. Freaks.

Husband has a night class tonight, so I'm stuck by myself. It's okay though, because I have the American Idol auditions. You know, it isn't as funny as it used to be. Either that, or I'm just totally over it. I don't even know why I watch it.

Oh wait, yes I do. So I can see things like this:

UPDATE!!

The blocked caller...was Husband. Trying to mess with me.

You are creepy.

lately

• I don't like passive aggressive status updates. I always think that they are directed toward me. They probably aren't, and shouldn't be, because my friends would call me out on something if I was making them feel bad. So, I am probably just being paranoid. :[
  
• We grilled out tonight. Hamburgers. Or, cheeseburgers. For the second night in a row. I love cheeseburgers lately and fast food is bad, so Husband has been more than happy to break out the grilling. Who says we need to wait until it's warm out? It's freezing cold but it smells like summer outside. I think our neighbors are jealous. Either that, or they think we are weird. I don't care.
• I like maternity jeans.
• Thanks to my friend Amy, I have fallen in love with decaf Via, and have come up with the perfect formula to make blended coffee drinks at home. I'm so happy!!!
• I am pretty sure I felt Kermit move the other day. Husband said he could feel it when he had his hand on my stomach. Like little taps coming from the inside of my belly. It might have been gas, but I'm going to ignore that possibility because it really didn't feel like that.
• My nausea has pretty much gone away for good (crosses fingers). Still tired though, and having to sleep a lot. I'll take that though.
• I love our washer and dryer. It's so much better having one. I never want to be without that again!
• Someone called my phone this morning from a blocked ID. That bothers me. Who would do that? They didn't leave a message. The last time this happened, it went on for days. I later found out it was my maintenance guy's wife, thinking that I was some harlot he was cheating on her with. Why? Because I called his phone twice and left him messages reminding him not to let the cat out when he came over (he had to fix a couple of things and I don't remember what it was). Aside from calling me at all hours of the day and night, she was even calling me at work. I finally called her back (because she made the mistake of forgetting to block her number a couple of times) and left her a message telling her to stop breathing into my phone and leaving me creepy messages, and if she did it one more time without identifying herself, I'd have her arrested. She then called and apologized and gave me some made up story about how they lost their dog and she thought maybe I was the one who had the dog. Okay, psycho. That makes no sense. Why would you call my house at 3am, call my office numerous times, block your number, and breathe into the phone like some creepy beast? Besides, your husband's way older than me and not even hot.
  
• I have been wanting Hostess Ding Dongs for days. I finally got them and was underwhelmed. They aren't as good as I remember.
  
• We trimmed Fred's wings. He was becoming feisty. If you let your birds wings grow so that he can fly and gain lift off, he will get cocky. He'll be mean and not listen. So, we chopped them, and now he's acting like a human being who just had his car keys taken away.
  
• Know what I wish still existed? Crystal Pepsi.
  

love bug.

Here is my sweet pea, 13 weeks and 5 days! You can see a cute nose and ears and cheeks!!

I love my lemon-sized baby.

We had another ultrasound today. Beebee is really growing. Beebee was sound asleep on his/her tummy and did not want to be disturbed.


So the ultrasound lady poked my belly for a while, then beebee woke up, flipped over, and started dancing. Or maybe beebee was just angry for being woken up. Either way, it was super cute.

I wish I could see him/her every day. But for now, I'll be content knowing that he/she is in my tummy going with me wherever I am. :)