The Hangover

Ahh...Wednesday.  Now we're getting somewhere.  Yesterday we had another ultrasound - and - total coolness alert - we were both floored to see the baby move!  I'm not even 10 weeks but that little booger is moving around like crazy!  WOOHOO! It was so amazing and humbling to see that tiny little, peanut sized being, squirm around to try and get away from the ultrasound!  The heart rate is climbing and the baby is growing well.   I have one more ultrasound next week and then they will 'release' me to a regular OB...we're so excited!!!  Almost done with the first trimester already!  Wow....things are just flying by- well...sort off!

I've had a rebound headache for the last 4 days so while we were there, the doctor prescribed some meds to help.  Silly, silly girl that I am, I took one at about 7PM last night.  After my sweet, snoring husband woke me at 2AM, I enjoyed an episode of the Property Brothers and a movie and a half on the Hallmark channel.

Grr.....needless to say, my first words to him this morning was, "you are going to the doctor or I'm moving out."  Or something like that; I'll admit the exchange was a bit blurry.   So B and the Bubbies had a wonderful night's sleep and I'm sleep deprived and a mess as per the norm these days.

Upon looking up the ingredients to my new prescription, I found that apparently, the meds had caffeine in them.  I haven't had caffeine in four years my people.  Four years....until yesterday evening.  Today, I look and feel so hung over that B had to drive me in to work.  My eyes are dilated and my head is spinning.  Good times!  Next time, I promise I'll read the bottle.  I usually do, but the name of the meds sounded familiar...then again, back in my Starbucks Venti Bold days, a little extra caffeine wouldn't have bothered me.  Ahh...I miss those days!

It's a great time here in Jennifer-land right now folks.  I'm selling tickets if anyone else wants to enjoy the ride with me!  Here I am killing myself to be here, making my husband drive me to work like I'm freaking Miss Daisy and my boss is out today with a headache and nausea.  Pause....let's let that sink in a minute.....

HA!  Oh, the irony.  Now, I don't wish ill will on anyone, but if there was ever a day when I needed to be home, it was today.  But "pregnant, nauseous, dizzy, and hung over" me is here - present and accounted for...I'm just sayin'.   I know, I know, you don't get medals for being a martyr....but it's just such a new company, group and responsibilities, that I guess I'm being overly cautious and erring on the side of showing my face, as gnarly as the sight might be.

So for now...I'll go back to my Corn Chex and hunker down.  I hope you're all having a great week!

Happy Wednesday Ya'll!

It Isn't Easy Being Green

Hey everyone - I've not forgotten you!  I've been on bed rest - again.  All is well.  Had another scare, but the baby is fighting as am I.  The little heart is beating like crazy and that keeps me calm.  Unfortunately though, the nausea seems to be beating me.  Although I've had some wonderful suggestions from lots of friends, none of them seem to be working to quell the horrible feeling.  I'm just going to have to 'suck it up' until it passes!  I'll try to keep the whining down to a low roar.  I promise!

All is not lost however - I have lost six pounds! :o)  It's odd that all of my pants are baggy on me for now...I'm sure in a few months I'll miss the bagginess, but for now, I'll appreciate it and hope that maybe I lose a few more before things shift.  I have plenty to spare so anything I lose now will help in the long run I'm sure.

I'm back at work and it feels odd.  I've been turned off for almost five days and now that I have to get stuff done...Oy.  Time to re-engage.  The mood is so somber here at work though.  I wish leadership would do something to get people mentally in a happier place....we need some team building.  Big Time.  It's tough enough to get into a new job without the depressing atmosphere that we have here right now.

At this point I have so much work though that it's a bit scary.  It's even scarier to know there is an end date in the near future...oy again.  While I can't wait for the baby to be here...I'm nervous about leaving work for a period of time.  I'm sure I'll get over that when the time comes, but being the planner that I am, it makes me nervous.

For now, I'll stick with living in the moment and getting through the next few weeks with a smile on my face.  I'll keep focused on what's in front of me and not what's down the road and see where that takes me.  I'll be thankful for my sweet husband and awesome family.  Wouldn't know what I would have done without them. 

We had a great visit with my older brother and his wife this weekend - it was great to see them!  It was fun to be able to just chill out and relax and not worry that my face was a pretty pale green.  Gotta love family!

I hope you've all been doing well and are having a great week so far -

Happy Monday Ya'll!

Hey, I Look Good in Green

I’m alive.  Barely, but I’m here.  Sorry I’ve been offline for a while.  I tried the Zofran, it worked really well to curb the nausea and I felt like new!  Woohoo!  Unfortunately, I ended up with some bad side effects while taking it and can no longer enjoy nausea-free days.  Boo….

For the past three days, I’ve been a useless vegetable.  Seriously, I didn’t do a darn thing from Friday through Sunday.  I felt so sick I couldn’t move without spinning.

Cue Dr. Matt...

I got up this morning determined to make the best of today – mind over matter – you know how that works right?  I can do this!  Luckily I had an appointment with Dr. Matt this morning – purely coincidence.  He took one look at me and said, ”What’s bothering you the most.”  I told him to take a pick – I was in agony from the shoulders up to my neck.

He started low and worked his way up – it was at about 10 ‘cracks’ that he reached my neck.  Under my ears is a truly sensitive spot for me.    It has been for about 15 years now – I haven’t even been able to touch those spots…well, he felt up and down my neck and said, “Well, I would bet that you don’t feel well at all today.” 

Hmmm…was it the pale, greenish tonal quality to my skin?  Perhaps it was the sweat I broke into when I had to walk from my car into the building?    Maybe it was the way I was sucking down my Body by Vi shake this morning – like a lifeline….maybe he heard the prayers I was muttering under my breath.

Turns out, it had nothing to do with my gorgeous façade (read sarcasm) – it was the fact that the axis bone at the top of my neck was completely sideways and out of joint.  (Note, the axis bone is the second cervical vertebra in the spinal column. It allows the head and neck to rotate or turn and shake.)   THAT’s why my neck hurt when I turned it. Well Duh.  Apparently it was also making me extremely dizzy and nauseous. 

So, I’m still dealing with the nausea, but at a much lower level and all of the evil side effects of the Zofran have hopefully gone away.  And hey, I can touch under my ears like a normal person again - not that normal people do that often.  It's the principle of the thing my people! 

I’m here….I’m walking more evenly and able to hold my head up – so that’s half the game! I'm no longer green, but since that's a great color for me, I was ok with it for a while.   I’m learning more and more about my new job and I’m actually looking forward to it!  Still don’t know what my title is and what my exact responsibilities are, but we’ll get there in time I guess.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that you are having a great Monday too!

Happy Monday Ya’ll!

Today Was a Gift I'll Never Forget

Wow - what a day it was today.  I didn't hear about my job yet - I'm hoping for Wednesday for that - we'll see.  As some of you may have seen on my Facebook page, we heard the baby's heartbeat today!  It was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.  B and I both cried - it was impossible not to!  My doctor said everything looks really great and we're thrilled.

I finally feel pregnant!  There are so many thoughts running through my head tonight....it's so amazing to know I have another living being growing inside of me.  To see the baby's heartbeat - already - is such a miracle. 

How great is God?  Really?  What an incredible thing to give a beating heart to a being that is the size of a kumquat.  Truly - I'm humbled and feel unbelievably blessed to have been able to experience this - what a gift this journey has been.

I said to my doctor today that I thought that the fertility path was tough and boy was I naive!  This process has been the hardest thing I've ever gone through - the ups and downs have been terrifyingly crazy.   Every day changes, but I guess this is God getting us ready for whatever comes next. 

We took the longest possible path to get there, but I have say, looking back now, that it was the path we were supposed to take.  I so appreciate where we are now so much more because of where we've been. 

On a lighter note, the doctor prescribed Zofran - Yay Dr. T!  We're hoping it will take the edge off the nausea in the mornings so I can stay on top of the nausea - we'll see what happens.  At a minimum, I know I'll sleep tonight; Zofran makes me so sleepy!  I would love to be able to take off my pink striped -yet so pretty - PSI bands - even for a night.    They really bother me after a while.  I'm still nervous to take them off just yet.

One more month and this misery will hopefully be behind us - unless Pedro has it out for Mommy! :o) If that's the case, then I'll suck it up and appreciate peanuts mixed with chocolate covered raisins and Corn Chex for lunch for the next 7 months!   On a high note, I did eat a BLT for dinner tonight - B makes really good ones.  It didn't bother me in the least - it felt good to eat and not think about it for a change. 

For a person who loves cooking and baking, food is such an annoyance right now.  I dread packing my lunch and getting breakfast ready for the morning.  This is when I dream of having a food service deliver my meals - ones that I can change my mind about up to the very last minute - what I want, when I want it. 

Sigh.  For now, I'll drink my Dr. Matt special for breakfast (protein shake) so at least I know Pedro will get one 'non-Mexican' meal a day - I'll keep looking for things to eat that don't contain corn or potatoes and I'll appreciate every single, silly moment.

We are blessed.

Happy Wednesday Ya'll!

I'm On a Google Moratorium

Access to Google should be outlawed.  When you are stressed, sick, worried or in general just need information, going to Google is the first thing you do (at least I do).  You “Google it” to figure out what’s wrong or to get the answer you’re looking  for.  We equip ourselves with way too much information and subsequently, have to live with the consequences. 

So, here I am scared out of my wits.  I found out the reaction I had to dinner at The Melting Pot Sunday night, was shared by my Gluten Free buddy that we had dinner with.  It was such a severe reaction that I’m scared that it wasn’t just a GF reaction but that it was food poisoning. I feel horrible today and have a pretty bad head ache – all in all I feel like crap.

Of course I’m worrying about the baby now.  We have our ultrasound on Tuesday – so I only have 24 hours left to wait – but boy oh boy did my trip to Google-land screw with my head.  I’m so frustrated that I got so sick and that it might have harmed Pedro – add to that my feelings of inadequacy because there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.

Here I was all pumped that I ate a normal meal and got nutrients like most people do – and then bam.  No more meal.  Now I don’t want food AT ALL!    So much for ‘getting on top’ of the nausea.

So once again, I have to turn off my head and pray.  This has been one heck of a roller coaster ride and I’m so tired and sick, I don’t know if I’m up for another lap around the block.   Going to work is enough stress in itself these days – even under normal circumstances.  Add that to the fun with my stomach etc…and I’m having issues pulling it together and keeping it there.

I’m so much fun to be around right now, I’m sure you all wish you could be here with me!  Just think, you too could be sitting next to me and watch me sip out of a water bottle 100 times just to drink 8oz and then eat Corn Chex a ½ at a time – it’s a happening time.  Maybe I’ll video tape it – it would be scintillating film for sure.

So, keep praying for us all day today – it’s a big one for the McGs – ultrasound and potential job offer – Oy.  You can never say my life is simple can you!?!

Sorry about today’s bitch-fest – I promise I will be Google-free for a while and will instead work on a list of questions for my doctor tomorrow.  That would be a much smarter use of my time – it just requires waiting which just is no fun – but then again – who said life would be fun right? J

Happy Tuesday Ya’ll! 

Misery Thy Name is Jennifer

Well, I haven’t dropped off the planet, nor am I on vacation in Tahiti – I was simply laid up all weekend with a wicked case of nausea – aka Pedro-itis.  It was evil my people, I cannot lie.  In fact, I really wasn’t able to eat a real meal until Sunday night. 

Fast forward to a lovely dinner with friends last night at the Melting Pot – love me some fondue!  Since cheese has been one of my recent favorite food groups, I thought it would be a great option.  It was wonderful!  I ate and ate and ate. 

Then I got home and hated my life and was sick as a flipping dog.  Lesson learned.  I won’t eat rich foods, I won’t over-indulge and I won’t go back to the Melting Pot until Pedro is here – I’m not convinced that I didn’t get some gluten in one of the dishes – that could have been the culprit.  Either way, food definitely holds little to no appeal right now.

So, needless to say, it was a pretty big waste of a weekend, but at least it happened over the weekend and not during the work week.  Things are calm for now – I’m hoping I’m back on top of the nausea and that Pedro will be more cooperative this week!

We’re all still waiting to find out about jobs here at work and I have our first “official” ultrasound tomorrow, so tomorrow will be a big day in the McG household.  I feel so greedy praying for two big positives, but I am.  I really need a job and I really want to see Pedro’s heartbeat!!!!  I'm claiming it Ya'll!

God knows what is coming, so I’m just keeping the faith and hoping He has good things in store for us.  It’s certainly been an interesting ride so far!  I promise my next blog will be more fun and interesting, but right now my creative has left the building.

I hope you’re all enjoying the Olympics as much as I am!

Happy Monday Ya’ll!

Monday Was Just a Write-Off

What to do when you have nothing (or not much) to do?  That’s my current dilemma.  I’m in limbo as I expected and really wish I had a huge project to work on, but right now, that’s not the case.  So as I sit in my new office location – at my new wobbly desk – with my new phone that no one can figure out, I try to find things to do.

Obviously, we’ve moved into our new office location.  We’re in the other building and boy oh boy is it warm and humid.  I actually brought a fan in with me to help with the stifling heat that almost took me out yesterday.  No lie.  It is just sickening in here.

Yesterday was a really rough day for me.  I woke up sicker than I’ve been at all – so miserable I didn’t make it into work until about 9:30AM….it took me three hours to feel like I could actually take a shower and get ready – driving was a joy.

Here are some fun highlights of my day Monday:

1.       Woke up gagging.

2.       Got to work about 2 hours after my co-workers to move into our new cubicles.

3.       Found out my desk shakes when I type – so my monitor gives me the motion sickness gags.

4.       I walked with some friends over to our old building to have lunch in the 95 degree weather.   As soon as I entered the old building, my heel broke off of my favorite shoes.  They’re toast.

5.       I heated my lunch, sat down to eat and gagged.  Closed lunch and sat for a minute with the group and then had to leave because the smells of their lunches was too much.

6.       I walked back to the new building solo.  Water was more than I could handle yesterday.

7.       I limped the rest of the day.

8.       I had a cup of Corn Chex and popcorn to eat all day - that’s it.

9.       I spilled my ice coffee from Starbucks all over the back of my car when I went to leave work.

10.   Went to the chiropractor (yay Dr. Matt) – that was a highlight – but my back and neck were so bad I had to lie on ice for about 30 minutes.  Ouch.

Don’t get me wrong, there were some highlights to yesterday – the chiropractor helped me immensely.  I feel better – slept well last night and had yoga with my friend K.  She calmed me down the rest of the way after a really crappy day.  Yay YogaMe!!

Today, I’m equipped with my fan, my psi wristbands, a calmer stomach and a hope that this will turn out to be a great week!

Happy Tuesday Ya’ll!

Pedro Wants a Pretzel

I'm hungry.  Seriously, I'm hungry.  I just ate dinner too - unfortunately, I don't want to eat much.  I'm starving and food looks just so unappealing, I couldn't care less.  I get like this every once in a while - I'm not really hungry - so I eat because I'm supposed to.

Right now though, it's pretty important that I eat well and often - keeps the stomach calmer they say.  I'm not sure I'm believing it yet, but I'm following directions.  I just didn't count on the hunger.  I want all the foods I can't have.

I would kill for a stack of waffles right now.  I hate waffles - and I can't eat them because they have flour in them.  Gluten free ones just don't appeal.  I want crackers and butter - my Mom used to eat Matzo and butter.  Yum.  Yes, a good Catholic woman eating matzo crackers.    Can't eat those though and the gluten free crackers so don't appeal right now either.

I want a soft pretzel with mustard - a Philly pretzel!!! Oh, and a cheese steak from Pat's with criss-cuts (waffle fries) with cheese from Abner's ( I don't know if they still have them or even call them that, but I want some.)

Obviously I've been watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives again.  I'm trying to get my mind off of Mexican food.  That's all I've wanted for weeks now.  So much so, that we've dubbed Baby McG - Pedro.  Yes.  Pedro.  (Even though I think it's a girl.)  I want chips, salsa, beef tacos and guacamole.  Bad, bad, bad.  But oh, so good.

I think part of it is that it's 'safe' food - aka gluten free.  I get that, but I'm watching them make bagels on Triple D and honestly, eh.  Don't want one. 

I hope this ends soon - otherwise, it's going to be a long 8 months.  I can't go ordering food only to turn my nose up and gag.  B made me corn pasta with butter and Parmesan for dinner tonight.  Tasted great - total comfort food.  But totally unhealthy for me.  Starch, starch and starch.

At what point will I crave veggies and fruit again? You know there's a problem if I don't want fruit.  I'm a fruit-a-holic.  Truly, under normal circumstances, I'd choose fruit over any other food.  Today, gag. 

I guess for now I'll have to be hungry and hope that Pedro is getting enough from my vitamins and dairy products.  I'm still craving cheese....I wonder if that means I'm having a calf instead of a baby? :o)

Happy Monday Ya'll!

My Stomach is in a Quandary...

Sorry this is late today folks - 'that which I have prayed for' has knocked me on my butt.  I've just woken from a two hour nap and am watching my two sweet Bubbies snooze away.  Days like this are a gift.

It's my own fault you know...we had a really busy day yesterday...In fact, I was out until 11:00PM!  I know right?  I've gone just crazy - We went and saw the new Ice Age movie with friends - definitely recommend it - then dinner.  C R A Z Y.  It was actually a really fun night and after getting home SO late then getting up early for mass this morning I was really knocked out.

We went to mass, we had breakfast at the MacDonalds where I had apple slices, a hash brown and 3 spoonfuls of a fruit and yogurt parfait and 5 sips of water.  Yum.  That brings me to the topic du jour....eating while pregnant.  It's quite the conundrum for me.

I mean really, I order what I normally like and then when it arrives, blech, the nausea just rolls in waves.  I'm seriously not complaining.  I just don't know what to eat to calm it down.  Since I'm unable to eat gluten - aka wheat etc...I'm not really a saltines kind of girl.  I'd love a cracker or a slice of nice soft white bread right now, but the repercussions would be just horrifying.

For now, I'm eating rice crackers, (which give me heartburn) and cheese.  Lots and lots of cheese.   I'm trying to eat healthy foods, but the thought makes me gag.  The idea of cooking anything right now makes me gag too.   I just made some microwave popcorn - with Parmesan of course - and it tasted really good.  I'm craving salt - but that won't work with the swollen left ankle I'm sporting.  So - any suggestion my people?   I need to eat....and function....and go to work!

When I get really icky, I use my Preggie Pop Drops - those puppies are not cheap!  And really, I'm not sure why they work, after all they are just hard sour candies.  But they do work...unfortunately I can't walk around with a hard candy in my mouth 24/7. 

Again, let me reiterate, I'm not whining - truly I'm not.  I'm just hoping to glean a bit of information from those of you who have been through this joyous time.  A girl can only Google so much you know!

So I'll leave you with a shot of how the Bubbies have relocated since I began this post....they're obviously sending me a message to put down the laptop and relax...and Bubbies always know best!

Have a great rest of Sunday Ya'll!