June 28th, 2011, 1.00am

My last doctor's appt was June 21st at 2.45, and I left with this news: "Your fundal height is at 43, and I'm just being nice-- it's really 44... you're still closed up... I went away for a couple of days and came back, HOPING you would have had that baby," and FINALLY, "Okay we're inducing you- go to the hospital midnight on Monday. We'll try everything we can to make it natural, but it's more than likely going to be a c-section."

It was such a long but quick Monday-- everyone told me to sleep and rest, but I couldn't. I was busy cleaning and painting, and by the time I thought about laying down, something else was going on or needed to be taken care of. Needless to say, no sleep was gotten. After I was admitted, the nurses did lots of bloodwork and inserted a catheter into my arm for fluids prior to the induction process. They gave me Misoprostol to ripen my cervix b/c, pause for shock, I still was not dilated. Because Elijah was still very active, the nurses had to wrap my belly in two bands to keep track of his heartbeat. I was then hooked up to the blood pressure monitor and the pulsation/oxygen machine. I still tried to sleep but it was very hard to do b/c of the bands, and anytime there was an alarm about something, it would wake me up (alarms for the contraction machine running out of paper, bubbles in the fluid line, and oxygen level getting too low). I ended up sleeping in 15-30 minute increments only- plus I was cramping from the Misoprostol (which is normal). After another assessment was done and showed no ripening, I was started on Pitocin that is considered to be the "serious stuff."

The cramping was worse, and I still got no sleep-- so the next step was my epidural and bathroom catheter. My anesthesiologist was super nice and very "talented." I really thought that would hurt, but it really didn't. The worse part of it is when they do a "test run" on the numbing medicine b/c it's a lot of pressure on your back and it's cold going in. But then once the numbing takes place, the cramping goes away and it's pure bliss. I still didn't get any sleep, but it was still really nice not to be in pain. The bathroom catheter didn't hurt either, but of course, I was numb so didn't feel it. Just in case you were wondering why they use a catheter, it's because you can't move or feel your legs to get up and walk so they do a catheter so you can pee.

Around 1.00pm, my water broke and that was really weird. I've read it's like a popping sensation when it happened, so that's what I was thinking but it really isn't. It's more of a sensation like when you have to pee for a while but can't, so when you do it takes a while but finally happens. At first it was a trickle but then it was a gush and would continue to be a gush for the next 7 minutes. When my doctor came in to check me, I still wasn't dilated so he said, "Well let's give it until 3 or 4. If nothing has happened, then we'll get him out." The doctor showed up around 4, and again pause for shock, was only dilated 2 cm.

I was taken back to the OR at 4.50pm and the C-Section was started. Prior to, I was given more numbing medicine and was told, "Be expected to have some nausea with this stuff." They rolled me into the OR, and that's when it hit- the nervousness and shakiness (from being nervous) and the tears (from being nervous and not knowing what to expect). The other anesthesiologist introduced herself and reassured me about everything. I couldn't stop apologizing for crying and she kept saying, "Honey it's okay.. it's okay.. the end result is worth it." When everything was started, I had no idea what they were doing but I certainly couldn't feel anything because my body was so numb. At one point, I said, "It smells like popcorn in here." She laughed and said, "Honey that's you." And I said, "Oh... well I smell good." LOL. There were two guys working on me, and from Josh told me- Elijah wouldn't come out of the opening they had made, so one of the doctors actually had to jump and push down on my stomach to get Elijah's head to come out. Even at that, they had to use the vacuum and suction to get him. The doctor pushed on me one more time. When Elijah's head popped out, he was completely out- and at that very moment, I was relieved of 100+ lbs of pressure on my body. It was a night and day difference. Then I heard his shrill, sweet baby cry- and that's when Josh and me both cried. It was the most amazing thing EVER. Before Elijah was out, the anesthesiologist said, "Okay it's 5.14 right now. I predict he'll be out by 5.19." His actually birth time 5.21pm-- that's how big he was.

Both doctors couldn't believe how big he was. His birth weight was 8 lbs, 9 ounces- head size was 15 1/4-- and he was as chubby as he could be. My original OB said later that we definitely made the right choice b/c as big as he was, there was NO WAY he was coming out the natural way. I would have been in labor for days and pushing for hours.

The after process was probably the worst part of it all. It seemed to take forever to stitch me up, and the longer it took, the more nauseated I got. And I couldn't quite figure out if it was the medicine or the blue sterile curtain they had up, but it was horrible. I tried to look at anything to take my mind off of it, but nothing worked and eventually, things went double. I started trying to do deep breathing things, but it didn't work. I was asked how I was feeling and was given Phenergan and had the blue sterile curtain pushed back a little bit to relieve my sickness. I started shivering and was wrapped in a warm blanket.

The ride back to the room was horrible because I was still nauseated, and the more I laid there and tried to get my mind off the nausea, the worse it got-- and pretty soon.. well, you can guess what happened next. But I'll tell ya, after that, my nausea was gone and besides being drugged up and exhausted- I felt good.

Thursday was an interesting day because all of my catheters and pumps, etc. were removed, and it was strongly advised to get up and walk around. So I did that and tried to get some sleep, but it's very hard to do when nurse after nurse after lactating consultant after kitchen staff after doctor comes in every 5 minutes. That was the day that my hormones got the best of me, and I broke down. Everyone thought it was because I was overwhelmed or worried about not being able to breastfeed, but it wasn't anything like that. It was the simple fact that I'm so used to being independent and not having to ask anyone for anything, and I couldn't do it. AND I had been in the hospital for what seemed like an eternity, so I was ready to get home. And finally on Friday, I got to go home.

I was a little worried about that because the doctor won't let you leave if you don't use the bathroom. So at 5.00 that morning, I was able to use the bathroom and was so happy that I texted one of my friends and told her (a little TMI, yes, but she was very happy for me.. lol). My staples were removed, I was given my discharge papers, and all of that good stuff-- and out the door we went.


So welcome to the world baby big head, chubby-cheeked, little Elijah Alexander Vittitow... It was love at first sight!!!

I'm Such a Goober!!

So today, my feet have been super swollen and it hurts to rotate my left foot side to side. I got the Boppy out and have been elevating my feet in hopes of the fluid going away, which it has. I'm laying here in the recliner and start rotating my foot and said, "Hey, I can rotate my wrist side to side now." Josh turns to look at me with this very questionable look and says, "What?!" I look at my rotating foot and said, "My wrist, I can move it now." He starts giggling and says, "Your wrist?"

lololololololol--- I'm SUCH a goober. :))

35 Weeks and Freakin Miserable.

You know I'm not one of these women who LOVES being pregnant-- I'm just not. First off, don't get me wrong-- I laugh every time I feel Elijah jab me or roll. And I'm so excited about the next step-- meeting him, seeing who he looks like, etc. I really, really can't wait. I haven't even met him, and I love him to pieces. BUT the symptoms that come along with it? The no-boundaries that some people have? Well it's enough for me to say, "Okay Elijah, you can come out now."

So here is my list of complaints:

1. I feel the need to be cold all the time. Any kind of warmth makes my feet and hands hurt from swelling.

2. I'm tired ALL THE TIME. Lugging around 50 pounds of baby and baby-related things is hard work. And when you're lugging all that around weight, it makes it very hard to get comfortable-- sleeping or otherwise. I can't eat like a normal person, nor can I really put my plate or bowl on my stomach very well. Several times I've had to take off my pants just so I could sit in a decent position to eat.

3. Naps are officially out of the question... OFFICIALLY.

4. My pelvis and pubic bone have started hurting. And this one aggravates me the most. Now I've read that this is just because my body is getting ready b/c of the stretching, which I'm thankful for-- but must I hurt so bad that I can't even switch positions when I'm sleeping??? And must it hurt so bad that it's a pain to get out of the chair and put a lot of pressure on every part of my body???

Boo!!!!

Now onto the no-boundaries thing. When I was in NC, these are the questions I got asked the most by patients: How tall are you? Are you old enough to work here? How big are your feet? What's your ethnicity? And it was quite annoying, as you can imagine. In SC, being pregnant gets these questions: Are you pregnant/expecting? (no idiot I was really hungry) Is this your first? Do you know if it's a boy or girl? And my favorite- What are you going to name him? It's gotten so bad that when I call someone back, I cover my stomach with the chart so people won't ask me about it. Just a little tip, if I don't know you-- I'm not going to tell you his name. Me telling you his name is the same as you touching me or my stomach-- it's just not going to happen. Several people have asked me what I'm going to name him, and I have to say, "I'm sorry, I'm not going to talk about that. It's private."

So those are my rants this week... Really, really, really can't wait for Baby Elijah to get here. Really, really.

What's Going On..

Not a lot going on in little Elijah's world right now-- he's getting bigger and fatter in the oven, which is good. On the outside world, his mama is feeling every roll and jab and getting more and more uncomfortable sleeping. I'm also trying to get used to sleeping on my left side and enjoying my lunchtime 20-30 minute naps.

Mother's Day weekend, Josh and I traveled up to NC for a final trip and the baby shower. I was so happy to get up there to see everyone- friends and family- and I was even more excited to get home (even though by the time we got home to SC, my butt was numb and my feet and fingers were swollen. We got so much stuff-- it was unreal the amount of stuff we got-- BUT I was so grateful for everything people got us. I was even more grateful to see how many people showed up-- it was like a female family reunion for the Collins side-- four of my bestest friends from my old job showed up-- and even Josh's mom and grandmother showed up. It was SO GOOD to see everyone-- really did my heart good. Favorite presents I got were the Eddie Bauer high chair and some green frog galoshes that my friend, Kabo, got me. We got so much sweet baby stuff that mom had to take some of it home with her.

So my projects for this weekend are to finish packing my labor bag and to wash and divide baby clothes and blankets. We'll see if I follow through with any of that. :))




33 weeks pregnant



Baby Shower Goodies.. do y'all see the little green galoshes??!!

31 weeks-- sweet lil Elijah. My belly is measuring 33cm-- so he's going to be a big baby. :)

Spotting, Bedrest, and Boredom.. oh my!!

This current week has been an interesting and scary week for me. Now I know spotting throughout pregnancy is normal, BUT this pregnancy has been easy- no sickness, no heartburn, bloating is gone, etc-- I mean, easy pregnancy. So when something like spotting happens, well, it freaked me out. Spotting to me is bad b/c I know the possibilities of WHAT can happen. The first episode happened Monday night. Of course first thing Tuesday morning, I went to the doctor and was told everything was fine. BUT drink lots of fluids, stay off your feet as much as possible, and TAKE IT EASY.

Well that is easier said than done when the doctor you work for has a 60 patient load, your work ethic is to work up as many of those sixty patients as possible (not to be a kiss ass but because that's what you're there for, those 60 patients pay you, and the sooner you get started, the sooner you leave), and because your work ethic tells you to constantly be moving. Luckily Tuesdays and Thursdays are light days, so it's easier to take it easy (25 patients is so much easier to work up than 60, as I'm sure you can imagine). So since Tuesday was a light day AND the day I was told to take it easy, I did. And everything was fine.

Wednesday rolled around with yet another sixty patient load and again, more spotting. This time I freaked out (more than I did Monday) and went to the doctor yet again who told me again that everything was fine. He told me that women spot for unknown reasons but my cervix was not thinning and perfectly intact. Said placenta could be separating a little and that could have caused the spotting. Told me to be on the lookout for more bleeding and pain because that, of course, is bad. Most important thing he told me was, "Go home and stay off your feet. Let's see if the spotting goes away." My question, "Am I out just today?" His response, "Nope the rest of the week."

While I'm enjoying putting my feet up and doing as little as possible so Elijah can continue to bake and get fat (which from what I was told yesterday, he's already a big baby-- whether that means he's long or fat I don't know), I can't help but think about work. I feel like I need to be working, not because I'm obsessed with my job but because I simply hate to be an inconvenience to anyone. I hate putting people off.. it quite frankly upsets me, BUT I have to do what's best for my body and Elijah. And if that means, staying off my feet than so be it. However I can't wait to get back to work on Monday-- I just hope the spotting doesn't return. IF it does and with the doctor's permission, I'll be reclined at work doing triage and ordering/dispensing contact lenses all day. Which is fine with me b/c at least I'll be working AND off my feet-- two for one deal.

So it's Thursday at 11.49am-- what am I doing? Watching Grey's Anatomy and The Price is Right and enjoying the company of my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and niece (who is quite the character). They were getting ready to go to the beach last night, and Josh took Paisley with him. As they were getting ready to leave, Ashtyn squealed and said, "This is the best day EVER!!!" LOLOLOLOL. She was getting ready to leave, and I said, "See ya later alligator." Her response, "See ya later alligator- don't let the bedbugs bite." Like I said, quite the little character. Love that little girl to pieces.

Sweet Boy.

Sweet lil Elijah boy. 30 weeks tomorrow, Saturday 04.23.2011.

SN: I am now having hot flashes and need to be cold all the time. I have a sinus infection that is getting better with Sudafed (okay'd by my doc, btw). Trying to sleep with a growing baby and clogged up nostrils is very uncomfortable. I feel the need to nap every day at lunch, even for just 10-20 minutes. And my fingertips are swollen, probably from being hot.

Short and to the Point..

I haven't done much pregnancy blogging because I haven't experienced anything unusual and haven't felt the need to blog about boring things.

Today was another doctor day, and everything went well. As you know, my blood sugar was and is fine- blood pressure has been good. My doctor told me that when they did my ultrasound, they measure every little thing and he is the right size-- no problems there!! YEA!!! I did my birth plan and she said, "Getting an early start, huh? But that's good to be prepared." She read over everything and said it was a very reasonable birth plan, which I'm very laid back and the only thing I really requested was for Josh to be with me, an epidural, and I wanted the baby circumcised.

So as far as other miscellaneous things go, we registered at Target and Babies-R-Us for our baby shower May 7th. Josh says he has noticed that there are some things I won't eat now whereas before I would have "gobbled it down." I, honestly, haven't noticed what I eat and what I won't eat. I haven't had any cravings besides the lemonade- maybe Smores- but aren't cravings things that you usually don't eat or drink? I've had one, maybe two, dizzy spells, and I've nauseous once but that was from low blood sugar. And sleeping is very difficult right now. I can't get comfortable no matter which side I sleep on... the pillow thing has its days with me- some nights I want it, some nights I hate it. I've had one day of feet swelling, but I think that was due to walking too much. And my finger tips swell if I walk outside in the heat. Probably the coolest thing I've experienced is watching my stomach move and do weird things b/c he's moving and rolling around. And that's about it... oh and my scrubs are really doing weird things. I have to constantly pull them up b/c they sit low on my belly.

Lastly we're playing with names-- his first name will be Elijah.. middle name, we're still playing with.

Today was my big doctor day-- to find out how far along I was- and get a due date- AND to find out what we were having. And I was so excited to find out and be there.. that is, after I got there and got settled.

As I have mentioned before, I have the bladder of a hummingbird. I can NOT hold liquid very well at all. Forget drinking water or coffee when we travel b/c I will and do have to pee every 30-60 minutes. And after lunch, I have to pee anywhere from 3-4 times in 45 minutes. The doctor I used to work for used to joke that he was going to get me a catheter so I wouldn't have to walk away and pee every few minutes after lunch.

Anyways for my doctor's appt today, I was told to empty my bladder and then drink 36 ounces of water to ensure a full bladder. I know me, and I know my bladder. So I drink probably 30 ounces total of water and could already feel my bladder filling up. By the time I got signed in for my appt and sat down, I really really really had to pee. The receptionist (god bless her) was super nice and told me she knew I had to pee and she was going to let the ultrasound tech know ASAP that I was there. Well person after person after person kept going back, and I'm still sitting there. I break out into a sweat and then chills b/c I have to pee so bad that I'm hurting. I tried to stand up and walk but that was just as uncomfortable as sitting down. The receptionist noticed I was still sitting there after 20-30 minutes and said, "Have they not called you back yet?" As soon as I shook my head no, I started crying--- like furiously crying but trying to hide it (didn't work in my favor, btw). Then I was the talk of the room b/c I was crying and in such pain. "Oh she looks so uncomfortable. We better call back there again." The receptionist said it would be five more minutes, but of course it felt like an eternity. I finally got called back, and it hurt to walk. As soon as we walked into her room, she had to get a measurement of my uterus and then told me to pee. By the time I had to pee, my bladder was so spasmed that I trickled pee, but it was enough to get the pressure off. So I'm laying down again and as she's going over my stomach, she took a picture of my bladder and said, "Good grief honey, your bladder is still full." Aaawww, you freakin think???? And she said, "They should have let you just pee out there because it still would have been full enough for me to get what I needed." Thanks for telling me that after the fact!!! And it was fifteen minutes later, I had to pee again and every 15 minutes for the next hour after that.

BUT on a sweeter note, I saw a sweet little boy in there. I saw his little head and his heartbeat, his little legs and stomach and arms, and his official little boy parts. Oh he is just beautiful.. absolutely gorgeous. Seeing him made me cry-- of course I was crying over seeing him AND because of my traumatic experience in the waiting room (it takes me a while to move on from situations after I start crying). The ultrasound tech measured his head and his femur and his heart.. gave me the official due date of July 1st-- 27 weeks and 4 days.

So after that was over, I headed back to Josh's work to drink my orange goo-- which doesn't taste like goo, as much as it tastes like Hawaiian Ice syrup-- and went to my OB-GYN's office. That was less traumatizing for me-- blood sugar is 112 which is perfect. AND I got to actually HEAR his heartbeat this time.. the sweetest sound I've ever heard. Doctor said I was doing GREAT and she would see me in two weeks.

YEA!!! So overall a GREAT day... that is, once my bladder quit spasming. :)

22 Weeks.

As many of you know, today was our first ultrasound visit. We, also, wanted to know how far along we were, boy or girl, and how many there were in there. After the GYN appt was over with, she asked how far along we thought we could be.

"Oh probably about 3 1/2 to 4 months, maybe."

As soon as she pressed on my stomach, she said, "Oh you're farther along than that."

Really??!!

She asked when my last period was, and when I told her I was on birth control and had no idea really. She said, "You were on birth control? Well all bets are off then if you were on birth control."

She then told us that the ultrasound she currently had was for early-on pregnancies, and since we were farther along then her ultrasound machine wouldn't do us justice and give us the detail we wanted. "But let's just scan through and see what we can see... just for fun."

We saw little baby head, little baby arms, little baby heart (we didn't hear the heartbeat b/c she didn't have the volume up, but it was beating and going to town), little baby stomach, and little baby legs. She tried to measure how long the baby's femur was, so it could give us a better idea how far along we were but the machine wouldn't calculate it so we didn't officially know.

She did say based on the way my stomach felt and based on how long the baby's femur was, she guessed about 22-23 weeks. "Wow.. really?!" we asked.

But she wanted to send us to the hospital to have an official ultrasound done where we can see better detail, find out what we're having, and get an official due date. So I get to take care of that on April 5th, as well as go back to the doctor's office and have my LOVELY diabetic test done. Ick.

She told me I could do what "normal" people do, since obviously I've been doing it and it hasn't bothered me. She said taking birth control all this time hasn't scientifically shown to do harm, but obviously not to take them. Continue my prenatal vitamins. It's okay for me to take Tylenol for a headache or cold and okay for me to take Claritin (thank god b/c the pollen is flipping HORRIBLE down here-- you can see it floating in the air). And I can continue using my Proactiv-- there was question about that since it has benzoyl peroxide in it. OH and most importantly.. there is only 1 in there... which relieved us both. :)

Keep checking back for updates.

And Stretch...

Well Friday marks our first, official ultrasound-- and I gotta say we are very excited to find out how baby is looking and doing and how long/old he/she is.. OH and to find out how many there are in there. :)

Josh and I have established some compromises as far as baby is concerned. And yes I realize that the baby isn't born yet, and we have NO idea what we're getting into-- so things may change, but these are things that we would LIKE to have or see happen.

1) Josh has established himself as getting the good in the baby- meaning he gets to feed, coo, hold the baby, and change the pee-pee diapers. I get to change the poo-poo diapers and clean any spit-up and/or throw-up. :) This one is still in the works of compromise. :))

2) We're going to get a Baby Bullet. We want to know what's going into our baby's mouth, and we want to make sure it's produce with natural sugars and so forth.

3) We're going to have a separate playroom for toys and games-- MAYBE a TV. In their room, books only. That way when they get sent to their room, they can either read to pass time or do nothing at all.

4) Which leads to.. no cell phones until they are driving.

5) Final and more important-- I'm going to breastfeed, and baby is going to stay in a bassinet in our room for the first 4 months or so. I'm reading a book called the Baby Sleep Guide, and it's really given me a lot of pointers and helpful hints for a peaceful and healthy sleeping baby.

So... what's going on with my ever-changing body?? Well-- just within the week or two, I've gone from looking sorta pregnant to really looking pregnant (which is really cute if I do say so myself). Putting on scrub pants or pants/shorts in general is interesting in itself. Usually the front band or elastic is below the belly while the back of the pants is pulled up like it should be b/c they're too small. 1) I don't want to buy scrub pants if I don't have to.. too expensive (unless you can find them at Goodwill, but when you wear a size XS or S- what good does a L or XL do you?) 2) As previously stated, I have a small stature, and it is VERY difficult to find pants that will fit in the waist and in length. Shirts are starting to get tighter on me. And not meaning to get gross, but I'm going to have to move up in a bra size or get a maternity bra soon. I've gained back my pre hCG weight, which is fine now that I know what the added weight IS now. And I can literally feel my stomach muscles stretching and getting bigger. My skin is super tight right now and seems to be even worse after I eat.

Some days I'm not tired at all and feel great, like I can do anything-- and others I have a lot of pressure on my lower back and stomach, and I feel like I could crawl in a hole and sleep. I took a nap today in our little screening room, and it was dark and cool and quiet.. and I did NOT want to get up and go back to work. But it gave me enough energy to get through the afternoon. So today was a, "I can feel the baby growing," day. LOL. I'm still bloated and gassy (again, sorry) on a daily basis, but I've been trying to eat and snack throughout the day to avoid that. Some days it helps, and others like today, it didn't.

I'm still craving lemonade (which I gave into today and got some Minute Maid). But I find that I crave weird things at weird times like today I wanted shrimp sauce. I've only been nauseous twice now, and today was one of them. I smell weird things like onion rings across the room at a restaurant. My coffee smelled like wet cat food. And my Chinese food smelled like... well I don't remember, but I thought, "What the hell is that smell?" and realized it was supper. OH and the smells STILL came through my stuffy nose this am, but all I could smell was cologne and perfume (which gave me a headache).

So in short, that's what's going on. :) Weird feelings and weird smells. I still can't believe I'm pregnant, but I know that will change Friday. Will keep you posted.

1st Baby Picture.

Sweet little baby Vittitow in there.

Pregnancy Trumps Drunk.

Josh and I decided to go to Savannah on Saturday and walk around to 1) get exercise (something I was a little nervous about but I had no problems and rested when I needed to), and 2) to let Josh take pictures of the green-watered fountain at Forsyth Park.

On our way up to Forsyth, we counted 4-5 wedding photo shoots going on, 1 military ball photo shoot (nonprofessional), and 1 bridal shoot. Not to mention people looking at the fountain and then handing us their camera and asking, "Will you take our picture please? Don't let our camera offend you now." There were 3 other Great Danes there, tons of pregnant women, other photographers, tons of people wearing green- including a guy with a shirt that read, "In My Pants," on the front and, "Lucky Charms," on the back- and the whole downtown decorated in reds, purples, and green.

After Josh got his pictures, we were walking back up towards River Street and decided to grab some dinner and take more pictures of Broughton Street lit up with signs and cars. While Josh was snapping away, I took the opportunity to go pee at Starbucks.

I walked in, and already there's a line to the single stall women's bathroom. The longer I stood there, the more I had to pee. One lady was in the bathroom with her kids, there was a girl in front of me, and before too much longer, there were two more girls standing behind me. One thing I guess I need to mention that along with all the people in green-- about 75-98% of them are drinking and/or drunk. SO the girl in front of me went in, and I'm standing waiting doing the bouncy dance. And I hear the last girl standing in line say, "Excuse me, can I go in front of you? I feel like I'm going to hurl." The girl behind says yes, so the girl asks me. I turned around to look at her, and you could tell she was hammered-- glassy, sleepy eyes, yellow skin, etc. "Can I please go in front of you?"

My response, "Well I'm pregnant and gotta pee, so no you can't go in front of me."

"But I feel like I'm gonna throw up."

"Sorry. I gotta pee. My pregnant body trumps your drunkedness need to throw up. Don't worry. I pee fast."

I told Josh later, "I'm going to love this pregnancy thing." (as if I'm not already outspoken when people cut me off in line).

Short and to the Point.

Pre-natal exam thingy went well. Technically it was more the doctor's nurse asking me questions about my medical and personal history, Josh's past history, family history, and etc... Oh and let's not forget about the judgmental look of, "How did you not know?" But I was given a lot of info, as well as pre-registration to Hilton Head Memorial.

I went to Labcorp Thursday pm for my bloodwork, and I was really kinda nervous about it. Not that I mind getting my blood drawn or the needles (I have tattoos, trust me- I'm used to needles), but I was more nervous about getting lost or getting there too late OR the fact that they were going to fill up five vials of blood and I'd pass out. Turns out, I found it just fine and they only took three vials of blood. The nurse asked me how far along I was and if I had been sick.

"No," I replied.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Anyone that tells me they haven't been sick with their pregnancy, I want to kill them."

Thanks lady.. you're kinda killing me by digging that needle into my arm and switching the vials out. :))

So the 18th of March, we officially go to the doctor for the ultrasound. HOPEFULLY, I'll be far enough along to be able to see what we're having.

***Fingers crossed***

The Past 4 Days...

It's thought that I'm probably anywhere from 2-4 months along at this point and time, but I go to the doctor tomorrow to have my prenatal exam done. Then judging how far along the doctor thinks I am depends on the ultrasound appt- so it's possible I'll be going back on Thursday or next Tuesday.

I've gotten a lot of questions about being pregnant and how did I not know I was pregnant. Well first off-- no morning sickness, not even the slightest hint of an uneasy queasy feeling. Second off, no extreme fatigue. Now there were some days that I felt like I had to take a nap at lunch, but I had done this in the past and wasn't pregnant, and just thought I was tired or hadn't had enough sleep the day before. Third, no increased urges to pee.. let's face it, I pee a LOT-- especially right after lunch. It's nothing for me to pee 3-5 times in an hour after lunch. And forget drinking coffee, water, or tea when we travel. Fourth, I was on birth control and believe me when I tell you-- there were months that I wouldn't have my period at all. BUT my OB-GYN in NC said, "As long as you take it everyday like you should, then don't worry about it." So I didn't. I never, ever thought I would end up pregnant.. despite the fact that (pardon the language) my boobs were getting bigger and the fact that I was gaining weight. Keep in mind too-- eating what I want and not drinking water was what I thought was making me gain weight.. hence why I thought my boobs were getting bigger and tender.

So now what? What's going on? What do I notice? Well like I said, the prenatal visit is tomorrow (which hopefully if I'm up to it, I'll blog about). My body is tired, I'm tired, and I'm freaking bloated and gassy. I don't mind the tired part as much as I mind the bloated and gassy feeling. I also feel like when I stand up, there is all this pressure on my body and back. My grandmother tonight said, "Don't worry kid, you still got a long way to go." Thanks grandma. :)) Which is why I really enjoy laying down and putting my feet up. The cute little scrub top I bought just a week or so ago, I can't wear anymore which is going to make the other ones even more difficult to get into. And I'm starting to feel little flutters, here and there, especially when I'm laying down and getting ready to go to sleep. I've had that one episode of queasiness- other than that, nothing. OH and I get choked up easier now too.. this morning it was Michael Buble singing, "Home," which is usually very soothing to me but this morning, I choked up. I choked up at Barnes and Noble looking at stuffed animals. And when the first chord of Brad Paisley's song "Anything Like Me," comes on, I choke up and have to turn it.

So that's what's been going on the past 4 days.. complaints and all. The journey still isn't over yet, so be on the lookout for more blogs about weird and unusual pregnancy things.

Expecting...

Yes, yes... after years of trying and finally thinking we weren't able to have children, we have unexpectedly found out that we are expecting #1, or possibly #2 (twins do run on my side of the family). We're very shocked and surprised and excited and possibly running on every emotion there is.

We're guessing I'm about 2-3 months along, but I'm going to the doctor soon so we can have a better guesstimate on when we're due. We thought something was up when I went on this hCG diet, and I was losing weight everywhere BUT my mid to lower stomach. Josh brought to my attention that I could possibly be pregnant, and bless his soul-- I didn't believe him and even argued with him that I wasn't. So we bought a test, and we both peed on it... yes, he took a pregnancy test with me-- for the simple fact that we were both on hCG and since it's a pregnancy hormone, it could or would show up on both tests. His took a while but finally showed up negative. My test, however, showed up positive in a hurry. I stood there looking at the results for a while, and Josh said, "Honey I don't think the results are going to change the longer you look at it." LOL...

So I stopped my birth control immediately and am now taking prenatal vitamins that look like red horse pills. And maybe it's a mental thing, but my body knows that I'm pregnant. For instance, this morning at I-HOP, I was eating hashbrowns and the first thing I tasted was butter.. not potatoes but butter. Josh tasted it as well but not as strong as I did. I'm very tired today- of course that could be b/c I've been awake since 5:00 am. And I've been craving broccoli casserole, so I made one for supper and while I haven't eaten ALL of it, I have eaten quite a bit of that. And actually preferred that over cubed steak (which is very ick to me right now). OH and I've gone from not being able to eat carrots, broccoli, and nuts to eating apples, pineapple, carrots, broccoli, and toffee nuts. And trying to cut back on caffeine, but as we all know-- Amanda needs her coffee. And my digestive system is all screwed up.. which makes me nauseous ever so slightly.

So that's the story and why I had to stop doing the hCG diet..

What I'm Doing...

I've started doing a new diet that has gotten a LOT of people asking "What are you doing?" So I thought I would blog about the diet- what it is, how it works, what you can eat and what you can't eat, etc.

But first off, I've gotten asked (not just from friends but people at work), "Why do YOU need to lose weight?" The fact of the matter is, ever since I've been down here.. I have slowly put on weight that I'm not proud of. I know the reason partly being is my previous jobs, I'm not used to 1)getting a lunch, and 2) running around a BIG building. Now I get a lunch- sometimes with a nap squeezed in- (which is another bad thing), and my walking is minimal around the building. Add the fact that I was starting to drink Coke (b/c the water tasted weird to me), and not really watching what I was eating.. and you get.. a girl that wore her lab jacket all the time b/c her scrubs were too tight and not being able to get into jeans that she could originally wear 1-2 years ago.

So when New Year's came around, I stopped drinking Coke, vowed to eat better, and not eat out so often. The not drinking Coke is still going on, but the eating better didn't last all that long. Thankfully my husband working a compounding pharmacy brings out more than just "happy drugs," and hormone creams... it also brings out a natural metabolism booster called hCG.

hCG???? What is that?? The long hand-written name is Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, and it's a hormone that's developed during pregnancy so if a woman is not eating enough, this hormone kicks in and gets fat from other sources of her body to feed the baby (Tip #1, if you want to get pregnant-- then take it to increase your chances. If not, then take your birth control).

You can get it online, but honestly I don't know about the potency of it and you also have to worry about the source and if you're actually getting what you paid for. Therefore, you need a prescription for it. A lot of people will do shots through the stomach, but if you can't muster the thought of a shot in your stomach-- then you can also do a nasal spray or sub,lingual (under the tongue) (sub,lingual is what I'm doing b/c I can't muster the thought of a nasal spray). You do it once a day, and you MUST KEEP IT REFRIGERATED OR IT WON'T BE ANY GOOD.

What to Eat, and What Not to Eat-- That is the question. Okay now this is the difficulty of the diet and a LOT of people can't handle the phases which is why I've been saying: ****Do Your Research before you do this diet!!!**** The first day you start the hCG, do your hCG and eat fattening stuff and as much as your body will allow you to eat-- this means pizza, soda, fatty Italian food, candy, sweets, EVERYTHING you can get into your body that is FATTENING. Day 2, do the same thing-- hCG and eat fattening things (Tip 2 Enjoy it while you can b/c it's all going to change from here). This is considered to be Phase 1.

Phase 2 starts your "diet" and your diet goes from eating what you want to eating restricted foods-- foods that have little to no sugar content and lean meats- chicken, pork, LEAN beef, shrimp, and white fish. No tuna, salmon, or herring is allowed. As far as your fruits and veggies go, every source is different. To find out what fruits and veggies are allowed, check out the website: www.poundsandinches.com. Your meats have to be weighed 100gm at lunch and dinner (to equal 200gm), and you have to have 1 fruit and veggie at lunch and dinner. Your daily intake of calories can NOT exceed 500 calories. I know what you're saying- 500 calories, are you kidding me? Nope, sorry, wish I was. And you have to do this for 3 weeks (3 weeks of the 500 calorie diet and the hCG solution). And again, you're saying, How can I survive on 500 calories? You can, trust me. The hCG is meant to curb your appetite and b/c it's "starving" itself, it'll use the stored fat you already have to feed itself.. hence the fast and rapid weight loss. The first week, you generally, lose the most weight (why I've already lost 7lbs since Saturday), and the next 3 weeks it's gradual.. but don't fret... it'll be okay. Just don't cave and don't cheat. It'll either slow your weight loss down or stall it all together if you cheat.

Phase 3: The maintenance phase.. this is the phase where you can increase your calorie intake, but you still have to stay away from sugar and starches. Although you don't really have to worry about it now. BUT you still need to maintain your weight and watch what you eat so you don't exceed your calorie intake and start to gain it back. This phase is 3 more additional weeks, BUT it's easier this time b/c you're just maintaining weight and calorie intake.. you're not restricted to 500 calories anymore.

So that's what we're doing-- the hCG diet. And of course when you "Google" it, you're going to get some negatives and positives, but I promise it's well worth it and it works (trust me, I know from personal experience).

A couple more things before signing off-- only black coffee, unsweetened tea, or water for breakfast. You can't skip out on meat, fruits, or veggies-- your body really does need this stuff to "survive." Again no foods with sugar- nothing processed-- no milk products, starches (potatoes, rice, pasta, etc), oils, or butters (we do use a smidgen of butter but nothing that will hurt us and we only use it if we're sauteing veggies. Because there's no oil-- ladies this means no makeup or lotion for a month b/c the oils absorb in your body. You're only allowed to use seasonings and fresh herbs when cooking.

If I have left anything out or you have questions, then again check out: www.poundsandinches.com

New Year's Resolution... ppsshhtt (yeah right).

You know I really do wish I were one of those people who made and actually kept New Year's Resolutions, but the fact of the matter is-- I am not. One year I said I was going to write and read everyday-- another year I said I was going to save money so that I saved my "eye" income and could quit work for a year and write. Well as you can clearly tell... I am still working in the eye business. I really do want to write and aspire to write, but 1) once you've worked all day, the last thing you wanna do when you come home is write and 2) once you hit a block or your story takes another direction- a different one than what what you thought- you kinda sit there and say, 'okay, now what?' And yes I realize those are just excuses, but those are mine.. and I think they're pretty good ones. :)

So being the New Year in the new place, I have come up with goals.. not resolutions but goals. These are not writing goals as much as ME goals. The week before New Year's, I started on the Special K challenge. This starts week 3 for me. Have I seen results? No. But I do have the results in, I'm trying to eat and be healthier. This means no Coke and no eating out, except for twice a week (trust me, this is better than what it used to be). This means eating breakfast (something I have NEVER done before in my entire life). And this means, less desserts (something I'm still working on) and more walking (again, something I'm still working on). I also keep meaning to keep a food journal, so I can keep track of what's going in but I haven't managed to do that yet. I'm drinking mostly water, unless I get an urge for mostly unsweetened tea.

With this effort in trying to be healthy, this means I'm trying to come up with good recipes that are flavorful and good and healthy (any homecooking is better than fast food, so thankfully in our house, it doesn't have to be TOO healthy).

This is just a list of the recent recipes I've made: Chicken with Caramelized Onion Soup, spaghetti, jambalaya, goulash (which I did NOT like at all), chicken lime soup, cheddar corn chowder, firecracker chicken stir fry, cheesesteak sandwiches with macaroni salad, and then our regulars (cubed steak with mushroom gravy, chicken pot pie etc). Anyone that knows me knows I don't mind to cook at all-- I actually prefer it b/c it always gives us leftovers (lunch OR for future suppers), it's cheaper, and again-- Nothing beats homecooking.

I realize now that I do not have the metabolism I once had when I was 20 or hell, even 25, so I've gotta work to get myself healthy again. One of these days, I've got to be able to stand and paddleboard comfortably. :)