11/23/2003
23 wks
OK, my picture gallery really needs to be updated. I have some new pix to add, which DH should be setting up shortly. I forgot to mention that on vacation 2 weeks ago, DH felt the baby kick for the first time. We were watching TV in the hotel room and I told him to put his hand on belly (for the hundredth time!). He was like, "OK, whatever...." since he hadn't felt baby kick before, but this time he felt something. It was really neat.
My belly looks like a cute little basketball now. I went to MIL's retirement party and wore a nice black dress. From the front, you couldn't tell I was pregnant, but from the side you definitely could!
Baby is really active and I feel rumblings quite often now. I consider every kick a blessing. I'll have to remember that when baby gets bigger and the kicking gets harder!
I'm also happy to mention that I ate better this past week and managed to lose 1.5 pounds. I still ate well and didn't deprive myself, but it was nice to lose some of that extra weight I gained from Cancun.
Also, I have my first cold. My throat started feeling itchy last Monday. Usually, when that happens, I try and get more sleep and take some echinachea. The stuff works wonders for me. Unfortunately, since there is no conclusive evidence on how it affects baby (based on my internet research), pregnant women are encouraged to not take it. :-(
I was just feeling sniffly, but yesterday, I started feeling stuffed up. So, I took out my other secret weapon: Vicks Vaporub!!! I slathered it on my chest and throat and tucked in early. A good night's sleep with some Vicks is guaranteed to make you feel better. It doesn't interact with any drugs and always does the job. The smell can be annoying, but when you can't breathe through your nose and your chest feels scratchy, that menthol smell is wonderful! Went to church today and was able to sing OK, then spent the rest of the day vegging and recuperating. Vicks to the rescue again! I'm feeling about 85% now, so another good night's sleep with ol' Vicks out to knock out that cold for good.
OK, my picture gallery really needs to be updated. I have some new pix to add, which DH should be setting up shortly. I forgot to mention that on vacation 2 weeks ago, DH felt the baby kick for the first time. We were watching TV in the hotel room and I told him to put his hand on belly (for the hundredth time!). He was like, "OK, whatever...." since he hadn't felt baby kick before, but this time he felt something. It was really neat.
My belly looks like a cute little basketball now. I went to MIL's retirement party and wore a nice black dress. From the front, you couldn't tell I was pregnant, but from the side you definitely could!
Baby is really active and I feel rumblings quite often now. I consider every kick a blessing. I'll have to remember that when baby gets bigger and the kicking gets harder!
I'm also happy to mention that I ate better this past week and managed to lose 1.5 pounds. I still ate well and didn't deprive myself, but it was nice to lose some of that extra weight I gained from Cancun.
Also, I have my first cold. My throat started feeling itchy last Monday. Usually, when that happens, I try and get more sleep and take some echinachea. The stuff works wonders for me. Unfortunately, since there is no conclusive evidence on how it affects baby (based on my internet research), pregnant women are encouraged to not take it. :-(
I was just feeling sniffly, but yesterday, I started feeling stuffed up. So, I took out my other secret weapon: Vicks Vaporub!!! I slathered it on my chest and throat and tucked in early. A good night's sleep with some Vicks is guaranteed to make you feel better. It doesn't interact with any drugs and always does the job. The smell can be annoying, but when you can't breathe through your nose and your chest feels scratchy, that menthol smell is wonderful! Went to church today and was able to sing OK, then spent the rest of the day vegging and recuperating. Vicks to the rescue again! I'm feeling about 85% now, so another good night's sleep with ol' Vicks out to knock out that cold for good.
11/15/2003
22wks
Well Gang,
I'm back after vacation. DH and I went to Cancun this past week as a "last fling" before baby comes. It was very enjoyable, especially since I'm still getting around OK and am generally feeling pretty good. I hope to update my pregnancy album with some updated pictures. Now, after having 85 degree days, it's hard adjusting to the 44 degree days here back home.
Also, I sorta let go of the food and DH and I ate out all the time. It was hard to eat healthy and I gained 5 lbs over last week. Needless to say, I'm disappointed. I'm sort of consumed by my weight gain and feel bloated. I'll have to make a concerted effort to eliminate junk this week so I can at least not gain too much more weight. Ugghh....
My belly is getting bigger and I'm having issues raising my legs now. Pretty soon, I'll have to wear slip on shoes so that I don't have to deal with laces. Also, my middle DS gave me her maternity clothes, so I had plenty of comfy things to wear on vacation. I'm an adult woman, and I'm still getting hand me downs!!!! Maternity hand me downs are great though. Thanks sis!
I tested positive for TSIg (Thyroid Stimulant Immunoglobulin). What this means is that I have increased thyroid hormones that can cross the placenta and cause the baby to be overactive. My thyroid was overactive (Grave's Disease) until I had radioactive treatment. Now, I'm underactive, which is much easier to manage, but apparently, I can still pass on hyperactive symptoms to baby while he is in the womb. It sounds really bad, but basically, it means that baby will have to be monitored more frequently with a monthly sonogram. Also, I'm excited because the midwives use the same Advanced Maternal and Fetal Medicine Specialist that my Ob-Gyn group was using. He is really nice. Also, the midwives have cleared me for care, even with this new development. I'm off to my first midwife appointment on Monday and I'm looking forward to it.
DH has been a sweetheart. One night 2 weeks ago (before vacation), he cooked omeletes for dinner and one night, we just had cereal. It's like he knows exactly when I'm losing it and steps in and helps out.
My belly button is officially an outie now. I've never had an outie before and it is strange. A friend at work commented on it and said that her friend had the same problem and used a band-aid to keep it down. No thanks, I'm proud of my outie and I'm letting it hang loose! Hee, hee... Dr. says the outie will become even more prominent as the pregnancy progresses. I just hope it pops back in after baby!!!
I'm off to bed now..... I really want to spend the next 2-3 weeks making up for this weight gain. I can't focus on losing weight right now, but I don't want to gain weight too fast either. Wish me well! I officially have 5 more working days left and plan to get back into Pilates once the schedule is freed up a bit.
Well Gang,
I'm back after vacation. DH and I went to Cancun this past week as a "last fling" before baby comes. It was very enjoyable, especially since I'm still getting around OK and am generally feeling pretty good. I hope to update my pregnancy album with some updated pictures. Now, after having 85 degree days, it's hard adjusting to the 44 degree days here back home.
Also, I sorta let go of the food and DH and I ate out all the time. It was hard to eat healthy and I gained 5 lbs over last week. Needless to say, I'm disappointed. I'm sort of consumed by my weight gain and feel bloated. I'll have to make a concerted effort to eliminate junk this week so I can at least not gain too much more weight. Ugghh....
My belly is getting bigger and I'm having issues raising my legs now. Pretty soon, I'll have to wear slip on shoes so that I don't have to deal with laces. Also, my middle DS gave me her maternity clothes, so I had plenty of comfy things to wear on vacation. I'm an adult woman, and I'm still getting hand me downs!!!! Maternity hand me downs are great though. Thanks sis!
I tested positive for TSIg (Thyroid Stimulant Immunoglobulin). What this means is that I have increased thyroid hormones that can cross the placenta and cause the baby to be overactive. My thyroid was overactive (Grave's Disease) until I had radioactive treatment. Now, I'm underactive, which is much easier to manage, but apparently, I can still pass on hyperactive symptoms to baby while he is in the womb. It sounds really bad, but basically, it means that baby will have to be monitored more frequently with a monthly sonogram. Also, I'm excited because the midwives use the same Advanced Maternal and Fetal Medicine Specialist that my Ob-Gyn group was using. He is really nice. Also, the midwives have cleared me for care, even with this new development. I'm off to my first midwife appointment on Monday and I'm looking forward to it.
DH has been a sweetheart. One night 2 weeks ago (before vacation), he cooked omeletes for dinner and one night, we just had cereal. It's like he knows exactly when I'm losing it and steps in and helps out.
My belly button is officially an outie now. I've never had an outie before and it is strange. A friend at work commented on it and said that her friend had the same problem and used a band-aid to keep it down. No thanks, I'm proud of my outie and I'm letting it hang loose! Hee, hee... Dr. says the outie will become even more prominent as the pregnancy progresses. I just hope it pops back in after baby!!!
I'm off to bed now..... I really want to spend the next 2-3 weeks making up for this weight gain. I can't focus on losing weight right now, but I don't want to gain weight too fast either. Wish me well! I officially have 5 more working days left and plan to get back into Pilates once the schedule is freed up a bit.
11/04/2003
OK, I really do have to hit the sack, but a few things I want to write about later are:
* TSIG
* Saved by Omelets and Cereal!
* The Joy of Maternity Hand Me Downs! (Thanks Sis!)
* My Outie!
I'm kinda starting to get sick of sleeping on my left side, but if I sleep propped up on my backside, it is nothing but problems the next day. I actually find that I wake up in the middle of the night, have to get up and just walk around and climb back into bed. It's like I need to shake myself out a bit!
I have 9 more "work days" remaining, and I am really excited about being on sabbatical from December - March with no job commitment and baby on the way. I think the first week, I am going to just veg out completely!!! Ahhhhhh..... it's going to be great to have all that free time before baby joins the real world....
G'night and Peace Be with You!
* TSIG
* Saved by Omelets and Cereal!
* The Joy of Maternity Hand Me Downs! (Thanks Sis!)
* My Outie!
I'm kinda starting to get sick of sleeping on my left side, but if I sleep propped up on my backside, it is nothing but problems the next day. I actually find that I wake up in the middle of the night, have to get up and just walk around and climb back into bed. It's like I need to shake myself out a bit!
I have 9 more "work days" remaining, and I am really excited about being on sabbatical from December - March with no job commitment and baby on the way. I think the first week, I am going to just veg out completely!!! Ahhhhhh..... it's going to be great to have all that free time before baby joins the real world....
G'night and Peace Be with You!
OK Gang,
It is definitely past my bedtime, but I haven't posted in a while, and so much stuff has happened lately. I'm having a tough time keeping things balanced, but I will get there eventually.
The biggest news is that I am officially leaving work to become a stay at home mom (SAHM). My company happens to be offering a severance package, which I've decided to take. So, instead of being a Project Engineer, at a really good company, I will now be the Human Resource Manager and Chief Financial Officer of the Ibrahim Household!!! I think about the pay cut (40% of our combined pay) and it is scary. But then, I think of the stress of motherhood, the limited time to "do it all" and realize that you can choose to live a simpler life on less money. It won't be easy, but neither is trying to work, commute, keep up with the house, make time for hubby and trying to raise a child.
I believe that the Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to stay home, so I'm going to go for it. During my time at home, I hope to increase my freelance writing, get involved as a potential staff member at WW, volunteer at the library and possibly pursue a new career in Medical Transcriptioning, Financial Planning, or whatever else comes up. I am waiting on the Lord to direct my path, which seems daring and exciting at the same time. It is also very liberating. I am very thankful that I have my husband as a support system, and I realize that many folks are not as fortunate. The next 2 years should prove to be an interesting journey, which is how long DH and I have agreed I should stay home.
I also decided to switch Drs on my last app't (10/31/03). I've really tried to be patient, but the last straw was when I was scheduled to go to the Bowie office (farther) instead of the Annapolis office, for no apparent reason. For every appointment thus far, I've averaged an hour's wait time, only to be seen for 15 minutes. The office just seems too unorganized, and I really think that although the doctors (4 on staff) are very nice, they really have too many patients.
I am going to go the Midwifery route. There is a birthing center 7 minutes away from the house and they have certified midwives with experience and direct connections to the local hospital. Also, they advocate the natural methods that I would like to employ with my birth and try to minimize medical intervention unless it is needed. DH thinks it is risky, or at least non-traditional, but I am excited about it! They only have 3 birthing rooms. They also have a kitchen, common area and private jacuzzi in each personalized birthing room. It's cozy! Also, they accept our insurance and use the same Advanced Maternal Medical Doctor that I was referred to for my advanced sonograms. (Still want to keep him, but am ditching the main ob/gyn practice!) A friend of mine at church recommended them highly and after the tour I took, I was very excited. I am high maintenance about my healthcare, and I just think I need to have more of a say in my health care and need more individualized attention!
It is definitely past my bedtime, but I haven't posted in a while, and so much stuff has happened lately. I'm having a tough time keeping things balanced, but I will get there eventually.
The biggest news is that I am officially leaving work to become a stay at home mom (SAHM). My company happens to be offering a severance package, which I've decided to take. So, instead of being a Project Engineer, at a really good company, I will now be the Human Resource Manager and Chief Financial Officer of the Ibrahim Household!!! I think about the pay cut (40% of our combined pay) and it is scary. But then, I think of the stress of motherhood, the limited time to "do it all" and realize that you can choose to live a simpler life on less money. It won't be easy, but neither is trying to work, commute, keep up with the house, make time for hubby and trying to raise a child.
I believe that the Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to stay home, so I'm going to go for it. During my time at home, I hope to increase my freelance writing, get involved as a potential staff member at WW, volunteer at the library and possibly pursue a new career in Medical Transcriptioning, Financial Planning, or whatever else comes up. I am waiting on the Lord to direct my path, which seems daring and exciting at the same time. It is also very liberating. I am very thankful that I have my husband as a support system, and I realize that many folks are not as fortunate. The next 2 years should prove to be an interesting journey, which is how long DH and I have agreed I should stay home.
I also decided to switch Drs on my last app't (10/31/03). I've really tried to be patient, but the last straw was when I was scheduled to go to the Bowie office (farther) instead of the Annapolis office, for no apparent reason. For every appointment thus far, I've averaged an hour's wait time, only to be seen for 15 minutes. The office just seems too unorganized, and I really think that although the doctors (4 on staff) are very nice, they really have too many patients.
I am going to go the Midwifery route. There is a birthing center 7 minutes away from the house and they have certified midwives with experience and direct connections to the local hospital. Also, they advocate the natural methods that I would like to employ with my birth and try to minimize medical intervention unless it is needed. DH thinks it is risky, or at least non-traditional, but I am excited about it! They only have 3 birthing rooms. They also have a kitchen, common area and private jacuzzi in each personalized birthing room. It's cozy! Also, they accept our insurance and use the same Advanced Maternal Medical Doctor that I was referred to for my advanced sonograms. (Still want to keep him, but am ditching the main ob/gyn practice!) A friend of mine at church recommended them highly and after the tour I took, I was very excited. I am high maintenance about my healthcare, and I just think I need to have more of a say in my health care and need more individualized attention!
