All about baby

This weekend is good to have over and yet it was eventful. Go figure.

Friday I wasn't feeling very good. I was a little nauseous but mostly just in some general discomfort.

Saturday morning Josh got to go with Harrison (a friend) to his Grandma's cabin on the river. So Lauren and I went grocery shopping and Dustin worked in the basement. I know...we are a fun group.

Saturday night mom, Titi, Joel and I had tickets to Kathy Griffin. Even though I felt awful I could not pass up seeing her.

Our seats were AWESOME! We were in the 7th row!!





It was a sold out show and she was hysterical! Dad and Thomas had seen her the night before up in the twin cities so I was totally phsyched to see her.

Unfortunately, I started to feel worse as the night went on. I had a piece of pizza for supper before the show and it was the first thing I'd eaten in a couple of days. But as they say, "The show must go on!"

About 45 minutes into the show my back was throbbing and by the time the show was over I couldn't breathe. So I climbed up all the stairs at Carver Hawkeye Arena (and there are a few), found mom and, in between me trying to catch my breath, told her to take me to the ER.

We made the LONG walk back to Titi's car and the stubborn woman I am, requested we drive all the way back to Cedar Rapids so that I could go to Mercy Hospital. Can I just say...God forbid I ever have anything seriously wrong with me while I'm not within driving distance of Mercy Hospital? I may just tell them to let me die!

Twenty minutes later I met up with Dustin at the ER. The doctors were worried I had a blod clot in my lung because I couldn't take a deep breath and because of the pain I was in. My blood pressure was out of control and my pulse sent everyone into a tizzy.

Then the puking started and unfortantely the one piece of food I'd eaten in two days was evenly divided between three or four sickness bags. Once they got an IV in (OUCH!) they pushed two whole bags of fluid in me.

I had two chest x-rays, an ultrasound on my legs, bloodwork, an EKG, and the wosrt test of all, a CT scan. They said there have not been many studies on the effects of a cat scan on an unborn child but went through a million possibilities - all of which were horrifying. I just sobbed which made everything hurt.

I guess not every CT scan involves a dye, but mine did. I laid in this tube with my hands above my head praying over and over again for our child. Please God, keep this child safe from harm. Keep him or her healthy after all this testing. I promise I will be a better mother. I didn't cry until they injected the dye. The dye felt like it was burning the inside of me and as I literally felt it pulsing through my veins my tears poured out in fear for the safety of our baby. It was just awful and remembering it now...well, I'm still a mess.

Fortunately, they found nothing: unfortunately, I am still in pain. Once they got some fluids in me my pulse was still elevated but not anything they were freaking out about anymore. My blood pressure came down to normal levels and all the tests came back normal. They gave me a prescription for Vicodin and seven hours later we were on our way home.

By the time we had the prescription filled and got home the kids were up a mere 60 minutes later.

The pain seemed to get better on Monday but by Tuesday morning it was back. I had my regular check up with my OB yesterday and she said that she would figure, given my wonderful test results, that it is a ligament causing all the problems. She also gave me the WONDERFUL news that these types of injuries don't tend to heal on their own during pregnancy. Great!

In other news, I am down another 4.5 pounds! I was thrilled, but Dr. Hocking said she'd like to see the scale stop going down at my next appointment. We did get to see baby on the portable ultrasound machine and he/she was squirming away. I couldn't bear to look after everything that happened this weekend so I'm taking her word that everything looked good.

I am trying to take more "belly shots" of this child, as it is my last and I sometimes regret not taking more with Lauren. So, in my new found pocket of courage...here is my 17 week shot!



This weekend we're going to the pumpkin farm so next week's blog should be a little more exciting!

Baby Update: 17 weeks.

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.