Today I was weighed and checked in by the same nurse as last time (not Deanna). I have gained another 5 lbs. I blame it on water this time because I have not been eating as much lately or even unhealthy foods. It is incredibly frustrating for that same reason however because it is not like I have any idea how to slow down the gain. Oh well!! She took my BP, which was normal, and then made some notes and left the room.
I had just barely enough time to read Levi a book about Clifford the Big Red Dog being very itchy and then Dr Karmy came in.
There was another nurse who came in with Dr Karmy who was making rounds on OB today, I forget the appropriate medical term for her position but she was there to assist and learn I suppose. They asked me how I was feeling. I told her I felt puffy lately and had some back pain but otherwise was ok. Dr Karmy took my leg up on her knee and felt it and agreed with me but wasn't worried about it. As for the weight gain, she just took a look at my weight with Levi at this stage and compared it for me. Ok so I am up 20 lbs more this time around. More water and less salt was advised.
I had a pelvic exam this time. 1 cm dialated, cervix still long and baby at -2/-3. Not coming any time soon. Her heartbeat was at about 150 today. My uterus measured at 36 cm.
The nurse realized that we were the couple they had purchased a house from on Bonnie Brae street about five years ago. Crazy! I never would have recognized her, I dealt more with her husband at the time, who is also in the medical field. It's a small town. She said she and her husband had built the shop themselves and now were getting read to tear off the back of the house and redo it. More power to them. Last time we drove by the shop looked bigger than the house!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Conversations
Levi's been carrying on with almost-regular conversations lately. Last night I had already put him to bed when he heard Matt leave (the front door sticks so we have to slam it to get it to latch). I hear little questions floating from his room.
"Where dadda go?"
"He went to Wal-Mart"
"Dadda be back soon?"
"Yes, he will be back soon"
"What dadda doin'?"
"He is going to look for a part that he needs"
(sound of the suburban starting up)
"Dadda take big red suburban?"
"Yes, daddy's taking the suburban."
"Dadda take white truck?"
"No, the white truck is still parked out front."
"Oh."
"Go to sleep now."
He really seems to enjoy saying things that don't make sense and then stating "What that mean!?" As in, whatever that means!
Today I came home early so Matt could make it out to WWCC on time for his new serious of classes. It was a beautiful day so I decided to take the kid to the park for some exercise. We went to Lion's park. Levi said "Go to Lions park....ooohhh." When we parked and he saw the ducks that is what he wanted. They were pretty friendly, expecting food no doubt. "C'mere ducks, c'mere ducks" Levi would say, and hold out his hand. He had some fun on the slides but mostly he wanted to run around the pond and give his mother a heart attack. I had to keep reminding him to "walk!" and "not so close to the edge!" I felt like the warnings would never end. But he had a great time and got a ton of exercise. He loved the waterfall and kept going back to it to just stand and stare at the water and bubbles cascading down below him.
After we got home, Matt arrived. A short class this evening. As soon as Matt walked in, Levi said "Daddy miss Levi?"
My back is hurting pretty bad, so it's off the computer for me now. I am quickly outgrowing all my clothes, shirts especially. I don't remember this ever happening the first time around. Now I am a size larger, groan. Time to watch my DVD again so I can remember how to breathe in case baby girl comes early. My next appt. (34 wks) is tomorrow so there will be another blog forthcoming shortly! :)
"Where dadda go?"
"He went to Wal-Mart"
"Dadda be back soon?"
"Yes, he will be back soon"
"What dadda doin'?"
"He is going to look for a part that he needs"
(sound of the suburban starting up)
"Dadda take big red suburban?"
"Yes, daddy's taking the suburban."
"Dadda take white truck?"
"No, the white truck is still parked out front."
"Oh."
"Go to sleep now."
He really seems to enjoy saying things that don't make sense and then stating "What that mean!?" As in, whatever that means!
Today I came home early so Matt could make it out to WWCC on time for his new serious of classes. It was a beautiful day so I decided to take the kid to the park for some exercise. We went to Lion's park. Levi said "Go to Lions park....ooohhh." When we parked and he saw the ducks that is what he wanted. They were pretty friendly, expecting food no doubt. "C'mere ducks, c'mere ducks" Levi would say, and hold out his hand. He had some fun on the slides but mostly he wanted to run around the pond and give his mother a heart attack. I had to keep reminding him to "walk!" and "not so close to the edge!" I felt like the warnings would never end. But he had a great time and got a ton of exercise. He loved the waterfall and kept going back to it to just stand and stare at the water and bubbles cascading down below him.
After we got home, Matt arrived. A short class this evening. As soon as Matt walked in, Levi said "Daddy miss Levi?"
My back is hurting pretty bad, so it's off the computer for me now. I am quickly outgrowing all my clothes, shirts especially. I don't remember this ever happening the first time around. Now I am a size larger, groan. Time to watch my DVD again so I can remember how to breathe in case baby girl comes early. My next appt. (34 wks) is tomorrow so there will be another blog forthcoming shortly! :)
Thursday, March 26, 2009
All's well that ends well...
Can you guess what this picture represents? I'll give you a clue. Levi's market value has gone down five cents. You can see the bruise on his left hand in this photo from the IV last Friday. What a relief! Only six days of waiting...
Monday, March 23, 2009
Chipotle Macaroni & Cheese
Chipotle Macaroni & Cheese
taken from cooking light magazine
1 7 oz can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tbsp butter
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/2 c finely chopped green bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes & green chiles, undrained
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (I just cook a whole bag)
2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup 1% cottage cheese
1 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup (1 oz) grated fresh parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Remove 1 tsp adobo sauce from can, set aside. Remove 2 chipotle chiles from can, finely chop to measure 1 tbsp. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.
3. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped chiles, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook 4 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium; add tomatoes. Cook 3 minutes or until thickened. Add reserved 1 tsp adobo sauce, pasta, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan, and egg; stir to combine.
4. Spoon pasta mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray, top with breadcrumbs.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
taken from cooking light magazine
1 7 oz can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tbsp butter
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/2 c finely chopped green bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes & green chiles, undrained
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (I just cook a whole bag)
2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup 1% cottage cheese
1 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup (1 oz) grated fresh parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Remove 1 tsp adobo sauce from can, set aside. Remove 2 chipotle chiles from can, finely chop to measure 1 tbsp. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.
3. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped chiles, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook 4 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium; add tomatoes. Cook 3 minutes or until thickened. Add reserved 1 tsp adobo sauce, pasta, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan, and egg; stir to combine.
4. Spoon pasta mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray, top with breadcrumbs.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Another tattoo
When Disney sent us the Tinkerbelle tattoo, I guess they sent her in three ethnic versions. Here is Levi's second temporary tattoo.
Potato & Egg Curry
Last night for dinner I made potato and egg curry. I also added some califlower this time and it was a nice addition. This recipe was taken from the Sunset International Vegetarian Book, p. 44
3 tbsp clarified butter
3 large, thin skinned potatoes, peeled and diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp ground coriander
1/3 c water
1 tsp each: salt, tumeric, ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
Basmati or brown or white rice
2 tbsp each parsley and chives
1 1/2 c peas
4 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
Heat butter in kettle over medium heat. Add potatoes and garlic, cook, stirring for 10 min. Add coriander, cook 1 min. Pour in water 1/3 c water and cook, stirring often until liquid evaporates. Sprinkle seasonings and add 1 1/2 water, milk and lemon juice. Cook rice. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, boil gently until potatoes are tender (about 15 min). Stir in parsley, chives and peas. Blend in eggs and cook until heated. Serve hot over rice.
3 tbsp clarified butter
3 large, thin skinned potatoes, peeled and diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp ground coriander
1/3 c water
1 tsp each: salt, tumeric, ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 c water
1/2 c unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
Basmati or brown or white rice
2 tbsp each parsley and chives
1 1/2 c peas
4 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
Heat butter in kettle over medium heat. Add potatoes and garlic, cook, stirring for 10 min. Add coriander, cook 1 min. Pour in water 1/3 c water and cook, stirring often until liquid evaporates. Sprinkle seasonings and add 1 1/2 water, milk and lemon juice. Cook rice. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, boil gently until potatoes are tender (about 15 min). Stir in parsley, chives and peas. Blend in eggs and cook until heated. Serve hot over rice.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Esophogoscopy
Yesterday was quite the rough/scary introduction to the weekend. Levi had been playing with his Crayola bank, putting his pennies and nickels in it, as he does often. I was working on the computer right next to him. I heard him gagging and leapt up to find him standing there choking on what I assume was a coin. I gave him some back blows and tried to get his airway clear but the coin was too far down to see it or be able to dislodge it.
Once he was breathing ok (but the coin never came out) I hollered for Matt who had been out in the garage. When he came in and could sit with Levi I called 9-1-1. I talked to the dispatcher and he asked if I needed an ambulance. I told him I didn't think so because he was getting oxygen but that I would like to talk to someone about what to do next, so he transferred me to St Mary's ER line. The woman who answered said hello and asked what the problem was, and I started talking to her and heard a click. We got disconnected some how. So I got online and quickly searched for 'Walla Walla hospital ER' and the first number to come up was the General's so I called their number.
That woman who answered told me that without seeing the patient and having x-rays done she was not allowed to give medical advice over the phone, but that I could call my pediatrician or the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) and they could advise me, and help me know if there were any concerns about the object he swallowed. I did call my pediatrician but because it was after 5 pm, they had closed for the day. So I called the PCC and the man who answered was very calm and helpful. He said to start with the swallow test. Offer Levi water, juice, milk, soda, anything enticing to see if he would drink it and swallow it and get it down. If he could swallow the coin it would pass on its own, and this is fairly common with kids.
Well poor Levi was so upset by the whole experience he wanted nothing to do with anything. He just sat and cried really hard in Matt's lap. Every so often he would gag/burp and look uncomfortable but nothing came up. So the man on the phone told me to give him 10 minutes or so to calm down and then offer him something to drink and that he would call back and follow up with us.
So we sat in the bathroom and comforted Levi. We finally got him to the point where he was calmed down - not crying - and Matt distracted him by spelling things. He wanted to spell 'sink' and 'brush' and then 'toothbrush' and 'toothpaste.' He was doing pretty well at that point. So Matt asked me if I would make him (Matt) some chocolate milk. Levi was still refusing all offers, but when I brought the cup in for Matt, Levi decided maybe he would like some after all. He took some very cautious sips and tried to put his hand in the cup and then suck the milk off his fingers.
About that time the man from PCC called us back. We talked for awhile and he said signs to watch for (to know we needed to go into the hospital) were clutching or pointing at his throat or chest, signs of discomfort, and drooling, or not keeping things down. That would mean the object was lodged in his throat and he would probably need an x-ray to determine where it was and either they would send down a scope to pull it out, or push it down. His shift was almost over but he wanted us to try and get Levi to eat some dinner and check back in with them in about two hours.
We were supposed to go to my mom's for dinner tonight but right after I hung up with that man Levi started throwing up. We saw tomatoes and apple and stuff from his snack time but no coin. So we decided to take him in to the hospital at that point. Which one to go to? We have two in this area. I called my mom to let her know the situation and she and Debbie (who had stopped by to see her house) both said take him to St. Marys. So we headed out.
I was really nervous on the drive over, mainly because if he started having a problem, it would be tough to get him out of his car seat as fast as I would like. But he was calm and there was no incident while driving. We went in the after-hours exit and a nurse met us there and checked us in. They asked a bunch of questions and Levi tried to throw up again but it was mostly just froth. They put us in exam room 6 and over the next hour we saw a multitude of staff.
First a nurse, who was very nice but he didn't seem to know much - He put something on Levi's finger to get a reading but it didn't work, so he tried many fingers and even a toe (thankfully it didn't hurt). Then a doctor came in and decided to get some x-rays. Then a team of two people came rolling in with an x-ray machine. Levi was pretty scared of that and they had us remove his shirt, they reclined the chair, had him lay on a film and shot one image of him from throat to chest. He was fairly traumatized by that, Matt had to help hold him down and one nurse walked in and told me "You need to get out!" OK, could have been a little nicer about it! Once they saw the film they decided they needed to take another one, because they could see the coin but couldn't determine exactly where it was. This time Levi got to sit in the chair and they shot another one in profile view. He was bawling and so upset, it was so hard to put him through all this.
The doctor told us the coin was lodged near his voice-box and they would need to schedule him for surgery to go in and try to remove it. After that we waited in the exam room for awhile. The nurse came back in and I asked him if it would be possible to get copies of the films. He wasn't sure what hospital policy was but he led us to their computer so we could at least see the x-rays. They were pretty fascinating to look at. Sure enough, a large coin was stuck well below his airway.
After waiting some more, Dr Marsh the surgeon came in to talk to us. He was a kind looking fellow with an easy-going nature. He gave Levi a cup with some water to see what he would do. Levi sipped it and drank some but was still very cautious about it. Dr Marsh told us that the hospital had just finished up with a appendectomy so the surgery team was all there and would be ready to go. We let him know that Levi had a heart murmur because before surgeries he is supposed to have antibiotics but Dr Marsh said there would be no cutting so he was not concerned about that. He left for awhile and another gal came in to have us sign consent forms.
When she was done, Dr Marsh and his nurse came in and they led us to the surgery wing of the hospital. I would have liked to have prepped Levi a little and explained what would happen, but there was no time, they showed us where the waiting room was and whisked him away - he never even noticed at the time because they distracted him well by having him push the button to open the door. Such a horrible feeling. Matt and I waited for about 40 minutes before the nurse came out to tell us that Levi was awake and "pissy." She said kids are usually pretty disoriented when they come out of anesthesia and no matter if the parents are there or not it is normal for them to cry and be upset. I asked her if it was a penny or a nickel? She said we would have to talk to Dr Marsh about that. We saw him on the way to the recovery room and he said he went in with the scope and didn't see anything so he believes that once he was sedated he relaxed enough for the coin to pass down to the stomach. So the coin should pass on its own now in about a week.
As we got closer to recovery room we could hear Levi wailing. Poor little guy! I rushed over and swooped him up. He still had an IV in his hand and he was very upset. He was relieved to see us though and calmed down fairly quickly. We had to stay there in the recovery room with him for another half-hour at least. Three times the surgical nurse put the finger thing on Levi (I think it must be for the pulse). Levi kept saying over and over "want off hand" and pointing to the IV. Finally it was time, the nurse removed it and we were ok to leave.
What a whirlwind of an evening. I never want to go through that again. It was quite scary for all of us. We got to my mom's about 9 pm and she was also relieved to see us. We had some dinner and told her about all that had happened. Levi ate a little bit of potatoes and later on he also ate a little bit of pudding and part of a strawberry but wasn't real into it.
We all went to bed about 11:30 pm and Levi woke up crying at 2:30 am. After I held him for awhile he went back to sleep.
Once he was breathing ok (but the coin never came out) I hollered for Matt who had been out in the garage. When he came in and could sit with Levi I called 9-1-1. I talked to the dispatcher and he asked if I needed an ambulance. I told him I didn't think so because he was getting oxygen but that I would like to talk to someone about what to do next, so he transferred me to St Mary's ER line. The woman who answered said hello and asked what the problem was, and I started talking to her and heard a click. We got disconnected some how. So I got online and quickly searched for 'Walla Walla hospital ER' and the first number to come up was the General's so I called their number.
That woman who answered told me that without seeing the patient and having x-rays done she was not allowed to give medical advice over the phone, but that I could call my pediatrician or the Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) and they could advise me, and help me know if there were any concerns about the object he swallowed. I did call my pediatrician but because it was after 5 pm, they had closed for the day. So I called the PCC and the man who answered was very calm and helpful. He said to start with the swallow test. Offer Levi water, juice, milk, soda, anything enticing to see if he would drink it and swallow it and get it down. If he could swallow the coin it would pass on its own, and this is fairly common with kids.
Well poor Levi was so upset by the whole experience he wanted nothing to do with anything. He just sat and cried really hard in Matt's lap. Every so often he would gag/burp and look uncomfortable but nothing came up. So the man on the phone told me to give him 10 minutes or so to calm down and then offer him something to drink and that he would call back and follow up with us.
So we sat in the bathroom and comforted Levi. We finally got him to the point where he was calmed down - not crying - and Matt distracted him by spelling things. He wanted to spell 'sink' and 'brush' and then 'toothbrush' and 'toothpaste.' He was doing pretty well at that point. So Matt asked me if I would make him (Matt) some chocolate milk. Levi was still refusing all offers, but when I brought the cup in for Matt, Levi decided maybe he would like some after all. He took some very cautious sips and tried to put his hand in the cup and then suck the milk off his fingers.
About that time the man from PCC called us back. We talked for awhile and he said signs to watch for (to know we needed to go into the hospital) were clutching or pointing at his throat or chest, signs of discomfort, and drooling, or not keeping things down. That would mean the object was lodged in his throat and he would probably need an x-ray to determine where it was and either they would send down a scope to pull it out, or push it down. His shift was almost over but he wanted us to try and get Levi to eat some dinner and check back in with them in about two hours.
We were supposed to go to my mom's for dinner tonight but right after I hung up with that man Levi started throwing up. We saw tomatoes and apple and stuff from his snack time but no coin. So we decided to take him in to the hospital at that point. Which one to go to? We have two in this area. I called my mom to let her know the situation and she and Debbie (who had stopped by to see her house) both said take him to St. Marys. So we headed out.
I was really nervous on the drive over, mainly because if he started having a problem, it would be tough to get him out of his car seat as fast as I would like. But he was calm and there was no incident while driving. We went in the after-hours exit and a nurse met us there and checked us in. They asked a bunch of questions and Levi tried to throw up again but it was mostly just froth. They put us in exam room 6 and over the next hour we saw a multitude of staff.
First a nurse, who was very nice but he didn't seem to know much - He put something on Levi's finger to get a reading but it didn't work, so he tried many fingers and even a toe (thankfully it didn't hurt). Then a doctor came in and decided to get some x-rays. Then a team of two people came rolling in with an x-ray machine. Levi was pretty scared of that and they had us remove his shirt, they reclined the chair, had him lay on a film and shot one image of him from throat to chest. He was fairly traumatized by that, Matt had to help hold him down and one nurse walked in and told me "You need to get out!" OK, could have been a little nicer about it! Once they saw the film they decided they needed to take another one, because they could see the coin but couldn't determine exactly where it was. This time Levi got to sit in the chair and they shot another one in profile view. He was bawling and so upset, it was so hard to put him through all this.
The doctor told us the coin was lodged near his voice-box and they would need to schedule him for surgery to go in and try to remove it. After that we waited in the exam room for awhile. The nurse came back in and I asked him if it would be possible to get copies of the films. He wasn't sure what hospital policy was but he led us to their computer so we could at least see the x-rays. They were pretty fascinating to look at. Sure enough, a large coin was stuck well below his airway.
After waiting some more, Dr Marsh the surgeon came in to talk to us. He was a kind looking fellow with an easy-going nature. He gave Levi a cup with some water to see what he would do. Levi sipped it and drank some but was still very cautious about it. Dr Marsh told us that the hospital had just finished up with a appendectomy so the surgery team was all there and would be ready to go. We let him know that Levi had a heart murmur because before surgeries he is supposed to have antibiotics but Dr Marsh said there would be no cutting so he was not concerned about that. He left for awhile and another gal came in to have us sign consent forms.
When she was done, Dr Marsh and his nurse came in and they led us to the surgery wing of the hospital. I would have liked to have prepped Levi a little and explained what would happen, but there was no time, they showed us where the waiting room was and whisked him away - he never even noticed at the time because they distracted him well by having him push the button to open the door. Such a horrible feeling. Matt and I waited for about 40 minutes before the nurse came out to tell us that Levi was awake and "pissy." She said kids are usually pretty disoriented when they come out of anesthesia and no matter if the parents are there or not it is normal for them to cry and be upset. I asked her if it was a penny or a nickel? She said we would have to talk to Dr Marsh about that. We saw him on the way to the recovery room and he said he went in with the scope and didn't see anything so he believes that once he was sedated he relaxed enough for the coin to pass down to the stomach. So the coin should pass on its own now in about a week.
As we got closer to recovery room we could hear Levi wailing. Poor little guy! I rushed over and swooped him up. He still had an IV in his hand and he was very upset. He was relieved to see us though and calmed down fairly quickly. We had to stay there in the recovery room with him for another half-hour at least. Three times the surgical nurse put the finger thing on Levi (I think it must be for the pulse). Levi kept saying over and over "want off hand" and pointing to the IV. Finally it was time, the nurse removed it and we were ok to leave.
What a whirlwind of an evening. I never want to go through that again. It was quite scary for all of us. We got to my mom's about 9 pm and she was also relieved to see us. We had some dinner and told her about all that had happened. Levi ate a little bit of potatoes and later on he also ate a little bit of pudding and part of a strawberry but wasn't real into it.
We all went to bed about 11:30 pm and Levi woke up crying at 2:30 am. After I held him for awhile he went back to sleep.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Marker trouble
Today while I was home for lunch, Levi pointed to the markers and said "Momma, want McQueen markers." I said ok, and proceeded to put him up in his highchair to color so the mess would be contained. He was having fun scribbling for awhile and then the next time I looked at him I saw this....
Oh no! He has a photo shoot tomorrow with CCI! I had Matt run for the baby wipes while I ran for the camera. Most of it came off but there are still faint traces of color. Notice that he even got it in his ear. Oh the joys of kids.
In better news, the Suburban is fixed, and for about $150, which was better than I was expecting. Zach the mechanic told us when we picked it up that "one of those u-joints that I replaced was an original." Wow, go GM! That is pretty amazing that it lasted this long, and on a lifted vehicle no doubt.
Oh no! He has a photo shoot tomorrow with CCI! I had Matt run for the baby wipes while I ran for the camera. Most of it came off but there are still faint traces of color. Notice that he even got it in his ear. Oh the joys of kids.
In better news, the Suburban is fixed, and for about $150, which was better than I was expecting. Zach the mechanic told us when we picked it up that "one of those u-joints that I replaced was an original." Wow, go GM! That is pretty amazing that it lasted this long, and on a lifted vehicle no doubt.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
32 wk appt. and Levi quotes
Today was my 32 week appointment. Things did not start off well. I went up to the counter to check in. The receptionist asked to see my appointment card because she did not have me listed as a patient today. Well I do not take appointment cards, I write the info in my planner, so I showed her that. She said she would see what they could do. We got there at 11:10 am and I was not seen until 11:45 or so. When I showed up I had to visit the ladies room so she said I could do that any time.
When the nurse finally called us back, it was someone I have never seen before. She took me back to the scale and asked me what I had for breakfast. I said "Grape Nuts with a banana, is there a problem?" She said my sugar levels were a little high. Uh oh. Then the scale. Last appointment's small victory was quickly covered over by a dark cloud of the present. A four pound gain - in the last 2 weeks?! How is that possible? (Well, ok I know how, eating half a pan of lasagna at 10 pm surely didn't help LOL) Nooooo!!! I officially weigh more now than when I gave birth to Levi, but don't ask me how much that was because I don't remember. Horrors! This is not going well!
The nurse took us into the exam room and sat me down for my BP. Well at least that checked out normally. Levi stood and watched closely. "What lady doin' momma? Clock spin round and round!" The nurse then went to her laptop to make notes in my file. She asked me again what I had for breakfast. I remembered that I also had a mug of Romocha. Well she had never heard of Roma so she entered "coffee with powdered chocolate drink." Not accurate but whatever!! Then my regular nurse showed up about the same time as Dr Karmy. The first nurse got the monitor ready to listen to the heartbeat and Dr Karmy said "I will do that myself thank you" and the nurses both hustled on out of there.
Everyone was kind of in a hurry today because of the schedule mix-up. I was supposed to have a pelvic exam today but we skipped that. Dr Karmy asked me about how I felt (normal) and I asked her about the sugar levels. She said 140 or less is normal from the glucose test. I was at 135. So nothing to stress about. But she did caution me to be careful on the weight gain now that I have crossed 30 lbs gain. (I am at 31 I guess). Talk about putting a damper on my day!
She measured my uterus and at 32 wks I am measuring at 35. "Baby is growing" was her comment. I'll say! A little too much perhaps?! So then we listened to the heart beat and the girl was moving and kicking the whole time. We kept hearing the "crunch" sound from the speaker when she would connect. 168-174 bpm was the rate with all her activity. Levi loves that part.
So this concludes the latest doctorly report.
Yesterday on the drive to work the Suburban was rattling like it does now and Levi says to me "Truck falling apart momma." Yes, son, it sure is. I used it to go down to Bordertown after work to get dog food. Well I had worked late and Bordertown was closed when I got there. Heading north back up the road the truck started feeling jumpy in the steering and I think I heard some bad sounds. So I put on my flashers and slowly crept up to the gas station. I put some gas in while I called Matt. We agreed I would try and limp it home. Let me tell you, driving 15 mph on a highway is not ideal. Especially when you are paranoid thinking the u-joint would completely break and a drive train would go spinning around under your rig. Well I did make it home. I noticed new popping clunking sounds when I would make a 90 degree turn. Not good. So she is out of commission until Wed. morning when we limp her down to the shop for repairs.
Today we ran errands in the "FOR SALE" white truck. After my Dr Appt we went back to Milton-Freewater to get that dog food, and while we were down there stopped in at Subway for lunch. That was pleasant. Levi happily ate apple slices and begged for my chocolate milk. I shared my sandwich with him and between bites shared the milk too. Whatever motivates him to eat :)
On the way home he was chattering about things he saw. Then he says to me "I love lips momma." I said you do? "Yeah, yeah," he says. So Matt decided to have some fun. He asked Levi "What does momma love?" And Levi says "Momma loves...food." Peals of laughter from both of us. "Momma loves....chicken TVP." WHAT!? This was especially hysterical and Levi was proud of himself for making us laugh so hard.
We have been buying chicken and beef tvp lately to try and save $$ on veggie food. Although I am not real fond of the chicken so far. I have been putting it in a container that I used to use for granola. So Levi looks up in the cupboard and sees the container and tells me he wants granola. I say "sorry, that's not granola, it's chicken tvp." That's the only way I can figure that particular phrase has been on his mind.
So now, what does Daddy love? "Daddy loves...Levi. Daddy loves...momma." Awwww. Guess I need to work on the impressions I am giving the child.
When the nurse finally called us back, it was someone I have never seen before. She took me back to the scale and asked me what I had for breakfast. I said "Grape Nuts with a banana, is there a problem?" She said my sugar levels were a little high. Uh oh. Then the scale. Last appointment's small victory was quickly covered over by a dark cloud of the present. A four pound gain - in the last 2 weeks?! How is that possible? (Well, ok I know how, eating half a pan of lasagna at 10 pm surely didn't help LOL) Nooooo!!! I officially weigh more now than when I gave birth to Levi, but don't ask me how much that was because I don't remember. Horrors! This is not going well!
The nurse took us into the exam room and sat me down for my BP. Well at least that checked out normally. Levi stood and watched closely. "What lady doin' momma? Clock spin round and round!" The nurse then went to her laptop to make notes in my file. She asked me again what I had for breakfast. I remembered that I also had a mug of Romocha. Well she had never heard of Roma so she entered "coffee with powdered chocolate drink." Not accurate but whatever!! Then my regular nurse showed up about the same time as Dr Karmy. The first nurse got the monitor ready to listen to the heartbeat and Dr Karmy said "I will do that myself thank you" and the nurses both hustled on out of there.
Everyone was kind of in a hurry today because of the schedule mix-up. I was supposed to have a pelvic exam today but we skipped that. Dr Karmy asked me about how I felt (normal) and I asked her about the sugar levels. She said 140 or less is normal from the glucose test. I was at 135. So nothing to stress about. But she did caution me to be careful on the weight gain now that I have crossed 30 lbs gain. (I am at 31 I guess). Talk about putting a damper on my day!
She measured my uterus and at 32 wks I am measuring at 35. "Baby is growing" was her comment. I'll say! A little too much perhaps?! So then we listened to the heart beat and the girl was moving and kicking the whole time. We kept hearing the "crunch" sound from the speaker when she would connect. 168-174 bpm was the rate with all her activity. Levi loves that part.
So this concludes the latest doctorly report.
Yesterday on the drive to work the Suburban was rattling like it does now and Levi says to me "Truck falling apart momma." Yes, son, it sure is. I used it to go down to Bordertown after work to get dog food. Well I had worked late and Bordertown was closed when I got there. Heading north back up the road the truck started feeling jumpy in the steering and I think I heard some bad sounds. So I put on my flashers and slowly crept up to the gas station. I put some gas in while I called Matt. We agreed I would try and limp it home. Let me tell you, driving 15 mph on a highway is not ideal. Especially when you are paranoid thinking the u-joint would completely break and a drive train would go spinning around under your rig. Well I did make it home. I noticed new popping clunking sounds when I would make a 90 degree turn. Not good. So she is out of commission until Wed. morning when we limp her down to the shop for repairs.
Today we ran errands in the "FOR SALE" white truck. After my Dr Appt we went back to Milton-Freewater to get that dog food, and while we were down there stopped in at Subway for lunch. That was pleasant. Levi happily ate apple slices and begged for my chocolate milk. I shared my sandwich with him and between bites shared the milk too. Whatever motivates him to eat :)
On the way home he was chattering about things he saw. Then he says to me "I love lips momma." I said you do? "Yeah, yeah," he says. So Matt decided to have some fun. He asked Levi "What does momma love?" And Levi says "Momma loves...food." Peals of laughter from both of us. "Momma loves....chicken TVP." WHAT!? This was especially hysterical and Levi was proud of himself for making us laugh so hard.
We have been buying chicken and beef tvp lately to try and save $$ on veggie food. Although I am not real fond of the chicken so far. I have been putting it in a container that I used to use for granola. So Levi looks up in the cupboard and sees the container and tells me he wants granola. I say "sorry, that's not granola, it's chicken tvp." That's the only way I can figure that particular phrase has been on his mind.
So now, what does Daddy love? "Daddy loves...Levi. Daddy loves...momma." Awwww. Guess I need to work on the impressions I am giving the child.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Suburban woes
Well the good news (if it can be considered as such) is that we were correct in our diagnosis of the current ailment of the Suburban - it is the U-joint. The bad news is that it's both of them that need to be replaced. And in the words of the mechanic that gave it a once-over this morning, "I wouldn't drive it much if I were you."
We have an appointment to have it fixed on Wednesday, so here's hoping we can keep the ol' gal limping along that much longer. I am proud though, to say, that she is less than 500 miles away now from holding 220,000 mi on the odometer and still going strong.
We had been staying off the highway but I am out of dog food so it looks like we have to bravely venture down to Milton-Freewater tonight to pick up another bag.
Tomorrow is another OB appointment. This will be a busy week.
We have an appointment to have it fixed on Wednesday, so here's hoping we can keep the ol' gal limping along that much longer. I am proud though, to say, that she is less than 500 miles away now from holding 220,000 mi on the odometer and still going strong.
We had been staying off the highway but I am out of dog food so it looks like we have to bravely venture down to Milton-Freewater tonight to pick up another bag.
Tomorrow is another OB appointment. This will be a busy week.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Success with another new recipe
Today I felt inspired. Yesterday's attempt at PB&J cookies went so well, I was feeling brave enough to attempt another new recipe this weekend. For lunch I made Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup. It was an easy recipe, although I made the mistake (a common one for me) of not reading it all the way through before making it. This resulted in me purchasing sesame oil for about $5 at Andy's (they didn't have any at Wal-Mart) and then I got to the end of the recipe and realized it is only used as a garnish! Well I could have done without it and used the $5 towards something else!
Any rate, everyone in the family (Levi included) liked this soup. It was a hit. I used a yam instead of a sweet potato, and I should have cooked it just a tad longer as the center was still a little undercooked when I diced it up, but all-in-all it was delicious and reminded me a lot of other Thai soups that I have had. In other news, this pregnancy has crossed the line of excitement to discomfort. I am ready to be done. And another two months to go?? This girl is always on my bladder, and when she is active she can throw a mean punch! I think we'll really have our hands full with this one.
Levi is really into spelling now. He will ask how to spell words frequently, and today at Andy's market while we were in line he points over at the ice machine and says "I-C-E, that spells ice, momma." I could not believe it.
Weather today is windy and now rainy. But I did manage to get out and get this photo taken for Lara. Thanks for the shirt :) Now everyone can see my belly too and how it's grown.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Cookies!
This afternoon I had a craving for something sweet. I have had a recipe hanging around for a couple months now that I wanted to try. It looked simple enough so I went for it. Mmmm are they fantastic! Not hard to make. Check out the link for Penny's PB&J Cookies. Although the recipe said it would make 20 cookies, I only got 18 from it. I used the jam/jellies that I had on hand so half of mine were apricot and the other half are blackberry. I imagine any kind would work. I also cut my corner hole too big so my 'icing' does not look as nice as what you will see in the link, but it all tastes the same and the more the better, I say!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
P-I-ZZ-A
Well today was rough. Rough day at work (that doesn't happen very often!) and me already on a pregnancy emotional roller-coaster. Thanks to the time change Matt forgot to pick me up until a phone call reminder. Then the suburban has more creaks and rattles than earlier today.
We all decided we needed dinner out so off we went to Sweet Basil. There was no nearby parking so Matt had to pull around the block. On the walk over he taught Levi to spell pizza, so by the time we ordered Levi was spelling like a champ. "P - I - ZZ - A, that spells pizza." Wow I could not believe it. We got it to go as the place was so packed with students there was hardly room to turn around.
The good news is that yesterday Matt got the plumbing problem fixed. Turns out Sun Rental rents 100 ft plumbing snakes for $33 for 4 hours. So that did the trick.
We all decided we needed dinner out so off we went to Sweet Basil. There was no nearby parking so Matt had to pull around the block. On the walk over he taught Levi to spell pizza, so by the time we ordered Levi was spelling like a champ. "P - I - ZZ - A, that spells pizza." Wow I could not believe it. We got it to go as the place was so packed with students there was hardly room to turn around.
The good news is that yesterday Matt got the plumbing problem fixed. Turns out Sun Rental rents 100 ft plumbing snakes for $33 for 4 hours. So that did the trick.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Books n things
Today Matt and I went out on a date to see Gran Torino. I really enjoyed it and cried at the end. In the interm, cousin Debbie watched over Levi at our house. She reports that they took a long walk and she was amazed at his interest and ability to point out letters and numbers that he saw. He also pointed out to her when a woman in the store passed wind before them, although his choice of words was not so polite. Ha!
I have been a bit surprised myself lately with his book choices at bedtime. There is one he really likes and usually always brings me called "Things To Love." He will run and get it and bring it back saying "momma, read things to love?" and I gladly do because it is fun for me as well. The ones I don't enjoy so much are when he wants to read about the solar system and black holes and quasars and things that I don't really understand myself. Matt has some books on these that are way over Levi's skill level. Mostly he likes to look at the pictures and ask "what is that momma?" And I have to read the caption and try to describe it in a way he will find informative and interesting. He is learning the names of the planets and will say them with me.
Today he brought me a book and said "John Henry." And I looked at it and sure enough it was the story of John Henry who was born with a hammer in his hand and worked to help build the railroads from east to west. We have not read that book together for at least a month, I do not know how he remembered the name of it.
He has given up on his two naps a day, and the one nap he does get now varies. It's hard to say when he'll be ready to take it, and how long it will last. Although it's pretty clear when he gets tired, he starts throwing things and/or shouting.
Lest I make him sound like a monster, he is increasing his pick-up skills and has become quite the good little helper around the house.
In other news, we have a plumbing problem currently. We are pretty sure the plug is due to our apricot tree in the back yard. The past two springs we have had them run a snake down and cut out the roots for us. Starting last Thursday we noticed when we would drain the kitchen sink, or run a load of laundry, the water would back up and seep out from under the toilet and come up the drain in the tub. Or when taking a bath/shower the water just wouldn't go down for a long time. So that has been the source of some recent frustration. The pipe in the backyard is really too long to try and do it ourselves with a small snake. I actually was in the mood to clean the house today and every time I would get into doing the dishes Matt would holler at me to stop because the bathroom was becoming a pond. So perhaps we'll call a plumber tomorrow. I know I can't take much more of this.
You also know it's spring on our block when the ants appear. We will need to call the exterminator out again for that as well. There's always something as a homeowner!!!
I have been a bit surprised myself lately with his book choices at bedtime. There is one he really likes and usually always brings me called "Things To Love." He will run and get it and bring it back saying "momma, read things to love?" and I gladly do because it is fun for me as well. The ones I don't enjoy so much are when he wants to read about the solar system and black holes and quasars and things that I don't really understand myself. Matt has some books on these that are way over Levi's skill level. Mostly he likes to look at the pictures and ask "what is that momma?" And I have to read the caption and try to describe it in a way he will find informative and interesting. He is learning the names of the planets and will say them with me.
Today he brought me a book and said "John Henry." And I looked at it and sure enough it was the story of John Henry who was born with a hammer in his hand and worked to help build the railroads from east to west. We have not read that book together for at least a month, I do not know how he remembered the name of it.
He has given up on his two naps a day, and the one nap he does get now varies. It's hard to say when he'll be ready to take it, and how long it will last. Although it's pretty clear when he gets tired, he starts throwing things and/or shouting.
Lest I make him sound like a monster, he is increasing his pick-up skills and has become quite the good little helper around the house.
In other news, we have a plumbing problem currently. We are pretty sure the plug is due to our apricot tree in the back yard. The past two springs we have had them run a snake down and cut out the roots for us. Starting last Thursday we noticed when we would drain the kitchen sink, or run a load of laundry, the water would back up and seep out from under the toilet and come up the drain in the tub. Or when taking a bath/shower the water just wouldn't go down for a long time. So that has been the source of some recent frustration. The pipe in the backyard is really too long to try and do it ourselves with a small snake. I actually was in the mood to clean the house today and every time I would get into doing the dishes Matt would holler at me to stop because the bathroom was becoming a pond. So perhaps we'll call a plumber tomorrow. I know I can't take much more of this.
You also know it's spring on our block when the ants appear. We will need to call the exterminator out again for that as well. There's always something as a homeowner!!!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
30 wk appointment
Today was my last "once-a-month" OB appointment. From here on out I get to visit the clinic once every two weeks. Matt and Levi picked me up at 9 from work for our 9:15 appointment. Starting out on the scale, I was happy to hear that the damage was only a 4 lb gain this month. So much better than 7!! The only thing I have changed in my eating habits has been breakfast - I have been eating Grape Nuts cereal instead of a bagel every morning so maybe that has helped...?
Blood pressure was good, but I forget what it was. Levi loves that part. He was very curious about everything, as always. Peering around me as the nurse adjusted the scale....watching the gauge on the BP meter "spin 'round 'n 'round mamma!" I had to get my Rogam shot today, youch! It stung for a good 10 minutes.
Dr Karmy came in and asked about baby movement - yes I have been feeling a lot lately. Last night especially. She felt around my midsection and noted that the baby was head-down now, so in the right position. Taking a measurement of the uterus found me to be at 31 cm - a bit big for 30 wks along. Matt asked about size and Dr Karmy responded that "statistically the second child is larger than the first, but also easier to deliver." Well, I am not too worried....yet.
We got to hear the heartbeat again and Levi's eyes got big and round and I saw a big smile creep around his face. Such awe in his expression. It is so neat to see him so excited. Dr Karmy asked him "Is that your sister?" He nodded yes.
I forgot to ask about lab results from two weeks ago, but assume if something was wrong they would have mentioned it. I will have to remember to ask about them at the next appt. It will be soon - only two weeks this time.
Blood pressure was good, but I forget what it was. Levi loves that part. He was very curious about everything, as always. Peering around me as the nurse adjusted the scale....watching the gauge on the BP meter "spin 'round 'n 'round mamma!" I had to get my Rogam shot today, youch! It stung for a good 10 minutes.
Dr Karmy came in and asked about baby movement - yes I have been feeling a lot lately. Last night especially. She felt around my midsection and noted that the baby was head-down now, so in the right position. Taking a measurement of the uterus found me to be at 31 cm - a bit big for 30 wks along. Matt asked about size and Dr Karmy responded that "statistically the second child is larger than the first, but also easier to deliver." Well, I am not too worried....yet.
We got to hear the heartbeat again and Levi's eyes got big and round and I saw a big smile creep around his face. Such awe in his expression. It is so neat to see him so excited. Dr Karmy asked him "Is that your sister?" He nodded yes.
I forgot to ask about lab results from two weeks ago, but assume if something was wrong they would have mentioned it. I will have to remember to ask about them at the next appt. It will be soon - only two weeks this time.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
On the phone
Levi came out of the bedroom and was talking saying "Hello....yeah....hello? Yeah..." and we looked at him and he was holding a "phone" up to his ear that he had made out of Duplo blocks.
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