Hip Pain

I had not had very much hip pain till the middle of my 2nd trimester, but once it started it was a real problem. I lost allot of sleep because of it. Fortunately I found a couple of things that helped me.
1) Invest in a pregnancy pillow. They are expensive, but they really help you sleep longer.

2) Get out of bed and take a walk (I walk to the restroom, killing two birds with one stone).

3) Bounce on an exercise ball for a little while.

4) Always ALWAYS wear good shoes when you are standing or walking. I got some slide on sneakers (on the advice of my beautiful sister-in-law) that I keep with me all the time.

None of these things have taken care of the problem, but they all help me, and I hope they help you.

Big Time

I said that I would blog about the last few weeks of my pregnancy very honestly so that anyone who is earlier in their pregnancy would have a play-by-play. So, here goes...
I am big... really big. It takes me forever to get up and walking happens in slow motion, man, I thought I was slow the last few months but that was nothing compared to now.
The other thing that has changed, again, is my sleep pattern. I seem to get around 5 hours a night in 1 1/2 hour stretches. I have to go to the restroom, or be sick, or change positions after a little walk. I was given a pregnancy pillow which seems to help with the soreness. This all seems to be really good practice :).
I think it is a good thing that the end is so uncomfortable, otherwise you wouldn't want to give birth. If you aren't ready, or if you are having angst about your birth, you will be ready by the time you are at 9 1/2 months.
On the bright side, and there is lots of bright side...
Simone does some really cute things. She likes to tickle me with her feet (I wonder if I will be able to swaddle her feet) she brushes against me with her toes so much that I have begun to wonder if she is trying to make her way out by digging.
I love that it is so obvious that I'm really pregnant! People are so much nicer and full of smiles around me. No matter what people may think they think, they are always made more cheerful by the thought of a new little human. I like to see the joy happen.

Home Again

We spent a few hours at the hospital last night. I was very dehydrated and seem to have some kind of intestinal bug. I was experiencing moderate contractions that were fairly regular, and I was in a lot of discomfort. I had to drink a bunch of water and given saline through an IV. The nurses had a lot of trouble getting the IV in so my hands and wrists are quite bruised. once I was hydrated my contractions stopped so we were sent home just after 1 am. It was quite a night, and I learned a few things.

1. I have to drink way more water than I thought. About 16 oz. an hour.
2. Jer is very calm in the midst of a crisis.
3. Moderate contractions are uncomfortable but not really painful.
4. get your bags packed at least a month before your dew date, you may not need everything in them, but its really nice to have everything you may need all in one place.

Hmmm

Well I just got off the phone with our doctor. I am experiencing severe pain in my abdomen, some pain below my belly button and some pain above with some "shooting" pains around to my back. The doctor thinks (and I agree) that it is probably just because of something that I ate, but he said that if the pain doesn't get better in the next hour I must go to the hospital and have an ultrasound.

So... please pray for us. Jer seems a little worried, but I am very calm... strange.

The 9th Month

I was thinking that I should post about all the changes that my body is going through this month. It has been rather interesting, but also very personal. I know that I would love to have a kind of play-by-play of a friends 9th month to read right now... so if you would like me to post I will, otherwise I will assume that it is totally gross, and I'll keep things to myself.

Super Yummy

Tonight we had the BEST slow cooker meal so I thought I would post it.

Asian Short Ribs

3 lbs. beef short ribs
1 jar (7.6 oz) plum sauce
2/3 c. ketchup
1 T. rice vinegar
2 T fresh ginger, grated

1. Brown meat.

2. Place meat in slow cooker.

3. Mix other ingredients together and pour over the meat.

4. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

5. Serve and enjoy!

Lookin' Good

... That is what my Doctor said at my 9 month(!!!!) appointment yesterday. Simone's little head is down, she weighs 4 lbs. right now, and is about 17 inches long. She should stay the same length, and gain about 1 lb. a week, so at 5 weeks to go... she should be a big girl.

Question

I am planing to make some swaddling blankets, burp cloths, and bibs for the baby. The more I think about this plan the more I am worried that I will not make enough or that I will make way to many, although having to many wouldn't be so bad I guess... I would just feel silly. How many of each item should I make? Any advice?

Gettin' Big

Well, it took long enough didn't it. Here is a picture from about 3 weeks ago. Simone has grown quite a bit since then. I'll be posting another belly pic soon along with some pictures of the nursery.

P.S. Isn't my husband cute!

Update

Yesterday was the first day of our 30th week of pregnancy. I am so happy that we are getting close, but I'm also having allot of anxiety about the whole "birth thing". I will not dwell on this... I'll just say that I am very glad that there are good drugs, and I love that I will be giving birth in one of the best hospitals in the world.
This new trimester has, like the first two, been very challenging, but allot more fun. Our little Simone is very active all the time! She does different kinds of activities at different times of the day.
In the morning she does this funny scratching thing. It tickles, which is really strange.
In the afternoon and evening she gives the strongest kicks and punches. Jeremiah has been able to feel her kicking, but nobody else has had their hand on my belly at the right time.
At night she likes to dance. She kicks softly, but really fast and she throws her head back and to the side. I think she will like to dance like her daddy when she is older :).
I always respected the fact that she was her own little person, even when I couldn't feel her, but now that I can feel her I am getting a real idea of her personality it is really striking how much I know about her... she likes Vivaldi!
I hope to be able to download some picture soon. I have been taking "belly" photos every month, so hopefully I can post some so you can all see the growth. For now I''ll just say that my belly has gotten huge the last two weeks!

christmas time is here

I didn't think it would come, but it did! I figured that since we had decided and indeed completed our move within 3 weeks, and that we are still unpacking from this move that we would have to forgo the usual Christmas decorations. This was very sad to me, considering I usually start pestering my housemates for a Christmas tree the week before Thanksgiving. This year I thought I should be a big girl and not whine about a tree or lights or cinnamon scented candles... I would only get out our creche this year. But... do you know what my husband did this last Saturday? He woke up and said "lets go get you your tree today". I was soooo happy! Now, last years Christmas tree buying trip was far from ideal. It took hours, it cost lots more than it should have, and there was a lot of... colorful... language. Jer did not have fun. I did not have fun. We came home with a very expensive tree and bad moods. This year, however, we arrived at The Home Depot picked up the first tree that we came across and it was perfect, proceeded to the checkout counter, paid, had the tree tied to the top of our car, and were on our way home in less than 15 minutes. I spent the rest of the weekend decorating the tree, putting out the scented candles, addressing Christmas cards, and making a place for the creche. Now I have to get some lights for the porch.

Life is good, and festive :)

I Got An A :)

I had to take all the 6-7 month blood tests last week. For some reason I was really nervous about the glucose test well... I have been getting nervous about allot of things that I have no reason to be nervous about. I just got the results and I have "very good looking blood", says my doc. Well, that is a relief.

We Made It

Well, the move went very well considering we only had a week to plan it, and it happened on a holiday weekend. I even learned two good things.
1) The Home Depot has the very best box prices.
2) Hiring movers through uhaul is a great thing. The movers were very nice and did a great job (though they were 2 hours late).
So... we are now getting used to our new surroundings. There is lots of nice shopping near us and gas is much cheaper. Also, I am very happy that we are so much closer to our friends. We have had a few people "drop by" already. They have been able to find parking and everything!

Moving. Yay!

So, in case you haven't yet heard... we will be moving at the end of the month. I am very excited! Our new apartment is so much closer to most of our friends, and our church. It also has many fun amenities such as a play ground, 2 swimming pools and a kiddie pool, round the clock security patrol, a dishwasher, and best of all central air!
We have been kinda' half looking for a three bedroom place for a few weeks, we were beginning to think that the only areas that had three bedroom apartments were in bad neighborhoods, but this is in a very nice area of the city of Lakewood. In fact, the whole city of Lakewood is very nice.
Jer and I are so happy that we will have a nursery to bring Simone home to. We feel so blessed that we were able to find a new home well in advance of her due date. I already have quite the "bump" and trying to carry boxes with a belly any bigger would be quite challenging (my arms aren't that long).

Hello Again

Well, it has been a crazy few months. I have had a very hard time, and although I am feeling much better, I continue to have a really bad morning sickness. I have tried every kind of morning sickness treatment, so if you need a review of any particular one let me know ;). I have also been tired and very dizzy. Sorry, I have not been posting partly because I don't want this blog to turn into a big whine fest, so this paragraph is the only time I will mention my being so sick.

Jer and I were happy to find out that we are having a girl (We would of been equally happy, of course, if we were having a boy, but girls are so much fun to shop for). We have had names picked out for years so its been nice to call our baby Simone Marie, instead of just "baby". So... Simone Marie Davis is due to be born on or around March 9th. Wow, that is a scary thought... scary and exciting!

Please Pray!

Our little friend is in trouble.

Two Months Down

Well, It has been an exciting 2 months.

The first month was very easy. The only real symptoms of pregnancy I had were that I was very tired, and that my mid section swelled. I was surprised at how tired I was. Taking a shower was enough to make me need to take a nap. On days that I went to work I had to be in bed at around 7pm. Also, I was surprised at how much by body shape changed. I had to buy maternity pants and bras by week 4! I didn't expect that to happen till I was a few months pregnant not a few weeks.

Month 2 has been a bit more challenging. As you know, if you are a person who has depended on me in any way, I have been very sick. I have been late to work almost every day, I have not made it to many commitments, and I have totally flaked on any social engagements. I have felt so bad about all of this, and more than a little helpless. I know that I will feel like this for a few more weeks and that knowledge is getting me through it. So far I have tried many traditional ways to help morning sickness like extra sleep, fruit in heavy syrup, crackers, and exercise. I have also tried some new fancy products including Ginger Chews, Preggy Pops, Happy Mama Spray, Mother to Be Tea, and Mama Bee Body Oil. Most of them work to put a dent in the nausea for a little while. I think the tea and exercise have been the best things so far, although the Preggy Pops are really tasty.

Another thing that I have been feeling is a lot of anxiety. I find myself worrying all of the time. My poor husband has to comfort me and reassure a bawling me all the time. It must be getting old, but he is so wonderful that he doesn't show his frustration. I love him so much.

One really cool thing about the last week is that I have been able to feel something growing inside my body. It is really strange, and I laugh because it reminds my of the princess and the pea. When I lay down on my stomach I can feel a bubble that must be my baby. How cool is that!

Well, that's about it. My feelings, and anxiety for the first two months. Please continue to pray.

Mommy Called the Doctor and the Doctor Said...

I'm fine, unless I have other more scary symptoms like bleeding or really bad shoulder pain.

Thanks everyone for your advice and prayers. BTW- I love advice and prayers. Please keep them coming.

Questions

Okay, so I tried some these ginger candies that a good friend gave me, and my body promptly rejected them. I am totally bummed because I usually really like ginger flavor things. I'm finding that my body doesn't like allot of things that my mouth does. So, I have some questions...

1) Have any of you tried Preggy Pops, Sea Bond or any of the other things that have bought add. space in magazines?

2) Can anyone recommend a vegetarian cookbook that has good tasting, fast recipes? I seem to have much less trouble with veg. meals than meaty ones.

3) Now this question is not on the subject of morning sickness. It is something that I have been worrying about since Friday... Has anyone experienced an ache in the lower abdominal area, not like cramps, but more like what you get when you have had the flu? I have had a persistent ache that is starting to scare me. I can't go to the doctor till after the first of next month but I can call him... should I?

Thanks for listening, or... listening with your heart while your eyes read this post.

As Of 7/16/08

Life around here has been more than a little crazy.

Jer has been working 15 hour days for the last week, and will continue to work that way for another week. He is preparing for the big retreat that his organization puts on once a year that starts next Wednesday. He will be out of town next Wednesday through Monday.

I thought I might escape the ickiness that is morning sickness, but no luck, it kicked in with a vengeance last Friday. I have been very tired and quite sick since. Other than that I have been working more than I usually do, which is great. I was taking a class at Santa Monica College but I had to drop out. I really thought that I could handle the schedule, and I could until I found out that I was pregnant, and that mom will have to have another round of chemo.

Mom has to have more chemo. She has not yet had an appointment with her Dr., but he was pretty sure that some spots on her liver (that she has had for years) are in need of some attention. She has a great outlook about things. I'm glad that she had a few days to be happy about the baby before she found out about the treatment. She will meet with her Dr. in a couple of weeks, after she takes some more tests. I'll be sure to post the results.