25 weeks: The good, the bad and the ug-leey!

A couple things I find hard to believe: [1] I've let my blog go 2 weeks, woops. [2] Me and baby are at 25 weeks. O mi god! It's June, which is also hard to believe. This year is flying by!

I've finally taken a second to snap a couple belly shots and shots of the nursery (by request). So enjoy those.... 25 week belly shots:




















I told M that I don't really feel much of a change. But then he reminded me of this shot at 19 weeks (when we last took a picture):















So yeah... I guess I have gotten bigger. Which is good. I can't even tell you how many times I've been told "o mi god! you're so small for XXth month!" I'm 6 months now and I am by far the smallest bump of any of my currently pregnant (or just gave birth) friends. But at my last appointment, I was assured that baby D's growth is normal and he's doing just fine, so for now I'm counting myself lucky.

The bad? Well it kinda goes hand-in-hand with the ugly which all came to a head this weekend. For weeks now I've been having heartburn. It doesn't matter what I eat, if I eat at all. If I drink a huge amount of water, that fills up my stomach and gives me heartburn too. So I've learned to cope by eating and drinking smaller amounts of food at more frequent intervals and popping antacids whenever the heartburn becomes more than uncomfortable (which is a lot).

That was working for quite awhile until Sunday morning. Did anyone know that antacids can cause constipation? Lesson learned!

The scene? My folks are in town for a Parent's Weekend celebration (mother and father's day combined since we are unable to celebrate on either of the prescribed weekends). After a lovely dinner Saturday night (homemade pasta noodles with a light veggie/garlic/olive oil) and wine for those who could partake, we decided to do breakfast at one of our favorite spots, Hobee's. We sit down to order and just after we order, I excuse myself for the restroom.

*WARNING: THIS IS GROSS AND SOMEWHAT GRAPHIC*

9:15am: After trying to go for about 20 minutes (my mom came to check up on me), I started to break out in a full body sweat and my abdominal area is in pain. I cannot go! This has never happened to me before (in life or during pregnancy), so I'm not sure what to do. But after stripping off my sweatshirt and still unable to stop sweating (or go), I decide I need an exit strategy. So I go to the table and tell my folks that I need to go home NOW and Ryan will come back to get them. We rush out of the restaurant, and on my way out I tell my folks, "If you need to use the restroom, you better go here because I'm gonna be in there a LONG time!"

10 am: I am at home trying to go. M is (so sweet) setting me up in the bathroom for every possible need: water? check. book? check. cell phone, blackberry and home phone? check. vitamin water? check. And before he goes back to get my parents, he makes certain I am ok. Given my level of discomfort, I am doing the best I can. So he's off.

10:15: I decide that I'm going to give it 15 more minutes before I start the epsom salt bath (supposed to help with constipation). Still nothing. And SO painful.

10:30: I get in the tub and try to sit comfortably for about an hour. M gets back and checks on me. Still no change. I'm in pain and I can't go!!

11:30: Still no change. I've been in and out of the tub twice now and trying. Nothing's happening. But in the meantime, M has picked me up some laxative pills so I take those.

11:49: I throw up the pills, the metamucil crackers I just ate and about a gallon of water I've been chugging. And I meekly beg for M to call the advice nurse at my ob-gyn office to find out what we should do now.

For awhile, I am status quo. They say there's nothing to do except try fibrous foods, water, laxative pills. Enema being the last resort if nothing happens by tonight. UGH. But as I'm sending M to the store for more fibrous-specific foods (advised by my midwife-nurse), I try to pee. And I can't go. SHIT.

So I call the nurse advice line again and they call back saying that my ob-gyn wants me to go to the ER now. They need to know why I can't urinate and if it's dehydration, I need to get on an IV.

12:30: M rushes home from Safeway and picks me up and we head to the ER.

For some reason, time goes by SO SLOWWWLLYY at the ER. There are literally 3 patients there (including myself) and yet it takes the Dr. at least 20 minutes to come see me after I've been roomed and changed. Then another 20 minutes for him to wheel in the ultrasound machine (to make sure I'm making urine and the baby is ok). Then another 20 minutes for the nurse to come in and give me the enema. (Clearly this is the ugleeey part).

By 3:30pm I am discharged and on my way home feeling so. much. better. I can't even tell you how unbelievably uncomfortable that was. It wasn't "painful" in the traditional sense, but so much more than discomfort. I wish there was a word to describe it. Let's just say that I'll never take the ability to pee and "empty my colon" for granted EVAR again.

Now, more good (cuz that was groosss!). Pics of the nursery! Here is the dresser I refinished (painted and put new pulls on) We will be using this as a changing table (changing pad goes on top):



















Here is the bookcase I painted (although I will be distressing it another weekend to make it not so bright). But you can also get a feel for the wall color, cute!




















Here's the cute lamp set we got for his room too:




















This weekend we also picked up my friend's glider (rocking chair) that we are going to refinish and re-do the cushions on. Rather, we are going to re-paint it (it's currently white and scratched up) dark brown like the rest of his furniture and my mom is going to make all-new custom cushions. Yeah!

Suprisingly, after all that business at the ER, I was able to go to the fabric store with my mom and look at fabrics for the chair, the curtains (we also hung curtain rods in his bedroom this Saturday) and for the blanket/bedskirt my mom is making. That's an additional bonus of having reconciled with my mom over the past two years and her being super handy. She knows how to refinish all kinds of furniture (she advised on how we should refinish the crib we are getting and the glider chair) AND she's a super good seamstress. And she's totally stoked about this baby and wants to make everything.

Here's a short list of what I already know she's making: custom curtains for his room, bedskirt/quilt and headboard pad, a bunch of recieving blankets in various weights for weather, a few slankets (she claims they are so easy to make, there's no sense in buying them), custom cushions for the glider chair, a custom terry-cloth cover for his changing pad (which goes on the brown dresser above). I think that's it. Oh, and a hand-made quilt with his name on it.Yay!

This kid is going to have so much stuff, it's ridiculous. But I love that most of it is repurposed (yay environment and saving money at the same time) and/or homemade.

So, there ya go. The good, the bad and the ugly. Even though I had a hell of a Sunday, I feel pretty happy with where we are and so happy the baby is doing so well! Kicking all the time and being a little showman (except when Daddy comes around to feel it. Then he quiets down for some reason)

Cheers!