Cord blood

John and I decided not to do cord blood banking - no family history that would indicate a need, and it's awfully expensive. Instead, we are going to donate it (don't want it to go to waste). We're supposed to fill out the forms and get them submitted no earlier than 28 weeks and no later than 32 weeks. For more information, check out: http://www.cryo-intl.com/

RH Positive shot

31 cm
218.5 lbs
Got my Rhogam shot - and the doctor hollered at the staff for not calling me back or taking me seriously last week. :)

Strking a blow for pregnant ladies

I hear stories from other ladies about some of the incredibly, unbelievably NASTY things coworkers were saying to them while they were pregnant (asking if they're having twins, making beeping sounds as they back up, etc.). I had shared this with John who was filled with righteous indignation. He got on a tirade of "if I ever hear anyone say anything like that about you or any woman I will (fill in appropriately amusing threat of a southern gentleman here)." Well, today he finally got his chance. One of our coworkers (a really nice guy who apparently left his good sense at the door that day) came up to him with the "I can't believe your wife still has 3 months to go - she looks ready to pop" comment. John explained to this guy, in no uncertain terms, that this was a completely unacceptable thing to say to ANY pregnant woman for ANY reason and that anyone who would say such a thing is showing not only his obviously crude upbringing, but also a gross lack of intelligence. The guy was apparently totally embarassed and went away as quickly as possible while the female coworkers in the area cheered.

Hiccups

Felt the little guy hiccup Monday night. Really strange! And then last night he woke me up just throwing his hands and feet around like crazy. Hope this doesn't mean he's going to be a fuss budget later :)

Pregnancy Glow Revealed

While it is common knowledge that pregnant women emit an almost supernatural "glow" during gestation, visible to those around them but not to themselves, the effects of this phenomenon remain unstudied. Professor Ima D. Oktor first noted the issue and lack of research in the area during her own pregnancy and has made some remarkable discoveries.

"It first came to my attention when I was about 16 weeks along,just after someone said they saw the glow." said Professor Oktor. "I noticed my staff acting oddly towards me. At first I dismissed it as pregnancy hormones and overreacting, but as I started keeping a journal, I realized that it was real!"

After careful observation and empirical study, the professor was able to pinpoint the symptoms afflicting her staff, including deafness, altered perceptions of her abilities, and an overall glassy-eyed expression. "It was bizarre," she explained, "students who normally listened to my instructions quite clearly, suddenly became incapable of hearing more than 3 words. I had one student actually try to tie my shoes for me!"

Realizing the potential of the scientific breakthrough, she expanded her study to include other pregnant women and their experiences. The results were astounding. "The story was the same everywhere - even health professionals who were trained to listen to pregnant women, were often unable to hear anything the women said and replied to them as if they were children." The Pregnancy Glow Syndrome (PGS) was quickly becoming a well-defined phenomenon.

Professor Oktor's next step was to isolate the cause. After several tries, she came up with the Pregnancy Glow Detector (PGD) - a device that detects and isolates the pregnancy glow. Using the PGD, she was able to definitively show that the "glow" extends in a radius of 10 to 20 feet from a pregnant woman (far further than originally supposed) and entering the Glow Area of Effect (GAE) initiates the symptoms of PGS.

What's next? "Well, " Professor Oktor says " the implications for military applications are immense. Consider a tank cloaked in GAE! The enemy wouldn't be able to hear it and would assume it was harmless and incapable of doing anything." She adds that she hopes to study other pregnancy effects for similar applications, such as Belly Touching Compulsion (BTC), during her next pregnancy.

Angry, upset, and scared

So, I've been really horribly sick since Friday night - coughing, sneezing, low grade fever, running nose, terrible sore throat, the whole nine yards. I went to ER Centers on Sat to get checked out and they said "yup you got a cold - take some Tylenol." Then I called my doc on Monday just to follow up, because that's what I'm supposed to do, and the nurse said, "yup you got a cold, take some Tylenol."
Then yesterday, I'm coughing and get up to go pee (because it's been like an hour and Lord knows I can't go longer than that between trips to the bathroom) and there is brown blood in my panties. ACK!!!! So I immediately call the doc and the little receptionist gal says "It's probably just a UTI - maybe you should get it checked out." I'm like - what? That makes no sense, so I try to explain to her again (bad cold, lots of coughing, late term miscarriage, frightened pregnant woman here) and she said, well maybe you should go to the ER. Maybe? So, I press her further - if I'm going to the ER, I want the DOCTOR to call me back and tell me to go. She says she'll have a nurse call me back.
So I wait. And wait. AND WAIT. No one calls me back. At all. So today I finally call them again and they try to tell me that the little twit "explained that it was normal so she didn't think anyone needed to call you." What!?!?! You told me someone was going to call me back after suggesting I go to the ER and that was normal? I don't think so. I explained the facts of life to them (ie, told me you were going to call and didn't) and they apologized, but were not terribly sincere. I've had no further bleeding, so I am going to wait until my doc appt on Monday and then they are getting an earfull.
I have been so careful not to "overreact" to anything that I got YELLED AT by my doc when I had some contractions and didn't call right away because I didn't think it was a big deal (I was right, btw). So, now, following doc's orders, I call about anything out of the ordinary (like BLOOD) and I get treated like an oversensitive idiot because I actually expect a reasoned answer instead of a bunch of "maybe" and "probably" 's. I am not happy. I am sick. I am worried about my baby. And I am pissed off at being treated like I'm simple.
Grumph.

Miserably sick

Ugh. John got sick this week and unfortunately I caught it. Started with a sore throat last night and today I am thoroughly miserable. We went to ER Centers of America (me, because I'm pregnant and need to make sure it's nothing serious, John because it might be bronchitis which could quickly get worse for him). Looks like I've just got a really bad viral thing and his is indeed bronchitis. They gave him loads of medicine and gave me Tylenol (that's all I can take). Lovely.

Ultrasound 26 weeks

everything is looking good. Baby is moving like crazy these days - all the time kicking me and rolling around. He's taking after his karate dad!

GD test and active baby! Almost 25 weeks

The baby kicked and my shirt jumped - how fun is that!

Had to take my gestational diabetes test today (also called a screening glucose challenge test). They make you drink something that is essentially like really sweet flat orange soda on an empty stomach then take your blood after an hour. I passed with flying colors, apparently - they want you to be under 140 and mine was like 110 or something. Hooray!