I've introduced my sister to the wonderful world of blogging. I'm still trying to get various other people to start it up as well - VK you DEFINITELY should - and I'm going to link her site as soon as she says it's ok. For all I know it might be *ahem* private.
In other news, I dyed my hair last night. Chocolate brown, which is very deep in colour but also has red highlights from my previous dye job. Looks verrrry interesting and so far people seem to really like it.
The very question demanded of me by my Mamala this morning, so here it is. In all truth I haven't had much desire to update lately, probably because I've been so tired and just feeling generally lazy and boring.
My life hasn't been boring however, we have been house-hunting furiously in the last week, and I'm happy to announce we FINALLY found an agent who is going to help us. Huge kudos for the wonderful folks at LJ Hooker, particularly Teresa at our branch. We told her what we're looking for, and she's got a myriad of brand new houses coming up this week and next, so she's just waiting on getting the keys before we can go and take a look at them. And they're mostly all 4 bedroom homes as well which is what we want.
Beyond that, I'm beginning to now feel bubby moving inside me. It was very weird at first and I wasn't sure if what I was experiencing was him moving, or if I was just gassy. The first movements were a fluttery feeling down very, very deep, feeling like it was in the canal itself and just felt like a butterfly beating its wings against me. It was a very weird but pleasant sensation, and then after I got up and headed to the loo, as I was sitting there leaning forward slightly (so as to completely empty the bladder which is VERY important because trust me you get so freaking sick of constantly getting up to go pee every hour) I suddenly felt two very prominent but dull pokes, right under my belly button. Of course, I sat up straight immediately and seconds later, rushed out to the kitchen to proclaim what I thought was fetal movement. Turns out, it was! And then again I felt it last night as I was laying in bed reading, it felt like a tumbling mouse in my lower abdomen that rolled twice. I'm not sure if it was his legs stretching out, or his arms, but it was a definite movement and I instinctively began gently rubbing my belly in that spot. I didn't feel him again before I went to sleep, but I'm so loving this feeling when it happens.
He also did his first flip the other night - the same night I felt him move the first time - which I only knew about because I was suddenly very nauseous and very dizzy. I had gotten up to help Mamala with dinner (I think getting the vegies) and leaned against the sink feeling very much like I was going to throw up (which I have not done at all through the pregnancy). She asked me what was wrong, so I explained the feeling I had as I sat down, and she laughed and gave me a glass of water. "Sounds like bub's flipped," she grinned. Evidently it used to happen to her while she was pregnant.
I can't wait until winter is done with. I can't even comfortably do up my jeans and the zipper keeps falling down, but yet it's still too cold that I can't wear skirts or shorts and I refuse to buy larger size jeans when we only have a couple weeks of this weather left. It's so highly frustrating!!
I have my new Dr. appt in 2 weeks, where I get to meet a new Dr. I found and hopefully he'll be alot bloody better than the last one I saw and 2 days after that appt, I have another one at the local hospital where I get to meet my midwife(s) and have a tour of the maternity section of the hospital. I'm VERY excited about that and can't wait to do it! I then have to schedule another ultrasound for my 20th week and HOPEFULLY he'll be in the right position for us to get a gender check. Fingers crossed we're having a little boy!!
I have been out of the house every single day this week, and I am so tired. Today especially because even though I slept well, today being Thursday is practically the nation's payday for pensioners and dole bludgers, so as I trudged into the mall with Mum and Nanna to do the weekly grocery shop, I was immediately overwhelmed by old people. And they were shuffling. Alot. And getting in the way. And so were young "Money-Mummies" with their tots slung in their arms, just milling about also being in the way. But the old people greatly outweighed the Money-Mummies and dole bludgers. I think no less than 100 people sucked my energy from me today.
Now I want to just curl up and sleep the remainder of the night away, however since I need to go cook dinner, I can't do that just yet.
Why can't I be rich and have my own personal cook?
My ultrasound photo at 14 weeks; 9cm long, heart rate at 146 beats per minute. Weighs roughly 49grams.
Taken August 19th, 2005.
Hello internet, so sorry for the lack of posts and updates - things have been sort of whirling around here.
Let me start by saying my sister is okay. She came home on Friday afternoon and has been on new meds since yesterday because her previous sulphur based ones were giving her an allergic reaction. Other than suffering from a head cold (the very same I was afflicted by) she is doing much, much better.
On Friday I had my second ultra sound done. This one was to determine the nuchal translucency which determines if there are any chromosomal abnormalties are found (ie: Trisomy, Downs Syndrome). I am very happy to report my baby is perfectly healthy, with very minimal risk of DS (1 in 1200). He's also measuring in at 8.7cm long, with a heart rate of 146 beats per minute, and has 2 arms, 2 hands, 2 legs, 2 feet! I have my next ultrasound in about 6 weeks time to determine gender, among many other things. I'm soooo excited, though sadly D won't get to come with me because he'll be working, and he missed this last one I had as well but I will have new pictures for him!
It's funny, I was chatting with Mum today and up until this last ultrasound, even though I know I'm pregnant, I didn't FEEL as though I was. I didn't feel like any of this was real, or if I was just imagining it. . .until I saw him up on the monitor. His whole body would convulse every few minutes, as though he had the hiccups, and it was just the most adorable thing I'd ever seen. He moved around a little bit for me, even turning over once so I was able to see his spinal cord VERY clearly, and the sonographer zoomed in nice and close so I was almost able to count his vertibrae. It was the most AMAZING sight I've ever seen and I so badly wanted to cuddle him right then and there. I'm so excited and cannot WAIT until he comes out to join us. Through the scan, the sonographer kept pushing down on my belly to get him to move, and once she actually had both hands on the side of my belly pushing in, but he wasn't interested in moving for her. I had to laugh inwardly at that, knowing that I've been pushing and playing with my stomache for the last month and a half has gotten him used to it, and he probably no longer reacts to it! He seemed very serene though, very content to just lay there being poked and prodded, and only moving when he felt it necessary to do so. I think he's going to be alot like his parents and move along at his own pace, not daring to be rushed or pushed into anything.
I'm so looking forward to my next ultrasound and seeing him, and maybe I'll even get to hear him pretty soon, as we still haven't heard the heartbeat. I don't quite know how I'm going to react to that - I cried each time I got to see him on the monitor during the ultrasounds, so I can only imagine what I'm going to be like when I finally get to hear his heartbeat.
My sister collapsed again. Yesterday afternoon. My brother and I had just come back from house hunting when Nanna comes out and says "She's collapsed again, the ambulance just took her." We hurried upstairs.
Mum informed us that she had collapsed again, AND convulsed, and bitten her tongue AGAIN. She did the same thing twice on very early Friday morning; once at 1:30am but she came through it quickly and then again at 6:30am which she did not recover so quickly from. That's when they called the ambulance and had her rushed in. Just like yesterday. It seems she is now having grand mal seizures.
Her blood count was down from 89 on Friday, to 80 yesterday but they are still not willing to do a blood transfusion, nevermind that she is well below normal. They were toying with the idea of giving her an iron injection, which involves inserting the needle into your ass just under the skin, directly into the fatty deposits, and weaving it in a zig-zag fashion so it doesn't leave any staining in the skin. My sister queased abit at that point, as I would have also, but they then decided they weren't going to do that last night.
They did keep her overnight so Mum did come home, but has since gone again to see her. She'll keep us updated as things progress, and if they're not home by midday, we'll head in to see her since D's off work due to the Ekka. (Gotta love meaningless public holidays!)
So that's that. Added to which, I have a head cold. I can barely breathe, my head is stuffy and my throat is dry, itchy and sore. I also can't take anything for it, which is making life VERY interesting. Think I might go out today and purchase some breathe-right strips, and some more cough lollies.
Yesterday we were out and about up the coast, driving around in the afternoon desperately looking for a place to buy D some work pants. He's in a corporate environment so daggy jeans don't really fit, and we'd bought him a pair the week before but he decided he wanted another pair, so off we went. We also had to go pick up a weekly train pass for the city.
Anyway, as we were leaving the shopping center on the coast, approaching a round-a-bout no less, I noticed a sign that said Quiznos and I blinked. Twice, even. I said, "Does that say Quiznos?"
He says, "What?"
I said, "That sign up there."
He looks and says, "Says Subway."
I said, "No underneath that. Is that Quiznos? Is that our Quiznos?"
"I don't know," he said. "Wanna take a look?"
"God yes!" I shouted. I was very excited you see. I'd only had Quiznos when we were in Canada and he dragged me in, saying they made the best subs ever and that I absolutely HAD to try one. So in we went, and I tried a sub and OH MY GOD it was the best one I'd had, so he was right!
Anyway so for the past 3 months, I'd been craving the Chicken Mesquite sub made only by Quiznos and I'd been complaining and complaining that Australia needed one and wouldn't it be neat if there was one in Brisbane? Turns out the sign I saw was in fact for OUR QUIZNOS back home and I got to have a very droolworthy Chicken Mesquite sub. I was even groaning aloud with obvious pleasure.
Okay so maybe it wasn't gold per se, that we'd struck, but rather THE BEST SUBS IN THE UNIVERSE! We learned that it was the first Quiznos to open in Queensland, and opened in July of last year. So not only do we have a Quiznos, but it's NOT in Brisbane and is only about 30mins away so every time I have a big craving, we can shoot up there!
Now, if only Tim Hortons would franchise out here...
So I went in for my Dr appt today and it all went relatively well. I was in there for aaaages today, after waiting half an hour to actually see my doc. We got the results from my first ultrasound, and lo and behold, not only did they find one baby, they also found a cyst on my left ovary. Or, to be more precise, IN my left ovary. It's slightly smaller than an inch in diameter, and we will be constantly monitoring it but at the moment it's nothing for me to worry over.
I have to go for more bloodwork tomorrow, and schedule another ultrasound. This one is to check to see the baby and make sure he doesn't have Down Syndrome, and should be relatively quick. We are VERY excited to see how long he is going to be - we're guessing he'll be around 8cm long... Anyone else want to have a guess? As of today he also exactly 3 months old, and with the 2 week leeway, makes me roughly 14 weeks along. Yay! I also have a referral for the local hospital so that I can go make my booking asap for February (11th - 21st if you please).
Also picked up a few more baby clothes today. I've been trying like mad to stay with neutral colours: beige, yellow, green; but damnit I'm also buying blue things because much as I'd love a baby girl, we REALLY think we're having a boy so I'm drooling all over little boys things! They're so small and so cute and so soft! It's adorable.
Did check with doc about the itchy rash I've developed, and he doesn't know what it is or why I have it. =\ So I have no idea either way. He said it COULD be dermatitis, but he doesn't know for sure and no testing was done on it. Okay then... Though he did suggest that I quit using soap and go back to using the pH balanced skin wash I had been using before I ran out of it. So I picked some of that up today as well. Oh and new hair dye called "Chocolate Rush". Yum-O!
Also Mum has decided to start taking bets on when bubby will show himself. I'm guessing the 16th. D guesses the 13th. Don't know what the rest of the house thinks - maybe I should email all my friends and get them in on it too?
I absolutely love lazy Sundays and yesterday was one of them. The sun was shining, there were few clouds in the sky, it was very warm and just very, very lazy. Most of the day was spent lounging outside - D fixed the rear passenger window: it was stuck and wouldn't roll either way, so he ripped apart the door, fixed it, and put it back together again. Meanwhile, my brother washed and waxed his car, and fixed his car door handle.
Oh! And we sort of have a new addition to our family...ducks! There are a few of them that live on the oval across the road, and one day they wandered over our way so we began feeding them sopping wet bread. Because of this, they now visit us every day, and we're happy to learn the momma duck is pregnant! This means of course, that since we've been feeding them so consistently, they will bring over their little ducklings when they're hatched and are able to walk!
So yesterday I spent the day watching my duckies who spent a good chunk of time in our front yard, and I can get very close to them now - an arm length away - and also set down a shallow tray of water for them. The daddy duck (who we've named Mavrick, Mommy we've called Polly) then tried swimming in it. =\ We then decided we shall have to go out and buy a small rubber baby pool and fill it up so they have something to swim in when they come around during the Spring and Summer months. It's VERY exciting!!
To top off an already perfectly lazy day yesterday, we pulled out the old BBQ, cleaned it down and fired it up last night. Dinner was spent outside, even though it was a little nippier by then, eating, laughing and star gazing. It was just such a perfect end to a really wonderfully lazy day.
D logged onto MSN the other morning (very early for us, late in the afternoon for the eastcoasters of the US) and received a whole bunch of messages straight off the bat. He has 2 separate sets of friends who are pregnant, both due in December amazingly enough, but only 1 set of friends hadn't heard we are also expecting. They were very excited, and the lady of the set began asking all about my pregnancy and comparing it with how hers was in the earlier stages.
Then he gets a message from a friend he used to play EQ with, who I also know as well. Evidently, this particular friend ALSO knows about our pregnancy even though neither one of us told him - apparently he was informed by his cousin who also plays EQ, however neither D nor I told HER about it. Nevertheless, they sounded very happy for us, and congratulating us.
I believe there are only 2 possible ways they found out, and I'm going to check the more obvious source first. If that doesn't pan out, I'll know for certain who DID tell them, and then I will (no doubt) audibly wonder why they continue to come here and read my site, only to spew more things about me to people I don't even talk to anymore.
"So I'm done, you wanna just head in now?" he asks.
"I think Mum's almost ready," I reply.
"Ok. I'll just head into an asteroid mine then."
- While playing Eve.
Okay not really, but it sounds like fun, doesn't it? In actual fact we are heading up the coast again to go looking at some more houses. While I truly do love looking for a fabulash new place to live, it's also somewhat exhausting not to mention irritating that we can't go anywhere for longer than an hour or so, before I need to make a pit-stop. If only the little parasite would shift a little bit upward and get off my bladder. Of course I say parasite with the utmost love and affection.
I'm not sure how many houses we're going to look at today. From past experience it's never wise to look at more than three in a day because inevitably they all amalgamate into one, and suddenly you don't remember which house you liked the best, and which one had the view of the neighbours bonking next door.
On the upside, all the places we'll be looking at, are more upscale and brand new, so there's less chance of moving into a "less than ideal" area. The first one is a 4 bedroom place with a yard big enough for a pool and has a double lock up garage. Just from the pictures, I already want it. The other one we want to look at, is only 3 bedroom but has a much nicer kitchen area it seems, and is fully carpeted instead of tiled. And these houses are only minutes away from the train station and the nearby shopping center.
Anyway, must dash and get ready!
Taken July 28th, 2005.
Ring Specs:
Platinum band
1karat center diamond (Canadian)
.25karat side diamonds (Canadian)
I still can't believe it's real. I've been staring at it since he got down on bended knee and proposed, and somehow my brain still hasn't registered that it's actually on my finger, that it's real, that we are finally engaged. TO BE MARRIED. My head spins with the romance of it.
Yay, a new design, though one I'm sad to say I can't take credit for. But I loved it and decided I must have it, and so... Voila! I'm getting so lazy in my age. I don't want to be bothered with anything, including design which I love so much. Anyway, don't you just love this?
