We had such a big weekend over here! Nice weather, family time, and some much needed chill time with friends too. Some highlights:
1. i finally went to the chiropractor! what a godsend, really. no sooner did i hop up on the table with my big preggo pillow than the doc literally laughed at me for not coming in sooner. turns out, my right leg is an entire inch longer than my left. how did i come 24 years not knowing this? he wants to see me a few more times this week, then once a week until S comes to make sure my hips are aligned correctly {enough} for labor. holy macaroni i cannot wait for my appointment tonight! he did say it was a good thing i have naturally very loose joints, or else i would probably be hurting even more down the road.
2. some friends of ours, kate & kurt, came over for dinner on friday night to plan our other pals' bachelor party. kate was previously a birth center tech at the hospital we will be delivering at, so she was able to give me some nice pointers and "what to expects" while the guys were making out the guest list. it was so great catching up with them!
3. the boys started on the shop! my hubs & brother-in-law started "Schutter Bros Builders" back in 2007 {you know, at the worst time economically} and are finally building their own barn after years of storing their equipment at our parents', uncle jim's, or my favorite--our front yard in the "city". doesn't everyone have a kubota in the front yard? anyways--we've had a couple of great years, and are looking to expand the business. a few big jobs last year and this coming summer have given the guys the confidence to start investing in more tools-and of course a place to store them. we spent friday finishing up the site, and saturday the guys we already setting poles. by saturday night they had the perimeter up and the family marveled at their work over some yummy steaks out on the deck.
4. saturday night ended with a bonfire at our friend kyle's, where we all found out about john & katie's engagement! the way this spring has been going, we're going to have so many weddings this year! it was great to catch up with more of our pals--you know, since i don't really get out all that often anymore!
5. on sunday, ross & i took a little drive after church to go check out a truck he's been lusting over. since michael gets to have the barn on his property, ross gets a new truck. not a bad deal, i'd say! somehow we ended up at the baby superstore, where ross just about had a "panic attack" from all the preggos running around. we were going to register there, but i think it's much safer if i just do it myself online!
6. speaking of which, the schutters finally got the internet this weekend! i found out on friday if you ask the right questions on charter.com "chat" you can get a pretty good deal. smoking fast wireless for $39/mo installed the next day with 1/2 the installation fee? too good to be true. our Dish subscription is up next month, and i will need to have internet access for my company to allow me to work from home leading up to, and after S comes. helloooo online shopping, blogging, facebooking at all hours of the day and night :)
7. lastly, we found some property we might be interested in {long term future}. it's way out off a dirt road in BFE, with few neighbors and lots of wildlife. there's plenty of room to grow and play, and it's even in our favorite elementary school district. ross keeps calling the place "God's country" and telling me we need to "move closer to home". the lot is literally 5-10 minutes down the road, ha! we meet with the realtor on wednesday to talk lot lines, road access, and all that good stuff.
ok one more...my boss is on vacation all week {hello, working from home!} and i'm headed to tennessee with my mama thurs-tues! can't wait for a little break!
March 26, 2012
March 17, 2012
sometimes i surprise myself
I am not one for waiting.
I suppose waiting and trust go together. Andsometimes most times it takes a lot of me to trust.
Which makes the waiting even harder. Way harder.
Without going into too much detail, we got some unexpected results back from the doctor yesterday regarding my ultrasound on 2/29. His words were "usually, we call with any abnormal results, but we wanted to talk to you face to face because you don't need to freak out."
Abnormal? Freak out?
Turns out, S's kidney(s) are dilated. Meaning: they're bigger than they should be. They won't put a diagnosis on it until my next ultrasound. Normally, they wouldn't do another one after the 20 week anatomy scan, but they've advised me I'll need to come back at 28 weeks for a better ultrasound to check baby's kidneys and they'll go from there. They said this condition is fairly common, though I had never heard of it before. He did say everything else looked good {praise God}, but they will need to monitor us for any changes.
Of course my brain went blank and I didn't say anything except "Well, I guess I get to see her again--which will be nice."
Shut up. Hold the phone. Did those words really come out of my mouth? Who all of a sudden gave me power over my emotions to focus on the positive?
There was no freak out. No immediate tears. I just left and that was it.
My mind wandered all day, and then my mind wandered to google.
Don't google.
It's sort of like restaurant reviews. The only people who post on forums about their experiences are the ones who had the absolute best outcomes, or the absolute worst. No average joes in the center of the bell curve retell their experiences.
Well, I googled anyway because you can't tell me no.
It was then I realized I was losing control. No more google. No talking about it to anyone except family until we know more.
Whew. Calmness regained.
I want to note {if it wasn't evident already} that I don't have a lick of cool, collectedness to me. I am generally an impulsive, fly off the handle immediately, negative nancy. Just sayin.
But today I learned something. Worrying will get you no where. We could go to our next ultrasound and the problem will be completely resolved. And if not, she could be born and the problem could still go away easily without intervention. Then all that emotion and worrying will be wasted. I don't have time or energy for worrying. I also learned that your outward actions don't need to mirror your inward emotions. My inward emotions are a nervous wreck. I don't want my little girl to hurt. To feel pain. My positive outward emotions surprised me today, it was something I didn't know I had in me. The doctor even asked if I ever had bad days, because it seemed like I was always happy. To this I responded, of course I'm happy--we're having a baby! There are people who would kill to be in my shoes, kidney issues and all. I am vowing to focus on the positive from here out, at least until we're in a position to know more.
I don't know how this happened either, but it reminds me a lot of my mom. We could be bleeding from the head, crying in hysterics, and my mom always managed to keep her cool. I never understood this when I was little, how could she be so calm? Didn't she care? Didn't she know the world was melting down?
So I'm not worrying.
We're just going to pray about it and take it easy. Stress will only make it worse {literally}.
Doesn't mean there wasn't a whole host of tears last night and this morning.
So while it seems we're stuck in the worst possible state--not knowing, not being able to plan or move ahead--we have to accept where we are. Do the best with the cards you're dealt.
{I decided to blog about this today to share my experience, not the news we received. Since we honestly don't know any details at this time, please respect our privacy in this matter.}
I suppose waiting and trust go together. And
Which makes the waiting even harder. Way harder.
Without going into too much detail, we got some unexpected results back from the doctor yesterday regarding my ultrasound on 2/29. His words were "usually, we call with any abnormal results, but we wanted to talk to you face to face because you don't need to freak out."
Abnormal? Freak out?
Turns out, S's kidney(s) are dilated. Meaning: they're bigger than they should be. They won't put a diagnosis on it until my next ultrasound. Normally, they wouldn't do another one after the 20 week anatomy scan, but they've advised me I'll need to come back at 28 weeks for a better ultrasound to check baby's kidneys and they'll go from there. They said this condition is fairly common, though I had never heard of it before. He did say everything else looked good {praise God}, but they will need to monitor us for any changes.
Of course my brain went blank and I didn't say anything except "Well, I guess I get to see her again--which will be nice."
Shut up. Hold the phone. Did those words really come out of my mouth? Who all of a sudden gave me power over my emotions to focus on the positive?
There was no freak out. No immediate tears. I just left and that was it.
My mind wandered all day, and then my mind wandered to google.
Don't google.
It's sort of like restaurant reviews. The only people who post on forums about their experiences are the ones who had the absolute best outcomes, or the absolute worst. No average joes in the center of the bell curve retell their experiences.
Well, I googled anyway because you can't tell me no.
It was then I realized I was losing control. No more google. No talking about it to anyone except family until we know more.
Whew. Calmness regained.
I want to note {if it wasn't evident already} that I don't have a lick of cool, collectedness to me. I am generally an impulsive, fly off the handle immediately, negative nancy. Just sayin.
But today I learned something. Worrying will get you no where. We could go to our next ultrasound and the problem will be completely resolved. And if not, she could be born and the problem could still go away easily without intervention. Then all that emotion and worrying will be wasted. I don't have time or energy for worrying. I also learned that your outward actions don't need to mirror your inward emotions. My inward emotions are a nervous wreck. I don't want my little girl to hurt. To feel pain. My positive outward emotions surprised me today, it was something I didn't know I had in me. The doctor even asked if I ever had bad days, because it seemed like I was always happy. To this I responded, of course I'm happy--we're having a baby! There are people who would kill to be in my shoes, kidney issues and all. I am vowing to focus on the positive from here out, at least until we're in a position to know more.
I don't know how this happened either, but it reminds me a lot of my mom. We could be bleeding from the head, crying in hysterics, and my mom always managed to keep her cool. I never understood this when I was little, how could she be so calm? Didn't she care? Didn't she know the world was melting down?
So I'm not worrying.
We're just going to pray about it and take it easy. Stress will only make it worse {literally}.
Doesn't mean there wasn't a whole host of tears last night and this morning.
So while it seems we're stuck in the worst possible state--not knowing, not being able to plan or move ahead--we have to accept where we are. Do the best with the cards you're dealt.
{I decided to blog about this today to share my experience, not the news we received. Since we honestly don't know any details at this time, please respect our privacy in this matter.}
March 15, 2012
Screw you, SIJ!!!
If you didn't know, SIJ stands for sacroiliac joints, or that spot on your lower back where you have those two weird indents. Husband calls them my butt dimples. Please tell me I'm not the only one with these.
This week I'm telling my SIJ that they can F off. Maybe I brought it on myself with a week of nice walks outside, vacuuming the car, and putting a massive spring clean on the house, but the ol' SIJ started slacking the other day and it really ticked me off. I was almost positive that if I stopped walking, my torso would continue moving forward and dislocate right off my legs.
So, I took to the internet to self-diagnose this pesky disease that has literally stopped me in my tracks more than once this week. The result: PPP, or Posterior Pelvic Pain set off by those lovely pregnancy hormones. Fairly common it appears, which makes me feel better, because that means i'm clearly not the only one with the butt dimples.
My research google led me to This website where I found home advice on how to deal {since I haven't yet gone to the chiropractor for an accurate diagnosis--though that is on my to-do list for next week!}. For kicks, my comments are in red.
Lying down
All things aside, I think the world is telling me to get this checked out. About a week and a half ago {when all this falling apart started} I won a $250 gift certificate and hour long massage to a local chiropractic joint. Upon checking with the office I found out that they DO work on preggos and they WILL accept my insurance. #Winning. I've only been to the chiropractor once in high school where I was found to have two vertebre out of alignment and needed shock therapy for them to pop back in. Ever since, my back cracks on its own. Seriously. If I sit really still and breathe deeply, it'll snap crackle pop all the way down. Then there's the seated twisting I do to make it crack. Between the two, I may be addicted to aligning myself...it just feels so much better after. I do realize I'm probably screwing myself up for life. Flash forward 50 years and I'll be hunched to a mere 3.5 feet tall.
We'll see what doc has to say. How much work can they do on a pregnant lady? I'm thinking if they tied my feet to the ceiling fan I would feel better. Work them hips out a bit.
This week I'm telling my SIJ that they can F off. Maybe I brought it on myself with a week of nice walks outside, vacuuming the car, and putting a massive spring clean on the house, but the ol' SIJ started slacking the other day and it really ticked me off. I was almost positive that if I stopped walking, my torso would continue moving forward and dislocate right off my legs.
So, I took to the internet to self-diagnose this pesky disease that has literally stopped me in my tracks more than once this week. The result: PPP, or Posterior Pelvic Pain set off by those lovely pregnancy hormones. Fairly common it appears, which makes me feel better, because that means i'm clearly not the only one with the butt dimples.
Posterior Pelvic Pain Home Advice
Here are some tips for expectant women with posterior pelvic pain..Lying down
- Avoid lying on your back for long periods of time, particularly after the 19th week of your pregnancy. Seems this is the only way I wake up in the morning. With my arms spread up over my head. I have no idea how long I've been in that position, but it seems to have worked for me for the past 22-23 weeks or so. Sleeping on the stomach {what I'm accustomed to} is out of the question.
- Try lying on your side (preferably your left) with a pillow placed between your knees and another under your tummy. Check on the pillow between the knees {body pillow} but how the hell am I going to fit a pillow under my tummy without rolling off the bed?
- If your waist sags down into the bed {this implies there should always be a space there?}, try placing a small rolled up towel under your waist. I no longer have a waist. I cannot distinguish where waist begins or ends, except in the front where it is outlined by boobs and legs.
- To turn to your right while lying on your back, arch your lower back, tighten your pelvic floor muscles and lower abdominal muscles and bend both knees one by one.
- Turn your head to the right and take your left arm over to the right of your body. Hold onto the side of your bed if you can. Just like how grandma does it.
- To turn, pull with your left hand and take both knees over to the right so that you roll to the right. As soon as possible, bend your knees up as high as they will go – this helps to lock out your pelvis and lessen pain.
- Reverse this to turn to the left. So many steps--I don't have 15 minutes to get out of bed.
- Roll onto your side {if we're following the rules, shouldn't we already be on our side?} with your knees bent up, move your feet over the edge of the bed and push yourself up sideways with your arms. I don't know about you, but I could barely get a set of pushups in when I was 15 lbs lighter.
- Reverse the process when you lie down.
- Sit on the edge of the chair.
- Keeping your knees apart slightly and lean forwards till your head is directly over your knees {easier said than done}, keeping your back straight. {ditto}
- Stand up by pushing up with your arms, with your back straight and tummy tucked in {who are they kidding}. This helps to hold your pelvic joints in their most stable position and may reduce your pain significantly. You know what else would reduce my pain? Not being pregnant. Being 15 lbs lighter. Being able to move without a 12-step program.
All things aside, I think the world is telling me to get this checked out. About a week and a half ago {when all this falling apart started} I won a $250 gift certificate and hour long massage to a local chiropractic joint. Upon checking with the office I found out that they DO work on preggos and they WILL accept my insurance. #Winning. I've only been to the chiropractor once in high school where I was found to have two vertebre out of alignment and needed shock therapy for them to pop back in. Ever since, my back cracks on its own. Seriously. If I sit really still and breathe deeply, it'll snap crackle pop all the way down. Then there's the seated twisting I do to make it crack. Between the two, I may be addicted to aligning myself...it just feels so much better after. I do realize I'm probably screwing myself up for life. Flash forward 50 years and I'll be hunched to a mere 3.5 feet tall.
We'll see what doc has to say. How much work can they do on a pregnant lady? I'm thinking if they tied my feet to the ceiling fan I would feel better. Work them hips out a bit.
March 13, 2012
It's a.........!!!
Oh goodness it's been a while since I've been on! Take working 53+ hours a week for the past month straight and tack on 10 hours of driving time and I'm out of the house almost 65 hours a week doing work-related things. The agony! Who needs sleep? Between coming home crying every night to the hubs and repeatedly telling my boss I'll quit unless he buys me home internet access...I have officially lost my mind!
So dear followers, I'm sorry I've abandoned you. I really do appreciate your comments/emails of concern, as my last post was talking about the big ultrasound. Come to find out {yes, I actually did forget} I never revealed it to you!
Such lame excuses. I'm so disappointed in myself! This was meant to be a monumental moment in bloggy history! I feel like there's really no way to bounce back from such a dry spell than to tell you that baby Schutter is a....
How far along? 22 weeks!
Total weight gain: a whopping 14 lbs! someone hit a MAJOR growth spurt!
Maternity clothes? Thank goodness for all those deals a few weeks ago. Other than my usual black work pants paired with the belly band, nothing fits! My booty has expanded beyond all my jeans :( I'm sporting a few maternity tops, but mostly because the others are just a wee bit too short now.
Sleep: Great!
Best moment this week: Finding out baby Schutter is a SHE!
Miss Anything? Time for myself to rest and do something, anything, that I want to do. The ol' work schedule has not allowed for much of that lately. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks of Spring and a long weekend trip to Tennessee with my mamaw!
Movement: Oh jeez yes! "S" has officially joined the soccer team this week. I don't know what's gotten into her, but she's all over the place lately! I can feel her most around lunch time and just before bed. Her little punches have been such a blessing in that they take my mind off the chaotic mess this month has been.
Food cravings: Everything! I swear my appetite has exploded...just like my massive weight gain in the past few weeks. That, or it's that I've finally given up on Zumba and haven't really started my walking routine yet.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Leftovers. The whole idea of cold food is just weird to me.
Gender: A bouncing, healthy baby girl! For some reason my mind is so much more at ease knowing "S" is a she. I can't wait to snuggle her!
Labor Signs: No, though I did experience my first Braxton Hicks a few nights ago. I had just gotten home from my last Zumba class, and upon sitting down on the couch my guts and back got really tense for a few seconds. It didn't hurt, but the little twinge surprised me! I haven't had another episode since.
Symptoms: Gas in the am, and let's just say I miss being "regular". Must drink more water!
Belly Button in or out? In, but barely. I'm getting a bit flatter everyday. If I'm wearing a thin tank or tee, it looks like I have the belly button of a linebacker...sick.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy despite the stress!
So dear followers, I'm sorry I've abandoned you. I really do appreciate your comments/emails of concern, as my last post was talking about the big ultrasound. Come to find out {yes, I actually did forget} I never revealed it to you!
Such lame excuses. I'm so disappointed in myself! This was meant to be a monumental moment in bloggy history! I feel like there's really no way to bounce back from such a dry spell than to tell you that baby Schutter is a....
GIRL!!!
And a very active and healthy one at that! We are beyond thrilled! She measured one day ahead of schedule, so my due date is now July 16th. We received the news after an hour or so into the ultrasound, she did NOT want to show us the goods {a trait I hope she holds on to til she's 30--ha!}. Anyways, Ross was so right about it being a girl and it hasn't taken long to have him wrapped around her finger. Soon as we got home he wanted to start cleaning out the nursery! I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know she's doing great. We'll find out what the doctor has to say at our next appointment on 3/16. As always, I'm praying for another good report!
Total weight gain: a whopping 14 lbs! someone hit a MAJOR growth spurt!
Maternity clothes? Thank goodness for all those deals a few weeks ago. Other than my usual black work pants paired with the belly band, nothing fits! My booty has expanded beyond all my jeans :( I'm sporting a few maternity tops, but mostly because the others are just a wee bit too short now.
Sleep: Great!
Best moment this week: Finding out baby Schutter is a SHE!
Miss Anything? Time for myself to rest and do something, anything, that I want to do. The ol' work schedule has not allowed for much of that lately. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks of Spring and a long weekend trip to Tennessee with my mamaw!
Movement: Oh jeez yes! "S" has officially joined the soccer team this week. I don't know what's gotten into her, but she's all over the place lately! I can feel her most around lunch time and just before bed. Her little punches have been such a blessing in that they take my mind off the chaotic mess this month has been.
Food cravings: Everything! I swear my appetite has exploded...just like my massive weight gain in the past few weeks. That, or it's that I've finally given up on Zumba and haven't really started my walking routine yet.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Leftovers. The whole idea of cold food is just weird to me.
Gender: A bouncing, healthy baby girl! For some reason my mind is so much more at ease knowing "S" is a she. I can't wait to snuggle her!
Labor Signs: No, though I did experience my first Braxton Hicks a few nights ago. I had just gotten home from my last Zumba class, and upon sitting down on the couch my guts and back got really tense for a few seconds. It didn't hurt, but the little twinge surprised me! I haven't had another episode since.
Symptoms: Gas in the am, and let's just say I miss being "regular". Must drink more water!
Belly Button in or out? In, but barely. I'm getting a bit flatter everyday. If I'm wearing a thin tank or tee, it looks like I have the belly button of a linebacker...sick.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy despite the stress!
Looking forward to: Visiting my cousin in Tennessee in 2 weeks!
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