"Just Barely" Pregnant PS''ers

[RMFA]

Re:

phoenixgirl -- so sorry for the sickness! I hope you have answers and solutions soon! Good luck and hang in there!

marlie - I also have low pressure and get dizzy spells. i have found the key (especially in the summer) is to stay hydrated and make sure to eat 6 small meals throughout the day. Good luck!

Sha -- I understand the no symptom anxiety. I still have VERY few symptoms at all, but baby is healthy, happy and growing. I know easier said than done, but try to relax and be grateful that you feel great!

janinegirl -- I too am in NYC! DH and I work in the city, but live in Brooklyn. I will be delivering in Manhattan too -- what hospital were you at? I will be at Mt. Sinai. You seem to have a wonderful daycare situation for your daughter -- I am sure she loves being with grandma and what a stress off your mind to k now she is with family! how lucky!

KatyW -- Congrats on the heartbeat! And so wonderful you got to tell your mom! Enjoy this time!

lliangchi -- glad you are still feeling good! Also, I admire you still working out so much. I have tried to maintain some exercise, but the fatigue is just horrible. good for you!

pancake -- So wonderful you can take 6 months off and 6 months part-time. What a wonderful amount of time to get used to the transition into working mom. still craving fruit? i am!

Mannequin -- congrats! So great you could share with all of your families! You also shared the news in such fun ways!

NEL -- Hope you are feeling better soon! Glad you have found some relief! Congrats on reaching 7 weeks -- hopefully time flies until your next appointement.

browneyes -- glad you are starting to feel better! I hope you are on the upswing to feeling good!

Ally_ally -- Congrats and welcome!

AFM -- yesterday had my NT scan and got my blood work results. Scan was great! Got to see the baby for over an hour because it was being stubborn and not moving! It took forever to get all the measurements they needed. The baby was taking a nap curled up with it's back facing out. So, they got a lot of pictures of the spine and legs.....but then it would not move. After the sonogram tech pushing hard, jiggling my stomach, my going to the restroom, walking, coughing, drinking OJ -- it finally moved a bit so we could get a profile shot! My DH says we are in trouble -- the baby is already not listening to directions! The blood test came back good too. our Down syndrome risk and Trisomy 13/18 risks came back within range -- so not in the danger zone. Although, the Trisomy 13/18 risk came back higher than my age range ( I am 32 and the risk is the same as a 39 year old). The Down syndrome risk came back the same as a 25 year old!! so that is good news! I will have another blood screening at 16 weeks to confirm all is well, but I am feeling very positive! Also, no early gender predictions by our technician -- because the baby would not cooperate! Hope everyone is well.....i guess i need to "graduate" to the big thread? Can't wait to see you all over there....(12 weeks 1 day today)

 

[lliang_chi]

Re:

PhG. OMG you sound completely miserable! Can you try acupuncture? Maybe it'll help? I know I totally sound like an acupuncture-pusher (especially if to my TTC-thread friends), but I totally think it's a freebie "might as well try it" solution. It's introducing zero medication, and worse comes to worse you take a little nap and come out feeling the same. I dunno, that's just my take on it. Maybe it'll help?

NEL, sounds great that you have an ally now at work. And good plan to talk to your boss/team after the first U/S. Tomorrow, how exciting! I'm glad the preggie pops are helping a bit. It sound like candy . I normally don't have a sweet tooth, but lately candy sounds really good to me. CANDY, not chocolate.

Katy, Hooray you have a due date!!!! That's fantastic! So glad your appt went great, sounds like you had an great tech, so that's fantastic. Yeah I find it kinda strange that DH's circle has so many SAHMs. I was talking to my sis and I can't think of a single one of my friends that would stop working. Also only a hand full of them are married (and is actually expecting, she's 4 months and another has a 8 month old son now), so there's that too. Like they say, different strokes for different folks. So guess DH and I will be the different people in his circle and the similar people in my circle. I have to say, I like my job and I'm really good at it, so I'd feel really sad to give it up. That being said, family is super important to me, and under normal circumstances, I'd find a way to make working and having a family work.

Sha, where are you? My company has 12-13 week FMLA, and 11 wks I can get 2/3rds my salary, so I think I'm in a good spot for maternity leave. I agree it's VERY FORTUNATE to have family close by. To be honest even if we lived close to DH's family, I wouldn't feel comfortable to leave a child with them for daycare. MIL is still rehabbing after a bad accident in Jan, and would never be able to run after a child, and FIL would be too overwhelmed for it to fall on just him. And for my parents, I don't want them raising my child. My dad can be pretty toxic and my mom is just too high strung, high maintenance, and demanding. So it'll be hired help or day care for us, which I'm OK with. Anyway, I'm really glad you're feeling better and you really need to embrace your symptom-free days and hang out with adorable Miss D as much as you can!

RFMA, hooray for the NT scan! Your DH is hilarious about you guys being in trouble! Congrats on graduating to the big preggo thread. Parrot is already there. Fantastic results for your scan and blood work! So happy for you! I'll try to follow your tips about the lightheaded-ness.


AFM not much to add today. I just had a snack of edamame, I've noticed I'm getting hungry quicker. Dunno if it's actually my body doing more work incubating or if I'm just a greedy little piggie (that's our term of endearment for our pooch). Feeling great, except for yesterday, had debilitating cramps but that passed.

Finally hit 8Ws and even though I haven't had my first appt yet (it's on July 25th) I'm happy I made it to 8wks without any issues. It makes me feel we'll be in good shape when we finally get our appt. Sometimes, I have a niggling thought that this could be a non-pregnancy (e.g. molar or something like that), but it passes and for the most part I'm pretty optimistic. Besides there's nothing I can do until my first appt and U/S so I might as well carry-on with life and enjoy myself.

~LC (8W today!)

 

[pancake]

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PG - so sorry that you are having such a torrid time. Are you now on maximal outpatient therapy - B6, ondans, etc? Are you managing to stay hydrated? It must be hard to tease out what is purely pregnancy-related (esp as symptoms vary so much between pregnancies even in one person), what was pre-existing, and whether they're related. Have you talked to the obstetrician about it? I hope that it settles in the next few weeks, I have my fingers crossed for you.

NEL - I haven't seen "preggy pops" in Australia but I looked them up on the web and I have to say, even without terrible morning sickness I wouldn't mind trying them myself! I love sour things! So glad you have found something that allows you to function through your mornings at work.

Sha - that appointment is drawing ever closer. Hang in there!

LC - I have found for a few weeks now that I really need to eat frequently or else I feel horrible, so I don't think it's surprising! Your body is doing a heap more metabolising than before. I have only started feeling "hungry" again in the last week though; before that I either just felt fine or I felt gross, and I ate when I felt gross.

RMFA - wow, your first tri is ending! It goes so fast - I am glad that your scan looked all good. Maybe your little one will be a good sleeper? One can always hope

Katy - great news on the ultrasound looking good! Your mother's reaction is cute, it is so fun to tell people isn't it?!

Ally - I don't think I have congratulated you yet! Big fat congratulations, so excited for you!!

AFM, I am pretty well but am getting quite a lot of what I assume is pelvic girdle pain at the end of the day and in the evening. Only on the left side around my sacroiliac joint (aka around my left butt cheek!). I am going to the physio tonight to have a bit of work done on my neck (old/ongoing niggles there) and hopefully they can make some suggestions about what I can do to support the area better. I am thinking of taking up pilates to see if increasing my core muscle strength will help with stability and decrease the risk of injury. Currently I have ZERO core strength, so something has to be better than nothing!

Re maternity leave, I will only get 10 weeks paid, but we hope/expect to be in a position to be ok with just my husband's income next year. A lot of my friends have taken a full 12 months and in my line of work that actually seems to be the norm. In the corporate sector etc we still see a lot of women going back within the first 3 months. I really want to take enough time that I can get through the blur of the first 3 months and enjoy a few months at home before going back to work. I have always been a very driven person career-wise but am also fairly sure that once we start a family that will change dramatically and my long-term plan for some time now has been to work 3 days a week whilst we have young kids.

(9w4d)

 

[phoenixgirl]

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NEL, glad you have a coworker to encourage you and good tips on where to sleep! I got some preggie pops in the mail yesterday but haven't tried them yet . . . will have to do that ASAP. Can't wait to hear about your u/s!

RMFA, happy graduation (to the preggos in waiting thread)! Glad your NT results were good.

LC, I have considered acupuncture and am open to it. My sister used it while TTC and thought it worked really well. Our first appointment is the same day . . . we are having our u/s on 7/25.

Pancake, I'm glad you're in a position to take the amount of time you need next year. Yay for flexibility!


Thanks for the sympathy, everyone! I am feeling SO MUCH better today. I was totally in a bad place mentally because it had gotten progressively worse for 5 straight days, but my sister pointed out that I was sick Friday night, so maybe this is not just m/s. I really hope so. Right now I just feel normal m/s . . . need to eat, weird cravings, burping a lot, a bit queasy. I'm off the zofran since yesterday morning (the constipation is SO BAD) but am still taking the unisom and B6. I'm not really sure if it's helping but since it's category B and I do not want to feel the way I felt the last few days, I'm going to keep taking it.

I returned to work when DD was 14 weeks old and finished the school year (high school teacher). At that point we decided that I would stay home, so I don't have to worry about maternity leave this time around. And that's a relief because I would be using up all my leave feeling so sick like this! Well, I guess it's summer break now anyway, but you know what I mean . . .

Please send dust that the m/s will stay "normal"! I can deal with the regular old m/s. I was seriously envisioning being hospitalized in the next few weeks. And maybe it will return, but at least I know that there can be times where it's not as bad.

 

[lliang_chi]

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Pancake, Pilates sounds great! I've been doing some as well. Check if they have preggo Pilates too for when you get bigger. I think at the 1st tri, you can still get by doing the regular Pilates exercises. When you start getting a baby belly, that's when doing modified positions makes more sense. This is of course me TOTALLY talking out of my a$$ so feel free to take it or leave it.

PhG, Well glad the M/S has eased up a bit. maybe you had the Perfect Storm of catching a cold AND M/S that made you feel like you were thrown under a bus. I'm glad the air is clearing for you and it's getting better though. Wow, interesting your sis did acupuncture throughout her pregnancy. That's pretty cool. Well, I'm definitely a pro-acupuncture-er so I'll always suggest you give it a shot. Cool our appt dates are the same. How far along do you think you'll be? I'll be about 10.5 wks or there about. So hopefully we'll get a good show, but I'm a little worried they won't be able to accurately date the pregnancy if we're that far along.

That's all for me today. I bought myself a .75lb tub of sour candies from the store, and I've eaten about half of it today

Not much else going on here. Spent the past two days with my Sis after work really enjoying the weather. But tonight we're planning on gym-ing it again. I'm glad she's getting me off my lazy butt to work out. Someone has to, and it ain't gonna be me

~LC (8w-1d)

 

[curiousaboutdiamonds]

Re:

Thank you for your warm welcome ladies! I finally have a chance to catch up ...

NEL: Is you ultrasound/dr's appt today? I hope it is going well! I'm so glad the preggy pops are helping to ease some of the nausea. I had nausea with DD all through the first trimester and I remember snacking on saltine crackers and pickles! This time around, no nausea ... yet. Did you fess up to the dr about your LMP? I think I'm going to be truthful with my dr too and bring in my chart. Let us know how your appt went!

B_E: I can't believe you're already 10 weeks! I'm glad you're starting to feel better. The second trimester for me really was the honeymoon trimester. The nausea and food aversions were gone and I just felt great in general. I'm hoping you'll start feeling that way soon!

MQ: Your announcement was too cute! Love it!

LC: My boobs did shrink back to about 32C. But they're a big, umm, deflated Now I know why women want breast lifts after having children. I wish I had your motivation to work out. I don't have any symptoms except for the major fatigue around 3pm which sorts of overpowers my will to work out. And I feel you on the belly bloat. It just makes me feel ... blah. Hope the bloat goes away soon.

Katy: I'm so glad you got to see your bean and the heartbeat! It's definitely reassuring to be able to see him/her. I have a similar 1st dr's visit story with my DD - first appt was 8 weeks and my dr tried to an abdominal ultrasound but wasn't able to see anything. He had a resident in with him that day, so my dr was trying to teach and preparing me for the worst and said, sometimes we don't see the sac because you could have miscarried or may have an ectopic pregnancy where the egg doesn't implant in the uterus. When he told me that, my heart just dropped. Then the dr said, we'll go ahead and do a transvaginal ultrasound to see what's going on. Right away we saw our little bean and her beating heart. Boy, were we all relieved! But I was a little miffed at my dr for worrying me for that short period of time. But I also understand that he was trying to teach the other doctor. How far along will you be at the next appt? At around 8 weeks, my DD looked like a gummy bear.

Sha: Congrats to you on #2! I'm glad you're starting to worry less. I'm sure everything is just fine. Did you have any symptoms with D? I had nausea with my first and only fatigue this time around, so pretty symptom free at the moment also.

PG: Congrats to you on #2 also! I am so sorry that you're having such a difficult time this time around. Try to eat when you can and get your blood sugar level up and keep hydrated. I know, easier said than done. I hope you get some answers soon and that you start feeling better.

RMFA: Yay for a great scan and for reaching 12weeks! Hope to get to know you more when I'm ready to graduate to the Pregnancy thread.

Pancake: I can't believe you're quickly approaching 10 weeks already! Sorry to hear about the pelvic pain but glad that you're getting some physical therapy to lessen the pain tonight. I've never done pilates but keep hearing that it is really good for the core. Let us know how that works out. Also, yoga is a really good alternative.

Am I missing anyone else? Marlie? Krissie? Hope you and your little beans are doing great!

Whew, I think I'm semi-caught up. I'm only 4w2d today so still very early. I hate a bit of nausea before I found out I was pregnant but since then, no symptoms really, except for major fatigue in the afternoon. With DD, the nausea hit me immediately and I was snacking on saltine crackers and pickles throughout the day until the end of the 1st trimester. I went through jars and jars of baby pickles. I just couldn't eat anything else. This time around, I crave lots and lots of sweets and desserts. I have some bloating and my boobs are starting to feel out. I stopped temping after 14DPO and ran out of HPTs. DH offered to get me some more, but I told him not to bother. I'm feeling very zen about this pregnancy. If it is meant to be, then it is meant to be. I have my first dr's appt next Friday but I'm not sure what I should be expecting since with DD, since my ob didn't want to see me until 8 weeks.

Oh and we told DH's immediate family in person on Wednesday and I told my parents and siblings via facetime.

Actually, DD told them: (my sister made the onesie, and sorry for the stain)

 

[Sha]

Re:

PG - glad to hear you're feeling better! I hope the debilitating m/s stays away! It must be hard feeling so sick and having a toddler to take care of too.

NEL - how did your ultrasound go ? Hope everything went well.

RMFA - funny about the baby not wanting to move! But yay for good NT results! Were you disappointed about not getting any gender predictions? Do you have a preference one way or another?

liang - I'm from and live in the Caribbean. Sorry to hear about the family situation - but it's great that you have a plan for the baby when it comes. That preggo Pilates class you're taking sounds fun!I'm impressed. I exercised througout my last pregnancy (up to 8 months), but haven't lifted a leg this time around.

pancake - sorry about the pelvic pan! Pilates sounds like a good plan!

ally - your DD is such a cutie! And what a nice way to tell the folks!

AFM - nothing much - still not too many symptoms. A bit of breast pain now and again, but that's it. This morning I *think* my belly looked a *little* bigger (which was a bit of relief after it seemed to be getting smaller last week) but I'm still not sure. With my DD, I had normal morning sickness starting at 8 weeks, peaking at about 10 weeks, and tapering off at 12/13 weeks. That's why it feels strange not to have much m/s at all. Oh well, I'm trying to take it easy until Wednesday. Thanks for the continued support!

 

[phoenixgirl]

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Ally, congrats, what a sweetie telling the world the good news!

LC, I'll be about 8.5 weeks. Well, 8w2d by LMP, but I'm rounding up a couple of days in my head because I know I ovulated a bit before two weeks. Plus it helps when I feel to crappy to think of myself as "7 weeks" instead of "6" in terms of getting to the finish line, which I hope is the end of the first trimester like it was with my DD. With Claire we had our ultrasound at 9.5 weeks - my doctor's office schedules you for between 8 and 10 weeks for the first appointment and ultrasound.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

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LC, good for you for working out! Right now lifting my eyelids feels like a workout, I really wish I had motivation to do more. Between the bloating and the nausea and the constant eating, I am feeling very much not-like-myself and I do think working out would help. Are you through the tub of sour candies yet?

Pancake, how is the left butt cheek feeling today? Sorry you're having pelvic pain, I guess it's good preparation for all the discomfort down the road (unfortunately).

Phoenixgirl, thank goodness the nausea lightened up a little, I felt (and still feel) horrible for you. It does come in waves, but I'm hoping you were sick on top of the m/s and that it will be better from here on out. I definitely have waves myself (yesterday was so awful I started crying, today is much better). I keep thinking "maybe it's because I ate something different, or ate at a different time", but I really do think it just fluctuates naturally.

Ally, I did fess up to the doc about my LMP once we were face-to-face. That's when she decided I should probably get an u/s just to make sure the pregnancy is dated correctly. I don't mind since it means an early u/s for me. Apparently my insurance (BCBS) is stingy about ultrasounds, so if there hadn't been any question about when this baby was conceived, she said my first u/s would have likely been the NT scan, so I'm sort of glad I came clean. My gut is telling me I'm a little further along than 7w 1d based on my symptoms, my early BFP and the fact that she said my uterus seemed a bit bigger to her at last week's appt., so we'll see. So my suggestion is to come clean and hope you get an u/s out of it That pic of your DD is adorable!

Sha, glad that so far everything is going smoothly!

AFM, I'm leaving for my u/s in about 15 minutes, so I'll check back when I get back. I'm supposed to drink 32 oz. of water beforehand and I'm seriously about to pee my pants. Oy.

So I had a bunch of bloodwork done last week, I assumed that part of that bloodwork included my HCG and progesterone levels, but I called today to find out what they were and the nurse said "we didn't test for that". ??. I didn't push it because I have an u/s today and I figured I could just talk to the nurses in person, but has anybody ever NOT had these things checked at their first appt.? Weird.

 

[lliang_chi]

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NEL, OMG are you watching me through my monitor??? I actually just cracked the tub open again... Well, I hope you U/S goes well. I read on the BabyCenter boards that the transvaginal U/S is affectionately named the dildo cam. Keep us updated on how things went. I'm sorry to hear the m/s was SO bad yesterday. Hopefully today is better.

PhG, (sorry I keep putting the Ph instead of just PG, but in my head, I need the Ph otherwise I won't know it's you. The whole Ph=F thing). Anyway, the rounding up thing etc make sense to me, and I'm sure they'll confirm with the U/S too.

Sha, yeah the preggo Pilates class does sound like it'd be fun. I like Pilates and there's a "hard core" teacher I loved going to during lunchtime on W and F. But I can't do it with this first tri bloat etc. But I'm DYING! But it really feels good. I'm trying to follow the great examples like you to stay active. Plus my sis really needs a work out buddy and I really need to stay healthy.

Ally, CUTE ONESIE!!! What a great way to tell family. About the deflated boobs post nursing. Any possibility that my boobs will go down past their pre-preggo size? I'm a 34D pre-preggo, and I'd love to go down to C or even B. But I don't want them to look like crap. Maybe I should start a post kid slush fund....

~LC

 

[NewEnglandLady]

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I just got back from my u/s! Holy cow, watching the heartbeat was amazing. Still feels surreal, but I'm so excited that everything went well!

So I have a singleton (yay!). The heart rate was 149 bpm, which I thought sounded high, but she said it was completely normal. The little blob is measuring at 7w 2d, so only one day further ahead. My new due date is 2/29/12, so for now, this is a leap year baby.

I'm attaching a pic, though all you can see is a little blob.

ETA: the technician was good (plus my bladder was uber full) and we saw it within a few seconds. She did go ahead and do the dildo cam (thanks, LC), though.

 

[KatyWI]

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NEL, yay for your healthy singleton!!!! I felt the hugest sense of relief seeing the heartbeat! Next time I will be 8w3d, and hopefully my bean will look more like a gummy bear than a dot I can't really see. Ahaha. I have pics from the US on wednesday but didn't post because it doesn't look like anything

And boy, isn't the dildo cam FUN?! It was not as bad as I was expecting but it's not the LEAST awkward thing in the world...

 

[NewEnglandLady]

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Katy, the dildocam was hilarious. The u/s tech even asked if I wanted to insert it myself, which made me giggle. The only time it got slightly uncomfortable was when she was checking one of my ovaries, but I was distracted by looking at the screen, so it wasn't that bad.

I'm so jealous you get another u/s at 8 weeks! My next won't be until the NT scan at 12 weeks, so I have another month to wait. And I agree about these early u/s's looking looking like blobs--even on the screen it's a blob with a heartbeat, but at least seeing the heartbeat is neat. The still photos show nothing at all. I'll be eager for the NT scan so I can see more!

 

[pancake]

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NEL - squeeeeeee! Yay for everything looking good, for the dates being pretty much spot-on, and for there being just the one peanut in there - and LOL re "dildocam". I haven't had a vaginal ultrasound yet - the first one was supposed to be but then the obstetrician saw everything he needed to transabdominally, and the 2nd was also a transabdominal. I feel like I have missed some kind of early pregnancy rite of passage... but am not too upset about it

PG - what a relief to be feeling better! Great news. Hopefully it lasts... fingers crossed.

LC - it is great that your sister makes you get off your behind and do some exercise. Nobody makes me, and so...I don't do any

Ally - your bub is just gorgeous! What a cute and fun way to tell people. I'm amazed by the creativity of the ladies on this thread.

Sha - I know I said exactly this last time, but hang in there. Not long until the scan now. My belly is definitely smaller than it was a week ago. Most of the time I am just happy that I am less bloated and the (smaller proportion) rest of the time I worry that there's something wrong. I think the worrying is 100% normal. Albeit bloody frustrating!

AFM, well, apparently our little pikelet is destabilising my butt! I have left sacroiliac joint instability and so that left hip is not being properly fixed. I had some mobiliation and massage last night with the physio and she gave me some core strengthening exercises to do. Am a bit sore today so haven't done them yet but going to after I finish this post! We are going to do some more mobilisation, massage and exercises over the next couple of weeks, then segue into pilates. I have zero core stability at the moment so the only way is up. (Right?) Am much less bloated than last week which, and mostly not sick although every now and then I'll have 30 or 60 minutes of headache and waves of nausea. But overall not too bad - in a "my body has been taken over but I'm dealing with it" kind of a way.

 

[phoenixgirl]

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NEL, yay, great news!

Pancake, so sorry about the joint (butt?) pain! Hope the exercises help.

Boo, m/s worse again today. Had some dry heaving this a.m., which I assume would have been quite a show had there been anything in my stomach. But weirdly that didn't feel as bad as constant nausea, so maybe if I do start vomiting, I'll at least feel better after. Looking for the silver lining . . .

I'm managing to eat and keep food down. Just need to keep my morale up. My sister was here helping and just left. She can return next week if needed. I'm glad I had a "good" 24 hours, hope I have another one soon.

I've been off the zofran for two days and things are starting to move again. It makes the constipation so bad that I am trying to stick with the unisom/b6, but if things get much worse I'll have to take one.

Thanks for letting me vent! Hoping the next few weeks fly by . . .

 

[parrot tulips]

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NEL - Yay for the healthy heartbeat and the ultrasound! It was definitely exciting when I went from seeing a flashing grey blob at 7-8 weeks, to an image actually resembling a baby (at my NT scan). When the RE did my first ultrasound and said, "here's the first sac," then paused and said, "and here's a second one," I was speechless. I was so excited, I was at a loss for words. At 35, I wasn't sure if I wanted to be pregnant more than once, but always liked the idea of having 2-3 kids, so twins was/is an ideal situation for me. The poor doctor thought I was upset, though, and kept asking me if I was okay.

 

[Krissie]

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NEL, congrats! Seeing a heartbeat is the best thing!!

I'm 10w3d today and my new obsession is listening to the heartbeats on my handheld doppler. Since hubby is across the country, we have Skype chats where I let him listen to the heartbeats. It's the best we can do right now Best $72 I ever spent!!

After another round of spotting and some bad cramping on Monday, I decided to call my OB on Tuesday and she saw me immediately. To my relief, I saw the babies and they were BOUNCING AROUND! OMG, it was the cutest thing ever and such a relief! I can't wait til you all get to that stage to see how cute it is!

The OB decided to send me to radiology for a more in-depth scan since their equipment wasn't the best, so I got to see the heartbeats (164 and 161) and they continue to measure as expected. No idea what caused the bleeding, but my cervix is firmly closed and the little ones are still alive and kicking - so glad I got the doppler!

I'm doing the nuchal screen, so on Monday I go for bloodwork (even though I have heard that twins can skew the results) and then I'll have the scan the following Monday. I have a followup OB appt. this Tuesday. So, July 18th, the 19th and the 25th ... then I'm busy packing and moving, and my next appt. will be in CA with my new high risk OB on August 8th. FX everything goes OK. I'm so terrified to fly with my clotting disorder, but I'm doing everything I can with my injections and baby Aspirin!!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

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Krissie, I'm so glad that the OB fit you in so you could see the twins--I'm sure it was such a comfort to see them bouncing around. And I'm also really glad you got the doppler--it's like instant assurance that everything is okay. All of my friends who've gotten dopplers say that it's worth it, so I'll probably get one as well. I wish you tons of luck on your flight--I'm sure it's nerve-wracking, but once you're on the ground it will all be over and you'll be starting a new chapter. Very exciting!

PT, what's funny is that as a kid, I always wanted to have twins when I grew up. If it weren't for my health problems that would make it very difficult for me to have twins, I would be very open to the idea. I can understand feeling overwhelmed with thinking about doing 2x as much work, but I have a feeling that once you get into a rhythm, it's not much harder than one and I think it would be so much fun for the kids to have such a close sibling (as LC has pointed out). I'm really excited for you!

PhG, how are you feeling today? I'm so sorry to hear about the dry heaving--when you're feeling that crappy you'll take relief any way you can get it, even if it means just puking already. I find it odd how the m/s can get so much better and worse, even within a day. For the most part weekends are better for me because I have more access to food, I can lay down and rest whenever I want and I'm not stressed. Seems like the sickness passes quicker on the weekends because I can rest. Does showering feel like a prison sentence for you? For some reason the shower always makes me feel ill.

Pancake, definitely don't feel like you've missed anything by not having the dildocam. It's awkward and can be a bit uncomfortable. And it doesn't even vibrate . How are the joint exercises going? The massage sounds good to me, I could get on board with that. Hopefully the combination of the massage and exercise does the trick for you!

AFM, I'm starting to get concerned about the weight I'm gaining. I'm petite to begin with, but the doc told me I probably shouldn't gain more than 25 lbs. during tihs pregnancy so not to put any extra weight on my fused spine. The issue is that I snack all the time to ward off sickness. I don't feel hungry, but as soon as my stomach starts hurting, I pacify it with food. I think in the process I'm stretching out my stomach because I notice my snacks are getting bigger. I don't want to beat myself up too much because I've never been one of those people who really worries about weight, but I hope I'm not setting myself up to gain a ton! I'll chat with my doc when I see her next.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Re:

Krissie, flying dust! I hope you can find a zen place and the flight will be over before you know it! And the good news is that it's a one way ticket, right?

NEL, that's tough about the weight. I'm petite too and I found that there was really nothing I could do to curb my weight gain with DD (I gained 48 pounds, but 7 of it was not counted because I was a new patient to my ob/gyn . . . and I didn't tell them!). There was no way I could do anything but eat what I felt like during the first trimester. I worked out until 36 weeks and ate reasonably well the rest of the pregnancy, and I figure that if I had really, really tried, maybe I could have shaved off a few of those pounds, but not 20. But then I have a similarly petite friend who only gained 20 pounds. I remember her eating a cheese stick during the first trimester and explaining that it was the only extra food she ate each day because you only need 50 to 150 extra calories at that time. I, on the other hand, was craving sausage biscuits, beefaroni, etc. . . there's no way a little cheese stick would have cut it. My body was TELLING me to eat.

Anyway, since you have a medical reason to try to keep your weight gain down, I would definitely ask the doctor for tips on *how* to keep the weight gain under 25 pounds. Should you count and restrict calories? Should you take an anti-nausea medication in the hopes that the crazy need to eat will go away? The zofran stopped the crazy hunger and cravings with DD (isn't working now, though), so we suddenly had this ridiculous supply of beefaroni that I was never going to eat. I remember finding DH eating it for months afterwards.

 

[lliang_chi]

Re:

Hey everyone!!!

Busy weekend on the JBP thread!

Krissie, so sorry about the flying anxiety, but it'll be over and you'll be with your hubby and starting your new life! How exciting. Sending happy moving dust to you, what a busy next few weeks!!! I'm so glad the babies are doing well, and are hopping around in there. Maybe you've got two super athletes! Glad you like the doppler.

NEL, Hm, dunno what to tell you about the weight and snacking. Perhaps your doctor can give you some tips. What do you snack with when you are grazing throughout the day? Maybe **what** you eat can help you keep the weight gain to a minimum since you really can't control how many times you eat. I, for one, would rather eat than deal with nausea during the day.

Pancake, I'm glad you're doing better in the symptoms. But wow, sounds like your baby is really pushing you to keep up with the physio exercises and stuff. At least the massages are an added bonus. I always LOVED doing Pilates, so hopefully you'll have some fun doing it. It's like yoga with body weight stuff and flexibility etc, but it's more of a work out which I like. Don't get me wrong though I also like yoga. Anyway, a my newly mom'd friend (son is 6 months old), said the Preggo Pilates stuff she did really helped her during delivery. She was able to keep her legs up and stuff and didn't hurt/throw out her back as much during the pushing, so another reason to stay with it.

PhG, Ooof, sorry the M/S did another number on you. I really hope it's fast and furious in the beginning just to get better later. That's my hope for you. Would it help to take extra Unisom/B6 or does it not work that way? And we're here to keep your morale up! You're totally going to get through this. I mean you already did one of the most difficult things ever: you had your DD! So this is something that you can get through. You've already proved you're an incredibly strong woman and I *know* you can get through this too!

Parrot, I've been following you along in the Preggo thread too. But being a twin is AWESOME. I"m so glad you're super happy with the idea. And I agree, having an extra kid won't be a linear multiplier. I mean, yeah, it'll be more work, but I don't think having twins is twice as much work. I think it's probably like 1.3-1.5x's more work that just having 1. It is more expensive though, not gonna lie.

Brown, RMFA, Marlie Hoping you guys are feeling great and doing OK.

AFM, we had a SUPER PRODUCTIVE weekend (my sis was my partner in crime and helped me with everything). Friday Sis and I hit the gym, did a really half a$$ed workout since neither of us were really feeling it, but the most important part is we showed up.

Saturday got up early made SUPER YUMMY raspberry + mint sorbet, and I made a lasagna and a salad to drop off for dinner for DH's friend's family. They just had their FOURTH kid ( ) 2 wks ago, so a bunch of us are doing some dinner drop offs so Mom can focus on the little one, and y'know the 3 OTHER kids... Then met some friends for lunch, then hit Ikea to get shelves for the officery. Came back took a nap ( ), made dinner, hit Home Depot for toggle bolts for the wall shelves, then hung them up (at 11PM). Did one wall Saturday Night.

Sunday morning, hung the other shelf and put everything on them, made lunch, cleaned the house, hit the store, helped Sis clean her house, made dinner, and watered the garden. I was telling Sis I feel 100% normal today, absolutely zero symptoms. That probably helped me keep moving along to accomplish everything.

Anyway, I'll post pictures of my officery, I'll have to take them tomorrow when there's light out. That's when the paint color looks the best. I still need to get new curtains and recover DH's futon with a better looking cover. I was thinking of making one. But for now the hardest part is done, the painting and the shelving. Dunno what I'll do for the curtains, so I might just put up some white sheers and wait for inspiration to strike on the other drapes.

Nothing else for me pregnancy-wise. Sis is going on a 2 wk work trip, but I told her I'll call her after my appt. No symptoms today. I've kinda gotten pretty zen about it, not worrying or anything. Sis asked me if it's stressful or anything, and I honestly have to say, no really. Mostly because there's nothing I can do about it either way.

I must say it is kinda difficult trying to make plans for the next year with the whole being pregnant. Example 1: Thanksgiving and Christmas. I told DH, if I'm still pregnant, I will very likely NOT want to fly during Christmas, I'll be 32-ish weeks by then. So DH said, "OK, we can go you your folks for Thanksgiving, and I'll just go by myself to Christmas at my folks." 1) I'm not 100% sure I want to go to my family's for Thanksgiving. 2) I'm not sure how I feel about him not being there for Christmas. But my sis will stay with me, so that's OK I guess, but I'm not sure. I get why he'll go down, since his mom's recovering still from her accident and he doesn't want his folks to be along on Christmas. Example 2: DH's friends are planning on going to a Blackhawks (Chicago hockey team) in January. DH asked if I wanted to go. Now, if I go, I'll be like 4 wks or so from due date. I *do* want to go to the hockey game, but really how comfortable will I be? So yeah, kinda hard to make these plans, y'know?

Anyway, that's it for me. Hope all you ladies are doing well!!!

~LC

 

[janinegirly]

Re:

NEL: sounds like a great u/s and you got the full deal! Now at least you can't deny it's rea!! Did the dr. offer any m/s tips or medication?

LC: alot you can't plan ahead (ie how you'll be feeling 4wks out), but I'd say you can pretty much determine that you won't want to fly 4 weeks out (not sure if it involves a plane etc). So for things like Xmas, if it were me, I'd be saying people can come to us. It might be a good time to start setting boundaries - we always had issuestrying to go to Dh's side and my side's over all holidays and we ended up exhausted with a cranky baby. Now with me likley to have a newborn at T'giving (plus toddler) and something similar at Xmas, I'm already making that clear (ie I'm going to need support during this period, not drama!). Not that there won't be some drama,lol. Your appt's in a week right? You've been so patient!

 

[lliang_chi]

Re:

Janine, great advice. I 100% agree with you about setting boundaries. I live in Chicago and my family is in FL, so them coming UP to Chicago does NOT sound all that pleasant. And trust me, the whole "White Christmas" is not worth it for them. I'm actually OK with not seeing them for Christmas (I haven't really been that big with familial bonding lately), but I dunno how OK I am being without DH. But I will have my sister which is just as good for company, but there's something about having your sweetie with you at Christmas, y'know?

Anyway, I'm still at a loss at how to plan on things with so much up in the air. I guess I'll put it off until after my first appt (yes, next week Monday actually, you have such good memory). I'll have some more assurance that things are safe and hopefully we'll have a due date and can **try** to plan things etc.

~LC (8W, 4D)

 

[Mannequin]

Re:

NEL- Great U/S pic! It is so great that baby is doing well! Hope you are feeling okay today, too, and I hope the doctor has some suggestions for you re: your m/s and limiting weight gain. That's one of my questions for my upcoming first appointment, as I am overweight and would like to gain only what is necessary for my pregnancy.

PG - I feel so badly for you with your m/s! This is my first pregnancy, so I don't have any good tips for how to address that. I am not sure how my body is going to respond or react to baby yet. I am hoping you feel better soon.

LC - I know what you mean about planning ahead! Hubs and I take a camping trip every summer with his family and it's a very rustic and remote location (i.e. no running water, outhouse, sleep in a tent, bear country, etc.). Baby would be about four or five months old at that time next summer, but I don't want to change poopy diapers in the woods with no soap and water! Haven't committed to that trip yet. Your sorbet sounds amazing! Looking forward to seeing your baby's room soon. I need some inspiration...

Ally - LOVE the big sister surprise! SO adorable!

Pancake - Hope you are doing well! Almost done with your first tri already, wow!

Hope everyone else is feeling good! AFM, I am 6 weeks today and feeling a little tired. Tummy has been a bit upset and I haven't had much of an appetite. Boobs are getting more sore, for sure - I can't sleep on my stomach very comfortably anymore. Looking forward to my first appointment on August 1st.

Spent the entire weekend making people smile as Hubs and I spread baby news to the family. It was so much fun trying to personalize the moment for everyone, and my mother was relieved because she and Daddy could FINALLY talk to everyone about the baby after keeping mum for almost two weeks. LOL We took my grandpa to a Tigers game for a belated Father's Day gift, and told him about the baby on the way to the baseball park. If it is a boy, baby's middle name will be his first name, and he was incredibly touched when we told him this. My grandmother loves photography, so we took our just-arrived Shutterfly wedding album to her house to show her the photos after we brought my grandpa back from the game. On the back page, I stuck a note that said, "The subject of our next photo album is due in March." She was thrilled! One of my cousins is due any day now, so she will have two great grandchildren to spoil in the coming year! We gave my other grandma a sweet little teddy bear with a note from baby. She was over the moon when I read the note to her, so happy and so excited. My husband's family met for a birthday dinner for his grandfather, and we told his cousins, uncle, and grandparents at the celebration dinner. We also made an announcement at my family's annual reunion this weekend, using pink and blue baby suckers. The kids activity this year was tie dyeing shirts, so I brought some onesies and tie dyed one for baby. It's been wonderful to see how happy everyone is about the pregnancy. Hubs and I feel blessed that baby is going to be very loved.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Re:

MQ, what an exciting weekend of telling family! Your grandpa must have been so touched about using his name if you have a boy. Telling family/friends the best part! I'm sorry you're starting to feel a bit put off by food--I'm really hoping that for you it doesn't get any worse. And yay for your first appt. being 2 weeks away!

LC, your appt. is only 1 week away!! Woohoo!! And I just started thinking about traveling this weekend now that we dated the little blob. I'll be 30/31 weeks when travelling for Christmas, which is my absolute favorite time to spend with my family. I've determined that I'm going to go no matter what, be it by plane, train or automobile (I've travelled there via all three modes of transportation and would prefer plane). The hard part is planning for it since I have no idea how I'm going to feel at 30 weeks. It could be a very interesting trip! I may be thinking "LC had the right idea" as I waddle around the airport.

Janine, I just spoke with the doc again today and told her I haven't taken any of my meds yet (they have codeine in them and I'm just neurotic right now). She recommended B6 and Unisom, which I know worked last time for PhG. I'm running out to get them now.

PhG, yes, I'd rather gain weight than feel sick all the time. I've started sucking on hard candy to help curb the nausea, which is better than eating another bagel. I feel like now that I'm aware of how much I'm snacking, I can figure out ways around it.

 

[lliang_chi]

Re:

NEL, Wow, you're a lot more patient than I am to even attempt flying. If you don't have far to go, I think it might not be *too* bad. I've got a 3 hr flight, so I'll pass. Driving would take WAY too long (22 hrs), so again, pass. Staying here in Chicago I think would be great, except for DH not being with me.

MQ, what a wonderful weekend of good news! Sounds like the whole family will be *super* excited! Is this the first grandchild for both the ILs and your folks? Wow, your camping trip sounds like it'd be a lot of fun (this is the same one you took a few weeks ago, right?) But I agree, maybe not the best thing to do with a baby. BUT it sounds like a GREAT time once baby gets older.

~LC

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Re: Re:

NEL, Wow, you're a lot more patient than I am to even attempt flying. If you don't have far to go, I think it might not be *too* bad. I've got a 3 hr flight, so I'll pass. Driving would take WAY too long (22 hrs), so again, pass. Staying here in Chicago I think would be great, except for DH not being with me.

There is only one direct flight from Boston to Kansas City, which is 2.5 hours. The one upside is that it's run by Frontier airlines, which is one of those airlines that advertises first class for all passengers and the seats are definitely more comfy than coach seats. But it's still 2.5 hours on a plane at 30 weeks pregnant. Driving takes 24 hours--D and I have made the drive at least 5 times so that we could take our dogs, but that would be my last option. Train is rough, too. It's a day to Chicago from Boston, then another 8 hours or so to KC. I'm planning to fly, unless I'm really, really miserable. I'll be flying every year with the kiddo, so this will be year 1 of "interesting" travel!

 

[Mannequin]

Re:

NEL- I suppose time will tell if you feel comfortable enough to get on the plane, but I really hope you are able to go and see your family! 2.5 hours doesn't seem too bad.

LC - This is the same camping trip I just came back from. It's fun, but I think Hubs and I may bow out next year and stay home with baby. We look forward to camping with the kid once it is much older! And yes, this is the first grandbaby for my parents and ILs. They are overjoyed!

Psssssssssssssst... can you keep a secret????? My MIL asked for my husband's tattered old baby blanket yesterday. She wants to remake it and surprise him with it as a gift to baby. *SO* special! I was able to find it for her this morning! It's green and white with hand embroidered Beatrix Potter bunnies on it. Can't wait to see what she does with it.

 

[curiousaboutdiamonds]

Re:

Thanks ladies for your compliments on the onesie and my lil munchkin! She is starting to exhibit signs of jealousy. Uh oh.

Sha: How are you feeling today? Only a few more days and you get to see your little bean! Are you in your 10th week now? If you are, you'll be able to see quite a bit at the ultrasound! So excited for you.

NEL: Yay for seeing your little bean! It's always such a relief to see the LO and the cute beating heart. I can't believe the tech asked you if you wanted to insert the dildo-cam. I would've blushed so bad! Boo for not being able to see baby until 12 weeks. Will you have another dr's appt before then? Maybe you can hear the heartbeat then. Is the nausea still not letting up? Hopefully the B6 and unisom can help curb it. Re: weight gain - last time I had bad nausea and snacked on a lot of carbs and pickles the first trimester and gained about 10 lbs, then the perfect storm of the honeymoon trimester, thanksgiving and christmas and I gained a lot of weight, so much my dr even commented on it. I gained 45 lbs by 36 weeks but then lost 5 lbs by the time I delivered (I don't know what happened, maybe it was all the walking to get baby out ) I guess what I'm trying to say is that everyone is different, and you really need to do what you need to do to curb the sickness. And what a cool due date - leap year! 1 birthday every 4 years, not bad. Hehe, j/k. I don't know anyone with a leap year birthday. ETA: re: travel - if the dr clears you for travel and DH is traveling with you, I don't think it would be a problem. Like I told LC (below), I felt fine until about 36 weeks.

LC: Wow, you were one productive pregnant lady this weekend! I wish I had your energy and motivation. Can't wait to see your officery pictures. Will it be turned into a full-blown nursery now? Re: traveling at 32 weeks: with DD, I was feeling ok but by 36 weeks, I was really uncomfortable and had what Dreamer called, the "evil crotch pain." I don't think I would like it if DH wasn't with me at Christmas time. It would be your last Christmas together, just the 2 of you. I think once you have a baby bump, it will be more real for your DH and he may just change his mind about leaving you at Christmas. I am excited for your ultrasound next week. You'll be about 10 weeks (?) so the abdominal ultrasound would probably pick up the little bean so the dildo cam won't be necessary! Has the thought of twins crossed your mind since you're a twin? How cool would that be!

Katy: How are you? Any symptoms or food aversions/cravings?

Pancake: Sorry to hear about the butt pain. Hope the exercises and massage will continue to help! At least the bloat has gone down a bit. I've feeling quite bloated now and it just makes me feel icky.

PG: Sorry the MS has come back. I'll keep sending you good thoughts that this sickness lets up soon!

Krissie: So cool that you can hear the babies' heartbeat with the doppler whenever you want. I'm glad to hear the babies are doing well and are so active! Sending you lots of good thoughts on your tests and for a safe flight to CA. Where in CA will you be relocating to? I'm in the bay area.

Janine: Are you having a girl this time around? Are your symptoms pretty similar? So sweet for your DD to have a sister. I'm hoping for another girl this time around too.

MQ: What an exciting weekend for you and your DH! It is great to be able to share the news isn't it? And you shared the news to your families in such sweet ways! Love them! So far I've only told mine and DH's immediate families and 3 of my closest BFFs. I can't wait to share the news with everyone else. You must show us the tie-dyed onesie! I'm having similar symptoms to you - tired and lack of appetite. I guess those aren't so bad. ETA: How sweet of your MIL to remake the blanket for your LO. Such a wonderful sentimental gift! Those are the best gifts!

Marlie: Hope you're doing well!

AFM: Had another busy weekend! I haven't had much symptoms - just extreme tiredness around 8pm. I feel great in the mornings, but since this weekend, I have been getting very nauseous after dinner which makes going to bed somewhat difficult. Because of my lack of symptoms, I went out and got some HPTs and tested with an FRE and the test line was so dark it was practically screaming at me "stop testing you fool, you are pregnant!" I have a dr's appointment on Friday at 5w2d and I think that's a bit too early for an U/S so I'm not quite sure what to expect. The dr's office usually calls the day before to confirm the appt, so I'll ask them then what I should expect for the appt. Other than that, not much going on with me.

Question: Does anyone still drink coffee or have you ladies given that up? I've been trying to wean myself off of it and drinking half a cup every other day. I want to cut it out completely, but haven't been able to yet. I remember with DD I did cut it off the 1st trimester but did sneak it in every so often. How about tea? I use to drink green tea once or twice a week, but haven't had any because of the whole caffeine thing.

 

[Mannequin]

Re:

Ally - I am still drinking about one caffeinated beverage a day, like one can of soda or one cup of tea. I've not been able to completely go cold turkey on caffeine yet. Trying to drink regular Coke instead of Diet Coke helps, though. I don't like regular Coke very much (too sweet) so it is easier to stick to one a day and I avoid the aspartame in the Diet Coke, too.

Tie dyed onesie!

 

[lliang_chi]

Re:

NEL, how funny, I've made the drive from Chicago to FL numerous times, probably close to 8 times, for the dog too. The toughest thing for this whole process is we have NO IDEA how we're supposed to feel at 32ish weeks. But because plane tix are so darn expensive you have to book flights like WAY in advance! Ugh! I dunno, I guess the best thing you can do is book the flight on an airline that it's relatively easy to reschedule your ticket if you decide, at the last min NOT to take the flight. I agree, normally I really enjoy going home for Christmas. BUT not sure if I want to be WAY PREGGO and flying, y'know?

Ally, yes, I have BRIEFLY considered the possibility of having twins since I am a twin. Sis and I are actually fraternal twins, dizygotic (two eggs), so the whole releasing more than one egg thing, is entirely possible. BUT I've had such a symptom-less pregnancy thus far, I sincerely doubt I'm having twins. But it would be soo super cool! No I gave up tea for the most part. I was drinking very little to begin with.

MQ, so cute your MIL is going to surprise your DH. Is he a big softie? It'd be so awesome if he is. I love it when husbands act all "big tough man" but then they get all soft and sniffly by something really cute and sentimental.

I doubt I'll be able to do anything about spending Christmas without DH. He'll feel super obligated to go down, and his sister is so selfish, it'd be impossible to get her to change her plans. (Wow, it felt really good and really bad to tell the truth/bad mouth SIL. So I'm going to totally let this vent mostly because I really don't feel like anyone in my real life is really appropriate to talk to. So apologies in advance, but if you ever wanted to feel better about your F'd up family/ILs feel free to read on... )

OK so I mentioned a few times before, MIL got into a TERRIBLE car accident in Jan. She survived, and she's still recovering, currently in a skilled nursing facility to be transferred to a rehab hospital this week! (That's the good news since she can get rehabbed to get better and stronger). So in Jan we ALL flew down there, DH took the first flight out. I took a later one so I could tie up some loose ends (doggie care etc) and let work know. SIL and her husband arrived roughly the same time I did, and we all met up at the hospital. 1 wk down in FL and I left, DH stayed longer. Meanwhile when we were down there SIL threw this HUGE temper tantrum and ripped me a new one when I tried to talk to her about it. I let it go because she's stressed, her mom's in the ICU, and I'm a reasonable person.

Then thru March DH was going down every two weeks, visiting his folks, and I admit I felt very lonely. We talked about it, and both decided it's just crappy, but it'll get better. FINALLY March rolled around and SIL went down there in Mar, and it was better because I wasn't missing a husband every other week. They decided to go down every 4-5 weeks, just to keep morale up and help, etc. DH went down around 4th of July weekend because MIL was supposed to get surgery that weekend. He was super bummed he'll miss one of his good friend's weddings, but y'know family first, right. Well, the surgery got postponed for various reasons until next month. On guess what? ANOTHER good friend's wedding date! So technically it's SIL's "turn" to go down in August, but apparently she can't because flights are "too expensive" (even though she always mentions how much money she and her husband make), so she's planning on going down at the end of August. Get this: after she goes on vacation with her husband to Key West then they'll spent a few days in Tampa with her parents. Wow, I'm so glad we're not inconveniencing your VACATION schedule. So DH has to miss ANOTHER friends' wedding and we're spending all this time apart so SHE can stick to her planned vacation.

DH said ILs keep telling him that they're so disappointed in her. Which I'm sure they are. But none of them will say anything because she's a total bully and throws this HUGE tantrum and gets all NASTY about everything. What a F*cking B*TCH! OMG I can't believe how selfish, childish, and ridiculous she is! And hoorays, I get to call her "family". So my poor ILs are being bullied by her, and DH has to suck it up for the team. And don't get me wrong, he WANTS to go, but c'mon REALLY?!?

Wow, that felt really good to get off my chest. No need to empathize or anything. Sorry for typing up that giant novel, but I just really needed to vent. So SIL has had a few PRIMO examples of how freaking selfish she is, so my sister really doesn't like her. I told her well, I don't have a choice in the matter, I have to like her. So Sis said, "OK then, I'll hate your SIL enough for all three of us (her, me, and DH)" She's so great she makes me laugh even when we're dealing with crazy a$$ SIL from Hell. That's why my sister is the BEST!

~LC