Well, surgery went really well. It was a little, okay a lot, weird to be strapped down to an operating table with 7 people buzzing all around me and draping me, hooking me up to monitors, scrubbing my face and then doing surgery on me. I kept my eyes closed but would open them occasionally. It felt like one of those scenes in a movie where the patient keeps coming in and out of consciousness and looks up and sees all the doctors with the masks and the bright lights. To keep myself still and calm and not freaking out, I kept thinking about the precious boy under my hands folded over my belly. Then I'd listen to my heart beat and pulse ox on the monitor and wonder what my BP was. I don't know how 30 minutes passed that quickly, but I'm so thankful it did. Not that it was an all together unpleasant experience (except for the 5 mL of lidocaine injected directly into my lip), but just soooo strange.
I do feel much much better about my impending delivery at this hospital. I received impeccable care and everyone from the check-in nurse to the recovery staff was excellent. The paperwork, pre-registration, and discharge was super easy. It was clean and everyone was just soooo friendly. I feel really great knowing that we will be surrounded by such caring, professional staff during one of the most blessed (although sorta scary) days of our lives. Also, whenever a baby is born at this hospital, they play a lullaby over the intercom- I can't wait to hear it when it's our turn!!!
Also, Scott's Grandpa outdid himself again today and sent me flowers. The card read, "For a loved one under a heavy burden." He thinks I work too much and that this surgery was a really big deal- which it really wasn't, but everyone has made such a fuss over me, we'll just see what happens when our son gets here.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Lip service
Well, I've had a really, super easy pregnancy thus far. I am 33 weeks today. My first trimester wasn't bad at all- only a little queasiness here and there and I was super-tired for about 6 weeks. The second trimester flew by like a breeze. I was active and even ran a little in my 5th month. The only trouble there was a few too many pounds gained between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but really, who doesn't gain 2-3 pounds that month (but, add that to the normal 4 pounds of pregnancy weight gain...). All of my vitals, tests, check-ups and ultrasounds have been outstanding. "Nothing to complain about," says Dr. Kyle at every visit. So far, my 3rd trimester hasn't been too challenging. I am slowing down a little and get winded pretty easily. It is really hard for me to sleep now because I've always slept on my tummy, and that's impossible now. But everything is progressing very well and apparently I look really small still (yay!).
So, of course, there has to be one really freaky thing to make this pregnancy unique. Somewhere along in October, I developed what I thought was a cold sore on the inside of my lower lip, except it didn't hurt and never ruptured and healed. It looked like a blood blister for about 2 months and didn't do anything. Dr. Kyle looked at it and said if it was still there a month later at my next visit he would refer me for a consult. Sometime in December, my lips were really chapped and the thing ruptured and just kept bleeding. Being that I work in a vet clinic, we cauterized it with silver nitrate. It healed up and looked normal (for being a weird bump on my lip) and Dr. Kyle gave me a referral to an ENT and I made the appointment. Then, for no reason at all, it started growing, proliferating, and bleeding frequently. After it bleeds, it gets a serum crust and then that peels and it bleeds again. It has seriously tripled in size in the last 3 weeks and is just gross. Oh, and highly noticeable, because everyone asks me about it and stares at it when I'm talking. As if I hadn't been self-conscious about my lips my whole life.
Diagnosis: pyogenic granuloma (which is neither pyogenic nor granulomatous, for my vet friends), aka the pregnancy tumor or lobular capillary hemangioma, affecting less than 5% of the preggo population. SERIOUSLY?!?!? Hormonally influenced, and should go away following delivery. However, it's become very bothersome and grotesque and may be past the point of regressing on it's own, which would be about 4 months from now. So, I will be having it surgically excised tomorrow morning. As in, out-patient surgery with the hospital gown, wheelchair, and really large medical bill. And the only reason she couldn't just laser it or freeze it off was because I was pregnant and needed to be closely monitored. I think it's a little bit overkill, but I appear to be getting great patient care and my doctor is very thorough and everyone has had great things to say about her and, more importantly, her surgical skills. So, I give you an update tomorrow and let you know how all of this goes. If you're lucky, maybe I'll get some before and after pictures taken. Hopefully, my already oddly-shaped lips won't end up too disfigured. :)
So, of course, there has to be one really freaky thing to make this pregnancy unique. Somewhere along in October, I developed what I thought was a cold sore on the inside of my lower lip, except it didn't hurt and never ruptured and healed. It looked like a blood blister for about 2 months and didn't do anything. Dr. Kyle looked at it and said if it was still there a month later at my next visit he would refer me for a consult. Sometime in December, my lips were really chapped and the thing ruptured and just kept bleeding. Being that I work in a vet clinic, we cauterized it with silver nitrate. It healed up and looked normal (for being a weird bump on my lip) and Dr. Kyle gave me a referral to an ENT and I made the appointment. Then, for no reason at all, it started growing, proliferating, and bleeding frequently. After it bleeds, it gets a serum crust and then that peels and it bleeds again. It has seriously tripled in size in the last 3 weeks and is just gross. Oh, and highly noticeable, because everyone asks me about it and stares at it when I'm talking. As if I hadn't been self-conscious about my lips my whole life.
Diagnosis: pyogenic granuloma (which is neither pyogenic nor granulomatous, for my vet friends), aka the pregnancy tumor or lobular capillary hemangioma, affecting less than 5% of the preggo population. SERIOUSLY?!?!? Hormonally influenced, and should go away following delivery. However, it's become very bothersome and grotesque and may be past the point of regressing on it's own, which would be about 4 months from now. So, I will be having it surgically excised tomorrow morning. As in, out-patient surgery with the hospital gown, wheelchair, and really large medical bill. And the only reason she couldn't just laser it or freeze it off was because I was pregnant and needed to be closely monitored. I think it's a little bit overkill, but I appear to be getting great patient care and my doctor is very thorough and everyone has had great things to say about her and, more importantly, her surgical skills. So, I give you an update tomorrow and let you know how all of this goes. If you're lucky, maybe I'll get some before and after pictures taken. Hopefully, my already oddly-shaped lips won't end up too disfigured. :)
And it's back on the table
so to speak....
Several weeks ago, when we decided we didn't want the house, Scott called the sellers and said we wanted to cancel the contract due to a bad appraisal. Then the sellers knocked off another 5K to help with the cost of the roof repairs. We haggled back and forth with ourselves and our conscious and finally decided (somewhat reluctantly) to buy the house. After talking with the bank and running the numbers, we decided it was do-able to get both a mortgage and a small home improvement loan which will be consolidated when we finish the repairs. We're going to borrow for the major repairs and then kind of gradually do the "fixer-upper" thing and get everything just like we want it. We signed all of the paperwork today and have our bids in for the repairs. The title work is all done and really all we're waiting on is the appraisal.
Timeline:
- Close by the end of the month
- Start construction the first week of February
- Move the split-second the work is done
- Have a baby sometime around March 6th
Major repairs to be done by the contractors: Leveling and some foundation work, new roof, new underpinning (since there is none to begin with), new HVAC duct work.
Minor repairs to be done by us: Laminate wood flooring, paint, replace a few fixtures, and a good cleaning
Oh, you just wait for the before and after pictures!!!!
Yes, I'm crazy, but I think all of these pregnancy hormones are making me optimistic to the point of becoming some sort of over-achieving super hero. My current game plan is to still stream-line our little house and pack away everything that is not essential to our daily lives. We could probably move some of our stuff over to make room instead of storing it as long as we get our part done in the house. I'll set up for the baby when we get mid-February-ish and only keep out what a newborn will need, everything else gets stored or moved. I figure he'll be tiny and won't take up too much room until he's about 1 month old or so.
On second thought, I see no reason why we can't be working on our part while the contractor is working- he's outside, we're inside. Heck, I don't see why we can't live there while the contractor is working (besides the leveling) as long as we get the inside done. This just might work! Now, if I can only get Scott up to warp speed with me..... Wish me luck!
Several weeks ago, when we decided we didn't want the house, Scott called the sellers and said we wanted to cancel the contract due to a bad appraisal. Then the sellers knocked off another 5K to help with the cost of the roof repairs. We haggled back and forth with ourselves and our conscious and finally decided (somewhat reluctantly) to buy the house. After talking with the bank and running the numbers, we decided it was do-able to get both a mortgage and a small home improvement loan which will be consolidated when we finish the repairs. We're going to borrow for the major repairs and then kind of gradually do the "fixer-upper" thing and get everything just like we want it. We signed all of the paperwork today and have our bids in for the repairs. The title work is all done and really all we're waiting on is the appraisal.
Timeline:
- Close by the end of the month
- Start construction the first week of February
- Move the split-second the work is done
- Have a baby sometime around March 6th
Major repairs to be done by the contractors: Leveling and some foundation work, new roof, new underpinning (since there is none to begin with), new HVAC duct work.
Minor repairs to be done by us: Laminate wood flooring, paint, replace a few fixtures, and a good cleaning
Oh, you just wait for the before and after pictures!!!!
Yes, I'm crazy, but I think all of these pregnancy hormones are making me optimistic to the point of becoming some sort of over-achieving super hero. My current game plan is to still stream-line our little house and pack away everything that is not essential to our daily lives. We could probably move some of our stuff over to make room instead of storing it as long as we get our part done in the house. I'll set up for the baby when we get mid-February-ish and only keep out what a newborn will need, everything else gets stored or moved. I figure he'll be tiny and won't take up too much room until he's about 1 month old or so.
On second thought, I see no reason why we can't be working on our part while the contractor is working- he's outside, we're inside. Heck, I don't see why we can't live there while the contractor is working (besides the leveling) as long as we get the inside done. This just might work! Now, if I can only get Scott up to warp speed with me..... Wish me luck!
Monday, January 2, 2012
New Years Resolution
Yes, I said, resolution, singular, as in, just one. And it is...
To de-clutter my life.
This single motto will apply to many areas of my life.
In my home: If it isn't necessary, or isn't used at least once a month, it will not stay in the house and take up valuable space. If it doesn't have a home, it will have one that is easily accessible and organized. This concept also applies to junk food.
In my life: Any activity will be productive and not merely for show, because I couldn't say no, or a time-suck. Working out stays, singing group goes. All church activities stay (and some might get more time) as well as quality time with friends and families. Other extra commitments go.
In my relationships: Currently, I don't think I have any so-called "toxic friendships". However, if such a one should develop, I will detach myself and not allow it to drag me down. I know this sounds really harsh, but there is just no need for that kind of nonsense.
So, there you have it. A simple concept, easy to remember, and hopefully I'll be able to follow through this year. Wish me luck!
To de-clutter my life.
This single motto will apply to many areas of my life.
In my home: If it isn't necessary, or isn't used at least once a month, it will not stay in the house and take up valuable space. If it doesn't have a home, it will have one that is easily accessible and organized. This concept also applies to junk food.
In my life: Any activity will be productive and not merely for show, because I couldn't say no, or a time-suck. Working out stays, singing group goes. All church activities stay (and some might get more time) as well as quality time with friends and families. Other extra commitments go.
In my relationships: Currently, I don't think I have any so-called "toxic friendships". However, if such a one should develop, I will detach myself and not allow it to drag me down. I know this sounds really harsh, but there is just no need for that kind of nonsense.
So, there you have it. A simple concept, easy to remember, and hopefully I'll be able to follow through this year. Wish me luck!
Let the countdown begin
Okay, so the decision is final. We are not going to buy the house (exaggerated sigh of disappointment here). We are also not going to rush into renting or buying in order to meet a deadline, although a new baby's arrival is a pretty good deadline. The plan is that I'll turn our house into a super-organized cozy home for 3 and we'll make it work for a few months while we look for an alternative.
Why not just rent? We're not really of the mindset to move and rent (which would be really expensive in Bowie for the size we need) just to move again several months later when we find something we want to buy and renovate. Also, for the entire pregnancy, I've been operating under the assumption that we'll move soon and just making do and putting stuff off. Now, it's time to clean out and strip down to the bare essentials and make things functional and organized (i.e. more efficient for me when the baby gets here). For example, these are all of the small appliances I had crammed into the corner cabinet that have maybe been used once since we moved in 2 1/2 years ago:
I've already gone through my clothes and will donate a very large portion to Goodwill. Everything in the desk and under the bed has been consolidated or stored. Really, as far as cleaning things out, all I have left to go is a few things in the closet and all of the glassware and decorative stuff in the kitchen that I need/want help packing away. All of this cleaning out is leaving empty drawers and cabinets for the baby's stuff, which I will also try to keep to a need it or store it basis. I have a plan to store a few items of furniture (table which we don't eat at and a large overstuffed chair we don't sit in) and make room for a crib, changing table and dresser set. I'll take before and after pics. Then, I may treat myself to having a cleaning lady come in and do all of the really awful cleaning (dusting all the stuff on the fridge, scrub the cabinets, clean the baseboards and deep clean the carpet) right before he gets here
And I don't think I'm really wasting my time with all of this packing up and cleaning out- it would have to be done before we move anyway. And then I'll know what is absolutely essential, so we can move the non-essential stuff first and then all of the must-have stuff in one day for the final move.
Okay, now I have a plan with a timeline and a checklist of things to do. [Insert brave smile here]
T-minus 2 months and counting.....
Why not just rent? We're not really of the mindset to move and rent (which would be really expensive in Bowie for the size we need) just to move again several months later when we find something we want to buy and renovate. Also, for the entire pregnancy, I've been operating under the assumption that we'll move soon and just making do and putting stuff off. Now, it's time to clean out and strip down to the bare essentials and make things functional and organized (i.e. more efficient for me when the baby gets here). For example, these are all of the small appliances I had crammed into the corner cabinet that have maybe been used once since we moved in 2 1/2 years ago:
I've already gone through my clothes and will donate a very large portion to Goodwill. Everything in the desk and under the bed has been consolidated or stored. Really, as far as cleaning things out, all I have left to go is a few things in the closet and all of the glassware and decorative stuff in the kitchen that I need/want help packing away. All of this cleaning out is leaving empty drawers and cabinets for the baby's stuff, which I will also try to keep to a need it or store it basis. I have a plan to store a few items of furniture (table which we don't eat at and a large overstuffed chair we don't sit in) and make room for a crib, changing table and dresser set. I'll take before and after pics. Then, I may treat myself to having a cleaning lady come in and do all of the really awful cleaning (dusting all the stuff on the fridge, scrub the cabinets, clean the baseboards and deep clean the carpet) right before he gets here
And I don't think I'm really wasting my time with all of this packing up and cleaning out- it would have to be done before we move anyway. And then I'll know what is absolutely essential, so we can move the non-essential stuff first and then all of the must-have stuff in one day for the final move.
Okay, now I have a plan with a timeline and a checklist of things to do. [Insert brave smile here]
T-minus 2 months and counting.....
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