Okay, I fixed the settings so that ANYONE can comment- so leave comments! This blog is so blah cause no one comments... grrr....
I had my 24 week appointment today. It was fast and easy. The baby's heartbeat was 147bpm, perfect. I've only gained 4 lbs so far in pregnancy, and it's a shock every time I weigh in. Each appointment I expect my weight to shoot up 10-15 lbs but so far so good. Baby is growing healthy so all is good.
They measured my uterus for the first time today. It's a little on the large side for how far along I am. Doc said this could be because I'm just carrying high, but just in case they're going to do an ultrasound at my next (28 week) appointment. YAY! He just wants to make sure that there's not too much amniotic fluid or anything, but he didn't sound concerned and honestly I think this is just his reason to use for another ultrasound. At my last appointment they said they pretty much search for reasons to do more ultrasounds. I love my OBGYN practice...
Eisley kicks on a very regular basis now, much stronger. But she's still very mellow and shy it seems. Any outside stimulation like noise, touching my belly, moving at all and she clams up and pretends she's not there. Lol, I wonder if this is a sign as to what her personality will be like. Does it mean she'll be shy? Or just mellow? All I know is that a lot of pregnant women say the opposite, their babies react and kick like crazy whenever they're stimulated in someway.
Time will tell!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Cloth Diapers
Sooo.... are you as shocked as I am?
I was on my pregnancy online chat boards the other day and I kept seeing these posts about cloth diapers. Honestly, I've always thought of that as a "hippie parent from Boulder" type thing and rolled my eyes. I opened a couple of the posts so that I could read and disagree with them (hehe), but instead I became a believer. Reading their reasons and also reading up on what all the fuss was about, I learned quite a few positive things about cloth diapers! Here's what I learned:
1. They're often cheaper! The service we found does 70 diapers a week for $17, each additional 10 diapers is $1/week. They deliver, pick up, and clean them for you. A 60 pack of Huggies costs $16. The difference isn't much, but it's a difference.
2. Studies show cloth diaper users have fewer diaper rashes. Interesting.
3. Cloth diaper users usually potty train earlier, because they are less absorbent, the kids are more motivated. Fine by me.
4. Fewer toxins! The reason disposables are so absorbent is because they have those gel beads in them, those little beads are sodium polycrylate, a chemical absorbent which is put in the disposable diaper to absorb wetness. It was used in tampons until it was linked to toxic shock syndrome. The diapers you choose will be next to your baby's skin 24 hours a day 7 days a week for 2-3 years.
5. Finally, they're "green". Kids go through hundreds of diapers each month, and they take a long time to decompose in landfills. I'm no "protect the earth" worry wart, I think that's obvious. But it is a plus.
So I talked to Justin about it, and he thought it was a good idea too. We'll at least try them. We're going to register at Eco-Baby Diaper Service.
I know, I was shocked too...
I was on my pregnancy online chat boards the other day and I kept seeing these posts about cloth diapers. Honestly, I've always thought of that as a "hippie parent from Boulder" type thing and rolled my eyes. I opened a couple of the posts so that I could read and disagree with them (hehe), but instead I became a believer. Reading their reasons and also reading up on what all the fuss was about, I learned quite a few positive things about cloth diapers! Here's what I learned:
1. They're often cheaper! The service we found does 70 diapers a week for $17, each additional 10 diapers is $1/week. They deliver, pick up, and clean them for you. A 60 pack of Huggies costs $16. The difference isn't much, but it's a difference.
2. Studies show cloth diaper users have fewer diaper rashes. Interesting.
3. Cloth diaper users usually potty train earlier, because they are less absorbent, the kids are more motivated. Fine by me.
4. Fewer toxins! The reason disposables are so absorbent is because they have those gel beads in them, those little beads are sodium polycrylate, a chemical absorbent which is put in the disposable diaper to absorb wetness. It was used in tampons until it was linked to toxic shock syndrome. The diapers you choose will be next to your baby's skin 24 hours a day 7 days a week for 2-3 years.
5. Finally, they're "green". Kids go through hundreds of diapers each month, and they take a long time to decompose in landfills. I'm no "protect the earth" worry wart, I think that's obvious. But it is a plus.
So I talked to Justin about it, and he thought it was a good idea too. We'll at least try them. We're going to register at Eco-Baby Diaper Service.
I know, I was shocked too...
Thursday, April 24, 2008
JERK HUSBANDS!
And let me clarify- NOT my husband. He's no jerk. In fact, every pregnant woman should have a Justin.
But since getting pregnant I've been talking a lot of my pregnancy message boards and women at work about their pregnancies and let me tell you...
there's a lot of jerks out there! I see them at work too, and hear about them. Families will come in on Saturdays and for some reason, little Timmy is screaming his head off thrashing around. Mom and I have him in a headlock, trying desperately to give him a good haircut. Where is dad? Glaring at us from the front of the salon or nearby and asking his wife why she "can't keep him calm?"
The women on my online forums talk about their husbands all the time: bitching over the pregnant wife taking up more room on the bed, going to strip clubs cause their wives aren't sexy anymore, complaining about the preggos not doing housework anymore and "Why are you so lazy?" (Uh, do you mean exhausted from growing your baby?) And yet what do they do when THEY feel sick? They become BIG FAT CRYING BABIES!
Where do these men get off shouting orders, making demands, and complaining from the sidelines while their wives do all the work of being pregnant! And it IS work.
And why do the women put up with it? I think it's no secret, I wasn't raised to put up with crap from men. And luckily it's not ever an issue with Justin.
He's actually the other extreme: reads my pregnancy books, constantly asks if he can get me anything, never complains about how I end up taking up 3/4 of the bed with my body pillow... Yes, he's doting, but doesn't the pregnant woman deserve it? It's one of the first pieces of advice I got from anyone after getting pregnant: LET people pamper you! It'll be the last time, since for the next 18 years you'll be doing the pampering.
Stupid jerk husbands [excluding Justin]... no respect for the work it took to bring them and their children into this world...
But since getting pregnant I've been talking a lot of my pregnancy message boards and women at work about their pregnancies and let me tell you...
there's a lot of jerks out there! I see them at work too, and hear about them. Families will come in on Saturdays and for some reason, little Timmy is screaming his head off thrashing around. Mom and I have him in a headlock, trying desperately to give him a good haircut. Where is dad? Glaring at us from the front of the salon or nearby and asking his wife why she "can't keep him calm?"
The women on my online forums talk about their husbands all the time: bitching over the pregnant wife taking up more room on the bed, going to strip clubs cause their wives aren't sexy anymore, complaining about the preggos not doing housework anymore and "Why are you so lazy?" (Uh, do you mean exhausted from growing your baby?) And yet what do they do when THEY feel sick? They become BIG FAT CRYING BABIES!
Where do these men get off shouting orders, making demands, and complaining from the sidelines while their wives do all the work of being pregnant! And it IS work.
And why do the women put up with it? I think it's no secret, I wasn't raised to put up with crap from men. And luckily it's not ever an issue with Justin.
He's actually the other extreme: reads my pregnancy books, constantly asks if he can get me anything, never complains about how I end up taking up 3/4 of the bed with my body pillow... Yes, he's doting, but doesn't the pregnant woman deserve it? It's one of the first pieces of advice I got from anyone after getting pregnant: LET people pamper you! It'll be the last time, since for the next 18 years you'll be doing the pampering.
Stupid jerk husbands [excluding Justin]... no respect for the work it took to bring them and their children into this world...
Monday, April 14, 2008
My HORRID HORRID day with MRSA! (aka, Superbug/Supervirus)
We often get sick kids in, but today's incident really took the cake...
I had a client walk in for a haircut, the little girl looked VERY ill, hunched over and walking like she had arthritis, her limbs were all bandaged and she had dime & nickle sized sores all over her face and body.
We get disabled kids with genetic conditions and all kinds of issues in all the time, however, and since mom was bringing her in, I just thought it must be okay. So I get her seated and she's shaking the poor thing. Her mom starts off by telling me I have to be really careful because her hair will fall out if it's pulled on hard, and her skin will tear and rub off if she's rubbed hard... okay...
Then she proceeds to tell me that I'll need to make sure I wash my hands thoroughly before and after the haircut because she has antibiotic treatment on her skin. At this point, I ask her if it's contagious (state board of cosmetology regulations prohibit me from working on anyone with anything contagious, from lice to your common cold) Mom says, "No it's not contagious but just make sure you have no open wounds on your skin." Which leaves me thinking, if it's not contagious, why would I need to worry about open sores?
So then I tell her, "Okay I just have to be sure because I'm pregnant and I am more limited to what I can be exposed to." (I could SMELL her medications, what if my baby is exposed to that?) Mom asks if there's another stylist who could do it, but ironically every employee at work today is pregnant. So the mom tells me, "You can wear gloves if you want but it's not contagious. She has a disease called MRSA."
RED FLAG! I've been hearing about MRSA, except it's better known in the media as the "Superbug" or "Supervirus!" For those of you who don't know much about it, it's an skin/staph infection that is resistant to all antibiotics and people usually DIE from this because doctors don't know how to treat it. And so I told her that if she didn't mind I'd prefer to ask call my doctor before proceeding just to make sure it was no risk. The mom said, "No problem, better to be safe than sorry."
So I go to the back room and call my OB/GYN on my cellphone, takes about 10 minutes and 3 explanations to assure them that although it's not an emergency, I really need to talk to a nurse or doctor NOW. Finally I get a hold of a nurse and explain the situation to her. She basically says that I should try and avoid it, especially for my peace of mind (I was once exposed to impetigo at work and worried for months about getting it!) and while I'm talking to her I realize, I have the perfect reason! State board of cosmetology prohibits me to work on ANYONE with an open sore or wound! This little girl had them ALL OVER.
So the nurse says well then there you go! So I'm dreading it but I walk back out to my station and say, "I'm so sorry but my doctor has advised me not to cut her hair." The mom started to get upset and tell me, "It's not contagious as long as you have no open wounds!" And I tell her that I'm just not comfortable with being exposed to MRSA and the medications she's on. (Also- hairstylists cut themselves during haircuts ALL the time, so what if that happened???) And so I also tell her that state board regulatins prohibit me from working on anyone with open wounds and that I could get fined or lose my license for doing so.
The woman unfortunately got very emotional and upset her daughter with her own reaction. The litle girl was about 6, and she was very very ill. It was so sad. I was holding back tears the whole time. Mom started saying things like, "She has less than a year to live and she's disabled and I can't believe you would treat her this way. You guys have cut her hair before. This little girl is a person and she deserves to be loved!" And was banging her fist on the front desk (the receptionist had no clue what was going on and another family is watching the scene.) and I just kept saying, "I'm so sorry, I'm just doing what I think is best for everyone's health and safety."
The mom demanded the owner's number and my managers which I willingly gave her. She finally left and I started to cry. The family that witnessed, thank goodness, the dad said, "I'm an EMT and let me tell you, you did the right thing! Especially if you're pregnant." That made me feel a little better. But I called my boss and manager to tell them what happened so they'd know before she called.
Luckily, they both took it very well and assured me that I did the right thing. My manager called State Board and the Public Health department afterwards to check wtih them, BOTH told her that you DON'T have to have open wounds to contract the disease, just skin to skin contact, and that I definitely did the right thing. That little girl should not be out and about exposing the general public.
Still, i can't help but feeling horrible for that little dying girl. But on the other hand, I have a little girl too now! I have to protect her and her mother. Not to mention my next 15 clients I had today that could have been exposed to MRSA too if I had done that haircut.
It was a really unfortunate situation for everybody involved. One thing I didn't expect, the mom called my manager later and left a message upset, but she did tell her that I was very polite throughout the whole ordeal. I'm just so thankful I have a great boss who stands behind me on this.
After they left I Lysol'd and Cloroxed myself, my station and door handles... you can never be too safe.
MRSA is a nasty, possibly fatal infection! In hospitals they quarantine people with it! So I am kinda irked that this mom thought it was okay to expose ME to it, and also that she told me to wasn't contagious- because it IS! And the only reason we've cut her hair before is because my co-workers didn't know what MRSA was. Luckily, from a recent Dr. Phil episode on the disease, I do!
Be careful everyone! Keep your wounds covered and wash your hands a lot. This "superbug" is SCARY! And today I got closer to it than I'd ever thought I would.
I had a client walk in for a haircut, the little girl looked VERY ill, hunched over and walking like she had arthritis, her limbs were all bandaged and she had dime & nickle sized sores all over her face and body.
We get disabled kids with genetic conditions and all kinds of issues in all the time, however, and since mom was bringing her in, I just thought it must be okay. So I get her seated and she's shaking the poor thing. Her mom starts off by telling me I have to be really careful because her hair will fall out if it's pulled on hard, and her skin will tear and rub off if she's rubbed hard... okay...
Then she proceeds to tell me that I'll need to make sure I wash my hands thoroughly before and after the haircut because she has antibiotic treatment on her skin. At this point, I ask her if it's contagious (state board of cosmetology regulations prohibit me from working on anyone with anything contagious, from lice to your common cold) Mom says, "No it's not contagious but just make sure you have no open wounds on your skin." Which leaves me thinking, if it's not contagious, why would I need to worry about open sores?
So then I tell her, "Okay I just have to be sure because I'm pregnant and I am more limited to what I can be exposed to." (I could SMELL her medications, what if my baby is exposed to that?) Mom asks if there's another stylist who could do it, but ironically every employee at work today is pregnant. So the mom tells me, "You can wear gloves if you want but it's not contagious. She has a disease called MRSA."
RED FLAG! I've been hearing about MRSA, except it's better known in the media as the "Superbug" or "Supervirus!" For those of you who don't know much about it, it's an skin/staph infection that is resistant to all antibiotics and people usually DIE from this because doctors don't know how to treat it. And so I told her that if she didn't mind I'd prefer to ask call my doctor before proceeding just to make sure it was no risk. The mom said, "No problem, better to be safe than sorry."
So I go to the back room and call my OB/GYN on my cellphone, takes about 10 minutes and 3 explanations to assure them that although it's not an emergency, I really need to talk to a nurse or doctor NOW. Finally I get a hold of a nurse and explain the situation to her. She basically says that I should try and avoid it, especially for my peace of mind (I was once exposed to impetigo at work and worried for months about getting it!) and while I'm talking to her I realize, I have the perfect reason! State board of cosmetology prohibits me to work on ANYONE with an open sore or wound! This little girl had them ALL OVER.
So the nurse says well then there you go! So I'm dreading it but I walk back out to my station and say, "I'm so sorry but my doctor has advised me not to cut her hair." The mom started to get upset and tell me, "It's not contagious as long as you have no open wounds!" And I tell her that I'm just not comfortable with being exposed to MRSA and the medications she's on. (Also- hairstylists cut themselves during haircuts ALL the time, so what if that happened???) And so I also tell her that state board regulatins prohibit me from working on anyone with open wounds and that I could get fined or lose my license for doing so.
The woman unfortunately got very emotional and upset her daughter with her own reaction. The litle girl was about 6, and she was very very ill. It was so sad. I was holding back tears the whole time. Mom started saying things like, "She has less than a year to live and she's disabled and I can't believe you would treat her this way. You guys have cut her hair before. This little girl is a person and she deserves to be loved!" And was banging her fist on the front desk (the receptionist had no clue what was going on and another family is watching the scene.) and I just kept saying, "I'm so sorry, I'm just doing what I think is best for everyone's health and safety."
The mom demanded the owner's number and my managers which I willingly gave her. She finally left and I started to cry. The family that witnessed, thank goodness, the dad said, "I'm an EMT and let me tell you, you did the right thing! Especially if you're pregnant." That made me feel a little better. But I called my boss and manager to tell them what happened so they'd know before she called.
Luckily, they both took it very well and assured me that I did the right thing. My manager called State Board and the Public Health department afterwards to check wtih them, BOTH told her that you DON'T have to have open wounds to contract the disease, just skin to skin contact, and that I definitely did the right thing. That little girl should not be out and about exposing the general public.
Still, i can't help but feeling horrible for that little dying girl. But on the other hand, I have a little girl too now! I have to protect her and her mother. Not to mention my next 15 clients I had today that could have been exposed to MRSA too if I had done that haircut.
It was a really unfortunate situation for everybody involved. One thing I didn't expect, the mom called my manager later and left a message upset, but she did tell her that I was very polite throughout the whole ordeal. I'm just so thankful I have a great boss who stands behind me on this.
After they left I Lysol'd and Cloroxed myself, my station and door handles... you can never be too safe.
MRSA is a nasty, possibly fatal infection! In hospitals they quarantine people with it! So I am kinda irked that this mom thought it was okay to expose ME to it, and also that she told me to wasn't contagious- because it IS! And the only reason we've cut her hair before is because my co-workers didn't know what MRSA was. Luckily, from a recent Dr. Phil episode on the disease, I do!
Be careful everyone! Keep your wounds covered and wash your hands a lot. This "superbug" is SCARY! And today I got closer to it than I'd ever thought I would.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
21.5 Weeks
Stayed home sick today because I was throwing up this morning. Bummer. Two of my co-workers were sick last week with a 24 hour type stomach bug (thanks for coming to work, girls) and perhaps this is the same thing.
Baby Eisley is more powerful every week. Beware the child's wrath! J/k. Beware her kicks, though. I sometimes have to roll over to my right side in bed because on my left side she likes to kick me in the lungs (didn't know she could reach that high already!) which kinda knocks the wind out of me and makes me think my heart is gonna stop.
She has a schedule already! Almost every day I notice her at the same times. 10:30ish in the morning she's semi-active. 1pm or 1.30pm she's VERY active, and practices either soccer skills or ballet moves on my bladder... nice. And then usually before bed, around 8 or 9 o'clock she'll make her presence known again.
And the little punk *still* refuses to let daddy know she's there. Every. Single. Time. she's kicking like crazy and I tell Justin to try and feel, the little worm stops. Still as a statue until dad goes away and she waits a few minutes to make sure, then kick! Kick! Bump!
Here's a movie I'm really looking forward to seeing:
Baby Eisley is more powerful every week. Beware the child's wrath! J/k. Beware her kicks, though. I sometimes have to roll over to my right side in bed because on my left side she likes to kick me in the lungs (didn't know she could reach that high already!) which kinda knocks the wind out of me and makes me think my heart is gonna stop.
She has a schedule already! Almost every day I notice her at the same times. 10:30ish in the morning she's semi-active. 1pm or 1.30pm she's VERY active, and practices either soccer skills or ballet moves on my bladder... nice. And then usually before bed, around 8 or 9 o'clock she'll make her presence known again.
And the little punk *still* refuses to let daddy know she's there. Every. Single. Time. she's kicking like crazy and I tell Justin to try and feel, the little worm stops. Still as a statue until dad goes away and she waits a few minutes to make sure, then kick! Kick! Bump!
Here's a movie I'm really looking forward to seeing:
{I'm a Wikipedia Junkie!}
#1 - Marie Antoinette's BFF, Princess de Lamballe, suffered an arguably more horrific demise at the hands of revolutionaries simply because she refused to swear that she hated the royal family.
#2 - Earwigs look fierce with their pincers, but they are actually harmless to humans.
#3 - A "Welsh Not" was passed around 19th century Welsh school houses when children spoke in Welsh (as opposed to English) and the child left with the Welsh Not at the end of the day received lashings!
#4 - I learned about BOG BODIES! Cool.
#5 - "During her first year in office, Sarah Palin kept a jar with the names of Wasilla residents on her desk. Once a week, she pulled a name from it and picked up the phone; she would ask: 'How's the city doing?'"
#2 - Earwigs look fierce with their pincers, but they are actually harmless to humans.
#3 - A "Welsh Not" was passed around 19th century Welsh school houses when children spoke in Welsh (as opposed to English) and the child left with the Welsh Not at the end of the day received lashings!
#4 - I learned about BOG BODIES! Cool.
#5 - "During her first year in office, Sarah Palin kept a jar with the names of Wasilla residents on her desk. Once a week, she pulled a name from it and picked up the phone; she would ask: 'How's the city doing?'"
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