Thursday 25 July 2013

Liebster Award (07/25/13)

My nomination came from The Gayby Project: Making the next Generation of Fabulous.  Thanks for the props.  

This is a way for small bloggers to give recognition to other small bloggers (200 followers or less). Here’s how it works:
Copy & Paste This Whole Post and Replace All Your Information — who awarded you, for example.
The rules:
1. Thank the Liebster Blog presenter who nominated you and link back to their blog.
2. Post 11 facts about yourself, answering the 11 questions you were asked and create 11 questions for your nominees.
3. Nominate 11 blogs who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen.  I don’t know if I have 11 blogs to add, but we’ll see how we do. 
4. Display the Liebster Award logo.
5. No tag backs meaning you can’t just re nominate the person who nominated you.
As Solo the First put it “The real purpose behind these nominations are not only as an accolade from a fellow blogger and let’s face it, nothing gently strokes our little writer hearts more than someone telling you they appreciate your work.  In addition to the back patting we need to receive from time to time, it also allows us to get a little more personal as we get to know our increasing blogging community. It also helps drive traffic to your site as we reference one another.”

The questions put forth to me (with my answers) are as follows:
Here are my 11 questions:
1)  What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever created?  The baby growing inside me.
2) If a movie was made of your life, who would play you? Melissa McCarthy
3) Most memorable dream ever?  Recently my most memorable dream was being buried in sand.  Not nice, that night was a lot of not nice dreams. 
4) Creamy peanut butter or smooth. And WHY? I don’t see much difference between creamy or smooth peanut butter but I do have a preference when it comes to crunch or smooth.  It depends on what I am having it on.  I’ll have smooth if I’m having it on toast or bread as the crumbles apart slightly with the crunchy peanuts.  If I’m having it with Carrots or celery then I prefer crunchy, but we usually don’t have that on hand, so I settle for smooth.  Crunchy also gives the lovely peanuts when added to baking cookies. 
5) The literary character you’d most like to hang out with?  At this point Sherlock Holmes is the only name that is coming to mind. 
6) Words of wisdom for the next generation?  Enjoy your youth for what it has not what it doesn’t. 
7) What song is currently soundtracking your life?  To Fell This Feel – Netty Mac with Tammy Christiansen.   My wife and I first heard this song during our first month or so of dating/living together.  We felt it was our song right away.   This was our first dance at our wedding too.   
8) What quality about your parents do you have but wish you didn’t? Being a bit too naive about people and situations. 
9) What do you want to be when you grow up?  Retired.  Until that point, adulthood is optional.  I’ll need to re learn how to use my imagination again once the bean arrives and second bean gets here. 
10) How do you take your coffee?  Right now I don’t.  Pregnancy hasn’t let me enjoy coffee.  But when I did I had some cream and sugar. 
11) If you could live in any time period (excepting the present), where and when would you live?  Possibly in ancient Rome, when sexuality wasn’t limited to hetro views. 

Here are my nominations (In no particular order!) I also have no idea how many followers these people currently have, but I love reading them! Also I might be re-nominating you so just take it as the compliment it is, ok?  Also if you are not wanting to continue the tradition, I understand, as I was in a bit of a debate myself, but I do believe the following blogs are worth the read, so I'm giving a little advertising (to what audience I have).  



Here are my 11 questions:
1)  If you could travel the world, go to a favorite destination over and over or stay close to home, which would you choose?
2)  Do you believe people can change?
3)  What was is your favourite restaurant?
4)  What question do you like to ask people?
5)  What was the last concert/performance you went to?
6)  (This is a good one that was passed to me, so I will pass to you.) Words of wisdom for the next generation?
7)  What was the last book you read?
8)  Name one thing on your bucket list.
9)  If money was no object, what frivolous item would you buy?
10) What was the last movie you saw in Theater? 
11) Antique or Modern?


Tuesday 16 July 2013

15 Weeks 4 Days (07/16/13)

On Friday I had a prenatal appointment with my doctor.  Once again I was a little annoyed with the fact that I had an appointment and they were putting walk in’s ahead of me.  I explained to Dr B that the OB won’t see me before 20 weeks without an additional note from him, and at this point they may or may not be able to fit me in.  So seeing things seemed to be going well, I had figured one more appointment of checking my pee, weight (Up about 2 pounds from last appointment) and blood pressure would be a quick in/out and seeing the OB can wait till next month.  Dr B almost forgot to take my blood pressure but when I reminded him he did.  At which point it was 160/110.  For people that don’t know, that is HIGH.  Last appointment I was about 128/85.  He had double checked and got the same number.  So he then said, come back and get blood work done tomorrow and see me Monday and we will check again, if it is still high, we can put you on medication to lower your blood pressure. 

Cue Saturday morning.  If you’re at all familiar with the Labs around Calgary, without an appointment you are waiting a long time, so I got there pretty early, around 9.  At 10:30 I get a call from Dr B.  He explained he was worried and would like me to go to emerge and have my BP taken again and if it is still high, they can deal with it as needed.  I explained to him I was still waiting for getting in to have my blood drawn but afterwards I would go to the Urgent Care center in the building I was in.  He instructed me to give him a call afterwards. 

By the time I got my blood drawn and down to Urgent Care, it was about 11:15; once again to wait some more.

After waiting in line to be seen by the nurse my BP was 144/90.  Better, but still a bit high.  The difference though, my doctor doesn’t have the extra large BP cuff, the one he used is just big enough to fit my arm.  On the same note that is the same one that he used and got the 125/85.  The nurse suggested I see someone at the center to make sure things are good.  So I was back to waiting.  First waiting to get my arm band, then waiting to get into the room in the back, then waiting to see the nurse to get my BP done again, 138/85, getting better after a lot of sitting, then waiting to see the doctor, then waiting to get the results of my blood work, then waiting to see the doctor again.  After all is said and down, the doctor said my resting BP was ok, and most of my blood work was normal, nothing to be worried about.  So I left at about 1:45.  It was a slight waste of the morning. 

On Monday I went to see Dr B again, and once again my BP was 160/110 and today I wasn’t upset about the travel or appointment etc.  Even after resting for a while, it was still the same.  I did ask him to check baby’s heart beat.  He brought in the Doppler and I was excited at the possibility of hearing the heart beat for the first time.  He gelled me up, got new batteries for the Doppler, and put it on, I heard nothing and my heart skipped a beat, but then he said the heart beat was 137.  He must have had the sound turned down/off.  But at least the baby’s heart beat is in a good range. 

So he prescribed something for the high BP and ordered a test on my thyroid levels, as that can cause issues with my BP, the doctor at Urgent Care also mentioned I should get that retested.  So in the end I’m hoping I just need to increase my synthroid to level off that, give me a bit more energy, and hopefully lower my BP.  The medication he put me on for BP is a level C for pregnancy, but is at a very low dose.  On the up side my Iron levels are good, so even though I have missed a little while on iron, and some prenatals, I’m not anemic.  I’m now trying yet another prenatal called Materna, recommended by my GI specialist.  Fingers crossed this one is better for my stomach.  


Of course this all happens while Deb is out of town travelling with her mom.  She was very worried for me, and I was kind of sad not to have her there with me.  Under her ordered I did almost nothing else for the weekend, and just sat and relaxed.  Now she is home, and won’t leave again during pregnancy.  We want to be together for all these ups and downs.  

Wednesday 10 July 2013

14 Weeks 4 Days (07/09/13)

Up to now I have only worn my maternity capris a couple times.  As of yesterday I have resigned that I can only wear maternity pants.  I don’t know why I was so reluctant to make the switch.  Today I’m in maternity pants and much more comfortable.  As far as weight gain goes, I haven’t been doing too badly.  Last week I was craving carbs; bread, pasta, pretzels, potatoes, we even splurged and had pizza.  I’ve tried to make sure I also get fruits and veggies and protein.  On last week’s weigh in on Saturday I had gained 1.8 pounds.  That was a bit of a shock; however as of Sunday morning it was down again, must have been extra water weight, to a gain of .4 pounds.  But my stomach still feels bigger and harder. 

Here’s the updated pictures


   Week 12.  Still no noticeable difference


The Tummy is starting at week 13




Maternity Pants are here at 14 Weeks.  Doesn’t look like they should be though.