Thursday, February 28, 2013

Busy Day

You know, most days now, I stay inside all day.  My 1 big activity of the day is getting dressed, taking a bath, something like that.  Yesterday I got out.  Twice.

First we had an OB appt in the morning, here in Brownsburg.  I take this as a Wonderful sign.  My OB comes out here only once a week, she doesn't do any fancy testing or ultrasounds, thus I've only been able to have about 1 other checkup with this baby here in town.  All of my other appointments have been up in Carmel, where if things go wrong, there are ultrasounds, many technicians, a lab to do stuff, you know a Hospital, right there.  And I don't mind doing that.  Sam was born up at IU North (though it was Clarian North then) and it's pretty swanky up there.  The doctors and nurses are all Wonderful.  They've taken very good care of me and Baby #3.

Nonetheless, it was Refreshing to not have to drive as far.  We even took Sam with us!  His first time going to a doctor's appointment with us.  He did great.  We listened to the heartbeat, and when the doppler went Wooh, Wooh, Wooh, Sam just giggled.  He giggled like a madman.  He thought it was hysterical.  Indeed,  both sounds are probably the most beautiful sounds in the world to me too.  Sam's going to be a great big brother.

Our appointment went well.  Baby's heartrate was awesome.  No protein, sugar, or ketones in my pee.  I asked if there was a possibility I might have hypoglycemia, Kathleen has been worrying about me.  Nope.  She said I am doing so well with what we're doing:  Labetalol, moderate bedrest, and daily gatorades, that she'll see me back next week before we start doing weekly ultrasounds and biophysical tests in week 32 (I'm only still 30 right now).   We even tentatively discussed doing the c-section on May 3rd, provided I go all the way, which she thinks I am doing so well, I may very well make it all the way to full term.  Nice.

Then we came home and napped.  And when Mom W. arrived, Eric and I plopped in the car, and drove downtown to University hospital.  After some confusion we found ourselves in the diagnostic clinic to see my new pulmonologist.  My cardiologist recommended back in January that I see someone for the shortness of breath.  It sounded pretty random, and when they had originally told me on the phone they couldn't see me until the end of February, I burst into tears.  With that, and the facts that now, not only am I short of breath all  the time because a. I have been since October, 2.  I haven't moved in 3 months, and d.  now the baby is big enough that even if I could take a deep breath, I can't because there's a big baby in my lungs.  I did not hold out much hope that this doctor could help me.

I had very low expectations walking into it.

So the doctor completely exceeded my expectations!  She was very attentive, very thorough, getting the most thorough medical history of me I'd had in a while.  She asked lots of questions, gave us a lot of time, and thoroughly listened and examined me.  She thinks maybe it's asthma, but doesn't want to put me on steroids or inhalers as I'm already on labetalol and I'm not that bad off.  Plus, since the odds are it's just pregnancy induced, it will most likely go away.  Great.  She also thought I could be anemic or have a funny thyroid, so she ordered blood for that too.

The only complaint I had was with the blood drawing techs.  They were not competent.  I walked in, hungry (because it was after 5), and told them Not to Dig on me, because I've been having vasovagal episodes.  If anything was going to set me off, someone digging around in my arm with a needle would certainly do it.  It happened when I was expecting Sam.   So I said that up front.  She didn't dig, but she used butterflies and failed twice.  By which time I was getting a little warm so I asked for some juice.  They had to hunt for it.  Seriously?!  All blood labs I know have that sort of thing right there Just for such an occasion.  Then she forwarded me on to another gal who made the offhand comment, oh those morning gals, they get so much more practice, they've been doing this for years...And You Haven't?!  Hello?!  Don't tell me that when you are poking me in the arm.  I took blood for a couple months when I was a CNA at St. V's back in college, and butterflies are not your first line of defense.  Nor are hand sticks.    Lazy.  The other gal got me once, another fail.  Now I've finished my juice, but when she fails, I'm like forget it, I'll go to IU West.  I decided to let her try my other arm, they'd done 3 pricks in my right (usually not a problem arm).  At last, she had success.  And I Thanked God to get out of there, and also that I'd left Eric in the waiting room.  He is so good about staying with me, and toting me all over, taking such good care of me.  But he doesn't do well with blood.  And if I was getting a little iffy on the blood draws, he really would have.  So I was just glad it was done.

Overall, the day was a Success.  Baby and I are doing OK, we're just going to keep on keeping on!

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Feeling Swell

Well, I got close this time. I almost made it to church today. Last week I didn't make it, so I blogged while the boys were gone.   This week, I got up, dressed, and downstairs a full hour and a half before church this morning.  Thought I'd actually make it!  Then I got a wild hair, and decided to make cocoas for Eric and I to drink during Sunday School hour.  And for some reason, by the time it was time to go, I had no energy left to leave the house.  I haven't been to church in a month, I miss my church family, but getting out of the house is exhausting.  And I have been in a bit of a funk.  I guess it's depressing wanting to be able to do things, finally have the thoughts enough to know what needs to be done, and neither of us being healthy to do much about it.  I feel bad for Baby J and for Sam, like they're getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop.  I had Chris's baby book done 2 months before Sam got here; the nursery was all ready by this point, but not so with this one.  I didn't realize until this morning how much that has frustrated me that we're nowhere near ready.  I think I know where Sam's baby book IS, and I started it, but it's not done. I can't even put together a baby load of laundry.  At least we got the swing and the bucket seat put back together.  My friend E came over and helped take them apart to wash them, we thought we'd broken the swing, but this morning Eric figured out how to get it back together.  So that's something.  We do now have a Bucket and a Swing for the baby.
I've been in a fair bit of pain this last week, that has put me in a deeper funk.  I have little that's nice to say, so I haven't been saying much.
Lately, I only get out of the house to eat or go to the doctor or a combination of the two.  Eric and I like to swing out for lunch when we're out for a doctor's appointment.  But it's been a week and a half since we've done that.  This week was a good week for Other Things.   First on Tuesday for Christopher's special Guest Reading Day at school.  Eric wheeled me over to the school so we hear Chris read "Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle Doo" to his class.  He rocked, I cried.  I was a Proud Mama!


Wednesday, Eric let me out again.  He wheeled me to Chris's school again, so we could see Christopher and his First Grade class in their 1st Grade Music Program.    Even his Grandma W. came to see.  Can you spot him in the front row of the red shirt group?  He did such a Wonderful job, singing and dancing, he was Awesome!  He rocked, I cried.   Again, I was so Proud of him!  


Last Sunday I started having pain in my arms, and my hands were swelling up.  It wasn't too awful in the morning, mildly annoying, but by naptime, my fingers were numbish, and the aches were in my shoulders and elbows.  I couldn't help crying as I drifted off to sleep because my shoulders hurt so much to lay on, yet I can only sleep on my sides.  Vicious cycle!  My nap wasn't a quality one.  So I started googling things about weird arm pain and pregnancy, and I learned that "Pregnancy Induced Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" is a Thing.  And after reading two testimonials, I was Pretty sure that was what was bothering me.  The numbness in the fingers, the pain in wrists, elbows, all the way up to shoulders and neck.  I was Sure that I'd be seeing my chiropractor first in the morning...except Monday was a holiday, and he probably wouldn't have been in.  That made me more upset.  Sunday night was misery, I couldn't help the tears. A number of my friends commented on my fb that they'd had it with pregnancy too, and they recommended wrist braces.  First thing Monday morning, I sent Eric to the drug store for wrist braces, he even picked me up an elbow support too.  I wore them all day.  My fingers were swollen to the point, I was going to have to take off my wedding ring, and I've already upgraded to wearing Eric's instead of my own.  
So I wore those braces on Monday, Monday night, but Tuesday, during the day I took them off, and started wearing them only to sleep.  That has helped immensely.  By Thursday, the discomfort was neglible.  Still, I think it is bothering me deep down because I'm still in a rotten mood.  I get frustrated at all the things I can't do, like helping my kids when they have giant poop blowouts, which has been a common problem around here this week.   At least I'm not crying all the time.  

Baby has also been working his way up into my lungs, so now I have no room to breathe, even if I could.  Some of his kicks have gotten rather painful.  Even got my first wicked leg cramp, but I've been better about drinking my gatorade.  But  it's kind of a Relief to have regular old 3rd trimester aches and pains.  It's just rough in combination with everything else.  


30 weeks pregnant pics.  Getting bigger.  


Isn't black supposed to be slimming?  Ha! 

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Feeling Much Better

The last few days I have felt Much Better.  I think upping the Labetalol has helped me immensely, and even when the spells do creep up (only 1 bad one in the last week and a half) I drink a shot or two of gatorade and that seems to help.  And I rest.

I finished some projects last week I'd been working on since December, and I started something new.  These invisible scarves.Christopher can be seen here modeling the first one that I finished.


 That's been Huge!  My mind has been so cloudy, I feel like I can't get Anything done.  But I finally did something, I finally have gotten back to the Lists of stuff we need to do to prep for the baby.  Now, if only I could get Eric healthy.  He's fighting a monster bitchin' sinus infection, and has been for months.  He's holding out to get in to the ENT, which took us awhile.  Anyway, to sum up, we haven't been feeling good around here.  And it feels like the fog is beginning, just beginning to clear.

But that's when I should learn to wait for the other shoe to drop.  I was feeling Good.  Friday, I felt so good, I drove myself out and got a pedicure!  That's the second time in 2 months I've driven myself anywhere, and I only went across town.  And of course, Driving, I had to take a fat nap as soon as I got home.   But we were feeling good.

Maybe a little too good.  If you don't want to continue reading great and gory details, stop now.  To sum up, I spotted, went to the hospital and now we're all Fine.
But yesterday I overdid it and started spotting.  So I had to call in reinforcements, so we could run in to L&D.  I hadn't bled in a month, and was feeling good.  I know I gotta watch it, and I thought since the baby and I were doing so well, I could kick it up a notch.  Turns out I was just fine, placenta's fine, baby is fine.  And by the time I got to the hospital, the bleeding stopped.  But BOY the staff there is nice.  We had a nice nurse that we'd had before, and the check in gal knows my face now, and she commented on how nice it had been to Not see me for a while, agreeing and being grateful with us that we've gotten this far without having to run in.  I suppose I could've stayed home.  Blessedly, Eric didn't  mind losing half our day to run me to the hospital. I guess I'll just never get used to Bleeding while I'm pregnant.  It never happened with Chris and Sam, and it's just Not Normal to me.  They said to wait until the flow was heavier, I did.  It upset me.  So we went in.

On  the up side, they hooked me up to a monitor where I got to listen to his heartrate for so long, that the sound started to remind me of the Boof Boof of Fina or Prinny when they hear something funny.   That in and of itself was funny to me.  Maybe I was just getting punchy.  They also did an ultrasound, and he looked great.  Actually, another funny thin, he has his head down, but he also had a foot AND a hand in the way of the tech seeing his face.  I wish I could bend that way.

Still, spending a few hours in the hospital, in our state was exhausting.  So we came home and Napped.  Both of us.  Mom generously kept the boys most of the day.  By the time they came home last night, I had missed them.  Saturdays are our days to chill, watch cartoons and snuggle on the couch, I missed out on that. But they got pretty snuggled and watched their cartoons with Grandma.   I'm glad they had a good day, we were all pretty worn out, but I missed them.  Maybe today will be better.  My boys are home from church, bringing McDonald's -our new tradition, so it is time for me to get more snuggles!

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Lo a rose

You know me.  No flower bouquet is safe in my house without being photographed.  The Valentine's flowers that Eric gave me the other day were just peeking out, and so was the sun, so I plopped down on the floor in front of the window, and took some pretty pictures, it's been a while since I did any flower photography of any kind.  Holding flowers still was rather exhausting, I'd forgotten.  Still, I love flowers, and even without spending a ton of time (didn't have the stamina) I got some nifty shots.  Here you go:
  

What a beautiful bouquet, such beautiful colors!



Even Princess was interested in Stopping to smell the roses!


My Pretties.








These two are my favorites.



Photobombed by a little dog. This just cracks me up. 


Friday, February 15, 2013

Our Balentimes

 Happy Valentine's Day to all our loved ones!

 I just haven't been feeling up to much in the way of Photography, in fact, I haven't been feeling up to much at all, but I wanted to try to do some of the traditional Valentine stuff that we love to do every year.  I was content that I sat the boys down on the steps (and moved my chair over) so that I could take a few pictures of them yesterday.   Here's a Top 10 of my favorite (unedited) photos of the day.

1.  Say Happy Valentine's Day!


2.  Then they started giggling because they are Silly boys. 


3.  Then they started skooching up the stairs...together.  Hard to resist that, even if it isn't remotely what I wanted them to do. 


4.  Oh yeah, The Winner.  I saw this one, and in my book it was the money shot.  


5.  If Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby sang a song about Brothers, it would have looked like this.  Stinky Cute.


6.  After school, we set up the boys goodie bags.  Both of them had Valentines parties at school.  Eric went to help out at Chris's, but the time of day was naptime, so I knew I couldn't make it.  Sam and I stayed home and took Valentine's naps together instead.  ;)   On the table were some special godiva chocolates for the boys from me.  A new Little Brother onesie for baby brother.  Eric's gift was I finally had help fixing the lightbulb in the refrigerator, and new socks. ;) For me, my gold chains finally got fixed, so I could wear my favorite cross! And during naptime, Flowers had been Delivered for me. ;)  



7.  Christopher unpacks his bag full of goodies.  


8.  Sam unpacks his Valentine's box, that he painted himself at school.  Ah yes, that explained how he got covered in red paint on Tuesday. ;)   And he was very happy to open all his goodies too.  


9.  The boys and their Haul.  How good it is to be So Loved! 


10.  As a final Family celebration, we all went to Steak-n-Shake for dinner.  We got in just barely avoiding the crowds.  And we all had milkshakes.  It was a Good Day!  



Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy Valentine's Day


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Best Doctor Appt in Months



We made it.  28 weeks this week!  My doctor had said, let's make 28 weeks our next big goal.  I couldn't think about much more than that.  And this week we hit it.  If he came now, he'd have a 90% survival rate.  That eases my heart like nothing else in the last couple months.  A friend of mine lost her baby 2 weeks ago, he'd come at 25 weeks, and Blessed the world with his presence for 6 weeks.  My heart has been breaking for her, yet at the same time, I've been so afraid.  I feel like I can exhale..a bit anyway.  

We made it to 28 weeks.  

That is Worth Celebrating!  Not just that, but I am Feeling Better.  I have not had any spotting in over 3 weeks, and since we doubled the Labetalol, I have been Feeling better.  Stronger like.  Sure, my BP still has highs and lows.  But I haven't had any of the really low bad spells.  And in the last week, only 1 high spell.  Last night, I started feeling a little swirly, while I was laying down, even laying down, my BP was 150/80 something.  Luckily, it was bedtime, I had Eric bring me some water, and that helped some.  Still, only 1 bad spell in a week, Not Too Shabby.  Plus last weekend, I got to go out on 2 (that's right, 2!) date nights.  Saturday night we went out to dinner at Thai Lanna with Mike and Kathleen, and came back here for cards.  Sunday, the church was having a Valentine's Day party for the kids (not parents!) and Eric and I went to Hurricane for wings, then came home and watched West Wing.  That was about all I could handle, and it was Good.  

So Today I had a checkup with an Ultrasound.  


We got some Amazing photos.  First they did the regular ultrasound profile shot.  He's gotten a bit bigger.  His estimated weight right now is 3 pounds, 3 ounces!  That's almost double what he was less than a month ago.  Great News!  They checked his head, heart, guts, my cervix and the placenta, and all of them looked great. He was head down. No more signs of the Tear, and like I said, I haven't bled in over 3 weeks, I think we may be past the really scary point.   I still get really tired, have no stamina, and my BP is squirrely, but I think we're out of the Danger Zone.  That was just my opinion at that point.   Then the tech pushed the 4D button.  
  

And we saw this Beautiful face.  He had his hand in front of his mouth, waving it around, he looked so much like Sam.  

Then we looked at this angle, and he looked just like Chris.  Chris has the exact same head shape and maybe the chin too, though it was kind of hard to see with the hand in front of hit.  


Then this was the heartbreaker, I became a puddle of mush.  He smiled.  He was smiling for us.  I told the story from this weekend, when we were discussing middle names, we're pretty decided on the first name, but the middle one eludes us.  I jokingly suggested Parasite to Eric.  And I got KICKED from the baby.  He did not appreciate that humor.  But he seems to have his own sense of humor.  He loves his big brother.  I think he hears Christopher, because when Chris comes cuddling up with me in the mornings, the baby will start wiggling for him.  Christopher got to feel him kick for the first time on Friday.  On Saturday morning, we were all lounging about in my bed, and I told Chris the baby was wiggling when he giggled.  Chris turned his head to my belly, putting his hand on it, and laughs at it.  Right on cue, the baby kicked.  It was Amazing. 

Meanwhile, in the doctor's office, my BP was a little high 132/84, but not as bad as I had seen it at home the last couple weeks.   Still, something to watch.  Meanwhile, we got all my bloodwork back, and it looks Great.  All my data is looking stable right now.  The baby is looking great.  Being over 3 pounds puts him at the 80th percentile for weight, which apparently (my doc says) is a great sign.  He made the comment the hypertension isn't bothering him.  And I was like huh?  He explained that with the high blood pressure, that the baby may not get enough nutrients, and would be small.  Not the case with This little Butterball!  And I don't have gestational diabetes either.  I was wondering given how prone to sugar crashes I've felt lately, and how much happier my body gets when I drink gatorade.  Baby loves the gatorade too, he does a happy dance minutes after I drink;)

Really, I'm feeling more human.  The only problem I've got to work out is the reflux thing, and that's Such a regular third trimester problem, I welcome it.  The insurance was disinclined to simply double my prilosec.  The doc suggest I pick up some OTC stuff.  Mayhaps.  But doubling the Labetalol has not only helped me feel better, but I'm doing better, a whole lot less spells.  I even Drove last Thursday (granted it exhausted me) but I took Sam to preschool in the morning, and didn't crash the car.  I'm not saying I'm doing great enough to resume all former activities, but slowly pushing, I think we can do.

Then he gave me the Best News.   See you in 2 weeks!   That's like the longest we've gone without me seeing some sort of doctor/specialist/someone since November!  I am so excited.



Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Fat Tuesday

I had no idea that Fat Tuesday was called Pancake Day in the U.K.  Here we call it Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday.   To celebrate this holiday, Kathleen and I usually splurge a little, do a little something...usually it involves Starbucks.  Occasionally we'll go to McDonald's for Big Macs.  Usually we splurge on something wicked for us, that we'll be trying to give up during Lent.  This year I'm giving up Starbucks (and Dunkin donuts, anybody's expensive hot beverages).   So being awesome, she brought Starbucks over after Sam went to preschool.
But First....my husband made Pancakes for Pancake Day.  A friend of mine in the UK was talking on Monday about how her favorite toppings being lemon and sugar.  So through discussion and research, we found that Brits do pancakes completely different.  And they would clear out the butter on Fat Tuesday and make these crepe-like pancakes.  They're a bit fatter than a crepe.  But my friend Chris said, to her spritzing lemon on them was like the smell of spring, after being in winter for so long, the fresh lemon was a sign of the happiness of spring to come.  I was intrigued.  Eric and I discussed it a bit, but I didn't think he'd do much.  But as usual, he's Wonderful, and he surprised us the next morning by making British Pancakes for Pancake Day.


This is the Recipe he followed.   


The boys tried them too.  By themselves, the pancakes are pretty bland, they don't have sugar in them like ours stateside.   So the boys demanded maple syrup for their pancakes.  Sam took a couple bites, but I think he got one with no dip, because after that, he just held that bite in his mouth for a while, until we put him in timeout.  That's been a new trick of his.  Rather than swallow something he doesn't like, he will just hold it in his mouth forever.  He doesn't seem to get that it's prolonging the agony. 


Christopher smothered his in syrup.  And Ate!


Eric was none too sure about this.  
It was almost like "hot fruit" .  But after he tried, with the lemon and table sugar sprinkled on top, we both decided we really liked them.  Maybe there's a bit of Brit in us after all! 

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Balloon Play

My boys - On Friday night, they went to the Brown Bonanza, Chris's elementary carnival with their Daddy.  This was the madness that came home 2 hours later when they came home with balloon balls they'd "won".   
Hilarity ensued.  


And I don't think I've laughed that hard with them in a while.  My belly hurt, and I mean that in the best of ways.

Friday, February 8, 2013

3

This week marks my official entry into the Third Trimester.  That's not surprising.  I can feel it.  Now I'm feeling more of those regular pregnancy uncomfortable issues.  Last week I started waking in the middle of the night to gaseous burps, like my reflux meds weren't quite cutting it.   And though my back feels better when I lay on my right side, the only way I can breathe is on my left.  It's weird, why does it matter if you're laying on the left?  I don't know.  But it's the only way I'm comfortable....and I use that term loosely, because after a night of sleeping on my left, my hip goes numb, and out of joint.  In addition,  I've been having trouble breathing.   I know, Duh.  I have been short of breath since October.  But no, that's changed too, a little bit worse, I think we're entering the phase of there's a baby pushing up against my lungs.   It's hard to catch my breath.  I woke up at the dark thirty this morning because I couldn't breathe.  So as I figure it, I'll finally get into the Pulmonologist at the end of February, and they'll tell me, Want a Cure, Have the Baby. 
It's like a Whole different pregnancy, just when you think you have it down, because it's your third, you realize, No you don't. But it's good news that today marks that it's been 3 weeks since I've had any spotting, maybe the tear is finally healed. 
Last night, I was freaking out because I was developing a rash on my belly.  I was worrying it was PUPPPs, I've had a couple friends who were the epitome of miserable when they were pregnant because of it, and I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop.  But I lotioned up, and the rash hasn't gotten any worse.  Maybe it's as my girlfriends say, it's just winter, and pregnant women get itchy.  Nice to be normal for once.  


I went ahead and took a tacky fat belly picture.  Not so bad, as long as I don't use the flash. ;) 

I have been feeling better, sort of.  Definitely I feel that quitting the florinef was a wise decision.  I haven't been in as much Pain, so that's been easier.  It took a few days, but the amazingly bad mood I was in has also gone away.  So I think that was the steroids.  But my BP has been more floopsy. And Yes, that is the best way to describe it.  It makes me just feel weak, all the time.  This past weekend, I was having high episodes, like 160/100, and I was restless and light feeling.  It's a weird boat to be in, knowing that you have to lay down, but being so antsy, that laying down is not where you want to be, but sitting up or walking makes you feel worse.  So laying down is what I did.  I haven't had any bad low dips, if feel them start to come on, a little heat or something and I sit or lay down and start pumping my hands/arms/feet to get the juices flowing, but not going to crazy.  Sure, it may be all in my head, but at least it makes me FEEL Better so I'll keep it up.  

This week, when I went to the OB, I got to see one of the other docs in the office. Before we went in, I told Eric there were three things I wanted to tell the doctor about.  Hmmm, even now I have to think really hard at what they were.   Ah yes...

1.  My memory.  I am having a lot of trouble remembering things, I feel flighty, I'll be in the middle of a sentence and forget what I was talking about...hence trouble writing blogs. 
2.  Reflux.  As I mentioned I have been waking with burny burps.  Welcome to the 3rd trimester!  With both other boys I had reflux issues.  But this one, I have stayed on my prilosec the whole time, so they haven't been as bad, I haven't really been feeling the need for tums until the last couple weeks. 
3. Blood Pressure.  Been seeing more of the extremes on the blood pressure cuff at home.  

So I went into the doc, and I told him all about the blood pressure weirdness.  It was quite comforting, that even though this guy wasn't my primary doc, he came into the room, saying What's New, and when I went into the spiel about all that had been going on, he actually knew.  For once, a doctor had read my chart!  Nice.  Anyway, I told him since stopping the florinef, my BP was squirrely again.  In the office, my BP for them was 128/82,  not as high as I'd been seeing at home, so I wasn't sure if a. they'd believe me, or b. my kroger bp cuff is crappy.  But he believed me.  And he told me to double up on my Labetalol, and he pushed a button or two on his computer, and Bam, I got an updated script.  Apparently, I was on the lowest possible dose of it, so there was lots of wiggle room to kick it up.  

I mentioned that my reflux was acting up.  So he told me to double that too.  He said he'd send more to the pharmacy, only when Eric got there, it wasn't ready.  Then CVS called to tell me the insurance company wasn't OKing it.  So I haven't got that one yet either.  That's OK, with the not getting enough air, it's not the reflux that's been keeping me up.  Just a burp, some tums, and I lay down to toss and turn some more.  

In the doctor's office, Eric had to be the one to remind me what the Third Thing was, how flighty I've been.  But my doctor wasn't worried about that.  I figure a. he either thinks I'm flighty because I'm pregnant, or b. the extra floopsy blood pressure stuff is making it harder to think.   I lean towards the latter.  

I mean, here I am, just a couple days after doubling the Labetalol, I almost have enough thoughts together to write a blog, without sounding like a complete blithering idiot....Almost.  

Oh well, you understand.  And as I've been saying all along, I can do this.   My boys keep me sane.  Their smiles and hugs, and helpfulness make all of this So Much Easier.  For the lifetime reward of Joy at the end, like my Chris and my Sam, I'll take it!