Here we go again!

Today I am 13 weeks along, according to yesterday's sonogram. The doc had a hard time getting a picture this time around because the little one wouldn't stop moving long enough for a clear picture to be taken. It almost looked like he/she was dancing. Either way, the good news is so far it's a very healthy and normal baby.

The bad news, I am now on modified bed rest. This basically means I am supposed to be laying down most of the time, but I can get up to do minor things, like get a meal, do paperwork or other light duties. But the doc still make it clear I was to be a couch potato as much as possible. I survived it before, and I'll survive it now, but I'm definitely not a happy camper at having another month of inactivity. It's a lot easier to get through morning sickness when you have something to occupy your mind, like work or the usual daily tasks. It's infiinitely more difficult when you have little/no distractions.

Big Dave, meanwhile, is the ultimate proud papa. He usually has a big goofy grin on his face, and he greets me every morning with a big, "Hottie mama!" We're in the process of deciding on a boy's name (we have a girl's name all picked out), but so far his suggestions have been vetoed by me. Among his offerings: Jebbediah, Eziekiel, and, my personal favorite, Long Duck Dong (fans of Sixteen Candles will understand). Who knows, we may hold a baby naming contest! Stay tuned for details!

14 Days and Counting!

Only 14 days until the doctor's appointment, when hopefully I will be allowed off of bedrest. WOHOO!

What's really surprising to me, though, is how little sleep I get while on "bed rest". I have to tinkle every 2 hours. Then there's the morning sickness, which hits any time it darn well wants to, no matter how I feel on the matter. During the day there are many phone calls and other interruptions. At night, more saluting of the porcelin goddess. During the wee hours of the morning, I wake up to either tinkle or salute, sometimes both. Then I can't get back to sleep until my stomach settles down. By the time I fall asleep again, a new day has started, complete with phone calls and various issues needing to be addressed.

But there are some advantages to being on bed rest. The "kids" are infinitely happy having a human to curl up with 24/7. I've been catching up on my DVD viewing. My mother hired a cleaning service to give my house a good once over. I have not had to clean a toilet or do the dishes in over 3 weeks. Best of all, my husband has started to realiize how many "little things" I do around the house, and has started to appreciate all the time and effort I put into making things run smoother. I guess he never questioned before how the bathrooms were always stockpiled with clean towels, or how we never seemed to run out of paper towels or toilet tissue, how the clothes magically traveled from clothes hamper to clothes hanger, all clean and smelling fresh. Now he knows. And I think he's come to appreciate my lists more than ever before.

In the meantime, I anxiously await the doctor's visit and long to hear the glorious words, "Get out of bed!"

When It Rains, It Pours

Another family emergency to deal with -- Big Dave's dad had open heart surgery last week to fix some blocked arteries. This forced Big Dave to go back to st. Pete for a couple of days to make sure everything went smoothly. My mom came up to take care of me. This morning we got a phone call from Big Dave's mom -- his Dad is not doing as well as expected, so he's running down there again to help his Mom with the doctors, insurance, etc.

I don't think I've ever seen Big Dave so stressed. And there's very little I can do to alleviate any of the pressures. It's such a helpless feeling, and I hate it. I'm sure when all is said and done we'll look back on these days and laugh it off, but I think we could use a few of those laughs right now.

Surprises - Good And Bad

As most of you know by now, I am pregnant -- approx 9-10 weeks. We discovered this in early November when I successfully tinkled on a pregnancy test stick. To say we were thrilled is an understatement. We scheduled an appointment with the ob-gyn for the normal 12 week first prenatal at the end of December. The weeks went by with some minor morning sickness, but otherwise everything was normal.

And just when we thought everything was sailing along smoothly, there were complications, which necessitated a trip to the ER, and then a visit to the ob-gyn. Long story short, I am now on bedrest until December 30. Sounds like your idea of heaven, right? To be ordered to stay in bed and do nothing is most people's idea of the ultimate vacation. But I'm here to tell ya, it's not all it's cracked up to be. I'm used to being up and about, doing things. Even while watching TV, I'm usually wandering around the house getting minor chores done. When I have to sit still for longer than 20 minutes, I start to fidgit. I'm the planner in the family. I make the lists (chores, groceries, etc) and see they are completed. I'm constantly juggling several to-do items in my head at any given time. To be forced to relinquish control over everything to someone else is incredibly difficult. To be forced to prioritize is both humbling and frustrating.

Fortunately, I married a very good man. Big Dave has stepped up and has tackled the tasks of running the house and businesses with gusto. He cooks my meals, he brings me snacks, and he holds my hair back during my morning sickness episodes. If that's not love, than I don't know what is.

In spite of all the frustration and difficulties (I wish morning sickness would stick to a schedule, for pete's sake!), we are looking foward to the Dec 30th appointment, when we get our next ultrasound. It'll all be worth it when we see that healthy beating heart.