13 Weeks And Growing

Finally! The much anticipated "belly" photo! I was 13 weeks in this picture (15 weeks now). It was the first time that I actually felt good enough to get dressed and smile in a photo in 2 months!

It hit me at 7 weeks. It was all I could do to get out of bed and half-way manage to care for Brady. I was like a pre-adolescent teen who wasn't too keen on personal hygeine. Brushing my teeth produced an unwanted response of hurling into the toilet, washing my hair made me feel like I had run a marathon while sick with mono, and getting out of my p.j.'s, which I had worn for 3 days straight, and putting on clean clothes was out of the question! Trust me people, it wasn't pretty! I couldn't keep down ice chips!

My sweet little Baby X was sucking the life right out of me! Of course, all of the time I spent on my knees bowing to the porcelin throne sent me to the emergency room one night with pretty severe dehydration. But, boy am I ever glad that it did!

After a few bags of IV fluids they pushed some Zofran through the IV. I had never heard of it and usually I'm totally against meds, especially if I'm pregnant, but that night they could have pushed crack through that line and I wouldn't have cared! Within minutes I was feeling like a human being again! Once they were satisfied that me and baby were okay they sent us to the pharmacy to pick up some Zofran to take home with me. At first I was having to take it 3 or 4 times a day to keep food and liquids down, but after about 5 or 6 weeks on it I was down to just one pill a day, in the morning, before getting out of bed. I thought, "Hey, I'm almost 15 weeks now, and finally over the ALL, DAY, SICKNESS!".

Wrong again! Last Monday I took the last of the pills. I truly thought I'd be fine. Tuesday morning I woke up wishing I had a refill! Once again, nothing I ate or drank would stay down. NOTHING! Brady had been sick with a viral infection, so I thought maybe I just got his bug. I decided to give it a day.

Wednesday morning I woke up and same scenario. Only with one other problem...Brady woke up unresponsive and limp. I was terrified! Somehow, I managed to stop heaving long enough to get him to the ER and find out what was wrong. Luckily, it was only dehydration and after about 5 hours on IV fluids, he was back to himself.

On a side note...I was totally proud of my little man! He handled all those needles and people poking him like a champ! He's one tough cookie! After they started his IV he actually thanked them!! Totally unprompted by Buck and I, he looked at them with tears still in those beautiful, blue eyes and said, "Tay-Tou". Too precious! Then he continued to thank them every time they came in the room to check on him. The nurse said if they gave awards he'd be the patient of the month.

So...back to my predicament. Since we were there in the hospital I walked down to the OB clinic to see if I could get a nurse to put in for a refill. I was told I'd have to wait for a TCON (telephone conference) and that it could be up to 72 hours. Are you kidding me? Did this woman not hear me? For almost 3 days I haven't kept down any fluids...and I'm almost 15 weeks pregnant! Anyone else think that's kind of risky?! And, a 4 day weekend was coming up. If I didn't get the Zofran by Thursday at 4:30, I'm back in the ER sometime over the weekend, cause I don't think I'll stay hydrated puking this much for the next 5 days!

I leave and go back to my baby, who at this point is ready to go home. We finally get Brady discharged and go home. The rest of the evening I was praying for that phone call and no luck! Thursday morning rolls around...still terribly sick. I wait a few hours and when no nurse calls, I call the clinic again. Again, I'm told I'll have to wait for a TCON. When no one has called me by 2:00 that afternoon and the leg cramps are starting, I call again. This time I refuse to hang up without hearing from a nurse. Finally! Results!

The nurse agrees to put in for a refill, but...I have to wait for a doctor to sign off on it, which may be a while. Great. Our pharmacy here closes at 4:30 so that would mean if the Dr. doesn't give the O.K. soon, I'm driving 40 minutes to the hospital pharmacy to pick up the meds. Luckily, all ended well and at 4:15 (just in the nick of time), my meds were in my hands!

Once again, the miracle drug is working and I'm functioning like a normal human being. I just wonder how much longer this will continue? I thought that by 15 weeks I'd be past this mess. The things we go through for our kids, huh? Funny thing is, I'm already talking about and planning for number 3! I need serious therapy don't I?!

All I know is that our children (even the one we're waiting on) have brought more joy and love into my life than I ever could have imagined! I want a house full! I love dancing to the music of little feet!