June Mamas: April 11-17

[Smithie]

Time for a new thread! I guess everybody else is at church, so I will take it upon my heathen self to start one. :D

This is my 33rd week according to the radiologist, 32nd according to the midwives. The carpet cleaner cometh tomorrow, so I will be engaging in bending, stretching and heavy lifting all day today.

Question of the Week: What's your biggest regular deviation from your care provider's recommendations, and why do you do it? Mine is diet - can't give up the junk food nohow, and I do it because I'm not experiencing any ill effects related to it, so I figure it can't be killing me. In particular, others have mentioned that their babies react strongly to things like caffeine, and my baby seems completely unaffected.

[Greaseball]

I don't get a lot of recommendations...I guess I don't walk as much as they say to, mostly because I'm too tired or too sore.

I've been, uh, trickling when I cough! :blush :eek

We visited BIL and his family yesterday and our home birth plans didn't come up, which was good. Dh did refer to "the midwives" but no one asked questions. Maybe they assume we mean hospital midwives.

I wish that after dd was born I hadn't gone around telling everyone that I was sooooo glad she was born in a hospital and I most definitely would have my next baby there! You know how women in labor, or shortly afterward, say things they don't mean (like, "I'm never having sex again!")? Well, the praises of hospital birth was mine and now I have to tell everyone that I changed my mind! Even dh was surprised when a year after dd was born I told him I didn't think the hospital had been a good idea.

I'm also preparing for my GBS test. I guess you could say I'm "studying!":LOL I'm taking grapefruit seed extract, echinacea, vitamin C in addition to my prenatal vitamin, garlic caps and eating yogurt. I've been trying to cut down on sugar...not doing so well there. I normally eat at least one sugary thing a day, such as ice cream or pastry, and that doesn't count anything like jam, honey, etc. I may have.

[dharmama]

What's your biggest regular deviation from your care provider's recommendations, and why do you do it?

:scratch

Ya know...I really don't get any recommendations from my midwives. I go back and forth between really liking their carefree, anything goes attitude to wishing I was getting a LITTLE more instruction/education.

I weigh myself at every appointment and just tell them what the scale says. They write it down and make a positive comment no matter what I say - one month I gained 8 pounds...lately I'm lucky if I gain a pound.

They did recommend prescription prenatal vitamins early on and I declined the sample as they were coated in yucky purple geletin (sp?). Just told them that I prefer to take what I buy at the health food store instead and they were like...ok, no problem.

That's all I can think of.

~Erin
:love

[3girlsmommy]

I really don't have a lot of recommendations, with this pregnancy. With my first I had a HUGE list and everything freaked me out. I now realize my former doctors were stuck in the stoneage! :)

I feel like a stuffed pig!! I just got back from Easter dinner at my mom's. We had hamburgers and potato salad, I know not very traditional but it was what my brother wanted and it was his birthday. The thing that killed me was the coconut cream pie. I have been craving it for weeks so I bought one and brought it to my mom's. I ate 2 big pieces :blush and now I can't breath! :rolleyes:

Hope everyone is enjoying their day!!

[eilonwy]

Well, we had a very long morning and Mike is busy sleeping it off. It was more painful for him than it was for me :(.

Reccomendations... hm. :scratch Well, I haven't gotten many either, except that if I have lots of contractions I should go to the hospital to be monitored. I haven't been told anything about my weight, except that if there was any evidence that the baby stopped growing while I was losing that I'd have to start eating more. My doctor is totally impressed that Eli is still nursing, and all is well. So I don't think I've gotten any reccomendations that I haven't been keeping up with, really. :shrug I don't know. I guess I'll find out on Wednesday at my next appointment. :thumb

Last night I discovered that there is no longer a comfortable position for me to lie down in... I ended up sleeping in a chair :rolleyes:. That was okay, until Eli woke up and wanted to nurse. He nursed for a few seconds, then Mike brought him a bottle and he drank that and went to sleep. The problem was that between Eli and NewBean I was having a really hard time breathing :(. It didn't end until Mike picked Eli up about an hour later to sleep with him.

[Doodlebugsmom]

Hi everyone! We have had a great Easter weekend. Friday night we had both BILs and their families here. I made a big dinner for everyone and everything actually turned out really well! They all left Saturday afternoon and we've had a very relaxed weekend. I'm glad everyone seems to be doing well.

As for the QOW, my mw hasn't made any recommendations so I haven't had any trouble deviating from them. At my appt. at the beginning of March, I had gained 12lbs. since the previous one a month before. Since the same thing happened during my pg with dd, neither she nor I were worried. At my last appt., I had gained one pound since then. I don't think I've gained any since that appt. My belly is growing though. I consistently measure 2 weeks ahead, which I also did with dd.

Rynna, I know what you mean about not being comfortable at night. I can't remember the last time I got a good night's sleep.

[mattjule]

My mw is not big on the recommendations either. My previous one was, but this one I tend to tell her things and in the same sentence recognize that I know the solution. I guess the only thing I am consciously disregarding is that echinacea is on my birth supplies list and I have no intention of buying it. The times I have taken it in the past, I have not noticed a difference between taking it and not taking it. We don't use it normally and like hell I am going to spend $10 on a bottle of something I know we are never going to use. I don't know, if I had problems getting sick or getting well once I was sick, I think I'd have more interest but my immune system pretty much kicks a$$ already, so I am not concerned.

As for sugar... I am so glad I am not the only one battling sugar. The problem is our whole family likes sugar or "treats" as we call them. Highly processed sweet things like ice cream, cake, candy. So instead of one of us having a problem and the other being strong about it, we tend to agree and go get it. I gained 8 lbs in 3 wks at my last appt and it is mostly in my thighs and butt. Not to mention that when I eat sugar, Tain eats sugar b/c I can't hardly eat it in front of him. He has been pretty bad lately, so we are weaning him off sugar for the 2nd time in his short life. Today is much better, I think he only had a crying fit once. Last time when he had crying fits a lot, I attributed them to his teeth, but now I realize that they were the rollercoaster of sugar highs and lows. It was getting to the point where we couldn't get him to eat real food. We've got to stop doing this to our son. So it helps keep me on the straight and narrow, though it is still hard to pass up all the wonderful looking treats at Whole Foods. I was telling my mom that the sugar thing is so much worse for him-I'll eat 2 pieces of licorice and he'll eat 2 pieces, but I wasn't picky about eating lunch and I weigh 5 times what he does, so it is a much bigger shock to his system than mine.

[rubelin]

The things I'm having the most trouble sticking with are exercise and diet. The exercise has mostly been a problem because of my horrid pubic pain so I think I'm more upset about it than they are, but maternal health is a big deal with them. Also, they really don't want me to eat any sugar/junk and I've been so depressed/stressed lately it's all I've been wanting. I have been trying really hard to get in veggies everyday, but was a total slacker with that last month. I do at least know I'm eating WAY better than I did with Ben (I was a Pop-Tart junkie in the last months with him) and am much more active (I sat at the 'puter playing the Sims all day long in the last months with him) so that makes me feel a bit better, but it's also my first homebirth and I am feeling like I'm jeopardizing my chances of a great birth everytime I eat a cookie, which stresses me out more and makes me want more cookies :rolleyes:

I got to go swimming today!! :D The water was a bit hot, so I mostly floated (and Ben climbed all over me) but it was just lovely! I so wish we had our own pool, I'd be in it all the time!

[eilonwy]

i too crave sugar, but not consistantly or constantly. more often than not, when given a choice between an ice cream bar and a can of peas, i'll take the peas. yesterday at the easter dinner, i only ate enough dessert that noone would be offendede, but what i really wanted was some mre veggies. i didn't have much of an appetite at all (long morning), so i only ate out of a feeling of obligation. even so, fil commented on how little i'd eaten. i didn't say anything, and then he said "i guess there's not that much room in there for food, huh?" i was so relieved to have an out!

carrying eli, i gained weight in a hurry at this point, but if i'm gaining much at all, it's definately going much more slowly this time. woohoo! if i keep this up, i'll be able to wear a lot of pre-eli clothing after newbean arrives; if i can get into a 14 or so, it'll about triple the size of my wardrobe! (i was a 14 for a pretty long time before eli was born). :banana

[Ceili]

Recommendations.... Well I'm a little lax on remembering to take my prenatals and drink the Red Raspberry Tea. That's about it. She's never commented about my weight. It's bounced around quite a bit (last month I lost a pound from the stomach flu), but she never seems concerned.

[lilzark]

Hi! I have just been catching up on like 2 weeks of posts. It's been a crazy week. Last weekend hubby threw a surprise party for me for my 30th birthday. Most of my friends and family had never been to my house before, so it was lovely.

I feel a little discouraged about diet right now. The place I go has 6 midwives so I rotate mw's each time. They (at least some ladies) seem to look closely at weight. My appt before last, one said I was still "behind" 2-3 lbs and needed to catch up. So I started eating yogurt. The next time I went in, I was told I had gained too much (7.5 lbs) and needed to slow down!! That is so frustrating. What am I supposed to do now??

Anyway, my biggest vice has been sweets, I have managed to cut out most of them at this point but I still like Silk with chocolate. I don't really understand why some of you are avoiding carbs... noone mentioned this to me. Why is that a good idea, other than to fit more protein into your diet?

I am amazed that some of you can tell your baby's position. I am 30 weeks now but I still feel like my belly's small. I usually can't tell if the pokes are hands or feet or what. The only thing I can feel clearly is when the baby turns over because that feels like shoulders moving. But I have no idea if it's upside down or upright. I also have lost all touch with internal organs... last night after Easter meal I couldn't figure out if I was having a cramp or a tummy ache. :LOL

[liz-hippymom]

QOW-
i am also being bugged by my midwfe to cut out the sugar, but i CANT! i love sugar! i am sooooo much better in this pregnancy than i was with kiryn- with him it was whatever i wanted whenever i wanted. now i at least know something about nutrition, so the guilt keeps me more in line. but still if she knew the stuff i ate on a dialy basis she'd freak. :yikes:
plus i feel really bad the past two weeks, because i have lost my appitite again.. i am eating so littel, and all i want is junk so i am feeling like i am starving this poor babe.. when i went to my last appointment (tw weeks ago) i found out id gained less than i thought ..i thought id gained 15 or so pounds, but i was only at 12..part of me feels proud (some stupid highschool want to be skinny thing), but mostly i am worried i am not gaining enough (with kiryn by now id gained 30-something)

id rather not think about all of this!

[Queen of Cups]

The only suggestion I didn't take from my midwife was to do the GD screening. She said she recommended it because its suprizing how often it pops up in people with no risk factors, but told me that I was free to decline any procedure and gave me no grief about it at all.

I'm exhausted at the moment - my parents came in for Easter weekend and we had a WONDERFUL time, but it was a long weekend. Tomorrow, DH and I are going to go meet with a mortgage broker, and I think that worrying about that is making me feel even more tired. We really want to buy a house, but with DH (who makes 2x what I make) being self-employed its going to be a lot harder to qualify for a mortgage. Send me happy house vibes, please!!!

[Modesto Doula]

QOW- My biggest deviation is diet too... Im an admitted Junk Food Junkie. And worse, I cant cook without starting from a box... It makes it worse because she says to eat as few white flour products/ refined sugars as possible and Im thinking "Well, the cake mix I used for the chocolate fudge cake sitting on the counter was brown, LOL..." Yeah, between that and Breyers Dulce de Leche ice cream, Im in heaven... Im very much a grazer, I dont plan what Im gonna eat, and I eat whatever sounds good at the time. It might be a bowl of broccoli or a bowl of ramen- or one on top of the other, LOL.

Also, I havent been able to drink her herbal tea. Ive been trying, Ive been making whole pitchers of her herbal mix and Raspberry Zinger or something I like, but then a couple days goes by and I find its growing :( . When I make tea with the teas I like, I have to make it everyday...

Other than that she hasnt made any suggestions except to take all of my prenatals. I'm still only taking 2 out of the 3 for the daily dose, but she has stated before that my she's surprised my labs are so good for someone who is allergic to so many foods, so I dont stress.

Has anyone else had trouble sleeping lately? Usually I can get back to sleep within minutes of coming back from the bathroom, but the last couple weeks its been taking a while, sometimes an hour or more! This morning I woke up at 6:00 and couldnt get back to sleep, so I got up and had a cup of soup and watched an hour or morning TV before going back to sleep at 830. DC slept til 930 and 10, and I got up at 1030... Im still tired, and I feel like Im awake in bed more than asleep.

[irishgreengables]

I don't know if it is spring or the pregnancy but I am craving fresh fruits and veggies again -- which I also did towards the end of the first trimester. I want red foods -- red peppers, tomatoes, and strawberries -- like mad. This will hopefully counterbalance my need for daily chocolate (that food that dh and I had not eaten for a year because we have difficulties with the slavery issues in chocolate and so now have to travel f30 miles to get the fair trade stuff so I can have my daily supply).

In other news, a friend who has triplet girls just brought over a ton of clothes. We seriously do not need to buy a thing for this baby. I am so happy!

Can you all believe how close it is coming? 9 more weeks for me and I am stunned!

Peace,

[mattjule]

My only trouble with sleep is that when I get up to pee, my reflux is always bad and it keeps me awake/uncomfortable.

I was curious, what have your dso's said about your labors? For those with previous births, I mean a while after baby was born, like months or years, you know, when they have had time to process and you aren't so sensitive. :) For those with first babies, have you talked about what your dso is expecting it to be like? Fears/joys?

My dh was wonderful during my first labor and birth, but when we got pg with this one, we started talking about things I'd like to be different and it came out that he actually was quite tense and felt out of place and would like to not be the sole support person this time. He talked about how it was hard to see me in pain, how he felt helpless and when the mw showed up, felt he didn't belong there anymore. I was curious what other's are finding out/how their dso's have processed the experience.

At first I thought Rowan was moving-he is getting big and it was really uncomfortable when he tried to change position yesterday. But I am not feeling actual movement so I think I am getting BH. They are such a weird feeling. Not painful, but definitely noticable at this stage and vaguely uncomfortable. They feel a lot different from the ones I got with Tain. Old saggy uterus I guess. :LOL

[Greaseball]

Ugh, the sleeping thing...I'm feeling like the princess and the pea. I like soft mattresses, and the one we had wasn't soft enough so dh got a thick foam pad, which helped at first but now isn't good enough. It's like I can feel the individual springs, and since I sleep on my sides, I wake up with sore hips.

[rubelin]

I say Ugh on the sleep issue, too. It took me at least an hour last night to get comfortable enough to sleep, I kept getting punched in the cervix, YEOW!!! It hurt so much I actually got up to make sure I wasn't bleeding! :eek On top of not being able to find a comfortable position, my ulcers have been hurting and I'm having regular heartburn, too. My goddess, how am I going to make it through 8 more weeks?!?!?! Dan keeps telling me that he's gonna remember all this when I want to do it again in a few years, but I'm thinking we might look into the adoption thing a little more seriously for the next babe, the more uncomfortable I get the more I really am not sure I can do this again.

OK, enough whining for tonight :) Better finish up and go find something healthy to eat! Hope you all sleep well!!

[Greaseball]

Does anyone else get shooting abdominal pains? I usually get one a day. It's not a cramp, it's more of a sudden sharp stabbing feeling and then it's gone. It's mostly in the lower abdomen, and mostly in the evening. I don't think it's a bh ctxn; I've never experienced those.:confused:

[eilonwy]

Greaseball, if the shooting pains are toward the front of your pelvis/abdomen, they're probably round ligament pains. Toward the back (like at/below your kidneys) they're probably sciatica. I've had both, and they really suck :(. Late in pregnancy with Eli, he'd punch me so hard in the round ligaments that if I was standing up I'd literally crumple back into my chair.

The discomforts of this pregnancy have been... well, discomforts. It's just so much easier than carrying Eli was, I have to laugh. At this point I was homicidal and angry and in agonizing pain every single day with Eli. Serious, horrible pain. I would cry at night because I couldn't breathe, the heartburn was sooo painful, I was having contractions fairly regularly (about 4/hour at 29 weeks), I was getting frequent migraines (only 1-2/week, as opposed to the 4-6/week I had in the first trimester)... I was so tired and unhappy and on my best days everything hurt. The most painful things I've had to deal with this pregnancy don't hold a candle to what I dealt with the first time around. Even the sciatica... with Eli, I had it on both sides and couldn't get any relief no matter what I did (or didn't do). This time, I've only got it on one side, so if I sleep on the other side I wake up with a clean slate. :shrug

So yeah, I'm having trouble sleeping.. but I'm still getting soo much more sleep than I'd expected to get at this point in pregnancy that I'm thrilled to pieces with it.

:fingersx: Hopefully my labor will follow this pattern! :fingersx:

I can't believe how quickly this is moving, either. 11 weeks, and I keep thinking that I can't really be in the third trimester already, what the heck happened to the first? :LOL It's kind of funny, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop with this pregnancy. I'll probably be 6 months pp before I figure it out. :LOL :laugh:

Mike is very excited about this baby, and about being at the birth. He's had more worries than I have... will the baby be cute, will the labor be difficult, will Eli feel displaced, etc but he's still looking forward to it. He feels much more prepared to advocate for me this time, and to sneak around and break rules for me (we've decided that I'm eating whatever the heck I want during labor, and we're just not going to talk to anyone about it. :LOL) He's prepared to take charge! :thumb

I'm hoping for a much smoother ride, but I'm not holding my breath for it. I'm going in expecting it to be pretty crappy and miserable, and that way I'll be prepared for the worst should it happen. If I go in expecting things to be easy again, I know I'll just be asking for trouble. Better safe than sorry!

[Steve's Sweety]

Caregiver recs - Mine never really has any for me. I obsess about things to her and she tells me not to worry and gives me explanations for why different things happen.

Sleeping - I have had the same problem on and off throughout my pregnancy. I don't know what makes it come and go. Right now I seem to be doing ok.

DH's Expectations for labor - Hmm, maybe we should discuss it, but I don't think he really has any. He's not like me, trying to analzye everything to death and figure it out ahead of time, he just goes with the flow and says we'll worry about things when it comes that time. I guess I thought I was preparing him ahead of time by telling him how bad I might be and then if I'm not that bad it will be a relief. I hope he doesn't end up being traumatized.

--------------

In other news, I was all excited yesterday when I asked the mw what I was measuring at 31 wks and she said 31.
Then she added that she but thought that was off bc the baby was breech this time.:eek
She said they don't get concerned about that until 34-36 wks, but I'm concerned about it. I kept swearing there wasn't room anymore for baby to turn around and DH kept saying he thought s/he could. Guess I have to believe there's still room for him/her to turn *back* around now. Funny thing is, the little bugger was already head down at 19 wks at our u/s. Not that I can tell if s/he stayed that way the whole time until recently, but I took it as a good sign.

[Ceili]

I've been having a hard time getting back to sleep for a while. My bladder wakes me up around 3:30 or 4:00 and I usually have to move to the sofa to get back to sleep.

I've been having that "princess and the pea" feeling since the beginning. We have a futon mattress and I've always loved it, but during the first couple of months I had to pile things on top of it to get even close to being comfortable. We have a new pillowtop king sized bed coming soon, and I can't wait.

[curlygrrl]

My mom was supposed to go with me to my midwife's appointment today but she cancelled. I was ready to tell the midwife not to announce my weight gain because my mom *loves* to give me a hard time about it. Last time (3wks ago) it was 20lbs so at this point I give up. I was hoping only to gain 15 but it was not to be!

My midwives don't give many recommendations either. I figured I was going to be read the riot act when they read my diet sheet I had to turn in but she said overall I was doing okay but I should try to eat out less, too much grease. Lately for some reason DH & I haven't felt like cooking at all. I might occasionally surpass the recommended level of caffeine per day but I don't sweat it.

[Smithie]

Wow, I slept for 6 straight hours last night - 2 a.m. to 8 a.m.! I must be dehydrated. :rotflmao

I took my 6 y.o. cousin to my mw appt yesterday - she was a preemie (31 weeks!) and so were her brothers, so she thinks restricted activity for Mom and a stay in the NICU are normal parts of the birthing process. I'm hoping we can change that perception, although if I get transferred and sectioned it will probably convince her 100% that birth is scary and awful. Honestly, the only thing that makes me feel performance anxiety is this child.

In other news, I weighed 145.5, which puts my weight gain at over 20 lbs. I just wish so much of it wasn't in my face, arms and booty - James is a pretty compact package and I'm measuring two weeks behind. But should there be a famine in the next year, I am all set. :p

Papaya tablets seem to help with my heartburn. I also added another pillow to the bed last night - which was being embraced by dh when I woke up.

[Modesto Doula]

I see you all talking about 20 pounds of weight gain, thats fantastic, but it doesnt seem like enough to me, because I always gain a lot in pregnancy. With DD I gained 60 pounds- lost 35 in 6 weeks, then with DS I gained 40 and lost it all but 5 pounds within 6 weeks. At my last appt I was up 35 pounds at 30 weeks. Im not worried about it, except that its really tough to find extra large maternity pants that dont have the full frontal belly panel (which I HATE), and Im growing out of my favorites. I know the weight will come off rather quickly after the baby is born, and the last few pounds will wait until a year or so after like before.

Sleep sucked so bad last night... DS went to bed really early and so woke up at 330 AM to toss and turn until about 5. Im glad he stays in bed when its bedtime and doesnt want to go play, but there was no sleeping for me... Right about the time he went to sleep, the baby woke up and started tossing and turning and hitting and kicking, so that kept me up. I dozed off a few minutes and had an awful nightmare, and then I was up until 630 or so. At 930 when I woke, DH said I could go back to bed for a while, but I still couldnt go back to sleep, so I just got up.

<<<THIS IS JUST CREEPY>>>About the nightmare I had... It was so awful, and so weird. I dreamt someone was in our bedroom, standing over the bed rustling a shopping bag, making noise. He was walking around the room watching us sleep and taking things. I was trying to wake DH but I couldnt move, couldnt talk... Then I woke up, just terrified. Noone. Noone could get in my house without waking up our dogs and setting them off anyway... So I calm myself down, try to relax. I have to pee, so I start to get out of bed. When I get to the bottom of the bed, I put my had on the footboard to help me get out, and I touch something that doesnt belong there, and it MAKES THE NOISE I HEARD IN MY DREAM... I grabbed it and it was a yellow post-it note, blank, stuck tot he footboard of my bed.
It was not there three hours before when I got up to pee. I know that, cause I get out of bed the same way every time, and I always think about how its not good for the footboard to do that. Kimber was sleeping peacefully next to the bed, DH might as well have been unconsious. I went pee, but it was a LONG time before I went to sleep.
There were other post it notes on our blanket chest at the foot of the bed that I saw in the morning. Dh says he has no idea where they came from. I dont either. The kids werent playing in the room last night before bed, Zack fell asleep early and when we went in, Kimber went to sleep next to him... So Im befuddled. :confused:

Anyway, Im glad the windows were all closed last night. If they hadnt been, and I hadnt KNOWN the doors were all locked, I never would have gotten back to sleep.

[mattjule]

man, I am behind you guys (29 wks) and my weight gain is 31 lbs.! The last 5-8 have definitely been in my thighs and behind, but everything else is going to baby. I think gaining a little fat all over is pretty normal for pregnancy, God knows I used it quickly in the early days of bfing last time. I am trying to make a renewed effort to not eat "empty" food, though. But if I keep up this trend, I wil gain just as much as I did with Tain. Surprising, considering I ate horribly with him. Guess this is just how my body works...

[Greaseball]

I'm 37 lbs in 33 weeks. I see women who are due any day now who are smaller than me. I also outgrew all panel pants, and with dd I was able to wear non-maternity shirts up until 7 months. No chance of that with this one!

Sometimes I wonder where all the weight goes, since it's not very obvious how much I've gained until I weigh myself.

[rubelin]

Well, I've got a new symptom since the weekend, my feet are swelling :( I was hoping to avoid it this time (was put on bedrest by my stupid OB last time because of it) guess I really haven't been taking good enough care of myself. Gotta up the water intake and get me some watermelon! I hate having little sausage toes!

I can't remember who asked about talk with DH about labor. Last time was awful, Dan was a mess seeing me in so much pain and being steamrolled by the hospital. He was not exactly what I'd call good birth support :rolleyes: We did have lots of long talks about it about a year after and got past the blame and guilt and all and we're going into this time a lot more prepared. He's very excited about it all and happy that we have such an awesome team of midwives that we both trust, so he's feeling like he'll be able to be much more present to it all and not just numb with fear. I'm also not relying on him in the same way this time, I'll have others to support me and he can just have his own experience without being in charge of being my advocate.

[Greaseball]

My dh was wonderful birth support last time. He worked almost as hard as I did! He was always there (except when he left for 10 minutes to get food, but the doula was there then), he brought me stuff to throw up in, he never complained about blood or being tired, he didn't watch TV...:love

[rubelin]

I think I had a different definition of birth support. Dan was there the whole time (except when I sent him to get some food after I'd gotten the epi) He was on his feet, shirt soaked with sweat, and didn't complain at all and he was very present during the pushing, birthing part for that last hour. But, during the first few wretched hours when they were sticking things in me and doing all their hospital-ly stuff he was a deer in the headlights, beyond freaked out and no help to me whatsoever. It wasn't pretty.

[mattjule]

Brooke-that is CREEPY! I wanted to tell my dh, but I know if I do, he'll dream something similar tonight. :rolleyes: Glad to know you all are safe and sound.

Robin, Matt was similar only without the yucky hospital stuff (we had a hb). It isn't so much about how supportive he is capable of being as it is about what he takes away from the experience. I want him to remember our dc's births with joy and wonder, not tension and fear and stress. So I am not making him my main support person. If he needs a break, I want him to have one. I think it will help with the bonding, too. Tain bonded so tightly to me from the moment he was born that it is only as he has gotten to be 2 yo or so that he loves daddy as much. that was really hard for Matt, too. It is convenient for him that Tain will need him during my labor. They can be labor buddies and have some special together time when things get to be too much. At least that is the plan. :D

[Queen of Cups]

So, we've had an eventful day - we went and started the process for applying for a mortgage! I really, really like the mortgage broker we're working with, and he did a great job of easing my worries. We were pre-qualified today, and should have final pre-approval within a week. And its for the price-range we were planning on! Now, the only complication is that we'll be moving right about the time the baby is born! But that's okay... At least we'll have lots of family visiting to help us move! I'm going to go hardcore nesting for the next six weeks so all we'll have to do is put stuff in boxes and walk out the door when its time.

I'm feeling really good physically, actually. My weight gain seems to have slowed a bit - I'm 32.5 weeks and I've gained about 26 pounds - but none of that in the last couple of weeks. I'd be happy to stay right at 26 for the rest of the ride - doesn't weight gain often slow/stop in the last month? I have terrible heartburn occasionally, but it hasn't been constant lately. I get tired more easily, but overall I feel great! The Braxton Hicks surges are pretty minor and the leg cramps aren't too bad and my hypnosis que-words take care of the discomfort immediately in both cases!

I'm sorry to hear that so many of you are having a tough time - I really don't mean to gloat! My mom had TERRIBLE pregnancies, she originally planned to have 5-6 kids, but had her tubes tied after two. But she had it about 10x better than her mother did, so I'm hoping this trend just continues!!

DH was VERY hesitant/uncomfortable about being a birthing coach at first, and was VERY skeptical about the Hypnobabies program. But after seeing how amazing it works whenever I'm in any kind of pain he's jumped on the bandwagon. He was explaining the whole fear-tension-pain cycle to the nurse when we did the hospital tour last weekend. By the way, the hospital seemed great - they said they only take the baby to the nursery if you specifically ask them to (rooming in is the norm), husbands are welcome to also room in, and they love to pamper new mamas... it actually sounds pretty nice! The rooms are lovely, too, very spacious and nicely decorated with lots of cabinets to hide all the equipment in.

PS - my latest belly pic is at http://www.photogrove.com/gallery/album05/PICT1839

[dharmama]

Queenie ~ I always :love your belly pics!! :D

Is anyone else starting to feel like the days are flying by. I have SO much to do and I just don't know when I'm going to get it done. :o

I used to get all annoyed when I heard pregnant women talk about all the stuff they had to do before the baby was born. I would think to myself....babies don't NEED a nursery, or a crib, or whatever else people tend to think they need.

But now that it's me...I'm really feeling the pressure. It's not so much that I'm trying to get things done for the baby....but that I'm using the baby as a deadline to ahem....encourage my DH to get some things done in the house that we have been talking about doing for years. :rolleyes:

And then at work...I'd like to stop working at the beginning of June...so all of the sudden I'm feeling like WOW....that's SIX WEEKS from now. :eek

Anyway...sorry to :blah I'm having trouble sleeping at night so I have WAY too much time to think.

~Erin
:love

[3girlsmommy]

Erin- I know what you mean about time flying! We have the shelves built in the hallway, the head board to Lauren's bed is just waiting for the second coat of paint and the baby's room has the base coat and jsut needs to have the stripes painted. Now we just need to do the shelves in our room, paint our room, buy the dresser for Lauren(the baby is getting her dresser/changing table combo and clean the carpets. The carpets are getting done this weekend because it will be nice enough to open all the windows!


About dh being the support person. I know my dh loves me and tries his best but the first time was so long and he was so tired(I wouldn't let him sleep because I didn't want to be "alone"). He did a great job but he was clueless. Thanks god for our awesome nurses! The second time, well we had the midwife that is very forceful and he was imtimidated by her. HE has a hard time standing up to authority so to speak. He was also coming down with a nasty cold(I just bought vitamin C last night to hopefully prevent that from happening this time). So this time we have hired a doula! She is wonderful and I'm getting to know her pretty well! We are actually on a breastfeeding board together, although I didn't know that when we hired her. This is our last baby and I want dh & I to remember it in a positive light. It took a long time to work through my last birth(#$*$& midwife) and things were pretty shaky between us for a while.

Alright I need to run!

HAve a great day everyone! :)

[curlygrrl]

Hi :p

My DH was a *rock* in labor. I didn't really need a whole lot, mainly a hand to hold during the contractions, or someone to lean on (until I got into the tub, I could only stand during contractions). He encouraged me to relax my mouth a lot, probably too much but he did great.

My MW appointment went well. She said the head was down and she let my DS help with the doppler. It was so cute!

I have a very important question I need advice on. My co-workers have asked me to give them a list of things I need for this baby. Well I don't really need much but one thing I really do need is a stroller, with the air filled wheels. I would like either a jog stroller or one of those new 3-wheeled strollers with the front tire that turns. The prices on these average about $90-180. All my co-workers (4, 2 of them highly paid) will be pitching in for my gift. I don't want to seem greedy and ask for something so expensive. On the other hand, with my DS they gave me 3 months of diaper service which ran about $150! What do you think?

Tamara

[dharmama]

Tamara ~ Ya know...since they asked...I'd present it like...

Well...the only thing we are really needing at this point is a stroller...but those are pretty expensive.

:W

Pause for reaction.

If the person is like...that's ok, we're chipping in...then by all means...tell them which stroller you want.

If not you could say, I would love a gift certificate to XYZ store where they sell strollers. That would be SO helpful.

~Erin
:love

[Doodlebugsmom]

Good morning everyone! My dh is very excited about my labor and birth. Last time, the only stressful part for him was when my body started pushing WITH FORCE 20 minutes before we got to the hospital. When we finally made it there without the baby being born, he was fine. There was nothing hospital-y about it for him to get freaked about. Our mw told me to go ahead and do whatever I needed to do. She sat next to dh and instructed him on what to do. He caught dd and placed her up on my belly. He thought it was the greatest thing ever. He knows I'm planning a waterbirth this time and he may not get to catch this one, but he's fine with that. The whole thing is just very amazing and cool to him.

I hear you guys on not getting any sleep. Dd hasn't been sleeping well the last few nights. That, along with my need to pee 3-4 times a night has been hard.

Tamara, I would take Erin's advice on your co-workers' gift situation.

[dharmama]

I just submitted my request for maternity leave!!! :D

June 7 - Sept. 7 (although I'm not actually planning to return in Sept. :) )

[Greaseball]

OK, I started having this weird vagina thing! When I walk, I get this sore feeling in my outer vulvar area. It doesn't hurt when I press on it, just when I walk.:confused:

Other than that, I'm having second thoughts about having dd at the birth. Since this is supposed to be our last baby I wonder if I'll regret not having her there, but I can't pretend she won't be demanding attention all the time, even if we do get someone to be with her. So I don't know...sometimes I think that giving her attention would be a welcome distraction from the pain, but then if this labor is going to be as painful as #1, I'll be completely out of my mind.

[curlygrrl]

Greaseball- I'm having that same weird feeling when I walk too!

I also KWYM about having your child at the birth. I definately want him there but am still worrying about him demanding attention. I, personally, would probably hate having to worry about that while in labor. We're going to have both his grandmas there and, hopefully, his uncle but still I worry. DH says I just worry too much. Someone has to, I guess.

[3girlsmommy]

I just got back from my doctor's appointment and all is well. I passed my glucose test! Yippeee! And the baby is head down which means that I can do squats again at the gym! Yippee!!

It was a good appointment! I love my doctor! He was haning out chatting with my girls. He's so mellow and very midwifey, very non-intervention!

Tamara- You could always go and register at the place where they sell the stroller you want and then if they want to get you the stroller they will otherwise you could return somethings and get the stroller.

[mattjule]

I agree with what Erin had to say about the stroller-put it out there, but give them an out if they feel it is too expensive. It's never as fun to give a gift cert as it is to give an actual item, but they asked what you NEEDED and that is an honest answer.

I don't know about the rest of you, but my latent/early labor wasn't painful. It was only after my water broke and I was dilating at blinding speed and the ctx were close together that they got intense. So I plan to have ds be there in the beginning when I don't need to focus on the labor and when things start to get more intense, dh is going to take him somewhere to play until I start pushing. (well, that is the plan anyway) I think it is a good compromise, a way to include him while not scaring him or trying to split my attention. It isn't that important that ds or dh see the actual birthing so much as be there right afterward to welcome the new baby as a family.

[Steve's Sweety]

And the baby is head down which means that I can do squats again at the gym! Umm...I don't mean to blame my babe going breech on something...well maybe I do bc s/he was head down already even at 19 wks! Anyway, I just started Bradley classes and doing squats/pelvic rocks/ all that stuff in the last several weeks, and NOW the babe decides to turn?!?
Is there some connection I should know about?

[3girlsmommy]

I don't know if there is a connection but I was told not to do squats if the baby was breech because it could cause him/her to decend into the pelvis and then not be able to turn. If your little one is breech you can find a chiro that does the Webster technique. The chiro that I go to has a 7 out of 7 record for moms that were referred to him because of breech babies.

Good Luck!

[Steve's Sweety]

Hrumph, and just today I was thinking how good I was doing getting all my squatting in at work.

Ooh, I go to a chiro, I will have to ask him about it at my next appt.

[Greaseball]

My belly is so heavy today! It just drags me down when I try to walk. And whenever I start walking, the baby starts kicking and pushing against my navel! It's pretty uncomfortable.:crying

[eilonwy]

Hey Greaseball, I've still got my belly-lifting elastic belt-thingy from Eli, if you'd like it. I have no need of if this time around.. my belly feels like an air-filled beachball under my shirt. :LOL

I had a doctor's appointment today and have gained... nothing! :LOL I am still at -30 from my prepregnancy weight. I feel fabulous, I look super cute, and I'm thrilled with the world. (Special note: please remember that I am a fat person, and -30 puts me at 205, 5'1". I am now a perfect maternity 14. :LOL) :thumb My GD test came back 117, which is lovely. :) I'm a little bit anemic, which is no surprise to anyone. My doctor said I should try to get my iron up somehow but if I can't take the pills I shouldn't worry about it too much; it's just that women who go into labor anemic tend to have more problems than women who don't. I've heard a lot about flouridix (sp?) but it's wicked expensive, so we'll see... maybe my yard sale will help buy me some, eh?

Tomorrow, we have an ultrasound scheduled! :) Mike will get to see the baby, I will get to see the baby, Eli will get to see the baby.. and hopefully we'll be able to find out the gender! :LOL I'm really looking forward to it. I hope that Mike can come.. he may just find a way to sneak out (like he did last time! :LOL) but it's complicated this time by the fact that his co-worker who would be most likely able to help is... nine months pregnant! :LOL She's due, I believe, on the 17th; no signs of labor yet, but she's still really close and it's unlikely she'll be able to do any extra time for Mike tomorrow.

My brother's girlfriend is pregnant, and I've half-way crunchified her.. :LOL She only found out a little bit ago but she's already asked me how she can find a sling! I've been showing her links to cute cloth diapers for a while (you know, the stuff that's fun to look at but which only a hyena can afford :LOL) and she really wants to use cloth. Her mother was totally aghast at the idea and told her they harbor bacteria (myth!) but she's willing to use sposies when she sees her mom and cloth everywhere else. :thumb It's so cool to know what an influence I've had on her in the short time we've known each other (I only met her last summer; my brother has known her for over a year). I even got her to log on to MDC, after much persuasion. :LOL

I'm super happy today! :LOL :D :LOL Now if only we could get this apartment clean, life would be even better! :thumb

[Greaseball]

Sure, I'll take the belt! I sent a large envelope for the bead so you can just send it in that. I can paypal the postage.

I also noticed my navel is out! I don't know if it's out all the way, but it looks like it. Now I'm freaking out, thinking the baby has dropped and I'm going to go into labor any day now. I don't know how to feel for the head so I can't tell if it's floating or not.

[mattjule]

Okay, I haven't had any wake in the middle of the night worst pain in your life leg cramps (I had one with Tain so I can accurately compare). But my left leg has felt crampy all day, it combined with my back is why I got up at 6 am this morning. Not absolute god-aweful pain, but persistent achiness that just beats you down after a while, like when you stand around in the cold for a long time? I took double calcium today, but it doesn't seem to be helping. Anyone have any ideas?

[mattjule]

Oh! Rynna, are you checking your pm's? I've pm'ed you a couple times and I haven't gotten a response. It isn't really anything response-worthy, I just want to know you got the info.

[curlygrrl]

Originally posted by Greaseball
I also noticed my navel is out! I don't know if it's out all the way, but it looks like it. Now I'm freaking out, thinking the baby has dropped and I'm going to go into labor any day now. I don't know how to feel for the head so I can't tell if it's floating or not.

We must be twins, LOL!! Ever since that weird feeling in my crotch started I swear it's the way I felt only a couple weeks before I had DS after he dropped! It really feels like the baby is pushing down there. But luckily, my midwife at my appointment Tues helped me learn how to feel the head. I don't know how to describe it exactly, except to say that it's the only body part that kind of wobbles/swivels back and forth. Well, I'm trying to find it right now to help with my description and i cant! :o Anyhow, i think it's easier to detect when reclining/laying down.

[eilonwy]

Originally posted by mattjule
Oh! Rynna, are you checking your pm's? I've pm'ed you a couple times and I haven't gotten a response. It isn't really anything response-worthy, I just want to know you got the info.

:duh I thought I had responded. :rolleyes: Okay, I'm losing it. It's time to put some earplugs in to keep the rest of my brain from sloshing out... :LOL

[Ceili]

Julie try eating some bananas. Leg cramps can be caused by low potassium levels. I used to get really bad, wake you in the middle of the night, leg cramps.

I just got a phone call from the delivery people and my brand new KING SIZED bed is coming on Monday. YAY!

[mattjule]

Congrats Ceili! We got ours about a month ago and it has been HEAVEN.

Thanks Rynna!

[Steve's Sweety]

my midwife at my appointment Tues helped me learn how to feel the head. I don't know how to describe it exactly, except to say that it's the only body part that kind of wobbles/swivels back and forth. I was just talking to Steve last night about how we should have had the mw show him what she was feeling! I was pushing around trying to figure out if OBOL is still breech and toward the middle of my stomach I found that if I pushed from right to left I could feel what felt like baby poke out the left side (I have an anterior placenta so I can never tell what I'm feeling but I still poke around at it anyway). I didn't think of it being his/her head, I kind of hope it wasn't the way I was pushing it.

[curlygrrl]

When the midwife showed us the head was kind of on the underside of the bulge in my stomach, I can imagine it is harder to tell when the head is more toward the middle.

[Doodlebugsmom]

At my last appt., my mw showed me how to feel the head. I was amazed at how low it is! It's like right on my pubic bone. No wonder I have so much pain in that area and feel like I always have to pee! As for leg cramps, I battle them every night and there is no way I'm low on potassium! I have learned not to point my toes at night to stretch my legs. I only pull my toes up toward my knees. That makes the cramping go away.

Ceili, you'll love your king size bed. The only problem is when you go somewhere and have to sleep in a queen size or smaller. It seems almost ridiculous! Maybe that's just because we always have a kid and two dogs in bed with us too!

I have not been able to force myself to cook dinner the last two nights. I think this also happened in my third trimester with dd. I just can't do it! I just feel like having some toast with pb&j for dinner tonight. We have some leftovers for dd, but I don't know what dh will eat. I feel so obligated to fix a good dinner every night. I'm feeling really guilty. Anyone else not feel like cooking now?

[wildthing]

So much to catch up on. Have I ever been lagging!

I learned how to feel my baby's position with baby #3. The head feels round, firm and can move independently of the body. Last week, I told dh that baby was breech, that it felt like a bowling ball under my ribs, and he seemed skeptical. We had an u/s on Saturdya, and sure enough, breech. I wasn't worried, I figured there is plenty of time to move.

Tuesday, I was driving to pick dd up from work, and baby was making some HUGE movements, lots of pressure everywhere. I wanted so bad to stand up, but I was stuck in the car in rush hour traffic. I got home, laid down, and decided it felt as though baby had turned head down. Saw the midwife yesterday, and she says "Hm, I can't really tell how your baby is laying." I said "Well, I am pretty sure she* is head down, but I have a deep pelvis, so I have to really feel in deep to find it myself." SO, she felt a little deeper and she said "Oh yeah, definitely head down." I was so proud of myself, that I really knew exactly what was going on. Gives me so much confidence for my UC.

Incidentally, I put the * next to the "she" comment, not because we have found out, but I just have a very strong feeling that this baby is a girl. It is almost overwhelming how strong it is. Of course, I'll feel pretty silly if it is a boy! :LOL

Re:recommendations-My midwife doesn't give me any. Because I am planning a UC, I have been super concious of things, more than in any of my pregnancies, really. I recently realized that I am not getting enough iron, so I did get some Floradix last night. Rynna, I agree it was relaly expensive $32 for a bottle. But I couldn't figure out how to get enough iron dietarily otherwise. I drink my RRL tea every day, and cut out the refined sugar and flour. My weakness has been fruits/veggies, mostly because I don't like many fruits, and veggies seem like work to prepare. I am going to make a batch of homemade salsa tonight though, and then make some whole wheat pita chips for dipping.

Steve's Sweety, my placenta is also anterior, and I don't feel much right there. I feel movement and body parts all around the sides though. It is unusual for me, I have never had my placenta on the front.

Sleeping SUCKS!!!! Okay, not sleeping is what sucks! I have the worst heartburn I have ever had. It keeps me up at night, and then I lay there wanting to cry. I have papaya enzyme tablets that help, but not completely. And if the heartburn isn't killing my sleep, baby gets really active around 3:00am, almost every night. Dh gets up with the kids aorund 6:00am, but his alarm wakesm e up anyway, then I take forever to get back to sleep, if I ever do. :(

Okay, having said all that, I still love being pregnant. :love I love my tummy, I love feeling my baby move. I love it all...maybe that's why this is #8 for me :LOL

[Smithie]

My birth center sells this stuff, and unless you have compelling veg issues, it's really just ferrous gluconate in a liquid medium. I've been taking ferrous gluconate pills (as opposed to ferrous sulfate, which is the compound we normally think of as "iron") for three weeks, and no problems with pooping or anything like that. I got it for $8 at the drugstore.

We're on Lesson Six in the Bradley series - so tonight we talk about second stage labor. Exciting! :D

[Greaseball]

Does anyone know of prenatal vites that don't smell bad? I'm almost done with the bottle I have, but I want to get a different one next time. I can't stand the smell of ferrous sulfate. I have to hold my breath when I open the bottle and when I swallow.

[eilonwy]

*sigh* I had another bad day (http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=135199) today. I'm now paranoid, depressed, and unhappy. :crying

And after all that, two and a half hours, we still don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl. I thought I saw girl-parts, but nothing I can be certain of. *sigh* I think I'll go stand in the shower until the hot water runs out.

[Queen of Cups]

Rynna, I'm so sorry to hear about the stress at the ultrasound... My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

I'm finally going to bed - we went and looked at houses all evening and I'm exhausted and overwhelmed...

[Greaseball]

Sorry about the bad u/s...I don't have any advice, just try posting the same thing in the midwives forum.

:hug

[dharmama]

Oh Rynna :hug what a stressful day. I think you got some good advice on your other thread. One thing at a time...try not to let your worries get ahead of you (I KNOW it's hard).

Sending good thoughts your way....

~Erin
:love

[3girlsmommy]

Rynna-:hug I'm sorry you are going through this. Try to relax, drink tons of water and think positive thoughts. You will be in my thoughts.

[irishgreengables]

Rynna,

I'm so sorry this is happening. I know how tough it also is to get confusing news when you are also caring for another child who needs your attention. May you have peace today.

Paula

[Doodlebugsmom]

Rynna, I'm sorry you are going through this. You and your family are in my thoughts today.

[wildthing]

Rynna,
Like everyone else, I am sorry you are going through so much worry and stress right now.
Have you heard anything from the dr's office yet?

Sending you lots of :hug s

[Ceili]

Rynna, lots of :hug s for you.

[Modesto Doula]

:hug from me too, Rynna. I'll be thinking about you. My advice is the same as everyone else's on the two threads, relax, drink your water and know that everything will work out.
We are all waiting to hear from you!

(BTW, the low water -if it really is low and not just hiding behind the baby- can be a result of swallowing or kidney problems in babies, dehydration or other problems in mothers. The babies swallow the amniotic fluid and it passes trough their digestive system (thats what makes meconium), and then they urinate into the fluid, keeping the amount balanced. At the same time, your amniotic sack is absorbing and re-making the fluid as well. If the baby is not peeing enough, it can cause low water, but so can lots of other things.)

At any rate, the advice is the same. Talk to your baby, drink water for her, and relax while you wait to find out what else should be done. Most likely you will have a level 2 ultrasound, and its likely that they will want to watch the baby more closely depending on what they find. That's doesnt mean that you will lose everything you are hoping for. Everything will work out. :hug

Let us know...

[Steve's Sweety]

More :hug for you!
I'll be thinking of you and hoping you get good news very soon!

[eilonwy]

I had a high resolution ultrasound today with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and while he still couldn't find NewBean's left kidney, he's fairly certian that it's in there. The right kidney looks healthy and normal, and the bladder has urine in it, and today they found more than twice as much fluid as yesterday! (12.96cm AFI). There was a pocket behind the baby that they couldn't see. :thumb

I'm sooooo relieved!! NewBean will need an ultrasound after birth to determine the location of the left kidney or if it's absent altogether, but that's all. I'm probably not looking at another NICU baby! :thumb The doctor said the same thing that everyone here said: stay hydrated and relax. The baby looks fine :). We got some really cute pictures of the face (looks a lot like Eli!) and saw between the legs.....


IT'S A GIRL!!!! :balloons I'm so happy and excited and relieved and the world is a much prettier place tonight than it was last night! :thumb :LOL

[rubelin]

Oh Rynna, what a relief!! I miss a day and come back to find such scariness for you and I am so happy that you got better news today!

We had a really good appt with our midwives on Wednesday. The baby is definitely head down (woo-hoo!!), growing well and beyond active. My pelvis is also definitely seperated, though :( When they were measuring me, they kept losing where the bone was :eek She said the 2 halves are moving around a lot, too, so they aren't jsut seperating, they're really loose, and I've started getting pains in the back, so the bones are probably loosening back there also. So not fun! I need to find a chiropractic school to get an adjustment, that seems to be the only thing that's been shown to help this, besides having the baby. His head is right on the bones, which isn't helping much, though he was a bit higher than he has been. Since his tushie is right up in front, it's easier for me to tell where it is than his head, which he seems to like to have toward the back most of the time.

Honestly, I would be enjoying this all so much more if it weren't for the pain. I love feeling him wiggle around (which he does ALL THE TIME!!) and love having a baby inside of me, but I HATE that I hurt so much. I tried taking a walk with Ben yesterday, I need to get my circulation going to fend off the puffy toes, but today I feel worse, so I'm not sure if it will help to keep doing it. I really hate feeling so whiny, I want to be enjoying this, but it's getting less fun by the day and I still have so long to go. Sorry for the pity party. I haven't posted much cause I feel like I'm always pissy, but I really needed to get it out today.

Ok, got work I should be doing. Hope you all have a good weekend!

[Doodlebugsmom]

:banana :banana :banana :banana :balloons :balloons :balloons :balloons

Yay, Rynna!!! I had a feeling you would get a positve outcome!

[3girlsmommy]

Rynna-:banana :balloons Yippeee! You have been on my mind all day and I'm so glad to hear your good news!

rubelin-:hug I'm sorry that you are in so much pain. I hope that you can find someone that can help you.

[Smithie]

After a few days of relative comfort, it's abck to the stretching abdomen and expanding ribcage. And my back is starting to bother me. :crying

My health plan covers a little chiro, I should really take advantage of it. Rubelin, I'm sorry about your pelvis.

[irishgreengables]

That is wonderful news Rynna!!!!


:OT What does it mean if your post has a thinck black line in it? Like Rynna's above??

Peace,

[Greaseball]

It means she was saying some nasty swear words and posting porn links and the mod had to put a black mark over it.:D :LOL

[Smithie]

It doesn't really mean that, right? It's the sex-identifying lines that are blacked out - right? And is there some way I can turn that off? 'Cause it's massively irritating, and if done by the mods and not Rynna, pretty damned patronizing as well.

[Queen of Cups]

Smith, you can just drag the mouse over the words, highlighting them in order to read them...

Its been 85 degrees here today and we went house-hunting again. I swear I could feel my hands and feet expanding by the moment. I'm going to go take a nice salt-bath and get in my big cool bed in a minute. The good news is that we found a house! We should be getting our pre-approval letter Monday and then putting a bid in immediately - wish us luck! The thing I really like about the house is that there's a master suite and loft on the top floor - and nothing else up there. The loft would make a perfect nursery! I just love the idea of having a really private area of the house just for us and the kids...

[Greaseball]

No, I was joking! :p