28 June 2011

Let the fun and games begin

Well it seems the fun and games of my pregnancy has now begun. I was wondering if I would go through the same rollercoaster ride I went on with my first pregnancy, and it seems that the ride has started!

For those of you who don't know my history, I'll fill you in. With my first pregnancy, I had acute severe pre-eclampsia along with HELLP syndrome which resulted in "Popette" being born at 29 weeks + 3 days (11 weeks premature).

At 28 weeks I was admitted to hospital and went through a week of suffering mind-blowing migraines, swollen ankles, high blood pressure, dropping platelet levels, protein in my urine (which are all signs of pre-eclampsia) and towards the end, my placenta started rejecting my liver and kidneys started to fail...this was all because of a dodgie placenta!!

"Popette" on the other hand was fine, and would have been quite happy to stay in Mummy's tummy, but as Mummy was getting rather sick she had to be delivered by emergency casearean, and was then admitted into the NICU for a 7 week stint.

Unfortunately it looks like I have another dodgie placenta...why can't I have a normal pregnancy.

A couple weeks ago I saw my OB/GYN and found out that my blood pressure was starting to rise, it wasn't quite as high as it was with my first pregnancy, but high enough to cause some concern.

I had to get an ultrasound done at 24 weeks which was all fine, but then had to get my glucose blood test done, which came back high...so had to get it tested again, just another thing to worry about.

From then on everything started to became a big worry. I’ve also been told that I have to take tablets for low iron, and antibiotics for a bladder infection I didn't know I had. Then last Friday, I had an appointment at the Fetal Maternal Assessment Unit within the hospital, where I was to be monitored over 4 hours. They also take urine and blood tests to check everything is normal, luckily all the results came back fine (and my blood pressure behaved itself, typical!!) so was able to leave earlier than expected.

Yesterday I had an appointment with my renal physician so told him what has been happening. He was pretty upset that things had started to play up, as he had started me early on clexane injections and low dose asprin, which should stop me from having these problems again.

My Dr mentioned that unfortunately there's a small percentage of women who get pre-eclampsia again, regardless of the medication they are on...I'm hoping I don't fall into that percentile. I have another ultrasound at 28 weeks, so depending on the results of the scan, he'll then decide whether I should start taking blood pressure medication.

So things haven’t been real great lately. I've also had a shocker of a cold and irritating cough for the past couple weeks so that has knocked it out of me and taken a long time for me to get over as there was not a lot I could take.

If I'm placed on blood pressure medication, I will feel sorry for my poor husband, as it makes me snore terribly, hehehe ;-)

At least I'm lucky that my hubby has been a great support. He’s very worried, and cancelled a trip to Canberra last week so he could work closer to home and be with me and "Popette".

He spent a couple days working from home and took Friday off so he could look after "Popette" while I was the hospital...I don't think it would of done my blood pressure any good if she came with me, lol. We’re just hoping I get past the 29 week mark this time round...its a little scarey that my blood pressure is playing up. I'm hoping that if I get put on medication early enough it’ll settle itself down and I can make it to the third trimester....which I didn't get to last time round.

I had a phone call from my OB/GYN today saying that my 2nd glucose test came back normal, so "Hooray" for that at least.

Now we just have to wait and see what happens with my blood pressure over the next couple weeks, and see how the scan goes.

17 June 2011

What's date night?

Date night has pretty much been non-existent for us these past couple years. If I was to count the amount of times we've been out on our own since our daughter was born, it would probably fit on one hand.

I know how important it is to have time alone as a couple, but what do you do when you are stuck at home due to financial or babysitting issues? For us, its babysitting thats the issue. While my parents are happy to look after "Popette", its mainly Mum who does it as Dad is elderly and can't help too much. He also has health issues which makes it hard for him to put up with our daughter for a long period of time. Mum is in her late 60s, and while she does her best, she can't look after our daughter for too long either. An hour here or
there (especially during the day when shes awake), shes only too happy to look after her, but I don't like to take advantage of them. She's helped me out a lot these past few months with looking after "Popette" as I've had to go to various prenatal and ultrasound appointments. But I know once "Bubba" comes along, and there's two littlies to babysit, I don't think my parents will be too thrilled about taking care of a newborn and a nearly 3 year old all that much.

My husband's family live 5 hours away, so they've never been easily available to babysit for us. My older brothers both have 2 kids of there own, so I haven't bothered asking them to look after "Popette" for us. Friends from Mums group have offered, but I haven't wanted to burden them as most of them already have 2 littlies of their own, and Hubby is worried about hiring a babysitter....so where does that put us?

Most nights I sit in front of the TV, while Hubby's playing a game on the computer because hes not interested in what I'm watching. There's a couple shows he'll watch so we'll sit and watch them together, but apart from that we don't spend that much time together.
We try to have dinner with "Popette", otherwise it can get too late for us to eat when she goes to bed (which lately has been around 9pm) or we don't want to make too much noise in the kitchen.

Our conversations seem to revolve around our daughter, the baby, hubby's work, the household or money issues. At times we might talk about things we used to do as a couple or places we visited, but that seems a distant memory, which is quite sad. Sometimes I feel as though hubby and I have lost touch with each other, or are so wrapped up in being Mummy & Daddy we forget about ourselves, is that just me or is that normal when you become a parent!?

On a Friday or Saturday night we might hire a DVD, or watch a movie that's on TV...while eating some chocolate (can't forget the chocolate!!) If I wasn't pregnant there would be a bottle of wine thrown in there too!  But that seems to be about it for our 'date nights'.

We don't go out to the movies anymore, well not alone. We haven't been out for a proper 'date night' or gone out for dinner alone since November 2009....the reason I can remember this, as it was our 13th wedding anniversary. I remember us being so worried about leaving our daughter at home, but Mum reassured us that everything was going to be alright and for us to "Have a good time and don't worry".

The last time we went out as a couple was to see Bon Jovi in concert in December. My parents looked after "Popette" once again, but had a terrible time with her crying and screaming for Mummy & Daddy to come home. After that we felt guilty and thought we wouldn't put them through it again...but then that makes it hard for us to go anywhere or do anything.

Now with a 2nd bub on the way I worry that hubby and I won't get any time to ourselves or be able to find the time to rekindle our relationship. I know my husband loves me, but I do worry that our relationship is suffering.

So readers I ask you this question, what else can I do? Does anybody have any suggestions or ideas?

08 June 2011

Crafty times with "Popette"

These past few days the weather has been getting pretty chilly in the Blue Mountains. It's getting that way, that its too cold to play outside for too long or for a play at the park. Although we did venture outside for a little while yesterday to pick up sticks for Daddy so he could light the fire when he got home.

As "Popette's" picked up a cold and has a horrible chesty cough, I also haven't wanted to take her out anywhere. So over the past couple days we've missed music class, and catching up with her little friends and the Mums from Mums group.

I have been thinking of fun things we could do besides plonking her in front of the TV, which isn't a hard thing to do when I'm getting breakfast/lunch/dinner ready, having a shower or cleaning up around the house, I just turn on the TV to "ABC for Kids" and she'll sit there happily watching "Play School", "Sesame Street" or whatever else is on. Although the TV has been on most mornings, I try and turn it off for a few hours and make sure she does something fun with Mummy. Being a Mummy who loves all types of arts and crafts, it had to be some arty & crafty type fun ;-)

On Monday we started off with some colouring-in...."Popette" has a few scrap books containing pages and pages of drawings she has done or ones I have helped her with, which she then colours in. As well as a couple colouring-in books which she'll sit and happily colour-in.

Yesterday we did some painting, which "Popette" loves to do. I enjoy watching her mixing up her paints and telling me what she is painting. With most of her paintings she told me 'its a sunny day', hmm...not sure where the sun was, but she kept telling me 'its a sunny day Mum', I helped her paint a rainbow and she painted some flowers, beautiful!

Today we had some fun with play-doh. I got out my old cookie cutters and we made shapes with the doh. Then I gave her a peg and small piece of wood which she used to decorate her shapes....lots of fun.

Each afternoon we've also spent time playing blocks and building all sorts of houses, towers, stables for her little farm animals or garages for her cars. Yesterday it was a tunnel for her car...sometimes it'll be "Mum Captain Swords ship" [aka Captain Feathersword], now that made Mummy use her brain!!

Other crafty things we have done lately include making flower pictures by sticking cupcake patties and pipe cleaners on pieces of paper, and making pictures of farm animals using little coloured pom-poms, and cotton-wool balls stuck on pieces of paper.

Do your kids enjoy arts and crafts? What sort of things do your kids like to make?

Now to think of what we'll do tomorrow!!