Shower: Wowzers did we get a lot of stuff for little man! One of our registries was completely bought out, and the other one people made a good dent in as well. The shower itself was pretty low key, but that's more our style anyway. The shower planner came through, and obviously tried her best, even if it was all done kind of last minute. It was a little weird to have all the family, friends, and co-workers mingling...but we survived. C-man will never wear the same outfit twice...at least not till he's over a year. The only things I want to get before baby comes home (either through one of my 2 remaining showers or via self-purchase) is a convertible car seat, bathtub, diaper pail, and changing pad. That is literally it, because everything else has been purchased. I just bought more cloth diapers today, so I shouldn't have to buy anymore until he's over 15-18 pounds. I think we have a grand total of 50 diapers so far...making for a pretty decent stash. We also have 2 boxes of disposable newborn and one box of disposable size 1. We only plan to use them while C still has his belly button stump. Pictures of the shower will have to wait...mainly because I didn't take a single one! I flew DP's friend in from Seattle as her shower present, and she brought her camera. She caught some candid moments, but wants to go through and edit them first before sending us the pics. All in all, it was a good day.
Doc: We successfully switched OBs. It wasn't the least bit hard/awkward. We were in the waiting area at our appt on Monday, and in walks Dr. D (the doc we want to switch to). She asked us how we were doing and was taking the time out to make conversation, so I just kind of looked over at Amz and blurted out "would you mind taking over our care, i just felt like we click better." Without hesitation she said yes. So we eventually made it back to the exam room, thinking it'd be our last appt with Dr. P, and in walks Dr. D! She made time for our appt with zero notice. That...is why we love her already. In other news, I had a lot less protein in my urine at the last visit, but I still have to wait for the result of my 24 hour urine study and my kidney function panel. My BP was up at the appt, but I showed her my log that I'd been taking and she felt reassured. If i get diagnosed with preeclampsia I will have to go to bed rest. I'm not the least bit excited about that. I'll keep y'all posted.
TMI ALERT: Today i noticed discharge from my nipples. I can't believe how much my body is changing and preparing for little man to arrive. Go boobs, go!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Time to shower...
Baby shower tomorrow! I am excited and nervous! I'll update again on Sunday; maybe with pics.
In other news, i'm seriously thinking about switching my doctor. I have met my doctor's partner a few times (she also assisted with my surgery), but I had a visit with her the other day because my regular doc was in a delivery. The appointment was like night and day in comparison. The other doc was so nice, and had a bubbly personality, and...called Amz up to see the ultrasound. Something my regular doc had NEVER done. She talked to both me and Amz...also something my regular doc doesn't normally do. So, I am nervous about approaching the docs on this matter, but my gut is telling me to switch.
In other other news, my BP was up a little at my last visit and i had a little bit of protein in my urine. So now I get to do a 24 hour urine collection, and hope to hell my protein levels fall within range. I also have been getting some swelling in my lower extremities and also around my surgical site. So...we're keeping an eye on that as well.
All things considered, I'm still feeling pretty good and am in good spirits. I'm very ready to meet this little man!
In other news, i'm seriously thinking about switching my doctor. I have met my doctor's partner a few times (she also assisted with my surgery), but I had a visit with her the other day because my regular doc was in a delivery. The appointment was like night and day in comparison. The other doc was so nice, and had a bubbly personality, and...called Amz up to see the ultrasound. Something my regular doc had NEVER done. She talked to both me and Amz...also something my regular doc doesn't normally do. So, I am nervous about approaching the docs on this matter, but my gut is telling me to switch.
In other other news, my BP was up a little at my last visit and i had a little bit of protein in my urine. So now I get to do a 24 hour urine collection, and hope to hell my protein levels fall within range. I also have been getting some swelling in my lower extremities and also around my surgical site. So...we're keeping an eye on that as well.
All things considered, I'm still feeling pretty good and am in good spirits. I'm very ready to meet this little man!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
I am...
Holy moly has mommy been hungry. I was hoping to not cross this magical/mythical number in my head when it comes to pregnancy weight (no, I will not share what it is)...but I'm almost there! Just 2 pounds and I'd be at that limit of weight I was willing to gain, and I've got 12 weeks left! So...obviously I can't diet. But, I'm guessing a mild increase in physical activity (which has been admittedly slim lately) wouldn't hurt. Also, I am going to try and make sure the calories i AM taking in are from foods that are a little more nutritious than pizza/ice cream/mac n cheese/etc. (Hey...don't judge). So, yeah...that's the plan.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Oh boy...
Since I've been back to work, little boy has been a lot more quiet/still. It makes me nervous, even though I understand that as I am up and moving more, it may be rocking him to sleep. I'm just so used to the random cervix kicks, ovary whacks, side punches, and belly button pokes. He still wiggles after meals and when I play music to my tummy. I've just noticed he's been less active...or maybe I've been so busy that I haven't picked up on all the little movements like I would have sitting at home. Oh pregnancy; you make me over think everything!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Maternity leave...
...how I long for thee.
Today was one HUGE reminder of how much I really hate my job. Let me clarify, that I don't hate the work...I hate the management/staffing (or lack there of)/favoritism/failing equipment/outdated charting systems/discount supplies/etc.
Today was only my second day back from med leave, and I already want to run screaming in the other direction! I literally came back to chaos...
When I left, there were tensions between my charge nurse/co-workers and my unit manager. However, things were still semi-normal. Everyone on my unit eventually sided with our charge nurse (I would have, but I wasn't there to take sides), which pissed the unit manager off. She is now "punishing" the unit by:
~Demoting our charge (and not replacing her).
~Cutting funding for office supplies (because she said we spend too much on pens and post-its...the only 2 items we consistently order).
~Showing favoritism to those who either sided with her or sucked up enough.
~Re-assigning 1 of our nurse assistants to another unit.
~Cutting the responsibilities of the 1 remaining nurse assistant.
~Leaving our unit without a manager (or charge) most afternoons (because she has school).
Our CNO (chief nursing officer, aka Alpha Nurse) told her she couldn't leave us without a charge...so she announces today that if we "were not capable enough to handle whatever situation arises without the help of a charge, we could then ask if the charge from our neighboring unit is available to help." Yeah...that's the way she got out of that one. Our unit secretary has been running the board for the last few weeks. I don't even know if that's legal.
On top of that bull shit; the manager just doesn't know how to manage. She was a critical care staff nurse for several years, and happen to be friends with the old CNO (who was recently fired), so when our hospital opened 4 years ago...she came on board as a nurse manager. With no management experience. Our census has been growing, and I'm guessing she's been able to fumble through it the last few years, but now that the hospital has really been picking up steam...she can't keep up. And we are feeling her stress. Somehow our unit became the bastard child of the hospital, because other people I talk to seem to like their experiences just fine.
Before starting to work at my hospital, I hadn't had much experience with the type of nursing that I'm doing. I was in school, and nursing school just didn't stress this aspect of nursing. Don't get me wrong, i'm competent in my skills, I'm just saying that I didn't get to see how other places "do it." But after having my surgery at another hospital, I understand why my unit is feeling stressed/pressured. We do twice as much work! (And no...I'm not exaggerating in the least. I went through 2 departments that do the equivlant of my job at the other hospital. Therefore, I had 2 nurses take care of all the stuff that 1 nurse does at my work.)
I've come to the conclusion that I work at an ass backward hospital, and that I need to get out. As soon as Amz legally adopts C and gets him on her insurance, I am looking for a new job. At that point, I'll have a couple of years of experience, and hopefully it won't be such a struggle to find a nursing position.
End rant.
Today was one HUGE reminder of how much I really hate my job. Let me clarify, that I don't hate the work...I hate the management/staffing (or lack there of)/favoritism/failing equipment/outdated charting systems/discount supplies/etc.
Today was only my second day back from med leave, and I already want to run screaming in the other direction! I literally came back to chaos...
When I left, there were tensions between my charge nurse/co-workers and my unit manager. However, things were still semi-normal. Everyone on my unit eventually sided with our charge nurse (I would have, but I wasn't there to take sides), which pissed the unit manager off. She is now "punishing" the unit by:
~Demoting our charge (and not replacing her).
~Cutting funding for office supplies (because she said we spend too much on pens and post-its...the only 2 items we consistently order).
~Showing favoritism to those who either sided with her or sucked up enough.
~Re-assigning 1 of our nurse assistants to another unit.
~Cutting the responsibilities of the 1 remaining nurse assistant.
~Leaving our unit without a manager (or charge) most afternoons (because she has school).
Our CNO (chief nursing officer, aka Alpha Nurse) told her she couldn't leave us without a charge...so she announces today that if we "were not capable enough to handle whatever situation arises without the help of a charge, we could then ask if the charge from our neighboring unit is available to help." Yeah...that's the way she got out of that one. Our unit secretary has been running the board for the last few weeks. I don't even know if that's legal.
On top of that bull shit; the manager just doesn't know how to manage. She was a critical care staff nurse for several years, and happen to be friends with the old CNO (who was recently fired), so when our hospital opened 4 years ago...she came on board as a nurse manager. With no management experience. Our census has been growing, and I'm guessing she's been able to fumble through it the last few years, but now that the hospital has really been picking up steam...she can't keep up. And we are feeling her stress. Somehow our unit became the bastard child of the hospital, because other people I talk to seem to like their experiences just fine.
Before starting to work at my hospital, I hadn't had much experience with the type of nursing that I'm doing. I was in school, and nursing school just didn't stress this aspect of nursing. Don't get me wrong, i'm competent in my skills, I'm just saying that I didn't get to see how other places "do it." But after having my surgery at another hospital, I understand why my unit is feeling stressed/pressured. We do twice as much work! (And no...I'm not exaggerating in the least. I went through 2 departments that do the equivlant of my job at the other hospital. Therefore, I had 2 nurses take care of all the stuff that 1 nurse does at my work.)
I've come to the conclusion that I work at an ass backward hospital, and that I need to get out. As soon as Amz legally adopts C and gets him on her insurance, I am looking for a new job. At that point, I'll have a couple of years of experience, and hopefully it won't be such a struggle to find a nursing position.
End rant.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Name Game
I just realized that I'm possessive/protective over my baby's name. We've had his name picked out for years, and now that someone else just announced that they are naming their son our son's middle name (exact same unusual spelling), I feel like if I were to announce our son's name people would think I got the idea from them. I think that's why I just refer to him as "C" on forums/blogs. I'll probably continue to refer to him by a letter indefinitely for his own protection. Much like I refer to my partner and myself by our nicknames.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Vent...
*ISSUE RESOLVED, PARDON MY VENT*
We've been fairly open (at least I think so) about our use of frozen donor sperm. So let's get real about what that means: A. We don't know our donor, nor do we want contact with our donor at any time. B. We realized from the beginning that there would be other children conceived by our donor. C. We neither encourage nor discourage some type of verbal/written contact with donor sibling parents, as long as it concerns the children in a positive manner.
So, when our donor's last remaining vials were bought and his free profile removed from the catalog, I contacted the only person who had been open on the forum about their donor (who is also our donor). I was hoping they had saved a copy of the free profile, but didn't expect anything more or less from them. They hadn't saved a copy, but we did maintain very loose contact via email. I'll admit, I liked being in contact with them. We didn't email more than 4 times back and forth, and most of that was simply concerning my son/surgery. So, I thought we'd possibly maintain this over the years, and find out about certain characteristics or medical issues concerning the kids. Maybe we will...i don't know what the future has in store.
However, something written on the forum kind of made me think I had been an intrusion into their world. Or rather, the presence of my child was irritating. Which put me off. In a thread concerning donor siblings, the person said that when they found out about another donor sibling, they were irritated/upset because they thought they had bought all the remaining donor vials.
We've both discussed that we had extra stored vials in those previous emails. Amz and I bought in bulk when we purchased sperm. We made a list of our top 5 donors, and then called up the bank and went down the list. We told the employee we wanted the donor highest on our list that had enough to bulk order. Our donor choice was #2 on our list, and the employee said that we had purchased all the open vials of our donor. We were fine with this because, frankly, we bought a billion sperm (or more). The bank we used has what are called "final release vials" which are only available to parents who have already had a successful pregnancy/live birth with that particular donor. They are more expensive, and after they are purchased, the donor is removed from the catalog. So months ago, when I saw the other person post that they'd bought the donor's final release vials, I wasn't surprised to find out that our donor was no longer available...i already knew that.
However, I never mentioned when I had purchased our vials to this other person. So, it seems to me like, this person thinks we bought our vials AFTER they bought the final release, so it's like we shouldn't have had access to the donor or something. I don't know. I could be taking this all wrong, but it put me off when I read the post.
I had always told Amz that if we chose not to have more children, or had already had a sibling for C, and we had left over vials...I would offer them to other parent's of donor siblings. I don't know now...
I just needed to get that off my chest.
We've been fairly open (at least I think so) about our use of frozen donor sperm. So let's get real about what that means: A. We don't know our donor, nor do we want contact with our donor at any time. B. We realized from the beginning that there would be other children conceived by our donor. C. We neither encourage nor discourage some type of verbal/written contact with donor sibling parents, as long as it concerns the children in a positive manner.
So, when our donor's last remaining vials were bought and his free profile removed from the catalog, I contacted the only person who had been open on the forum about their donor (who is also our donor). I was hoping they had saved a copy of the free profile, but didn't expect anything more or less from them. They hadn't saved a copy, but we did maintain very loose contact via email. I'll admit, I liked being in contact with them. We didn't email more than 4 times back and forth, and most of that was simply concerning my son/surgery. So, I thought we'd possibly maintain this over the years, and find out about certain characteristics or medical issues concerning the kids. Maybe we will...i don't know what the future has in store.
However, something written on the forum kind of made me think I had been an intrusion into their world. Or rather, the presence of my child was irritating. Which put me off. In a thread concerning donor siblings, the person said that when they found out about another donor sibling, they were irritated/upset because they thought they had bought all the remaining donor vials.
We've both discussed that we had extra stored vials in those previous emails. Amz and I bought in bulk when we purchased sperm. We made a list of our top 5 donors, and then called up the bank and went down the list. We told the employee we wanted the donor highest on our list that had enough to bulk order. Our donor choice was #2 on our list, and the employee said that we had purchased all the open vials of our donor. We were fine with this because, frankly, we bought a billion sperm (or more). The bank we used has what are called "final release vials" which are only available to parents who have already had a successful pregnancy/live birth with that particular donor. They are more expensive, and after they are purchased, the donor is removed from the catalog. So months ago, when I saw the other person post that they'd bought the donor's final release vials, I wasn't surprised to find out that our donor was no longer available...i already knew that.
However, I never mentioned when I had purchased our vials to this other person. So, it seems to me like, this person thinks we bought our vials AFTER they bought the final release, so it's like we shouldn't have had access to the donor or something. I don't know. I could be taking this all wrong, but it put me off when I read the post.
I had always told Amz that if we chose not to have more children, or had already had a sibling for C, and we had left over vials...I would offer them to other parent's of donor siblings. I don't know now...
I just needed to get that off my chest.
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