life with a new baby
Jen and Paul
Oompa Loompas, I am waiting for you
Aug 2nd
This weekend, I ate The Best Ribs Ever.
Seriously. THE BEST.
I don’t even like ribs. But these? These, I couldn’t get enough. And we didn’t get them at some fancy restaurant. Nor a little hole-in-the-wall diner. (You know the kind I’m talking about… on the outside, it looks like they serve nothing more than bland greasiness slapped on a bun, but then you try one of their meals and you’re all like HOLY COW! HEAVEN DOES EXIST!). Instead, one of Paul’s friends had a cookout. That’s right, these ribs were GRILLED, yo.
Did I mention that I don’t even like ribs?
Ok, so aside from having a mega-awesome rib-consumption session, Paul and I had a fantastic weekend. We were actually planning on seeing the new movie Inception, but the theater was packed and we were late, so as we drove upon it, we decided Strained Neck Syndrome just wasn’t worth it. We were certain the only place left to sit would be the FRONT ROW. So you have to strain your neck to look up and see the movie. And everything seems to be out of proportion and oddly skewed because of the weird angle. I hate when that happens.
And so does my neck.
The only downside to this weekend was I gained 5 pounds. OVERNIGHT. After I ate those mind-exploding ribs. You hear me? YOU CAN GAIN 5 POUNDS OVERNIGHT. And I don’t mean water weight. What the hell am I? Some sort of balloon? Is it just that easy to inflate me? I eat a few ribs and WHAM! I blow up like a giant blueberry without the blue tinge. Like that chick Violet off Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
I’m just waiting for the Oompa Loompas to appear and roll me away so that I can deflate.
Pain, pain go away…
Jul 29th
So I haven’t been feeling well the past few days. I’ve been dealing with insomnia, which is irritating as all-get-out (You know, when I think about it, that saying doesn’t make much sense, does it?). Plus, I’ve had these really strange stomach pains lately. It feels almost like hunger pains, and it subsides somewhat after I’ve eaten something. Only I KNOW it’s not hunger pains. I’ve been hungry before, and it’s never hurt like this… to the point of waking me up (after I finally manage to fall asleep) and persisting until after I eat something.
This morning, it was so bad that I couldn’t take it anymore. I made an appointment with my doctor and scarfed down a baked potato to stave off the pains somewhat. The doctor thinks I might have either gallstones or ulcers.
Not good, right?
I don’t know if it’s my gallbladder. I had severe gallbladder pains when I was pregnant. I mean, severe to the point that I sometimes couldn’t walk and it was painful to just breathe. These gallbladder pains would surface after I consumed something a little too fatty like bacon or butter, and it would last for hours. But what I’m experiencing now? The pains subside substantially AFTER I eat something. And it hurts way worse than the pregnancy gallbladder issues.
So I’m leaning more towards ulcers. YUCK.
So anyway, they’re going to schedule an appointment for me to have an ultrasound on my gallbladder, and they’re also going to do some blood-work along with an x-ray of my lower back. See, I’ve been taking Ibuprofen because of all the back pain I’ve been experiencing lately, and the doctor thinks that could have contributed to the possible ulcers. So he also prescribed Zantac in case it’s stomach ulcers. So we’ll see, right? It’ll be a couple more weeks before I meet with my doctor again. Until then, I need to figure out how in the hell I’m going to prevent myself from feeling like I’ve been in a wresting ring with a Mack Truck on a daily basis.
I thought I was too young to be having these problems. I’m not even 30 yet! This sucks, guys. I hope it’s not gallstones, because don’t you have to have surgery to remove them? At least ulcers can be cured with the right diet and medication like Zantac. Right?
Daddy Withdrawals
Jul 7th
You know, I absolutely LOVE when my husband is home from work. This past 5-day weekend has spoiled me and Nathan. When Paul’s home from work, he plays with Nathan all the time. He builds Nathan towering block towers and obstacle courses. He does diaper changes and keeps Nathan covered in a blanket of hugs and kisses. So imagine how Nathan felt yesterday when, after what must have seemed like an eternity in Toddler Days, Paul returned to work and Nathan didn’t have his daddy to play with.
He was a Very Unhappy Boy.
He toddled around after me all day long yesterday, arms outstretched and occasionally bumping into cabinets while whining non-stop. And when I say non-stop, I really do mean that literally. It was ceaseless. He whined through diaper changes, while I was trying to feed him, and even while he was playing. He whined while I sang to him, while I danced with him, and while he sucked on his fingers. He whined up to the very second he fell asleep for his nap and started whining again the very moment his eyes fluttered open as his nap ended.
He missed his daddy terribly.
And when Paul came home from work? Nathan was like a daddy-thirsty leech and clung on to Paul for dear life. Anytime I so much as dared to take Nathan from his daddy, he threw a fit. I think it’s absolutely precious that Paul is such a great dad to his son. I wonder if Nathan will ever know just how lucky he is to have a dad like his. So many children don’t have it, which is so very unfair, because all children deserve to have a good daddy.
A bit of the blahs
Jun 3rd
Today has been one of Those Days for me. Well, actually, it started last night when out of the clear blue, my back started hurting. Again. My husband and I were just hanging out, minding our own business, when WHAM! My back picked up where it left off the last time it tried to kill me.
And I just realized that I never finished telling you guys what I found out was wrong. Remember how I went to a chiropractor then got cold feet? Well, the pain steadily worsened to the point that it felt like someone was stabbing me in the lower back with a red hot poker. It was agony to stand, sit, walk, lay down. Hell, it hurt to just exist. So I went to my family practitioner who said I was developing arthritis and possibly a degenerating disc.
Arthritis? Seriously? I’m only 29. But having a baby is really hard on a woman’s body… and lifting and carrying that baby around doesn’t help either.
So I amped up my yoga workouts to 5 or 6 times a week and worked on having better posture, and the back pain has become more bearable over the past few weeks. Until last night. So I took some Ibuprofen, which normally helps a little, but it didn’t touch the pain. I tossed and turned, swore and cried. I got about three hours of sleep last night and was exhausted all day today. Then, to make matters worse, I’ve been nauseated all day long, which was a bit depressing. And Nathan was grumpy today, which I’m sure is because he was picking up that something was off with Mommy’s mood.
My back is still hurting somewhat, but thankfully nowhere near the level it was last night. Hopefully it will be even better tomorrow, and I can get back to my old self soon. So I’m going to call it a night earlier than normal. Because sleep is almost like a cure-all for me, and I am optimistic that if I can catch up on my sleep, my mood will lift, the pain will continue to subside, and I’ll feel better.
Thanks for listening to me whine. Any feel-good vibes sent my way will be MUCH appreciated!
The Results Are In…
Apr 3rd
Remember a few days ago when I talked about seeing a chiropractor for my back problems? Well, I went back to review my x-rays and yes, my poor spine and neck are totally out of alignment. So we went over my treatment plan and how much it would cost. Insurance doesn’t cover any of it, which isn’t surprising. Unfortunately, there is no way we can afford how much they were asking.
Plus, I admit it. I got cold feet.
I always get cold feet when I think about someone adjusting my spine, and even though I’m sure they know what they’re doing, I can’t help but wonder what if they mess up? What if adjusting my spine exacerbates my condition? I’ve heard stories about people going to a chiropractor and feeling absolutely wonderful after their spines are adjusted, then BAM! A few days later, their back locks up on them and they are in even worse pain than before.
Now, I’m not going to totally write off seeing this chiropractic office because the doctors there are so nice and friendly. But I’m going to give it some more thought and perhaps if the pain gets too bad, I’ll make an appointment with my family doctor and see if there’s anything he can do for me besides giving me medicine.
In the meantime, I will continue to do my yoga, which is awesome. Have I told you guys I’ve lost about 13 pounds since January? That’s right. Only 30 more pounds to go until I’m back down to my pre-pregnancy weight… but I’ve set my goal for 40 pounds. I will get there! Just wait!
Best Trait
Mar 30th
| Your Best Trait is Creativity |
 You may seem like you’re a bit flaky or flighty, but you’re really just deep in thought.You are the artistic type, no doubt. However, you are also highly analytical and logical.You are able to solve problems in unique and interesting ways. Your ideas are unpredictable, but they always end up making sense. You are picky and sometimes downright critical. You expect the best of yourself, but others are not prepared for your exacting standards. |
I always find these quizzes interesting, even if they aren’t entirely accurate. You answer a handful of questions in which there is already an outcome predetermined by the test creator according to which answers you chose. But this quiz is right about one thing- I’m definitely creative, a total right brainer. And yes, many times I seem flaky or flighty, but I’m just deep in thought.
I’m especially bad about that when I’m at the computer designing something. It’s as if I develop tunnel vision… I totally get into it and am completely absorbed. I BECOME ONE WITH THE COMPUTER. It’s like that with pretty much anything when I am using my imagination. I can get lost in a book for hours at a time.
I wonder if Nathan will share my love of art and creativity. Hopefully, he’ll be creative like me and yet still logical and well grounded like his dad. Not that I’m not logical or well grounded… but I AM a total right brainer.
One Step Closer
Mar 22nd
Well, I had my initial visit today with the Chiropractor! And, it has been confirmed: My back is trying to kill me. Remember how I said they would do this really cool, sophisticated scan on my spine? Well, it showed that I’m having severe muscle spasms in my neck and upper back (Hmmm, I think carrying around a certain little boy is partially to blame!). Surprisingly my lower back, the part that has gone CANNIBALISTIC on me, didn’t show any spasms. They took some x-rays because it might be a pinched nerve or something, and we’ll be going over the results next week.
So we’re one step closer to figuring out what the problem is!
In other news, remember how I told you that instead of bending over to retrieve a fallen toy, Nathan would slowly do the splits until he was low enough to reach it? Well, he’s decided squatting is better than doing the splits. And I agree… only watching him do the splits was much more entertaining.
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