How Greg saved our baby's life...a lesson to all.

So over the weekend I felt like crud, finally Sunday night I got a full blown bout of the flu.  Determined not to pump medicine into the baby I tried to suffer through Sunday night and most of the day Monday.  Finally in the afternoon with the fever out of control and the misery consuming me I caved.  I called the doctor and asked the nurse what kind of flu medicine I could take (when you are pregnant there a very tight restrictions on what medicine you can take).  The nurse told me I could take Tylenol Flu or any Tylenol product.  I called Greg and asked him to pick some up on the way home from work.  He went to Kroger's where he could not find Tylenol Flu medicine.  He asked the pharmacist and she told him that Tylenol reformulated and no longer made Tylenol flu and that I should not be taking Tylenol products while pregnant due to the reformulation.  Greg called me and I called the nurse back at my doctor's office.  She told me the pharmacist was crazy and to go to a different pharmacy.  So Greg headed to another Krogers where a friend of his brother's works in the pharmacy.  He also told Greg that due to the Tylenol reformulation I would have lost the baby if Greg had listened to the nurse and bought me a Tylenol medicine.  The pharmacist called the nurse and spoke with my doctor.  Obviously they were very apologetic but thank goodness Greg checked with a pharmacist rather than just taking a nurse's word.  I just assumed my doctor and her nurses would know what was safe for my baby but really not a single one had a clue and I could have lost the baby with just one dose of medicine. 

It's been a while.

seriously enough is enough

Well we found out today that although the baby is fine I am not so good.  They are putting me on penicilin (spelling???) and testing me for thyroid problems among other things.  Basically as my doctor explained it to me, my baby is a parasite (yes that's what she called it) and the baby will suck every ounce of life out of me until I die before it will ever be in danger.  So while I continue to lose weight...about 10 pounds now, my body is becoming a food source for my baby parasite leaving me weak and exhausted.  As if that weren't bad enough I'm having a constant battle with my company over my rights as a pregnant employee.  I am hoping to remain at work just on shorter days because I fear if they pull me back onto a full leave of absence that I will fall into a depression.  What tops it all off is I found out that my illness and as a result my poor disposition is causing problems for my kitten.  Now they had to put her on a behavioral medicine (otherwise known as kitten anti-depressents) because she is feeding off my emotions.  I feel basically like I'm failing as a mother to both my baby and my kitten but there's just nothing I can do.  Poor Greg has to put up with my mood swings and never ending work/health drama and it's sucking him lifeless too.  I don't mean to be all depressing and down but I'm literally at my wits end with everything and need to talk about it before it eats me alive.  There appears to be no end in sight and lucky me I started grad school Tuesday and now have that baring down on me on top of me too. 

The only good news is that the baby is okay and will continue to do just fine because as the doctor reminded me I have more than enough fat stores for the baby to take from (gotta love a doctor who when you think you can sink no lower reminds you that you're fat on top of it all ;0) ).  She also moved up the ultrasound so they can monitor the baby more closely so we should know the sex of the baby on November 19th.  That means I can finally start shopping!  If that doesn't cheer me up nothing will.

Oh but I do have to say, the one moment that the clouds parted and the sun shined down a little this week was when I got the call from Ben saying that Ashley Marie had arrived and Shannon and Ashley were both doing well.  Congrats guys!

Expecting

Yes it's true I am expecting a baby!  I will wait another week and assuming I do not miscarry in that time I will be backing out of OU.  It's unexpected and perhaps not the most ideal situation but it is quite clear that this baby is a gift.  A little while ago I posted a blog saying I had received devastating news.  That news was that I was not supposed to be able to conceive.  Well God must really want me to have this child because against all odds I am pregnant! 

It's been a challenge already.  My parents are incredibly upset and angry while Greg's parents are loving and supportive.  Already they have been making us dinner to save us money and installing screen doors outside Greg's back doors so we can open them and let fresh air in when the baby comes.  All I can hope is that Greg and I are as good of parents as his parents have been to us.  Loving, understanding, forgiving and supportive.  His mom hugs me when I least expect it and can't wait to tell the family the news.  Greg hugs me when I cry because I miss my parents or because of the reality of everything scares me.

Yes this changes everything I had planned.  Yes this is not the ideal situation.  Yes this baby, if I'm able to carry to term, will be loved tremendously.  This baby has adopted aunts, uncles and grandparents lined up out the door, not to mention the two biological aunts that are super excited along with the biological uncle and grandparents that have been so supportive to me already.  I can only hope that my parents come around eventually.  We will adapt and we will make this work.  This baby will be blessed as we are to have this baby.

I pray that I have the strength to carry this baby to term.  I pray that this baby and I are healthy.  I pray that this baby is loved and spoiled beyond belief but keeps it's feet on the ground and never takes anything for granted.  I pray this baby loves as much as it is loved.  I pray that God sees me, Greg and this baby through the next nine months and gives me the strength to survive.

my going away party...the second one