touchy

i have this thing about people touching me.  shortly after we announced that we were expecting, hubbie's great-uncle warned me that my belly would be up for grabs.  literally.  this wasn't a surprise to me, but his remark reminded me that random hands would be there.  touching me.  without permission.  gah!

 

at the beach house this weekend, my SIL and MIL broke down the barrier.  i have to admit it felt weird at first, but i can understand the appeal.  maybe.  sort of.

 

i guess "hands off the preggo, please" is frowned upon these days, huh?

mail fail

so i managed to lock myself out of my car getting mail today.  how, you ask?  how does one ever explain these things?

 

our mailbox resides across the street from the end of our gravel driveway, which happens to be roughly a quarter-mile from the house.  i had parked my car at the mailbox, and like many times before, left it running to retrieve the mail.  mail in hand, i went to open the car door to get back in.  it appeared stuck.  baffled, i peeked in.  the lock was down.

 

now how the heck did that happen?

 

thinking, i knew i had a spare car key in the house.  so naturally i trekked up the driveway.

 

only, once i got there, i wondered how i'd get in the house at all. 

 

my house key was attached to my key ring, which was locked in the car.  and i could call my husband, who wasn't home yet.. if i could just get to my cell phone that was in my purse.  in the car.

 

hmm.  well, that sucked.

 

walking around, i managed to find a way into the house, by sheer luck really.  phew.  then i proceeded to find the spare, walk back down the driveway, get back into my car, and drove back home.

 

it wasn't until i was back inside the house that i realized i'd left the mail outside on the front porch.

 

well, at least this preggo got some exercise.  perhaps this entry should be entitled... baby brain episode #1.

unpregnant

i've been blessed with a fairly breezy pregnancy.  i didn't have any morning sickness, and despite being completely wiped out for the majority of the first trimester and my boobs blowing up even more than i could imagine, i have no major complaints.  people tell me i'm lucky, and i know i am, but not experiencing those common symptoms makes me anxious, like i'm missing some kind of connection.  having those symptoms, i feel, would almost be like reassurance of my body functioning the way it's supposed to... but lack of those symptoms makes me almost feel unpregnant, as crazy as that sounds.

 

although it doesn't do much to alleviate my fears, the facts are there: becoming pregnant as a result of IVF already places you in a high-risk category, and being pregnant with multiples increases that risk.

 

when we first found out we were pregnant at just 4 weeks, we were monitored by IVF on a weekly basis until we were discharged at 8 weeks.  that meant we received ultrasounds every week.  now that i'm being followed by maternal fetal medicine and my OB, the visits and ultrasounds are monthly.  the time between visits feels like torture.  and even after the visit, i'm happy and relieved for maybe a day or two before the cycle starts all over again.

 

i asked my twinnie if she experienced the same type of anxiety since she miscarried at 9 weeks.  she said that she was cautious during her entire pregnancy because of what her and her husband had gone through.  luckily she had a safe and uneventful pregnancy and now has a beautiful baby girl.  hearing that, it calmed me some, because it always feels better knowing you're not alone.

 

maybe (well, probably) i'll never stop worrying.  i am my mother's daughter after all.  but perhaps that is part of motherhood -- wanting and hoping for the best for your children, for them to be safe and warm and happy.

saved by the ring

i am hit on in the most random places.  this time it was in a wawa check-out line.

 

the guy let me go ahead of him, which seemed like a nice gesture, until he stepped way into my personal space.  he then proceeded to lean in and make a "witty" remark, to which i really had no response to.  he continued by nudging me, while i silently pleaded with the cashier to hurry it up.  as i was swiping my card, he immediately backed off.

 

"hey, i didn't mean any disrespect... i see you have a ring on."

 

he then started apologizing profusely, as if my husband had just walked into the store.  i'd never seen anyone do a 180 like that.

 

saved by the ring!

in my professional opinion...

working in health information management has become an invaluable resource in navigating my own health care.  understanding my insurance coverage, finding the right practitioners, recognizing diagnosis and procedure codes on my bills, maintaining my personal health record and keeping track of my family medical history, confirming what tests i should or shouldn't be getting, questioning when i shouldn't be charged for my medical records... being my own patient advocate has never been this important.

turned on

i recently was "turned on" to the kathleen turner series by tiffany a. snow.  the first book, no turning back, was a kindle freebie, and i finished it within a day.  i downloaded the next two, turn to me, and turning point, the very next day.  i ended up breezing through the whole series in 3 days, as i literally could not put them down.  the books are categorized as romantic suspense, a genre i wouldn't say i've touched before, but exactly as described.  the characters are real, entertaining, and flawed.  the plotlines are exciting, dramatic, over the top, and action-packed.  the author has a way of making you laugh out loud while also depicting some very serious topics, more serious than expected at first glance.  spice it up with some sexy scenes, and you've got a recipe for an all-nighter... or two... or three.

 

as with all of my guilty pleasure books, there is the presence of a complicated love triangle (of course), and actually THE best love triangle i've ever seen developed.  normally, i have a strong inkling about which team i want to jump on, but i keep vacillating between the main character's relationships with each guy.  at this point, i'm unsure who the main character is going to choose, or even if she will be choosing either.  the characters and relationships are layered and complex, so much so that i haven't been able to get them out of my head... and have started re-reading the series again from book one, if only to keep the connection i've developed for them going.

 

book 4, out of turn, is currently in the works, and there is going to be a fifth book to finish out the series.  i honestly can't wait.. to be turned on again.

just because

i've always loved giving and receiving cards.  this afternoon, i received one in the mail that i wasn't expecting, the kind that was sent to say, "hey, i'm thinking of you," or "this reminded me of you."  it instantly put a smile to my face and warmed my heart.

 

a good friend sends a card.  a best friend sends a card just because.