33 weeks...and other updates

Long post today (there's just so much to say!)...

33 week preggo belly

Whew!  So much has happened since I last posted...and that was only 2 days ago!  Ahhh!  You may remember me posting a lot, talking about being sick.  Well, I've literally been fighting this sickness for almost 2 months.  Usually, I keep on keepin' on...and that's what I was doing, but I'd been through 5 rounds of antibiotics, shots, and treatment and I'd get better for a day or two and then my taste and smell would go again and my cough would come back with a vengeance.  Finally, on Sunday, B had heard enough.  He kept telling me my cough sounded horrible and I needed to go back to the doctor.  Luckily, we had a snow day yesterday (FINALLY!) and I got my big ol' booty to my family physician.  He too thought this had gone too long and sent me to get a chest x-ray.  I went and have a final diagnosis and some of the strongest medicines I can get for my circumstances and hopefully, we are on the road to complete recovery!
However, you may be wondering, how does this affect Jack?  When I was at the doctor's office, the nurse took my blood pressure and it was SKY high.  So she took it again...and then took it again after I got a shot for my sickies and it was still high.  I got my chest x-ray and then my mom and doctor said I needed to report my blood pressure to my OB.  I called and after hearing my number, she said, "I'm not telling you to rush, but get here IMMEDIATELY".  Naturally, that freaked me OUT!  And...probably elevated my BP even more!  She told me that if I had had that number at the OB, they'd be admitting me.  That was enough to send me over the edge, so I quickly got to my OB's office and B met me there.  Thankfully, my BP had gone down quite a bit, but was still pretty high.  She listened to Jack's heartbeat and said it was fine so she sent me on my way under the conditions that I stay home from work today and rest, rest, rest while hydrating, hydrating, hydrating.  Apparently, my sickness if causing my BP to go up and that is bad for Jackbaby.  He's got a few more weeks of growing to do and if I don't get the BP down and get my health in check, I could have to go on bedrest and well, we certainly do not want that!  B saw this as a non-negotiable and immediately said no ifs, ands, or buts about it, I HAD to stay home...I thought I'd just cart my behind to school and go about business as usual since I'm saving all my days for maternity leave.  He did not find that to be a good idea.  Thus, here I am...home today and resting!  I mjust admit, it IS nice to just rest and get some easy things done for little man like doing his laundry and what not.  And, I CAN feel my chest congestion starting to break up and I'm feeling better so hopefully all is well and wonderful and I can keep on keepin' on per usual!  Thank goodness for a snow day yesterday, though, or getting to the bottom of this funkiness could have been an issue.  Mother Nature made my desire to punch her in the ovaries a little less.  Also, we may or may not have starting using one of Jack's gifts... for ourselves.  Ha! Thanks Salsman and Robin (2 of my former teammies at my previous school), it seems that the cow humidifier is helpful for Mommy too!

Ha!  This is helping Mommy's funk!  Thanks Jack for sharing :)

ANYWAY...onto news about our little guy!

How far along: 33 weeks, 2 days

Size of our little Jackrabbit: a honeydew!

Best moment of the week: several!  It snowed yesterday...YAY!  I absolutely CANNOT wait for Jack to see and enjoy the snow in the upcoming years.  Snow days were always THE BEST because I remember going sledding/ tubing with Mark Mo and my dad and my brother, building snowmen with Mark Mo and my family, building forts and have snowball fights with my brother and his friends, mom making chili and hot chocolate, and making snow cream.  Sometimes, Dad would drive us up to Winterplace or Showshoe to go skiing on snow days...so much fun!!!  I just cannot wait for Jack to experience these memories that I love so much!

Here are some pics from our house yesterday morning - a sight I had ruled out in seeing this winter:

Other notable moments: 1) getting a surprise package/ gift from Rachel and Alex in the mail for Jackman!  It is absolutely PRECIOUS!

is this not THE MOST PRECIOUS thing EVER?!?  Rach, you did GREAT!  Thank you so much!

2) Jack's Daddy sure knows how to spoil his Mommy!  Last year in B's stocking, I customized him his own candy bars (my hun doesn't really eat real chocolate - only white) and well, this past week he customized ME one of my own.  I recommend checking out THIS WEBSITE because you can go there and pick from hundreds (okay maybe thousands) of options for your very own candy bar!  It is SO, SO, SOOOOO cool!  Mine is dark chocolate with coconut, banana chips, Reese's pieces, and walnuts.  It is AMAZING!

3) Jack's Aunt Beth got a PROMOTION!!!  She is a doctor of physical therapy (which is how we met - after my last knee surgery) and got promoted to manager of her therapy center!  This is the news that I said I had about a friend but couldn't share it yet until all the announcements at her center were made.  Now, I can shout it from the rooftops that my BFF is ONE. BAD. MAMMAJAMMA!  We are so, so, SOOOOOOO very proud of her!!!  Jack has one AWESOME/ smarty-arty auntie!!!

 

I can't wait for Jack to meet his "Aunt Bethy" - he is going to be as crazy about her as I am!  She's the best :) 

4) Also, the fact that my family and friends were all recently safe during the horrible storms last Friday leaves me feeling overwhelmingly grateful and blessed.  How did we all get so lucky when others' lives are devastated?  It's amazing how lives can change in an instant...I've been holding my stomach and loved ones a little closer since.  We just have so much to be thankful for and I'm finding myself feeling guilty that we came through those storms with every part of our lives still in tact.  I am praying continuously for all of those affected in such tragedy.

Symptoms: swollen, swollen, swollen!  And the sniffles that just won't quit!  I also feel overheated quite a bit (I found out that this is due to my metabolic rate being through the roof), have shortness of breath, and have been getting some frequent headaches.

Mood: Great mood!  Just not feeling 100%  How could I be in a bad mood knowing I get to meet my son in less than 7 weeks?!?

Cravings/ aversions: Not really craving ANYTHING as my appetite has completely plummeted.  Sometimes, I feel so, so hungry, but then nothing sounds good and as soon as I start eating, I don't want it and don't feel well.  From Thursday to yesterday, I've actually lost weight...guess that's a good thing?!?

What I miss/ am looking forward to: I only have a few weeks of work let which is exciting!  Scary, intimidating and stress inducing, but still exciting nonetheless.  March Madness starts with selection Sunday this week and I am so, so pumped!  I'm looking forward to my college friend, Beef's wedding shower in Louisville hosted by my gal, Lo...all of our college girlfriends will be there and I am pumped!  Lastly, I have a shower thrown by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law at the end of this month!

Movement: Jack baby moves all the time!  He is definitely so predictable with these movements.  I'm sure you've seen the shark fin post from below.  That's his funniest movement. On Sunday night/ Monday morning, I got the alert from WKYT via text that we had a snow day and well, Jackman thought that meant it was time to wakey wakey and literally would NOT let me go back to sleep or even rest until he got some food in Mommy's belly.  As soon as I ate a bowl of cereal, I was able to go back to sleep which is good!  Little stinker.

Milestones for little man: Weighing in at around 4 pounds, he's the size of a honeydew or pineapple.  The waxy, protective coating, vernix, is becoming much thicker this week as the lanugo continues to shed and may be almost gone completely by now.  Inside my sweet Jackbaby, his lungs are continuing to mature in preparation for breathing in here in the outside world.  He's also keeping his eyes open when he's awake; starting to coordinate breathing, swallowing, and sucking; going through major brain development; and his bones are hardening!  Also, his fingernails should now reach the end of his precious little fingertips and may even curl over the tip.

Randomness: putting on ANY article of clothing that involves stepping into it or having to get it over my feet is a task and a half!  It is so, so, sooooo hard!  Even getting on my underwear is tough...and don't even get me started on leggings/ tights (which I wear 90% of the time); I'm most definitely a sight.

Thanks for sticking around for the whole post!  Less than 7 weeks until we meet our little guy!!!