Just Heather

Both girls love to make liars out of me, and apparently this one wants to join in the fun. As soon as I revealed her position to the world (okay, the 3 of you who read this), she just had to move. Not that it’s a bad thing. Last night things just felt funny the way she kept shifting and turning. I think she’s sitting straight now, though I’m hopeful she’s headed the right direction. I can feel her pummeling me along the center of my stomach now, rather than across the way she’s been doing for months. I used to be able to feel her hands using me as a punching bag on one side and her soccer kick on the other.

Of course, this will present new problems. I haven’t had my asthma difficulties with this pregnancy, and now I have figured out that it is because she was not near my lungs. Well, she’s now firmly planted between them so I can enjoy the breathing problems I have endured in the past. Doc will check in two weeks to determine if it’s her head or legs keeping me from inhaling oxygen. A few weeks after that, we’ll have our final ultrasound to schedule her birthday.

I’ll just keep my fingers crossed this move isn’t in anticipation of an early arrival. I would love to not be pregnant anymore, but I would also love to have a full grown, healthy baby. Besides, her room is not even close to ready yet.

A new addition to the nerve pinching problem—purple legs! I was on my feet a lot on Sunday so I wasn’t at all surprised when my feet swelled and started to hurt. The real concern was when Stacia freaked out because they were bright red and turning the corner to purple. So I proceeded to sit back with my feet propped up for the much of the night.

Yesterday, it happened again. Only this time I hadn’t spent 4 hours standing up while we cleaned out the garage. No, I simply walked from my car to the pharmacy counter and back again. By the time I had walked from the parking lot, to my doctor’s office my feet were dark red again. That’s what caused me to mention it to my doc. Hey, as long as my purple legs are here, she might as well check them out.

Doc believes it is due to the position of the baby. We think she is sitting sideways instead of head up. This is causing the nerve pinching and restriction of blood flow to the lower half of my body. The solution? Sit back and put my feet up. Right. You have, in fact, met my toddler? Not to mention Brownies, Soccer (hey, I can sit for that—too bad my chair doesn’t have one of those handy footstools), and my regular household management duties.

This is painful and a bit of an inconvenience, but not really a problem. Except for that B-word she mentioned. She’s hopeful that the baby is simply working on heading down instead. This is quite a bit earlier than even I had anticipated, though the doctor doesn’t seem overly concerned. She is just planning to keep checking her position and see another ultrasound in 6 weeks. At that time, I’ll have the birthdate for our baby. It will be scheduled, but hopefully just for inducing as planned.

My biggest concern in this is that her size is deceptive. She’s already measuring a week ahead, but if the measurements aren’t actually getting her length she could be a lot bigger. Of course, that’s just yet another reason for the forth ultrasound. My doctor seems to be taking all this rather non-chalantly so I’m trying not to concern myself with the maybes of this. Instead, I’ll put my feet up and let him pamper me. Ha! Last night my feet turned bright red while I washed his clothes, fixed his breakfast sandwich, and packed his lunch. He did, however, toss his extra pillow at me when we got to bed last night. I feel so spoiled.

Oh, Serenity, how do I love thee. Pictures to come, but first cool stuff about my new car:

  • Whiny toddler no more—the DVD player is standard!
  • I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with 12 cup holders in a 7 passenger vehicle, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out.
  • The iPod line-in means he can quit messing with my presets!
  • Even though some jerk already scratched my door in the parking lot, she’s so beautiful.
  • I’m sure we’ll be restocking it soon, but the fact that the first aid kit comes ready made for my children is pretty cool.
  • Theoretically, I will never hear “I’m [insert temperature complaint here]!” again since she can reach her own damn climate controls.
  • I may now own a soccer mom mobile, but if you even think of calling her a van she’ll say FU!

Things we might normally have considered a problem a few weeks ago, now seem so petty. Here we sit, trying to adjust our budget to the fluctuating gas prices, while so many others didn’t even have a vehicle to evacuate a dangerous area. I’m trying to find a way to buy a new vehicle—you know, so I can haul all my kids at the same time—while so many others just want food, water, and shelter.

I feel like I should be doing something more to help but, while we have a lot in comparison, we really don’t have much to give. It’s not like we live an extravagant lifestyle. I finally found a local network that is taking tangible donations for transportation to evacuees. I have a lot of needed items I am boxing up. I may not be able to write a check, but I can certainly give of my abundance. While I wish I could do more, I feel better knowing I can do something.

At the very least, it has changed my thinking on a lot of things.

  • Prenatal Acne = inconvenience
  • Dysentery = problem
  • Stains on the carpet, including the new addition caused by my hubby—wise soul that he is—spilling Coke while skateboarding = inconvenience
  • No longer having a home = problem
  • losing your pediatrician—who you love and trust with your children’s lives—because she is moving = inconvenience
  • losing everything you ever knew in a flood = problem

It feels sort of surreal to be writing about little tragedies in my own mundane life when so many are dealing with catastrophe. I’m not sure what more I can do, though, short of donating more money I don’t have. I did send a little bit to a fund some girlfriends started for someone we know who was personally affected.

Her entire first floor flooded this spring in a storm. She just got it cleaned up, everything replaced, and moved back in a couple months ago. It now sits under 11 feet of water. At least she and her family are safe, but they now own nothing more than they grabbed on the way to her sister’s house. She’s one of the lucky ones. They have insurance, and though it will take time, everything will be replaced and rebuilt eventually. Still, I can’t imagine losing every, single thing you ever owned.

My problems will just have to wait.