Acupuncture!

So after weeks of migraines, a co-worker of mine suggested I try acupuncture. This is something I've been thinking about for a while for my migraines, but due to the cost I had continued to put it off. Being pregnant puts a number of limitations on how you can treat anything and therefore my migraine treatment is obviously extremely limited -- and somewhat risky. It's not fun to be in the ER waiting for a shot of something similar to morphine and googling the effects on the baby inside of me. Sometimes I wish my data phone was never invented. yikes! Alas, the benefits of the shot outweighed the risk and I had to do it. My blood pressure was high from the pain and it needed to be brought down since the blood pressure is actually more risky than the medicine!

Anyway, back to acupuncture. I decided to go ahead and move forward with the acupuncture. It seems safe enough, and at this point I'm ready to try just about anything. Luckily, since my trip to the ER last Thursday I have no had a migraines since (KNOCK ON WOOD!!). I'm waiting. Go ahead and knock, and then you can keep reading. :-)

So I went for my very first appointment yesterday.

It was completely weird to be honest! Jenni (my acupuncturist) asked me a ton of questions and then felt the back of my neck and looked at my tongue. She said according to my tongue I’m “pretty healthy” I found that to be interesting! She then had me lay down, face down, on the table (which by the way was super uncomfortable with my belly. I had to keep adjusting so I wasn’t lying directly flat. Baby B does not like being smashed!!). Then she asked me if I wanted to see the needles and I said no. I had a nice picture in my head of how tiny the needles were - and if I was wrong I didn't want to know.  She then started feeling different places on my back and putting the needles in which honestly just felt like someone kind of snapping their finger against my skin and even with it in, the sensation was completely gone. She put a bunch in my neck and along my shoulder blades and down a little further on my back (where she said I was showing signs of digestive problems). She put one in each inside of my ankles (apparently to help with sleep), and I even had one directly on the crown of my head!! She left them in for about 30 minutes, and for the first ten I was spinning so severe I could tell I was spinning counter clockwise. I had to keep my eyes open and keep staring at the ground in order to keep my bearings about me! She came in and adjusted the needles and that stopped. I was dizzy again after I got up but other than that I can’t say I feel any different. She did say that 90% of people respond to it, and we will know in just 2-3 treatments if it is helping – which is good considering it costs a pretty penny!

Niagara Falls - day 1 - New York

After lunch at Hard Rock

Rapids leading up to the American Falls

Hard Rock Cafe - Niagara Falls, NY - our first official vacation lunch

Standing above bridal veil falls. The rainbows were so beautiful!

We walked across this island to get from Niagara Falls downtown to the cave of the winds. This island had an amazing history wrote up on this sign so I couldn't resist a picture.

Bob and Kobey walking around by the American Rapids. We were just taking it all in. It was a little chilly - but a beautifully sunny day!

More of the American Rapids. If you look close you can see where the falls drop off. The buildings in the distance are Niagara Falls, ON.

This was a tour that took us down 7 1/2 stories onto some man made decks in order to walk under the falls.

On the tour - getting soaked. No time for focusing the camera!!

This is from day 1 - but in Canada... and completely out of order. Once we crossed the border and checked into our hotel we went to Dave and Busters to hang out for the evening. There we played some "glow in the dark" mini golf. I won of course :-)

Back to Cave of the Winds - again more rainbows - I loved them!!! That's Bob and Kobey off to the left.

Bob and Kobey again on the Cave of the Winds tour. They went on closer to the falls than I did. I was cold and tired of getting wet so I backed up. I later learned I did the same thing as a kid going on this trip. Some things never change! How cute are these two though?

Update - much needed

As of today we are 14 weeks pregnant, and officially into the 2nd trimester. There is some debate on whether or not that started this week, or last week, or even two weeks ago -- but either way I'm officially in the clear and can say 2nd trimester. "Nugget" as my sister has affectionately nicknamed Baby Brewster - is now the size of a naval orange.

We do have an updated due date - it is October 11, 2012 - or 10.11.12. I love the dating, even if nugget arrives on a different date, that due date will certainly always be special. I have a sneaking suspicion we will not be making it into October, let alone to the 11th. Maybe that is just wishful thinking!

I've already had a number of ultra sounds (four I think total), the last one was at about 8 weeks, and baby was measuring about a week ahead of schedule. I won't (or shouldn't) have another one until the anatomy scan on May 25th. We are most definitely finding out gender because we want to be as prepared as possible!

I spent most of the first trimester feeling some morning sickness, some food aversions, and only gaining a couple pounds. I had a couple of minor migraines that were relieved by tylenol, and the occasional excedrin migraine. What a drastic change to have over the counter meds take away a migraine! I was having so few I didn't even care about the morning sickness, or my inability to sleep, (or stay awake) at the most inappropriate times.

Enter week 13, and the start of 9 days straight of migraines (minus one day of relief... maybe two if today continues on this good path!). I started taking some prescription meds to ease the pain, and have now been referred to a headache clinic in Toledo. My OB isn't comfortable treating my level of migraines and no neurologist in findlay will see a pregnant patient.

We spent spring break in Niagara Falls (one afternoon in New York, the remainder in Ontario). Next update will be regarding vacation with pictures to go with it! Assuming I can figure out how to post pictures.

Day 1... or 5 depending on how you look at it

February 6, 2012

 

Day 1... or 5 depending on how you look at it

So today is day 1 of me blogging. Welcome to my life adventures! I say it is day 5 because, it's day 5 in part of my life that is forever changing everything.

Let me back up.

I have an amazing boyfriend, Bob, and he has a fantastic son Kobey (9), whom I live with. We've been together just under 3 years. Things have been up and down for us - but bottom line is that I love those two boys very much!

Monday, January 30th was my 30th birthday. I was so dreading it, it seems like such a big number. Bob was so amazing that he got us a room at the Belamere Suites in Perrysburg. A beautiful and awesome romantic getaway for just the 2 of us. Our room had our own private pool, a fireplace, a jacuzzi tub -- the works! We spent one night there, and we had a blast being pampered and spoiled!

The next day Bob had to leave for a work trip to Las Vegas. I dropped him off at the airport and picked up Georgia (Oh, right - I forgot to mention our dog -- a 5 month old Beabull). I did not pick up Kobey from his grandma's because I wasn't feeling well. Monday I had started to come down with a sore throat and by Tuesday I was all stuffy and miserable. I just wanted to sleep and didn't think it would be fair for me to bring Kobey home into that. Tuesday night (technically Wednesday morning) I had a most horrendous pain in my lower right abdomen. It was so bad I vomited, and dropped to my knees at one point. It let up after no more than 10-15 minutes and I was able to fall back asleep. The next day I felt some cramping on and off, but nothing like it was. Wednesday night I chatted with my sister about the pain and thought maybe I had an ovarian cyst burst so I decided to call my GYN Thursday morning. Thus, starting the first of the five days we are into now.
My GYN agreed that something may have been wrong and they squeezed me in for an ultrasound at 4pm that same day. I went in VERY nervous about what I was going to find out - and the results of my ultrasound were a possible ectopic pregnancy. A couple of reasons here to be floored. A. I was taking birth control b. ectopic scared me. I knew it could be life threatening. They immediately sent me for blood work (pregnancy serum test). I was in a complete panic, and all alone. It was one of the scariest moments of my life.
After having my blood drawn I went to CVS and bought a pregnancy test, and then picked up Kobey. Knowing Bob was going to be home within the hour we were both very anxious to see him! I took the test while waiting for Bob to arrive, and in a matter for 10 seconds, it was positive. And I lost it again. Again alone. Again scared. Once he arrived, I broke the news to him. I received several calls that evening from the MA at my GYN's office (who is AWESOME!), informing me of my test results, and letting me know they were going to do Quant levels to see how far along I was. My levels said I was about 2-4 weeks. They asked me to have my blood drawn again on Saturday to see where my quant levels were - as that would be indicative of whether or not I was having a normal pregnancy or ectopic. Friday I took most of the day off from work. I slept a lot, and tried to relax. Bob and I had a movie night with subs and tried not to let our attention be consumed with what was happening.
Saturday Kobey had a basketball game. He played awesome -- got a shot up even! It didn't fall, but man did he ever hustle!!
After the game I had my second set of blood work done. I received results later that night that my hcg levels had more than doubled so they felt like it was going to be news of a normal pregnancy on Monday.
That basically leads us up to today. Day 1 of blogging, Day 5 of knowing I'm pregnant, and day 1 of knowing for sure it is a normal pregnancy. Day 5 of absorbing, but day 1 of letting it REALLY sink in.
I'm still working through stages of shock, and watching Bob sit in shock.
So today at my ultrasound they estimated we are 5 weeks along, and gave us an estimated due date of October 10. One day after my late Memaw's birthday!
I have my first appointment on March 6th, and a follow up on March 9th.

So far I'm feeling pretty good. I did get pretty nauseous yesterday, but I feel okay today. Food all tastes weird and I'm very thirsty all of the time.
I'm going to miss alcohol, but I know it will all be worth it.

I'm anxious to share the news, but know it needs to be the right time before we can do that