Recovery

It's no secret that my pregnancies are no picnic. I have felt very blessed to only have "really yucky tummy" for the first five months of this pregnancy. We were all hopeful that this was the only issue to deal with this time around. We were counting on a "boring" pregnancy.

We were wrong.

It's not like kidney stones are the end of the world, but it sure stinks to finally be feeling like a "normal" person again (if normal includes a huge belly) and then be stricken with this.

All day Sunday and Monday I felt like something wasn't quite right. I actually spent most of the day on Monday perched on my bed with my laptop. Then around 9 p.m. it hit: pain in my left kidney. I talked to my sweetie about it, and he felt it best to get some rest; I didn't sleep much on Monday night/Tuesday morning. By 9 a.m., I was full-out miserable and called my OB who recommended that we went to the hospital. Looking back at it, I can now see some humor in this. My sweet heart and I have joked that no pregnancy of mine is complete without visiting the hospital some set number of times prior to the baby being born. I'm hoping that this is the ONLY time we'll have that "pleasure" this time around.

After getting the pain and nausea under wraps, an ultrasound was performed. It was confirmed that my left kidney had stones that were backing up my system. Yeah, it hurt. Apparently the doctor talked to Troy about it for a bit (I was asleep) and they decided I'd be most comfortable at home. I was sent home with pain meds and orders to drink like a camel and sleep as much as possible. Needless to say, I managed to follow doctor's orders well and slept just about all day Tuesday.

Wednesday is a blur: I do remember Dot bringing me lots of drinks and my room being dark.

Thursday I got up and going again. I moved furniture into the nursery, supervised school work, corrected assessments, cleaned bathrooms, washed laundry, supervised the dishwasher replacement, and fixed three meals. I am not superwoman: I am stupid. I paid for it with a super achy body, bruised foot, head ache, and extreme fatigue. Yup... I am stupid.

What, you may ask, in the world is the point? I must have something yet to learn in life about myself and accepting limitations. I need to learn to accept help and learn to say "no". I must learn to listen to my body and do what is best for it, even if it means my house is a wreck. I must need to learn humility.

Today's goal is to find balance. I'm super tired but need to be awake enough to do school with the kids. I hope to juggle my responsibilities outside myself with my obligation to care for myself.

The truest test of real friendship is a good old-fashioned trial.

To those friends and family who keep offering love, support, empathy, and patience: I cannot thank you enough! I know it's weird for those of you who have never gone through a pregnancy with me to see me so run down. I know it isn't like me at all to be like this. This is life. This is reality, and this is a challenge for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for loving me anyway. Thank you for knowing that "this too shall pass" and this is not the "new" me: this is the Stephanie on pregnancy. Thank you for understanding that I will be back to my full-strength-and-energy self sooner than later... if you allow me time to take care of myself. Thank you for your words of encouragement, your calls, your visits, and your emails. I cannot express my gratitude for true friends who love unconditionally.

By the way, my kids have been undying troopers in all of this! Thank you a zillion times for the drinks, the hugs, the patience, the understanding, the chores, and the focus on school work. You are my heroes, and I am Eternally grateful for you!

Update: I am feeling so much better! Thanks for the well-wishes!

Update

The card party has been moved to Monday, February 9th. We're still planning on 1 p.m. so that our cute designer can fit her family's needs. I'm so happy that so many of you are going to be able to make it!

Card Party!

I was invited to a card club a few months ago. It was so much fun, but the commute to Orem wasn't my favorite: nor was it my sweetie's idea of a good time to have me spend 1 1/2 hours on the road at night to go make some cards.

Since it was such fun, I've talked to a sweet friend of mine who also does card parties, and we've decided to have a monthly card party in our neck of the woods! That being said... Friday, February 6, 2009 at 1 p.m. we're having a card making party at my house! We'll be making 10 Valentines themed cards; my cute friend, Lora, has designed some darling cards just for us. I will be posting pictures of the cards we'll be making this weekend. She's designing 5 different cards; we'll be making 2 of each!

Lora works for Close to My Heart, and is able to have kits to make the cards for around $20. You can pay her on the 6th with cash, check, or credit card. We are planning on making this a monthly event for our stay-at-home mom friends: you're welcome to bring your kids (if you like) and have fun with the ladies! Refreshments will be served.

Please R.S.V.P. as soon as possible; we'd like to know how much stuff to order by this Friday, January 30. Feel free to invite other moms to this fun Girls' Day!

Hope to see you there!

P.S.
If you are not a stay-at-home mom but have been invited, you are welcome to come anyway! If this time doesn't work for you but you still want to purchase a card making kit, please let me know as well. We can order one with instructions for you!

A New Year's Tag

Another year, another tag! Things I've done are marked in color...

Started your own blog

Slept under the stars

Played in a band

Visited Hawaii

Watched a meteor shower

Given more than you can afford to charity

Been to Disneyland/world

Climbed a mountain

Held a praying mantis

Sang a solo

Bungee jumped

Visited Paris

Watched a lightning storm at sea

Taught yourself an art from scratch

Adopted a child

Had food poisoning

Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

Seen the Mona Lisa in France

Slept on an overnight train

Had a pillow fight

Hitchhiked

Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

Built a snow fort

Held a lamb

Gone skinny dipping

Been to a Broadway show in NY

Ran a Marathon

Been in three states at once

Ridden in a gondola in Venice

Seen a total eclipse

Watched a sunrise or sunset

Hit a home run

Been on a Cruise

Seen Niagra Falls in Person

Visited the birthplace of your Ancestors

Seen an Amish community

Taught yourself a new language

Had enough money to be truly satisfied

Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

Gone rock climbing

Seen Michelangelo’s David

Sung karaoke

Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

Visited Africa

Walked on a beach by moonlight

Been transported in an ambulance

Had your portrait painted

Gone deep sea fishing

Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

Kissed in the rain

Played in the mud

Been to Grace Kelley’s grave in Monaco

Gone to a drive-in theater

Been in a movie (well, not a movie, but a commercial...)

Visited the Great Wall of China

Started a business

Taken a martial arts class

Swam in the Mediterranean Sea

Visited Russia

Served at a soup kitchen

Sold Girl Scout cookies

Gone whale watching

Gotten flowers for no reason

Donated blood, platelets or plasma

Gone sky diving

Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

Bounced a check

Saved a favorite childhood toy

Visited the Lincoln Memorial

Eaten Caviar

Pieced a quilt

Stood in Times Square

Toured the Everglades

Been fired from a job

Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

Broken a bone

Been on a speeding motorcycle

Seen the Grand Canyon in person

Published a book

Visited the Vatican

Bought a brand new car

Walked in Jerusalem

Had your picture in the newspaper

Read the entire Bible

Visited the White House

Killed and prepared my own meat

Had chickenpox

Saved someone’s life

Sat on a jury

Met someone famous

Joined a book club

Lost a loved one

Had a baby

Seen the Alamo in person

Swam in the Great Salt Lake

Been involved in a law suit

Owned a cell phone

Been stung by a bee

Now I tag whomever would like to play along!

Lookin' Like A Teenager

We've seen a metamorphosis of sorts happen before our eyes: Dot is growing up so fast! She came out of her room yesterday modeling her darling outfit...
when it dawned on me that she's almost a teenager!

Wakko Conquers!

Our family has been getting into a bit of a Sunday routine by playing a board game after dinner. Yakko's favorite is Monopoly, and Daddy's always won.

This changed on Sunday.

Wakko out played everyone: first knocking off Daddy, then squashing me, proceeding to wipe out Dot, and then smacked Yakko out of the game.Way to go, Wakko!

Pink Flavor

We're having a pink flavored baby. Yup! She's a girl!