Tuesday, October 28, 2014

2nd Trimester!!!

    Well, let me be real with you for a few minutes. I am thrilled to be in my second trimester. Probably 2 days after my post about being 11 weeks, I started spotting. I called my OB, and he suggested I go to the ER to make sure every thing looks fine. After a complete melt down thinking of the possibilities I could be facing... and well 7 hours later, they determined it was essentially implantional bleeding. The radiologist said that it looked as if there was a little bleeding where the placenta did not fully attach at one corner. He advised that it did not appear that they placenta would become completely detached, and that everything seemed to be perfect, other than the spotting. I had a follow up appointment with my OB a few days later, and he said that at this point in the pregnancy there would either be a heartbeat or not. Luckily, there is and it's a strong heartbeat. -For all you wives tale believers, the heartbeat has been around 150, which would say Girl.... But my son's heartbeat was always high like that too. -
     Due to that scare, I'm considered a "threatened miscarriage" until I reach 20 weeks, but my OB stressed that everything looks completely fine. Now, that I'm past the 13 week mark, the likelihood of a miscarriage is highly unlikely. I am currently at 15 weeks, and fully into my 2nd trimester. All of my apps on my phone suggest that my sickness should be subsiding,my energy levels should be increasing, and libido levels should be going up (for most women). Apparently, I'm not "most women." My mother suggested that I'm still so exhausted because I'm still chasing after a 2 year old, which seems like a solid hypothesis. I have yet to feel my libido levels spike either. I am still facing the random spell of "morning" sickness, which my be the result of me not feeling like being intimate. I am sure plenty of women do feel all these positive things when they reach their second trimester... I know I did with my 1st pregnancy. They say every pregnancy is different, I am here to say, AMEN to that statement.
    Our next big step in this pregnancy.... Finding out the baby's gender. Any yes,we will have a gender reveal party this time!


Friday, October 10, 2014

Master of Disguise (disguising medicine, that is)

         So there's been so much going on lately with me and my family. My son has been battling an ear infection and croup. Apparently, his lungs are swollen too. So now, I have to find ways to get him to take his medicine. For a little while, he would do it himself, and we'd praise him for being a big boy. Now, nothing will get him to take medicine willingly. I tired the "pin down and put in the cheek" technique... That didn't work at all. In fact, it made him get sick. So since I know I can't force medicine on him, I have had to come up with some ways to hide the fact that he's taking it.

Fever Reducer:

      One thing his doctor suggested for his fever, is to try chewable tablets of Tylenol. He loves them and asks for more every time I give them to him. The other option, if your little one refuses either the liquid or tablet is suppositories. I have had to use them occasionally when his fever gets fairly high. That's when he's feeling his worse and refuses all medicine. It's a simple fix.(One medicine down, two to go...)


Antibiotic:

        His antibiotic (amoxicillin) is approved for mixing with food or drink...  That makes hiding is in his "tine" (Rich Chocolate Ovaltine) super easy. I just add a little extra drink mix to hide the flavor of the medicine. (Two down, one to go...)

 Steriod:

         The hardest one to hide or get him to take is his steroid. I play a game with him with the medicine dropper. I had to switch up the method of giving him medicine. He knew what the syringe was for... The medicine dropper is fun to him. I get a small cup of water and fill the dropper several times, letting him drink the water from the dropper. Then, I add half the dose of the steroid in the dropper while he's not looking. I put a little bit if water in the dropper too. He drinks it before he realizes what it is. He always makes a face, but it registers too late for him to spit it out. Then, I do a few more droppers of just water, then repeat the same process with the other half of the medicine. If this doesn't work... Try hiding the medicine in their cup. {Refer back to the antibiotic method with Ovaltine.} (Whew... Got him to take all his meds! Happy dance time!)

        He's been doing breathing treatments too, that's just a struggle that I have no answer for. Usually, I just tell him to sit and watch Mickey Mouse and ignore it's even there.  Oh the joys of motherhood... It makes you creative, that's for sure! I wouldn't change it for the world!


                                             Image from: www.imprintitems.com