Ed/Bump Update - Week 13

First things first, Ed update. We've had a little bit of a setback, but nothing is tragic. He is no longer at rehab and has been re admitted to the hospital for another round of treatments because it looks like the first didn't take completely. Ed noticed this weekend he was feeling weaker again so they moved him back last night. We're at a new hospital with new doctors, Good Samaritan, and in a new type of room in their Neuro ICU. It's a little... intimidating. So far they're estimating at least a week, and if all goes well we should see some results quickly. Ed's pretty disheartened but tries to remember that in the long run the prognosis is still really good. Full recovery. It just takes so much time and is so very slow. So, if you get a chance, reach out to him with a joke or a word about your normal, non-hospital life. It makes a world of difference.

Now for a little Bump Update:

How far along? 13 Weeks, super early I know but I think I'm finally starting to show... mostly looks like I'm slouching and have a beer belly.

How Big Is Baby? A 3 inch peach. Little alien!

Sleep: Pretty normal but now with endless hours with the Dr and the ER, it can make it hard to keep on top of eating and sleeping. I'm looking forward to having a new schedule set again.

Best moment this week: It wasn't my moment, but my mom had her retirement party with her students and it looked like a huge blast. I'm so glad she got to see how appreciated and valued she is! 

Movement: The sites say the baby is movin' around but it is tooooo tiny to feel.

Symptoms: Nausea, fatigue, and a new one! Ridiculously emotional. "I'm not really crying, it's just the baby" is a common refrain.

Food cravings/aversions: Cravings - fried chicken. Aversions - pretty much everything else until I'm starving and then I'll probably eat some of it. 

Gender: I really feel like it will have a gender... I've got a strong feeling about that :)

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Enjoying food and not struggling with finding something to eat every 2 hrs.

What I am looking forward to: Ed getting settled and my Dad visiting this weekend!

Funny moment of the week: There weren't really any funny moments aside from watching Too Cute episodes on Animal Planet. That show makes my night every Saturday. Talk about a little ray of sunshine on tv.

Labor Signs: Ages away from now.

Weekly Wisdom: Buy a mom bag. Pack snacks. Copious amounts of snacks.

Milestones: Getting to tell everyone in the last post. I was so excited to announce and I knew it would be good to have some happy news out. Hard news can suck the life out of you, but nothing is more rejuvenating than loving, celebratory messages. 

Another Big Announcement

Well, I know this is the post some of you have been patiently waiting for... or impatiently in Omi's case.... :)

We're expecting!

I thought the easiest thing to do would be to have a little FAQs section to cover all the bases for family and friends.

1. When are you due?

March 4, 2014 (thanks for the heads up on my year slip up Mel!)

2. One baby or...?

Just one little plum- sized baby in there.

3. Will you find out the sex?

We will but we won't be telling anyone. It'll be a nice big surprise for everyone next spring!

4. Have you picked names?

Yes indeedy, one girls name, one boys name. First and middle names! It's quite a relief to have that all settled already.

5. So how pregnant are you now?

3 months, so yes, if you're doing the math, the last time you saw me in MD I was already pregnant! Who knew??

6. Planned?

Yep! No surprises here, except for how quickly it happened. Omi wouldn't be surprised about that though!

7. Where will you have the baby?

Here in California. Any details past that, we're still working out.

8. When will we get to see you and Ed and the belly?

Well, that's a tough one because of Ed's recovery timeline, but we're really, really hoping to come home for Christmas and New Years.

9. Will you have a baby shower?

I believe Ck and Kate are coordinating something for the east coast if we make it back in December :)

10. What about all your weight loss!?! You just got in shape, aren't you sad to lose your body?

Oh, how many times I have heard this already. :) To be clear, I take it as a compliment! But, I am not sad at all. I'm ridiculously excited for this little person to show up and I am actually very happy I figured out how to lose weight before he/she came along. I feel completely confident in my ability to get back to being active and in fighting shape after baby arrives. This does mean I won't be running the half marathon in October or the 12k in December... maybe next year!

11.Is Ed excited? How did you tell him?

He is thrilled. We found out right before he left for China. He was at work when I took the tests, so I texted him I had a surprise for him that night. Usually that means I bought some special food - cheesecake, steaks, a special booze - so when he didn't see any unusual food items with dinner, I think he was suspicious! We were making our plates when I said I had forgotten something and I came out from the other room with the tests. He was very. very. happy. He did get to hear the baby's heartbeat before he left the country and even though he could not come to my recent appointments, the OB kindly gave us a DVD of the ultrasound to show him at rehab this week. :) All of the nurses and doctors know I am expecting because Ed has had a stack of dad preparation books on his bedside that he is diligently working through.

12. Did you/do you have morning sickness?

I had some weird symptoms while I was in MD for Ck's baby shower... I wasn't that hungry and I had some other things going on but the real morning sickness kicked in when Ed left for China. I surviving on a diet of cottage cheese, goldfish crackers, and ginger supplements pretty exclusively. Cooking has been the LAST thing I've wanted to do, so my family has been really wonderful about feeding me when they visit. There were about 4 days where all I wanted in the whole wide world was plain, steamed broccoli and nothing else.

13. But.... everything is ok? You're healthy? The baby is healthy?

Yes, the baby is perfect. I'm a little underweight - I wasn't eating much during the start of all the craziness with Ed's illness - but I'm working on that now and everything is very healthy and very ok. I'm not even really showing yet but I'm sure that will change quickly. Who doesn't want a Dr. telling them to eat more and put on weight!

And one last question...

14. Unrelated to the pregnancy, how is Ed?

Ed is doing as well as can be expected. It's more of the same, him working very hard on relearning how to use his body to walk and stand, and waiting for the nerves to regenerate so he can regain proprioception. It's just a matter of time and work to prepare him. He still really needs and appreciates all the communication in texts and emails. As I said before, the days can be long and hard, often running together like Groundhog Day so having people to talk to can break it up a little. 

So now you know why my family scrambled the jets to get out here and help me with things like preparing the apartment for Ed and the baby and the kitty litter! The help has been incredible.

Thank you again for all your love and support... it has bolstered us during this time immensely. :) 

Checking in again

Hi all. Just wanted to give you a quick update on where things are....

Ed is currently in a nearby rehab facility. Yay for finally being out of the hospital! (Don't get me wrong, the hospital was really nice and attentive and there are no complaints there, it's just, it's a hospital). He will be there for an extended stay, we're hoping he will be home by early September, but it's not something we can rush. He works multiple hours a day with several therapists on getting back to walking. It's tiring and hard, but he's been a real fighter about all of this.

My mom actually came out! It was a huge surprise. She texted me a few hours before her flight and next thing I knew she was there in the morning.  Ed was afraid Mom was going to be 'mean to him' with all of her exercises and equipment. For those who don't know, my mom is a fitness guru, with her own business that she is just now winding down after 20+ years. So she is certainly an expert on helping people rehab and better their physical state. Ed was right to be nervous - but it's all out of love! :) We've been very lucky to have both Debbie and Mom come out and help so much. We've had many, many offers of help from family, friends and co-workers, and it has just been so wonderful. I can't tell you how much we appreciate all the well wishes and positive energy. His co-workers and boss visit often and that couldn't be nicer.

Mom and I have been rearranging the apartment to make it easier for Ed to move around when he comes home. Walker/Wheelchair friendly. Just have to get him prepared for that first flight of stairs to the apartment.

I am well - tired and missing having Ed here at home, but I know he's making progress and that in time he will be here again. I get a little down, but thankfully, with so many people checking in, it's hard to stay down for long.

The updates with be infrequent - with him now in rehab it will be more of the same for awhile. Please reach out to him if you would like to cheer him on or send him jokes or harass him. The days in the rehab facility can be long, tiring and repetitive, so anything to break up the monotony is hugely appreciated. If you need information about how to reach him, please contact me privately.

What's Going On With Us.

Hey everyone. My apologies for not updating more. This time I have a pretty good reason for being so AWOL. So, I'll give you a very brief rundown of what is going on. I know there are a lot of friends who would like to know what's happening.

Ed was recently diagnosed with Guillian-Barre Syndrome. So. He's in the hospital but, he is OK. The prognosis is good. There is nothing wrong with his mind, it's just his body not doing what it should be doing. Like walking and smiling and sending correct sensory information. He's been in the hospital since Wednesday the 7th and we are waiting to see how much longer he will be there. Without treatment, the disease can progress to a complete paralysis - including the respiratory functions, leading to death. Like the article in the link says, there is no cure, you just have to wait for it to run it's course while getting treatments, and then you can recover fully afterwards. He is being treated and so far, everything is in a holding pattern. His breathing is just fine.

I spend the nights at the hospital with him and usually only go home midday for lunch time and some chores. Unfortunately, I haven't trained the cats to do all the housework yet... I'm working on it. :) We're both trying to be light-hearted and to remember that this just has to do whatever it's going to do and then things can start moving back to normalcy.

Debbie came out and provided invaluable support so I want to make sure she knows how grateful we are for the help! We really appreciate all the offers of help we've received, from family, friends and co-workers - and there have been many. We're touched, truly.

If you would like more information, you're welcome to reach out to me with questions. Ed does have his phone and does text and email if you'd like to send him encouragement or any words of kindness or jokes. The treatments and noisy nights at the hospital make him quite tired so if you reach out to him I implore you to keep it upbeat.

Forgive us both if we are forgetful or negligent about responding in a quick manner, or if our responses are brief. This schedule has both of us a little sleep deprived and out of it so sometimes it takes a bit to get all the ducks in a row.

So to summarize. Ed is in the hospital for now. We are both as ok as possible. He will recover it's just a matter of time.

Here's hoping you are all well out there in the world

Finds Vol. 2 and some randomness!

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." 
— Theodore Roosevelt

This quotation is really speaking to me today. I found it used in the teaser for a book, Daring Greatly, that looks really interesting. I certainly have a problem with failing to push myself to just go do and try, even if it means looking silly or not doing it perfectly... or even right for that matter.

With all this solo time on my hands, I've been keeping pretty quiet so I'll do another link heavy post!


1. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman

Amazing. Book. I guess I've been in the mood for mind expanding imagery, re: Jagannath, and this book fit right in. It is also fairly short and I plowed through in over a 24 hr period. It is mystical and creepy and left me with bizarre dreams. If that doesn't earn a book 5 stars on my shelves, I don't know what does.


2. Hollywood Game Night 
This show is hilarious. Mom told me I should turn it on and boy was she right, it had me snorting and giggling and I'm kinda glad no one was around to hear the crazy way I was laughing.
Here's "How Do You Do" with some SNL Alums.




3. Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

Even if you don't have kids, like myself obviously, this book is so funny. He includes drawings from his kids, and goofy family pictures. It doesn't glorify parenting or degrade it, it just points out the embarrassing, demoralizing ridiculousness of it all and the impossibility of not falling in love with it at the same time. I haven't belly laughed from a book so hard since I read Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. Did I tell you guys to read that? If I didn't, let's pretend I did, because you really must.

4. Whose Line Is It Anyway?

If you can't tell, I've been seeking out laughter lately. It's really helped pass the time with Ed away. I've mentioned how huge a fan I am of this show. I saw the live show in San Francisco with Ryan, Chip (Now Charles Esten thanks to Nashville), Greg Proops and Jeff Davis (major crush on that one back in middle school). If you're not watching the new season of this show, you're seriously missing out. Here's one of my favorite clips from the old seasons:

5. Backstreet Boys - In A World Like This

You can hate all you want but I love this. Takes me back. Never got to see them in concert but I always loved them. There's a special place in my heart for Kevin. :)

And last but not least, in fact, I'm not 100% sure I haven't already recommended this but since they add new episodes regularly....

6. Conversations With My 2-Year-Old

There are about 8 episodes out now, but the first one is still a solid introduction to the series. If you haven't heard anything about it, one man reconstructs conversations with his 2 year old daughter but with a fully grown man playing the daughter.

The "Pants" episode is also pretty amazing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dad and Debbie stopped by for a short visit earlier this week and we had a really nice time. Two long walks, Winchester house, Game of Thrones season 3, a fancy dinner and they even gifted me with a Dyson vacuum when I apparently destroyed Ed's old vacuum. I swear, I didn't do it on purpose! It really helped the second week move a little quicker.

After a lovely dinner out! One of our few group non-hike or hot tub pictures :)

Delicious Ethiopian, I love you.

Winchester House! I can't wait for Fright Night this year!

Weight loss is still holding. I've taken a break from running but I'm still walking and doing other things. Counting down the days until it's time to visit Ck. That's about all for now! Like I said it's been very quiet round here. I haven't been up to much, hence my lack of posting.  Ed comes home on Sunday and I could not be more ready. :)