One Sick Mama

I can thank God it is nothing serious. I just have a triple whammy of seasonal allergies, sinus infection, and a little bacterial infection. However, all 3 together coupled with pregnancy, exhaustion, and antibiotics (which I sometimes react to) has left me one sick mama for the time being.

Possible Diagnosis of Exhaustion

I never guessed it, but the signs are there. After all, I sleep at night. Not always through the night, but I sleep. I nap. I sit around most of the day. But, apparently, I may be suffering from exhaustion.

No matter how much or little I sleep, there is little to no improvement. I'm constantly fatigued. Bone fatigued.

My muscles ache all over. They feel very weak, too. Getting up is a great effort. Moving is slow.

I feel short of breath and sometimes need to take a breath during a small sentence.

My digestion is extremely sluggish and if I eat something that's not as simple as applesauce or yogurt, I feel worse. A smoothie and a small infant-size bowl of oatmeal yesterday had me so stuffed, I was sick most of the night waiting for it to digest.

My blood pressure is normal. Baby is active and growing normally.

I feel like I need a lot of fluids, some oxygen, and I need to just sleep. I wish I could spend just one night in a hospital getting these things, but I was just told to "go home and rest." Hopefully, I will find improvement tomorrow.

My Patchwork Home

Is your home a patchwork home like mine?

A patchwork home is a house where nothing really matches. My rooms are painted different colors. I do not have one complete set of furniture. For example, in my living room my sofa came from Big Lots when we got married. My chair was in my grandma's bedroom. Hubby's chair came from a local furniture store as a birthday gift several years ago. The side table was my great grandmothers. The piano I got on craigslist for $50.00. The media cabinet is from the closet organizing section in Target. My desk was my mothers. There is also a footstool from a local antique's shop, a homemade rocking horse given to us by friends, a wicker hamper from Target, and an old stool from a vintage sewing machine cabinet set.

Things are a bit topsy-turvy, too. My children occupy the master bedroom while hubby and I squeeze into the 7' by 9' 2nd bedroom. The dining room serves as the library, too. The sun porch is our homeschool room.

Sometimes I admire the full suites and sets at the furniture stores. Sometimes I dream of coordinating rooms, being able to stylize to my heart's content rather than settling on what I can get my hands on. But like a patchwork quilt, my patchwork house has so many homey memories. How can I get rid of my grandmother's chair or hutch? That rocking horse was so sacrificially and lovingly given to us, I want to keep it for my future grandchildren should the Lord tarry.

I will probably always have a patchwork house. Even when the Lord finally blesses us with a move, (pray a farm!) and I have more living space to play with, I will most likely keep the patchwork, and add to it.

Not Sitting Still

I guess there is a little bit of a rebellious streak in me. Or, am I just being realistic about my situation? I don't know. All I know is what the doctor told me and how everyone else around me keeps telling me to pretty much do nothing. And Momma don't like that! Funny, though, it got me out of my funk of pretty much sitting around doing nothing. I'm now doing some highly modified yoga, getting light housework done and feeling more human. Oh, I have to take it easy a lot. I can tell when I'm pushing my limits. Mornings are good. Afternoons are rough. I'm not doing anything crazy. I'm not doing anything that'll harm this pregnancy.

Thankfully, I am getting a lot of help. I appreciate that so much! But, unless the doctor tells me I'm on bedrest, I'm not going to be sitting still, feeling my muscles atrophy and my blood coagulate. Yes, I need to take it easy and not do certain things, but it isn't healthy for baby and I to be bedridden, either unless it is to keep a started preterm labor from finishing.

Not Preterm Labor, But....

Thankfully, the exit is still secured for my unborn baby! Preterm labor is not happening, but the contractions are. Therefore, the doctor has put me on limited mobility. I am not on bedrest, per se, but I cannot lift anything, including children. That includes them into their carseats, or into the tub, or into a crib..... No lugging groceries. No pushing my big ol' vacuum cleaner. I can do light housework. I can cook. I can wash dishes. I cannot load my outdoor furnace. I cannot carry laundry up and down the basement stairs.

This is going to be quite an adjustment for the next 9 to 12 weeks. Already my children are understandably NOT happy with the changes, especially my youngest.

Well, I have to go diffuse a fight between the kiddos.

Possible Preterm Labor

I have been experiencing BH contractions since about 17 weeks. I've also had many episodes of cramping and pressure. They never really concerned me too much as a change in position or a little heat would stop them. However, I realized that they are coming more frequently in bouts. Longer, stronger bouts. Yesterday, they were less than 5 minutes apart with the need to breathe through them. It lasted about an hour that way. Walking about slowly and drinking water was the only way to calm them. They calmed, so I did not head to the hospital, but the evening still held off and on contractions. I have decided to call my doctor when his office opens today. These are far too many contractions to be having even if labor is not progressing or occuring.

Has any of my readers dealt with this at 26 weeks?

A Must Watch Video

www.robynobrien.com

Why do so many kids have food allergies these days?

What's up with the genetically modified crops?

Why is organic food so expensive?

Robyn answers these questions in this must-watch video.

Watch and share....it must go viral.

What I Learned from My Hotel Room

This past weekend the entire family, plus a friend from church headed out for a mini-vaca. We stayed for two nights in a two bedroom suite with full kitchen in a favorite hotel. When we arrived home, I found that I missed that hotel suite. It was very relaxing there! I even told my mother on the phone that I wanted to go back to it! Why?

I decided that it was the lack of clutter and only having what we needed with us. I didn't have extra gadgets, appliances, clothes, toys, etc etc etc. Sure, we were on vacation, so that is different from every day life, but it really made me think about all the stuff we have. Do we really need it? Really? It felt really good to be able to sit down and put my feet up because I didn't have a mess to clean up, something to organize, or stuff to put away!

The dishwasher, extra bathroom, and maid service helped, too. ;b