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Wednesday, March 23, 2005

The Easter Egg

Yesterday while cruising the web, I was reading about how eggs and easter came together and how eggs are a sign of fertility. Girls used to give there current interest an egg to let them know they were interested. Eggs seem to be a hot topic in my head these days. Today I am CD12 and still waiting to O. The two cycles I have used clomid on, I have ovulated on CD16. CD16 this cycle is Sunday and as many know Sunday is Easter. So hopefully my Easter Egg will turn into a tiny little baby. How appropriate that it falls on that day. Is it an omen? I'm really really hoping so, because I'd really like to get pregnant on Sunday.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

While we were in the hospital, Erich and I talked about how we lacked exercise and the outdoors. So we made it a deal to get out and walk somewhere every day. We've been doing this and although it's been a bit cold, it's been gorgeous. The sun has been shining and the birds are chirping and other people are out riding bikes and generally getting ready for spring. So everyday we have some errand to run. We put our coats on and put Magdalena bundled up in to the stroller and wrapped with a blanket and take off. It's cold but it is wonderful to have the sun on us and the fresh air in our faces. I can't wait to get out into the yard and get some stuff done. Our crocuses are coming up and it's wonderful to see that hint of spring, even if they will only be around for a few weeks. I can't wait to get Magdalena outside in the yard to run around and play in the dirt. Spring is just around the corner and like everyone else, we seem to be really ready for it.

Monday, March 21, 2005

Double the Clomid, Double the Fun

With all the puking and pooping, my period and all of its glory was shoved to the back of the burner. While I am sad I didn't get pregnant this last cycle, it didn't surprise me. Erich and I admitted to each other Saturday that we both were kinda thinking in our head "why would we get lucky and get pregnant the first time like we did with Magdalena?" I call that the power of the mind. Oh and the fact that we were both super stressed during the "O" time of that cycle. We all had colds and my great aunt died. And with Magdalena sick, I didn't have the time to think and grieve about my period. I only had time to silently curse and call the nurse for a pad. (A gigantic plastic nasty pad BTW.) The next morning, I called my mom and asked if she could please bring me something since all of my cloth was at home and I really only have one days worth of cloth. (I just wash daily. I never buy more because I'm planning on getting pregnant! Then I'll stock up on PP pads) Anyways, she was sad as I think she was pretty hopeful and getting used to the idea of another baby coming.

So by the time I got home from the hospital, we were on CD4 and ready to start Clomid the next day. On Monday morning, I did get the call from the OB and I asked for clomid. I picked up the prescription and was surprised to find 10 tiny pills instead of the normal 5. I kept thinking, "they doubled my dose?" I always thought that since I did ovulate on 50mg, that they would just keep it at 50 mg. So, starting last Wednesday and through Sunday I pumped my body full of a total of 500mg of Clomid. The symptoms were awful. And now we wait for the O.

And I guess I should mention that during the end of the last cycle, I had dreams of four positive pregnancy tests. The important part of that dream was that the tests were store bought and not the internet tests we have been using. I also had a dream that I gave birth to twin boys. And my friend had a dream that I gave birth to a baby boy. Since taking all of that clomid, I've had the twin dream two more times. I really think the double dose has morphed my brain. heh. So we're all hopeful around here and Erich and I are both thinking "why wouldn't it work this cycle?" :) I think we are all thinking that a Right Before Christmas Baby would be total bliss (and get me out of cooking a Christmas dinner!).

The Weary Mother

It occurred to me that most people are probably thinking that I am an over reactor. They probably thought, "sheesh, her daughter just had the stomach flu! Big deal!" Well, I was thinking the same thing until my mom of all people said "it's a good thing you took her to the hospital when you did." So let me paint the picture for you.

Saturday morning, Magdalena started fussing like she wanted to nurse. I moved her in the bed to nurse on a different side and as I lifted my shirt up, she puked. So I handed her to Erich to take to the tub. When I handed her to Erich, she puked all over his back. (Apparently, he now has Daddy Powers that make him immune to feeling ill over bodily fluids. Yay.) So I bathed her and brought her a new pair of PJs and got her out of the tub. Erich got in the tub at that time and while I was dressing her, she puked again. This marks 3 times in the course of about 15 minutes. So back to the shower she went with Daddy and after she got out, you guessed it!, she puked again. This continued for the next hour and a half until I finally just took her to the ER. In the fifteen minute drive she puked three or four times. It was awful. In the ER, they took chest Xrays and blood work to make sure she wasn't housing any pneumonia. The entire time at the ER she continued puking every five minutes. She was miserable. They brought her some phenergran and she promptly fell asleep. At that time, I felt like we could go home and they agreed. My mom and StepDad met me at my house and Magdalena continued to sleep for about an hour or so. This was at about 11am or 1130. At noon, she woke and started puking again. We tried giving her some pedialyte because she was wretching and fussing. She nursed often out of choice, but immediately after unlatching, she'd vomit everywhere. At around 1pm she started with the liquid poop. She had liquid poop every fifteen minutes and in between the liquid poop she would vomit. This continued and at about 3pm I called the on call doctor. I was informed that he wouldn't be picking up messages until 6pm, but I could speak to the ER doc since I had been there that morning. The ER called some phenegran in. We gave it to her and she slept a bit, but every time she woke up she puked and pooped. Around 8pm Erich got home (he had to do a service call on a computer) and I had already placed a call to on call doctor. So much was coming out of her, nothing was going in not even breastmilk, and she was just laying there. When the oncall doc called back, he thought that we were losing the fight. He had us bring her in as a direct admit for IV fluids. He thought we would only be there overnight and that the next day she would be "as good as new."

Sunday morning when he came in, she wasn't perky. She was still just laying there so he decided that we should probably keep her another day. Let me back up a bit, Saturday night she started running a fever. Her little body felt like it was on fire. I kept asking them to take her temperature. When they did, they'd take it under the arm and get numbers like 97.7 or 98.5 and said she was fine. Sunday morning after the doctor left the room, I had the nurse take it again but this time they took it in the ear. 103.7. I was furious. Magdalena was absolutely miserable and they ignored me when I told them over and over and over that she really did have a fever. They started giving her motrin and tylenol and her fever held steady at 102 to 103 all day long on both meds. This continued through the night sometimes reaching 104.1 on both meds. They eventually just left thermometer in the room with me. heh. I think they got sick of me asking to take her temp. Sunday night I put cool cloths on her back and held her all night long. She hadn't puked, but the liquid poop was still very persistent.

Monday morning, our regular doctor came in to see us. He felt that her temperature was "impressive" and that meant a lot coming from him, as he isn't one to get excited over fevers. He felt we needed to stay in and keep an eye on her fever and keep her fluids going since the fever was so high with meds. I also asked for a clear fluids diet to be started.

By Monday evening, she was feeling a bit better but still pretty mellow. She played with me for about an hour that night, which made me feel good. By Tuesday morning, when Dr. S got there, I had already packed up our stuff and was ready to go home! She was holding down fluids and I think we both needed the comforts of home. He agreed and that ended our very first hospital visit (and hopefully our last!).