New You March 1st

I'm walking proof that too little sleep is REALLY bad for the human body. Leastways, I think this body is human, but I haven't had any confirmation of that recently, either visually or otherwise! I'm a total zombie, but in spite of the library books awaiting my attention I promise to catch up BIG TIME when DH is away. That means maybe not tonight, but definitely after that. I'm going to try and squeeze a nap in this afternoon.

You all know how well we look after ourselves when we feel this rotten right?? So I'm not even going to pretend. Just making it to the end of the day is the name of the game here at the moment.

maybe some paracetamol...

Kerri.

I'm getting pretty close to enough sleep (although I could always sleep just another few minutes in the morning.... ...and I'm feeling yucky these days, too. I'm not even thinking about the wieght I have NOT lost in the past two weeks...nor the WW meetings I haven't attended...

I'll be back on Thursday....ready for a fresh start after a weigh-in and meeting.

Blessings,
Lenora
Love nurtures, develops, cares for,
Shelters, comforts, and makes a home for us.
~Laozi

Sorry so unhappy, Kerri!

I have been in a kind of survival mode too. I had a WW leader once who said that sometimes you have to make a realistic assessment of your situation and decide that new health goals are not an option for you right now. So don't be hard on yourself you guys!

I've been eating better, but the scale is not rewarding me yet. Still need to get that exercise increased. Plus I have a tendency to cancel out the good with a big bad -- like Chinese take-out last night. At least I did pretty good at keeping it light today -- my dinner was only 6 WW points! (Fabulous WW spinach pie recipe, plus carrots and zucchini).

Gotta work tonight, but I wanted to check in. DH and I so want to lose weight and be more active, but it seems that life is getting in the way at every turn!

Shaun
"If you jump off the boat, you only rock it once"

Chinese takeaway - I have fond memories which have probably gotten a little warped over the years - but I would think that that a talented cook like you Shaun could manage to replicate your favourite Chinese dishes at home easily enough (yeah, sometimes you just want takeout, I know!) and you'd soon find that it can be healthy enough. I can't think of many dishes that are actually unhealthy, and even the deep fried type *should* be balanced with something steamed and something like a soup. Give it a try one day when you're feeling full of the joys of Spring Shaun. The worst thing about takeout is the MSG.

I'm on some form of moussaka tonight. Since I don't really have much in the way of potato or enthusiasm it'll probably be a slightly moussaka style mince (ie. lamb mince and eggplant) with rice.

I do wonder whether it's something to do with that pre-Spring feeling of ickiness, in spite of the fact that I don't have the weather to fit it. After a couple of days of much-appreciated rain we're back to blue skies, though it's not as horribly hot as it was. Still, I think my northern hemisphere programming might override it all.

oh yes, and the fact that DH is leaving in the morning for nearly a month. Could be that. Or the fact that I need to be getting on with his ironing pretty sharpish... that's always a mood spoiler for me!

still... the kids are on holiday in two weeks which means we'll be halfway through the year towards our leaving time, and less than two months till we break the news to everyone (and DH can tell the Company where to stick it - he's actually going to be nice because his brother is a Company director and he also might want an emergency job with th UK franchisee! - shame!! ). I know it will make quite a difference to us both, although I am NOT looking forward to the result. Still, I can't stand this ongoing tension forever, so I will still be glad to have the worst come. Then I shall really feel like it's just around the corner.

some secrets are nice, some are kept for good reason and some just make you feel horrible! There may be good reason behind this of a practical nature, but it's making us both feel pretty horrible nonetheless.

Kerri.

Well, not quite. New someone else though-- the pregnancy test this morning was definitely positive!

I'm actually doing very well at eating more nutritiously. More motivation I guess.

Congrats Becky!!! Keep up the good work healthwise, make sure your ob/gyn knows your GI if possible, or at least gets FULL details on your health issues. I wonder whether you should see a nutritionist as well since you've got 'issues' with nutrition!

DH left this morning so that was just what I needed to hear to perk me up!

Kerri.

See Kerri, Becky's is an example of a good secret!

Congratulations again Beckster.

I am too lazy to do any real Chinese cooking. We do have a semi-Japanese meal I make -- soba noodles with tofu chunks and some green veg with sesame oil and tamari. (As in: boil noodles, dump tofu on top, shake on some soy sauce) But I would love a really tasty, not so unhealthy recipe for hot and sour soup. So for the recipes I've tried at home have been awful!

New me had veggies and rice for lunch and no snacks. Old me had Thin Mints at my meeting tonight. It's a battle to the death between these two!

Shaun
"Where are we going? And why am I in this handbasket?!"

In fact the one thing that's easiest about Chinese cooking is the fact that rice is just rice (unless you really want to go to the hassle of fried rice!), but potatoes deserve a little more effort. So the effort you save on the rice can go into a simple stir fry or two. And everyone knows that the most effort of Chinese cooking is invariably in the preparation. As long as you have your ingredients ready it's a doddle. Oh... with the exception of really good stir fried green veg with garlic - THAT takes endless practice. I agree it's not the kind of thing you want to fuss with on those nights when preparing a piece of toast is too much cooking, but even with Iris on hand there must still be times when you feel like cooking and being creative.

there are also loads of great recipe ideas for beancurd. And plenty of simple ideas for noodles that require minimal effort. I have a sneaking suspicion that if you do fried rice often it becomes a quick dish, but I rarely go to the effort unless I have plenty of people around, which is usually a mistake for fried rice because my wok just isn't that big! It took me ages to get the hang of fried rice... I thought that it must need tons of oil if it was fried, but it hardly needs any. Just add a drop of water if it starts to stick. My fried rice now rivals my FIL's.

one more thing before I leave this somewhat OT post... A lot of what the west sees as 'Chinese' food is actually Cantonese because all our Chinese takeaways were set up by migrating Chinese from Guangdong. Much of what I saw in my MIL's kitchenwouldn't even have come close to being 'Chinese' in my previous experience - Hokkien homecooked food is vastly different from Cantonese restaurant dishes. One dish which is a favourite in our house, which nobody would even consider to be 'Chinese' is a kind of saucy tomato and egg dish. DS loves it because those are his favourite two foods. It was actually created for me by my eldest SIL's father who understood that I didn't really eat a lot of the dishes they normally served. He's lived all his life in Beijing, so how can I say the dish isn't 'Chinese'!

errr... the point of that last bit was that you should always feel free to bastardise whatever foods you like in order to create new dishes. About the only thread which runs through ALL Chinese meals, regardless of the origin of the cuisine, is the idea of balance. Once doesn't have more than one fried dish, one doesn't have all vegetables or all meat, one often has a soup (especially if one is ordering out!). Balance of tastes (spicy and garlicky and sweet and salty...), balance of cooking styles and of ingredients. That seems to be the one thing that links any Chinese meal.

please people... if you ever want me to try for shorter posts, don't get me started on food or books!

the New me had lunch (although as Shaun put it, the Old me convinced the New me to make it pot noodles - they reached a compromise I guess!) and then the New Me took to her bed for an extended nap in the hopes of waking up human. And now I'd better think about my own dinner. I haven't really been in the mood of cooking for months now. Not since before Christmas I think.

Kerri.

Great news

Now check this out:

I hope it works.

Kerri, yes, if you make fried rice often enough it becomes a quick dish, but sometimes you have to make peace with the fact that it does not always turn out perfectly.

249 days to go....is that too early to start guessing the sex? I'm guessing girl! I have a feeling, and in the four years or so I've been on TNH I haven't got the sex of a baby wrong yet!

Coming out of lurking here...

That is cute Becky - I have seen those around the 'net - and yes, girl.

Andrea

you want to talk about it not turning out perfect... how's about the Christmas I did it as part of our buffet and had the bright idea of putting it in a borrowed rice cooker to keep it warm. By the time we finally got to eat it it was so badly overcooked and soggy that not even the garbage bins in my family would eat it!

and to think I used to really hate rice as a kid! Mum did a dish which she referred to as 'nasi goreng' but which as a child I translated as 'nasty gory'! Of course I've since found out that it's just the Malay for fried rice, but I do think Mum was asking for trouble.

I think I'd guess girl too, knowing that Becky is one of two girls herself, and I don't believe you have a brother Becky - am I right?? But I don't guess.

Kerri.

So happy for you, Becky!

Weighed in at Curves this morning. Thought I would have gained back at least most of the 5 pounds due to complete neglect. Nope. Only gained 1/4 pound. Works for me.

Julie
"We must have patience for love, born of an accidental look." --Me

Happy Friday everybody.

I did something completely insane this morning. I went to Curves BEFORE work--meaning I was there at 7:15. Yikes. I don't mind a mid-morning workout, but doing it first thing was really hard for me to drag myself out for. My friend wants me to have dinner with her and the boys, though, and she sounded pretty bummed when I said I wouldn't be at her house till 6:15. So, I went this morning so I can get to her house by 5:15 instead. Amazing what I'll do for that family. I do feel really good right now, though. It would be nice to hold onto this sensation--maybe I would be inspired to go early again. Well, OK, maybe not until spring!

Kerri, you all are making me hungry for fried rice!

Later,
Me

Julie
"We must have patience for love, born of an accidental look." --Me

I was trying to pick a gender-neutral one but then I just looked really closely and I think it is pink. Maybe that's why everyone says girl. Oh well. I didn't want to use a teddy bear.

No, I don't have a brother, just a sister.

I'm feeling a little sicker today but still nowhere near the worst I've ever felt! I have been able to eat a little more fruits and vegetables than usual, and am keeping up my usual amount of walking. Also my lactose tolerance has improved, so I am enjoying being able to drink milk with meals sometimes.

Go pink, Becky! Not that there is anything wrong with blue....but I am partial to girl-babies, myself!!! Many blessings to you and your DH!!!!!

I've ended up sick this week....started on Wednesday. I've been taking echinacea, and extra C, and so far it hasn't gotten too bad....just enough goo, congestion, and headache to make me aware that I'm not "well." It has made me cranky, and ready for bed earlier in the evenings....and I can really tell a difference in my energy level...but if this is as bad as it gets, I'm going to be pretty happy with it! If I "have" to get worse....it better wait until after Wednesday!!!!!

I slept in on Thursday and didn't make it to WW. According to my scale, I'm "back" to the weight I was at my last weigh-in...which is 9.4 pounds below where I started. Nothing tastes good right now, so maybe that will help me control my eating!

Oops, must go dig out DH's last dry-cleaning stub, so he can pick up his clothes and get packed! "See" you all later!

Blessings,
Lenora
Love nurtures, develops, cares for,
Shelters, comforts, and makes a home for us.
~Laozi

Now that I have cleared out the living room a bit, I am going to start doing yoga again! I had a yoga instructor who was pregnant most of the time I took her class, so I figure I can stick with whatever she did and be all right.

Yesterday I was not so hungry as before, so I don't think I actually ate enough. I ate a lot the day before though, so I'm just going to guess it balanced out. Last night I literally had dreams that I was eating chocolate caramels (they were like Rolos, but dark chocolate).

What wonderful news to come back and read. Big conratulations from up north . I'm going to predict boy just to be different. If I'm wrong it will be the first time, but I'm OK with that. Someones gotta cheer for the underdog .

I have pneumonia, which is why I've been absent. I'm just getting some energy back now, and it isn't reliable. Yes, I've been taking as good care of myself as I can, given the fact I've got much to do right now.

I lost 8 lbs, just because I've not been hungry or eating much at all. My appetite is beginning to return now, so I suspect that weightloss will come to a screeching halt.

Not much else to say, except that I've had LOTS of water, and now that I'm eating again I'm trying to consume more vegies.

Tomorrow I go for my yearly medical. Joy!(tongue in cheek)

Time for breakfast, cereal this morning. Chicken noodle soup for lunch with real chicken. Leftover roast beef supper with vegies and fresh yorkshire pudding(and gravy of course ).

Phones ringing....

time I can handle milk!! One of the perks, I guess. It really is a joke around my house. Anytime I "thought" I might be I just drink a bit of milk and I can tell! I also tell me dad, who also can't handle milk, that he just needs to get pregnant and he can have the milk he wants! Oh I long for a tall glass of frosty milk with warm chocolate chip cookies!!!!!! Oh, Becky, enjoy it for me!

Jana

I TOLD YOU SO!!!

I really do love saying that!! Did I or did I not tell you that if you didn't take the time to rest you'd end up much sicker when you don't have time for it. Maybe you'll start listening to Dr Kerri once in a while... I'm known for pinpoint accuracy in a number of medical situations!

but ummm... I haven't been taking my medication, so I shan't gloat too much. I told me so too, but it hasn't helped much. Better at giving advice than taking it, as usual!

Still struggling with insomnia. I have a feeling I'm allergic to my bed somhow because I can sleep pretty much anywhere else in the house. I tried removng the feather pillows last night but whilst I'm a bit less stuffed up I still needed a lot of tissues this morning. Must call the dermatologist... maybe he can sort out my skin enough so I can handle the rhinitis. One would be doable, but both is unbearable! ROLL ON JUNE!!!

The kids need June too, though they don't know it yet. They've been sleeping later and later (going to bed the same time). They're obviously direly in need of fresh air and lots of exercise to use up all that excess energy. Whatever our other problems when we go that one should be solved instantly with them running around in my parents' back garden!

Not that there's much good weather in the UK at the moment. My daily weather reporter says it's gloomy and cold and it's making him miserable. Of course he's just lonely!

I'm going to get some chicken essence so I can maybe make it through the day!

Kerri.

It looks as though either Hope or Honey is going to be wrong for the very first time with me, since they guessed differently for the first time!

Take your meds, Kerri....

I've had a time trying to get enough rest the past couple of days, but my second mid-term exam at school is tomorrow (first was today) so I can nap after that. I'm also going to call my cousin's ob/gyn and make an appointment for a pre-natal exam.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Hope, but didn't you predict Iris would be a boy? Or does that not count because of my unintentional "clues"? Gosh, was that a long time ago or what? . . .

Sorry you have been so ill Hope! You too Lenora.

And naughty Kerri, take those meds! I'm an awful pilltaker myself, but after a few years with the Zoloft I have improved somewhat. (I should add that DH is a very stern taskmaster as well.) But that's one major reason I would never rely on pills for birth control!

No one is ill and we have been eating well lately -- lots of green veg especially. Can't wait for warmer weather so I can start pushing the stroller more often and get more exercise -- the combination of my in-laws and my bathing suit strikes terror into my heart -- and my thighs!

Shaun
"Where are we going? And why am I in this handbasket?!"

I do remember Hope guessing boy, and i'm pretty sure I remember the thing that she thought "gave it away" I remember e-mailing back and forth with Shaun until I finally had it figured out. YES I cheated and I'll do it again if I have to

I forgot all about goofing on Iris, but it *was* Shauns fault. After which I was having too much fun driving everyone crazy, looking for the clue . No ones going to let me get away with that again .

Righty then...I've been wrong once, so it won't matter if I'm wrong again. I still say "boy" Becky, because the little guy needs a cheerleader.

Kerri, take your pills.

Do I love these yearly medicals?? Not much . My Doc likes to use the time to give me long lectures about smoking, weight and so on. Blah, blah.
Blood work I had done came back looking good, even my cholesterol . I am a little low on iron, so will find a way to supplement that. All organs are functioning and healthy.
She wants me to come in for some breathing tests on the machine in about 6 weeks, when my current respitory problems should be over and done with.

I had lunch in the city with DH so that was not at all healthy. I'll see if I can do better for supper.

I'm tired after my city adventure, I think I'll go sit down and look at catalogues .

I called for an OB appointment. My cousin's won't take me until a regular OB declares me high-risk officially, so I asked them to refer me to another and they referred me to the regular OB practice upstairs. I got an appointment for a week from today. I'm actually more medium-risk than high-risk, so who knows, I might stick with these people.

Nausea is getting a little worse, creating odd eating patterns, but I am doing okay otherwise. Yoga didn't happen the last two mornings, but I will do that tomorrow a.m.

me and 2 healthy kids I looked forward to the nausea! Crazy. I know but.....

I really have no tips on the nausea. I was that way till about 12 weeks and then woke up morning and it was GONE! I never really got sick was just qweeezzzzyyyy, all day. Ginger is supposed to help. Put a little on your toungue, actually when I was pregnant with DS4 spaghetti sauce was what did it for me. I ate it morning, noon and night. Just sauce and some pasta. To this day he loves tomatoes!!! Hopefully you will find something that will ease it a bit! I am so happy for you, you have no idea. I love being pregnant and being around pregnant people!! Happy, Happy!!!

Jana

really helped but plain pringles did!

I will leave you alone now!!!

Jana

I actually am happy about it; it reassures me. And it's the same thing with when I get colds; I kind of enjoy feeling sick when I have a good idea of when it will end. Anyhow, peppermint seems to help.

That and ice cream. It's a little scary to be pregnant and have a supermarket next door! I am going to buy some ice cream tonight. I'm back to ravenous-- think the baby is having a growth spurt.

He'll probably enjoy the ice cream Becky. And how about something peppermint with chocolate...like peppermint patties or Junior Mints?

What thread is this?...oh... oh well, Becky's preggers.

we all discuss our various cravings and the good and bad things we remember about our various pregnancies!!

ham's good for nausea of any kind. Kind of like the Pringles idea with it being salty, but at least it's not quite as unhealthy!

A uni friend of mine also mentioned that was pregnant just yesterday... actually she commented that she was anaeumic and tired, then wondered why she got a spiel from me about B12 anaemia and getting it checked out. Then she realised she hadn't mentioned that she was expecting... in July!

Becky - beware the total loss of your short term memory! My mother told me last night that I can blame it on the build-up of urea that my kidneys aren't filtering properly. But we came to the conclusion that either my kidneys are MUCH worse than we thought, or else I can't really blame my scattiness entirely on that!

ummm... tablets... ummm... welllll.... yyyeeeeessss....

Ok, all right already... I'll go get myself some drink and force some tablets down. I had no problems with Asacol, but those Pentasa are the ickiest things!

you wouldn't believe the amount of calories in junk food I just downed this afternoon. And I spent $30 on junk food. Actually that doesn't sound much in pounds!

Kerri.

Pregnancy, post-partum (breastfeeding or not), premenopause, whatever, all mental lapses, cravings, etc. are to be blamed on hormones and not on any individual craziness.

My nausea strategy: stay out of the vegetable aisle! Really, I would feel ill just looking at produce sometimes. Just take your prenatal vitamins and eat whatever your body can stand. I lived next to a grocery story during my first pregnancy, and DH would send me over before dinner to choose some kind of vegetable that I would be willing to eat that night. But sometimes I just couldn't choke it down. We joked that she would be a baby made entirely out of sugar, like those sugar eggs at Easter or cake decorations.

Shaun
"Where are we going? And why am I in this handbasket?!"

Since I've been pregnant that I can't remember it. I do remember I was very tired of it all by the end of it. And that I *HATED* maternity clothes. They do have much nicer clothes for pregnant women now though. I think they got wise and realized pregnant women liked to look good too. AND, that they did not want to dress in baby pink or baby blue. Man, was that bad!!!

I have not done a dang thing so far today. I'm blaming it on hormones, thankyou very much Shaun .

I'm not having nausea reactions to anything specific; it just comes and goes at random. Ham is not recommended though, because cold cuts can carry listeria and cause miscarriage. I guess baked ham would be all right.

I cottoned on to that whole short-term memory loss, blaming-hormones thing when I was on prednisone, so this comes naturally.

Anyway! I need to do yoga tonight. Everyone check out http://www.fitwatch.com.

...don't pay 'er! (sorry, bad, old joke from my father)

I never had cravings for single foods when pregnant...just weird combinations of food: french toast and onion rings, and sweet pickles with whipped cream being the most common.

Today, I'm back on WW with a vengence. I've gained back 4 of the 9 pounds I'd lost so I'm going to be dilligent about counting and journaling what I eat. Really! I'm also NOT going to fight my regular eating/munching patterns any more. I hate eating breakfast, and munch late at night, so I'm planning my food and points around that.

I've got to have a shower, now...so I can keep the laundry going!

Blessings,
Lenora
Love nurtures, develops, cares for,
Shelters, comforts, and makes a home for us.
~Laozi

I got the mail and the paperwork for my OB appointment came. I'm concerned about a couple of things; tell me what y'all think. The top sheet says, "Patient fill out top" and there's the name, address, short medical history etc. on top; then the bottom is for the doctor to fill in w/ previous obstetrical history, etc. Then at the very bottom, it says "Current Pregnancy: Symptoms, Comments" and then it says, "Avoid ETOH, tobacco, raw meat, caffeine, saccharine, meds, cats, hypertherm, chemicals, fish." AVOID CATS? I know about toxoplasmosis, but we have a self-cleaning litter box and neither cat has been outdoors in two years, other than trips to the vet. Plus that just seems like a heartless, cruel thing to say, and who wants a heartless, cruel doctor? They are sometimes open Saturday mornings, so I will call them tomorrow (and again Monday if they are closed tomorrow) and give them a chance to explain themselves before I cancel the appointment and go to someone else.

Also at the top part of that form, the part I'm supposed to fill out, there are boxes to check for if you have a history of this or that or the other. One of the boxes says, "smoking/ ETOH/ drugs." First of all, I know ETOH is alcohol, but do they really expect all their patients to know that? Second of all, do they mean have you ever had a drink, or is that a question about alcoholism?

Finally, they want me to sign a form agreeing to binding arbitration instead of a lawsuit, in case of malpractice. My instinct says not to sign it, but on the other hand, California has such low malpractice caps ($250,000) that I wouldn't be giving up much if I did sign it, and they might give me less trouble. They aren't very forthcoming on the form about whether they will treat me if I don't sign it.

Any opinions on any of that?

it just means don't eat any cats... like maybe it means don't eat fish.

just a thought!

Kerri.

I bet this is some "official" form that is part of their "CYA" program. Once you've signed it, you officially have "no basis" for any type of legal case concerning those particular issues (cats, fish, etc) before someone has had a chance to specifically talk to you about each risk factor in person...follow me? This is all on your "preliminary" paperwork, but right now you could conceivably consider yourself under the doctor's care, and conceivably consider him/her/them at fault if you were not warned EARLY about risks...now they can say...."we TOLD you to avoid...."

That's what I think.

I'm doing pretty good with my WW points....not so good at journaling.....I've got to work on that!

Happy Saturday!

Blessings,
Lenora
Love nurtures, develops, cares for,
Shelters, comforts, and makes a home for us.
~Laozi

The form about cats is NOT the same as the form to be signed. It is in the section that the doctor is supposed to talk about with the patient. It wasn't even one of the sections I was supposed to look at particularly. What I am concerned about is, does this mean I have a doctor who is not current on research about cats and pregnancy? Do I want an OB who is not current on research about anything to do with pregnancy? That's the issue there.

The form to be signed is the CYA form, about binding arbitration.

until you've met the guy, then decide, based on how you feel about him. I'm assuming him though you haven't actually said either way I don't think. Anyway, I reckon you're smart enough about doctors s a whole to know which ones feel right and whic ones you should run from. An OB is no different from any other kind of doctor. The biggest difference is that you're suddenly in a medical arena you don't yet know much about, so you're allowing it to bother you. Go on instinct. Even with your existing medical issues having a baby isn't as mystically complicated as it often seems when you're at the scary beginning part. Obviously there are cases where plenty of people have complications, but right now, just accept it as being something you'll learn about pretty quick, same as you did with everything else you've had to deal with. It's actually far less complicated than Crohn's!

I've been eating lunch a bit more often recently... I'd gotten into the habit of somehow forgetting it. I'm taking a few more tablets than I had been, and still trying to improve.

I STILL haven't changed my dermatologist appointment, so now I'm going to end up struggling to get an appointment at a sensible date, and run short of time. Before the end of Monday I MUST change that appointment.

and hey, I got 11hrs of sleep last night - and 7hrs were consecutive, which is probably a new record for me. All this and I was still up by 8:30am!

Kerri.

No use at all on this thread right now. I'm with you in spirit though. Very soon I'll be able to join in with a passion and a new exercise & eating program . Right now I'm just busy dealing with life(refer to the declutter thread for details if you wish), and not doing much thinking about wise chioces. Naughty me.

I do hope you're all taking great care of yourselves, drinking some water, eating lots of veggies and so on, getting lots of sleep. Later all .

I'm useless as well. Eating whatever, not sleeping well, no exercise, not enough water.

The poop has hit the fan in my world and I'm just trying to hold on and make it through until June. I've gained 4 pounds, but it will come off once I start eating better and exercising again. Spring IS coming (really) so soon I will be able to get out and move.

Keep on inpsiring me though, if you would. I lurk and read and feel much better for it. Otherwise, I'd be totally beating myself up and eating worse stuff just to soothe myself.

So thanks guys!
-Jo

I am really looking forward to warm weather so I can take Iris out in the stroller, to the park, whatever and get some walking in! Even on warm days the ice and snow on the sidewalks and esp. in the gutters at intersections makes a stroller push really unpleasant.

Becky, my thoughts on OBs and other maternity-care providers.
-- Nurses do 90% of the work, especially in labor, delivery, and post-partum, so be sure you like them.
-- Outdated forms and flyers don't necessarily mean outdated doctors.
-- Current on research does not mean caring, supportive, or good listener.

So I think Kerri's got it right: reserve judgment until you meet the Dr. and staff. I don't know how your other medical issues relate to your pregnancy, so if you have special needs you'll obviously need a Dr. who can deal with them. But for most pregnancies the Dr. doesn't do much beyond watching your progress and checking for the common warning signs, then catching the baby as he/she emerges! So gut-level comfort is the main thing, and someone who listens to your concerns rather than treating you as Pregnancy # 1,345,921.

Oh, and I think Leonora's point is still valid: telling you to stay away from alcohol, cats, dogs, and space aliens is a way of covering their behinds, whether it's something you sign or not. With pregnancy so much of what's OK or not OK is a mystery, b/c no real tests are done (would you volunteer your baby as a guinea pig?) and most problems are not common enough to identify clear causality. In our malpractice-obsessed, lawsuit-happy society, however, every product known to man has a warning for women who are preganant or breastfeeding, including things that are routinely prescribed or recommended to such women.

Similarly the fish issue is highly controversial -- every state has its own recommendation about the amount of fish, types of fish, etc., OK for pregnant women. "No fish" seems like an unusually strong warning to me, so I am wondering what that "avoid" statement really means.

Go with your gut, whatever you do!

Shaun
"Where are we going? And why am I in this handbasket?!"

That sounds about right.

A positive change I've been making slowly, over the course of the semester: the distance between the main music building and the music library at USC is 10 minutes of walking, I have figured out. So in addition to the 10 minutes it takes to get from the parking lot to the rest of campus and back, I have been deliberately arranging things so that I am more or less forced to make that trip twice each day I am at school. This adds up to 40 minutes of walking, four times a week, in addition to the time to and from the parking lot which I sometimes have to do more than once. By the time I got pregnant, I had lost three pounds in four weeks. I am keeping up the same schedule now, just napping in between!

I'm also taking advantage of spring break to try and get off of caffeine entirely. Yesterday I made one cup of tea last all day; today I had a cup of half-steeped tea (plus an herbal teabag for flavor) and will do the same for the next couple of days before getting off of it altogether. That way, the inevitable slow buildup for the rest of the semester will not get to dangerous-for-baby levels.

breakfast today:
-the aforementioned half-steeped tea
-four poptarts (!) and two cups of decaf coffee with milk

lunch:
-chicken with dumplings, broccoli, and carrots

snack:
-hot chocolate made with milk from Hershey's cocoa (the real stuff, that is)

other snack:
-two pieces of string cheese

dinner will be:
-turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy (frozen! I'm not insane)
-peach cobbler for dessert (dough made partly with oatmeal instead of flour)

I also ordered a pre-natal yoga video today. That should be fun.

Today's my first day off caffeine completely. I already have a headache. Wish me luck! I'm therefore having Easter chocolates for breakfast-- don't want to suffer TOO much.

That's what I'm here for . To checkin and cheer you all on. I so focused on other things right now I'm going days without thinking about healthy living. I'm sure I'm not eating enough. I don't seem to be losing any weight though .

Good luck with the coffee Becky. That would be a tough one to give up for me. Somehow pregnancy makes those efforts easier though. How are you feeling? Doing any morning sickness?

Jo, why don't you sign up for another big marathon . That would throw you back into training. Forced fitness!!

I'm off to take my vitamins now....trying to stay well and not relapse. I still have a little irritation in my lungs so do need to be mindful of that.

Take care all, and lets do something pampering for ourselves in the last few days of this week. Plan for it.

Nausea at random times, worse every day, plus food aversions (ditto). No vomiting. Got my pre-natal yoga video and will give it a go later today.

I'm off caffeine! Second day today, not easy.

Hang in there on the "all day sickness". I had it too and I soooo feel for you! I am sending calm tummy vibes your way!

Jana

As long as I'm sick, I figure the baby's fine.

Just letting you know, the OB appointment went well. I posted more about it in Flybabies.

Glad to hear it went well!

Hi to everyone else.

Honey (from under a pile of dust and plaster)

good job I'm a long way away Becky, because I can chat without giving you my cold!

I didn't give up tea or chocolate, but I gave up coffee and Coke which were my major troublemakers - I used to drink several cups of coffee a day, whereas I rarely drink more than a cup or two of tea each day. If there's one of the big problems that you really don't want to give up then giving up all the others will make a big impact anyway. People have been drinking tea and coffee for years and having healthy babies, so a bit won't harm obviously. Baby wants a happy Mommy most!

I've probably had the correct number of square meals in the last few days, and I've been taking my antihistamines as my dermatologist said I could, so I've had a couple of really good nights of sleep through this cold!

better yet, the worst of the rashes and itches are clearing up. It won't sort out the chronic problems but it's making life bearable, and the superzits have antibiotic ointment too, and I have a more suitable shower lotion too (pH 5.0). This is already more than I really expected from a dermatologist, so I'm quite chuffed. Or I will be when I get back my own head and manage to give the zombie his head back that I've been borrowing...

my visitors are going straight to the airport tomorrow from their hotel so I get to do a quick grocery trip tomorrow afternoon then spend the afternoon recuperating horizontally!

Kerri.

I'll pop in and say hi to you all.

I'm having fun watching you be preggers Becky . I'm just real glad it's not me. It is a special time though, and if I were maybe 15 years younger I could be tempted to do it again. Now I'm quite content to enjoy others joy, and just mess arounds with the grandkids.

Kerri, did I miss something in all my comings and goings? What was the derms diagnosis of your skin conditions? I'm glad the potions and lotions are having some effect.

Honey?? You able to cook yet? I'm soooo feeling for you right now. Are there at least *some* buff working guys to ogle? Or are they a bunch of butt cracks?

I have nothing good to say about my recent eating habits. Just trying to figure out meals to cook that won't be ugly-smelly or make too much mess in the prep of them is a challenge for me. I will be so happy when I don't have to worry about being neat anymore.

I have to dash and make myself pretty now, I'm expecting company soon. Guys no less. I'm entertaining *guys* while DH is off at work He even ordered them up for me, ain't he just too sweet! I'll be smiling from ear to ear when they leave....they're taking all the snow away from my driveway. I'm easy to satisfy!

Take your vitamins, and your pills, and your veggies, and your water, and a walk. Later gals .

I'm still eating chocolate, but otherwise off caffeine completely. My usual routine is that my caffeine consumption increases incrementally over the course of fall semester, then falls off slightly over winter break, continues to increase throughout the spring semester, and does not go back down until summer (even if I am in summer school, it still decreases for some reason). However, if I follow my usual routine, I will end up drinking more caffeine than is allowable according to the doctor; so I decided to alter the process so that the incremental increase will not be to too high a level.

Any-way! I've definitely been getting my walking in, running around like a busy little bee at school. Food is a different matter. But I finally figured out that the reason we have no food in the house to speak of is that I can't stand the smell of supermarkets now; so I am going to order grocery delivery.

I remember that problem - not being able to stand the smell when I went shopping. Aim for smaller shops in between your deliveries if necessary becaue there's usually less unwrapped food to smell. Meat was the problem for me for smell as well as eating. And yes, very often it was just feeling unwell most of the day instead of actually throwing up. Good news is that my own studies seem to confirm the position that those who have a rough time early on tend to have it easy later, and vice versa. Better to feel rotten in these early months and then have mostly smooth sailing in the later months I reckon.

Diagnosis is such a specific type of word Hope... the under-bra problems, surprise surprise, were due to sweat! Well golly I never would've thought of that. So I have a yeast cream for that and aqueous cream for when the worst of it has cleared up, and also for the dry patches elsewhere that don't take well to moisturisers. The superzits, as far as I could tell, were due to bacteria thrown out by my weakened immune system, but if left untreated they could turn into all sorts of nasties (inc. the pyoderma gangrenosus, but fairly unlikely). I have antibiotic ointment for that and warnings to get oral antibiotics if I get a bad one. I have a daytime antihistamine to combat the various itches and sneezes (well gosh... atopic dermatitis - good diagnosis doc!) and a new wash lotion which is designed for manky skin like mine - antibacterial and mildly acidic like normal skin, etc, etc...

this is why I despise dermatologists. They never ever give you any 'cures', just things to treat it 'for now'. Seems like the only thing I ever get that's curable is the common cold (thank heavens that one's moved on so quickly!).

that's about as New as I get...

Kerri.

That would be me . I'm blaming all this moving stress for my downfall. My eating habits are beyond mentioning.

I am doing real well taking all my supplements, even that extra iron the doc wants me to have. At least I can boast about that.

You should just see my staged basement(for show purposes). It's a hoot . We look like exercise fanatics or something. DH says it's a darn good thing potential buyers don't actually see us, or the cat would be "out of the bag". The exercise equipment is all set up, even the big ball is out on display. I can't use any of it of course, because I wouldn't want to mess up the display. What a sham!!!

That's about it for me, just living in a bubble right now waiting for the move so I can feel settled again. The 1st day I actually wake up in the new house is the day my walking program begins. I'm going to buy myself new runners and a hot new track suit for my birthday so I'll be all ready to motor. I'm planning to walk *very* early in the morning, probably around 6:30am. That will give me a 1/2 hour walk and I can be home and have the coffee going in time to wake DH up for work. Once I'm accustomed to that routine I will see about tossing in another 1/2 hour stroll after supper.

For today I'm washing floors and windows, so that my exercise. Now I will post this and go gobble abit of breakfast.

Eat healthy gals....inspire me .

I blame it on anything and anyone .

I'm not a total loss actually. Yesterday I made a good old stew, chock-full of healthy veggies. I did not have any of the fresh bread or buns I would usually want to have with stew, and no time to do dumplings, so I only had 1 slice of regular white sliced bread with it. YUK!

I did however eat 3 butter tarts. It's anxiety over Aunt Flo's ETA. It should be any minute now, and this month I'm doing some wild food cravings. I'd considered blaming Becky . You know, claim to be doing a sympathy pregnancy thing? I kind of figured you all wouldn't buy that though.

I'm being good about eating breakfast and taking my supplements so there's one good thing.

Otherwise it's eat on the run or eat as easy as possible. I just don't want to make big kitchen messes. I suppose if I sat and gave it some thought I could make healthy meals that would not mess things up too much. I'll dwell on that while I'm driving into the city today. I could stand to pick up a few grocry items anyway.

Is everyone managing to get out in the fresh spring air and get some exercise? Honey???? You doing any walking??? I'm just about ready to take you on .

Vonnie??? We've not seen your pecking in awhile. You doing OK or did your initial enthusiasm up and desert you? You mentioned that might happen.

It's just about the weekend, so plan some fun. Enjoy the day all .

Nothing major going on -- just life happening left & right! It all started with DD taking swim lessons and her tball practice starting. ATe up my time in a major way. DH is her coach & so I am the team secretary. We've been getting sponsors, organizing the roster & schedules for parents, etc. We didn't plan to be this involved, actually! But, it IS fun if I do have to admit it!

THEN, there's my work. Stress has abounded in March, but it should dramatically ease up for April. A major albatross has loosened from my neck! I just have a few loose ends to tie up with it, and I should be done with it all by midweek next week!

This week has been Spring Break, so we're all out of sync and schedule. Today is my day at home, so it's me & DD all day! And it's a rainy, stormy day so we'll be stuck inside.

I do want to jump back in soon; hopefully next week. I miss you gals!

VOnnie

Chaos sure can reek havoc on good intentions. My wish is that everyone's life can start to resemble some kind of normal soon. I remember well the days of being involved in kids activities. DH coached the boys football team one year...it was nutso. Those days are long gone for us, now it's DS's turn to step up and do those things. We just get to go and watch the grandkids now(NO, don't go suggesting we volunteer to coach or whatever, we did our time ).

Maybe you'd like to walk with us? Remember the walking program Honey? Hoonneeyyyy? You out there lurking Julie? You want to walk too? Anyone else???? It's spring, the perfect time to get out and enjoy. Says the girl who has not taken a step yet .

Do you think one of you could set us up with a April thread? This is getting looongg. Thanx .

Done. Head on over to the new New You thread.