Monday, May 30, 2011

if you're reading this...

...then now you know that I was NOT rapture-ized either.

Which is a good thing, because I want to be around a little longer to make sure our little baby is okay.

On a boring note, I got an "A" in my Statistics and Measurements class which was no small feat because it was not the most exhilarating course thus far. But (as I'm sure Joe can agree) I worked my ever-expanding BUTT off on that class and I am really proud of myself. I honestly didn't think I could pull it off.

Other than that, not much has been going on that is truly newsworthy other than I have already pretty much gained ALL the weight I lost last year. I know it'll eventually come off again...but the pictures kind of make me upchuck a little. The belly part's cute, so I thought I'd share a picture for you all, but just ignore all the rest of the chunkiness.

Little Baby McG is doing just fine so far. I'm feeling him a lot more lately, too. And that is a good thing because every once in awhile he'll be really lazy and it's always comforting to feel him move again. Makes me realize he's doing okay.

Our monthly checkups have been going really really well so far, too. They have actually been pretty boring, if I must say so. All I do is go, weigh in (my FAVORITE!), get my blood pressure checked, and have my uterus measured. I usually have to wait in the waiting room for about 20-30 minutes, but once I'm in, I'm out again in like 5 minutes. So there haven't been many issues at all.

And that is a good GREAT thing!

This week, though, I have my glucose screening test...which I am actually a little nervous about. Joe has already warned me about this test (he's had to do it a few times over the years), so I'm already prepared for it to taste ridiculously sweet and strong. But that's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about the results of the test, which will show if I have any level of blood sugar abnormalities. I'm over 25, obviously, and I am REALLY overweight. And those are two of the risk factors for gestational diabetes. But there are other risk factors, too, so I'll be hoping for the best. I just really want everything to be okay, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

On a happier note...

Jim and Bobbie, you should be so proud of your son! Joe has really been amazing throughout the whole experience so far. He is helpful, supportive, giving, calming, and just all around the best father-to-be ever. And I know he's been anticipating a big freak out and/or breakdown from me at some point (don't you just LOVE how movies portray females in pregnancy?) - and, I guess there's always the chance that it could still happen - but I really haven't had many mood swings at all so far. Just a couple that I can think of. But, more importantly, he's been so supportive at all times and ends up just doing something awesome like rubbing my shoulders or holding my hand. Sorry if this is embarrassing you, Joe...just want people to know that you freakin' rock!

:-)

And one more thing...

We are still not announcing our little one's name yet. Sorry. :-( But just don't ask. Joe and I want to keep it a special secret between the two of us for a little while longer.

Don't worry, though. You'll all know soon enough...I promise.

Friday, May 20, 2011

are you ready for the rapturepocalypse?

Right now, it is about 2 hours away from the scheduled start of The Rapture, which is supposed to be starting in New Zealand at 6:00pm on Saturday, May 21, 2011.

So if you are reading this, Judgment Day is upon us.

According to Harold Camping, founder of Family Radio, hidden clues in the Bible have pinpointed Judgment Day to start at 6:00pm on Saturday, May 21, 2011. It will begin as a series of earthquakes that will wash around the globe like a wave, traveling from time zone to time zone so that at 6:00pm on May 21, 2011, no matter where you live, you will either experience The Rapture and be saved for all eternity, or will be left behind to squander in the rubble until the final End of Days on October 21, 2011.

And, apparently, out of the billions upon billions of people who live across the entire planet, only 200 million of us can expect to be saved tomorrow at 6:00pm.

I, for one, am scared. First of all, I kind of wanted to have our baby in peace and be able to raise him in a semi-normal environment. But now...(and let's face it, my odds of being 1 of the 200 million are not good)...I will be stuck on the devastated and crumbling Earth until October when I and our little child will be wiped out with the rest of the sinners. And since my due date is August 21, that means the little one will only have 2 months to live. Totally not fair, if you ask me. I mean, a 2-month old baby hasn't even had enough time to learn how to sin yet.

Okay.

So.

I kind of don't really believe that this will actually happen, but Mr. Camping is all for it and is 110% confident that "It. Will. Happen."

Check out this Q & A with the Doomsday Calculator Man Himself

So...if the Rapture definitely IS tomorrow, and the End of the World really IS in October, then I just want to be sure to say the following while there's time:
  • Joe - I love you and you are my favorite person in the whole world, always and forever.
  • Little Baby McG - I love you so much and haven't even met you yet! And I am sorry that the world will end so quickly after your birth, but will do whatever I can to make sure those 2 months are the best EVER!
  • Mom and Dad - thank you for having me and Alanna and for loving us and caring for us (and to Dad for forcing hugs on us at every chance you get)
  • Alanna - Thank you for being such a great sister. I wish I would have been a better sister to you, but want you to know that I love you so much.
  • Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds Fur - You are a little angel on 4 legs and have brought me such happiness. But I guess we shouldn't have named you Lucy Fur, huh?
  • Friends - My life would not have been even remotely as fun and wonderful and special if it wasn't for your presence in my life. My endless loves and thanks to you.
  • Dr. Jordan - Please just give me an "A" in my Measurements and Statistics class. I really really REALLY want to die in the End of the World with a 4.0 GPA.
  • God - Thank you for giving us the Earth as our home for the past umpteen bojillion years. I'm sorry you must end it all, but I've very much appreciated living here.
  • And Joe...one more for you - I'm not mad at you anymore for tipping our waiter at the Cheesecake Factory 50%. You probably made his night!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

and the angioplasty goes to...

...JOEHAMMED!!!

Okee dokee.

So.

After the procedure, Joe's doctor came out to speak with me and, for some reason, my heart started pounding out through my chest. Not sure why, but I all of a sudden freaked out. It was unnecessary, though, as the doctor proceeded to tell me that everything went fine.

He said it ended up being more complicated than they originally thought. Meaning, they went up through the femoral artery in the left leg (which is what they normally do) and they found that one of the kidney arteries (there are more than one!) showed significant constriction. It was a little more than 75% closed!

So they definitely decided to go ahead with the angioplasty.

The doctor said that the reason it was complicated, though, is because of the way that the kidney was transplanted. He said it was transplanted beautifully, but that the location made it difficult to keep the catheter coming in from the left side. So they realized that it was more advantageous to do the angioplasty from the right side. Which means that they ended up taking the tube out of the left side and putting one in through the right side.

OUCH!!!

But the angioplasty went really well. Hooray!!

They took the balloon and opened the artery and then removed the balloon. They saw that the artery did not stay 100% opened, but the doctor said it stayed at 90% opened, which is significant....and a heck of a lot better than the 25% opened it was before!

Also, the doctor said he was very hesitant to put in a stent to keep it open because he said that sometimes a stent can become consumed by scar tissue and cause additional closure of the artery...plus a stent can never be removed. And he was hesitant to do that because this is Joe's only working kidney, which made him more conservative in this procedure (<-- good thing!). So...he decided to leave the artery at 90% opened and then Joe will go back in about 6 months for an ultrasound to see if there is any closure or if it looks okay.

I am hoping that it will look okay, so keep your fingers crossed!!

Friday, May 13, 2011

all you need to know about renal angiograms

Dear Reader -

This is what you need to know about renal angiography and angioplasty in a transplanted kidney**.

A renal angiogram involves the insertion of a long, thin tube into the femoral artery (in the groin). The tube is then guided up through the femoral artery where it will reach the area where the transplanted kidney is connected to the artery.

A radioactive (X-Ray) dye is then inserted from the tube into the artery so that the X-Ray equipment can detect the movement of the blood/fluid throughout the blood vessels. If it is noted that there is significant loss or constriction of blood flow to the kidney, an angioplasty can then be performed.

A renal angioplasty involves inserting a small balloon-like object through the tube into the constricted blood vessel/artery. The balloon is then equipped to expand and thus open said blood vessel/artery so that adequate blood flow to the kidney can then be resumed. If necessary, a stent (which is a metal or plastic tube-like balloon) can be place into the blood vessel/artery permanently to prevent it from becoming constricted again.

**PS - I am not a doctor. I repeat...I am not a doctor! So please do not quote me. Please.



This is what Joe is getting done today.

A couple months ago when Joe had his yearly post-transplant ultrasound and biopsy, the ultrasound showed possible narrowing of the artery/blood vessels supplying blood to his new kidney. So he is getting the angiogram done today and, if there is significant enough narrowing, they will do the angioplasty and possible stent placement to maintain unconstricted blood flow to the kidney.

I must say that I just plain hate hospitals. I know they help sustain life and, come August, will help deliver a new little life into our arms. But I just hate hospitals. And even though Joe has spent enough time in hospitals, it still doesn't make it easier when we have to come back. I know he prefers to stay away from hospitals as much as he can and would probably rather watch paint dry than have to go through a procedure, but he's a champ. He's a real trooper. And I am proud of him!

His doctor for the procedure is super nice and this seems like a really good hospital. So I know he's in good hands. But I just can't wait for this day to be over...

Saturday, May 7, 2011

the name game

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)



"The Perfect Baby Name: A Proven Plan for Choosing a Name You'll Love" by Jeanine Cox is just one out of a multitude of books that surround the topic of selecting a name for your baby. Joe chose this book several months ago and it's actually a really neat book. It, of course, gives a list of girl names and boy names, but also adds the name meanings and potential nicknames. It's pretty neat to see the different nicknames associated with each name!

The book also recommends really thinking a lot about the name selection process and has different exercises for both mom and dad to complete to help combine the efforts of the name game. Different things are important to different people, and they have exercises for just about everyone.
  1. Exercise 1 - Visualize your baby, what you think they will look like, what you think they will be like. Then visualize them growing into a child, a teenager, and adult and think of names for this person.
  2. Exercise 2 - Choose names that you like that provide alliteration with your last name. For example, if your last name starts with an "S", selecting first names that also start with an "S" or a similar sound (like a soft "C").
  3. Exercise 3 - Another exercise is to think of acronyms (initials) that you like and selecting the first and middle name so that the name spells the acronym you like.
  4. Exercise 4 - Think of adjectives that describe characteristics that are most important to you (such as love and honesty), then look up these words in a thesaurus or in the baby name book to find names with those meanings.
  5. Exercise 5 - Create a list of family names based on the relative(s) you have found the most inspiring or the relatives that have passed away, but who you want to be remembered.
  6. Exercise 6 - Find out if a place that is important to you would be a good name for your child by answering some questions including (but not limited to) "Where did you meet your partner?", "Where were you when you conceived your child?", and "What do you think is the most beautiful place on earth?"
  7. Exercise 7 - Select a list of names for your child that connects them with his or her heritage (such as Irish names, German names, etc.).
  8. Exercise 8 - Choose the name types that you think may be most significant to you and select your favorite name from the corresponding list. The lists included were Biblical names, Nature names, New Age names, Shakespearean names, Musical names, Place names, and Surnames as First Names.
  9. Exercise 9 - By following all of the exercises above, both mom and dad should have a list of their favorite names from each exercise. Now, combine both mom and dad's favorites into a new list of possible names.
  10. Exercise 10 - Make the final cut from mom's list and dad's list and deliberate about what you want the final name to be, based on the selections from each list.
This book is actually very, very cool...and really promotes collaboration on the name selection process. Which is good. After all, both mom and dad created the child, right? :-) All in all, however, we didn't end up doing any of the exercises (what bad direction followers we are!), but we did look at the extensive list of girls and boys names, which provided MUCH entertainment for us. I was planning on listing a few of our "favorites" (meaning we wouldn't be caught dead naming our child by those names), but I don't want to unintentionally offend anyone. So I will refrain. But let's just say that there are some VERY interesting names in this book. Some of them you read three times and still say "What? Someone would actually call their child by this name?" The answer is "Yes, yes they would."

Most importantly, however, we have OFFICIALLY narrowed down our top name choice(s). And what's funny about it is that we didn't even use the book to come up with our choice(s)...they are names that we both just really like. Right now, we are not planning on announcing our baby's name quite yet, though.

"Why not?", is the question probably going through your head right now.

Well, you see...

We haven't actually "met" our baby yet, and his name is very personal to us. It's kind of like asking me what size bra I wear or what color my underwear are. Yes, everyone is super excited to know the answer, but it's very personal and because of our personalities being the way they are we don't quite feel comfortable announcing the answer to the world just yet. Plus, we want to be 100% sure that the name "fits" when we finally see his face. You know?

So you'll just have to sit tight for a few more months and, until then, we shall keep calling our little one "Baby McG". Don't worry, though. The wait will not be long and he will be here soon enough. :-)

Thursday, May 5, 2011

dental schmental

Throughout all of my life so far, I have not had to get a single cavity filled. Not a single one. I have always been very proud of myself for this fact.

But perhaps I was a little too cocky because I went for years without seeing a dentist. Gross, I know...but oh well. Can't do anything about it now. But...now my life of having un-cavity-filled teeth must come to an end because I have to get a root canal in one of my molars. This frightens me. A lot. It was caused by a wisdom tooth which grew in sideways pressing against the molar, causing a cavity. And now, years after the wisdom teeth were removed, the cavity has grown and the tooth now needs a root canal.

Awesome, huh?

I was hoping to live forever with no fillings or crowns or anything of the like.

I am officially a failure.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

chunky dunkiness

Baby McG is the size of a corn on the cob this week, and that corn on the cob has given me my first official stretch marks. I was hoping to avoid them altogether due to the fact that I'm pretty large and in charge to begin with. But no, they are there. And they aren't low, either. They are right in the middle in plain sight for my eyes to see every time I see my belly.

If I was a good blogger, I would post a picture of my chunky pregnant belly. Actually...if I was a good blogger, I would pose for those cute pictures of the mom standing sideways for a belly profile photo and put a new one up for every new week or month. But let me give you a mental image instead. Imagine a huge chunky dunky woman who is just getting huger and lumpier by the day. Add stretch marks. And add leg hair that literally grows so quickly that it needs to be shaved again after it was already just shaved.

See. There you have it.

Now do you REALLY want to see a photo of that?

Yeah...didn't think so.

Stay tuned. Up next...the name game!
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