Much to my relief... and Theron's, my first trimester is almost over! I will officially be 13 weeks on Wednesday (14th)! I am feeling pretty good these days. My stomach is still a little touchy, but I think it will be this way for the duration. My appetite is mostly back to normal and my heartburn is sporadic. I still get bouts of nausea, but it's few and far between and I keep my pills handy just in case.
I was having cravings earlier, but they seem to have subsided for now. Now, my baby is moving up a little higher, and seems to have settled on my poor bladder. With my stomach being as small as it is, I am unable to eat a lot of food in a single serving. So I compensate by eating small high protein meals with a few carbs thrown in for good measure. And I am eating about every 2-3 hours. If I don't, my stomach will let me know. It either growls or gets upset (a little nausea... weird). It has taken my boss a little while to get use to seeing me eating something every time he turns around! He asked me the other day if I was able to use protein drinks to help with my protein requirements (about 80g/day). Any bariatric patient will tell you, after two solid weeks of only ingesting protein shakes, gets old pretty quick and you never want to see one again. So I answer my boss... I can but just the thought of those protein shakes wants to make me puke!
I had my monthly ob visit on the 29th. It was a special visit. Putting the yearly exam aside that I had to endure, I was able to hear my baby's heartbeat! It was awesome! I am not very emotional (as most of you know), but I almost cried! I was also much relieved at this visit. I love my ob/gyn doc. She is very understanding and knows my condition well (including the bariatric part). Apparently, it's not very common to treat pregnant bariatric patients. The nurse that we had talked to prior to our official dr. visit has no such experience at all. We were reviewing the list of test that will be needed and when they will be administered. She mentioned the glucose test for gestational diabetes. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the gastric by-pass surgery, I will give you a quick lesson on dumping syndrome. A part of the intestine is re-routed and re-attached to the new stomach pouch. Because of this, sugar is no longer safe for us to ingest. When the sugar goes into the stomach, it hits the intestine too fast and causes severe cramping/vomiting/diarrhea/nausea. It pretty much makes you bed ridden for the rest of the day. No more sugared drinks, cake, candy, ice-cream, etc. All bad, unless you can get it in sugar free. Anyhow, I tried to explain this process to the nurse. She replies that a lot of women get sick. Theron and I just looked at each other... she don't get it... I try to explain again... then she asks, "well, can you drink a coke?" I say yeah, a diet coke... she says, no it has to have sugar. I say, again, ... I can't have sugar... Then she says, well discuss it with your dr. then. Ok.
So I stress for the following two weeks when I see the doc again. I talked to her about my concerns for the test. Bless her heart. She says, well she's just a nurse... she only knows regular pregnant women. LOL. My doc said there was an alternative (fasting blood glucose test), and there was no reason for me to get sick. Especially since I am at minimal risk because I don't even eat sugar! Normally at this clinic, patients rotate with all the doctors so that patients are familiar with them when it comes to delivery time. Apparently I am special. My doc has requested that I have all my appts. with her. I ask why and she said because I was a"unique" case. Yay me for being different again at something! That's ok though... I don't want another situation like the nurse thing. My next appt. isn't until the first of May.
We were at the in-laws for general conference. It was nice to get away a little. We listened and watched conference on the computer (Conway doesn't have the BYU station yet), and the boys went to the priesthood session. It was a very enjoyable conference. I just love listing to both Pres. Monson and Uchdorf. They tell good stories and occasionally gives us a good laugh. A lot like Pres. Hinkley! I only mention conference today because I wanted to share an experience that I had. It has been a long time since the spirit has moved me to tears. I blame my hormones some, but the topic hit home because it was something I have yearned for so long to experience and it is finally coming true. It was a talk given by Elder Foster of the Seventies. He talked about a mother's love and the impact it has for all of us. What a sweet topic to preach.
A couple of quotes I took to heart, so that I will remember these words when I need them.
"Brothers and sisters, in a world where everyone is granted agency, some of our loved ones may stray for a season. But we can never give up. We must always go back for them—we must never stop trying. Our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, has issued a plea for us to go rescue those of our loved ones who may be lost... We never know when a heart may be turned. We never know when a soul may be weary and worn out by the world. When that happens, it seems our children almost always turn first toward Mother..."
"As in all things, the Savior set the perfect example in the love He showed for His earthly mother. In the final, most pivotal moment of His mortal life—after the anguish of Gethsemane, the mock trial, the crown of thorns, the heavy cross to which He was brutally nailed—Jesus looked down from the cross and saw His mother, Mary, who had come to be with her Son. His final act of love before He died was to ensure that His mother would be cared for, saying to His disciple, “Behold thy mother!” And from that point on the disciple took her unto his home."
It was pressed upon me how important our calling of being a mother is. Again the spirit moves through me as I review this talk and the special meaning and encouragement it gives us. Let us all follow Jesus's example and remember our mothers and remember who we are as mothers!
