The Hill

Here are some new pictures of me in my latest state of pregnancy. I am 25 weeks...into my 6th month now and definitely feeling it. I feel "good," but am starting to tire more easily and just feel big in general. I went to my new doctor's office today after having to switch due to new insurance. It was pretty uneventful, which I prefer, considering I've already been through all the preliminaries. I even made it through my blood draw without incident! It's very helpful to have some control over the situation, as in being able to tell them which arm is better and that I have small veins. I also prayed about it this morning and have decided not to give in to that fear anymore. My favorite verse for this situation is, "He has not given me the spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind." I kept this in mind and repeated it to myself when I started to get a little anxious. Amazing that the Lord has given us the tools to even have control over our thoughts and emotions. Anyway, I'll quit preaching and show you my belly and a small glimpse of the baby's room (whose name will not be determined until she gets here, for those who are wondering)!

Christmas Trauma Drama

Jay and I arrived in Nashville, TN mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve. We quickly melted into the familiar rhythm of my family while enjoying the new beat that my 5 month old nephew, Baby Jack, brought to the mix. Enjoying our Christmas tradition that evening of finger foods and stocking gifts, everything seemed normal besides my new exhaustion and feelings of being a stuffed turkey after only a few bites of food.

We went to bed at a decent hour, exhausted from our travels and expecting a good night's sleep. But I awoke sometime in the middle of the night with a deep and strong pain along the bottom of my stomach. Thinking maybe I just needed to switch positions, I rolled over to find the pain even more profound with the movement. I got up to go to the bathroom and discovered a sharp and consistent pain in the right side of my belly between my belly button and hip. Knowing that pregnancy produces such weird occurrences, I painfully went to the bathroom and headed back to bed thinking it would work itself out. I considered checking the time, knowing that if this persisted, someone would ask when the pain started. But ever being the optimist, I refused that idea and tried to find a comfortable position to return to sleep.

In what I'm assuming was a couple of hours, I woke again to find the same searing pain in my side. I was unable to find a comfortable position, and my mind started rolling. Of course my first thoughts were of the baby, but considering the pain was localized, I soon began thinking of appendicitis. For some reason I've always feared this condition and have often looked up the symptoms when I have any kind of strange pain in my belly. I didn't want to think the worst, but I couldn't possibly go back to sleep. So finally a little before 5am, I woke Jay up and asked for his iphone so I could do some research.

Of course, he immediately woke up and started asking what was wrong. Appendicitis seemed like a good possibility since the pain started out spread all over and then became localized and was strong and consistent. But of course, the main concern was the baby. Jay soon called a nurse at our doctor's office who took me through a series of questions and finally suggested we head to the emergency room. So at 5:30am that's what we did. We woke the whole house before leaving and were in the car by 6am with my parents promising to be close behind. I was thoroughly annoyed that this was the beginning of my Christmas day, but Jay was insistent, and never having had a pain of this sort for such a long period of time, I thought it would be better to be safe as well.

Arriving at the ER, we were checked in and quickly sent up to the OB floor where I changed into a gown and was hooked up to monitors. This was my very first time in a hospital bed. Over the next few hours, I was asked the same questions over and over by a variety of people. They checked my blood and my urine, which all came back clear. They monitored the baby, who seemed to be doing fine, except for a couple of drops in heart rate, which sent the not-so-helpful nurse into what seemed like panic mode for a nurse. And there was also the weird reading of very minor contractions or cramps. This was also worrying the nurse, even though I was not dilated and really didn't feel like I was having cramps or contractions.

After going round and round with the nurse calling the OB and checking on the baby's stats, she finally asked me what my pain level was. The pain had subsided some when I was laying down, but when I would get up to go to the bathroom, which was frequent since I fought having an IV put in and was given a huge thermos of water instead, the pain was so intense I could barely walk and going to the bathroom was almost unbearable. So when the nurse asked me on a scale of 1-10 how I was feeling and I told her 5, which was categorized as "I would stay home from work and wanted drugs," she began to worry a little. Though I've been called a drama queen, the one thing I cannot stand to be dramatic about is illness. I, like my father, avoid medication, doctors, and hospitals like the plague and shrug off random pains knowing they'll eventually go away and never be explained. So the nurse was surprised by my "5" since I seemed to be in good spirits. However, after giving this rating, she rushed back out to call the OB and came back with a shot.

I don't like shots. Those who know me well know my history with needles, which is not a pleasant one, despite the fact that I have 3 tattoos. We explained to her that I didn't do well with needles, as she should have already known considering I fought tooth and nail against an IV. Nevertheless, she proceeded to tell me that the needle wasn't bad, just the medication going in. It apparently would burn like fire and that was the thing to worry about. Ummm...thanks? I will never understand why medical staff, including doctors, are not trained to NOT tell patients things that will make them worry even more! Anyway, the shot was for the purpose of stopping the contractions which had been consistent for several hours. The hope was that the medication would stop the contractions which would then stop the pain in my side if that's what was in fact causing the pain.

So getting all worked about this tiny needle with the fire medicine, my mom and Jay quickly came to the bed to rub my feet and sooth me as best they could. I didn't feel the shot and the painful burning lasted for about a second. Thanks for the paranoia! Unfortunately, the reaction to the paranoia always comes after the shot. So while the nurse was standing there waiting for the medication to kick in and chatting about all the awful things that could happen to my baby, such as her being born prematurely and not surviving, I started to feel the first signs of blacking out. I'm unfortunately too familiar with this process. I told my mom I was starting to feel that way, the nurse lowered the bed so I was lying more flat, and I started to panic a little. It was about 11am by this time and I hadn't had a bite to eat yet. I have low blood sugar. That means that I get extremely shaky if I don't eat regularly and often get migraines if I eat even a few minutes late. So considering all the drama, the shot, no food, and the extra concern the nurse was heaping on about the baby, I started to crash pretty hard. I remember saying "I would kill for a cracker right now" as I fought to stay conscious and not completely black out. I sucked down some more water while the nurse continued to go on about losing the baby and now how she definitely thought I needed an IV. Can someone tell me how it makes sense to tell me I need another needle, the one I fear the most, during a time when I'm blacking out because of the needle they just gave me? COMMON SENSE, people!!!

After checking my blood pressure, which had dropped to 67 over 30, the nurse rushed out to call the OB and order an IV. My mom, who seemed calm, was near to hysterics after hearing my blood pressure. Jay tried to explain that any time I had blacked out in the past my blood pressure had probably been the same, they just hadn't checked it, and there was really nothing to worry about. That did not reassure my mom. It also concerned her that I had suddenly gone icy cold and couldn't warm up. This was a symptom I hadn't experienced before. Knowing that if I didn't shape up soon, an IV was coming, I quickly calmed myself down and focused on recovering as soon as possible. Isn't it amazing what the mind can do!? I soon was feeling less shaky and weak. My mom went out of the room for some reason and when she came back I asked if she told the nurse I didn't need an IV. She hadn't and started telling me not to fight whatever they needed to do.

Thankfully, the ultrasound guy arrived at that point and I was able to focus on something else. He hooked me up and we all waited patiently while he checked every last detail that the nurse mentioned could possibly be wrong such as a torn placenta, low fluids in the uterus, etc. It was fun to see baby again, especially after the main concerns were cleared, and my parents were able to see her too. I told them I had set all of this drama up so they could see the baby! Ultrasound man cleared everything and said everything looked completely normal, including what he could see of my appendix.

Soon after, the OB finally arrived, my blood pressure was almost back to normal, and the IV was called off. Phew! The OB, who had actually delivered my nephew a few months earlier, quickly took control of the situation. Up until that point, Jay had compared our experience to driving on an icy road and sliding all over the place. The nurse certainly did not have any air of control about her and we were on edge for hours. But that changed when the doctor came in. She asked me a bunch of questions, checked my body all over for things no one else had mentioned yet such as blood clots, and felt confident that this was just one of those weird, unexplainable things. The most consistent diagnosis was that the 8 hour car ride and sleeping in an unfamiliar bed had caused the pain. Pretty much everything else had been ruled out. So the doctor suggested that I eat something, finally!, and if I was able to keep it down, I could go home, with the understanding that if any other symptoms developed, I would come back.

So I threw down some Cheerios and chocolate milk (my Christmas brunch) and waited to see how I felt. Of course, I was still a bit shaky from the medicine and not having eaten all morning, but mostly I felt OK except for the constant side pain. So I got dressed, discharged, and headed back home to begin my real Christmas! We got back around 1pm. My ten-year-old niece had already opened most of her presents and was anxious to get on with the rest of it. I took a quick shower and headed back down where my husband restricted me to the couch for the rest of the day. We opened presents and went on about the day as usual with everyone asking if the pain was still there throughout the day. Unfortunately it never left, but it also didn't get worse and no other symptoms cropped up.

I had been looking forward to shopping early the next day with my Christmas money and Running Bear's (our baby) gift certificate to Lucky Kids where everything was 65% off. But Jay absolutely refused to let me go out. So I sent him instead. He was my ambassador and arrived at Lucky Kids at 8am when the doors opened! He did a great job and bought some really cute things for Running Bear. I felt better throughout that day, but the pain was still there off and on. The next day I felt even better, and the pain was barely present. It disappeared altogether after that. So I guess the only explanation is that it really was caused by the traveling and must have been like a pulled muscle.

I haven't experienced the pain again until this morning actually. I was pretty active yesterday and had an incredibly sore back and hips by yesterday evening. So it must just be a muscle thing. The baby is still kicking strong, finally strong enough for Jay to feel. So I know she's doing OK. I'll be 24 weeks/6 months on Saturday, and will post some new pics of my belly soon.

And that's my Christmas story! By the way...Happy New Year!

More Projects

This was our project for yesterday...one that's been in the making for several years! I bought a few of these lanterns years ago and have been carrying them around ever since waiting for the perfect place to hang them. We finally found it! I painted a gold box on the wall above our new dresser (see previous blog). Then Jay took a leftover piece of wood from the bench/dresser, screwed it to the wall, inserted dowels, and hung the lanterns. I wanted it to have a bazaar feel and that's exactly the way it turned out. Initially I wanted to hang them over the bed, but Jay was afraid of dying in the middle of the night, a legitimate concern! But I'm very happy that we chose this spot instead. Eventually, when the room is completely finished, I'll take pictures all the way around with a real camera. These pics were taken with an iphone, so not that great.

Anyway, I hope all of you have a very Merry (and relaxing) Christmas! See you in the new year!

Coldplay Concert..Finally!

I apologize for the lateness of this review, but I decided that Jay should write it instead of me as I was mostly concerned about the deafness of my baby during the show as opposed to all the details Jay was paying attention to. Besides, he is an excellent writer. So here you go. In the words of Jay:

Coldplay Concert Review 11/13/08 - Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO

Most of us go to concerts for the entertainment value. I am no exception, but the parts of the show that entertain me are not necessarily those that entertain others. I am interested in seeing how large the sound board is, the scale of the production, lighting trusses, special effects, outfits, the number of wardrobe changes, stage plot, in-ears or floor monitors, song transitions, stage presence, musicality, dynamics and so on.

But the thing I look forward to most is discovering what song has been given the hallowed role of opener. In fact I typically play a game with myself in guessing what song gets the leading spot. Having played in bands for years, I’ve taken part in my share of set list discussions that typically revolve around three to four central questions; not the least of which is “What song do we start with?” So as you can imagine I like to try and apply my experiences in this endeavor and predict what other bands may do in like circumstances. When I saw Chris Tomlin, I guessed right. However, when I saw Radiohead, I was off the board. Typically the more artistic and more successful the band, the less predictable the song opener. At this point you are begging me to move on. I thought this was about a Coldplay concert!? It is.

I put a lot of thought into Coldplay’s opening song. I knew it had to be from their newest album, Viva La Vida. Rule of thumb is to start with a well-known, high-energy number but as I said before, curve balls are more commonly thrown by mega-bands. Prior to the start of the show, I had 4 guesses; Life in Technicolor, Lost, Lovers in Japan or Viva La Vida. The most energetic of those is Viva La Vida. However, I quickly cast that choice aside because that’s the hit single. It’s extremely rare for a band to lead with the hit single. I dismissed Lost. It just doesn’t seem like an opener. So then we are left with Life in Technicolor or Lovers in Japan. I thought either could be a possibility. Life in Technicolor has an intro that is way too long for opener status, but it occurred to me that if the band omitted the synth intro, we might have something.

In fact that was what they did. They skipped the introduction and began the song melody for roughly 30 seconds before the band came in at full strength. The bold light show commenced when the drums kicked in. As soon as Life was over, lights went black and Chris Martin immediately began verse one of Violet Hill. If you’ve not heard this song, you’re missing out. Adjectives abound. Marching groove, dynamic, colorful, textured, dirty, but most envious of all, enough attitude to fill an arena and have some left over. The eight quarter note diamonds that follow each chorus were brilliantly and appropriately accented with explosions of light. At the conclusion of this song, I was happy to have made the trip and looked forward to rest of the night. Judging from the crowd’s response, I was not alone.

The set list was thoughtfully crafted. Bands tend to play their highest card on the first hand. They start with a huge song, bright lights, painful volume and intense energy. As the concert progresses, it never reaches the same height the band had at note one. The coaster drops and rides flat for the remainder.

The Coldplay concert was not that way. In fact the band was very deliberate about managing momentum and tempering the use of non-musical production tricks so that the show more resembled hills on top of a plateau. The technological apex was not reached until the fourth song. Large white, semi-translucent balls descended from the rafters all over the center of the arena to varying heights. En route, colorful graphics were projected on the balls resembling enormous Christmas ornaments. The cool thing was the projection seemed to be coming from inside the ball. Moments later, a live video feed from stage cameras was displayed on the surfaces of these rotating balls.

The video was so precise and “distressed” that I presumed it was pre-recorded. I began to look for clues that may confirm my suspicions. I looked for discrepancies in wardrobe, movement, and background. It all matched perfectly. So much so that I don’t believe there was any possible way it was pre-recorded. So then my attention turned to just how they were applying video filters to live video feed in a way that looked so appropriate for the angle being shot and the musical moment. That was the single most impressive element of the “show”.

The concert also had notable congruence with the band’s marketing machine that pre-dated the concert. Several weeks prior to the start of the tour, the band released a video for Lovers in Japan. Many of the same props and outfits that were utilized in the video showed up on stage. The color palette of the outfits, props and lighting was in parallel to what you find in album artwork and the band web site. I appreciated the fact that this was noticeable but not overbearing.

The highlight of the evening came unexpectedly as Chris was finishing a piano ballad on one of the two auxiliary stages set up around the arena. A single, small, bright spot light lit up Chris and his piano. The arena was dark otherwise. Unknown to the crowd, the rest of the band had taken their positions at center stage in total darkness awaiting the completion of Chris’s vocal / piano duet. As he concluded the song, the small light faded slowly. Applause filled the darkness but was violently interrupted with the smashing start of Viva La Vida. All lights were full bore. Confetti exploded everywhere. The crowd was energized anew.

The drummer had left his typical spot behind the drum kit and was standing at center stage, playing a timpani, a large bell and what appeared to be a marching bass drum. He also was picking up the opening vocals. Very cool.

When all was said and done, I appreciated the attention to visual detail and the way the band managed momentum and crowd energy. Just when your mind was starting to wander, they would move to an auxiliary stage, alter the light show, use techno tricks, etc. Unexpectedly there were moments of sloppy instrumentation, which I attribute mainly to Captain Morgan. I was also a bit surprised at the amount of dead air between songs, but I suspect Coldplay was intentional about that detail as well. As the night ended, I found myself very pleased. The concert was clean and the band did what we paid to see them do. Money well spent and I hope to see you at a future Coldplay concert. Oh and as to the question, “What song did they end with?” Yellow. Naturally.

It's a...

Girl! I can't hardly believe it, but we're having a girl. I was actually a little surprised as I was starting to feel like it was going to be a boy. But I'm certainly not disappointed! It was so cool to see the baby today. She was moving around and everything was completely normal and whole, which was the best part to find out. My doctor said all of her measurements were in the 60th percentile. So she's a little bigger than "normal." Jay and I figure that means she'll follow the Sallie trend of having large European heads and necks! She also had some meaty thighs. So hopefully she'll be a chubby baby!

As far as how I'm feeling...I feel pretty normal except I'm tired, but that's nothing new for me! I'm also starting to feel some aches and pains in my back, hips, and feet. The bottom of my feet especially hurt even if I've been standing for 10 minutes. I feel like I need to get some of those tan shoes elderly people have to wear! Evie and I giggled today as we thought about our husbands having to rock us back and forth before boosting us out of a lounging or sitting position! She "encouraged" me that the heaviness I'm currently feeling is only just beginning!

I'm also starting to feel "things" in my belly. Not really flutters, as they're often described, but more like that heavy feeling you get when you're riding a roller coaster or going up an elevator. It's part of the Coldplay story, but that was the first time I felt the baby and it was rather obvious! When the music started, she started poking me, like "hey, what's going on out there!" It was amazing and a little scary considering how loud the music was! But she'll probably be a rocker like her daddy!

Anyway, here's a little picture of our baby girl:

The Hump

Is a hump bigger than a bump? Let's find out....Here's me at 18 weeks after eating a rather large McAllister's baked potato with lots of cheese! Tomorrow is the big day. We hopefully find out what we're having and we'll be sure to let everyone know how it goes! I'd also like to comment on the Coldplay show we went to a couple weeks ago. Hopefully will get around to that soon. Three more weeks of school left! Woo hoo! OK...enough chit chat. Here are the pics.

Wall Art

My brother has started a school of worship where he lives. So they rented a house to use for lessons. It's so perfect for what they need and the school is already booked up with several teachers. I'm so excited about what he's doing. I wish I had had music lessons when I was young like those being giving at Nate's school. I might have stuck with piano a little better! Anyway, his birthday was also last week. So I decided to create a little wall art for the school. The decor is very modern and bright. Sort of like retro mod. It's really cool and fun. So I tried to stick with the theme. Obviously this piece was created for what will be the drum room. I hope he likes it! If not, I told him he could decorate a closet with it! Reason for this post? I told several people what I was working on and they wanted to see it. So here you go!