Friday, September 24, 2010

Today's your birthday!

Happy birthday to my oldest son who turned 38 today! I CANNOT believe I have a child who is 38 years old (sorry, son!). When I think back over the last 38 years, I remember so much. First is the pregnancy. I didn't even know I was pregnant until I went to the doctor for a period that had lasted for three weeks. The bleeding continued until about 20 weeks. During that time, we made multiple trips to the hospital, thinking we had miscarried. Each time, they sent us home saying "you're still pregnant!"

Then there was the nausea. No, honestly it was really daily barfing. Every day I would get up, eat breakfast, and promptly lose it one hour later. Finally, at 5 months, (this is the embarassing part), I got so ticked off with the routine that I threw a perfume bottle at the bathroom wall and said, "that's it. I am not doing this anymore." And guess what? It stopped. Shortly after that, I felt the baby move for the first time. A little flutter here, a little flutter there. It truly was happening. I was so ecstatic. I made maternity clothes. I knitted a sweater. I made baby clothes.

Ron and I worked on the nursery, painting the walls, painting a chest of drawers and selecting a crib, a mobile for the crib, a changing table. But the greatest addition was the rocker we found in Ron's parents' basement. We cleaned it up and I sat in it regularly during the last few months, singing to my unborn child. We were so ecstatic that we were finally going to have a baby. We had lost a pregnancy 2 years earlier and had waited for what seemed an eternity to finally get to this stage.

At 6 months, I talked with my OB about natural childbirth and, when he refused to cooperate, we made the transition from this doctor in our hometown, Lancaster, Ohio to an OB in Columbus. Thus, we traveled to Columbus once a week for Lamaze classes as the end of the pregnancy neared. Chad was due on October 1, 1972. However, about 4 am on Sept 24, I woke because I had felt a loud "pop". Yup, my water broke. We called the doctor around 9 am, when contractions were coming more regularly. We left for Columbus soon after due to the 30 minute drive. However, Chad didn't arrive until shortly before 6 pm that evening. Ron was able to be in the delivery room with me and it made the trip to Columbus SO worth it. When Chad was born, I was in a daze (not drugs, but exhaustion), but I remember thinking that he looked a little like his dad and a little like me. Those long fingers, though, were definitely his dad's. We brought him home about 3 days later. Thus began my love affair with this beautiful child.

He was always such a good child. He slept well, was easy to discipline, grew like a weed (he's about 6 foot 7 or 8 inches now!). Now he's a grown man, successful in his work, a wonderful father. He is married to a wonderful woman, has two beautiful children and another one on the way. And I still love him with all my heart. Happy birthday, Chad!

One clue solved

Since early summer, I've been dealing with increasing fatigue. Lately, it's gotten so that I wake at 5 am, breakfast, etc., back in bed at 7 am until 9. Then awake until 2 pm. Sleep until 6 or 7. During the time over the noon hour, I constantly feel like I will fall asleep if I close my eyes. It's getting worse every week.

This week, I visited one of my docs who told me, very frankly, "you look like hell!" "Gee thanks" I said! Then he tested me for a bunch of stuff. I'm thinking all the way home (trying to stay awake) that once again they will find nothing. But not this time.

My thyroid has, apparently decided to slow down...a lot. I start medication tomorrow. With any luck, I will be able to stay awake in the mornings and maybe the afternoons by the time my niece's wedding rolls around in mid-October.

We are so excited about going to this wedding. ALL of my family (with the exception of my sweet son-in-law, Dean) is going to be there. Pictures will be taken. I am just SO glad my doc figured this out. Fingers crossed that this will solve the fatigue problem!

Monday, September 20, 2010

A sock knit along with Through the Loops

Hoping to have some warm Christmas socks, I have signed up for the Through the Loups Knit Along. I will be using Zen Yarn Garden Superwash Sock in Garnet, one of the sock yarns I received from the three month sock club. It's a wonderful yarn, soft, with a good twist that should show stitch detail well. Using size 1 (2.50 mm) needles, I got 7 stitches to the inch, a little lower than required. So, I will make the medium size, instead of the large.
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