Easter

All's well that ends well, but I have to say that today was not a banner day in pregnancy.

After my not-so-minor panic last night, today just sent me into the tubes.

We hosted Easter lunch today. My dad and his girlfriend, MIL & BIL all coming here.

I got up at 9 to put the ham in the oven. I got the ham in the pan and started adding mace when I started to feel... odd. I don't know if I would exactly call it lightheaded, but my head got heavy, and I started to feel weak. I want to sit down a minute. I'm not much of a morning person and having had less than 5 hours of sleep, it wasn't surprising. I felt better, so I got back up and started again.

Before I could finish with the cloves, it hit me again. I grabbed a bottle of water and headed for the couch. I decided maybe I was a little dehydrated and just needed some water and a time out. I sat for 20 minutes or so and drank a bottle of water. I felt better.

Got up and went again. Before I could finish the pineapples, it hit me again. This time, before I could sit again, the nausea hit me, too. I didn't throw up, just gagged, but man I felt like crap.

After I got the ham in the oven I went back to bed and laid on my left side, hoping whatever was going on would pass. Of course, I fell back asleep. I didn't wake up until after 11. The guests were all expected at noon, with lunch scheduled at 1.

So of course, I woke up in a panic and rushed around getting eggs on to boil for deviled eggs, potatoes on to boil for mashed potatoes etc etc. After the world's quickest shower, the guests started to arrive. I was doing okay, just feeling worn out until dinner was almost ready. I was making gravy and the feeling hit me again. i asked someone to take over the gravy stirring and headed for the couch. Of course, everyone looked at me panicked. My dad's g/f said I didn't look so well. She said that I was flushed and wanted to know if my blood pressure had been okay. (It has been.)

I was fine as soon as I sat down again. I sat for a few, then got back up and finished lunch. Then we ate. Everyone insisted on helping clean up (the women putting stuff away, David did the dishes.) and since I really didn't feel that great, I didn't really fight them on it.

After everyone left, I went straight back to bed. David followed me and I got the Doppler out. He didn't really understand why I wanted to check, but he went along with it.

I looked and looked and looked. Nothing. More panic. I got up and went to the bathroom (sometimes it helps) and looked and looked again. Nothing. Then all of a sudden I realized the Doppler had stopped making the usual scratchy sounds so I checked for my own heartbeat at my neck- nothing. The battery had worn down. So I had to charge it a while.

A half hour later, I tried again. It still took a while. It was even harder because MY heart rate was about 120bpm. I kept hearing my own and thinking it was too fast for mine, but too slow for the baby and then freaked out that the baby's heart rate had dropped a LOT. When I'm not sure, I always feel my pulse in my neck and compare- sure enough 120 was me. But FINALLY I found it. It was hidden behind my own heartbeat. I had to push in and turn to the side a bit to get it. And if I eased up a bit, I'd just get my own. As it was, I got a lot of blending of the two. I couldn't get the Doppler to give me a heart rate count so I counted it out myself. Right at 160. My blood pressure dropped 100 points. I took some deep breaths and told myself I was fine and needed to chill.

As I said, all's well that ends well, but seriously. The kid scared the crap out of me today.

Other than my body and baby trying to drive me to a padded room, the day was actually quite nice. It was cold. It flippin' SNOWED today, but the sun peaked in and out a bit. And the family was really on good behavior.

My dad's girlfriend can sometimes be a little bit high strung, but she was very well behaved today and helpful to me when I wasn't feeling well w/o being at all annoying. BIL brought the Satan dog but as soon as they came in the door I evicted both dogs. (Lest you think I sent them out to the snow, they had the finished/heated sun room, finished garage with a doggy door to the backyard. They were fine.)

There was only one food catastrophe. I was trying to make gravy and take up food at the same time and managed to ruin the first batch. Fortunately I had more. It was during the stirring of the 2nd batch that I had to go sit down again. If I hadn't ruined the first, I probably would have been fine.

It was actually quite nice to have both our families together. We almost always have to choose one or the other. But today we were all together. It was nice.

I also said my first "public" prayer over dinner today. I pray on my own a lot but have always been uncomfortable leading a prayer. I asked David to bless the meal, he asked his mom to and she said no. David started to say we should skip it, but my dad's girlfriend said "someone really should." It surprised me because she's not normally the person piping up about religion. Mostly out of irritation, I said I'd do it. It was short and sweet, but I said it and didn't feel too weird. Afterward everyone said Amen and my dad's girlfriend commented that "we all should really do that more." Again, pleasant surprise. They were all so pleasant today. It was lovely, really.

I spent the rest of the day pretty much in bed. I finished the 6th Harry Potter book (and bawled, even though I knew what was coming) and plan to hit the bookstore to get #7 tomorrow. I've felt totally fine, though I don't know if I'm actually better or if the fact that I haven't been on the feet for more than 10 minutes at a time has me lulled into a false sense of security.

But for now- everything is fine.

Happy Easter, everyone.

--Trish