Alien

First things first...does anyone know how to stop the Chinese spam from invading my comments? I moderate them, but it is getting really annoying.

Next up, I have started my new job, and even received my first paycheck (which was WAY smaller than I expected, btw, but still nice to get). Things are going well...I am off orientation tomorrow (gulp!) and swimming on my own. I am still not sure how 13 hour shifts will go for me as my pregnancy gets closer to completion. As it is, I use the restroom every hour, which has been feasible while I have been orienting (and thus had another provider to cover for me when I left for the restroom) but when I am on my own I will be at the mercy of someone else being available to watch my patient while I go. It's all part of the deal, of course, and will only last for another 8 weeks or so...

I do like the job a lot, and everyone I have worked with. People seem to enjoy working for the group, and enjoy each other. The OR atmosphere is much more respectful of everyone in it than where I trained. No one is allowed to have tantrums and unprofessional outbursts, which was more common than it should have been in Spokane. It makes things more collegial, more respectful, and frankly, safer. It will take a long time for me to meet everyone and for everyone to get to trust me. A really long time, since I will barely have established who I am when I go on leave. But that is also expected.

I can't really complain about the pregnancy. Everything I am experiencing is normal, the usual back pain and heartburn, the usual feeling huge and unwieldy, but it is a healthy, normal pregnancy, thank goodness. I have only gained 20 pounds to date, which is probably just fine but surprises me nonetheless. I'm sure I'd be looking at a lot more weight gain without the band!

One thing that has surprised me is how little I can eat now. I get hungry very quickly, but I get full way faster than I ever did prepregnancy, no matter how tight the band has ever been. I'll ask my OB at my next appointment if I ought to have more of an unfill, but I don't think what I am experiencing is unusual for any pregnant woman, band or not. I don't think an unfill would necessarily change it, but I'll ask. Nothing ever gets stuck or anything, I have nothing distinctly "band related" to point at. I just get full very quickly. I don't necessarily STAY full, but again I think that's pretty normal.

The baby moves all the time! I think it's funny that they advise women to do "kick counts" a couple times a day to make sure there isn't a decline in fetal movement. Lucy moves all the time. No need to count, and I can't keep track. I hear a lot of women talk about how their baby's head is here, or feet over there, or the baby is hiccuping, or doing different things. How do they know? I don't have a clue what's going on in there. I just know it feels like an alien moving around all the time. It's strange and interesting, but I can't tell what part is what or exactly what she's doing in there.

And finally, here's one thing that losing 70 pounds before getting pregnant did for me: I have been able to grow into my belly (my extra belly flab, that is) without any stretch marks. I know I can get them, because I got all kinds of stretch marks when I gained weight. But nothing new on my belly, and I still have a little skin left to go before it gets tight. Sweet! I may get out of this without any new stretch marks, which would be really cool.

If anyone is still reading out there, thanks...I know the updates have been infrequent, and perhaps not that interesting. But this is just how it is right now. There is a lot going on, and I don't have that much energy. I guess that probably won't get any better up until and after I deliver, so I'll just do my best to post something interesting when I can.