03/31/11: Checking in...

Howdy y'all.

What a week!  I haven't really been at work much this week which is why you haven't heard a peep from me.

So, where to start?  The spontaneous trip to Austin to see my aunts and uncles?  Or the ultrasound on Monday?

Ok, Austin it is.

I have mentioned in the past that I have an aunt who is fighting brain cancer married to a man that is battling lung cancer.  I have not given any updates on that, though, as, well, it's depressing.  An aunt and an uncle from California came in at the end of last week to visit the two of them.  My uncle just had a lung resection where they removed the entire lobe that was cancer stricken.  In the middle of that surgery, he had a massive heart attack.  To say he isn't doing well would be an understatement.  My aunt, the one with the brain cancer, well, she's not really herself anymore.  Brain cancer can do that to a person.  So my aunt and uncle came to visit.  This is a brother/sister combo - brother and sister to the aunt with brain cancer - all aunts/uncle to me.  Anywho, we knew this visit was coming up and weren't trying to invade on anyone's visits, so we didn't volunteer to drive up immediately.  Last thurs, the aunt that lives in Austin said "come up" and we said "we have plans" (cause we did).

Friday, my uncle sends me a message on Facebook.  "come up." and we thought 'a little warning might have been nice cause we could have set up our plans differently.'  Then, Saturday, the visiting aunt, who knew our news already, called so that we could share the news with the rest of the crowd.  Unfortunately, the call went to voicemail as we were out to lunch with a neighbor.  In her message, she said "we really wish we could see you guys".

Ironically, our plans changed at the last minute.  We were originally going to spend Sunday with my hubby's Dad and Step-mom but she was unable to do Sunday so asked if we could switch the visit to dinner Saturday night.  We said sure - as that freed up Sunday so that I could have a much desired day to just chill.  My energy is flat out G.  O.  N.   E.

So with the final aunt saying "come up" and Sunday now clear, hubby and I looked at each other at 2pm on Saturday and said "let's go".  FIL and step-MIL came down with our niece (5 yo) who spent about two hours in our pool.  It was a long shot to bring her suit - we hadn't checked the temp of the water in a couple weeks but were surprised to learn as she was changing into her swimsuit that our pool is already 78 degrees.  It's friggin MARCH, people!  We don't usually get to temps like that until the end of May.  I know many of you have had the winter from hell, and so have we - it's TOO DAMNED HOT!  I am scared scared scared for how blistering hot this summer will be if it's already steadily 90 in MARCH!  No, don't tell me you'd rather.  You really really wouldn't.  Not here.  In Houston.  With 100% humidity.

So anywho, our niece swam for a couple of hours and then we went out to dinner.  We shared our news with FIL and step-MIL and were absolutely blown away by their responses.  Hugs that told us all the joy that was felt, tears from a man who can't show emotion.  It was amazing.

And after dinner, we headed out to Austin.  My aunts house is full up with her brother and sister and my uncle's sister.  So we stayed the night at a friend's (who's more like a sister) house just down the street.  She and her husband stayed up for us and to say we appreciate the room and the effort would be an understatement.  We didn't get in until 11:30pm.

Sunday we were up early to go spend the day with my family.  And it was a wonderful day - although sad.  My uncle is not doing well at all.  He looks bad - but his brain is fully intact.  My aunt is not doing well at all, either.  She, on the other hand, looks great - but her brain is not fully intact.  It's heartbreaking.  Absolutely heartbreaking.  She'd go to the kitchen to wash her hands, for example, get to the sink, then wonder what she was doing there.  Someone has to follow her around relentlessly "keeping her on task".  My uncle, on the other hand, is very aware of what he wants to do - but being in an upright position for 15 minutes requires a 2 hour nap.

I think the great thing that came of our visit, though, is that our good news really cheered up their home.  My uncle's sister held me in a hug with tears falling as we were getting ready to leave thanking me for giving her brother some good news and some hope.  My aunt has a 5% chance of surviving - but the odds of conceiving twins naturally is less than 3% - so strange things happen.  If they are going to survive, hope has to be at the root of it all.  When we left, late Sunday evening, all parties felt hope again.  That was wonderful.

Anywho...that's our spontaneous trip to Austin.

Which led to me being thoroughly and incredibly exhausted.  My Sweet Hubby and I both thought I'd be able to sleep in the car on the way up as well as on the way home.  Nope.  I could not get comfortable.  I could not beat the feeling that I was about to puke.  Nope.  It was just an incredibly long trip in the car.  Oh well - it was worth it.

Monday, we were able to sleep in before we headed off to our ultrasound appt.  And that went very very well.  We had two good strong heartbeats and two healthily growing babies.  A good chunk of our risk for a miscarriage just dropped off.  They say that 90% of pregnances that achieve good heart rates with baby or babies ends up a successful pregnancy.  We have now crossed into territory where we never were with our first pregnancy.  This pregnancy has now been declared "viable" and many future appts were booked.  We find out the sexes of the babies on July 11th!

By the time we were done there, it was nearly 2pm - so driving an hour and a half to work seemed futile.  We called our bosses who both said, yeah, see ya tomorrow.  So we went home and slept.

Tuesday - was a half day for me.  I went and got myself a complete unfill!  Wanna hear something strange?  According to records I should have had 3.7cc's of fluid left in the band.  Given all the fills and unfills and whatnot since surgery - and including surgery.  You know how much was pulled out?  5cc's.

They told me that when they do the first fill they "prime" the band by filling it then removing all fluid and air then filling it again.  But sometimes the way things unfold, air actually traps some of the priming fluid in there so you end up with more than they thought you had.  So, at my peak, instead of thinking I had 4.7cc's I now know I had 6cc's.

From there it was to the dentist followed by a massage followed by dinner with a friend in town on business.

Yeah...Hubby isn't getting that the more I do, the worse I feel.

So yesterday it all caught up with me.

And what used to be just queasiness is now full on sickness.  Ugh.  I seriously hope I'm one of those that loses "morning sickness" by week 12.  Sadly...that's still 4 weeks away...

That's about all I got.  Things are well.  I'm trying my best to get Hubby to understand I need to slow down.  If I slow down..I feel better.  It's a pretty simple equation.  We are looking at a crazy busy weekend this weekend with one of Hubby's best friends visiting from Denver and birthday parties and memorial services and a brunch.  Ugh.  I need to chill!  Next weekend and the weekend after that and the weekend after that don't look good, either.  I don't see this unfolding well given how I feel today...and it could get worse...from what I understand - it probably will.  Ugh.  I hope that's wrong, though!!