26 Weeks

It's been a whirlwind of a week, yet again. Quite a few more pregnancy symptoms/side effects have set in. My morning sickness came back!!! It's not every day, but is pretty frequent. Earlier this week (and some last weekend) I started having episodes of exhaustion from doing something as simple as walking from the bedroom to the bathroom. I get so exhausted that I feel like I need to lay down - almost like I've climbed several huge flights of stairs. This is strange because I'm pretty active in general and often have people to tell me I should slow down my pace because I'm pregnant. It comes on out of nowhere - usually when I haven't done much physical activity at all. After the exhaustion comes on, I get a cold, clammy feeling and feel like I may pass out. It hasn't happened, but is scary.

I emailed my doctor about it and he wanted to see me right away. Basically, my heart rate has been somewhat elevated. They said that it's on the "high end of normal for a pregnant woman." The doctor that I saw felt like the symptoms signalled a thyroid imbalance. This makes sense because I was recently knocked down to a lower dosage of synthroid because my levels were too low. I was also taken off of Metformin, a medication typically used to treat glucose issues. It was prescribed to me because it's been shown to help women with polycystic ovarian syndrome to regulate hormones and ovulate. The doctor told me that I should stop taking it before my next glucose test (which is next week) because it will give us a more reliable test result and because it wasn't serving any purpose now that I was already pregnant.

Anyway, the doctor sent me to my endocrinologist to have a thyroid panel done and said that if it wasn't my thyroid and it continued, I may have to go see a cardiologist because of the elevated heartrate. All of my bloodwork came back beautifully, so it's not my thyroid. I have another appointment on April 8th (Brad's birthday!) and will talk to the doctor again then. The episodes are definitely less frequent, but are still happening. I'm hoping that it's all normal during pregnancy. How the heck would I know?? It's ALL new to me. I've heard from several women that they would get "winded" or out of breath easily, but this doesn't really affect my breathing. My endocrinologist, who is 2 weeks further along in her pregnancy than I am, said that she had the same thing happen to her. She went to the ER and was told that it was caused by 2 things: the baby pressing on her diaphragm, and her hormone levels. I'm hoping and praying that it's all part of being pregnant. Keeping my fingers crossed that my OB will relieve my fears and I won't have to go to a cardiologist, but I will if I need to.

Aside from the typical pregnancy ailments, we're counting down the days until spring break - one more week! No big plans yet. We have certificates for a one-night stay and breakfast at 2 different swanky hotels in Atlanta that I won at a silent auction. We're thinking of redeeming one. We need a break!

Brad has had an exciting week. He applied for a transfer within the county and received a call from the principal of a brand new "all green" high school in Dekalb - very prestigious. He went in for an interview and was accepted! Before you get excited, he decided to turn it down. We talked quite a bit this weekend and decided that it was just too much for this year. He would be the only art teacher and be responsible for starting the program from scratch, which terrified him. No supplies, no curriculum, no co-workers who knew the ropes and could help. Not only that, but he'd have to start back to school weeks ahead of pre-planning just to get the classroom set up. If Emma comes on her due date, he MIGHT have had a week at home with us. It's also a little bit farther of a commute - 30-35 minutes. He'd be making the same money, driving farther, and spending WAY more time at work (and thinking about work) than he does now. On top of that, he'd be missing so much precious time with Emma that he could never get back. It just seemed to make more sense for him to spend this next school year at a school that he's comfortable with and knows the ropes. That way he can spend his time with Emma and his new family, and less time worrying about work. He can always transfer next year. He's honored to have been offered the position, but knew that it wasn't a good fit for him right now. We're praying that he will get an even better job offer next year and can transfer then. I'm sure God has even better things planned.

I THINK that's all that went on this week. It's been crazy. Here's the belly picture, complete with Emma's glider, a shelf that Brad installed, and 2 memory shadow boxes that hold some of my baby things (baby shoes, pictures, music box, and diaper pin.) I plan to make some that match for Emma once she grows up a bit.