Where She Wen

Both IIS & WSW, describe the story of two musicians, Mia & Adam. Mia is a talented classic cellist while Adam is in a rock band called Shooting Stars. IIS is set in Oregon, from Mia’s point of view & mostly involves the story of her & Adam coming together as a couple, her family & the aftermath of a horrific car accident. WSW picks up on Adam & Mia’s lives but three years after the accident & told from Adam’s perspective, mostly taking place in NYC.

I really liked them both for what they are: entertaining quick reads. But Where She Went brought me to tears. I really didn’t want the book to end. In the way back of the novel though, there’s a glimpse at what I hope is a third!

BlogHer Book Club will be discussing Where She Went. Join in talking your thoughts on the book at http://www.blogher.com/bookclub/now-reading-where-she-went.

I was provided a copy of Where She Went & compensated for this post as part of the BlogHer Book Club, but my thoughts & opinions are all my own.

I’ve been so very blessed to have had a family member stay every night with me. Jason last Monday, Dad Tues-Thurs, Mom Fri & Sat, Jason Sun, my SIL Beth this Mon & Tues & my Nana came today to stay til Fri when Mom &/or Jason will stay through the weekend. Also friends & my aunt have stopped by to pepper the days with other fun faces.

The mornings are busy starting with 6am heartburn & thyroid medicines, 7am blood pressure/temp/finger tip oximeter checks, breakfast snack, 8amish doctors visiting, 9amish babies’ heartbeat & Suz contraction monitoring & then ordered breakfast. Things quiet down around 10 am & are pretty chill until 7 or 8 pm. That’s when shift change occurs which means meeting the new nursing staff, a new round of checks on me coupled with dinner, prime time TV & the nightly monitoring. I think some people must not like the babies heartbeat monitoring, but I love it. It super relaxes me to hear their hearts beating away. & I think it’s interesting that while I have felt few contractions, there are some showing up on the monitor.

I feel like the babes are growing good thanks to the fabulous room service-like meals here. We’re also watched over by wonderful, caring nurses & checked in on by kick ass high risk doctors like my MFM & his residents. I feel her pretty frequently here- kicks, punches, rolls, head butts to the ribs- she’s letting me know she’s happy. He’s more calm, at least from what I feel. But the doctors have assured me that he’s fine- just a mix of him being so low plus having little water accounts for his smaller activity levels.

I haven’t read as much as I thought I might. I’ve actually just finished two books (one of which I’m posting on tomorrow). I also finished Mothering Multiples which is a LLL book on breastfeeding multiples. I re-read through the multiples childbirth workbook from class too. Days pass quickly chatting with family & friends & nurses who’ve become friends, flipping through magazines, watching random TV (oh I do miss DVR) & the hospital movie channels too. Jason & I were entertained by clowns Friday & Mom & I were serenaded Glee-style by the university men’s acappella group Saturday afternoon.

Since there’s been no changes in the 10 days, my nurses & doctors feel pretty confident I’ll continue to stay pregnant until they induce me at 34 weeks. We’ll begin a few things Saturday night but my induction is technically scheduled for Sunday morning. I’ll try to do one last weekly update before hand!

{hospital bracelet, Kohls maternity/nursing gown}

How far along? 33w2d by my calculations, but the hospital considers the week switch on Sundays instead of Saturdays so they call me 33w1d.

Maternity clothes? Yes. Beginning last Monday evening, I wore hospital provided attire. Then I learned mid-week that I could wear my own clothes if I wanted. While the Kohls by us didn’t have them, luckily Mom found a few maternity/nursing gowns with robes at her Kohls & brought them down Friday. We ordered another online so now I’m switching off wearing prettier gowns.

Weight Gain? I was up 45 pounds as of last Thursday’s doctor’s appointment. I haven’t been weighed since but think the belly might be a little bigger.

Stretch Marks? Yes, on both sides & I kinda don’t care.

Sleep? Sleep in the hospital at first was near impossible due to nurses checking in or giving meds every two hours. Now I’ve learned to ask for sleeping pill if I can’t sleep & they also don’t have to give me medicine over night.

Movement? I think just sitting here thinking about the babes has me hyper-aware of them. I feel her really often & he let’s me know he’s hanging out with a few kicks & punches too.

Genders? Baby A, Zach, is a still a boy & C, Lucy, is a girl.

What I Miss? Baby B {some of the nurses when they’re doing the heartbeat monitors will refer to Lucy as baby B; I’ve either corrected them or ignored it & said “her” or “Lucy”}. I randomly today told the husband I miss wearing jewelry. I took all mine off before we left for L&D Monday night. I think this is the longest I’ve gone without wearing a necklace/rings/earrings in years & years. I also miss Moekitty~ Jason’s been good about sending me fluffy kit photos though!

Food cravings? As you’ve probably seen from my instagram feed, the food here in the hospital is really good. But the Dairy Queen commercials are getting to me~ I’m sad there isn’t a DQ close by, but the hospital’s ice cream & milkshakes are hitting that spot. I was also kinda craving a Gigi’s cupcake yesterday. I ordered a cupcake with my lunch today & am hoping it tastes as good as it looks.

Food aversion? None really.

Labor signs? Zach’s water broke last Monday afternoon. So I’m now a PPROM {premature preterm rupture of membranes} patient on hospital bedrest. No other labor signs for the last week though {random little contractions but not active ones}. They’ll induce labor if I don’t go on my own by 5/20.

Belly button in or out? It’s popping more & more out but I’d still call it an innie.

What I’m Looking Forward to? A few more days of being pregnant {aka having ‘medically boring days’ as the MFMs wish me every morning}. Spending time with my SIL who’s on her way to hang out for a few days. Then a few days with my Nana. Then babies!!!!!

Symptoms? The swollen feet that have plagued me for weeks {months?!} disappeared being in a hospital bed. So nice to see my feet looking normal. The heartburn medicine they give me here has actually worked better than what I was previously on. I really feeling well.

Weekly Wisdom? A positive attitude really helps. A nurse told me yesterday, as I was mentioning how the days fly by & that it hasn’t been bad, how my attitude really does effect my bedrest stay. We open the blinds each morning, I brush my teeth/wash face etc & we’ve established a bit of a routine when it comes to showering & getting out of the room occasionally. I really think texting & social media {twitter, instagram, facebook & of course blogging} makes me still feel connected to friends too which really has helped.

Milestones? Still pregnant! Baby Center told me yesterday that the babies are about 4 pounds {weight of a pineapple} but we know they were that size over a week ago at our last ultrasound appt. Since they gain about a half pound a week, I’m guessing they’re more like 4.5 & 4.75 pounds now. Guess we’ll see for sure soon.

Here’s a few of my favorites from our mini session. I’m so thankful we had these done!!

Remember that hospital bag that’s been unchecked off on our prebabies to do list; Jason packed it in record time while I sat on the toilet gushing. A quick goodbye to Moekitty, water bottle banana & Where She Went thrown in my purse & a hand towel between my legs, we were on our way.

We arrived at UNC around 430; I was wheelchaired right up to L&D triage (Id been there before remember). They went to do the same ‘is her water broke’ test & it was such an obvious yes they didn’t test further. The on call ob noted my cervix was still closed. I was hooked up to heartbeat monitors (babies sounded great), contraction monitor (nothing there) & they did a quick, basic ultrasound which showed Lucy still living large transverse up top with tons of fluid while Zachary was super head down with less water. Aka he started this party! I hadn’t been tested for group B Step yet so they did that in triage too.

Since I wasn’t in labor, I was admitted as a PPROM patient & have been making growing & keep inside babies my priority for the last few days. I’m not on strict bedrest; I can get up to use the bathroom, walk the room, shower (which I interestingly did yesterday) & have been encouraged to get wheelchaired off the floor. Yesterday afternoon Jason wheeled me down to Starbucks where we enjoyed drinking coffee & tea under an overhang tip it started raining (maybe our last one-on-one prebabies date?).

So far Tuesday & Wednesday went by uneventfully medically. Another MFM from mines’ group stops by around 8a. Our current goal is for me to try to grow these babies inside until 34 weeks (10 days from today). The risk of infection from ruputured sac vs born in the 32/33 week mark is better for them to stay inside til 34w. If I’m still pregnant next weekend, they’ll induce labor. I’ve signed the consent forms & thankfully all the MFMs are on board to try vaginal delivery of Z & what’s called a secondary breech extraction for L. My MFM happened to be at hospital yesterday so he stopped by. He said in his experience, once water is broken, babies typically arrive within 4-5 days which would be this weekend! Hes the MFM making rounds. & on call beginning fri night so that works out really well.

The routine since Mon night became IV of penicillin every four hours (just in case I do have GBS), as well as other antibiotics every eight hours to ward off infection to me &/or the babes. I’m also keeping on heartburn meds, iron & prenatal supplements & after getting less than 2 hours sleep Monday, they’ve given me ambian which works like a charm. I’m now done with the penicillin so no more IV. The do heartbeat & contraction monitoring twice a day (usually 9a & 9p) for 30 minutes. But our wiggle worm Z likes to make things interesting. So he’ll frequently roll or kick off the monitor & the sessions become more like an hour. I don’t mind though; their heartbeats are music to my ears.

My parents drove down Tuesday after mom leaving work a little early. My dad ended up staying & has been occupying the pull out chair/bed at nights so Jason can spend day here with me but sleep well at night (& try to clean our house some since were now very soon expecting guests & babies!

That’s the latest news for now. I’m trying to keep up on twitter when I can & have been sharing photos of the seriously fabulous food via instagram. I’m feeling very well taken care of my all the hospital staff. Thanks for the e-love & encouragement & prayers. We’ve been feeling them & I think its at least part of why I’ve been able to stay so calm.

I’ve never been to Hawaii. I know little about Hawaii’s history beyond the basics. I loved that Alan Brennert’s Honolulu spread some light on Hawaii’s history while telling the story of a girl turned woman named Regret.

There were parts that broke your heart. Parts when you were almost cheering out loud for the main character. Parts where I wanted to be right with them {like Sundays on the beach with surfer friends}.

I enjoyed the story of her life, her family, how she made the best of situations, & the female friendship relationships. How her experience sewing with her mother, something she enjoyed while being stuck in the inner rooms of her family home, turned into so much more & brought opportunities into her life she couldn’t have even dreamed of while growing up in Korea. My book club & I also loved the idea of Korea clothes being one sized ~ you just loosen or tighten them as you get fat/skinny!

Overall, I enjoyed the book. The author did a good job weaving in actual historical happens with the main character’s life. Sometimes this seemed random & there was major foreshadowing but that didn’t bother me. If you enjoy Hawaii or Korean literature, or are looking to read a story that combines both, definitely pick up Honolulu {it had a short waiting list at my library~yay}.

{Motherhood top & maternity capris}

How far along? 32w2d

Maternity clothes? Yes, absolutely. I threw on a super long normal top for a Target run Sunday & it looked pathetic. All maternity all the time.

Weight Gain? I’m up 45 pounds as of Thursday’s doctor’s appointment.

Stretch Marks? Yes, they’ve arrived for sure on my right side.

Sleep? Pretty decent with the Snoogle, an extra pillow at my back & another pillow between my knees.

Movement? Yes, we have night owls who definitely make their presence known.

Genders? Baby A, Zach, is a still a boy & C, Lucy, is a girl.

What I Miss? Baby B; the right side of the belly is full of Baby A & the top of the belly is full of Baby C. It’s clear to me that Baby B would’ve been on the bottom left & the belly is soft there instead. As we’re getting really ready for A & C’s so soon arrivals, I know that while we could’ve handled three babies, God had other plans for us, & we continue to focus on being the best parents to L & Z as we possibly can.

Food cravings? Fruit, fries, grilled cheese.

Food aversion? I think those are gone. Although much to Husband’s chagrin, his favorite Chipolte still doesn’t sound good.

Labor signs? I think I’ve started experiencing BH contractions but no real ones or other labor signs.

Belly button in or out? It’s in but just barely. I’m guessing it’ll be a tiny outie before these babes arrive.

What I’m Looking Forward to? A girls’ night dinner tonight. A dentist appointment Thursday morning that I never thought I’d make it to pregnant. Attending my first LLL meeting Thursday night. Another relaxing weekend ahead.

Symptoms? In light of my dear friend Diana’s loss last week, I’ve been feeling emotional about this pregnancy & really trying to take all the crazy, crappy results of experiencing 32 weeks with multiples in stride. Swollen feet, exhaustion, belly discomfort, moodiness & heartburn, I’ll take it & appreciate it for what it means ~ growing big, healthy babies.

Weekly Wisdom? Appreciate what you have. Be prepared because you never know when these babes will make their appearance {hospital bag will be packed this week}.

Milestones? Baby Center has photo & facts for twins this week ~ it says the babies’ fingernails & toenails have grown in & they also have peach fuzz hair.

But I thought I’d share a few of the photos I took last weekend of the babies’ nursery.

The walls were painted green about a month ago thanks to my parents & aunt. Jason & his mom put together the two cribs & the dresser/changer. We also added the rocker/recliner last weekend.The drawers of the dresser/changer are still empty & I don’t think what’s in the bins will stay that way. Also I’ve stacked a few things in the cribs like the mobiles, breast feeding pillows & the little accessories that we’ll put in the tall/skinny chest my parents’ are bringing down along with the other mattress in two weeks.Ours is not a pinterest perfect nursery, but over-the-top, super expensive is not our style, nor in the cards for us. And I’m totally okay with that. I’ll post photos again in a couple weeks as things are more in their final places.

Guilt, for my three friends who’ve lost both of their identical twin babies while I’ve been pregnant. Three y’all. How unfair & awful is that?! I think of & pray for peace & love & strength on M, Amy & most recently Diana daily.

Guilt, that while I have experienced loss this year with our Baby B, we still are growing two beautiful healthy babies. & I think why me & not them?!

That’s what leads to the most dominate emotion: gratefulness. It’s seriously lead the way for 31w5d. Grateful for those first two pink lines, the doctors who’ve all been amazingly supportive, the ultrasound techs who go above & beyond to point out all that the babies are doing, our families for being the best cheerleaders, our friends for their generosity & excitement for us.

And the babies themselves. We’re so grateful to L & Z already. For making us parents-to-be. For showing off a little at the ultrasound Thursday morning. For Z showing us he can make a huge yawn. L for being sleepy & not a morning person {like her Mom already}. For L’s full bladder. Both for showing us healthy heartbeats & that they’re practicing breathing even now. For Z being a guestimated 3lb15oz & L at 4lb6oz. For measuring ahead & making all my eating & discomfort more than worth it.

Z is back head down {with hands & one foot by his face Thurs morning}! With him in vertex position & our MFM thinking he’ll stay that way, I’m so grateful that vaginal delivery is not only once again an option but now my doctor’s & our plan. As the time of their births gets closer, I’ll share & expand on this more, but for now, I’ll leave you with a few photos. Turns out the tech didn’t get any good ones of L who’s transverse & facing in, but here’s a side profile of Z & one of his head measurement with his hands & a foot beside it.

You Have No Idea

So when BlogHer Book Club, mentioned they were reviewing her new book, I jumped on it. I thought it’d be fun {pre}summer reading & knew her story would at least be pretty interesting how she’d managed to jump around the entertainment business & rise above the scandal that started her career. And interesting, her story definitely was.

At first I thought the way You Have No Idea was set up was kinda weird; almost random. You learn snippets, then later there’s probably a chapter devoted to that particular topic. And the chapters often flip back between being written by Vanessa & then Helen’s points of view. But once I got used it, I really liked that aspect. It was like you might get a preview of something & then you were looking forward to reading more {or at least that’s how it felt to me}.  I also really enjoyed the dual points of view. Hearing Helen’s take on the men in Vanessa’s life cracked me up. They’re thoughts of the death of Vanessa’s father were so sad.

I think if you enjoy memoirs in general, especially ones on celebrities, you’d definitely like reading You Have No Idea. If your interested in more info & others thoughts on the book, jump on over to BlogHer’s Now Reading: You Have No Idea to join the discussion.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.