Life Changes. Big BIG Life Changes!

So last week I got an email from a dear friend from high school asking me if anything was wrong because I hadn’t updated the blog in a while. I was about to write her back with a  detailed explanation of my absence from the blogosphere as of late, then thought that if I was actually going to string words together into sentences, and possibly even paragraphs, I might as well do it on the blog. So Gloria, this one’s for you.

But it’s late, I’m tired, and completely distracted by the new season of The Real Housewives of New York, so instead of updating y’all with a fancy schmancy essay form, I’m going to leave you with a list. It’s all I’ve got in me right now.

1. First with the big news – I’M PREGNANT!!! I’m just starting my 15th week. We should know the gender of the baby in about a month.
2. Pregnancy symptoms abound. Those of you that had the misfortune of suffering through my posts describing my first pregnancy may remember that I had “morning sickness” throughout my entire pregnancy. My beautiful baby boy was totally worth it, but I’ve been dreading going through that again. It wasn’t looking good there for a while, but I’m now in my second trimester and things in the vomit department have gotten a bit better. I’m really hoping that this pregnancy turns out different in that regard.
3. But the constant vomiting was the least of my concerns for a while there. I started getting some scary asthma attacks and felt like my body was completely rejecting me. The scariest part of the whole thing was that I was terrified that I’d be out and about with my son and pass out, leaving him alone. Seriously, just the thought was enough to send me into a panic attack. After seeing a pulmonologist, asking some probing questions, and putting some things together (we’re our own best advocates, ladies), I’ve realized that acid reflux (the bane of pregnant women everywhere) is inducing breathing problems. Who knew? I sure didn’t. I had no idea that I was suffering from acid reflux, or that it could have anything to do with breathing issues. Now that I know and can manage it, my breathing issues haven’t been nearly as bad.
4. Speaking of vomiting (I know, I know, I just can’t stop), a complication has developed in the form of my son. When I was pregnant with Michael, I was working at a Large Computer Company, where my biggest vomit-related worry was making it to the bathroom in time. I’m proud to say that there was only one time that I had to resort to the trash can in my cubicle (much to the chagrin of the men in the cubicles around me, I’m sure). This time around, I’m a stay-at-home mom and have easy access to a bathroom most of the time. I also have a 20-month-old son that watches my every move and has become quite the mimic. He is fascinated by the whole vomiting thing, to the point that I even caught him bending over his potty one day acting like he was throwing up. With sound effects even. It was an Oscar-worthy performance. But he’s given up mimicking that behavior in favor of pulling up a ring-side seat, so to speak. He likes to watch the action up close. Very up close. And there’s only so much room over the toilet bowl. So while I’m throwing up for the tenth time that day I’m also pushing aside his head so that the “remains of my day” don’t end up in his hair. With that admission, I freely give up any claim to the Mother of the Year award.
5. Besides all that, Michael and I both suffered from sinus infections in February. DURING THE COLDEST WEEK OF THE WINTER IN HOUSTON. WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS OUT OF TOWN. AND WHILE I WAS KNECK-DEEP IN PREGNANCY-INDUCED EXHAUSTION. What can I say, February was awful. February 2011 will go down in history in the Maddox household as The Month of Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth.
6. My husband was out of town because he was in training with his new firm. Yes, a job change in the middle of all that. A job change that has required an hour commute each way. And very long work days. Along with all the accompanying stress.
7. Neither of us can live with that commute, so we’re moving next week. MOVING. Which has required looking for a place to live. And finding people to rent our house. And packing boxes. And realizing that the packing will never get done so hiring packers. And making plans. And calling utility companies. And reading and signing contracts. While pregnant, sick, and oh-so-tired. And while taking care of an ACTIVE toddler.
8. So yeah, I haven’t spent much time on the blog lately. I’m strictly in Survival Mode. Hoping to shift gears sometime soon. After the move. And the unpacking. And getting ready for baby. <sigh>
9. Come to think of it, I’m planning to start potty-training Michael a couple of weeks after the move. Oy vey. No rest for the weary. But it’ll be worth it if he’s out of diapers before the baby comes. Or even before I get too big. My little one delights in making me chase him while he laughs gleefully whenever he has a dirty diaper. And the bigger he gets and the more he eats, the dirtier those diapers get. Which was also a joy while suffering from morning sickness and increased sensitivity to smells. For a while there I had to pray through every diaper change. (I just can’t stop talking about the vomiting. It’s an illness.)
10. I need a number 10, so I’ll end with my thoughts on the American Idol results tonight: I was surprised (although not completely disappointed) by the person that was let go and totally blame the Gwen Stefani outfit. It was a big Fashion DON’T.

The End.