PUPPP

Merry Christmas to me! This Christmas, I got PUPPP, a rare skin rash that happens in less than 1% of pregnant women. Yippie!

It actually started on my stomach a few days ago. It didn't itch that much and seemed to be contained, so I didn't worry too much. When I woke up on Christmas day, the rash had spread everywhere--my legs, arms and face. It itched so freaking bad. I also noticed my legs were slightly blue colored. It was weird.

When I woke up this morning, everything still seemed so red and itchy. So I called my doctor and he asked me to come in and see him. We (KC and my sister) were at the hospital where they ran several blood tests on me. They wanted to make sure it wasn't a liver problem. I told the doctor I had read about PUPPP, and I thought that's what it was at first. After several hours, he concluded it must be PUPPP. Especially since I hadn't eaten anything unusual and because I had been using any new moisturizer or soap.

I took some Benedryl and cortisone cream and that seems to be helping.

What's interesting is the nurse told me if my legs were still blue and I was still itching, they might have to induce me next week. I'll talk to my doctor about that tomorrow.

Pupp?

For the last few days, I've had a rash on my tummy. It's little red bumps that are spread out across. At first I thought it was a new soap I was using, so I switched to my old kind. But it's still there.

I just did a google search and pulled up something kind PUPP. I have never heard of it. But the article I found said less than 1% of women get this. And it tends to happen in the last trimester.

Hmm. Maybe I should call the doctor. I don't want to, but maybe I should.

36 weeks and 2 days

Ahhh! Time is flying. And soon, he will make his grand appearance. I packed his things this weekend for the hospital. And I have some of my stuff packed. I have off in Thursday and Friday, so I'll try and finish it up then.

I'm totally nesting and I think I've gone a little bonkers. I've cleaned all of his clothes for the 1st 12 months. Thankfully, I stopped there. And I've been doing laundry and cleaning the house up.

The last few days have been great. I haven't felt much pressure on my vee-jay-jay. Prior to that, it really hurt for about a week. I had difficulty walking and moving. I felt a lot of pressure and it wasn't just uncomfortable, it was painful, too.

We are still trying to decide on a first name for him. We keep going back and forth. And now that I just saw the top names for 2007 posted on babycenter.com, I am knocking off two contenders: Caden and Logan. While I thought both were kind of cool, I hate that they're in the top 10. So it looks like it's really down to just two names now and I feel like we're really leaning toward one. I know KC has slipped earlier about the names we like and so far no one has liked the name we're leaning toward, I don't really care. After all, he's our son and we can name him whatever we want. This name we're leaning toward was actually the first one we liked, so it's funny we've come full circle. And honestly, it's the one where I feel like it's the right name. The other names made me feel nothing. So I'm trusting our instincts on this one.

Amniotic fluid vs. Discharge

So I thought I might be leaking amniotic fluid last night.

I took a shower and an hour later, my underwear was kinda wet. So I called my doctor. He was concerned and asked me to come to the birthing center. He said if I was leaking, I might have to deliver the baby that night. So of course KC and I were freaking out, b/c a) we weren't ready and b) we haven't even started packing an overnight bag.

We got there a little after midnight. And no one was there, so everything went fast. This nurse did some tests and let me say, I am such a wussie. They were simple ones. A swab here. A pap smear-like one there. Cervix checking. And all three hurt like hell. Mind you, the nurse went fast and hard on all three tests. But both KC and I could help, but wonder, how the hell am I going to get through child birth if I was jumping off the table with these tests. I was kinda scared before. But now I am definitely am.

The nurse came back and said I wasn't leaking amniotic fluid. Thankfully. She said sometimes when you're pregnant, your body temperature rises so much it literally melts your discharge. So while it was clear, it wasn't amniotic fluid. I totally overreacted. Oops!

Good news is the baby's heart beat is great and we actually saw a contraction on the monitor. I didn't feel a thing when it happened. The nurse reassured me, I would soon enough.

Mama's Having Some Fun

Tomorrow I hit 35 weeks. Thankfully, I have not lost my sense of humor.

34 weeks and 4 days

So much has happened over the last few weeks. Here's a quick update, since I am so pressed for time.

Besides being slammed at work and working 50+ hour weeks, we or rather KC, finished the nursery. It turned out really great.

We also took our first birthing class last Saturday. It wasn't as great as I had hoped. But I've learned a little, which is good. Plus, my insurance covers $90 so I only pay $40.

On Sunday, we had our baby bash. It was really wonderful. We had a good turn out, despite the rain and dreary weather. Mai and Jackie did a hilarious job on the games. They actually got guests to make fashionable diapers out of toilet paper and tape. It was insane. We got so many presents, too. I was blown away at how much stuff our son accumulated. He is one lucky kid!

I had my 34 week appointment today. The doctor said I am measuring 33.5 inches, which is on target or about .5 under, which is fine. The baby's heartbeat is still in the 140's. He said the baby is definitely a little lower than before and that he is most likely around 5 pounds right now. I mentioned to him how lately, I've begun to feel like my groin has been punched and slight menstrual cramp feeling. He said it is nothing to worry about, so I'll try not to.

I can't believe in 2.5 weeks the baby will be full term. Ahhhh! We better hurry and decide on the name. I have a feeling we're just going to walk in there with a list and decide.