Monthly Archives: February 2014

flu vaccine causes the flu

I am no pro-vaccine cheerleader.  I think vaccines are great, and I get my flu shot every year, L is up-to-date on her shots, and so on, but all you have to do is read the CDC informational sheet to realize that vaccines can have serious side effects.  I think the benefit outweighs the risk significantly, and we act accordingly.

However.  It blows my mind that some people think that the flu vaccine actually increases your chance of getting the flu.  I get really tired of the stories about how so-and-so got a flu vaccine for the first time and got the flu that year and never had it any other year.  Is there any possible scientific basis for this on a large scale?  If there is, I can’t think of what it might be.

My sister got H1N1 this year.  She hadn’t gotten the vaccine, and it was quite rough.  She ran  a fever which hit 104 repeatedly for several days.  If one is pregnant, in particular, a fever of 104 is a serious problem, especially since Ibuprofen is off limits.

11 weeks

On baby:

“Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She’s already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won’t feel your baby’s acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.”

I remember reading this during my first pregnancy: “If you’re like most women, you’re feeling a bit more energetic now and your nausea may be starting to wane.”  During my first pregnancy, I felt worse than ever.  This time, though, I may be feeling a little better.  Maybe.  There are still moments when I feel quite awful (like last night) and generally, I still feel lousy pretty much all the time, but I am not hating life quite like I was a week and a half ago.  Thank God this pregnancy is easier than the last one!  Last time I was throwing up daily at this point.

I actually think the Olympics are making me feel better.  😉  Nothing like downhill skiing or figure skating to distract from an upset tummy.

Symptoms: Nausea, headaches, auras, fatigue, extreme power of smell.  Nasty taste in my mouth – I’ve been brushing my teeth 10 to 15 times a day for a while now, and using Listerine like nobody’s business.  I have travel Listerine for work since I can’t possibly get through hours at a time without it.

Netflix report:

Coma – 4 stars – Quite enjoyed this adaptation of Robin Cook’s book.  He was one of my favorite authors when I was a kid.

90210 – 3 stars – wearing a bit thin in the later seasons.

The Croods – 3.5 stars – Entertaining, though it’s targeted at kids.

Una Noche – couldn’t watch this all the way through.  Too depressing for me.

The Olympics – 5 stars – Love.  http://www.nbcolympics.com/olympics-live-extra-schedule – use this link to watch online without having to navigate headlines and spoilers.  So much better than actual prime-time coverage – no commercials and they show all the athletes.

 

 

houses and snow

We found out that the house we made an offer on had 14 offers.  14!  Am I the only one that finds this simultaneously amazing and disheartening.  What is truly disheartening is that houses in Bellevue and Mercer Island where we’d like to buy are now at their 2007 levels in terms of pricing, whereas houses in Kent, where our current house is located have recovered only about 30% of the ground that was lost.  I feel like I will never recover from the financial mistake that buying this house was.  When I think about the number of hours – of years – that I will have to work to make up that amount of money, I get really annoyed.  It also makes me not want to buy another house.  However, rents in the area we’re looking to buy are not surprisingly also very high – crazy high, even, I’d say.  Therefore, I really don’t consider renting a very good option.

On the plus side, I have felt better the last couple days than I have in weeks.  I was actually able to go for a walk in the snow with B and L and P this morning which was basically a frikking miracle.  I love the snow!  Sometimes, today being one of those times.  So beautiful and so fun to see L experience it.    In the picture below, you can see our house with the open garage in the distance.  One of the things I love most about our current house is that there are not one but two parks within easy walking distance – meaning toddler walking distance, not adult walking distance.  It’s been great having places to walk with L and not having to jump in the car to go anywhere.

offer in and waiting – updated

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, we did not get the house.  *sigh*

We ended up making an offer on the house.  We went 7K over list and subject to inspection.  I think our chances are poor, but we shall see.  I am beginning to question whether buying a house right now really makes sense.  The market is way too hot for comfort.   The seller is reviewing offers in a few hours, so we’ll know soon.

10 weeks

Baby (from Babycenter http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-10-weeks_1099.bc)

Though he’s barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He’s swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they’ll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you’d spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby’s limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby’s forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he’s about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

It really blows my mind how the baby is developing.  I guess it kind of makes sense that I feel awful given how much is going on in my belly.

Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, general feeling of malaise

Supposedly HCG is dropping at this point and has been for a week.  I’m trying to keep this in mind.  We’re heading towards feeling better here, folks.  Today was actually the best day I’ve had in a while, though I feel like crap now.  I always feel worst at night, though.

Netflix report:

90210 – 3.5 stars.  Season 2 and 3 are not as good as season 1, but it is still passing the time.

Off and Running – 2 stars – Documentary about a teen seeking her birth Mom.  Just couldn’t get into it.

Zack and Miri Make  a Porno – 1 star – I’d heard this was good but I am too much of a prude for it.  Too much sex and nudity for my taste.

Footloose – 4.5 stars – Loved it!  But I always love dance movies.

Downton – 5 stars – Oh Downton, how I love thee.  Just finished Season 2, sadly.

 

Isla is 2

It is hard to believe that it’s been two years since L was born.  She is such a big girl and such a little baby at the same time.  This morning she came out in her footies and played on birthday present from us – a wooden rocking horse.  (Pictures to come, hopefully.)  It was so adorable.  She kept walking between the rocking horse and the rocking chair and saying, “Same.”  So cute.  She is just so innocent and open to everything.  She still loves us and trusts us completely; we are still her world.  And of course, she is ours.

Lately we haven’t been spending too much time together since I’m sick all the time, and I can’t wait until the morning sickness passes so we can play together again.  She just loves to play these days.  She knows the word and if you ask her what she wants to do, she always wants to play.  She hates to nap and do other similar mundane things because she just wants to play.  Playing for Isla is riding her tricycle or swinging or playing with legos or imagining or whatever.  She plays very well on her own, but she still prefers to play with Mommy and Daddy and N.  Of course Penske gets thrown in the mix as well, like it or not.

Her outfit above may look a bit odd, and that is because she picked it out.  Daddy is a pushover and lets her pick out all kinds of unique outfits, so she often leaves the house looking a bit strange, but always adorable!

Isla and B made cupcakes and not surprisingly, she enjoyed wolfing one down.  I’m sure she would have enjoyed wolfing down another 3 or 4, but cooler heads prevailed.  Onwards, to another year!

house

I am feeling significantly better today – not good, but a hell of a lot better than yesterday.  This is the thing with morning sickness.  It is constant, but some days are better than others.  It is sometimes hard to remember that on the bad days.

We had a look at a house we quite liked today, here:

http://www.redfin.com/WA/Bellevue/16528-SE-46th-St-98006/home/236080

It’s listed for 715K.  Built 1990, 2400 square feet, 4 beds, 2.5 baths, 0.46 acre lot.  It’s not perfect.  The road is not exactly busy, but not as quiet as I’d like.  It’s certainly not the cul de sac we live on now.  The houses behind it are not as nice.  Given our neighbors troubles with the law in our current location, I’m quite paranoid about neighborhoods these days.  On the plus side, the elementary school is rated 10 and within walking distance.  The master bedroom is lovely.  The other 3 bedrooms are small but certainly adequate.  I like the size 2400 square feet.  Bigger feels like more than I can handle, but smaller feels a bit cramped given our regular visitors and the fact B works from home.

The bathroom is ridiculous – like at a fancy hotel.  I love it.  It’s sad and kind of ridiculous, but when I see bathrooms these days, I just think of being sick, since that’s what I do in mine so often these days.  Pathetic, I know.

Anyway, it’ll no doubt go for more than 715K, which is near the upper end of our price range, so I’m torn about whether to put an offer on it.  The agent advised us to preinspect, which is probably a $400 – 500 investment.  B is very frustrated by our difficulties finding a house and thinks I am too picky.  I am getting impatient as well but am terrified of making such a huge investment in a place that we don’t like.