First off, no, I am not pregnant again - in fact, a bit far from it.
Before I scare any of you, I am doing ok, Elliott is doing amazing and changing every day. But alas, I have some not so great news to share.
Around early summer last year, I started getting alot of comments from my hubby, friends and family, about how skinny I'd become, I was wearing shorts (and I never have, since I was 15), and buying new clothes because nothing, not even my pre-pregnancy clothes, would fit.
I attributed it to running around chasing E, and of course, not really putting myself first when it came to eating properly. I never picked up exercising regularly like I used to (the last time was likely when E was about 6 months old when we went to Baby F.it classes) but I really, truly did not think much of it.
I went in for a physical late November, about 2 weeks before I went back to work, and let me say here, that I never went for a physical/check up my entire mat leave. Big mistake - please go to your doctor 2-3 months postpartum, I realize how important it is now!
So I asked my family doctor to test my thyroid levels because of the drastic weight loss, and wouldn't you know it, my th.yroid levels came back off the charts. A normal person's T(4) levels would be from 9-23, and I was charting >65.
So yes, something was definitely off. I was considered to be in the Hyper.thyroid state.
I was referred to an endocr.inologist, specialist for hormones and also went to get an ultrasound on my thy.roid. Nothing spectacular was found (thankfully) but there was enough concern of my blood test results that the endo wanted me to do a uptake scan to see how much iodine the thyroid would absorb, thus telling us what the issue was.
This all took place between mid-Dec to beginning of January.
I had a very strange suspicion that the reason I was hyperthyroid all of a sudden now was because all throughout my pregnancy (if you recall) I was on a low dosage of Thyroid medication, at the time, prescribed to me by my Auto-immune specialist whom I was seeing for unsuccessful pregnancies.
I don't ever recall being tested throughout my pregnancy but I do recall having enough refills to last me until 30 weeks.
At the same time I was referred to the endo, I also did some research on my own and found a Naturo.path to take a look at my case and help me look at the causes of this vs. treating the symptoms. It turns out I did the best thing I ever could for myself because the Naturo I found is honest, straightforward, and very logical in his way of talking to you. He definitely thought that the catalyst for me going from a slightly under (hypo) thyroid state, that the medication and the pregnancy spun my hormones of out control. It wasn't until we stopped breastfeeding did the weight start to come off drastically.
The reason for weight loss in hyperthyroid individuals is because every organ in your system is kicked into high gear, but your thyroid is the one that controls your metabolism, therefore, overworked means high metabolism. This has also had an adverse effect on my heart. I had begun to feel slight palpitations about a month or so ago, even when I'm at rest. Work got so stressful one day that I had to step away from my laptop and lie down on my couch. Definitely NOT a fun experience.
So as far as the iodine scan goes, it turns out that I definitely have the beginning stages of what is called G.rave's Dis.ease. It's a condition that, untreated, can be severely damage the thyroid to the point of it not working at all any more. When talking to my naturopath, he says that he is not concerned that I am getting any worse any time soon because I have responded to some detox treatment very quickly already, but that I definitely have to change my diet and eat more of some things and less of others (darn it, chocolate) I am also taking some natural supplements as well, and now I just need to commit to doing some regular exercise (like yoga, something easy) to help with my stress levels.
I have changed roles at work into something I really love right now so that part is definitely helping, and overall, I am feeling ok, just the random heart palpitation will remind me that something's off.
My naturo also said that in some cases, a 2nd pregnancy can even reverse the condition to a normal state, but I am not in a hurry any time soon until I am feeling more energy back and ready to take that plunge into yet another unknown.
So big sigh and breath.
I'd like to use that whole issue as a reason for me not posting as often anymore but it wouldn't be fair. I have been exhausted going through a number of tests (again, felt like a lab rat) but me not writing and updating is no excuse. I guess I just wanted to get all the 'facts' first, and lessen the questions raised here, in addition to my own worry in my head.
I am thinking positive, and this is something I WILL overcome. I just really hope that there is another rainbow baby in our future but of course, that cannot happen until I am on the path to being healthy again.
Long ramble.....appreciate all of your prayers and support if you can send some my way. Hugs and I miss you ladies very much!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
So much to catch up on...
The only excuse I have for not posting for omgosh the past...5 MONTHS (!)...well, I have none! I enjoyed my last few months of mat leave with Elliott, his/my friends, busy trying to get my head wrapped around returning to work...and voila! here we are. I have missed you all dearly, my friends.
We have had a lot of milestones since I last posted. Elliott started bursting teeth out of nowhere and it really took us a step back when it came to sleeping through the night and with eating. He also graduated from cruising to walking around furniture and then finally a few weeks ago, he let go and started walking a dozen steps at a time on his own.
October was a busy month as I turned into a 'Party Ma.ma' just kidding I was not ridiculous but in my work life, I work with large scale corporate events and this, oh my, it was one of those projects that I am so proud of - blood, sweat and tears. I know Elliott will not remember his 1st birthday but it is something I will never forget ;)
We had a Monster Fun Birthday bash...I made turkey chili (with a chili bar chock full o'fixings), slow cooker pull pork mini sammies, and my mom carved out a watermelon monster and jello layered in the colour scheme of the party. I made monsters out of dollar store car wash mitts, and risers I made from diaper boxes. We had a candy bar as favours for the adults, and pails with colouring books, Mum M.ums and baby Kan.ye glasses. There was a play area we set up for the kiddies, and games for the adults ;)
My first day back to work was Dec 1. I cried myself to sleep the night before, after telling my husband that I feel like the "worst mom ever" because I truly felt like I was abandoning my baby. And that he would have no clue why I was "gone". And that he would forget me in an instant. Tears also flowed the morning I grabbed my new laptop wheely bag and my coat. My husband stayed home the 1st and 2nd to help me ease into it, but I was just miserable. I called him after his naptime, and at lunch, and on my afternoon break. I just couldn't comprehend that I would no longer be there at his every move, awake or asleep, and reality sunk in that I no longer will have that precious time back, and my baby will no longer need me as much.
After a month and a half of being back to work full time, I am happy to report that we have fallen into a good rhthym, and I no longer cry leaving him with my mom. The first two weeks we were both adjusting to this new schedule, and Elliott would cry every time I say good bye after dropping him off at my mom's. Then, it got easier, until the point where he waves good bye to me and proceeds to look for his toys at grandma's. I have watched him mature and grow before my eyes, and as much as my heart hurts to leave him behind when I go to work, I know that it is time for both of us to have some time / experiences a part.
I'll be posting more soon, as some recent developments in my health need to be addressed. Will explain more in detail in another post.
We have had a lot of milestones since I last posted. Elliott started bursting teeth out of nowhere and it really took us a step back when it came to sleeping through the night and with eating. He also graduated from cruising to walking around furniture and then finally a few weeks ago, he let go and started walking a dozen steps at a time on his own.
October was a busy month as I turned into a 'Party Ma.ma' just kidding I was not ridiculous but in my work life, I work with large scale corporate events and this, oh my, it was one of those projects that I am so proud of - blood, sweat and tears. I know Elliott will not remember his 1st birthday but it is something I will never forget ;)
We had a Monster Fun Birthday bash...I made turkey chili (with a chili bar chock full o'fixings), slow cooker pull pork mini sammies, and my mom carved out a watermelon monster and jello layered in the colour scheme of the party. I made monsters out of dollar store car wash mitts, and risers I made from diaper boxes. We had a candy bar as favours for the adults, and pails with colouring books, Mum M.ums and baby Kan.ye glasses. There was a play area we set up for the kiddies, and games for the adults ;)
My first day back to work was Dec 1. I cried myself to sleep the night before, after telling my husband that I feel like the "worst mom ever" because I truly felt like I was abandoning my baby. And that he would have no clue why I was "gone". And that he would forget me in an instant. Tears also flowed the morning I grabbed my new laptop wheely bag and my coat. My husband stayed home the 1st and 2nd to help me ease into it, but I was just miserable. I called him after his naptime, and at lunch, and on my afternoon break. I just couldn't comprehend that I would no longer be there at his every move, awake or asleep, and reality sunk in that I no longer will have that precious time back, and my baby will no longer need me as much.
After a month and a half of being back to work full time, I am happy to report that we have fallen into a good rhthym, and I no longer cry leaving him with my mom. The first two weeks we were both adjusting to this new schedule, and Elliott would cry every time I say good bye after dropping him off at my mom's. Then, it got easier, until the point where he waves good bye to me and proceeds to look for his toys at grandma's. I have watched him mature and grow before my eyes, and as much as my heart hurts to leave him behind when I go to work, I know that it is time for both of us to have some time / experiences a part.
I'll be posting more soon, as some recent developments in my health need to be addressed. Will explain more in detail in another post.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
9 months, 2nd tooth, sleep re-training, crawling monkey
Wowee I think that's the longest I've ever gone without posting!!! I've been super pre-occupied with Elliott as I'm well aware that I will be going back to work in 4 months!! So every minute is definitely counting more when I know that I won't get to see him 12 hrs a day like I do now.
Gosh where do I start there has been so so much that has happened since the last post I may not remember it all.
To recap, we had to do some really hard sleep re-training because of his whole cold/separation anxiety period. I knew it was too good to be true that my babe had slept through the night pretty much since he was 3 - 8 months! but somehow forgot how to amidst all the changes in the last little while. I am happy to report though, that for about a month now (knock on lots of wood), Elliott has been able to be put down and fall asleep on his own (no crying) and sleeps his reg 10-12 hrs a night. How'd we do it? I'll tell you what method I followed in a bit. Got you hooked right?
So back to the recap. We tried everything, I mean everything to get him to go to sleep and stay asleep but all the 'nice' ways just weren't cutting it and I knew that it was important to find a solution right away because he was just becoming overtired and miserable. Neither my hubby nor I were getting any good straight sleep so we said enough is enough, we know our baby and he is a good sleeper so let's do this! My DH googled some methods to try out and he showed me this site that had a step-by-step of the controlled crying method. Now I know some of you mama's are against letting your babe cry it out but this was really our last resort before we went mental. Trust me.
So here's what we followed TO A TEE. The first night, Elliott cried for about an hour and a half. From the beginning, we went in every 5 mins, then 10 mins to pat him and tell him it's ok it's just bedtime, but stay no longer than 2 mins (we literally timed it on our phones and my hubby would wave at the door for me to come out.) We must gone in more than a dozen times and halfway through we heard him puke he was so upset. So we rushed in, cleaned him up, changed him, changed the sheets, and reassured him and started again. He was mad as anything I'll tell ya. But sure enough, he slowly calmed down, and then all of a sudden, silence, and blissful sleep overcame our tired out baby. I felt horrible hearing him cry like that but I kept reminding myself that this was for his own good and that we were re-teaching him this very important skill that will benefit him million-fold down the road.
We did the same method Day 2 and there was also vomit and crying and it took about the same time, an hour and a half to finally settle. Now here's where it got interesting - Day 3 - E went down with a whimper and then settled himself into sleep as my hubby creeped out of his room. I KNOW RIGHT?! We thought this must be a fluke but seriously, from that point on, he ate his solids, had a bottle, bedtime story (Goodnigh.t Moon) and into the crib with some eye rubbing and yawns.
I'm not saying everyone should try this, do what's comfortable for you but if you are at your wit's end, you really have nothing to lose. But I have to say, you better be prepared to almost cry yourself, and have your partner there to support you because you really need to lean on each other. and stick to it. Don't waver and give in because consistency really is the key here.
Here's the link to the site if you're interested (scroll down to the Controll.ed Crying section as there's a few methods on that site)
Moving fast
About 3 weeks ago he went from a bum bum up in the air to a full on hand knee hand knee movement and I shrieked in excitement but then realized it was over for me. Gone are the days that I can put him beside me on the bed and cuddle, and gone are the days that I relax beside him or on the couch while he played on the activity mat. He is become a super curious and inquisitive baby and I love watching him discover new things, whether it be different textures (grass, water, measuring cups, new foods) and I'm sure there is lots to look forward to but I want to freeze this moment in time because it is just so sweet. Even if I am sweating every day chasing him around. He pulls himself up on a lot of things now, the coffee table, our headboard, the couches, just hasn't been able to pull to stand yet but I'm sure it's coming because he is SOLID on his legs.
Weight
He is a bit on on the light side of the chart for weight, but the pediatrician says that he's growing right on track according to his own growth rate and there is nothing to worry about. He weighed about 17 ish at his 9 month appt. We also swapped the order of his meals as he used to take a 5 oz bottle before his solids (mainly because he used to be so darn impatient) - so now we do solids and then the bottle and he still finishes it all. The idea is to get the most we could in him first with veggies, starches, fruits and calcium and so far it's working wonderfully. I'm not overly concerned about his weight gain or slow gain as I know my hubby was a thin child by nature too (his family has CRAZY, I mean, CRAZY high metabolism - his sisters are all thin and gorge *jealous* ) so I'm sure Elliott has something of the same. It's hard not to compare to other babies his age but I have to remember that as adults, we are all different shapes and sizes, and he is just the right size and on track for parents who are not 6 feet tall and big boned.
He's recently started to squeal and yell randomly. Sometimes it's out of excitement and sometimes just being whiny. I am starting to realize that the next steps of teaching are to be manners and right and wrong. So far the words 'no no' bring a smile to his face more than I would like it to. I'm sure we'll get there soon :)
My hubby and I celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary next week -I still can't believe that within those 5 years we moved twice, lost 3 babies, and have one now. There have been lots of ups and our share of downs but 5 years is a milestone of great importance to us as I'm sure with a lot of married couples out there. I am looking forward to what the next chapter looks like now that we have sorta gotten the hang of this whole 'being parents' thing. Scared to death about trying for #2.
Gosh where do I start there has been so so much that has happened since the last post I may not remember it all.
To recap, we had to do some really hard sleep re-training because of his whole cold/separation anxiety period. I knew it was too good to be true that my babe had slept through the night pretty much since he was 3 - 8 months! but somehow forgot how to amidst all the changes in the last little while. I am happy to report though, that for about a month now (knock on lots of wood), Elliott has been able to be put down and fall asleep on his own (no crying) and sleeps his reg 10-12 hrs a night. How'd we do it? I'll tell you what method I followed in a bit. Got you hooked right?
So back to the recap. We tried everything, I mean everything to get him to go to sleep and stay asleep but all the 'nice' ways just weren't cutting it and I knew that it was important to find a solution right away because he was just becoming overtired and miserable. Neither my hubby nor I were getting any good straight sleep so we said enough is enough, we know our baby and he is a good sleeper so let's do this! My DH googled some methods to try out and he showed me this site that had a step-by-step of the controlled crying method. Now I know some of you mama's are against letting your babe cry it out but this was really our last resort before we went mental. Trust me.
So here's what we followed TO A TEE. The first night, Elliott cried for about an hour and a half. From the beginning, we went in every 5 mins, then 10 mins to pat him and tell him it's ok it's just bedtime, but stay no longer than 2 mins (we literally timed it on our phones and my hubby would wave at the door for me to come out.) We must gone in more than a dozen times and halfway through we heard him puke he was so upset. So we rushed in, cleaned him up, changed him, changed the sheets, and reassured him and started again. He was mad as anything I'll tell ya. But sure enough, he slowly calmed down, and then all of a sudden, silence, and blissful sleep overcame our tired out baby. I felt horrible hearing him cry like that but I kept reminding myself that this was for his own good and that we were re-teaching him this very important skill that will benefit him million-fold down the road.
We did the same method Day 2 and there was also vomit and crying and it took about the same time, an hour and a half to finally settle. Now here's where it got interesting - Day 3 - E went down with a whimper and then settled himself into sleep as my hubby creeped out of his room. I KNOW RIGHT?! We thought this must be a fluke but seriously, from that point on, he ate his solids, had a bottle, bedtime story (Goodnigh.t Moon) and into the crib with some eye rubbing and yawns.
I'm not saying everyone should try this, do what's comfortable for you but if you are at your wit's end, you really have nothing to lose. But I have to say, you better be prepared to almost cry yourself, and have your partner there to support you because you really need to lean on each other. and stick to it. Don't waver and give in because consistency really is the key here.
Here's the link to the site if you're interested (scroll down to the Controll.ed Crying section as there's a few methods on that site)
My well rested monkey
Teething
Elliott's second bottom tooth is out now and the teething pain was still as bad as the first but he seemed to get over the pain a few days quicker than the last. No top teeth yet but he continues to drool like a baby bulldog and bites and put anything and everything into his mouth.Moving fast
About 3 weeks ago he went from a bum bum up in the air to a full on hand knee hand knee movement and I shrieked in excitement but then realized it was over for me. Gone are the days that I can put him beside me on the bed and cuddle, and gone are the days that I relax beside him or on the couch while he played on the activity mat. He is become a super curious and inquisitive baby and I love watching him discover new things, whether it be different textures (grass, water, measuring cups, new foods) and I'm sure there is lots to look forward to but I want to freeze this moment in time because it is just so sweet. Even if I am sweating every day chasing him around. He pulls himself up on a lot of things now, the coffee table, our headboard, the couches, just hasn't been able to pull to stand yet but I'm sure it's coming because he is SOLID on his legs.
Weight
He is a bit on on the light side of the chart for weight, but the pediatrician says that he's growing right on track according to his own growth rate and there is nothing to worry about. He weighed about 17 ish at his 9 month appt. We also swapped the order of his meals as he used to take a 5 oz bottle before his solids (mainly because he used to be so darn impatient) - so now we do solids and then the bottle and he still finishes it all. The idea is to get the most we could in him first with veggies, starches, fruits and calcium and so far it's working wonderfully. I'm not overly concerned about his weight gain or slow gain as I know my hubby was a thin child by nature too (his family has CRAZY, I mean, CRAZY high metabolism - his sisters are all thin and gorge *jealous* ) so I'm sure Elliott has something of the same. It's hard not to compare to other babies his age but I have to remember that as adults, we are all different shapes and sizes, and he is just the right size and on track for parents who are not 6 feet tall and big boned.
Curious about everything!
He's recently started to squeal and yell randomly. Sometimes it's out of excitement and sometimes just being whiny. I am starting to realize that the next steps of teaching are to be manners and right and wrong. So far the words 'no no' bring a smile to his face more than I would like it to. I'm sure we'll get there soon :)
Watching us eat at Ribfest
My hubby and I celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary next week -I still can't believe that within those 5 years we moved twice, lost 3 babies, and have one now. There have been lots of ups and our share of downs but 5 years is a milestone of great importance to us as I'm sure with a lot of married couples out there. I am looking forward to what the next chapter looks like now that we have sorta gotten the hang of this whole 'being parents' thing. Scared to death about trying for #2.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Colds, Separation Anxiety and Army Crawl
Well it's been one heck of a week and a bit, to say the least. E got his first real, full-blown cold and boy, it was not pretty. I felt so bad for him, as he would snort and try to breathe through the thick mucus plugged up in his wittle nose and he would scream his way through me trying to help him 'un-plug' it. I bought a really useful nose pump called Hy.dras.ense for babies. Basically you control the sucking pressure, no don't worry, there is a filter in the pump so you won't accidentally snort in some boogie monsters. The tricky part is, getting him to hold still! By the 4th day, he had simply given up fighting me and I was able to help him without getting my eye gouged out.
During his off-week while being sick (and still a bit now), he developed a new thing: separation anxiety. It may be just that he wasn't feeling well so was super clingy and needy, but every time I went to put him down for a nap and walked away he would scream bloody murder but would fall asleep in my arms as soon as I picked him up. There are a few times when I've put him down on the blankie to play while I fix his bottle in the kitchen and he cries like I'm never going to come back for him. We are slowly but surely getting back to our 'routine' but man, this cold threw us for a loop. Thankfully he did not get a temperature and Tyle.nol cold for babies saved our butts.
But in other exciting news! My 8 month old munchkin is starting to show signs that crawling is just around the corner! He first started by sticking his bum in the air and sort of stuck, but in the past few days, he has been pushing up on his forearms and sort of dragging his bottom half forward. He can also go around in circles just using his upper body - it's quite the sight LOL.
Here is a video I took of his first attempts. I'm such a proud mama!
During his off-week while being sick (and still a bit now), he developed a new thing: separation anxiety. It may be just that he wasn't feeling well so was super clingy and needy, but every time I went to put him down for a nap and walked away he would scream bloody murder but would fall asleep in my arms as soon as I picked him up. There are a few times when I've put him down on the blankie to play while I fix his bottle in the kitchen and he cries like I'm never going to come back for him. We are slowly but surely getting back to our 'routine' but man, this cold threw us for a loop. Thankfully he did not get a temperature and Tyle.nol cold for babies saved our butts.
But in other exciting news! My 8 month old munchkin is starting to show signs that crawling is just around the corner! He first started by sticking his bum in the air and sort of stuck, but in the past few days, he has been pushing up on his forearms and sort of dragging his bottom half forward. He can also go around in circles just using his upper body - it's quite the sight LOL.
Here is a video I took of his first attempts. I'm such a proud mama!
Friday, June 17, 2011
New Blog Header Woo!
Thanks to the talented Ella over at Baby Love, I got something new and pretty on my blog! Like it? :)))
This might just be the shortest point on record, but just had to share!
We're heading to our first Mom-to-mom sale tomorrow, hoping to snatch up some 'next steps' items like: baby gates, baby proofing schtuffs, and maybe some books. If you've never heard of mom-to-mom sales, basically (I've heard) they're like giant garage sales of gently used baby items. Hope we score some good stuff because it opens at 8 am and we intend to be there by then!
Then, off to the Me.tro T oronto Zoo with some good friends and their 9 month old - fun times this weekend!
This might just be the shortest point on record, but just had to share!
We're heading to our first Mom-to-mom sale tomorrow, hoping to snatch up some 'next steps' items like: baby gates, baby proofing schtuffs, and maybe some books. If you've never heard of mom-to-mom sales, basically (I've heard) they're like giant garage sales of gently used baby items. Hope we score some good stuff because it opens at 8 am and we intend to be there by then!
Then, off to the Me.tro T oronto Zoo with some good friends and their 9 month old - fun times this weekend!
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