This pregnancy is very different than the last one

Everyone says it "every pregnancy is different", and I knew that was true, but this has gone way too far in the different direction. Any complaining I have EVER done while being pregnant has been nothing. I can't believe I ever complained about anything before because I would give anything to feel the way I felt two weeks ago right now.

The good news is- the bro has dropped. This means I have been relieved of much discomfort including the feeling that there is a baby in my rib cage and the terrible acid reflux. For three whole days I felt GREAT! I had a much better attitude and a LOT more energy. I cooked several good meals, hosted a house full of people and walked to and from the park & Aggieville several times. I was doing really well.

About 4 days ago, I began to experience lower back pain. ON Thursday afternoon it got really bad. I was unable to really participate in making s'mores and I could no longer really carry Jackson around. I broke down and put Jackson in the Ergo Baby on Helen's back.

On Friday morning I tried to go meet my playgroup at the park. I walked there and it took about 20 minutes to get there.....it is two whole blocks away. About the only thing I could do at the park was push Jackson in the swing. It was a bummer, because he likes to crawl around the park, but I just couldn't chase him around. While at the park, I called and made an appointment to have a prenatal message that afternoon. On the way home, I called my cousin Olivia who is an ER nurse. She told me that I really needed to call my midwife. She said some people experience back labor that manifests itself as just back pain and they don't feel contractions. This totally freaked me out because I still have one more week before I will feel anywhere close to comfortable with having the bro. I don't want him to come early. Olivia also said that I could have a UTI or a Kidney infection. I didn't want to go to get a message if I could be in labor so, I called the midwife Norla. After assuring me that what I was describing did not sound like back labor (whew) she said she thought it sounded like it could be Kidney Stones. This totally freaked me out. And at the time I was pretty much completely incapacitated and the idea of kidney stones sounded absolutely horrific. She told me to go to my message and call her in the afternoon. So, I did.

The message was great while I was getting it, but it by no means SOLVED my problem. I could still barely walk. So I called Norla back and she sent me to the hospital in Manhattan to have an ultrasound on my kidneys & bladder. The ultrasound showed that I had no kidney or bladder problems which was a relief, but still left me with excruciating pain. The ultrasound was also a big bummer because they wouldn't do my uterus at all, so we did not get a peek at the baby at all.

So, we go back to the birthing center on Monday and for now I am doing some stretches that are supposed to help move the baby more into the right position and I am doing a lot of lying on my left side. I am in extreme pain, and the worst thing about it is that if it is going to persist for the next for weeks, time is going to go by very slowly. Justin is the best, most amazing husband, dad and dude around and I am so very lucky to have him around.

If I can't get any answers soon, I may investigate a chiropractor, but to be honest, the idea of a lot of uninsured treatment is really not that appealing to us right now given that we aren't going to get paid again until September.

My mantra today has been to "play through the pain", so that is what I am trying to do. I know it will be worth it in the end and I am so very excited to meet the little bro, to see what he looks like, to give him a name, to have a tiny baby in the house, for Jackson to be a big brother and so many of the wonderful things that are in store for us.