Mrs. Queen Bee (be): February 2011

I've been reading articles upon articles upon articles about how BAD diet soda is. And for the most part the conclusions are based on scientific research. The connection to cancer is still somewhat a controversy, but many articles argue that within the next decade Aspartame will be linked to cancer.

Similarily, when I read about the harmful effects of meat, the more I read about it, the more disgusted I became hence making it easier to make the decision to stop eating it. Here are some of the top reasons that are making me question my diet soda crave:

1. Artificial Sweeteners Make You Crave Sweets:

A study released by Purdue University concluded that rats on diets containing the artificial sweetener saccharin gained more weight than rats given sugary food. the rats whose diets contained artificial sweeteners appeared to experience a physiological connection between sweet tastes and calories, which drove them to overeat.

When our taste buds taste sweet, but there are no calories to follow, the brain signals the craving for that sweet sensation. (Hence my addiction to Diet Coke with a nice donut to follow...ah ha!)

Now, I'm not a huge soda drinker, but I do like to enjoy, on average, one can per day (that's as long as we don't have a box of it at home). I also like to have one cup of coffee in the morning. Between the two, I probably drink more caffeine that I should.

2. Diet Soda contains an Acidity Level Close to the levels of Battery Acid

IT'S TRUE. The inside of our mouth contains a natural pH level of 7.0. Battery Acid contains a pH level of 1.0. Diet Coke is at level 3.36!!! However regular Dr. Pepper tops the charts by having a pH level of 2.92...the closest yet to Battery Acid.

In case you're wondering WHY this is so bad, here's a (subtle) picture of acid erosion on your TEETH:

Gross.

I love my daughter. She's everything I could possibly hope for and she gets more amazing every day. She lights up this family in a way I never could have anticipated. I have regrets on how she was brought into this world, but I know at the time, it was the best I could do.

Trinity was due on September 26, 2006. Labor began on Friday, September 28 in the a.m. hours. At the time, we lived in Los Osos and I was at home by myself in our apartment. That weekend happened to be the same weekend my dad was in town from Fresno doing a century ride on highway 1. The entire pregnancy with Trinity had been very uneventful...no complications, no surprises, just a 50 lbs weight gain on my end (and Chris too, lol), but otherwise 100% healthy.

Chris was at work, so the first person I called was my Mom. She was in Fresno, but as soon as I told her I was having contractions, she freaked out and did everything she could to leave immediately. In fact, when she went to fill her gas tank, she was in such a flurry that she left the gas station with the pump still in her tank! She told me to call my Dad and have him get to the apartment as soon as he could. Unfortunately, "as fast as you can" doesn't mean much when you're on a bicycle and have been riding for 4 or 5 hours already. Nevertheless, he arrived at the apartment around noon. I can't recall the intensity at this point, but I think I was more scared than anything. I was barely 20 years old, and about to become a Mother. I also remember that the contractions were nothing like I imagined them to feel like. The pain was centered in my lower back and no where near my stomach. I had not read much about back labor, so I didn't realise what I was in for.

My Dad took me to the hospital (Chris was still working) mid-afternoon so we could find out if I was indeed in labor and that everything was ok. I was hooked up to the monitors and described to them what I was feeling and where. No one said anything to me that what I was feeling was back labor. But, the nurse DID tell me that I wasn't dilating and that I should leave and come back when the contractions were at least 5 minutes apart and more intense.

I was severely disappointed. I was ready for that baby to come out! and I was done being pregnant!

My Dad and I drove back to Los Osos, and I'm pretty sure that I had to hold back years. Once my Mom got there, and Chris got home, we all decided to walk to the Mexican Restaurant down the street for dinner. I remember walking with my Mom, ever so slowly, and clenching my teeth whenever I got a contraction. We all sat down and within minutes my Mom was telling the waitress that I was currently in labor and that we might have to leave at any minute. The waitress mentioned she was CPR certified in case we would need her...For what? I don't know. I ordered a burrito, added lots of hot sauce, and gradually worked my way through about half of it. I was ready to go back home. I was tired and knew I should rest, if possible.

Turns out that trying to sleep while your in labor is not easy, no matter how tired you are. I struggled so much that I couldn't make it through the night. I woke up Chris in the early a.m. (2 or 3) and told him to call our doctor because the contractions were intense enough that I couldn't sleep and was absolutely miserable.

We drove to the hospital and told them that I needed something to help me sleep until labor kicked into higher gear. I was given Morphine. Now, the point was to help me rest and take the edge off the pain. Well, the pain decreased, and I was much more relaxed, but sleep....did not happen. I layed there trying to sleep for hhooouuuuurssssss!!! When I started to get close to sleep, I'd feel the faint twinges of a contraction and it'd wake me right up.

The whole day thereafter is absent in my memory. I have no idea what happened on Saturday, or even Saturday night for that matter! I've waited too long to write this and that's what I get. I'm pretty sure I was given another dosage of Morphine to get through the night though.

Sunday I was given an epidural. I had finally progressed enough that afternoon to "qualify" for one. The epidural was like a gift from God. Other than the fear of being paralyzed from having a needle shoved within inches of my spine, once it was over, it was like nothing could get me down. Hours more went by before my doctor came in and said that it as time to start pushing. "Really? I'm dilated? I can't feel a thing, but ok." That's exactly how I felt. The nurse had to tell me when to push cause all ability to feel was lost. I noticed that right around the time I was ready to push, I started getting chills and shaking. I had a fever, and knew it before the nurses and before my doctor. Right before it was time to start pushing they took my temperature and it was 101. Not dangerously high, but definitely needed to be monitored. Pushing wasn't painful at all. It was more uncomfortable than anything. Chris was holding one leg and I couldn't quite get him in the right position. The nurse on the other side kept moving around and asking me to hold my leg myself periodically. After about 5-8 minutes of pushing they took my temperature again it had jumped over 105. My doctor kept her calm really well, but I could tell that my fever was putting the baby in jeopardy and she needed to get out. I pushed her out in about 15 minutes from start to finish....if you know anything about pushing while on an epidural, 15 minutes is pretty darn good!

Trinity came out very quietly. She was purple! And very slimy! I remember once she came out that I sighed a huge loud sigh of relief. I had done it, she was here, she was alive, and I was still alive, but absolutely exhausted and ready to pass out. I got to hold Trinity and attempted to nurse for about 5 minutes before they took her away to check her out more carefully. She had swallowed meconium and had been exposed to my fever long enough to cause concern and reasoning for a few tests.

She was exactly 9.0lbs and 22 inches. She had bright blue eyes and barely any hair. She was a little doll. Unfortunately she tested positive for an infection in her stomach and I had to stay in the hospital for a week while she was given antibiotics. That week was the longest week of my life! All I wanted was to take my baby home and I couldn't. After 7 additional days however, she was finally cleared and our journey as parents could continue in our quiet Los Osos setting.

Mrs. Queen Bee (be)

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Life in the Day

Monday, February 7, 2011

Stop the Pop!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Trinity's Birth...A 3 Day Blur