Friday, May 21, 2010

Welcome, ICLW!

Hello and welcome to my blog! It’s been a crazy few months since starting my blog, and every day, I’m very happy I finally took the plunge and became a blogger. My current status: pregnant!!! Wow, it’s pretty cool just to write that down. I’m at 5 weeks, 1 day today, and the betas were looking good, even high. Yesterday’s beta wasn’t as high as I was hoping, but I think I have talked myself off the edge, thanks to all my bloggy friends. The big thing is I have my first OB ultrasound on Monday to make sure there’s a sac in there. Yesterday when I checked in to my RE for my 3rd beta, they asked for a $15 copay. I was kind of surprised – I hadn’t paid anything for a month since I paid for the whole month at the beginning of my IUI. But then I looked at the piece of paper, and at the top it said OB bloodwork!!! I was so excited to pay the $15, as now insurance covers all my visits because I’m pregnant!!! Just to be a member of the OB club! In February, when I had an ectopic, they never started charging me for all those god-awful betas, ultrasounds and methotrexate shots. I guess they thought that was too cruel…

Sorry, got off track – back to being positive. Things are looking good in this early pregnancy. I just have to make it through this weekend, and hopefully on Monday, which by the way, will be our 1st anniversary, I’ll see a nice looking gestational sac, or maybe two…

I’m exhausted this morning. The sleepiness of pregnancy definitely started this week, and it doesn’t help that I stayed up until 11:30 last night as we went to a Jimmy Buffett concert. It was really fun, except of course being the only sober one among a bunch of really drunk people… My mother-in-law came in town yesterday for the concert and the weekend. It was her Mother’s Day present to bring her and one of her friends to the concert and have them with us for the weekend. Sometimes I forget that my MIL has a bit of a drinking problem. And when I say “a bit” I mean a serious drinking problem… She’s actually quite functional – she goes to work every day, and she takes care of her husband, who has medical problems and can’t drive. And she takes care of her mom, who is 91 and can’t drive. And she runs a business, and takes care of some land, etc. But every night, she has at least a bottle of champagne…

When we were there last week, she proudly told me that she hadn’t had anything to drink for 5 days. I told her I was proud of her, and asked her why. She said she wanted to prove to herself that she could do it, and she also wanted to make sure she wasn’t “drunk grandma” as she called it. She knew we were TTC, and later that day we told her I was pregnant. Hubs had told her a few years ago, actually before we even started dating, that if she was drunk, she wouldn’t be allowed to take care of any future kids of his… So I was starting to gain hope that MIL was getting better, and trying to decrease her drinking. Until last night…

We went to pick her up from the airport, and she was completely wasted. It was 4:00 in the afternoon, and she was slurring her words, and reeked of champagne! She drank the whole way on the plane! We proceeded to fill her full of water, and then insist that she eat something before the concert. She got a little better, but we were with a bunch of our friends, and she kept leaning over to me and whispering, “I’m being good! I’m not embarrassing you!!!” Yeah, right. We just had to keep her functioning all night. I’m used to doing this – this isn’t my first time at the rodeo! But usually I’m drinking too, and for some reason, she doesn’t annoy me as much when I’m drinking. Last night of course I was stone cold sober – and boy, is she annoying! At one point I had to walk away and sit in the bathroom to just calm myself so I wouldn’t yell at her. Hubs kept trying to calm me down, but of course he was drinking so he annoyed me a bit too last night…

She doesn’t go back until Sunday. So that means two more nights of drinking, I’m sure! I guess it will keep me distracted until the ultrasound on Monday – have to look at something positive! Thanks for letting me vent. She’s actually a really nice person, and she’s a great MIL. I’m very happy to have her in my life. But I hate watching her drink, especially now… She’s mentioned coming here to help when I have a baby, which I would love, but we would have to insist that there would be no drinking. I wonder how that will go.

19 comments:

  1. I'm sorry she fell off the wagon again - I'm sure once she sobers up she'll be pretty upset with herself as well. My mom is a recovering alcoholic - as she puts it - and the first few times she tried to give it up she didn't last long but trying is the first step towards hopefully over coming. They have to do it for themselves and because they want to - nothing else will kick it.

    Congrats on the pregnancy by the way and I hope the U/S goes smoothly!

    ICLW #106

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  2. Eep, Alex, that does sound tough to deal with!

    Can't wait for the ultrasound report on Monday!

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  3. Sorry about the drinking. It's so true that drunk people are like 100 times more annoying when you're stone cold sober. I've dealt with several functioning alcoholics in my life. Functioning or not, alcohol abuse is a very serious problem. I hope she gets the help she needs.
    Good luck at your ultrasound on Monday!

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  4. Hey there! I emailed you earlier this morning but I thought I'd pop a note on here. I was wondering if I could have your acupuncturist's details? I was wanting someone good in the Woodlands who has experience with fertility stuff and I remember reading about you going to acupuncture. And I figure hey you're pregnant so that is definitely a plus for your guy! Thanks!

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  5. Congrats on your pregnancy. Good luck dealing with your MIL and wish her luck in quitting drinking.

    ~ICLW#25

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  6. First of all, congrats on your BFP!

    Secondly, I'm sorry that your life is like an episode of Interv.ention. I've never known anyone to truly be an alcoholic or addict, but it must be really hard to have that chaos in your life. *hugs*

    ICLW

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  7. oh wow, your MIL sounds like a handful. i'm soo jealous you went to a jimmy buffet concert!! NO ONE i know here in ny will go to one with me, even though i beg and beg every year. even dh is like "jimmy WHO???" and i think next time he comes to town, i might have to be a loser and go by myself :o(

    i was too overwhelmed by iclw last month so opted out this time. but happy iclw-ing to you :o)

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  8. ugh... good luck with that. it must be hard. and good luck at your appointment on Monday, i'll be thinking of you and checking in for updates!

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  9. Congratulation on the BFP!!!!

    Sorry about the MIL issue (((hugs)))

    ICLW

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  10. I have a good feeling that Monday will be a terrific day for you babywise and anniverary too! sounds terrible that you MIL has a drinking problem - Hope that she can turn herself around in the next 9 months so she can be trusted, but if she can't pull it together for the sake of being with her family (you and her son) without drinking now, do you think she is capable of changing later on? Just keep in mind if you really feel that she has a drinking problem, addicts are great manipulators and decievers...Trust me, I know...Anyways, enough about her and good luck to YOU on Monday. Celebrate and keep us posted!

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  11. I am looking forward to seeing pictures of an ultrasound on here on Monday! For some reason, it doesn't hurt nearly as much when someone who has struggled to conceive gets pregnant and I hear about it. I am very happy for you and hope that your MIL is able to beat her addiction! She's got 8 months to work on it!

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  12. Hi! I just wanted to give you a big heartfelt congratulations on your BFP! Those betas look great! In my first tri I was soooooooo sleepy. I swear, I could have slept standing up in line at the busiest Wal-Mart in the world. I hope you have a fantastic and easy pregnancy.

    ~ ICLW ~

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  13. Good Luck with your scan on Monday.

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  14. Congratulations on the BFP!!!!!! I hope all goes well for the u/s on Monday. The wait is nuts, isn't it?

    Hope your MIL cleans up her act over the coming months.

    ICLW
    http://daega99-arewethereyet.blogspot.com/

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  15. It will be interesting to see if your MIL's drinking will change once she's a grandma. She probably has good intentions, but for addicts good intentions don't always get it done. I hope it works out!

    Good luck with the rest of your weekend. I hope it goes uberfast so you can get to your scan on Monday.

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  16. Oh my... your MIL sounds like a handful! I am sorry she got into such a state after doing so well for 5 days. It does sound like she is tried to make an effort, shame she couldn't stick to it. I hope it gets better with time, it'll be a shame for her to miss out on her grandchild! We share an u/s tomorrow... I will be thinking of you as you see your bean for the first time!!! xxx

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  17. Congrats on your pregnancy, hope it all goes well.

    Happy ICLW!!
    #40 http://thegalwho.wordpress.com/

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  18. CONGRATULATIONS on your news.
    ICLW

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  19. Thanks for stopping by my blog! Congrats on the pregnancy and really hoping you see a beautiful sac on Monday.

    Sorry to hear about your MIL. That is a handful to deal with.

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