I was reading a talk last night, titled Let Him Do It with Simplicity, given by Elder L. Tom Perry during the October 2008 General Conference. The first paragraph of this talk really hit home for me right now. He begins by explaining that life has a pattern to it.
"There are cycles of good and bad times, ups and downs, periods of joy and sadness, and times of plenty as well as scarcity. When our lives turn in an unanticipated and undesirable direction, sometimes we experience stress and anxiety".
I feel like I am in a cycle of bad times right now. Of course, I have a lot of things to be very thankful for, and I am not denying those things, but I want to vent and talk about the unanticipated and undesirable things in my life right now.
I already told you about one of the water leaks in our house, so now I'll tell you about the other leak. While we were trying to let the walls, boards, and drywall air out, we found another leak coming from a large pipe under our sink. Thankfully we didn't redo all the work only to find water damage again, but still...enough with the leaking pipes and hoses.
Also, my husband ran over a bolt on his way home from work yesterday, and found out today that the tire cannot be repaired. Instead, we will have to replace all four tires. A stupid, unexpected expense. I think the only person in the world who knows this is my husband, but I hate, HATE, spending money on tires. Austin always buys the best tires, and they last for a long time (unless you ruin them, or the tire shop ruins them and refuses to admit they ruined them--I digress), but I just hate how much they cost. I guess I am grateful for good tires, though, because they make me feel safe.
Oh, and one lovely thing I found out today at the dentist while getting my teeth cleaned is that I have a case of pregnancy gingivitis. When I'm pregnant, I can't breathe through my nose because the membranes swell up and my allergies increase, and basically I breathe through my mouth. My mouth got so dry during my second trimester that I would wake up with my tongue plastered to the roof of my mouth. Ouch!
And, though the gingivitis doesn't hurt, my gums are more red than normal, and sometimes when I floss, they'll bleed more easily. I understand this is quite common with pregnancies due to the increased levels of progesterone, but I didn't like doing research and finding out that if left untreated, it can lead to severe periodontal disease which can cause preterm labor.
I know I had a touch of pregnancy gingivitis when I was pregnant with Jader, and she came six days late, so I'm hoping I won't have any problems with this pregnancy.
Speaking of Jader, she is sick and was up a lot last night coughing. She coughed so hard she vomitted at one point. Poor thing.
I am getting to the stage in this pregnancy that I am not sleeping as well at night, and it seems like if I wake up, I have a hard time falling back to sleep. It was at one point during the night after I was awoken that I started feeling really overwhelmed with the idea of having a newborn in the house again and not being able to get as much sleep. I started thinking about how I am going to juggle a toddler and a newborn, in the middle of the cold, dark winter, and I'm telling you folks...it seems a little daunting to me right now.
It's causing me some stress and anxiety. I blame it on the hormones, and I know I will look back at this period of my life and laugh, but right now, it feels very real. With that said, I am going to take Elder Perry's advice and remain optimistic. In fact, I believe my new mantra is, "The best is yet to be".
6 comments:
I can so relate with what you are going through right now, only for me it was with my 3rd pregnancy, when I already had two young children. Thinking of having a third child when my oldest would only be 2 and a half was really emotional for me, and I wasn't sure how I was going to handle it. Not to mention that my 3rd pregnancy was the worst and the most uncomfortable of them all, it gets better! I promise, there are good and bad days all the time, just keep the good ones in mind to be able to get through the bad ones.
I'm with you on the leaky pipes, that's for sure. And now I am going to go look up that talk, because it sounds like one I might need right now too!!! All I can say it that you are on my mind, and I hope things start looking up!!!
Hang in there...it all seems overwhelming doesn't it! You will be a great mamma of 2 even through the cold, dark months. It seems kinda depressing though huh. You can do it! So what all did they say about your preg. gingivitis? I'm telling you from experience that unless it is severe and left untreated (basically someone who doesn't own a toothbrush) it will not cause problems for your baby. Just keep brushing twice a day (target the gumline) and floss at least once...even if your gums bleed! Hopefully if you are consistent, they will slowly stop bleeding. Most of it is likely due to your mouthbreathing, so there's not a ton you can do about that except stay hydrated. It will all work out. I wouldn't worry yourself one bit! Periodontal disease is a very slow moving disease and so unless you suffer from it already, the chances of your gingivitis progressing to periodontal disease during the last few months of your pregnancy are very slim!
Julie,
I'm sorry you are feeling so stressed right now. I really understand what you are going through.
I just want to let you know that I think you are a wonderful mom/homemaker/friend.
Things will get better and you will do great as a mom of two! Your children are very lucky to have you as their mother.
(and I feel very lucky to have you as a friend:))
I remember feeling a lot like that myself, Julie (sans the leaky pipes and ruined tire!). I'm sure you will have moments when getting up one more time in the night to feed the little man will seem like just too much. But you will find the strength and I know you have a good support network of family and friends who love you. Plus, you will fall so in love with the little one and have such delicious moments of joy in him! Those times will balance out the others, I promise! Sending a prayer your way today!
Jill, I knew that I'd hear from you after mentioning my dentist experience. Thanks for the encouraging words. The hygienist and dentist both told me what I already knew and what I already do...just keep brushing twice daily and floss once a day. They recommended a product line Biotene --but I've already been using their mouthwash and toothpaste. Thanks for the reminder to stay hydrated. I noticed that it helps me a lot at night if I have had enough water during the day. I'm not too worried about it, because I don't think it is very severe. My gums don't bleed when I floss lately, and we have been running a humidifier at night so there is more moisture in the air. It's just an annoying side effect of mine during pregnancy, and I was being a little overdramatic when I wrote this post. :)
I totally relate as well and I would say for the most part it is the hormons...they can make you feel ways you never thought you could...but you will do great. You will be surprised at how another little person just meshes into your lives. Also you know that all of that little newborn stuff ends at one point and that you will be feeling back to normal soon.
As for your gums...I am not trying to act super smart, but I was a Dental Assistant for a while and I can say from experience that if you just continue to floss and swish with some salt water that will help them...good luck and keep your chin up!
Thanks for coming the other night...it is always fun to have you guys...I hope you have fun when you come!
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