Baby saigh #2 pregnancy: 33 weeks.

Hospital gowns are HOT.

Woof. This week has been a crazy one. I came down with a really rough cough this week, and have been having a hard time breathing when doing simple things... like walking. Seriously, I sound like a 800-pound, heavy smoker when I walk up a flight of stairs, I'm talking about a cough SO awful, that I was peeing myself when trying to control it.

For. Reals.

This may be one of my most honest blog moments ever... so brace yourself. But, I've had to resort to wearing pads and even adult diapers during my coughing episodes. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, huh?! Poor Papa Saigh had to not ONLY come home from Singapore this week to a sick wife, but a sick wife who's spending her days and nights in Depends.

Ah, the romance.

To make sure I didn't have anything serious, I popped into urgent care on Monday after I dropped Linna off at school. My oxygen level was a little low, so they decided to give me an x-ray to test for pneumonia. While that test came back negative, they had to make sure that my breathing issues weren't caused by something as serious as a blood clot in my lung. Doctors sure don't take any chances with pregnant women. They decided to insert in IV needle, and test my blood. I can't remember what exactly they were testing for, but if the test came back positive, they'd have to admit me to the ER for a CAT scan to rule out a blood clot in my lung. I had to call Papa Saigh and calmly tell him the situation, while we arranged for my mom to pick Linna up from school (thanks mom!).

Sure enough, the blood test came back positive (they said it was most likely positive because I was pregnant), and they had to transfer me to the ER and admit me for a CAT scan. Not only was I not thrilled about having an X-Ray done while pregnant, but now a CAT scan?! Better safe than sorry, I guess. They wheeled me down to the CAT scan room, and administered a fluid via my IV that sent a warm sensation through my body. It actually makes you feel like you peed yourself, which I've been used to over the last week. Woof. The CAT scan took just a few minutes, and we had the results back in about an hour.

Big sister Linna and I (33 weeks pregnant) just a few hours before my ER visit, doing a maternity shoot with the incredible Robert Evans and  Nate Anderson of Robert Evans Imagery. These guys made me feel gorgeous, even as I was hacking up my lungs. More photos from this session coming to the blog soon!

Good news. I didn't have anything serious, and was shocked when the doctor sent me home with an inhaler to treat my "bad cold". I can't believe that what I have is just a cold. This "cold" has completely wiped me out. I've been exhausted, out of breath, and super impatient with our 4-year-old because I feel like absolute sh*t. While the inhaler helps me breathe, it makes me feel super jittery, so I hate taking it. I can feel that I am getting better, and am weaning myself off of wearing absorbent undergarments (that sounds better than "adult diapers" or "Depends", right?!). I think sleeping with a humidifier has really helped, since there isn't much I can take medicine-wise while pregnant.

The 4-year-old has really been testing our patience this week too. Linna has been going through so much (moving to a new house, being without Papa Saigh for almost 2 months, Mama Saigh being sick, new school, etc.), and I'm sure she's been feeling a little stressed. Papa Saigh and I have been working together to make sure that she feels the sense of "family" that she's been missing with Papa Saigh being in Singapore, while trying to get her "emotional outbursts" under control as well. We've learned that empathy has been really important when trying to deal with an overly-emotional 4-year-old, and things are finally getting better! But MAN, it was a rough few weeks.

At 33 weeks, our baby is the size of a pineapple and weighs about 4 lbs. It's incredible to think that he or she will be here in about 6 weeks (give or take). Linna still talks to the baby, and gives my belly hugs and kisses every time I drop her off at school. I love when she's her sweet self. It's wonderful to have Papa Saigh home FOR GOOD, as he's able to talk to the baby and start to bond with him or her. Since we just moved into our new house about 2 weeks ago, my father-in-law and Papa Saigh have been busy painting, ripping out carpet to put in hardwood floors, etc. While Linna's room is in order (other than the hardwood floors installation), the nursery is a complete mess. It's painted, but all the furniture is in the middle of the room, the floors have to be done, and I have yet to put away the gender-neutral clothes we have from when Linna was a baby. The planning for this baby's arrival is MUCH different than the nursery we had set up for Linna when I was just 20 weeks pregnant. The Bassinest is set up in our room, and diapers have been purchased, so we'll be fine if the baby decides to come sooner rather than later. But, I'll be so excited to have everything in the nursery finished and in order in the next couple weeks. Can you believe Papa Saigh and his dad are doing all of this work themselves?! They are incredible.

In the midst of all this chaos, Papa Saigh got me my new mom-mobile. I've been driving around in Papa Saigh's "baby" (a 19-90-something Toyota 4-Runner) for the last 3 months since Linna and I have been home from Singapore. I was more than happy to give Papa Saigh back his "baby", and start driving my new Lexus RX. I absolutely love it! My new car almost makes me forget that I've been wearing Depends for the last week.

Almost.