what’s the buzz?

tell me what’s a-happenin’

this weekend’s project…

a sewing s.o.s. from an IRL BFF. (oh yeah, i went there. i might secretly be 14. whatevs. newayz don’t h8 bcoz ur jealous!!)

ahem.

so, her daughter was asked to be part of a little bible play depicting the crossing of the red sea, and needed a costume. but momma doesn’t sew or even have a machine—can you believe that!!?!?!

::crickets::

okay, so not everyone sews. but i was happy to come to her rescue. she’s mishpocheh. and fortunately--since she lives halfway across the country from me--my tiny tim is very close in size to her daughter. this is what i came up with:

sure—maybe it’s a little more colorful than what your average isrealite meidl would sport. but hey, joseph had his amazing technicolor dreamcoat, right? no? eh?

a “skin” water bottle

well, we’ll call it artistic license. or stage wear. (and i am officially out of biblical-themed broadway show references. i think. my yiddish-english dictionary is still going strong however.)

 

i actually think it came out really cute. all the fabric came from my stash at home and odds and ends from work—total cost $0. what can i say? i’m a mentsh. a baleboste, if you will. (ugh. so schmaltzy.)

an easy velcro closure on the back of the dress, and a velcro tab closes the headband. the sash simply ties in the back.

this little outfit is being packed up and mailed off today, so she’ll have it in time. enjoy miss n.—and break a leg!

**for some fun yiddish-english translations i recommend this site. the colorful language and sayings will have you laughing out loud. such a way with words they have! although i’m many generations removed…as my mother and i always say—the jew is strong within you. (like the force. only with more nosh.) and sprinkling your everyday speech with some nice yiddish phrases will have all your friends jealous! okay, maybe not. but know that what soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul :o)

kind: adj. - having, showing, or proceeding from benevolence: kind words.

thank you.
thank you very much.

just hearing (reading?) people say "hey, that stinks. sorry" or "i've been there, done that. it hurts" means so, sooo much.

i couldn't believe the response i got to my last post, and it was truly wonderful.
i don't mean to go all sally field on ya...but, well, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

as an update...
since then i've been to the chiropractor twice, the midwife once, and talked to my pcp on the phone twice. i've spent a LOT of time in bed alternating between heat and ice on my back, and i'm taking tylenol regularly (per the advice of my dr....i'm generally not a real big medicine gal--especially when preggers, but it's got it a time and place and this is SO DEFINITELY the time and place)

is it helping?
well, i'd love to tell you that i jumped out of bed this morning like i just came from a church tent revival--you know--all "SHE CAN WALK!!! IT'S A MIRACLE!!" and whatnot.

sadly, that was not the case.

BUT...
i am feeling better. (i'm whispering that...you know, just in case...)

the combination seems to be helping. the blindingly stabbing pain has mellowed to a dull persistant throb, with occasional bursts of OHWOWTHATHURTS.

the hard part now is making myself stay in bed and not overdo it and reinjure or exacerbate my issues. i know you fellow mommas can relate.

so that's that.

and, because i know you're curious--after today's chiro trip, googiedaddy and i ran into the target to pick up a couple things...
and yes, i rode the electric cart.

is it too soon for us to talk about my symphysis pubis?

because, really, the last thing i want to do is make you uncomfortable.

but remember last week, when i mentioned the searing pain in my back whenever i even thought about moving?

it just wasn’t going away. not with heat, or muscle rub, or a massage or bedrest or ANYTHING.

instead of being worse at night and okay in the morning, it’s started to basically just be constant. i.e.—from the time i roll myself out of bed in the morning to the time i roll back in at night, i’m in constant debilitating pain, walking around in a manner amazingly similar to everyone’s favorite tv doctor.



you know, just without the bitter sarcasm and nasty pill habit.

oh--and the cane. but i could really, really use the cane.

all of this was leading me to believe that maybe it wasn’t just normal pregnancy back pain. ya think?

paging dr. google. dr. google, you’re needed in the self-diagnosis wing.

i looked up sciatica, since that seemed a likely diagnosis. but i don’t really have shooting pains down my leg, or other typical sciatica symptoms.

sciatica eliminated.

then i stumbled upon pelvic girdle pain, and it’s associated friend symphysis pubis dysfunction.

dingdingding! we have a winner folks.

i have a checkup with my midwife on thursday, so i’ll discuss it more with her then. but the many lovely symptoms the two share basically fit to a ‘t’ what i’ve been dealing with. even my special new walk…i mean, my “antalgic gait.”

the cure? well, i’ll boil it down for you: give birth. until then, deal with it. (there are different measures you can take to try and ease the pain, but nothing is really sure fire. more just stop-gaps.)

and here’s the really fun part:

“PGP in pregnancy seriously interferes with participation in society and activities of daily life; the average sick leave due to posterior pelvic pain during pregnancy is 7 to 12 weeks.^[5]
In some cases women with PGP may also experience emotional problems such as anxiety over the cause of pain, resentment, anger, lack of self-esteem, frustration and depression; she is three times more likely to suffer postpartum depressive symptoms.^[6] Other psychosocial risk factors associated with woman experiencing PGP include higher level of stress, low job satisfaction and poorer relationship with spouse.^[7]”
(source)

so here’s the super exciting breakdown:
my pain is here to stay, at least until i pop this monkey out. and because i tend to have bigger babies, it’s probably only going to get worse before it gets better.
i have a much higher risk of anxiety, depression and postpartum depression, things i have and do struggle with already.
my house and children are just going to continue looking worse as this pregnancy continues and i deal with this “condition” and it’s related issues (i.e.—unable-to-move-ness)

but really, don’t cry for me. there is a bright side.

now i have a diagnosed medical condition and so i don’t have to feel guilty about this:

come to me, my little electric savior.