Speak into my good ear!

It's uncanny how similiar this pregnancy has been to my first one! Thank the good Lord, I'm not one of these women who battles nausea for nine months! During my first several weeks, I'm a little susceptible to certain smells making me feel a little sick, and there are certain foods I had to eat carefully- like scrambled eggs or oatmeal. Or, for some reason, swallowing my prenatal vitamen! I've thrown up exactly once with each pregnancy (unless you count getting sick during Bella's labor).

I do, however, get some of the less common side effects. For instance, nosebleeds. When I am pregnant, my nose bleeds at the slightest provocation. It can get old walking around the house with toilet paper stuck up your nostril!

And ear infections. I had lot of these as a child, but until I got pregnant with Bella, it had been years since I'd had one. During my last 6 weeks of pregnancy, I ended up with ear infections in both ears. I missed three days of work and was completely miserable! My mom came over one day to do some housework for me and bring me dinner (Kenneth was working), and when she sat down beside me on the couch and said, "Honey, what can I do for you?" I just burst out crying and said , "I just want to feel better!" There I was, out-to-here pregnant, tired, and both ears aching!

Luckily, once the antibiotics kicked in, the aching part stopped. But I still had fluid in my ears, I couldn't hear it thunder! I asked Dr. Lewis at the OB-GYN why this was happening, and he explained that along with your hands, face, feet, etc, your eustacian tubes (the tubes that drain fluid from your ears) swell, too! He was right, too, because my hearing didn't get back to normal until Bella was born.

I was hoping to avoid that with this pregnancy. But about three weeks ago I got a cold, and my left ear has been full of fluid ever since! I got an antibiotic at my last check-up to prevent an earache, but it doesn't help with the hearing. My right ear is still mostly clear, but I still find myself saying, "huh?" a lot!

It's especially irritating at church. I am the pianist, and I can't hear anyone singing! All I can hear is the piano (and it sounds muffled!). It kind of makes me nervous, because I'm thinking, "Am I playing too fast/slow/loud?"

I keep reminding myself that pregnancy is only temporary, and a little transitory hearing lost is worth it compared to what I get in return- sleepless nights! No, just kidding, a beautiful, wonderful baby girl!