This week has been up and down as far as symptoms. I was still holding out taking the Unisom and B6. I feel like I’m not as tired anymore, but I feel like the gagging is stronger. I don’t actually gag as often, but it’s definitely more intense. I ended up going back on them. This would be attempt number three.
Thanksgiving was small this year. It was originally only going to be my parents, my aunt, my sister and her boyfriend, and us. But Emelia started getting really congested and coughing the day before and spiked a low-grade fever.
Her fever was only a little over 99.0 degrees on Thanksgiving, but it was obviously enough to keep her and Chris home. We COVID-tested both kids and since they were negative, it was just Olivia and me who went.
Luckily, my nausea and food aversions have mostly gone away, so I was actually able to eat Thanksgiving food and it was amazing.
The day after Thanksgiving, however, was rough. I dry heaved that morning. I was really gaggy. And exhausted. And emotional. Probably because my physical symptoms sucked. I feel like it’s a trend. I have a pretty good day that’s busy and I don’t feel the pregnancy symptoms all that much and then the next day I pay for it.
Plus, I’m clearly getting whatever Emelia had. I think I may have been sick with a respiratory virus once when I was pregnant with Emelia and not at all with Olivia. But being pregnant for fall and winter is very different than in the spring and summer. I was worried about this since any sort of coughing and sneezing make me dry heave.
Oh, and Olivia lost another two teeth. She lost two teeth at once the first time a few months ago, and yanked two of them out in one day right before Thanksgiving.
I did end up going antiquing with my sister today which was fun, but I had to keep sitting down. I’m not sure if it’s due to my blood pressure medication or just pregnancy, but once, when we were in a store that didn’t have places to perch, I had to leave to go sit outside at a table for a few minutes. Plus, we totally got kissed and hugged by this old dude who was running his brother’s antique shop. Here’s what I posted on Facebook about it:
A few weeks ago I was out shopping with my sister and we stepped into this antique store where we’ve been once before. We didn’t recognize the older man working at the cash register and we later figured out he was the owner’s brother.
He seemed really nice, and told us to take a look around and if there was anything we liked to bring it up to him and he can give us a deal. His brother, the owner, was incredibly generous the last time we were in. He had sold me this amazing Smith-Corona typewriter for peanuts.
So anyway, we’re looking around and the guy is talking with the other customers and periodically calling his brother for pricing on certain items. My sister found something that she liked, but we had to go across the street to get cash since they didn’t accept cards.
I waited by the front door while my sister left to get the money and when she came back I was still sending a text message to Chris so I told her I would meet her up at the counter. I walk down the short hallway back into the store just a minute later and I can see the older man talking to my sister, and there didn’t seem to be anyone else in the store unless they were in an aisle or further back. And he suddenly goes in and hugs her.
His back, his very imposing, large back, was to me, and my eyes widened at her, the same look I used to give my friends at the bar when some totally creepy dude would start flirting with them. He turned around and I don’t even remember what he said, but it was something like thank you for your business, and suddenly he was coming towards me with his arms out and I looked at him horrified. I put my hands up in front of myself and said, “Oh no thank you, I’m pregnant and I’m sick.”
And you guys, he came in anyways and he put his arms around me and pulled me close to him and I said something like, “Oh God you’re hugging me.” And then he told me that he didn’t care because everyone was sick and then
HE PLANTED A MOTHERFUCKING WET KISS ON MY CHEEK.
And then he turned around and walked away back to the register, not phased in the least, like nothing ever happened.
I glanced at my sister because I knew that she really wanted this item and she still had to go up and pay him for it. He made a joke while she was paying for it that fell completely flat and wished us a Merry Christmas and we left.
“Oh my God, oh my God, he fucking kissed me.”
I didn’t see it, but my sister said he kissed her too.
Now let’s put aside the fact that that was probably one of the most disgusting things that ever happened to me and it’s cold and flu season and I’m pregnant and some complete stranger just walked up to me and forced a hug and a kiss and found no problem with that.
(By the way, we walked to my car and both of us slathered sanitizer on our cheeks.)
Let’s talk about the fact that this old white dude, probably in his late 60s thought that it was perfectly acceptable to force himself onto two women by themselves. To give them a hug and kiss their cheek despite the woman backing away and clearly looking uncomfortable. Like a lot of men of that generation, and yes, my therapist confirmed this, he wanted a hug from a younger woman and he was just going to go ahead and do it whether she liked it or not.
And then let’s talk about the fact that I was mad at myself. I was mad at myself for not speaking up and telling this dude to keep his hands off me. I wasn’t backed into a corner. I had plenty of room behind me and I could have backed up more. I could have sharply told him, “Stop. I said no.” And as a last resort I could have pushed his bulk away from me. And I didn’t do any of that. In fact, I practically apologized to the asshole. I said, “Oh no thank you. I’m sick.” First, like I needed to be polite and second that I needed to give a reason why I didn’t want this man’s hands on me. Or, worse, his lips.
So. Still feeling pretty skeeved out about that.
Finally, I feel like I can feel some baby movements, more than I was, but they’re very infrequent. Which is disappointing. I had an anterior placenta with Emelia too and it sucked, but with her, I felt more movements than this. They’re always on my lower left side and they feel like little rolls and squishes if that makes sense. Hopefully, as time goes on, I’ll feel them more.
