The Bailey Chronicles

I wish I could say that that was the end of all morning sickness, but unfortunately it was just the end for the motion sickness faze and the lactose intolerance. I still got sick regularly, but this time it had turned into severe indigestion. I would get stomach gas so bad that my entire rib area would bloat out, and it would feel like one of my organs wanted to explode inside of me. It would literally take my breath away, which would cause me to go into a panic attack since I couldn't breath. I would take antacids, but they would never stay down. I would try to relax in the tub, mainly to calm myself down. Then I would get on the computer and play some games to try and take my mind off the pain. Eventually, my back would be in so much pain that I would lay down and sleep, and by morning I would feel better. If I absolutely couldn't relieve myself of the pain I would wake John up in the middle of the night to get me some ginger ale from the grocery store. He always did, and never once complained. I couldn't ask for a more supportive and genuine husband. He would return home from the store, typically at three or four in the morning and rub my back for the rest of the night until I could fall asleep. I know he will make an awesome Dad. Many times he would have to get up at 5 am to leave for work and put in a 12 hour day, but still never once did he complain. He always seemed so sympathetic to the pain that I was going through, and genuinely wanted to help me overcome it.

Heartburn also frequently radiated through my chest. It is such an uncomfortable feeling. My diet had become very mild at this point, because it seemed that anything would set off the stomach gas and heartburn. I ate lots of yogurt and fruit, but even a simple granola bar would make me sick. On a positive note, on July 4th I felt the baby for the first time. I had been violently sick all night, and then went to bed to play on the computer until the pain passed. All of a sudden I felt a flutter in my abdomen, much like a butterfly. A smile came across my face and for that moment the pain didn't matter. Later that night John gave me a back rub to ease some of my discomfort and again I felt the baby as I lay on my stomach. It is an indescribable feeling, to actually feel life inside of you for the first time. Like a little secret between just me and the baby. Later that month, July 24th, we were scheduled to find out the sex of the baby. By this point I could feel the baby's movement almost everyday. All along people have been saying it's a girl, but we would be excited no matter what the gummy bear turned out to be. It seemed to take forever to get our second sonogram pictures, but finally the time came. This was literally worse than waiting for Christmas for both John and I. With much anticipation leading up to this moment we would finally get our answer. If it's a girl her name would be Bailey Katherine Dunson, and if it's a boy his name would be Reese Allen Dunson. It turns out the baby was in no mood to cooperate. It was such a huge let down. The baby's back was to us, sitting on it's foot with the umbilical chord between it's legs. No way to get a clear answer. The Doctor said she thought the baby was a girl, but couldn't confirm the answer since she couldn't get a clear shot. To make it worse the baby's head was buried into my pelvis so she couldn't even get a cute profile picture. We were rescheduled for two weeks out. At the end of this month John received a job promotion and was transferred from the store in Rockwall to a higher volume store in Dallas. He was finally getting the opportunity to work in a role that is best suited for him in a store much closer to where we live. The commute was cut in half from an hour each way to 25 minutes. His hours have also become much easier on him, very rarely will he have to wake up at 4 am to go to work. I am so proud of everything he has accomplished with his career in such a short time. He is truly dedicated and driven to succeed and reach his goals.