What I've been up to...

Had a great day yesterday! I found out my insurance would cover chiropractic and was able to get a MUCH needed adjustment! My pelvis is beyond repair until the baby is born, since it is mainly the loose joints caused by pregnancy hormones which is making me feel so uncomfortable and creaky, however that has been compounded by the fact that my pelvis and hips have also been severely misaligned. Dr. Steve (the chiro) said my right hip was rotated upwards and misaligned by a couple of inches! OUCH! Anyway, I'm feeling a little better since my adjustment but I'll need to go back for more.

I also saw my midwives for our appointment last night, and everything is great, baby sounds good and is in a good position, blood pressure is good, swelling is very minimal, nothing at all concerning. I did my GBS test (Group B Strep...no big deal but since it's a noninvasive test and is purely informational, I decided to do it) and then Lennon asked if we'd like to do a belly drawing for fun. Basically, they palpate the belly to see what position the baby is in and

then they do a cute little drawing on your belly so you can get a visual of it. It's just meant to be fun, which it was! So here is a little visual of what Baby Hughesy might be up to right now:

Pretty adorable huh? Can't wait to meet him/her!

Full term!

I made it! I'm 37 weeks, which means I'm officially full term. Of course, all that really translates to is that I spend most of my waking hours thinking I could go into labor any second and it's basically akin to chinese water torture. I don't feel anything imminent on the horizon. Really, that's not such a bad thing since Gretchen isn't coming for a couple more weeks and I still have some things to do, but....try telling me that at 3:30am when I'm trying to get my enormous whale-o-pottomus self out of bed for the millionth time....or when I'm trying to simply stand up after sitting for more than 10 minutes and my pelvis is so stiff it takes me 5 more minutes just to get to my feet (and in the process I'm likely to drop something or knock something over and I've completely lost the ability to bend down to pick things up, so I'm lowered to glaring at them impotently, truly wishing I possessed Jedi mind powers or Mary Poppins' magic touch...but I digress). Anyway, other than being massively pregnant and having hips made out of legos, I'm feeling pretty good I guess. Maybe it's just that my standards are low since my last pregnancy was so....oh whats the word...hellish. At any rate, my health is good, baby is good, and there are some sweet moments every now and then (organizing baby clothes, Jay telling the baby to "go towards the light", Elijah saying goodnight to the baby every night, etc) that I'm trying to enjoy while I can.

We are also getting ready for the start of school around here. Elijah starts second grade on the 8th of Sept, and Jay and I start classes on the 27th. We are of course, ever so far behind but I'm confident it will all work out. It helps that I'm just tired enough not to care about things I would normally be stressing over. I'm realizing just how many things are unimportant.

Happy Anniversary to me!

Can anyone believe it's been 3 years? Sometimes it feels like we have been married forever, and other times I can't believe 3 years has gone by so fast. And we aren't even sick of each other yet! Money is tight, so we don't have any big plans. We had wanted to go on a couples camping trip this year, but that was before we found out about baby and once we knew I was preggers, our plans quickly changed. Tent camping at 9 months pregnant is not my cup o tea. We plan to just have a nice, quiet night at home. We are going to make a special dinner together and just enjoy the evening. It's nothing fancy, but it will be special anyway. Someday, when school is done and we have a penny to our name, we will throw a huge party lol. For now, low-key is the way to go.

I have much to be thankful for :)

34 Weeks

I'm sorry I haven't updated the blog in awhile. I figured I'd better post an update soon since I really only have a few weeks left! An estimated due date is calculated at 40 weeks of pregnancy, however you are considered full term (and therefore safe for delivery) at 37 weeks of pregnancy. The average length of pregnancy is between 37 and 42. Although I highly doubt I will deliver before my due date, since it seems like women in my family tend to go to 42+weeks, I am technically considered full term in just 3 short weeks. Which means that I need to be ready by then....or preferably at least mostly ready even before then.

*clears throat*

*screams*

Just kidding, I am ready...kind of....mostly. Um, okay I have a few more things to do. I think I have all the basic most important things covered. Still on my list:

*Buy a couple more diapers to finish my stash (I'm cloth diapering in case anyone forgot)

*Make cloth wipes
*Prep dipes (you have to do a few things to them before they are absorbent enough to use...namely boiling them and putting them through a wash/dry cycle about 3 or so times)
*Wash and organize baby clothes
*Buy the last few things on my birth supply list from the midwife
*Buy a rocking chair
*Talk to my boss to round out my modified maternity leave plans
*Figure out and fix whatever is wrong with my washer (super crazy loud)
*Wash/dry/sort/put away my endless piles of laundry
*Pack bag in case of hospital transfer
*Install carseat
*Buy something to wear after the birth

I think that's mostly it. The apartment is close to being finished, but Jay still has to finish that. I asked him to be sure and have it done by my 36 week mark. He is also working on building a desk for his computer and a shelf for our DVD player and DVR (our TV is wall mounted so we need something to put that other stuff on).

I had originally planned on freezing a bunch of meals ahead of time so no one would have to worry about cooking, but it's just not happening lol. In the interest of not biting off more than I can chew, I've decided to just order my mom and Gretchen around instead. Anyone entering this house will be expected to come with food and put a load of laundry in lol.

I'm super lucky that the weather hasn't been terrible lately. We have had a few days above 90 degrees, but it has mostly stayed at a manageable 80-85. Other than that, I am starting to feel the pangs of being hugely pregnant. My hips and pelvis constantly feel like someone is trying to pry them apart with a crowbar and walking/turning over in bed, etc is really difficult. I've been in tears many times over the past week or two just because the tiniest tasks are overwhelmingly difficult right now. Work is extra stressful right now as well, so that doesn't help my emotional state at all. Most of the time I'm ok, but every now and then it gets to me. Getting dressed is a hurdle in and of itself at the moment and is often the start of my downward spiral. Not only do I only have about two things I can wear comfortably, but the actions involved in dressing myself just plain hurt.

The good news is that all of this is natures way of making me feel ready for this baby, come hell or high water. If little Hughesy comes early and I don't have a rocking chair, I'll survive...and at least I'll have my hips back!

Generally boring updates

I haven't posted in awhile...Things have been a little crazy since we got back from California. Most of it has been uninteresting, just busy. We are STILL finishing up the remodel, but at least we are back in our apartment and things are coming together...albeit slowly.

Pregnancy-wise things are smooth sailing. I've had a couple of midwife appointments since our trip and things seem great. Baby is active, blood pressure is good, no major issues just minor discomforts. I feel pretty decent considering I'll be 8 months along next week. Don't get me wrong, I still feel very much pregnant or rather like a walrus on a day to day basis. Getting up and down out of chairs/couches/beds etc is sure to elicit grunts and groans and it takes my hips a few minutes to adjust before I can actually walk. What I wouldn't give to be able to afford a chiropractor right now! Other than that and a bit of heartburn here and there, I feel pretty good. I've been walking with a friend for about an hour at a time 3 or so times a week...usually before work so we end up going at about 6 am.

In other news the HEAT has finally hit us. This past week saw record temps and a heat wave bringing us into the triple digits. Supposedly this next week is going to be cooler, but I have my doubts. I'm in for a long summer, I can tell you that.

Right now I'm in crazy-lady nesting mode. Since I can't afford to actually buy all the things I need right now, I'm settling for lists, lists, and more lists! We are fairly well set on baby items (thanks to all the wonderful family who have been SO incredibly generous!) but I'm mostly focused on items that need to be obtained in preparation for the birth and immediate postpartum....also household items since I really want to fix up/decorate the house a bit and there are a few things I need such as a washing machine (yay!) and rocking chair.

Anyway, it's a lazy Saturday...better get back to it!

25 weeks

Thought I'd post a new pic of the belly, even though many of you will see it in person in just a couple of weeks! Whats shocking is not the belly unfortunately, but how big I am everywhere else! I have seriously gained too much weight already :( But there isn't anything I can do about that now, just hope that I recover well so I can get moving asap after she/he is born and be thankful that Weight Watchers has a nursing mothers program!

I had my 24 week appointment with the midwives yesterday. Everything looked good, blood pressure was great, my uterus is right on target growth-wise, and baby was trying to kick the fetoscope as Lennon was listening for the heart tones. She asked me what we wanted to do with the placenta (if we wanted to keep it or wanted them to dispose of it) and we told her our plan to plant it with a tree. She mentioned she is going to bring my the list of supplies to have handy for the birth (like, how many towels, special sheet for the bed to go under the regular sheet, stuff like that...not the actual medical supplies) and I got excited because I just can't believe it's time to start thinking about all that already!!! I know I've said it before, but I just can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going.

In other news, the rash seems to have finally disappeared! So YAY, it probably isn't/wasn't PUPPS after all!

Overall, feeling pretty good still although I'm starting to deal with some ankle swelling. Hate that!

The remodel is going well, thanks in large part to Anthony's help. It's still going to be another week or so, but it's nice to start seeing all the progress.

Elijah had his first school play last night. He was SO cute! He was in the chorus and he was really into it, singing loudly and dancing along. You could tell he felt really good about it! I wish we had some pictures to share though. We still don't have a camera, but our neighbor loaned us hers to use....we ended up not getting good pictures at all though because of the glare in the auditorium. I'm so bummed about that :(

Two weeks until California!!!

Ok so it's not a sure thing, but...

Everyone knows my estimated "due date" is September 12th. Now, don't go and get me started about the fallacy of "due dates" (or as some people tend to think of them as - expiration dates). Needless to say, I don't put a whole lotta stock in them. I'd be pretty surprised if I had this baby very close to that date at all. The women in my family tend to really cook em. I'll be happy if I have the baby before October, frankly.

I've told a couple of people that for some reason, Sept 23rd is stuck in my head for this baby's arrival. It just seems like a good day to have a baby, and almost 2 weeks over my "due date".

Today there was a discussion on my online due date club (bunch of ladies due in Sept) about how babies tend to come around the full moon. This prompted me, purely out of curiosity, to look up the date for the full moon in Sept. Guess when it is? The full moon is on September 23rd!

Now, I have no real delusions that I can actually predict the date of this baby's arrival, but wouldn't it be funny?

OY

I couldn't think of anything else to name this post. It's pretty expressive about our lives right now. Thinks are...hectic to say the least. We are doing this remodel and it's more intensive than I originally expected. We pretty much gutted out the unit and we are putting in new floors, light fixtures, tub and sink hardware, and new baseboard and trim as well as resurfacing the bathtub, putting in a new water heater, and painting. It's hard to believe so much work can go into such a little place. We will eventually be getting new counters and cabinets, but that will most likely take place in July. We are staying in a tiny one-bedroom unit with ALL of our stuff for the next few weeks. Cooking, getting dressed, you name it...everything is hard. I'm happy it's getting done but I will be so glad when it's over!!!

Pregnancy-wise I'm so so. I still feel pretty good overall, but I'm going to be 6 months (24 weeks) in just a few days and I'm feeling more pregnant than I am I think. What I thought was sciatica is starting to seem more like something called SPD. It's basically where your pubic bone relaxes too much and it causes pain in the pelvic girdle. It's still mild, but I hope it doesn't get worse! I also think I may be getting PUPPS again...which is a pregnancy induced rash straight from Satan. I'm not 100% sure thats what it is, but it looks like it. Also, about 70% of people who have PUPPS have boys, so my conviction that this little one is a girl is falling by the wayside.

I will be so glad when we can get back to our normal routine.

Hustler

22 weeks and 3 days along today. That 6 month mark is creeping up on me. The baby will be putting on about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs this month. It's getting crazy to think this baby is due in just 4 months. And since technically the "due date" is set at 40 weeks, but you can be considered full term and go into labor anytime after 37 weeks, I could potentially have this baby sometime at the end of August. I really doubt that happens, I fully expect to go well overdue, but you just never know. I hope this baby stays in to cook for awhile because I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO!!!! I still need to buy all the cloth diapers + supplies not to mention various and sundry other things. Plus Gretchen will kill me.

Realizing all of this, I made a mad dash to hurry along the renovations on our apartment. Many of you know that when I announced my pregnancy to my work, I also pretty much demanded (ever so sweetly of course) that they finally allow me to fix up the apartment like I had been promised for the past 2 years. Getting a timeline and pinning down Mr. and Mr. fix-it (aka Jay and the other caretaker dude) has been a little tricky.

So this weekend we are moving all of our stuff out of our unit into a vacant 1-bedroom for the next two weeks so that the house can be painted and our new floor can be laid. After that, we should be able to move stuff back in, although there will still be puh-lenty of work left to do in there, it will just have to get done while we are in there.

I'm super stressed about getting it all done, and I really want to make sure that it gets done while I am still mobile...I remember at 5 and 6 months pregnant with Elijah I was still getting around fairly well but then 7 months hit and I was rendered completely useless. I'll be 7 months at the end of June, so I need to hustle!

Belly

Well I'm going to do something extremely brave. People keep asking me if I'm showing yet. See for yourself...I mean, I look HUGE.




Sorry they aren't very good quality, I took them with the webcam on my laptop.

I feel giant. I wish I could say that it was all baby, but no. I'm really trying to eat healthfully and not go overboard with treats or anything. I've stopped buying anything to keep in the house that is junky (like ice cream). I still have some treats here and there, but not having anything readily available without cooking or going to the store makes it less likely that I will overindulge. I'm also going to yoga classes for 1-2 hours twice a week. I'll be walking daily once the weather is nice (today is beautiful out, so it will be my first walk in awhile!). We aren't eating out hardly at all, and aren't eating any fast food or anything. Even though I feel about 90 times healthier than I did when I was pregnant with Elijah, I cannot keep the weight gain down it seems. My midwife is threatening to confiscate my scale. It's so hard not to be overly concerned with my weight gain when I KNOW full well how much effort it is going to take to lose it...especially when I had so much to lose in the first place. I'm really struggling with my feelings about it. It's much harder than I thought it would be. I seem to just pile on the pounds, regardless of the amount of calories I'm consuming. I'd say on an average day, I'm eating 2,400 calories per day, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. They recommend that you eat between 2400-2600 when you are preggo if you started out overweight. I can't figure out why I keep gaining. It is NOT all in my belly either! My face looks HUGE.

Honestly though, to get some perspective - I feel pretty great. I just have to keep eating healthy and being active, and thats all I can really do I guess. I'm sure glad weight watchers has a program for nursing mothers, that's all I can say!

Halfway there

I'm 20wks 4 days pregnant today. It feels like I'm carting around a melon, which apparently I am. I'm almost 21 weeks so officially more than halfway to my due date. Not counting the fact that I fully expect to set some kind of overdue record. Don't ask me why.

We had our midwives appointment on Wednesday. I had my blood drawn and got the email from our midwife today saying that my results were good, everything is wonderfully normal. I'm not anemic or anything, all my levels are right where they should be. She also felt my fundus (top o' the uterus) and it's also right where it should be at 20 weeks, so baby is growing right on target. She said that we would begin measuring it at my next appointment (for anyone who doesn't know, they measure from the top of the pubic bone to the top of the uterus and it usually corresponds in cm with about how many weeks along you are...its just a way of measuring growth basically). We tried to listed for the heartbeat with the fetoscope (click that link if you want to see what one looks like), but it was still hard to pick up. I feel baby moving ALL the time (pretty sure she is going to wind up in Cirque Du Soleil one day) and its normal for it to take awhile to hear the heartbeat with the fetoscope, so it's no biggie. Jay was a little dissapointed though, he really wants to hear it.

It's crazy to think that after my appointment in June (which will be the week after I get back from Calli), I'll have to start seeing them every other week because I'll be in my third trimester already. Crap. I have a LOT to do before then...my days of being nicely mobile and somewhat comfortable are coming to a rapid close.

I've also started yoga and it ROCKS!!! Now I just need to figure out how to get myself to a chiropractor!

Turbo baby

That's what I've taken to calling the baby this week. All of a sudden it's like s/he had somehow found little fetal boxing gloves or something. Those little flutters aren't so little anymore...in fact, I'd say they aren't even flutters at all anymore. I'm feeling very distinct kicks and punches. Jay felt the baby move for the first time on Thursday night and has been able to feel it every day since. He has finally decided I'm not faking this pregnancy just to get foot rubs.

I leave you with a cute picture of Elijah at school

In which I fantasize

I can't believe it's April 19th already! This month is seriously flying by. I keep thinking June is going to be here before I know it. This pregnancy is about halfway over already!

The family is good, we all (well Jay, Elijah, me and Ant...and our neighbors beagle, Molly - who we are dog sitting) went fishing at the reservoir on Sunday. It was very impromptu, but it was beautiful out (wish I had pictures!!!) and we had fun. I actually got a little sunburnt, and the red of the burn looks like a candy cane stripe against my typically pasty-white skin. Guess it's sunblock time!

We made reservations to camp on the Santiam River in July. I will be 8 months pregnant. Gretchen laughed at me (more like sneered) when I told her. It seemed like a good idea at the time....

Pregnancy-wise I am feeling pretty good. I feel loads better with this pregnancy then I did during my second trimester with Elijah. Hope the trend continues! The only thing I'm really dealing with right now is that my right hip feels waaay out of alignment. It's really painful when I get up and down from the couch and sometimes I feel it walking. There isn't much I can do about that at the moment, I can't afford to see the chiropractor right now. In my dream world, I would wake up to breakfast in bed, then head over for some prenatal yoga. After that, I'd go to the chiropractor and get an adjustment, stop somewhere for a leisurely lunch, and go for a full hour prenatal massage. After that, I'd go home for a nap of course. Now THATS the life. It's called La La Land, and I'm a huge fan.

Waddling and Rambling.

I am 18 weeks and 2 days preggo today. The second trimester feels like its flying. I'm feeling pretty good the majority of the time... comparatively speaking of course. I feel a little heartburn from time to time but it's mild. My bones are starting to feel really...I don't know, creaky lately. I really wish I could invest in some chiropractic and massage, but I just can't right now. I know for sure my hips are out of alignment, which causes me to walk with the pregnant waddle way earlier than I should.

I wanted to update the blog with a new name poll (it's on the right side of blog). We've found a few more names we like, but nothing is concrete until the baby is born. We are still adding to it also.

I'm going to be buying my first cloth diapers this week. I'm going to try to get a couple here and there as I go. My plan is to start with the newborn diapers, so I am going to get about 8-10 of these to start with. Aren't they adorable?! After I have a small newborn stash going, I'm going to start adding the other diapers. I'm going to invest in mostly one-size diapers I think, since there is no way of knowing how big this baby might be. Elijah was 9lbs 11oz.

I think the fact that I am actually going to be having a real BABY is starting to sink in. I have a couple of baby items now, and pulled out a couple of Elijah's old baby blankets. Having those things sitting around makes it seem much more real. I'm excited to meet this little person :)

I thought this was cute! It's amazing how something the size of an onion can make me feel like pregzilla and have to pee every 5 minutes.

Pregotron is on the loose

17 weeks and 3 days preggo today. I feel H.U.G.E. And NOT in the right places. I've gained about 4 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight but I honestly feel like Jabba the Hut. Is it possible to carry pregnancy weight in your arms, thighs, and neck? I seriously cannot wait for some sunny days so I can start walking.

I had my prenatal appointment with last week. I meant to blog about it sooner but I've had a horrible, no-good, very bad WEEK (more on that later) and was distracted. The appointment went great though, the midwives stayed for almost 2 hours and we talked about everything under the sun. Including my irrational fear of not going into labor. I know it doesn't work that way, and If I were talking to one of MY clients, I'm sure I would know just what to say to make myself feel better. There is something about being the one actually pregnant though, where all your knowledge and experience seems to go right out the window and you just feel more vulnerable and like you are the first person in the history of the universe to experience it. Hows that for a run-on sentence.

Anyway, she had some insightful things to say and is bringing me some books to read. She is going to bring me some kids books about birth and getting a new sibling too, so I can read them to Elijah. We should be able to hear the heartbeat with the fetoscope at my next appointment (I'll be 5 months! Halfway done!) in April. I'm not going to be using the doppler (same reason as the no ultrasound thing), so you have to wait a little longer to be able to hear it with the fetoscope, which is basically a glorified stethoscope.

I've had a super stressful week at work getting ready for an annual file review/site inspection. I have to get through today and tomorrow and then I'll be all done and can breathe again.

I have nothing witty to say to wrap up this post, I'm fresh out of wit sorry.

I am 15 weeks and 1 day pregnant today. My baby doesn't look like a lizard creature from one of Jay's video games anymore! Yay. The movement I've been feeling for the past few weeks is getting stronger too. It's still easy to miss because I'm still pretty early to be feeling any movement at all. I've been feeling definite tickles/flutters down low for the past two weeks or so, but it's starting to feel like she's rolling around in there. Kinda like someone took a butter churn to my uterus. It's crazy to be feeling it so early, I didn't really start feeling Elijah move until about 22 weeks or so.

I can't believe that I'm almost 4 months already. I have my next midwife's appointment on the 1st. At that appointment she will be taking blood for my prenatal blood panel as well as an extra vial to run my RH antibody screen at my request. I'll probably have to do that a few times throughout this pregnancy since I will be declining the rhogam shot. I'm not comfortable with it since it's made from parts of blood, not to mention the usual preservatives and nastiness that is in vaccines. My blood is RH- and Jay is RH+, so there is a decent chance that this baby could be positive as well. As long as the pregnancy and birth go smoothly (no major accidents etc) than all should be well. If for some reason my blood mixes with baby's during delivery, there is a chance my body could recognize the RH factor in the baby's blood as a foreign agent and could create antibodies against it. It won't hurt the baby, but if that happens then we would likely make sure that this was our last child, as it could be a danger to future pregnancies. There is a vaccine normally given automatically to pregnant women who are RH- to prevent the creation of these antibodies. I'm declining it for the reasons I mentioned.

We're still looking at baby names, but so far haven't really found any new contenders.

I've been taking walks when the weather is nice, and I'm going to try to find some kind of prenatal fitness DVD and maybe a prenatal yoga DVD as well. I cannot wait for spring to come full force. When it's nice out, its SOOO nice. It makes me want the warmer weather to stick around rather than coming in spurts so I can spend all my time in flip flops and flowy skirts. I also can't wait for summer because of all the fresh produce!!! Watermelon, nectarines, freshly picked strawberries still warm from the sun (and the obviously obligatory strawberry shortcake, DUH!), my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I'm also excited for BBQs with corn on the cob and spending insane amounts of time at Silver Falls where they have the little swimming hole. Is it summer yet? *sigh* I never thought I would want summer while being pregnant but I'm actually really looking forward to it. I think I'll take it over having to don nasty frumpy maternity sweaters and struggling to put on boots. We'll see if I still feel that way in August.

Elijah news: Elijah has lost his first top tooth and it is SO.adorable. He looks obnoxious and grimy (he is on spring break and therefore outside all day and that = dirty) just like a 6 year old boy should. We also got him his first new bike yesterday. I still don't have a camera but I will borrow Mom's or Nana's and take some pics to post in the next few days.

Cannot wait to see everyone in June!!! It's getting close!

Go ahead and tell me I'm nuts

It's true, I am.

I'm thinking about enrolling in school full time. When would I start? Right around the time the baby is born. Am I going to quit working? Nope. Am I going to cut down my hours? Double nope. Did my mother drop me on my head as an infant? Actually yes, why do you ask? Matter of fact, I fell off the roof of the car while strapped into my infant carrier and....waaaiiit a minute I see what you are getting at buddy!

Everyone knows my ultimate goal has been to become a midwife. The fact is, that is a very long road to take...and taking it while having small children is even more difficult. Add this to the fact that it will take me awhile even once I finish my schooling/apprenticeship to even start making a living on my own practice. It's still my passion, but my family is just as important and if I am not going to be able to practice midwifery anytime soon, well I figure I might as well do something that helps my family.

I'm looking for some measure of security. In two years, I'm going to have a 9 year old and a 1 1/2 year old. I'm going to need more space, preferably a house (preferably one we own, although that is only marginally important) and that means a different job. I am currently blessed with a measure of flexibility that I am very grateful for. My mom and grandmother live a few doors away, I work/live all at the same place, and my job is pretty flexible and secure at the moment. Jay is only going to be working 15 hours a week and will be available to help take the load off a bit, and I feel like I *should* have done this SO many times already (e.g. before I had kids, or before I was married, or before I was pregnant again...pick one) and I don't think I should wait any more.

So I've pretty much decided, back to school I go. I've chosen Human Services/Social Services as a major and can graduate in 2 years with Associate of Applied Science in Social Work. I may or may not choose to proceed to get my BA after that. I currently plan to (heck if I am doing this, I might as well really DO it, right?) but of course barring time and unforeseen occurrence. We will have to re-evaluate after two years. I'll be the ultimate bureaucratic paper-pusher. Yay. Actually I think I will be really good at it thankyouverymuch.

I've already filled out the admissions form and the financial aid paperwork and all I need to do now is take my placement test and meet with an advisor.

Here's to making it work!

Some pics

I don't have much time but I wanted to post these pictures of Elijah. His Montessori school keeps online albums of the pictures they take, so I downloaded the ones of E and figured I'd post them here so you all can see him in his element :)

Widgets

Just FYI, I removed the naming poll widget because it turns out that you can only pick ONE name to vote for and also I couldn't figure out how to view the results! If I can't see the results, it's kinda pointless! I also removed the little baby counter because it always turns into an ad right away. Grrr.

Second Trimester

Wooohoo, I am officially in my second trimester. I am 12 weeks 3 days pregnant today. I'm feeling pretty good overall, my indigestion and nausea has eased up SO much! I still get a little nauseous if I don't eat for awhile, but my appetite is making sure that doesn't happen often, haha. I'm still really tired, especially in the afternoon and evening, which makes it hard to get anything done since that is pretty much the only time of day I have available. But even so, I'm grateful for feeling well.

I had my first official appointment with the midwife (Lennon) on Tuesday. It went great! Mostly we spent the entire hour just talking about different things, what supplements I am going to take, etc. We did check blood pressure which was great (110/79). I'm really happy about that since I hadn't had my BP checked in a loong time and was curious.

Jay has a big belt test on Saturday morning. He is going for his Green belt and the test will probably last a whopping 3.5-4 hours!!! Anthony is testing for his blue stripe, but his test probably will be quite a bit shorter.

I'm home from work sick today, woke up with a cold :( Speaking of which, I think I'll go take a nap now! See ya!

Inching along

I am 11 weeks 1 day pregnant today. Almost to that magical 12 week milestone! I'm feeling progressively better, haven't thrown up in a couple of weeks although I still get the occasional bout of nausea. I'm still dealing with food aversions to an extent, although that is getting better as well. All in all, I'm optimistic that this pregnancy may be bearable yet! I'm excited for sunny weather and being able to go walking in the evenings after work.

One thing that is incredibly strong this time around is my nesting instinct! It's already kicked into high gear and all I can think about is all the things around the house that need to be organized! Unfortunately I am still not feeling good enough to do any of the things I want to yet, so I just have to be driven crazy with no outlet for the time being. I'm still overwhelmingly tired, especially after work. I wish I could get a few days off, but I really can't use any of my vacation time right now.

We are going to Bend, OR this weekend to visit with Lynn (Elijah's other grandma) and her family. She happens to be making the trip out there for a week because her mom is going into surgery, and she is buying us a room for Saturday night so we can bring Elijah to visit. I'm really glad that Elijah will be able to visit her. He hasn't seen his other grandparents since the wedding, and I know they miss him terribly.

Well that's it for the updates for now, not much to report. I have an appointment with the midwife next week (which will be my first official prenatal appointment) and will post if there is anything interesting to say! This early in the pregnancy, the visits are mostly just talking and checking blood pressure and all that, so it will probably be pretty boring :)

Have I mentioned I'm almost a THIRD of the way through this pregnancy! I can't believe it!

Magic

It's been 6 days since I've thrown up! The B6 is like magic! Although I'm still not feeling my absolute best or anything, I'm sooo happy the flog seems to be lifting.

I've had several breakthroughs with food as well. Although ideally I would not be eating any white/processed foods (gag! I don't even eat white bread normally, except french bread with pasta of course!), I've been eating plain white bagels with honey on them, which are getting me through the morning. Yesterday I had a BANANA!!! The first fresh food I've had in forever, and it was amazing. Then, later in the day my Nana made me a sandwich on WHOLE WHEAT bread with AVOCADO, ALFALFA SPROUTS and PROVOLONE CHEESE!!! Did you hear that people?! I had like 2 vegetables! Nutso. Anyway, I just want it to keep getting better because I'm still having a very difficult time getting any kind of real protein in, and planning meals is still a pain. I did run out and get all the stuff to make those sandwiches for lunches.

Oh, and the number one thing I'm craving is sweet tea! My Nana is making it for me and keeping me going with a steady supply. She texts me in the morning to tell me it's ready and then I just keep refilling throughout the day...and night. She is making it just barely sweet (seriously, just barely) so I'm not going nuts with sugar or anything, I promise. But it's sooo good!

Breakthrough?

I'm 10 weeks today! Inching toward that magical second trimester! I haven't thrown up in (drumroll) 3 days!!! I started taking B6 in the mornings with breakfast and it's helping SO much! Eating is still hard but it seems to be getting better. I'm cautiously optimistic.

I love Craig.

It looks like Jay's eye problem was an allergy of some kind after all. It's totally gone after just a couple days of anti-histamines. We still don't know what caused it, he most likely got something in there when he was working.

I've been perusing craigslist for baby things. I've also just about finished my baby registry. Hopefully I can get some things used from Craigslist and resale shops and then I will just take those items off the registry. I hate the idea of anyone paying full price for something that could be obtained so much cheaper just by getting it used. For instance, I have a Graco Quattro Tour travel system (Stroller + Carseat) on the registry, which is $329 (gasp). I knew that would be a big thing I would want to get used. I mean honestly, three hundred bones?? But it's the same system I had with Elijah and LOVED it. It got me through many a long day at the Wild Animal Park. But still, I mostly plan to wear this baby in wraps/slings/etc, and it seems silly to spend so much just to have the newest version of something. Anyway, I found one today (the EXACT same travel system, in perfect condition, but a little bit of an older style) on Craigslist for FITTY DOLLA!!! Thats right, $50! I emailed the seller and hope, hope, hope its still there so I can get it today. It's even a unisex black/grey pattern.

There's a bunch of other stuff I found on there too, cloth diapering stuff, cheapo changing tables, the nursing pillow I want, etc. I feel like a kid in a candy store. too bad my funds are so limited at the moment. That's ok though. My plan is to start putting money aside into a savings account every month so that I can have a little to buy things with when I find them, and just spend a lot of time checking out resales and craigslist and ebay.

For what it's worth, if anyone is planning on buying me something - the registry is basically a list of things we want/need, but if you can possibly find it cheaper by buying it used, PLEASE do so. I loved used things, I feel like it's better for the environment to buy used, plus it's good for everyone's pocketbook.

Anyway, It seems like summer is just around the corner. I really want to have a good portion of the things I need for this baby by the time Gretchen comes out in August to help me put the house in order. I'm going to be in my second trimester in just a couple weeks (I think these last couple weeks of my first trimester are going to be the longest part of this pregnancy...except maybe that last hot, miserable month). I can't believe I will be 1/3 done with this pregnancy!

Quasimodo

Poor Jay :( He's still feeling pretty crappy. The swelling in his eye has actually gone down a bit since he took the Benadryl last night. His sickness doesn't seem to be much better though, his throat still hurts and he just feels icky all around. We are a completely useless pair at the moment. Our house is not the cleanest it's ever been, thats for sure.

In other news, I have baby names on the brain. We've liked the name Reznor Keenan for awhile now, but we are starting to look at other names as well. So here are the ones I like (in no particular order):

Girl: Rhonin (jay isn't sure about this one), Reznor, Keenan (I like it as a first name too), Mila (pronounced Mee-LA), and Marley. Oh and Jay likes the name London, but I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Boy: Jude, Reznor, Nole.

If you have a name you love, now is the time to put it in the running. Fair warning, we like weird and/or unusual names and don't care a bit about the kid being made fun of in school for it's name. Kids will make fun of pretty much any name anyway. We will most likely not choose the name until the baby is actually born (after we get a chance to see what he/she looks like and what seems to "fit"), but want to have a good list to choose from. Mom, if you are reading this, don't even think of suggesting the name "Tree". It's not happening.

9 weeks

I'm so excited for spring this year! I think because I've just been so sick and cooped up over the last month or so, that the sunshine just picks up my spirits. We've had a few beautiful days this week, and everything is vibrant. I wanted a camera so bad this week to take pictures of all of the happenings that remind me that spring is almost here! In lieu of that, here is a bulleted list. Not quite as aesthetically pleasing but still blog-worthy.

*Small purple crocus right by Nana's door (immediately followed by the two year old who lives upstairs picking it and ripping it to shreds. Nice while it lasted though)
*First Daffodils of the year!
*Twin black lambs frolicking in a pasture (cutest. thing. ever. All of a sudden there are little lambies everywhere. It's like all the sheep in Oregon got together and gave birth on the same day)
*The beginning of the buds on the trees outside my office. In about a month they will be completely pink with cherry blossoms

Well I better get a camera like FAST. I think people are supposed to take pictures when they have babies. Seems like a good idea.

Speaking of babies, I'm not really feeling too much better unfortunately. I do think I'm managing things a little bit better these days, but I'm still losing weight and can still barely eat. Every day it is a struggle. Every day that goes by gets me closer to that magical 12 week mark. I hope and pray that I will start feeling progressively better very soon, so that I can focus on eating right and taking my supplements so that I can be as healthy as possible for this pregnancy. I also REALLY want to be able to work out, even if its just walking. It's really important for me to take care of myself this pregnancy. I just feel like it will help me so much in the end.

I'm starting to feel a lot more "into" the pregnancy though. It's starting to feel more real. I actually started working on my baby registry. I know it's early, but it's partially for myself - I need a "wishlist" of sorts so I can start getting some stuff. I'd rather get it all slowly over the next 7 months, rather than have to try and scramble to get it all at once. It has the bonus of being exciting and getting me into the mentality that soon I will have an actual baby.

I'm 9 weeks pregnant today. The baby has arms and is working on hands (hopefully he/she get's daddy's hands and not my sausage fingers). One thing I find interesting is the baby has nipples already, but not hands. It seems like nipples would be like a finishing touch type of thing. Things that make you go Hmmm.

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh

I am 7 weeks and 4 days pregnant today and I feel like it's been an eternity already. Is it time for the birth yet? I'm chugging along, just anxiously waiting for the day that I feel magically better.

I now hate everything. I can hardly eat anything these days. I truly have an aversion to almost everything and it seems like I will find something I can eat and I can eat it for a couple of days and then all of a sudden I can't eat it anymore. Of course, eating and staying hydrated would make the nausea and general horrible-ness a bit better and under control, but it's hard when I can barely eat or drink anything. One thing that does seem to be helping is Emergen-C. For some reason its something I can actually drink and hold down and it does help quite a bit. Which is good because it has some B vitamins and folic acid and other things I need right now. Oh and I can no longer stand the thought of mint tea :(

I know it must be incredibly boring and possibly quite depressing to read this blog...which is basically just my litany of complaints for the day. But hey, it's my party and I'll cry if I want to, which I do. Want to that is. Just be glad most of you don't live here and therefore don't have to actually listen to my whining on a daily basis.

In other news, I am very excited about my trip in June! I have been promised unreasonable amounts of pampering and I fully intend to cash in. Muahhahaha.

Mint tea changed my life

5 weeks and 5 days pregnant today. Thats not even a month and a half and guess what I have? HEARTBURN! This is utterly ridiculous. I think I had heartburn at like 7 months or so with Elijah. Oh and the puking has begun. I was sooo miserable today, I took the day off work and everything. I honestly do not know how I am going to make it through the rest of this trimester. The good news is that I have discovered mint tea. It's the best thing I have going for me at the moment.

I am craving grapes and macaroni and cheese. FYI. I take donations.

I have an appointment with the midwife on February 2nd. It's just an initial consultation, but we will be able to get the lowdown on the fee breakdown and all that good stuff.

I feel really bad for poor Gretchy. I don't think this trip is exactly what she had envisioned. I'm VERY fussy and sick and exhausted and I fall asleep in the middle of her sentences. She has cleaned the kitchen every day since she is been here and I'm not a very good drinking buddy at the moment. I'm lucky to have such a sweet and wonderful friend though. Plus hers so cute.

P.S. PUDDING!!!!

Mindless rants

I forgot how slooowly the first trimester moves. I am 5 weeks 4 days pregnant today. My baby looks like something a bad sci-fi movie would be made about.

I'm trying to decide what all supplements I am going to take with this pregnancy. I went to Salem Health Foods last night to pick up a few things. Got some herbs in bulk: Red Raspberry Leaf, Alfalfa Leaf & Lemon Balm to make a pregnancy tea. Got a B vitamin complex (which I discovered taste like moldy socks. Obviously that is exactly what I want to be tasting during the first trimester queasies. Fun.) which will hopefully help with my fatigue. I also got a Magnesium asporotate supplement which helps prevent blood pressure issues (most people are deficient in magnesium anyway). I spent $30 on those things and I still need to get liquid chlorophyll and some good quality omega 3's. Oh and I'm going to try to get some immunocal in here and there. Oh and calcium. This baby is pricey.

I am SO thirsty all of the time. I think I'm thirsty much more than hungry even. Which is good because I want to keep the weight gain down this pregnancy if possible. When I say "keep it down" I mean like, down to a reasonable amount rather than the 60-ish EL BEEs I gained with Elijah.

Gretchen just walked in my office and is pestering me. PESTERING, I tell you.

Back to Blogging

I feel like its high time I started posting on the blog again regularly. I miss it, and I think it would be a good way to keep everyone updated on pregnancy adventures. Leave me lots of comments, I <3 comments. They make me feel all validated, cuz I gots issues.

As most of you know, I am officially preggers. It's very early yet, so I just hope everything goes smoothly. Jay and I are so excited (excited, overwhelmed, in shock, etc etc). Part of me wanted to wait until I was through the first trimester to tell anyone, so I could be sure everything was ok....but who am i kidding? You don't keep secrets like this in my family, you just DON'T. I would be hunted down and murdered in my sleep by certain people. You know who you are.

Everyone wants to know how I'm feeling. What they really want to ask is if I am puking my guts out yet. Its rather sick and twisted how happy people get when they find out how bad your morning sickness is. It's like really people, I'm not faking it I swear.

The quick answer is no! I don't have any morning sickness *yet*. What I DO have is extreme fatigue. Like I really think answering a question that isn't absolutely necessary, is the hardest thing I have EVER done. I have to brace myself to form complete sentences. I feel a little "icky" at times. Not quite nauseous exactly, but close. Thats about it though.

We might as well get it all out there, NO I have not seen a doctor yet. Most people who read my blog are very close friends and/or family and already know I plan on seeing a midwife. I haven't exactly chosen one yet. I have one in mind, but still want Jay's input before I make the call. I also have to save up a bit for the initial prenatal workup. I'll shoot for sometime in February I guess. There is really nothing other than bloodwork that can be done for me anyway, and I'm not in a terrible rush.

Oh and another thing I might as well tell y'all now is: We aren't planning on finding out the sex of the baby. Go ahead and freak out. Let me know when you are done.

Okay now take a deep breath. It's not that I am opposed to knowing or even that we want to be surprised. On the contrary, I think we both would rather find out. The thing is that I just don't feel that it's a good enough reason for routine ultrasound. Yes, women get ultrasounds all the time and their baby's aren't deformed. I realize this. I even think there is a time and a place for them and if a need arises, I will definitely get one. The thing is, they are being used as a routine procedure with no real evidence that it helps outcomes in any way, and it is a relatively new technology that has not been properly studied. We DO know that there is something that actually happens to the cells during ultrasound called "cavitation" and no one knows what kind of permanent effects it may have. So I just don't want to have one unless I need one.

Alright well I'm at work so I guess I should go "work" now.