Fabric!!

Moda Deb Strain, Love U Owls

Michael Miller, Giraffe Garden

Amy Schimler, On A Whim

Alexander Henry, Spotted Owls

Suspicions and Baby Moons

I've been rather surprised at how little I actually think about the sex of this little one inside me. With the other three I just couldn't wait to find out!! I think with Gabe it was because he was my first (and by the way I really wanted a boy first my whole life), and with Lily I just knew she was a girl and needed medical confirmation! Not sure why with Noah because I was on the fence with with I wanted. Not to say that I don't think about it at all because I do at times. It seems that so far the blogging community thinks girl. As for me, going by the pregnancy thus far I would guess its a girl. My nausea has been horrible just like it was with Lily (the boys weren't too bad). But if I go by intuition I'm leaning more towards boy at this point. But the intuition is barely there. With Lily I was totally convinced she was a girl!! I'm so excited to be surprised about this one! I'm going to be very clear to the ultrasound tech the steer clear of that whole region when I have my ultrasound! With Gabe we wanted to be surprised but it was so obvious in the ultrasound, lol.

Has anyone else ever gone on a baby moon before a baby was born? I have not. Simply because, we were too broke, lol. I would really like to this time around but in a different way. I probably should do a romantic getaway with lawrence....but..... What I would really like is to just go to edmonton for a couple days all by myself! Stay in a hotel, order room service, do some baby shopping....all by myself! I know, a little bit selfish but it would be so nice! I haven't talked with lawrence about it because its so far off yet (wouldn't go until the last couple months). We'll see.

10 weeks 4 days

I had my second prenatal checkup yesterday. The results from my bloodwork had come back. So my hcg levels are normal which means only one baby! I'm actually a little relieved. I big part of me wanted twins but I also understand how much more work it would be! The bloodwork also revealed that my platelet's are at only 100 already. argg. I was really hoping that this would not be an issue with this pregnancy. I'm frustrated with myself for not ever going for my follow up bloodwork after Lily was born though. My Dr suspects that maybe my levels never returned to normal after lily and that right now its not actually pregnancy related. But we have no way of knowing because I never did my follow up. Silly me. So for now I have a standing requisition for montly bloodwork to monitor my levels. We won't do anything about it unless my levels go below 50 and I'm really not sure what the intervention would be at that point. She said something about steroids (yikes) but we haven't gotten into the whys and whats of it.

In other news. I got a prescription for diclectin yesterday! Wow, i feel so much better!! I drank coffee and milk this morning, something I haven't been able to do for weeks without running to the bathroom! I look forward to eating! And I can get stuff done! So now I need desperatly the get the house under control. I've been managing the basics (with lots of help from Lawrence and Tasha) but the clutter is starting to take over! Time for a major cleaning!! It just feels so good to not be sick!! Thank you Lord!!

9 weeks and a break!

9 weeks today. I guess the time is ticking by at a decent pace. The last 4 weeks have been....interesting. I've pretty much been hibernating. I have missed church 2 weeks in a row because I couldn't bring myself to shower let alone go out in public. This past week I started employing a method I used while pregnant with Lily (that Sirena shared with me). In the mornings I get a tall glass of cold water and chug it right beside the toilet. For a split second it is immensly satisfying as I have been so thirsty lately but fluid make the nausea worse. Then the split second passes and I puke it all up. Well this gives me almost an hour of feeling somewhat functional. I can feed my kids and race to get the house tidied before the nausea is back full force. Yesterday I went to the laundromat and I think it was the first time I had left the house in a week and a half. It was strange. LOL.

I picked up a few things from the store on my way home, including ginger beer. I was curious if the ginger beer would be at all settling to my stomach (ginger ale wasn't cutting it). So starting at about 6pm I sipped on a ginger beer all evening. I haven't had it since I was a kid and my mom used to give us sips of hers. I like it, slowly. It does burn a bit on the way down and my oh my does it ever carbonate my system!! But what do you know, the nausea stayed very mild all evening. I was still snacking hourly of course. I went to bed thinking "this is great! I don't mind being "carbonated" if it will tame the nausea this much!" But then this morning my nausea was so very mild and has stayed that way all day! Wow does it feel good to feel almost normal! I keep telling myself that its just a good day and a nice break but I can't help hoping that the nauea is done for me. Only time will tell I guess. Either way i'm thrilled with today!

No Pity Parties Alowed....but maybe just a bit of whining?

I'm just begining to go through that hard part of pregnancy where really all you want to do is complain (not quite at the "cry into my cornflakes" stage) but you just feel so guilty complaining because wow, this is such a blessing!! I forget how the nausea wears on you especially when you have little people to care for, and mine isn't even that bad yet. The last three days (and if this morning is any hint today as well) I have been queezy pretty much all day, food doesn't seem to make a difference. With the boys I was generally okay as long as I kept food in my stomach. The fact that this doesn't help makes me nervous that this pregnancy will be like it was with Lily. I was so sick I could barely move without tossing my cookies. Last night I lying on the couch while my fabulous sister in-law was making dinner, and I suddenly remembered how with Lily I was so sick that it would wake me up in the middle of the night. Oh boy...i hope not again. So i'm trying to stay positive. I am so thrilled beyond words about this gift!! I would knowingly take the nausia any day knowing what the blessing at the end of the journey is!! I am going to try very hard not to have personal pity parties throughout this first trimester!! Today I'm so thankful that I currently do not have an aversion to my coffee! I'm thankful that my favorite jeans are super low rise and I can still wear them with an elastic looped around the button! I'm super super thankful for the beautiful sunshine outside!! I take comfort in that "they" say that if your queezy then things are most likely ticking along perfectly inside my oven!!!

The Doctor

I had my first visit with my ob today. I have heard mostly negative about her, bad beside manner being at the top of complaints, but i heard bad about the only other two ob/gyns in town as well and mine is the only female so i decided to take my chances. I was a little dissapointed but a little re-assured at the same time after todays visit. I was reassured because she seemed nice enough to me. She even cracked a couple smiles and kinda laughed once. I was dissapointed at the lack of of a "checkup". I peed in a cup, weight, height, and blood pressure were checked (i wasn't told the results of any of these but then again i didn't ask). The Dr. got a brief history of my other three births from me and then gave me three requisitions (two blood work, one for 18 week ultrasound). And that was that. I at least expected her to check height of fundus but I suppose i'm just too early for her to bother with that. I go back in two weeks for a routine "thingy" that I should have had done a year ago but put off cause really, who wants to? And then in another two weeks after that I go for my next prenatal checkup. This was also good news. I get to see her for the entire pregnancy instead of seeing a family Dr. until week 33 and then switching to my ob. I suppose it is because she is new to obstetrics and maybe not as busy. Either way i'm glad.

As for other things, the last three days i've been feeling rather yucky. It could be worse.....but it could be better, lol. I hope it doesn't get worse until after our trip. I've been crampy off and on throughout today which is always nerve racking. Hopefully its just from feeling sick and goes away tomorrow.

I still havent' opened the bins of baby clothes, i must have some will power left in me.

5 weeks 5 days

The symptoms see to be getting stronger daily, which really is a weird way is comforting me. I had no symptoms with my miscarriage and I have heard the stronger the symptoms the better. So far its nothing horrible. This past week I have been really tired. Most days I really feel like I need a nap but most days it doesn't actually work out that i can have one. I think i just need to plan out my days a bit more so I can nap when Lily does. While the nausia is still mild it does seem to be getting stronger. I had a couple cereal bars and a coffee for breakfast this morning, mostly because we were rushing to get to the early morning church service. Then we went out for lunch. I had a yummy chicken burger and yam fries. It always seems to get worse in late afternoon and evening. Lily got up from her nap and was having my left over yam fries from lunch and the smell of them was horrible! For supper I had a bowl of fruit loops at like 7pm because i just couldn't stomach the idea of anything else. And right now at almost 9pm I had some peaches 'n cream oatmeal. I'm bracing myself for the nausia to get worse this coming week. Looking back at my pregnancy journals from the boys and lily, it hit right around 6-7 weeks. I'll be 6 weeks on tuesday.

On a good note. I have been sleeping way better this week. The last two mornings i slept past 6am which hasn't happened in two weeks. Plus i'm so tired all day that i'm ready for bed right after the kids so i have been asleep by the latest at about 9:45pm every night this week.

I have gotten through another week without opening the bins of baby clothes which i'm very proud of myself for, lol, but i will admit that i daydream about going through it all and washing it. Just a touch ahead of myself.