Our family is growing in many ways... Growing in numbers, knowledge, parenting skills, growing in love, in our faith, growing our culinary skills (if you can call it that), growing without gluten (some of us), growing green...........

Friday, February 29, 2008

Week 16 - A BIG week in many ways!

As of Sunday, I was officially 16 weeks pregnant. Lots of changes occurred during this week! First, we felt some movement! As Ryan mentioned in his recent blog, we started feeling some on Sunday. I felt a few pokes here and there and finally felt like it was enough to actually say it out loud. Of course, Ryan jumped up and came over to feel - and the movement stopped. (Of course!) But then that evening when we were lying in bed, he actually got to feel it. So cool!

All week long, here and there I have been able to feel little jabs and pokes. It is really so neat. Of course, there aren't many and they aren't very strong yet, but I know that will pick up quickly! :) Then I will be feeling this baby 24/7 (whether I want to or not!)

Another change - woke up Monday morning feeling about twice the size as I went to bed the night before. Ryan has even commented a couple times this week that my belly is soooo much bigger. (I did not take this to mean I was fat, trust me. I knew what he meant!) Everything seems to take much more work this week. Moving seems a little bit more challenging than even on Sunday. And I get a little out of breath easier, too. And bathroom stops are becoming a little more frequent.

BUT, just as my mother (who is great at keeping me grounded) said - I will have many more weeks like this! Haha! I know that there is much (MUCH!) more to come. I am, let's keep in mind, only 16 weeks along. I have 5 more months to GROW!

We also had another dr appt this week. We have been debating the whole c-section versus VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and I've been researching the pros and cons and thinking about what I really should do, etc, etc. I know the good and bad with either and am worried about a possible uterine rupture if we decide to labor (a rupture where the previous incision is) - that could cause serious problems. The other dr we have been meeting with said it was fine to go along with the c-section, but I've still felt a little unsettled either way. This dr wondered why we were considering either, and after hearing that the baby was large, said, yeah, usually the next ones will follow suit. But then after hearing HOW large Camden was (just shy of 11 lbs), she said they would definitely not even consider a VBAC b/c that would be too large. (I must agree - if the baby were that big - b/c Camden definitely would NOT fit through. Tried pushing for 2 1/2 hours - there was NO way.) So I feel much more settled with our decision to proceed with a c-section. We figured we would do this anyway, but now I'm not feeling like it's just a snap decision but it's one that is recommended for sound reasons.

OH - and we get to find out the baby's sex in just two weeks!!! Yay! I cannot wait for that ultrasound. Apparently it will last about an hour, so we'll get to see lots of our little baby. That's the best part!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Moving Around

This post is from Ryan. Well, I am pretty sure I felt the baby kicking in there last night. It was such a crazy feeling, and to think it will be here in just about 5 more months. Wow. We just can't wait! Things are still going pretty well so far. We are going back to the doctor on Tuesday (2/26) just for a checkup. Then, on 3/13 we get to find out whether we are having a boy or a girl!

Things going on in our lives other than the baby, Camden is still playing basketball, they have two more games left. Then he will start soccer, his favorite sport. I am getting ready for my next CPA exam, it is on Thursday (2/28). Then, I will have one more to pass and I will be done!
I am really looking forward to this summer and spending a lot more quality time with Daisy and Camden and getting ready for the new baby. I guess we should relax while we still can!

Friday, February 22, 2008

Candy Girl

I am definitely craving sugar with this baby. It's crazy!! I am typically not the type to raid the candy aisle - we never even go down that way! When Camden gets candy for Halloween, Valentine's, Easter, etc, we all eat a little bit here and there and then tend to forget about it and end up throwing the majority of it away after a while.

But things are a-changing! Yesterday I actually did a tiny bit of the grocery shopping since I was heading to Target anyway. (Ryan's been doing all of this so I can avoid all the smells and stay off of my feet per doctor's orders.) But I had - I mean HAD - to get some candy! One whole side of the aisle was dedicated to chocolate and jelly beans, neither of which I was interested in (and I am typically very interested in chocolate!). I was focused on the dum-dums, jolly ranchers, blow pops, and basically any type of hard sugary candy. I was amazed to discover that the only bag of dum-dums was a 300-count bag! I do NOT need that many suckers in my house! I would eat them all.

So I opted for the blow pops and jolly ranchers. And then Ryan shows up later in the evening with even more candy for me. I don't really need it, but I will either end up giving into my cravings and eating it all or I will not be so tempted now that I have it (which is actually very likely to happen). We shall see. Hopefully this craving will go away once the baby arrives because I certainly do not need to keep up this habit!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Laundry

is FINISHED!!! Camden managed to finish all of the laundry on his own. It is all put away in his closet. Yay! Success!

Read Natural Consequences and Score! if you're not sure what the heck I'm talking about.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Doesn't quite make sense

I've mentioned before my aversion to spaghetti sauce. Typically a favorite in our household, as we have something with spaghetti sauce just about every week. I cannot stand the stuff these days! So...I am quite surprised when I discover I can certainly put away the chili but can't eat spaghetti. I know the two are different, but I tend to think of them as being in the same "class" of foods. I'm a bit surprised and not quite sure why I can't stomach spaghetti but can eat and eat chili... Doesn't make sense, but we are pleased to discover one more food I can eat (and that we can make a big pot of!).

Laundry update - Camden managed to wash and dry an entire load on his own yesterday. He did forget about the load he washed and left overnight (and will discover the annoyance of having to rewash those! I know he doesn't have to, but I would rather him learn to deal with the laundry right away then think it's ok to keep leaving it overnight... So maybe I'm bending things a little here, but hopefully he's learning a good lesson!). ;) He is not all too happy with this work he has to do, so hopefully he will soon come around. More on that later!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Score!

Read previous post before this one to understand what this is all about...

So we're getting in the car to go to Camden's basketball game when he mentions doing his laundry when we get back!!! I even ask, what made you decide that (mostly to be sure Ryan didn't break down and remind him! Haha!). He said that it was because his room was so messy with all the clothes! Yes! As a parent, this was wonderful to hear! Something I am doing to try to make a point might be working???

We're home now and are pretty busy eating dinner and getting ready to go visit friends (and see their adorable brand new baby!!!), so odds are the laundry won't get done tonight. And I believe I hear Camden playing in his room, but I still feel a little successful because he even decided that it was time to do laundry. We'll see how long it takes to actually get it done... :) Either way, I'm quite happy for the moment.

Natural Consequences...

So in an attempt to let natural consequences (or somewhat natural) teach my son a lesson, we have been on strike from doing his laundry for the past - oh, about three weeks now. We typically do all the sorting, washing, drying, etc. And Camden gets to put his own clothes on hangers or fold them and put them away. We will hang up the clothes in his closet since some are too high for him. But we have been getting such attitude over the little amount of work he has to do and got tired of having to repeat our reminders to put up the clothes. We got to the point where we decided - you don't want to do it, well, you'll learn to realize how good you really have it.

We explained this nicely. No yelling or anything like that. He tried to say, no, I'll appreciate it and stop complaining. Ha. Yeah, you will... After week one, he actually (on his own!) decided it was time to wash a load. I helped him with measuring the detergent and explained how to set the washer. He remembered when to put the clothes in the dryer, but then they were there for the rest of the night. After a few days, I needed the dryer, so his now very wrinkled clothes went on the floor next to the laundry room. You would think this would convince him to put them away. Nope. They sat there in a pile for a few more days until he managed to get them. Since then his laundry basket has been overflowing! He is running out of jeans (most of the ones left are a little short and have holes in the knees...) and today he comes to me, Mom, I don't know where my black shorts are for my basketball game. I gently remind him, I wouldn't know where they are and that is his responsibility. He manages to find them but then admits that his room is now a mess b/c of the clothes...

It's very tempting at this point to just wash the clothes myself! But NO. I will not. I will be on strike until he decides to come to us on his own and let us know he appreciates our doing this work and will keep this in mind when it is time to do the little we typically ask of him - or until he decides to continue doing his own laundry. Wishful thinking, you say? Perhaps, but I can wait this sort of thing out. (I'm typically quite impatient, but not with this type of thing!) Until then, he might end up resorting to wear dirty, wrinkled clothes from his floor, but I refuse to be bothered by this. I'm just too nice of a mom. ;)

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Just Gotta Say...

...that although pregnancy does not seem to love ME so much...I absolutely love being pregnant! I love my growing belly, I love knowing there is this little being in my that Ryan and I created together, I love that I will soon be able to feel its movements. I just LOVE being pregnant (regardless of how crappy I may sometimes feel because of it).

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Worth Your Time!

Dr. Randy Pausch - from Oprah

It's about 10 minutes long, but it's definitely worth it.

This video is from a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He has only a couple months to live and has three very young children. This isn't a pity-video. It's his Last Lecture and is very worth the time it takes to watch it. You will either be crying by the end and/or you will (hopefully) have a different perspective on a couple things in life.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Belly Shot at 14 weeks!

This is a big difference from two weeks ago! (We skipped last week b/c we were worried over our scare and weren't in the mood for pictures...)


Baby A is definitely growing!
I saw a lady in the bathroom today - someone I didn't know. And she asked if my belly was a little pooch (meaning a baby belly). I was so happy b/c it means that others that I don't know can tell I'm pregnant now, too. So it doesn't just look like I've gained a little weight now. :)

(Maybe now people will give up their seats on the bus so I don't have to stand...Hmmmm...)

It Is NOT Time To Wake Up!

So somebody needs to make it clear to my body that it is NOT time to wake up at 4:30am every morning! (Esp when you don't get to sleep until after midnight...) For the past week it seems, I just wake up around 4 or 4:30 like it's time to get up for the day. I manage to get back to sleep, but it's still not fun. And it's not like I'm waking up for any reason - just my body's way of messing with me, I guess. I really would like for it to stop, though. It's not that funny...

Sunday, February 10, 2008

FOOD

Foods I typically love but can no longer tolerate at all:
  • Anything with spaghetti sauce
  • Garlic toast (that goes with the spaghetti sauce)
  • Wheat bread (well, really ANY bread and especially the crust)
  • Burritos
  • Turkey burgers/dogs
  • Salad
  • Most vegetables (especially green veggies!)
  • Most cereals that I used to eat
  • Apples
  • Nuts - esp walnuts
  • Coffee/Tea (a couple times I have been able to tolerate a cup at night but just lately)
  • Yogurt

Foods I can actually eat just about whenever:

  • Waffles w/ maple syrup (yeah, that's what the baby needs...at least it is homemade and not from a mix!!!)
  • BLT's (at least there is lettuce and tomatoe on it!)
  • Goldenrod eggs (family recipe - not the worst, but not the healthiest either - but it is very yummy!)
  • Egg salad from Whole Foods (again, not the healthiest)
  • Milk (at least there are a few good things still on this list!)
  • Avacado
  • Asparagus (surprisingly!)
  • Strawberries
  • Canteloupe (Ryan is waiting for these foods to be IN SEASON - haha! Right now we get to pay premium prices for half-way decent foods...)

For those of you that know me, it is obvious that my good eating habits have gone flying out the window!! The worst part is trying to plan meals as most of our staples (quick to cook and lasts for more than one night!) are no longer working for me. Kind of frustrating, but -hey- at least I'm eating, right? I try to keep that in mind... I do still have to take my meds to be able to stomach anything. I've been late with a couple doses recently and was quickly reminded why I am taking them... I still have some bad days regardless of the meds, but I am grateful to have them and be able to eat at least something!

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Date Night - Whoo Hoo!!!

Tonight Camden's school had a Parents Night Out, where they watch the kids from 6-10 while parents enjoy a nice night sans children. :) So we obviously took advantage! Ryan took me out to the new Japanese restaurant in town - Ginza. (I took the good medicine tonight. I couldn't drive, but I could eat!) :) It was really yummy and as always, entertaining. Then we went to the restaurant right across the parking lot to Stonewood (one of our favorites) for dessert. Mmmmmmm.... He planned this all out perfectly! When we got home, we cuddled up to watch a movie and ended the night by watching the slideshow that I created to use in our wedding. It was so much fun to get a little dressed up and spend some time alone.

Daisy & Ryan
Daisy - 14 weeks pregnant

Friday, February 8, 2008

What Will IT Be???

So we don't really buy into all those wives tales that claim they can determine the sex of the baby, but we still think it's fun to think about. So, we're trying to come up with a list of wives tales and see what everyone guesses Baby A will be! I'll continue to update the list as we find new ones we haven't heard of. Feel free to comment and let us know others you know so we can add them! We'll add an asterisk to the ones I am experiencing. And some you'll have to guess on your own - such as I'm not really sure if I'm carrying low or high yet b/c I'm not showing much. But we'll post pictures, and you can decide!

Be sure to vote, too! You can vote on the side of the blog - above our picture. Voting closes the day of the ultrasound!

BOY
Carry Low
*Gain weight more in just the belly area (but I'm not gaining much yet, so hard to tell)
Crave salty foods
Lower heartrate (baby) - less than 140
*Dad not gaining extra weight
Craving protein
Mother's age of conception and the year of conception are mixed between odd and even
Dream of girls
Less morning sickness (I don't buy this b/c I had 5 months worth with Camden!)

GIRL
Carry High
*Have more break-outs/acne
*Crave sweets (I want waffles all the time!)
Gain weight more over your body
*Higher heartrate (baby) - higher than 140 (Baby A is between 170 and 165)
Dad gaining extra weight
*Chinese birth calendar
*Crave fruit (definitely me - I need strawberries every day!)
*Refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread (and do not want the crust either!!! yuck! and i pretty much don't like bread much period - unless it's in the form of a waffle...)
*Mother's age of conception and the year of conception are both odd or even (27 years in 2007)
*Last born child of woman's mother will follow in the same pattern as the mother (my mom had a boy then a girl, I had a boy first)
*Dream of boys
*More morning sickness (see above for why I don't buy this one - but I am having it worse this time than with Camden, I think - it was terrible with both, and we still have to see how long it lasts this time around)

One other comment on this - not that it determines what we'll be having - but out of everyone that we know that has had a baby in the past year or is pregnant and knows the sex - almost all are boys! At least 11, while we only know of 2 that have had girls! all of our close friends have had boys. Wonder what is in store for us...

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

What He Does For Me

So I've been thinking about something that I noticed yesterday. I know that I have always felt comfortable with Ryan. He is great when I need someone to talk to or just to hug on and cry. He always just knows when I need that. It's like he knows me so well that the tiniest change in me clues him in to exactly what I need from him. He is awesome in that way.

Yesterday while in the waiting room at the dr office - while waiting to get the ultrasound and exam to make sure baby and mom were ok - Ryan and I were just sitting there. (If you haven't read previous post, you may be a little lost about this...) I was trying not to get too upset and keep my composure. I mean, we didn't yet know if anything was wrong, so I was trying to remind myself of that and wait until I knew before I got emotional. So Ryan reaches over and puts his hand on mine. As soon as his skin touched mine, tears started to form. I realized that he makes me feel so comfortable that just a touch can release what I am really feeling. He allows me to do that. But at this moment, I didn't WANT to do that, so I actually had to ask him not to. I felt bad, but he seemed to really understand. I knew that if he was close to me in that way, I would release everything and just start crying right there in the waiting room. So, we just sat and didn't show our emotions until we saw the baby on the monitor.

I've always known that I was so comfortable with Ryan, but guess I never quite realized just how comfortable he could make me. I never realized that one touch from him could push this button to allow me to let everything loose and show what was really going on in me. How incredible to be married to someone that can do that for me.

I love my husband.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Little Bit of a Scare

So come Sunday night - right after the Super Bowl started, actually - we got a bit of a scare. I discovered some bleeding that definitely should not have been happening. We called the on-call doctor at Duke, but that didn't help much. The doctor was way, way too chipper. I explained that I was 13 weeks along as of that day, and she proceeded to tell me - so matter of fact-ly and in that chipper voice - that if there was any cramping along with the bleeding, this could be a sign of a miscarriage, even at this point. Not what I wanted to hear and definitely not what I wanted to hear from someone who sounded so happy when I am freaking out. So we wait to call my doctor the next morning.

We went in today (Tuesday) to have an ultrasound to check on the baby and to see what was going on. I was very relieved that they took it so seriously and did that because it was what I needed. I know that the odds are in my favor here, but it is still so hard to keep that in check. Ryan is so level-headed with things like this. We don't need to worry until we know there is something to worry about. And he can DO that! Me? No. Plus, I had placenta previa with Camden, which can increase your odds to have it with other pregnancies, so I was worried about that.

The ultrasound showed our baby doing just fine! Thank God!!! Part of my fears were somewhat confirmed when the dr showed that there was some hemorrhaging with the placenta, which happened to be close to where it would be to diagnose placenta previa. It basically has pulled away from the uterus a little bit, but not enough to be worried about yet. Enough to tell me to take it very easy for the next couple weeks, though. No nothing basically. (I know that's a double negative - I cringe even writing it. But you know what I mean.) The dr said that apparently the placenta doesn't like to stick in me - since I have a history of this. Nice to hear, huh? Then we also discover another likely cause for the bleeding. This is kind of personal, but there was a small polyp in there, too. (Not in the uterus.) The dr said it's nothing of concern - just some loose tissue, and some women just get them more than others. We also found out it really is not uncommon and is more likely to happen during pregnancy - probably due to all these tons of hormones running around in me. I never had one before, but she just twisted it off, and that was that. I'm told to expect a little more bleeding today, but that problem should be resolved.

So, we know that the bleeding was caused by one of those issues. But we also know that the baby is fine! I was pretty scared going into the appt, so seeing and hearing that heartbeat was such music to my ears and so wonderful to see! No pictures this time, but this wasn't exactly a fun visit anyway! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers that there are no serious issues resulting from the placenta pulling away more.

Since this happened on Sunday, I noticed a difference in how Ryan and I feel about this. He admits he was scared, but says that he wasn't worried. I'm thinking, How can you be scared but not worried?!?! But to him it made sense. We don't always get each other, I guess. Not that he is wrong in how he feels. I know he loves this baby. We both want this baby and love it so much. We didn't happen to get pregnant. It was no accident. We wanted a baby so much, and this baby was very planned. I already feel so connected and bonded with the baby. I've seen it move and do all sorts of things with an ultrasound (3 now...). I've felt tiny flutters. I have noticed every single tiny change in my body since just a couple days after conception. I am already very protective over my growing belly. I go to sleep every night with a hand over my abdomen. Maybe I can't feel it most of the time (I swear I can sometimes), but just having my hand there makes me feel connected to this little being. So when that was threatened - or in my mind it was threatened - it was very real and very scary to me, and I was quite worried. I don't take for granted that it's ok without having some proof. This is not just a baby in me. This is my baby. You other moms out there know what I mean. There is an incredible bond that is like no other.