The Meds

Thank you for praying, all. The insurance company has agreed to cover the Zofran for a while longer. I'm still not feeling awesome (puked my guts out last night) but much better than when I'm w/o the stuff. So.. yeah. That's good.

Baby Update

Since I still don't know what midwife I'm going with, I've been seeing the doctors that delivered Ike. They recommended an ultrasound since we weren't exactly sure how far along I am. I thought I was 9 weeks last week, but they heard the heartbeat and that's rare. So today, I went in for the ultrasound:The little thing protruding from the face is not a growth- it's her hand that she was holding up to her head. Isn't she sweet? We saw her little heart beating. She was sleeping for a bit of it.

It looks like I'm 11 weeks along- not 10! I'm so thankful that I'm one week closer to feeling better!

The reason I'm calling this baby a "she:"
- I've been ridiculously sick and am even feeling awful taking Zofran. What's up with that? My boys did not beat me up this way.
- According to the new due date (8.10), this is a condom baby. Female sperm are much more resiliant.

They did give me a 3-d picture but I'm ignoring it. She looks lumpy, boxy and alienesque (after all, she IS only 9 weeks old!).

Breakfast

My new favorite breakfast (and I could eat this for lunch and dinner, too, probably):

Fiber One pancake mix with protein powder added to it. Then I smother peanut butter all over the pancakes and drizzle them with syrup. Yummmm.

I've also been eating healthier, TANYA. Bananas, apples, hummus, whole grain bread, chicken and yogurt have all been in the menu the past couple days. I'm still not eating very many veggies, but feeling good about the future.

Note: My insurance has cut me off on the Zofran. :( Please pray that they accept the request form we sent in and buy me those $7/each pills. Thank you.

Belly

At night, my stomach is literally farther (further?) out than my boobs already. Although, I know that's not saying much.

Food

When I went to the doctor a couple weeks ago to get Zofran for my nausea, she specifically told me that I need to worry less about nutrition and more about calories- since I just wasn't eating or drinking enough. That made me happy.

And since getting on the prescription, I am slowly able to eat more food. This weekend, I even ate enchilidas, raw yellow peppers with hummus, and peanut butter (I couldn't eat pb all through my pregnancy with Ike- it's just too potent).

This baby prefers empty carbs, however, so my main source of calories is Doritos. I've also enjoyed bagels, pastries, muffins, chocolate covered pretzels (could really use some of those right now) and more Doritos.

I'm pretty sure I am at a healthy caloric intake right now, even if most of those calories are bad. I keep thinking that when I feel better, I'll start eating better. After all, I don't naturally eat this nasty. Really.

Names

One of my favorite names was just taken by a new baby at church: Naomi Rose. I'm very sad but will just have to get over it.

Calvin says that if we have a girl, he wants to name her Hamburger. I don't know where he got this? Anyone? Other names he likes: Susan, Jack and Zack.

We will definitely have a hard time if we have a boy. And there are so many wonderful girl names, there will be trouble choosing. I REALLY love Penelope (Penny for short) but Eric doesn't liek it and then we found out it means "Dream Weaver" which sounds sort of new-agey for me. So I'm letting it go.

Birthing Center

The birthing center that I'm leaning toward: http://www.health-foundations.com/home
It's in St. Paul about 20 minutes away. We are in the process of checking out insurance costs.

8 weeks

Seriously? Already?

Where?

Options: Hospital, birthing center, home.

I have been interested in giving birth at home. A few of my friends have done it recently and all loved it. It seems intimate and comfortable. And statistics show that when the mother is comfortable with her surroundings, the labor progresses faster.

I don't think hospitals are evil. But I really want someone to deliver this baby that I know and that knows me. There are not any options that I know of that will fulfill this want. There are groups of midwives- I meet a different one each month. For the delivery, I may have met her, I may have not. Plus, even midwives sometimes don't get there until right before pushing (which is what doctors are known for- let's face it- it's the nurses that take care of us the first laboring hours).

Since finding out that insurance does not cover home births, I've become interested in a birthing center. I've visited one and will go to another this weekend. I'm pretty excited. These midwives love what they do. And I get to be a part of a natural birth! I'm extremely scared (both boys were born with a needle in my back), but excited, too. I will get to walk around, eat and drink what I want and yell loudly (I'm assuming). And I'll get to give birth in water if I want. And then I get to take a long nap (4-6 hours) in a comfy queen bed.

We haven't ruled out any options. If you want to post your opinion (without judging me or others), let's have it!

Coming soon: Past births and why I don't love looking back on them.

Apathy

Life is good. And it's getting better. But a week ago, when I was wallowing, here are the things I no longer cared about (and some I still don't):

- My clothes- I've been wearing the same fleece pj pants and Wheaties sweatshirt for three days straight. And no bra.
- Cleanliness - I keep putting the same socks on.
- Laundry - a good reason why I keep putting the same socks on.
- Grooming- My lack of eyebrow maintenance has made me look quite similiar to a gorilla.
- Seeing my friends - this is not a bash to you. This just shows how extreme this has become. Me not caring if I see others? What the heck?
- Chores- My main man has been showing his love by going above and beyond in this area.
- Eating - It's getting better. I think I'm up to about 1000 calories a day. Food is soooo gross to me right now.

Girl or Boy?

Everyone keeps asking if we are hoping for a girl. I would love a little girl and when I picture this baby, I picture a girl. But there are many pros for each gender.

Pros for having a boy: We know boys since we already have two. My two are the most opposite of any two boys so I think I can handle any inbetween. We have a ton of boy stuff. Our house is very boy- rowdy, loud and has lots of trucks. (Cons: This one will be farther apart in age and will not have the bond that my other two have)

Pros for having a girl: It may balance out our home a little bit. It will be different. And seriously- the clothes and cloth diapers! So cute. (Cons: Teenage girls... augh; the drama)

So, thankfully, I don't have to make this decision. I'm leaving it in God's hands and am trusting that He knows what He's doing. We are probably going to find out the sex so that I can be ready with all the necessary items.

Next time- Where to give birth...

Supplements

Here is what I'm currently taking in my pregnant state:

Women's multi-vitamin (since the prenatals made me sick)
Folic Acid (so baby doesn't get Spina Bifida)
Unisom (sleep-aid plus anti-nausea)
Vitamin B-6 (anti-nausea)
Magnesium (since I haven't pooped in 5 days)
Zofran (a prescription anti-nausea)

I'm amazed at how UNnatural pregnancy is for being so.. organic. How did the women in the past do it without all these drugs and supplements? Before I started taking the Zofran, I lost 7 pounds in 4 weeks and was eating possibly 500 calories a day. Now that I'm taking it, I am still barely eating 1000 calories a day.

I keep telling myself that the misery is temporary. I'm 7 1/2 weeks along and I'm guessing I will be feeling crappy until about 14 weeks (since that's how long I felt sick with my second).

First Comes Love

We weren't expecting to be pregnant, but it wasn't completely a surprise when it happened. There are just no good forms of birth control (that I'm comfortable with) so we have been charting (and not very well, it seems).

So when the puking, exhaustion, crabbiness and an all-around blah feeling started to happen, it just didn't come naturally for me to be excited about this new life growing inside me- complete with heartbeat and soul.

Since I'm assuming no one wants to hear me ramble on in my self-pity, I'm starting this blog. This is my third pregnancy, but who knew it could be so different already?