Triple Bumps

The first time I was pregnant (with James), Dena was pregnant with me (with her second, Jace). The next time I was pregnant (with Jolie), Tori was pregnant with me (with her first, Ryan). This time (potentially my last time), we are all three pregnant together!!

This was not planned. And really, if we each would have gotten pregnant when we'd initially intended, it wouldn't have happened. But it did happen. And it's kind of awesome!

I wish I lived closer. :(  We could go on walks together, bring each other food, swap maternity shirts. But hooray for technology and all of the communication and interaction that is possible because of it! It's fun to chat with them and see their precious bumps. I suppose that will have to do.

Here is a quick pic I threw together of all of us rocking our baby bellies. We are in order of delivery... Dena's due 11/21. Tori's due 12/3. And I'm due 12/27. Crazy, right? It's all super exciting! Three cheers for triple bumps!!!

Nine Weeks

Party of Five

Jolie built our family out of LEGOs this morning. I posted a picture of it online. By way of announcement... ;)

PS. We called Julie this morning as well. Jolie talked first. She told Grandma that we were talking about Christmas. She asked what Julie was doing for Christmas. Then she asked, "Are you want to play wiff our baby at Christmas?" Julie was quiet. James asked again. Then she realized we were serious. :) She was genuinely surprised, and excited! It was a fun phone call. 

Sweet Respite

I didn't feel sick today!!! Like, at all! I didn't feel quite 'normal,' but at this point 'not-sick' is like a miracle!! For reals, yo! 

Aaaah.

I am so grateful for the little bit of relief. Here's hoping it lasts!

Happy, happy, happy.

PS. Mommy loves you, baby. You are worth the pain. You are. I'm just kind of a weenie. Hopefully you don't get your pain/discomfort tolerance from me. :) 

A Giwl

We were outside playing with our neighbors this morning, and Jolie kept talking about our baby and (as she always has) kept referring to the baby as "she" and "her," etc. 

I laughed and asked, "But honey, what if our baby is a boy?" To which she responded, "Well, my a love a giwl baby or a boy baby...  But it's a giwl."

No doubt, no second thoughts. This baby is a girl, and she's confident of it. 

James was always certain that Jolie was a "giggle" even from the get-go, so maybe she's right. She's said it was a girl even when it was "our baby in heaven." Maybe she remembers her sister? Or maybe she's just wishfully thinking. Either way, it's adorable. And crazy, crazy sweet.

Meat is Murder

It seems this baby is a vegetarian like her (?) sister. Which is funny, really, because this sister is our little carnivore now that she's out. In-womb, though, meat was generally a no go. Such seems to be the case with this kiddo. Meat. Bleh.

Eight Weeks

In the morning, my "bump" (ahem- pudge) is less pronounced. Still, it's certainly there. Dang my far-too-short torso!

The Pitter Patter of a Teeny Heart

I had my first ultrasound today. I was so anxious about it. (I've been particularly anxious this pregnancy, though.) I was also super excited.

The appointment was at 3:15pm. Jolie was sleeping, and I picked James up a few minutes early from school. Derek even came home a teeny bit early from work. And all was well; we were on our way. (Aubrey watched our kids.)

The appointment was good. Easy going. Reassuring. We got to see our bitty baby! The sweet little thing didn't do much, must have been sleeping. :) But the heartbeat was good and strong (181), and it was measuring perfectly to date. It was fun to see the teeny heart pumping. And my gosh- it was so reassuring to see that everything was going well and according to schedule. ((Deep breath))

Dr. F was good and patient. He just made himself comfortable, answered any questions I had (I'd made a list), and didn't seem to be in any sort of a rush. That was nice. He even asked to see a picture of our kids. :) Great doctor. It's nice to have him back.

When we got home, we brought the kids inside and sat them on the coffee table. I told them we had something special to tell them. I said, "I just went to the doctor, and you know what they found? They found a tiny little baby in my tummy!!" 

James was the first to react. His face lit up as he processed it, and he said, "For real?! You're pregnant?!" He was really excited. "You've gotta tell Kona!" was his next remark. Haha. Funny boy.  Jolie was slower to process it. She got a happy face, got up, and gave my tummy a sweet little pat-pat. :) Then they went back outside to play, and we immediately heard: "Our have a BABY in my mommy's tummy!" and "Kona! Guess what?! My mom has a baby in her tummy!" as loud as our less-than-quiet kids could shout it. :) I guess we're telling people.

It's been adorable seeing their reactions. We went out for Indian food (mmm) as a family to celebrate, and Jolie was telling anyone who would listen! She kept talking about the baby in my tummy- how  the baby was happy that we were eating yummy food, how the baby was happy that she was happy. :) And James kept saying how excited he is for Christmas to come. So, so sweet.

And let me just add: the baby totally WAS happy about that Indian food. Lamb Tikka Masala with Garlic Naan? Mmm...

And now, after such an anticipation-filled day and a tummy full of delicious food, I am sleepy! ((Yawn)) Is it bedtime yet? :)

What a wonderful day. 

147

Seven Weeks

Actually, I'm 8 weeks today...but I forgot to take a pic a few days ago. So I'll fake it. :) Do you see that bump?? I'm not sure we can keep this a secret much longer.

Aversions

Cravings are funny. I always think I have them, at the beginning especially. But then the nausea sets in. This time, it set in full-force and doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon. Boo for me. I'm miserable. And I no longer think I have cravings. At this point, I just have an immense amount of aversions! 

Nothing sounds good to me. No, almost nothing sounds good to me. And the things I can stomach one minute make me almost hurl the next. For a girl who loves food, this sucks. With my other pregnancies, I could control my nausea by nibbling on crackers, etc. This time, nothing seems to help. Again, boo. There's a good amount of self pitty up in here. 

At least I get a precious baby out of the deal. I need to keep reminding myself of that fact. :) Aw, baby.

Silly Sammy Slick

... sipped six sodas and got sick

Sick

Sick

{I feel his pain.}

I'm fully, entirely, all-in sick. All the time. Morning sickness. Bleh. 

Though the name misleads: it's not in the morning; it's more like "Just Those Other 20ish Hours Sickness." I wake up feeling great (if I'm not super exhausted still, which is hit or miss) but feel nauseous and gross come 10 o'clock. It gratefully gives me a couple of hours to get a few chores done, at least. 

I try to tell myself it's a good thing. And I believe that (feeling sick means good things are happening with my bitty baby). But it's really hard not to sink into self-pitty inspired depression. Being sick with no end in sight is not a prescription for a happy me.

But I can do this. I've done it twice before. And I have a great, supportive family (and neighbors!) helping me out. Still, second trimester- come quickly!!

Zzzzzz

Holy shiz, dude. I am wiped.out. Yesterday was Mother's Day and superbly wonderful. But I was sooo  sleepy and just weak and worn out!  Sheesh.  A four-hour nap was helpful, but it was still a rough day. Today feels the same. I think I'm ready for a doze... 

Cravings

I told Derek today, "If cravings are any indication, we're totally having a boy." And he replied, "Yeah.  I've thought of that already."

When I was pregnant with James, I craved veggies, salads, and pickles (picked okra especially).  With Jolie, I craved refried beans and corn dogs.  With this baby (so far), it's been things like: Hapi Wasabi Peas, Claussen Pickles and fresh produce.  Sweet things and fried things as a general rule sound disgusting and/or make me feel ill.  I have, however, had a major hankering for some A&W french fries... so maybe my theory is flawed.  I suppose time will tell.  I very genuinely will be thrilled with either gender.  I do, however, have a gut feeling that it's a girl (not that my intuition is anything to be trusted...).  Maybe the cravings mean she's a tomboy! ;)

That's all.  Random as always.  Over and out.

PS.  Derek just brought me some A&W fries on his way back from mowing his mom's yard.  And Ho-Ly-Cow!  My mouth has not been this happy for DAYS!  Mmm.  And by the way, their fry sauce is where it's AT.  I'm sorry, non-Utahns.  You are severely missing out.

PPS. ((Next Day)) So much for the fresh veggies. We were all outside playing this evening, and my friend (and next-door neighbor) Shaughnessy was eating lasagna that smelled soooo good. I told her that, meaning to compliment, and somehow I ended up with the pan of it at my house for dinner! Crazy, totally unnessessary, but outrageously delicious! It absolutely Hit. The. Spot. And it nearly made me cry, it was so sweet. Love that girl. We seriously can never move. 

Anyway, lasagna. Mmm. And then, later, I was desperately craving some McDonald's chicken nuggets and fries! I didn't get any after all (neither Derek nor I wanted to leave the house, and/so I was pacified with BBQ potato chips), but MAN they sounded good. I'm going to get so fat. :| 

True Love

I just wanted the record to show that Derek is very seriously the best husband ever.  He has been surprisingly and spectacularly supportive during this pregnancy so far. I say 'surprisingly' not because he hasn't been great in the past but because this is my THIRD pregnancy! I figure I'd tapped out my resources and been given all the love and support there was already. And really, I think he's been even sweeter this time around. Maybe he's like a good wine (we'll say 'cheese' to keep things G-rated); he only gets better with age. Who knew better was possible?

He has been especially sweet about taking care of the kids after school-- doing homework with James, making dinner, and letting me rest for a couple of hours while all this goes down. It's been phenomenally touching and very much needed and appreciated. I cannot imagine doing this without him. Or life, for that matter. He's kind of my big deal. 

I've been totally off my game today--tipsy, flabbergasted, etc.-- so this all might sound rambly and ridiculous, but it's 100% true. Derek is amazing. He really, truly is. I am so, so grateful he is mine.

PS. Nurse's Consult was today. I took Jolie with me. Everything went well and was quite enjoyable, really. I'm excited. It's starting to get real.

145

Six Weeks

Crap. My paunch is starting already. :|

The Journey

Pregnancy lasts such a long, loooonnngg time! I tell myself to expect it to last a year, but even then- its sooo hard to pace myself!  I haven't told many people yet (no one in Derek's family, not even my parents) mainly because if I'm talking about it or being asked about it, it will feel like it lasts just that much longer. But maybe that only works if you tell no one at all, because I'm not sure it's working.

I try to just distract myself and forget that I'm pregnant (which, when successful, results in me believing it- and subsequently freaking out). But generally that only lasts about a minute before I remember or am reminded. 

Thing is, even at this early stage it is an all encompassing "condition" (for lack of a better term). My body feels off- congested, bloated, emotional. I will suddenly feel achy, dizzy, or a twinge of pain. And I have to think about the pregnancy every time I put something in my mouth, both in terms of "will this make me nauseous" as well as "is this safe for the baby." That's at least 4-5 times a day!

I'm not trying to complain. I'm happy to feel pregnant because I'm super happy to BE pregnant. I'm just musing. Stating the obvious, perhaps. I'm pretty good at that sort of thing. 

The thing I will complain about (which I suppose is ultimately the point of this post) is that a year is a reeeaaally long time to wait! Pregnancy is a means to an end for me. I need to seriously learn to enjoy the journey. Ugh.

Sick

If I was worried about being genuinely pregnant before, I certainly am not now! I am officially feeling pregnant. And while it's not pleasant, it's nice to be reassured. (Have I mentioned that I've been ridiculously paranoid these past couple of months? Sheesh!)

My tummy is getting pudgy, not because the baby's big but because everything is getting misplaced and bloated. And I'm quite nauseous. And while I've been sensitive to smells from day one, they now make me literally gag. Bleh. So gross.

We had lunch at Mom's house today, and it was really hard not to show my queasiness. (I intend to tell her by Mother's Day or at least her birthday, but she's in the dark as of now.) Eating tends to help, so that worked well. Holy guacamole indeed.

I'm excited to be feeling pregnant. It means things are progressing, and my precious parasite is growing and developing! And that is great news. Hooray for babies! Now please pass the pickles.

Oh Happy Day

Today was a great day. It could be the sex talking (not gender this time, folks!), but I think it was good all around. Let's see...

First, I haven't spotted or hurt except that one afternoon. I think that means we're in the clear.

Second, I did more dejunking and de-cluttering. Man, that feels good! It's amazing how much junk one can amass out of sentimentality and laziness (far too often, I think I'll just "set it aside for now"). This premature nesting is kind of fantastic!

Third, it was a sunny and beautiful day. After James got back from school, the kids and I took a walk to the mail box. Well, they rode bikes, which made it quite a leisurely stroll for me and quite a repetitive ride for James. (Jolie is crazy slow on her bike. She says going fast makes her too tired. She's such a damsel, lol... And this super slow pace means James had to backtrack like a hundred times; I don't like him to be out of my sight or too far ahead.) Still, it was pleasant. And perfectly breezy and warm.

Then I got a super sweet nap. Ahh. I haven't been taking those, and man am I missing out! Zzzz

And I worked, which I love. I hate missing out on the party at home, but I very genuinely love my job! I love the people I work with, the amazing students I teach, the accomplishment I feel after a good night's work, all of it. I seriously scored when I landed this gig.

Oooh! And I bought some homemade tamales from the dude who sells them out of his van! (Sounds shady, tastes amazing.) I bought six. I ate two tonight. :)

And then I got to hang out with my bestie... who also happens to be my husband. ((Heart Emoticon)) Love him.

Now it's bedtime. Not too bad of a day, eh? I just smooched my sweet babies goodnight. And tomorrow the sweet baby in my tum-tum will be six weeks 'old!' Or negative 32 weeks old! :) Hooray for a strong, healthy, growing and developing baby! Love my babes.

Life is good. Let's hope I don't forget.

xo

Fear

I have heard (via an Apostle? the scriptures, maybe?) that if I have faith, I need not fear.

I think my faith must be lacking. :(

I feel crampy today. This afternoon. Like I'm going to start my period. Which likely just means there's business going on in my uterus and is likely no cause for concern. But (go figure) I'm concerned. And then I spotted. (Cue freak out.) It was maybe an eraser mark of pink, but it was something. And the combination of the cramping and this is making me so, so scared.

I really want this baby.

And Chinese food. Drive faster, Derek.