Cravings!!!

For the first 16 weeks of this pregnancy I had what I'd call evening sickness. I'd feel ok in the morning and afternoon but would get super queasy around 5pm or so and just feel yuck the rest of the evening. Because of that, i only gained 1lb in the first 16 weeks (have no fear... or jealousy... i've more than made up for it since! ;-). So when something sounded yummy in those weeks, I made it. And ate it. Period. Healthy or not!

My first craving was the chocolate no bake cookies... I got the recipe from my friend Emily Parker and oh my goodness are they YUM! So sugary and chocolaty and with peanut butter. And I totally think they have to be healthy since they have oatmeal in them, right?! ;-)

I also went through a phase where Zaxbys was just calling my name. Now, I didnt always answer to the call, but when I did, I got the kickin chickin sandwich. oh my... It is DELISH! Except maybe I didnt need it to SWIM in the hot sauce sometimes?! ha! Trust me, I still ate it though!

And on our first really warm week of the spring, I got the fixins for strawberry shortcake. I was really wanting some and the kids had never had any, so I thought it was the perfect introduction to spring time!

And of course, who can resist a package of ALL strawberry mentos?! Love those things!

Basically, from about 18-28 weeks I went through a phase of making up for lost eating time (and the scales screamed "STOP" at me). I've since worked on it but boy, those were some yummy days :-)

30 week checkup

I had my 30 week check up today. Theres something about the 30 week mark that just makes it feel like the count down has begun for me...

My appt was at 9:45 and I was so glad this appt was not following or including an ultrasound because those appts lately have just been so rushed and I've waited so long. I've been working on a list of questions for him that I've not had time to ask that I was looking forward to getting through.

First off, let me just say that I have REALLY worked on my diet and weight gain this past 2 weeks (since the dreaded 28 week appt where I started measuring 3 weeks ahead...). I'm honestly pretty concerned with having a bigger baby than Mack (he was 8lbs 15.4oz). Our delivery with him was less than ideal and I really dont want to have that again. So while I cant control how big the baby gets due to her genetics, I can certainly be sure to watch my weight gain so that IF we were in a situation of a large baby and delivery complications, i can know I didnt "cause" it (in my own mind... not saying anyone causes theirselves to have huge babies or have complications. but you know how it is as a mom... you feel responsible for everything).

So the blood pressure and weigh in was first....
BP: 88/59. Yes, this is normal for me.
+1lb from last appt (2 weeks, 2 days)
WOOHOO!!! So as of 30 weeks 1 day, I'm up 18lbs total.

I headed to the exam room and waited patiently for Dr Pohl. I was dying to know the fundal height though!

Fundal Height: 33cm. At 30 weeks i "should" be 30 cm.
And here came the tears...

I know he must think I'm crazy, but it honestly scares me! Mack was BIG for me! He got stuck in the birth canal. His cord was around his neck 3 times while he was stuck (a common cause of cerebral palsy). He had shoulder dystocia  (which can cause a tear in the brachial plexus rendering the arm paralyzed!). Am I being overly dramatic? Dr Pohl says no... that it was one of his harder, scarier deliveries. And to think that this baby could be BIGGER (his words) scares me! I want her to be healthy but would also really like to avoid a c-section!

So we discussed it for a bit after he checked her heart rate (143bpm). I told him that I'd really like to try to go into labor naturally and not be induced just because I'd like to experience it for one, and because induction puts me in the hospital for at least an additional day typically. With 2 kids already, thats a long time to be away from them and have someone else have to keep them! :-( BUT, if I dont go into labor on my own by 39 weeks (assuming I continue to measure ahead 3ish weeks), I'm going to be scared to wait. So we agreed that I can try some tricks to try and maybe my body will go on its own. But if not, looks like we will be inducing around the 17th or 18th (39w 3/4 days). *Sigh*

On to my list of questions:
-Id like to try to breast feed and my lactation consultant and I both feel I have "Insufficient Glandular Tissue" (google it) which has made it difficult to produce in the past. I've heard from some women that in addition to "supporting uterine health" that raspberry leaf tea can help with production when the time comes and it is recommended to drink it the last trimester. But i've also heard that it can cause preterm labor. IS IT SAFE? He said its fine. He assured me that it will NOT induce labor but that nipple stimulation will and to not get any bright ideas to start pumping or something to help with milk production ;-)

-We are heading to the beach here soon. What seafood restrictions do I have?
Avoid larger sea fish like sword fish, mahi mahi, etc... but he said shrimp and scallops and crab legs are fine. That for that one week if I'd like to eat one of those daily, that would be fine.

-The whooping Cough vaccine... when is the best time for me (and anyone else) to get it?
As soon as we are ready. The pharmacy should be able to order it and administer it and insurance typically covers this type thing pretty well...

-When should I register at the hospital?
Now is good.

-Ive been googling and I'm pretty sure I have SPD (symphsis pelvic disorder)... aka: pain in my pelvic area when I try to turn over in bed or go to stand, etc. Some days are honestly pretty bad. What can I do?
He suggested getting a postpardum belt at babies r us that will wrap around my hip area. What causes this is that our pelvis is 2 bones and is technically a joint, although not the ball and socket kind, obviously. Sometimes with more pregnancies, the ligaments that hold the joint together stretch out too quickly due to the weight/pressure of the baby and uterus and causes those bones to rub together, causing pain. Wearing the band helps to de-mobilize the area some, although I should expect it to be worse some days as that is normal following a growth spurt by the baby.

That was pretty much it today :-) Here are some pics fro the week!

Growing, Growing, Growing!

I'm 31 weeks right now, but I was trying to go back and insert pics from throughout the pregnancy into my previous posts, but for some reason I'm not being allowed to edit my posts? So I thought i'd put them all (so far) into one post instead!

A little tragedy happened in the move to our new house... I lost my belly stickers.  :-( So I'll have to label as best I can which pics are around what time frame...

17 weeks

After that 17 week lame-o shot is when life got CRAZY and our house sold in 2 days and we had to be out 11 days later... Yeah... so no belly shots for a while! HA!

25 weeks

28 weeks

 30 weeks!
 




31 weeks (wow, I feel like i really POPPED OUT! That belly is BIG!)

Hopefully I'll be able to come back and continue to add through the end of the pregnancy!

iPhone Dump

I cant dump ALL my photos that dont get their own blog post all at once to catch up because, well... theres too many! But I want to post a few, anyways!

I love this because Rhyan has become REALLY huge on coloring and loves to make sure that everything is the "right" color. She colors for us daily... what sweet little gifts!

When we were going through some things and cleaning out, we came across this birthday card that we made for "Mayer" for her 80th birthday!

Isnt my boy just hilarious?! Such a sense of humor!...

And on this particular evening, Mack had been having an  upset stomach. It was a long night as he had some sort of virus that made it impossible for him to keep anything down. He handled it so well but he would say "Mommy! I gonna CHOKE!". I love how Rhyan used to call it "spit" and he calls it "choke"

And one evening after we got home from something, Mack got out his tricycle and started PEDALING! I was so proud and excited! He was riding that little trike all oer the place!!!

And who can refuse a little celebratory free pancakes at IHOP when they are offered?! Quick story... Jeff had baseball that particular night and so it was just the kids and I. I wasnt sure of the rules of how many were offered, etc, but thought it'd be fun to take the kids. I called ahead and made sure the line wasnt crazy... it was 15 min (at that time). Well... by the time we got there, the wait was over an hour! The kids both needed to potty so we headed back to the bathroom and when we came out, there were 2 chairs sitting by the bathroom so I asked this server if I could sit there w/ the kids. He said that was fine and asked about the wait and I told him it was an hour... well, he said "come right on over" and seated us at an empty table! I told him I didnt want him to get in trouble and as much as I appreciated it, I'd be glad to wait, but he insisted it was fine and to go ahead! SO NICE!!!! I'm telling you, i must have looked like a single, knocked up preggo lady and he must have felt bad. HA!

Rhyan wouldnt smile for me (she thought this pic was hilarious) and Mack literally hid under the table, but heres proof of our "brinner" at IHOP!

Rhyan's class had some themed days throughout the year, but one was "wacky tacky day" where the kids were to wear mismatched clothing. Honestly, I didnt know if Rhyan would go for it. She's not one to really get into those types of things and usually wants things to match and be put on correctly. So i tried talking it up to her about how fun it would be... tried to talk her into a strange hair do for the day (that one was a definite NO!) and some mismatched clothes, but we settled for this!

Layered shirts, top one on backwards, two headbands and chin guards. All her pick :-)

And then I had to take a couple of pictures of my babies loving on each other. Yes, Mack is wearing a monkey costume.

More to come... later!

Going Private

I hate having to do this... but the safety of our family comes first! So the blog, at least for now, will be made "private".

MEANING: If you want to follow/be allowed to read, just let me know and I'll add you to the list of "followers". You'll have to create a username and sign in each time.

This isnt hard as I've done it for several of my friends who have also chosen to go private. But I know its an extra step. An extra password. So I get it if its too much of a hassle and you choose to not read.
But unfortunately, I feel the need to do this and since my blog was started mostly for us to make a blog book each year and have a journal of our family's happenings, I do want to continue to blog!

Thanks for Understanding!

My first, greatest blessing

These two...

Spent 57 years married. And at least 21 years sacrificially raising me when they didnt have to.

My Mommie and Daddy didnt do everything perfectly in life... but they gave of themselves more than most. When they should have been enjoying retirement, they chose to start all over for me.

Its because of their sacrifice and love that I have learned what it means to be loved by Christ. Our pastor said once that he starts his morning reminding himself that "theres nothing i can do that will make God love me more. And nothing I could do will make him love me less".

And that is how I've always felt with my parents. They loved me unconditionally. 

Completely undeserved....

Completely grateful for them as they were my first and greatest blessing in life.