Week 9

Here it is! A sketch of a 9 week old baby that I photographed from Your Pregnancy Week by Week, written by Glade B. Curtis, and Judith Schuler.

Though it still looks a bit like I am growing an alien, it is amazing to see how much is there. Look at his little fingers and toes! And what a cute little bum! It is 100% Amazing how TINY this little body is! And just think of all his little organs that are already intact and working!

I do not feel different that I have the past weeks. I have 3 feelings: nauseated because I haven't eaten, hungry, and nauseated because I have eaten.

I need to remember that all this misery is a beautiful thing. I am very aware that the last time I was pregnant, I only made it to week 10. The closer I get to that week, the more I learn to not worry.

John continues to be a WONDERFUL support and help. This has been a heavy load for him to carry with me feeling grossed out all the time and him feeling so pressured in every area.

But, as my friend Kristen says, "It's all good". Despite everything, our faith is being strengthened, our hope is being renewed, and Lord willing, we will get the precious gift of a baby--a new life to love and nurture :)

The Midwife

Today, I finished reading The Midwife, a memoir of birth, joy, and hard times by Jennifer Worth. The author worked as midwife in postwar London's East End slums. What a hard time in history! Whole families were crammed into two rooms. Women were conned into becoming prostitutes. Inadequate food, disease, and beatings were all quite common. Jennifer was only in her 20's but never writes of quitting midwifery despite all the challenges she faced.

My favorite part is the wide variety of people Jennifer meets. Some of them are hilarious, some are terribly sad. One of her clients delivers her 25th child! Amazing enough in itself but the mother only speaks Spanish and the father only speaks English. Despite this (or some would say because of this) they have a very special relationship. The father is as excited about the 25th child as he was with the 1st and very obviously treasures his wife.

The book is not without flaws. At times it rambled, jumping from one event to the next without any chronological order. There are times when she could have left details out even though it helps you understand the emotional weight she had to carry. The sadness could be overwhelming.

Pink or Blue?

Old Wives Tales for figuring out the Gender of the Baby:

in part from The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy by Erika Lenkert

For a BOY

• Skipped morning sickness in early pregnancy
• Headaches are a regular occurrence
• Craving for salty or sour foods or proteins
• Baby's heart rate doesn't exceed 140 beats per minute
• Colder than usual feet
• Belly looks like a basketball
• Baby rides low

For a GIRL

• Lots of morning sickness during first trimester
• MOODY
• Craving for sweets
• Baby's heart rate is at least 140 beats per minute
• Hair turns slightly red
• Belly looks like a watermelon
• Baby rides high

And for those who want to try to plan things out in advance:

"The most fundamental principle on which the Shettles method is based is that sperm determine what sex a baby will be. The male sperm (XY chromosomes) are smaller, lighter, faster, and more fragile than the female sperm (XX chromosomes). The female sperm are generally bigger, heavier, slower, and heartier, and thus they tend to live longer than the male sperm. All of this means that if you desire a boy, you should time intercourse as close to ovulation as possible so that the fast, light, male sperm reach their prize first. Likewise, if you prefer a girl, you should time intercourse as far from ovulation as you can while still allowing conception to occur." From: Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler.

We will just be QUITE HAPPY to have a BABY :-)

8 Weeks!

Wow, time really is flying by! I've had some less nauseous days! This has been great, even though today is not one of them. I'm not quite ready for real maternity clothes but I do have an expanding little baby bump!

With all this time to rest (and a need to be distracted from how gross I feel) I've started looking for logic games on the Internet. I have been enjoying the games on this site. I don't feel like a genius yet but my mind has been very active. Now I need to figure out how to turn it off and sleep :)

Our sweet baby will grow to the size of a kidney bean! (Ah-hah, all this cooking of a bean must be the reason for all this gas!)

It sounds like this is a big week for our baby's brain so I need to get better at taking my folic acid. It is amazing how much is going on in this tiny body in these early weeks! May Jesus bless him or her with health, strength, and a complete assembly of parts!

Prego Clothes

Mom and Sharon needed to run into town and promised not to be too long. Armed with a cheese stick and water, I went with them! What a wonder to see life outside my couch! It was snowing when we left--so beautiful! We stopped at my all-time-favorite bargain store (a place where you never know what you will find) and discovered ALL the clothes half off! AND they had maternity clothes!

So, for $2.50 (!) each I got: a black sweater, a black cowl neck three quarter length sleeve shirt, a black dress, and a pair of khaki pants! They are all brand new, originally from Target (with a price tag of $20.00 or more) What a Delight! For a bit more, I got a non-maternity lime green skirt to wear under my belly. Now I just need to wait for my belly bump to grow!

God is so good :-)

Week 7

There is a flu bug going around but I have my doubts I would know if I got it. I feel nauseous Most of the time. Thankfully I have different levels of nausea so I don't always feel like I'm going to throw up immediately.

All FOOD is Disgusting! John and Mom are in cahoots, frequently offering "it" to me. "As long as something is going down, nothing is coming up", Mom says. I have lost 5 pounds. :(

All scents are offensive! This is not helpful for my complete loss of appetite. I cover my nose and upper lip in peppermint oil to hide the stinks.

The last time I was pregnant, I decided I wasn't going to have morning-sickness. And, aside from a few gross feelings, I was fine. (Well fine except for almost passing out each time I moved because of my low blood pressure) That pregnancy ended with a miscarriage at 10 weeks.

For this pregnancy, I have all-day-sickness without any troubles with my blood pressure and so much anticipation for holding our little miracle!
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I don't have the book I've been using to measure our baby's growth so I've been looking at sites on the Internet. They seem to have differing points of view for what is going on at week 7. But here is a collection of what I found:

- Will double is size from week 6 to the size of a blueberry
- Brain, bladder, tongue and esophagus are all developing and transforming
- Eyes develop retina, lens, and lid.
- The bones in tiny limbs have started to form
- All major organs - heart, intestines, kidneys, liver, lungs and pancreas -- are forming and growing.
- Boy and girl parts are developing but too early to tell gender.
- Can't wait to hug and kiss our precious baby!
- Lots of movement going on, but too early to feel anything.

Pregnancy Q & A

These made me laugh out loud:

Q. Should I have a baby after 35?
A. No, 35 children are enough

Q. How will I know if my vomiting is morning sickness or the flu?
A. If it's the flu, you'll get better

Q. Since I become pregnant, my breasts, rear-end, and even my feet have grown. Is there anything that gets smaller during pregnancy?
A. Yes, your bladder

Q. What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A. Childbirth

Q. What's the difference between a nine-month pregnant woman and a model?
A. Nothing, if the pregnant woman's husband knows whats good for him

Q. My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A. Yes, is the same way a tornado could be called an air current

Q. Do I have to have a baby shower?
A. Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly

a sample from this site

Drinking Gingerly

The Problem:
It seems that everything I read about how to treat nausea mentions ginger. I really like fresh ginger root in Indian and Thai dishes, but to just gnaw on a piece of it can be quite fiery! And, the ginger candies or ginger drinks have stuff in them that I don't want to pass on to our baby at this critical stage.

The Solution:
My mom has been making homemade ginger ale for several months. She discovered the recipe in a book titled Nourishing Traditions (by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig) which heralds the benefits of lacto-fermentation. The best thing about it is everything is perfectly natural, [no chemicals].

The Recipe:
Begin with a large piece of fresh, peeled ginger root. You will need a cup and a half of sliced ginger. The sliced ginger is then placed in a blender with water to pulverise it. Add 1/2 cup whey, 1 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, to a gallon jar and fill it up with water. Let sit at room temperature for three days. Move to the refrigerator and enjoy!

How to make Whey:
Take yogurt or buttermilk, and let it rest in a cheese cloth. Something like slightly cloudy water will drip out, this is the whey. It can also be made during the process of making kefir, yogurt, or buttermilk if they sit out too long.

Count them: 1,2,3,4 Pregnant Women!

Left to right:

Amy, myself. month due? October

Sara, my older sister. month due? September

Loree, my oldest sister. month due? August

Celina, my sister-in-law. month due? July

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Happy to be pregnant?

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V

Very Happy!

:-)

many thanks to my brother David for documenting these memories!

Week 6

Ta-da! I now begin my 6th week of pregnancy and I feel... Terrible. Did you ever notice that Everything has a scent? And did you ever notice that Most of those scents are gross? Shopping yesterday was overwhelming for my olfactory nerves. Perfume, body odor, smokers, prepared food, cleaning supplies, even packaging left me feeling barfy. And all that food everywhere--Bleck!

John has been such a trooper. Despite my complaints about his breath, his goatee, his hair, his clothes (and the scents they contain), he has continued to look for ways to bless me. Last night and this morning, I dripped tears, frustrated to no longer feel like being a wife and instead nauseated by the slightest movement.

But I am understanding why my nose is so sensitive and why my body is so repulsed. This is a Hugely critical time for our baby's development. According to Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Glad B. Curtis and Judith Schuler, our baby's brain chambers, eyes, and limb buds are forming. The heart tubes fuse, and heart contractions begin, which can be seen on an ultrasound! Wouldn't that be reassuring!

So, my repeatable phrases are: "This won't last forever" and "It will get better soon". Hallelujah.

How to wear pre-pregnancy pants through the first trimester and beyond

Despite the fact that it is way to early for me to have any "show", my pants seem to have shrunk a size. I'm blaming it on the gas, the extra bloat, and my new habit of eating--constantly! My sister Loree, sewed a band that can be worn over unbuttoned, unzipped pre-pregnancy pants, and it works Splendid! I however, do not find sewing enjoyable so I found an alternative, and just cut off the top of a pair of tights. It makes a great band! (see below) The legs from the tights are on their way to being transformed into a rice bag for my aching back--wha-hoo!


Too bad my other attempts with scissors did not turn out as well. I am now armed and dangerous!