Saturday, August 29, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
So Much To Do
I LOVE lists. Lists keep my life sane. (Especially now. It seems "pregnancy brain" is setting in rather early.)
Here's a list of what we've been doing:
1. We closed on our house on August 19th and began the moving process.
2. We went camping with a big group of friends and had a fantastic time. Already looking forward to next year!
3. I've been sans morning sickness for over a week now, thanks to a prescription that my ob gave me. I still have lots of fatigue, but that's much easier to deal with than/without nausea.
4. Jonathan has been doing most of the packing thus far, and I've been attempting to keep the condo clean. It's really hard to stay on top of when I'm so tired. I suppose it's good practice for when I'll have an entire house to clean, plus a newborn to care for.
5. Our 9 week checkup was on the 14th. We heard our baby's heartbeat; highly unusual until at least 10 weeks. We sure felt special! Our baby is nice and strong, growing so fast. Our next ultrasound won't be until we find out the gender. They'll have us bring a burnable DVD to record it. So cool!! I'll post it on here when the time comes.
6. I started volunteering at the hopsital again. It's nice to be back into my routine.
And a list of things to come:
1. This week is crazy busy. Jonathan, with some help from his mom and a friend, will be painting some of the house in the evenings. His mom is going to clean the house for us (HUGE help, especially for me), and I'm going to try and conquer packing the rest of the apartment.
2. Moving day is Saturday.
3. We get to see out of town friends again in a couple weeks for a nerd - I mean, video game - convention in Seattle.
4. Our families will be visiting over the next month to see us and check out our new home.
5. I'll be 13 weeks at our next checkup. I can tell I'm starting to show, but not enough to be obvious to anyone else. By 13 weeks, I should be definitely popping out a bit. Weird to think about.
6. [This line is reserved for all the unexpected things that will come up this week that I don't anticipate now, but am certain will find us.]
Here's a list of what we've been doing:
1. We closed on our house on August 19th and began the moving process.
2. We went camping with a big group of friends and had a fantastic time. Already looking forward to next year!
3. I've been sans morning sickness for over a week now, thanks to a prescription that my ob gave me. I still have lots of fatigue, but that's much easier to deal with than/without nausea.
4. Jonathan has been doing most of the packing thus far, and I've been attempting to keep the condo clean. It's really hard to stay on top of when I'm so tired. I suppose it's good practice for when I'll have an entire house to clean, plus a newborn to care for.
5. Our 9 week checkup was on the 14th. We heard our baby's heartbeat; highly unusual until at least 10 weeks. We sure felt special! Our baby is nice and strong, growing so fast. Our next ultrasound won't be until we find out the gender. They'll have us bring a burnable DVD to record it. So cool!! I'll post it on here when the time comes.
6. I started volunteering at the hopsital again. It's nice to be back into my routine.
And a list of things to come:
1. This week is crazy busy. Jonathan, with some help from his mom and a friend, will be painting some of the house in the evenings. His mom is going to clean the house for us (HUGE help, especially for me), and I'm going to try and conquer packing the rest of the apartment.
2. Moving day is Saturday.
3. We get to see out of town friends again in a couple weeks for a nerd - I mean, video game - convention in Seattle.
4. Our families will be visiting over the next month to see us and check out our new home.
5. I'll be 13 weeks at our next checkup. I can tell I'm starting to show, but not enough to be obvious to anyone else. By 13 weeks, I should be definitely popping out a bit. Weird to think about.
6. [This line is reserved for all the unexpected things that will come up this week that I don't anticipate now, but am certain will find us.]
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Little Boys Are Funny
My nephew, who will be 4 in October, does and says the cutest things.
William loves babies and looks forward to meeting his tiny cousin next spring. He understands that babies grow in mommy's tummy, so he got it when my sister explained that I have a little tiny baby growing in mine. His reaction? Leaning over to check out my stomach, and SO gently patting it, feeling around for the little baby. Absolutely precious.
I showed him the picture of the ultrasound and pointed out where the baby was. He held the picture close to his face, cocked his head to the side and said, "Ohhhh, it's so cuuuuute!"
Then I asked him whether he thinks it will be a boy or girl. Here's how the conversation went:
Me: "Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?"
William: "It's a girl!"
Me: "What do you think her name should be?"
William: "...Pegasus."
My sister: "What if it's a boy?"
William: (shooting daggers with his eyes) "It's NOT a boy."
Thus, my family has dubbed my baby Pegasus until further notice.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Oh Baby!
We planned for it, but still got surprised.
A few posts ago, I explained about PCOS and what that could mean for me/us. Since that post, I've met with a reproductive endocrinologist who specializes in treating PCOS. My goal was not just to reverse possible infertility, but also to prevent other health conditions (diabetes, heart disease, etc.) that can develop from PCOS. I've also met with a nutritionist, who is working with me to create a diet that will minimize PCOS symptoms.
I've always been irregular, so after going off the pill it was no surprise that my cycles became unpredictable. On July 20th, it had been about 3 months since my last cycle. While this is abnormal, it's happened to me before. I chalked it up to PCOS. I had also had back pain and cramping for a few weeks, which I attributed to the impending visit from "aunt flo". I'd been charting for several months, and saw no signs of pregnancy, or even ovulation. (When you ovulate, progesterone kicks in and causes your basal body temperature to rise. If you've conceived, your temperature remains high. Mine never shifted, signifying an anovulatory cycle.)
I finally decided to take a test - to basically rule it out.
Imagine my surprise as I watched the test line turn pink... and the positive indicator line turn pink immediately after.
And then I started laughing. Uncontrollably.
You've GOT to be kidding me!!!!
I was incredibly bewildered. My chart showed that I wasn't ovulating. My RE had taken one look at my charts and said I wasn't ovulating. So, I drank a bunch of water and took another test. Again, immediately positive. Although, this time the lines were slightly blurry. Well, what does that mean? More bewilderment. Sooo, I went to the store, bought another box of tests, drank a lot of liquid, and took a third test. Yet again, immediate positive. 'Well,' I thought, 'there you go.' Except even after three positive tests, I still didn't believe it.
There was only one surefire way to know, so I immediately went in for a blood test. The next day, I couldn't believe my ears when the nurse on the phone said, "It's positive!"
I'm pregnant.
That entire week, all I could say was, "I can't believe I'm pregnant. I can't believe it. I can't believe it." I had expected that it would be at least a few more months until it would even be possible for me to conceive. I mean, I "wasn't ovulating"!
I thought about something my mom-in-law told me she'd been reading in the Bible. There were so many barren women who wanted nothing more than to have a child, so they prayed. And prayed. And prayed. And then, God opened their wombs. For months, I asked - no, begged - for God to allow me to be pregnant. And then He did.
My initial reaction to the home pregnancy tests was laughter and disbelief. My reaction after talking to the nurse was literally falling on my knees, crying and thanking God over and over for what He had given us.
We had our first ultrasound on Thursday of that week, and found that we were 5 weeks and 5 days pregnant. That meant I was already pregnant when we went to see the RE. When they did the blood test, they found that my progesterone was low, which would explain why my temp never rose, and why I didn't seem to be ovulating.
The pregnancy has become much more real since "morning" sickness kicked in just after our ultrasound. Each day is tough; I'm exhausted and nauseous, and all I want to do is lay in bed. (Being out of work has actually worked out for me now; there's no way I could function at work in this state.) It's difficult being so uncomfortable all the time, but it's also a reminder of a beautiful lesson God has taught me. I fretted for so long, but he had already provided what I longed for. He is worthy of my trust. And if things had worked out differently and we were never able to conceive, He would have taken care of that somehow, too.
Our next appointment is in 3 days. We'll get to see our baby again, and this time hear the heartbeat. I'm already in love with our little "miracle" baby. We planned for you, but you still managed to catch us off guard. You definitely are your daddy's baby. :)
A few posts ago, I explained about PCOS and what that could mean for me/us. Since that post, I've met with a reproductive endocrinologist who specializes in treating PCOS. My goal was not just to reverse possible infertility, but also to prevent other health conditions (diabetes, heart disease, etc.) that can develop from PCOS. I've also met with a nutritionist, who is working with me to create a diet that will minimize PCOS symptoms.
I've always been irregular, so after going off the pill it was no surprise that my cycles became unpredictable. On July 20th, it had been about 3 months since my last cycle. While this is abnormal, it's happened to me before. I chalked it up to PCOS. I had also had back pain and cramping for a few weeks, which I attributed to the impending visit from "aunt flo". I'd been charting for several months, and saw no signs of pregnancy, or even ovulation. (When you ovulate, progesterone kicks in and causes your basal body temperature to rise. If you've conceived, your temperature remains high. Mine never shifted, signifying an anovulatory cycle.)
I finally decided to take a test - to basically rule it out.
Imagine my surprise as I watched the test line turn pink... and the positive indicator line turn pink immediately after.
And then I started laughing. Uncontrollably.
You've GOT to be kidding me!!!!
I was incredibly bewildered. My chart showed that I wasn't ovulating. My RE had taken one look at my charts and said I wasn't ovulating. So, I drank a bunch of water and took another test. Again, immediately positive. Although, this time the lines were slightly blurry. Well, what does that mean? More bewilderment. Sooo, I went to the store, bought another box of tests, drank a lot of liquid, and took a third test. Yet again, immediate positive. 'Well,' I thought, 'there you go.' Except even after three positive tests, I still didn't believe it.
There was only one surefire way to know, so I immediately went in for a blood test. The next day, I couldn't believe my ears when the nurse on the phone said, "It's positive!"
I'm pregnant.
That entire week, all I could say was, "I can't believe I'm pregnant. I can't believe it. I can't believe it." I had expected that it would be at least a few more months until it would even be possible for me to conceive. I mean, I "wasn't ovulating"!
I thought about something my mom-in-law told me she'd been reading in the Bible. There were so many barren women who wanted nothing more than to have a child, so they prayed. And prayed. And prayed. And then, God opened their wombs. For months, I asked - no, begged - for God to allow me to be pregnant. And then He did.
My initial reaction to the home pregnancy tests was laughter and disbelief. My reaction after talking to the nurse was literally falling on my knees, crying and thanking God over and over for what He had given us.
We had our first ultrasound on Thursday of that week, and found that we were 5 weeks and 5 days pregnant. That meant I was already pregnant when we went to see the RE. When they did the blood test, they found that my progesterone was low, which would explain why my temp never rose, and why I didn't seem to be ovulating.
The pregnancy has become much more real since "morning" sickness kicked in just after our ultrasound. Each day is tough; I'm exhausted and nauseous, and all I want to do is lay in bed. (Being out of work has actually worked out for me now; there's no way I could function at work in this state.) It's difficult being so uncomfortable all the time, but it's also a reminder of a beautiful lesson God has taught me. I fretted for so long, but he had already provided what I longed for. He is worthy of my trust. And if things had worked out differently and we were never able to conceive, He would have taken care of that somehow, too.
Our next appointment is in 3 days. We'll get to see our baby again, and this time hear the heartbeat. I'm already in love with our little "miracle" baby. We planned for you, but you still managed to catch us off guard. You definitely are your daddy's baby. :)
Friday, August 7, 2009
I've been dark for about 2 months. Let me tell you, a LOT has happened. Almost all of it centers around this:
...our first house!
Jonathan and I have had what feels like more than our fair share of stress. While the area is nice and convenient, the general location wasn't our first choice. We also had some bumps in the road with the inspection. However, we're all set to close on August 19th and move in by the 31st. We eagerly await painting and customizing the house. Right now it's someone else's house that we're moving into; I can't wait to make it our house.
...our first house!
Jonathan and I have had what feels like more than our fair share of stress. While the area is nice and convenient, the general location wasn't our first choice. We also had some bumps in the road with the inspection. However, we're all set to close on August 19th and move in by the 31st. We eagerly await painting and customizing the house. Right now it's someone else's house that we're moving into; I can't wait to make it our house.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Jon & Kate Plus 5 Billion
I admit to being among the masses who watch Jon & Kate Plus 8. The kids are so cute, with their distinct little personalities and different but similarly adorable little faces. (Leah and Aaden are my favorites.) I just started watching at the beginning of the year, and have since caught several of the old episodes. It's clear that the couple were in a different place then than they are now.
People criticize Jon and Kate constantly, accusing them of exploiting their kids and acting entitled. Jon is lazy, Kate's a maneater, Jon's giving up, Kate is more concerned about publicity than her family. You know what? WHO CARES?!? Really, it's none of our business. We may think it is because it's on TV, but this is a real family, and their decisions are none of our business.
I can't say that I never have these judgmental thoughts. I've found myself emotionally involved in their marriage, and after reading an article that the big announcement on Monday's show will be a divorce, I felt like crying. I have reactions like this to big changes in any show I watch: George and Izzy's cliffhanger on Grey's Anatomy; Mike leaving Susan on Desperate Housewives; Chloe watching Edgar die on 24; Chuck breaking B's heart on Gossip Girl. However, there is one monumental difference between all of those shows and J&K+8:
This show documents a real family, living a real life, going through real problems.
You know what I think that means? I think it means we should all just leave them alone. Stop speculating, stop following them around, stop spreading gossip. (Granted, it would probably help a good deal if they ditched the cameras and gave themselves some privacy to hash out their troubles.)
They may be on TV, but the Gosselins are just another family, like any of us. I hope for the kids' sake that they aren't announcing a divorce, but whatever they do, it's their decision. Theirs. It's not the world's place to weigh in and tell them what they should or should not do.
I strongly believe in the 2x4 gospel, removing the planks from our own eyes before pointing out the speck in someone else's (Matthew 7:5). This is a perfect time for all of us to put it into practice.
People criticize Jon and Kate constantly, accusing them of exploiting their kids and acting entitled. Jon is lazy, Kate's a maneater, Jon's giving up, Kate is more concerned about publicity than her family. You know what? WHO CARES?!? Really, it's none of our business. We may think it is because it's on TV, but this is a real family, and their decisions are none of our business.
I can't say that I never have these judgmental thoughts. I've found myself emotionally involved in their marriage, and after reading an article that the big announcement on Monday's show will be a divorce, I felt like crying. I have reactions like this to big changes in any show I watch: George and Izzy's cliffhanger on Grey's Anatomy; Mike leaving Susan on Desperate Housewives; Chloe watching Edgar die on 24; Chuck breaking B's heart on Gossip Girl. However, there is one monumental difference between all of those shows and J&K+8:
This show documents a real family, living a real life, going through real problems.
You know what I think that means? I think it means we should all just leave them alone. Stop speculating, stop following them around, stop spreading gossip. (Granted, it would probably help a good deal if they ditched the cameras and gave themselves some privacy to hash out their troubles.)
They may be on TV, but the Gosselins are just another family, like any of us. I hope for the kids' sake that they aren't announcing a divorce, but whatever they do, it's their decision. Theirs. It's not the world's place to weigh in and tell them what they should or should not do.
I strongly believe in the 2x4 gospel, removing the planks from our own eyes before pointing out the speck in someone else's (Matthew 7:5). This is a perfect time for all of us to put it into practice.
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