Aaaaahhhh, all Final Papers finished!

It has been so long since I posted, because in the time period I have been away I have completed four papers for school! I am so glad that is over with! I only have one easy final exam on Monday and then I will be done until mid-January!

I've already been to two midwife appointments, one on November 1 and one on the 29th. At my first visit, I was about 9 1/2 weeks along, and she could not hear the heartbeat on the doppler. I came back a week later and still no luck! I was waiting for that heartbeat to make the general public announcement (via Facebook, of course), and even more importantly, I needed the reassurance that my little sweet pea was alive and well. So I went for an ultrasound at about eleven weeks, and sweet pea was flipping and turning - with a very strong heartbeat!

After my first appointment, I started eating the high-protein Bradley diet and that has worked wonders for nausea and fatigue. I eat about 80-100 grams of protein a day, and it is a good thing I'm not a vegetarian. Strangely enough, the Bradley diet is filled with all the things I've been craving: spinach, chicken, steak, potatoes - a big departure from my normal faves of Mexican food and sweets. I have, at this point of 15 weeks, only gained a couple of pounds.

At my second appointment, Amber was still not able to hear the heartbeat (!) but she could hear the baby kicking and hear the location of the placenta due to bloodflow. So neither she nor I were very worried about the fact that sweet pea was hiding again. I decided before that appointment that I would ask her about homebirth, and she gave me a great book to read: Sheila Kitzinger's Homebirth. Bret and I are united in this, and I feel like we will definitely have some naysayers among our friends and family once they hear about the decision.

Thanksgiving went well until the ride home from Dallas on Sunday afternoon - imagine traffic jams, Grayson getting carsick numerous times, freezing weather, and I had a respiratory infection. Good times! Bret declared we will never go anywhere once we have three kids. This is a claim he makes every time we are out somewhere and he gets exasperated :-)

Now that Christmas is around the corner I am rushing to get all the things done that I love doing but that have been postponed due to horrible term papers: Christmas cards, shopping, crafts, mailing, kids' parties, etc.

Work has been sooo slow this week and has put me into a stressed-out state. I have reached the point with my work finances that I have to earn all the money to pay the bills each month; my cushion is gone. This is mostly due to the fact I overpaid each month on the credit cards we used to purchase all our start up things - equipment, supplies, retail, etc. The interest on one card is killing me, but I probably should have paid the minimums and kept a larger cash flow. Well, I live and learn in this process, I guess. I know people have other things to spend their money on at the holidays and I will have a rush before and after Christmas. My anxious personality only zeroes in on worst-case scenarios, however! I bit the bullet and am running another Groupon next week. I hope it does well, Groupon is great for advertising and the most effective strategy I've used thus far. I am running a $50 for $25 deal, so hopefully each person that comes in will pay a little overage and tip better than the first run I had this summer. I also am using it for waxing only, so that will cut down on the annoyance factor of spending money and energy doing a cheap facial. Wish me luck! (and money!)

As an end note, I have felt my little one nudge me a few times, and can't wait to feel more!

Almost 9 weeks

Let's see, these two weeks have been really, really busy. Last week, on Monday, we traded in our Subaru (beloved Subie) for a brand-new Kia Sedona minivan. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I teared up twice at the dealership at the thought of leaving my Subie behind. But, after driving the Kia for almost two weeks now, I really do like it. It has plenty of room, which the kids love, and on our first trip with it to Houston it was so nice to stretch out. My next goal is to get some dvd players for the kids to watch in the back to hush them up on long trips!

Last week was a blur with work because I took off Friday and Saturday so Bret and I could go to the Texas Renaissance Festival in Magnolia. We met up with our friends Ian and Holly on Friday night and had really good food at Pappadeux. Then Saturday was Ren-Fest day! That was the first Renaissance festival that I have ever been to and it was overwhelming! There were hundreds of shops, thousands of people dressed (or undressed) in really cool costumes, and plenty of tummy-hurting food. Right away I had my hair braided all around my head because it was so hot, and I loved it. Bret found some awesome clothes to begin his costume for next year, but my preggo self didn't even bother. I did get some good ideas, though. During the day I could feel a headache coming on, but I tried to take some tylenol and drink lots of water. We walked so, so much that my feet were exhausted. I knew the minute I got in the car to go home that I had a horrible headache coming on. It got worse and worse on the 45 minute trip back and everyone just dropped me off at the hotel room. I ran upstairs and got so, so sick - the first time I've thrown up in this pregnancy. The next day I was still feeling out of it, but at least I didn't get sick again. Even though the ending sucked, the actual fair was awesome and something I'd highly recommend.

School really kicked my butt this week - I had to write a journal entry, take a psychology test, write an 8-page book review, and two essays for a take home test. Everything had to be turned in by last night, and I think I may have been cured of the need to ever go to graduate school. I will be so glad when this semester is over! I don't handle extreme stress well - I snap at everyone and then cry (could be hormones?) and my muscles get all tense and cause headaches. I'm looking forward to a semi-lazy weekend at home.

Ellie has been going through a weird phase where she doesn't want to go to bed, and cries several times through the night. I'm not sure what is causing it, but it's wearing us out. This child used to sleep all night and long into the morning, so I don't know if she is just outgrowing her former sleep habits, or if this is a new 3-year old thing.

I got some new pregnancy/ baby related books I'm excited to read: Ask A Midwife - looks like a natural "What to Expect", and Penguin Classics Baby Name Book - all names from literature! I love it! I also got a book by Margaret Atwood, which I'm excited to read because I loved The Handmaid's Tale. And the newest No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency book. I love Half-Price Books! Even though I have a Kindle, it is still such fun to pick out books from the shelf.

Another awesome thing I got this week is a Homedics Shiatsu Neck-Massaging Pillow. That thing was worth every penny of it's 39.99 and more. It really feels like a massage, and even has a heat function. My headaches stem mostly from muscle tension in my neck, since I look down so much at work (and for schoolwork) and I am loving it. I wish they made a mattress out of those massaging rollers and I could just lay on it for an hour every night.

My new goal is to start doing acupuncture and regular massage and adjustments. I'm so bad about going to the chiropractor regularly - I tend to wait until I am in screaming agony to go. But I've read in several of my books that acupuncture or other energy work really helps with nausea and fatigue during pregnancy.

On Tuesday, I'm excited because I have my first appointment with the midwife, Amber. I hope she'll be able to hear the baby's heartbeat on the Doppler - and I'm hoping there's only one heartbeat!

7 Weeks

Man, what an exhausting week! First the pregnancy symptoms are getting the best of me. I have been feeling so tired, so nauseous, and so blah that normal functioning is not happening. I'm trying to listen to my body and when it says rest, I try to rest. The lab missed my progesterone reading on my bloodwork, so they had to run it again, and I found out on Friday that my progesterone levels are on the low side. Normal range for the first trimester is 9-28 and mine was at 9. So, on Amber's suggestion, I got progesterone cream from Rita's Health Food Store and have been supplementing. Just two days of cream and I can tell a little difference! I was able to make it yesterday through working all day, and we even did a little car shopping in the evening. Today I haven't really been nauseous and only now at 3:00 am I laying down for a little bit.

On Wednesday, I went to have a parent-teacher conference with Grayson's teacher. She said he was doing well and right on par with what he should be learning. Her spelling skills continue to astound me, however. When I said Grayson had no complaints about kindergarten, she wrote down, "No complants". Then said, "How do you spell complaints?" This only emphasizes to me the importance of reading as much as possible at home!!! But all in all, Grayson is doing well and with a little encouragement he can really excel. (And the teacher really is sweet, bless her heart, but just a member of the texting generation!)

I also got my hair cut on Wednesday, and here is the photo I used for inspiration:
I'm so happy with how it turned out, I will try to post a picture that is actually of me once I download it! I haven't had bangs in a long time, and I am getting the hang of having to fix them every morning. But the nice thing about my hair is that I can let the rest air dry and it looks okay.

Friday was the horrible day when my symptoms were at their worst, and they combined with a sinus headache to keep me in bed most of the day. I went to class, but after that I closed down shop and came home. I hate to do that, but sometimes I can't suffer through it.

Saturday we tried to go car shopping, but it was a bust. We went to Gilman Subaru / Honda, and they had nothing used that was in our price range at all. I'd love to have a Honda Odyssey, but those things are so pricey! It's hard to find a used one for less than 30K, and the new ones range from 35-40K. So that is just not happening. Other cars I'd like to look at would be the Toyota Sienna, VW Routan, and the Mazda 5. I'm trying to stay away from the Kia Sedona, but I really need to look at it too because the price is right. It's definitely a budget car, but I think I have to accept that we are a budget family. The Subaru was/is so beautiful, and I felt pretty cool driving it. I doubt I will feel very cool driving a Kia. That's the price you pay, right?

Saturday night I watched "The Business of Being Born", a documentary that I had partially watched a couple of years ago, but felt it was timely for me now! It was so good, and reaffirmed everything that I've experienced with my other two births. I can't wait to have the supportive birth I want surrounded by my loved ones and the midwives! I just pray and think positive thoughts that this pregnancy will be healthy and all will be well, and that my body will allow me to have the birth I want.

I've also been reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, by Ina May Gaskin, one of the most famous midwives who started The Farm in Tennessee, a commune that helped repopularize midwifery and homebirth. This is a great book that I will have to re-read as I get closer to delivery because it has a lot of spiritual exercises about mind/body connection, the birthing process, etc. It's not only a hippy-dippy birthing book, but it gives really straightforward information about all the drugs and interventions used in medical birth and the potential side effects to mom and baby that doctors don't tell you. One passage I really love comes from a birth story. The mother felt empowered by her natural birth, and says,

"through the process of natural childbirth, I gained a lot of confidence in
myself. I left my comfort zone and the culture I had grown up with. I learned
that I can work through scary and painful situations and be strong and present
when I need to be. My fear of not knowing how to be a good mother has
disappeared..."

This so clearly expressed what I felt after Ellie's birth, and I hope to have the same feelings this time.

How did I forget the first trimester?

6 weeks

So, I have had two first trimesters in my life already and I can't believe I forgot how much they suck! I would say about 20% of my day is spent feeling normal and the rest is either nauseous, tired, crampy, or just blah. I get hungry but nothing sounds good, then I get nauseous. My nausea usually happens at night, just when I want to relax. (Although I guess there's no good time for nausea to kick in) Another awesome side effect is that I already look six months pregnant. Granted, this is my third baby and the pre-baby body was not exactly svelte. But right now I am so bloated that normal clothes are too restricting and uncomfortable (also underwire bras). So I'm making do with elastic waist pants and tried in vain to find maternity pants at Target today. The New Braunfels Target always sucks in the clothing department.

Another thing I have been thinking about is that we need a new car. Bret is not happy about this to say the least! I'd like to have a minivan that would ideally make our existing car payment a little lower. I hate to give up the Subaru because that really was my dream car, but alas, three car seats would not fit. Whenever we go anywhere out of town the car is always packed to the absolute hilt right now. Sometimes we have to decide, "Luggage or stroller? Dog or stroller? Diapers or not?"

Other thoughts are related to the general bloated, unattractive state that I am in right now. I don't want to gain a lot of weight with this pregancy so I really need to shape up my eating habits right now. I need to get used to several small meals a day, rather than two large ones where I eat too much. With Grayson I gained a reasonable 35 pounds and actually liked how I looked after he was born, but with Ellie I gained almost 50 and twenty of those pounds are still here today. So my goal is 25 total- but I'm going to try to not focus on the scale, but on healthy habits instead. Once I get a few more weeks along, I'm going to add exercise to my week. I'm always scared to do too much at the start because I feel like that is the most precarious time. But maybe after my first midwife appointment, where I can hear the heartbeat, and get the ok - exercise it is!!!

I also want to do something different with my hair. I love Zooey Deschanel's hair, and I think we have similar volume and texture. I have tried bangs before and they haven't worked out- if I get them cut too thin, they go their own way along my natural part. And since my hair is wavy, the shorter it is, the wavier it is. I have had long hair for 11 years now, and I wonder if it is time to bite the bullet and get a "mommy" haircut?

New Braunfels Family Birth Center

Well, with the news that baby #3 is taking shape, I immediately needed to find a new OB-GYN. The doctor that delivered Ellie stopped taking our insurance, the one gynecologist I saw the year after has closed her practice, and I have severely procrastinated the chore of finding a new one. I had come across the New Braunfels Family Birthing Center a couple of years ago and just kind of filed the information away. I emailed the midwife, Amber, on Friday, asking questions about insurance, etc. I was really excited to find out that she usually gets the insurance companies to make an in-network-exception. When I met her, she was toting around her own sweet 7-week-old baby. I just immediately felt at home, and she and her assistant were so attentive when I told them how my previous two births went. There is a nice big birthing tub, which I think it would be cool to try. If I want to do any ultrasound imaging, they refer me to an imaging center in San Marcos. I just loved it! The feeling I got was so great compared to how I felt calling various OBs and trying to get squeezed in for an appointment. She sent me immediately to the lab to get blood drawn to double check my hormone levels - I'm always a little worried since I had to take progesterone the first trimester with Grayson. So here's hoping for: good lab results, good insurance news, and a healthy pregnancy. With everything on my plate right now, I have to focus on one day at a time during this pregnancy. Last night I was so stressed I couldn't fall asleep until midnight. Now, I am eating leftover birthday cake and drinking an Izze soda trying to get a sugar boost! No major symptoms right now except throbbing boobs, extreme thirst, and a big appetite.

Back to Blogging!

After an extended (um, two year) hiatus, I've decided to blog again! So many things have happened in the past two years, but here are the main items:

1. I went back to school at Texas State. This, combined with working, made it impossible to blog or do anything else that took free time. I'm still going, but have learned to manage my time as well as I can. I should graduate in May!


2. I opened my own business!!! Belle Waxing and Skincare was born this year in April in New Braunfels, and I have been working, working, working to build the business up each day since. Things are going well.


3. Grayson is now 5 and a kindergartener, and Eleanor just turned 3 this past weekend.


4. I just found out I'm pregnant with baby #3! I still can't believe it.

Well, those are the main highlights so far. I can't believe how quickly time passes, a cliche that is so true. The busier life is, the faster it goes.