12 weeks + Feeling Better!

I've been feeling SUBSTANTIALLY better. I can now eat a meal and not be bent over in stomach pain minutes later for hours on end.  The nausea has also decreased dramatically. I still get sudden bouts of it, but it only lasts a few minutes and sometimes doesn't even require a salty snack to make it through. This has all taken place over the last 4-5 days, so I hope it stays like this. My energy is coming back, slowly, but I'm still done for the night by 9:30 or 10:00 which is just about normal for me.

I'm refusing to weigh myself until my next doctor's appointment. I know that I was eating constantly to deal with the nausea, so if I wait a couple weeks it probably won't be as bad - since food consumption is back to normal now. I do feel however, the my little belly is starting to pop out. It's like all the "extra skin" aka fat that I hadn't lost yet from Presley has been shifted upwards and now my lower abdomen is more like a firm bulge.

I was inspired by a friend to get some new comfortable yet  fun/young work clothes and got a couple new cardigans, some fun printed leggings, and a winter jacket at Express. Now, I didn't get anything that I wouldn't be able to wear through a few more months of pregnancy (i.e. the cardigans can be worn not buttoned and the jacket is cute whether zipped or not) and I can more than likely wear them again after pregnancy.

We've also been doing lots of car research. We found out recently that my car, a 2002 Ford Escape, can not accommodate 3 car seats in the 2nd row. We have to find something that's either wide enough for 3, or has a 3rd row. The trouble is finding something this large that still gets decent gas mileage. The ones that DO get decent gas mileage (i.e. hybrids) are outrageously expensive, like around $40,000! I have been comtemplating some SUVs that get DECENT gas mileage like the Dodge Journey, Toyota Highlander, GMC Acadia, Ford Taurus X, Honda Pilot, and the Acura MDX. My car should be paid off in about 5 months, if not sooner, and since we have about 6 months until the baby is here...the timing couldn't be more perfect. Plenty of time to do research, and plenty of time to save up for a decent down payment (especially when we get our tax return!) If anyone has any suggestions please let me know! Our price range is up to $25,000, and I need a 3rd row - DVD player would be a nice bonus.

On another note, Chris bought his first Storage locker yesterday! You know the show Storage Wars? Well, we watch it all the time and we started doing some research to find some Auctions in our area. I think he did pretty well considering I wasn't there to be a voice of reason, and it was his first time bidding in a live Auction. He bought a 5x10 for $50 and actually got a decent haul of stuff! He sold a couch right off the bat for $15, plus there is a California King size mattress and a Full size mattress that has some type of pillow top air mechanism. There were also 7 boxes of decent clothes for men, women and children that can easily make us cash. He also put together a Christmas "Budweiser Sleigh" that we could sell for about $35. We're going to have a garage sale on Saturday to get rid of this stuff, so I'll let you know how much we actually make off of this unit. I'm predicting we will make our money back plus $100, at least. Not a huge profit, but a good start for the his first locker. 

Woot woot.

Where would I be without DH

(DH = dear husband ;)

DH made a comment to me over the weekend that I "never" right about him.  Looking back, I do admit that the majority of posts have to do with either my kids or myself.   I, like many mothers, tend to put DH on the back burner when there are kids who need me the majority of the time. By the time DH and I have a few minutes to ourselves, we are usually watching TV and trying not to fall asleep on the couch (not a very exciting blog topic, lol).  But the truth is, I wouldn't be able to do a lot of the things I do if it weren't for him. He's usually the one that motivates the family to get up and get going for the day. He comes up with ideas for our adventures, and pushes us to find new places to go. If it weren't for him, many of the things I write about probably wouldn't have even happened!

Like all couples, we've had ups and downs. It's been a journey for me and DH since we started out as a family at a very young age. I was 19 when I got pregnant with Trinity, and he was 22. We've had to grow up rather quickly and take on a lot of responsibility. The term "adventure" has a whole new meaning to us know. It used to be an "adventure" going to Mexico at 2 a.m. Now, it's an adventure trying to take 2 kids out to dinner. When DH and I do get a rare period of time for more than a couple hours to be by ourselves, we easily can jump into our old ways and head out to Hollywood or go to a Casino for a gambling adrenaline rush. We should have those time more often, but we do what we can.

I admire him for his effort, especially recently, to help out with house chores. Since I haven't been feeling well, he's really stepped up his game on keeping the house in a stable condition. Dishes don't get piled up, he's trying to keep up with the laundry, and he even cleaned the floors! He takes care of all the rough and tumble play with the kids that I just do not have the energy for - he times this well too right before bed so that they go to sleep quickly, lol.

There's a lot we still have to learn about our relationship, and about being parents, but we are doing the best we can with what life has given us. We take it in stride as it always seems to change. 

I will make an effort to include you in with more of my posts, I promise DH!

10 Weeks down, 30 to go

I had my OB appointment this week which went very well. Boy was she surprised to me! Her first question..."Was this planned?" lol. Well...

I'm basically healthy as a horse and just have to get some more routine blood work done.  She tried to find the heartbeat but she couldn't and said there was nothing to worry about cause it's very early, AND I have a tilted uterus, which makes the baby further away than normal (she remembers this from the first two). She had the results from my ultrasound which confirmed the size of the baby, and reported that the baby has a healthy heart rate anyways. I will be seeing her every 4 weeks up until about February, and then I'll start to see her every 2 weeks, and then eventually once a week. We reminisced about my birth with Presley...and she said as SOON as I even THINK I'm in labor this time I need to head to the hospital and call her, lol. In case you haven't read my birth story about Presley, he was born in basically less than 2 hours from the time I walked into the hospital. If we had waited any longer to leave our house we might have had a home birth! She thinks that this baby will be born just as quickly if not even faster.

I also found out recently that one of my friends is expecting her first baby, and her due date is one week after mine! Looks like I've found a walking partner :) Having a prego buddy is a blessing because you can discuss all the symptoms with each other that your husband doesn't necessarily want to hear about...

And, I've been feeling WAY better the last couple of days.  The nausea has decreased and my overall mood seems much more....me. Even one of my co-workers mentioned how "quiet" and "unapproachable" I was last week, lol. Me? Really? Never...You think this is bad, wait till Week 38!

Sometimes He Just Needs a Hug

My little guy is becoming quite the character. He's funny, and I'm pretty sure he knows he's funny, which makes him that more more funny to watch; but in the mornings, he can be a mess. Between 6:15 and 7:45 a.m. I'm getting ready for work, and helping my kids get ready for school/daycare. This morning Presley ate his morning snack as usual and watched Blue's Clues while I straightened my hair - the one thing I can't walk around and do - and as soon as the show was done he proceeded to throw the rest of his snack on the ground. After being released from the confinement of the highchair - it was time to make lunches for me and Trinity. Anytime we are in the Kitchen Presley likes to take everything out of the Tupperware drawer, and I mean EVERYTHING, and then leave it on the ground as booby traps for me and Trinity to slip on (like lids). As soon as he'd accomplished that, he just walked around crying, picking up things and throwing them, and trying to climb on furniture etc. I finished the lunches, and realised that this kid was not a happy camper right now. I picked him up and he immediately just gave me a big, long, hug. He put his head on my shoulder, and said "Mama". He stayed just like that for a good couple of minutes and then he was fine...Off to play and no more tears, except for Mommy's maybe...   

Telling Your Boss that You're Pregnant...Again

The first time I told my boss that I was pregnant, I had only been employed for about 3 months, and coincidentally I was already 3 months along. I was scared to death that I was going to lose my job, and that they would be upset by the whole situation. Much to my surprise, the news was taken with a hug and a congratulations! Followed by the generic, when are you due, how far along are you, yada yada yada...Everything worked out great, I made it to 38 weeks and then I began my maternity leave. I had the baby 3 days after my due date and took 8 weeks off following the birth before returning to work full-time.

It's been about 13 months since I returned to work, and here I am, pregnant yet again. The SAME fear and anxiety consumed me every minute that went by until I finally got the courage to spill the beans. I was a bit more creative with the news this time around. The Friday before Halloween, I decided I'd send her a picture with the subject line "SURPRISE". I tend to send her occasional picture updates of my kids from time to time and figured she'd assume the attached picture was to that effect. The picture I attached, however, was the ultrasound picture of my new critter and I added to the side the due date May 31, 2012.  I stared at the e-mail for several minutes, hovering over the send button, trying to decide if this was really a good idea or not, but finally, one quick click and it was done. I immediately walked into her office and told her that I had e-mailed her a picture. I sat down and waited for her reaction, and tried to read her face as much as possible. As predicted, I definitely gave her a shock. Her jaw dropped open, which ultimately turned into a smile, but then she said, "What are you guys doing?" lol. It was a playful question, but then she congratulated me and continued to say what a surprise this was.  I told her it was not planned and I was in shock myself (which wasn't really true, but thought that would blow over a lot smoother). There was some brief conversation about the due date and how close the kids would be, but that was it, and then I returned to my desk and we continued working the rest of the afternoon.

I suppose I might be on a fortunate side of things whereas the office I work at was initially a family business (Law Office) that has slowly grown with an additional partner and 3 employees. The overall feel is very caring, friendly, and flexible. I've never had any conflicts with my job and they've always adjusted to any situation I get in.

Once my co-workers heard the news, I was congratulated and hugged as usual, and everyone expressed their happiness for me. 

In my situation, I should have known that the news would be taken lightly, especially since I know how loving the people are that I work with, and that they had shown support in this situation before. Even the first time, I knew that there was a slim chance that I would be "reprimanded" in someway by these awesome people.

All in all, if you work for friendly people, there's nothing to be scared of :).  For those of you with less than compassionate employers...good luck!