(The date and time stamp is a lie. I haven't been doing too well at writing my thoughts and happenings down on here. So the date is guess-work, but everything else really did happen.)
Welcome to the weeks 8-ish through 10-ish
I debated on the title of this entry too. The other option was "Enter Sandman" because I looked it up and as it turns out during the first trimester, pregnant women start having more dreams (probably from changing bodies, more sleep, and anxieties), and also more vividly. So here is a wide range of dreams I have had throughout the first trimester. Yay! (I don't mind dreams at all. Sometimes. As you will soon enough discover what my anxieties are…)
DREAM #1: "EARLY BABY"
Actually the first dream belongs to Aldo. He woke up one morning and said that he had this weird dream where I had to have the baby early. There were a lot of details. I think part of it was that I had to have the baby moved from me to a surrogate but then during surgery something went wrong, so they just gave me the teeny tiny baby. I don't know… sorry. But anyway, it was traumatic enough that it led to me having a dream the following night.
For some reason, I had to go in to the hospital and deliver early. There wasn't really any scene here in the middle, so skip forward and I'm in the hospital bed and they are handing me my baby. I'm expecting a little thing. Well, they give me this fat, white, chubby boy. I look at him and you know how you're supposed to have that baby bond… I didn't have it. Instead, I think uhhhh… this isn't my baby. I don't like this one. This baby isn't cute. Now all of that is in "dreamworld", but in "real life" I'm thinking oh my goodness, how can I be so heartless? This is a baby. How could I ever turn a baby away because he/she's ugly and I have no connection? Make a connection.
After spending some time holding this big baby, I finally realize, this isn't the size of a premie baby. This is the size of a full term chunk. And, this one looks nothing like me or Aldo. Baby couldn't possibly be mine. I argue with the nurses for a long time, but eventually we get to the point where somehow I agree to take this one home for a trial period. ??? Even though I know in my mind, it's not a trial… they're just making me take this one home. So I'm in the van (which we don't have) and holding this boy and I'm just really despising him. Sorry chunky baby white boys out there! And I'm starting to cry because I know this couldn't possibly be mine. As I'm waking out of sleep in "real life", I briefly imagine that it goes back to ICU at the hospital. And in one of those clear, heated beds is the most beautiful and small, dainty caramel-complected (complexion?) baby girl, with a flower on her head that's covered in dark brown hair. She is sooo beautiful. And I realize, the babies were switched.
So when I woke up, I told Aldo.
The Obvious, Fear #1 - I get the wrong baby. He said he won't let that happen. From breath, he won't let this baby out of his sight. Good man. :)
The Deep, Fear #2 - I have baby blues and don't like the baby. Interesting, because with Luke I had a dream that the baby didn't like me. This time around I'm dreaming that I don't like the baby. Aldo said he would also help me with this if it comes up.
DREAM #2: "I FORGOT"
I had one in between #1 and #3, but since I held out so long on writing this up, I can't remember. Instead, there have been some short ones that have been funny.
There was one where I was playing cards with Jerad and he was cheating. Wouldn't happen in real life, even though he is competitive.
And there have been frequent ones where I wake up mad at Aldo. The one that stands out is when he and Pastor T lock me in the basement. I don't know why. I can't give you more info. I couldn't even tell Aldo later when I explained why I kicked him in his sleep. Hard too. But I knew I was mad because "he was being mean". It was a dream, honey. I couldn't believe he locked me in the basement! And Pastor too!
DREAM #2.5: "JUST REMEMBERED - THE APARTMENT"
Ha! I just remembered. I'm glad because this was a good one!
One day, Maecy comes over and says she's renting a new apartment and do I want to be her roommate. I, without hesitation, say Yes. I was making spaghetti, so I say, let me finish and we'll have it for dinner at the new place. I put the finished spaghetti and it's pot into a bigger pot, and I have a lot of dirty dishes, all silverware, so I put the silverware surrounding in the bigger pot and decide I'll clean that at the new apartment. We leave. I don't pack clothes, furniture, anything.
On the way, Maecy must have been reading my thoughts because she tells me it's fully furnished. (It's in Olathe.) So we get there and it is the weirdest layout of an apartment I have ever seen. Immediately I go to the kitchen which is by the front door, and start washing my silverware. Then she tells me to go look at my room. The kitchen is a long rectangle, so I walk out and my door is right next to the kitchen. I walk in and first thing I notice is that there's quite a bit of space. And it has it's own bathroom. Not like you're thinking though. All of the furniture is pushed up against the edges. So starting to the left, is the toilet, then the stand-in shower (and all of this is not separated, and it looks like it was built for the elderly or handicapped), then the closet, the bed (hey, which is big enough for me and Aldo)… oh my gosh, Aldo! I didn't even ask or tell Aldo! Oh my gosh, Luke! Where is Luke going to sleep? Next is a large dresser and that's the end of the room. Now if it were just Aldo, Luke and me, we might be able to make it happen. Luke would need a smaller bed than he has in "real life" and it would be in the middle of the room and in the way, but it could work. Then I realize, I'm about ready to have a baby. There is absolutely no space here. And, Olathe is so far away from NFM for Aldo. And, what am I going to do with Luke? What about school? This was not thought through…
I walk out slowly, not knowing how I'm going to tell Maecy, when she asks if I want to see her room. I go over to her room (by the way… where is the living room???), which is so much bigger than mine. I tell her my concerns and she said she thought Luke could sleep with her in her room. Either way, not going to work. I start naming people that would be good replacements for roommates: Ruby (they could carpool), Melissa T. (also could carpool, same age, values, and she's actually looking for an apartment), Jamaica T. (might want to start looking for an apartment soon, she goes to Olathe a lot anyway). Then I woke up. And because my brain was going, I kept making a list of people she could roommate with if the situation ever came up.
DREAM #3: "THE LION & THE FENCE"
Mom owned a lion and kept it in a tall (top open) fence in the back yard of our "real life" house. The chickens and ducks don't exist I guess. The day comes when she's teaches me and has me feed the lion for the first time. Basically there's a door, which is also made out of fence, that latches in the upper half of the fence. You take a large pole and unhook it, removing the door completely so there is a window-sized gap, throw the meat through the hole and then hook it back up. I get the first part done, but I can't get the door back on. It's too heavy; the pole isn't stable; it's just not working. The lion has finished eating his meat by now, and mom is yelling at me that I need to get the door on. I'm trying, but I just can't get it to hook. The lion starts climbing up the fence slowly and as his head peaks over the opening, and my heart is pounding, I swing the door and knock him on the head with it. He falls back and shakes it off for a time while I'm still trying to get the door on. When he looks up, fear just overcomes me. I can tell this lion is T I C K E D. He walks over, all masculine and domineering like, and to sum it up (because I can't remember the exact quote, even though it was so elegantly put) he says, "I'm going to eat you." Well, he jumps up the fence and out the door in seconds flat. I don't know why he didn't just maul me right there because the chance was wide open, but somehow I ended up climbing up the fence and escaping his flying paw from grabbing my legs. I make it up to the top of the fence. And jump down on the inside of his cage. He climbs up, I climb up the other side. We go back and forth. Until I realize, it's not "real life"; this is "dreamworld", and I start making up my own finish - in the background, mom escaped and went and got the Durango. She pulled up in the back yard and I jump in the passenger seat. The lion rams into the vehicle, but we survive. I wake up.
My heart was pounding so fast! I thought that the baby's heart had to be pounding too. I was worried that all this adrenaline couldn't be good for the baby and it worried me. Couldn't sleep. So for the rest of the night I was thinking of all of these questions I MUST ask J about the time he owned cougars in "real life". This was not my first, "the cougar/lion escaped" dream. But pregnant, it was worrisome.
Questions: How did you feed them? How did you make repairs on the cages? How did you even know how to build the cages? How do you still have your arms???
DREAM #4: "ISAAC"
There was some time that passed before this one happened. I'm including it because it's still a good dream and re-opens some of my fears.
It was the day to deliver… I guess. And they give me my baby. Weirdly enough, Goldie comes at me yelling how it's her baby, not mine. I'm like - no, this is mine. They gave him to me. There wouldn't be any confusion… I have the paperwork, etc. She leaves because there really isn't anything she can do.
Now, the hospital is attached to a Walmart, which is also attached to a water park. Big place, I know! I realize, I didn't get a car seat and I need one. So I go over to Walmart and look for a car seat. As I'm looking at them all they have are these like unusually small sizes, my baby has a bigger head. I decide, I'm just going to have to wing it and drive while holding the baby or buckle him in. Then I look at vacuum cleaners because we need one. They are really expensive, so I decide on a hand-held to vacuum up the poop. ?!?!?! Ya…
I overhear someone talking about a seat in the pool equipment section… I go over there. It's just a weird dream. I'm looking at all of the pool toys and imagining how fun it will be when we go to the pool and can use all of these toys. Then, the baby sees the water park and points. We walk over, my shoes getting wet on the fake beach part. And he says, "down". And runs to play in the water by the wooden jungle gym and slide. As he's running around he's saying words, one being "mom". It occurs to me that a newborn can't say words. Nor can they walk or run. Or point. Man, this is a big baby. And… he really doesn't look like me… he looks a lot like Isaac. It is Goldie's son.
I go get him and carry him out, walking back to the hospital department to talk about the mixup. They already signed the paperwork, so the baby is mine. As I'm standing there at the desk, I look down and guess who still has a huge baby-bump and is still pregnant…
I decide I'm just going to have to take Isaac back to Goldie. I'm driving through this really hilly, wooded area and catch up to Goldie and her mom, and then flip the car. And wake up.
Sorry for the bad ending. I thought the rest was funny though. The best part was when she walked up to me claiming that the baby was hers and how it looks like her, etc. and asks me, "Did you sleep with my man?!" It was kind of hilarious, more for the fact that she is very abrupt and straightforward like that.
So enjoy the dreams of pregnancy. No need to fear, especially about mix-ups. Hospitals are very good about keeping mommy and baby paired up correctly. Aldo will also be there for you. And you will LOVE your baby. No doubt about it though, it's a wild ride.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
I Don't Miss Being This Sick
8 weeks, 5 days
I didn't do a very good job taking notes and leaving helpful hints for future pregnancies. I guess I didn't know what to keep track of. But now, at eight weeks, I'm full blown-out nauseous. And it's horrible. I don't like the feeling; I'd much rather just throw up and get the sick over with. So for future reference, milk and dairy (like ice-cream) aggravate it. Stay away from that. Emetrol (the medicine with the rainbow) is alright, but it doesn't last. The bottle says take every 15 minutes if you need to. And with intense nausea, the 2 Tablespoons don't work. So you just have to deal with it. I've tried drinking water (wash it out), drinking Sprite (burp it out), eating chocolate or fruit, anything really. I haven't found the cure. Even if I figure out what I'm craving, like Chinese food, the satisfaction in my belly doesn't last long. Prenatal vitamins also aggravate it, so I take those with food, and in the morning when the nausea is for the most part "worst".
Here's what the experts say:
- Eat small meals, slowly
- Avoid laying down after eating, especially on the left side
- Get out of bed slowly
- Eat food cold or at room temperature
- Stay away from spicy, acidic, or fried foods (which is interesting because lately all I want is spicy…)
- Drink cold, carbonated drinks in between meals, or even sour drinks like lemonade
- Sip throughout the day
- Avoid the triggers like smells or car rides
- Get fresh air
- Wear comfy clothes
- Rest
- Ginger
So here's looking to weeks ahead when all of this subsides (about Week 14).
I didn't do a very good job taking notes and leaving helpful hints for future pregnancies. I guess I didn't know what to keep track of. But now, at eight weeks, I'm full blown-out nauseous. And it's horrible. I don't like the feeling; I'd much rather just throw up and get the sick over with. So for future reference, milk and dairy (like ice-cream) aggravate it. Stay away from that. Emetrol (the medicine with the rainbow) is alright, but it doesn't last. The bottle says take every 15 minutes if you need to. And with intense nausea, the 2 Tablespoons don't work. So you just have to deal with it. I've tried drinking water (wash it out), drinking Sprite (burp it out), eating chocolate or fruit, anything really. I haven't found the cure. Even if I figure out what I'm craving, like Chinese food, the satisfaction in my belly doesn't last long. Prenatal vitamins also aggravate it, so I take those with food, and in the morning when the nausea is for the most part "worst".
Here's what the experts say:
- Eat small meals, slowly
- Avoid laying down after eating, especially on the left side
- Get out of bed slowly
- Eat food cold or at room temperature
- Stay away from spicy, acidic, or fried foods (which is interesting because lately all I want is spicy…)
- Drink cold, carbonated drinks in between meals, or even sour drinks like lemonade
- Sip throughout the day
- Avoid the triggers like smells or car rides
- Get fresh air
- Wear comfy clothes
- Rest
- Ginger
So here's looking to weeks ahead when all of this subsides (about Week 14).
Saturday, December 27, 2014
A Christmas Reveal
The night before Christmas, in the Alvidrez house, a little boy was stirring because he found out he was going to be a big brother. We told him we had a special surprise. I reminded him of when he was a baby and before that when he was in his mommy's belly by showing him his blog book. Then, we announced that there is another baby in mommy's belly. We went to the doctor the day before and she found a baby in there. He asked questions like: When is the baby coming? Tomorrow? And can I have one? He even said a special prayer for the baby and told the baby, Hey, I'm your big brother. It was the sweetest thing. The best reveal I will ever get to experience I think. We showed him the pictures we had taken earlier of him in a Santa hat - mad face, silly face, smoochy face, I'm going to be a big brother face. And we explained how Grammy and Maecy were going to find out. That as they opened each picture, he could tell them the face he made. It would be his Christmas surprise!
The next morning we had to wake up early for Christmas service and Aldo and I agreed it would be better for each of us to open one present, mom opening the pictures. Luke jumped out of bed immediately - no one complains or plays 'possum when they hear the words It's Christmas! Luke found two presents on his bed from Santa (a ninja turtles sticker book and the new life-like movie). Aldo and I opened up our stockings. Grammy opened up four pictures individually. She vaguely remembered seeing the photos, but didn't know this is what I did - and she was completely surprised! A great reaction. She said there were times when she thought we might be, and then quickly threw the idea out. We spent some time talking and then quickly headed to church together. The first thing Luke does is tell his friends that there's a baby in mommy's tummy. A friend of ours came up to me and said, "You know Luke is telling everyone you're pregnant… Are you?" It's a good thing we had told mom that morning…
When we got back home we opened up most of our presents. Luke couldn't wait. And Ruby re-wrapped the pictures for us. Maecy and Juan ended up arriving a little before lunch, so we decided to let her open them before the rest of the family. As she was opening up the second one, I looked out the window and saw Granddad in the driveway. We had to rush her through it - and she had no idea what was going on - it was kind of chaotic. I wish it wasn't, but she was surprised at the end anyway. I quickly ran the pictures downstairs to re-wrap them AGAIN!
When everyone showed up it was time for lunch. Luke had been doing a fantastic job at keeping the secret, but near the end of the meal, when everyone was getting dessert, he shouted, My Grammy is having a baby! Whoops! He was on the other side of the room. All I heard was my mom and maybe a few others do the shhh-sound at him. Everyone turns to one another like what's going on? and why is he in trouble… It's actually quite hilarious in retrospect. I explained it to them by saying that Luke was telling everyone what they got for Christmas. It was the honest truth, and they seemed appeased with the answer. Aldo turns to me and says, we have to do it NOW. Granddad would open the presents this time. We gave him the presents and he opened the first one. I don't know why, but he thought the "mad face" was hilarious, to the point where he might have been crying and couldn't stop laughing. We had to move him on to the second one. Not as funny as the first I guess. After the third one he was guessing what could be the fourth - maybe a descent picture… and congratulations. Not too bad. Well worth the wait, just to see all of their different reactions alone.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
The Glow
What is "the glow" and why does everyone say I have it?
I imagine streams of light beaming off of my skin and a bright, white smile like the Crest whitening commercials. But let's be honest, that's not at all what I look like, or feel like. I feel like I've gained some poundage and I'm sure that's the truth too. I'm bloated. I'm nauseous - full, blown out nauseous. I have zits not even in the T-zone! The stinkin' thing is in the middle of my cheek! Aldo said that my skin is glowing and I just don't get it.
John from church said that I was glowing three weeks ago, and that he was surprised when the following week I looked like I was glowing again. And finally last week he had the thought that I'm pregnant and got up the courage to ask me.
Today one of the young couples in our church came in with their 4-pound newborn baby girl. Aldo and I were looking at her (probably with dreamy, doe-eyed faces), discussing how small she was and how awake and aware she was. Her little hands were shaking in the air and she was wide awake listening to Pastor. Then Pastor Joe walks over and says, "I love when young couples look at these babies, should we expect some news soon?" We're the only young couple in front of him. I TURNED SO RED! On a scale of 1 to 10, it was a 13… and that's a direct quote from a person in the congregation that was sitting on the other side of the room. Everyone was looking at me. Everyone! On a regular day, when embarrassed I can turn pretty red. But pregnant, with all of this extra blood going through my body… you can only imagine. And not just that, it's supposed to be a surprise!!!!
How can this be a surprise when my body is GLOWING! It seems like everyone is noticing it. Drat I tell you! Just drat!
The Medical Explanation of "The Glow":
Pregnancy hormones make your skin produce more oil. In some situations, that's going to produce more of a glow and make the skin look soft - in other situations, people start to get acne.
Another contributing factor is the increase in blood flow. During pregnancy, your body increases the production of blood by approximately 50%. The proposed theory is that this increase in blood flow and circulation leads your face to be brighter, or more fuller.
On top of all of this, as I'm writing this post, mom comes in to ask about sending pictures to family for Christmas. I'm sure she saw the two tabs at the top of the page when I opened up the internet screen: This Little Light blog and an article on "turning beet red". At this point I'll be completely surprised if she doesn't know or even suspect that we're having a baby and announcing it Christmas day. Ugh - I dislike when surprises are ruined. :(
Thursday is coming soon! I'll let you know more then.
I imagine streams of light beaming off of my skin and a bright, white smile like the Crest whitening commercials. But let's be honest, that's not at all what I look like, or feel like. I feel like I've gained some poundage and I'm sure that's the truth too. I'm bloated. I'm nauseous - full, blown out nauseous. I have zits not even in the T-zone! The stinkin' thing is in the middle of my cheek! Aldo said that my skin is glowing and I just don't get it.
John from church said that I was glowing three weeks ago, and that he was surprised when the following week I looked like I was glowing again. And finally last week he had the thought that I'm pregnant and got up the courage to ask me.
Today one of the young couples in our church came in with their 4-pound newborn baby girl. Aldo and I were looking at her (probably with dreamy, doe-eyed faces), discussing how small she was and how awake and aware she was. Her little hands were shaking in the air and she was wide awake listening to Pastor. Then Pastor Joe walks over and says, "I love when young couples look at these babies, should we expect some news soon?" We're the only young couple in front of him. I TURNED SO RED! On a scale of 1 to 10, it was a 13… and that's a direct quote from a person in the congregation that was sitting on the other side of the room. Everyone was looking at me. Everyone! On a regular day, when embarrassed I can turn pretty red. But pregnant, with all of this extra blood going through my body… you can only imagine. And not just that, it's supposed to be a surprise!!!!
How can this be a surprise when my body is GLOWING! It seems like everyone is noticing it. Drat I tell you! Just drat!
The Medical Explanation of "The Glow":
Pregnancy hormones make your skin produce more oil. In some situations, that's going to produce more of a glow and make the skin look soft - in other situations, people start to get acne.
Another contributing factor is the increase in blood flow. During pregnancy, your body increases the production of blood by approximately 50%. The proposed theory is that this increase in blood flow and circulation leads your face to be brighter, or more fuller.
On top of all of this, as I'm writing this post, mom comes in to ask about sending pictures to family for Christmas. I'm sure she saw the two tabs at the top of the page when I opened up the internet screen: This Little Light blog and an article on "turning beet red". At this point I'll be completely surprised if she doesn't know or even suspect that we're having a baby and announcing it Christmas day. Ugh - I dislike when surprises are ruined. :(
Thursday is coming soon! I'll let you know more then.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Keeping the Secret
Turns out it's not so easy keeping this surprise a secret. Every time I am with my mom, I feel awkward like she can read my mind and I wonder... Am I acting normal? Is this what I would normally say? Am I mentioning having kids or complaining about my stomach more than usual? Lately I've had the feeling like my stomach is crushed for space or bloated - and I don't know if that's the pregnancy or just me being bloated along with nervousness. Also, I can't tell if I'm actually nauseous from pregnancy or psyching myself into nauseousness from being nervous. For some reason we have been around each other more than usual (it must be the weekend), but I've had more opportunities to accidentally give something away, or just say something from the pressure. I'm holding out though.
The other day I went to pick up my prescription at the Walmart pharmacy for prenatal vitamins. Turns out they couldn't get the prescription any longer, so they faxed the doctor's office requesting a prescription for something similar for me and received no response. They said I might have better luck getting in contact with the doctor. I called and Luke was with me there waiting in line. All I told him was I had to pick up my medicine. (I really can't wait to tell Luke and see his reaction. Will he be excited? Will he understand? Will he talk about it with all of his friends, and will he watch out for tapping me in the stomach and helping me around the house?) Anyway, the doctor didn't pick up - so I asked if I should just get an over-the-counter in the meantime and also asked if they could contact me when something comes in. As I was giving them my phone number, Dad walked up. He was dropping off a prescription for Stacia. Had he been there moments earlier, all news would have been blown. Our plans for telling him Wednesday would have gone out the window. Wow! TIMING. So I left without getting my prenatals and had to go back today. I keep thinking - who am I going to run into at Walmart today?
Aldo had to drive Ruby to work today. He said they were talking about her kids and how they parent, etc. and the topic of birth came up. They traded horror stories and Aldo said, "Next time…" in words more or less. Ruby straight up asked if we were pregnant. He threw up his hands and said, "Well, I hope so, we've been trying for 4 years…" HE IS THE WORST AT KEEPING SECRETS. YOU CAN READ HIS FACE.
Speaking of reading faces, John came up to me at church on Sunday and said I was glowing and had been for the past couple of weeks. He asked me if I was pregnant. I walked away (I was sitting right next to mom! I'll be surprised if she didn't hear or has any hint by now.) and said, "What?! Glowing? You're crazy." He follows me toward the restroom and calls it out again. How in the world did he know? I didn't know last Sunday! It wasn't an actual possibility in my mind until I came home from school somewhere mid-week.
I'd like to write more but I'm not sure what to say. I'm eager for August 2015. All of this in-between stuff is antagonizing. I made my first OB/GYN appointment for December 23rd! Same doctor Luke had; she was amazing. And it's on a Tuesday so Aldo will be able to come with me. I wonder if she'll remember us. Second, I have to sign up for WIC again. I want to get a white board going with names. I want to shop til I drop for baby clothes. And have a belly already!! How different is this pregnancy going to be from the first? How different is this child going to be from Luke? I think of me and Maecy and how different we are - school, athletics, career paths, humor, etc. It's nuts. How different is this little one's personality going to be. And as I type this - I cross my fingers that this will also be an easy birth. I fear sometimes that Luke was so easy, the next one will be the "48 hours of labor" or something. And that Luke has been so easy as a kid, the next one will be the one that turns our hair gray. Last, I know that the first gets attention because they're the only child. And the second one is kind of breezier… but I want to capture every moment with Number 2. I want every one of my children to get one-on-one attention. I'll try my best. As I've said before, ever since I was little all I wanted to do was be a mother. I'm so happy I get to be a mother again! This house needs a baby in it.
The other day I went to pick up my prescription at the Walmart pharmacy for prenatal vitamins. Turns out they couldn't get the prescription any longer, so they faxed the doctor's office requesting a prescription for something similar for me and received no response. They said I might have better luck getting in contact with the doctor. I called and Luke was with me there waiting in line. All I told him was I had to pick up my medicine. (I really can't wait to tell Luke and see his reaction. Will he be excited? Will he understand? Will he talk about it with all of his friends, and will he watch out for tapping me in the stomach and helping me around the house?) Anyway, the doctor didn't pick up - so I asked if I should just get an over-the-counter in the meantime and also asked if they could contact me when something comes in. As I was giving them my phone number, Dad walked up. He was dropping off a prescription for Stacia. Had he been there moments earlier, all news would have been blown. Our plans for telling him Wednesday would have gone out the window. Wow! TIMING. So I left without getting my prenatals and had to go back today. I keep thinking - who am I going to run into at Walmart today?
Aldo had to drive Ruby to work today. He said they were talking about her kids and how they parent, etc. and the topic of birth came up. They traded horror stories and Aldo said, "Next time…" in words more or less. Ruby straight up asked if we were pregnant. He threw up his hands and said, "Well, I hope so, we've been trying for 4 years…" HE IS THE WORST AT KEEPING SECRETS. YOU CAN READ HIS FACE.
Speaking of reading faces, John came up to me at church on Sunday and said I was glowing and had been for the past couple of weeks. He asked me if I was pregnant. I walked away (I was sitting right next to mom! I'll be surprised if she didn't hear or has any hint by now.) and said, "What?! Glowing? You're crazy." He follows me toward the restroom and calls it out again. How in the world did he know? I didn't know last Sunday! It wasn't an actual possibility in my mind until I came home from school somewhere mid-week.
I'd like to write more but I'm not sure what to say. I'm eager for August 2015. All of this in-between stuff is antagonizing. I made my first OB/GYN appointment for December 23rd! Same doctor Luke had; she was amazing. And it's on a Tuesday so Aldo will be able to come with me. I wonder if she'll remember us. Second, I have to sign up for WIC again. I want to get a white board going with names. I want to shop til I drop for baby clothes. And have a belly already!! How different is this pregnancy going to be from the first? How different is this child going to be from Luke? I think of me and Maecy and how different we are - school, athletics, career paths, humor, etc. It's nuts. How different is this little one's personality going to be. And as I type this - I cross my fingers that this will also be an easy birth. I fear sometimes that Luke was so easy, the next one will be the "48 hours of labor" or something. And that Luke has been so easy as a kid, the next one will be the one that turns our hair gray. Last, I know that the first gets attention because they're the only child. And the second one is kind of breezier… but I want to capture every moment with Number 2. I want every one of my children to get one-on-one attention. I'll try my best. As I've said before, ever since I was little all I wanted to do was be a mother. I'm so happy I get to be a mother again! This house needs a baby in it.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Surprise - We're Pregnant!
6 Weeks
We've been wanting a baby for a while, so it's been exciting news. I still think it hasn't hit me yet though, because I feel like my belly should be popped out. I forgot all about the pre-belly part: the initial doctor appointments, the car sickness and eating nothing but Cup O' Soups, the announcing to family and friends, the absence of a belly and feeling pretty normal and wandering what the baby's doing in there - oh, it's only gas.
Well, the first thing that hinted at being pregnant is that I've been keeping track of my cycles. After I missed three days I took a test. Negative. I noticed later that I was drinking a lot of water. Way more than usual for me - I never drink enough. So I took another test after five days. Negative. The next day, in the morning when I was teaching school, I felt an instant bout of tiredness. I thought I was going to pass out on the kids. I kept telling myself to get it together. So they went up for exercises and I drank more water to wake myself up. At this point I still felt like I wasn't pregnant and I was just off schedule. Lunch was coming up and I could hear Miss Pat upstairs getting ready. An awful stench drifted downstairs like rotted meat. It was so gross! I figured, maybe she's cleaning out the fridge or dog got something, older kid did something - we're not eating that. When we walked upstairs for lunch, it was spaghetti and I smelled it again. As we were sitting at the table, I looked around at the kids and at Miss Pat. Nobody said anything about it. Doesn't anyone smell it? They just kept eating like it was delicious spaghetti. So I took a bite. As it came up to my mouth, I could smell it. As it was in my mouth, I could taste it. So I prayed silently that I wouldn't get E. Coli or Ebola Virus and kept eating. It bugged me all day. Before bed I got out the phone and looked up the symptoms of pregnancy. Sure enough - fatigue, frequent urination, food cravings, nausea, spotting, constipation, tenderness, and heightened sense of smell. All of which I was having.
For the past week I had been waking up early for some reason, from 3:30-5:30 in the morning every day. It sucked. The next day after looking up the symptoms, I woke up at 5:30 with the urge to go to the bathroom. I thought, I don't want to get out of bed. Go back to sleep, go back to sleep, go back to sleep. Ugh - I'm awake. Might as well take a test. I got up, took a test. Positive. I knew it! I KNEW IT!! The rest of the morning I was wide awake, trying to secretly wake up Aldo by nudging him with my elbow or drooping my feet on him. He finally woke up around 7:00 am and went into the bathroom. I had left the test out on the counter for him to see. He came back out and said, "So, what are we going to do today?" Uhhhhh….. I said, "I think you need to brush your teeth." He went back in and came back out. "Didn't you see anything in there, honey?" "No." I got out of bed and went in the bathroom, and waved my hands magically over the positive test. His face LIT UP. He immediately wanted to call everybody, but I wouldn't let him call everyone. We phoned Zac, Pastor Tony, and Miss C. Then we planned how we were going to tell the rest of the family. Christmas is coming up you know…
That was Wednesday, December 10th. Later that day I had to work at the library and Mitzy planned a small Christmas get-together before Christmas because Lily and Vero are going to Texas for the holidays. We agreed to keep it secret until Christmas. Aldo called me at the library saying he was going to blab. I gave him a pep talk, and after I hung up, it was hard to keep it from the ladies at the library who overheard. They were all ECSTATIC for us too. Luke's going to be a big brother!
Thursday, Aldo planned on meeting up with his dad for lunch and surprising him by bringing him by Luke's swim lessons. Afterwards he would tell him that for Christmas we want to take him shooting at the shooting range. I can't wait to impress him with my sharpshooting skills (something I found out this last Thanksgiving). While we were standing there, he turned to me and says, "I'm going to tell him." "Ok." We went back to watching Luke swim, and after Luke is done I look over - Aldo had showed him the little picture I made without me knowing. I missed his finding-out face! Aldo says he did a double take and was super happy.
Yesterday, I went to the regular doctor for confirmation. She said I was 6 weeks pregnant and need to schedule soon with my OB/GYN, prescribed me some pre-natals, and my EDC (estimated date of confinement or due date) is August 5th.
I'm so excited. Luke said he wants a sister that is his age. Not sure that's how it works. But he's so good with babies! And he needs a play friend. If I have baby around August, then within a month Luke will go to Kindergarten. He'll get to ride the bus and have his own thing. There won't be much rivalry, I'll have time for both! I'm so excited for it to come. And for his reaction on Christmas Eve. For Mom's reaction, for Dad's reaction! For Aldo and Luke to feel my pregnant tummy together! For Luke to whisper secrets to my belly. For having to make a circle with my arms at night for where the baby will be. For baby showers! And diaper bags and baby shoes and clothes! This is going to be great!
We've been wanting a baby for a while, so it's been exciting news. I still think it hasn't hit me yet though, because I feel like my belly should be popped out. I forgot all about the pre-belly part: the initial doctor appointments, the car sickness and eating nothing but Cup O' Soups, the announcing to family and friends, the absence of a belly and feeling pretty normal and wandering what the baby's doing in there - oh, it's only gas.
Well, the first thing that hinted at being pregnant is that I've been keeping track of my cycles. After I missed three days I took a test. Negative. I noticed later that I was drinking a lot of water. Way more than usual for me - I never drink enough. So I took another test after five days. Negative. The next day, in the morning when I was teaching school, I felt an instant bout of tiredness. I thought I was going to pass out on the kids. I kept telling myself to get it together. So they went up for exercises and I drank more water to wake myself up. At this point I still felt like I wasn't pregnant and I was just off schedule. Lunch was coming up and I could hear Miss Pat upstairs getting ready. An awful stench drifted downstairs like rotted meat. It was so gross! I figured, maybe she's cleaning out the fridge or dog got something, older kid did something - we're not eating that. When we walked upstairs for lunch, it was spaghetti and I smelled it again. As we were sitting at the table, I looked around at the kids and at Miss Pat. Nobody said anything about it. Doesn't anyone smell it? They just kept eating like it was delicious spaghetti. So I took a bite. As it came up to my mouth, I could smell it. As it was in my mouth, I could taste it. So I prayed silently that I wouldn't get E. Coli or Ebola Virus and kept eating. It bugged me all day. Before bed I got out the phone and looked up the symptoms of pregnancy. Sure enough - fatigue, frequent urination, food cravings, nausea, spotting, constipation, tenderness, and heightened sense of smell. All of which I was having.
For the past week I had been waking up early for some reason, from 3:30-5:30 in the morning every day. It sucked. The next day after looking up the symptoms, I woke up at 5:30 with the urge to go to the bathroom. I thought, I don't want to get out of bed. Go back to sleep, go back to sleep, go back to sleep. Ugh - I'm awake. Might as well take a test. I got up, took a test. Positive. I knew it! I KNEW IT!! The rest of the morning I was wide awake, trying to secretly wake up Aldo by nudging him with my elbow or drooping my feet on him. He finally woke up around 7:00 am and went into the bathroom. I had left the test out on the counter for him to see. He came back out and said, "So, what are we going to do today?" Uhhhhh….. I said, "I think you need to brush your teeth." He went back in and came back out. "Didn't you see anything in there, honey?" "No." I got out of bed and went in the bathroom, and waved my hands magically over the positive test. His face LIT UP. He immediately wanted to call everybody, but I wouldn't let him call everyone. We phoned Zac, Pastor Tony, and Miss C. Then we planned how we were going to tell the rest of the family. Christmas is coming up you know…
That was Wednesday, December 10th. Later that day I had to work at the library and Mitzy planned a small Christmas get-together before Christmas because Lily and Vero are going to Texas for the holidays. We agreed to keep it secret until Christmas. Aldo called me at the library saying he was going to blab. I gave him a pep talk, and after I hung up, it was hard to keep it from the ladies at the library who overheard. They were all ECSTATIC for us too. Luke's going to be a big brother!
Thursday, Aldo planned on meeting up with his dad for lunch and surprising him by bringing him by Luke's swim lessons. Afterwards he would tell him that for Christmas we want to take him shooting at the shooting range. I can't wait to impress him with my sharpshooting skills (something I found out this last Thanksgiving). While we were standing there, he turned to me and says, "I'm going to tell him." "Ok." We went back to watching Luke swim, and after Luke is done I look over - Aldo had showed him the little picture I made without me knowing. I missed his finding-out face! Aldo says he did a double take and was super happy.
Yesterday, I went to the regular doctor for confirmation. She said I was 6 weeks pregnant and need to schedule soon with my OB/GYN, prescribed me some pre-natals, and my EDC (estimated date of confinement or due date) is August 5th.
I'm so excited. Luke said he wants a sister that is his age. Not sure that's how it works. But he's so good with babies! And he needs a play friend. If I have baby around August, then within a month Luke will go to Kindergarten. He'll get to ride the bus and have his own thing. There won't be much rivalry, I'll have time for both! I'm so excited for it to come. And for his reaction on Christmas Eve. For Mom's reaction, for Dad's reaction! For Aldo and Luke to feel my pregnant tummy together! For Luke to whisper secrets to my belly. For having to make a circle with my arms at night for where the baby will be. For baby showers! And diaper bags and baby shoes and clothes! This is going to be great!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Oh, Boy!
Clifford didn't last long. It was probably just that one day. We're still stuck on Elmo.
Except he will watch other shows. "I Know" (which is the tv series "Psych") and movies with recognizable objects or animals like "Stuart Little" and "Kung Fu Panda".
Before I forget to mention it, I just wanted to say that Luke can now count to 10 in English and 3 in Spanish. I try to speak in Spanish, but he seems to want to learn English more with me. Anyway, as we jump down the stairs we count... one, two, thee, four, fii, ix, circle, a, ni, ten! I don't know where the "circle" came from. It just happened that way. My mom says that it reminds her of when I was little and I would say that "the dish ran over the spoon". He also knows what a star is (we put glow-in-the-dark stars up on his ceiling). And he can repeat colors and sometimes pick out the correct one. Body parts his knows - hair, eyes, ears, nose, mouth/boca, tongue/lengua, chin, neck, teeth/cheese, cheek, button, pitties (major attachment to deodorant, so we had to buy him his own travel size), big cheeks (thank you tia), and toes/piggies.
More importantly... he is such a BOY!!! I knew it would be different than when my sister was little. But wow! He is such a boy! He wants to rough house, make huge messes, etc. His goal every day is to - in one word - DESTROY! Daddy has taught him especially well on how to wrestle and fight. When those two play it is so funny how Luke swings those arms and belly flops on Daddy. And he's smart! So I've had several complaints on Luke hitting other kids. Sigh... how do you teach a child that it's ok to "play" fight with Daddy, but you can't "play" or "serious" fight with other kids? Tough lesson. But we're trying. And it doesn't help that he has two boy cousins that were just as rough with him when he was younger, and act crazy. The other day I heard a story that while Luke was hanging out at the cousins' house, they were fighting over some toy probably. Luke, I guess, didn't want to argue, and instead grabbed his cousin by the hair and pushed him to the floor. The cousin, a heavy-set almost-three-year-old, started crying. Sigh again. I really don't want to raise the bully.
The good news is - he loves his mommy!
Except he will watch other shows. "I Know" (which is the tv series "Psych") and movies with recognizable objects or animals like "Stuart Little" and "Kung Fu Panda".
Before I forget to mention it, I just wanted to say that Luke can now count to 10 in English and 3 in Spanish. I try to speak in Spanish, but he seems to want to learn English more with me. Anyway, as we jump down the stairs we count... one, two, thee, four, fii, ix, circle, a, ni, ten! I don't know where the "circle" came from. It just happened that way. My mom says that it reminds her of when I was little and I would say that "the dish ran over the spoon". He also knows what a star is (we put glow-in-the-dark stars up on his ceiling). And he can repeat colors and sometimes pick out the correct one. Body parts his knows - hair, eyes, ears, nose, mouth/boca, tongue/lengua, chin, neck, teeth/cheese, cheek, button, pitties (major attachment to deodorant, so we had to buy him his own travel size), big cheeks (thank you tia), and toes/piggies.
More importantly... he is such a BOY!!! I knew it would be different than when my sister was little. But wow! He is such a boy! He wants to rough house, make huge messes, etc. His goal every day is to - in one word - DESTROY! Daddy has taught him especially well on how to wrestle and fight. When those two play it is so funny how Luke swings those arms and belly flops on Daddy. And he's smart! So I've had several complaints on Luke hitting other kids. Sigh... how do you teach a child that it's ok to "play" fight with Daddy, but you can't "play" or "serious" fight with other kids? Tough lesson. But we're trying. And it doesn't help that he has two boy cousins that were just as rough with him when he was younger, and act crazy. The other day I heard a story that while Luke was hanging out at the cousins' house, they were fighting over some toy probably. Luke, I guess, didn't want to argue, and instead grabbed his cousin by the hair and pushed him to the floor. The cousin, a heavy-set almost-three-year-old, started crying. Sigh again. I really don't want to raise the bully.
The good news is - he loves his mommy!
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