Week 20

Our week of Christmas Vacation was wonderful. No one had covid, no one was sick (well, Becky had the 12 hour stomach bug one night but that was so short and Brian dealt with it...I was lucky he was still up and let this pregnant lady keep sleeping) so I guess that one person was sick...but what a restful amazing vacation!!! The best one we have had in a while. 

Christmas was wonderful, we attended church, visited my parents, saw my mother in law, exchanged gifts and rested. I feel like we had a good balance of rest and family time. All through the week we read books, played video games and board games, cleaned rooms, played with presents and even took turns napping. My husband got me some great gifts (gifts is my love language). I received yarn for sock knitting, a purse, chocolate, and we got a joint gift of FF12 for the switch, which has been really fun to replay. I also got new bed sheets which I told him was not very romantic but I suppose 10 years of marriage makes it acceptable. 

We had the oddest weather (as did most of us in the United States...) The first three days of Christmas vacation it was freezing. Overnight when I woke up to pee (pregnancy...) I saw it was 4f at 2:30am. I put more wood on the fire. Frost grew on the insides of our windows! Then we ended the week with 60f days and summer clothes. And next week looks like wonder weather with each day estimated at 50-60f! When it was freezing cold one door on our car wouldn't work. Seriously. We had to wait until it was above 20f to be able to close it. Crazy! It never gets that cold here...very rare. Was interesting. Maybe it will happen again next year?

When I was reading comments on a YouTube video I saw someone in California was complaining it was in the 30s there. I had to laugh. This is probably what people from Canada and Alaska think of me marveling at the teen temperatures we had!

Pregnancy wise things are going okay. I have started testing my blood sugar to bring in a week of numbers on the 5th. My fasting is "high" (they want it below 95) and it's around 96-98 when I check in the morning. Hopefully this is not a problem. Baby is doing great, I feel lots of movement this week, squirmy squiggles and I am still on the keto diet. And soon we find out what we are having and I will have more ultrasound pictures to share! I think my fasting is "high" for one, I don't sleep through the night, and two, feet-on-the-floor phenomenon is a real thing. It happened last time. 

How was everyones week? I am grateful we didn't lose electricity with the crazy weather. I am grateful for good health, a warm fire, and a husband who pitched in! Here is to the next term of school...our next vacation will include me birthing this baby and all the wonderfulness that is postpartum...

Week 19...and a half

Today we made Christmas cookies and the kids are so excited about celebrating Christmas in just a few short days. I am a few days shy of halfway to baby. Or, I hope, over halfway! This baby is going to be 'done' before 40 weeks right? I don't know. No one knows. Except God and he hasn't told me.

Anyway. We find out the gender January 5th!! My pregnancy is going well so far; no issues besides vitamin D deficiency that I have supplemented (and I have a ton more energy now too; so I definitely needed it). I am taking fermented cod liver oil.

I wish I could show how how many loud bangs, crying, and "I"m hungry" interruptions happened in the last two paragraphs but alas, I did not take any pictures and everyone is fine. Children are wonderful but also I need 10 minutes alone please.

I ordered a high chair for the baby. It is a bit early for a high chair but it was on sale, matches the one that becky uses (its a grow with me one) and it's probably better to space out the purchasees so it doesn't happen all at once. My list right now for baby is:

• Dock-A-Tot
• Baby clothes at least to 6m size in the home and swaddles
• Baby Wrap for mom and carrier for dad
• Aquire crib from friend (yay just have to pick it up and assemble)
• Sids alarm (I plan to not sleep with this baby you can laugh with me later)
• Baby play mat
• Loads of non-cloth diapers and wipes
• Breast Pump
• High Chair

I don't think there is anything else I honestly need. We got rid of all the baby stuff after my last miscarriage (I needed to...) and I did not think I would ever have another baby. Actually I planned on not having another baby. God decided differently for some Unfathomable Reason. And I am grateful because his ways are better...they are even if I don't understand it.

A friend gave me a baby swing which will be amazing and with that and the baby mat I should be set with "zones" that are only for baby and not for my older kids. 

Anyway, I still am in shock that I am going to give birth to another human...I haven't breastfed anything in 2.5 years and I haven't changed diapers in 2. I really am in for an entire life adjustment. 

My kids play with tons of non baby safe toys that will have to be carefully regulated once the tiny human I am creating learns to crawl. Thinking of getting gates for their room doors.

Lately I have been vacillating between nesting and angst. There are so many things I want to change about my house and while I can make some small changes there is nothing I can do about many things and it makes me want to scream!! I want to move, husband does not want to move, this is a recurring monthly argument that I need to lay to rest. My children are growing up faster than bean spouts in springs (Reuben will be 8 this summer what?!) and I am desperately in need of clothes that will fit a medium sized watermelon in the torso region. There are so many changes happening at once and I am trying to cope and failing but at least I am laughing and praising God though it all. 

Daily I wonder what the next year of homeschooling (Reuben's year 3, Beckys first year of kindergarten) will look like with a tiny human underfoot, and lets not even wonder how I will cook anything much less teach math and read books. 

I need to take at least one bump pick. Maybe a Christmas 20-week photo!! I need to do a week of finger pokes for my midwife who is insisting I still do this even though I am eating keto and the idea of having high blood sugar on keto is a conundrum. Sigh. Hopefully this one week and maybe another around 26 will be enough and I can not spend the whole pregnancy poking myself 4 times a day like I had to with Becky. It would be nice.

God is good and Christmas is going to be wonderful.

Week 17

We just got back from Reuben's dental appointment and it isn't going well. I think he might be too young for what we are trying to do (get him to breathe though his nose). He keeps taking the device out of his mouth so I am basically throwing money away every month for them to put it back in. I think when he is older and more aware of what the device is for and understands the health benefits he can make the choice not to mess with it. But we are still going to try until I have this baby.

On top of all Reuben's dental bills, we are starting to get prenatal bills We got the bills for my first appointment and for the panic-inducing act of having my blood drawn, after insurance, we were billed $300. Then there was a separate bill for the ultrasound and the consultation. 

I had to take a step back and be reminded (with my husband) that it's worth it. And also to remember to pray. God knew I was going to have a baby in 2023 and he also knew that Reuben was going to be born unable to breathe out of his nose. He is in control and I trust him! Yes I want to fix him right now so his health can be improved...I want him to sleep better (he snores terribly) and for his facial bones to grow correctly, (mouth breathers have issues!) but I am not God. I must remember to wait and pray and abide in him. His timing is perfect and this is worth trying even if it leads no where. At least I will know something that doesn't work.

This Christmas is going to be a much smaller Christmas than last year. Last year I bought everything in October/November for Christmas and our budget was comfortable. I was worried Brian was going to lose his job because we did not want the vaccine (do you guys remember that craziness); but he did not end up losing his job thankfully and prayerfully!! But I wanted to make sure we had a Christmas if he did; and thus I shopped early. This year our budget is half of what it was last year. I mean, we don't really need anything. We have each other! But with the medical issues and crazy inflation, and saving for baby stuff, that is what we have. We are really blessed because many people don't have that, and I am still able to buy my wild caught salmon I keep craving from fresh market. And we have been able to fix our cars several times this year... We really do have everything we need. Just different is...different. 

Anyway. We are doing well. I am learning (still) to dwell on the positives instead of the negatives. And I'm 17 weeks and my nausea seems finally to be 90% gone. Hooray! 

Oh and isn't Becky's new haircut (I cut it for her) just adorable?! She loves it!