Snow!

We finally have a REAL snowfall! Measurable, and white, and needing shovelling. It's about time, after all, it is mid-January!






I have been working on a cover for my Kindle Fire. I am knitting it in seed stitch, which is proving to be tedious, but I understand that the seed stitching will make the cover denser than a regular stockinette stitch, so I can put up with it.



And, I'm not sure I like the feel of the yarn. It isn't as soft and luscious as I was imagining, and feels a little coarse. I don't think it will damage the Kindle, nor do I think the Kindle has an opinion on the softness of the yarn, so I will press on with the project. I do like the colorway, I have to say!

I also have started a pair of socks for Josiah, which are just plain stockinette stitch, so when I tire of the seed stitch, I can still put my hands to work on something productive. I've also started a shawl in fingering weight yarn, which I'm realizing is going to take a bit to finish. Ha! All three projects are in fingering weight yarn, a.k.a., sock yarn. I love working with it!

Yesterday afternoon I had my first prenatal check up, which went fine. We tried to hear the heart beat, but at just 10 weeks, I knew it was too early, but hey, you never know unless you try! My next appointment is in four weeks, so I'll definitely be able to hear it then.

Have a wonderful day!

Visited by the Stork last Night

Well, once again God showed His perfect timing in our lives. We were again toying with the idea of using castor oil to induce labor Tuesday night, but there was an ice storm predicted for between midnight and 6am Wednesday morning, and decided to wait until the weather cleared.

I was fine with that, and we had a nice supper, did the kids baths, then I got a shower and prayed for the Lord to keep showing us His will by opening doors or shutting them clearly, as I was not able at that point to be objective.

After my shower dh put in a movie for the kids and I laid down in bed and read for a while. I had a really good braxton hick around 8pm, and then felt a "pop". Yup... my water broke a little after 8.

Of course we called the mw and assistants and I assured her "It wasn't my fault!" LOL.

Our newest blessing arrived at 10:24pm, December 23rd. (that's about 2 hours and 20 minutes of labor, btw... )

Here are the stats:
Isaac Nathanael Post
8 lbs 5oz
19 1/2 inches long

Will be posting a pic soon as I figure out how to upload it onto the laptop.

Redeeming the Time....

Still waiting here... trying to fill the days with constructive activity as much as possible and not get too stir crazy! I am almost sorry that we ended school on Friday. Maybe it would have been better to just keep working until tomorrow? Too late to change now.

Did some more baking yesterday, a chocolate peppermint cookie from the Pioneer Woman's blog. Hers came out much nicer than mine did, so I'm not going to post any pics. I was told, however, that they tasted good.

Today we did some cleaning downstairs, some vacuuming upstaird, made and decorated some cut out cookies, did laundry, and some general puttering around. OH yeah, we stacked some wood. You'd think that would have started labor, but it didn't.

Dale is off work for about a week and half for their usual holiday shut down. It will be nice to have him home.

I am glad everything is in readiness, but I feel like I am basically sitting around, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for this little to arrive. I keep telling the baby "he" and I will both be more comfortable when he is on the outside. (He is a generic term... I am no politically correct!)

In the meantime, trying to be patient.

Pregnancy Induced ADHD and Insomnia

I've never seen this professionally diagnosed, but I really believe that I am experiencing both those conditions now.

Yesterday I decided I needed to tune the violin. Then I noticed the dust on it. Oops, that means I haven't been practicing, but oh well. So I got out the dust rag and spray stuff, then noticed the entire top of the piano needed attention. I took off everything from the top to dust. I had the violin, flute, and four recorders, digital tuner, rosen, bow, and sundry knicknacks strewn about so I could do a good job dusting. As I was doing that I happened to notice the violin cases were also very dusty and had to shove the box of blocks out of the way to get to it, but also had to shove the footstool out of the way to move the box of blocks so I could get to the violin case. Then I noticed the back and top of the T.v.... yup, dusty. Before long I had the living room somewhat in shambles. Why is it to do a good job cleaning it requires making a bigger mess?

Amidst all of this, my friend Amy (the one I trade off piano lessons for tutoring with) stopped by. We didn't have anything planned, but she was dropping off some stuff she had for us that she forgot when we met Saturday. So, we sat in the dismantled living room, sipping tea, and chatting for a while. It was nice to have a long chat without the tutoring and piano lessons to mess with.

After she left I put the living room back together and we had lunch, naps, I set up the crock pot for supper, and did the school corrections. While everyone except Jerusha, was outside for I noticed dust on the vent over the stove. I cleared all the counters and took the stove apart, down to the knobs, the burners out, drip pans outs, and the top lifted up like the hood of a car, and scrubbed it down very well. Then I scrubbled the counters and toaster, and coffee maker.. you get the idea.

Then Dale got home from grocery shopping and we put the stuff away, had supper, did chores, family devotions, and then kids were in bed. I trimmed the baby quilt so I can bind it today. Then I had a snack, got a shower, read for a while, then went to sleep.

The violin never got tuned.

This morning I had a bout of wakefulness from 4a.m. to 5:30 or so. Ugh. I had the same thing Sunday morning too. Just.. awake. No contractions, not particularly worried.. just wide awake.

So, I am off to tune the violin... Oh look, something shiney!!!!!!

Pregnancy Update and 38 week belly pic

We had a good appointment with my MW yesterday, as usual. My weight was the same as it was a month ago, which is good. My bp was 112/62, urine stuff all normal, and baby movement good, heart rate good, etc. I asked her to do a check and I am about 2cm dialated, but no effacement, though the cervix is soft, but not thinned yet. Baby's head is down, so that's a go.

I have been told in the past I am a "full moon" birther, and tonight is a full moon.. but I have strict instructions from the MW to wait another week as she has 3 ladies who are due ahead of me all claiming to be full moon birthers as well. She said it wouldn't be fair for me to cut in line. :)

I did wake up in the night with some really good braxton hicks.. the real crampy kind that get your attention, but didn't amount to anything. I have been getting several per day, but it is usually more the "tightening" sensation of the muscles, not necessarily cramping.

So.. we are waiting until the end of next week before we think about any aggressive induction methods. I REALLY would like this baby to make an appearance before Christmas.

Oh, I almost forgot.. here's the 38 belly pic. Lord willing it will be the last one before baby is born. :)

Taking a Deep Breath and Pregnancy Update with Belly Shot

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I pray everyone had a wonderful time with family, and enjoyed the bounty of the Lord! Like everyone else, we had days of busyness leading up to the arrival of much welcomed grandparents, and a big meal on Thursday. Oh, and yes, we finished our costumes. Here is a group pic of what we did:



My folks had bought some new furniture and asked if we wanted the old. We did, and they generously rented a U-Haul, and hauled it out here for us. The new rec area downstairs is so tidy and cozy looking now! There will be many enjoyable hours spent around the woodstove, reading, playing a game, etc. Here is a couple pics of the new and improved area:





This morning I had my home visit with the MW and assistants. Woohoo! We are in the home stretch. We talked over all contingency plans and emergency plans, and figured out what else I need to add to the birthing stuff, and chatted and chatted, and did a quick check up. While she was getting the heart rate on the baby, the baby wiggled and squirmed, and promptly got the hiccups. My BP was good, as usual, for which I am thankful. It really won't be long now... 2 to 4 weeks at most. I am thinking about my "want to get done" list before the baby is born realizing NO WAY I'm going to get it all done. That's okay. I am working on prioritizing it now. Here is a side shot of my 36 week belly:



Here is a front view:



After all the adrenaline rush from getting ready for company, and having Grandparents here, we have basically taken it easy today, not getting our usual Saturday stuff done, but just doing the basics. I'll be jumping back into a mad sewing spree, and schooling, and nesting, and cooking ahead this week.

I was able to cut out the twins' jumpers that I am making for them as a Christmas surprise while they were outside today. They are made out of denim, with embroidered flowers in the fabric. I have one to cut out for Jerusha but ran out of time, and she was a little too interested in what Mama was doing and asking all kinds of questions, so I figured I better wait until one of her naptimes. I also have to cut out PJ bottoms for Benjamin for Christmas. I'll hopefully be able to get all that done pretty quickly. I also need to make some receiving blankets before this little one arrives. Those are all the priority right now. If I can do anything beyond that (besides getting the applesauce done, schoolwork done, and Christmas stuff wrapped, etc... ) then I'll be surprised. The time between now and when baby arrives is going to be busy, thankfully.

One "side effect" from today's visit that I hadn't really thought about was that it made my edginess go up a notch. As far as I am concerned, this baby can pop out anytime now, and it wouldn't hurt my feelings any. I am thankful that we are now in a safe zone as far as the timing goes. I am still praying to have the baby around 38 weeks, and in the middle of the night when the children are asleep. Oh, and I'm praying for a peaceful, smooth as possible, QUICK, labor.

At least I'm not picky, eh?

Pregnancy Update and Misc.

First off, I want to congratulate Leah and Scott on the birth of their daughter! If you scroll down on the Quiverful Blog roll on my side bar, her blog is The Reformed Farmer's wife. Can't wait to see the pics, Leah!

Yesterday, as I mentioned, I had an appointment with my MW. Everything is good, and as usual we spent much time chatting, though in our defense, most of it was "business" this time. I've been controlling my blood sugar levels with a strict diet, and she was impressed with how I was doing. The only thing is that I still have higher readings after breakfast than I would like, even though I eat all protein at that meal. I've tried several things, and my MW was able to give me another couple ideas. The numbers aren't horrible, just it irks me I can't get them down in the morning more. The rest of the day they are fine. Maybe it is a touch of OCD, I don't know. LOL.

My blood pressure was 122/64, and urine was normal. I did lose 6lbs over the last month, but after discussing it we figured it was due to the fact that I have been having almost no carbs in my diet for that long. I feel fine (well, except for when I overdo.. hahahahha) and actually have more energy in this pregnancy at this point than I have in most of the others. It isn't like I don't have extra weight to spare! LOL... baby is measuring right on for my 34 plus weeks.

Oh and woohoo! My next appointment will be the wonderful HOME VISIT! Those of you who homebirth know that the HOME VISIT appointment is a milestone in the pregnancy. It means... the end is very near! I will be about 36 weeks then, and we will start some methods of inducing.. herbal treatments that work over a few weeks, or something.

After having not done ANYTHING for this baby, suddenly it is all starting to come together. We have the birthing kit, thanks to the MW and the "leftovers" people have given her. I just have to pick up a few personal items. Last night at Walmart I got some caps for the baby, some onsies, and some nursing pads. It sounds crazy, but for me, that was a major step in my mental thinking about this birth.

I have discovered this baby does not like to share space. When I had the ultrasound, the technician was commenting on how long the baby is. Great... a tall baby on a short mama. Well, that makes for a very limited residence in utero. If I rest my arms on my tummy (it makes a convenient shelf!) the baby kicks at them as if to say "Hey, get out of my space!". While we were getting His/Her heartrate yesterday, the show of kicking, moving, twisting under the stethoscope was quite impressive. The MW had a hard time getting a read on the heartrate. Finally she was able to hear it long enough to get a count. But watching my tummy go back and forth and undulate was hilarious! Of course, me laughing didn't help at all either.

I had more blood drawn for an A1C count agian. I will be curious to see what it is after the last month or so of really watching my numbers and sugar/carb etc. intake. The tests have been coming out normal, though the high end of normal. It will be interesting to see what it is this time.

There is the basic update for now. :)

Next "project" I have going is finishing the girls' dresses (I really AM almost done!), doing my jumper, Christmas stuff for the kids, and maybe working on a couple of nursing outfits if I have time. Today I hope to finish making the buttonholes on the dresses and get the buttons on. Seriously, that is how close I am... then they will be DONE! I am also making yet another meal for the freezer, and Benjamin is working on some banana whole wheat muffins now as I type. The twins are doing the dishes, Josiah is helping with some folding, Jerusha is finishing her breakfast, and Caleb is changing his pants. The ones he had on were, well, very "Holy", if you know what I mean, and somewhat shredded, and too small for him, so those will be thrown out.

Oh, I almost forgot... looky what we have!

Pregnancy ramblings, everyday life, and mourning collide

Our days have been full of activity, but the normal, everyday, activity at a reasonable level of busyness. Homeschooling and chores, and baking, and sewing and everything else that goes along with raising children, have kept our days full. I'm glad for that! I've started walking slowly, a little at a time again, with no ill effects, for which I am thankful. The children have been making it a habit to get up at the crack of dawn, or before, when Dale gets up for work. They do their Bible reading then start work on their schoolwork. The result is that by the time I'm up and haven't even finished my coffee yet is that they have a pile of schoolwork done for the day! I'm glad they have that initiative. There are things they can't do without me, like some research we are doing on the computer, for example, or obviously they can't practice piano or recorder that early. But they try and get as much of their independent work out of the way they can.

Yesterday they spent some time out in the garden harvesting the sunflower seeds. They noticed the birds eating them, so they took a bucket out to pick some. We will use them to put in our little bird feeder that Benjamin made during VBS this summer throughout the winter. Next for the garden is plucking up all the used up sunflower plants, corn stalks, and digging up the carrots. Then we will be getting a load of manure to spread. Over that we will put a thin layer of leaves, which are falling very quickly this year it seems! It will rest over the winter, and Lord willing, before it is plowed next year we'll get a little more fertilizer and lime in it.

My sewing is progressing slowly it seems. I hope to be able to spend a good deal of time on it today. I spent the last day doing what I call "prep work" for the sewing. I made the back ties for the dresses, got the interfacing on the collars, cut the contrast fabric ruffles for the collar, etc. Today I hope to get the back ties sewed on, fronts sewed to the backs, and at least a good start on getting the collars put together.

Tuesday in the mail I received an order I had placed with Ringger Clothing. I HIGHLY recommend her site. If you sign up for the everyday emails, you can get some good deals that she advertises in those. I ordered two jumpers (one for each of the twins) and a maternity skirt for myself. I have to say I am very pleased with the fit and comfort of the garments, and the quality of the workmanship. I wore the skirt yesterday and it was very comfy, had plenty of room for expansion. The twins love their new jumpers as well. Amy Ringger and I emailed back and forth quite a bit over the order, and she was very pleasant to work with. The garments arrived quickly too, and caught me be surprise. It was my intention to have a pic taken yesterday but never got a round to it. We'll be wearing them again soon, so I'll have our pics taken then. I love to do our own sewing, but sometimes I get so far behind I just need a little help. :)

It is funny how everything can be going along fine, peacefully, and then BAM! Just like that the waterworks turn on. Last night was one of those nights. The kids were all in bed, and Dale and I were reading in bed, and just all of sudden I just needed to cry! I had these flashbacks of when we lost Aaron going very clearly through my head.. what it felt like to find out he was gone, what the aftermath was like, and it hurt like it did last winter! Then I started to have a real fear for this pregnancy. I just don't think I can take it if we lose this baby. I know God doesn't give you the grace for trials until you get there, but just thinking about it near drove me to a panic.

And, as usual, emotions run opposite of each other. Whenever one of the kids kiss my rounding tummy, I want to say "don't get too attached just yet". But I don't, of course. I try to focus on the positive.. that they love babies, that they have a simple faith in God. They can live in the moment and not worry about what may or may not happen. They are so matter of fact about it! A couple weeks ago Josiah turned to me and said "I hope this baby doesn't die, like Aaron did." Then went on doing his schoolwork. I think I responded "Me too!" or something like that. Then Josiah said "Well, if he does, at least we know God is still in control." Out of the mouth of babes!

I go from trying to skim over the surface of hope. Every time the baby kicks, or has the hiccups, I try not to get overly hopeful about the birth. At the same time, I try to enjoy every moment so if something does happen, then at least I can look back on the pregnancy with some joy. It is a hard balance to find.

Back to last night... after Dale hugged me for a while, we talked a bit about things. As I was blowing my nose for the hundredth time the baby started kicking my arm that was draped across my belly. I put Dale's hand on the spot and he was rewarded with several very strong kicks. Now, he has felt babies kicking before, but he hasn't felt this one this strongly yet. The baby likes to kick hard, then move so it has been a bit tricky getting Dale's hand in the right spot. Last night was really the first time he felt the baby kick so well. His eyes popped open wide with surprise, and said "Wow! That was a good one! You're going to be bruised on the inside!" I responded.. "Just think of what that will be like in a couple more months!" But really, each time the baby kicks, I appreciate it and enjoy it.

Overall I would say everything is going smoothly as possible, and that there are just these little pockets of time when I just need to cry and get it out of my system because I am feeling overwhelmed by it all. I still try to maintain an emotional equilibrium as much as possible, which takes more and more energy as time goes on.

Well, that is where I am.. at least for now.

Finished Product, Pattern Review, and Belly Shot

Well, there it is! The finished Catherine's Choice maternity/nursing dress, and 28 week belly shot all in one. :)

I love the nursing openings in this dress. They are hidden under the overlay, but they are constructed like the Elizabeth Lee patterns. If you look on the package, you'll see that Elizabeth Lee had a hand in testing the pattern, btw. I also really like the full skirt, and the fact you don't have to make it so full if you don't want to. I love the bracelet sleeves, and the sleeve length! 3/4 length is perfect for me in the winter. I hate having to roll up sleeves while working in the kitchen, then having them unroll at a most inopportune time. There are also great tips for alterations, and different ways to do the parts of the pattern. You can use this pattern and get many different style dresses from it. Overall, I would give this pattern 4 out of 5 stars.

What I don't like are the tops of the sleeves. Next time I will add more fullness to them on the top, though the bottoms seem fine. Also, because of my height, er, lack thereof, I had to chop a good 2 inches off the bottom before I even hemmed it, and that brought it to about ankle length. Also the scoop neck was too low for my taste, but that was easy enough to fix.

Next time I make this dress the alterations will be.. 1. Not as full of skirt, more A-line style. I don't have anything against the gathered waist, but just for the fun of it I will try something different. 2. alter the pattern so it will hem to "tea length" before cutting out. 3. Add more fullness to the tops of the sleeves. Now that I have done it once, I am actually looking forward to doing it again.

I am slowly building up to some regular activity and will be able to start walking slowly and gently again today. I miss my walks! This time of year there is so much change in sights, sounds, smells that I hate to miss even day. This morning while lying in bed I heard lots of geese flying south. I have been hearing them for a couple weeks now. To some people that sound bodes negatively as they think of winter. My reaction is "Yippeee! cooler weather!" No tomatoes please! :)

My "rest" day yesterday was mostly sewing and mending. I didn't do any lifting or tearing around, but everything went well. I did a bunch of marking for the girls' matching dresses and will work on them as time allows today.

This morning we are doing some basic cleaning, and I am making a double layer chocolate cake for a certain birthday boy who turned 8 yesterday. We will be doing a special birthday dinner of his choice (homemade mac and cheese with hot dogs, and raw carrots with dip, double layer chocolate cake for dessert) and presents this evening.

You all have a blessed day!

Pregnancy Update

I will be taking a few days off here, due to being put on "rest" by the MW. My body is showing signs I need to slow down, so for the next few days I will be sitting with my feet up and laying down as much as possible. Your prayers during this time are appreciated, as I can very quickly go stir crazy. I am allowed to do handwork as long as my feet are up. Okay..so, this is a good time to practice my knitting!

26 Week Update

I had an appointment on Thursday with my MW. My bp was 110/60, my gain about 1.5 lbs a week (consistant with how it has been the last few months), and baby's heartrate good. I'm feeling plenty movement, no swelling (well, except in one place hehehehehe), and basically feel good though my hips feel like they are starting to loosen up. Seems like that happens earlier every pregnancy!

We talked about how I felt emotionally, too, and threw around a few ideas about inducing as soon as my body is showing signs of readiness. No tomatoes please. In this case, I am all for natural induction, but again, not just anytime. I want my body to be ready.

I did have some bloodwork done, and I'm waiting for the results for that.

My mom is out this weekend on a quickie visit, so it is great to have Memere here to chat with. Of course, the children are thrilled. Now if I can just get those silly songs she is teaching them out of my head...
Does your chewing gum loose its flavor on the bedpost overnight... UGH!

Pregnancy update

I hit the 24 week mark! The baby is moving plenty, and for the first time I felt the movement on the outside. I probably could have felt it before, but hadn't tried it. Saturday evening I was in bed writing in my journal, and I had my arm across my tummy. While I was writing I keep thinking I was seeing my pj's move out of the corner of my eye. I shifted my arm a bit to the suspected spot and sure enough I felt a series of strong little kicks against it. Dale was in the shower or I would have called him to come in and enjoy it too.

I have yet to get out my maternity clothes. That isn't as impressive as it sounds. Fact is I lost a lot of weight after Aaron, so most of my clothes have plenty of room. I will be getting out a few things that I have this week, simultaneously sorting through my regular clothes. Time for a declutter!

Anyway, Dale took this belly shot for me last night after church while I was still all gussied up:



As this baby grows it is harder to remain in a nuetral zone emotionally. I go from thinking "I can't go through this again" to feeling so much joy. I am continually on edge, but strangely, I am getting used to that feeling. I have resigned myself to feeling that way until the baby is born, and from what I have learned, that is normal for someone in our situation.

I have done nothing to prepare for this baby. Usually I make some new nursing wear, or baby stuff, but honestly, I just can't do that right now. Thankfully, we have plenty so if I never get around to it during pregnancy, the baby will be well provided for anyway. I can get by on what I have for nursing, as well. I have a new pattern I DO want to sew up though, "Catherine's Choice". It is a maternity/ nursing pattern. I have the fabric too, for it already. Like I said, I have been hesitant to do much so far. I think in my mind I remember all the getting ready for Aaron, and I just don't want to go through that and get my hopes up too high, if that makes any sense. I'm not trying to sound morbid, really.. just honest. I had given almost all the things I prepared for Aaron (nursing nightgowns, boppy, some baby outfits, etc) to a friend of mine who had a baby boy in January. She told me after she found out I was pregnant again to let her know when we would be in the neighborhood and she'd be happy to return all of it to me. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Everything I gave her was because it reminded me of Aaron.. all specifically for him. The only thing I kept that was specifically for him was a baby quilt a friend of mine made. At this point, we have no immediate plans to go up that way, but will be when we get apples in a month or two. So, I can think about it. The practical side of me says "take it back, it will save some money, and besides, it isn't like you ever used the stuff for Aaron, in fact it will be more like a hand-me-down since she used the stuff for her baby." It doesn't seem so bad in that light, but knowing that I had originally made and obtained those things specifically for Aaron is like opening a wound.

Meanwhile, there is much to do here at home, and the busier I keep, the better I do, unless I get overtired. I still have not found a way to reconcile grieving with rejoicing in this matter. I enjoy the times of great joy, and get through the edgy times as best as I can with the Lord's help.

Pregnancy Update

I had an appointment with my midwife today. I always enjoy our visits. We chat a lot, and discuss, and joke around, drink tea or water, etc. Anyway, everything is well. After hearing a drive by beating, kicking, and movement and static (ack, does that mean the baby is radioactive???) we finally got a good heart rate count in, at about 160, good "moving around" count, as my MW puts it. My weight gain has been moderate, about a pound and a half a week over the last two months. My blood pressure was excellent... 110/70. We did some blood work.. an A1C and hemoglobin check. Next visit we'll be doing a glucose check, even though it will be a couple weeks early. I will be 22 weeks tomorrowish. ;)

After the appointment dh and I ran some errands and ate supper at Subway (eat fresh!). Wow, was it busy in town! College classes start Monday, so there was bumper to bumper traffic with the influx of college students, and Walmarts was PACKED!

We stopped for gas on the way home and were please to *only* pay 3.77/gallon. I never thought I would see the day when I would be excited over that price.

Now we are home, and I am tired! I never did get a nap today, and we did regular school, chores, ect. before I went out gallivanting with my sweet honey. This little Mama needs to get to bed.

The Great Salmon Caper

If you noticed the little category title at the bottom, it says "pregnancy". You may be wondering what salmon has to do with pregnancy, or afraid to find out.

First of all, no I'm not eating salmon with ice cream, or putting chocolate on it, or craving it or anything, so you can read on, assured it won't turn your stomach.

My midwife joins in with about 10 other families and every once in a while orders a bunch of fresh Alaskan salmon. It gets delivered at her house in 3 boxes, frozen. Well, the FedEx people "lost" a box for a while, and only delivered two boxes, the fish still frozen hard. So, she got two instead of one. She called and they found the lost box, but when they delivered it, the fish was mostly unfrozen, but still frosty cold. You can't refreeze it (the experts say) so she has been giving it away like crazy.

Changing scenes to our house today. I was in a mode of paranoia over the movement of this baby, or lack thereof. I felt the baby kicking gently last night in church (what is it about Dale's preaching that makes our babies kick? Maybe they are just inspired!) but hadn't felt any since then. So, around nap time I started thinking that maybe if I laid down for a while I would feel something. I even ate a couple of cookies thinking the sugar might get the baby going. Well, I didn't feel anything but panic. So, around 2:45 I called my MW and asked if she had time for a quick fetal check and she very obligingly said "I always have time for that!". I called our neighbor who was a sweetie to come over on very very short notice. Off I went.

Now, let me clarify here that I did NOT tell Dale I was going. I figured it was all *my* problem, and no need to worry him.

Well that blew up in my face. He called home, as usual, around 4, and I wasn't home yet. My neighbor told him where I was, and of course, that got him worrying anyhow. Meanwhile I left the MW's, and he called her while I was en route home, and got the update.

The update was this: everything is fine. We chased the baby around for a few minutes, heard the movement of the baby, then got a nice, strong heart rate. I about cried with relief. I could tell you where the heart rate clocked in, but then that *might* give away the gender, if you are a believer in that sort of thing.

Okay, what does all this have to do with the salmon? Well, a few minutes before I left, my MW suddenly said: "You know, I think the Lord wanted you here today." She proceeded to tell me about the salmon kerfuffle, and offered some for our family which I accepted gladly. There were 7 good sized steaks. So, supper tonight was baked salmon steaks, fresh zucchini (which another neighbor had given us this morning!), fresh salad, and tartar sauce. The price of the salmon alone made the trip to the MW's worth it! YUM YUM YUM!!!! There was one moment that would have made Martha Stewart cringe when my son, who was setting the table asked:
"Mom, can we use paper plates?"
I kindly replied, "Honey, when you serve salmon, you don't use paper plates!"

As for my paranoia, I have, with the Lord's help, put it behind me. I heard movement, but didn't feel it, and to me that said "it's okay not to feel lots of movement right now." This baby may not be as active as some of the other ones. I've had that happen before too.

Oh, and wouldn't you know it on the way home from the MW's I felt all the movement I wanted? . I also apologized profusely to my poor dh for the worry I caused him, and promised to be more forthcoming with my feelings in the future. Lesson learned. :)

Here is a pic of the salmon all prepped:



Here's a plate of food for dinner:



The meal was, needless to say, a hit with everyone. The kids couldn't get enough of the salmon! The nice thing about it is that salmon is a very dense fish (the meat, not the intellect) and it goes farther than you think it is going to go. We have enough in the freezer for one more meal for all of us, plus maybe a special dinner for dh and some night after the kids go to bed. :)

Pregnancy update

Yesterday afternoon I had an appointment with my MW. She ended up coming here for a home visit since she was doing one practically down the road from us! That was fun.

Long story short, everything seems fine, which I'm thankful for. I am about 18 weeks now. I *think* I may have even felt some movement yesterday morning, but it was so brief an vague that I'm really not sure. LOL. You'd think after 7 babies I would be better at this!

She did say that I seemed a little small, (which I could have kissed her for LOL)and asked if I thought I was gaining weight (My scale is broken so we didn't do a weight check). I assured her I was. I can tell by the way my clothes are starting to not fit the way they did. My appetite has been coming back this week, so I am sure by our next visit she'll be able to see a big difference. I usually "pop" out between the 4th and 5th month.

We never got a reading on the baby's heart rate, though we heard it. My dh called it "drive by beatings". The scenario went something like this: MW goo's me up and slaps the Doppler on. Hunts for a few seconds. Then we hear the baby's heartbeat just long enough to recognize it is strong and about as fast as it should be. Before we can get a count the baby kicks (yes, we heard the kicking) against the Doppler and dives. MW goo's me up some more, goes after the baby. We hear the heart rate just long enough to recognize it is strong and and at the rate it should be. Before we can get a count, baby kicks and moves. This went on for about 15 minutes. I heard enough of "drive by beating" and kicking by that time to be reassured, and so was the MW. This sort of hide and seek from baby is NOT unusual for us at all at this stage. My babies like to play, I guess. :)

So, after my appointment with the midwife we went out on our date. We dropped a van load of stuff off at Salvation Army. I can't believe how much we got rid of and it doesn't even look like I made a dent in the basement! Where DID all the junk come from, anyway? I some of it is people just dropping off their junk thinking "Oh the pastor has a big family, he can probably use this stuff." I actually had one of our neighbors once say to us "I'm cleaning out my garage so I can pass a bunch of stuff over to you." The proper etiquette is to say "Thank you" then try to give it away as quickly as possible after we get it. Of course, part of the problem with cleaning and organizing the basement is that to clean up a mess like that you end up making a bigger mess. At first. The next thing I plan on tackling is the extra bedding and clothes. That is going to take a while!

After Salvation Army we went to Friendly's for dinner. We were both starving. Did I mention my appetite was coming back? I got the clam boat basket, and dh got the fishamijig platter. Yes, it is really called that. We split a sundae for dessert. We ordered it with one of their new flavor, Mud Crash Pie. It is coffee ice cream with expresso flavored chip, and chocolate chips. We had three toppings on it, whipped cream and two maraschino cherries. It was very good, and very naughty, and we enjoyed every bite.

After eating we went to Walmarts and got some stuff for VBS, and supplies for starting up school. I wasn't planning on the school stuff, but they were having a big sale and we took full advantage of it. Oh, I am pleased to say, I also started a little bit of Christmas shopping. Not much, but enough so I can say I started. LOL. I hate leaving all until the last minute. And it is easier to pay for things over time than all at once. A good way to avoid debt at Christmas, by the way.

Today, our garden gets priority. I sent my oldest ds out on a recognizance (or however you spell it) mission. The green beans are ready to be picked, so that is the chore today, and then freezing them. I am also washing bedding, and Lord willing, working on that baby quilt for a bit. That will be my reward for getting beans in the freezer!

Is There Any Sound So Wonderful?

We heard the baby's heart beat yesterday at my MW appt. It took a little hunting to find it since the baby kept moving around, but we were both determined to outguess the baby.

That was the hightlight of the appt., the boring stuff like blood pressure, weight gain, urine test, etc, were all normal. :)

It is weird how even after hearing the heartbeat this pregnancy still seems surreal to me. Maybe once I start feeling movement then I will be able to realize it more. Of course, when the baby is born, that will REALLY make it real! ;)

Yesterday we went to the VBS closing program at a neighboring church. The children had gone every night (except Wednesday, of course). I thought I would be very green by the time we got home after being out most of the late afternoon, but it wasn't too bad, and I was grateful. Perhaps that is testimony to the all day sickness being on its way out. More likely a testiment of God giving strength when needed.

12 Weeks!

Actually, I am almost 13 weeks. The first trimester is over, yay! However, my all day sickness is not. I usually go almost 16 weeks with it, though the last couple weeks are much easier.

I am feeling frustrated today as I am seeing all manner of jobs that need to be done around the house that I can't do yet. The ironing pile is huge, I need to catch up on some folding, the mending pile is growing, the sewing list is impressive, and I haven't been able to touch it, the garden needs attention, the basement needs cleaning, the list goes on and on. I have the desire to do things, just not the "toomph" to do it. I have some projects I want to start, and I want to get school stuff organized for the next term, and I still have to finish quarterly reports and send in the IHIP form, but I can't even get caught up on the basics, nevermind anything else. The children do help, which is probably why anything gets done, but they can't do everything.

I am also finding that grieving and pregnancy can go hand in hand. I've had a few bouts of the "boohoo's" but nothing bad. Just a nice release, really. We are still waiting on Aaron's headstone. I don't expect it to be done for another couple weeks.

As far as herbals and supplements I am taking wild yam root, 3 tablets, 3 times a day. It is supposed to help with the nausea, which it does. At least I can keep food down. I am also taking a multivitamin, and a vitamin B supplement, and one baby aspirin a day.

I can't drink just plain water right now, but when I can, it will be with chlorophyll in it. I will also start some pregnancy tea that has red raspberry and nettles, amongst other healthful things in it.

I have my next appoint a week from Friday with the midwife. I will be about 14 weeks then, and hopefully we'll be able to hear the heartbeat!

Last weekend we went to a Home Birth picnic and met lots of other homebirthers in the area. It is nice to know that we aren't weird or bizarre with our desire for homebirths. We could only stay a couple hours, but I was glad that we made the effort to go.