9 months

I realize that I have not been very good about blogging recently, especially all of the "fun" details of my pregnancy. So without further delay, and no more ado...

The First Trimester:
Wow, where to start without totally being a negative Nancy.....ha! My first trimester was extremely difficult. I spent the entirety of it and then some in bed sick. I usually threw up twice a day and sometimes could not even keep water down. I was on progesterone supplementation and we think it had something to do with the insane sickness because of the excess hormones. It was really difficult for me because I had always been so excited about eating well for my baby and there I was, grasping for ANYTHING that I could keep down....namely plain waffles. Yum. The heat outside did NOT help either. I never knew it could be so bad. Everyone told me that I just had to get past 12 weeks and everything would be better. 12 weeks came and went and.....no better. That was annoying. I finally started getting some relief at 16 weeks after we weaned off of the progesterone. Scott was absolutely superman during this time. He would come home from work, make me anything I needed to eat, do ALL of the chores, go grocery shopping, hold my hair when I puked, hold ME when I was so fed up and emotionally unstable, take care of the animals, take care of my niece and nephew when we watched them, and SO much more. I think God knew I would be okay with being so sick because I had him. Even though it was so terrible, I was SO very thankful for the sickness and all of the yucky symptoms because it reminded me of what they were there for. I had a sweet little bean growing and I could withstand anything for that! We were just so very thankful for a healthy, growing baby.

The Second Trimester:
Like I said earlier, I was still sick until 16 weeks and not totally functionable until around 18 or 20. After that I got really excited that I could eat and I ate a lot. My appetite came back with a vengeance. I remember eating a lot of lasagna on my birthday.....so good. I started feeling the baby move a lot at around 15 weeks which is supposedly pretty early for a first time momma. We really did not want to do any ultrasounds because of the radiation exposure, but decided to have a very quick one because my midwife thought there was a possibility of twins and that was why I was feeling so much. My HCG levels were also very high and that can point to multiples as well. We had the ultrasound-only one baby. Probably a good thing. :) As I progressed along in my 2nd trimester, I never regained any energy or felt like one should during that time. My blood pressure was also getting high and I had some protein in my urine. My midwife suggested some dietary changes (no gluten and LOTS of protein) to see if we could get things under control. It was hard at first to find a whole new way of eating and cooking, but I soon felt much better and my bad symptoms totally cleared up. Thank you Lord! This was also a really fun time of planning and getting the nursery ready. My mom has blessed us immensely with gifts for the little bambino and we have had fun making our "rounds" to different kid2kids (they know her name) and resale shops. She has definitely spoiled me and this baby already. :)

The Third Trimester:
This has been my best trimester of them all! I have a good amount of energy, am able to eat well and feed my baby and body what it needs, am SO enjoying getting beat up from the inside out, and the big belly is fun too (most of the time). I am trying to stay as active as possible and the ole bod is holding up pretty well (thanks to my incredible chiropractor Dr. Cindy Haggerton here is their website Lifetime Family Wellness Center). We also went through our childbirth preparation class which was a lot of fun. I am SO excited about birth and having such a great support team in Scott and my midwives. It will be fun. Throughout this time I have also been measuring large at my prenatal visits. It was a possibility that I might be further along than we originally thought, but I have since leveled out and am pretty confident in my dates. Seems like this is just a big ole baby! I am happy about that too. I would rather it be big and healthy than little and shrimpy. The nursery is pretty much finished (with the exception of one rail of the crib....coming soon) and most everything is purchased....so now we wait! We have been organizing the house bit by bit and getting everything together for the home birth which makes it all so real! We are so ecstatic and cannot wait to meet our sweet angel!

My midwife, Christy Martin has been such a blessing throughout our entire pregnancy and even before. We know without a doubt that God brought us to her and are SO thankful. Every appointment has been so encouraging, even when we were faced with uncertainties or difficult decisions. She has always been there with a prayer or uplifting word. She is so thorough, wise, and has such a God-given sweet spirit and compassionate heart. We are so excited to have her welcome our baby into this world gently and naturally. Look her up if you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant soon. It will totally make a difference in your entire pregnancy and birth experience.

I would also like to recommend some books that I have really enjoyed and have impacted my pregnancy and decision-making. As with anything, it is so important to be educated and informed about all of the aspects of pregnancy and birth, and to make prayerful decisions that you believe are best for you and your family.

1. Spiritual Midwifery by: Ina May Gaskin- may be a little "eccentric" for some, but is such a beautiful picture of what birth can be when you just let it happen

2. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by: Ina May Gaskin- similar to above but with more information about hospital procedures and birth practices

3. Christ Centered Childbirth by: Kelly J. Townsend- SO essential to any Christian woman who yearns to use her pregnancy and birth as a way to grow spiritually and glorify God

4. The Lord of Birth by: Jennifer A. Vanderlaan- similar to above but in a more devotional-like setting

5. Gentle Birth Choices by: Barbra Harper- Very informative about your different choices as a pregnant woman, the history of obstetrical care, and the benefits of gentle birthing. It also comes with a great birth DVD

6. The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by: Henci Goer- gives fact-based data on the benefits and risks of all of the interventions that you may face during birth. It is important to be educated on these things, but be aware if the information is causing you to fear some things that may end up being be unavoidable (cesarean, induction, etc).


So, pregnancy has been a fun ride......BUT I am ready to meet my baby now thank you!
:)

10 Weeks

34 weeks!