So this is how it all went down in the “early stages”…..
How hilarious is that? Probably accurate too! When I saw these cartoons they just made my day and caused me to laugh out loud! I’ve had up and down days the past few days and for a good day or two I thought perhaps the morning sickness was going to leave me alone but it hasn’t and yesterday was a really bad day for feeling sick! When I woke up this morning the nausea was automatically there so that doesn’t usually bode well for a good sickness free day - oh well! What can I do about it anyways….I gotta cope through what I gotta cope through to grow this baby in my belly!
Yesterday we decided to buy the family a portable DVD player not only because we’re about to make a 4.5 hour car trip but also just because we’ve always wanted one and never gotten around to buying one. We had purchased one on Friday and brought it home only to discover that we hated it!! It was such poor screen quality and the material used to make it felt so cheap. Yesterday morning we decided to head out and return the first one we purchased and then headed off to futureshop to find a new one. We decided on a really nice LG unit and so far so good! It has all the features that we want and the screen is really crisp and clear! Jacob doesn’t really understand what it is and calls it a computer. Oh well! It’s not important that he knows exactly what it is all that makes him happy is that it plays toopie and binoo! Ha!
After some shopping MIke dropped me off at Suzanne’s house for a few hours to do some scrapbooking and card making! Suzanne had invited me a week ago and I decided at the last minute that I would go since I had not scrapped in so long and we had the car! It was a really fun relaxing day despite the fact that I was feeling like arse! While I only scrap booked one page in my album, I was able to make my first two cards ever!!! They are not all high end perfect and stuff but I like them a lot because I made them myself and it took a lot of thought to get the patterns and colors the way I wanted them to look! I didn’t journal on my scrap book page because last week Mike’s boss bought us a BRAND NEW super cool printer and I’m really excited about doing some cool fonts and typing out my journaling!
Today I’m off to get some laundry done! I have procrastinated long enough and the piles are just getting bigger and bigger so there is no point in procrastinating any longer! I will get at least 4 loads done today! That is my goal! Alright I’m out of here…Peace!
Thank God it’s FREAKING Friday! Oh yeah! I am so psyched I am just one eight hour work day away from my week off. I woke up this morning in a happy mood because I just didn’t care that it was thundering outside or that there was enough lightening to light up our entire house! Oh no…I also didn’t care that there was a monsoon of rain falling when I stepped outside on the balcony to check the weather! I didn’t care because nothing could spoil the fact that I was going to be on vacation in less then 12 hours! Rock on.
I just finished off a bowl of special K and banana and now I’m contemplating the things that need to get accomplished before our camping trip next week. Mike and I need to get some money transferred to American dollars and we need to get all our passports and Jacob’s birth certificate bundled up and put somewhere safe so we remember to bring them; it would totally suck to get to the border crossing and not have them. I think this weekend I’m going to formulate a list of things we need to pack so we don’t forget anything that we might need and I’ll just start packing the clothes we need as I do the laundry this weekend. I hope the rain stays away for our camping trip because it would be a total bummer to be stuck inside for 4 days in an RV with 5 people….it would really suck.
Jacob the past little while has been a talking machine and it always surprises me the things that come out of his mouth. He’s talking all the time and in sentences too! I’m so proud of him in every possible way! I continue to feel blessed and fortunate to have him in my life and I am grateful for his passive loving personality! The transition to the big boy bed went smoothly and we’ve been working on potty training (although not as diligently as we could be I think)…last week he went pee on the potty for the first time! If I had to admit it though - I think his favorite pass time is sitting on the potty and farting while laughing hysterically at himself. What a kid….what a man!
Well maybe my mention in my blog yesterday about not having a camp site booked got my mom motivated because she booked the camp site yesterday! The truth is she probably didn’t even read my blog and just got on the ball all on her lonesome! Sweet deal! She picked a site near the swimming pool and children’s park which is going to be perfect for Jacob! I’m getting excited about being off of work for a week and can’t believe that I have just 2 more shifts to go and then I am free for some rest and relaxation! Aside from the trip to Pennsylvania, I am looking forward to purging some of Jacob’s old toys and clothing, moving his room around in preparation for a twin bed some time in early fall and getting some scrap booking/card making done! Those are my goals for my vacation and I’m pretty hopeful that I can pull it off!
In other news Lisa, Jim and Sofia are coming back from Greece this weekend. I really hope they had a great time and I’m eager to see the pictures! I’ve always pictures Greece as a very beautiful country (albeit hot) and perhaps one day our familia will take a vacation over there but I have to admit our first priority is getting to England to see Mike’s family. I’m not sure if we’ll get to see them before Sofia’s first birthday party (wow I can’t believe she’s one! it seems like just yesterday I was awake in a waiting room all night anticipating her birth!) but I’m sure I’ll talk to Lisa on the phone and hear all about the trip! Hmm…that reminds me I have to figure out what I am going to get Sofia for her birthday!
The summer heat is really getting to me this year and I’d really love to be on the east coast somewhere near the ocean where there’s a bit of a breeze and not a lot of humidity. I hate hate hate the humidity in this gosh darn city! On many days when you are out walking it’s like you can see the haze of combined humidity and pollution lingering over your head and it really frightens me to think that we’re walking around in such crappy conditions! I love September,October and November because they are just the perfect months for temperatures - I love to just throw on a hoodie and feel comfortable walking outside without a coat and not needing 175 gallons of water to stay hydrated. Oh yes…come on autumn! I eagerly await your arrival; Too bad its only July 10th.
That’s right bloggy stalkers friends! You heard me! Three more work shifts and I am off on vacation for an entire week! Mike is also taking a week off except for one meeting he has to attend on Tuesday which is awesome because we rarely get time off together. I think we’re probably going to do some fun things as a family like go to the zoo maybe on the Monday! On Thursday we are going camping in Pennsylvania which should be pretty fun as long as the scorching heat decides to leave us alone. The last time Mike and I were in the USA was nearly a year ago now and we did manage to have a pretty decent time while we were there! I’m excited because the campsite we are going to has a swimming pool and a whole bunch of neat things to do…mostly I’m just happy to relax and not have to think about work. I’ve been so tired lately from having two jobs - mommy (cooking, playing, cleaning, etc.) and my out of the house counseling job so I’m definitely looking forward to just kicking back and enjoying the time off. I plan of bringing some of my scrap booking supplies so that I can sit at the picnic table and scrap away (thanks for the idea mom!). Of course the one thing I am not looking forward to is the 4.5 hour drive to the campsite location with a toddler in the car and Mike and I are considering buying a portable DVD player so Jake can watch his favorite Toopie and Binoo movies along the way. The last time we traveled such a long distance Jacob got cranky just over half way there so we’d like to prevent that this time and we’ve wanted a portable DVD player for a while now anyways….we’ll see if we can score one for a decent price.
The good news is my Mom and her husband have a totally awesome shiny new RV thingy so we’re not camping in tents! Even though I have always loved sleeping in tents my back just is not into it right now so I’m glad that we’ll have actual beds to sleep in and not thing pads on the cold ground! The bad news is that my Mom still hasn’t booked the campsite yet so as of today we still don’t actually have a place to park the camper so I’m hoping she’ll do that soon! More good news…..we’re close to the Grove City outlets so of course there will be a day of shopping! Ok…Ok….you got me! We’re not exactly going to be roughing it! So there you have it bloggy people - 3 more days of work and I am off like a prom dress and ready to relax and enjoy time with my familia! Catch you on the flip side!
I may have spoke too soon when I started making comments that I was seeming to feel better in terms of pregnancy and morning sickness. Today has been a pretty horrible day that started when I took Jacob to his swim class this morning. The pool where Jacob takes his lessons is known as one of the warmest pools in the City which is great if you’re taking your swim classes in the winter time but today when I entered the change rooms I immediately knew that I was in a very bad situation. The heat in the change room swarmed me like a thousand angry bee’s eager to eat away at my flesh and it took every effort for me to focus on getting Jacob out of his clothes and into his swim suit. At one point I was certain that if I did not leave and get to a cooler room I was going to pass out so since we were a little early I yanked Jacob by the hand and we left the sauna of a change room and sat on the chairs in the lobby of the community center. After a few minutes we hurried through the change room again and I brought Jacob out to meet his teacher at the pool for his lesson.
As I was sitting in the stands at the pool I watched him with his teacher but if I had to be honest I woudl say that I was really not focused on him because my stomach was spinning and my mind was screaming for the class to be over so that we could go home and I could relax. When his class was over we hurried to get him dressed again and we were out the door faster then I ever thought my feet could move. On our way home we stopped at a local convenience store to pick up some cold drinks to quench our thirst as we walked in the summer heat. I could feel my stomach spinning and roaring and I was worried at one point that I wouldn’t make it home without being sick on the side of the road but I managed to hold it together and get Jacob down for a nap when we got home. While he slept I laid down and slept from about 1130 until 130 when Jacob woke up but I swear I could have slept for another 5 hours at least. I wasn’t even awake for a half hour when I felt my stomach getting worked up again so I thought that perhaps I needed to eat something since I had only had an orange and a bowl of cereal all day long. Of course what I thought would be a remedy proved to provoke the nausea and it was not even 5 minutes after I had finished eating that I was praying to the porcelin god in our bathroom. Icky! I was certain we were coming out of this stage of pregnancy but I guess I’ll have to hang in there for a little longer….I just know its all part and parcel when you’re carrying a baby and every pregnancy is unique and different from previous pregnancies! Today while surfing the net I stumbled upon this pregnancy cartoon and couldn’t help but feel it was perfect for today’s events!
We’ve been talking a lot to Jacob about the “baby growing in Mama’s belly” and he’s certain it’s a baby girl and that it should be called “Fia” which I think is because of baby Sofia whom he loves dearly. The other day I asked Jacob how he was going to take care of the little baby and he said he was going to “give baby milk” which I thought was really cute and sweet. I am pretty sure that he completely has no clue or real understanding about what is going on but I think he gets that things are going to be changing in our house because he’s been super cuddly and clingy and wanting to sit on me during the day. What I’m most excited about is seeing him interact with a brother or sister because he’s such a loving kid. I guess only the future will know how he’ll respond and react to a new sibling but I’ve got a feeling that its not going to be so hard and horrible!
Well according to our last ultrasound I am 10 weeks pregnant today! Double digits which means we are 1/4 of the way done being pregnant! Woohoo! This week our February Love Bug is the size of a prune! Still so very small but cute to think of how much it’s grown since it was the size of a pea!
Last time when I was pregnant with Jacob the chinese calendar predicted a baby boy for us and it was bang on the money! This time the chinese calendar is predicting a baby girl for us so we’ll just have to wait and see if this holds true! We’d love a baby girl but we also think a baby brother for Jacob would be so fun too!
I feel excited as the second trimester approaches because I feel like the first 10 weeks have gone by rather quickly. I guess when you are working full time and a full time parent you dont’ realize how busy you are and before you know it you are 10 weeks pregnant, then 15, then 20, etc. My appointment with my doctor is next Tuesday and then on the 24th (the Thursday of the following week) we go in for our 12 week ultrasound. I feel like after this ultrasound we’ll finally be able to breathe a huge sigh of relief and sit back to enjoy the pregnancy ride.
Last pregnancy we rented a fetal doppler from fetal assure and this time around we were excited to do it again! We did some investigation and learned that we could purchase one from ebay for the same cost as renting it so we are now the proud owners of a Sonotrax fetal doppler! We hope to sell it after we are finished with it so that we can get back about half of our money! It should be here in about 2-3 weeks which is perfect timing to be able to hear the little heartbeat pattering away!
It’s so amazing to think of a new life growing inside of you! I am trying hard to eat a good diet full of nutritious food and I’ve been super successful staying off of caffeine! Thanks to my mom who got me a container of caffeine free early grey tea I am happy to state that I made it through a sinus infection and a respiratory chest infection completely medication free! I remember how hard those headaches were to cope with and I did it all without tylenol or advil! I’m really proud of myself for that and happy that I just didnt’ resort to drinking some caffeine to try an alleviate the headaches! Yay me! So there you have it….just 30 more weeks give or take a couple weeks and we’ll meet our little bambino!
I am in desperate need of a vacation because the first trimester ickies are realy starting to take their toll on me. Today I am 9 weeks and 4 days pregnant according to our last ultrasound and I feel like since Wednesday I’ve been starting to feel a little better…not perfectly better but enough to say that I notice a difference. The morning sickness is still ever present but some days are definitely worse then others now - where as before it was an everyday horrible feeling. My face is still breaking out pretty often but I’ve been using some Aveeno clensing pads and they’ve really been making a difference I think. In the past week I’ve had a lot of twitches, pains and strains in my belly so I think my uterus is growing and I hope its positionning itself forward like it’s supposed to! I haven’t had any spotting or cramping that is painful or uncomfortable so I’m really hoping that everything with this bambino is on track for a healthy pregnancy.
It’s really been bizarre to have held in this secret for so long but I’m surprised at how easy it’s been. There hasnt’ really been a moment where I’ve wanted to blurt it out to someone except maybe when I was talking to Lisa on the phone in Greece but I knew it would be far more exciting when she got back and we got together. I am trying to be relaxed and non-stressed about the whole growing a baby thing this time around and I feel like I’m doing a pretty good job in comparison to my pregnancy with Jacob. Of course when we went through all the misdiagnosed miscarriage drama 2 weeks ago I was not really feeling “not stressed” but I’m doing better now by just accepting that whatever happens is going to happen and we have no control over it. I have a good instinct that everything is perfectly ok with this baby and we’ll have a good ultrasound on July 24th - which did I mention seems eon’s away? Thankfully we’re on vacation from July12-20 and heading out of country for a camping trip in Pensylvania which should take my mind off it for a while! We’re leaving on the 17th and coming back on the 20th. In the mean time I have my doctors appointment on July 15th where I’ll have the dreaded scrape scratch scrape of the cervix, better known as the pap smear. I am really not excited about this at all because it just seems not natural to me to be digging around in there when y ou’re carrying a baby and the two pap exams that I did have when pregnant with Jacob were painfully terrible.
I have my first appointment with my OB on August 13th when I’ll be about 16 weeks pregnant. I’m really nervous about going to this appointment for some reason because while I love my OB I was not so fond of some of the other staff at the hospital that he is connected with. The good thing is that I am more informed, more assertive and I feel like I’ll be able to stick up for myself a lot more this pregnancy then I did in the previous pregnancy with Jacob and if anyone makes any inappropriate comments pertaining to my weight I will have zero problem putting them in their place this time around. I vow not to be intimidated by medical professionals and remember that they are there to care for me which means being respectful in all ways - not just when they chose to be. I had a really good experience with my own personal OB so I’m not worried about him because I feel like I’ve always been able to tell him how I feel about things. Oh this reminds me that I need to call and confirm my appointment which actually needs to be switched from the Wednesday to the Monday or the Tuesday because of work.
Jacob started taking swimming lessons when he was 6 months old at our local Parks and Recreation indoor pool and he has always enjoyed the water as long as one of his parents were in the water with us. This past spring Jacob took Guardian Swim again and Mike him because this course requires that a parent be present in the water and I observed every class from the stands. I found myself feeling like the money we were paying was not worth the attention that Jacob was getting because with ten other children in the water with their parents and some of the tots as young as 6 months old Jacob was just not learning or progressing. When it came time for summer swimming registration Mike and I decided to move Jacob up to tiny tots pre-school level 1 which would require that he go in the water without US! Ahhh! We knew we needed to move up because we just knew that another session of Guardian Swim would be a complete waste of money. I wondered if Jacob was ready to be in the water without us and so to squash our fears we decided to enroll him in private lessons so that the teacher’s attention was solely on him.
Jacob’s first tiny tots class was this past Tuesday and I was absolutely petrified that he’d cry or refuse to go with the teacher in the water but of course in true Jacob fashion we experienced the exact opposite. After Mike and Jacob met the teacher for the first time, Jacob simply took her hand and was off into the pool waving to Mike and I as he did. I’m not sure what we’ve done as parents to help our son have very little seperation anxiety but I have to admit that I am grateful that he doesn’t constantly need us to be right there next to him, holding his hand through everything - but rather sitting on the sidelines cheering him on as he experiences new things in life that are exciting and rewarding! I’m so happy that he has enough security and belief in our love as his parents that whenever we go away we always come back and that in everything he does we are there for him, encouraging him and guidnig him along the way. During the class Jacob did far better with the one on one attention then he’d ever done before with Mike or myself in the pool and he actually tried different things that he’d never been willing to try with us. Overall the class was a great success and he has another one today! He’ll go to swim class every tuesday and thursday through the entire summer! Sounds exciting!
