a pregnancy update

As I enter my 16th week I’m rejoicing that I have only gained about 4 lbs! Even better is that my official doctor’s files record me as only gaining ONE POUND! (Chalk up the difference to wearing shorts with flip flops last week to my monthly check-in.)  Friends, this is record breaking for me so please cheer me on.   When pregnant with my giant sized Jesse, I gained 50 lbs+ and had a 10 lb 6 oz  baby.  And no . . . I didn’t have gestational diabetes.  So in an effort to prevent growing another giant, my doctor is strongly urging me to gain no more than 20 lbs.  She would really like me to stay at 15 lbs total, but that even seems a bit unrealistic to me!  So what are your suggestions? I’m trying to stay active by walking on the treadmill or outdoors.  I’m eating healthy.  I’m trying not to eat too much of those yummy, yummy sweets.  We’ve already replace those burger joints with Subway or Goodcents.   I need to stay motivated.  After eating two too many really scrumptious brownies yesterday, I only allowed my self the tiniest sliver of brownie today.  Oh and, I started writing down everything I eat and its approximate caloric value.   The hardest thing is since I am trying to watch this so closely, I feel so guilty when I actually gain a pound!!!!!

Last Thursday I finally heard the babie’s heartbeat.  Whew, no twins hiding in my uterus.  Hearing that beautiful, fast heartbeat is one of my favorite parts of being pregnancy.  Nothing, nothing, nothing else brings it home to me that a little, tiny baby is growing inside me like hearing the heartbeat. This little critter’s heartbeat was a fast 160 . . . isn’t that folklore for a  girl????

About the girl issue, yes, we would love a girl.  The boys want a sister.  I want a daughter.  But I refuse to focus on that because I know I would love any child that God granted us with.  I am still surprised that the number of people who ask if we are trying for a girl.  UGH.   We’ll just take a baby please.  Either sex will still add a new personality to the mix, someone with his/her own quirks.   So again, yes we’d love a girl, but I’d never be disappointed in receiving a boy.

My uterus is right on track in its size.  That was a surprise to me since I always measure so big with Jesse and since I am showing so much.  I looked at the first-time pregnant mom across the aisle from me during church with a tinge of jealousy.  She is 4 weeks ahead and barely has any baby bump at all! It is not so much that my belly is big, as just  stretched out I guess!  I am already feeling all those ligaments stretching and pulling.  I am already uncomfortable with certain postions. I am also already feeling the baby move!

Finally, I am considering attempting this birth naturally, with no epidural.  I’ve been doing some reading on this, and the more I read, the more I want to do it.  Any advice or suggestions on this would be highly valued!

American Sign Language

Last fall, a remarkable thing happened in our church. We welcomed a deaf congregation into ours. Now this may now seem too remarkable, but if you know much about deaf culture, then you know that often the deaf remain isolated. When our pastor shared with us about joining with this congregation, he stressed over and over that their members were to be our members. He wanted real relationships, not a “deaf ministry”. So here we are six months later and I’m taking an American Sign Language class.

I am so excited about this! All I’ve ever really known before is finger-spelling and a few signs we used with the boys regarding mealtime, please /thank you, etc. Now I get to learn it all. It is overwhelming! In case you know little about ASL, it is not just signing what you are speaking. It is learning a whole new visual language with new grammar, syntax, cultural norms, etc. Things that are rude in our speaking culture are normative in a deaf culture. For example, it is acceptable to “eaves drop” on a signed conversation. If those involved in the signed conversation want privacy, they will sign with small hand movements or seek a private area. Also, signing involves a great deal of facial expressions.

Several of the families who have started attending our church have small children. I have smiled and nodded, mouthed “hello” in the nursery hall, but as of yet, I’ve not really extended myself to communicate with them. Tonight I learned to get over my foolish pride of looking stupid or making them uncomfortable. These women are patient and kind, ready to make new friends, too.

I’ve seven more weeks of this first ASL class. Then, hopefully I can advance on to the other advanced classes. Oh, one more thing. JD is actually taking this class with me! Missie is keeping the boys for us so we can learn together.

about dogs

Yesterday we said goodbye to a family friend, our dog Byron.  Our beloved sheltie was only 11, but he had struggled for many years with skin and ear infections.  Each year as the humidity rose in the spring, Byron developed fungal infections and then ear infections.  We constantly battled this with baths, medicines, shaving his beautiful coat.  All that took its tole on his body, as he lost his hearing, his coat didn’t grow back thickly, and he lost his personality. He spent his days sleeping. Only sleeping. Never playing, never cuddling. He was miserable. So we made the decision and let our pet go.

The task fell to me to take him to the vet. As I said goodbye and kissed his nose, I couldn’t hold back the tears. Our kind old vet gently said, “It is always hard, even when doing the right thing.” And then he took Byron back.  As I signed the papers, I almost changed my mind.  So I left, crying, as quickly as possible.

It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

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Every Sunday JD and I rush out of the house by 8:20 so that we have time to make it to Starbucks for my weekly mocha and JD’s hot tea.  As we get back on the highway to head towards church we drive past a small lake. It’s there that every Sunday morning at 8:45 that I see them, the lady and her golden retriever.  Each week through the fall and cold, wet winter, I saw them. She’s always bundled up in her teal coat and hood, leash coiled in one hand, poop bag in the other.  The dog looks just like our Sam.  Big, strong and beautiful.  The dog is usually off-leash, fetching a tennis ball or stick, or running in the brush.

I look for them now. I look even during other days of the week. I wonder what the dog’s name is, how old, boy/girl.  I wonder if they are out each day or if Sundays are their special play time.  Does the woman have a family? Is this dog her one companion?  Do they know that others are spying on their time?

One thing I do know, I spend more time with Sam because of what I see each Sunday morning, mocha in hand, on my way to church.

oh so tired . . .

Here is first of my many, many pregnancy related posts.  Expect more over the next six months.

I am soo tired. I mean drop-dead, drag my butt off the couch to collapse on the nearest chair tired.  We joke that my bedtime is 9 pm . . . if I get a nap.  If I can’t squeeze a nap in during the afternoon, then I cuddle up in my chair, tune in to some mundane tv show on Discovery or History channels and fall asleep around 8.  JD drags me into bed a few hours later.  If I didn’t have the boys, I probably wouldn’t get anything done, yet if I didn’t have the children I probably wouldn’t be so dang tired!

Yes, I’m taking my vitamins.

Yes, I’m exercising, at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

Yes, I’m eating healthy.

I’m doing everything right so far, but I’m growing a precious baby and I am oh so tired . . .