New Template (or Not) and an Update

So........that new template I was REALLY hoping to put on here? I worked on it and I worked on it, and it was all for nothing. Blogger wouldn't take it. So now I have to pick a different one. And maybe one that isn't so difficult.

I can be so stubborn! :)

Quick pregnancy update: I'm in my second trimester, and we got to hear the heartbeat at my appointment last week! Everybody says that it starts to feel real when they hear the heartbeat, and it's true!

I still had days when I wondered, "Am I really pregnant?" And now I KNOW there's a baby in there! And he/she has a strong heartbeat. It was incredible.

Also, my pants are starting to get tight, so I'm starting to think about maternity clothes now. That might have to be my first sewing project: making regular pants into maternity pants.

Alright, that's all for now!

In Preparation for Our Baby

So as you can see, I haven't made any changes to my blog yet. It just so happens that I really really really want a certain template, and of course, it would be the most difficult one to work with. Art's dad just helped me figure out how to "unzip" the file, after days of me trying to download various programs that would read it. Very soon I get to start playing around with the colors and fonts, and customizing the code the way I want it. I hope it works!

So in the meantime, here is the post I promised, telling you about some of the ideas and plans we have for our lil' bambino (or bambina).

1. Introducing the Graco Pack-N-Play Playpen!

We don't have the money or the space to get a crib, and when we saw this, we fell in love with it immediately. It has two levels, so we can use it for the newborn and toddler stage. It's lightweight and has wheels, for easy mobility around the apartment. The upper level comes with a switch to make it vibrate, and even play soothing sounds. And of course, you can pack it up and cart it to another location.

We also love the colors. I wasn't convinced there was any such thing as "gender-neutral" colors (at least, I don't think Easter Yellow and Easter Green are gender-neutral. Like Art said, if they're pastel, they belong on a girl). But I think this is perfect for either boy or girl.

2. This particular sling/baby carrier is called the Moby Wrap.

The day after we found out that I'm pregnant, I saw a woman using one, and I went and asked her what on earth it was. I had never seen one before, and it looks so comfortable. I love that it wears like a shirt, so there is even distribution of weight across the back, the shoulders, and the waist. She told me that there are several different ways to wrap it, depending on the size of the child, and way you want to carry them.

I haven't been able to find one for less than $35, which seems a bit steep for a big piece of stretchy material, but I think it will be worth it, and I'm really excited to get it.

3. I was going to show you the stroller/car seat/baby carrier set that we were getting, because it was practically new, and we were going to get it from Art's coworker for less than half the price than she paid for it, but we didn't jump on it fast enough, and they sold it to someone else. I hear there are a lot of consignment shops in the area, so I think we'll start looking there instead. I'm determined not to buy them new, because I know there are so many gently used ones out there, and the more money we can save on the big items, the better.

4. Ya'll are going to think I'm crazy, but I don't care. We're doing cloth diapers. I found this amazing blog dedicated to helping other moms navigate the world of cloth diapering. She writes the blog for free, but she put together a manual (so that other moms don't make the same mistakes she did) that can be purchased as well, so I think I'm going to order that with my next pay check. I read one particular post where she said most moms don't need more than 24 diapers total. I know one cloth diaper costs more than one disposable diaper, but in the end, I think we'll still be saving a lot of money.

The manual covers the pros and cons of different brands out there, sizing information, how to wash, dry, and maintain the diapers, when to replace a diaper, and all that stuff. And it's not like we'll never buy any disposables (I'm thinking for long car trips, or when someone else is babysitting), but we'll be doing mainly cloth.

Although, there are so many options out there, so many companies trying to make cloth diapers easier to figure out, that maybe we won't ever need disposables. But I'm not going to rule it out entirely. Also, I won't be using cloth wipes. That's going a bit too far for my liking. Disposable wipes all the way.

5. I've decided I'm going to make my own burp cloths and bibs. I just happened upon this book in a bookstore once, and I got inspired to make some of my own things for our baby. I haven't used a sewing machine in quite some time, but I have one, and I used to be good at it. Also, those two projects (bibs and cloths) look like they'd be fairly easy.

Plus, I don't even have to go out and buy a bunch of material. I'm going to use a pile of old shirts that we decided we didn't want anymore. I realized that bibs and burp cloths are meant to get dirty, and instead of having a whole collection of cute items that are going to get ruined by spit-up and drool and such, why don't I put to good use some of our clothes that don't fit anymore, but are still in good condition? (The shirts I have set aside don't have any stains or holes, they mostly just don't fit.)

I don't consider myself to be really crafty or creative, but I figured those two items are well within my abilities.

6. I have vague plans for how we will store all the baby items. I'm trying to figure out ways that we can make the most of our small space. We surely aren't the first people in this world to have a baby in a one bedroom apartment, so I know it can be done. (And any helpful tips you have would be greatly appreciated.) I know I'm good at keeping everything clean and organized, but I haven't had to do a whole lot of space saving yet. Needless to say, it's going to be interesting.

7. I was kind of afraid to mention this, because I didn't want to jinx it (even though I really don't believe in that type of thing), but we are making plans to have a midwife, and a natural birth at a birth center. We just had an appointment with another midwife on Monday and - *fingers crossed* - I think she might be the one. She's the third midwife I've tried, the second I've met with, and she was fairly certain she would be able to fit me in. I'm expecting a call back this week with a definitive answer.

I really really really hope this works out, because she's also a naturopathic family doctor, so we can just continue to see her even after the official postpartum care is complete. (Side note: I'm going to do a whole separate post on midwifery, and natural childbirth, and why I've decided to go that direction.)

And before I get all sorts of lengthy, judgemental comments (because seriously? I never know when I've opened a can of worms), I'm just going to make it clear that all the items above are our ideal plans. I know that ideals change, plans change, life changes, and we could very well end up not doing what we said we were going to do. I've never been a parent, so I know I don't have all the answers, and I'm about to find out exactly how true that statement is.

But I also see no reason why we shouldn't try to go in those particular directions. We have lots of people and resources we can turn to, and we're already accessing those people and resources before we do anything. We have not purchased or made a single thing yet. These are still just plans. And there are still plans that need to be made, and research that needs to be done.

Just please don't tell me that those items up there are unrealistic. In most cases, we've made our decisions based on seeing someone else do it, and do it well.

Anyway, that's my diatribe for the day. Congratulations if you made it through this very lengthy post. And of course, any tips, insights, or fair warnings are welcome. Like any parent, we're going to need all the help and support we can get!

I'm Very Obsessed With This New Template Idea

Thanks for all your suggestions guys! I've got it narrowed down to three templates I like. There is one I'm particularly stuck on, but I don't like the colors.

So I'm about to delve into the crazy and confusing world of HTML and XML code to see if I can alter the elements to my liking. If not, then I'll have it narrowed down to two.

Wish me luck!

I Don't Want To Type Subject Lines Like This Anymore

Before I go on about all the exciting baby plans we're making (and all the things we're planning on buying), I need your help with something (completely unrelated to babies): I want to change my blog template.

Mostly because I can't stand that little banner that inconveniently sits right where my subject line is, so I have to move the text over, which looks funny when it's no longer the post at the very top! I'm quite annoyed, and this may or may not be a manifestation of some pregnancy symptom, but in any case, I want to change it.

Can you guys recommend some websites where I might find cute, tasteful blogger templates? Maybe the same place you got yours? Depending on how desperate I get, I might be able to make the change this weekend!

Thanks ya'll!

All These Lovely Pregnancy Symptoms!

As promised, here is the second major pregnancy post, where I will share every detail of every symptom I have experienced thus far. Okay, not every detail, and certainly not every symptom. But it's definitely a detailed overview of how I've been feeling thus far.

I'll start with weeks 4-5, when I still didn't know I was pregnant. I don't know how it is with other women, but for me, I didn't even suspect anything (even when my period was late) because I still felt like I was going to get my period. If I may go on a slight tangent here, I find it interesting that women say they have PMS on the first day of their period, especially since the "P" in PMS is for "Pre." I truly experience PMS before I get my period. That's how I know I've ovulated, and that a period is on its way.

So I felt the same way I normally felt, and I wasn't worried when it didn't show up as scheduled. But after week 5, I started experiencing strange things with my appetite. I would get suddenly hungry, and not long after I had eaten. Normally, a breakfast at 6:00am would hold me over until about 11:00, and that's when I would eat my lunch. But when I was at work one day, my stomach started growling, loudly, at 9:00am. Then, as soon as I had a tiny snack, I would be absolutely disinterested in food until about 2:00.

It was at that point that I bought the pregnancy test, because I'm in tune enough with my body to know that that wasn't normal.

When I took the test, I was nearly 6 weeks along. I've read that typical pregnancy symptoms usually show up around 6 weeks, and that's exactly what it was like for me. I had my first experience with morning sickness about 4 days after I took the test. I also experienced horrible fatigue that week. (However, I blame that on the fact that we just started house sitting and attempting to recover from moving week, all at the same time. I haven't experienced any fatigue since then.)

I realized at some point that I was also quite moody. I tried my best not to show it on the outside, but on the inside I was Grumpy McGrumperson. I also managed to embarrass myself with a bout of inexplicable weepiness, even though I was alone. I literally started sobbing for no reason whatsoever. It's nearly happened on the bus or at work a number of times, but I've managed to control those episodes.

An increase in acne is another fairly common one, and I guess I've got a little bit of that. It's not too bad though. I've also had trouble sleeping, which the doctor said is common, but it's hard to know if that's pregnancy related or not. Art also had a difficult time sleeping while we were house sitting, and he's certainly not pregnant. Even back in our apartment, I find it difficult to cool down enough to fall asleep at night, but that happens to me anyway.

But the main symptom that overshadowed all the others was nausea. Nausea was my near-constant companion from week 6 to week 10. Let it be known that I have never thrown up, not once. All food has thankfully stayed down. I understand now how pregnancy nausea is different from other nausea, and how I am somehow able to eat even while feeling gross. I'm also quite aware of how lucky I am that my morning sickness was relatively mild. However, it was still very unpleasant and annoying, and I'm glad that, for the most part, it's behind me.

Back when I was feeling queasy, I was almost completely disinterested in food. I didn't want to eat anything. Except toast. I don't know if you can necessarily call that a craving, but it was quite literally the only thing that appealed to me. Then one day, I actually had some toast, and I was quite disappointed. After that, it was back to wanting nothing at all. I started consuming a lot of yogurt, because it was easy. No preparation, and mild on the stomach.

Overall, I felt like eating was a nuisance, and I almost forced Art to eat out every day, because I didn't want to cook, because I didn't want food at all.

Of course, I HAD to eat, and I'm very thankful for being able to use the barbecue at the place we were house sitting. Cooking inside really turned my stomach, but being able to barbecue made me happy. I quickly discovered how easy it is, and I'm looking forward to having one of our own (which I'm pretty sure we can do, thanks to our fairly large deck).

I'm also thankful that I discovered some remedies to make it a bit easier. I ate saltines every morning before I got out of bed, and I had a cup or two of peppermint tea every day. Both of those things made the nausea much easier to handle. It was important that I start with the crackers and tea, because if I could take care of my morning sickness right away, then I was set for the rest of the day.

After week 10, I started to get my appetite back, and I became interested in food again. I've discovered that I'm a very picky eater now, but at least I actually like food now. Things that really gross me out that I used to like are: Mexican food (this one is the worst. Art ate a burrito the other day, and I wouldn't even let him get close to me after. I could smell it, and it turned my stomach).

I also hate burgers and fries. Fries used to be my most favorite food. There is a restaurant here that serves high quality meat burgers, and you can choose to have the patty sans bun, and on a bed of spring greens instead. They also make amazing sweet potato fries. I used to want to go there every day. Now I can't stand it. This makes me sad.

Chinese food is a no-no. And anything battered or fried is basically off limits. If it's considered a "heavy" food, I will most likely not want it. I'm not even a big fan of chocolate or ice cream or sweet things in general. I realize that I basically listed every food I shouldn't be eating anyway, but it's hard to avoid all those foods, all the time. Especially since my husband, his family, and all our friends still love those foods. And I used to like those foods, and would enjoy them on occasion.

Along with the return of my appetite came the cravings. For the most part, the cravings are brief, and often unidentifiable. Like, I think I can smell or taste something, and then I REALLY want that thing, but I can't figure out what it is. Then it goes away after a minute or so. I've also had brief cravings for jello and hot dogs (at the same time), grilled cheese sandwiches, cereal, cheesecake, that watered-down tangy punch they always serve at church, and some others that I can no longer remember.

I also have a few foods that I want all the time, with all my heart: salt and vinegar chips (I buy a bag every time I go to Haggen, which is at least once a week). Garlic bread is another, and I got to fulfill that craving yesterday, and I still want more. Homemade mac and cheese. This one I haven't given in to (yet), but I've been thinking about it for weeks, so you know it's going to happen at some point.

Am I making you hungry with all this food talk? I told you, my life revolves around food and eating now. It's pretty much all I think about. I'm definitely making up for those 4 weeks when I didn't want anything ever.

And don't worry, I am eating pretty healthy now. I feel like a bad mother already, because I know it's crucial to eat super healthy in the first 8-10 weeks, but I found it hard to eat anything, healthy or unhealthy! Now I'm finding it easy to eat the things I'm supposed to be eating, and I'm quite enjoying it.

Aside from the food obsession, I'm feeling great, I'm enjoying my slowly growing tummy, and I'm excited for things to start coming together, with the midwife, and all the baby stuff we have to get. And speaking of those things, I've got one more major post coming up, where I will fill you in on some pregnancy and baby plans.

Finally: The Post You've All Been Waiting For!

So here follows the story of when we found out that we're having a baby:

Let's rewind to the latter half of July. Mari started packing her stuff that week, and I started organizing a lot of our stuff to start packing that same week. Our house was utter chaos. We had our anniversary that week, July 19. I was actually expecting my period on that day, but it didn't show up. And it didn't show up the next day either. Or the next.

I didn't really give it much thought. I still felt like I was going to get my period, and I knew I was starting to get stressed about moving. It just made sense to me that I was late. It's not the first time it has happened.

When I was fully one week late, I started to get suspicious. I noticed that my appetite started doing some strange things. I would get suddenly and ravenously hungry only a couple of hours after I had eaten, and then I would nibble a little bit, and be completely disinterested in food for the next few hours. It just seemed weird. So I bought a pregnancy test, but only to confirm that I wasn't pregnant, so I could stop thinking about it, and concentrate on moving.

I didn't take the test right away, because Art and I were cranky and tired from moving every day, and we wanted to be in the right frame of mind when I took the test. Then 0n Thursday July 29, when I was 10 days late, I came home from work, kissed Art hello, and he told me "I think you should take the test."

So I went to the bathroom, ripped open the box, carefully read the instructions, and took the test. It was one of those sticks that shows either a plus sign or a negative sign. The plus sign showed up right away. (As in, I wasn't even done peeing yet.) In my naiveté, I thought, "The negative sign will probably show up soon. The instructions said to wait two minutes, and it's only been eight seconds."

I carefully laid the stick down, washed my hands, and waited. After a minute had passed, it dawned on me that the plus sign was not going to go away. I slowly brought the test upstairs to where Art was waiting on the couch (and probably going out of his mind). When he asked me the result, that's when I started crying. "It's.......POSITIVE!" I was shocked, and wasn't sure what to think or how to feel. I just kept saying, "This can't be real! I can't believe this is real!"

Remember, we weren't planning to have a baby for another couple of years, and I was a little bit scared at first. Were we ready? Would we be okay? Was God aware that we were in the process of moving into a one bedroom apartment? How would this all pan out?

Art didn't say anything for a long time. He just stared at the stick with a boyish grin on his face. Finally, when he spoke, I think his first words were, "Let me see the directions." So I fetched the box, and showed him that this could not possibly be a false positive. This was happening. We're having a baby.

At that point (if I'm being completely honest), I still wasn't sure if I was happy or not. I was trying to let the reality of it sink in, and then I looked at Art and said, "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now!" I literally didn't know what the next step was supposed to be. What do you do after you find out your pregnant?

Since we didn't have internet at our place anymore, the next day at work I discreetly opened up a window in the corner of my screen so no one could see, went on Google, and typed in "I'm pregnant: What now?" True story. Google was very helpful, and soon I was looking to see where I could make a doctor's appointment. I may or may not have been extremely under-productive that morning. :)

I was also grinning to myself at work all that day. It didn't take me long to accept our new future, and I decided I was going to be overjoyed, because even if this wasn't our timing, it's clearly God's timing. This is part of His plan, children are a blessing from Him, and I know He'll take care of us.

I also took about six or seven due date calculators online, and figured I was nearly six weeks along. (Seriously, did I do any work that day?) As of today, I'm around 12 weeks, and I have about one more week before I start my second trimester!

So that's the story. And now: pictures!!!!!!!!!

This first picture is of me at 8.5 weeks (taken in the bathroom of the place we were house sitting at).

Here I am at 10 weeks.

Before you all freak out at how big my belly is, know that this is me at 11 weeks, PLUS FOOD. I took this picture, on purpose, right after I ate a gloriously huge dinner at Olive Garden, to show you what a big difference a little food can make.

This is me today, at about 12 weeks. I took this picture right before breakfast, to get the most accurate belly. Once I start eating for the day, it pokes way out there.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next post, when I tell you about all my fun pregnancy symptoms! (Teaser: I can't believe how much my life revolves around food now. No matter how I'm feeling, I've always got food on the brain.)

Some Sadness, and a Shorter-Than-Promised Update

Well I was already to write up a big long post about all this exciting baby stuff (complete with a picture or two), but my evening kind of came crashing down around me.

My husband has had a very tough and disappointing week, and my heart grew heavy for him as he poured out his frustrations.

Then, right after he left to go out with some friends, I went on Facebook and found out that one of my relatives died of a heart attack today. I don't know nearly all of my dad's cousins, but I do know this one. My sister and I grew up with that family. The man who died has a son that is my age, and I was nearly as close to him as I was with any of my first cousins. So my heart is breaking for them.

Then I went to read my favorite funny blog to cheer me up a little, and she posted that she and her husband were thinking about separating. Thankfully they decided to see a counselor, and they're going to try and work it out.

Anyway, I've only been home for two hours, and I gotta say: it's just a lot to deal with all in one short evening.

Just in case any of you were going to tell me that you're going to pray for me, I appreciate it, but just know that I'll be okay. I can handle being sad. It's the people I'm sad for that really need our prayers right now.

But I don't want to bring all you guys down with me, so I'll switch to a happier topic and give you a quick update: I'm 11.5 weeks along, and starting to show (but really only if I've eaten). I'm feeling great; much better than weeks 6-10. The nausea is almost gone completely, and I finally have my appetite back. I actually want food now. (Although, there is still plenty of food that grosses me out, and that probably won't change until after I've given birth.)

I'm a lot less cranky these days (probably because I'm not nauseated anymore. Those two symptoms are definitely linked).

I've had two doctor's appointments, and one midwife appointment, and that all went very well. My test results came back normal. I still don't have a permanent midwife, but I have another appointment with another midwife on the 20th. Hey, you can pray for that! I really want to get this midwife thing figured out, and it's taking longer than I'd like, and I'm slightly discouraged. I don't want all the midwives' schedules to fill up and then nobody can fit me in.

I haven't had to buy any new clothes, or even a belly band. I'm kind of surprised that my pants aren't too tight yet, but I'm thinking that means I'm carrying high.

I'm very very very very very glad to be done house sitting, (I know, I already said that) and even more so that I don't have to deal with that dog anymore. Everything about that dog grossed me out, to the point of wanting to gag. I made Art feed her because I couldn't stand even going near the cupboard where her food was kept.

Also, I'm happy to be settling into our apartment. Not everything is unpacked and put away, but the essentials are in place. We can live quite comfortably with the progress we've made. And we bought curtains! That's the first decorating shopping we've ever done, and I'm glad Art suggested it. I wanted to make it feel like a home, and that's a step in the right direction.

Well, I'm going to sign off now, and go check on my very first angel food cake that I just made. I really hope it turned out, because I love angel food cake, and if I ruined it.....well, that would be the last straw. Here's looking forward to tomorrow, and the knowledge that everything won't seem so bad after a good night's sleep.

BIG (Well, Little) News!

I know this isn't the proper way to do one of these posts, but it's close to bedtime, I won't have time to post tomorrow, and I don't know if the internet is working properly at the apartment (which we'll be in starting tomorrow night - one more day of house sitting left!)

Anyway, this is just a quick post (sans pictures, I'm sorry) to tell ya'll that I'm pregnant!

I'm nearly 11 weeks along, and we didn't mean to wait this long to tell the world, but it just kind of happened that way. I found out I was pregnant when I was almost six weeks along. I don't know if that's late for finding out, but this also wasn't planned. (At least, it wasn't in our immediate plan, but it was clearly in God's plan, and we always said we'd be happy no matter when it happened.)

To answer your next question, I'm due around the beginning of April. I know this might seem silly, but I don't want to tell people my exact due date (I'll explain all of that in a later post).

I'm feeling pretty good these days. Mild nausea was my constant companion, but I think that's starting to go away. I finally feel like I have an actual appetite again, and I'm also starting to have cravings. I haven't really experienced any fatigue, and I'm very grateful for that.

I know my last few posts went on and on about the "joys" of house sitting and dog sitting, but what I couldn't tell you is that everything probably seems so much worse because I'm also going through my first trimester. Everything has the potential to gross me out, or make me upset. Having to navigate all these crazy hormones while also not being in our own home is not ideal.

But we're done house sitting, and I'm feeling better, and over all, life is getting better.

Again, I'm sorry I don't have a belly picture to show you, although there isn't really much to see there anyway. I'm only showing if I eat a lot. But otherwise, my stomach is still fairly flat.

So I just wanted to quickly tell you all the happy news! Have a great long weekend!