9 Weeks

This week was uneventful despite the fact that I was crazy busy with trainings after work and had observations three days this week in my classroom.  All my observations went well, they were mainly teachers and administrators from the district looking to see guided reading done effectively in the classroom.  I was very happy with my students! They did so well despite having 6-10 adults in the room watching them at any given point!

On Friday, I met with a group of midwives at a birthing center.  They were so wonderful, almost like having a bunch of aunts and sisters to talk to. It definitely confirmed my decision that I want to work a midwife this time around! So far I have looked at two groups of midwives and I am going to have a hard time deciding!

Nothing new in pregnancy this week.  I still can't tolerate the sight or smell of coffee and have traded in my cup for tea.  I also have been craving SPINACH! I had a spinach salad everyday this week and I loaded it with nuts, seeds, and protein.  It was the highlight of my lunch everyday :)

Date: 11/15/14
Week: 9 weeks 5 days
Estimated baby size: a grape
Weight Gain: 2 pounds
Symptoms:
morning sickness, aversion to COFFEE, MOODY, insomnia, running nose, and sneezing!
Cravings: Spinach Salad :)
What is baby doing?: Baby now weighs a fraction of an ounce and is almost 1 inch long. His eyes are fully formed but his eyelids will be fused shut until 27 weeks.

8 Weeks

We saw our doctor on Monday for an updated ultrasound and check in.  Every mother panics before their first doctor appointment--what if there is nothing there?  Dale went with me to the appointment for some moral support and we were so relieved to see baby fluttering away with a heartbeat of 140.  However, my doctor did spot a small a subchorionic bleed which is probably the cause of all my spotting--basically it a pool of blood near the baby but should dislodge or absorb into my body by 20 weeks.  Needless to say, I am still worried and trying my best to relax.  This pregnancy has been so different compared to Kannon and Clark!  The doctor prescribe me progesterone, LOTS of water, and to take it easy until my next appointment.  We go back in two weeks!

Date: 11/9/14
Week: 8 weeks 5 days
Estimated baby size: a kidney bean
Weight Gain: 2 pounds
Symptoms:
morning sickness, aversion to COFFEE, MOODY, insomnia, running nose, and sneezing!
Cravings: Roasted chicken and green beans
What is baby doing?: Baby is constantly moving and shifting, though I won't feel it for a while :)

7 weeks!!

This week was busy! We celebrated Kannon's 5th birthday (hard to believe, I know!) and also had Red Ribbon Week at school.  It was super busy but we had fun dressing up each day.  Friday was Halloween and the Fall Festival at school.  The boys had so much fun at the festival and even more fun trick or treating on Friday night.  Kannon dressed up as a train and Clark was Spiderman. It seemed as though the whole neighborhood was out and decorations were phenomenal!

Nothing new in pregnancy news.  Coffee make me vomit.  Seriously, the smell and the taste alone send me hurling to the Porcelain God.  This is a problem, as I LOOOOVE coffee and can't seem to stay awake without it.  I have tried decaf and tea but it doesn't wake me up in the same way coffee does.  I think the lack of coffee combined with major hormones has also made me very moody.  I want to rip everyone's heads off right now, including my husbands, my children, and my poor 2nd graders.  Let's hope this moodiness goes away soon!  I have an appointment on Monday and I can't wait to see our little bean!

Date: 11/2/14
Week: 7 weeks 5 days
Estimated baby size: a bllueberry
Weight Gain: 0 pounds
Symptoms:
morning sickness, aversion to COFFEE, MOODY, insomnia, running nose, and sneezing!
Cravings: HoHo's, tomato soup, cherry coke (still)
What is baby doing?: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs! Both hemispheres of baby's brain are growing, and the liver is churning out red blood cells. Baby also has an appendix and a pancreas. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.

6 weeks!

This week was busy! I started off with REAL morning sickness, like puking my guts out everyday this week, not like the dull nausea during my pregnancy with Kannon and Clark. I also have been waking up everyday at 4:45am craving Coke, which if you all know me, I DO NOT DRINK! This pregnancy has been a wild card!

I had an appointment on Tuesday with an OB. Normally, I wouldn't have gone in this early but I was so anxious about the spotting and cramping, I needed answers.  She was a lovely doctor and reassured me about all of the spotting and cramping I had been having.  We did an ultrasound just to make sure it wasn't ectopic or any other complication.  I was only 5 weeks but we did see the baby's gestational and yolk sak which were measuring right on track for a June 17 due date.  I will go back on November 3 for a follow up and another ultrasound.  In the meantime, my doctor told me to keep my stress level low, limit caffeine and drink LOTS of water.

However, while the doctor was wonderful, being in the hospital brought back a flood of memories from my birth with Clark.  During my labor with Clark I felt very frustrated because the doctor wouldn't let me have food or drink.  They wouldn't let me move around and all the IVs made it hard to adjust myself in the bed.  To make matters most, during the last minutes before his arrival, Clark's heart decelerated as he came through the birth canal and the Dr shouted "book an OR we need to do a section!" I remember feeling panicked but knew things would be fine, I told that doctor that I pushed my first out quickly and I could it again.  Sure enough, one push later, Clark was screaming and perfectly healthy.  In any case, my experience left me very frustrated.  I felt like I had no control in my birth and had I not trusted myself and spoke up, I could have ended up with a unnecessary c-section. I had wanted to use a midwife during my pregnancy with Clark but because of insurance reasons, we couldn't get one.  In the end, everything was fine, but it had me rethinking things.

This time around, I have decided that I want to use a midwife and a birth center.  Especially, because the hospital choices in our area have a 42% c-section rate, one of the highest in the country! I have started doing my research and am already so excited about the options for care.  I visited one birth center that was immaculate and relaxing.  The staff was so friendly and they listened to my concerns and needs.  I am going to visit a few other birth centers before making my mind.

In the meantime, we have started telling the boys.  They came with me to visit the birth center and were sad that we didn't get to take a baby home that day! Clark announced that he is excited to be a big brother because he is going to be "a better big brother than Kannon!" Ha! Typical, Clark!  We are so excited and are going to enjoy the next 8 months adjusting to our growing family!

Date: 10/26/14
Week: 6 weeks 5 days
Estimated baby size: a lentil
Weight Gain: 0 pounds
Symptoms:
cramping, morning sickness (FOR REAL!), constipation, CRAZY dreams, insomnia,  and sneezing!
Cravings: Cherry coke, twinkies, roasted turkey and green beans
What is baby doing?: The nose, mouth, and ears that we'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape.

5 weeks!

This week has been an emotional roller coaster.  I spotted for three days and thought for sure that things were not going to end well. Then the spotting stopped and I started feeling morning sickness.  I never threw up but my stomach just felt queasy.  I had cramping for two days and then it went away.  I called several doctors to ease my fears and they all said everything I was experiencing was normal, especially as this is my third pregnancy.  By Friday, I finally felt like this pregnancy is real and I got home from work and had bright red spotting.  I made another call to the doctor and they all kept assuring me that it is okay.  They encouraged me to put my feet up and drink some water.   I still can't shake the uneasiness.  I keep feeling like something is going to happen but I want to stay positive that this little bean will decide to stick around!  So I am trying to stay distracted.  Then, I remembered that I went through the EXACT same thing when I was pregnant with Clark!

Dale and I celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary last night.  We dropped the boys off at my mom's and headed to the movies.  We watched Gone Girl and then dined out for delicious ramen with my aunt and uncle at a ramen bar.  Like a true old married couple, we were in bed by 9:30 and up at 5:45 for no reason.  I am so grateful for Dale as he has been wonderful! He has been taking care of the kids so I can keep my feet up. He made dinner every night this week and even brought home flowers and chocolate on Friday.  I am one lucky lady!

Date: 10/19/14
Week: 5 weeks 5 days
Estimated baby size: a sesame seed
Weight Gain: 0 pounds
Symptoms:
cramping, spotting, constipation, CRAZY dreams, insomnia,  and sneezing!
What is baby doing?: Baby is now made up of three layers — the ectoderm, the mesoderm, and the endoderm — which will later form all of his organs and tissues. This week, in fact, the baby's tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood.

#3 is on its way!

Dale and I threw caution to the wind and decided that if we were meant for another child, it would happen.  On Monday, October 6, 2014, I had a negative pregnancy test.  After 4 months of nothing, I was ready to move on and be happy with our two precious boys.

Then, things started happening.  Dale's cat, Professor, who hates my guts was sleeping on my shoes and pants.  I thought that was rather odd.  Shortly after, I fell asleep and started having the most BIZARRE dreams.  Much like the ones I had when I was pregnant with Kannon. Friday, October 10, 2014, I stopped at Dollar Tree for the cheap-o home pregnancy test and was surprised to see the second pink line appear.  It was faint, but it was there.  On Saturday, I went to Target and got a First Response Test and confirmed that there is indeed a second darker line!  We are expecting another baby around June 17!  Perfect timing, as this baby will be during summer and won't require taking maternity leave from work!

We are so excited but also being cautious.  We are hoping hoping for a girl but just praying this little miracle will be healthy!

Date: 10/12/14
Week: 4 weeks 4 days
Estimated baby size: a poppy seed
Weight Gain: 0 pounds
Symptoms:
cramping, spotting, CRAZY dreams, insomnia, headaches, emotional (like crying over emails), sore breasts, and sneezing!
What is baby doing?: Baby is an embryo, consisting of two layers: the epiblast and the hypoblast, from which all of her organs and body parts will develop. From now until 10 weeks, all of the baby's organs will begin to develop and some may even begin to function.

Where did summer go???

First Day of School at 5:30 am

The summer ended with a bunch of bangs rather than the quiet end I had hoped for.  My family from California came to visit and while we had a blast, we had many surprises that included a hospital stay for my papa while he was here!  On the bright side, it meant they got to stay and visit for a few more days!

In looking at my summer goals, I realized that I was quite successful in accomplishing everything I set my mind on.  I knew the hardest goals would be buying a car and traveling to Louisiana, but we DID BOTH!
We drove to Lake Charles, LA when my cousin and aunt were here and we bought a car, a new 2015 Subaru Forester.

 My brother and I in Lake Charles, LA

TX/LA Stateline

School is already in full swing.  I have a great new group of students who are so excited to learn (and they deserve it!) Many of my students have gone a full year without a real teacher as their 1st grade teachers left during the school year.  I have taken on a lot of responsibility on my campus as I am now a 2nd grade Team Lead and a Literacy Leader.  In addition, graduate classes for master's started last week and I am already stressed! I need 36 hours in my day!

The boys started school as well.  They are both at my school in the PreK program. Both of them have wonderful teachers and are meeting lots of friends.  I never would have imagined our lives as full and wonderful as they are today.   If you had asked me 2 years ago, if we would be living in Texas, teaching, and driving two cars, with two kids in prek, I would have said you were CRAZY! But here we are. We are constantly surrounded by family after living in near isolation for so many years and are finally able to save money with both of us having GOOD jobs.  Even though our lives are crazy and a constant balancing act, we are in in love with the family we have built.  Alas, I am running out of time and would rather share our life with pictures :)

 I leveled all 600+ books for my class!

 My 15 year old cousin, Ketty Beth, visited from Phoenix.

Clark loved her, despite his current expression.

 We went to San Antonio, TX 

 Coincidentally, the first place we stumbled to was Marriage Island on the Riverwalk.

 My BFF from Seattle, Melissa.

 My cousin, aunt, and I at the NRG Stadium Tour.

 My grandparents, mom, and the kids.

 My classroom!!! Eeek!

 Kannon lives up to his namesake....he is a cannonball in the water!

 My family (bottom row: Aunt Nancy, Grandma Judy, Uncle Tom, Clark. Top Row: Aunt Anne, Uncle Tom, Sam, Aunt Leah, Dale, Kannon, Me)

 Our new baby!! We drove this 2015 Subaru with 84 miles off the lot for almost $10,000 MSRP.

 Happy campers :)