Current Cravings

Here are my current cravings right now:

Top Ramen:  Only the beef flavor.  I want it a couple times a day.  I love this stuff right now.  And it doesn't give me heartburn.  Score.

Bananas:  They keep my stomach calm and taste fantastic.  

Water: cold and by the gallon.

My back is about out.  I have a dr's appt tomorrow and I'm hoping there is something that she can give me and advise me about with regards to my back.    I am having a hard time functioning because it hurts so bad.  The nausea is still here.  Heartburn is in full swing.  Still super tired even with the thyroid meds.   Hoping the pregnancy workout videos I borrowed from a friend will help make everything a little better and give me some energy.  These holidays are really wearing me out.

2 weeks and counting till trimester 1 is over!!!!!

I will be so happy when the first trimester is over.  This is awful.  I'm also so glad this is my last baby.  There is no way I could go through this again.  I was talking with my mom-in-law and she said her last pregnancy was really bad as well.  And in conversing we wondered if it gets worse as you get older.  This is my first pregnancy in my 30's (and last) and my mom-in-law was the same age I am.  So maybe.  The babies I had in my 20's WERE easier.  I am now in my 30's, my body is in it's 30's.  So I'm very glad I didn't wait to have all my babies in my 30's.  

Yuck

Um, constipation is NOT a good thing.  Nuff said!!!!!

Thyroid Progress

Been back on my thyroid meds for 3 days now.  I have energy, don't feel so bad, and lost 5 pounds.  It's been nice to have my metabolism  back working.  Today has been the best day so far.  Fingers crossed it gets even better.  I almost felt good enough to make it to the gym.  I'm thinking Monday might be the day.

First Doctor Visit

Met with my doctor yesterday.  Went through all the normal  stuff you get at your first visit.  A couple new things though.   Dr. Richter did a vaginal ultrasound.  Never had one of those before.  Very cool to see the peanut, and it's heart beating.  Second, she told me all about this new barrage of blood tests they do at 10 weeks to detect birth defects, down syndrome, etc.  I declined the tests.  What does it matter if my baby has a defect.  I will always choose to keep it, love it and support it.  Why do I need to worry about it for longer.  

So other than those couple things, everything else was the same.  Each nurse I interacted with kept asking me if this was my 1st baby.  They all looked a little shocked when I said it was my 4th and with the same husband.  I got a little chuckle.  I notice that about a lot of people when I announce it's my 4th.  I guess I crossed the threshold into the big family category.  

I was put on my thyroid medication again, pretty aggressively.  I'm hoping it is a big help.  I also was prescribed Zofram for my nausea.  It seems to help in the morning but once the late afternoon hits, I'm done.  And then Dr. Richter hit me with, 'the nausea seems to peak at 10 weeks'  

What? I'm only 8 weeks.  Dang it.  But then she hit me with: "studies show that women with bad nausea seem to miscarry less"

Ok, I'll take it.  

I'll suck it up and crawl through it.

Every time I hang over the kitchen sink, Sophie says: 'momma, you throw up gen(again)'. Sydney has repeatedly offered to do dishes.  Nico keeps praying for the baby in my tummy and kisses it.  Nick has helped the best he can.  He has been really good about getting me whatever I need at the store.  He's a man's man.  I can't really ask for too much. So I'm not going to.  

Blood Pressure, protein, bloodsugar, everything else: fine.  

I am going back in three weeks to monitor the meds and make sure everything is on track.  

I love my doctor.   She is wonderful.  I had her with Sophie and am so excited to see her again.  I love her.  Did I already say that?

weight confessions

Ok, so i know this is normal.  It happens to millions of women.   But it's still driving me nuts.   The Weight Gain.  When Sydney was born, I weighed something like 30 pounds lighter than now.  Nico, 20 pounds, Sophie 10 pounds.  You get it.  The perpetual weight that never comes off.  So to begin this this pregnancy I am at my heaviest weight to date. Ever. In my life. Here is my confession, I am beginning this pregnancy at 165 pounds.  Wow that hurts to say.    It hurts to admit I had gotten to that point.   Now I have to be on my best behavior and try not to gain more than 20 in hopes that I can loose it quickly.  

I didn't breastfeed Sophie and I think that was a detriment to my losing the weight after she was born.  I am going to try with this one.  Although I don't know how my breast implants will play out letting me nurse.  I hope they don't get in the way.

I want to exercise but I am so flippin sick I can barely get off the couch.  I am hoping I start feeling better so I can exercise.  I do miss it.    

My thryroid is also out of control right now.  As confirmed by blood work done last week.  So hoping that my metabolism will kick in a little more once I get back on my Synthroid.  

And my diet needs to be taken into consideration.  It's crap.  I am planning on changing it as soon as I can eat.  

I plan on documenting my weight gain, eating and exercising progress on this blog.  

Fingers Crossed.

This is all i want tonight.  Oh, man I want it.  Good thing Mr. G went out and got me some.  What a good hubby, especially when he didn't have to and the grocery store is far.   

Next, I can't get over how heightened my sense of smell is.  I can smell everything.  I don't remember this before.  Every little thing.  It's a little annoying.  I don't know if I like it that much.  I'm hoping there is still some silver lining to this super power I seem to have now.  Mostly I smell the bad things that make me feel sick, i would like to smell the yummy things that make my mouth water.

sick, sick, sick

yuck is all I have to say.  i am not happy about the icky feeling that is constantly grumbling in my tummy.    not feelin to fantastic.  that's all i have to say right now.   

What was I thinking?

Not sure I'm ready to do this. Life isn't too great right now. Kind of wishing I wasn't bringing a child into it.

blah

It's official:

I am sick.....

3 Nights and counting now...

It hits around 7pm ...

I go to bed sick.....

And pray I wake up feeling better.

Heartburn

It's a vicious, vicious thing.  Heartburn is.   Doesn't matter what I eat when I'm preggo, I will have heartburn in the evening.  Typically it doesn't start until around 14-15 weeks, however as I type this I am experiencing it.  I guess the more kids you have the quicker it starts.  Whatever the reason I don't like it.  The only solution for me is Mylanta Night Time.  It tastes terrible because you have to drink it, but it's what works for me.  I've tried TUMS and things like that, but no.  When I was preggo with Sydney I had to have something prescribed it got so bad.  I am not looking foward to the next 30 something weeks of a burning chest.  I am going to try to research if there is something organic, or different eating habits that will lessen it.  I'll post what I find.

mmm mmmm mmmm

Ok, here are my food cravings thus far:

-Nacho Cheese- The 'que bueno' stuff from Costco.  I am craving it at least once if not twice a day.  I want plate fulls of gooey, spice nachos.  (my mouth is watering just thinking about it)

-water- I am so freaking thirsty all day long it's not funny.   I love water anyway, but man I can't get enough.  I've got a huge jug of it sitting next to me right now.

-Cheetos- Now I do like nacho cheese and water, BUT I normally DO NOT like cheetos.  So to crave these is weird for me.  I want to dip them in my nacho sauce. (and I have)  

-around 10:30-11:00pm everynight I crave something sweet.  Anything sweet.  One night I reverted to a fruit snack to satisfy it.  With Halloween coming I know I'm doomed.  I think I need to invest in some fruit leather type things, so at least I know it's sweet and not total crap that late at night.

-oranges- Last Saturday at Sydney's AYSO game I saw one of her teammates eating an orange and I almost got up and took it from her sticky little fingers I wanted it sooo bad.  

I'm sure as time drags on my cravings will change.  But for now here they are.

A little frustration....

I am only just pregnant and already I can't button my pants.  Why do I feel like my belly is huge already?  I know this happens with multiple pregnancies, but the fact that I have to bust out my maternity pants is nuts.    This always happens, I look pregnant really fast so people think I'm pregnant forever.  I stay the same size for what seems like months.  But since I have always been poochy I guess it makes sense.  At least now I can tell people I'm pregnant and not fat.    But right now I am at the heaviest I've ever been.  I just don't want to gain a ton of weight this time.  I am making the gym a habit this pregnancy, I would love to loose some weight still.  Still a little bummed about already growing out of my pants.

next entry: 

heartburn

My take on Kaiser

Here are my thoughts on what I encountered when I called to schedule my first prenatal  appt.    We have had Kaiser since being married.  I love it.  Never any complaints. And every time I got pregnant the routine went like this:  

-I call Kaiser and schedule an appt. to verify that I am in fact preggo.

- when that is confirmed in office, I continue with my initial pap, do all my blood work and schedule future appts.  

Pretty easy and straight forward.  Not complicated or seemingly weird.

So I was expecting the same drill when I called this week.  Um....not how things work now.  

How much has changed in 3 years I'm wondering?

So now, when I call they send my info to some prenatal call center or something, I have to wait for someone to call me back and let me know what's going on.  

I get the call, and I have to schedule some kind of phone interview before I can be seen for the first time.   The call takes about 30 min. and it goes over all the stuff I would have filled out in office.  I guess they want to save on paper or something.  

Then when that interview is complete they schedule my first appt.  with blood work etc.   I don't have to go in and pee in a cup for them to tell me I'm pregnant.  They just take my word for it.  Strange... if you ask me.  

So I said let's schedule this thing and the first available time is in November. November 2 to be exact.  Ok whatever.  The only thing I can think is I probably won't be seen in office until mid to late November, putting me at after 9-10 weeks.  Isn't that a little late to be seen for your first appt.?

Just a thought.   

UPCOMING POSTS:

prenatal vitamins

food cravings

lack of maternity jeans at a decent price with long enough legs

Surprise! Surprise!.....well, sort of

So we were surprised this week with the new that Baby #4 would be joining out Clan next June.  Surprised? yes and no.  Let me explain.  After much thought and consideration, in August we decided that when life calmed down, and after our move we were going to start trying again for #4. So this last month was our first month trying.  (sidenote:  Sydney was on the first month, but not really because we were never using anything before I got preggo,  Nico a surprise and Sophie took 7 months)  So I was gearing up for the long haul.  Months and months of stressing, trying, waiting, getting disappointed, and then doing it all over again until that '+' sign appeared.  So to say we were totally, actively, trying this month would be a little much.  

About 2 weeks ago I began to be extremely tired, wanted to nap all the time, sleep in as long as possible, (admitting that a couple days, I sent the kids to school and went back to bed while Stinker Bell watched Dora) But i was chaulking it up to lack of gym time.  Then last Friday I got heartburn, I ONLY get heartburn when I have been pregnant.  The minute the baby is born, heartburn disappears.  So there was my second clue.  Then I woke up 2 days later about to throw up.  The nausea kicked in and man, i wanted to die.  I didn't get off the couch all day with the exception of pulling it together to attend a parent/teacher conference.  All of this was going down before my period was even due.  Nick thought I was crazy as usual when we are trying for a baby.  (he just wants to hear: Honey, I'm pregnant)  But even I was starting to feel crazy, I hadn't even been wanting it that bad, hadn't been obsessing over it so why were all theses things happening.  My cycle is 28 days to the day, so the day after my expected period. I caved in took a test.  And to my shock, that little '+' sign was there and bright.  WHAT?!?!?!? Are you kidding?????   

 Well, I wasn't prepared for that.  I was all geared up for a battle, and no battle was necessary.  Relief washed over me.  I told Nick, he was shocked.  We waited to tell the kids until after dinner and I was surprised how excited they were.  And Nico, (man that kids cracks me up) is not letting go of his exciting news.  Yesterday at Disneyland he kept telling all the workers that we 5 instead of 4 because I was having a baby.  And he wants to say all the prayers to bless the baby to come soon.  Little does he know he's a long way off before #4 makes it's debut.  

I am feeling ok the last couple days. Tired and beat, a little nauseous but ok.  I have a bunch of emotions running through me.  

1. I HATE being pregnant.  Some women LOVE it.  I am not one of those women.  I am not nice, I'm uncomfortable the whole time.  I get heartburn, gas, I burp all the time.  My legs fall asleep.  I pee 20 million times a day AND night.  Energy is zapped.   All in all do not like it.

2. I wasn't quite ready for another one.  Although, 7 months from now I don't know if I'd be ready.  I really wanted to be done having babies.  3 seemed like enough for me.  But I knew 3 wasn't it for our family.  I also didn't want the age gap between Sophie and the baby to get to huge.  As it is, they will be 3 years and 10 months apart.  So really, 4 years.  I have managed to be diaper free now.  I almost don't need a stroller when we go somewhere.  All my children sleep through the night and sleep in, in the mornings.  I'm not ready for sleepless nights, diapers bags, diapers, baby food, breast feeding.  All of it.  But I know this baby is part of our family and has been since we were all together in the pre-existence.    I love #4 already.

3. I am excited.  I DO love babies.  So yes, I don't know how excited I am to do all this again, BUT I am anxious to meet and love this little one.  To hold it close and whisper in it's ear how much I love him/her.  To look in their new eyes and wonder what they know about our Father in Heaven.  About His Plan of Happiness.  The pure joy that fills me the minute I see their Heavenly Face.  The first time I feel it flutter in my swollen belly.  The moment I know they are mine forever. I DO LOVE that part.

4. How will #4 mesh with the other three.  I know they will instantly fall in love with it.  But what about the ages differences?  What if Nico never gets his brother?  

I'm sure as the months roll on I'll have  more feelings to express.  But I am happy, We are happy.

This is my journal during my pregnancy.  I gonna post belly pics for the first time ever.  I've never taken any before.   Take about all the things that come to mind, bother me, excite me.

Next entry, the new changes I encountered when trying to schedule my first pre-natel appt.  Kaiser through me for a loop and I'm not sure what to think about it.