Pregnancy Journal

So, I am past 11 weeks now and I was thinking the other night...

With my first pregnancy, I wanted ATTENTION.  I wanted everyone to ask me every day how the baby was, if I was excited, what we were doing to get ready...I wanted everyone to know i was pregnant and to be excited for us.

This time around, I don't have that "me" focus.  It may be because I have a toddler to chase after and less time to focus on myself, it may be because I have grown up more, or it may be that life experiences have just changed my perspective.

We are SO thankful and excited for this baby but we don't need the world to be excited for us.  We don't need other people's attention to make us happy; we don't need or want everyone buying things for me or the baby; we are excited and content enough in our OWN family to feel joy ourselves and through Christ.

It's kind of a nice place to be in. 

Sometimes even when people ask me how I'm feeling, I'm confused momentarily.  Then I remember they're asking because I'm pregnant, and that IS special to the world and our church family--I just don't crave the attention like I used to.

I am glad.

I am also glad because it's not just me anymore!  :) We have due in our church--a baby in March, one in April, one in May (Skip June), one in July, ours in July or August, another at the end of August, and one at the beginning of September.  Who knows how many mroe God has in store before the end of 2008?? :)

It went great! 

I got to first see the billing office, and then peed in the cup, got weighed, and had a BP taken..then my favorite OB came in and said he was happy to see my name on his schedule today :)  He was happy for us and it was good to catch up with him again.  I had seen him on the OB ward during clinicals but it's nice to be his patient for maternity again.

He then did a belly ultrasound (hooray for no internal u/s!) and we immediately saw the heart beating which was just wonderful.  He did some measurements and this babe is measuring just one day behind the calendar due date, so we are sticking with August 1st.

I then got the "fun" annual pelvic exam but it was quick and painless and then I got my blood drawn.

All three places in one day--billing, exam/ultrasound, and lab! :)  Lucky me.

Anyway next appointment in 4-6 weeks (should be 4 but 6ish is okay, as I will be in another town for nursing residency and don't know my schedule yet, so I'll have to call when I know I have a 3-day break in which to schedule the app't).

Off to bed...we leave the hotel at 9:30 tomorrow!

We had a great Christmas with my family, but it is nice to be home.  We had a lot of luggage issues on our trip that I really don't want to re-hash, but it was great being with my family.  My sister, bro-in-law, and nephew; my mom and dad; my aunt and uncle and 2 kids; my other aunt and uncle, their two kids, their other daughter and her husband; and the three of us, all convened at my Grandma's house.

It was fun to be with so much family.  Ryan wore his special shirt (in the guestbook) to announce it so everyone now but Andrea and Kurt know--and we will see them this weekend!

Ryan got some great gifts--a Leap Frog Fridge DJ, lots of movies and books, puzzles, an Elmo (a small one that he LOVES), a magna doodle (fun!) a John Deere tractor from Santa, a John Deere floor puzzle, and a Rody bouncing horse.  http://www.rodytoy.com/  Check them out--they are pretty cool!  Ryan had a fun time jumping on the horse and bucking himself off :)

Over the holiday, I didn't get sick once!  (as in having to throw up--I did get nauseous but I can handle that!)  Since we've been back though, every morning my stomach seems to need the company of the toilet--I hate it.  I also hate the smell and sight of Ryan's diapers in the morning and they seem to be extra bad lately--I have to really build up courage to go change his diaper in the morning.

Tomorrow Ryan has his 18-month checkup, and in the afternoon, our second child has his or her first checkup! :)  I had a dream last night that our OB was able to zoom in really close on this great camera (like you see in the fetal development pictures) and said he was pretty certain it was a girl.  That's two girl dreams I have had now! :)  We will find out sometime next spring, though, as I am only 9 weeks by the calendar tomorrow!

Saturday we take off for Wisconsin to visit David's family over New Year's; we will be back on Jan 6th.  The 14th, 15th, and 16th I have skills lab for school and then the 17th Ryan and I will move up to Gillette--probably do my drug screen for the hospital on the 18th and also the hospital daycare orientation on the 18th--my nursing internship orientation begins on the 21st with the mom of one of my old high school friends :)  Three students from my class (including myself) are going to Gillette for the residency portion of school.

Anyway, there's a quick recap of our Christmas break so far; when I feel a bit better I will upload pictures we took over Christmas and post them on my other blog.

FYI Lins...the next belly pic with Ryan was taken at 10 weeks, so I will take one next week in Wisconsin and then post it then (I will really really try!  We are bringing my computer with us so we can pay bills and stuff, so I should be able to do that).

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!