Oct 21, 2012: 16 weeks 1 day

So yesterday I got up and felt great! No pukey, no nausea, loads of energy and a desire to get things done.

I marvelled repeatedly about this with AB. You just don't know how GOOD it feels when you have been feeling like hell for 12 weeks to suddenly wake up and feel like you can conquer the world!

This comes at the perfect time as we are 5 days till our departure for Orlando for 8 days of Disneyworld, SeaWorld, Universal and R&D100 celebrations. AB was really starting to get worried about how my feeling urky was going to impact the trip for me. I kept reminding him if I feel bad, I go back to the room and lay down and the kids are old enough now (and tall enough) to continue hanging out with him. Sure it would be easier with 2 parents and 2 kids - but we need to start getting used to being outnumbered!

But yay! I am feeling just a ton better.

Of course that comes with its own paranoias... I am feeling better, but haven't felt the baby move. Granted they are itty bitty tiny little movements at this point, but Friday night I was reveling in them, and then Saturday nothing. Paranoia sets in - is everything ok?

I am a bit less concerned today as I woke up a touch urky. Cream of Wheat settled my stomach pretty quickly, but it did give me a bit of reassureance that I needed!

First Purchase

So yay! I bought something!!

 

As I have said before, time has just gotten away from me and I think that is the reason that I was 15 weeks along before I bought anything – not because I didn’t want to BUY anything!!

 

Here it is:

 

 

 

I have not so secretly coveted a Petunia Pickle Bottom bag for the last 8 years or so. I bought a knock off sometime after I had Leif - and I liked it. It worked for me. But the thing is in shambles now.

 

I keep telling myself I won't be buying much this time around - so make each purchase count.

 

Purchase #1... counts!

 

 

October 16: 15 weeks 3 days

I have decided that I am really, really ready to feel better. Really.

 

I recall hearing women talk about their pregnancies over the past few years – “this is it”, “we are done”, “no way will there be anymore”. And I always wondered if I would ever feel that way? I used to joke that it was good I didn’t start having kids at a much younger age as I would have 12 (and probably be broke).

 

I can officially say, “this is it”. I am done after this one.

 

AB laughed when I told him this – “but of course you are, you will be 41 when you have this one and we were never planning on more than 3!”

 

No, I explained to him, you don’t understand. My gut, my brain, my heart all say this is it and I don’t want to do this again. That’s huge for me. I never thought I would get to this point.

 

I think he got what I was saying.

 

So 15 weeks this weekend.

 

We finally came out on Facebook this past weekend. I was shocked at how many people – people who I don’t see on a regular basis even – said, “I had no idea!” almost as if they should have.

 

I found this kind of funny. I know you didn’t. Because we didn’t tell. And we mean no offense by it at all. There was one couple we wished we had gotten to - but just logistics didn't allow it. So her comment - yes, she is the one that gets to be shocked!

 

Really I think we intended to announce it earlier, but time just got away from us. Seriously this pregnancy #3 is flying by. I feel like I am going to blink my eyes and be in L&D (of course a few days past my due date) and wonder where time went.

 

 

So yes, I am done after this one and I feel it in my heart. That doesn’t mean I want to skip over the coming few months – provided things start looking up and I quit feeling like crappola. This pregnancy hasn’t been easy. AB reminds me that I was so much sicker with Skadi. I was, yes. But I have had more ailments and other issues with this one. This Sunday night and Monday day was a touch of the stomach flu – or food poisoning. I am starting to come back – ever so slowly.

 

Oct 7, 14 weeks 1 day

Wow, this pregnancy is FLYING by. I am already 14 weeks? How is that even possible.

Symptoms: Still puking daily. At this point it isn't really that big of a deal. I feel crummy in the morning, after I puke, I feel better. And I feel mostly fine all day until 9-10pm at which point I am just best off being in bed. The fatigue has let up. I can make it through the day without a nap, or feeling as if I am so tired I am going to fall over.

Food: Aversions a plenty. I don't crave anything. There are things that taste better than others - I can usually tolerate an English Muffin at just about any time. I should have bought stock in the Thomas brand - they have the best English Muffins. Apple juice, that usually tastes pretty good, but I have to be careful not to overdo it as it will also make me queasy. Miso soup has never tasted so good. And hot tea. Love some good hot tea. But I am not craving anything in particular.

Purchases: None. I don't need much, but since this is the last one and we are finding out gender I am waiting to buy items so I can buy gender specific! Something I haven't been able to do to this point!

Names: We have two girl first names and two boy first names. The way AB said it the other day it seemed pretty simple. I had a list for both, but we agreed that none on the list trumped the two we had for each gender. So there it is. Middle names up next. Then ruling out one gender.

I went on travel this past week and it wasn't horrible. The biggest hurdle was not letting it be totally obvious that I am pregnant. I was with about 8 other staff members, none of which know I am pregnant. And probably only one who would actually care when she finds out. It isn't that telling people is that big of a deal at this point I suppose - it's that I haven't spilled to my own direct managers. Not sure why that is seeming hard at this point. I suppose maybe because I am still hoping (probably fruitlessly hoping) for that promotion to the next PM level. Though I am realizing that at this point the decisions have been made and that in theory my being pregnant or not shouldn't have a bearing at this point. Not that it SHOULD have a bearing at any point, but I work in the dark ages.

I felt my first actual little kick the other night. It felt like someone flicked me with their finger. I have felt the little "butterfly kisses" here and there for awhile, but the first kick was just a couple nights ago.

I had one of those surreal moments the other day. You know where it suddenly hits you that "oh, that would be me!" Someone mentioned something about buying newborn diapers. Oh crap yeah! I am going to be changing itty bitty diapers again!

Anyways, there's my update for my entrance into the second trimester. Let's hope it is easier than the first!

Names

I actually have a favorite boy’s name. AB seems to like it, but doesn’t want to put too much thought into names at this point since we are planning to find out the gender. THEN we will worry about names.

 

 

But I came across a name I like. And AB perked up when I mentioned it.

 

 

We have always had trouble with boy’s names. It is good that Skadi wasn’t a boy… We can come up with umpteen girl’s names (though we have our two leading favorites), but boys perplex us. We knew early on that Leif would be Leif. We both loved it. Skadi was a last minute decision between her name and one of the two current leading favorites.

 

 

Now the issue with this boy’s name? It is currently ranked #183 in the US according to one website. In our world of names, that is popular. And therefore a little concerning. My kids don’t worry about having the same name as 10 other little kids around.

 

 

Skadi (common saying coming from her): “She is one of my Maddie friends.” (Because she has SO many friends named Maddie… kind of like Jennifer when I was a kid.)

 

 

Ugh.

 

 

I am struggling with this.

 

 

Oh and then it isn’t Scandinavian. It is Hebrew. Another complication?

 

 

And don’t even get me started on middle names. Middle names are family names by my family’s tradition. A tradition that AB and I have latched onto for Leif and Skadi. Leif John (after AB’s dad) and Skadi Jeanne (after me, my mom, my grandma, my great grandma…).

 

 

AB suggested my mom’s name for a girl’s middle name. I declined it in favor of her favorite girl’s name – she always wanted a granddaughter named after her grandmother. I might be able to slip it by AB as a middle name, but as a first name I could never get him to latch on.

 

 

A boy’s middle name? I may resort to pushing my maternal grandfather’s middle name again. Though unique, AB can cite 2 guys he has known with this name – yes and one I knew. And he was a bit of a doofus. He was one of my students in grad school who ended up working with AB after his graduation with a BS in chemistry.

 

 

But really, open to any and all suggestions on the middle name front.

 

And yes, we are sticking to our same tradition with the other two kids of not divulging names until the child is born. Though some who are close may be able to glean some hints on middle names.