Weekly thread, Oct 11 - 18 - Page 5

[shantiani]

Originally Posted by sew_crafty_girl

14wks tomorrow and just hoping to get through this week feeling the reassuring movements from baby everyday. I lost my last 2 pregnancies at 15wks, so as long as I feel movement, I'll be less anxious until my midwife and peri appts next Monday.

I'm so jealous that you're feeling movement! That seems like such a great sign. I think everything is going to look great on Monday.

Originally Posted by GreenTeaGinger61

13 weeks today. Not much has changed really. Bigger than ever due I'm sure more to eating then baby But I am getting to the gym at least five days a week, sometimes six. My energy is starting to return, and the sick feeling has abated to only nights.

My food belly is outrageous right now. Just a little bump in the morning and then I look 14 months pregnant by afternoon!
I've started running again, but not regularly enough and I really, really feel the need to get back in my routine (still only managing 2 days/wk when 5 is really my ideal). It makes me feel so much better, but getting back in the groove when it's rainy and cold is hard. Maybe I need to treat myself to one good set of cold weather running clothes to accommodate the bulge.

Originally Posted by smeisnotapirate

Here is our album of before/during photos - I'm the one with my head covered.

We still need to post pictures of how the house looks now. We've finished the 3 bedrooms, the bathroom, and the kitchen.

Awesome! That looks like so much fun... and so much work! It's turning out really great though. More pictures please!

Originally Posted by dhinderliter

for all those with weather concerns...your welcome to come camp here. it still gets up to 80 and i have to run the swamp cooler for an hour to make it cool in here in the middle of the day...which i should go do now.

I'm on my way.

Originally Posted by sew_crafty_girl

Bought a maternity swimsuit today and a new pair of pants. On the weekend I went up a bra and underwear size. I find it kinda depressing that I'm getting to the high end of standard sizings and I'm an average sized woman. How do the fluffy moms manage?

I'm torn about buying new clothes, but like to try on clothes before I buy, so I'm not sure Ebay will work for me and I've never done the consignment route so I wouldn't know where to start in my town. I've outgrown a most of the clothes I bought in my first couple of m/c pregnancies already. Feels like I've thrown away a lot of $ on mat wear.

The 2nd hand baby/maternity store route is great. I would try googling a few in your area. I need to try on most clothes in person too and it is so satisfying to find good stuff for cheap.

Originally Posted by Pepper44

Since he just got his new job I'm trying to convince him that we should try and move. (We were all set to move before he lost his old job.) I have my eye on this place...

http://search.lbar.com/mls/details/r...al/916833.html

Wow, suddenly I want to move to KY! Cool house and 2 ponds? The land is beautiful!

And congrats on dh's new job!!!

[ivymae]

OMG pepper, that house/property is amazing, and the price. My DH works for the gov, and that makes me want to start researching positions in Ky.

I finally got my van back today (after two unproductive weeks in the shop) and the part that we need is on backorder from GM, since my van is an Oldsmobile (discontinued) and is an offbeat enough piece that no one has it in stock anywhere (they spent the last two weeks just trying to find one). Bonus that they also think my transmission wiring is going bad (and causing my van to think it is in third at random times, stalling out), so we're thinking that maybe we need to do some car shopping. We can't fit three carseats in the back of DH's car, so we have to find something before April, or spend the $ to fix my van (and hope that the next thing that goes wrong is an easier one). Boooo.

[Shazer]

I haven't posted much in the past few weeks (I honestly can't keep up with everyone's posts).

So I'm feeling crazy amounts of movement and I have since 10.5 weeks. I am 12.5 right now (punches, kicks, rolls, turns, karate chops). In the car, the baby is always moving. At night, the baby bounces all around. I sometimes feel movement in different areas. This leads me to being freaked out about the possibility that there is more than one inside me. At my MW appointment at ten weeks, the MW couldn't find the heartbeat. I don't go back to see her for another two weeks. I haven't had any twins dreams and don't feel different physically than with my first. But the amount of movement is unbelievable. As an aside, I can't even find my uterus yet (it is tilted).

Does anyone else feel crazy amounts of movement at this early of a date?

[Peace+Hope]

smeisnotapirate, that is an amazing house, and wow, the work! my husband and i love old houses, and we talked about buying something that needed a lot of work, but ours was great moving in. now i look at something like what you're doing and think, no way i could do all that! anyway, !

sewcraftygirl, BIG to you. it's so wonderful that you are feeling your little baby move around, and will be passing this difficult milestone so soon! btw, i can't remember your whole history, and i'm a little confused by your signiature. this is your 7th pregnancy, but you have 4 angels? sorry i haven't remembered...

we just bought our first house close into town (asheville) last year, and now my husband keeps saying he's ready to move out to the country ... while i'd love more property, i also love not having to drive everywhere, and our house is fantastic. i can't imagine giving it up unless we really grow out of it. all that land sure looks nice though...

[MaterPrimaePuellae]

Peace+Hope, we love Asheville! Dh and I went there on a honeymoon and a family vacation last year. We mostly just -- you all have some great restaurants there! I think our favorite was 12 Bones. WOW.

[GreenTeaGinger61]

Pepper, It reminds me of Maine for some reason! Dh would love to live out like that and I admit to sometimes being tempted (horses!) but I have become such a city girl! And a huge congrats for your dh and his new job by the way.

Peace & Love: Love Asheville. We go to shows there as well. When I need a mountain fix that's where I always head. In fact, I'm hoping my mom will offer to take the kids for our 10th Anniversary so we can stay somewhere in Asheville for the weekend.

[Peace+Hope]

Originally Posted by MaterPrimaePuellae

Peace+Hope, we love Asheville! Dh and I went there on a honeymoon and a family vacation last year. We mostly just -- you all have some great restaurants there! I think our favorite was 12 Bones. WOW.

heh, i live a 5-minute walk from 12 bones ! next time you're here, let me know. if you can make it up the hill, you can digest on my front porch

[smeisnotapirate]

Thanks, everyone! It's been a lot of fun.

Originally Posted by MaterPrimaePuellae

Sara, that house is AWESOME! Wow. Is the new kitchen in the room that previously had the weird heah-height border and the old-style sink w/draining sides?
That does look like a LOT of work. It's great that you have so many people involved in the restoration. Good luck!

Yes. I really wanted to keep that sink, but it was totally rusted on the inside and un-save-able.

Those pictures are mostly from Labor Day weekend, when my DH's brother and his girlfriend came up from college to help, along with DH's grandmother and aunt and uncle. It was a great weekend, and we got the whole kitchen installed in that one weekend.

[OneWithTwo]

I wish I lived in a house :/

We live in a cozy and comfortable 2 bedroom townhouse apartment. It's a tight fit, but it's perfect for us. It is an apartment, so it has downfalls like noisy neighbors and I have to rent my garages. My dishwasher sucks, but my boss owns their house and their dishwasher is way worse. My oven/stove sucked but they gave me a BRAND new one and I fell in love. Both bathrooms are upstairs, which sucks.
But it's just short of 1200sq ft. I can have my pets and I have my own washing machine/dryer.
I love the cooler weather because I bought wood for my fireplace and I love watching tv with a fire going. It's comfortable and it's home it's my center and peaceful, which I love.
During the summer I have this BEAUTIFUL tree outside my dining room window that has gorgeous pink blossoms. My deck is pretty big too, I have 5 blueberry plants in big buckets, 2 pretty large strawberry planters, 4 raspberry plants in big buckets, a turtle sandbox and during the summer we have a sand/water table and a kiddie pool and still have room Heating is simple as my neighbors heat my apartment. My electric bill is $70 year round. It's not big enough to have a ton of people here, but last Thanksgiving I did dinner and we had 8 people plus me is 9.
I really want to move, I'd love to have a yard...it's my hope for after the baby comes until then I am content.

[OneWithTwo]

btw...I CAN NOT wait till snow comes i loved being snowed in last year...pure peace

[Dena]

Sara, cool house! I'm impressed by all the work you guys are doing. We have been through a couple of fixers, but I have never been brave enough to take on something like that!

Pepper, that house!! That land!! OMG!! And the PRICE!! I told dh we need to move to Kentucky. He took one look, noted it was in Clark County, and informed me that we would be run out with shotguns on our first day. Well, he really meant ME, since he is able to keep his liberal trap shut. I told him on 12 acres we could keep to ourselves, but I don't think he was convinced.

Ivy, I feel for you on the van. I hate car issues. And we are going to have to look for a new car ourselves after the first of the year. I hate car shopping even more than car issues, but there is just no way to fit four kids into either of our cars. And caravaning everywhere is just not going to be practical.

AFM, after an early meltdown, we actually had a really good day. Dd1 got promoted to "superpikes" in her swimming class, I almost have my brief done that I had to get done today (I'll get my act together soon and finish it before bedtime), my mom actually made some social contacts in her retirement home and announced she is joining the bell choir, which thrills me because I think part of her problem right now is depression borne out of sitting in front of the TV all day, and, best of all...

Dh got a job interview. With Deloitte and Touche!! Only one of the big four accounting firms!! Just getting an interview is beyond huge. AND he has a networking contact who works there, so he may be able to get some background help before the interview. Fingers crossed on this - this job would be incredible for his career and for our family. I know it is a long shot, but still... Wahoo!!

AND, if that were not enough best news, my 12-week N/T test showed two healthy babies, with N/T well in the normal range, healthy heartbeats, healthy everything, measuring right on target. And the blood clot is gone!! One of the babies was actually lying on his/her back with his/her feet up, resting against the uterine wall. Just chillin'

[sew_crafty_girl]

Originally Posted by Peace+Hope

sewcraftygirl, BIG to you. it's so wonderful that you are feeling your little baby move around, and will be passing this difficult milestone so soon! btw, i can't remember your whole history, and i'm a little confused by your signiature. this is your 7th pregnancy, but you have 4 angels? sorry i haven't remembered...

I have 2 living children (and 2 step children.) So I've been pregnant 7 times and have had 4 consecutive miscarriages after my first 2 children. Ya, my signature is confusing....I'll fix that.

So I just broke down in tears because my cats are showering my husband in attention and ignoring me. Also, because I was going to do my belly shot and realized we forgot the camera at our kids' Scout meeting and my husband was really upset. Thankfully, the leaders grabbed it and it's safe at their place.

Found a local consignment shop so I'll check it out on Saturday!

[Carley]

Ericka - I think we all "wish" what we don't have sometimes. My house is 910sq ft., we don't have a garage & we have a "colourful" neighbor who is also the neighborhood drunkard. We have "The" kid in the family so we also host Christmas every year. Pretty hillarious!

What's even more funny (funny/sad) is that it's appraised at (in current market) over 3x the amount of Pepper'slovely 1752 sq ft ranch in KY (thankfully we did not purchase it for anywhere near that amt!)! That is an AMAZING house & property - holy moly. I LOVE outbuildings. LOVE. Our first house was on a property with a creek & old outbuildings - LOVED them. It was totally my dream house... if only... the location... :P

When I lived in aforementioned dream house I "wished" we had all our projects finished, "wished" we lived closer to any type of restaurant or at least a grocery that stayed open past 7pm. Here I "wish" I couldn't hear/see neighbors from every window in my house & any spot on my lot. I "wish" homeless drunks wouldn't wander into my lawn & "wish" I was back out in the country!

I seriously have to focus myself at least 1x/week & work on gratitude & acceptance. I "wish" way too much to be grateful I swear I am - it's just easily forgotten at times...

smeisnotapirate AMAZING work! As a fellow home remodeler (aka the insanity personified) I am totally

My preschooler (I'm training myself out of saying "Toddler") totally made up for being such a... PRESCHOOLER yesterday. We were at her pre-op appointment & I was reading a book - a little girl was upset because she couldn't see her mama so I asked her if she wanted to listen to our story -

That's when my daughter said... "My mom is the BEST" DEAR LORD child. I can't even explain the emotions - pure puddle of love.

Speaking of puddles, Syd has totally regressed with going potty at home. She NEVER has accidents anywhere else. ONLY here & lately it's been 2x/day. I'm going crazy! I know it's environmental. Today I decided just to keep her in pullups at home.

Anyone else's 3.5 go through this? I'm thinkin' it's stress related? We've got a pregnant mama & a surgery in 2 days - ? She really seems to do it vindicitvely, though, but I don't know. We've got so much going on right now.

It had me all sorts of furious yesterday - but now that I'm "The BEST" I'm kind of ok

[Carley]

Originally Posted by Dena

Dh got a job interview. With Deloitte and Touche!!

AND, if that were not enough best news, my 12-week N/T test showed two healthy babies, with N/T well in the normal range, healthy heartbeats, healthy everything, measuring right on target. And the blood clot is gone!! One of the babies was actually lying on his/her back with his/her feet up, resting against the uterine wall. Just chillin'

OMG mama that is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

[Carley]

FYI TOTALLY watching the Duggar's right now! LIVE BIRTH people! YES!!!!!!!!!

[ivymae]

Originally Posted by Carley

I seriously have to focus myself at least 1x/week & work on gratitude & acceptance. I "wish" way too much to be grateful I swear I am - it's just easily forgotten at times...

I keep a journal and write down a minimum of five positive things a day (but most days if I keep jotting things down, it gets much longer). They are seriously trivial usually (We have Pirates Booty! Yay! I got to talk to my sister on the phone! Woo! I got to pee by myself this morning! Best day ever!) but having an entire BOOK of positive, lovely, joyful things makes it easier to take a deep breath and accept the bumps in the road. It has also become a picture of our daily lives, with little sayings of the girls that make me smile, or milestones that make me feel like I am actually doing an okay job as Mom. it doesn't have to be a fancy journal - I started out using my day planner when I worked - but it really does make a difference. It's cognitive reframing in the simplest way, forcing us to focus on the good instead of the bad. train those neurons!

Originally Posted by Carley

Anyone else's 3.5 go through this? I'm thinkin' it's stress related? We've got a pregnant mama & a surgery in 2 days - ? She really seems to do it vindicitvely, though, but I don't know. We've got so much going on right now.

I would bet the surgery has a ton to do with it. She is feeling vulnerable, and consciously or not, maybe she is testing to see if you are going to be there no matter what. My DD1 regressed on a ton of things after DD2 was born, and I kept reminding myself that she wanted to cling to being a baby, because she was afraid she was being forced to be a bigger girl than she was. Maybe S is clinging to the only baby thing she can muster. The surgery will be behind you both soon, and life will calm down for a few months.

On the other hand, watch out for an UTI, since my DD1 had a leaking issue for a while, and it ended up being that she just couldn't feel it, because it was swollen.

[ivymae]

Originally Posted by Dena

Fingers crossed on this - this job would be incredible for his career and for our family. I know it is a long shot, but still... Wahoo!!

AND, if that were not enough best news, my 12-week N/T test showed two healthy babies, with N/T well in the normal range, healthy heartbeats, healthy everything, measuring right on target. And the blood clot is gone!! One of the babies was actually lying on his/her back with his/her feet up, resting against the uterine wall. Just chillin'

Today is a good day for dancing produce!


So are you fully off bedrest now?

[Carley]

Originally Posted by ivymae

I keep a journal and write down a minimum of five positive things a day (but most days if I keep jotting things down, it gets much longer).

Oh my! You are a woman of ritual! While I only get around to journaling a few times per week, I agree - it's totally inspiring & strength bearing to have a journal(s) filled with gratitude (& in my case, prayer & testimony)

I have a new goal for myself! 5 things a day! I can do it!

I would bet the surgery has a ton to do with it. She is feeling vulnerable, and consciously or not, maybe she is testing to see if you are going to be there no matter what

That's what I'm assuming, but it's totally sad because I know I haven't been the best model of parenting the last week. My stress & emotions/hormones are so obvious despite my constant trying/praying/breathing - it's tearing me apart. I know how I contribute to her experience, yet I'm still human & still making mistakes. Ad nauseam.

We've decided that we're going to turn the post-surgery recouperation into a pajama party Movies & pj's are a girls best friend! Hopefully we can both stay sane on Thursday - her surgery is at 2:00pm, but she can't eat for the 8 hours prior! I'm going to take her to U-Village to run around & play beforehand - hopefully it'll distract her enough to not remember she's totally hungry!!!

[ivymae]

Originally Posted by Carley

My stress & emotions/hormones are so obvious despite my constant trying/praying/breathing - it's tearing me apart. I know how I contribute to her experience, yet I'm still human & still making mistakes. Ad nauseam.

If it helps, I know exactly what you are saying here, and I think you sound like you are doing a great job. Even worrying about these things shows how very much you cherish your daughter, so be gentle with yourself. Remember, she thinks you are the BEST!

I keep my journal on my desk, which is in a part of the house that I pass by 3607367 times a day. It can be hard at first, and the trivial things feel silly to write down, but the real value is when your brain is so used to keeping an eye out for positive things that you do it all day, without the obligation to go write them down. It's a major mind shift for me, since I have GAD, but it's literally retraining your brain to seek out one stimuli and not the other. I reallyreallyreally like to obsess about the negatives in my life, so if I do not make a concerted effort to constantly be on the lookout for positive things, I get all twitchy and anxious pretty quickly.

Treat yourself to a pretty little moleskin that fits in your purse.

[OneWithTwo]

i had WIC today and let me say WIC in my county is um..almost gone.
Anyways, they weighed me..i've lost 20lbs. Then did my height and OMG I SHRUNK...I have ALWAYS been 5'8" and a half! today I was 5'7" and a quarter!!! HOLY MOLY...
So it's almost 11 and I am watching my Tuesday night shows (90210, Hells Kitchen, and Sons of Anarchy) (recording the duggar birth) and I want peanut butter cookies...so I made some .....mmmmmm...would I be in trouble if I ate all 12?