Penelope's Birth Story

I cannot believe it’s been a week since welcoming our precious Penelope Rose into the world. It seems like it’s been years since the previous weekend—granted that weekend felt like an eternity, too. This is a long birth story…about as long as the weekend felt.

On Tuesday, September 15, I went in for an appointment with my midwife, Marie. My blood pressure was slightly higher than usually and a test indicated I had some proteins in my urine. My midwife was being cautious, wanting to rule out preeclampsia, and had me pick up a 24 hour urine test. She also sent me home with instructions to make an acupuncture appointment, and on what vitamins and supplements to take to lower my blood pressure. It was great fun….I came back on Thursday and my blood pressure was still slightly high, all we needed to wait for was the test results from the urine test. I immediately made an acupuncture appointment and unfortunately couldn’t get in until Monday. I was hoping that the supplements would lower my blood pressure enough to rule out concern for preeclampsia.

On Friday, September 18^th at 5:36pm I got a phone call from Marie with devastating news. My urine test had come back with concerning levels of proteins and I would have to go into the hospital to be induced…that night…I was shocked. I did not know what to say or how to take the news initially. I tried asking questions and then it sank in…I was going to have this baby tonight or tomorrow or very soon and I WAS NOT EMOTIONALLY READY!!! And this was NOT my plan. I know that birth plans are just that…plans. But I thought that I could at least have a say of where I wanted to give birth. I was so set on a waterbirth at home using Hypnobabies. I felt prepared and was excited at the thought of having a wonderful birth experience. I was excited to maybe wake up one morning and feel something happening. I was excited to spend the day with John, maybe taking a walk, make some brownies and dinner for my birth team, and work through my pressure waves (what Hypnobabies calls contractions) using hypnosis. I was excited to have a natural birth! But now all those hopes and all that excitement quickly faded into what I dreaded most—a hospital birth with Pitocin. Was I going to be able to make it without an epidural?? What if they decided on a c-section?? I had no idea what to expect besides what I heard about inductions…which was not all that positive.

I had to hang up on Marie to let the news sink in and to have a good cry. I called John; he could barely understand me but he thankfully was right off of work and was on his way. There are very few times that John panics but that drive home from Kent to Tacoma was one of those times. I called my parents, I called my sister, I called my sister in law, I called my mother in law, Shannon, to come over ASAP! I could NOT be alone. When Shannon came I just cried some more and tried to tell her what Marie told me. Honestly, the details and instructions of my conversation with Marie escaped my mind. We decided that I should take some time to calm down, talk it out, and start gathering my things to go to the hospital. Thankfully, I had started a hospital bag just in case but wasn’t finished with packing all the necessities. Shannon and I called Marie back and got the full details that we would be going in that night and that she had contacted Dr. Baghdadi who would be delivering Penelope and checking in on me. Finally, John came home. I could see the panic and worry on his face. I felt so bad. I told him we could take our time getting to the hospital. We were both able to take showers and mentally prepare ourselves (well as much as we could) for what the night had in store. I asked for a Priesthood blessing and John’s dad came over and helped administer one. By the time we left for the hospital there was a calm presence in us—we knew all three of us were going to be taken of.

After arriving at the hospital quite late, we got settled in and were told that I would have to be on monitors all night to check my blood pressure and to make sure baby was doing alright. I had two straps around my belly monitoring me. It was super uncomfortable but I was determined to be relaxed enough to lower my blood pressure. I had an amazing nurse, Steffanie, who was very encouraging. I had some high readings and some lower readings throughout the night and apparently some contractions. Steffanie asked if I had felt anything…nope. The on call doctor, Dr. Sam Davis, also came in to check me. He was super gentle, which I would later find out not everyone is. I don’t remember how much I was dilated, obviously not that much, but felt good about the prospect of going home.  I was told that Dr. Baghdadi would be checking up on me the next day and make the decision to either send me home or be induced.

Saturday morning came and we were able to eat some breakfast and relax before finding out the decision. Waiting for Dr. Baghdadi exercised our patience. By noon he came in and checked me. Oh my heavens it hurt like the dickens!!! And then he told me that I had very mild preeclampsia. He then proceeded to explain that if I was 29 weeks along then he would send me home and I would be on bedrest and monitored often. But..since I was 39 weeks exactly he  was going to give orders for me to be induced. Our hearts sank a little at the news and I began to shake a bit. I was so nervous about it! We were going to have a baby! They didn’t start me on pit right away (which I was so grateful for). Instead, they inserted cervidil which helps soften the cervix getting it ready for birth. We were going to see how far along I would be after about 12 hours.

Saturday night was a night of endless monitoring. By 6:30pm I was dilated to a 2.5 and 60% effaced. Some progress, but still no real distinguishable contractions. For the life of me I could not get comfortable. Any time I was comfortable the monitor would slip off or be moved just enough so they lost the reading on my blood pressure and baby’s. It was so annoying. One slight move and the next thing I know the nurse would be in telling me not to move and seem frustrated that she had to readjust the monitors…really?? Not move…haha..right. I wanted to be calm and use my hypnobabies techniques which had been helping thus far but just could not handle it any longer. Plus, I had a nurse, Natosha, that checked my cervix and it hurt so bad!! I was at my wits end and was not coping well with this huge change in plans. At 11:05pm I finally asked Natosha if there was any way I could just be off these monitors and be checked every couple hours. I needed sleep! She, of course, told me no. I was so upset, so so upset, and proceeded to have a panic attack. Thankfully, Shannon and John were right there to comfort me. Shannon immediately told John to give me a Priesthood blessing. Let me tell you they work!! The Spirit immediately filled that hospital room and I was able to calm down enough not to be in a panic state. The nurse was able to hook me up to a portable monitor so I could walk around and get my bearings. While roaming the halls I saw Steffanie and we were able to talk through what happened and she gave me a hug and told me I was doing amazing under the circumstances. She also reminded me that “healthy momma; healthy baby” was what really mattered. I’m not sure how I felt about that phrase in my situation but I just let them say it over and over again. I felt a lot better and when we went back to the room I was able to get some sleep. There was a change in nurses (by this time I’m losing track of who is caring for me), I don’t remember if it was the older spunkier lady who had me laughing a bit, or the sweet woman who was gentle and kind who I felt genuinely wanted what was best for me. Either way, from that point on I had amazing nurses in the delivery room.

On Sunday at 5am with a few hours of sleep I got checked. I had made some progress and was told I was having regular contractions but was not in active labor. I didn’t feel them! Yay Hypnobabies! At 9:01am I was dilated to a 4 and 70% effaced. It was Pitocin time; game time! I wasn’t sure what to expect with that stuff pumping through my body. Everything just built up from that point on. Thankfully, they started me off really slow. I know that sometimes hospitals won’t do that and they end up putting women on a big shot of pit first. Not like natural labor at all. But I felt like labor was building at a decent rate. We kept ourselves busy by playing cards and listening to hypnobabies tracks. We started to walk around a bit, did some positions on the birthing ball and in John’s arms to help me progress. At 1:12pm I was dilated to a 5.5 (really?!) and 80% effaced. I was calm and handling labor really well. I was able to get in the tub and that felt so good. Still at that point I felt very little pressure and absolutely no pain. I got out of the tub a short time later and laid down for a nap. When I woke up an hour or so later I really started to feel something! Holy pressure! I got back into that tub and by this point I had no clothes on. I was trying to guide my natural anesthesia downward by saying “peeeeeaaaaccce” and using lower moans.  I was in that tub until about 4:20 when I hit transformation (Hypnobabies term for transition) and my water broke. Things happened very quickly by that point.  At 4:55 I was dilated to a 10 and ready to push. I remember being in bed and the back of the bed was propped up so I could be in a somewhat upright position draped over. There was so much intense pressure and I really lost all sense of time and all the techniques I had practiced. Shannon guided me through the pressure waves as I held tightly on to John’s hand. I remember falling asleep between each wave and that felt soooo good. I also remember my swearing problem came out…one if the nurses asked if I wanted to be checked. I told them, “H*** no!!!” Then it came down to really pushing. I felt so unprepared and sad that we didn’t talk about the positions available to me in my state. I ended up resentfully on my back pushing. It didn’t feel good to push like I had read in so many stories. It was annoying! But I did it and even though I knew I was tearing I just pushed her out with all my might.

She was (IS!) so beautiful! We did it! I was elated and happy to have her on my chest. I was crying and laughing and just telling her how proud of her I was, and although we were not 100% sure Penelope was going to be her name it was what came out of my mouth and that confirmed it for us. She fed right away. Wow! What a latch! I remember saying how happy I was that she had hair and asking if she was actually a girl! Then the next thing I knew Dr. Baghdadi and the nurses around me started to sound very worried. They quickly had John cut the cord and I was told that I was hemorrhaging. Scariest moment of my life, also the most painful experience. As I was pushing my IV had popped out and I was no longer receiving Pitocin. I was screaming from the pain and wincing back. Dr. Baghdadi had to get everything out and my placenta was not coming out as one whole. He was also firmly asking for the pit IV over and over again. Where was it? Why weren’t the nurses putting it in?! The nurses kept pressing on my uterus trying to push everything out. I saw John across the room with Penny. I had never seen him look so scared. Shannon was trying to calm me down and communicate to me what the doctors wanted me to do. Finally the nurses were able to put an IV in me but I was still not wanting Dr. Baghdadi to touch me. He asked if I needed to be put on anesthesia because I was not calming down. Thankfully, a nurse explained to me that that would cause issues with breastfeeding. I knew that if I didn’t get the birth experience that I wanted I was determined to have a wonderful breastfeeding experience, especially because she fed so well a few moments ago. Just seconds after making the decision not to get anesthesia I was told that everything was slowing down and that the hemorrhaging was subsiding. Miracle. I did end up tearing but not much--I only had about 4 or 5 stitches. I was finally able to have Penelope back but I was shaking so bad. The next few minutes were just a blur as I gazed down at our beautiful daughter. She was perfect. 8 lbs 6 oz, 21 inches long. 10 toes, 10 fingers, big beautiful wandering eyes, my eyes. She had Daddy’s features, his nose, mouth, lips, cheeks, and even dimples! This was bliss.

What came next was pretty routine and standard. They had me clean up and put new sheets on the bed for me. I was super super thirsty and must have drunken 5 big jugs of water. I was able to eat some protein bars I had stashed away. I remember John’s family stopping by to see her but I was in no state of mind to have anyone come in the room and visit so they just saw Penelope through the door. Two or so hours later they moved me into the after delivery room (is that what they call it?) and on the way there they had me stop and they played a short version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star welcoming Penelope into the world. Also on the way there I saw a mom come in about to have twins. It was so special talking to her. We got settled into our new room and got ready for bed. I don’t think John or I slept well that night; we were still a bit shell shocked. As I was drifting into sleep I couldn’t help but think what just happened. I would start shaking and then I’d try using my hypnosis techniques and prayer to calm me down. John and I said a prayer thanking Heavenly Father for our new child and that everything was ok. This was the beginning of our family. The next day Steffanie came in to see us and she was just amazed at how I was able to give birth without an epidural and asked what essential oils I used throughout the night—Serenity and Past Tense. I thanked her profusely for being my nurse.   

The next day I woke up so hungry! I ordered a huge breakfast. Slowly nurses started coming in asking me a bunch of questions, what screenings would I get, shots, how is your pain level yada yada yada. It was an endless stream of nurses and there was definitely some communication errors. One nurse kept saying he and not she. Paper work I was supposed to fill out was not explained to me. I had a visit with the lactation consultant and felt that if I wasn’t successful today I might just have to resort to pumping and/or formula. I remember she was mainly focused on latch. Penelope has no trouble with latch. It’s all these positions that are super uncomfortable. (Laid back positions are the best and are way more natural for baby). We were told later that she had a bit of jaundice and that I would need to supplement. I felt that was not an option. What I later realized was that she just needed to be fed more and have a sun bath or two. At 8:00pm we were finally able to be discharged. It felt so odd to leave. It felt like we had been in the hospital for months. Fresh air felt incredible on our lungs. The drive home was surreal and we had no idea what that night would bring us. A rude awakening for sure!! Pun intended! She would not sleep in her pack n play. I have since relaxed a bit and have had her sleep on my chest. (I know! Terrible!...) but despite all the negativity I thank God for this opportunity to be a mother and for John to be a father. Penelope Rose Davis is well loved and she loves us. She was worth it.  

33 Weeks

Symptoms: Aching body. I over do it some days and I don't stop when I feel a little pain in my lower back...well...before I know it that pain is an even bigger pain. Not like a stabbing pain but a tense pain that prevents me from walking. So I spent Thursday in bed on the heating pad again, but thankfully this time around we have an air conditioner!! Thank you Aunt Laura!!! You are a life saver! I'm just getting to that point in pregnancy where being pregnant isn't all that it's cracked up to be but I find some humor in it as well. She's getting squished in there and lets me know it, too. She tells me she doesn't like me laying on my left side because she moves and squirms a lot when I do...so right side it is. She's also a little sly one because she only moves when I'm not looking. She will immediately stop when I look down at my belly. How does she know I'm looking!!?? We'll have to keep a watchful eye on her when she comes. Also...pregnancy brain is really starting to sink in. I forget the names of things all the time! I can picture it but, for instance, the word 'stroller' did not come to me until I pictured an image of a stroller for like 2 minutes.  

Cravings/Aversions: Those have kind of gone away. I don't really eat as healthy as I should all the time and I find it difficult to get the recommended amount of protein in my diet but I'm enjoying making dinners and experimenting with recipes. I made some fantastic chicken curry last night and I got a bread maker and was able to make some okay honey white bread. I think I have to manually time it, though, because the crust was a bit too crusty but the inside was fluffy and white. Not sure it will work with sandwich bread but I'll have to experiment with it. I miss my Bosch. I really should try and get it fixed. Plus with a Bosch you can make up to 4 loaves of bread, not just one! Also, I'm enjoying raw oatmeal with milk and brown sugar in the morning. Maybe I'm just too lazy to cook it. But it tastes really good and I like the chewiness of it.

Best Moment(s) of the Week: I already posted the picture on Facebook but getting more of the baby room done, finding a wingback chair for $5.99 at the Goodwill, and finding a Graco Duetsoothe Rocker and Swing for a way good deal on craigslist. Those things new cost $180!! I got it for $40. The lady I bought it from was this kind of eclectic old grandma who owns a sports convertible and she was just cracking me up the entire time we were trying to disassemble the swing so I could put it in my car. When we were having difficulty with a part she said, "swearing usually helps," and then goes on to say that she heard her little 2 year old grandson practice all different ways of saying "what the heck(the other word)" and was flabbergasted that he knew that phrase. Thinking he learned it from his dad she was sitting at the computer one day saying that phrase and it dawned on her that her grandson learned it from her!! Be careful what you say around kids! Anyways, besides a little bit of crustiness she was one of the nicest old ladies I have ever met.

Our little girl is getting bigger each day! John says some days I just pop out like crazy...thanks! I know my clothes tell me that and the stretch marks that are just now showing up tell me that, too. =) She is about the size of a durian...not sure what that is but we'll go with it.

• She's keeping her eyes open while awake.
• She's also starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing.
• Her bones are hardening.
• And she's going through (more) major brain development — that's one smart baby!

HAWAII next week! I'm much more calm about it then I was last week, thankfully. I'll just get a pedicure and enjoy the beach.

32 Weeks Debbie Downer Post

This is not a positive post but I just need to write it!

I know I just posted a few days ago about being 31 weeks but technically today is officially being 32 weeks pregnant. I have to be honest and say it's been a miserable week. It's been so hot and every effort to cool down the house without AC has been pointless and unfortunately the only food we have in the house right now requires some sort of heat to cook, unless you count pudding and cereal. I've also had some weird things happen to my back. For the past several days I've had this knot in my upper right shoulder blade area that makes it uncomfortable to turn my neck and do my yoga and sleep at night on top of all the normal things that make pregnancy and sleep uncomfortable. I got a birthing ball to help with my hypnobabies birthing program and I might have overused it my first day. I woke up in the middle of the night having to have John help me to get to the bathroom because I could not move. When he went to work and it was still super early I had to crawl to the bathroom. Might be needing a cane if that happens again... I did some hypnosis techniques that help with pain and that really helped me relax my muscles enough to get back to my bed and use the heating pad. (Heating pad in this heat, though, SUCKS!!!!) Thankfully the next day my lower back stiffness was gone but I've still got something in my upper back. Also...breathing is a joke. To make it cool enough to sleep in our bedroom we have to put the fan on..but that dries everything out in my throat and my nose which makes it vulnerable to bloody noses...so yay....

This whole staying at home thing kinda drives me insane, as well. Sure it was nice at the beginning of the summer to take a break because this year was so crazy with teaching (I am SO thankful it's over!) but when the only time I can do something is from 6-9am or super late at night because of the heat it makes it hard. I just end up sitting on the couch in a blob-like state binge watching on Lifetime movies and Netflix. I'm running out of appropriate shows to watch on Netflix. I've tried out a few recommended shows from friends or ones that are highly reviewed but they end up being inappropriate or way too violent. I want to practice my cello but that means sweating it out like crazy and I know it's a little too early and/or too late when it's not hot outside and inside. I really miss my cello!!!

So John's family and I are going to Hawaii in 14 days..I really want to be excited to go but I am not. I just don't want to be miserable like I am now and it's only more hot and humid and more $$$ spending there than it is here...and there is no AC in the house we're staying at there. I want to have a positive attitude about it but it's been very difficult for me. And I'm going to be honest..I don't have a lot of clothes that would be comfortable to wear there. I ordered 2 swimsuits off of ebay and I'm hoping they fit. I wish I could go without garments and just wear tank tops and shorts because that would feel amazing..but shorts are hard to find because Seibel girls, when we're pregnant, gain all our weight in our behinds and shorts either fit me in the waist and are too big in the bum area, or they fit me in the bum and are super unflattering and immodest. I also pray that she does not come early and in Hawaii because do you know how expensive that would be? So prayers for her to stay in...I think she will because there has not been any complications so far. A couple of positive things about Hawaii that I am looking forward to is the beach (it's literally right across the street from where we are staying) and a mani/pedi. I can't wait to get my toesies all cute!

Sooo. Symptoms this week include super poor attitude due to the heat and John working very late hours because his work has the inability to schedule deliveries appropriately.

Best Moment(s) of the Week:  Anytime spent with John has been the highlight of my week. Also finding out that our baby is facing the right position. That was a relief because I was super curious and worried about it.

Cravings/Averisions: I think chocolate chips give me heartburn...all the more reason to eat healthier but sadly that did not stop me from making chocolate chip banana bread today (and using the oven...why did I do that???)

Our Little Caterpie is as big as a squash

• She's in the head down position getting ready for descent
• She is also feeling more cramped...yeah...I feel that way too! 

31 Weeks

How time has flown! We finally found a place to live--this cute duplex in Tacoma. It's next to a middle school that has a track where I take my walks. It also has a fireplace! Way cool, huh? John and I have enjoyed building it into a home. The baby room is almost set up...I bought a crib and bookcase but I didn't realize the crib is a drop side. It is, though, made from a high quality wood with metal sliders and no plastic parts (which are the ones that created the recall and banning issues), so I really just have to decide if I want it. I can also not use the drop side and put the other side against the wall. The baby room is inspired by giraffes and lots of fun color (pink, light blue, teal, orange, green).

Symptoms: TIRED! Fatigue has set in and right now she likes to jam her bum and legs into my ribs...no big deal. And super weird dreams with frequent trips to the bathroom at night...all normal stuff. I went to the ENT and found out that it is not a nasal polyp but some other big scientificy word. But basically it will not go away at least until after I'm pregnant and if not then I have to get surgery to get it removed. JOOOOYYY!! But I found out that if I wear a nose expander thingy and a Breathe Right strip on my nose then I can at least breath through my nose for most of the night.

Cravings/Aversions: I LOVE SUGAR!!! But I try to limit myself..haha..as I'm eating snickerdoodles hot out of the oven right now. But John and I have found some good meals to get much needed protein in my diet. I normally gag down eggs but have found egg mcmuffins to be delicious. Also, a rice, bean, and kale dish that was super good. Last night, we made cauliflower pizza crust pizza. It was not that bad. The key to the crust is to make sure you ring out all the water in a cloth napkin or towel. I like being able to make my own food and use the kitchen again!

Best Moment(s) of the Week: Getting settled!!

Our Little Caterpie is the size of a pineapple (which I will be able to eat fresh pineapple IN Hawaii in just 18 days!)

• She's going through major brain and nerve development.
• Eye development, too. Her irises now react to light!
• All five of her senses are in working order.

Baby bump pic to come!!

28 Week Bump

28 Weeks

It's been just too crazy to write but that's not that great of an excuse since I spend most days sleeping. Can't believe, though, that I'm 28 weeks! When did I get so far along? Moving to Washington has not gone as expected; it's been a trial of patience and courage. I thought for sure by now we'd have a place to live but maybe I'm picky...maybe not. We did a ton of apartment searching in Kent and Auburn near John's work and places were either too expensive, way too small (1 bedroom where we probably wouldn't even fit our bed in the bedroom), or just icky at our price range. We did have one place lined up but it fell through due to way too crazy of a day. That was several weeks ago and they wanted an answer right away. That was the day that our tire blew out as John was headed to work and my phone broke. My in-laws and I were running around all day trying to get not only our car fixed but both of theirs as well. But, I'm kind of maybe a little glad we didn't get that place. I would not have been able to teach cello at all and it was seriously right next to the interstate. VERY LOUD! We've expanded our search to not only Kent and Auburn but other towns as well...it's been semi-successful. We found a duplex in Puyallup that was seriously trashed (the guy had a total breakdown and took an ax to the wall....)but had good bones. It would be ready in two weeks if they accept our application over another persons.. I personally think we would make better tenants and plus we can bring the Spirit into the home (not that that matters to a property management company but this place needed it). Thank goodness for the blessings of the Priesthood. Maybe I'm just looking for a diamond in the rough.

Symptoms: Sleepiness, I'm getting to that stage where sleeping is just uncomfortable. I toss and turn trying to find a position that's comfortable enough to drift off. I have found the source of my nosebleeds, too. I've had some pretty bad ones and I finally decided to follow my father-in-law's advice and put some petroleum jelly in my nose to keep it moist and not so dry. My nosebleeds were less frequent and some scabs dissipated. Turns out...I have a huge blockage in my nose...what looks to be a nasal polyp. Uh..nasty. Thankfully, I was able to go to Urgent Care and get an appointment with an ENT this week. They gave me some flonase and we'll see what the ENT says. It's so hard to breath sometimes and breathing through my mouth gets tiresome and annoying. I wake up in the middle of the night super thirsty on top of having to go to the bathroom...it's not pleasant. 

Cravings/Aversions: It's difficult to say because I've started to regulate my diet to guidelines my midwife and my birthing class has given me. It's so frickin hard to get 80 grams of protein in the day when you're not a big fan of eggs. It's getting better, though. I'm able to eat eggs as long as I have something with it.We found this Hawaiian restaurant that serves some dang good saimen--Hawaiian ramen. With egg it is delicious! Also, my mother in law makes good deviled eggs. YUM! I also like oatmeal with peanut butter, apples, and cinnamon, Cottage cheese is a favorite of mine, too. But nuts are so hard to eat, so are beans. I don't know if it was an aversion as much as it was just eating too much but chocolate has become harder to eat. It gives me a strange feeling in my stomach so I'm careful with how much I consume. But that doesn't stop me from eating too many sweets. =( 

Best Moment(s) of the Week: I've got to say this weekend was pretty fantastic, minus Fourth of July celebrations. I loved that John had 4 days off! It was so good to spend time with him, even though he spent a lot of that time finishing homework. His work schedule has been so crazy and he's worked some long hours. Good for income but he has been worn out. These past 4 days have given him a chance to recharge. The company is also thinking of putting him second in command! I knew he was good and stood a chance to get promoted but I didn't think it would be this soon. Let's hope everything works out. My husband works so hard. I am a proud wifey!

Our little girl is getting so big--so is my bump! I wish I had taken some pictures on the Fourth of July because I looked super cute in my red, white, and blue get up. I even curled my hair and did my nails and everything. But I spent the majority of the day feeling pretty crappy. She is now as big as an eggplant.

• She's starting to develop more fat, so her wrinkly skin will start to get smoother.
• Her lungs are mature enough that she'd probably survive if she was born now. Wow! But I'd like her to stay inside.

She kicks a lot and is very active! It's so neat. I have really got to take some pictures of my bump! I'll be sure to dress cute today and get a picture. 

Week 22

Symptoms: This week I've been trying to get out more and enjoy this beautiful weather! It was raining for the past couple weeks which I guess that's preparing me for Washington weather but it's been kinda depressing. Even so I tried to go out on walks. And then finally the sub came out. Whenever I feel a little cruddy I go on a walk and that feeling goes away. I know I write about yoga each week but I seriously have fallen in love with it. I feel it helps me feel more spiritually connected. I'm not humming and praising Buddha..haha no. It puts my mind at ease and gets me in the right mindset to pray to my Heavenly Father. I found a great yoga video which brings my heart rate up and does some poses that other videos haven't. My favorite is downward dog. It really stretches my calves and helps with my plantar fasciitis which has gone down since school has gotten out. The main symptom I feel is that when I wake up I feel like my blood is just not flowing well through my body. It's especially bad when I wake up startled in the middle of the night.

Cravings/aversions:

Don't remember....

Best moment(s) of the week: Our street has a lot of cats and there's this black cat that I swear has the most constipated meow. We've tried to chase it away so it won't wake us up at 4:30am. I think it's getting the picture. We also have this Siamese mix cat that likes to hang around. She is so sweet. I think it's funny that just before we moved out of our trailer there was a kitten who got attached to us and now that we're moving out of our apartment there's another cat who has become attached to us. I like to think of it as our good luck charm.            

Our little girl is growing! At 22 weeks she is about the size of a papaya. 

•has more developed eyelids and lips. So cute!! 

•is on a sleep cycle about 12-14 hours a day

                                       

Week 19-21

It's been super crazy with getting ready to move to Washington in about 1 week and a half and with finishing up school.

Symptoms: I am so hungry all the time! I also am starting to feel lathargic and I'm sleeping a lot. Yesterday I was in bed sleeping or lying on the couch most of the day. It might be due to the fact that I had my last day of school with the kids on Friday and every stress and anxiety from the year melted away. What a huge relief to be done!! Most challenging two years of my life (even tops the 18 months I spent serving a mission).  I'm also feeling the need for tons of pillows to support me and help me feel comfortable. I'm thinking of getting a body pillow. I woke up this morning at 5:30am to some drunk guy outside yelling real loud. Some people...anyways..My legs felt so weak. I couldn't get up for an hour or so and it wasn't until John massaged my legs, feet, and arms that I could get up. I'm thinking I should prop my legs up when I sleep.

Wednesday was my worst day yet being pregnant. I had to turn the lights off in my office during class and sit there in silence as I did some meditation and relaxation techniques. I felt short of breath and super weak. I just felt so icky and it might have been because I ate so much the night before and I had a lot of stress the night before (it was graduation and boy howdy my kids were freaking out about what to do or about the fact they couldn't hear the piano and I couldn't handle the many many questions I was being bombarded with...just please try and go with the flow and don't talk to me while we're performing!! Some things don't go as rehearsed or as planned, or maybe if you had just listened the first time I wouldn't have to repeat it a billion times). Anyways..rant over. Despite that I did have a pretty good week. I was able to just chill out with my students and we said our goodbyes. I will miss some of them dearly it makes my heart ache.

I'm still trying to get some exercise in. Some of the yoga routines from Yoga with Adrienne are a bit intense and not meant for pregnant women, so I found some ones that are more for prenatal exercise. I found some great 10 minute videos that I've been able to before going to school or just before going to bed. They get my blood flowing and make me feel great! I've also looked into some labor meditation videos and mp3s. So relaxing and great to fall asleep to. I love the affirmations and how they make me feel connected with our little girl. Sometimes I get so caught up in life that's happening around me that I almost forget I'm pregnant. 

Cravings/Aversions: Maybe it's the fact that the only thing to get to celebrate with in Shelley is donuts from Broulims but bleck!! I about passed out from the sugar in the air. John and I did find a bakery in town that sells some of the best donuts I've ever had and Broulim's are super disgusting compared! But seriously....so much sugar! I can't seem to stay away from it, though. I'm trying to eat healthier..minus the several trips to Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt...(seriously their brownie batter and white chocolate mint froyo with a buttload of oreos is the BOMB!!!) Veggies are hard to eat! This baby is sadly going to be addicted to chocolate...like I am. EEP! On Friday morning I totally forgot to make a broccoli salad for a potluck thing we had at the middle school..so at 6am in the morning I stroll over to Albertson's to pick up groceries and I include some of their chocolate chip muffins in that...the broccoli salad, which I was so excited to eat, was really really gross. I was super self conscious of it during the lunch. People said it was good but I'm thinking they were just being nice...or maybe it was just because I was pregnant that it tasted off..I'm hoping the latter.

Best Moment(s) of the Week:
Well...since I haven't written since week 18 I'm going to include some things from weeks 19-21. We found out IT'S A GIRL!!!

Oh we are so thrilled!!! I was super nervous going into that ultrasound. It took forever to get in. I was actually shaking. I had had a dream the night before that it was a boy...and even though I would have been grateful I was just thinking how much I wanted a girl. It took about 20 minutes into the ultrasound for us to finally have it confirmed. She was being bashful and crossing her legs and would not uncross them. We've thought of several names before we even got pregnant and we're hoping one of them will just stand out once we see her. We've already kind of started calling her by one of the names we like the most but it's only in our thoughts that we say it. I'm not really for naming your child before you see it but to each their own.

We've definitely been able to feel her kick, too!! It's such an exciting experience. The night before we got the ultrasound was the first time John felt her. Sometimes it startles me how much she moves. She was doing some crazy acrobatics yesterday. Maybe she'll be into martial arts like John. It makes me want to see her and meet her! Cannot even wait!

Baby BUMP! It's like a real bump..enhanced by the double chocolate chip frappe (again with the chocolate...) that John made for us after church. Yum!

Our Little Girl is as big as a papaya

• She's looking more and more like a newborn. Her facial features are more developed. It looks like she's got John's nice full lips =) She better not be kissing lots of boys when she's older.
• She's sleeping in cycles--12-14 hours per day. I'm really hoping she doesn't have sleeping problems like I do. 

Week 18

Symptoms: All I can say is that holy cow, second trimester is so much better than the first! I have had more energy this week and have actually had a desire to work out! Woot woot! I currently love yoga. It makes me feel so good. I've always been a stretcher since I was little but now I know how to do that while gaining strength. It has also helped me with some minor back pains I've been experiencing, and with the power of position thinking. While I'm doing yoga I meditate and focus my mind on this little baby growing inside of me. I focus on the love I have for our little caterpie. I also want to start getting my mindset ready for labor...even though I have NO CLUE what it's going to be like. I can do all the reading I like but I have never experienced labor. It's a bit frightening to say the least. But hopefully, I can take some of my yoga practices and utilize them during that whole process. HOPEFULLY!

Cravings/Aversions: Absolutely love chicken noodle soup!! I even made a double recipe of homemade soup this last week and John and I, mostly I, ate it up in 2 days. I don't even remember how I made it because I combined several recipes to accommodate for what we had in our cupboards. But I will definitely be making it again. If I didn't have homemade soup I went to the store to get some of that Progresso stuff that I mentioned last time. I also have been enjoying peanut butter M&Ms. I mean I always go through phases with my candy but it's been years since I've been through a peanut butter M&M phase. Thankfully, I'm over the soda phase. As good as it tasted, I just am not a huge fan of how root beer makes me feel...super burpy. Maybe it was the fact that it was just disgusting anyways..but this last Sunday during the passing of the sacrament they had good bread (you know? the squishy white stuff), and then they had not so good bread....sunflower cardboard crap. I got the sunflower stuff...Maybe because I'm pregnant and just don't care I immediately spit it out. I got a few crumbs in there so I technically partook of the bread but seriously guys....don't EVER bring that stuff to a sacrament meeting. I understand food allergies and gluten free bread, but this was just plain awful.

Best Moment(s) of the Week: Having people finally realize that I'm pregnant when I say I am! There's a bump there for sure. It's like in the last 2 weeks or so it's just popped out. I mean...I've always been a bit chubby and that's hid that bump quite well, but now ..=)

Also! I think I have felt this little baby move a little bit. There were definitely times I felt that was not just my intestines or something moving. It was super exciting for me and reassuring.

This wasn't this week but during week 17, I played my last concert with the Idaho Falls Symphony. It's been so fun this year working with such wonderful musicians. We performed Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, which is one of my all time favorites. We also had 2 soloists come in and play concertos--one a beautiful harp concerto by Handel that made me actually want to like harp music, and then Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations. It was fun to hear the Rococo Variations and reminisce about the time I played it during college.

Yesterday, we went to go see The Avengers. It was super good but I  somehow missed the punchlines of most of the jokes...I don't know even really know why (well once because I ate some particularly crunchy popcorn) so one moment I'm enjoying the movie and the next people are laughing...I didn't hear the line!! Darn it!!


SOOO Our Little Caterpie is technically a full 19 weeks and 2 days old but here are the facts about week 18.

Our Little Caterpie is the size of a sweet potato

• Can you believe she's (or he) yawning, hiccuping, sucking and swallowing?
• And she's (or he) twisting, rolling, punching and kicking, too — and is big enough that you might be able to feel her (or him) doing it!
• WE FIND OUT WHAT THE SEX OF THE BABY IS MAY 12th!! Put your votes in! Is it going to be a girl or a boy???

16 Weeks

Symptoms: I would write about week 15 but while I was writing about it last week my memory failed me...I guess I'm getting to that point in my pregnancy where everything seems to slip from my mind. This week I forgot that I was supposed to judge the middle school choir. They were having a mini festival during their hour and I totally forgot. I felt terrible. I do have more energy compared to weeks past (I even have done my makeup, my skin is starting to look way better! I don't even have to put blush on) and I've only gotten morning sickness once! Yippee!! On Monday, though, my body just did not want any food. The only thing I could eat was chicken noodle soup (Progresso 99% Fat Free Chicken Noodle Soup is the way to go as far as canned chicken noodle soups go. I did some research on it) I think it was because on Sunday I ate sooo much delicious balsamic pork at my sister's house. We had a birthday party for my niece and then dinner afterwards. Oh my goodness it was the most delicious pork I have ever had! I probably had like 5 servings of it along with 5 homemade crescent rolls. Another symptom of the week is that I'm starting to get some signs of depression. I have always struggled with depression but it has really been under control and well this school year up until now. With the depression comes extreme moodiness. I know it's the hormones doing a lot of the work so I talked to my midwife about it and she said to wait a couple weeks then see how I was doing. Yesterday was the first time I really felt sooo big, I mean I'm only 16 weeks and everyone says that I don't even look pregnant but man, yesterday, maybe I was just super bloated but I felt like a blimp.

Cravings/Aversions: Yesterday, I had a hankering for red vines and some York peppermint patties.Still loving fruit. I got a delicious cantaloupe this week and I have been loving it! Also, in my piano class some of my students are working on a song called "Rootbeer, Rootbeer, I Love You" and I just couldn't get it out of my brain how good rootbeer sounded. I maybe had it twice this week and I rarely drink soda. Bagels and cream cheese seem to be the go to meal I eat in the morning. Not news but pancakes are disgusting. I ate a grilled cheese sandwich and I could not finish the whole thing. My 6th graders sometimes get candy from the bus driver who buses them over and that candy smell is just way too overwhelming. I feel bad when I tell them to throw it away or put it away. 

Best Moment(s) of the Week: Sunday was definitely the best moment of this week. We went down to Utah to celebrate my niece's birthday. The whole family was there. It's been awhile since my family was all together and especially with Melissa and Matt moving to Texas and John and me moving Washington it will be awhile til we all get together again. I wish we could have stayed longer because it was just a short day trip. I enjoyed Emily and Julie playing duets and Dad playing his banjo. For fun, Emily performed the gender-revealing pencil test on me and it said we're having a girl. Who knows??? We'll find out on May 12th for sure. John has always thought he would have a girl first so we'll see if that rings true. We also received a gift from my mom--a beautiful ragtime quilt. My mom is so talented and we absolutely love the quilt. 

I guess it was last week but seeing this when I was teaching one of my private cello students....do you think he'll become a luthier??? He made it for his other cellist friend for his birthday!! What 7th grader does that??? So cool! These two boys are also the ones who come up with new seating charts for orchestra (I don't use them, though) and come up with presentations for their other classes on marching orchestras. I am going to miss them so much!!

Our Little Caterpie is about the size of an avocado

• He or she can hear my voice and is listening to it already =) because of the tiny bones that are forming in it's ears
• Hair, lashes, and eyebrows are growing
• As well as taste buds
  

My next appointment we get the 20 week ultrasound!! I am so excited! I can't wait!

Week 14

Symptoms: Thankfully nausea and vomiting has subsided a bit. I had a cold all week due to traveling so that made the week miserable. I was so grateful to have Monday off because we arrived back home from Disneyland Monday morning at 5am. I slept ALL day and it was like heaven! Moments of sadness for no particular reason crept up on me this week and I had a desire to weep but no tears came.

Cravings/Aversions: John made hootenanny pancakes and I still cannot stand the sight and smell of them. During a cold-induced daze hopped up on NyQuil I expressed the strong desire for Costa Vida but then fell asleep almost immediately after. I suppressed that craving by going on Friday, but I was mostly emotionally eating because it was a hard day for me.

Best Moment(s) of the Week: Well it happened today which is technically a part of week 15 but I'll count it. It's been a wonderful Conference and Easter weekend. Besides missing family, I rather enjoyed not doing much but listening to prophets and church leaders bear testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. My absolute favorite talk was by Elder Rafael E Pino of the Seventy. His talk was mainly about keeping an eternal perspective. One of my favorite quotes was, “The Lord knows where each piece belongs so that it fits into the plan.” -Rafael E Pino. This was one of my favorite talks that really spoke to me the moment I started feeling discouraged about so many changes happening in my life right now. For exactly a year now the Lord has led us to move to Washington, he has led John to a job where making that change will be easier, and he has recently granted us the opportunity and gift of parenthood. Big changes but every piece will fit perfectly into God's plan for us.

Our Little Caterpie is the size of a big lemon

• He or she probably sucking their thumb and wiggling their toes in there!
• Their kidneys are making urine, and their liver and spleen are doing their jobs, too.
• And he or she's growing lanugo, a thin, peach-fuzz-like hair, all over his body — it will help them keep warm!

Week 13-Disneyland!

Symptoms: Last week was week 13 of pregnancy and it was a doozie. I was still throwing up most mornings, it seemed to help if I took my prenatal vitamin at night instead of during the day, though. Going to Disneyland didn't help, either. Don't get me wrong, though! The park was great and John and I enjoyed ourselves more than we thought we would. But the travelling....that was bad. I was praying so hard that I wouldn't throw up on the bus, but that prayer wasn't answered but I'm ok with it. With the constant motion of the bus for 20+ hours, it was nearly impossible not to feel sick. Plus, I think it helped my students realize that this is a difficult time for me. The Chacos that I bought would have been awesome if I broke them in sooner and if it wasn't scorching hot during the afternoon. I burned my feet so that made walking around Disneyland a bit uncomfortable. But after a full days walk, they were broken in. I am so glad I bought those dresses from Ross last week because they were seriously so comfortable! When we weren't travelling, though, I felt like my old self again! That was an amazing feeling!

Cravings/Aversions: I still love fresh foods. At Disneyland I wanted a good fresh salad, I found a caesar salad without homemade dressing that was delicious! Unfortunately, the fruit and veggies we bought and put in our hotel fridge froze and thawed out. Thawed out apples...they are pretty gross. Fortunately, our grape tomatoes and bananas were saved. YUM!! ICE CREAM!! We had ice cream at Disneyland 3 times. Man, it was so good! Oatmeal was also another craving. I ate oatmeal for breakfast every morning. The thought of pancakes and waffles still makes me gag. Also, John was eating Doritos on the bus and they smelled so nasty.

Isn't that the tiniest carton of milk you've ever seen? So cute!

Best Moment(s) of the Week: Honestly, just being with John at Disneyland and enjoying ourselves, because last time we went a year ago we did not enjoy ourselves. We had fun just going on the kiddie rides, and then going on one ride that I maybe shouldn't have gone on--Grizzly River Rapids. But I figured it couldn't be less turbulent and sickening as our bus ride to Anaheim, so I went on in. It was 8:00 by the time we got to the ride and there was only a 5 minute wait. Uh-awesome! It was maybe a little cold but not that bad at all. We got on with a group of kids from a choir in the bay area. They saw my, "I'm Celebrating" pin that I got from Disneyland City Hall, and one kid said, "Happy Birthday, by the way." I was a little confused and then said, "Oh! I'm pregnant!" That kind of startled them, then we all talked about awesome names we might name our little one. Also, meeting Mickey. I was super super nervous to meet Mickey. They make you walk through his house. We had met Minnie the day before and her house isn't all that big, but Mickey's just kept going and going. I was wondering if we actually going to meet him. Finally we got to the end and saw a line to meet him. My heart was pounding. I told him I was expecting but I don't think he heard. But we still got a pretty good picture with him. Here's the result:

Our Little Caterpie is the size of a peach...mmm...peaches sound good right now. 

• Can you believe our little one is forming vocal cords and teeth?! Wonder if he or she will be able to sing well.
• And even though he/she's still teeny, they already have fingerprints.
• Their intestines are moving from the umbilical cord to their more permanent place, in their tummy. I just think this is the craziest thing. 

Week 12

Symptoms: I am living day to day and during week 12 I have been living minute by minute most days. It's been a stressful several weeks preparing the music department to go to Disneyland plus 2 concerts (1 being the big high school music department concert which was 2 hours). It's no help that the kids just want a break, too. I can maybe count 2 days that I did not throw up in the morning. I'm just super tired all the time and I feel like crying or just whimpering for no reason. On Monday I received a nasty email from one of colleagues that made me cry and my girls in women's choir were super supportive as I just blubbered my way through a half-baked lesson even though our concert was the next day. I feel like a big baby when it happens. AND the secretary happened to walk in my room AGAIN while I was crying. I just felt pathetic.  On Friday, I came home exhausted and could barely move. On Saturday, though, I had energy to clean the entire house with John's help, and go out shopping for over 4 hours. I felt awesome!! I bought 2 pretty new dresses from Ross that will work well with my growing belly. But what I was really looking for were some nice Chacos for the upcoming Disneyland trip this next week. I told myself, "Hey, you're pregnant! You're not going to be able to enjoy most of the rides, and you're going to be there from 8am-12am against your will....you're going to buy yourself some nice comfortable shoes." I finally did find some after searching and searching and I have them on hold until Monday. I've never spent so much money on one pair of shoes before but I feel like they will be a good investment and will be my go to shoe in the coming months.

Cravings/Aversions: mmmm Jelly Beans...short lived though..fruits, tuna fish sandwiches (I haven't had them in over a year and suddenly they sound amazing! They are packed with protein!), Great Harvest pumpkin chocolate chip bread.

Best Moment(s) of the Weeks: Hearing our little caterpie's heartbeat at my 12 week appointment on Wednesday. I so wanted an ultrasound but I guess you don't get those until 20 weeks. But it was amazing to hear life in me and this huge wave of love rushed over me.

Our Little Caterpie is the size of a plum, or

• Most of Caterpie's critical systems are fully formed!
• He or she is about to enter the growth and maturation stage, in which her organs and tissues will grow and develop rapidly.
• He or she is now developing her reflexes — if you poke her body, she'll likely move.
• He or she is opening and closing her fingers and curling her toes, too.
• His or her brain is developing fast!

Week 11

Symptoms: Mood swings and I am sure my husband would agree to this--I am Mrs. Crankybutt. I know there are mothers-to-be out there that have it way worse than I do and I count my blessings but I am so cranky all the time because I hate feeling like crap. I have personal space issues, too. Sure there are moments of happiness and laughs where I want to cuddle with my husband but...then 5 minutes later everything changes. This is the week of throwing up--a total of 3 times. Yippeeeeee...but I've heard that's a good sign because everything is going as it should. It's hard to stay motivated and moving but it does make me feel better for a brief period.

Cravings/Aversions: fruits, Arby's (are roast beef sandwiches ok??? I hope so.......), bagels with cream cheese, Pop Tarts which I later regretted. We had chopped onions in the fridge and they stunk up the entire fridge...I didn't last long after that smelling that..I can finally drink more water but it has to be cold through a straw...sure that creates more burping but I am finally getting some much needed fluids

Best Moment(s) of the Week: Having Friday off. I took a sick day on an inservice day...good thing, too! I really did feel sick all day and slept from 10am-3pm. 

There is a brother in my ward, Eric Wenstrom, who conducts the Teton Chamber Orchestra and he invited me to play with them this weekend with LDS pianist William Joseph. It was a great concert filled with fun music and great musicians. I enjoyed meeting new people and playing in a more relaxed atmosphere. The concert was amazing, too, although I was trying not to throw up during the whole thing. 

Our Littler Caterpie is the size of a lime or about 1.6 inches

• Our little baby is moving a lot even though I can't feel it
• His or her skin is actually see-through
• No more webbed fingers and toes (I can't wait to touch and kiss those little fingers and toes)
• Tooth buds, hair follicles, and nail beds are forming 

Week 10 Here Come the Trials!

What a week it's been. I can't believe February is over tomorrow. Now, normally one would say that because it went by so fast..nuh uh. February seemed to never. end. It's been a hard month and I'm thankful for a March that will hopefully go by fast. I had a roommate once say that trials come in three. Well...I guess they did this month but doubled.

First came that awful breakdown several weeks ago with a student, then last Thursday was just a day of "I'm done!!!", then this week I ended up yelling at a parent (yikes! These pregnancy hormones are starting to get the better of me. Thankfully we resolved it and we didn't have to get administration involved), we got a notice from a debt collector on a stupid Old Navy card we had cancelled forever ago and had paid off (never ever get a card that deals with Synchrony Bank--ie Gap, Old Navy, Victoria Secret, etc etc--I've had my fair share of problems with them), and then this Thursday my principal decides to come in the last 10 minutes of class to do a short classroom walkthrough which didn't go so well because we worked our butts off for 80 minutes of the 90 minute class period. I normally take a break in between but decided to take it at the end that day. He said the students had low commitment and there was a negative learning culture...whatever. During the 10 minute nutrition break I started crying and panicking and didn't stop for 40 minutes...my orchestra students are so amazing and understanding. One of them took over and told me to take as much time as I needed...but I still feel that kind of thing shouldn't happen. I was so embarrassed. I shouldn't be rendered useless by how certain people perceive me and I them....ok....well I want to say more things but during a blessing that John gave me that night I was given the counsel to see my principal as Christ would see him. It's going to be a challenge but I'm going to give it my best.

So you can say my first big symptom of the week is HOLY HORMONES!!!!

Symptoms: hormones in full swing, super tired, low energy, nausea, hungry, super thirsty but I can't drink a lot of water (any tips out there for getting enough fluids, plus water sometimes tastes disgusting), burping....I'm really getting sick of burping, coughing too.

Cravings/Aversions: fruits and veggies--strawberries, grapes, apples, carrots, brocolli, celery, yummy! It's probably why I've lost 5 pounds since getting pregnant...not wanting so much junk food. Although because of such a hard week I thought it would be okay to get me some oreos...nope..not ok. If you know me I LOVE oreos. I did eat them but let's just say there's still some left in my office at the middle school and I totally regretted every one of them. (1. they aren't here at home, 2. they're not even gone yet! 3. MIRACLE!) Yesterday John mentioned getting Japanese food. There are a couple places in town, we decided on Blue Hashi. Believe it or not there are some sushi that's safe for pregnant women--I asked. Of course, it has to be fully cooked. I had a roll called the Geisha--avocado, crab, cream cheese, tempura shrimp, unagi, and cucumber rolled in tempura flakes and topped with sweet soy. It also came with 2 cooked unagi sashimi. Unagi is eel and it is actually really good. John had pork tonkatsu which I tried one bite of and it was clear my taste buds hated it.

Best Moment(s) of the Week: Being with my middle schoolers. As loud and crazy as they are sometimes they make me laugh. One came up to me and said, "I learned something the other day... someone actually took the time to write out a viola concerto?! And it was famous!" Awwww..so young in his orchestra life and he gets viola jokes. And then yesterday I was wearing a green plaid button down with my hair up in a two day old bun. One of my students came in complimenting my hair, and the next student to come in said, "Mrs. Davis! You look like a leprechaun!" He meant it as a compliment. Haha. Love them. And then one of my violists who gives me a hard time was actually very respectful this week. That always makes my day.

Also finally going to see Meet the Mormons. On Sunday we went to the Idaho Falls Temple Visitor's Center and watched it. I also met the grandparents of a former student.

Our Little Caterpie is the size of a kumquat about 1.22 inches

• Baby has working arm joints, and her cartilage and bones are forming.
• Her or his vital organs are fully developed and they're starting to function.
• Her or his fingernails and hair are starting to appear, too.
• Plus, she or he's swallowing and kicking in there. (Can you believe it?!)

Neighbor update: We do have new neighbors and it's a mom and her 2 girls. They seem really nice. She moved from Shelley. We took some cookies over the other day and introduced ourselves. She has her hands full with those girls. 

9 weeks

Symptoms: sluggish (naps every day after school from 20 minutes up to 4 hours), unmotivated (it's very difficult to get up and go to work--props to all you working mom-to-be out there), nausea, bursts of hunger, extremely thirsty, sore feet and upper back, lots of sneezing, moody. More a keen to smells. Last night we went to a baptism and the smell of baked cookies in the building was overwhelmingly delicious but no one else seemed to smell it and John looked...there were no cookies. =(

Cravings/Aversions: I actually ate my entire burrito from Costa Vida last night. I was so hungry! Cornbread, gingersnaps, Starbursts, salad, apples, fruit bowls (good thing I'm craving some healthy foods!). Still can't stand the thought of eggs or pancakes.

Best Moment(s) of the Week: On Wednesday I had my first prenatal appointment and ultrasound. I was so thankful John didn't have to work that day and that he could accompany me. I was really nervous. What if nothing was there? What if it were twins? These were questions that took over my thoughts. But after getting rushed to take the ultrasound, seriously I could barely understand what the technician wanted me to do but somehow I followed all her instructions, I was relieved to find that we are having one baby, and by the looks of it and the heartbeat, it's a healthy baby!

I've also been in a weird funk all week. Maybe it's because I had Monday off, and Wednesday morning off. But it's been really hard to get out of. Since I didn't work out a lot (actually...besides show choir choreography...I never worked out) before getting pregnant I can't do strenuous things. Today, though, I finally did some working out besides a short walk. I did some yoga! I absolutely love Yoga with Adrienne videos on YouTube. She makes it simple and fun for beginners and it's safe for me to do. There are also some free yoga and swim classes for pregos like me in the community, so I would hope to eventually check those out.

Our Little Caterpie (pr. cat-er-pea) is the size of a gummy bear, or a grape at week 9:

• This is a milestone, our little one is no longer an embryo but now a fetus
• Developing more distinct facial features, and all the organs and muscles and nerves are kicking into gear
• Heartbeat can be heard

Like I mentioned before, Wednesday was my first ultrasound. It was so exciting to finally have this become a reality! Here's an ultrasound picture: 

Just a little gummy bear now =)

On Thursday, though, I threw up for the first time. It was not pleasant and made me not want go to school. I was already running late to work and just had to get it out before leaving. Thankfully it didn't happen during work! By now, though, all my students and principals know that I'm expecting and it makes me feel more at ease. But, is it bad that I'm just counting down the days til summer comes?? 

Apparently we have new neighbors....maybe...John and I think they're squatters...just kidding. We only think that because they showed up out of nowhere and neither of us saw a moving van. I haven't seen them either but I hear them and their car is parked outside. The husband (we think) is fixing up the place because we hear a lot of hammering and banging, and there's a wife and a toddler who cries and whines...a lot! Must be going through some terrible twos. That will be my life sooner than later. Haha.......Update: John just came back from Martial Arts and informed me that he saw them this morning...he said that there was two or three kids. That would make so much more sense due to the quantity of whining we hear. It's not just one! Bless her. We really need to introduce ourselves.

Caterpie?

As I was developing this blog I couldn't think of a good title for it. I didn't want to use bebibobaby--even though I think that's super cute, and I wanted a part of John in it. John, being the sort of Japanese geek that he is, suggested caterpie...I didn't even know what it was--I had to look it up. ..It's a pokemon..Well...it kinda looks like what's growing inside of me right now so I went with it. A pokemon apparently has an evolutionary line. Caterpies go from their larvae like state, to a metapod, and end up being a butterfree...I had to look this up.

If anything....the name sounds way cuter than what it actually is.

8 weeks

Symptoms: extremely tired, very gassy, more nauseated then last week but not yet thrown up! YAY!, diarrhea, I can feel my stomach muscles stretching, sore feet. Am I being too detailed in this? 

Cravings/aversions: soup (but everything turns out to be way too salty--eck...), Wheat Thins, Subway, ice cream sandwiches. Aversions to eggs and pancakes. 

Best moment(s) of the week: Having John take care of me today. He is such a blessing in my life. He didn't bother me at all while I slept the day away. I seriously slept the majority of the day. John also took me for a drive towards the Palisades. He drives there so often for work so I knew he didn't want to drive today but he did it anyways because he knew that I just wanted to get out and enjoy some nature. We only drove 30 minutes away from Idaho Falls which didn't get us very far but we were able to walk around a rest stop with some great views of the canyon. I should have taken some pictures. 

Our Little Caterpie is the size of a raspberry (all these fruit references make me want fresh fruit!): at week 8

• I can't feel it yet, but he or she's moving those arms and legs like crazy! 
• Our baby's fingers and toes are now only slightly webbed, and their tail (yes, it had one) is gone. 
• Fun fact: your baby's taste buds are now forming.

Well, this week has turned out to be very interesting. On Tuesday, I came in a little burpy and icky to Bel Cantos. I had them all gathered in a circle to sing instead of their normal rows. They kept giving each other smiles and faces which I totally caught on what they were thinking. I didn't confirm their thoughts then, though. During a break, one of the girls had the guts to say, "Mrs. Davis. I wanted you to know why everyone is acting like this. They think you're pregnant." Like I said before, I cannot keep a secret. So I told them I was indeed pregnant but not to tell anyone yet because it was too early to. That changed quickly. On Wednesday there was a really unfortunate incident that I will not go into detail about but it left me super rattled and emotional. I had to go the restroom and Lisa (the high school secretary) happened to be there and I just starting balling about what had happened and let out that I was pregnant. She comforted me and said, "Welcome to the wonderful time of not being able to control your emotions." She later told my principal what had happened. Earlier I went in to see him to talk about the incident as well as go over my teacher evaluation. He congratulated me and went over some details on whether or not I was staying next year. I wasn't ready to tell him yet that we are moving to Washington. It was just too much for me in one day. But the evaluation went well! Anyways. I knew the word was going to spread quickly. People in Shelley talk...it being a small town and all. So I just let it out and let my middle schoolers and my 6th graders know. They were all super excited. A few said, "I knew it! Like three weeks ago!" Perceptive little buggers. Anyways. I told my Hobbs principal, but I haven't yet told the Stuart principal even though I am sure he has heard. 

On a different note and totally nonpregnancy related, the Idaho Falls Symphony performed their Cirque de la Symphonie concert this Friday and Saturday. We had acrobats and aerial performers perform while we played. It was an incredible experience! We played many exotic and a couple fun movie themes (Harry Potter and Hook). Our first performance was a Friday matinee where we performed for 1900 elementary kids. I have never performed for a more enthusiastic crowd. During the Hook theme there was a aerial silk performer who flew around the stage. There's this one part where the music swells restating the theme again at the end and he flies even higher than before and the kids were screaming! It made me want to cry (if I wasn't pregnant it would still make me want to cry). For me this is a performance I will always remember. 

Week 7..and 2 days

Monday, February 9, 2015

Symptoms: tired, nauseous, very gassy (I know I burp more than I should normally but now it’s just ridiculous), thirsty but hard to drink a lot of water because I feel so gassy. Hungry out of nowhere.

Cravings: Pickles (ha..so cliché), Kit Kats, baked potato with sour cream, bacon, cheese, and butter. The other night I could not sleep because I was so hungry. I really wanted to make chicken divan but it would take 30 minutes to bake not to mention how much time it would take to prepare it.  I made a potato instead and satisfied my chicken divan craving the next day. Mostly I have food aversions. I couldn't eat my banana yesterday at all and the tacos we had made a couple days ago...forget about them...they smell deee-gusting. 

Our Little Caterpie is as big as a blueberry: at week 7

• She's generating about one hundred new brain cells each minute!
• Not only is her brain becoming more complex, but her heart is too.
• Also important: She's developing a permanent set of kidneys
• Her arm and leg joints are now forming.

 Your .51-inch embryo doesn't exactly tip the scales just yet but she's developing like crazy. She's already doubled in size since last week

I am 7 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I have some nausea and as well as just overall crumminess. I feel every morning is a push to get up. On Sunday I woke up the worst I have felt yet. I thankfully have not thrown up at all but I think that’s because I have some will power not to. Also on Sunday I was in one of those coma sleeps with some freaky weird dreams that made no sense. But, thankfully, the Lord has answered prayers so far to keep the nausea at bay during work.

I really do want to tell my students but know it’s way too soon to. One day I came in and they asked if I was sick. I told them I felt like I was hit by a bus. Another time, while teaching choreography and getting observed by my principal(gah! He makes me nervous!) I got super tired and had to catch my breath. They asked if I was okay. I knew there were comments on my evaluation that wouldn’t have been there if I was not pregnant. I’m also wondering when to tell my 3 bosses! That’s the only thing about this. I have to tell so many people over me.

While teaching my 6^th graders on Friday I got so frustrated and fed up with how they were playing (awful and 4 of them forgot their instruments…which didn’t put me in a good mood). With 10 minutes to go I just gave up with them, told them that I was disappointed with how they were performing that day, that our hard work this week seemed worthless (crazy hormones having me say mean things…breaks my heart now to think about it), and I told them to pack up and study their notes. They knew something was up but I wasn’t going to tell them. At the end of class I noticed some rustling about in the students. I thought they were just getting antsy to get out of class. That may have been partly true but what I got was a letter that they had all signed saying, “Sorry you’re having such a bad day. We will try harder on Monday.” They gave it to me and my heart just melted. I told them, “You guys! I’m supposed to be mad at you!” As much as they sometimes drive me up the wall they are the sweetest, kindest kids. I really can’t wait to tell them! I’m just sad they won’t get to see this little caterpie.

John has been wonderful in helping out with those difficult mornings. He will get me things from the store if I’m craving them. Comfort me when I can't eat cookie dough....sad day. And he will bring me crackers or water in the morning. It’s amazing how much my love for him has grown even more in the past few weeks. It’s also so mind boggling to think that we are going to be raising a child together. This is such a new and exciting adventure in our lives!