Dressing Herself

Over the weekend, I delayed dressing Anna for quite a few hours. I guess she got tired of waiting, because she came out dressed like this:

Later, on our walk, she picked me this lovely Northwest bouquet... :)

Ah, how I love my girl!

It's Science!

Degrees and Diapers

I don't think I've written about our experience here at the university. It certainly is an unusual experience. Whenever I would tell someone that my husband and I were graduating on the same date, both going full time at the university, and had a daughter, I was often met with shock or surprise. I guess I didn't think about it like that. I didn't leave time to think about it being difficult. Life is difficult in general. This was just our own personal journey.

We certainly sacrificed a lot to be here. Paul worked full time while I watched Anna. We dropped out twice. We lived with family for a short time. We struggled. We returned to school. We have never been on a vacation - although we did go camping as a family when Anna was two. We have a lot of unpaid bills. We put off having another child for a very long time. We bought second-hand and lived on a tight budget. When was the last time I had a haircut, anyway? Paul gets plenty of haircuts via Salon du Sarah (ME! And I'm pretty dang good at it, if I might say so). I remember when I bought each of my pairs of shoes because I haven't bought that many. We could seriously use a new dresser - the drawers are falling off the tracks. Anna needs a mattress for her bed that isn't old and freaky.

And yet... there's not a whole lot to complain about.

I have gotten to see all of Anna's firsts. First laugh, first time she rolled over (both ways), first time she sat up, first time she stood and walked, first time she said my name, first time she stepped onto the bus for preschool. No, it isn't a fancy preschool - it's Head Start. Over the last two days, we constructed and painted a paper mache volcano, filled it with Baking Soda and vinegar, and set it off. Anna laughed and squealed! Today, we're making rock candy, in hopes of passing our love of education on to her. She asks, "Can we play science?" We walk to the beach on sunny days and Anna plays in the sand. We go on walks every evening - as a family. My husband is an amazing father to our little girl - what special memories she has of building Kinex machines with daddy!

No, joy is more than money. Real joy comes from family and memories. So, I don't mind the little sacrifices here and there. The truth is, I've never been richer in my life.

On to grad school!

Beach Pictures

Today we went to the beach! It was a gorgeous 65 degrees and my little water baby kept splashing in the surf! She loves water. She wasn't cold at all, either. :)

17 Weeks Tomorrow

How far along? 17 Weeks tomorrow!
Weight gain/loss: 127, down a pound from last month, but I think that's more from getting more exercise lately. :)
Wardrobe? Maternity! It's way more comfortable this way and I don't have to feel bad about not fitting into my size 5s.
Stretch marks? Nothing new.
Sleep? Hip pain keeps me up at night and side-sleeping makes my ears ache. I think I need one of those fancy side-sleeping pillows with the little hole for your ear...
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? Today Anna drew a cute little picture of the baby today. Today she wants to name the baby Baby All-Gone. Heh. :)
Belly button in or out? In.
Movement? Lots of wiggling and stretching, especially at night when I'm relaxing.
Nausea: I have had a good week. I think I'm at the end of this. With Anna, I was done being sick at 17 weeks, so this is hopefully it. :)
Symptoms: I've been SOOOO THIRSTY this week! Also, still getting lots of Braxton-Hicks... hopefully that means baby won't be overdue. ;)

Appointment Update

How pregnant? 16 weeks 4 days
Heart rate: 148 beats per minute
Weight: Down 1 pound from last. I'll be brave and say I was 127.
BP: 125/60

Anna was such a good helper! She held the doppler's speaker while the midwife found the heartrate. She is such a good girl. She is very excited to be a big sister!

We got great news today, aside from the appointment. We get to stay here in Washington until the end of June. Anna's school goes through June 14th. I was so heartbroken about yanking her from school and missing her class trip to the zoo. I'm glad everything has worked out so well!

Graduation... in Photos!

(Above: Family!!!)

(Above: With our little grad!)

(Above: Olive Garden! Nom!!!)

Graduation went well! Paul and I have been catching up on sleep ever since. I think today is the first day that I've felt a little more like myself in a long time (exhaustion-wise).

16 Weeks

How far along? 16 weeks... and hopefully just a couple of weeks from knowing if we are having a boy or a girl. :) I'm feeling bigger today than yesterday. I guess you've seen the "pop".
Weight gain/loss: Definitely I've gained. Not sure where I'm at, though. Probably somewhere in the 130s by now.
Wardrobe? I'm afraid to put on my old jeans this week. Mostly I find myself uncomfortable unless I'm wearing pajamas, so maybe it's time to go shopping... or pray for warmer weather.
Stretch marks? Just the old ones.
Sleep? Stomach sleeping for the most part. Sleeping on my back triggers Braxton-Hicks contractions. I try to stay on my sides for the most part, but I often wake on my stomach.
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? Nothing too baby/Anna related. I should have written something down. Anna is always full of fun little sayings and phrases. :)
Belly button in or out? In.
Movement? I think I've been feeling some wiggling in there this week...
Nausea: Unfortunately, I still have bad days... I had an awful day on Monday, but now I'm thinking I may have had a touch of the flu... a let-down from the stress of finals and graduation.

Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender.
Source: TheBump.com

15 Weeks vs. 15 Weeks

Week 14

How far along? 14 weeks. Officially Peanut is a fetus... or in this household, a baby... just like last week and the week before. ;)
Weight gain/loss: I should delete this question. Who wants to fess up to that one?
Wardrobe? Regular ol' jeans and shirts. Occasional maternity stuff when my tummy's upset.
Stretch marks? Just the little ones from last pregnancy. They're still cute. Let's hope that it stays that way.
Sleep? Total stomach sleeper. Still able to be comfy on the tummy. Not sure how long that'll last!
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? Surprisingly whenever people ask her if she's excited about a brother or sister this week, she hasn't yelled, "It's a sister!" Too many new faces this week, probably, with Easter and Joseph/Cassie's wedding. Anna was a flower girl and so darling. She figured out the basket/flower thing without practice and just instruction. She got to the end of the aisle, turned her basket upside down to make sure it was all gone, and then sat with daddy. lol!!!
Belly button in or out? In.
Movement? Nada. Sometimes I think I feel something, but I think it's all in my head... anticipation, y'know?
Nausea: Sometimes I feel like my stomach has stopped working and all food feels like a rock in my stomach. Today it hit me: Relaxin! It's a hormone produced both during and not during pregnancy, but during pregnancy it hits its peak at 14 weeks. It must be relaxing my stomach muscle to the point that it's making me feel like I can't properly digest a darn thing! I'm no OBGyn, but it sure makes sense to me. The good thing is that this hormone is supposed to decline a bit until right before delivery so hopefully I find some relief in this particular stomach issue soon. (Dear God, please let this be!!!)
Time until graduation: 9 Days!

Skunk-Eatin' Tale (Tail?)

Anna: I ate a skunk. He pooped on me.
Daddy: Wow. What a tale!
Anna: I don't have a tail.

Week 13

How far along? 13 weeks 0 days, second trimester!
Weight gain/loss: I'm taking the 5th on that one.
Wardrobe? Once comfy jeans are starting to feel snug. Good ol' rubberband-through-the-button hole trick!
Stretch marks? Just the old ones.
Sleep? Meh.
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? This week I got a call from Anna's teacher (message machine) that said, "First of all congratulations. Second of all, I have a funny story to tell you." Through guesswork and asking questions, we discovered that Anna "gave birth to" a doll at school that day. Oh, boy!
Belly button in or out? Still in. It never went out with Anna, but it got pretty flat.
Movement? Nada.
Nausea: I had a couple of nasty days this week. I decided to try to stop snacking so much. I ended up vomiting instead. I guess having an empty tummy really triggers the nausea. :(
Time until graduation: 2 weeks.

Baby: Your fully formed fetus, now in about its 11th week of development, measures 2.6 to 3.1 inches from crown to rump and weighs between half an ounce and seven-tenths of an ounce -- about the size of a peach. The head is still disproportionately bigger than the body, but the rest of the body is starting to catch up. In fact, your baby is growing rapidly these days. The face is starting to look more human, with eyes moving closer together. Toes and fingers are clearly separate, and ankles and wrists have formed. External genitalia are becoming visible. Intestines are shifting into their proper place, too.

Mom-to-be: Your uterus has grown a lot. It's filling your pelvis now and starting to grow upward into your abdomen. It probably feels like a soft, smooth ball. If you haven't put on any weight yet because of morning sickness, you'll begin to now as you start to feel better.

Source: WebMD

12 Week Appoitnment

Weight: Nunya Biznezz ;)
Baby's heartbeat: 160 (right on)
Fundal height: Right on target!

Everything looks great! Anna and Paul came along. Anna wore her Big Sister tee shirt that Colleen bought for her the other day. She did such a great job waiting. She wanted to bring her toy shot toy - from a toy medical kit - to the hospital to show the doctor (midwife, actually). I think she forgot or got side tracked. haha It was a good appointment. It's good to hear the heartbeat - it's always reassuring and it makes this seem more real. Two kiddos! It's crazy to imagine. Well, if the second is as wonderful as the first, then I have nothing to worry about when it comes to having two kiddos. :)

12 Weeks 0 Days

How far along? 12 weeks 0 days
Weight gain/loss: Not certain, but I have an appointment tomorrow.
Wardrobe? I've abandoned the maternity clothes I've been wearing, with the exception of the occasional size small shirt. I guess it was a fad. haha Actually, my tummy is becoming less sensitive, so looser clothing isn't so necessary.

Stretch marks? Just the old ones.
Sleep? What's that?
Best Anna/Baby moment this week? For the first time in weeks, Anna got off the bus this week and asked, "Did you push the baby out yet?"
Belly button in or out? Still in. It never went out with Anna, but it got pretty flat.
Movement? Nada.
Nausea: Most days are good days. There are definite bad days, though. This week I had a day where I threw up twice and felt cold and shivery all day. I may have been sick. It's hard to say.
What I miss? Going a day without snacking a million times a day. :( I'm not a big fan of snacking a lot. Irony. *sigh*
Time until graduation: 3 weeks.

Just About 11 Weeks

In two more weeks I'll be in the second trimester. That's hard to believe! In the meantime, I should get some more reading done while I have the time. Graduation is sneaking up on me... I don't feel prepared at all!