I’m halfway there.  How did that happen?  Let’s hope the rest of this thang keeps going as quickly as the first half did.  (Doubt it-lol.)

Not much news for you this week.  I really wish I could post a belly pic, because I’ve REALLY grown these last few weeks, but I think that waiting until 22 weeks will make it even more dramatic and shocking.  I think I have two pairs of pants that fit me.  And both of them fall down continuously.  I hate maternity clothes with a passion.

Here’s the exciting info I’ll give you this week:  We decided to go ahead and tell everyone the gender of our baby.  Mainly because, WOW, you would not believe how hostile and rude people get when you try and keep it a secret.  It’s all supposed to be in good fun, but no, apparently it’s completely out of line of us to do such a thing.  So we’ve told them.  And yes…we are having Boy #4.  LOL! Seeeeeriously.  I’ve had moments where I’ve been really down and out about not having that girl we’ve been waiting on.  But the longer I sit with the reality that my baby is a boy, the more I realize just how much I dislike little girls.  Truly…I really don’t care for them. 

So anyway, everything from here on out should be quite uneventful until November.  See ya next week!

I had another midwife appointment yesterday.  She went over the ultrasound results with me, which were all excellent and extremely reassuring.  Except for the fact that baby’s head is measuring about 2 weeks ahead of the rest of its body.  HAH! Here comes another big headed baby.  Those are always fun during a natural birth.  The baby was measuring in the 47th percentile in size, and the midwife told me that if the growth continues at a normal rate, the baby would be approximately 7lbs, 10oz at birth.  I just about peed myself.  I don’t have 7lb babies.  I have 9lb babies.  There’s a big difference there.  I also gained 10lbs this month, for a total weight gain of 30lbs, which is absolute insanity to pretty much everyone else, but completely normal for me.  However, the midwife absolutely believes that my weight gain (and the subsequent big babies) are a direct result of the amount of carbs I eat.  And I do eat a LOT of carbs.  She is hardcore gung-ho on the low carb diet for all pregnant women, and I go back and forth with myself over whether I agree.  How nice would it be to slow the weight gain and also have a 7/8lb baby.  It really makes me wonder, considering my babies are born in the 90th+ percentile, and then they all eventually even out to the 50th.  Maybe they really are being pumped full of sugar in the womb and are way too fat and unhealthy because of my obsession with fettucine alfredo and watermelon.  I just don’t know what to do.  The midwife said to at least start with a high protein breakfast.  I think I can do that.  So yes.  Now I’m off to eat eggs. 

So I was a total wreck yesterday morning before the ultrasound. With the rocky start at the beginning of this pregnancy, I was having nightmares that there was going to be something seriously wrong with the baby. Not to mention the fact that I had very little sleep, tossing and turning the night before in anticipation of the big event.  I swear I went to three different bathrooms at three different locations because my stomach was in so many knots I thought I was going to have some serious explosive diarrhea-lol.

Right before the U/S, the tech asked me how many children I had and what their gender was. I told her I had 3 boys and she stood right up and put her hands up and said, “Okay listen, if this is another boy it is NOT my fault, it’s your husband’s fault!” Then she asked me if I was going to be okay if it was another boy. I told her yes, that we wouldn’t have gotten pregnant if we hadn’t of been okay with the idea of having another son.

She put the wand on my belly and seriously within like, 3 seconds she told us the gender.  It was nice finding out the gender in the very beginning (every other U/S I’ve had done they waited until the very end.) So I was able to enjoy the rest of the ultrasound, which was so cool. With every pregnancy, the ultrasounds get more sophisticated.

Baby has all its major parts, the heart, brain and spine look to have developed normally, and the UMBILLICAL CORD is a BEAST! The U/S tech kept saying “I cannot believe how thick that cord is…do you SEE that?” I just hope that’s a good thing…

The tech needed a profile shot of the baby and Baby just kept looking straight at us and wouldn’t move its head away. I had to get up, jump around, move from side to side and it still wouldn’t do it. The tech was bouncing on my belly trying to get it to move, even for a second and the baby put its hand up and it totally looked like it flipped us off! Then it swung his legs up over its head so it looks like we’re getting mooned, which was hilarious and we actually got a print of that one.   (Calling the baby an “it” is really irritating me–I may have to reveal the gender soon before I kill myself trying to avoid that certain pronoun.)

Anyway, I have a MW appointment in a few days and will know the results for sure, but I feel so much better with the initial findings.

I’m trying to figure out a way to post the ultrasound pictures.  I don’t have a scanner, so it will take some creativity.  But I shall try. 

is my ultrasound!  At 9:30AM, Pacific Standard Time, I’ll be looking at my baby.  I am so nervous and excited and anxious.  Brent has decided to take the entire day off and arranged for the boys to spend the night at my parent’s house so that we can have a “fun” day after the ultrasound.  All by ourselves!  It’s not often that I get over to the mainland.  I know that one of our stops will definitely be Joann’s fabrics.  Plus, I’ll need some gender-specific scrapbooking material for the new babe.

Wish me luck!  I’ll update tomorrow.  (And yes, I still plan on keeping the gender a secret.)

Here we go…

Do you remember when I was 6 weeks along and I thought I was absolutely enormous? 

My God, I look anorexic in comparison!

Almost all of my non-maternity pants no longer fit.  This is serious business, folks.  I am really, truly, very obviously pregnant.  I’m already starting to waddle.  I’ve now gained 25lbs and it SHOWS.  I’m feeling the baby move several times a day, but only when I’m sitting or lying still and the movements are still light enough that no one else can feel them from the outside. 

Five more days until our ultrasound where (hopefully) the gender will be revealed and I have just now finalized my name choices.  Of course Brent disapproves of both names, but since we have not been able to come to a single agreement, I am going to plow ahead with my choices and hope he just gets used to it.  And no, I’m not going to tell you my choices.  I feel really superstitious about typing them out, or even speaking them aloud.  It’s always been important for me to have a girl name and a boy name ready before my ultrasound so I can immediately put that name to the little alien face.  It’s one of the first and most important ways I bond with my baby.  Naming the baby has made him really, truly *real*.  (I say “him” because I am still convinced we’ll be having a boy, although most of my friends and relatives apparently disagree.)

Oh, I had a dream last night that I got on the scale and I weighed 280lbs.  I woke up absolutely terrified.  It was horrific.  I told Brent about it and he pictured me at 280 and just laughed and laughed and laughed.  I didn’t think it was funny.  I think I tipped the scales at about 260 when I delivered Rylan and seriously…I looked wrong.  Thank God I lost all of that baby weight and more before I started on another pregnancy. 

My oldest son turned ten years old recently, and I am in absolute awe at the fact that I am going to be having my last child an entire DECADE after my first.  I was 19 when I had Aidan, on the verge of my 20’s and all of the nasty, dramatic shit that followed.  This child will be born a few months before my 30’s, where I hope my world will fall into a pattern of contentment and peace. 

Anyway, it’s been a month since my last belly pic, so after my shower today I will post new pictures so you may gawk at my loveliness. 

I forgot to add that my insurance rocks, and my prenatal care + homebirth + postpartum care will cost me a whopping $320 (plus miscellaneous lab fees.)  Seriously.  I am in pregnant lady heaven.

Well, my company has left and whewwww am I exhausted!  Remind me never to have six kids.  That was surely an experience. 

I’m feeling pretty awesome lately, and here is why:

-My blood pressure rocks.  Last week it was 110/62.

-I’m not swelling, I don’t have heartburn, acid reflux or ferocious leg cramps.  I do have an insatiable appetite that has caused a 22lb weight gain and a raging case of acne, but eh…it could be much worse. 

-I’m HIV negative, STD free, my iron levels are fantastic and my quad screen has come back all negative, which makes me feel somewhat secure and safe. 

-My baby is moving a lot now, although Brent can’t feel it from the outside yet.  (Many layers of fluff to get through.)  This week I saw Sex & The City and the baby was kicking like a maniac, which either means he was hating life or she was thoroughly amused (as I was.)

-My ultrasound is in 11 days. Whoooooooohooooooo!

The second trimester rocks. 

I had an appointment with the midwife today and it was better than the last.  I still felt pretty rushed, even though the appointment must have been a good half hour.  She’s just so…business-like. 

I’ve gained 5lbs this month, which is horrid for everyone else but awesome for me.  Seriously I should have gained about 20 considering the shit I’ve been eating.  She wants me on a low-carb diet.  (By low carb I mean less than 75 grams of carbohydrates per day.)  I just can’t imagine it’s possible.  I lasted about half the day before I needed (NEEDED!) chocolate chips and watermelon. 

I got a LOT of testing done, which I think really surprised her.  I did the whole quad screen and the HIV testing and such.  I’m sure I could have explained myself, but it would have been awfully awkward to say something like “I’d terminate this pregnancy if something were seriously wrong with the baby and also, my husband is a serial cheater so it’d be nice to know if I’m infected with some lovely STD ahead of time.” 

I found out she charges $3000 total, which doesn’t really mean anything to me until I find out how much my insurance will cover.  I know we’ve met our deductible for the year so at least that’s out of the way.  She’s got a fairly small list of optional birth supplies to have on hand, as well so that shouldn’t be too pricey.  She also rents out AquaDoula tubs for $150, but I think I will end up sticking with the cheapo fishy pool and a food grade hose and I’m all set.  With my history, how long could I possibly be in that thing anyway–20 minutes? 

The whole pubic bone separation thing hasn’t set in yet, but I do have the name of a chiropractor, an acupuncturist, and a company that sells a big huge pelvic girdle that may help.  I am armed with resources!

The midwife also checked my uterus and didn’t seem too sure on it’s position.  (I’m fat, alright?)  That kind of freaked me out, especially since I haven’t been feeling movement and we haven’t checked for a heartbeat yet.  I totally freaked out and asked her to finally use the Doppler, which she used for about 6 seconds to find a rather strong heart rate in the 150’s.  Whew. 

I also think I’m starting to feel the beginnings of movement, which may or may not be psychological.

My ultrasound was scheduled for June 27th and then my husband realized that he’ll be out of town that day and OF COURSE he thinks it’s necessary that he attend, so now I have to reschedule for the following week.  Grrrr.  Oh well.  We shall see the kid eventually.

That’s it for now–my house is *almost* ready for company tomorrow.

Yup, I’m still here. 

This weekend was craaaaazy, getting the house ready for visitors next week.  I seriously cleaned, organized and rearranged for probably 8 hours straight.  My body is hating me for it. 

I had a talk with the husband, about how much I hate the beer drinking.  I sobbed and wailed and blubbered along until I think I may have guilted him enough to slow down on the alcohol consumption.  We got along great after that.  I think I just needed to get it all out.  Now if he could just quit smoking as well.  It grosses me out that he might be smoking when I have a newborn in the house again. 

So, seriously…so much for this natural pregnancy business.  I’ve been a total slacker this time around.  I have developed a major junk food addiction and can’t seem to break it.  I hardly ever eat a fruit or a vegetable.  LOL.  Man!  I need to snap out of it quickly, I know I do.  I’m really trying to claw my way out of this strange hormonal pit of depression and get my life back on track. 

Anyway…I see the midwife again next week.  Let’s hope I get a nice, long chat with her, or else I am going to be seriously considering some other, very drastic options as to who will provide my prenatal care and assist with the birth.