To cut...or not to cut...that is the question??

So, for the past 9 weeks I have just felt sick, tired, ugly, exhausted, fat, and well...pregnant. Before we found out I was pregnant (which, yes, was planned, and yes, regardless of my complaints, we are VERY excited) I was in the process of deciding weather or not to change my hair style. I have always been told not to cut your hair when you are pregnant because your face gets all fat and you won't like it. So, I dropped the idea. But..I need a change!!! I want to feel cute, chick, hip, new, and all that great stuff. I am sick of my long, limp, no body hair that goes with my limp and lifeless body right now. I know it won't fix everything, but something new and exciting is always fun.
I am a BIG chicken when it comes to changing my hair. I don't have the face that just looks good with anything. I have had some NASTY haircuts in my lifetime. One in particular that I cried over. It was cut about 3 inches shorter than I asked, and she messed up and her supervisor had to cut off another inch. It was well above my ears when it was supposed to be just below my shoulders. It was also my Birthday AND we were going to see Ben's family that weekend. I didn't know them well at that point. I looked like a boy. It was aweful!
Also, my hair grows really really really really slow. It takes me forever to grow it long after getting a short hair cut. So, if I don't like the hair cut, I am stuck with it for a long time. EEK! The shortest I have ever cut my hair is right off my shoulders with fun layers...aside from the horrible cut mentioned above. So these hair cuts truly are scary to me!
So, that said, I could REALLY use your HONEST and BLUNT opinion. These are the styles I am considering. Will these go with my face shape?? Any other haircuts you may suggest? I need a lot of body. My hair struggles with body, so the more the merrier. I don't want my hair a mile off my head though. Also, I CAN'T do bangs. I have a massive part in my bangs, and I cannot do bangs. So, here are the options. HELP ME!

#1
Short, but not scary. This would be the safe hair cut, and I love it! It wouldn't scare me too badly. The only problem is that I have no idea how to style it like the picture. I want a hair cut that I will know how to style the right way. Is this one pretty easy to style?? Do I have to have bangs for this? I really like this one.


#2
Keep growing it out. If I continue to keep my hair long, I want it to look like this. Body!!! Is it possible for me to be able to have hair like this, or am I just dreaming. After carefully studying each picture and then staring at me forever, Mary picked this one. hhhmmm

#3
Taking a leap. This one would scare me, but give me the body I really want. I also think this is so dang cute! I would have to hold a hand to get this one done, but it could just be the cute, chick, hair I am craving. Or, I may look like a boy and cry. Do I have the face for this one??? Sorry about her "girls" falling out of her shirt. oops!

#4
My favorite. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this hair. Time is the problem with this one though. Who on earth has time to curl their hair like this everyday. Is there any possible way to quickly make my hair look like this. Or would it just be a huge pain! For this one, I would obviously just keep growing my hair out.

#5
Bring on the body. This is similar to #3, but a bit more body...which is what I need. I don't know if my bangs would do this though. This is the hair cut that has been at the back of my mind for some time now. I am just so scared. Will I look like a fat face with this?

So there they are. What should I do? Please be honest. I need something fun, cute, EASY and that will go with ME and MY face shape. YIKES!!!!!! I really don't want to look like a lesbian or a boy.
If I do cut my hair short, will I ever have a desire to grow it out again. I have been told that once you cut it short, you will never have long hair again. Double yikes!

Any other hair styles not mentioned above are welcome bits of advise.

Mr. Ribbit has a "ribbit"

My kids love the cute little song that goes to this post.



Mr. Ribbit finally made a Ribbit today! It is true folks! He makes noise, and for whatever reason it may be, it cracks me up! We have had him since he was a tadpole, so I guess it is like a baby's first smile (not due to gas), or the first step. Oh, the small joys in life. I will take all I can get right now as I sit here in my nauseated stupor. I am really starting to think three kids is enough for us. Adoption is good too. Anyone who has to feel like they just finished eating 4 BigMacs while riding the worlds fastest and most twistly rollar coaster, for weeks on end, (not to mention the excess saliva that tasts like a mix of dog poop and quarters) has the right to declare it quits. I am pregnant...watch me ROAR!!
Few...sorry, don't know where that came from. O.K. back to the frog.
Once he grows to be the size of a dinner plate, his cute little ribbit may just be a flat out "roar" in our ears. Hopefully by that point in time though, he will not be ours to worry about. There are plenty of High School Science teachers that would love to have him in their class. And plenty of students who will love to watch him eat mice and birds and all that good stuff. Or, they may just be disecting his heart out, but we won't go there.
We did actually post him on Craig's List a few weeks ago. But when the people came to look at him, I got all sad and wanted to keep him. I was sooooo glad they never called back. What were we thinking!
For now, I am content to listen to his cute little ribbit and smile.

You Know You Are A Die Hard Snow Skier When...

You take pictures on your way to the mountain, because the incredible beauty of it takes your breath away.





You take pictures of yourself on the lift with your goggles on



With your goggles off



With your beloved awesome skis



You get a HILARIOUS sunburn like this...complete with the helmet and goggle line, and you still go to work the next day. I am not talking hide in your office all day, I am talking out and about meeting all sorts of people!



You are skiing against all doctors orders, but hey, the knee really is getting better fast.

You are grinning more than your daughter is on her first day on the slopes.

You cheer every time there is a snow storm...even in April.

You are willing to act silly in front of any and all co-workers in order to win a lift ticket.

You read the same ski magazing over and over and over and over....

You get ski wax in your stocking for Christmas, and you really appreciate it.


You know the terms: powder, corn snow, crud, park skiing, chute, packed powder, ice, daffy, kicker, half-pipe, table-top, fat skis, powder skis, phat turns, 540, rodeo, ect.

You ski stuff like this (Big Jims) when you are 17,and live to tell the story. Seriously, check it out. AAAGGGHHH!!!! (sometimes this picture comes up, and sometimes it doesn't)

You are on a drive through the mountains, and all you see are ski lines all over the place..snow or no snow.

You work out to ski, you mow lawns to ski, you skip work to ski (did I say that), you drive hours on end to ski, when you can't ski you are dreaming about it.

And the list goes on and on and on.

Needless to say, Ben is a die hard skier, and a DANG good one at that!

Ideal

I LOVE having all four seasons, and I hope to always be able to live in a place with all four seasons. I like each one with the weather it brings. I am happy to see a new season come, and when it is time, I am glad to see it go and have a change of weather.
If I had to live the rest of my life in only one type of weather though, it would be what we have had the past few days. PERFECT!!! Wow, it has been gorgeous and soooooo nice. And of course, it is the perfect running weather.
My perfect weather is somewhere between 65-80 degrees. With a warm afternoon sun and a nice nip in the air at night and early morning. Green grass, flowers, ect. Not too hot (I am such a wimp with heat..Arizona would be my version of the underworld..no offense to anyone) and not too cold. Perfect! And that folks, is what we are experiencing. I LOVE IT! It cracks me up that just a few days ago, we had a 5 1/2 foot snowman in our front yard, and yesterday Mary was in her pool in a swimsuit. It is great!
I do like the warmer temps for waterskiing and swimming, and I love the snow, because I just love it. Therefore, I am so grateful for all the seasons. For now, I am just going to bask in the sunny goodness Colorado Springs is giving us...and be grateful.
Of course, like everyone else, I have tons of pictures of my kids in the pool, the sandbox, on the swingset, ect., and I will post them soon, but I am content for now, to just say that I am loving the weather and my kids being able to play outside for hours on end. AAHHHHH, welcome spring....for now.
p.s. To top it off, the kids had a blast at playgroup today at the park, and so did I. What better than to bask in the sun with great friends. Lunch afterwards with a few of the peeps was the icing on the cake. What a fun day!

Goodbye to a GREAT thing...for a while anyway.

Sadly, I have decided to temporarily, and maybe not so temporarily let go of my Mary Kay business. I have LOVED the business, and I have learned a ton from it. It has been so much fun!!! It came into my life at the PERFECT time! I firmly believe that it is the best work from home business a woman could have! Unfortunately, the timing is off right now, and I need to let it go for a period of time. Hopefully, I can pick it up again later. It has actually been a really hard decision because I have truly loved the business, and I still do. I will never find better products anywhere!
That said...I am cleaning out what is left of my inventory (except for what I am keeping for me and some special customers ;) ). First come first serve. I won't charge sales tax on anything, so what you see is what you get, unless I have to ship it. Then I ask at least 1/2 on shipping. So, here are the goods. You can email me, call me, or leave a comment if you want anything. If you want my email or phone number, please just comment and ask for it in the comment...thanks!



Beach Bronze Lip Gloss (brownish color) I have two left. $13
Cream and Sugar Lip Gloss $13
Toffee Lipstick $13
Sugarberry Lip Gloss $13
Starry Lip Gloss $13

Microderm Abrasion Set (These are gems ladies! They have been selling like candy! It is AWESOME!!..I have two left) $55
You will get the same treatment this set offers at a spa for three times this amount, or even more. It is a HUGE bargain.

SPF 30 Sunscreen $14

Satin Hands Set (another Gem, I can't believe I even have one left) $30

Satin Lips Set (I have two left) $18

Ultimate Mascara Black/Brown..the best mascara you will ever have, makes your eyelashes look really full and long. $15

Age-fighting Moisturizer with SPF 15...great for all of you water bugs. $22

Age-Fighting Eye Cream $26

Acne Treatment Gel...works wonders! $7.00

Targeted Action Line Reducer $40

Age-Fighting Lip Primer $22

Indulge Soothing Eye Gell (with cucumber extract in it..reallly nice for puffy eyes from allergies, crying, sleepy eyes, ect) $15

Ivory 2 Mineral Powder with brush (another Gem) $18
If you don't know your color, you can come over and I will help you figure it out.

So there you have it. Enjoy! If you have any questions, get ahold of me, or you can look the products up at www.marykay.com
Consider yourself loved... products don't get better than this.

Packing Snow!!!!!

The big snow storm that the whole town was talking about finally hit today...I think. It wasn't as huge as it was talked up to be, but maybe it isn't over yet. The best part was when it was snowing and all the sudden there was a HUGE clap of thunder that shook our walls. Soon after, we had a hail storm for about 5 minutes. It was coming down like pouring rain..it was amazing!!! I have never seen it hail in the middle of a snow storm. It was great!
Another great thing, is that we discovered that Colorado Springs is capable of producing packing snow. All we have seen so far is snow so dry that you can't do much with it. Not today! The snow is awesome! We had so much fun playing in it. Making a snowman was a breeze, we just rolled the snowballs around the yard and the snow stuck like glue. We had huge snowballs in no time! It rocked our socks.
I felt like a kid again while making the snowman and while watching the water rush by down the gutter. It reminded me of good ol' Idaho winters, where packing snow is almost always present, and massive snowmen can be seen everywhere. I even ate some snow, just for old times sake. Still tates the same.




The kids loved throwing small sticks into the "raging river" and watching them float down the road. Chamonix loved retrieving them and bringing them back.





Our awesome snowman....Jolly! The picture doesn't show the cool sagebrush hair or the stick arms, but they are there! I wanted to make a whole snow family, but Sam got cold, and didn't want to be outside anymore. Dang! Maybe next time.

The Verdict....kind of

I must say, I have an awesome OB.

Here is the visit in a nutshell.

Doc: So, your son has Fifth Disease huh
Me: yeah
Doc: How are you feeling?
Me: I am 9 1/2 weeks pregnant, how do I answer that.
Doc: laughs
Doc: Do you feel like you have a cold?
Me: um, aside from a small sore throat, no.
Doc: You don't look like you have a rash either. That is good news, here is the deal. Most doctors at this point would do a blood test to see if you have the virus right now, but seeing that our lady blew your vain only a week ago, we will hold off. I don't like unnecessary blood work anyway. We will do the blood work if I feel it is necessary later on.
Me: So, how do we know if I have it or not?
Doc: You will know you have it if you get a severe cold or rash within the next day or two. If you do, come see me immediately and we will go from there. I still wouldn't worry though. If you have it, I will just watch you more carefully. Extra ultra-sounds, more visits, ect.
Me: Well, this is what I read about it....(tell him what I know)
Doc: Yes, it is scary, and you were right to come in today. I will tell you though, that in all my years as a doc and a student, I have never once seen this virus cause harm to an unborn baby. Rest assured.
Me: Oh wow, I feel a lot better, I was pretty worried.
Doc: Most women are, and should be to a point. You can start worrying if you get the symptoms. (looks at chart) How is the Zofran working?
Me: Not really working at all, and my insurance only gave me 12.
Doc: Are you taking it three times a day?
Me: I can't, I don't have enough. I only take it when I am at my absolute worst. I am down to the last one.
Doc: Call your insurance and tell them that if they don't give you at least 100 Zofran, I will put you in the hospital and they can pay for that instead. He then proceeded to rip on insurance companies for a while. It was pretty funny.
Me: O.k., I will call them today..thanks
Doc: Any more questions?
Me: Nope
Doc: Great, unless you have some symptoms, I will see you in a few weeks, and we will check out that babies heart beat.

To sum it up, I feel a lot better, and am hoping that no symptoms pop out in the next few days. Deep down, I feel like everything will be o.k. Wow, it has been quite the past 24 hours though. I am glad it is over...hopefully.

Fifths Disease

Thanks so much to all of you who have left kind thoughts and words. It means a lot, it truly does.
I have looked up a lot of info on Fifths Disease and pregnancy. Going off of what I found and what Sam's doc told me, this is what I know. Basically, there is a 50% chance I have had it before and am now immune. The worry it the other 50% chance that I have not. It is only a threat if you are in the first trimester...that would be me. If I have not had it before, and I have it now, as well as the baby, the baby has a 1 in 3 chance of surviving past the 3rd trimester. We won't know though, until that point. So, if they find that I have the disease right now, I will have an ultrasound every week for the next 12 weeks. We will watch and wait basically.
I really want to just know and get it over with. I do have a lot of peace though, and I am REALLY hoping that I have had it before and I am immune now. That is all I am letting myself think about now....staying positive. The odds of me being immune are pretty good, so that gives me a lot of hope.
I also decided to post some pictures of Sam's rash, so any of your prego women out there can catch it if your kids get it while you are in the first trimester. A lot of times, the symptoms are so mild that most people don't even know their kids have it. Not all people get the rash, and adults rarely get the rash. The rash starts in the cheeks, then goes to the arms, and then the legs and tummy. It is flaming red and makes Sam look like a lobster. The pictures don't even come close to doing it justice.
My appt. is this afternoon, and I feel like it won't come soon enough. I can't wait to hear the words..."you and the baby are fine...you are immune and have already had it." Oh, the peace it will bring.

Ready to throw the towel in

I just got back from the pediatrician. Sam broke out in a HORRIBLE rash three days ago and it has progressivly gotten worse. I have pictures of it that I was going to post, but I don't feel like posting those anymore, as the nature of the illness has become way more serious than planned.
Sam has Fifth's disease. Yeah..what the heck is that. It is a virus that causes a severe rash. You get it once, and never get it again. No big deal. Once the rash is visible, you aren't contagious anymore. Big relief, we didn't infect anyone...we were all home at the time he was contagious.
However, as we were leaving the office, the pediatrition said she felt like she needed to ask me something. She asked me if I know anyone in the first trimester of pregnancy. I said "that would be me." She then told me to sit down.
She proceded to tell me that if I haven't had Fifth's disease before (which I really don't think I have, and my mom doesn't recall me having it), then it can be INCREDIBLY harmful to the forming baby inside of me. It is quite serious.
So, I have an appt. with the OB tomorrow and we are going to do all sorts of tests, probably followed by more tests...and maybe an untrasound. The odds seem against me, but I just pray that the baby is o.k., and will continue to form in the right way. We just don't know at this point. I just want to have a nervous breakdown right here, right now. But because I am me, I won't...why bother, it changes nothing. I know the Lord has His hand in all of it, that should be enough. I will go to the gym, cook dinner, get the kids to bed, and go through the motions. What more is there to do. I am scared.

nausea vs. me..I will prevail!

Things that have seemed to help....a little

Working-out..so far, this is the ONLY thing that provides relief from the nausea. I go in feeling terrible and like I just want to go to sleep or barf, but I come out refreshed, happy, and not sick. Sometimes I feel great for up to two hours after I finish. Thank heavens for the gym. We go as much as possible.


Gum..if I don't chew gum, I gag all day. I have been through a lot of flavors, but a slight mint tast helps the most. Last night, Berry gum tasted great, but Ben made me spit it out before I fell asleep so I wouldn't choke. I acutally got really mad at him, although I was half asleep. MY GUM! He was just trying to help. What a thoughtful husband...and a really good sport.

Sleep...A good nights sleep will get me through the first hours of the day pretty well.

Ben...he listens to me vent ALL the time. I am so incredibly miserable, and I feel like I have to talk about it to someone. He patiently listens and sympathizes every time. So sweet. He is also being very patient because I truly don't even want a hug right now. Any touch is not good for some reason. I just want to be left alone in my ball of misery.

Prayers...I pray so hard every night that this will come to an end. After my prayers, I get peace that this will be a small moment. The only question is...what is a "small moment" in God's time. Either way, I do get some peace and reasurrance.

The calendar....oh how wondeful it is to cross off the day every night. One day closer to week 12, which will hopefully be the beginning of the end of this misery. The nights I can't fall asleep, I literally stare at the calendar and think of all sorts of ways to make the days and weeks go faster.

Getting out of the house...anything to keep my mind off of it. Although, if I do too much in a day, it gets worse. I have to have a good balance. I sure do love fresh air though.


Things that don't help

Zofran..which I am very upset about, it was my only hope. Not to mention that they are way too expensive and my insurance only gave me 12. HELLO!!! Who on earth is only sick for 12 days, are you kidding me! And that is if I take one a day. I am supposed to take them every 8 hours. The doctor did say that if the Zofran doesn't work, he has something else in mind. Bring. It. On.

Food...I have gone from serious out of control cravings (something I have never experienced in my life, and hope to never experience again), to wanting NOTHING at all. I just want toast and muffins, and dirt. Everything else makes me sick.

Homesickness....when I don't feel well, I just want to go somewhere where someone else will cook the dinner, where the house isn't mine and I don't have to clean it, and someone can take care of ME....and my kids for a while. It would also be so nice to be with family or to travel and get my mind off of being sick. I REALLY want to go home, but it is not going to happen. I LOVE Colorado Springs, but I miss family so severly at times that is actually hurts. I am talking both families here, Ben's and mine.

Naps...I am so dang tired all day, but if the opportunity comes for me to nap, and I take it, I wake up feeling HORRIBLE!! Honestly, even laying down during the day makes me super sick. Weird!

Smells...I have super-nose right now. I can smell anything. It is amazing. I have a super power. I have always said I am super mom (inside joke), and now I officially have a super power. Most smells make me sick though. Especially the smell of Sam's Club..oh man, yuck! Does that place have to smell like rubber and grease all the time??? Sam's diapers are pretty bad too. I am so glad it has been warm enough the past few days to keep the windows open.

Metal mouth...I am not kidding, my saliva tastes like metal and it is AWEFUL!!! So gross! Every time I swallow I gag. I really wonder if I am eating quarters in my sleep.

So thats it folks. Believe it or not, I am still excited about being pregnant, and I am very excited to have another child in our lives. We recognize the blessing that it is. That thought alone, makes it worth it to me.

Easter...Maynard style

Coloring eggs the night before. Mary and I did it ourselves. Sam and Ben were already tucked in bed. The Easter bunny snuck into our house last night and hid the eggs she made as well as others. Mary and Sam LOVED finding the eggs. It was so funny to watch them running all over and shouting when they found one. The Easter bunny is so silly.



The finished product. Sparkles everywhere, no dye spills, and one happy and excited little girl.
Two years ago today, we blessed Sam. The night before, we were coloring Easter eggs with my family. Mary accidentally soaked her hands in the purple dye, and literally had bright purple hands the next day. We could not get it off. It looked like she had purple gloves on. It looked hilarious with her adorable pink Easter dress...not so hilarious next to Sam in his blessing tux. I was horrified at first, but soon after just had to laugh. If blessing Sam wasn't enough, Mary sure got a lot of attention at church that day.




Big, fat snow storm to wake up to. It was the pretty kind of snow storm. The silent, big flakes kind of snow. It is 6:00pm now, and it is still going strong. Love it!


Ben can't resist the dense, wet snow.





One of my favorite Easter traditions, new Sunday clothes!!! We didn't get the best pictures this time, but they turned out good enough for us. I didn't realize until I put Sam's adorable vest and tie on, that I forgot to buy matching shoes. He wore his brown tennis shoes to church today. Oh well, it actually didn't look that bad. I had a hat just like Mary's when I was her age, and I loved it. She loved her hat as well. Even though I spent the night on the bathroom floor (literally), and felt TERRIBLE today, I grinned every time I saw my little kiddos all snazzied up today. Oh man, they were just too cute. Thanks grandma Belnap!

When all is said and done, however fun the celebrating can be, we make sure that Easter is about Christ, his Atonement, and Resurrection. He is the center of our lives. It is special for us to be able to sit down with our kids and teach them about Christ and why we celebrate Easter. It is such a special holiday.

Crazy Cravings!!!!

You really might want to turn up the volume...it helps you get the "vibe" of the post. hehehe

Do I sound like it is my first pregnancy or what? You would think I would be used to all of this by now. NOPE!!! As mentioned in an earlier post, I was sick when I was pregnant with Mary. (threw up several times a day, but not really nausated, just triggered by food) I was not sick at all with Sam.
This time around, I am by far the most sick. Yeah, I threw up a lot with Mary, but at least after I did, I had relief. This constant nausea is truly killing me. Not to mention that my saliva tastes like metal, and I am the drool queen right now. Did I eat quarters in my sleep??? Yup, the hormones produce saliva in great amounts. Fun! I spit all day long, and I don't care. I have never felt so miserable for so much of the day! The Zofran works some days, but I am not sure it is helping a ton. Better than nothing though.
Another new thing about this pregnancy is the Crazy Cravings! Honestly! I can't believe the overwhelming urges I get to eat a food. They are so intense that I end up dreaming about the food if I don't eat it...and I may even cry. Very new to me. I have always been VERY in control of what I eat, and I eat pretty darn healthy. Food is fuel to run for me. I am totally aware what goes in my body, and exactly how much of it I eat. I have pretty good food control with myself. But now, I have no control whatsoever. The prego dinosaur has taken over, and I have been pushed aside to watch myself indulge in complete and utterly pathetic horror.

For example...the first few weeks of this pregnancy, all I wanted was this.

Therefore, I ate a lot of it. A LOT! (yeah, I vowed when I found out I was pregnant, to lay off the salt, hahaha..good one Becky, good one) We ran out of chips one Sunday, and I made Ben call the neighbors. They weren't home, and I seriously thought I might die. I had real tears. I ended up pouring out the crumbs on a plate and melting cheese over them. It satisfied for the night. The chips and salsa craving led to this.

I craved Mile High Nachos at Champs so badly, that I couldn't get my mind off of them for an entire week...just ask my poor husband. We finally went there, I ate a few bites, and was so disgusted with them, that I ended up leaving the place more sick than when we walked in the place. I did see a yummy juicy hamburger there though..ding ding ding, must have hamburger..hamburger is good...must have hambuger...cry if no hamburger..must have hamburger.

I held off for two weeks with this one. I finally could stand it no longer, so we went to Wendy's yesterday for lunch. We walked right past the nutrition chart in the doorway. My in control self, would have looked at that and immediately ordered a salad. The prego dinosaur took over. I ate a big huge fat hamburger. I am talking double patty, all the fixings, hamburger. I walked out of there vowing I will never return. Even thinking about it now makes me want to puke. Blah! No more hamburger for me...lets try chicken...mmm, chicken sounds good, must have chicken, I will get chicken, I will make chicken, must eat chicken, chicken, chicken, chicken.

For dinner last night, I made chicken nuggets, Belnap style. This is a favorite around here. A few bits of chicken gave me enough gag effect to end that meal, but I couldn't stop eating the green beans. The more I ate, the more I wanted. I even let the kids get away with not eating all of their veggies, so I could eat them...and I did...right off their plates. Crazy mom! I still want them today, in fact, I am going to eat them right after this post. That is ALL that sounds good right now. Hooray for craving something healthy...finally!

One minute I have to have sweedish fish, the next minute I will die if I don't get grapefruit. Chicken is completely out of the question..gag. I ate an in-numerable amount of hot pockets for lunch. I don't even remember the last time I had a hot pocket, I don't even like hot pockets, but when I saw it at Walmart in the freezer section, it was doom from there.

Another problem, our new bedroom set. I CAN'T STAND THE SMELL!!! The wonderful smell of fresh wood that I lovingly sniffed in great amounts is now killing me. We freeze every night, because the window is open, in a pathetic effort to get the smell out. I can hardly walk past our room without gagging. Blah! However, I smelled dirt this morning through our open window, and it kind of sounded good. hhhmmm

My grocery cart has been hilarious the past few weeks. I shock myself with what I end up putting in it. Pathetic. So many calories, so sad, yet so satisfying. Why oh why, can't I just throw up like all the other sick pregnant ladies. I can already feel the hot pockets clinging to my body like a sick slug. Never to come off.

I have never had cravings this badly before, but I obey them, because I really do feel better, and I have no choice. If you try to stop me, I will get angry, really angry...or I will just cry. MY FOOD!!!!
I am a calorie counter, and I was about to have a nervous breakdown watching myself consume so many empty calories...so I just accepted the fact that I am pregnant, and stopped counting. I am probably going to gain 30 lbs this first trimester, but you know what, at least I have some sort of relief for about 15 min. Watch out for the pregnant lady, she will either eat all of your food or gag in your face!!!!!
As soon as I feel better, it is back to the gym. Oh how I miss you gym! Probably no more running, but the elliptical is just as nice, and more comfortable. Hopefully I can make up for this crazy food eating physco that has taken me over. If not...whatever. I will have the baby looking like jabba the hut, but I will be happy and satisfied.

Dr. Appointment or Marathon????

So, my first Dr. appt. was today. Yippee!!! I had it scheduled about week ago, but because of getting strep, I had to postpone it until today.
My appt. was for 10:00, but they asked me to be there at 9:30. I got there at 9:30 on the dot. They had no record of me whatsoever. Finally, they realized that they had me scheduled in a different time slot. After 10 min. they realized that they made the mistake, not me. I spent the next 10min. filling out paper work. No problem there. Then I was taken to the waiting room.
Now, I HAVE TO eat every hour, or I get extremely sick. By the time I got to the waiting room, it had been 2 hrs. since breakfast and I forgot to bring a snack. I was getting really woozy. I was in the waiting room for 45 MINUTES!!! Not kidding. By the time I got into the exam room, I was shaking all over and I was as white as you can get. My fingers felt like ice. I could hardly keep my eyes open because I was so sick. The nurse could tell I was way sick and said the Dr. would hurry. I could hear her telling the doctor in the hall that he had a "patient that looked like she was going to pass out in room one."
I waited 45 MORE MINUTES!!! I could hear the nurse telling the doctor every time he came out of another room that I was still waiting. I could hear him saying "I am hurrying, I really am." By the time the Dr. got in the room, he took one look at me and told me he wouldn't do the exam because I looked like I was already miserable enough. My whole body was shaking and I was turning green. I was slumped in the chair with my head back against the wall. He apologized a million times and explained that normally patients never wait that long...and they were out of crackers, so no snack for me. I told him that I wasn't going to waste 2 hrs of my time and my babysitters time just to turn around the go home. I told him to go ahead with the exam. If I passed out, great! He hesitated but went ahead, constantly asking me if I was o.k.
Once that was done, he wrote up a prescription for Zofran without asking me any questions, and slapped it in my hand. He jokingly told me that was my reward for being such a patient patient. HOORAY!!!! He told me to get it into my system right away, but first they had to draw blood. NOOOOOOOO!!!!
I was so weak by that point, that my blood wasn't coming out very fast. It took almost 3 minutes and a lot of me pumping the ball in my hand, for them to get 3 small vials of blood. My stomach was churning by that point and I can't believe I didn't barf all over the blood lady.
Finally, over 2 hours after I arrived, and four hours since breakfast, I left the office. Normally, I would be so mad, I would not go back, but the doctor was just too awesome. Seriously, I have never had such a good OB. I am really excited to have such a good doctor taking care of me for the next 7 months or so. He handled the situation perfectly, and totally sat and listened to me with complete concern. He was really really good! I am so relieved.
After the appt., I hurried and picked up the kids and we drove straight to Wal-mart to fill the prescription. Just a few minutes...right? WRONG!!! I was waiting for over 1 hour! By that point, I couldn't even push the shopping cart and had to open a bag of food from the shelf and start eating it in order to make it home.
I somehow made it home, ate lunch and took the Zofran. AAAGGGHHH, the fog has lifted. I am alive once more. Life will go on! Hooray for drugs! Hooray for doctors who give me drugs without asking questions and being all sceptical! Hooray for life! Hooray for not being on the couch tonight rolling around in complete and utter misery, on the verge of barfing but never getting of satisfaction of doing so!
AAAGGGHHH, PLEASE let this continue!

Advise Please?

So, I am almost 8 weeks pregnant now. About the time the nausea kicks in. When I was pregnant with Mary, I threw up about 8-10 times a day for three months, I was nauseated for four months. When I wasn't throwing up, I was wishing I could. It was HORRIBLE. It was the first pregnancy, so I figured it was normal. Looking back, I should have been taking something pretty strong or had an IV or something. The thing that finally kind of worked was 1/2 of a Unisom and a B6. I basically slept through the first trimester aside from working and eating Mac and Cheese. Easy to do without kids.
When I was pregnant with Sam, I didn't ever really get sick. It was wonderful. Although, I did have the diabetes crud that made me pass out in the middle of my nursing class. That was fun. I scared everyone to death. No problem with that though, just eat the right things, and you are good to go. It ended once I had Sam and all was well. His pregnancy was wonderful, it really was. Nothing to complain about.
This time around I am not sure what to think. I am tired, but I was with the other two as well. I can deal with that. It is the nausea that is killing me. I haven't thrown up at all, and I am grateful for that. The nausea isn't horrible, but it is enough to make me want to do nothing. With two very active and very un-self-sufficient children, it makes for really hard and really long days.
I don't feel like I'm going to die, but I don't feel well either. I kind of feel like a zombie. Naps are out of the question, so no Unisom and B6. I am not really sure what to do. I am also wondering if Ben being sick for almost 3 weeks now, and me just getting over Strep throat has anything to do with the extra fatigue and nausea. Our family has truly been slammed this month with one thing after the next. It has been soooooo trying physically as well as mentally. At times I have just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.
What do you mothers or mothers-to-be do for the nausea? Any advice? What works for you? Has anyone tried those wrist things or the preg pops? I am interested in those. What about ginger? I don't need a prescription or anything, but something to get the edge off would be nice. Any advice on what to do with the kids to keep them entertained and not so high maintenance?
Basically, I want my life back, ...can anyone help me??????

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is my Dad's Birthday, yup, April Fools Day. Kind of funny huh, but if you knew my dad, it is perfect. The Lord has a great sense of humor. I was excited that my throat was well enough to call him this morning. If anyone can relate to strep throat, he sure can. My dad and I have had this little thing where he calls me or I call him every Monday morning. I love it, it really means a lot to me. I really miss my dad today and I wish so badly that I could be there to celebrate this weekend with the my dad and the fam. I have been sooooooooo homesick lately, mainly because of me and Ben being so stinkin' sick and because I was just there, so the memories of home are still fresh. Isn't it funny, how the older you get, and the more kids you have, the more you look back at your own life and TOTALLY respect your parents even more for all they did. That is the case for me. My dad is one of those fix-anything, hard working, long-suffering, honest, kind-hearted types of dads. The kind that we all love to have growing up. He, along with my brothers, is the one that instilled my love for fire...big fire and fireworks. He is also the one that made me feel cool for driving around the junkiest truck in High School. He gave me a HUGE love of waterskiing and camping. He made my 9th grade Halloween party the talk of the school when he came running out of the garden with a chainsaw and a mask. I think one of my friends may have peed her pants. He taught me how to catch a pop fly baseball, and as a result helped me become the hero of my softball team one day. He taught me how to gas up a lawnmower and drive stick shift. He also taught me to ride a bike. He is really smart when it comes to the Gospel and his lessons always seem to stump me and make me think forever. He was a big influence in my graduating from college when I was on the verge of quitting. He can fix ANYTHING, and I call him all the time for help. He is always willing to help with whatever it may be, even if I can tell he is trying his hardest not to laugh his head off. My kids adore "Bop" and Ben loves to joke around with him and talk with him. He is just a great all-around dad ya know. Dang, I miss him. Anyway, Happy Birthday Dad. I sure do love you.

This video is for Bop and Grandma. They both have Birthday's this month.