For 5 weeks:

~I have been so ill

~I have been reminding myself to never do this again

~my wonderful husband has been taking care of everything

~it has been raining

~my children have been fighting....

It's time for health, sunshine and carefree fun days :). I'm counting on it. 

A little understanding

I will begin this post by saying that NO I am definitely NOT pregnant right now (or looking to be so anytime soon).  A blog writer I follow wrote this post tonight and I wanted to share it with all of my readers....

Hyperemesis Gravidarum

She explains in detail about this pregnancy illness.  It is not morning sickness... it is not extreme morning sickness... it is beyond that.  This is what I had with both of my pregnancies.

With my first I was confined to my bed for at least 2 months and incapacitated for 3 full months.  I lost 20 lbs before I ever gained any pregnancy weight.  Like Sarah said it feels like you are at the brink of throwing up 24 hours a day, everyday for months.  It is the worst thing I have ever experienced.  I think all I ate for those 3 months was mini wheats and pears (they had to be peeled because I couldn't even eat the skin)... as for meat.... not a chance.  It was a very difficult time.  I had to stay overnight in the hospital to recieve fluids and antinausea medication just so I could eat.

Through the struggle there were a lot of tears and prayers.  My husband nursed me everyday.... even had to bathe me.  He laid beside me in bed and peeled pears!  He cleaned and tried to eat out often so there wouldn't be the smell of cooking food in the apartment.  He is amazing!

It returned with baby #2 but wasn't as severe as I started taking antinausea medication before I even felt sick at 6 weeks pregnant.  This time I had a 1 yr old to take care of.... Have you tried caring for a small child when you are at the brink of throwing up?!?  H-A-R-D!  Again Ian was amazing taking care of me and our small daughter. My Mom came out to help too when she could.  Hailey watched a lot of t.v for a few months and I laid on the couch crying.  I lost 10 lbs the second time around and was incapacitated for only 2 months (I was very grateful for this).

I felt through both pregnancies that a lot of people thought I was weak (most didn't say anything, but you can tell when someone thinks you are being overdramatic).  I even thought myself that "I must just be a big whimp because women have babies all the time and can still function normally while pregnant".  I wish I had had a better understanding of this illness before I became pregnant... and I want more people to understand what the experience is like for those of us who have hyperemesis.

It gives me anxiety thinking about the next baby (perhaps in 2 more years)....  You do forget some of the suffering (probably just enough to get pregnant again... and then it hits you).....  I hope when that time comes that I will have a handful of understanding and supportive people around me to jump in and help me care for my 2 girls and husband because I can't do it without you!

A baby Story!

Well tomorrow is my due date!  I can't believe that Quinn should still be in my tummy!  I knew she would be early but I never expected 3 weeks early.  It already seems like she has been in our family FOREVER ;)  We love our loud, short sleeping Quinn!  I can't wait though till she sleeps longer than 2-3 hrs at a time.  I'm pooped!

Here is the story of Quinn's birth (without any graphic details):

This pregnancy I started having braxton hicks contractions at 27 weeks.  They occured almost 10 times a day and would happen if I lifted anything, bent over, walked anywhere or ran errands.  These contractions increased in quantity and severity over the remaining 10 weeks of my pregnancy so I was pretty certain that this couldn't occur so regularly and so strongly without it resulting in an early delivery.  I'm sure glad it did.  No one enjoys those last weeks of being pregnant.

2 days before Quinn was born I was having regular contractions every 8-12 min in the morning and then they would become irregular in the afternoon.  We had our annual May Long Weekend BBQ planned for the next day so I was contemplating whether to cancel it or not.  We decided to go ahead with it as nothing happened over night on Friday.  Saturday was busy preparing for the BBQ and like the day before my contractions were regular but didn't seem to get any closer together.... until the BBQ.  I wasn't timing them at this point but they were probably 5-8 minutes apart.  I still didn't think at this point that it was really happening.  The BBQ was a hit and a great distraction from what was really occuring.  I laid down after everyone left (while my wonderful family did all the clean up) and the contractions continued to get closer and stronger.  By 11 pm I figured I should call my doula to come by and we went for a walk.  Everything slowed down during the walk so I figured it was a false alarm and sent the doula home to sleep.

*during all of this Ian and I agreed that if it was really happening tonight that he needed to sleep so that he had the energy to support me through a night of labour (I sure wish I could have slept).  He got in a good 4 hrs before I woke him up.

The doula suggested I take a bath.  If it is real labour it will pick it up quickly... and if it isn't the contractions should stop.  Well as soon as I got out the contractions were 4 min apart and super intense.  We left right away for the hospital at 1 am and called our doula to meet us there.  When we got to the hospital I was only 2 cm BOOOO!  All you Mom's know what terrible news that is!  I decided I wasn't going to lay in bed suffering (as this is the most painful position EVER) so we got up and moved around to speed things along.  Of course this was not okay with the old, CRANKY nurse I had.  Why do I always get the mean ones? She had to get over it though.  I wasn't going to suffer like I did last time because I didn't know that I could help labour along rather than lay there and just endure it.  Thank you doula Jenna for fighting the nurse with me!  The contractions were 2 min (or less) apart and super strong.  I was so tired as it was already 2 am and I didn't think I would get through it.  This time I wanted to go drug free.  I delievered Hailey without an epidural but had morphine and laughing gas.  The drugs made me all loopy and I really didn't remember much about her birth.  I wanted to try without anything this time so that I could remember it.  NEVER AGAIN!  I am so proud of myself for doing it but I remember EVERYTHING and it is TERRIBLE.  The contractions are the worst part.  Pushing the baby out is easier as you know the end is near.
 
Within 2 hrs I was 5-6 cm and they moved me to the delivery room in case things progressed very quickly.  It took about another hr to get to 10 cm and then it was pushing time.  It took less than 15 min to get her out.  She didn't cry much but had great apgar scores and the nurses said she didn't seem like an early baby.  So maybe the dates were just wrong.



Ian was AMAZING!  He was so supportive and did anything I asked/told him too :)  That nap he had before ended up being a huge blessing for me as he was 100% there for me.  He didn't get faint this time and was right by my side the whole time.  I don't think he even left to go to the bathroom once :)  I was so grateful to have him there.

My doula, Jenna Noble was a huge asset.  We weren't sure about having one but it ended up being a huge blessing.  She gave us both confidence and encouragement.  Though I did want to strangle her if she said one more time "your almost done"!

It was crazy at the hospital, 7 babies were born that night.  Turns out it was a full moon.  Hailey was born on a new moon and it was also crazy busy.  What is with that?  And why do my babies like to torture me with labour all night long?  Next time I want to have a full night sleep before I have a baby.



Our little girl was here, and nameless for the time being!  Weighing in at 6 lbs 9 oz and measuring 21 inches long.  We spent the morning discussing names and decided on Quinn Emma.  Hailey came by later that day to meet her sister.  She was semi-excited but mostly wanted to run around the hospital.  I am so grateful my parents had come out that weekend to help us with house projects.  It was perfect and they were a great help with Hailey.



It has been 2.5 weeks now and we are starting to get used to having a baby around.  I sleep very little and have very little patience for my whiney toddler but we are managing.  I love my girls to bits and am looking forward to the coming weeks/months of sunshine, seeing my sister, attending my brother's wedding and hopefully... sleeping more :)

a new blog banner and title are coming as soon as we get some family pictures

difficult to do

I have begun to find the following things are very difficult to do when you are VERY pregnant:

putting on socks and shoes
carrying laundry baskets
shaving your legs (near impossible now)
bending over to pick things up
sleeping
walking more than 100 meters


Things that are WAY easier to do when you are very pregnant are:

eating
napping
crying


I haven't exhausted the list in any way.... but I have become exhausted!

Yay for Fridays!

This week did go by pretty fast which is a nice change... especially considering I didn't do anything.

I'm hoping to make it out on our 6 block excursion today (turns out it is 3 blocks each way).  I will have 2 girls in tow this time so it will be extra effort pushing the double stroller (another 1 yr old that I sit).  I am determined though... especially with the promise of +17.  I'm antsy to make one of my advent calendars... well all of them really but I'm starting small!  It will be so cute... I'll show you when I'm done on my craft blog. 

Speaking of advents I just purchased the  other day some Shrinky Dinks that I need to complete another one.  Remember those? .... totally 80's but me and my sisters loved to colour them and watch them shrink.  Gotta love the old school!

2 blocks too far!

The plan was to walk to the scrapbook store today to pick up a couple supplies for my projects.  It isn't far... only 2 blocks each way probably.  I should have gone first thing but of course I needed to shower, put in some laundry, clean the kitchen, feed/change/feed/change Hailey and then I just had nothing left.  I am told that one day I will feel like supermom again.  I can't wait for those efficient days!

Add 1 more and that makes 4!

This is about all we saw.... and this isn't our pic.

Almost half-way

I'll be 18 weeks on Sunday and it is quite a relief to know that I am almost half-way through this pregnancy. I am hoping the second half is far better than the first cause these last 2 months (Jan/Feb) were just torture. I was just beginning to enjoy being pregnant when new symptoms came along, mainly the disrupted sleep due to frequent eating/peeing, the food that is coming back up a little too easily when I lie down, the headaches (which haven't been too frequent yet but I am keeping an eye on it), the continued digestion issues, the skin which I am beginning to feel get quite tight and the feeling of exploding from the inside. Not to be the complaining one as I am ever so grateful that we have been blessed with this child in the first place. It just goes to show how desperately bored I am with nothing else to occupy my thoughts.

I have developed a sudden need to move into a house right away and am going stir crazy in this apartment (I haven't had any sub calls this week and NEED to get out of the house more). It seems I always have an excuse not to do things.... Hopefully that will change though as I have applied for another teaching position that starts in April till the end of the school year. This should be sufficiently distracting and give me something else to talk about besides feeling yucky.

We find out in 10 days the gender of our baby and though I am confident it is a boy it will still be a surprise! Ah, I'm so excited. I had a dream the other night though that I had a girl and I was really ticked off.... rest assured I would be very excited if it was a girl too. P.S. I can't believe the crazy dreams I have been having! Still haven't felt little Bean move yet but I am 'listening' for when that will happen.

Anywho... nothing else to talk about I guess. I think I will have some ice cream and a nap... though I should really visit the gym before the rest of my body tries to catch up to my stomach!

What did you value most during pregnancy?

As my tummy begins to expand I have been thinking about what is to come. I have heard from many about the back pain, sore feet, inability to sleep, clothes that don't fit and etcetera. Since so many of you, my wonderful friends, have already experienced the delights of pregnancy I am looking for some tips. Was there some item you couldn't have lived without while you were pregnant? Is there any cream you would swear its effectiveness by? What clothes were the most comfortable? What moments meant the most to you? How did you help your husband feel a part of the pregnancy (besides waiting on you hand and foot for all illnesses and cravings)?

I would love to hear your advice, especially about items that may be a lifesaver for me in the next couple months. I am already having trouble sleeping as I am up at least twice every night to eat or go to the bathroom. I think the sleep loss that is common with new babies has already begun for me. Anywho, I would love to hear your stories and recommendations if you have a moment to drop a line!