Dear Baby

Peanut,

 

This week has been a difficult one for your Mama. On Wednesday, she learned that a fellow co-worker who was also expecting a peanut of her own, lost the baby. The news made your Mama very sad and extremely scared. You do not know it - but since Mama is only in her first trimester her risk of miscarriage is very high.  And your Mama, who you by now know is a worrier, is terrfied that she is going to lose you.

 

But your Mama's co-worker showed tremendous courage and heart in the face of her loss.  She explained to Mama that she had found peace regarding the situation, and that she knew her Peanut was waiting for her in heaven. She takes comfort in knowing that -- and her peace flowed over to your Mama.

 

We've got a long road ahead of us, Peanut.  After all, we are only 2 months into this journey.  There are going to be lots of bumps (pun intended), twists, and turns along the way. But at the end, you and I will finally get to see each other face to face - and that's going to make it all worth it.

 

Love,

 

Mama

8 Weeks

What's happening with Peanut this week?

• Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from his/her hand's and feet.
• Breathing tubes extend from the throat to his/her developing lungs
• In the brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways.
• He/She is about the size of a kidney bean.

What's happening with Mama?

• Over the last week, Mama has noticed that certain items of clothing are no longer fitting the way they are suppose too.
• A small bump is beginning to make its prescence known.
• Fatigue is still an issue but does not seem to be as bad as it was in previous weeks.
• Morning/afternoon sickness has been minimal as long as I eat every few hours, take breaks from staring at my computer screen and don't get too hot.
  

Stories like this turn my stomach

Today while making my way thru my Google reader, I cam across a blog post by Charlotte regarding this story .

As I read the post and the corresponding story, I felt sick to my stomach. I wondered how someone who is suppose to represent the church could do something so vile. Is it any wonder that Christians are viewed as hypocrites? But moreover, I felt so much sorrow for the young girl who was harmed by this incident.

I do not understand why the US attorney's office is not making a case against this man. It appears to me that he is a predator and if he has done this once, he will again - and next time the victim may not be brave enough to speak up.

Is it any wonder that I'm madly in love with him?

Text message received from M at 8:09 a.m.: " Good Mornin again babe. I love you and can't wait to get back home to you. Have a great day love."

Prior Fat Girl Giveaway

Lately one of my favorite blogs to read has been Jen's . She always has great posts full of healthy tips and inspiration. Her latest is no exception as she showcased some delicious receipes from the EatingWell Diet and Cookbook. But the best part she is giving away a copy of the book! So if you interested, visit her < here and enter the her contest.

Clarification

One of my frequent readers commented last week that it appeared I was "stuck" at 7 weeks in my pregnancy. I thought I should clarify the issue...

 

At the time of my intial discovery of pregnancy, my OB/GYN "estimated" me to be 5 weeks and 2 days, based on my last monthly cycle. That meant that on Saturday I would have been 8 weeks along. However, the ultrasound that I had last Thursday was able to more accurately determine that I was 6 weeks and 6 days, which meant I became 7 weeks pregnant on Friday.

 

 

Blog Hop '09

If you aren't at Blogher but still want to meet some new friends then I invite you participate in Blog Hop '09 with me!!
The goal of Blog Hop '09 is to introduce you to a lot of bloggers you might not already know!

About Me:

I am Kim - a 26 year old (soon to be 27 on August 4th) newlywed (married for just 4 months) who is always 7 weeks pregnant! I started blogging over 4 years ago as a way to keep my far-flung family and friends updated on the happenings in my life. I have moved blogging addresss severeal times, and finally settled here . This blog is a synopsis of my life as a newlywed and a soon to be Mama. Thanks for stopping by!

Dear Baby

Just a little over 16 hours ago, your Daddy and I were nervously waiting in the doctor's office. Two weeks after taking the test that told us we were to become parents, we were back for an ultrasound that would reveal if you had a hearbeat and if all was well with you. You should know that your Mama is a worrier by nature - so for the last several days my nerves have been stretched tight as I wonder if you were okay, if your heartbeat would be there. It seems, dear baby, that I have already fallen head over heels in love with you.

At 4:45, the techinican called us back to the exam room. Mama shimmied onto the table and prepared for the ultrasound. The technican dimmed the lights, started the machine, and Daddy and I waited with bated breathe. Then the technican turned the monitor towards us and said "There's your baby's heartbeat!".

It was the most beautiful sight that I have ever seen. In that single moment, I realized that all that I've accomplished - 2 college degrees, a successful career, a loving marriage, and the home that Daddy and I are building - is nothing compared to you. According to the measurements on the ultrasound, you are 7 weeks old today....and that Daddy and I can expect to meet you sometime around the 2nd week of March.

I am waiting for that day!

Love,

Mama

The Pledge I took today....

Many of my readers know that I once battled with an eating disorder. I would be remiss if I didn't say that I worried the changes to my body that pregnacy will bring would serve as a catalyst to revive my eating disorder. But it is a tiny fear, I know now that my worth is defined not by the number on the scale, the size of my jeans, or how "skinny" I appear to people - rather it is defined by how I treat myself, and in turn how I treat others.

Therefore I was extremely excited to find this pledge today. And even happier to make the pledge - for myself, for my husband, and for my child.

Try This Tuesday

Pregnancy has been known to give women weird cravings and it would seem that I am no different. Yesterday afternoon, I was hit with a desire for two things 1) brussel sprouts and 2) balsamic vinegar. I was lucky enough to discover this recipe that incorporates both....

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
1 pound petite frozen brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size red or supersweet onion, such as Walla Walla, Texas Sweet or Vidalia,
thinly sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Steam the brussels sprouts until fork-tender -- do not overcook. Set aside.

Heat a medium (8- to 10-inch) pan until hot but not smoking. Add the olive oil and onion, then reduce the heat to medium. When the onion is starting to get soft and translucent, add the balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking until the vinegar is nearly evaporated and coats the onion. Toss the onion mixture with the warm brussels sprouts.


Notes: I doubled the recipe by using 2 14 ounce packages of frozen brussels sprouts, 1 large onion, and half a cup of balsamic vinegar. It was delish and made enough to serve 5 adults, 2 kids, and had leftovers.

7 weeks

What's going on with Peanut this week?

The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than tiny, pudgy extremities. Technically, Peanut is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of his/her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Peanut has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

If I could see inside my womb, I'd spot eyelid folds partially covering his/her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of his/her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of baby's brain are growing, and the liver is churning out red blood cells until bone marrow forms and takes over this role. He/She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in the baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from his/her tiny body.


What's happening with Mama?

My biggest issue is still fatigue. As my friend Maria said the afternoon "sleepies" seem to hit everyday around 3:00 p.m. I am learning that if I take a 10-15 minute rest period, I have more energy. And going to bed early also seems to help. I have also had my first few bouts with morning sickness. I am combating them with the usual routine of saltines and sipping gatorade. I have also found that eating a piece of toast as soon as I wake up seems to help.

Red, White and Blue Swap

A few weeks ago I particpated in the Red,White and Blue Swap hosted by
Mamarazzi . My partner was Tamy at , 3 sides of crazy. As part of the swap, we were suppose to blog about the gifts the we received. I took a few shots of the goodies that Tamy sent me, but I can not find the cord to transfer them to my camera - it has been missing for 2 weeks- so my post has been delayed.

I finally decided to "borrow" a picture of the goodies Tamy sent me, from her blog and make this post.

Tamy sent me red, white and blue yankee candles, a red tea tin of some of my favorite tea, red and white note cards, a white rose soap petals bloom, 2 red, white and blue patriotic magnets, a red, white and blue decorative box, a notebook and pen, a hand made red, white and blue eyeglass pin and a red, white and blue notepad.

The candles are now making my guest bath and kitchen smell wonderful, I am using the tea to soothe my tummy when the morning sickness hit, and the note pads are getting lots of use. Thanks Tamy!

Morning Sickenss.. Uh Afternoon Sickness...

Up until yesterday I had not experienced the joy that is "morning sickness" - a common occurrence for pregnant women. In the week and a half since discovering I was pregnant, I have repeatedly been asked if I had experienced morning sickness. And when I answered in the negative, I was regaled with each women's horror story of their morning/afternoon/all day sickness.

I hoped, prayed, and hoped some more that I would by pass this part of pregnancy. But yesterday afternoon it hit. My stomach started rolling and I felt as though I was going to be violently ill. I nibbled on salty crackers and remained still and the feeling subsided after a few hours. But it hit again this morning - and it hasn't gone away since. My diet today has consisted of Gatorade (sipped in tiny sips), saltine crackers, plain mashed potatoes, and crushed ice (lots and lots of crushed ice). At the moment the feeling has subsided but I am not certain it will remain that way.

Any of you readers have tips/tricks for dealing with this situation?

I haven't forgotten...have you?

Today while driving to work, the disc jockeys on one of the local stations read an e-mail sent to them from a solider at Fort Stewart. The soldier's e-mail wondered at the media attention given to the death of Michael Jackson. While the solider acknowledge Jackson's accolades and accomplishment, the solider was left to wonder why some who simple entrained us is given such honor in his death, when the very men and women who die for our freedom are often overlooked. The solider (and I as well) was outraged that Congress would hold a moment of silence of Jackson, but not for each and every solider that has lost their life in defense of our freedom.

These thoughts were floating in my mind as I opened my e-mail this morning. I was saddened at the thought that Americans had become so callous that we have forgotten our soldiers. And then I read this e-mail:

"Killed in action the week before, the body of Staff Sergeant First Class John C. Beale was returned to Falcon Field in Peachtree City , Georgia , just south of Atlanta , on June 11, 2009. The Henry County Police Department escorted the procession to the funeral home in McDonough , Georgia . A simple notice in local papers indicated the road route to be taken and the approximate time. This was filmed during the procession by a State Trooper.
Nowadays one can be led to believe that America no longer respects honor and no longer honors sacrifice outside the military. Be it known that there are many places in this land where people still recognize the courage and impact of total self-sacrifice. Georgia remains one of those graceful places.

The link below is a short travelogue of that day's remarkable and painful journey. But only watch this if you wish to have some of your faith in people restored. Please share widely. Click on the link below to see the procession. Very touching.

http://blip.tv/play/AYGJ5h6YgmE "

I watched the video in its entirety - and I cried. I grieved for the loss of another American live, and I was moved by the outpouring of support for this man's family and friends. I am proud to know that not everyone has forgotten how to honor the sacrifice of our soldiers.

6 weeks

On Saturday I was six weeks pregnant. I have decided to use the blog to document the changes that happening to both the baby (who has been dubbed Peanut by the family) and me as well. Here are the highlights that are happening this week:

• Peanut is about the size of a lentil bean, which means he/she is roughly a quarter of an inch long.
• His/Her heart is beating at 100 to 160 beats per minute which is more than 2 times as fast as Mama's.
• The nose/mouth/ears are beginning to take shape.
• There have been no major changes for me, although I am finding myself more fatigued these days. Taking naps for 20-30 minutes every afternoon is not an uncommon occurrence.

First Sonogram

I had my first ultrasound today. At a mere 5 weeks and 5 days, we were not able to see/hear a heartbeat, but we did get a clear picture of the gestational sac and teeny tiny "grain of rice" that is our baby.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next few weeks, as this is a time when the risk of miscarriage is great. Another ultrasound is scheduled for 7/23 at which time we hope to hear that magic sound.

Oh Baby

Now that I've let the cat out of the bag, I suppose that my readers will have lots of questions....as our friends and family have. So I have taken the liberty of posting the questions we've been asked repeatedly, and our responses:


Where you two planning on getting pregnant?

M and I were not "planning" on getting pregnant at this stage of our lives. However, I had stopped taking birth control at the end of May, and we were learning about the natural family planning method. We knew that there was a margin of error and a possible risk of getting pregnant, but we did not imagine that it would happen this quickly.

Since, you weren't planning this pregnancy, are you happy?

YES, YES, YES! I will admit that when I first saw the results of the home pregnancy test, I was terrified....I think it was the realization that I was carrying a new life. And poor M, was too busy trying to comfort/calm me to actually have a reaction. Now that we've had a few days to proccess the news - we are extremely excited and eager to meet our new addition.

How far along are you?

According to my doctor, I am 5 weeks and 2 days. This would put my estimated due date at March 6.

Any morning sickness?

Not a single bit. (Knocks on wood).


Anything else you would like to know readers??

You + Me = 3

For the past few weeks, I have been having a myriad of "weird" symptoms. It began with me feeling extremely tired ALL the time. I am not talking about the - 'I didn't sleep well last night' but rather 'I am bone achingly weary' kinda tired. Then I started having these weird cramping pains at various hours of the day/night. I thought that the tiredness was due to my battling a severe sinus infection. The cramps were attributed to my impending visit from my monthly visitor. But nothing ever happned. 1 day, 2 day, 3 days passed and no visitor. Then I started getting a bit sick feeling in the middle of the afternoon. I thought it could be because of the antibotics that I was taking to combat the sinus infection. But the antibotics ran out and the afternoon sick feeling didn't go away. I discussed all of this with my SIL and she advised that I should take a home pregnancy test to rule out the possiblity, since my symptoms mirrored her own when she was pregnant.

At first, I refused - no way I was pregnant. But after driving M crazy for a week, he and I decided to take the test. So on July 4th, we purchased the home pregnancy test at our local Rite -Aid. We came home, I went into the bathroom and diligently read the instructions. I followed them to the letter....placed the test on the counter and prepared to wait the 3 minutes needed to find out the results. Except it only took 30 seconds for the test to show the word "Pregnant"......

In that second moment it felt as though the world slipped out from underneath me. I somehow managed to sit down on the floor of the bathroom, while M knelt in front of me. All I could do was cry and say "I am pregnant."

Later that afternoon, M and I attended a family cookout where the news was told to immediate family and a few close friends. We advised them not to get too happy as the test could be wrong. On Monday, I had an ultrasound at the hospital which showed my aminotic sac - there was no denying it then. I am pregnant. This was triply confirmed by another pregnancy test at my OB/GYN's office later that afternoon.

So there's the synopisis of how I found out that we were going from a family of 2 to a family of 3.

Made me Smile Monday

The thing that made me smile the most on Monday was hearing these words, "Congratulations, Mrs. L.... you are indeed pregnant."

Try This Tuesday

For several weeks now I have been promising my readers that M and I would be trying various receipes on Tuesday's and posting pics and our thoughts. And each week, I find myself apologizing and offerring explainations as why it just did not happen. I hate that I am letting my readers down but with both of us working 10-12 hours a day and then volunteering at our church afterwards, we are just too tired to cook. I thought about postponing in TTRT until things settled down, but decided against it. Instead, I am going to search out the best receipes from the blogging world - things that I want to prepare, share the receipes here, and then ask my readers to try them out. Sound like a plan?

The first receipe is for Sweet and Tangy Meatballs and comes from Annie Jones at Real Life Living

Sweet and Tangy Meatballs

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup fine graham cracker crumbs (yes, graham cracker crumbs)
1 teaspoon smoke-flavored salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons dehydrated minced onion
2 pounds ground beef
2 cups ketchup
2 cups ginger ale
1 Tablespoon minced garlic (the kind from a jar) (adjust to suit your taste)

Heat oven to 450°F.

Combine egg, milk, graham cracker crumbs, salt, pepper and dehydrated onion. Crumble ground beef over egg mixture, then mix well using a wooden spoon or your hands.

Form into meatballs of desired size. (Annie used a small ice cream scoop and was able to make 50.) Place meatballs in glass or metal baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

Combine ketchup, ginger ale and garlic.

Transfer meatballs to Crock Pot. Pour ketchup mixture over all. Cook on High for about 3 hours. If desired, thicken sauce by adding 1 T. cornstarch combined with a little cold water, then letting sauce continue to cook for about 30 minutes. Spoon meatballs and sauce over hot cooked rice.

Makes 6-8 servings.