Pregnancy Update

Many of you have asked for the details on my pregnancy.  Some you will just have to infer for yourself as this is a family friendly blog  :-) But, as for the rest….I am around 11 weeks pregnant.  According to a site I read online that gives me the update each week, this week my baby gets his/her irises and finger nails and he or she weighs in a whopping 7 grams!

When I was pregnant with my son, I told my third grade class when I was around 9 weeks.  Because it was my first child and I was good at keeping things quiet for a whole two days.  I remember telling my third graders and their response was, “I thought you looked pregnant.”  (Hello kiddos, the baby is a size of a grape, there is no way I look pregnant)  They then preceded to move their desks farther apart in case I needed more room to fit through the aisle. 

When we told our children there was a baby in Mommy’s belly, they kind of laughed at first and didn’t believe us.  “No way, there couldn’t be a baby in there!”  My 3 year old said, “Mom, I think it is just food.”  We then explained that the baby is the size of a grape and so it doesn’t look like there is right now, but really there is.  (I love my children… kind, smart, SENSITIVE little ones that they are….truly wise beyond their years!)

The kids are so excited.  My two year old will ask me every day, multiple times a day, “Mommy, is there still a baby in your belly?”  My middle child is so eager to mother and care for a real baby.  She told me, “Mom, I don’t think we talk about the baby enough.  I think we should talk about the baby all the time.  I think we need to get the car seat in the van and the toys for the baby down from the attic.”  My son said right away, “Well, it will be a LONG time before we find out if we have a boy or a girl.” 

Which brings me to the next,most commonly asked question…. Will we be finding out what we’re having?  We chose to wait and be surprised with the other three and LOVED, LOVED that element of surprise.  Yes,  by the end we were really curious, and very eager, but it was so fun to wait, and then for me to hear Scott exclaim “Crystal, It’s a boy… It’s a girl… It’s a girl.”  But, I thought for sure if we had a fourth, that we’d find out.  It seems easier, ya know.  And besides my son has his heart set on a baby brother.  He is actually fully convinced it will be a boy b/c in his words, “God just wouldn’t give me three sisters to take care of.  He knows I’d need help.  I am sure God will give me a brother to help me take care of the girls.”   I thought we’d have to find out so we could prepare him.  But, Scott really doesn’t want to find out.  He loves that element of surprise and is convinced that our son will adjust and do fine and it  might even be easy to adjust when he can see his sister or brother right when he finds out.  So, while nothing is definitive, it looks like we’re going to be surprised with this one too. 

How do I feel?  Tired.  You may have noticed my blogs haven’t been updated first thing in the morning every day like before… Yea, I am pretty much in bed by 10pm every night.  It’s actually all I can do to stay up till 10.  And  I am behind on laundry and house cleaning b/c I haven’t really been all that productive these days.  Homeschooling, taking care of three kiddos, and carrying a fourth, seems to tucker me out.  But, I am looking forward to that second trimester energy boost (right in time for the holidays) when I hope to once again stay up late with my hubby and stay on top of the house work.  I am grateful that I haven’t been sick.  I never got morning sickness with any of my kids.   I have felt queasy and nauseous at times, especially if my stomach is too empty.  But compared to my friends who truly suffered morning sickness, I’d say no… I feel fine!

I’ve already started getting the raised eyebrows and crazy looks from strangers.  I went in for a flu shot with the three kids last week at the CVS minute clinic.  The tech said, “Mom, any chance your pregnant?”  Yes, I said.  The look on her face was priceless.  You’d have thought I said I was from Mars.  Wow she said, “You must like kids, huh?”  When I told my dermatologist I was pregnant she asked if it was my first.  “Umm…no, fourth!”  There went the eyes again and she asked if I was ready.  Hope so, no turning back now.   The OB nurse just said, “Well, I guess you know about being pregnant as I stepped on the scale for my first visit.  Yes, yes I do.

So, I guess that’s the up date on being preggo at the circus!  So far, so good.  Looking forward to hearing the heart beat for the first time next week and to seeing his or her face in another month or two at my first sonogram!