Newest Fad

Introducing:
THE PREGNANCY DIET!

• Eat only bland foods (rice, bread, potatoes, no seasoning).
• Drink only gatorade or powerade.
• Throw up everything you eat and drink (you can take this one even further by throwing up at the mention or thought of food and drink).
• Throw up every time you smell anything (good or bad - don't wimp out here!).
• Throw up when you wake up (don't limit yourself to just the morning - naps, middle of the night, they all count!).
• Throw up if/when you've been on your feet for more than 20 minutes (when in doubt, round up).
• Throw up if you've been in a car, train, bus, plane for more than 20 minutes (again, when in doubt, round up).
  
• Once in a while, just throw up for the heck of it!

"My name is L and I've been on the pregnancy diet for 22 weeks now. I've lost a grand total of 15 pounds! And I've kept it off! My abs get a great workout from all the throwing up. And I don't miss food nearly as much as I thought I would!*"

*Confession: I do miss food.

And, for the record, I hate throwing up.

Puppy Tales

My dog is a child.

We don't have gum in the house, except for in my purse which is kept up high, out of doggy reach.

Imagine my surprise then when I was snuggling my dog only to find a patch of her hair all matted and sticky.

Somehow, while we were sleeping, our dog found some peppermint gum, chewed it, and got it imbedded in her short hair.

Thank goodness for peanut butter! :)

Shocker

Wanna hear something surprising?

The only food that I have never thrown up is:

Sushi

(The cooked kind, of course)



Dear God, thank you for Blue Nami Sushi, their delicious menu, and their ridiculously late hours.

Huston, I Have a Problem

I have never been a patient person. Ask my mom. Or my husband.

We have roughly 4 more months until J makes his appearance.

And even though I know in my brain that 4 months is quite a bit of time to get things done, I want to do it all right this second.

Which brings me to my problem:
I am addicted to buying baby clothes.

Sure, there will be hand-me-downs (which I am a huge fan of) and shower gifts (I'm assuming). But I can't stop buying stuff myself!

Maybe it's because I'm a bit of a control freak and there has been nothing about this pregnancy that I have been able to control, so I'm controlling what my kid will wear post-pregnancy.

He's going to be one dang cute, and well dressed, kid. :)

Seriously So Blessed

Do you ever have one of those weeks you look back on and sigh in relief that it's over??

That was this week.

And, while I'm so glad this week is over, as I look back I see so many blessings!

• We got to see Jack twice this week via ultrasound.
• We have health insurance that covers all my prenatal care - including all the "extras" that come with hyperemesis.
• I have a nurse that calls me every day to check in on me. And I can call her to ask her questions/get help any time.
  
• I can go get hydrated any time I need to.
• I have a bed/couch to rest on while I'm on bed rest.
• My leave of absence from work was approved as medically necessary by the "powers that be."
• Kaiser is close.
• My doctor answers emails quickly.
• We have a cousin who works in the ER and brought us coloring books and crayons when we were there.
• D's work hours are flexible - he just has to get in 8 hours a day/40 hours a week.
• I can feel Jack kick/move.
• The internet (esp. facebook) allows me to not feel quite so isolated and alone while laying here on my couch.
  
• I have so many sweet friends who have shared their own pregnancy experiences and have helped lift me up.
  
• I have sweet friends who have also been concerned and encouraging.
  
• I also have a sweet friend who is making me pregnancy skirts!
  

And now, we're officially half way done! Today marks 20 weeks!

What a journey it has been. I'm grateful we're officially on the downward slope. Grateful that Jack is healthy and strong. Grateful that I have a selfless husband who takes such good care of me. Grateful for this trial, even though I frequently doubt my ability to make it through one more day or even one more hour.

Just gotta focus on the blessings. :)

A New Year

It's 2012!

Yes, I realize it's been 2012 for a week. I'm a little behind.

I'm not really one for "New Year's Resolutions." Mostly because I either break them or forget about them.

But I have two resolutions this year:
Have a Babyand
Be a Mom
I swear, I'm not cheating.
Ok, maybe a little.

But, in my defense, this pregnancy has been the hardest physical thing I have ever gone through. And every day, I wonder how on earth I will get through another 24 hours. There have been many tears, hospital/ER trips, I have been off work and on bed rest for a month and a half, I've lost 10-15 lbs, I've been on many different medications, I have a long list of foods that are horrible to throw up (surprisingly, not every food is equally horrible to throw up), and the headaches, vomiting and nausea are debilitating.

Many well-meaning people keep reassuring me that it'll get better and it'll be worth it. Neither of these phrases bring me much comfort.

What has really brought me comfort is a conversation I had with my friend M over Halloween. She has also had very difficult pregnancies and is very empathetic to all of my challenges. We were talking about the worst parts and M said, "but then I think about the Savior and all He suffered for me. Can't I sacrifice my own comfort and well being for 9 months for this little one? It's nothing in comparison!"

Yes. I can sacrifice one more day, one more hour, one more minute, of my own comfort for this perfect little guy. I still have to keep myself healthy (you know, hydrated and stuff) so that this little guy can also be healthy. But the discomfort, the exhaustion etc. I can sacrifice and suffer knowing that my Savior sacrificed and suffered so much more for me.

And in 4 and a half more months, when I meet this little man, I'm sure it'll be worth it.