Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Weekend Update 04-21-12

Hi guys, Still writing to you from the land of the first trimester. Unfortunately.

So, my weekends are still pretty mellow.
Saturday was rainy- so no yard sales. Instead I was a lazy bum until around 1 when we ran 2 errands. Then in the evening some friends came over to watch UFC with us. I was feeling so/so but it was nice to have them over.

Sunday was church and then laying around the rest of the day. To be honest, the Zofran is not working as well as it did that first day. I still seem to feel rather puny in the evenings. But I do think it is helping some, so I am glad for that.

This week at work I am orienting with a lady who works 6-2:30. I am getting there at 6:30. But still, getting up much much earlier than I am used to. However, the first two days of the week have gone well. My trainer told our head boss today that I was doing too well to spend the rest of the week with her and needed to move on! Everyone has been very encouraging and I'm so appreciative.

Also I'm loving the inexpensive cafeteria meals. Lunch seems to be the meal of the day where I have the most appetite and it's easier to think of something you want when you have like 20 choices. There's also a Subway in the cafeteria but I've yet to try it.

Today poor Gracie girl was my "baby" again. I'd ordered a sling online (it was free, just pay shipping, with a promo code = couldn't resist) and it came in today. I always use her out of the 4 dogs because she is pretty compliant and she does not shed. Don't want baby stuff covered in fur as long as I can avoid it. In the one time I tried it out- it did not seem as secure as the Moby wrap. However, dogs are not the best test subjects :) It was, however, a lot less bulky and seemed like it would not make you as warm as a Moby might. We shall see once baby gets here :)
We are pretty much set to close on the house next Monday. Some last minute things need to happen- but hoping we won't be pushed back. I'll be off all next week so we can paint and get things ready before we move in. Wish me luck, energy, patience and no nausea!

Well, that's about all I have for now! 

Oh- and I hope it's not permanent- but since Blogger offered this new layout- which I have not updated to yet, all my previous post history is gone and none of my labels are showing up! Grr. Oh haha, I just realized I was signed in on my husband's account. I think somehow he has administrator privileges. Weird.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Purses for Freedom

I'm sharing this post from a fellow blogger. I don't usually do re-posts but I thought this one was worth sharing!

Originally posted by Ashley at

Stealing Baby Kisses
 

It's not just a purse 




Ever heard of SAK SAUM?

I'm going to guess probably not.

From their website...


Sak Saum is not ultimately about a bag, wallet, or scarf. Sak Saum is about a changed life...seeing people set free and empowered for their future.
We believe the cycles of trafficking, abuse, poverty and despair can be broken. We believe change is possible — we see it every day.
Sak Saum is a ministry dedicated to the rescue, restoration, transformation, and rehabilitation of vulnerable and exploited women. Located in Phnom Penh and the Saang district of Cambodia, we currently have 11 girls in our ministry program. 
Sak Saum is pioneering a model of self-sustaining ministry. Our work is supported through the sale of Sak Saum products. Sak Saum’s business reaches over 30 states in America as well as Australia, England, Japan, Germany and more. In order to meet product demand, Sak Saum has started two Freedom Facilities employing skilled sewers who receive fair trade salaries. These facilities are bringing job opportunity and financial empowerment to the rural Saang community.
As Sak Saum girls receive healing and vocational training, many of them move on to work full-time sewing for Sak Saum’s business. Our desire is to see the union of powerful, life-changing ministry with effective, excellent business.

So how can you get involved? It's easy. Just shop online. All prices include shipping. And I feel like they are very reasonably priced. Ladies, how awesome would it be to buy something for your mom for mother's day knowing that the gift also helped another woman clear across the world? It makes me teary-eyed just thinking about it. 

But they have more than just purses. They have aprons, baby shoes, and accessories.

Want to do more than just shop? Make a financial contribution. Or sign up that you are interested in hosting a home party. If you have a party you aren't signing up to run a home business. You don't earn a single penny off of the party. I don't earn a single penny if you read this and then host a party. 100% of the sales from every single item go right back to Sak Saum. 

This past weekend I went to a Sak Saum home party that my friend hosted. Here are the goodies that I got...

There is no way I could love this purse more
except than I remember where my money went
and how awesome of a cause it is.

100% of what I spent on this purse went to helping woman
rescued from the s.ex trade.

Both purses were $35.
Prices online are slightly higher because
they include shipping costs.


Below is the inside of the first purse...
but both of my purses have this on the inside.
I've already more than once opened my purses stressed
and frustrated from the day.
And then I see this.
And well I instantly remembered to count my blessings.



How about a coin purse made from recycled rice bags?
And for only $4?!
(Yellow bag)
The green pouch will hold my business cards.
Also $4.
And the black bag holds little accessories...
all the things that fall to the bottom of my purse.
This cutie was $8.


How can you beat handmade, adorable, affordable, and for a good cause? 
You can't!
And then come back and tell me what you got...because girlfriends share their shopping finds, right?! :) 


Would you also consider spreading the word about this cause? Maybe you can't afford to buy anything right now. But a blog post, a tweet, a facebook status...those things are free. And powerful. Please help spread the word.

Note from Sarah- I found the purses online to be around $40-$60 mostly.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Zofran is my fran :)

So yesterday morning we met with our new midwife. We both absolutely loved her and are so glad we decided to switch from an OB to a CNM. She was supportive and enthusiastic and I loved it when she told me it was "all about you". I laughed and said that's how it's been around our house too lately :)

She took like 30-45 minutes with us just talking and then she spent like 10 minutes trying to get the best ultrasound images she could. She included John in the conversation and was sure to make eye contact with him. He appreciated this and so did I.

I also liked that she is patient centered enough to happily oblige when I asked for a Zofran script. I was a little nervous that having more of a natural mindset she might be against medications in pregnancy unless absolutely essential. Thankfully she seemed to think nothing of it. She let me know that she would support "whatever kind of birth I want to have". That she is fully supportive of going totally natural but if I decide I need pain medications she will gladly support that too. She is supportive of laboring and delivering in whatever position you want. She even stated she's done a lot of hands and knees deliveries lately and that position seems to work well for babies whose shoulders are poorly positioned. She told us I could eat and drink in labor if I wanted (even though hospital policy frowns on this). She also let me know our best plan to have an all natural birth is to labor at home for as long as possible. To summarize, we loved her. I hope many more ladies in our area will consider her.

Anyway, let's talk about Zofran. My, it has made the first trimester so much more tolerable. I'm only 24 hours into it but it has improved my nausea a lot. I don't feel completely back to normal and I don't think there's any med that can do that, but, it has definitely helped. I think I did get a tad bit of a headache from it which apparently is a common side effect since it's a sticker on the prescription label. But it was mild and a lot more bearable than nausea. I did take a half dose this evening to see if it would still control the nausea and give me less side effects. But, I do already feel the nausea control is not as good with a half tablet. Of course since my nausea seems to peak in the evenings I should probably try and half dose in the morning and a full dose in the afternoon.

We still did not get to hear the heartbeat yet. I think next visit we will, as I'll be about 12 weeks then. But the ultrasound was a lot more clear and we could see the heartbeat much better. We could even see the baby moving its arms and legs! It was so sweet that our midwife was kinds giddy seeing the baby too. She was saying "Oh look, it's your baby! How sweet that is." It was kinda night and day from our first appointment with the OB, who was very appropriate and professional, but was more laid back. Kinda a "I've done this hundreds of times" attitude.

So anyway, I'm sure you've all heard more than enough about my OB appointment. :)

I'll sign off with the good stuff:

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Weekend Update 04-14-12

Hi everyone. I'm going to do some weekend updating and just updating in general.

This past Friday was my last day at my old job. Thursday the ladies threw me a goodbye luncheon with lots of tasty food and gave me a beautiful orchid plant (that I hope not to kill). It's always a bit anxiety inducing, big changes, but, I am ready.
There were lots of loose ends to try and tie up before I left. Unfortunately I just could not get all the information I needed to complete all my cases (sorry co-workers!)
My cubicle all emptied out. But I left it freshly cleaned and organized.
I also have no idea what do with the 2 boxes of stuff from my cubicle. At my new job I'll be floating so I won't have a space dedicated for me, but rather I'll work out of others' empty desks. For now it's staying in a box in my car.

The weekend was spent mostly laying around combined with a few errands. I don't do much these days but sleep and try to fend off nausea. I've been fortunate that I have not vomited much, but I do feel queasy a lot. I'm tired almost constantly and just don't feel like myself. I really don't like it. It's hard to be excited about being pregnant when you don't feel anything different but bad feelings.

I did feel well enough to go yard saling Saturday and we got a swing, bassinet, ear thermometer and rearview mirror thing (so you can look in your rearview mirror into a mirror angled on the baby and see the face). Saturday night we also had a really nice time catching up with the friends we went on a cruise with. One of the couples is expecting a baby next month and so they had a BBQ to celebrate. They didn't want a traditional shower.

I go to the doctor Wednesday and I'm going to ask about getting some anti-nausea meds. I've lost 5 pounds and I just don't deal well at all with nausea. Especially when I'm trying to learn a new job. I've already tried ginger pills, Saltines, Prilosec, Tums and eating frequently. But it seems in the afternoon and evenings I get at least some nausea no matter what. I also think I'm not vomiting too much because of my lap band. I think once food has gotten past the band into my stomach it's extremely hard for it to come back up. So I just dry heave or sit around feeling green without relief.

Today (Tuesday) was my first real day of training for my new job. Yesterday was just some Code of Conduct and Policy and Procedure training. Today I was with another case manager learning about pre-authorizations and level of care coding requirements. A bit tedious but I'll be with her for 2 weeks so I should be able to get the hang of it.
It is kinda fun to have a badge that clearly lets people know I am an RN. Even though the printer turned my hair yellow.

So I guess I'll have more to share after the doctor tomorrow. I am hoping we get to see the actual baby and hear the heartbeat. And get a script for Zofran. Lol.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Weekend Update Easter 2012

I hope everyone had a great Easter! We had a nice weekend.

Saturday we went yard sailing for the first time in a while. We've had an unusual string of bad weather and other commitmments keeping us from our Saturday routine.

It was my first time to go since finding out about the baby. It is going to be so hard holding off until we find out the gender to purchase things. I looked at several items and asked John if they looked "gender neutral" or not, but to be honest, it's hard to find things that are. Even something all tan seems to say "boy". At first I was thinking I would try to buy all the big things- like a car seat, stroller, swing, play pen etc... in neutral themes so it could be used for the next baby no matter what. I am starting to see that might be a little hard to do.

Anyway, I did get some things...
$2. I realize we can't use if for a good year, but it was quite a steal. Plus I love the compactibility of spring floats.

$10. I'm told I'll want one later. It had a couple rips but I sewed them up this afternoon.
$5. Watched a YouTube video and the Moby wrap seems easy enough to use. I think I am going to like it. Gracie not so much.
I also got 6 hardback children's books for $5. I snatched them up because they are classic stories that I remember reading as a child- like Chicken Little, The Three Little Pigs, Squirrel Nutkin and the Little Red Hen.
I also got a couple things for myself- some black flats (that rub my heel, glad I only paid $1) and an interesting necklace, also $1. I got quite a few things altogether. I probably spent too much :)

In the later afternoon I went to the beach with some long-time friends. It was pretty windy but bearable up until about 6pm then it got too chilly. After heading home we all stopped together for mani/pedis! Well, I got a shellac mani only. My toes are ok :)

Easter Sunday we went to church and then out to lunch at a steakhouse. Yumm-o!
Last year John made me an egg hunt. This year I made him one :) I also made little baskets for him and mom. Mom got me a great "grown-up" basket filled with Estee Lauder products and Bath and Body Works lotion.
Mom an I (my yard sale necklace too!)

Three generations

My little Easter egg and I

Me and the pups

Eby loves to sunbathe on the swing
I can't wait til we get in the house and I can really start to rack up at yard sales- since I'll actually have somewhere to put it!

Happy Easter!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Happy Easter!

So for once, my post is only consisting of a link:
My old church used to do this, but with a huge choir. It was awesome. I always cried.


Friday, April 6, 2012

Reflections of the Resurrection

So this week we celebrate the biggest event in Christian history.
Sure, we are thankful Jesus was born, but, we are even more grateful He died and then AROSE! His birth alone would not have been enough to pay our sin debt.

Last night on the way home from work I was listening to some old Christian worship music, and I was overcome with how much He has done for me and how little thank I've given in return.

Lately I've fallen into a pattern of listening to talk radio almost all the time. I've been missing out on sweet moments to reflect on my Jesus and to praise and worship Him.

It felt so good to take that time. I've been so busy lately with all the changes in my life, I know I've not thanked Him enough that I get to have all these changes. Not to mention, with the upcoming celebration of His victory over death and the grave, He deserves the utmost praise even if He never did another thing for me than that! But being the kind and loving Father that He is, of course He has blessed me with so much more.

I want to thank Him for His sacrifice. For the sacrifice of Father God to send His only Son to this world to be despised and rejected and yet to willingly lay His life down for me and all mankind who will receive Him. I don't know why He chose this as the atonement for our sins, as hard as it must have been. But I am so thankful. Thankful I can now live forever in Heaven through His blood.

I want to thank Him for my earthly life. There are so many here that I know cannot love me as God does, but who help me to understand a small part of the depth of the Father's love even by loving me with their finite love. I'm so fortunate to receive Christ's love and theirs. I've also been trying not too hold them so tightly as to forget to hold to God too.

I recently just watched the episode from 19 Kids and Counting where Michelle and Jim Bob discover she has miscarried their child. I was sooooo impressed by how they handled it. They quoted scripture "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord." They also said, "just as we do not all come into life at the same time, we do not all leave life at the same time". Wow. I don't want to think about having to give up anyone in my life, but I have to be realistic that at some point I will have to. I'll have to give someone back to Heaven before I am ready. I hope I can face it with grace that only He gives and lean on Him.

I want to thank Him for my unborn child. Being in the blogging world has made me much more acutely aware that getting pregnant, staying pregnant, and having a healthy child does not always come easy. Although I admit that I've found the first trimester to be pretty much not fun, I'm still grateful that we were able to conceive rather easily. I'm glad I have not had raging morning sickness. I'm grateful that God would trust us to be parents. To be the caretakers and shepherds of His precious child, someone we will hold account for to see that they grow in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

I want to thank Him for our home. I'm thankful we were able to find a place that is right for us. I'm thankful in advance the rest of the process will go smoothly. I'm thankful that we were able to get into a home at such an excellent price. I'm thankful it has enough storage that our business inventory will not have to be in the house. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to pick everything out for the house from top to bottom and not having to worry about covering over it later.

I want to thank Him for my new job. I looked for quite awhile before this one came along. Although it's always a bit scary to have a job change, I know this one came at the right time. I think it's more than fate that I accepted the job on Friday and found out Monday morning I was pregnant. The Lord knows my heart, that I desire to work as little as possible in order to raise our children. And now I am working less and having a child. I'm also excited about adding a new skill set to my resume. And it seems I will be blessed again to have a supportive and understanding supervisor.

So while all these changes at times threaten to give me a panic attack, I want to take the time to be grateful for them. Sometimes the path God leads us down to our dreams doesn't look quite like we planned, but as long as we arrive at the destination He intended, our lives should be truly fulfilled.

Thank you Lord for your sacrifice so that we might experience abundant life both here on earth and forever in Heaven with You.

HAPPY EASTER! He is Risen!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

First OB appointment

Well there's less to tell than I'd hoped.

First, it was weird to have a guy with me. First time ever!
Second, I laughed when John saw me get up on the exam table in my paper clothes and said "I'm so glad I'm not a guy. I would never do this." Lol.
Third, we got to see the amniotic sac. The placenta was covering most of the baby view. They did show us a blinking line that they said was the heartbeat.
They only see one sac so if it's twins they'd be MoMo. Let's hope that's not the case. It's very very likely and assumed there's just one. Whew.
They estimate I am 7 weeks and 3 days. For now due date is November 17. Could change once they can measure the baby and not just the sac.
We could not hear anything because I'm still too early.

I let my doc know I plan on switching to a midwife. She did not seem rebuffed at all, thank goodness.
With her procedures, I got a slip for labwork and a return appointment in two weeks to review labs and get a better ultrasound. Instead I'll be trying to get an appoint with a midwife in two weeks and go over labs and maybe another ultrasound then.

Now I just have to pick one! Ugh


Monday, April 2, 2012

Our pregnancy journey

So for Christmas this year one of John's "gifts" was that I bought a bottle of prenatal vitamins and wrapped them up with a card saying I'd quit birth control. John made it very clear around Thanksgiving that he would like a baby in 2012. And the Lord had already been preparing me to take this step.
So we decided at first to take a relaxed approach. A wait and see.
Well I'm very bad at waiting. So I started the game of always wondering "am I?"
After two negative pregnancy tests and waiting for my body to regulate after quitting BC, I learned that month one passed without a bun in the oven.
So month two I started casually tracking using an app on my phone. At this point I did not know my cycle length post BC since I'd only had one cycle. So I tracked using the shortest and longest lengths and figured I had about a 2 week "possible" time. But when I brought this intensity to the "game" it kind of put John off. So I backed off. Plus my body starting showing some weird signs. I didn't know quite what was going on.

It was hard to determine what every little sign my body was showing meant. I never knew if the things I was feeling meant I was PMSing, ovulating, pregnant, or just whacked out and trying to readjust after being on BC for two years. It's a good thing I bought ten tests because a lot of times my curiosity would get the better of me and I'd take a test. And then when it was negative I'd tell myself I took it too soon (and since it was before my cycle due date it likely was too soon). So then I'd wait until the cycle due date and test again. It quickly became a little disappointing seeing only one line. It's hard for an impatient person like me to wait for something once I decide on it :)

Of course then I'd also wondering if indeed something could be wrong. It was early on in our trying so it was way too soon to explore that route. It's perfectly reasonable for a healthy fertile person to take 6mo-1yr to get pregnant (I kept telling myself). But my goodness the waiting is hard! Especially when you know people who get pregnant easily.  But life varies for everyone and it's usually filled with waits. So for then I was on one. And was praying for God's timing, but that it was hopefully soon!

About 2 months in I began to feel less anxious about things. I think it's easier the week of your cycle and the week or so after, because you know you are not pregnant. It's that week leading up to my cycle that I'm so anxious about. Again, it's about the waiting and wondering.

A little less than 3 months into "trying" we took a trip to Texas (that I blogged about). Of course there's always a more relaxed feeling (and less little daily things to take care of) when you are away. We joked that if I got pregnant that cycle we could name the baby Houston or Antonio. Lol.

Well, fast forward 5 days after we get back from our trip. I've been using the WomanLog app to track my cycles. So I know that in another 5 days my cycle should be coming. That particular Saturday (the 10th) I found myself almost crying over something frustrating, but not really tears-worthy. And a little nagging thought formed. "Am I?".

So per my routine, I decided to take a test. Only I did it late at night. And when no pink line started to form right away, I figured Aunt Flo would be visiting the next week per usual. To be honest, I don't think I let it sit very long at all.

Don't ask me why, but the next morning I decided to look at the test again. I think I wondered if that line ever appears even if you are not pregnant if you let it sit long enough. Lo and behold, a very faint pink second line was now present. After some internet research- there are votes on both sides. Some women swear that no matter how long the line takes, any line means you're preggo. Women shared about having tests sit out for a week and no change- if they in fact were not pregnant. The manufacturer of the test says not to read after 10 minutes. I was long past that. There's also mention of a line appearing due to "evaporation" and is not an actual positive result.

So I went about my day and decided to take another test the next morning, and do it right :) My alarm went off at 5:30 and it was soooo dark. I really did not want to get out and walk/jog. So I promised myself that if the test was negative, I would, but if it was positive, I'd take the morning off.

Little did I know $1.08 was about to change our lives forever. I took the test, set my phone timer for 3 minutes and put it out of sight. By this point, my heart was pounding and my stomach was tense. I was prepared to see nothing, and toss another test in the trash, not mention it to anyone, and go about my day.
But at the end of 3 minutes, there was an undeniable faint second line. Whoa.



To be honest, it did not feel "real" then and it still didn't until we had our first doctor appt. I mean, I knew I was pregnant, but I did not feel any different. Other than being pretty darn nervous/excited all that first day. I decided to shower and get dolled up before waking the unsuspecting dad-to-be.

Then I got the t-shirt I'd made months ago (with a free offer from Vistaprint, TUVM) that was from the "baby" saying he/she loved dad and would see him soon. John was a bit taken back since I'd just awakened him. I told him I had a late anniversary present for him. And then let him open the bag. He read the shirt and then dropped it and said "Are you pregnant?". I said yes and then got an "awwww, baby" and a big hug.
And then we laid there awhile, soaking it in. John wondering if the baby would "mow grass or wash dishes." Lol. He wants a boy, I want a girl. Of course we'll be happy with either.



Since I'd be putting in my resignation at work that day, and I wanted to share that with my boss, we knew we'd have to get the important people notified ASAP. We first went to my mom's room and gave her a gift- a recordable story book called "Grandma and Me". I fortunately caught her freak out on video! It was so cute.

 Sorry it's sideways. I took it that way and can't figure out how to change it.

We notified other immediate family and close friends that day. We got a lot of "was this a surprise?" since we did not make TTC public knowledge. Of course everyone was really happy for us. And we are happy too, although it still feels surreal.

Now stay tuned for an update about our first doctor appointment...