An apple a day . . . .

It was week 15 and in the mornings I still couldn't make it from my bed to the kitchen without gagging and eventually throwing up. "What would you throw up before breakfast?" You might ask. Three to five times a week I would throw up bile. Harsh, acidic, yellowish bile. It was horrible everytime, but I must say I got quite good at just relaxing my muscles, not resisting, and letting it spue out easily so each episode can be over as soon as possible. I'd rinse my mouth, pat my face with a towel and make my way to the kitchen for breakfast as if nothing happened.

Most husbands would be snug and comfy in bed pretending not to hear the sounds of vomiting from their pregnant wives. But not my husband. My beloved stumbled out of bed every single time to rub my back or hold my hair when I had my episodes. Well, maybe not every time. There was that third or fourth time early on in the pregnancy that he laid in bed and actually covered his head with the blanket so I wouldn't disrupt his precious slumber. After I cleaned myself up I had one of my many crazy pregnant woman breakdowns. It was not pretty.

"Why can't you get up and help me?" I screamed.

"I don't know what you need me to do." He said calmly and confused.

"Do something! Rub my back, hold my hair. Something so I know we are in this together and that you care!!!" I screamed again.

You bet that every single time after that breakdown, my man got up out of bed to help his crazy pregnant wife. And every time he rubbed my back or held my hair. Who cares that I had to tell him what I needed from him. He's a man and some times things just need to be spelled out . . . or screamed out.

So after my 15th week of gestation I really needed to figure out why I was still throwing up in the mornings but not nauseas throughout the day like months before. I figured this much. When I woke up in the middle of the night I was starving. When I woke up in the mornings it was even worse. I felt like I hadn't eaten in days or weeks! My blood sugar level was terribly low. Something else I figured out early in pregnancy is that severe hunger is accompanied by gagging. Maybe not necessarily throwing up, but gagging and I don't know why.

So one night I did something that would change this pregnancy experience for me. I went to bed with an apple by my bed. When I woke up in the middle of the night I would take a few bites from my apple and fall back asleep. First thing in the morning before even getting up to use the restroom, I sat up and ate the rest of my apple. It is delicious every time. And it's different from crackers at your bed side. I was past crackers. In fact, I now hate crackers. I need something with good sugars and a nutritious substance. I have now done this every day for 2 weeks and my refrigerator is stocked with apples.

So a special thank you goes to the fantastic Gala apple. You are marvelous to me and give me what I need to make it from bed, to bathroom, to kitchen. Because of you I sleep better and wake up happier. Because of you my husband sleeps better in the mornings and his slumber is no longer disturbed by the white nose of gagging and vomiting. My baby boy thanks you too. I'm sure he is happy in the womb every morning as your sweet fruit makes its way to his blood stream.

I love you apple and will forever hold you dear to my heart.

17 weeks

Dear Baby Boy,

Yes, a lot has happened over the past couple of months--one of which is finding out that the little blueberry inside my belly is a little boy blueberry. Now, at about 17 weeks into pregnancy you are much bigger than a blueberry. Let's recap the past few months when I wasn't blogging.

From the end of week 5 to about the end of week 9, I was throwing up almost every morning or afternoon. If I wasn't throwing up, then I wish I was to find relief from the nausea you gave mommy. But after 4 weeks of it I felt it ease up a little in week 10. Though I was still throwing up in the mornings, the days got a little easier for me to handle. But as the quizziness was leaving, the indigestion and heartburn welcomed themselves in my body.

At 3 months pregnant, Daddy took this picture of me after a big delicious dinner.

I'm still managing the trickiness of it all. Though my hunger is never satisfied, I have to watch every bite I take for it could mean the beginning of a long night of indigestion torture--never knowing if the burp that I so desperately need could actually be an upchuck of the food I just ate that never really seemed to make it's way down to my stomach. Mylanta is now my friend.

But through those tough weeks came some blissful moments of seeing you in an ultrasound for the first time and showing the pictures to family and friends. Watching you grow in the ultasounds is even more joyful. You went from a blueberry, to a peanut, to my precious baby in full form--though not in full size.

This ultrasound picture was taken at 7 and half weeks.

And maybe the most greatest moment of them all is when the doctor said, "Oh Boy!" I knew the whole time you were a boy. I'm your mommy and I knew from the beginning. And now with confirmation of seeing your little wee-wee, we are so happy to have you as our son. You are already active in my belly and Daddy knows that it won't be long for you to be skateboarding along side him. With a helmet, wrist guards, shin guards, and elbow pads of course.

We got this ultrasound picture at 15 weeks and we found out you are a boy. We weren't expecting to find out that day but Daddy asked the doctor and made her feel bad. So she squeezed us into the ultrasound room for a little sneak peek.

We would love you just as much if the doctor said you are girl. But knowing that you we are expecting our son makes the anticipation of your arrival much greater. I'm preparing for my boy. My precious baby boy.

This ultrasound pic was also taken at 15 weeks. I swear you are going to have my lips and nose.

I pray everyday baby that God's hand is with you as you develop and grow. I pray for no development issues or problems. I also pray for God to be with Daddy and I as we love and raise you to be a man. We dedicate your life to our Savior and I know you will be raised to honor and love the Lord your God who made you in my womb. I hope we are good examples of God-loving, God-fearing people who live our lives and raise you by what God says--not by what man says.

Love,
Mommy