Swelling, Aching, and Loving it!

     Toward the end of my first pregnancy (during which I gained 50 pounds), I was very swollen.  My hands and feet especially, were numb with Carpal Tunnel.  I am starting to notice my hands swelling a lot more, but I'm hoping I won't get to the point I did last time.  I did take my wedding rings off in late October though.  I hate not being able to wear them, but I don't want to have them cut off.

     My back has been hurting quite a bit lately.  I definitely don't remember it being this bad the first time around.  Even after doing a couple simple chores, it hurts so much I have to sit down.  Sometimes it hurts when sitting down, and I can't find a single comfortable position to be in.  It bothers me most because I can't keep up with things around the house, and that frustrates me.

     The baby is moving a LOT these days!  It seems like it moves almost constantly (though it doesn't happen to be right at the moment).  I notice it moving when I am sleeping, sitting, standing, eating, driving, walking, resting, talking, singing...doing almost anything.  It is a mover!!!  It is fascinating, and such a neat feeling.  There is nothing else like it.  I smile or laugh out loud sometimes just because it is so pronounced.  A couple days ago, I was sitting down, and had my arm resting on my tummy.  The baby kicked so hard that it actually moved my arm off of my tummy! 

Food Confession

     On the subject of cravings...

 As I recall, when I was pregnant with Annah, my biggest craving was anything sweet/sugary.   (Gee, could this be why I was gestational diabetic?!)  But also, I remember wanting a lot of bread and pastas, milk, and red meat.  

Those things are all the same this time, but my terrible habit in the past few months has become: McDonald's!! 

Having a two-year-old who loves french fries and chicken nuggets and has a radar beam for the "Golden Arches" that goes off when they're within 10 miles doesn't help either.  But, I shouldn't be feeding my baby (or toddler!  or myself!) this stuff once a month, let alone the once a week it's been as of late!  It has really been a weakness lately when I'm in town shopping.  The worst is the fact that there is a McDonald's right in the Wal-Mart we shop at!  How convenient just to push the half-full cart right up to the counter, order my Extra-Value Meal and Happy Meal for Annah, sit down and snarf it all up and then just continue shopping!  It's no wonder I've gained 25 pounds so far...

Cookies & Carols

This morning Annah's class sang their Christmas songs for the church.  I had been working with the 2 & 3 year olds for a month or so on the songs.  Their performance was quite a treat!  You never know what toddlers are going to do (or not do) when they get up in front of the congregation, but it was very sweet and touching.  They sang "Come On Ring Those Bells," "What Can I Give Him?" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."  We had no idea what Annah might do since it was her first time on stage...  She did know the songs and the sign language and when to put her bells down and pick them up, but most of that seemed to escape her when the time came to sing.  She tried a couple times to come down off the platform, but I put her back up.  Then she just decided that she would suck her thumb instead of sing.  She did get excited when it was time for "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," and tried to sing a little bit.   It was quite a fun time, and everyone seemed to enjoy the  toddlers' contribution to the service.

     This evening we went to "Cookies & Carols" at church.  It was a fun time of singing and eating lots of wonderful cookies and candies!   

Everyone listens as Pastor Todd reads the Christmas story.

Carrie, Julie, and me--and our baby bellies.

 Little Miss Emma enjoyed the cookies!

Annah is very entertained by Adam!

Troy and Sally

Santa Claus even made an appearance.  Annah was so excited when Santa gave her a candy cane--and, she ate the whole thing! 

Toilet Install

    My parents came to visit this weekend.  They arrived Friday evening, and Annah was overjoyed to look out the window and see them pull in the driveway!

     Unfortunately, our downstairs (main bathroom) toilet decided to stop working properly.  After trying to repair it and turning parts of the bathroom that nice blue bowl-cleaner color, it was decided that we needed an entirely new toilet.   So, Saturday morning we all made a family trip to Lowe's and picked out a pretty new white toilet!  Oh the excitement!  Jeremy and Dad spent a good part of the day installing the toilet (most of their time was spent on another trip back to Lowe's for other unforeseen necessary items).  About 7:00 PM, they finished, and we all gathered into the bathroom for the ceremonial "first flush!"  For two guys who claim to know nothing about plumbing, the new toilet looks great and works fabulously!  

Jeremy looked so funny putting pressure on the toilet to get the wax seal to stick!

Dad got a really good laugh out of it!

The two successfully installed the new toilet!  And it even flushes!!

     While at Lowe's we also picked out a dishwasher!  It is in our kitchen waiting to be installed!  We haven't had a dishwasher since we've been married, and I simply cannot wait until it is working!  Honestly, it will be a huge blessing and relief.  (Plus, I'm having a hard time reaching the sink to wash dishes lately!)

Mom and I spent part of Saturday making Christmas cookies.  
Gram, though, spent a large chunk of her time this weekend reading to Annah.  No one reads books better than Gram...or has the patience to read them over 4 times in a row!

Glucose

     I had the standard 1-hour glucose test today.  Whoopee!   After I drank that yummy sugary drink and went and sat down for a while, I felt so exhausted I could barely move when I got up to walk a ways.  Of course, I totally forgot I was having this test today, and ate four cookies for breakfast.  Real good move there, Taryn!  I didn't have to be fasting, but that probably wasn't the wisest thing to eat--glucose test or not.  I bet I'll probably get to go do another of those lovely 3-hour tests.  Ugh.

     I didn't think I was going to see the doctor today, but I did.   It was the first time in quite a while, actually.  

The baby's heartrate was between 127-132.  Just makes me think BOY!  We'll have to wait and see though...

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  Yep, it's strep!  Jeremy actually went to the doctor on Sunday night, because he was feeling so terrible.  He was pretty sure it was strep throat, and he was right.  He is on antibiotics now, which are helping immensely, and he went back to work today. Annah and I are staying as far away from the germs as possible!

Listen to Daddy

     I am realizing more each day how truly blessed I have been in pregnancy--with Annah, and also so far with this one.  When I talk to friends or read stories or watch shows on TV, I have learned a lot about women having truly difficult pregnancies.  I don't think pregnancy is necessarily easy for anyone, but I feel so fortunate that mine have not been particularly difficult.

     This baby moves SO much!  When I was pregnant with Annah I always said the baby was going to be  a soccer player or a dancer because she moved a lot.  But, I think this one may move even more!  I have found myself laughing several times this week just because the baby was moving so much it was very tickle-y!   One particularly neat time was when Jeremy was sitting somehow that his face was close to my tummy.  The baby was moving like crazy in response to his voice!  It was SO NEAT!! 

     Oh yeah, I noticed today that the Boy or Girl Poll has shifted more dramatically towards boy.  Any more opinions out there?

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Jeremy is sick.  Annah and I are trying to stay away from him, but it is hard to do--especially for Annah.  She wants to give him hugs and kisses!

     This afternoon, Annah was sitting on her plastic bike in the front room.  I went in and gave her a kiss, and Annah said, "Don't kiss me; I'm having a baby!"  I then looked closer at what Annah was doing and realized she was holding a wooden block on her tummy under her shirt--pretending it was a baby in her tummy! She has pretended about the baby often, but that was the first we had seen her put something under her shirt to pretend it was a baby.  She sure keeps us laughing. :)  It's neat that she's excited about the baby too.  She likes to lay her head on my tummy and snuggle the baby, or just rest her hand on it when sitting next to me. 

A big scare

     Today was a terrible and wonderful day.  I took Annah to the pediatrician this morning because we were pretty sure she has impetigo.   In the process of talking to the doctor and getting a prescription for her, I had the doctor look at a different rash Annah has had for about a week.  It is just tiny little red bumps all over her chest, tummy, and diaper area.  When the doctor looked at it, he immediately said that Annah needed to have a blood test.  He said that sometimes when kids' platelets are low they get a rash like that.  Needless to say, no parent wants to hear that.  Two nurses at the pediatrician's office couldn't find a sufficient vein to draw blood from, so we went across the street to the hospital and two nurses there took a vile.  The nurse at the pediatrician's office said they would call us later today with the results.  Annah did very well while all the nurses tied the big rubber bands on her arms and felt around looking for a good vein.  She did cry when the first nurse poked her with a needle in the back of her hand.  I tried to comfort her, and asked her if she wanted to sing a song.  Annah nodded and asked me to sing, "Jesus Loves Me."  I made it through the first phrase before tears were streaming down my face.  At the hospital, Annah cried while the needle was in her arm, but when I told her she was doing a great job, and that she would get fruit snacks when it was over, that helped her feel better.

     After the blood was drawn, I immediately drove to talk to Jeremy at work, crying all the way there.  Jeremy left work, picked up Annah's antibiotic for the impetigo, and came home.   He held the phone in his hand until the doctor himself called to say that the test results came back normal.  Praise the Lord!!! There was a lot of praying (and crying) going on until that phone call came--and after too.   Annah's rash must just be from dryness, like we thought.  Thank the Lord, for sure!!!  

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On a happier note (though it seems trifling to go on after that story), we have our Christmas tree up!  Annah gazes in amazement every time she walks into the room with it.  She has been waking up singing Christmas carols this week.   Yesterday, it was, "angels we have heard...high...eck-shel-sees...oh, oh, ohhhhh!" and this morning it was, "Jesuuuuuus Christ is boooooorn!"   It is so neat to see and hear her enjoying music!  What a blessing she is to us!!

Days around the house

Annah and her kazoo

  

3rd Trimester

     As of Monday, we are in the third trimester!!!   (27 weeks)  It doesn't seem possible that in less than 3 months, we will get to meet our new baby!  This pregnancy is going by so quickly!! 

    

I forgot to write that while we were in Indiana for Thanksgiving, I had two more dreams about the baby.  In the first dream, the baby was a boy, and in the second, a girl.  I am still thinking it is a boy.  I've never been accused of having good "intuition" though, so who knows!

Thanksgiving report

Our Thanksgiving was very nice--spent with family in Indiana.  We made the trip there on Wednesday.  

Thursday noon was the Crabill family dinner at my parents' house.   There were 61 people there!!  And, some incredibly good food!!!  Annah even napped after lunch, despite the sounds of the other kids playing right outside the room she slept in.  

     That evening we went to Jeremy's parents' for the Lopshire/DeHaven family gathering.  More good food, and no room to put it--but we ate anyway! ;)  Annah enjoyed playing with cousins Wilson and Charlie.  They watched Blue's Clues together, and did a bit of wrestling.  Annah nearly lost a handful of hair to Charlie!  

     On Friday, my parents hosted the McEowen family for supper.   Annah had a ball playing with cousin Aidan.  They gave concerts on the piano, and learned how to do summersaults with the help of Aidan's "Nee Nee"/ Annah's Great Aunt Marcia.  

     Saturday was a relaxing day.  It snowed in the morning!   We were able to visit Travis and Erin's house for the first time.  It is very nice!  Annah liked getting to see Aunt Erin's collection of tiny shoes.  In the evening, Annah helped Gram fix lasagna for supper.  After dinner she and Grandpa watched Pinocchio in the big bed until it was time to go to sleep.

     Sunday morning we attended church with my parents at the Columbia City Church of God (where we got married).  I was excited she to see my friend Lori for a few minutes there.  Annah liked the music there a bit to much, and wanted it to keep going instead of hearing the sermon.  After church we packed up and went to Grandpa and Grandma Lopshire's for lunch.  Then we visited with Uncle Walt and Aunt Joyce at their house for a few minutes.  

We stopped at Pizza Hut, the carwash, and the grocery store  on the way home, and finally made it back home about 8:00.  We were tired and glad to be home, but we had a wonderful time celebrating all that we are thankful for with our wonderful families.