5 Weeks

Well Friday is my "day". It marks the end of my gestation week, so I've decided that each Friday I will post about my pregnancy progress and journal how I'm feeling, what I'm craving, etc. I never did that with the other three and I want to now. I'll also post a picture every four weeks, or whenever I feel up to it.

5 weeks- Your baby is about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human. The big development this week: Your baby's brain is beginning to grow! It develops from the neural tube, a structure that will also spawn your baby's spinal cord, nerves, and backbone. Since folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida, you can see why it's so important to take it while trying to conceive and early in pregnancy. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already on the job.

It's amazing what a baby the size of a sesame seed is doing to me. I am already sooooo very tired during the day, and the last few days I've had to crash on the couch while the kids watch a movie and terrorize the place. And the morning sickness has hit. Not too bad yet, but I feel very barfy each morning while I'm making breakfast (okay, raw eggs are not my friends right now). Then in the evening sickness hits again. As I write this, I have that "heavy and tight" feeling in my throat like something needs to come up.

And heart burn has set in. Not because I've got a big baby pushing on my stomach, but because of that blasted hormone that relaxes everything in the body, even the sphincter in the esophagus that keeps things down. This has always happened to me right away.

The other day I thought I could be miscarrying. All day I was feeling very achy in my lower abdomen. Not crampy, but more like I'd pulled a muscle. We were at the grocery store and it suddenly got really bad and I ran to the bathroom to see if I was spotting. Nothing. The feeling gradually went away, but when I looked in the mirror that night I saw a belly. Seriously it happened in a day. I guess that achy feeling was my belly stretching out! The uterus is like a balloon and the more it is inflated, the easier and quicker it inflates each time. So my belly is a tired old balloon.

With Lauren I was in maternity pants by eight weeks. I don't think I will make it three more weeks in my normal pants this time just because it's so tight around the belly and hips (those spread right away on me too). BTW, I haven't had any more of that achy feeling since Wednesday, so I'm confident that things are fine and stuff was only moving around down there.

I'm praying that I don't gain another 70 pounds this time. I still have that extra 30hanging on me, despite my BEST efforts this year to get it off. So I'm hoping that my body will compensate and only gain 40. I'm going to do everything I can to keep it under that number! This pic was taken the day that I "popped out". You can't tell from the picture, but I can sure tell and I can really feel it.

Lauren's Got Somethin' to Say!

We weren't going to share this for a few more weeks, but my heart is so sick right now about the election and rather than dwell on it, here is some great and happy news!

Our little firecracker will be here in early July and we're excited. It's true what they say...a new baby is God's way of saying the world should go on.

My Thoughts On What Happened Last Night

Kim, I hope you don't mind me posting this! But you summed it up so well and I say "ditto" to everything you said here. (This is straight from my friend Kim's blog...) I want others to see this!

"I am sick to my stomach! Never in my life have I felt this type of despair. If others read this that don't share my opinion, that is your right, just as it is my right to feel the way I do. I feel like a horrible storm cloud settled over my head last night and I am not sure that we will be able to weather the storm very well in the next 4 years. For the first time in my life I am ashamed of my country. I was taught at my dad's knee to stand when the flag went by, with my hand over my heart. When we would drive back into the United States when we lived in Canada, my dad would get out and kiss the ground. It was a fun family joke, but my dad is a proud American... give him his guns, his freedom, his religion and he is a happy man. And he taught his children the same.

I cannot listen to our National Anthem and not have tears. I love books about the history of our nation. I am honored when I think of those that fought for this great country... they fought to worship God the way they chose! They fought to live free of a king! They fought in the worst of circumstances and they won! I love our military men and women of today... that they sacrifice so much so that not just our country, but others around the world might have the same rights! I was raised on love of country!

And I have always honored the president, even when his morals were in the garbage! But for the first time in my life, I don't feel that way. Obama is not my president! I am so sick of hearing people talk about if you don't vote for him it's because of his color.... as a friend put it, it's not about the color of his skin, it's about the color of his heart!!! How is it right that a black person can vote for him simply because he is black (though when I was growing up, a person that had one white parent and one black parent got harassed on the play ground). A woman my girls work with said that she was voting for him simply because he is a brother. It doesn't matter what he represents... just that he is a brother! Is this not the worst kind of racism???

I feel so sick today. The evil that is about to take place makes me want to vomit! A man that will allow babies to be killed...or die AFTER a botched abortion. A man that at first said he was against same sex marriage, but then says that he is for same sex marriage, a man that changes his morals as the wind blows! The Lord won't stay his hand when a nation will kill babies at the drop of a hat, will allow babies to die. It would seem that the world doesn't really believe in Sodom and Gomorrah!

Today I am mourning for the country that I love, the country that I have had pride in my entire life. My only prayer is that we are not so firmly entrenched in evil in 4 years that we can't take the country back then! I am ashamed that people would chose a man that won't be straight with them, that his opinions and beliefs change with the wind, that he stands on sand, shifting with the tide. A man that would surround himself with evil, believe in evil, and then expect to run the greatest country on the earth! A man that wants to fundamentally change this great country!!!

And while I am sharing, I am grateful for the fact that George W. Bush has kept this country safe since 9/11. I see him as a man of faith, a man of God who led this country in the worst of times. A man that leans on the arm of the Lord is more of a man than one that leans on his own understanding! A man on his knees trying to receive inspiration is a bigger man than one that is fighting for his own cause!

God bless America... we are going to need it! I will be praying every minute of the next 4 years!"

Thanks for saying this, Kim. I couldn't have put it better myself!!!

Squanto

Most of us have heard the story of the first Thanksgiving—at least of the Pilgrims. But not many have heard of all the events leading up to that first Thanksgiving. Historians believe that around 1608—more than a decade before the Pilgrims landed in the New World—a group of English traders, led by Captain Hunt, sailed to what is today Plymouth, Massachusetts. When the trusting Wampanoag Indians came out to trade, Hunt took them prisoner, transported them to Spain, and sold them into slavery.

But God had an amazing plan for one of the captured Indians—a boy named Squanto. A well-meaning Spaniard, who treated him well and taught him the Christian faith, bought Squanto. Squanto eventually made his way to England and worked in the stable of a man named John Slaney. Slaney sympathized with Squanto’s desire to return home, and he promised to put the Indian on the first vessel bound for America.

It wasn’t until 1619—ten years after Squanto was first kidnapped—that a ship was found. Finally, after a decade of exile and heartbreak, Squanto was on his way home. But when he arrived in Massachusetts, more heartbreak awaited him. An epidemic had wiped out Squanto’s entire village.

We can only imagine what must have gone through Squanto’s mind. Why had God allowed him to return home, against all odds, only to find his loved ones dead? A year later, the answer came. A shipload of English families arrived and settled on the very land once occupied by Squanto’s people. Squanto went to meet them, greeting the startled Pilgrims in English.

According to the diary of Pilgrim Governor William Bradford, Squanto “became a special instrument sent of God for [our] good... He showed [us] how to plant corn, where to take fish and to procure other commodities... and was also [our] pilot to bring [us] to unknown places for [our] profit, and never left [us] till he died.”

Only God could have orchestrated these events to preserve the Pilgrims when they landed in the New World. God in His sovereignty answered the Pilgrims’ prayers years before they arrived in Plymouth.

God is doing the same things in our lives as well. Even when we think all is lost, God knows the ending. He is preparing us for something greater just down the road of life. We don’t have to understand what He’s doing; we simply must trust Him. Even when you face trials or setbacks, you can be thankful. Be thankful God is watching over you! Rather than focusing on this earth’s problems today, think of Heaven’s glory and thank God for preparing a place for you to spend eternity with Him.

I think this is good for us all to remember, especially with the great uncerntainty our nation and WORLD are now facing as a result of this election.

Trick-Or-Treating

By the time Friday night got here, the kids were Halloweened out. So were Mom and Dad. Lauren stayed home with Dad while Mom took Ethan and Hailey out. They only made it around the block before they were "too tired to go on".

Vader and Yoda making nice.

Lauren wanted in on the fun and tried to follow the big kids. But it didn't take long for her to dive into Hailey's candy as soon as she got home!

Daddy's Work

On Halloween day we headed to Daddy's office for trick-or-treating. It's the one day of the year that they open the doors to families. As you can see, this year was Star Wars. Lauren was Leia, but the stinker kept pulling her head piece off, so I did her hair in pig tails and told people she was Baby Leia. One of the departments decorated with Star Wars so the kids were pretty excited. Then it was off for juice and popcorn in the lounge.

Ethan's School Party 10-30-08

I had the fun privilege of working in Ethan's classroom last Thursday. It was their Halloween party and we had a blast! The kids were so adorable in the costumes. Hailey got to tag along and she was thrilled. She will be in Ms. Kari's class next year and she already thinks Kari hung the moon.

The class read a cute book about a witch who delivers pizzas to make enough money to feed her 40 cats. Then after the book was finished one of the moms surprised the kids by dressing like a witch and bringing them pizza. There were a lot of squeals from the class.

Luke dressed like Anakin Skywalker, so here we have Anakin before and Anakin after.

Hailey had a good time participating like a big kid. She will be all set for next year!

Tonight I Voted

I couldn't believe the turn out for voting tonight! I stood in line for over an hour to cast my ballot. Cody voted on Wednesday and it was the same for him too. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I am so grateful to live in this nation. What a privilege it is for us to be able to vote!

I've decided in the last few days to get out of the bitter barn about the election because that's not doing me or my family any good. The kids can tell that Mommy hasn't been so happy lately so things need to change. I love the saying "Let go and let God." It's so true, but so hard to do at times. The Lord really is in control and I need to remember that.

Tonight during family prayer we prayed that this nation will be okay and I felt peaceful. And even if we do see troubled times, I need to focus 100% on strengthening the one thing that I do have a lot of control over- my family. Our home needs to be a place that is safe and a refuge from the world. We need to focus more on having the spirit in our home at all times. We are going to be okay as long as we are prepared and are doing what's right. I can't control the rest of the world, but I can control myself and my own actions, thoughts, and attitudes.

Troubled Times Ahead

I have been a mess lately. I swear if I hear one more glorification of Obamasiah I am going to puke. I hate to get into politics, and lately I've been feeling so down and I know the election is to blame. I won't go into details about my views or my opinions because I'm sure it will turn into rambling and crying. But I will say that I fear for this nation, and not just because Obama will likely take office in a few short months. I mean because Satan is so influential over numerous issues in this world.

My heart is sick and it's starting to weigh on me. Cody thought I was a rambling idiot yesterday and last night I couldn't take it as we watched "Saturday Night Live" and I threw the remote at the TV and burst into tears. All day long I've felt cynical and sad. What kind of legacy are we leaving our children? What kind of damage do they have to repair? My children and my children's children don't deserve to pay for the mistakes of the of this generation. But they inevitably will.

All day long I've wanted to shout and scream and cry like a baby as I think of what the world will be like in a matter of years. I often times wish the Lord would go ahead and make His return so things can be peaceful. That is likely not yo happen any time soon, so in the meantime I pray for peace.

And then it dawns on me that I am so blessed to have the fullness of the gospel in my life. I know our troubled days were foreseen. They were prophesied of and I signed up for the challenge. How lucky are we to have a living prophet who looks out for us and guides us. In fact, the words to this song have been ringing in my ears all day and tonight I feel comforted.

When dark clouds of trouble hang o’er us
And threaten our peace to destroy,
There is hope smiling brightly before us,
And we know that deliv’rance is nigh.
We doubt not the Lord nor his goodness.
We’ve proved him in days that are past.
The wicked who fight against Zion
Will surely be smitten at last.

How lucky are we to have this knowledge.

Tackle!

It's been fun getting out in the backyard to play football. Ethan has started getting excited about the game and Dad is thrilled. There is nothing like the crisp autumn air on your face and the feel of cold grass beneath you as you fall. This time of year is awesome.

My First Baby

I got this off another blog and thought it would be fun to do. This is all about my first baby.
1. Were you married at the time of the birth? yes

2. What were your reactions when you found out you were pregnant? Absolutely devastated at first because it threw a major wrench into my academic plans.

3. How old were you? 23

4. How did you find out you were pregnant? First Response pregnancy test. Wow, my world flipped upside down when I saw that second line!

5. Who did you tell first? My mom. I called her right away and cried hysterically and she couldn't understand me. She thought something had happened to Cody at first. Then when she finally understood I was pregnant she was relieved that nothing bad had happened!

6. Did you want to find out the sex? ABSOLUTELY!! I was really wanting a girl but as soon as we saw it was a boy, I was over joyed.

7. Due date: That was never for sure because I got pregnant on Depo. My date ranged from January 6 to February 14!!

8. Did you deliver child early or late? 8 days late according to the ultrasound due date.

9. Did you have morning sickness? YES!! And those people who "brag" about never getting sick need to be shot!!!

10. What did you crave? chili dogs. Funny story- When I was about 10 weeks along, I was walking around one Saturday morning crying because I'd thrown up so much but was so hungry. Nothing in the house sounded good and the smell of almost everything sent me running to the bathroom. At about 9:30 that morning as commercial for Sonic came on and I saw a footlong chili dog. All the of the sudden I turned into a maniac and said (in between sobs) "If I don't get a chili dog right now I'm going to kill someone!!" I've never seen Cody dash out of there so fast. He ran to sonic that morning and got my two footlongs. I wolfed them down so fast. Now when the craving for chili dogs hits I buy one and also stop off to buy a pregnancy test.

11. Who irritated you the most? Skinny women. Especially skinny pregnant women.

12. What was your first child's sex? Boy.

13. How many pounds did you gain throughout the pregnancy? 70. I hit 205 the day he was born.

14. Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? Nope. Just a lot of sickness and I got very swollen.

15. Where did you give birth to your child? LDS Hospital.

16. How many hours were you in labor? 21 hours. I started [real] labor at 3:00 in the morning and labored at home all day by myself until 6:30 that night. I had planned on going naturally and I practiced Lamaze all day long. When Cody got home that evening we went to the hospital where I labored naturally for a few more hours. Then I caved and got an epi because the back labor was so intense and my body couldn't relax enough to dilate (according to the doctor, which I now understand was a load of bunk). Ethan's heart rate began to drop down into the 50s and they decided to do a c-section. I was beyond devastated!

17. Who drove you to the hospital? Cody

18. Who watched? No one but medical personnel. Cody stayed by my head behind the blue drape. But he did accidentally look up at one point and see my guts!

19. Did you take medicine to ease the pain? See #16

20. How much did your child weigh? 8 lbs 8 oz

21. Why did you name him/her the name you picked? We named him Ethan Gilbreth. We just liked the name Ethan and Gilbreth is my mom's maiden name. She has no brothers to carry on the family name, and her father was an only child. So the name would shortly die out in our family.

The Pumpkin Patch

Last Wednesday I got to chaperon Ethan's class to a local pumpkin patch. Well, it's not very local because it was over 30 miles away, but it was worth the trip. The pumpkin patch field trip is by far my favorite all year. It was an incredible place with so much to do! A hayride, giant slides, a pumpkin shaped bounce house, a tractor pulled train, and numerous fields of pumpkins!

We had so much fun. Ethan wasn't hesitant at all to go down the giant slides, which surprised me. He did them over and over. They were even a little too tall for me! Lauren stayed in the sling most of the time and cuddled while Hailey tried to keep up with Ethan and his friends. We will have to take Daddy back there sometime because this is now on our list of "favorites".