Rebekah Ann is here! :-)

Rebekah Ann was born on September 17th (she shares her birthday with my brother and Mike's brother) and weighs 10 lbs 3 oz and is 22 1/4 in long. We both are doing very well. It was a faster delivery than Sarah. This one was unassisted as well since my midwife didn't make it until 20 min after she was born. I will post pictures and birth story, hopefully soon. :-)

Home visit and check up~37 weeks

We had our home visit with my midwife yesterday. It went really well. My bp was up (146/96) and had protein in my urine. We know that the protein was because I has not hydrated enough and had not eaten very much yesterday. I have been doing so much the past few days to a week that I haven't been drinking enough water or tea and not eating very much. My anxiety level has been up too. I was just so worried that I wouldn't have everything we needed, that the house wouldn't be clean like I wanted it to, that my midwife would think our tub wasn't big enough (it is a garden tub), that I was going to go into labor now and for some reason I have started worrying about the pain. Well, we have everything we need, she loves the layout of our bedroom and bathroom and LOVES the tub, the house is decluttered and organized, I am not in labor and I can handle the pain...I know what to do about it. Plus yesterday and today I have been hydrating like crazy (like I used to) and eating. My bp @ Walmart was 144/75. Which is great for being at Walmart! lol I also got the tinctures I needed to get (Hawthorne berry and Passion Flower), plus liquid calcium, colloidial silver, more vitamin C with bioflavinoids, and tea tree oil. Soon, this little one will be here and I will have one other person to cuddle with. :-)

Midwife appointment~35wks

Everything went really well. I met her new apprentice and she is really nice. :-) I gained 2 lbs, my bp was up a little on the bottom ( still in the normal range though ) but we think we figured out why so all's good! lol The heart beat was 144 and the baby is in LOA position! YAY! The baby will probably switch between ROA and LOA but that's not a problem. We received the birthkit on Saturday and I am ordering the Rhogam on Thursday or Friday. There is still a few things to get and a few things to get in order but everything will get done...even if I have to delegate it! lol

Midwife appointment~33wks & first softball practice

My appointment went really well. My bp was 120/74 and we attributed it being up a little more because I was by myself with all 3 kids and about something that had happened earlier (no need to go into details). So basically it was stress related, but still within normal range. My pulse was actually a little lower than usual...not sure why. The baby is in the same position, ROA. The heart tones were at 136 and it has been that way for a while. I am also measuring right on target but you wouldn't think so because my belly is HUGE! I will take a pic next week, it will be 4wks since last belly pic. We talked for a little bit and that's it. She has noticed that either I am not swelling at all or if I am, it doesn't last. Oh and I gained a pound. I actually hope I gained a pound and not the baby. Mike keeps saying this baby will be over 10 lbs! Anyway, the baby is healthy, I am healthy and I am believing the labor, birth and post-partum will be healthy as well.

Yesterday was Rachel's first softball practice. I would have pics but I didn't want to be THAT mom on the first day of practice. She was really nervous and reserved at first. We didn't know ANYONE there. Towards the end she started opening up and participating better. She is really excited that her team name is CHAOS and the color is red! She is also really excited that she needs a helmet, bat and maybe a batting glove and bag. She is really nervous about the games and people watching her. But I believe she will get more used to it from doing the practices. There were some parents there that really got on my last nerve! They were getting way too into it and trying to coach their kid from the bleachers. This was the FIRST practice, it was JUST a practice and these are 7-8 yr old girls! There was one dad that berated his daughter for missing the ball. Mike and I were floored at the behavior of some of the parents. I am so glad the coach told the children not to listen to the parents while they were on the field and if the parents couldn't encourage their child positively then to not say anything. Mike said that if he were the coach, he wouldn't allow the parents at the practices. Rachel also picked her jersey number. She is number 10. :-) I am so glad that if they can't make a game or practice, that it is ok. That is good considering it is soon to be that time for this baby to come.

Anyway, that was most of our day yesterday. It was fun...but tiring. :-)

Positions of Baby in Utero

Here are different positions of baby in utero. The best positions for the optimum labor and delivery are ROA & LOA.

My midwife appointment~31wks

My appointment went REALLY well! I gained 1 lb but that is ok. My bp was 98/64! Which is AWESOME! I usually had elevated bp every now and then with my past pregnancies. The baby has moved from posterior to an LOA position which is great! We finally heard the heartbeat with the fetoscope! Usually the baby is pretty stubborn and we have had to use the doppler but since the baby was not posterior...we got to hear it! The heartbeat was 136 and that has been the bpm for a few appointments. We talked a for a while about different things, mostly relating to homebirth and vbac. It was a nice visit and I can't wait to go back! Most people can't say that about their in-hospital care providers. :-)

My midwife appointment~29wks

Everything went very well. I lost another 2 lbs, which is ok. My bp was 116/68 and the baby's heartrate was 136. My hydration and glucose is good (there was no glucose spillage in my urine and I had just had a muffin on the way over). She thinks this baby is going to be big. The baby is head down but posterior but that is ok...I need to stop sitting in my recliner and do pelvic tilts. We were talking about my labor with Sarah and I mentioned that I prayed and sang during the labor. Then we recalled this amazing video:




I also enjoy Amazing Grace by Chris Tomlin



This is one of my favorite hymns



I sang these songs when I was in labor with Sarah






Ok, I can't help it...this is another great song!

My midwife appointment

Well, for starters, the trip to the inlaws was pretty much uneventful. I think I am still recovering from not getting as much sleep and/or rest that I should have gotten. I didn't get to exercise at all...I was in the van too much! Yesterday I was really tired and today I am a little tired but it isn't as bad as yesterday.

Monday was my midwife appointment and it went great! I have lost about 2-3 lbs in the last 3 weeks. We attribute that to me exercising and eating better...plus drinking A LOT water and my pregnancy tea. My blood sugar was normal for my 2hr so that is great. It is 20min until 11am and I haven't had anything to eat yet. I have been up since about 8:30am. I am hungry, but not feeling sick. I have taken my vitamins and chlorophyll. Also my blood is clotting very well. When she pricked my finger it clotted in about 6 sec. We are not sure but the baby could be breech or at least somewhat transverse (was at last u/s). But there is still a lot of room for the baby to move. I am feeling kicks everywhere. I am probably getting another u/s at the end of the month. I have been looking on www.spinningbabies.com so I know what to do just in case this baby is breech. I am also going to get a good pregnancy belt because that is supposedly good at lifting the baby out of the pelvis so they can move and get in the correct position. My blood pressure is good and other than the first 4mths or so...this has been a great pregnancy. My midwife even commented on how well I looked and that made me feel so good. I am not worried or concerned about the labor and delivery. I just keep thinking that I won't have anything ready for the birth and the baby! Mike and my midwife have told me that everything will be great and not to worry. Maybe I should start listening to them! :-)

What I am doing to make this pregnancy healthy...

Now I am trying to anyway. I can never gain "a little" weight when I am pregnant, no matter what I do. These are things I am doing to make this pregnancy more bearable and more healthy.

• sitting on my birth/exercise ball for at least 2hrs off and on a day
• drinking pregnancy tea (rrl, nettles and alfalfa), the new blend I am going to use has those 3 plus lemon balm, peppermint and oatstraw. I fill my coffee pot up to the 8 cup mark and tie the loose tea (a loose handful) in a coffee filter. It works great! I put no lemon or any sweetener in tea...for some reason I handle it better that way.
• I try to walk 3mi a day with my walking DVDs. If I can only do 1mi that is good, at least it is something. I also use resistance bands and 3 lb free weights.
• I DRINK A LOT of water and besides the tea, that is all I drink. I don't think you can drink too much while pregnant.
• I try to eat at least one cucumber a day
  

• I take many, many vitamins
  

1. SuperMom multi (I am going to take SuperDad when these are finished, they are the same but without the iron. I don't need it.) (2)
   
2. Calcium with Magnesium (3)
   
3. Chromium (1)
   
4. Cod Liver Oil (3 2x a day)
   
5. Garlic (3 2x a day)
   
6. Cranberry (3 2x a day)
   
7. alfalfa (5 2x a day)
8. I am going to start taking liquid chlorophyll when I get the order this week

• I am using A LOT more natural ingredients in my cooking and not buying any junk. Hubby is ok with that because he is wanting to eat more healthy (that is helping me a lot).

• I do not cook with anything except cast iron and stainless steel.
• Eating raw almonds to help with heartburn is a MUST! They are A LOT better for you than those sugary, chalky tums!
  

I think that is it...there may be more but sometimes this pregnancy brain isn't working to it's capacity! lol Hubby and I are really intrigued by the book Nourishing Traditions but haven't bought it yet...maybe one day. Oh and the one thing that has relaxed me during pregnancy. Sitting on the birth/exercise ball and listening to praise music. Nothing is better than praising the Lord when you have doubts encircling you and there He is to pick you up to tell you that everything will be ok. You are praising Him but there He is to lift you up. He is amazing!

Bebe Pool

I started a baby pool at Bebe Pool

This could be interesting! lol

Where did the time go?

I "think" I am actually starting to feel better...well, part of the day anyway. We had another ultrasound at 15w 6d and we think boy but it was an early ultrasound so we are going to go for another at 20w or so. Here is the ultrasound:

The baby was very shy and would not open his or her legs. But the boy feeling is not escaping me and the Lord is saying for me to believe Him...so I am.

I have been crying some about the deployment still but I am handling it really well...at least for a pregnant woman. I made a military wife no-no (at least for a wife of a soldier like my husband). He told me that number of troops that may be needed from the GA ARNG are lowering. So I said, "That means that you may not have to go!" Ok, anyone who has seen Army Wives and saw the episode before last (when Roxy's husband got hurt at the pool) knows how he felt when she said that to him. That is exactly the way my husband feels. He is a soldier through and through and loves his unit and the Guard. Sure, he wishes he was still able to be a Ranger and in his heart he always will be but this is his calling now. He wants to do his job. They are trying to fast track his promotion so if they do get to send someone...the experienced NCO's will go. I am trying not to think about it too much, I have a healthy baby to grow. Well, that's all for now...I am tired and need to go to bed.

What has been happening...

Well, I haven't written in a while. I have been really, really sick. I am getting better but it is still pretty bad. I haven't thrown up this week so that is good. I can barely function. My house is a mess. I can only stand up for like 5min so very little gets done. I have been pretty emotional lately too. I cry at the drop of a hat. I have been thinking about Mike going to Afghanistan more and it is tearing me up. We haven't even told any of my husband's side of the family we are expecting and only his brother and his wife know about Afghanistan. They are always pretty negative when they find out we are expecting. I haven't even been able to go to church and that is hurting. We got to hear the baby's heartbeart Monday at my midwife's house. It is about 160. Here is an u/s picture from the previous Monday. I pray I feel better soon.