Pregnancy Sucks

No joke.  Pregnancy does not agree with me.  As I'm now 41 weeks pregnant, I have forgotten a lot of the horrors of those first 25 weeks.  Yep, 25.  Not the 12 weeks of morning sickness that they advertise, but 25 weeks of all day, I'd-rather-be-dead sickness.  The details are growing fuzzier, but I specifically recall being convinced that: 

1) I will never have more children

2) If fighting a terminal disease is more challenging than pregnancy, I do not have that "fight" in me.  I would give up on day 2.

I didn't have normal pregnant lady symptoms either.  Well, I had heart palpitations, headaches, exhaustion and I did my fair share of gagging and throwing up.  But I didn't have food aversions or cravings.  Instead, I had this horrible feeling in my stomach that was only improved slightly by round the clock eating.  A saltine wasn't going to cut it either.  I was downing cereal, beef vegetable soup, fruit, and lean cuisine meals all before lunch time.  The soup and cereal were pretty key to my survival.  I also had this awesome sensitivity on my stomach and neck.  I couldn't stand for any pressure on my abdomen or anything coming anywhere near my throat.  I walked to work (unclear how I managed that) with my winter coat down around my waist.  People surely thought I was crazy as I was speed-walking past them gagging.

I was lucky to have the amazing support of Beau and my family.  Otherwise I would certainly have never left the bed.  My parents visited us every weekend, stocking our fridge with food to sustain us through the week and helping Beau catch up on laundry and cleaning.  Poor Beau took care of me around the clock and never complained when I woke him up every morning at 4am for some cinnamon toast crunch in bed.

So after that long, sad saga, here is my list of things that I could not have survived without:

Herbal Tea

Cinnamon Toast Crunch - best at 4am

Beef Vegetable Soup - best for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Boppy - sleep lifesaver but I can't even pin point why

Burts Bees Foot Lotion - for the dry feet that woke me in the middle of the night

Water Bottle with Straw - Cosco brand from JoAnns are the best

Disposable Face Wash Cloths - for when you are too sick to wash your face standing up

I'll have to remember to stock up on these for next time...because a "next time" doesn't sound quite so scary anymore.  I'll be hating myself for that one, later.  I'll add pretty pictures to this post later...

I'm Baaaaaaaaack!

And pregnant!  I'm not sure where to begin or how much information to share...  In the interest of over sharing, I'll start at the beginning.  We learned I was pregnant on December 18.  I was only 4 weeks.  I had taken a test that morning and left it out while I crawled back in bed.  When Beau got up a little later, he called to me that it was negative.  A minute later he said, "you can barely see the second line".  I flew out of bed, knowing that any piece of a second line meant it was positive.  Beau was a little startled by that revelation and we were both a bit skeptical of the results.  Two more tests over the next couple of days confirmed our Christmas surprise.  The timing was perfect to share with our parents over the holidays, but we were both very nervous that I'd miscarry, so our enthusiasm was a bit reserved.  I have a way of taking the fun out of things ;)

On Christmas Eve, we asked my parents if we could give them some early Christmas gifts.  I gave my mom the book Someday by Alison McGhee.  She's read the book before and knew right away why I'd give it to her.  Inside I wrote a note, "Merry Christmas Grandma, see you in August!"  To my Dad I gave a few wood-crafting, toy books.  Hint hint, get crafting Dad!  They were both a little caught off guard by our news, but the tears came quick.  Happy tears, I think, even from my dad who is not exactly a fan of kids.

We spent the rest of the Christmas holiday enjoying time with family and counting down the days until we were out of the 12 week miscarriage zone.  If only we had known what little time we had to revel in the excitement of the pregnancy before I was hit by the morning sickness bus just one week later!  To be continued...

Wise Words

I discovered this website today.  It is full of smart advice and words of wisdom passed down from grandparents.  Enjoy!

Pretty Lights

I've been seeing this photo, from Domino magazine, circulating all through the blogosphere.

I love those lights, but they don't seem incredibly practical or helpful over the bathroom sink.  I'm pretty sure I'd hit my head, daily.  You can find them at Shades of Light.  I think they'd make for some pretty amazing bedside lamps.  At $319 a piece, I'll keep dreaming  looking for a knockoff.

Vacation Dreaming: Hopetown, Bahamas

Another cold, dark day calls for a little vacation dreaming.  Hopetown is my go-to dream.  I traveled here with my family when I was younger and have idolized the beaches, water, and adorable town, ever since.

Hopetown is located on Elbow Cay in the Abacos.  It's not a popular tourist destination because it's a bit tricky to get to.  All the better.  Visitors fly into Marsh Harbor and take a short ferry ride to Hopetown.  Once there, locals travel by foot, boat, or golf cart.


If Beau and I were visiting, I think we'd stay in one of these teeny tiny bungalows.  This one sits right on the beach.

This one sits on a small island just outside of Hopetown.  It includes a boat with rental.

This place sits right in the harbor, with a great view of the anchorage.

This place is a little more expensive, but on the gorgeous Tahiti beach with a private dock.


We'd do lots of fishing and snorkeling, and spend the afternoons at Abaco Inn, where I recall they make a delicious Pina Colada.

 I had a virgin colada the last time we were there, but I'm sure it would be just as tasty the traditional way!