Pregnancy Diaries - Week 20

I've reached the half-way mark & it feels great but a little strange.  I can't believe I'm already at 20 weeks - but then I counted out how long it is until December --- and there are still 20 weeks left of being pregnant!  That sounds like such a long time!

Today we actually go in for the ultrasound and we have decided to find out the gender.  I am excited to find out - but as I've stated in the previous posts I'm a little nervous.  I think part of that is for the gender, but also partly is because I haven't felt totally connected to this pregnancy in many ways.  I've had a few friends that have miscarried or had severe complications in their pregnancies & I kept thinking because I was older perhaps there was more chance something could go wrong.  I've noticed that I've distanced myself a little bit from this pregnancy and I can only think it's because I've wanted to spare myself some feelings on the off-chance we also had something go wrong.  I hope & pray that everything comes back completely normal & fine from the ultrasound, but for whatever reason I've had it in my mind that something may not be just right.  I think that with my first 3 children I was rather young & naive to everything that could go wrong - again, now I see how many complications there can be with a pregnancy and also the different situations that children might be born with.  I'm not trying to be a walking sound of doom - I just can't shake the feeling that something is different this time.  Perhaps (and hopefully) I will be proved wrong within a few hours at the ultrasound and all will be well.

On to the report from the past few weeks!  It's been a rather eventful 2 weeks as far as our family life goes - there is so much to catch up on besides these Pregnancy Diaries - and I will be working to catch up over the next few weeks on our summer adventures :)

* Bryson Jr. was baptized this past Saturday & it was one of the most incredible days our family has experienced!  There was a lot to prepare as we held the baptism at a different time than the Stake Baptisms and so we were in charge of our own program & then we opted to hold a little Luau lunch after the ordinance for family & friends to stay and visit and kiddos to play together.  I get really excited for events - this was no different, but my body obviously handles things very differently with being pregnant.  I was up late the days before the event - I didn't get to bed until 2am on Saturday morning & woke up at 6am to start on cooking again.  I didn't feel great - but made sure to eat something for breakfast and before I knew it the baptism was under way.  Afterwards when I was in the kitchen getting the food ready with family who was amazing & helping out - I started to feel an intense headache and then suddenly I had that feeling that things were not going well!  I ran down the hall - could not find a bathroom & then opened a door outside and threw up.  We were ready to start the lunch fairly soon after that, and I tried to eat something but nothing sounded or tasted good.  It ended up near the end of the lunch that I threw up again - I tried to make it as far away from the crowd as possible...I sort of succeeded :)  The rest of the day I was so tired and rather listless - Bryson Sr. was amazing & stepped in and carried on with cleaning up from the activity --- he is not one that loves when I plan an event, but thankfully I didn't hear one 'So, I told you that....'  He was a real gem to help out so that I could go home & try to sleep off a bit of how sick I felt.  Anyway - lesson learned....I can still do events and plan things - I just need to take into account that I need a lot more sleep beforehand and to eat consistently through.

*We were up at Bear Lake at the first of last week for a Lord Family Reunion.  The last day, we decided to drive up to a little hike Bryson remembers from when he was younger.  I'm happy to say that I did the hike with everyone!  It was not long - about a mile up and a mile back down, and for the most part it was an easier walk over dirt trails into this beautiful valley area....but the first hike UP that mountain was hard and I realized how out of shape I am (and that we should have worn tennis shoes & not flip-flops!).  I hope to do more physical activities in the weeks ahead, but especially pick up a consistent exercise routine when the kiddos are back in school for the last months of this pregnancy.

* I realized towards the end of when I was really nauseous and sick that one of the few drinks that I felt better with was Caffeine-Free Diet Coke.  Strange I know!  Bryson & I have mostly sworn of carbonated drinks in our life & home - for a rare treat the kiddos get to have root beer when we go out to eat or maybe as Root Beer Floats for FHE - but we just know that we feel better when we don't have carbonated drinks. So, imagine my surprise when this coke product became my new friend when my stomach was feeling queasy.  I don't have it as often as I did weeks ago - but I still enjoy a glass now & again, and I need to remember that it's medicinal and not for enjoyment...so I won't get hooked!  {I was hooked on Diet Coke when I taught for those few years - it was so hard to break the habit, but once broken I haven't been back....now to just stay that way even though I'm using it every so often with the pregnancy!}

* I can feel the baby move a bit more frequently now.  In fact, last night I did a quick movement where I was reaching for something while we were having family scripture time & I received a swift kick or elbow from that little one!  It surprised me so much that I gave a little yell & I dropped what I had been reaching for.  The kiddos were all concerned & wanted to know why I had yelled out - and are excited for the time when the baby is moving a bit more consistently so they can feel a love jab as well :)

I'll be back to report on the status from the ultrasound later today or this week - and to give updates on family life before I forget.  Oh - that was the one sad and yet now comical part of preparing for the baptism. I was having a terrible time forgetting things on Friday - I really think it was due to the pregnancy that I was forgetting so much!  I have to write these things down before my pregnancy brain or just my regular forgetfulness - forgets them!