Weekending: Fall Family Fun

This weekend was for fall family fun.

We kicked off the weekend on Friday night with a visit to the local nature center for day 2 of their 4 day Halloween celebration. Every year they set up two short trails through the woods lit only with jack o' lanterns and luminaries. It is a non-scary, family friendly experience. It was my sister and my almost 4 year old nephew's first time at this event, whereas my dad, step-mom, and I have been many times before.

On Saturday, in keeping with the theme, I enjoyed a bowl of pumpkin soup for lunch and then my husband and I were off to a big family party in honor of the twins' 12th birthday. His family throws big parties for each kid's birthday, attended by all the aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends, etc. that live within a two hour radius. They do this all the way through age 21! It's very different from how my family did birthdays for us as kids. We had small, casual kids parties and small family gatherings with just our grandparents. There was already discussion of us having to compete with one of the cousins for future party dates because their younger son has a birthday at the end of March, just a couple days after our due date. Apparently, it has never even occurred to any of them that I might have no intention of hosting birthday parties for 30-50 people every year (or any year). I'm starting to worry about the number of people that will descend on us in the hospital after the baby is born (or worse, while the baby is being born?).

Speaking of the baby, I cannot get used to having my abdomen be the focus of everyone's attention. It freaks me out when people demand to see my "bump." I wore a loose shirt to the party and was asked multiple times to pull it tight across my stomach to show off the true size of my baby bump. I realize it's done with good intentions. Everyone is SO excited about the new baby in the family. It's really sweet how thrilled they all are.

Linking up with Karen at Pumpkin Sunrise.

Pregnancy: Some things that have helped so far

The all-encompassing nausea I mentioned in the last post has really affected life over the last few months.

Although I haven't had any of the infamous food cravings, I have plenty of food aversions: ice cream (what??), french fries, avocados, hummus, and garlic. I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting one, but my brain is mostly mush these days.

I am feeling slightly better, but there are still a lot of dicey moments each day. Earlier on, I spent every second of every day with my teeth clenched and every ounce of energy focused on NOT BARFING. I think because of the extreme effort that required, I had nothing left for anything else. When my phone dinged to notify me of new emails, etc., the sound made me physically ill because it meant that I would have to divert some of my not-barfing energies to checking my phone. I got seriously behind in my emails. I gave up reading blogs (all caught up now, thanks). I scrolled through Facebook in brief spurts and dropped Twitter altogether. Every time I opened a book, I'd make it only a few lines before I had to set the book back down and shut my eyes to attempt to regain the little control I had over my nausea.

The prescription prenatal vitamins I was taking were a daily source of trouble. It became more and more challenging to get the giant horse pills down my throat successfully. When I mentioned it to my nurse, she advised trying some OTC gummy prenatals. I left the office and went immediately to the store to buy some, but I've always disliked gummy candies (seriously, what is the appeal?) and the gummy prenatals quickly became another trial. So now, again at my nurse's recommendation, I'm taking two chewable Flintstones daily.

Here are some other things that have helped me so far:

Sea-Band Mama! These look silly and make me feel like I should be playing tennis, but I've been wearing them every single day since week 10.

Preggie Pop Drops. I carry these in my purse everywhere I go.

Ginger candies. I hate ginger. Hate. But my sister-in-law got me some of these and desperate times call for desperate measures. So I carry these in my purse too. I think they work mostly because they distract me from the nausea with their vile, horrible taste and texture.

SweeTarts. My nurse also suggested sour candies, specifically Sour Patch Kids, but ugh, gummies. No thanks. So I tried SweeTarts, which do seem to help, at least in the moment. Of course, they may also cause my teeth to fall out, but whatevs.

Although not for nausea, another essential I've found so far is what I call my "boob tube" for sleeping. It's a skin tight spandex tank top with a built-in shelf bra, which provides support when I'm tossing and turning, trying to find a comfortable position at night. Because tender doesn't even begin to accurately describe the situation.

It's also imperative that I eat almost non-stop, which I need to address immediately. Time for an apple!


(These are not affiliate links, just random things that have seemed to help me.)

Check In: 16 Weeks

Yes, I'm still here. I'm just struggling to keep up with life.

As the title of this post indicates, I am 16 weeks into this pregnancy. My first and much desired pregnancy. I've spent my entire adult life dreaming about not just having kids, but being pregnant. I imagined I'd be one of those perky women wearing cute clothes and basking in the glory of pregnancy.

Ha! Reality, you suck. In truth, this has been the single most unpleasant experience of my life. I have no idea how or why anyone would intentionally do this more than once. And that's coming from someone who never, ever had any interest in having an only child. The constant nausea, the exhaustion, the getting up to pee all night long, the extreme burping, and now feeling like an over-filled balloon about to pop. I'm well-aware it only gets worse from here, so don't feel the need to educate me.

And on top of all the physical discomfort, there's the emotional loss of self. I can't do many of the things that made up my daily routine: reading, writing, and walking. Nope, no can do. Every time I try going for a walk, I end up feeling a thousand times worse later in the day. Plus, I'm short-tempered and demanding, or as my husband says, mean.

I hope that after the baby comes I remember who I am beneath all this yuckiness. Of course, then I will be so sleep-deprived that I probably won't care who I am.

(Please don't lecture me on how I should feel blessed. I am 38 years old. We tried for 10 cycles before one took. This is just where I am at mentally and I think it's OK for me to admit it's not all sunshine and roses.)

Oh, and it's a BOY.

Fall Camping at Eighth Lake

This past weekend we returned to our favorite campground, Eighth Lake, for a relaxing getaway. We didn't plan any specific hikes or activities; we just enjoyed the lovely fall colors and perfect weather. Our campsite was waterfront, so we had gorgeous views across the lake. Our new sling chairs made lounging by the fire even more comfy. All in all, a delightful weekend.

 

Check out: why we love Eighth Lake.