I wasn't exactly surprised that the pregnancy test was positive -- It had been about 10 weeks afterall. Six weeks late is pretty obvious, I just don't like the idea of wasting money on a pregnancy test, so I don't take one until I'm pretty darn certain.
That said, it's been a weird pregnancy so far. Usually I'm a bit morning sick, but nothing major, and that's it. This time, no morning sickness, but terrible "evening sickness" -- the further the day went on, the worse I felt. Every day. By early evening, I was reduced to sitting on the couch, half-watching the kids play. It was a really good day if I could make supper. And I've been feeling crummy, crummy, crummy.
And I've had the worst gas ever. This is somewhat normal early pregnancy for me, but not this bad, not this painful, and not with the horrid burps.
So, at my first appointment (when I was 12-13 weeks ish), I compained: I have headaches, I feel crummy all the time, I'm not digesting properly, I'm cold almost always, I'm super tired, when will it end? Aren't I out of first trimester? I should be feeling great! (I usually feel wonderful second trimester).
The midwife frowned and said, "I think we should add a thyroid test to your blood work".
That started me thinking. Hmm... thyroid. It could make sense to me.
Pretending to be the naturalist that I wish I was, I looked up "thyroid" in my trusty herb book. Kelp, Cayenne, and four or five other herbs that I didn't have on hand. I happened to also notice that all the "thyroid" herbs were also "diabetes" herbs. Aha! I wonder if this is gestational diabetes. I am heavier than I usually am when I start a pregnancy. I'm craving nothing but pasta. I'm eating way too many carbs, hmmm....
So I made up some kelp capsules (with a tiny sprinkling of cayenne, since it's only safe in the amounts you would put in food during pregnancy), and started taking them (I started at 2 a day, and then went up to 4 a day a couple of days ago). I also decided to limit my carbs - my trial number was 180 carbs a day -- no more than 30 at a time (3 meals, 3 snacks). It wasn't as hard as I expected, and I didn't feel as crummy. I felt even better when I cut it to 90 carbs a day, and better yet at 30 carbs a day.
But I still felt somewhat crummy, especially after a half-muffin for breakfast (my estimated 30 carbs for that day). So yesterday I tried going without all breads, but I let myself eat a few starchy veggies (to make my guess at 30 carbs). I felt better than I had in a while, and didn't have gas -- but I was still really tired and had a horrid headache. It started me thinking though, "I wonder if it's not carbs, but wheat?"
I had been taking lactaid for my gas, since it was ubiquitous, and the only things I could think of that I eat all the time were dairy and wheat. It hadn't helped much. I just hadn't been willing to try going without wheat.
Today, I finally took the leap and decided to try the day wheat free, but not avoiding carbs in general. I'll tell you what. I feel good -- no headache, plenty of energy. I took a nap for only about 40 minutes (I've been sleeping for more like 1.5 hours at naptime). But I'm soooo hungry!
Oh, and I have no trace of extra gas in my system so far....
I think I'll be trying this wheat-free thing for a few more days, and maybe long term. It sure aint easy -- we're a very wheat-y family (we grind our own wheat for fresh whole-wheat flour, and make stuff with it pretty much every day). So we'll see.
I made some soaked-oatmeal granola bars, that maybe I can eat for breakfast when we have pancakes or muffins (which is about half the time), and I'm making turkey and potatoes for supper. I even had the energy to play at the park with the kids all morning long, and to hand my laundry out on the line! This is what I expect second trimester to be like!
So, got any great wheat-free recipes? (I'm also interested in trying soaked wheat or sourdough, just to see if that would appease my digestive system.... We tried sprouted wheat with terrible results though, and I don't think I could convince my husband to give that a second shot).
That to say, I'm starting to figure out what my system is demanding during this pregnancy. Sure hope it results in a healthy baby :)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Long time no see...
I'm feeling sad for not posting for a while.
So I thought I'd post my "25 things" that I just posted on Facebook -- to pretend that I'm not neglecting my blog, you see.
So here they are:
Amy's not-so-random 25 things
Is it true that it's better late than never? I'm finally joining in, and since I didn't catch the "random" part until just now (yep, I'm that slow), these are mostly in chronological order.
1. I dropped out of kindergarten
2. My parents wanted to be missionaries to France, in the Christian radio field. God didn't let them go, but now has fulfilled my Dad's dream by letting him work for K-Love. I love it when God fulfills dreams like that -- even later in life. It gives me hope that God will fulfill our dreams too -- even though it's so slow right now (see #11).....
3. I was home-schooled from second until eighth grade, then attended public school (one that had a "gay" homecoming and prom dances in addition to the "straight" ones, and that had police employed to walk the halls during school -- back in the early 90s). Talk about a social shock.
4. Grades were WAY too important to me in high school, and I got a 4.0 gpa. I probably would have attempted suicide if I hadn't.
5. After college I went to grad school because I was afraid to get a job.
6. I spent the summer of 1999 in Cameroon. It still is one of my favorite times in my entire life, and I'd love to go back if God ever allows that.
7. My other favorite time in my life was our honeymoon in the Smokey Mountains. We've been married 7 1/2 years. It barely feels like a start. We're definitely still on the learning curve. But it sure is fun!
8. When I met my husband (from a distance), I turned to Paul and said "I hope I never have to meet that guy".
9. When my husband met me (a few months later), he thought I was mentally handicapped. In some ways he was right.
10. God told us both that the other was who we should marry. So we decided we'd better get to know and like each other.
11. We got married with the intent to be missionaries in some way. Now we get depressed when we think about how this dream keeps getting farther and farther away. Someday.... We really are still pursuing it. School is just a hard time of life :)
12. My husband is the greatest Dad I know (or can even imagine). Even his mother says so.
13. One of the only fights I have EVER had with my husband was last autumn, and was over the night sky: whether the bright spot was a planet or an airplane. We joke about it now, and call moving, flashing objects planets.
14. I get easily addicted to time wasters and have to ban them from my life to stay productive. On a forever-ban are computer games. On a current temporary ban are blogs (even my own). Wish I could find a balance and just do things a little bit.
15. Partly because of #14, I can't even imagine having a TV. How would anything get done?
16. Both my husband and I are great at starting things, and not so great at finishing them. Every year we start a garden inside during the winter (this year's is really looking good). Last year, we lost interest before we ever planted them outside, and ended up with no garden. And we had started 8 flats. We're hoping that we don't do that again this year.
17. We have five kids. I've met four of them. We're hoping to meet the 5th in August or early September. How's that for an announcement? (Jennifer T, no, we're not copying you -- I knew I was prego when you announced yours :) When are you due?)
18. I never thought I would both work and be a mom (at the same time). God has a way of moving me out of my boxes.
19. I don't like condiments - ketchup, mustard, relish, anything with mayo, etc.
20. I don't really like pop either (sorry to Liz). Root beer is yummy, and I can handle a few sips of Squirt or Ruby Red Squirt, but all the "cola" type pops taste like medicine to me.
21. In spite of this, I don't consider myself a picky eater. Maybe I should reconsider that. I do like most healthy food :)
22. I'm really, really in to living cheaply. Make that frugally. I'm learning (slowly) not to be so cheap, and even to take money less seriously (I used to beat myself up for days when I accidentally wasted $5).
23. We own two houses. Anyone know someone who wants to buy a house in NE Lincoln? It's almost done!
24. It took me four weeks to come up with this list. (Mostly due to a wait on #17).
25. If it weren't for Chester, I'd have a horribly boring life. (I know, I'm pretty boring as it is, but at least we have an exciting life)
So I thought I'd post my "25 things" that I just posted on Facebook -- to pretend that I'm not neglecting my blog, you see.
So here they are:
Amy's not-so-random 25 things
Is it true that it's better late than never? I'm finally joining in, and since I didn't catch the "random" part until just now (yep, I'm that slow), these are mostly in chronological order.
1. I dropped out of kindergarten
2. My parents wanted to be missionaries to France, in the Christian radio field. God didn't let them go, but now has fulfilled my Dad's dream by letting him work for K-Love. I love it when God fulfills dreams like that -- even later in life. It gives me hope that God will fulfill our dreams too -- even though it's so slow right now (see #11).....
3. I was home-schooled from second until eighth grade, then attended public school (one that had a "gay" homecoming and prom dances in addition to the "straight" ones, and that had police employed to walk the halls during school -- back in the early 90s). Talk about a social shock.
4. Grades were WAY too important to me in high school, and I got a 4.0 gpa. I probably would have attempted suicide if I hadn't.
5. After college I went to grad school because I was afraid to get a job.
6. I spent the summer of 1999 in Cameroon. It still is one of my favorite times in my entire life, and I'd love to go back if God ever allows that.
7. My other favorite time in my life was our honeymoon in the Smokey Mountains. We've been married 7 1/2 years. It barely feels like a start. We're definitely still on the learning curve. But it sure is fun!
8. When I met my husband (from a distance), I turned to Paul and said "I hope I never have to meet that guy".
9. When my husband met me (a few months later), he thought I was mentally handicapped. In some ways he was right.
10. God told us both that the other was who we should marry. So we decided we'd better get to know and like each other.
11. We got married with the intent to be missionaries in some way. Now we get depressed when we think about how this dream keeps getting farther and farther away. Someday.... We really are still pursuing it. School is just a hard time of life :)
12. My husband is the greatest Dad I know (or can even imagine). Even his mother says so.
13. One of the only fights I have EVER had with my husband was last autumn, and was over the night sky: whether the bright spot was a planet or an airplane. We joke about it now, and call moving, flashing objects planets.
14. I get easily addicted to time wasters and have to ban them from my life to stay productive. On a forever-ban are computer games. On a current temporary ban are blogs (even my own). Wish I could find a balance and just do things a little bit.
15. Partly because of #14, I can't even imagine having a TV. How would anything get done?
16. Both my husband and I are great at starting things, and not so great at finishing them. Every year we start a garden inside during the winter (this year's is really looking good). Last year, we lost interest before we ever planted them outside, and ended up with no garden. And we had started 8 flats. We're hoping that we don't do that again this year.
17. We have five kids. I've met four of them. We're hoping to meet the 5th in August or early September. How's that for an announcement? (Jennifer T, no, we're not copying you -- I knew I was prego when you announced yours :) When are you due?)
18. I never thought I would both work and be a mom (at the same time). God has a way of moving me out of my boxes.
19. I don't like condiments - ketchup, mustard, relish, anything with mayo, etc.
20. I don't really like pop either (sorry to Liz). Root beer is yummy, and I can handle a few sips of Squirt or Ruby Red Squirt, but all the "cola" type pops taste like medicine to me.
21. In spite of this, I don't consider myself a picky eater. Maybe I should reconsider that. I do like most healthy food :)
22. I'm really, really in to living cheaply. Make that frugally. I'm learning (slowly) not to be so cheap, and even to take money less seriously (I used to beat myself up for days when I accidentally wasted $5).
23. We own two houses. Anyone know someone who wants to buy a house in NE Lincoln? It's almost done!
24. It took me four weeks to come up with this list. (Mostly due to a wait on #17).
25. If it weren't for Chester, I'd have a horribly boring life. (I know, I'm pretty boring as it is, but at least we have an exciting life)
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Scripture interpretation from kids
Every morning, as we finish breakfast, my husband reads us a short passage of scripture, then we work together at memorizing a verse (one verse per week).
Right now we're memorizing Psalm 23, in segments that are 2-3 phrases per week, rather than a strict verse per week. This week, our set is "My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life".
Yesterday, I overhead Lisel saying to Josephine: "My cup runs over your cup!".
Right now we're memorizing Psalm 23, in segments that are 2-3 phrases per week, rather than a strict verse per week. This week, our set is "My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life".
Yesterday, I overhead Lisel saying to Josephine: "My cup runs over your cup!".
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