Gender Prediction Tests #1

According to the highly scientific ring test, we are going to have 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. Both the ring test over my wrist and over my belly says that this one is going to be a boy, followed by a girl, another girl, and then another boy. I guess only time will tell. I'm also craving salty foods, not sweet, which indicates a boy. According to the Chinese birth calendar (I think) it says I should have a boy, but I've read conflicting information about whether you're supposed to use the age you are when you conceive, versus adding the 9 months you spent in your mother's womb. I'm fairly certain that in order to be traditionally accurate I should add 9 months, which makes it a boy. I will mention that we did the ring test on my friend Karen and it was wrong. It said she should have a boy, and she's having a girl. Again, only time will tell.

Good news!

My second set of blood work came back and my hCG level is now at almost 7,000, which is fantastic. That's definitely more than doubling every 48 hours, and is on the high end of normal for how far along I am, and I'm only one day into week 5! I cannot express how much of a relief this is. I was dreading hearing reassurances that it was ok that I didn't double, and that everything was still most likely fine. Well, everything is definitely great! David says my levels now are higher than my levels at 6 weeks with my last pregnancy (he has a crazy memory for stuff like that). So I'm ready to take bets on whether there are one or two in there! We'll find out in a week! I'm so excited!

There's definitely a different feeling about this pregnancy. From long before I even could have tested I just...knew. In a strange, not possible way, but I did. And though I've certainly been worrying myself sick, I haven't been nearly as concerned as I was last time, and last time I was right too. I have been given a prescription for Ambien though, so hopefully I'll get some real shut eye tonight.

7 days! I don't know how I'll make it! At least my parents will be here tomorrow through Tuesday to keep me occupied. Then only one and a half days!

Sleep

Still haven't slept again yet. I'm waiting to call both my PCM and midwife at 9 to get an appointment and some advice. All I have the energy to do is blog about how tired I am, which just makes me a whiner, but I just want to put my head on the pillow and go to sleep! Why can't I? What is going on that my brain refuses to go into sleep mode? My parents are getting in tomorrow and there's still so much I wanted to get done first. I know they won't judge, but I wish the bedroom were emptier. That will be my one task for the day, well, I suppose it is multiple tasks. Laundry, sorting, sweeping, mopping, and putting things away in the kitchen. I need to move my cookbooks to the cupboard so I can put the electric skillet on the shelf. And the never ending dirty dishes. And SLEEP. Blah.

David just left for work, or is about to, so I'm moving back into bed. Here's to another try.

Insomnia

So far I've determined that neither Tylenol PM nor Unisom will give me a full night's rest. I got about 5 hours of sleep tonight though, and that's more than the past 3 nights. I think my remaining choices are Robitussin, Benadryl, and Sudafed. I have Nyquil, but the internet says I shouldn't take that because of the Dextromethorphan. Walgreens opens in about an hour and a half, so I'll go pick some up then. It sucks that every day I go to Walgreens and spend money on medication to help me sleep that doesn't work. I don't understand why my hormones are seemingly physically preventing me from sleeping, no matter how tired I am. I lie down exhausted and yet sleep doesn't come.

And I just finished puking up yogurt into the kitchen sink. This pregnancy stuff is fun. If it doesn't kill me first I might just have a baby.

Pregnancy Resolutions

I'm not exactly the healthiest person, so in order to give my baby the best possible pre-natal gifts, I am making some pregnancy resolutions.

1. I will take my prenatal vitamin every day (I didn't say they would be hard).
2. I will follow the recommended pregnancy diet, increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates that I eat, while decreasing the amount of sugar and useless calories that make up more of my diet than I want to own up to.
3. I will walk for 30 minutes every day, barring illness or other circumstances that prevent me.
4. I will do a yoga workout 3-4 times a week.
5. I will do 30 minutes of some other form of cardio twice a week, coupled with some form of strengthening exercise.
6. I will remember to do kegels.
7. I will be in bed by midnight (fat chance, but hey).
8. I will drink lots of water, eliminating as many sugary drinks as I can.

That's it for now. I'm already hard at work on walking and drinking water. I've been better about what I eat, though part of that is because I don't have much of an appetite, even when I'm hungry. I was on a yoga routine before and it was amazing how good it made me feel, so I'm looking forward to starting it up again. The hardest part for me is going to be getting my extra cardio and strength training in and going to bed on time. But my baby deserves the best I can offer, and this is it. I'm not in great shape now, so I won't be overdoing it, but the thought of going through labor in the body I have now is daunting, because I have no strength and no stamina.

I'm hungry now. Time to feed the baby.

Blood work

Luckily my midwife is extremely accommodating. I called again and they not only ordered another hCG test, but the rest of my blood work. So tomorrow I'll have results and can hopefully breathe a little easier. Waiting for my ultrasound is nerve wracking. I think I'll have David bring the camera to take a video, but only after we've already determined that everything is ok. Waiting a whole week is torturous though, even though I know there's nothing to do but wait.

Being open...

I have to admit to sitting in bed listening to my blog music since I posted my last one. Sometimes I cry. Hormones and an absolutely desperate desire produce waterworks, I guess.