12 Weeks and 1 Day!

Good evening, beloved readers. How is everyone on this fine, snowy evening? It is a balmy 23 degrees here at the moment, with a light snow, which is downright tropical compared to the single digit temps we've experienced in the last week. My husband is enjoying watching The Football, which, to me, has the entertainment value of watching cornflakes absorb milk [The Superbowl...? I go for the snacks and the commercials. I totally zone out during the actual game part. Of course there's usually such a crowd that I can't actually hear the commercials, so really I should just stay home and be a nerd and read a book...], but I'm happy for him, you know? And he's making the Tender Melt-in-your-Mouth Braised Beef for me right now (CRAVING POT ROAST recently, oh my goodness...) which is what people make when they forget/ are too lazy to put stuff in the crock pot 6 hours before meal time. So all in all, there is Peace in the Nebiverse. And a nagging something in the back of my head about Laundry, but we'll get to that in just a bit...

So anyway, as the title announces I am just ONE WEEK away from being done with the first trimester! W00t! Morning sickness has definitely been lighter this time around- which actually lends just a bit of scientific credibility to my entirely non-scientific hunch that I am having a boy. Hopefully we'll find out with an ultrasound in about 8 weeks. Perhaps some of you have noticed the lack of weekly updates and Weight Gain tracking this time around... Chalk it up to the loss of novelty with a second pregnancy, and also the fact that I'm not quite as interested in obsessing over my weight this time because... well, how do I say this...

At the doctor's office on November 26th, right after I first found out I was pregnant, I weighed 165.5 lbs. (granted, I think I was wearing a jacket and shoes.)

When I was THIRTY SIX weeks pregnant with Madelaine (ie right before I gave birth), I weighed about 167.

!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am sharing this information with you, internets, to encourage all you Skinny Chicks out there (you know who you are!!) who freak out about gaining 50 lbs when you're pregnant (and then lose almost all of it afterwards.) See! It could be worse! You could START your second pregnancy close to the point where you ENDED your first one!!

I'm probably not as upset or concerned about this as I should be. (Or, I shouldn't be? So it's all good? Why, thanks.) How did this happen, you ask? Well, I exclusively nursed my child for the first 12 months of her life, which is supposed to really help with the weight loss thing. BUT, I also dropped out of grad school, which means that I had more free time on my hands, so that in addition to my grad school diet of donuts, cake, and coffee, I added (not replaced, added) more nutritious choices like Normal Meals. I don't know, too many calories, not enough exercise, plus my BUM THYROID. Yeah, my thyroid numbers have been not so great for the past year, and that slows metabolism, so let's just blame that, shall me?

Anyhoo, I am really so very happy to be pregnant. And really so very apprehensive about doing this 2-kid thing... I would love to hear from those of you with 2+ kids... advice? Strategies? I think my greatest concern is that Madelaine 1) loves, loves, LOVES to nurse- which is great- but it's hard for me to imagine her being patient while I nurse The Newborn? Especially if said Newborn likes to nurse as much and as long as she did? And yes, I am willing to try nursing them both at once, but don't know whether or not that will work for me... 2) is WAY into the attachment thing. Nurses to sleep for every nap, at nighttime, and every time she wakes up in the middle of the night. So let's say, theoretically, that the new baby and I sleep in bed with Nate and Madelaine sleeps in her own bed in her own room. So if she wakes up 6 times in the night crying, and I get up every time to go to her, I'm not getting much sleep, right? So let's say the newborn and I sleep in Madelaine's room. Won't they cry and wake each other up? So I'm still not getting much sleep, right?

Oh internets! I LOVE MY SLEEP!

But I also sort of think I shouldn't worry too much about this, it will work itself out when the time comes (??), because I was overwhelmed at the thought of taking care of Newborn Madelaine and it turned out to be way easier than I thought, in a lot of ways...

Okay, time for something non-baby related...

I have been reading!

Ha, come to think of it, I guess a book about twins and sextuplets isn't exactly non-child-related... anyway I got this for Christmas, and it's a fun book- Kate is way more organized than I am, and, I have a feeling, sleeps a lot less. It's an interesting insight into their family. Also? I want you to know that the 10 Gosselins go through 3 gallons of milk a week. And the 3 Wentzels go through 2.5 gallons of milk a week. No wonder our grocery bill is insane...

Also reading:
This is the riveting first-hand experience of Carolyn Jessop, who escaped with her 8 children (I know, I know, with the kids already!!) from a very abusive family in the FLDS. It is AMAZING to me- and heartbreaking- that these things occurred in 21st century America, and I'm sure are still occuring today. Reading some horrific accounts of the child abuse that took place had the positive effect of making me hug Madelaine a little tighter, and see through the little inconveniences of motherhood to what's really important- my baby is safe and healthy and I adore her more than my own life.

Love, Neb