There's a Bun in the Oven

For those of you who are oh so smart and caught on right away (and for those of you who didn't), yes, we are adding to the clan and expecting our 3rd child in March. The little bub has caused much tummy distress over the last 7+ weeks, which has been the reason for my absence in e-mail, blogging and life in general. I'm sure many of you have had the Please God, I'll never drink again... just make it stop! scenario, which is what I have felt like every day. Only I never had the fun party experience the night before, which, at least is some reward for the punishment. I'll spare you on the gory details but suffice to say, I'm stopping at 3. Even the anti-nausea meds didn't work this time.

Being nauseous for 14 hours each day (only to feel better when unconscious) has left me alot of time to think about how much pregnancy (mine, specifically) has changed since I am now of "advanced maternal age." Here's a few things I have discovered...

1. The nausea gets worse with each go around. Thankfully I am smart enough to realize this after the 3rd time, and not like college where it took me 4 years to realize Vodka gives me a migraine.

2. I never understood people that would be up peeing all night when they were a mere few weeks pregnant. I mean, it's the size of a grain of rice - how much pressure can there be on your bladder? With the 1st two, I didn't get up to pee at night even when I was 9 months and ready to pop. This time? I have been going like a water buffalo since about 6 weeks. My apologies for being a non-believer.

3. I never thought summer heat would bother me if I was pregnant. I am woman, ROAR! However, being nauseous = not eating/drinking = being dehydrated = being constipated. Add 90+ degrees and a car with broken AC and voila! Just when I thought I couldn't get any sicker...

4. Each day when I pray for the weeks to pass so the nausea can follow, I secretly pray that one day I will be reunited with my long lost love, Diet Coke. Perhaps there will come a day when it won't make me gag at the mere thought. A girl can dream.

5. Third child syndrome has already set in. I forgot my 2nd OB appt. With recent pregnancies, I used to count the days from the time I left the office until I'd be back a month later. Now I wonder how many appts. I will actually make vs. miss.

6. This will be my first time not having maternity leave. So in essence, I will not get a break from my job. It may be time to think about striking.

7. I've resigned to the fact that I will probably never have one of those 'good' babies. You know, the kind that sleep, only cry when they need something and generally don't require meds their first few months of life. Nope, I only grow the colicky, refluxy ones who will only sleep in a crib (their crib) from birth until they leave for college. I find it's better to be prepared.

8. I've also realized that I should start a new account for the baby right away. Not a college savings account like the others have, but a formula fund. See #6 above... colic+reflux= Nutramigen (at double the cost)! I think it's time to bring back the wet nurse.

9. We want to find out the sex of the baby. Well, at least I do - I think my husband could deal with being surprised this time. Hush, all you nay-sayers. If you know me well enough, you know by now that I have a Type A personality. I need to plan. Knowing which gender clothes to wash and which bedding to get out is key for me, never mind I have no idea where the poor child will actually be sleeping. At least it will be dressed appropriately.

10. Nausea is a funny thing, in it's own sick sort of way - no pun intended. I find it best to go with what comes naturally at that particular moment. So if cheese, mustard and pickle sandwiches will keep it at bay, so be it. Who cares if I eat 2 bowls of Ramen noodles in a day and each contains 910 mg of sodium? Sure, I've eaten about 10 rolls of Mentos - what's it to ya? Pre-natal vitamins... what the heck are they? Again, go with what comes naturally. That was a theme my roomies and I had in college and I have to say, it's applicable to most everything I've done since. Except for childbirth. In my opinion, that should NEVER be done naturally.

I guess that about sums it up for now. I'm sure there will be much more to post over the next 6 months as I transform from a relatively healthy person to a house. Oh, we finally told the kids this weekend and Emma is ecstatic and Ryan only wants a brother. Emma said to me the other day, Mommy, maybe the baby will be both - a boy and a girl. And she wasn't referring to twins.