DeGroot Visit Part 1

Having a great visit with my sister Ember and her family. Em and her husband Neil have a daughter, Ella who is 6 months older than Tanner and a son, Will, who is 10 weeks old. We've done a lot of the touristy things, like the Knotty Shop in Salcha, the Museum of the North, a tour around Eielson AFB. Of course we love park play and time spent in nature the most! :)

He has my nose! hahaha

Ella has Ember's nose too! haha

Swinging babes

Family of 3 plus a belly full of growing babe!

Posing by a knotty mosquito

Mmmm, brownie bites

Brownie kisses

Brandon and Neil fishing... they both caught a greylings.

Cuties

Snack attack

Moms and babes!

BABY ON BOARD

::DISCLAIMER::
DON'T READ THIS IF YOU DON'T LIKE READING ABOUT WOMANLY BODY FUNCTIONS!!! :)


I am starting this blog on January 31, 2011.  I want to make sure that I can capture my emotions, insight and dates to record this journey!

Brandon and I started trying to get pregnant after we got back from our vacation to MT, the beginning of December.  I got my first period, since Tanner's conception, December 1.  When I got it I had dropped Tanner down to 2 nursings a day and throught that that 1st period was a sure sign that I was a Fertile-Myrtle and would soon have a little bun in the oven.  I downloaded a fertility app to my iPhone and started tracking EVERYTHING! I stopped drinking all alcoholic beverages.  I started working out regularly.  I continued taking my prenatals, but with more vigilance.  I cut myself back to 1 cup of coffee a day.  I stopped drinking pop.  January rolled around and there was no period so I took a pregnancy test on January 5th and again on January 13th and AGAIN on January 24th. All tests showed negative results. I wasn't believing the tests because I had dropped Tanner down to one nursing a day and thought for sure my hormones were messing everything up.  Then I got my period January 28th!   This same day was Tanner's last nursing.  Needless to say, with a period and HORRIBLY engorged, leaky boobs it was a bad weekend.

March 11th,  still not pregnant, I bought a bottle of wine, poured myself a glass, and told myself, "Self, you're done planning days and times and how to 'do it'.  Time to just relax and allow things to happen on their own.  You'll get pregnant when God says you'll get pregnant, no forcing the issue." With that I stopped putting pressure on myself and my loving, partially-relieved hubby.

On April 7th I still wasn't pregnant and felt sooo discouraged. I made a goal to lose 10lbs in a month.  I started doing even MORE of a healthy eating, exercise thing to try to drop the pounds. Before April I had complained about my weight but hadn't done anything to really try to lose the pounds.  I think I wasn't too worried about losing the weight because I figured "what's the point if I'm just going to gain it all back"  With no pregnancy happening I kicked it up a notch.

• On April 17th we got our new Tahoe.  It had a decal of a family of 4 turtles and I told Brandon it was a sign that we were going to get pregnant soon.
• My mom kept telling me she was having dreams about babies.  In one she said she was planning a baby shower. In another she said she was holding a baby girl while there was packing going on. 
• On Easter I was having a hard time swallowing the ham.  It just kept getting stuck in my throat and making me gag.  
• The first week of May I started getting achy boobs and I told Brandon I really couldn't tell if they were period or pregnant boobs, the ache went away...
• On May 12 I was expecting to get my period and didn't.  I also had the chicken that I made keep getting stuck in my throat, making me gag.
• On May 14 about 6:15am I took a home pregnancy test that said PREGNANT

I brought the stick in to where Brandon was making Tanner breakfast put my hands behind my back and said, pick a hand... and showed him the results !  He started smiling and said "REALLY?!?" and we gave each other a great hug!   I text our sisters; Autumn, Ember and Bridgett with a picture of the home pregnancy test results.  I told them that we weren't going to tell the rest of the family or the rest of the world until we go to the doc, get a pregnancy test there, and talk to a nurse and then think of a fun way to tell our families.  Our sisters were all excited!  :) Who wouldn't be excited about a baby?!?  I've been so nauseous... all day long.  I haven't thrown up or anything, but it sure feels like I could.  I didn't get nauseous like this, this early on with Tanner.  I guess each pregnancy is different though.  I nap  1-2 hours a day.  I either sleep like a champ at night time or don't sleep at all.  I am having crazy dreams which is new.  I normally don't remember my dreams.

• On May 23 I went in to the clinic and peed in a cup.  They informed me it could take up to 3 days to get back to me with results!  Seriously?!? Three days to stick a test into some pee and read the results!  Sometimes the speed at which the clinic on base functions is INFURIATING!
• On May 25 true to their word, a nurse at the clinic called to "inform" me that I'm pregnant, about 7 weeks along with an  Estimated Due Date of January 12, 2012.
• On May 27 we told our families that we were pregnant.  It was also my mom's birthday.  I put Tanner's shirt on that said "I'm not monkeying around, I'm going to be a big brother!"  We got on Skype with my mom and she was talking to us and then stopped said, "What? What's his shirt say?  WHAT'S HIS SHIRT SAY?!? BRENNNTTT GET IN HERE AND SEE THIS!" Haha It was fun.  Everyone else in the family got emails or texts. 

• May 30 threw up for the first time this pregnancy.  I only threw up three times total last pregnancy... I am praying that I can do the same this pregnancy... not looking so good though. :(
• May 31 threw up again. :(  
• June 1 went to our first OB consult with a nurse.  All it consisted of was filling out mass amounts of paper work.  Getting my labs scheduled and scheduling my 1st doctors appointment, which isn't until July 5th. 
• June 5 Threw up again... there I have met my quota, all done now right?!?
• June 8 talked to my health coach, Ali, and she encouraged me to get at least 20 minutes of physical activity every day and to really try to get more protein in me.  I have been having a hard time getting anything in me but I'm going to try my hardest!!!
• June 9 went to the clinic to and peed in a cup and had SEVEN viles of blood drawn.  The "kid" drawing my blood thought it was funny to joke around about it all.  I couldn't laugh and I couldn't look at what was going on.  Ugh.  So gross.  Glad that's over for a while! This pregnancy has been so much different than my last.  I know that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm going to have a girl this go-around, but it's fun to think about.  With Tanner I wasn't quite this sick.  My boobs were super tender and got very big quickly... not at all this time.  They are probably shrinking! haha I have a hard time getting ANY sleep let alone a nap during the day.  Ugh!  I'm losing weight due to being sick all the time and not having an appetite.  My belly is looking all poochy though. I have a feeling I'm going to get BIG this pregnancy... bigger than I got with Tanner! 
• June 17-July 3.  My parents visited during this time.  My mom cooked and baked, we went out to eat a lot.  We journeyed to Valdez, Seward, Homer and everywhere in between.  I was nauseous and threw up through a lot of their visit.  It was still a great time.  
• June 30 Well supposedly I'm at the 12 week mark today.  I really can't wait for my appointment on the 5th.  I feel nervous for it at the same time.  I just have all sorts of emotions.  After this appointment I'll just feel relief... I hope!
• July 2 I went through 3 totes of maternity clothes from last pregnancy.  I whittled it all down to 1 tote.  Last pregnancy I had tons of slacks, and dressy tops, even a few dresses.  I just don't need that style this pregnancy.  I'll get on Skype with my sister to see if she wants any of it for whenever she gets pregnant and the rest I'll get rid of.  I'm about to the point where some of the clothes are going to fit and look decent... I'm all about comfort at the moment, not caring very much about style. 
• July 5 We finally had an appointment with a great doc named Captain Leary.  Everything is looking great and baby is measuring right on for 12 weeks 5 days with a due date of January 12, 2012.

Baby posed with hands resting on forehead, legs crossed Indian style.  

Whirl Wind Weeks

My parents came to town on the 17th of June and it seemed like from day one we were on the go or there was something going on.  The 19th was father's day.  We relaxed most of the morning and after Tanner's nap we headed out the door and wandered around Wal-Mart, and then to a park.  Tanner showed us how smart he's getting by shoving some gravel up his nose.  Brandon was able to plug one nostril and tell him to blow... the pebble eventually came out! ;)  After our park play we took a scenic drive towards Fox.  We saw a cow moose and her calf.  The Turtle Club, for a prime rib dinner, was a great end to a great day!

Such a good car cleaning helper

Tuesday morning Mom, Dad, Tanner and I headed south towards Valdez.  Tanner and I both slept a good portion of both the trip down and back... thankfully.  Six hours, each way, in the back seat of a Chevy Cobalt  is a long haul for baby and momma alike! We played tourists in Valdez for 3 days; walking along the bay, posing and taking pictures, driving to glaciers.  We got to see a bear along side the road munching on grass.  We also seen a few seals poking up through the water trying to get a good look at us.  They'd got out a ways and then come closer to shore.  Very curious creatures.  There was a family of bunnies that lived behind our hotel that Tanner loved to go visit. He went down to visit them with grandpa and grandpa said Tanner got to pet one of the bunnies a few times.  I wish I'd been there to take a picture of that.  Tanner did great though he wasn't too keen about letting me out of his site.  I'd go to the bathroom and have to listen to Tanner crying outside the door the entire time.  The one time that he talked to his daddy on the phone he was so excited.  Being away from Brandon isn't something that either Tanner or I enjoy, but we survived!

Bridal Veil Falls

Just a cute cuddly little bear!

The Parents

Grandpa's buddy

French Fry Face

Happiness in a cone

Long hike up from the fishing access. 

Originally the plan was for all of us to head to Anchorage on Sunday the the 26th, spend the night there, head to Homer for two nights, back to Anchorage for a night and then return home.  We changed it up.  On Saturday we headed towards Anchorage and passed on through and made our way to Seward which, like Homer, is on the Kenai Peninsula.  We stayed there for two nights.  While there we went to Alaska Sealife Center.  Tanner loved it.  There were fish, seals, birds, sea lions and so many other exhibits for him to check out. If the rest of us hadn't been hungry we could have spent an entire day just hanging out in there and Tanner would have been totally content.  We went and visited a glacier called the Exit Glacier.  We walked a 1 mile loop to get a little closer to it. Pretty amazing to learn how quickly the ice is melting.  My dad caught a salmon in the ocean while fishing in Seward.  We cooked it up for dinner along with some brussle sprouts, french bread and salad!  It was a feast!

Totally entranced by the fish

Amazed!

Exit Glacier

On our trip to Homer we stopped a few times an the guys got out and fished. Mom fished a little bit, but no one was successful.  We made our way to Homer and found our next home that we stayed for two nights.  The one full day that we were the was foggy all morning and into the afternoon.  The clouds and rain finally dissipated and we were able to see the beautiful bay and mountains surrounding Homer.  I think that Homer is, by far, one of my favorite places in Alaska.  We did lots of cruising around and waking the spit in Homer. The spit is the 4.5 mile piece of land that reaches out in the Kachemak Bay.  This is where the boat harbor, and lots of fun little businesses are located.

Flock of Seagulls

Tanner wasn't ready to leave

View from our Homer Rental

After our 2 nights in Homer we decided to forgo staying the night in Anchorage and just journey back to North Pole.  On the way home we stopped at Clam Gulch and dug for clams for 2 hours.  We weren't very successful at first... They kept getting smashed.  Soon we were doing pretty great though.  My mom would find where the clams were located then dad and Brandon would go dig them up.  I just stood and round and took pictures! ;)  After that dad and Brandon took a ferry and fished in the Kasilof and the Russion river. They didn't catch anything but did have a black bear walk about 10 yards away from them.  We made our way to Anchorage and went out to dinner at Benihana. It was fun.  Brandon, Tanner and I had been there before, but mom and dad hadn't, so it was fun getting to experience it with them.  After dinner we made the dreaded trip back home. We were able to do the trip in 6.5 hours. With all of our stops to stretch and use the bathroom, I felt like we made decent time.  It sure felt good to get home.

Messy mud man

Bucket of Razor Clams

Mom and dad still have a few days left here before they have to return home to Montana.  It'll be quiet around here when they leave... well kinda, my 18 month old son keeps things lively enough on his own! :)