I can hardly believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner! So much left to do before Christmas, so little time. My current project - making soft blocks for the boys for Christmas. There are some very nice ones in our church nursery which both boys love. I really wanted to buy them, or have one of the grandparents buy them, but they cost more than I had planned to spend. So I have decided to make them instead. This sounds as whole lot easier than it actually is - believe me. If I ever finish I'll post pics :)

On The Potty Train!

Ty is now on what he calls the potty train (he thinks there is an actual train, the 'choo-choo' kind). In other words, my boy is actually potty trained!! This is cause for great celebration, emphasis on great. After months of trying and timers and bribes he did it...on his own. Go figure. Well, I did help out a wee bit but it was only a gentle push in the right direction.

So here is how it happened. A week ago Friday, after changing yet another diaper, I had had enough. I simply told him that he was not allowed to watch a movie unless he went potty in his potty chair first. Saturday evening he asked to wear his big boy underpants. Nothing. I wasn't surprised to tell you the truth. After so many attempts with absolutely no success I didn't expect Ty to be potty trained for a long time. Sunday evening he again asked to where his underpants and then he asked to go potty. AND HE ACTUALLY WENT POTTY. For the first time. Ever. He has been going ever since. Yes, he has the occasional accident, most of them because he was far away from the potty chair and couldn't make it in time. Not only that but he has been dry the last two nights, which is also a first. I am amazed at how easy the whole process has been. Of course there has been a lot of movie watching in this house but he is starting to forget and just go back to playing with his toys. Worth it in my opinion.

Now on to the 'number #2' training....

Fall!!

I feel like Fall is finally here. The past month or so the weather has been unusually mild, especially for Wisconsin. I am talking about temps in the 80s! However, it is finally cooling off, the leaves are falling faster, and I am reveling in the joy that Autumn brings. It has been a very busy month or so. I have been making and freezing apple pie filling, apple jam, pretty much anything apple. My next step is pumpkin. I already have the pumpkins but have yet to do anything with them. Next week I think I am going to designate Pumpkin Week and go nuts. Fun, fun, fun!!

Vacation + 2 Boys = Insanity

The vacation itself was a lot of fun. We went to the zoo, the aquarium, Mall of America, and the Children's Museum. It was so much fun and almost relaxing. Then we came home, back to reality. We came back Sunday, it is now Thursday and I am still trying to catch up on, well everything. I am finally on top of laundry I think, my house is finally starting to look somewhat normal (aka messy but organized enough to find things) but I am still trying to get the boys back on track. They are struggling with their naps and bedtimes, not to mention actually sleeping at night. Still, it was worth it.

Baby Fit - More Than Morning Sickness

I get a daily e-mail from Baby Fit - something I signed up for early on in Mac's pregnancy. Usually it has a link to an article relating somehow to a healthy pregnancy: what foods to eat or not to eat, how much exercise to get during each trimester, how to have a healthy postpartum period and other handy topics that might interest moms-to-be. I haven't really followed it too much since I gave birth but still read them occasionally. So earlier this week I opened my inbox and was so excited to see an article about HG! I know that there have been things about regular morning sickness and how to deal with that but I haven't seen anything relating to HG until now. The article is not very long but does give a short explanation of what HG is, how to diagnose it and some common treatments. I am posting the link so everyone can read:

More Than Morning Sickness: What Is Hyperemesis Gravidarum?

Congratulations to my friend who just had her HG baby August 14th. Welcome to the world little girl! She was very healthy and very cute :)

My computer had a virus and had to be repaired so I haven't been able to post for awhile! I will shortly however, now that my computer is virus free!!

My Modified Fry-The-Egg-On-The-Sidewalk Experiment

While my computer was down and was being fixed it was extremely hot here. A good ole Wisconsin heat wave. So I decided to do a little experiment. One of my favorite movies is Father of the Bride 2 - the one where both Annie and her mom and pregnant at the same time. In one of the scenes it showed some kids frying an egg on the sidewalk. It was to illustrate the point that their babies were born during a heat wave. Even though a California heat wave and a Wisconsin heat wave are slightly different - and by slightly I actually mean vastly - I thought why not try that here? It was 90 degrees after all so it had a chance of working, right?



First I got an egg. Just a regular, uncooked egg from my refrigerator.

I then put a pan on the sidewalk because let's face it, raw eggs are messy. That is why I am calling this the 'modified' egg experiment. I let it sit in the sun for about 10 minutes so it could heat up a bit before I put in the egg.



After it was nice and toasty (I felt it, it was VERY toasty) I cracked the egg open and put it in the pan.



Then I waited. And waited. And waited. And waited.



After about 30 minutes or so I declared the experiment a failure. The only thing the egg did was get a little dry around the edges. Very gross. So I threw the egg out and washed the pan. End of experiment.

Heat wave + tons of rain = hot and humid

It is SO hot here!! And the humidity...! Here in Wisconsin we are not used to such warmth. 'Hot' usually means it hit 80, going above 80 and into the 90s is ridiculous!! Oh please Fall, get here soon. I am hot, my boys are hot, my house feels like a broiler, and I long for cooler weather. But Winter, you may take your time - I'm not ready for that yet.

Construction - Week 2

Today begins week 2 of construction on our basement. We are making it into a family room. Well, one of our basements. Oddly enough we have two. Don't ask - it was like that when we bought the house. One basement houses our wash machine and a host of nasty little spiders, the other used to be all cement and...cinder blocks? I really have no idea. But hopefully by the end of this month it will be a livable, usable, comfortable space! I'm so excited!!




Pre-construction basement. As you can see, it's not a pretty sight. All that cement down there = very damp basement. We had to empty that dehumidifier at least 3 times per day. Next step: painting the nasty stained up floors. What fun. We did that ourselves. Actually, Hubby did that all by himself while I watched the boys. He's a wonderful man.






The next step was to hire a contractor to come in and do the framing, insulating, electrical work, drywall, and texturing. In other words, everything Hubby and I are incapable of doing ourselves. We prefer to stick to priming and painting.








As of Friday our basement has drywall but I haven't uploaded those pictures to my computer yet. That is for another day. I'll have more pictures as the weeks go by!

BFTT

My boys seem to be pros when it comes to the BFTT or the Big Fat Temper Tantrum. How does a child learn this? Is there some secret society where all children gather together and decide just how and in what situations this is to be performed? If so, what is the name of that society? The Secret Art of Getting Your Own Way In Spite of Your Parents? I think we parents need to band together and form our own society. We could call it the Child Chronicles - Learning How Your Child Thinks and Why They Act The Way They Do. Yes, a bit wordy but something to think about and consider.

My two year old is a veritable master at the temper tantrum. If there is such a secret society, he is one of the leaders. He has this down to an art form - first comes the eye scrunch, then the mouth quivers in rage, the fists ball up, then comes the back arch and the dramatic 'fall' to the floor while the little person voices his displeasure. It doesn't seem to matter that he knows he is not allowed to throw one or that he will inevitable be punished for doing so. All that matters to him in that moment is getting his point across - that he disapproves of whatever it is I have told him to do or not to do. I will say this for him, he is getting better at not throwing them but I think it will be awhile before they disappear completely.

My youngest is taking lessons from his older brother. Or has been going faithfully to those meetings, I'm not sure which. He discovered the back arch this past week and has been putting all his energy into perfecting it. He has been a bit cranky due to teething and I think those two go hand in hand. At 6 months old he can throw a BFTT that almost rivals his brother. It's scary. My sweet tempered little guy is trying to exert his 'Independence' - it's so cute that he thinks he actually has some. I guess it happens to every child at some point, that need to have your own opinion. I just didn't expect it so soon.

Next on Child Chronicles, Would You Like Some Cheese With That Whine?

God Really DOES Answer Prayer!

It never ceases to amaze me that God actually cares about the little things in my life - things that I care about but really aren't all that important. There are times when I pray 'little' prayers - I like to call them popcorn prayers. Like when I am having a stressful time dealing with my two year old who is refusing to listen or throwing his supper all over my freshly cleaned floor and I quickly pray for patience before my head explodes. That type of prayer.

So last Tuesday I went shopping with just the boys. It's an adventure, let's just leave it at that. I do it every Tuesday morning so that I can watch my Tuesday night shows (go White Collar and Covert Affairs!!!). I know it would be easier to switch nights but then I would have one less night with Hubby and both those shows are only on for a short time this summer. Anyway, back to my story.

I had just finished going both to Aldi and Walmart and was heading out to the car to pack up the boys and go home. Hmmm...'packing up the boys' sounds so, weird. Put them into their carseats - that sounds better. I had Ty in the cart and Mac in his carrier. He was napping very peacefully.

One thing you should know: our vehicle is old. 12 years old to be exact. It has seen better days. It has a few problems, nothing major but things that make it a pain sometimes. Like when you unlock the door the car alarm goes off. Neither Hubby nor I are car people and have no idea how to disarm the thing so we just deal with it.

Back to Tuesday...Mac was sleeping and I knew that the alarm would wake him up and since he had missed his morning nap that would NOT be a good thing. As I was turning the key in the lock I quickly prayed that the alarm would not go off when I opened the door. I opened the door and it didn't go off. Amazing. I know I shouldn't be so surprised but seriously, whenever that happens I am shocked and yet somehow feel like I expected it all the time. It's a weird feeling. I thanked God and managed to put the sleeping baby into his carseat without waking him.

I love God. Asking for the alarm not to go off didn't change the course of the world but it did make my day a little easier and Mac a happy child. I should have asked Him to make it stop forever. What was I thinking? Oh well, I'll have to remember that next time.

Isaiah 59:21

'"As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says the LORD.'

Isaiah 59:21, NIV

Second Time Around - My Introduction To Residual Nausea

(I am 34 weeks pregnant here, Ty is almost 20 months)


I had never heard of residual nausea until after my second son, Mac, was born. Ignorance truly IS bliss. There is not a whole lot of information on the subject and no research that I can find. In fact, I had a hard time even pinning a name to why I was still nauseated and throwing up after my baby was born.

Mac's pregnancy was like Ty's, only worse. Not only did I have a very young child to care for, the medication didn't work as well as I would have liked, and we had just moved a few weeks earlier and didn't know anyone who could help me. It was terrible. Most of the first trimester is one big blur. I honestly don't know how I managed to survive AND care for my little one at the same time.

Since I was still breastfeeding Ty I wanted to hold off on medication for as long as possible. Looking back, this was probably a mistake. I became dehydrated and dried up anyway. And I found out later that I could breastfeed and take Zofran at the same time. Whoops. Sadly, when I finally decided to start medication at 8 weeks, it only took the edge off the nausea and the vomiting completely. I still threw up 3-4 times per day for quite awhile.


There were so many things I couldn't eat, drink, smell or even look at without getting sick. I survived on tator tots, pasties, and lemon flavored sparkling water for a long time. I no longer eat or drink those foods. For now, at any rate.
I remember telling myself that when I felt better (my thought at the time was 16 weeks) I was going to make a HUGE pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions since I was SO hungry for meat! Well, week 16 came and went - no pot roast. I cried. I didn't get my pot roast until I was in my third trimester.

One huge difference in my two pregnancies was the location. Ty was born in a hospital with a midwife in a completely different city. I wanted to do things differently with Mac. I wanted to give birth in a free standing birth center. The only problem with that was my midwife couldn't give me a prescription for the medication I needed. So I saw a midwife for the HG and a midwife for the baby. It was a little weird but it worked in the end.

Four days after my due date and 10 hours of labor I gave birth to my beautiful, handsome, very heavy baby boy. He weighed 9 pounds even and was 22 inches long. How he came to be that big I'll never know. It was probably as close to a perfect birth as you can get. It was so peaceful and so quiet since we were the only ones there.

I brought my baby home when he was just 4 hours old. I felt much better and hungry, of course. I was so grateful that he was out of me! The next month was crazy and hectic as both boys became sick with RSV (Mac ended up in the hospital for about a week) and we decided to buy a house and move. Through all the chaos and confusion I noticed that I would have periods where I would get really nauseated. I just thought I was getting sick. March came and I was still nauseated. April came - same thing. May came and it finally left. I threw up 5-6 times during those three months so I can't say that it was terrible. Unpleasant and very confusing but not as bad as it was when I was pregnant. Probably about the same as normal morning sickness.

I have to say that it was worth all the nausea and vomiting. I wouldn't trade Mac for anything. I lost 9% of my body weight my first pregnancy and kept it off after Ty was born; I lost 11% with Mac. I am worried about future pregnancies since it appears to get worse with each pregnancy. With Ty I was able to quit my medication voluntarily around week 26. With Mac they cut me off at week 28. I didn't need it every day by that point but I still felt like I needed it some days. I was so afraid when the clinic said that I couldn't have anymore.

So, am I willing to have more children? Yes but don't ask me how many. I have always wanted a large family but I'm not sure how many more pregnancies my body can take. For now I'm taking it one pregnancy at a time...hoping and praying that the HG will get better, not worse.

Four Years of Wedded Bliss

Four years ago I married my wonderful husband. At the time I didn't think that I could love him any more than I did then. Five homes, four cars, three confirmed pregnancies, two kids, and one college degree later I can honestly say than I love him more than I did on our wedding day.




We look so young! Not that we are all that old now, unless you consider 24 and 25 old. I do feel old now though, does that count? I still can't believe that it has been four years already!



Here we are today, the decrepit couple. I think Hubby actually DOES have a gray hair now...how's that for scary? Actually, now that I see the pictures in close proximity, we really haven't changed all that much. Our weight has changed (no comments on that please!) but maybe we still do look young. This may change if we have a third child. It may change with just the two we have now.

'Lovely' Little Creatures.

The other day I had the brilliant idea of cleaning out the playroom. It was a bit messy and I hadn't swept the floor in...well, let's just say awhile. OK, it's been a very long while but that's not the point. Back to my story. As I was sweeping out the room I found these lovely little creatures.



Thankfully they were long dead. Still gross and nasty but dead. Methinks I should clean out that playroom more often.

Three Little Blessings

For those who have or have had HG it's helpful to know that other women have gone through the same thing, to know that you are not alone. That is one of the goals for this blog - to share the stories of those women. I asked this mom if she would be willing to share her about her pregnancies. She agreed enthusiastically and sent me the following.



"So here is my story....I got pregnant with my first one while VERY sick with a Kidney Infection. I actually found out I was pregnant while hospitalized when I went septic from the infection. I was told that I should end the pregnancy because we would not survive. I did not. The first six months I could not eat, lost almost 25 lbs (which was a lot because I was skinny to start), and was in and out of the hospital. I thought the extreme nausea was due to my kidney issues. I had a break right around the seventh month and then was back in the hospital in my eighth month with Kidney Stones (due to severe dehydration). My GORGEOUS boy was born in May of 2004. We planned my second child because we thought since I was not sick it would be better. WRONG! I was sicker with this one with NO EXPLANATION AT ALL! It was like living a nightmare. I was in and out of consciousness and just sicker than I could ever describe for the first six months. I would black out upon standing and just weeped all day long. I lost 40 lbs with this one (I didn't start out as skinny). Again I had a break in the seventh month. I was then taken out of work around 9 months due to severe cramping and joint pain AGAIN due to severe dehydration. Just as I decided to stop having children, I was blessed with my third. I found out a few months before this pregnancy that I have a condition called Celiac Disease. It is an auto immune disorder that is triggered by eating gluten. So with this pregnancy I was Gluten Free and it was MUCH MUCH better!!! However, I was still pretty much unable to leave the house and vomited several times a day. If it was my first I would have said it was HORRIBLE but since I had the first two I was very thankful instead. With the third I was sick, with the first two.....I don't even know how I survived! Sadly I had to tie my tubes. I am pretty devastated about it because I come from a HUGE Irish Catholic family with lots of kids. But the damage to my kidneys, gallbladder, and overall deterioration of my body....I had to think of my kids. They need a mom! Plus I cannot have another year of vomiting and missing out on their little lives. HG is the WORST thing I EVER experienced but oddly enough it had the BIGGEST reward in the end!!!!!

I am sad that no one recognizes this condition. With the first two I thought there was something wrong with me. The whispers of the nurses at the hospital "She is fine, she just has morning sickness" or the threats from my employer "I was sick when pregnant too, this is not a valid excuse" I was so alone and so scared. I found support groups in between my second and third so I found support with my third. But I had to quit my job and become self employed because the outside world still won't see that this is a HORRIBLE condition and women need help!!!!!!! Thank you for doing your blog!!!!!!!! Getting the word out is so important!!!"

Baby Dedication

Yesterday Mac was dedicated to the Lord. In our church we don't baptize babies but we do dedicate them. It is more for the parents than it is for the child. Hubby and I promised before God and the congregation to do our best in raising Mac and teaching him how to live a godly life by example and by training him according to the Bible. My Mother-in-law and two of Hubby's siblings were able to be there with us.

Family Introductions

I thought I would introduce my family. Their names have been changed to protect their privacy. For the boys I simply swapped their middle names for their first names. For Hubby, well one that shouldn't need an explanation :)


Hubby - also known as Honey, Dear, Sweet Pea (don't ever tell him I actually printed that one - he may not take it all that well...), and Sweetheart. He's my favorite guy in the whole world! He's a wonderful father to our boys and an awesome husband. He is also great when I'm pregnant. Not only does he care for me and empty my bucket but he also cleans, cooks, does laundry, washes the dishes, vacuums, pretty much everything. Except clean the bathroom, that he won't do. We have been married since 2006, friends since 1999. I love him more now than I did when I married him.



Hannah - also known as mom, Han, Little Han (by my dad), Sweetheart, and Honey. Hannah is my real name by the way. I like it better that way. Anyway, you already know a bit about me so I'll just move right along.




Tyler - also known as Ty, Bug, and Little Man. If I could sum him up in just one word it would be mayhem. Yup, mayhem. Or maybe tornado. Chaos? There are too many!! But that aside, he is the most loving little guy you could ever want. He loves to give big hugs and kisses. He already watches out for his little brother and loves to give him hugs and kisses and pats on the head. He is also very smart. A little TOO smart sometimes.



McCartney - also known as Mac, Uber, Goober, Uber my Goober, Ubery Goobery, and Mouse. Mouse because when he is in his brown carrier he looks just like a cute little mouse. One word that would describe Mac is joyful. He's my content child, for the most part. He has his moments of discontent. But overall he's a happy child. I love the way his face lights up with joy when he discovers something new. Like the fact that he can roll over to go get things he wants now. He is VERY pleased about that!

The Bird Feeder

W loves birds. He is completely facinated with them. So I decided that W and I would make a bird feeder together. The idea seemed simple enough: get a milk/juice carton, punch a couple of holes into it, cut out a hole so the little birdy can eat, paint it, add some bird seed, and voila, bird feeder.

Step 1: Buy carton. Drink juice. This was a special treat as we do not drink much juice in this house. I think we have it once every two to three months. It was yummy.

Step 2: Cut out a bird size hole (I hope it is a bird size hole) and punch holes in the top, for the hook, and the bottom, for the perch.



Step 3: Paint. I bought washable paints for this project since I didn't want permanent paint stains on any clothing items or anything else that a little boy could 'accidentally' paint. To my surprise, W is actually a very neat painter. In fact, he's downright dainty. By the time the carton was painted I was messier than he was. Go figure.



Step 4: Prep for bird seed insertion. Bird seed, check. Painted carton, check. Expendable Spoon, check. Oh dear. I am beginning to capitalize words in Odd Places. I think I may be reading too much Winnie the Pooh...



Step 5: Take picture of squirmy 2 year old with his first real art project. Correction, TRY to take a picture of the squirmy 2 year old. He wouldn't look at the camera for some reason. I think he wanted to run his car up and down the railing of our porch instead.


B enjoying the outdoors. He watched his big brother filling the bird feeder and played happily with his toys. He is a content child.



Step 6: Have the 2 year old put the bird seed into carton. This is easier said than done. For awhile more bird seed was going on the porch than into the bird feeder. Maybe the car is throwing off his balance? Putting down the car is, of course, out of the question.


I am helping pour more bird seed into feeder. W is doing his own version of 'helping'. To be honest, he was far more interested in trying to bury his car than helping me. He would have had so much fun with that bird seed if I had let him.


Step 7: Place hook.



Step 8: Hang on the house. Finished! I must say, it was a little more work than I had anticipated but it was a lot of fun!!

On Being Sick

I had always wondered how it would be with two young children if both Hubby and I were sick at the same time. Unfortunately I now know. Yesterday afternoon/evening both Hubby and I were running fevers of 101+ and could barely make it out of bed. W ran around the house oblivious to the fact that his parents were sick. I think he was enjoying his new found freedom and the fact that we gave him whatever he wanted for a change (this included several movies and a whole lot of cereal). B wasn't so pleased since I could barely hold him. He likes to be held. Nursing was also a challenge.

Thankfully today we are doing much better. Hubby was able to make it to work and I am able to continue potty training. By the way, potty training while sick is not a good idea. Just an FYI for the future.

Big Boy Underpants

Potty training is not for the squeamish or the faint of heart. It is, so far, the most challenging part of parenting. Except maybe for labor. Yeah, it's definitely better than labor. Maybe.

It's that time of month again, the time when I grit my teeth, drag out the big boy underpants, and attempt to potty train my 2 year old. He's been in training since the end of March. Each time I start out strong, enthusiastically talking to W about going potty in the 'big boy potty chair', trying to get him excited about this new chapter in his life. He seems excited, sits for a few minutes, dances happily that he is wearing his underpants, then promptly gets up and used my floor as his little boy toilet. After a few times of this the enthusiasm dwindles. A day or two later I give up on the whole idea and drag out the diapers. Then a few weeks later I decide that having two kids in diapers is not my thing and we begin the process all over again. The idea of letting his college roommate train him is beginning to look very tantalizing. I'm sure he won't mind. What better way of getting to know one's roommate? It would be a good bonding experience.

Yesterday started out in the same way. Out came the big boy underpants, out came the potty chair, and with a heavy yet hopeful heart I started The Process. A couple hours into it, nothing. Not even a dribble. So I gave W a glass of milk and waited expectantly. W didn't disappoint. The Big Moment came and I rushed him to the bathroom. Once again he didn't make it. In the Battle of Potty Training, the score had reached Floor - umpteenth times to Potty Chair - 3 times. Thoughts of quitting a day early enter my head... then, another Big Moment! And this time there were THREE WHOLE DROPS IN THE POTTY CHAIR!!! We celebrated those three drops like peeing was going out of style. W received his promised cake and the offer of his favorite movie (which at this time is Disney's Cinderella). And then, Something Big Happened. I'm talking change-your-life, dance-for-joy-in-the-streets big. A true training success - and not just three drops. With that, my hope is restored and my determination renewed. For now anyway. That was yesterday, who knows what today may bring but for now the college roommate is off the hook.

The Beginning

(I am 7 months pregnant in this picture)

W's pregnancy was full of surprises. Hubby and I are both firstborn children and have younger siblings so we saw our mothers go through pregnancy and birth. Of course, there is nothing like experiencing it yourself! We had the basic knowledge of how things were 'supposed' to work - nothing could have prepared us for the unexpected road ahead. We had no idea that HG even existed until I was 10 weeks pregnant and let me tell you, I wish that we still didn't know. However, he has brought us so much joy that I would gladly do it all over again.

I wrote this when I was about 10 weeks pregnant with Mac, my second son.



My Battle With Pregnancy...Ahem, I Mean My Journey, By Me

The journey of being pregnant, the knowledge that a tiny life is growing inside you, that beautiful baby belly, the joy all pregnant women must feel...yeah, all this I thought before I became pregnant. I always that that I would love being pregnant since I loved the results. I have been crazy about babies almost since I was one myself and naturally thought that pregnancy was a beautiful time, a wonderful journey of growth and love. Like I said, I thought that before I had to go through it myself.

When I first became pregnant with my son I felt like jumping for joy. I wanted the whole world to know that I was growing a little life that my husband and I had created together. It was a joyful occasion. My dream of becoming a mother was coming true.

Because I had already had a miscarriage, I was very particular about how things were going to happen. I was going to eat very healthy, gain the proper amount of weight, exercise like I should and only indulge on occasion. I really wanted this pregnancy to be as healthy and as natural as possible.

Then it started: the gut wrenching, mind numbing, cross your eyes until you can't walk nausea. I had heard about morning sickness and had always feared it. However, I tried to look on the bright side. It only lasted about 12 weeks, right? Then the vomiting started and pretty soon I was throwing up everything that went inside me. Many people gave me their well meant advice, "Eat crackers", "Drink ginger ale", "Suck on peppermint", "Eat ginger", and ever popular "This too shall pass". I tried all those things and promptly threw them all back up.

The best advice anyone ever gave me was, "Eat what your body is craving". What my body was craving however was unhealthy and rather fattening. Pizza, chicken nuggets, and bread sticks were the most popular cravings I had. But they stayed down. If my body craved it, it didn't reject it as quickly as other foods. So much for a healthy pregnancy.

As the weeks passed and I began lose weight, the same weight that I had been trying to lose for months was now coming off of me rapidly. So I called my midwife to see what, if anything, I could do. I only was able to talk to the nurses who told me that what I was experiencing was "normal" and that "almost every woman goes though this". I believed them. After all, they would know better than I would.

Several days and a couple more pounds later I called again. I think I ended up calling four times before I was 10 weeks. They did start me on some medication. It started with vitamin B6, which never stayed down more than 2 minutes, then went on to phenergan suppositories, which made me so tired that all I did was work and sleep. Or sleep at work, it didn't matter. None of it worked. I was still extremely nauseated and throwing up constantly.

At 10 weeks everything changed. I became very dehydrated and ended up in the emergency room where I received some much needed IV fluids, a more powerful medication, and finally a diagnosis: Hyperemesis Gravidarum. I had no idea what that was but was so glad that somebody was finally listening to me and telling me that what I was going through was not normal. There was hope in the world.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum, or HG, is constant nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It can last anywhere from 20 weeks to the end. The best way to describe it is that it is like having food poisoning for months. Now, I have never had food poisoning so I can't say if that is accurate. Considering my experience with HG, I have decided that I really don't want to ever have food poisoning and will hopefully never be able to tell you. The cruel thing about HG is that those women who are unfortunate enough to have it in their first pregnancy have a very high chance of getting it again. Life can be very unfair.

I was on the medication for several months, until I was about 26-27 weeks. At that point I was able to stop taking it constantly. I did have to deal with occasional nausea and vomiting right up until the end of my pregnancy but it was tolerable. Not pleasant, but tolerable.

On April 12, 2008 my misery finally came to an end. My beautiful, very healthy baby boy was born. When he was placed in my arms for the first time I breathed a sigh of relief. My battle with pregnancy was finally over. I had won and I had my prize at last. I was also pleasantly surprised at my son's weight. I had been expecting a small baby, considering that I had not gained much weight and that I hadn't been able to eat much throughout my pregnancy. He was a healthy, bouncy baby boy of 8 pounds 13 ounces.

Sounds like a good place to end the story, right? My husband and I with our newborn son ride off happily into the sunset, the perfect ending to a difficult story. Just like the movies. Only my story is not over quite yet. There is just one small thing, a very small thing...I'm told it's about the size of a plum right now...

Yes, I am expecting another baby. My husband and I really wanted our children close together in age and so we started trying a few months back. When our son was 13 months old, we found out that baby number 2 was on board. I thought that I was prepared for the nausea and the vomiting this time around. I had researched and planned, planned and organized. Funny thing is that you can never really prepare for an illness of unknown duration. It just kind of sneaks up on you and takes you over and there really isn't anything you can do about it.

As of July 8, 2009 I am 10 ½ weeks pregnant. I am on medication, but it is not working as well as I had hoped. With my first it worked quite well, with this one I am still on the couch unable to do much and still so sick that I want to cry every day. I am also losing weight. I am praying that this does not last as long as it did with my son, but I am trying to prepare myself for the worst, just in case. The worst being that I would be sick the entire pregnancy. Is it worth it you ask? Ask me again in 7 months [postpartum note here - totally worth it]. I know that it will be, but it's hard to think that far ahead.

Before ending I must say a quick word about my husband. I noticed that he was not a prominent figure in this journal and he should be. He is a great man, a prince among men. He was great with my first pregnancy and I think he's even better with this one. He washes dishes, cleans the house, sweeps and scrubs the floor, vacuums, does the grocery shopping, cooks when needed, takes care of our son, and takes care of me. On top of all that he works 50-60 hours per week. He does all this without complaining because he loves me, even though I know he doesn't really enjoy it. Oh yeah, and to top it all off, he's very good looking, not that it really matters but I thought it was worth saying. I love him more with each passing day.

Now I have come to the end. Not the perfect ending I will admit, but that will come. In a few short months I'll have another story to write, the birth of my second child. Through all of this I have come to realize that each day is a blessing whether good or bad, and that each child a precious miracle sent from God.

The End

I will hopefully get to Mac's pregnancy shortly! I have yet to write his down so it may be a little while...

Sunday

Peace and quiet. Relaxation. Rest. Sitting outdoors watching Ty play around his kiddy pool, Mac playing on a blanket in the shade with his rattle, listening to Hubby play his guitar, smelling the delicious aroma of chicken cooking on the grill. This is the life. I love Sundays. I love getting all dressed up in our Sunday best and going to church. I love relaxing in the afternoon and simply spending time together. Life slows down for a short time and I am content. Yes, my house is a mess, toys are strewn about in a haphazard manner, my two year old is running all over the place 'singing' at the top of his voice, my 5 month old is crying in Hubby's arms but I am happy. Nothing can ruin my Sunday. As long as I stay here on the couch and cover my eyes when I walk into the kitchen to get a tall glass of cold milk and a brownie. Or two. Or three. After all, there are more important things than a perfectly clean house.

My Introduction

My very first blog post!!

I guess this is where I introduce myself and why on earth I decided to enter the great world of blogging. To begin, my name is Hannah. Very popular now, not so when my parents named me. They thought that they were giving me a 'unique' name. Haha. I don't mind though, I rather like my name.

I am an HG survivor. Actually, a two time survivor. By this point you are probably scratching your head and wondering what HG is and if it's catching. Don't worry, it's not. And all you males out there will never be able to get it. Lucky you. But I digress. HG is short for Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which is an extreme form of morning sickness. In a nutshell it means you have constant nausea and vomiting, sometimes throughout the entire pregnancy. Some have likened it to having food poisoning for nine months. Very few women get it but those do tend to get it every pregnancy. It means IVs, medication, and for some hospitalization. For me personally it only involves the first two - I have never been hospitalized. I have been able to go off of my medication around the beginning of the third trimester with both my pregnancies. I feel grateful for this and for the fact that, while I am completely miserable, I am not nearly as sick as some women I know.

I am married to the most wonderful man in the world. Our 4 year anniversary is coming up this month. He works hard so I can stay home with our two boys, who are 21 months apart. Being a mom is and always has been my dream 'job'. While I love being a mom and love having them so close together life can be a little busy. OK, very busy. But I still love it. Ty is 2 and Mac is 5 months (just a note here: my hardest pregnancy thus far has been Mac's. I was still nauseated and throwing up 3 months AFTER he was born. I have many food aversions still, for example I can no longer eat tater tots. Just an interesting tidbit for you).

I wanted to start this blog is to help other women in my situation, answer any questions regarding HG and how it has affected my family, to blog about my future pregnancies, and to let other people know about HG.

For more information on HG (Hyperemesis Gravidarum) please go to helpher.org.