Baby is Kicking!

Baby started kicking (where you could actually feel it from the outside) on Sunday, August 31, and he or she kicked most of the day. 

The rest of this week has been pretty slow with the kicking, just off and on here and there. Yesterday, I was off work and sitting on the couch surfing the internet when he or she started kicking again. 

I asked Ben if he wanted to feel, so he came over and put his hand on my belly (which by the way, I'm getting a baby bump!), and Baby kicked good and hard for him to feel! Haha, it was the biggest kick I've felt yet (they're pretty weak at the moment and irregular, but they will soon get stronger). Pretty cool moment yesterday. 

Life

Things are going smoothly so far in the pregnancy. Today I'm 18 weeks along! Almost halfway there! We have an appointment with our midwife this week and she will give us a script to get an ultrasound done within the next couple of weeks, and that's when we'll find out if it's a little boy or a little girl! Exciting!!!

I'm not sure how teenage moms do it and first time moms with unplanned pregnancies. For me, everything just feels right and in place. I feel so ready for this. It's the weirdest thing and/or feeling. A few years ago, I couldn't stand the thought of having to change a diaper... but now, (and I haven't even changed any yet), now I feel like when the time comes to do that, it's just going to come natural, and the thought doesn't gross me out anymore. I'm sure there will be fun first-time parent struggles, but we'll get through it like anyone else. 

Next subject...
We have a spider that guards our house. He (?) has been at our house for months now, so we have named him Peter. Sometimes he hangs out in the back of our house (he is an outside spider, by the way. I'm sure if he ever gets inside, we will have to burn the house down). He never bothers us, so we just let him be since he's our natural little bug-repellent. Pictures of Peter to come soon.

pic from here

First Appointment

We met with a midwife last week, or, rather, she met with us. She owns a concierge home birth business, so all of the appointments happen in your own home. Some questions you may be asking us are:

"Why would you choose a midwife over a doctor?"
Many reasons:

1. Midwives are certified and trained (some even have nursing degrees). Some midwives (or all? not sure about that) can order lab tests, ultrasounds, offer prenatal and postpartum care, and do many other things just like a doctor would. 
2. Have you ever been to a doctor's office and seen the doctor longer than 10-20 minutes? Maybe 30 minutes tops? A midwife is more personal, you get to know them better (and likewise they get to know you better too). Definitely helps when you have tough questions to feel comfortable with the person you're asking.

"Why would you choose to have a homebirth instead of at a hospital?"

• Someone once told me, "You go to the hospital when you're sick. Childbirth is normal, you're not sick, so why go to the hospital?" Ever since I heard that, it's always made complete sense to me, even though I was raised to believe that you have to go the hospital when you're having a baby.
• Of course, in certain cases and conditions, it is imperative to go to the hospital to deliver (you would also be considered "sick", right?). 
• I am healthy (no major medical problems), so the chances of a problem are already starting slim

When you really stop to think about it, women's bodies are designed for childbirth. Childbirth is a completely natural and normal thing. There is no need for medical intervention unless there is a serious complication, and most times you will have a symptom before the due date that will point your caregiver to know whether you may have a problem at delivery.

It's very interesting the stigma that goes along with telling someone you're planning to have a natural homebirth. Why have we made this into something that sounds so foreign and wrong? Yet, going to a seemingly sterile place (full of sick people), getting injected with all kinds of medicines, being poked and prodded, having a TEAM of people seeing all parts of you, yet this is our "social norm". Again, I am all for it when there is a complication or something unnatural. And I read a comment on a forum where a woman who had 3 or more kids chose to do a hospital birth because it was the only place she might get a couple of days of rest, unlike if she had delivered at home....I might can understand that mindset too. 

Anywho, for whatever reason, homebirth is calling out to us, this just feels right. 

THIS JUST FEELS RIGHT. 

Overall, that is the statement that I keep coming back to. After weighing all of the pros and cons of homebirth, birthing centers, and hospitals, this decision just feels right. 

Overall, this is OUR birth plan, not anyone else's. So, while negative comments and things like "You can't do that! You have to go [here]!" are not welcome, any other comments and advices are very much welcome and appreciated. I'm open to any pros/cons on any side of the spectrum, maybe there are still things we have not considered yet. 

Then there is the final and worst possible outcome question (yes, we do have to be prepared for this just in case):

"What happens when you're at home and there is a complication?"

• Midwives are capable of controlling a situation to an extent. And we live in such a good area, there are about 7 different hospitals on all sides that deliver babies that we can turn to if needed. We have it narrowed to 2, and will narrow it more when we have the dreaded insurance talk ("do we go to the one covered by our insurance or do we go to the one that our midwife has connections with that is probably not covered by our insurance")

Those are the main questions I can think of at the moment. The first appointment with the midwife was basically a meet-and-greet. Hopefully at the next appointment we will get to hear the heartbeat! 

This week, he/she is the size of a kumquat!

Picture Source

He/she is starting to grow fingernails this week! Their organs are functioning, their fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and they can move their limbs. 

I've had morning sickness for weeks now. No throwing up, just tons of nausea.  And for me, it might be called morning sickness but it lasts ALL DAY. This past week, I had a few days without it, but it came back today. I'm hungry 98% of the time, so trying to eat more snacks throughout the day (which also helps with the nausea). I'm pretty sure I've already gained between 2-5 pounds. I'm so tired, too. I can sleep for 8 hours, wake up for an hour, and then I'm ready for another 2 hour nap. And typically at work, about an hour or two before my shift is up, I'm ready for another nap. Unfortunately, that's not allowed. I'm forced to do what Mr. Bean does to stay awake...

toothpicks to hold your eyes open

Also this method is helpful too...

stay awake!

Ahh, Mr. Bean. Such an interesting character.

source

Summer Vacation

Hey Y'all! Exciting things in my world. Ben has become self-employed (go Ben!!). He's very courageous to start this journey, and it's a great time to do so as we're in a great spot in our lives and because he has so much ambition and drive! So proud of him for following his dream!

We decided to take a quick summer vacay to my hometown 12 hours away. I was in need of a break from work and really missing the Tennessee summers (even though the time we went it wasn't summer yet and didn't really feel like what I remember), and of course missing family too! 

We also got some good news before the trip... we're expecting baby #1! Pretty exciting to get to share the good news while we were there.

And now for pictures!

My niece's puppy, Penny

Went to B.B. King's in Nashville, got to listen to The Stacy Mitchhart Band

bar at B.B. King's

The Stacy Mitchhart Band (they were awesome!)

The Parthenon in Nashville, TN