06.08.10
We’re pregnant.
I’m exhausted.
We’re excited!
This pregnancy has been more tiring than I remember my last one being. I keep trying to remind myself that last pregnancy, I was only taking care of Hubs and myself. This go around, I’m trying to keep up with a three-year-old and a one-year-old.
But I don’t think I should blame it all on the kids.
Or my old age.
Or the heat.
I wake up fine in the morning. By afternoon, I’m so tired that I don’t want to stand. By 5pm, I literally hit a wall and can hardly think straight.
I’m also in the middle of mentoring 5 ladies for 8 weeks so I’ve been meeting with them while the kids are asleep. It has been a joy and privilege to meet with them, but by 5pm my body reminds me that it requires all of my brain cells in order to produce new life.
We got pregnant within a couple of weeks of our move to JiuJiang. As usual, I instantly knew that I was pregnant. (I know my body well.)
04.25.10
At 6 weeks pregnant, I finally took this pregnancy test. I honestly don’t even know why I took this test. I felt so sore and exhausted. Yep, the stick confirmed it. I’m definitely pregnant.
But it has taken us almost 12 weeks to make time to go to the Women and Children’s Hospital for a health check.
Today, we went to the hospital and heard the heartbeat for the first time. After my miscarriage last December, I was trying my best to prepare for bad news in case there wasn’t a heartbeat.
Hearing our baby’s heartbeat was one of the most beautiful sounds I know I’ll treasure forever. To my surprise Hubs made a recording from the other side of the curtain. You can listen to the heartbeat here.
The ultra sound tech said that she couldn’t tell the sex of the baby, but if we wanted to know she would tell us since we are foreigners. (In China, there is a law against telling the parents the sex of their one child.)
- At this point, we’re leaning towards finding out the gender because then we’ll only have to agree on one name.
- Schäfer says we are having a boy. He would like to name his little brother, “Pluto”.
- According to the standard calculations, we are due December 17th. I think we’ll be seeing this baby on December 12th. Yeah, another December birthday!
- Right now, I’m looking into delivering in Shanghai or Guangzhou. I still have to do quite a bit of research before I make any decisions.
Pregnancy fun:
Feeling nauseous, but never throwing up. (I never threw up with Schäfer either.)
Going to bed at 8pm despite how much work I need to get done.
Drinking Gatorade by the gallon since water tastes bad.
Thinking our kitchen cabinets stink. (Of course, Hubs promises that there’s no odor.)
Craving Nacho Cheese Doritos. (No, they are not available in our city. Thank goodness.)
Asking Hubs to wear Sianna in the Ergo because I am out of strength.
Wanting to eat, but feeling too tired or too hot to eat.
Wanting to eat, but can’t get anything to taste right.
Eventually eating entire watermelons.
CONGRATS! So glad to hear.
Congratulations!!!! SO excited to hear your big news! You had mentioned being tired in a few of your previous posts and the thought had crossed my mind that you might be expecting. What a blessing to hear the heartbeat – and how reassuring. Praying for you all! Oh – and I think Pluto is a winner. Too bad it doesn’t start with “S.”
Congratulations! May it all go well and the transition be calm and peaceful.
Blessings to you all!
Mary
we are so excited!!! so looking forward to meeting sianna AND baby sometime in 2011! love you all much-o… and prying for strength & health.
Congratulations. Your quiver is getting full!! Best wishes on a healthy and restful pregnancy!
Congrats! How exciting! I still remember the funtimes in HK right before Schafer was born!
Absolutely thrilled to hear this exciting news!
Congratulations!
Alesha
Oh my goodness, how exciting!!!!!! I am sorry you are so exhausted, but it will get better!! take care of yourself and your precious babies!!!!
Oh My Goodness!!! Congratulations girl!! That is so exciting! You will have to update us as you grow.
Here’s hoping you get some energy back soon.
Congratulations!! What a blessing!! We will be lifting you up for energy and strength during the pregnancy! Look forward to continuing to follow you all through the blog!
ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See what happens when I am so wrapped in my life and don’t get a chance to ‘drop by’ as often as I would like… I am so behind in the news… this is SO exciting…. I am so incredibly excited for you all… this is awesome news… a huge congrats to you all… lots of hugs…
CONGRATS!!
I was wondering what u meant when hubs said u were hormonal at the expo.
So excited for you guys!! Kyle insisted from the start that Ryan was a boy, he was right!
I was much more exhausted the 2nd time around too! Could b age, I guess.
Ryan will be one month old 7/16/10. We r doing well. Kyle is a very loving big brother and is adjusting pretty well.
Love you guys! So excited!
OVER-THE-TOP excited for you! Can’t wait to meet “Pluto!”
(That can be a boy or girl name, right? [smile]) Asking for clear guidance and direction for you guys regarding the place of delivery.
Congratulations on your newest blessing. Just remind your Hubs that making a baby is equivalent to his hardest bike ride up a mountain…every day! In my case it was climbing the highest mountain in my state which my husband had done. He sympathized as I am sure yours does! Give yourself some grace and rest, rest, rest!
Hi Sandra and Family!
Wow…and Blessed Congratulations on the GREAT news of a new baby on the way! I enjoy your blog with each post and celebrate as your family continues to grow. I agree with you…both…now all three…of your children are BEAUTIFUL! For the record, we receive the reverse on a near daily basis here. Berkeley is so beautiful to everyone who sees her. Tanner is, well, the average American boy to them. To me, and everyone who knows him, he is a killer handsome young man! So, it’s not just the Chinese who are comparative — and sometimes without meaning to be — insensitive. Anyway…much love to you all! KB and Crew
Oh Sandra I am so thrilled for you! Congratulations!!! Another December baby in the family, how great!! Prayers and hugs and hopes for some energy for you soon…
Congratulations!!!! I hope you can rest and start feeling some 2nd trimester energy!
Congratulations!! What a blessing to have a new little girl and to be expecting another one so soon. They will be the best of friends.
Blessings,
lisa in jax
That’s awesome! Congrats on your little one to be!
Congratulations!!! I remember being pregnant with #3 (with a 4 yr old and almost 3 yr old)… and being exhausted.
What wonderful news!
What the!!! Congratulations! Although I see this is old news now – I fell off the blogging bandwagon for a while, and just popped by to catch up. When are you due? My little boy is now 7 months old and I am intoxicatingly in love with him. I’m sorry to hear about your exhaustion, I hope you manage to get plenty of rest and help. Congratulations again, I’m so happy for you! (You’re having a truly blended family – the kind we so desire and yet keep meeting brick walls *sigh* – currently battling with our state Dept to keep our file logged in)
Girl, I’ve been thinking of you and wondering if you’ve been able to jump over all those hurdles. Give your little guy a high five from Schäfer and a hug from Sianna.
Congratulations! What great and exciting news! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I wish you could see the grin on my face as I’m writing this… Love you guys!
Congratulations! What a gift! When we are weak, His grace and strength shine…
Congratulations Sandra…soooo exciting to know you are going to have a new baby…my prayers are with you to get added strength and energy during these next months. May the Father be with you.
Congratulations!!
What news! December is a good month.
Great news!!! I’m so happy for your family!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! For some reason my “google reader” is not sending me all your posts, so I missed this one. I read in your most recent post about your expanding belly, and had to search to find out why it might be expanding. I’m so excited for you all. How fun. Just think last December you had only one child, and this December you will have THREE!! That’s awesome! So exciting.
I’m so far behind on reading!
Again, congratulations! So happy for your sweet family. I agree–MUCH more of a challenge to be pregnant when already taking care of two kids! Good news is, nine months flies by as if it were 9 days in my opinion!
You. Are. PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I read this post a while ago and have been SO excited for you, but hadn’t had a chance to comment. I love it!