It's difficult to believe how quickly the weeks are going by. Not only am I counting weeks of pregnancy (15), but I'm also counting down the weeks until my internship ends (only 5!). And we've also been counting down to our move, which begins tomorrow(!!). In the midst of all this counting, I've had little time for blogging - but plenty of time to notice and treasure all that's happening with our precious little one.
Most notably, I've been experiencing more round ligament pains in the past few weeks. In the last couple of days I've also started to feel some minor cramping off and on. I'm not sure whether that's just the old woom-bah stretching to accommodate our growing baby (now the size of a large navel orange) or possibly the beginnings of Braxton-Hicks contractions, which I read can begin as early as 15 or 16 weeks.
And I can really tell that our sweet pea is growing! Between frequent trips to the bathroom and pants getting tighter and tighter....it's a weird sensation to feel one of my organs gradually enlarging, but it is the coolest thing ever to pick up the heartbeat more and more easily with our borrowed home doppler. Last night I had my first conversation with baby Hugo as I listened to his/her heartbeat. I'm happy to report that Hugo is feeling great, highly active, and can't wait until I can feel him/her kicking me in the stomach. Hugo also can't wait to meet us all in person, but I think that was assumed. I look forward to moving into the house in the next week, and starting to set up Hugo's room - then we can sit in there, and I can tell him/her all about the room we have ready and waiting to greet him/her!
Incidentally, the pronouns are getting a bit cumbersome, aren't they? That's one reason why it would be nice to find out whether Hugo is a he or a she...but, alas, we shall be stuck with the gender ambiguity and multiple pronouns all the way until January 14ish. At which time it will hopefully become very, very clear whether Hugo is a he or a she.
So. "Our" house now has all its new carpeting, new appliances, new windows, fresh paint, remodeled bathroom, and new countertops and is waiting to receive our first load of stuff tomorrow. I think I will take a load of laundry to do while we're there just because I CAN. And I won't need any quarters to do it. Heaven? I think so.
And, quick update on the job: Dr. Elizabeth Pearce will officially begin at Providence Behavioral Health on September 13! I suppose this is still slightly contingent upon my references not telling EVERYTHING they know about me, but the practice has already ordered billing receipts with my name on them. So I'm pretty sure that it's a done deal. Pre-order your copy of my new business card now!
The best part about my new job? They are super excited to help support me through pregnancy, and to give me all the time off I requested when the baby comes. The clinical director there asked me all about my pregnancy so far, and told me that she will be watching to make sure I am a mommy first and a clinician second. She emphasized that if I feel too overburdened or strained, or as though I'm not seeing my baby enough, I can talk to her about my hours and workload. I feel so blessed to be joining such a warm, supportive group of Christians who are encouraging me to have a family rather than seeing it as a possible roadblock to a career.
Thanks to our family and friends for your prayers and encouragement. The Lord is opening His storehouses and showing His goodness in tangible ways for us. We pray that He will help us to use our new circumstances to demonstrate His love and generosity to others, for His glory.
Week 14 Update
In two days, I will be 14 weeks pregnant. I had my second prenatal visit yesterday with a midwife, and she clocked Hugo's heart rate at 160 bpm. Also, my blood pressure is fine. That's about it from the check-up, but in other news...
(Hugo is our current nickname for the baby, fyi. Along with peewee, sweet pea and "our little potato".) This is what he or she might look like right this minute:
Theoretically I am into the second trimester, but so far the experience has been somewhat different from what I expected. The fabled energy boost definitely has yet to become a reality. In fact, I have been more tired than ever before during the past week. I feel like I have mono, except this time I haven't been kissing all the boys (my hilarious Mexican doctor, whom we fondly called the "frito bandito", insisted this was how I contracted mono in college.)
Two nights ago, I got a solid 8 hours of sleep (except for the predictable 2:00 bathroom visit). I woke feeling more refreshed than I had over the weekend. By the time I got to work, I had a headache and could barely keep my eyes open. Having struggled through the day, I headed to the Kayes' to babysit Khloe for a few hours. I think both of us were in a similar place with regard to fatigue, which did neither of us any favors. She finally fell asleep, and I napped for about an hour til Brittany got home. I, in turn, arrived home around 9:30 and immediately went to bed. This morning I helped myself to an extra hour of sleep and came into work a little late. I feel...like a normal human being. Not super refreshed, but fairly normal.
Also. I finished breakfast literally 15 minutes ago (I was a grazer this morning...pineapple and cottage cheese, eaten leisurely at my desk) and my stomach is starting to growl.
In sum, I'm actually feeling more pregnant and out-of-sorts than all through the first trimester. Or at the very least, it doesn't feel as though anything has changed. Maybe my body is on the "gestation" or "conception" method of trimester calculation and didn't get the memo that thus saith the mama, the second trimester hath already begun! What, I can't speak it into reality? You mean the Word-Faith movement is bunk? Well crap.
I'm so excited to move in a couple of weeks. Really I am, and I am so grateful that we get to stretch the move over a span of a whole week. Because doing it all in one day? Now that would be magical. I would have to take the next month off of work to recover.
Speaking of the move, our landlords painted the second bedroom a sweet, soft shade of yellow. It's going to be just perfect! And the new refrigerator and stove are slated to arrive Saturday, and the new carpet within a few days of that. The bathroom is coming along, with a brand new enclosed bathtub/shower. Friends, moldy grout is about to become a thing of my past. The house is super exciting, even if the only bathroom is on the second floor (hey, it will keep me exercising throughout the pregnancy!). We signed the lease on Monday so...I sure hope this job thing works out...
Thanks for checking in! :-)
(Hugo is our current nickname for the baby, fyi. Along with peewee, sweet pea and "our little potato".) This is what he or she might look like right this minute:
Theoretically I am into the second trimester, but so far the experience has been somewhat different from what I expected. The fabled energy boost definitely has yet to become a reality. In fact, I have been more tired than ever before during the past week. I feel like I have mono, except this time I haven't been kissing all the boys (my hilarious Mexican doctor, whom we fondly called the "frito bandito", insisted this was how I contracted mono in college.)
Two nights ago, I got a solid 8 hours of sleep (except for the predictable 2:00 bathroom visit). I woke feeling more refreshed than I had over the weekend. By the time I got to work, I had a headache and could barely keep my eyes open. Having struggled through the day, I headed to the Kayes' to babysit Khloe for a few hours. I think both of us were in a similar place with regard to fatigue, which did neither of us any favors. She finally fell asleep, and I napped for about an hour til Brittany got home. I, in turn, arrived home around 9:30 and immediately went to bed. This morning I helped myself to an extra hour of sleep and came into work a little late. I feel...like a normal human being. Not super refreshed, but fairly normal.
Also. I finished breakfast literally 15 minutes ago (I was a grazer this morning...pineapple and cottage cheese, eaten leisurely at my desk) and my stomach is starting to growl.
In sum, I'm actually feeling more pregnant and out-of-sorts than all through the first trimester. Or at the very least, it doesn't feel as though anything has changed. Maybe my body is on the "gestation" or "conception" method of trimester calculation and didn't get the memo that thus saith the mama, the second trimester hath already begun! What, I can't speak it into reality? You mean the Word-Faith movement is bunk? Well crap.
I'm so excited to move in a couple of weeks. Really I am, and I am so grateful that we get to stretch the move over a span of a whole week. Because doing it all in one day? Now that would be magical. I would have to take the next month off of work to recover.
Speaking of the move, our landlords painted the second bedroom a sweet, soft shade of yellow. It's going to be just perfect! And the new refrigerator and stove are slated to arrive Saturday, and the new carpet within a few days of that. The bathroom is coming along, with a brand new enclosed bathtub/shower. Friends, moldy grout is about to become a thing of my past. The house is super exciting, even if the only bathroom is on the second floor (hey, it will keep me exercising throughout the pregnancy!). We signed the lease on Monday so...I sure hope this job thing works out...
Thanks for checking in! :-)
Trimesters, Shmimesters
I've been trying to figure out when I can consider myself to be in the second trimester, since, I don't know, it seems like I'll be "more pregnant" or something when I'm further along? Anyway, I've read conflicting information about when the second trimester starts, varying from 12-14 weeks or so. In my search for the truth (it is out there!), I found a trimester calculator that tells you when your trimesters begin and end based on three different methods of calculation.
Here's the link: Trimester Calculator
And here is an excerpt from the webpage, especially for all my preggo sisters who may be wondering the same thing:
So for me, my second trimester began on July 2 according to the development method, will begin on July 12 according to gestation method, and on July 21 according to conception method. The real question is, does it matter?
Happy 13 weeks, little one, and for what it's worth, I say we're in our second trimester now!
Here's the link: Trimester Calculator
And here is an excerpt from the webpage, especially for all my preggo sisters who may be wondering the same thing:
The three basic ways to calculate trimesters | ||
| There are basically three ways of dividing up a pregnancy into the three trimesters; they are by: Development, Gestation, Conception. They give different dates for when the second trimester begins and for when the third trimester begins. Your health care provider might prefer to use the Development method, while another Midwife or Doctor may use the Gestation method. I am sure they do that just to confuse pregnant women.  Development:This uses actual developmental stages to divide up a pregnancy. From LMP to 12 weeks the embryo develops all the major organs and becomes a fetus. From 12 weeks to 27 weeks the fetus continues developing and reaches viability. From 27 weeks on the fetus finishes development and prepares for delivery. Here the second trimester begins at 12w 0d and the third at 27w 0d.Gestation:With this method you take the 40 weeks of gestation and divide by three. Here the second trimester begins at 13w 3d and the third at 26w 6d.Conception:This method is where you take the 38 weeks of post conception development, divide by three, and add two weeks. Here the second trimester begins at 14w 5d and the third at 27w 3d. |
So for me, my second trimester began on July 2 according to the development method, will begin on July 12 according to gestation method, and on July 21 according to conception method. The real question is, does it matter?
Happy 13 weeks, little one, and for what it's worth, I say we're in our second trimester now!
Solo Mish
Warning: for the female readers; involves painful detail with regard to bra shopping.
The title of this post is in honor of Becca, who forced me to watch an episode of The Hills...which turned into two, then I think three episodes. It's kind of like a train wreck on top of a plane crash...so awful that you can't look away. Anyway, that's where I first heard reference to a "solo mish", apparently short for "solo mission". Today, I went on a solo mish to Target.
I learned so much today. I learned that you should never, ever go clothes shopping alone while pregnant, and that you should never, ever, for the love of all that is good and holy, go shopping alone for apparel that requires you to self-scrutinize while wearing anything less than full head-to-toe coverage. Oh, the depression. I knew things had been changing and shifting around but....I needed somebody there to cheer me up. I was trying sizes at which I had previously turned up my nose, and I still looked slightly lumpy.
And? I learned that women's clothing is sized by monkeys throwing poo at a number chart. I knew this about pants...men get a nice predictable "32 x 34", while we get sizes that fit differently depending on the store, the style, and the current zodiac sign. But bras, which seem so methodical and sensible. You'd think that a cup size would be a cup size, but nooooo....you finally find the magic number (36? 38?) that allows you to breathe adequately, and suddenly you could also smuggle a twelve-pack of Angel Soft to cushion the ladies. I finally settled on one and bought it, if only to burn it tonight at dusk.
I think I learned some other things as well but I'm too exhausted to remember. The main gist of it all was, "Oh, good heavens, no! My eyes! Cover it up, quick!" Thankfully I did the bra shopping first and was able to spend some time afterward looking at myself fully-clothed in some cute new tops. Joel, darling, I slightly overspent but I blame it on the trauma of bra shopping. I'm sure you understand....er, actually, take my word for it?
Quick, somebody, tell me how wonderful it is that I have a little baby growing inside me and the miracle of life and blah blah blah. I need a reality check!
This is why I don't watch The Hills. Or shop. I need to go eat something.
The title of this post is in honor of Becca, who forced me to watch an episode of The Hills...which turned into two, then I think three episodes. It's kind of like a train wreck on top of a plane crash...so awful that you can't look away. Anyway, that's where I first heard reference to a "solo mish", apparently short for "solo mission". Today, I went on a solo mish to Target.
I learned so much today. I learned that you should never, ever go clothes shopping alone while pregnant, and that you should never, ever, for the love of all that is good and holy, go shopping alone for apparel that requires you to self-scrutinize while wearing anything less than full head-to-toe coverage. Oh, the depression. I knew things had been changing and shifting around but....I needed somebody there to cheer me up. I was trying sizes at which I had previously turned up my nose, and I still looked slightly lumpy.
And? I learned that women's clothing is sized by monkeys throwing poo at a number chart. I knew this about pants...men get a nice predictable "32 x 34", while we get sizes that fit differently depending on the store, the style, and the current zodiac sign. But bras, which seem so methodical and sensible. You'd think that a cup size would be a cup size, but nooooo....you finally find the magic number (36? 38?) that allows you to breathe adequately, and suddenly you could also smuggle a twelve-pack of Angel Soft to cushion the ladies. I finally settled on one and bought it, if only to burn it tonight at dusk.
I think I learned some other things as well but I'm too exhausted to remember. The main gist of it all was, "Oh, good heavens, no! My eyes! Cover it up, quick!" Thankfully I did the bra shopping first and was able to spend some time afterward looking at myself fully-clothed in some cute new tops. Joel, darling, I slightly overspent but I blame it on the trauma of bra shopping. I'm sure you understand....er, actually, take my word for it?
Quick, somebody, tell me how wonderful it is that I have a little baby growing inside me and the miracle of life and blah blah blah. I need a reality check!
This is why I don't watch The Hills. Or shop. I need to go eat something.
To My Sweet Pea at 12 Weeks
My darling little one, how you have grown! When I first wrote to you, you were the size of a single pea. Now you are at least as large as a plum! You have all of your tiny parts now - arms and legs, fingers and toes. Your heart has been beating strong and steady for several weeks now, and your other organs are getting ready to function as well. You're producing your own blood, and your brain is in control of your organs. Your brain - how well-developed it must already be! Best of all, your face has taken shape. If none of these other signs of life were enough to amaze me, the fact that you have a distinct appearance now is astonishing. Do you look more like your mama or your dada? What color will your eyes be when they finally open? Whose nose will you have?
I wonder what you are doing in there. They say that you are moving already, testing your tiny limbs, swimming and flipping about. Enjoy it while you can, because soon there won't be room in there for all those acrobatics! Oh I'm sure you'll still try, and I will enjoy feeling your vigorous movements. But it will get quite cozy, and before you know it, you'll be ready to leave your warm, safe home and join ours.
Your dada and I cannot wait for that moment, my sweet pea! I remember meeting your beautiful cousin Khloe for the first time. She was very fresh and new when we saw her, barely an hour old. The wave of love that swept over me when I held her was stronger than I had expected! And yet, when I hold you just a moment after you arrive, I know that my entire life will change. In an instant, everything I have ever known about love will pale. Perhaps I will come an iota closer to fathoming our Father's love for His children.
Even now, imagining what that will be like, I am flooded with emotion. Oh tiny one, how we love you, and how we look forward to your life with us! How we have prayed and longed for you, feared you might never be. The Lord is using you already to teach us how small our faith has been, and how great are His goodness and love.
May the theme of your life always be, as it is now, soli deo gloria!
I wonder what you are doing in there. They say that you are moving already, testing your tiny limbs, swimming and flipping about. Enjoy it while you can, because soon there won't be room in there for all those acrobatics! Oh I'm sure you'll still try, and I will enjoy feeling your vigorous movements. But it will get quite cozy, and before you know it, you'll be ready to leave your warm, safe home and join ours.
Your dada and I cannot wait for that moment, my sweet pea! I remember meeting your beautiful cousin Khloe for the first time. She was very fresh and new when we saw her, barely an hour old. The wave of love that swept over me when I held her was stronger than I had expected! And yet, when I hold you just a moment after you arrive, I know that my entire life will change. In an instant, everything I have ever known about love will pale. Perhaps I will come an iota closer to fathoming our Father's love for His children.
Even now, imagining what that will be like, I am flooded with emotion. Oh tiny one, how we love you, and how we look forward to your life with us! How we have prayed and longed for you, feared you might never be. The Lord is using you already to teach us how small our faith has been, and how great are His goodness and love.
May the theme of your life always be, as it is now, soli deo gloria!
In Like a Lion, Out Like a....Lion
Perhaps that's an exaggeration. Instead of a lion, let's compare my first trimester to...shall we say, a large, ornery housecat? For the most part, when I've felt sick it's just been a steady queasiness rather than huge waves of acute nausea. And while I've been tired, I have been pretty good about going to bed relatively early and taking naps when necessary. It's been several weeks since I needed a power nap at work, and I haven't felt queasy in about the same amount of time. I thought things were settling down and ready to ease silently into the second trimester.
Well.
I don't know what Peewee's doing in there, but the last week has really ramped things up. I have not only been eating everything in the house (literally. I think we have half a carton of blueberries and some matchstick carrots in the fridge), but there has been a resurgence in nausea and fatigue. This is week 12, people, we should be moving forward, not backward.
On Sunday I questioned whether I'd make it to church. I blamed the heat that morning, but since then I've continued to feel much more queasy throughout each day as well. Today is the worst, with dueling hunger and nausea all morning. I had two eggs, scrambled, with cheese, and some potatoes from the hospital caf (I can eat eggs, just can't stand to smell them! It helps that they are so buttery and unhealthy here; masks the eggy-ness). I have been nibbling crackers and sipping my water - should have grabbed a ginger ale from the caf while I was there.
And I just took a 20-minute power nap here in my office, which stretched into a 25-minute nap when I hit the snooze button. I really think I could have slept all day. Do you think my supervisors would approve? Thankfully my 10:00 appointment canceled, giving me a little extra time to make up for the nap. This afternoon, my last scheduled appointment/meeting ends at 3:00. Can I justify heading out early? I rationalize this by telling myself that I will get the same amount of work done whether I go home to sleep or remain a zombie here.
Well those are the details of my day. I'm looking forward to ladies' night tonight at Janell's house, and made mini muffins for the occasion. Miraculously, I didn't lose any ingredients and nothing burned in the oven. If I can just squeak in a nap after work, I might be good to go. Otherwise, Laurie, be prepared to carry me home.
In two days, I will officially be 12 weeks pregnant. One more week, and I'll be starting into the second trimester. That is so hard to believe!! I keep telling myself that I'll start packing as soon as I get to that point and have that fabled energy resurgence...it's like a unicorn mermaid mirage right now. Please, let it really exist!
Well.
I don't know what Peewee's doing in there, but the last week has really ramped things up. I have not only been eating everything in the house (literally. I think we have half a carton of blueberries and some matchstick carrots in the fridge), but there has been a resurgence in nausea and fatigue. This is week 12, people, we should be moving forward, not backward.
On Sunday I questioned whether I'd make it to church. I blamed the heat that morning, but since then I've continued to feel much more queasy throughout each day as well. Today is the worst, with dueling hunger and nausea all morning. I had two eggs, scrambled, with cheese, and some potatoes from the hospital caf (I can eat eggs, just can't stand to smell them! It helps that they are so buttery and unhealthy here; masks the eggy-ness). I have been nibbling crackers and sipping my water - should have grabbed a ginger ale from the caf while I was there.
And I just took a 20-minute power nap here in my office, which stretched into a 25-minute nap when I hit the snooze button. I really think I could have slept all day. Do you think my supervisors would approve? Thankfully my 10:00 appointment canceled, giving me a little extra time to make up for the nap. This afternoon, my last scheduled appointment/meeting ends at 3:00. Can I justify heading out early? I rationalize this by telling myself that I will get the same amount of work done whether I go home to sleep or remain a zombie here.
Well those are the details of my day. I'm looking forward to ladies' night tonight at Janell's house, and made mini muffins for the occasion. Miraculously, I didn't lose any ingredients and nothing burned in the oven. If I can just squeak in a nap after work, I might be good to go. Otherwise, Laurie, be prepared to carry me home.
In two days, I will officially be 12 weeks pregnant. One more week, and I'll be starting into the second trimester. That is so hard to believe!! I keep telling myself that I'll start packing as soon as I get to that point and have that fabled energy resurgence...it's like a unicorn mermaid mirage right now. Please, let it really exist!
A Big Gulp and a Prayer
And I don't mean the kind from 7-11.
For the past month or so, I have been waiting to hear about a potential postdoctoral residency near Lancaster. This is one that I was blessed to be connected with through dear friends at church (thank you, Migdalia, if you're listening!). The interview process went fabulously, and the practice is a small one comprised of Christian clinicians - to me, there could not be a more desirable place to serve as a resident and, hopefully, as a psychologist once I'm licensed.
Enter: Baby Pearce
How does one navigate the interview and potential hiring process while pregnant? I have wrestled with the question of when to let the practice know about my pregnancy, and heard myriad opinions on all sides: don't tell them til after you get an offer, because it could bias their opinion and damage your chances of getting the position! Tell them as soon as possible, it would be unfair to withhold such an important factor from the discussion, etc. What to do?
After much prayer and reflection, it seems inevitable to me that I must act with integrity and trust the Lord in this, as in all things. Thankfully they are Christian folks, and I acknowledged some of these things when I gave them the news.
So....now they know. Or will as soon as they check their email. Please join me in praying that the Lord will help us to trust Him with this opportunity, and that if it is His will, I'll be offered the residency sometime next week. It is easy to view my pregnancy right now with just the slightest tinge of discontent, thinking that this isn't the most ideal timing. This, coming from a woman who has poured out prayers and tears before the Lord, longing for a child! How like Israel I prove myself to be, time and again!
Lord, teach me contentment and trust in this season of pregnancy, even as I reach new depths of sinful self-centeredness.
As Joel reminded me, whether I get this job or not, I have a little baby inside me. This reminder silenced me in gratitude. Brothers and sisters, I would not trade this sweet blessing for any job or for all the money in the world! This is truly a wonderful gift from the Lord, and He WILL continue to provide all our needs, just as He has during our first four poor years of marriage. We have all that we could want in Him, in the blessings of salvation, our marriage, our church, and our expanding family. All else is dust in the wind, after all.
For the past month or so, I have been waiting to hear about a potential postdoctoral residency near Lancaster. This is one that I was blessed to be connected with through dear friends at church (thank you, Migdalia, if you're listening!). The interview process went fabulously, and the practice is a small one comprised of Christian clinicians - to me, there could not be a more desirable place to serve as a resident and, hopefully, as a psychologist once I'm licensed.
Enter: Baby Pearce
How does one navigate the interview and potential hiring process while pregnant? I have wrestled with the question of when to let the practice know about my pregnancy, and heard myriad opinions on all sides: don't tell them til after you get an offer, because it could bias their opinion and damage your chances of getting the position! Tell them as soon as possible, it would be unfair to withhold such an important factor from the discussion, etc. What to do?
After much prayer and reflection, it seems inevitable to me that I must act with integrity and trust the Lord in this, as in all things. Thankfully they are Christian folks, and I acknowledged some of these things when I gave them the news.
So....now they know. Or will as soon as they check their email. Please join me in praying that the Lord will help us to trust Him with this opportunity, and that if it is His will, I'll be offered the residency sometime next week. It is easy to view my pregnancy right now with just the slightest tinge of discontent, thinking that this isn't the most ideal timing. This, coming from a woman who has poured out prayers and tears before the Lord, longing for a child! How like Israel I prove myself to be, time and again!
Lord, teach me contentment and trust in this season of pregnancy, even as I reach new depths of sinful self-centeredness.
As Joel reminded me, whether I get this job or not, I have a little baby inside me. This reminder silenced me in gratitude. Brothers and sisters, I would not trade this sweet blessing for any job or for all the money in the world! This is truly a wonderful gift from the Lord, and He WILL continue to provide all our needs, just as He has during our first four poor years of marriage. We have all that we could want in Him, in the blessings of salvation, our marriage, our church, and our expanding family. All else is dust in the wind, after all.
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