( BP= 116/62, weight= 178 lbs (4 lbs total gain))

3-7-00 back from the dr. and things look good. he said all my numbers look good, even my uterus which is measuring a couple centimeters under my naval (though to me it feels like a couple above it!) He wasn't really worried about the parvo since the baby is done developing now, it's just getting bigger. He said out of thier history of delivering , which is over 12,000 babies, none they've had have been effected by the virus. so those odds made me feel better. He did mention it was good that i was out of my first trimester.

I go back on April the 7th and I'll be getting my next u/s done then. I must admit, i'm eager to get it. It's on a Friday so mom will get to go with me. I've gotta find out if they've got a vcr to record yet or if i'll have to bring a camcorder to get it. they do give pictures at least if i cant' get a recorder.

I had the weirdest feeling last night. i was here at the desk (what a surprise) and turned to get something and what felt like a big baby kick under my ribs! now i know little bit is NOT up that high yet, or else she just got wild on me and did a big karate kick! later i felt another one across my lower tummy where baby actually is. i can't wait til Bit is big enough to really do that. :)

You see I've gained 4 lbs so far. Not bad, but the last 2 were done in the last 2 weeks! eek! better watch that snacking. ;)

Mental note: never leave the kids alone in the kitchen to eat cupcakes. what a mess! *sigh*

3-10-00 Today it's raining outside. :( It's been so nice all week, with temps in the high 70's and today, well, it's not even 60. *sigh* I love being able to let the kids go out and play, they get to burn off all that extra energy and stuff, now we'll be running over each other and i'll be chasing them out of my room and bathroom and keeping them reminded to pick their toys up after they're done playing with them. (that's an all day job! :)

Robert will be home today though. That's good. We miss him when he has to work out of town. It gets boring. I think i tend to snack more too. Canaan has been asking each night "Daddy be home tonight?" and he hangs his head to his knees when i say 'no, not tonight'. They talked to him on the phone last night. I always get a kick out of that since I only hear one half the conversation and I'm wondering if Robert can understand what they're telling him, especially Sissy. She's only 2 and most of the time her speech is that of what Mommy can understand. :) They like talking about what they did during the day, when he's going to be home, where i'm sitting, what the cats are doing, the pictures on the walls, the toys on the floor, you get the picture. whatever is in site is fair game for a conversation. :)

The baby booted me this morning when I rolled over. :) I think she was telling me that she was comfortable where she was at! Sunday starts my 18th week. I can't believe I'm almost half way through already. The time is going so fast! I've been listening with my bebe sounds listener and I"ve discovered I've heard her more than I thought. I expected the h/b to sound like it does at the dr. office ("whoosh whoosh") but it's actually a "thump thump" like Bit is kicking the listener. cool! so now that i know what i'm listening for, I hear her all the time. I like that. :)

Yesterday was my little brother's birthday. John is 14 now, wow! I was 13 when he was born, so i remember all the diaper changing, bottle giving, pudding faces, scrunchie faces and all that. I remember thinking waaaaaaay back then about how old i'd be when he was my age then and i was like wow, 26 sure seems a long way off! Now i'm 27. Time sure has no stopping points. :) I remember when my mom was 24. Weird. :)

3-12-00 OUCH! yep, that's me. every since I woke up from my nap yesterday I've had this pain in my lower left side. It's right about where my ovary would be, perhaps a bit lower. It's a sharp piercing pain that really hurts! It's not constant (thank goodness) but it comes and goes and when it comes it usually shoots through 2 or more times and is bad enough to make me draw my legs up to ease the pain. :p I"m sure it's just the ligaments doing thier thing as usual, but considering my history of waking up and things wrong, I dont like it.

On the good side of things, the baby is getting big enough to make an impact. On my tummy that is. :) I can feel her on the outside sometimes now. I love it. It's usually when i roll over and disturb her, or when i just lay down and she realizes all the rocking that was keeping her asleep has stopped and it's now time to wake up! I have quite a firm mound of belly in front of me now. I guess I should get some pics in here to show my progress, but I dont have any right now. It seems I"m always the one taking the pics, not getting them taken. oh well. :)

I really hope the warm weather returns soon. I just dont have a lot to wear for maternity during cold weather. Both my other babies were born in summer/fall, so winter maternity is just not there for me really. I am wearing the clothes I was in when I was at my heaviest. I guess they came in handy, though I hope to not need them again once I have the baby! I do tend to drop the pg weight quickly (one week) but it's been a matter of keeping it off once I drop it! *crossing fingers* this time that I can do it.

I'm waiting to see if I've won a bid at E-Bay. It's for an Avent Isis Breastpump and a LOT of accessories. I really hope i get it. I have an Evenflo electric, but I tell ya, that thing will wear your boobies out if you have a lot of pumping to do! The Isis is very highly recommended, so I"m hoping I get it! I know I still have time to get one if I dont, but i want to have it done and less things to worry about. :)

3-17-00 HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! Another holiday to enjoy, though the kids aren't really old enough to get into it. I did wear some green today though, just in case Robert comes in and wants to pinch me for forgetting. ^_^

I did win the auction on the breastpump this week. I'm waiting to get it now. Hopefully it'll be here tomorrow. I'm eager to open my "present"! I can't believe that Sunday will start my 5th month! Wow! I do look like I'm 5 months along, that's for sure, though I dont think i look to bad if i'm wearing something. Seeing my bare tummy in the mirror though makes for a different story, I think it seems 10 lbs bigger then. :)

Baby seems to be doing wonderfully. As I'm here she's dancing on my bladder! I imagine those tiny feet doing the watoosie in there and makes me smile! I was relaxing in Robert's chair the other night and had my arms crossed over my belly, weeeeellll, she obviously didn't like it, or wanted to play because she was constantly bopping my arms there! Hahaha! and this was about an inch over my belly button now! She's getting on up there, before I know it she'll be up in my ribs, poking at my lungs! But that's ok, it's her own room right now, so she can redecorate how she likes, as long as she puts things back where they belong when she's ready to come out!

I was so frustrated this morning. Bills. Ugh. Sometimes I wonder how we go from one week to next and I know it's only by the grace of God. I believe Robert thinks I dont understand the 'stress' of making the money for the family, but he's totally wrong. I"m the one that writes all the checks to those companies out there that we give all our money too. He just has to hear about how much we have on Friday evenings, not all the juggling, struggling and shuffling i did to get everything paid, give him money for the week, have gas money, and buy groceries. I only had $20 for that this week. I really shouldnt' gripe, mom used to have to shop for dinner with only $5 when she was married to David. Made for a lot of sloppy joe's. It took many years before i could stomach another one of those. I did get food though, and we did have veggies left over from last week. I do try to stock up when we have extra money. I get so frustrated though, knowing I dont even have $1 to give at church this week. That makes me feel really bad. i try to give as much as i can, and i know that God knows that, but when I can't put anything in.......and when it goes on for weeks......I get really down.

I do know that our financial problems are our problem. We made bad decisions, though some i must say there wasnt' any way to talk said spouse out of making. *sigh* last month was the start of $100 extra dollars going out the door since he got his new truck. It adds up between the payment and the extra insurance. I know he did go up 7 years in auto age, so this truck is much better than the other, but still.......it makes me yearn for the other one when it comes to Fridays. I had to dig into our "stash" to give him cash for the week and the $20 grocery money. now i'm wondering what we'll do when the house insurance comes due next month. ugh. i'll worry about that later. I know there's a light in this tunnel, somewhere. it's just a matter of me keeping opptimistic til we get there, and hope neither of us try to finance anything else. though i really think that's impossible since it'd have to come from our good looks! ha!

On some really good news.....a friend from the TTCbaby list I was on while trying to get pg, has finally gotten her dream! After 8 years of trying and endless fertility treatments, they finally are pregnant! She's such a wonderful lady, and when I seen her post, I cried, I was so excited for them! Maybe you'll visit her site and see how they're doing. CONGRATULATIONS VICKI!

4 months along, what a belly! :)