17 weeks!

I am so blessed and honored to have been asked personally to a link up this week. =) Thanks Sarah


Here's what's going on with my 17th week of pregnancy #2!

How far along are you? I am 17 1/2 weeks currently. I turn 18 weeks on Wednesday

Best Moment this week? Feeling the baby have hiccups for the first time, and watching my belly move along with it. It's such a surreal feeling and so amazing at the same time.

Prayer requests? I've already been hospitalized twice this pregnancy(including my short stint in the hospital today) for the stomach flu. I'm a little worried about how well the baby is growing, for the amount I've been sick. Please pray for a healthy baby and a healthy mommy. =)

What scripture is speaking to you this week? Jeremiah 1:5 has been really on my heart this week. This baby was a surprise( a very welcomed one, but a surprise none the less) and just thinking how God knows this little person fully, before I even get to meet them, or feel them move inside of me, or even hear their heartbeat just has me in awe of our wonderful creator and God.

 

Symptoms? Morning sickness up the yin yang (I have hyperemesis gravidarum so it's kind of a duh thing) And the leg cramps have started.
 
Weight gain (or loss)? Loss. Most definitely loss over here. I'm currently down 14 pounds. My weight was the same at my doctor's appointment last Monday, so that's an improvement!

Cravings? Anything citrusy, potatoes, italian food, salads

Food Aversions? beef. Mexican food. Onion dip

What Made Me Cry This Week? A car ad made me cry this week. I'm a little ashamed to post that. I was thinking of one of my friends who got a brand new car for Christmas from her husband and the joy that she got from that made me think of being able to give free cars to random people, and sharing in their joy.

Sleep? It is lacking. My 9 month old is teething, so sleep is a little hard to come by, though I do nap when she does.

Maternity Clothes? Most definitely. I actually look pregnant now, which is a little bit of a self confidence booster. =) My normal pants still fit, but they press on my belly and hurt, so I wear my maternity pants with a belt so they don't fall down. I am wearing maternity shirts now though. My normal shirts are too long.

Stretch Marks? Yup. Still have them from my last pregnancy.

Gender? Don't know til next Monday, but I think it's a boy

Movement? Some.

What I miss.... This is TOTALLY selfish of me, but I miss being able to have a drink randomly with dinner when I go out on dates with my husband. I also miss being able to eat raw cookie dough. (SO bad for you, but SO GOOD!)

What I'm looking forward to.... Finding out the gender next week, and growing closer to this precious life inside of me!

Cravings

Cravings have hit the Manchester household. It's not like I'm craving anything horribly strange (I just read a story where the lady craved chocolate covered pickled pigs feet). That honestly just made me gag. Ew.

Mostly I've been craving salads and fruit. Also potatoes... in every shape and form... french fries, potato soup, hash browns... It's pretty safe to say that I've been cooking lots of potato items lately. I'm blessed to have a husband that is such a good sport. =)

Keeping on the potato theme, I will leave you with a recipe of my new favorite potato soup. It's really not the best for you, but with the cold weather we've been having, it truly hits the spot.

Baked Potato Soup

What you need:

    1 lb. bacon, diced
    1 onion, diced
    5 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
    3 c. chicken stock
    3 T. butter
    3 T. flour
    1 1/2 c. milk
    3 green onions, sliced
    3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
    1/2 t. black pepper
    Sour cream for garnish, optional

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain and set aside. Drain all but 2 T. of bacon grease from the pot. Cook the onions in the remaining bacon grease for about 5 minutes, until tender.

2. Add potatoes and chicken stock to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. With a slotted spoon, remove a few scoops of potatoes. Place in a bowl and mash with a fork. Set aside.

3. In a small sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Slowly stir in to stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer. Stir mashed potatoes back into pot.

4. Add 1/2 c. shredded cheese, three-fourths of the bacon and half the sliced green onions to pot. Add pepper. Stir to combine. Cook an additional 5 minutes.

5. To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls and top with some shredded cheese, bacon, green onions and optional sour cream.

Do you have any random cravings? =)

Morning sickness

Ugh. The one thing I DREAD about being pregnant is morning sickness. I know that if you have morning sickness it means that the new life inside of you is healthy and growing normally, and it normally lasts until 12-15 weeks.

For me that is a bit different. I have what is called hyperemesis gravidarum. The definition provided by the National Library of Medicine says this about it:

"Hyperemesis gravidarum is extreme, persistent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy that may lead to dehydration. "

This lovely condition is one of the reasons why I was hospitalized a few times with my first pregnancy, and why I have already been hospitalized with my current pregnancy. I was hospitalized so I could get several bags of IV fluid, and so that the doctors could monitor me and the baby. 

The reason that this is so important to monitor for me, is because I have lost so much weight. In my first pregnancy, I lost over 30 pounds in 6 weeks. In this pregnancy, I have lost 14. Being able to keep very little down in your second trimester isn't normal. If you are experiencing hard morning sickness, talk to your OB. 

Because of all of my morning sickness, I have developed a few tools to help keep down foods and liquids.

1. Eat what you crave. Now I'm not saying that if you are craving chocolate covered donuts(what I currently am craving) that you should go and eat 6 of them. I'm saying that if you are feeling a pull towards a certain food, it will most likely be a safe food (by safe I mean able to keep down food) for you. It should still be done in moderation though.

2.  Stay away from your nausea triggers as much as possible. For me, smells make me nauseous really easily. For example, the smell of my husbands deodorant, or the smell of eggs cooking. I love eggs. I have craved eggs. But if I have to smell them while they are cooking, it does me in. If there are times, when you can't get away from the trigger completely, (like having to change a dirty diaper, or at a restaurant) find fresh air. When I change my daughter's diaper, I keep a window open. If we are at a restaurant and I start feeling sick, I will excuse myself from the table, and go outside for a moment to breathe.

3. Carry snacks and something to suck on with you at all times. Having a small water bottle in your purse or baby bag is a good idea too. If your blood sugar level drops down too far, or if you get too dehydrated, it can make your nausea worse. I carry Jolly Ranchers (mint and I don't agree during pregnancy) and a couple granola bars in my baby bag.

4. If your prenatal vitamin is making your stomach turn, try taking it with a heavy meal. If that doesn't work, and your stomach still turns after, or hurts after, try the chewable type. I use Vitafusions' gummy prenatal vitamin. It's two small gummies that I can take at once or two times during the day. They are a lot easier on your stomach as well.

If you get put on an anti- nausea drug, watch out for REGLAN. 
There are studies showing that it can hurt the precious life inside of you. Zofran and Zenergran are still considered safe. 


Remember, this precious life inside of you is a wonderful gift. It is worth all of these temporary grievances. 

Psalm 127:3
Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him.

Why this was started

I'm not a very good blogger. I love reading blogs and gaining inspiration from things others post. I don't think I am one of those inspirational type of  people. I don't prepare only organic foods. I am not overly creative. I am a newer Christian that sometimes(ok... a lot lately) at reading the Bible. I don't have a perfectly clean house.

I am a mom that is just trying to make it day to day, and do the best that I can to raise a happy and healthy kid. (soon to be kids. :o)

With all of that said, I needed somewhere to place down my thoughts. Hence the title Random Musings. =)

Thanks for coming along for the ride.