An unexpected hospital stay

It's been a rather draining week so far. I'm finally home from the hospital after being in and out of there since Monday. It's been a tough few days, but I'm very thankful to be home. I'm feeling quite a bit better, but I still have some concerns and will probably have to make another appointment with Urology. I have my regular appointment with my doctor tomorrow (Friday) morning, so we'll see what she says. With the language barrier it's been hard to know for sure what's going on with me, but after doing some research online I think it's called Hydronephrosis of Pregnancy. Basically it's a blockage in the kidney.

It all started Monday afternoon. We were up so late Sunday night with Super Bowl that we didn't get up until 11:00 on Monday. As Sam was leaving for work a little after 12:00 I mentioned that I wasn't feeling very good. I just thought my stomach was a bit upset and didn't think much of it. Throughout the day I was feeling worse, so I laid down on the couch. When I woke up a little later I felt much worse. I had a burning discomfort in my lower stomach and my back was killing me (it had been hurting for several weeks now). I thought it was probably a urinary tract infection (even though I'd never had one), but it just kept getting worse.

I took a shower to see if that would relieve the back pain. Finally around 5:00 I couldn't hold out any longer and called the doctor. She could see me at 6:30. I drove to where Sam was working and we went from there. I was in so much pain that I could barely talk though it. When we got to the doctor's office their first concern was that I might be having contractions, which I was pretty sure wasn't the case, but they hooked me up to a fetal monitor just to rule that out. It was excruciating to sit for the 30 minutes they monitored the baby, but at one point I couldn't help but smile because she's so active and kept kicking the monitor. It was funny because Sam could finally see how active she is too. He could hear every kick.

After monitoring the baby, Dr. Van de Castel did an ultrasound just to make sure the baby looked good and I told her I was hurting badly in my right kidney area. Looking at it with the ultrasound she could tell there was a blockage. She called it a stau (German for a backup - like a traffic stau). She wanted to admit me to the hospital overnight which I was not excited about. I was still under the impression that I just needed antibiotics and pain reliever. On the way home, Sam ran into the Apotheke (German pharmacy) to get the medicine. I took a pain pill right away. Thankfully, by the time we were getting home to pack for the hospital I was feeling much better. It felt so good not to hurt - it's something we truly take for granted.

After checking into the hospital, they hooked me up to another fetal monitor. During that time the pain started coming back. I don't usually have a hard time with needles, but the IV they put in my hand really hurt...and I had to leave it in all night. Just another miserable aspect of being in the hospital. At some point I told them I was having a lot of pain in my back again, so they gave me this herbal pain reliever through the IV. It did nothing to help the pain and I was finally in tears when I told them I needed something stronger.

I was checked into a double room (another American girl came in around 2:00am). Sam couldn't stay with me because there was going to be someone else in the room too. I had a long, miserable, painful night. The pain kept coming back every 2 hours after taking medication. The only nurse they had working the ward did not speak English, so it was hard to communicate. I tried to tell her I was in a lot of pain, but she would just look at me and smile. That wasn't much comfort when I was in so much pain. She hooked me up with another bottle of the herbal pain reliever. Of course, it didn't work. Finally, an hour later she brought in a midwife that spoke English. I was crying again from the pain and told her I needed real medication, not the herbal remedy I was hooked up to. This continued through the night. The other girl sharing the room was in there for a bad cold. We ended up talking several hours through the night. It helped to pass some of the time.

Sam came back around 7:00 the next morning. Dr. Weiss (the chief of OB/GYN at the hospital) made his rounds at 7:30 and said he wanted to send me to another hospital so I could be checked by Urology. Sam drove me there even though they wanted to take me in an ambulance. I was really sick and hurting again by the time we got there. The appointment at urology was absolutely miserable. They decided to put a Ureteral Stent (what they called a catheter) in from the blocked kidney to the bladder. That, on top of feeling so bad, was almost more than I could take.

The only good thing from that appointment was I guess it did what it was suppose to do since my kidney was able to drain and I didn't have that severe pain anymore. When we left there I told Sam to just take me home. I knew we had to go back to the hospital later to get signed out, but I just wanted to be home at that point. I crashed on the couch and slept awhile then later that afternoon we headed back to the hospital.

I won't go into detail here, but by the time I got back to the hospital I was having some problems with the stent. They tried to fix it there, but I'm still having a lot of pain in my stomach, which is why I will probably have to go back to Urology. Seriously, I've never been more tired of being poked and prodded. I feel like you lose all dignity in the German hospitals and you just become a body - not an individual who is in pain. I felt that especially at Urology. I didn't feel like they were professional or caring in any sense of the word. They were laughing and joking all through the procedure and I was in so much pain. It was a very frustrating experience.

Anyhow, when we went back to the hospital that afternoon, I was determined not to spend another night there. I felt like the longer I was in the hospital, the worse I got. Dr. Weiss wanted me to get a couple of cortisone shots in case I went into pre-term labor. I had never heard of that, but they say it helps the baby's lungs to develop in case of early delivery. I thought it was a little dramatic to be talking pre-term labor at that point, but the doctor said because I have an infection in my body that it could cause contractions. Sam and I discussed this and didn't feel entirely comfortable with it, but in the end decided to trust the doctor. They hooked me up to the fetal monitor again that evening to make sure she was still doing alright. I told them I was signing myself out of the hospital that evening and just like I expected, they really put up a fight. We promised to be back at 7:00 the next morning and finally were able to head home around 8:30.

It felt so good to be home. I was still in pain, so I took 2 pain pills before going to bed. I slept better than I had in a long time.

Wednesday morning we had to be back at the hospital by 7:00 (since we promised the nurse). Dr. Weiss came around at 7:30 and I told him I felt good and he said I could leave after they finished the paperwork. I talked to him about the cortisone shots and voiced my concerns. Some doctors seem to get very offended when you question their recommendations, however, I was pleased that he heard me out and in the end said it was my choice, but that he thought the pros outweighed the cons in this situation. (In the end we decided to go ahead with the second shot, so we went back last night for that.)

We're learning that when the Germans give you a time frame of when to expect something that we need to add on another hour or two. The paperwork was suppose to be finished around 8:30, but we didn't get called until much later. Even at that point we were called to Delivery to have the baby monitored again. Sam couldn't stay because he had a meeting at 10:00. I was a little concerned about the baby yesterday because she didn't move most of the day. I'm used to feeling her all day now and when I don't it concerns me. I was thankful to hear her little heart pounding away while hooked up to the fetal monitor even though she didn't move much. I think the medicine I took the night before must have knocked her out for the day.

That's been a difficult aspect of this hospital experience. Throughout the pregnancy I have tried my best not to take any medication because I didn't want to put anything in me that could harm the baby. Well, the last couple of days that has been thrown out the window. I'm on penicillin and had lots of pain medication there for a couple of days. It was so good to feel her start moving around last night. She's been a busy little girl all of today as well. It feels so good to feel her moving again.

So, as of today I'm still hurting in my lower belly and am afraid I'll have to go back to Urology. We have an appointment with Dr. Van de Castel tomorrow morning. I'll tell her what's still going on and get her opinion. She'll probably send me back to Urology. I just hope it's not as bad as last time. I'm really hoping to get feeling much better soon. Sam got everything emptied out of the nursery over the weekend, but I haven't been able to do anything yet. I have so much to do, but just don't feel healthy enough to attack it all yet. My main concern is the baby and I have to make sure I don't do something to jeopardize her health. We need her to stay put for another 12-13 weeks. Anyhow, that's about it for now. Hopefully tomorrow after our appointment I'll be feeling much better.

What we've been up to

Last Wednesday I finally attended my first Pregnancy Support Group at Panzer, which was a huge step for me since I don't usually venture out on my own, especially to attend a group meeting. BUT....I really enjoyed it. What spurred me into going this particular time was that they were going to have several ladies there who had recently given birth at the German hospitals - two who gave birth at Böblingen where I will be. I thought it would be a great opportunity to hear first-hand what it was like.

I would have liked to hear more and ask more questions, but even so I found out some helpful information. There are two main hospitals that the Americans usually deliver at. One is Robert Bosch and the other is Böblingen . Robert Bosch is probably about 30-40 minutes away from us, which made our decision easy seeing how Böblingen hospital is jut 5-10 minutes away. The ladies who were at Böblingen said the staff all spoke English and being Americans with private insurance they felt they got more attention than the average German patient. One lady said she wouldn't want to give birth in America after having a baby here. That sounded positive.

Friday morning I finally went to the gym with Sam, but I felt rather defeated. I hadn't slept well that night due to back pain, so I wasn't feeling the best even before going. I did cardio and wanted to do some weights, but standing in the weight room I didn't know where to start. Prior to pregnancy I knew what my routine would be, but now I'm so restricted on what I can do....especially with having so much back pain. Anyhow, I'm trying not to feel too discouraged about it and want to go back next week. Hopefully I'll get into a routine that works for my pregnant self.

Gabby gave me a scare Friday afternoon. She came running downstairs acting funny. When I looked over at her, I noticed she had foam pouring out of her mouth. She was running around acting crazy and dripping foam everywhere. Immediately I wondered what she had gotten into. I ran upstairs and noticed one of my pills was laying on the floor with bite marks in it. It had been in my jeans pocket because I planned to take it at lunch, but forgot. It must have dropped out of the pocket when I changed after getting home. I didn't know what to do, but soaked a towel with water and tried to wipe out her mouth. I tried to call the Panzer vet clinic, but they were closed and I didn't know any German clinics to call. When I called Sam, he suggested I call the vet clinic back in Alaska. (I married such a smart man :) I called them and they said I should rinse her mouth out and try to give her fluids, but otherwise she would be fine. What a relief! I was so scared, but I think she was just foaming from getting the medicine on her tongue. Thankfully, she didn't swallow the pill. That probably would have been much worse.

I am constantly in awe of how much this baby moves. Sometimes it seems like she never takes a break. I love it though. It's wonderful to feel her moving around. Knowing she's in there for such a short time makes me enjoy it even more. I could do without the back and sciatic nerve pain, but otherwise I really enjoy being pregnant. It's a miracle to have a baby growing inside of me. Saturday night we were in bed and the baby was moving so much that I looked at my belly and I could see the little kicks. Sam was able to see her kicking too. That was pretty neat. Since then I've been able to see her kicking a lot.

Sam and I are signed up for several childbirth classes in April. I think they'll be really good. I'm glad Sam's so willing to go to them with me. I think it's important for him to be involved in what he can be. I won't make him go to the Breastfeeding Basics though :)

Sam invited several guys over tonight to watch the Super Bowl. He was all prepared for his "guy fest", but wouldn't you know none of them showed up. Poor guy. Rochelle was the only person to come so he ended up watching the game with two pregnant women. Not quite what he had in mind I don't think. He's been getting sick throughout this last week, so I don't think he minded not having a crowd here. Well, it's very late, so I better head to bed.

I'm back in Germany

It's Sunday morning and I'm up early. I've been up since 4:00 due to back pain and jet lag. I know back pain is par for the course with pregnancy, but I think it's worse at this point because of the long plane trips I've taken (Grandpa's funeral & Alaska) where I sat in uncomfortable airliner seats for hours on end. When I go to the doctor I want to ask about seeing a chiropractor. I think with some back adjustments I wouldn't have to deal with so much pain. Meanwhile, I'm sure Sam's enjoying having the bed to himself :)

We'll be going to church later this morning, then we'll probably drive out to Robinson Barracks to check the PX for baby furniture. I'm still trying to figure out how to get a crib, dresser, changing table, car seat, stroller, etc., here in Germany. I could go to the German stores, but I prefer what I can get in America. Besides, I bought a crib set while in Alaska and I'm pretty sure the crib dimensions will be different in Germany, so the sheets and bedding probably wouldn't fit.

The plan was to order the furniture through the PX, but after checking there yesterday we found that it can take 3-6 months to receive an order. I really didn't want to wait that long, but I've checked online options (Walmart, Target, etc.) and they won't ship oversize items to APO addresses. Just another little frustration with living overseas. It's not as easy as just running down the street to a store. So, all that to say it looks like my only option is to order through the PX. I'll try to get the order in this week. With any luck we'll get it on the shorter end of that estimate.

On the other hand - I'm so happy about what I bought for the baby in Alaska. I bought lots of clothes - 3 months to 24 months. I found good sales, so I didn't pay full price for anything. I'm so glad I bought clothes there because I would pay much, much more here and still not have the selection. I'm excited to get the nursery around and get all the clothes put in place. That's probably the biggest frustration with having to wait on the furniture. I want it now, so I can start setting up the nursery. I'm just impatient that way.

After a wonderful 5 weeks back home in Alaska, I arrived back in Germany last Wednesday. The trip is never enjoyable, but I must say I was very blessed to have open seats beside me on all legs of the trip. I know Mom was praying for that and God saw fit to answer. I was very thankful because I could at least change the way I was sitting from time to time and try to alleviate the back pain.

On the flight from Anchorage to Chicago it turned out that the pilot was a friend of ours. We were friends with him, his wife and daughter in Hawaii. He is an airline pilot and they moved to Alaska when he took a job with Alaska Airlines. I heard him over the speakers and asked a flight attendant if it was Tom Sharkey. Sure enough...it was. Funny, how just knowing he was at the controls made me relax a bit. I don't like flying and try to put the "what ifs" out of my mind, but it was very comforting knowing who was at the control of that big plane. I met up with him in Chicago and we spent the 2 hours I had there catching up.

I had an interesting flight from Chicago to Frankfurt. Unbelievably, the plane was only 1/4 full (if that), which meant people could pretty much choose where to sit, so I had my row (two seats by the window) to myself. I've never been on a flight that empty and was looking forward to it. However, just a couple of hours into the flight we thought the pilot was going to set the plane down and have a couple thrown off. They were acting bazaar and would not listen to the flight attendants. Even during take off the woman kept getting up and running down the aisles. It was odd. Later the husband was found in the galley trying to steal alcohol, after he had been told that he would not be served any alcoholic beverages based on their behavior. Earlier in the flight they had been seen taking pills. Not knowing if they were high or drunk, the flight attendants finally confiscated their carry on bags until we reached Frankfurt. The flight attendants were working overtime to keep them seated and finally several hours into the flight they went to sleep. When they woke up, as we were approaching Frankfurt, they didn't seem to have any recollection of what had happened. They were still handed over to the authorities in Frankfurt. In all my travelling I've never seen that.

I'm still trying to recover from jet lag. As of today, I still have not unpacked all my suitcases and the boxes I shipped from Alaska arrived, so I have lots to put away. I've just been so tired that it hasn't gotten done yet. Yesterday, we drove to Triberg (in the Black Forrest) to see about the clock Mom and Dad ordered while they were here. Unfortunately, the clockmaker was not there, but we were able to speak to his mother. Hopefully, we will get pictures from him this next week.

We stopped by Hornbach on the way home to pick out paint for the nursery. I chose a very light pink. I don't want the color to be overwhelming, but neither do I want white walls. The crib and dresser will be white, so I think it'll look good with the light pink walls. Speaking of Baby...she is kicking almost constantly anymore. I really love feeling her move. For me, that's one of the best things about being pregnant. Her kicks are getting much stronger. It surprises me when I feel a hard kick. Yesterday morning, we were laying in bed and Sam was able to feel her quite a bit. He still hasn't felt one of her hard kicks, but I'm sure that's coming. Our next doctor appointment is February 6th. I'm looking forward to seeing the ultrasound again and hopefully confirming that she's indeed a little girl.

Well, I have lots to do, so I better get off of here and start down my list. Until next time...

A picture update

I was finally able to download some pictures on Mom and Dad's computer so thought I'd post a few from our time here in Alaska. This post is a little heavy on the pictures.

Here are Sam and I after church on Sunday morning. That afternoon we all went caroling and then over to some friend's house for snacks.

Christmas morning we gathered around to open gifts. Chad had come down from Fairbanks the night before. Mom and Dad's Rottweiler, Lucky, had a ball tearing up all the wrappings from the gifts. We had trash bags to put all the trash in, but Lucky had another idea.

Sam and I on Christmas morning

Lucky in the middle of the mess.

Lucky

Dad got a new .45 for Christmas and Chad had his .22 along, so the next day we all went out to target practice in the driveway. Since it was pretty cold, it didn't take long for us to be finished and ready to head back inside to warm up.

Dad and Sam being silly

Taking my turn at shooting. (My belly really isn't that big yet - I was wearing Sam's coat)

Mom decided to join us.

Chad, Dad and Mom

While growing up we only had wood heat, but after all of us kids left Mom and Dad got a Monitor stove. They use the Monitor alot, but still supplement with wood heat, which I love. While Sam was here he spent quite a bit of time filling the trailer by the front door with firewood and bringing loads of it in to burn. With the cold weather we've been having it didn't take long before his face got all frosted up from being outside. I think he really enjoyed it though. There is nothing more invigorating than being out in that cold weather. It's so fresh.

Sam's proof that it was indeed -35

Looking all frosty from being outside.

Fog swirling around Sam from the door being open.

Sam had to fly out of Fairbanks on Sunday evening, January 4th. We would not have normally travelled such a distance at -40, but since we had to take Sam to the airport anyhow Mom and I stayed up there a couple of days to get some shopping done. I've never seen the ice fog as bad as it was in Fairbanks those few days. It was so thick that we could only see about a block in front of us. The ice fog was making the trees beautiful though. They all were covered with thick frost.

Prior to coming to Alaska I knew I wanted to get a lot of shopping done for the baby while here. I feel more comfortable shopping in stores I know. Back in Germany we do have the PX, but it's not a real big store and besides that what you buy there everyone else has as well. There are German stores, but the sizes are completely different and I thought I could get better deals here in the states. We'll have to get the bigger items for the nursery in Germany (I think we'll put in an order at the PX when I get back), but I took advantage of some good sales here to get us set up with baby clothes. I never knew shopping for baby clothes could be so exhausting though! Between the cold weather and trying to plan what we need for the baby it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, even though we did enjoy it. It was confusing thinking about what we needed for 3 months, 6 months, 9 month, etc. Thankfully I had Mom to help. After finishing at the first store we headed back to the hotel to drop off what we bought and take a breather.

When we finished shopping the following day I felt pretty good about what I'd bought. Obviously there will be other things to buy, but I feel like we have a good head start.

Before we left the hotel that second morning in Fairbanks I called our house in Germany to make sure Sam had arrived safely. He was there, but his luggage had been lost. It's an exhausting trip, but I was glad to hear he had made it safely. Gabby is driving him crazy. He said she won't move more than 2 inches from him. She follows him everywhere and keeps pestering him for some lovin'. I think she's more dog than cat sometimes. When he woke up the following morning he saw that through the night she had brought in 5 of her toys and dropped them by the bed. I'm so glad he's home with her. It's hard on her when we're away for so long.

Well, that's about all I have for now. Mom and I are going to get ready and meet Dad for lunch this afternoon. I enjoy just being home, but it's nice to get out of the house every so often. I have another week and a half here and then I'll be heading back to Sam. I'm not in a hurry to leave home, but it'll be nice to be back with my husband. Until next time...

We're having a little......

We have been home in Alaska for a little over two weeks now. It's been so busy that we haven't really had a chance to just relax, let alone update the blog. I think the last time I posted before leaving Germany mentioned that we were going to the doctor and hoped to find out the sex of the baby. We didn't get to the doctor that Monday because they called to change our appointment, but were able to work us in the next day right before we headed out of town to Frankfurt. The doctor checked lots of different angles with the ultrasound and as far as she can tell (she's 80% sure) it seems we are having...... a little girl. I wasn't at all surprised, because from the beginning of the pregnancy I felt like it was a girl. I don't know why, but it just felt that way. I feel even more sure since my sister, Kristy, found out they're having a little boy. She's due just a week after us and had her ultrasound in the same week of pregnancy as I did. They had no doubt that it was a little boy, so since we saw nothing to indicate "boy", we feel pretty sure. I'm glad that Sam really didn't care one way or the other. We eventually would like both, so we're happy with having a baby girl first.

Some people would prefer to be surprised, but I've really enjoyed knowing what we're having. It makes it more real being able to call the baby "she'' versus "it" and we can start to concentrate on girl names, which we haven't bothered with until now. On top of that I can do some much needed shopping while here in Alaska and buy girl things instead of everything in neutral colors.

Also, another pregnancy milestone - I felt the baby move for the first time on Christmas Eve. That was a really neat experience. I was just waking up and kept feeling bumps in my belly. I counted about 10-15 bumps. It was different than I thought it would be, but really pleasant. I've felt her just about every day since and find myself looking forward to feeling her again. It's usually when I sit or lay down that I feel her start to move. Sometimes at night if I turn over it seems to wake her up and she starts moving. It definitely makes being pregnant more real to feel her moving around. Sam felt a little bump last night for the first time, but at this point you have to be really patient and wait a little bit to feel her.

We had quite the trip here, but should have known better than to travel during the holidays. I guess that's what we have to put up with if we want to spend this time of the year with family though.

We left Frankfurt on Wednesday (Dec 17th) at around 10:00am and 48 hours later we landed in Fairbanks. Every one of our flights were delayed or cancelled. We were stuck in Dallas for a long time because all flights to Las Vegas had been cancelled due to snow. Our luggage was scheduled to go to Las Vegas so we had to track it down before we could reroute to Seattle without going through Las Vegas. What a nightmare! We were sent on a wild goose chase for hours before someone finally helped us track down the luggage at 11:00pm. We had been there since about 5:00pm trying to find it.

We finally got to Seattle and ended up sitting in the plane on the tarmac for 2 hours after landing because there was no gate available for us to unload at. The flight out of there to Anchorage was delayed, but when we did finally get on that flight we sat on the tarmac for another 2 hours waiting to have our plane de-iced. I guess that's what happens when it snows in the lower 48 - no place seems to be prepared for it. Being from Alaska it just seems ridiculous to have so many flight problems due to snow. If snow and cold weather stopped flights in Alaska there would be none from October though April.

Due to us sitting on the tarmac so long in Seattle we missed our flight to Fairbanks from Anchorage, but thankfully they were able to get us on the last flight out at 11:00pm. We finally made it into Fairbanks at midnight, which was 10:00am in Germany (Dec 19th). I was so glad to be in Fairbanks and off those planes. It always feels right to get back home.

As I said earlier, it's been incredibly busy since we've been here. Coming right before the holidays left us with a lot to do. Seems we haven't had more than a day or two to just relax, but I've enjoyed it all the same. The day after we got in was the church holiday potluck. It was nice seeing everyone again. That evening we went to see a drama put on by my cousins, but I was so tired from jet lag that I was falling asleep and couldn't finish it. They organized the Delta Christian Drama Association several years ago and put on yearly dramas for Christmas and Easter. They do a great job and I've been looking forward to seeing one in person, but it just wasn't going to be this year. We'll have to get a DVD of it once they come out.

Then Sunday was the church Christmas program and we went caroling that afternoon. I so enjoy being back home doing all the traditional holiday activities. Monday we went to Fairbanks because that was the one day we had to get some shopping done before Christmas. We spent the night there on Monday because Sam and I had dentist appointments early on Tuesday morning. I was concerned about going to the dentist because we haven't had a cleaning in two years. Our last was before we left Hawaii and I just haven't found a German dentist I care to go to. Thankfully though we've done a good job of cleaning our teeth because we had no cavities.

We had a really nice Christmas day. My brother came down from Fairbanks on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning we opened our gifts then Mom and I started on dinner. We had various friends and family over for dinner. It's so great to be back with people I know.

Jet lag permeated that first week here due to the 10 hour time difference from Germany. It hasn't been as bad as it could have been, but every evening around 7 or 8 I would just give out and had the hardest time keeping my eyes open. It's getting a lot better though.

Every year for New Year's Eve, Mom and Dad have a party. This year was no different, but it's been pretty cold so we didn't have as many people as usual. It was a nice size crowd though and we enjoyed good food and company. At midnight we all headed outside to watch Dad and Bill set off the fireworks. Usually we have a big bonfire to stand around, but due to the cold (it was -50 that evening) the guys didn't feel like being out long enough to get it going. So, we all just stood outside for 15 minutes to watch the show then headed back in.

Sam leaves tomorrow evening to fly back to Germany. I changed my ticket so I'll be here until the 20th. I'm sure that still won't be long enough, but I guess I have to head back eventually. As much as I love being home and with my family, it's been hard because of realizing that the next time I come home it'll be with a baby. It's difficult to want to go back to Germany. I was alright being so far away until we got pregnant, but now it's just hard having that distance between us. Knowing that Mom and Dad will probably only see her once a year breaks my heart. That's not what I wanted for my child. When we moved there we planned on 5-10 years, but I dare say we won't be there 10 years at this point.

I'm going to miss Sam and I miss my Gabby too, but it's easier to stay a little longer at this point since I'm already here. I'm dreading the trip back no matter when I go. There is nothing about that trip that's fun.

Mom and I plan to go to Fairbanks a couple of times while I'm here to get some shopping done for the baby. There is so much that I need to get since, at this point, I have bought next to nothing. When I get back to Germany we'll have to get the nursery furniture ordered. All of the floors in our house are either tile or wood, so I want to get a big rug for the nursery. I'm going to check in Fairbanks to see if I can get one shipped from here. I haven't been crazy about the rugs we seen in Germany. Same thing with a rocking chair for the nursery. I want to check a furniture store in Fairbanks to see if we can get one shipped over. The PX doesn't have much of a selection and I don't care for the German furniture. Sometimes it seems a little overwhelming when I think about all that still needs done before this little one arrives. It's terrifying to realize we only have 4 more months.

It's -50 again today, so we're just staying around the house. We'll play some games or watch movies. I'm hoping it warms up a little before we head out to Fairbanks tomorrow. I'm not able to download pictures here, so I'll try to post some later. Until next time...

Getting ready to go home for Christmas

Friday was my final day of work at NAF. I'm still waffling between exhilaration and hesitation. I don't have much time to dwell on not having a job though because we leave on Wednesday to head home to Alaska. I was very ready to be done with the job though. I didn't feel like I had alot to give in the last couple of months and I don't like giving less than 100% at work. It was just time to be done there.

Today my goal is to get the house squeaky clean, so tomorrow we can focus on packing. Yesterday afternoon we took Papa kitty out to Laura's to see if he and her cat, Jasper, would get along. We stayed for a couple of hours to see how it went. Jasper was very nervous and wouldn't take his eyes off of Papa. Papa on the other hand got as close to the back of his cage as he could and closed his eyes. I hate putting him through the stress of being at another home, but I think if we don't we'll come home to a real mess. We finally took Papa out of the cage, but he found a hiding place behind a desk. By the time we left their house Jasper wasn't paying much attention to the other cat in his house, so we felt it would probably go pretty good. We're still here until tomorrow so if things don't go well Laura will let us know. They will keep him there for the duration of our trip. Of course, I'm also hoping that Laura's boyfriend will change his mind about adopting Papa permanently.

Today I'm thoroughly enjoying cleaning my house. It's needed it for awhile. Plants all need watered, things need dusted. It just needs a good overall cleaning. While we're gone the neighbors will be coming in every day to check on Gabby and make sure every thing's alright. I know she's going to be lonely, but all I can do it make sure she's taken care of while we're gone. She was so happy last night without Papa here. At first I thought I was just reading more into her playfulness, but Sam felt the same way. She hasn't played much since Papa's been here. She's been so concerned with watching him and being on guard. Last night she was just silly. Running everywhere and hiding from us. It was nice to see her being playful again.

This afternoon we have our appointment at the doctors. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the baby is turned the right way. I hope we have a firm confirmation on what sex the baby is. If not, I would be a little concerned to go either way for fear it might turn out to be wrong. I'm 19 weeks 2 days so we certainly should be able to know if Baby cooperates. It would just be nice to know if we need to buy pink or blue.


The end of last week it snowed quite a bit here in Stuttgart. We got about 4 1/2 inches accumulation. It's absolutely beautiful. The snow is still hanging on all the trees, so every thing's covered in white. It's perfect Christmas weather. I love it!

Well, I better get back to cleaning my house. Lots to do and not enough time. Until next time...

Sam's parents stay in Germany

I'm long overdue in posting a blog about the time Sam's parent spent here. They were here for a month back in September/October and we really enjoyed having them around. It would have been nice to have some time off while they were here and I wish I would have felt better in general, but it just so happened they came at the time I was switching jobs and during the first trimester of this pregnancy. More often than not, at that point, I just didn't feel well. I'm really thankful they were understanding of my situation because most days I came home from work and went straight to bed. I don't believe I cooked one meal while they were here and I wasn't very good company even when I did feel well enough to be with everyone. I could beat myself up about it, but that's life and there's no way we could have known I would be dealing with all day morning sickness during their visit. I appreciate them and feel blessed to have such great in-laws.

Since Sam's mom is from Germany and they lived here for quite a few years when Sam was young they had plenty to do on their own. They did quite a bit of travelling to see friends and family. When they were in the Stuttgart area, Sam tried to get time off to be with them. One weekend they went to Garmisch. I absolutely love that area and wanted to go, but it was the weekend prior to my starting back at NAF and I couldn't be gone until Tuesday, besides I felt so bad that I probably would have spent the majority of the time in the hotel room anyhow. How much fun would that have been??

When they returned from Garmisch and we were looking at the pictures I commented on how beautiful the weather was. We've been there several times now and while beautiful, it's always very cloudy and you never see the full view of the mountains. This time it was perfectly clear and gorgeous. My sweet husband said he didn't want to rub it in so he hadn't mentioned how great the weather had been. Sam and I had a reservation to go there over Thanksgiving, but since I was just returning from Grandpa's funeral that day we decided to cancel for now and go down at some other time. It's probably my favorite place to visit in Germany and I never tire of going there.

Sam and his parents in Garmisch

Mom and Dad Thompson in front of the Edelweiss (Army Lodging)

Sam's parents with the beautiful view they saw out the window of their room

Ready for their bike trip

Sam

Mom and Dad Thompson walking through the gulch in Garmisch

Sam in the gulch

They did a few things around the Stuttgart area. I stayed home quite a bit of the time, but I did get out a few times.

Sam's parents at Burg Hohen Zollern in Tubingen

Walking through the castle

Sam's Mom celebrated her birthday while here. Higgins had already gone back to Virginia, but Sam and I took her out for dinner at Pfefferburg here in our town.

Sam's mom spent some time in Bad Kreutznach during her last week here. They lived there when Sam was young and two of her brothers still live in the area. One evening Sam and I drove up to meet them. It was the first time for me meeting her brothers. I was feeling really bad that day, so I was going to stay home. At the last minute, I called Sam as he was getting ready to pull out of the driveway and told him I wanted to come. I didn't feel well, but I'm glad I was able to meet some more of Sam's family.

At the restaurant with Sam's uncles, cousins, aunt and a friend of his Mom's

This is a somewhat abbreviated account of their visit, but much of their time here was a blur to me due to not feeling well. I didn't go many places with them. Hopefully the next time they come for a visit I'll be able to be a better hostess.

A quick update

I'm still sick and stayed home again today and may again tomorrow. We went to the doctor this afternoon hoping to leave knowing whether we were having a little boy or girl, but Baby had other plans. All we could see was the backside, as he/she was facing my spine. We have a really nice doctor who set another appointment for the 15th to return and see if we can determine the sex at that time. I sure hope we're able to see something at that point because it would be nice to know before going home. Other than that everything looked good. Baby's still moving alot and is measuring right on target for 17 weeks 6 days. I'm thankful it looks like we have a very healthy baby on the way. That's it for now. I'm heading back to the couch with my tissues, cough drops and water.

Grandpa Hosier's funeral

It's been a busy time around here. In my last post I mentioned that my Grandpa Hosier was not doing well. He passed away on Tuesday, 18 November, at the age of 96. While I wasn't thrilled about a trip to the states just 3 weeks before we go to Alaska, it was important to me that I be there for the funeral. I left here on Thursday and got into Pittsburgh that evening. Mom and Dad had arrived the day before so they picked me up at the airport. It was so nice to see them again and be back in the states. Overall, I really enjoyed our week there. Knowing Grandpa had lived a good, long life and was ready to go made it so much easier, even though death is never a happy occasion.

After spending that night in Pittsburgh, the next morning we drove to McClure (about 4 hours away). David, Kristy and the kids came up from North Carolina so we all stayed at a cabin together. It was so nice to see them all again. I was shocked at how much Connor is changing. He's so much taller and his voice is getting deeper. He's 13 now and I kept wondering where my little nephew had gone. He's still a sweetheart though. Hadassah is really growing up and so cute. She's 3, all girl and loves anything pink. She was having a hayday when Mom and I were unpacking our suitcases. She loves clothes and tells you how cute a particular article of clothing is. Of course, she'll also tell you if she doesn't like it. She's a character.

After getting freshened up at the cabin, we went to the viewing. It was nice to see so many aunts, uncles and cousins again. We rarely get to see them and it's too bad we had to wait for an occasion such as this to get together. One of Dad's brothers, Uncle Eddie, I hadn't seen in probably 20+ years. The last time I saw the others was probably 3 years ago at Thanksgiving.

After Grandpa died they found a folder with funeral details he had put together. It was so like him to have written a final message for everyone to see after his death. In his hand was his Bible and a note (written by Grandpa) that said "As I am you will someday be. Where will you spend eternity?" He had a burden for his family and he was still encouraging us from the grave to make sure our hearts are right with God. Over the course of attending the viewing and funeral I realized even more what a wonderful Christian heritage I have and what a huge responsibility I have to pass that on to my own children. I'm ashamed to say I don't think I've taken it as seriously as I should have. I was very convicted realizing what a blessing it is to be given such a beautiful heritage and what a waste to not live up to that. Maybe especially with a child on the way it just impressed upon me how important it is for me to pass on that heritage to my child and I'm the only one who can do it. It's always been easy to rely on my Mom and Dad, but it's up to me and Sam to have a vibrant spiritual life and to teach our children about God and what really matters in life. What a responsibility we have to ensure our children are raised in a Christ-centered home.

Grandma seems to be dealing with his death alright. I know she's going to be lonely, but he was going downhill for quite awhile and from what we hear he really wasn't himself for the last several months. He didn't know her or others and she knew he would never come home again. Even so, I'm sure she could use your prayers.

When Kristy and David arrived at the cabin on Thursday, they found one mouse in a trap and caught another one that they turned loose outside. The next evening when we returned from the viewing we decide to heat up some leftovers. The microwave wasn't working, so we turned on the oven. A little while later we started smelling this horrible odor and finally realized it was coming from the oven. It was at that time we realized the two adult mice must have had a nest in the oven. Knowing that the awful smell was mice urine, feces and (dead) babies made it unbearable. I truly have not experienced a worse smell. Being pregnant, nasea is close by anyhow and that smell was more than I could handle. It literally was making me gag. It was HORRIBLE! Some of the others were continuing to eat. I have no idea how they kept anything down while sitting in that horrible smell. They turned the oven off and I stayed upstairs where it didn't smell quite so bad. David finally got in touch with the landlord who came over and checked the oven. Thinking she had cleaned everything out, she turned it back on as she left. Of course, the smell just permiated the cabin again. The second time was even worse. It was very late before we got to bed. I fell asleep with my nose buried in the covers.

Because of the jetlag I ended up waking at 4:00 every morning. I was so tired, but couldn't really sleep. Add to that us all needing to get showers and to the church by 9:30 for the funeral and it was pretty interesting. Did I mention it was a very small cabin...with one bathroom...and 5 adults and 2 children? We made it, but it was a little tight. The funeral was excellant. I think the pastors of their church did a wonderful job of mixing the sadness of losing Grandpa with the blessing of knowing that he's in Heaven. They did a great job of giving his life's story. At one point they played over the speakers a portion of his testimony. It was pretty touching to hear Grandpa's voice again.

Following the funeral and the graveside service, the ladies of the church had prepared a meal for everyone. We had a really nice time of visiting. Mom took my camera and got a few pictures during the meal. I did a terrible job of taking pictures this time, but here are a few from after the funeral -

Dad's brother, George and his wife, Sandy

Dad's oldest brother, Eddie, sitting with Grandma. She'll be 90 in February.

Dad and Mom

Me, Mom, Dad, Kristy and David (the kids must have been playing)

Kristy brought things so we could have an abbreviated Thanksgiving dinner together. So, Saturday evening, after the funeral and going to Grandma's for awhile we had a nice dinner. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling well and ended up sleeping through it, but I enjoyed it later.

David and Kristy had to head home on Sunday. We went to church and over to Aunt Ruth's for dinner then got as far as Pittsburgh before stopping for the evening. After staying in that cabin, the hotel room felt like a real luxury. The cabin was fine, but it was nice to have a comfortable bed instead of a 3 inch mattress and a shower with some water pressure.

The next day we drove on to Corry where my Uncle George and Aunt Sandy live. We only had a day there, but we really enjoyed it. They live out in Amish country and it's just beautiful. I went to my first auction Monday evening. That was interesting. I can see how it would get addictive because you can get some great deals there.

We drove back to Pittsburgh on Tuesday since we were all scheduled to fly out on Wednesday. I thouroughly enjoyed shopping at Target and Kohls. That evening we ate at Applebee's. It was so nice to eat at an American restaurant. It's amazing what you take for granted. In Germany I forget what it's like to be able to read a menu in English. I really miss the states and being near my family. I've enjoyed Germany, but I could probably go home anytime now and be happy.

Well, I didn't plan on this being such a long post, but it turned out that way. I had a few pictures from the cabin, but I would need to get on the other computer to flip them, so I think I'll leave them out of this post. Mom will probably end up posting some of them on her blog. Did I mention I'm sick? Everyone at work is fighting a cold and I didn't escape it. Last night I barely slept and ended up staying home today feeling miserable. It doesn't help that I can't take anything with being pregnant. Oh well, better to get it now while I still have 2 weeks before going to Alaska.

On a positive note, I only have 7 more days of work. My last day will be the 12th. Which makes me feel even worse about being sick and staying home. Tomorrow we have our monthy doctor's appointment. I'm almost through my 18th week, so hopefully we'll be able to see what our little peanut is. I would love to find out before going home so I can take advantage of having stores to shop in. I wonder when it will hit me that we're having a baby? It still hasn't and probably won't until he/she is here. Anyhow, pray that the little guy or girl is turned the right way tomorrow. I better get busy. Sam will be home before long. Take care.

Ramblings

I took the plunge and gave my resignation last Thursday. My final day of work will be December 12th. I think it's going to be a real adjustment for me. On the one hand I'm very excited about this next phase of our lives. Preparing for the arrival of the baby, being able to be home and do things there that I haven't been able to. On the other hand it's hard to give up my paycheck and the independence I've always had with having a job. I like the feeling of pulling my weight, even though I truly feel that, if possible, the woman's job is at home taking care of the family. It's just going to take a little time to adjust to being a stay at home wife/mom.

I have not been sleeping well for the last several weeks. Not sure why, but my back hurts and I just don't get a good night's rest. It's Sunday morning at 7:00 and I've been up for over an hour. I would like to be in bed resting peacefully, but here I sit blogging and watching the news.

Hopefully, today I'll be able to finish the painting on the main floor. Seems like I've been saying that for the longest time now. I want to get it finished and put the house back together. When we return from Alaska in January it'll be time to start painting upstairs and and putting the nursery together.

Last week a friend of our neighbor's came to meet Papa kitty. She really liked him, but needed to check with her husband about taking him. Yesterday we saw them in the commissary and she said that her husband didn't think they needed another animal at this point. I could understand that and appreciated their honesty. We have another possibility with one of Sam's co-workers. I really hope we find a good home for him before too much longer. The cats are constantly at each other and it gets really old. Even though she pesters him constantly, I know Gabby's going to miss Papa when he's gone. She will probably drive herself nuts trying to find him when he's no longer here.

On a sad note, my Grandpa Hosier is not doing well. His health has been failing for awhile now, but at this point it's expected he doesn't have much time left. It's sad to see his life coming to an end, but he's lived a long life. He's lived a godly life and has stood as a wonderful example of one who lives their life for God. There's peace in knowing exactly where he's going. I'm so thankful for the Christian heritage that I have.

It's now Monday afternoon and I just got home from work. I did not paint yesterday, but before going to bed last night we moved all the furniture away from the walls so I can probably get most, if not all, of the painting done this afternoon. I will be so glad to get it done. It doesn't take that long once I get busy with it. It's been dragging on for so long because I just didn't feel well enough to do anything for quite awhile.

I'm feeling much better these days. Instead of feeling sick every day I have a couple of good days then a bad day, but over all it's getting better. I'm so excited about heading home in just a few weeks. I cannot wait to be home again - both Alaska and the states. Depending on how I feel, I'm thinking about extending my stay for a few weeks. With not working right now it's a perfect time to stay home longer and get my fill of being home.

All things considered, if I had a choice I would not stay in Germany for that much longer. I miss home desperately and would love to be around my family at this point in my life. I would love to share the baby with them. I've enjoyed Germany, but it's not my home. Our plan was to stay for 5-10 years. Unfortunately, it will probably be closer to 10 since we bought a house. Finances certainly are a consideration and the primary reason we decided to come at all. It's so much easier for me to stay at home with the baby over here. So, it's a trade off. I have to keep in mind why we're here and the benefits of it.

Well, I better get busy if I want to get the painting done today. Until next time...

Update

As of today I am starting my 15th week of pregnancy. I'm amazed at how quickly the weeks are going by. This baby is going to be here before we know it. I think I've been in denial about the inevitability of a growing belly. I need to get a few items of clothing ordered or one of these days I'll find myself with no clothes that fit. It hasn't been a problem yet, of course, but just last week I noticed my waist is starting to expand. Yikes!!

I hate to admit it, but my house is in serious need of a deep cleaning. It's been a long time since I felt good enough to really clean so it's been neglected for awhile now. Last weekend I started repainting the main floor and thought stopping to clean in the middle of it would be counterproductive since after painting it'll need cleaned even better. It really drives me crazy to live in this state of waiting for one thing to be done before I can put it all back together. Hopefully this weekend I'll get the rest of the area painted and able to put everything back in place.

Thankfully, I've been feeling much better this past week. I still have moments throughout the day when I feel incredible sick (as in just this morning), but more and more often I feel pretty good. It's nice to see a light at the end of the tunnel of nausea, even if I do still have a ways to go.

Last Friday (31 Oct) I had an appointment with the kidney specialist. I wasn't too concerned, but in the back of my mind I knew I would feel much better after hearing from the doctor. She said that my creatine levels are low, but that's normal during pregnancy. Just to be sure, she did an ultrasound on the kidneys, but other than a cyst on my left kidney everything looked normal, for which I'm very thankful.

Then Thursday we had our 3rd appointment with Dr. Van de Castel and I finally received my Mutterpass. Sam asked her why during the previous appointment my weight and blood pressure hadn't been checked. She said at those appointment they were doing just the preliminary requirements. I guess doing the different tests on my blood. Yesterday she did check my weight and blood pressure. I think they were just waiting until they had the Mutterpass to record it all in. Now instead of going back every two week I'll be going once a month. At our next appointment the baby will be 18 weeks, so I'm really hoping to find out if it's a little boy or girl. I would love to know before going home, so I can do some shopping while there.

Once again we were able to see the baby during the ultrasoud. It's now 7 cm from crown to rump. It's still very active. The doctor commented on it being a very healthy baby because it's moving every time we see it. Then again, with Sam as it's father I wouldn't expect anything different :) We took the camcorder this time and Sam tried to capture the baby moving. At one point we were watching in 3D (it was a side view) and we could see the little hand (and could even count 5 little fingers!!) moving up to it's face. I'm not sure if it was sucking it's thumb or not, but it was thrilling to see that tiny little being becoming more and more like a baby. It's still amazing to me to realize that little life is growing inside of me.

For awhile now Sam and I have been discussing when I'll stop working. Before getting pregnant I always imagined I would work right up until the baby came, but being pregnant I feel differently. I now feel like this is a great time to be at home. Finishing things up that I probaby won't have time for after the baby arrives. Not to mention this will be the last time it's just the two of us. With all of that in mind, we've pretty much decided that I'll quit in December. We're going to Alaska over the holidays anyhow, so I just won't be returning to work when we get back. It feels like the right time and I'm so thankful that we're at a place in our lives where I don't really need to work. I feel very blessed that I'm able to stay home with our child.

Today we drove to Heidelberg because they're having a Holiday Bazaar this weekend. For lunch, we met up with our friend, Kris Davis, and her parents. I always really enjoy our time together. It's a shame that we live so close yet rarely get together. Hopefully, that will change once I quit work. We enjoyed our day and even found a couple of things to buy. We always see such great pieces of furniture, but unfortunately we don't have the space for any more furniture right now. When the time gets close for us to leave Germany we plan to start buying some pieces that we can take back to the states with us.

Well, that's what's going on with us. Until next time...

Another doctor appointment

We had our second doctor appointment this last Wednesday. Now that I know what to expect at these appointments I'm not near as nervous. I actually look forward to them knowing that we'll get to see the baby again. That's one aspect of having a baby in Germany that I'm realizing I really like. We'll have a whole slew of ultrasound pictures by the time the baby's born. When we saw the baby this time we could definitely see it had about doubled in size. It's about 3 inches in length now. I'm still amazed at how developed a little human can be at that size. At my next appointment we're going to take the camcorder to try and capture the baby moving. Both times now it has really been squirming around. We could see the little legs and arms moving about. Very cool.

Ultrasound of the baby at 11 weeks 4 days.

3D of the baby on the right.

The doctor went over the blood test results with us. She said everything looks good except one of my kidneys may not be working as good as it should be. She wants me to see a kidney specialist next week. I'm not too concerned about it, but of course I'll feel better once we've heard what that doctor has to say.

We like our doctor, but I do wonder about not having my blood pressure or weight checked yet. This was my second appointment and still nothing. Seems a bit strange to me.

Just today it hit me again that we're having a baby. Not another pet, a new toy or a child to babysit for awhile, but a little baby of our own to raise. I wasn't feeling very good, so I laid on the couch while Sam showered. With hearing the water running and the house being so quiet I thought about what it'll be like to have a baby around. I almost had a moment of panic thinking "what are we doing...our lives will never be this quiet again". I do feel scared sometimes thinking how differently our lives are going to be. Everyone says it's a good change, but it just seems so final. I'm sure it's normal to have such thoughts. Even though we know I'm pregnant it's still hard for us to grasp the reality of having a child of our own. What a huge responsibility!

On another note - I think we need to find a new home for Papa Kitty. I've been avoiding it because he's such a nice cat and I'm not one to get rid of pets. Having a pet is a lifetime commitment to me, but the cats just aren't getting along. Gabby grumbles at him constantly and he's so sweet and patient. If they just argued I would not have a problem with keeping him, but it goes beyond that. Bless his heart, he has the patience of a saint, but every so often he's had enough and fights back. When he does, Gabby howls like he's killing her and ends up peeing all over the floor. It's so obnoxious. Thankfully, until now it's only been on the tile and while inconvenient, it was easy to clean up. Well, last night after we went to bed we heard them go at it again. Gabby was really making a scene and I knew I better go check to see if she had made a mess. Sure enough, this time she was on the living room rug. I just cannot deal with this for the next 10-15 years (however long they live). I feel so guilty getting rid of Papa, but I really have no choice. On top of it being a mess I'm always cleaning up, we're having a baby that will be crawling around the floors and I don't want to have to worry about what they might crawl through. I probably should not have had Mom bring him over, but I did. I don't know what I was thinking. Gabby is not a social cat at all. If we only had Papa he would be the perfect little pet. He's so sweet and courteous. I have no idea who we can give him to. I'm picky about who I'd want to have him. Anyhow, it's just something that weighs on me, but I don't really know how to resolve it. Most people would probably not understand why I would get rid of him and keep Gabby, but she's my baby that I raised from a bottle and it's not even an option with me. She's my first priority.

Sam has really been busy in the backyard. I'll try to post pictures before long. He's replacing the fence we had with a taller, more private one. Mainly because of the neighbors being so close in the back. We have tried our best to be good neighbors, but they seem to be the type that will pick at anything, so we want to have as much privacy as possible. Also, Sam removed a couple rows of the patio to make more yard space. He loves working in the yard, but never realizes how big of a project something is until he's in the middle of it and there's no turning back. It looks really good. I'm so proud of my husband. He's constantly working to make the house look better and he does a good job of it.

Well, I think that's about it for now. I'm not doing too good at posting blogs in a timely manner these days. Actually, I can't really blame it on how I've felt lately. I didn't do too good prior to being pregnant either. I still want to do a post about Sam's parents being here, but just haven't had the time to upload all the pictures that requires. Until next time...

First doctor's appointment

I didn't go to work on Tuesday.  I was feeling even more sick than usual and just couldn't get myself together.  I would bet it had something to do with the sauerkraut juice the doctor recommended I take.  More on that later.  I'm having a  hard time giving 100% at work right now.  I don't like to feel like I'm not doing my best, but it's just the way it is right now.  My hope is that I start feeling better in the next couple of weeks.

So, we had our first doctor's appointment on Monday.  The doctor I was scheduled to see is still out sick.  From what I understand, he's close to 70 and became sick while on vacation.  They're not sure if he's returning to practice or not.  I ended up seeing the other doctor in the office.  I liked her and will probably end up staying with her since she was comfortable for me. 

Obviously, since this is my first pregnancy, I've never been to a doctor in the states for that particular reason, but I have been for other "female" issues and I was surprised at how little was done at this appointment.  Basically, I had an ultra sound and they drew some blood.  No weight or blood pressure check.  I did get a pile of books and brochures - all in German.  I guess that won't help me much, but it was a nice gesture.  I'm scheduled to go back in two weeks though so perhaps more will be done at that point.  I was pleasantly surprised with the appointment.  It wasn't near as intimidating as I thought it would be. The doctor was very understanding about my modesty issues so that set me at ease. 

Sam came in and we were able to see our baby for the first time on the screen.  Even at this tiny stage I'm amazed that it has the shape of a baby.  I thought the picture the doctor printed out was really good - as ultra sound pictures go.  I am in the 10th week.  We were able to hear the heartbeat too.  What an awesome experience to see and hear our baby for the first time!  It makes it even clearer to me that there is a little life inside of me.  I don't understand how, after seeing an ultra sound of this baby even at just 10 weeks old, anyone could claim that it is not a viable life.   That it's just a blob and not deserving of  the basic right to life.

Anyhow, so we talked with the doctor for quite awhile and she answered some of my questions.   I mentioned that I've had quite a bit of heartburn lately.  That's when she suggested I drink some sauerkraut juice in the morning before eating.  She said it's really great for the digestion.  Did I mention that the German's are really into natural medicine?? I didn't think it sounded great, but since I do eat sauerkraut sometimes I thought it would be bearable.  Was I ever wrong!! 

Tuesday morning I got up and before taking my shower decided to dutifully drink my sauerkraut juice.  I got about 3 swallows down and decided that was all I could handle.  By the time I got out of the shower and was trying to eat a little cereal for breakfast I realized I might just lose it.  I think I was sitting with the trash can close by when Sam came home from taking his Dad to the airport.  He convinced me to call in sick and get back in bed.  Needless to say, the rest of the juice went down the drain.  It just may have ruined sauerkraut for me for the rest of my life. 

I have been so tired and can't seem to get enough sleep.  Almost everyday when I get off work I come home and lay down for a couple of hours.  Even with the extra sleep I can barely drag myself out of bed.  I really look forward to the weekends so I can sleep in.  I've felt like a terrible hostess with Sam's parents here.  I haven't been cooking or visiting much because I usually walk in and go upstairs to bed.  I think they understand, but it makes me feel bad that I'm not better company. 

Here is one of the ultrasound pictures from Monday.  It's  a picture I took of the ultrasound print, so the quality is not the best, but it should enlarge if you click on it.  I realize we may see more in it because it's our baby, but I thought it was a pretty good picture.  The baby is facing the front and the head is on the left.  You can kind of make out the little arms, belly and legs.  It was pretty cool to see it moving around so much.  I'm amazed at the detail already on a little being that is only about an inch long.  I'm really happy that they do ultrasounds at just about every appointment.  We should have no problem knowing if it's a boy or girl in another couple of months.

Well, that's about it for now.  It's Saturday and I'm just taking it easy, but will have to get busy in a little bit. My poor house has been neglected lately with me not feeling so well.  Sam's working in the backyard.  Tomorrow we're driving to Bad Kreuznach after church to meet up with Sam's Mom and his uncles.  He hasn't seen his two uncles in many years and I haven't met them, so it should be nice. 

We're expecting.....

Ok, so this is going to be a different kind of post.  I'm starting this on September 11.  We wanted to wait until we told most of our families before telling the world, but I want to keep track of what's going on so this post will include several dates.  

We have some exciting news to share.  We found out a couple of days ago that we're having a  BABY!!!!!   Even writing that feels so odd to me.  I still haven't quite wrapped my brain around the fact that I'm pregnant.  ME! PREGNANT!!!!!  Even though we always planned to have children I guess I just never thought about what it would be like to be pregnant.  It's amazing and terrifying all at the same time.  I've been thinking of nothing else since that little test strip flashed  "pregnant".   I kind of "knew" for about a week, but I still wasn't totally prepared to have it confirmed.  My best calculation puts the birth sometime around next May.

As unsacred as it sounds, I think one of my first thoughts was "Crap!  Why didn't I get serious about losing some weight before this?".  I wonder how many women think that??  Then as dumb as it sounds I didn't know what to eat.  No soft cheese, uncooked eggs, undercooked meat, sushi (not a problem for me).....and the list goes on.  It immediately changed the way I thought about what I ate.  I was acutely aware that I was not just putting food in my body, but that I was responsible for the nutrition that this little life needed. 

I have so many questions about pregnancy in general, but also about having a baby in Germany, so I've been reading just about everything I can online.  I really wish I was near Mom and Kristy so I could share the experience and be with someone who's been through it before.  It's hard to be so far away at this point in my life.

For awhile now I've needed to get to the doctor, but have been ignoring it because I wasn't looking forward to that experience here in Germany.  Now, I have no choice and need to schedule an appointment.  That's a whole other consideration.  Being in a foreign country makes me a little nervous because they do things so differently here.  Without going into too many details I'll just say that (from what I've heard) the German's don't have an issue with modestly....or lack of modesty.  I'm nervous to go to the doctor, but I've heard that having a baby in Germany is a great experience.  I tend to think they don't rush the process and schedule births like doctors in the States do.  I've heard it's normal to stay in the hospital for 1-2 weeks after having the baby.  I guess I'll find out.

 

9/12/08                                                                                                                       Sam picked me up at lunchtime and we went to an OB/GYN in our town to see about getting an appointment.  Now, more than ever, I just wish I was home in the states and didn't have to deal with having a baby in a foreign country.  None of the receptionists spoke English, so Sam set up the appointment.  The earliest appointment they have is on the 25th.  I expected to be told to start pre-natal vitamins or to get in quickly for a checkup, but they didn't seem in any rush.  I left there in tears.  It all feels a little overwhelming right now.  It's so different here.  I've never had a baby in the states either, but at least there I would know more what to expect, would be able to understand what people are saying, be able to ask questions, etc.  It all just scares me at this point.  I've been trying to read up about it online too and it seems the more I read the more I realize how different things are here.  I'd like to talk to someone who's had a baby here.  I wish we could use the Health Clinic on post, but they refer everyone out, so that's not even an option. At this point I feel like my hands are tied behind my back and I don't have a real say in my health.  It's difficult not being able to communicate when it MY health that's being discussed. I'm just hoping I feel differently once I've been to the doctor.

 

9/14/08

I really haven't had much morning sickness yet, but I have a general feeling of nausea.  I've found that I try to snack on something every couple of hours to keep something in my stomach.  This morning we were on our way to church and I wasn't feeling too good.  I realized it had been about 3 hours since breakfast, so we stopped at the Shoppette for some crackers.  I'll have to learn to keep something with me.  I'm hoping not to get to the point of throwing up.  I must say that a positive side effect of my pregnant self is that I have no sweet tooth.  For me that's very unusual, but I'm enjoying it.  Just the thought of candy or sweets kind of turns my stomach.  I hope it stays that way for a long time to come.

  Sam's parents fly in on Wednesday so we've spent this weekend doing some deeper cleaning.  Bless Sam's heart - he cleaned ALL of the windows yesterday.  Inside and out.  It took him about 6 hours in all.  They look great though and I so appreciated him doing that.  Today I'm just going to finish vacuuming and mopping the floors.  I know once the week starts I won't have much time for that.

 

9/21/08

As of yesterday I am 8 weeks along.  I can't say I've experienced "morning sickness" yet, but seem to instead have "all-day sickness".  I have absolutely no appetite and any kind of food turns my stomach.  Yesterday Sam and I drove up to Ramstein to go to the bazaar there.  I was not feeling well and was so tired so I slept all the way there and back.  It was a really nice bazaar. I love being on a large American base.  It felt like a little America.  

This morning has been the worst day yet as far as feeling poorly.  This morning we were up getting ready for church.  I passed out in the shower.  I didn't feel well and was trying to get done so I could lay back down and the next thing I knew Sam was helping me up off the floor.  I was so sick so Sam helped me, dripping wet, climb back into bed.  Needless to say we didn't make it to church.  I've felt terrible today and all I've wanted to do is sleep.  I'm not sure how I'm going to get through this week at work.  It's a difficult time to take sick leave because this is my last week at CPAC then next week is my first back at NAF.  It's not really the most opportune time to be out sick. 

 

9/28/08

Feeling sick CONSTANTLY is starting to wear on me.  Thankfully I haven't  been throwing up, but the last couple of mornings I was very close to it.  I hope that's not next.  As of yesterday I was 9 weeks along.  Another month and I'll be past the 1st trimester - I'm hoping the nausea lessens at that time. 

I'm not used to feeling so fragile.   I'm usually a pretty healthy person, but being pregnant is a different story.  I feel weak and sick most of the time.  Just this morning Mom told me "That's what makes this your baby".  I guess she's right.  At this point though I still don't really grasp the reality that we're having a baby.  Sam and I just shake our heads because neither one of us is sure what to think.  Of course we're happy, but probably a bit petrified too - to be honest. 

Sam and his parents went to Garmisch over the weekend. I would have loved to go, but they won't be back until tomorrow evening and I have to start with NAF in the morning.  I sure have missed my husband though.  It's amazing how we get so used to having each other around and even take each other for granted, but when he's not here I feel a part of me is gone.  I'll be glad when they come back tomorrow. 

Oh, also I scheduled an appointment with a different doctor.  I've been talking to a lady that works with Sam.  She had a baby here last year and is expecting again.  She's been a great source of information.  I decided to go with the doctor she sees.  We have an appointment set for Oct. 6th.  I think it'll be good to have the appointment and get some of my questions answered.  Well, I need to get to bed.  I'm starting back with NAF in the morning and I seem to need more sleep these days....for whatever reason :)