extra ultrasound / new classes:

I got to have an extra ultrasound today, the kind for the over-35 crowd.  I'm happy to report that everything appeared normal, and the odds for genetic disease is extremely low.  I was nervous at first because I didn't see a heartbeat, but she was just freezing the frame often because the baby was being squirmy.  Not quite as crazy as Naomi with the non-stop kicking and "running," but it was bouncing around.  The baby measures at 13 weeks 1 day, so it appears I'm farther along than we originally thought, and the due date won't be April Fool's Day after all.  The likelihood of spina bifida and other issues will be evaluated at the next ultrasound (and the gender, of course).

I again had an ultrasound the same day my dad was getting a CT scan.  It's possible his cancer has returned.  We'll know shortly.  My brother also had gone AWOL yet again, but was found at 1:30 this morning.  We're just hoping that the Social Security will work out and that he can get the help and shelter he needs.

Naomi started her new painting and dance classes this week.  She is also back in AWANA at a new location (but with many familiar faces).  Lucas also went into Cubbies (AWANA preschoolers) for the first time.  He was shy but okay.  When I came to pick him up, he was just sitting with his snacks while all the other kids were at another table reading and socializing.  I get sad because I don't want him to feel like I did when I was often by myself, but the difference is that he just needs to build up confidence and maybe the speech therapy will help.  In my case, it was more that I was weird, and other students didn't want to be near me.

Against my Asian judgment, I let Naomi take time off piano.  She wants to learn without so much effort, as many of us do, so I was making her stay in.  But it happened to fall on the same day as AWANA, and with the speech classes twice a week, I was feeling overbooked.  I rarely have time to rest and sit down, and that's crucial right now.  Usually during the winter, we don't take as many classes, so it should let up by then.

Cute little hand.

This one was creepy to me, but it's amazing how quickly the skull and spine form.

The technician and I both chuckled at this one.  Guess they have to grow into the 4D ultrasound.

spoke too soon:

Thursday I felt better, but Friday I felt like I hit a brick wall.  I kept vomiting and didn't want to cook at all but forced myself to.  After dinner, I just crashed and was woken up every couple minutes by the kids, but could not get out of bed.  I tried the nausea wristband and ginger candies, but just wasn't feeling well.

Saturday I took Lucas grocery shopping, still feeling ill, and then in the afternoon I took Naomi to her friend Z's 8th birthday swim party.  There was a nice crowd there from church.  I dropped her off, so I don't have any photos, just mental pictures from them telling us how she just naturally did her backstroke as she relaxed.  She got a few pieces of candy from the pinata and shared some with Lucas.  Manny got his hair cut before that.  It's been almost 10 months since I've had a haircut, too, but it'll have to wait.  We headed out for a nice family dinner.  I was throwing up in the afternoon and just didn't feel up to cooking again.  Eating out is a luxury I'm thankful for, because once we have another, we might not be able to eat out for years.  On Sunday, we had quite a busy day in the church nursery, and by God's grace I was feeling okay until the end.  Manny surprised us with a Mediterranean lunch.  I'm thankful I didn't feel sick eating it, as it's one of my favorite cuisines.  The kids had a fresh Mediterranean chicken and vegetable pizza.  I was reminded of Italy; it was that good.  I didn't get the best picture of Lucas in time, which was his face completely stuffed with a scrunched up pizza with quite a bit sticking out.  He shoved it all in.  The waitress asked, "It's that good, is it?"  I asked for a napkin, and he wiped his face all over.  Really cute.  He also took some of his chicken and put it on Naomi's plate when she wasn't paying attention.  He's still like a vegetarian sometimes.

It's a strange feeling when all is well here at home, I'm looking ahead to a very busy week, and in come the calls from my parents.  My father's doctor says he might have new cancer cells forming.  My brother is missing yet again, but this time out in a desert area without the usual access to public restrooms and water and without any funds or clothing.  There's no homeless haven like he had in L.A. and he's not familiar with the area.  If he'd just cooperate, he'd be able to improve his life and function in society, but he hasn't really learned that lesson or can't.  My mom calls me at all hours of the day, but I've learned to sort of compartmentalize, because life has to go on.  A Christian Chinese medical professional is helping my parents out, but the biggest issue right now is that Social Security has put my brother's funding on hold and is saying my brother has a joint bank account that no one seems to know about.  And they won't talk to anyone but my brother, and he can't really talk to them, so the visit to their office was fruitless.  I'm hoping we can figure out what can be done legally to access and close that account.  Once my brother has the funding, he can get into a facility and get the care he needs.  

blurred days:

Naomi on her first day of school at the ISP.

Lucas's first day at speech therapy.

I've been pretty busy and a little burdened in my heart lately, all while going through the cycle of nausea and fatigue.  Many days have been a blur.  I welcome the pregnancy symptoms, however, as they are some reassurance that things are "normal."  I've mentioned the ongoing family crises, a couple pregnant friends are at risk and on bedrest, and a classmate from college passed away last week.  I also have good news, like how my friend got my parents in touch with a Christian Chinese mental health specialist for my brother.  She's been very helpful and encouraging.

I am now 11 weeks along and have an ultrasound next week to close out this whirlwind first trimester.  It's an additional ultrasound to determine the possibility of Down's Syndrome.  My last prenatal check-up and blood test went well.  I love hearing that heartbeat.  I was able to convince the lab to draw blood from the back of my hand.  The phlebotomist said it would hurt more, but then she couldn't find my veins either, and agreed to do it.  For me, the back of my hand hurts way less than all the bruising from missing the veins.

I have been having aversions to many foods.  With Naomi, I couldn't go near chicken.  With Lucas, it was fish.  With this one, it seems like it's been all of the above: chicken, fish or any seafood, dairy, sweets, fruit, eggs, many vegetables.  I just try to eat when the nausea subsides, but certain foods just won't stay down.  Spicy and sour sauces actually seem to help, even though those would normally cause stomach problems.  Today, I had longer periods without the nausea and was able to eat so many foods I haven't touched in weeks.

Saturday I took Lucas on a very long grocery shopping trip, and he did very well.  In the afternoon, Naomi and Lucas did a little bit of school, which is not typical on weekends, but we had a little time.  I went out with O for our (almost) monthly dinner, and I had some spicy Korean rib tacos with spicy beans and spicy rice.  I normally wouldn't eat that much spice, but it was palatable and stayed down.  I had a nice time with her, but it's awkward to become narcoleptic or nauseous when you're having a pleasant time with someone.  We love to indulge in the truffle fries usually, but I couldn't stomach it.  Sunday we had another great service at church.  We heard from a guest speaker, a missionary sponsored by our church in unreached areas.

On Monday, I was glad to make a last-minute get-together with N and her grandkids.  Naomi and I sprinted through school in three hours (usually takes four to five hours with a couple short breaks, not including project or activity time) and skipped Lucas's lesson.  Naomi had extra work to do to turn in for the ISP, but we got a head start on that over the weekend, thankfully.  I also had to write and read legal documents for my parents, but I was able to get through that.  I was a little flustered, but I think my mom understands now that she gives me a little too much to do.

I don't see Grandma N often, and it was sweet that Naomi remembered her so well.  We had lunch there, N and I caught up, and Naomi played with her grandsons.  Lucas wanted Naomi all to himself, so after two hours, he never really got to play before I had to wrestle him into the car.  On the one hand, I want Naomi to be closer to her brother than her friends, but on the other hand, I want us to be good guests, and I want Lucas to learn to play with kids other than Naomi.  So that hand tends to win out.  He's been rejected before, so I wonder if there's a fear there, but I still want him to try.

We had to head home to cook for a family at church.  The food aversions and distractions from the kids make it hard to cook, but I made it through.  I was really sick and needed some rest, but I knew that when I signed up, and it's for a good cause.  The kids were good about all the driving that day.  For us, I slow cooked some shredded beef (side note:  For those who don't like what slow cookers do to proteins, just remember it has to have fat, it should be mostly covered in broth, and adding acid helps).  Naomi said she was tired of just meat with cheese and needed fruits and vegetables.  So I sliced up some pineapple, and the next night I made sure to make a broccoli and red and yellow pepper stir fry.  That made them happy.  I had two pounds of red organic grapes, and the kids ate about a pound of it.  The nausea is subsiding more each day, so I'll be back to my veggie mom self soon.  For the first time in a long time, I was able to fry fish and brussel sprouts and eat them!

Tuesday was our first monthly check-in/conference with the ISP.  Naomi did a great job as always, although she wasn't thrilled that I folded up one of her projects to fit in the folder.  I understand her disappointment, but it bothers me more when she tries to get the principal to take her side (which never happens).  It's also increasingly difficult to manage Lucas during the meetings.  I used to be able to just give him a banana and have him in my lap, but he's outgrown that.  Overall, it went well, and the instructor wanted Naomi to give a grammar lesson to the class this week.  :)

I sort of overdid it with the cleaning and had a bad headache afterward, but we had people coming to babysit the kids, and the house has been a disaster zone.  I guess the appointments every 1-3 weeks will help at least keep the downstairs tidy.  I just have to prioritize and ration my energy a bit until the fatigue subsides.

Lucas also started speech therapy.  It was just an evaluation this week, but he will go to two sessions per week in about three weeks.  Our insurance will cover rehabilitative speech therapy up to 60 sessions up until he is five, so I guess it'll be 30 weeks total.  They found the exact same issues I've seen/heard, so that was reaffirming.  He won't talk without Naomi and me there, but hopefully he'll get more comfortable without us over time.  I'm feeling a little overscheduled at the moment, but it's only for the next couple months before we rearrange the schedule again.

weekend / soup's on:

I had to fast for 12 hours for a gestational diabetes test this weekend.  Yes, already.  My blood glucose was again high as it was with Lucas.  With my age, the tests and appointments seem to have doubled.  On the other hand, I don't have a steady weekday babysitter, so I have to just ask around and hope for the best every 2-3 weeks.  It's a good exercise in faith and humility, and so far I've been covered each time.  They won't allow me to bring the kids to most of the appointments.  Worst case scenario, I'd have to drop the kids off at a daycare center quite far from my appointments, but at least I have that option.

The good news is that my results were negative for gestational diabetes, and they only mis-poked me twice as opposed to the numerous times last time.  They gave up and went for the back of my hand.  The bad news is that it is a 3-4 hour test, and I may have to do it again repeatedly.  I'm trying to watch my diet, not sure what else I can do.  My arms are still pretty bruised from the vein misses (it's hard to find my veins), and it hurts to lift even dishes or books.  Hopefully they'll heal by my next blood draw in a food days.  I really like the doctors we have, although I'm still searching for a dentist for myself.  I've found that you can be really booksmart, but if you don't have the dexterity and personality for it, health care may not be for you.  I imagine if I went into medicine as my parents had hoped, I would have been a terrible doctor.

Anyway, Manny took us to Mongolian BBQ afterward.  I usually eat my money's worth, but with the nausea, I just can't keep a lot down.  Lucas sure ate his weight in food, though. 

Mongolian BBQ--yum.

Speaking of nausea, the one thing I've been able to keep down the most is non-creamy homemade soup.  I've gone through my entire repertoire of soups--beef noodle, satay rice stick with Asian meatballs and napa cabbage, sausage and sweet potato minestrone, chicken noodle, and Italian wedding soup with homemade meatballs (similar to abondigas).  There are probably a couple more I'm forgetting.  Also, I seem to like tomatoes a whole lot this pregnancy, mainly because sour or slightly spicy help keep my food down.  Tonight's dinner was a turkey ham jambalaya.  Everything sweet is making me nauseous, even fruit.  

Italian Wedding Soup

Ham Jambalaya

Sunday was good.  I have to say I love our church.  It's all God's work in our community and around the world, but what a blessing to feel like the little church that could.

family, food trucks, and football:

We started our Labor Day weekend with the Stanford/SJSU game.  It felt like it had been a while since we had some family time.  I admit I was excited to see those food trucks.  It was hard to choose, but with my recent food aversions, I went with what I felt I could eat, which was the free range five-spice grilled chicken, rice, and salad from the Vietnamese gourmet food truck, LGC.  The line moved at a snail's pace (probably even slower)--I think they moved only five patrons or sets of customers in half an hour.  Some people were threatening to ask for their money back, but then they got their food and seemed okay to keep it.  By the time I got my food the lines were all so long.  I don't know how they'd make it to the game in time.  The kids were patient.  Sports aren't Naomi's thing, and she was still recovering from a cold, but she made a Cardinal tree costume for her little stuffed kitty with an S on it and had prepared all our Stanford clothes on hangers the week before.  She really makes the most of it.

The game looked to be a shut-out at first, with Stanford scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter.  One right away, and then one when Manny and Naomi had left to get food.  The extra point that followed went so high it came into the bleachers.  I'm not sure what happened afterward, but Stanford came close to losing at the end (20-17).  We only stuck around till halftime since it was getting late, and no one had scored more than a field goal.  The kids fells asleep in the car on the way home.  

The food truck circle.  This entire field was full by the time I left.

Lucas dancing to James Brown.  Hoover Tower behind them.

Getting ready for the game.  Lucas didn't want to smile.

Naomi's costume for her kitty.

I neglected to buy a Stanford shirt for myself.

Touchdown Stanford!  One very excited player jumping in the air.