Eight Weeks

"By eight weeks, tiny hands and feet help the embryo begin to look human. The umbilical cord is thick and strong. Inside it are a vein, which carries nutrients and oxygen from the mother through the placenta to the embryo, and two arteries, which transfer waste from the embryo's blood to the mother's bloodstream."

While all these changes are taking place, our lives are beginning to change dramatically. We are faced with new uncertainties and many fears. We're still battling the hurry up and wait hiring process with the Pentagon, so it's hard telling where we'll be within the next six months.

Nikholi is soo excited that mommy is having a baby. He enjoys telling everyone we meet that "Mommy has a baby in her belly. We don't know what it is though; if it's a boy or a girl." Then when he is asked what he would like to have he always says, "BOTH, a Boy and a Girl!" Since I became pregnant he's been determined that I am having twins. :)

Either way, we'll find out Wednesday! Mommy has an ultrasound schedule for Wednesday to determine our gestation and of course look for multiples.

Over the past couple weeks I have been faced with some difficult challenges. Food is no longer appealing; which is crazy because I LOVE food! I'm nausiated all day long. Thanksgiving was wonderful, but again challenging, all this wonderful food and no taste buds to appriciate it! The only food items I've been able to tolerate lately is a cheese and bologne sandwich and ceasar salads. So when I came home last night, from what everyone expressed was a wonderful thanksgiving dinner, I gobbled up two bologne and cheese sandwhiches with a tall glass of milk.

In my husbands efforts to curb me away from caffiene (one of my worst addictions) he has finally succeed this week. Prior to and even in the beginning month of pregnancy I was consuming approximately 8-42 oz. of caffeine per day. Now, I don't even want carbination! A family favorite are those seasonal Cranberry Sierra Mists, but lately I haven't even been able to look at those.

Many people say every pregnancy is different and now on my third, I can't agree more. My pregnancy with Nikholi was complicated in more aspects than one. I couldn't keep any food down, much less my own syliva. I had pre-term labor at 26 weeks, which was later slowed by a horrible drug called Magnesium Solfate. Nevertheless, I ended up delivering him two day prior to his due date.

My pregnancy with Kambri also brought some concerns, but was a lot smoother than my first. We moved cross-country during my pregnancy with her and towards the end doctors were concerned of a low birth weight. With her I was able to E-A-T! I remember downing a whole box of powdered donut holes by myself. Donuts were my favorite and if Roger dared bring them home they wouldn't last to see more than two hours on top of the fridg. My water broke at home and we delivered our princess two weeks prior to her due date.

Through my experiences I have learned that STRESS plays a large contributing factor to the success of the pregnancy. So trying to have as little stess as possible will be key to a full term delivery. Although there are many uncertainties, Heavenly Father, always seems to take care of us. When we try our best and flucuate our schedules accordingly, everything seems to always work out.

I am soo thankful for: my total boy with his witty comments; my darling princess for her constant comfort (she's always open for a hug); my husband who never ceases to amaze me (accounting for how much we have changed and grown together); my mom for her example in courage for fighting through the storms; my dad for always calling and thinking of me; my brothers and sisters for there awesome examples in faith and strength; and most of all, my grandmother for always having a phone line open when I need someone to talk to, who offers the most excellent advice without biases of either party I'm concerned about. Thank you all for the wonderful impressions you've had on my life and I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL ThanksGiving!