Hey Everyone, I'm heading in a different direction (as I am no longer pregnant!) with my blog, I plan on featuring more about what I am doing as a budding "business woman" and a new mom, and life and crafts. Please, follow me on over!

Elskan Baby!

Giveaways

So in the next few weeks and or months there should be several chances to win one of my baby hats! Next week someone will be able to win a hat on my facebook fan page, which if you become a fan, you'll get to hear all about it. Follow me!

I've been coming up with so many new ideas, and really have felt super inspired. Having Noah here to model and try on all of my things makes it so much easier too. Hopefully someday I will be able to make a living off of these types of things. It would be a dream come true.

Motherhood is a privilege

I've been meaning to update for a few days, and just now really have the motivation. I'm rather irked, you see. I have an interesting family background, full of many unsavory things and people and memories.

My "mother", or rather just the woman who gave birth to me is really not deserving of the title. I have willingly not seen her since I was 11 years old, and on most occasions feel that I wouldn't be sad in the slightest if I never saw her again. She is most certainly the only person I know who I want to grow into the opposite of. I strive my very hardest every day to be a better person than she was to me as a mother. I aim to be a better mother than she is, and to just live a healthier life, affecting people positively - unlike her. This woman has had 3 children, all of which she was entirely incapable of taking care of. She beat us, verbally abused us, and gave us away to foster care, asked us if we wanted to be adopted, and lied about the abuse. She liked to claim we hurt ourselves. She blatantly denied ever hitting us, directly to me. Mind you, I have scars from this woman.

Well, as for that short summary of this woman, I was browsing the interwebs in search of her. Why, do you ask? If I dislike her so much? Well for a while it appeared that she disappeared off the face of the earth. And every once in a while I look online to see if there are any posting for a death, or some such. Sure, it seems pretty morbid, but since I never know what she is doing with her life, I can't be too sure. Sure enough though, this time in looking I actually found her. I found her to be actively posting articles on a site. Quite a few of them turned out to be advice on parenting, many preaching about the many things she was incapable of doing. To top that of course, she makes it seem as though she has always done these great things, and that everyone else screwed her over. She claims to never have hit us, never having abandoned us, and having always given us hugs? Ahh.

I do not know why I allow this woman to affect my life. I should be well beyond her reach, and should let everything roll right off of me. I suppose that in a way I just want to find her one day, and see her remorse over the things she has done, and to try to make amends by honestly facing the past and moving forward positively. I think I know that this will never ever happen. I don't think it's a terrible thing to want one's mother to act like it for once.

I looked at my own child after reading the things she said. I know that I will always be a better mother than she could ever have tried to be. I do not take it for granted. I brought this boy into the world to nourish and love and cherish him indefinitely.

If I have learned anything from my mother, it is that I know what it feels like to be without love. And my son will never have to be starved, and will never be left behind. My son will never bear a bruise from my hand, and my son will feel surrounded by support.

Looking at my son's smile, I see that he already is happy and feels love all around.




Goodnight.

Catching back up

Wow so I realize it has been around 3 months since my last post. So let me get everything out there that you all missed. I had my beautiful boy Noah, on March 10th. He was born by c-section, and I was induced. He is absolutely the light of my life, and time is sure flying. One day soon I will write my labor story for you.

1 month after Noah was born, my entire family (parents and siblings) came to meet new Noah, and we had such a great time. I was so lucky to have had them all come.

My crafting has continued to include adorable baby hats with animal ears on them. Soon they will be available for purchase online, and I am sure you will all love them as much as I do! I have also learned to knit, and have been practicing almost daily.

Life is good, and life is amazing and beautiful. It's so great to stop and be reminded to be thankful for the precious time we have.

For those who read my PUPPPS post, and are wondering how it all turned out, well it took several weeks, about a month actually for it to really 'subside'. I still had a bit here and there for a little longer, and still to this day have random hives show up on my belly, just a few at a time, and they swell really big and are super itchy. I am hoping this will also go away.

Also, I wanted to warn soon to be moms about blocked milk ducts. I had a lot of difficulties in the beginning with breastfeeding, and ended up having a blocked milk duct by the end of the first month. I did all the things that you are told to do, massaging, turning the baby's chin in the direction, hot compresses and ice packs, and nothing worked. I went to the lactation consultant after having it for 3 weeks, and she told me to wait it out. Well a few days after seeing her it became exceedingly inflamed, and huge, it looked like I had a golf ball under my skin. I could barely move my arm, and we went to the doctors - and were prescribed medication. I took the pills for 3 days and then noticed it was way worse, I could see blood pooling under the skin. I was then sent to the hospital, and they ended up having to drain it by sticking a needle in it. It was the worst pain I think I have ever been in. So if you are having difficulties with a milk duct, please press your doctors for the medication if it doesn't go away after about a week. Mine could have been fixed if my lactation consultant had given me the prescription, instead of not listening to me properly. You know your own body.

I am now fully healed and have no problems breastfeeding. I do have a scar from this whole ordeal though. Just pay attention to if it starts to get bigger, that's when you need to get it checked out.

I am now going to entertain you with a few pictures of my son, some with him sporting the new hats I will be selling!

32 week baby Noah


34 Week belly

I suppose it could be about time for an update.

Things are just crazy right about now, and pretty much for the best.
We have been working on preparing our new home we recently got the keys to, to fit our needs and taste. It's really been a lot of fun, and I will post some before and after shots soon for your entertainment.

Pregnancy news update: I have just about reached week 36, and seem to be measuring at a whopping 42 weeks already. Having recently taken some blood tests to check on my rashes again, the doctors realized that my iron levels are really low and apparently I am really anemic. Hemoglobin levels are around 84 or some such. My midwife scheduled an appointment for me to go into the hospital and receive and IV of iron. Well we went in to get this the other day, and the doctor there said she never scheduled the IV itself, but just an appointment. It was a little frustrating for me, as I had mentally prepared myself for it, having a hard time with them in my past. They informed me that if my iron supplements didnt improve my levels by this next Tuesday then they would perform the IV. Here's to hoping.

So Tuesday I have a blood test scheduled, another ultrasound immediately after, and another doctors appointment with the blood test results and possible IV all scheduled in a group. I am excited about the ultrasound of course.

My midwife has suddenly started talking of inducing me due to the amount of fluid I have (3 liters), the size of the baby, the fact that I have this rash, and the fact that I am a very small person, and the weight is hurting me. I am really very surprised by her determination towards this, as in previous months even the slightest mention of inducing by me was shunned profusely. The normal way of things is to only consider inducement if the baby is 2 weeks overdue. So I am a bit more pleased that my midwife is looking at me as an individual rather than grouping me in with everyone else. I hate feeling like a nameless face.

Noah's room is coming along nicely. My nesting instincts are definitely kicking in, and it is so much fun gathering all the things I think I will need (of course some of these things I won't end up needing, by just TRY and convince me otherwise right now haha!). We are finishing up painting his room, and I will be stenciling via a projector Kurt Halsey animals on the walls.

I am just so excited to meet this little guy, and hopefully I will in just a few short weeks, if they do induce me. And if they don't... well in just a few more weeks after that :D

And the best news on top of that, from April 2nd - April 12th my ENTIRE family will be visiting, grandma included. I couldn't be more thrilled or happy. This is really the biggest gift life has given me - my home, my baby, my family. I am really looking forward to what else this year has in store.

PUPPPS awareness.

So I figure that not enough people in the world know and understand what it is that PUPPPS really entails for a pregnant woman. What is it you ask? I am going to do a copy and paste of the most commonly known information about it:

Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP), also known as polymorphic eruption of pregnancy, is the most common rash in pregnant women. It normally occurs in first pregnancies during the third trimester with an average onset of 35 weeks. Thankfully, PUPPP does not usually affect subsequent pregnancies.

Appearance of PUPPP
The rash of PUPPP almost always begins in the stretch marks (striae) of the abdomen. It does not involve the belly button distinguishing it from other common rashes of pregnancy. The rash itself consists of small, red wheals in the stretch marks that grow together to form larger wheals on the abdomen. Sometimes the rash can include small vesicles. Over the next several days, the rash can spread over the thighs, buttocks, breasts, and arms.

The rash is very itchy, or pruritic, hence the name. This condition is harmless to mother and baby, but can be very annoying. It lasts an average of 6 weeks and resolves spontaneously 1 to 2 weeks after delivery. The most severe itching normally lasts for no more than 1 week.

Cause of PUPPP
The cause of PUPPP is unknown. It is not associated with preeclampsia, autoimmune disorders, hormonal abnormalities, or fetal abnormalities. Some investigators suggest that the rapid abdominal wall distension damages connective tissue and causes an inflammatory response. One study has shown that male fetal DNA can be found in skin biopsies of the rash. Since 70% of women with PUPPP give birth to boys, a new hypothesis is that male fetal DNA acts as a skin irritant.

Diagnosis of PUPPP
The diagnosis of PUPPP is clinical, meaning it is based solely on the appearance of the rash. There are no laboratory tests that detect PUPPP. Skin biopsies are not generally performed unless there is a question about the diagnosis.

Treatment of PUPPP
The treatment of PUPPP is symptomatic. High strength steroid creams or ointments, such as clobetasol (Temovate) or betamethasone (Diplrolene), used up to 5 to 6 times a day usually relieve the itching and prevent the spread of the rash. Once the rash is under control, changing to a lower strength steroid used less frequently is advisable. For severe cases, daily oral steroids may be necessary to control itching. Oral antihistamines such as atarax, benadryl, and zyrtec, are generally less effective for itching than steroids, but may be useful at night to help with sleep.



How did PUPPPs affect me, do you ask? Well it sucked. It has been taking this pregnancy and filled it with a lot of miserable itching, ice packs, prescriptions, scabs, and general discomfort, modesty... The list goes on. I am almost certain I will have scars on my arms and legs from the scabs left behind from this. Hot showers didn't help me, oatmeal didn't help, aloe, diaper ointment... anything that you can slather on your skin.... Olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter... Nothing. Even the steroid creams didn't 'help'. Now, I have general control over the problem because I have been told to take 4 steroid pills a day, 5 antihistamines a day, 2 different creams, and even have a sleeping pill for when it gets super bad. I got about a week and a half of the welts being under control before they started forming on my upper belly again. I currently still have them, but since I have my medication, it hasn't gotten as bad as it was. I have some pictures that I artfully (not) took myself to help you see what it is I have, in case you may have it too. Please disregard my poor job. :)
Under my arms...
and my belly of course. I was unable to take pictures of my own back... but I had plenty of welts there as well. Really, my body was covered. Even on my bum! Terrible. In the information I posted, it says it can be 'annoying'. But this is really the understatement of the year. Most women who have it this bad will explain how it is the worst thing they have ever experienced, as one feels a huge sense of helplessness. I felt as though I was slowly losing my mind, the constant itching and nothing being able to scratch, my skin felt and looked disgusting, covered in red welts all over. I was embarrassed to go outside. And still mostly am. Most people do not understand this condition, as it only affect 1% of pregnant women. So being pregnant, and covered in huge red welts everywhere, constantly itching everywhere, or as I am now, covered in disgusting scabs, and still itching everywhere, people just don't know why it is. And the many nights of sleep I lost because I was up crying helplessly, not understanding why I couldn't be like all the other pregnant women who didn't suffer from this, and how was I to deal with this for so long... my poor husband was so amazing, and did everything he could to ease my suffering. He brought me fresh ice packs... rubbed oil on my skin when the itching got so bad that I was practically convulsing, and his awesome support really helped me so much.

Please ladies, if you are suffering from itching in the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet, and do not have a rash, go to the doctor immediately! There could be a problem with your liver! They can determine this with blood tests. The doctors checked my blood as well, to rule out that problem for me. And if you are suffering from this terrible rash, I understand. I hate reading the line 'it is harmless to the mother' as it does hurt, physically and mentally and emotionally. If you need support, or have any questions, please feel free to ask me.

I am really just having a rough time. Bear with me.


Remembering to not rely on anyone but myself. Remembering to not let hope become a false reality.

week 32

So I have made it to week 32. After several doctors appointments, several prescriptions, several steroids and antihistamines later, I am moderately controlling my PUPPPS. Even though my skin is covered in scabs, irritated skin, and the general overall itchiness one gets with this condition, I suppose it is better. My spirits are a little dampened by the whole ordeal, although knowing that by little Noah is coming in so few weeks is definitely a thing to look forward to. My friend Brooke just had her baby, and I congratulate her profusely and with such admiration and pride for her. Her little baby, Jude Lawrence, is absolutely beautiful. Really, seeing a friend who was very close in time to me in this whole experience, but being able to watch her just a bit ahead of me has been lovely.

We are moving into our new home this month. My birthday is next week. 25. A 'homeowner' at 25 isn't half bad to me, with a little family of my own. Things could definitely be a lot worse. Pardon me if my typing sounds a little ungrateful or cynical or pessimistic tonight, as I am feeling rather blank. Exhaustion perhaps?

I am a tad bit miffed that my family will probably not be able to make it in time for me to have Noah. And by this, I mean the day that I am actually having him. To have my mother in the room, holding my hand, telling me that I am strong enough to do this, to bring another human into the world, and that it is all worth it. And that I am not alone. And that this country doesn't have to feel so small. That I don't have to feel so small. To know that I am not a terrible person for living so far away from my family that they won't have as much of a chance to know their little Noah. I am constantly struggling with these thoughts on a day to day basis, and I have to remember to just be grateful for the things like the fact that they can come meet him at all, and finally see this country, this place, this story and truth I have of Iceland. The validation that my life is not make believe. Family seeing that I am what I say I am. Who I am, living the life that I am.

Gibberish. I don't seem to be making much sense. Check out my Etsy.

30 weeks pregnant!

I have come to the time in this pregnancy where my lack of luck is really showing through. I have a rash called PUPPPs. It is the most horrible itchy rash I have ever had. Think of chicken pox and fire ants all over, all the time. I am covered in flaming and itchy hives and welts all over my entire body. I have gone to the doctors 3 different times in hopes for something to help relieve my pain. I went back for the 3rd time last night at 2am, and they prescribed me with oral steroids. I had already been prescribed steroid creams and an antihistamine pill. They didnt do anything though, and my only friends were those icepacks you put into your lunchboxes. I am really at my wits end. They say the steroids will take a few days to kick in. The rash just keeps spreading, and my skin looks so angry. I just want to cry, really. The frustration of not being able to get away from it for any length of time gets to you after a while. And to think of having it for another 10 weeks... Doesn't perk up my spirits any. I just want Noah to come so that I can have some relief and have my beautiful boy in my arms.

I have found a yarn store downtown that makes me giddy to go to. So many types and colors of yarn, and decent prices, makes me feel good to keep finding stores that I can pursue my interests in! I should be putting my new stuff up on Etsy as soon as I take better pictures.

And life changes

So uh we have some life changing things happening. For the good of course. Nothing depressing or anything.

Last week, Helga (Jonas' mother) found a house to go look at for considering of buying. We ended up looking at it twice, once during the week and once during the weekend in the light. They decided to make an offer on the house, and it was accepted today. How does this affect Jonas and Heather? Well you see, this house was chosen because it suits the needs of not only Helga and Geir (Jonas' pappa) but has an extra apartment that will be big enough for my own budding family. Two bedroom apartment for us. So we are going to be moving into this place right before Noah is born. Which means I am now able to plan a nursery!!! I am so thrilled and excited for this, life is really just amazing right now.


I have been making some very cozy warm neckwarmers I would like to share with you that I am super pleased with.

Jonas of course is looking cool while modeling his favorite of all of them. He insists he should be allowed to keep it because he loves it so much.

Doobadee

Tomorrow morning we have our next appointment with our midwife. I am excited to see how large my uterus is in measurements because it has always measured larger than it was supposed to be compared to how far along I was. So we will see.

Other than the general aches and pains of pregnancy, the only thing I am having trouble with is my belly button. I normally have a half inny/outty. A mixture of both really. And if you have noticed in some of my photos, I am already almost at my "done" point. Well if you look at my belly button, or rather, around it, you will see a faint bluish hue almost as if I am bruised behind the skin. I am wondering if I am getting a hernia because it is hurting, and with growing as fast as I am, I wouldn't be surprised if something like this was to happen.

It seems that every two weeks I can see a substantial difference in the size of my belly. I have been guessed to be at around 7 months so many times, due to my size.


I have been crocheting up a storm. Creating a ton of neckwarmers and whatnot. Jónas and I took a trip to this new place I found (surprisingly because of Facebook) that is a craft shop. Most craft shops here in Iceland are rather lacking, and I had kind of reserved myself to being without the supplies I wanted and or needed for certain types of projects. Well this shop, upon entering, made me want to cry. It was so beautiful. I could not believe that Iceland has pulled through for me finally in something that is so important to me. Maybe this is just sounding dramatic, but people who know me know how important my crafting is to me. I am a creator and an artist, and I am always wanting to make things with my hands, and now I can do it so much easier. I seriously had a great day because of this place. Little things in life, eh?

The Pregnancy
Is this your first pregnancy: Yes
Was it planned: Yes
What was your first reaction: So fast and soon shock!
Who was with you when you found out: Lalli. He had crashed on our couch the night before. I randomly decided to take a test, assuming it would be negative. But it wasn't.
Who was the first person you told: Lalli. Then Jónas.
How far along are you: 23 weeks :)
What was your first symptom: My boobs hurt for over a week.
What is your due date: March 15th. Or 19th. Or 8th. Depending on who is doing the ultrasound :/
Do you know the sex of the baby: Boy!
Have you picked out names: Noah Þráinn Jónasson. Þráinn being pronounced Thrauw-in.
How much weight have you gained: Enough :)
Do you have stretch marks: I don't THINK so. I can't really tell yet.
Have you felt the baby move: Since week 13. He is a strong one.
Have you heard the heartbeat: Most certainly. It's a beautiful sound.

The Birth
Will you keep the baby: We didn't plan to have him just to give him away...
Home or hospital birth: Hospital!
Natural or medicated birth: Whatever happens when the time comes.
Who will be in the delivery room with you: Jónas, my mom. It depends on who comes.
Will you breastfeed: I am sure going to try my best.
Do you think you'll need a c-section: I haven't the slightest clue
Will you cry when you hold the baby for the first time: My eyes may leak a bit, but I'm not sure.
What's the first thing you might say to him/her: It's so nice to finally meet you face to face.
Would you let someone videotape the birth: Highly doubtful
Are you excited about the birth, or s cared: Mostly excited. A tad bit apprehensive.

As the days get darker...

Here in Iceland, it is very similar to how it is in Alaska with the sun during different seasons. In the winter, the sun stays down except for a short period of time, rising late in the morning/afternoon and setting just a few hours after. In the summer, the sun doesn't completely go down. So as the snow season starts to arrive, the sun sleeps in longer, and it becomes much harder to tell what time of the day it is. It seems the most appropriate time for nesting and hibernating. Noah keeps me snug and warm, and I am cozy in my living room and bedroom.

Being an unemployed and pregnant woman, in the cold, I find myself trying to find reasons to stay inside. I prefer to not go out into the world of wind, rain, and who knows what else.

So I have begun preparing for the holidays early this year. This includes deciding that this year will be a hand made and heartfelt Christmas. I am trying to chipper up my holiday spirit, as over the last 6 or 7 years, the holidays have been rather sad and depressing. Making my lists and bringing together my supplies is fun and exciting, and is giving me a purpose to my days, making me feel rather productive. I have started to paint bottles that are normally used for wine for my mother's Kahlua recipe, and I am quite pleased with the results thus far. Here are a few bad quality photos of some bottles thus far:


After doing tons of Google searching, I have found a substantial amount of recipes, and ideas that I plan on incorporating into Christmas baskets for our loved ones. I cannot wait to complete them. I started working on learning some new things to crochet, and here is a slipper I made!


What are your plans for this Christmas? Or whatever holiday it is you prefer to celebrate?

Noah is such a trooper, kicks getting stronger and stronger. I am now able to feel him rolling around, some occasional hiccups, and general havoc he causes to my uterus. I should have some more ultrasound pictures scanned soon enough! Until then, check out my 22 week pregger belly!

As far as my cooking goes, I have been experimenting with some new things, and just throwing other things together. Last week I made grilled turkey quesadillas which turned out amazingly yummy, and the other day I just threw together a casserole that consisted of potatoes, Icelandic hot dogs, corn, fresh string beans, cream of chicken soup, and fried onions on top. It sounds like a strange mixture of stuff. But it came out delightful. Here are pictures of both dishes.

Keeping Occupied

Getting re-adjusted is proving rather difficult. Sleeping at night is a challenge, and I am simply exhausted all day long. Phew, it's frustrating. At least Jónas and I got out of the house for a while and made a friendly trip to visit our lovely friends Kristjana and Halli (and their beautiful daughter Lily)! It was nice to see them.

So in order to keep myself fully occupied, and to keep my life more exciting, I am going to transform this blog into a co-topic thing. I am a pregnant crafty crafter woman, and I want to tell you guys all about it. I don't see why I can't do that! So I shall!

I cook, bake, crochet, paint, make bath and body products, jewelry, and general random things. So I want to share things, because I know I love reading about what everyone else is doing!

So get ready for the new additions to the blog! Hope you like it!

Back in Iceland

Aw. It's always so sad to leave my family and friends. But then again, it is lovely to be home again with my husband and lovely kitty.

Yesterday we went in for the 20 week ultrasound with Helga (Jónas's mom). The tech who performed the ultrasound was rather lacking in the brains and personality department, and when we left, I was rather disappointed.

She not only was rude, but forgot to check the heartbeat, and made us pay for more than one of the exact same pose picture. She also never asked if we wanted to check for the gender (or in our case, confirm, but SHE didn't know that...). She didn't allow Helga to come in except for the last minute of the whole thing. She also refused to double check and confirm the due date still applied, merely looking at what the last lady (in Iceland) had said which was the 19th of March. Well remember how the last U/S in the states came up with the 8th of March? I really just feel rather jipped.

Jónas was able to feel Noah kick the night I came home, which was no shock to me. Heck, you can already see his kicks from outside my skin, and he is quite the active baby. Strong little Noah.

So now that I am home again, I am struggling to adjust after the jet lag, and have found a lot of aches and pains in my back and whatnot to be almost insufferable. Around halfway through my stay in the US, my tailbone started acting up, and I have had nothing but a terrible time with it. My belly button is also sticking out already.

I have to remember to keep my sanity while I can in these next few dark and cold months of Iceland. :/

Feeling clumsy and cowish

Ahhh, right right. Saturday was my baby shower, and it went amazingly. Everyone was so absolutely wonderful, and made me realize that Noah really has a lot of love already, and he isn't even born yet. What a soothing and comforting thought. My goodie bags were a hit, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and all of our delicious food.

Made me stop though for a moment and realize that a lot of people love me too. Helps, you know, when you live in a far away country with barely any friends, and you sit in a room surrounded by people who are just so happy to see you and be a part of your pregnancy. Makes you feel all warm inside.

So yesterday I woke up to a bout of lovely throwing up. On an empty stomach. That lasted for a long time. After I was finished, I had broken blood vessels surrounding both of my eyes. Oh man and there were a lot. I had to struggle to keep from crying. It wasn't a good morning. And then we had plans to go visit lovely Brooke, who so generously volunteered to take pictures of myself, my belly, and some of my good friend Jessie and I as well. So lovely, this Brooke. Beautifully pregnant as well.

I feel like I could get sick this morning too. Really now, am I to be one of those pregnant ladies whose sickness lasts throughout the entire pregnancy? But randomly? Can I seriously not ever feel like I am having what one would consider to be a "normal" pregnancy? "Normal" of course, because every woman is different. But generally following in the same guidelines!! So I must be consistently measuring super duper large (while Noah measures normally), have ridiculous round ligament pain that prevents me from moving pretty much at all, continue to throw up throughout the entire thing.... This is beginning to be exhausting. Noah, if you can hear my fingers typing, I hope you are a magical baby enough to understand what I am typing... Let's just try for the nice and easy pregnancy (if that exists)...

Ha. This is just one of my grumpy-ish rants. I am not feeling so well right now, and I have some light cramping.

Oh man, I ate so much food last night. Made me stop and remind myself that I CANNOT do that regularly, and gain too much weight. Gotta keep an eye on it all....

And now, dear readers... whoever you may be... I must bid you adieu for I feel an upchuck on it's way...

Curious and curiouser

So here I am, a few weeks into my visit with my family, and I don't think I have been this relaxed and carefree and easygoing in quite a while. Iceland seems to stifle me. Makes me feel small.

I ended up going to another ultrasound yesterday. I know I know, I have been to quite a few as of late. Well a total of 3. But I'm not going to act like I don't get absolutely thrilled at the idea of seeing little Noah each and every time. But the reason I went was because I was feeling moving at the top of my uterus, which even though I am only 17 weeks preggers, is way above my belly button. Still large, of course. But it was making me anxious again as to the twin thing, because I was also feeling Noah squirming around quite often down at the bottom. It was a free ultrasound (hooray!!) and my good friend Jessie came along. Nói was sucking his thumb, and dancing for us, and was getting sooo big. But we found out that his feet are near the top of my uterus, and his head down below, so it all made sense, and eased my mind finally. I don't think I will have anymore twin feelings from here on out. Also measured him and measurements say I am 18 weeks and 4 days. So she said my due date would be around March 8th, rather than the 19th. Cool. Have a few more u/s pictures to add to the scrapbook now. Have another one on the 29th.

So yesterday I spent the day with Jessie, and we went to her house, and looked at some pictures of her beautiful baby Sophia. She is no longer with us, and it was quite an impacting thing, that i don't think I would have been able to fully comprehend if I wasn't pregnant now. My heart squeezes so tight in my chest when I think of this, and my throat tightens too. She showed me this amazing book that is for mothers who have experienced the things that she has, and there was one page that has really been going through my mind quite a lot. It mentions how the baby's soul has met a person named Noah, who shows them the first rainbow, and they become friends. Next to this is a beautiful painting of a little blond haired girl who I could see as little Sophia.

This made me cry, because Sophia left us around the time that Noah came to us. I am not one much for believing in God, and Heaven and the like, but I keep thinking of maybe our children know each other, and are friends, and brought each other to us. It's a powerful thing.

I love you Jessie, and I wish I had been able to meet you, Sophia Rose.

Well ladies and gents

I suppose it's time to update.

Alright, so what is going on in this little pregnant lady's life? Well I am now in San Diego, CA. Enjoying a wonderful time with my family and friends. I have some exciting updating news about our little baby... But first let me give you a tiny back story.

We have an ultrasound appointment in Iceland scheduled for the day after I return from California. It is supposed to tell us the gender. Well I am quite the impatient type, and I wanted to be able to shop for our little unknown. But it's not a very appealing idea to shop in only neutrals. That and, I wanted my siblings and family to see the baby now. So I looked online for some ultrasound places that were affordable and I found one on Black Mountain Road in San Diego. Called "A Baby Visit", they offer an amazing floor to ceiling screen along with theater seating, cozy as can be, for as many people as you would like. Offering tons of photos, a teddy bear with baby's heartbeat, and the whole experience on a dvd, at only $120. Of course, I sound like a commercial. They also offer gender stuff at 15 weeks and up. Sooo upon calling and asking, I also found out that they are so super nice, that they had no problem with me bringing my laptop and Skyping with Jónas during the whole experience. Wow! I was impressed.

So we decided to find out the gender. This was this last Friday. My whole family and some of my closest friends came with me and Jónas and I were delighted (as well as my family) to discover that I have a little baby BOY growing inside my belly!!!

Noah Þráinn Jónasson. Nói litli. Aw, my precious baby boy growing inside of me. Let me just say that upon discovering the gender, somehow it makes all the difference. Even if it had been a girl, knowing the identity of this little wonder makes me feel so much more real, and close to him. I know this baby. Not face to face, but as well as one person knows another who is in these circumstances. Amazing.

So I have many many ultrasound photos to share with my baby as he comes to the age where he may possibly care, and for when I miss little him.

Here is my little Noah at 15 weeks:

My mother has decided that we would have a baby shower on the 11th, and I have allowed my crafting side to get the best of me. I am making everything by hand. Body butters, bath salts, lip balm, candy, bath teas... you name it. I am having a blast. I have really missed making things like this...

I have a cold. Who would have thought that upon going to the unbearably warm country, that I would get sick. Ah well, best to stick it through, and all will be well!

I will leave you with this...

16 weeks

What a scary yet informative day.

When I went to sleep last night, I had no idea that today would turn out quite like it did. I woke up sometime in the middle of the night, to pee of course. But once I got out of bed, I felt this horrendous amount of pain in my right hip. After peeing, my uterus cramped up, and it was SO painful, that I couldn't stand up straight, and had to hobble like a hunchback to bed.

This pain continued until... well now. Except now I can hunch a little less when I walk, and can actually get out of bed.

At around 8am, I called my midwife hotline I was given before, and they didn't even ask me what was wrong, but immediately told me to call the doctor's office, where I had an appointment today at 1pm (it's currently 12:47). Well I asked to speak with a midwife, they took my number and told me she would call be back.

2 hours later, I was getting impatient, what a ridiculous amount of time, when I was in this type of pain. So I called back and they changed my appointment time from 1 to 11:20. Which was an hour and a half away from that phone call. Seriously, it's difficult to get anywhere with anyone here, it seems.

So I finally go in to my appointment, thankfully. And from then on out, everything seems to get better. Round ligament pain, is what I am suffering from, and it's no wonder it is so bad she says, as my uterus is measuring some 18 cm high, above my bellybutton at an early 14 weeks. Bellybutton level is generally for the 20 weekers. "If you hadn't already had your ultrasound, I would say you had twins in there" is what she says. So my uterus is growing at a very rapid pace, and my body is no wonder having difficulties adapting to this fast growth. She tells me that I am ok, but I must rest and let it subside.

Learned that while all this time (many years) I thought I had O- blood, I actually have O+. I learned the chances of down syndrome, which was 1 in 19188 chance. Ha. All of my chances for diseases were at least over 1000. So baby is more likely to not have healthy problems (hopefully!)

Also learned that I have only gained half of a kilo in the last 5 weeks. So I still weigh 52 kilos. And a half.

Sometimes things just have to have such a hassle attached to them.

OH. I got to hear the heartbeat, and she wasn't surprised that I had felt the baby move yet, and told us that apparently now, fingers can feel the baby moving better than the stomach can feel it, so before I leave to go on my trip, our goal is to get Jónas to feel lil baby move. Ah. that made everything worth it.

So I am in bed still. Still suffering much pain and discomfort from this round ligament pain. I hope it goes away soon. Just thankful that the baby is safe, and that I am at least able to walk again.

Another day, still pregnant

Ah, so as I relax here on my couch, typing away on my little laptop and listening to the buzz of Icelandic television that I can't understand, it seemed appropriate to add another post.

I had a bit of a disappointing morning. I had an appointment scheduled with my midwife for 9:40am today. I woke up early enough, woke Jónas up as well, and asked him to call and confirm the time of the appointment (since we made the appointment some 5 weeks ago, and who doesn't want to confirm?) only to discover that my midwife had apparently decided to take the whole week off. Wouldn't you think that we would/should have been informed of this information? It's not like we didn't have 5 weeks to be told. And not to mention the fact that I am leaving the country on Monday, and if I had been told, we could have rescheduled.

Of course this shouldn't really be such a big deal (I suppose) but it's hard enough being pregnant in this country. I know that my midwife speaks good enough English to explain to me the things I need to know, but how do I know if this replacement woman (who I am now scheduled to see on Friday) will be able to do the same, and make me feel comfortable? Well due to the fact that I had just woken up and everything seemed to be so difficult, my hormones got the best of me and I cried a bit.

I can't imagine that it is so unheard of for a pregnant woman to want things to be a certain way in order to feel comfortable. I want the people whose job it is to care for me during this pregnancy (such as my doctors and such) to do their jobs. And be professionals. Heck, I am leaving for over a month, and want my mind to be at ease while I am gone.

Well, moving forward - Have any pregnant women heard of the little thing called an Intelligender? Apparently it is some fun thing you can get at any old drug store in the states, and you pee on it or some such, and the color of it tells you what the gender of your baby is. They claim that they have an accuracy of 94% which is fairly high. Jónas and I decided that when I get to the states, that I should take this test just for fun. I have some 6 weeks until we have our ultrasound to predict the gender, and we might as well have a go at it. It's relatively unexpensive.

I've been noticing that I am no longer comfortable with my laptop resting on certain parts of my lap. It has to be low on my thighs in order to be cozy. The heat that comes from it, and the light weight (it's one of those TINY laptops) is even too uncomfortable for my growing uterus.

Began shopping for some "maternity" clothes. I am trying to avoid buying any clothes that are actually labeled this. I find that most actual maternity clothing is rather unfashionable while being ridiculously overpriced. So I am trying to stick with the stretchy tunic tops, and I have many stretchy cozy pants, and long dresses that can stretch with my belly.

My energy is so much higher now! I am in great spirits, and even though I find myself nesting in my living room, cozied up with my yarn, crochet hook, a blanket, and apparently my toaster (and eggo waffles) that I just feel like there is more energy in my body. Always a plus.

I've been cooking dinner again like old times, oven roasted chicken and potatoes, stir fry, buffalo chicken pieces... mmmm. Now I am hungry. I shall leave you with that.