A Highly Personal Topic

That's what everyone says about this. There's a lot of debate about when you should reveal a pregnancy. Some do it as soon as they get that positive result. Some do it after their 12w viability scan. Others don't announce til the halfway mark, or unless they're noticeably showing.

With Taylor, we only waited until 10w, because we'd seen him on an ultrasound twice by then, heart beating, looking strong and jumping away like a rabid Mexican bean. This time, we have no clue, and won't until the viability scan, but after having conversations with people who have had losses I think it's important that we tell people, and tell them now. I mean, what's going to happen at the 12w scan if things HAVE gone wrong? We aren't going to keep it a secret then, that would be disrespectful. So why give people just bad, sad, distressing news? Why give them only heartbreak? Why not let them know the joy first and foremost, let them have that warm and fuzzy feeling on your behalf, let them realise why you're suddenly not drinking, or avoiding social engagements, calling in sick at work or whatever, so they have a little sympathy and understanding.

If the worst happens, at least then people know the importance of being able to take time off to grieve, and it won't come as a bolt from the blue. From a practical point of view, there's Health and Safety to worry about if you're a working mom, there may be certain things you just can't do for the sake of the child you're carrying and it's important your co-workers know this so there can be no sense of unfairness or accidental discrimination. And yet there is still an enormous taboo surrounding revealing a pregnancy before that 12 week scan.

Loss happens. They reckon the rate of 1st trimester miscarriage is 20%. That's ENORMOUS. That's the main reason people don't reveal their news until the start of the second trimester. Yet, second trimester losses happen. Third trimester stillbirths happen. Should you keep schtum and out of sight until there's a baby in your arms? Ok, so that's taking things a bit far, but I hope you get my point.

I hope people can hold off on the hissing of indrawn breath and thoughts of "oh my, that's a bit soon, isn't it" (like I used to do/think), and just be HAPPY for us.

Our family is growing. This is a happy thing. If it ends in tears, we will need your love and support. If it ends in a baby - bouncing and perfect and beautiful - we will need your love and support. So just concentrate on the happy for now, until you know different. Please.

<3

Pregnancy FAQs

• Yes, this was planned – don’t be so damn cheeky! :o
• Yes, we know it's early to announce. Please see subsequent post for the reasons.
• Yes, we know we’ll have our hands full. One child for each hand – basic math, darlin’.
• Yes, we’ll be finding out ahead of time if we’re having a boy or a girl.
• No, we don’t mind which.
• No, it WON’T ruin the surprise. We’ll just get our surprise earlier is all.
• The method of giving birth will be down to circumstances at the time, obviously I can’t have a water birth with gas & air if an emergency section is needed. And HEY! That's kinda private, too!
• What I do with my boobs is none of your business, thanks. Baby will be fed. If boobs (or bottles) offend you, just look awaaaaaay.
• NO you can’t touch my belly. PERSONAL SPACE, DUDE!
• Yes, we have names lined up.
• No, we aren’t telling.

Any other questions? :)

Just a short one today:

Amazing the difference a couple of small pieces of

 chocolate can make to morning sickness.

And by "a couple of small pieces" I of course mean

HALF A CHOCOLATE ORANGE.

You know you're in first tri when...

The thought of eating anything more substantial than a piece of chocolate or a carrot stick fills you with revulsion...

And yet you could polish off a BBQ bacon cheeseburger with deceptive ease.

I've gained a sum total of 0.8kg during the pregnancy so far, and yet I'm back into my size 14 jeans due to discomfort in my 12's. Fret not, my beloved teenyjeans, I will be wearing you again soon...

A large part of my diet last week consisted of Reece's Nutrageous bars. OMG. It was a spontaneous buy (3 for £1.20... so I got 9) and they all got nerfed within the week. I was more restrained the last time I went shopping, no unnecessary chocolate purchases. That said, I have had 24 pieces of Green & Black's Butterscotch today...  /facepalm.

I'm struggling to get on the exercise bike and do my miles for Cats Protection, the nausea is... well, it's nausea. It's wiping me out fairly effectively, I have to say. I'm taking the opportunity of it being the weekend and having Bruce home to do as little as humanly possible so that it can do its thing and leave me the hell alone during the week when I need to keep house/cook/keep toddler alive all at the same time. That's the theory. Thankfully, my dad is taking Taylor on Wednesday - I will probably collapse in a little puddle of self pity instead of doing anything productive though.

And then feel enormous guilt, as there are thousands of couples who can't have kids of their own who would love to feel this shite/take care of their other half who felt like shite.

In other news, my little Facebook page, The Unloveables is now live, and I've had my first custom order placed already, bless your hearts!

I'm looking forward to next Friday, as that is when we get booked in with the Midwife. I'm not completely sure what to expect during that appointment - will they use a Doppler to see if they can hear the heartbeat? We'll be nearly 8 weeks by then so it should be discernible... Will they do blood tests? I'll eat something 2 hours before so that if they do a glucose test it should give me a good indication of whether I'm in danger of developing Gestational Diabetes again. I really really hope not. GD means big babies with big heads, and if Taylor is any kinda guideline of how the Minion will come out.... *shudder* I think I might opt for a C-section instead, thanks. Oh come on, don't look at me like that. His head was MASSIVE! Ach, we'll have a better indication of all that as we get further along into things. No point even thinking about it this early in the proceedings. I'm kinda hoping for a wee dating scan, but they might leave it until the end of November when we're closer to 12w.

That's it for now... my little secret diary... until I change all the privacy settings at once. BA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

5am is not wake-up time.

But if you're in our house, it is.

Troll be trollin'. Babbling from 5am, finally crying (rather than going back to sleep) and only settled down when given a rusk. He didn't eat well yesterday, so I reckon that woke him. We have no concerns over his weight though, he's currently tracking above the 98th centile! Fat little chuff <3

Still pregnant! Dark lines on the pee sticks now, and the nausea though it comes and goes, always comes back in the end. I'm interested to know what flavour we're having simply because so far the pregnancy is a little dissimilar from the last one (MS coming and going, and a definite sweet tooth). I know, I know, each pregnancy is meant to be different... but you can't help but wonder. Trying to get a sexing scan in January, as the local hospital here won't tell you the sex at all.

In other news, I've set up a Facebook page for the little crochet critters I make, as there seems to be some demand for them! The Unloveables is where it's at, and though I will never make enough from it to life the life of Riley, it'll be enough to make my hobby a self-sustaining one.

Not long now til the booking appointment. Not sure what to expect here, having never gone through a pregnancy start to finish in the UK before. Exciting tiiiiimes!

ohai, morning sickness...

The nausea is getting stronger now and not just restricting itself to the evenings/bedtime. I've eaten this morning and I'm still feeling a little green around the gills!

Those breakfast biscuits you get? Excellent for just taking the edge off the nausea if you're in bed at night. Handy sized pack, nibbleable bikkits, taste half decent, does the job. And they aren't too bad for you in terms of calories or sugar, either.

Taylor is coming along in leaps and bounds, he's choosing to walk more often than before (though he still plays crawl-football with his bottle/toys) and he's getting more confident with each tiny step. Totally adorable, and I'm overwhelmed with pride every time I catch him beaming up at me because he's managed to get where he is on two feet alone.

We were supposed to be getting some pictures taken at the end of the month as Christmas presents for the family, but might have to make other arrangements (dammit). It'll be nice to have a range of family portraits, from the wedding picture (8w preg with Taylor) to this next one (preg with Minion!).

Turns out that we will be 12w gone with Minion on Taylor's 1st birthday - we're announcing before so his birthday doesn't get lampooned by the news!

relief, the line is finally getting appreciably darker...

I was getting worried that we were having a "chemical" there for a bit as the line didn't seem to be getting much darker... today's was a lot darker than yesterday's so I'm really quite relieved.

We have told most of the parents, FIL is at work though so is getting an email. Once I'm all booked in with the midwife and everything we will probably tell relatives further out - uncles and aunts, cousins, grandparents. That's if I can hold out that long! We were nearly outed today by an accidental comment on Facebook - thankfully the author edited it mightily quick so unless you were looking right at the moment it popped up as a notification, it will have been missed.

I've got a lot of crochet to be doing over the next couple of weeks, I'm making Zombie bunnies for some of the moms I know on Facebook. After that, there will be a couple of orders to fulfill as these particular bunnies seem rather popular! In the meantime, I'm working on a blanket for the Minion. Well, at the moment I'm still on the design and procurement stage. I'm leaning toward a bobble blanket in multi bright colours on white, with a white border.

But you can NEVER have too many blankets.

Especially in Scotland.

...still pregnant...

I woke up this morning convinced that if I took another test that there would be no line. I thought "great, I've told my parents and everything, now what will they think...!"

Nope, still pregnant!

The bottom test was done today, the line is getting darker and darker.... Once it is darker than the control line, I'll stop obsessing over it. When we were in Zim, our doctor had a portable ultrasound in his room so we got to see our firstborn growing month by month. This time, we'll get two NHS scans and one private sexing scan. JUST THREE SCANS?! Well, unless they class me as high risk again, in which case I'll get a couple more.

In the meantime...

MOAR BABIES!

We've been trying for another baby since we moved into our own place, but my cycle wasn't quite ready for this adjustment so really? We've technically only been trying since August.

Well, that was quick.

I got a very faint positive result on my pregnancy test on the 30th September, and promptly became hysterical. All of a sudden, the prospect of juggling two children and pets and hubby hit me like a ten tonne truck and I thought... ohf*ck. I struggled with telling my hubby, I thought for sure he'd think it was the worst timing ever and was worried that he wouldn't be happy. I really need not have worried at all. He is so happy, and though I never thought it possible, it made me love him just that little bit more.

The second test (done this morning) is that little bit darker... and will continue to get darker, all being well! I'm waiting on a call back from the Midwife, who will presumably set me up with paperwork and a 12w scan appointment in November sometime.

As for why we wanted another tiny grasping Murloc? Well, it's just one of those things. Originally, I didn't want kids. Any kids. Smelly, loud, expensive, and a hundred other reasons. Two weeks after I hit 30, it was all I wanted. We tried for 6 months and caught with our first, the Troll. I learned from that experience to nickname the second one something a little less portentous, so #2 is being known as the Minion.

And the Murlocs? I used to play Warcraft and I want to get back into it again, but it will be an expensive operation, as I would want to faction swap my toons and go back to the Horde. So I'm waiting... and then I shall pounce! ALL THE MURLOCS ARE BELONG TO US! *ahem*

Yeah, so when #2 arrives on the scene, I will be making them matching murloc outfits for Hallowe'en. Ha!