Pregnancy Journal

I've never kept one. Blogging, however, has become a habit. I think that I can keep one this time. I think I'll put "some" of my pregnancy thoughts on the blog and link them as "pregnancy journal". I joined one of those pregnancy sites that send you weekly updates telling you what is going on in your body. Yeah - I know - I've been pregnant 15 times...but typically I try to ignore the pregnancy until about 12 weeks. I realize I've let my fear of losing a baby keep me from marveling at God's awesome work in the early weeks. It has always seemed like it would be more painful if we thought to much about our developing baby early on. Each week brings me closer to "safety" in my mind.....and I find myself at least 100 times a day saying "Thank you GOD that I'm still pregnant."

We are all adjusting to the idea of having baby #10. This was shocking to us at first. Having our 3rd child was a huge adjustment. I tell people that after 3, the others are simply a matter of adding one more. You make so many parenting adjustments when you have 3...those adjustments carry you over as you add more....but somehow moving into double digits seems daunting. I've chosen to focus on the fact that only 8 of them will be at home next year...and we've done 8 before. ::snort::

The children have been through so many pregnancies and losses with me that they are pros at this. My boys have been trained to be gentlemen and they really shine during a pregnancy. I don't think I'll be allowed to lift a thing until Christmas day. ::snort::

Friday night we started discussing names. I'm not sure why my family likes boring names. A big part of the problem is that if the name has a Hebrew or Greek background Mike will know the meaning/translation of the word in the language - regardless of the nicer meaning the baby name book assigns. Or I'll like the meaning and pronunciation (popular) and he'll insist that if we use that name we have to use the proper pronunciation......Care-is becomes CAR is...

I've wanted to use the name Blaze (Blaise) for years and years for a boy - but I doubt that will ever happen...much to the relief of most family members (immediate and extended). ::snort:: I'm currently set on Maryna (combining my grandmothers names Mabel and Kathryn) for a girl. This name is not in name books and Mike isn't very impressed with it at this point. A funny that I think Deja will enjoy: someone mentioned they liked the name Deja. I said that I really liked that name too. Mike piped up that he liked Vu as a middle name. I didn't get it. With a totally serious face he quipped, "Deja Vu seems like an appropriate name for our 10th baby."

Pregnancy weekly reports that during this week "the heart and the circulatory system are beginning to appear in baby. The early version of the placenta, the chorionic villi, and the umbilical cord - which delivers nourishment and oxygen to your baby - are already on the job." Kinda cool to know what is going on - I can focus my prayers beyond - "let me keep this baby". You know God is perfectly capable of knitting this one together without my prayers...but don't we need to feel like we are doing something???? ::snort::

Mike brought these home for me yesterday.

He always bring me a dozen when I have a baby but he said these are the first of my pregnancy flowers. Ah.... oh and someone asked....Yes, I did get my remaining deployment roses....I forgot to take a picture of them though.