Chronicles of Nausea

Anara at the pool

I would like to use nausea as an excuse for not blogging but it really has gotten better. I am almost functioning normally and I actually prepared a meal three nights in a row this week. I still feel nauseated off and on during the day (especially in the evening) but it isn't as overwhelming.

My real excuse for not blogging is lack of creativity/mental capacity. My brain feels foggy and tired and I am using most of my mental energy to maintain a somewhat sound household. When does that that "honeymoon" period of pregnancy begin? I will be 19 weeks tomorrow and still feel very 1st trimesterish.

Here are some updates:

*Anara had her suprapubic tube removed! This was a great day that brought us one step closer to normalcy. Thankfully her catheterizable channel is working perfectly. The suprapubic removal was a little traumatic for her. There was a sizable stone on the end of the tube and it wouldn't pull through the skin. The last time this happened he took her to surgery, but there was no time for that and he removed it without anesthesia. The MD kept apologizing for causing her pain but she did really well. He said he did the same thing he would do in the operating room except that Anara was able to feel everything.

*Violet started swimming lessons. I wanted to do the parent/child class with her before she started "big kid" lessons but we missed that window. Violet is taking a semi-private lesson with another little boy. Last week he was sick so Violet had her 1st lesson all to herself. Pictures below.

*We camped again and I still forgot to take pictures. This time we camped with Nate's oldest sister, Rachel, and her family. The kids had a wonderful time and I think the adults enjoyed it for the most part ;) We have been borrowing my Uncle's popup camper which has revolutionized the camping experience.

*Anara has been eating much better the past couple weeks. I am not sure what changed but she has expanded her acceptable foods and she seems to be eating larger amounts. Today we see a feeding specialist (something I have been asked to do by her developmental pediatrician and have been putting off for about 6 months) to give us a few ideas. I am really hoping that she will push to have the g-tube removed. We haven't given Anara a tube feed since January and the tube is nasty and irritating to her. She says, "My tube hurts" about 20 times a day.

*Anara's vocabulary is great and she forms beautiful sentences. We are thrilled to hear her forming complete and unique thoughts. She also remembers things to tell Nate when he gets home. Yesterday we swam at the YMCA and Anara kept getting her face wet (a miracle in itself). When Nate came home she told him, "I got my nose wet" and showed him how she kept putting her head in the sprinkler. Okay, that wasn't her best sentence but I really am amazed at her speech.

*Violet quotes:

- Violet was reading her Bible to Anara and said, "Jesus died on the cross for us so we can be alive. He died for a couple weeks then he went back to Heaven. Then he went back to the grass. Then he was alive again. And God was making the stars come to light. That means it was the best one in the whole world He ever made. He made us"

- Today Violet asked, "Will we drive our car to meet Jesus?"

- "That baby in your belly is getting fat."

- Christina asked Violet, "What was your favorite part of the camping trip?" Violet replied, "Making blue poop on my potty." Violet had a large amount of blue moon ice cream.

- "If the baby is a boy then he can walk, but if it is a girl then she can ride in the cart."

- Yesterday we were having a conversation about the poor and homeless and Violet said, "That's cool that Jesus wants to take care of that man. He wants to give him a new house."

- Last week she called Uncle Joel on her toy phone and said, "Uncle Joel, are you coming to our camping house?" Then she called Aunt Nicole and said, "Ah Aunt Nicole, it's okay if you are scared of bugs. The library doesn't open until 10:00."

Violet's 1st swimming lesson

Anara's Nutella mustache

Super Why at the zoo

Playing in the sprinkler

Princesses

Blue Moon ice cream