We just heard the sweetest blessing by our 4 1/2 year old son….

….Please give us a baby named Newt, but if You don’t, that’s okay, we will name it somethin’ else…

HOW CUTE! This big brother is ready for a baby!

Welp (that IS a Southern word, not really sure what words make it up, except for well??), I am STILL not sure that I can feel this little one moving. Several days this past week I would think it was moving like crazy, only to put my hand on the exact spot and realize it was above my belly button…. Oh well! I don’t think the baby could be up there yet??

I was kinda bummed to see the scales read 120.5 last weekend, after I had just mentioned I was gaining a little. But was excited to see 124.5 this morning! It’s so weird, I’m still wearing some new clothes I bought on clearance at the end of last winter. They fit last year, and I’m having to use a belt or clip them up with safety pins now….

Did I LOOK 18 weeks pregnant when I bought these things??!!?? Hubby won’t say a word…

No breaking news to share, except, have I mentioned I found a cure all to my cold/ stuffy nose?? After a HUGE ordeal with a B’ham ENT (BTW- I would recommend to NEVER visit Dr. Douglas T. Lowery), him wanting me on 15 days of steriods and doing procedures on me – not telling me they were outpatient surgery procedures (until I got the $100 bill!)…. I finally found some natural solutions that are safe in pregnancy!!

I just couldn’t believe that steriods were my only option – plus the fact that this particular one isn’t even tested on pregnant women because of the risks!! Did the dr. tell me that? NO! I’m so grateful for a pharmacist that questioned that!

This ENT told me that it was okay, since he asked my OB’s office and they said okay. WHAT?! So the OB saying it was okay meant that my baby wouldn’t be hurt?! This drug is KNOWN to cause cleft palate! Needless to say, he won’t receive any business or recommendations from this patient.

I guess my frustration did pay off, since I ended up spending hours searching online for natural, safe remedies for nasal polyps online. I struck oil when I came across an article on Candida (yeast overgrowth).

I can’t remember if I shared on this before or not, so I’ll just give an overview. But basically, I have most every symptom of this! Fatigue, sleep disturbances, always hungry/ cravings, sinus conditions, etc…

I was disappointed to read this, since my diet is mainly foods that you should avoid to help manage Candida. I read about probiotics, which I had in the fridge and started taking again. Also about Spirulina, which I had packed away – and that helped some too. Remember that itchy rash on my leg? It started clearing up!

Then I saw it – GARLIC! Garlic is a natural antibiotic that helps kill the bad bacteria in our bodies – Candida! I tell you, I’m telling everyone I see about this stuff!

I found an odorless Garlic pill at the store, and from there, here’s the amazing story…

I had a particularly bad sinus day, knowing I’d be back at the dr. with an infection. So that night, I took the Spirulina, Probiotic, and Garlic. Would you believe the next day, I hardly had a sniffle! I couldn’t!

I ran out, and within days I was back to not being able to breathe, runny nose, facial pain. Within a day or two of restarting the garlic (tried a cheaper capsule this time), BETTER! I’m hooked on garlic for life now – just wondering what I’ll do when the baby comes, since I’m sure it’ll affect the taste of my milk??

In other news for the baby’s reference, we made an offer on some land today – 15 acres. It’ll be a big change from our 1/5 acre lot in a subdivision that we have now if they accept it, but the county life would be so much more peaceful for our family!

“Little Mommy”

I can’t believe Week 17 is now upon me!! And I STILL can’t really say I’ve felt this little one moving – how weird is that – for me?? I’ve decided that a very tilted uterus must be to blame for this, as well as the fact that I look nowhere as pregnant as other 17 week moms!

I was around 8 months before I finally looked pregnant to people with my last, and it seems I was 6 or 7 with my first. My weight is nothing impressive either. Due to nursing my last baby so long, I had dropped to 116.5 – not good when I need to be around 125 – 130 normal weight, looking even healthier at 135.

I just couldn’t gain while nursing him – he had all my fat, and it was a clear fact to SEE!

I’m now approaching 125 lbs. My max ever being 156 or 157 and a half. Maybe there can be a guessing game as the time approaches….

I have to share a true “yep, I’m a Mom” moment from today. We have gotten in the ritual of having cereal for our afternoon snack, and I had been crushing up the flakes in the Raisin Bran for the baby (almost 15 months) – these flakes were huge!

Next thing I know, I pouring my own bowl, and all of a sudden realize – I’m smashing up MY flakes too! Oh dear. Yep, that along with cutting up meat in a restaurant (what’s that??) in bite size portions before I begin to eat. Ha!

Monday, I’ll pick back up with the series on feeding your baby.

I must begin by sharing that although I’ve been going through a pretty trying time – there is a bright side! The Lord doesn’t give us something we can’t handle, and everything is for a purpose.

He’s given me a couple of reasons to be thankful in the midst of this ‘health crisis’ of sorts. One – I haven’t had near the morning sickness lately. My mind has been too occupied elsewhere – plus, I can’t smell or taste the triggers of morning sickness!! I haven’t even been able to smell those horribly dirty diapers!!

I can be thankful that although the polyps are still there, and seem larger, the swelling has gone down from the infection – so I can actually smell and taste a few things now – even if just a little.

I can be grateful that He’s given me His wisdom to know not just to trust the doctors, but to listen to His voice and know something isn’t right about these drugs. I’ve been doing a lot of research, and after being fed up with the medical community anyway – now am even more so.

Here’s a couple of doctors wanting to stick me on drugs to take away a ‘symptom’ – without ever addressing the problem. I’m grateful for the internet, where I’ve come across a great deal of information of how to prevent these in the future.

Of course, nothing about solving my current situation while pregnant, but He’s given me my taste and smell back a little – so if He doesn’t want to heal me right now, at least He’s making me a little more comfortable.

I’m grateful for a pharmacist that decided to ‘stick her nose in the middle’ (as the upset ENT put it) – alerting me to the dangers of the steroids and possible birth defects. It turns out, Prednisone is a Category C drug, meaning it hasn’t – nor ever will be – tested on pregnant women, it’s just too risky. Wow! And 2 out of 3 OB’s in my group haven’t got a problem with it!

From a mother of children with birth defects, no matter how large or small, I can’t willingly allow them to put me on something that is that risky to my baby. How in the world would I feel at birth if this child had cleft palate – knowing that this drug can cause that??!!

Today in church, we sang the song “I Surrender All”. I’ve never really thought about it in terms of health, but today I did. God has allowed this to be a part of my life right now, and I must surrender to His plan in whatever He’s teaching me, or using this for.

I’m not a mother for my own pleasure, but my children are HIS children – I’m simply an instrument to raise them for Him! My body isn’t mine, but His! He is in control of my pregnancy and my health, and the baby’s health. There’s nothing I can do about it – so I’m grateful that at least I know I can trust Him!

I’m grateful I’ve reached 13 weeks – almost 1/3 of the way through! I’m grateful my children are so excited about a new baby in our family. Too many families look at children as a burden, not a blessing – and I’m grateful that new life is a wonderful addition in all of our eyes!

I’m grateful that God has equipped our bodies to tell us when something is wrong. These polyps are tumors (thankfully non- cancerous), that result from toxic build up in our bodies. These toxins have to go somewhere, and form tumors.

I’m grateful they formed non-cancerous tumors, rather than cancerous! I’m grateful the Lord has given me dysautonomia (a disorder that affects the nervous and immune systems). Because of this, I’m extra sensitive to smells, tastes, stresses – and all these attack my nervous and immune system.

Yes, I’m more likely to get sicker than most, have small triggers affect me greatly – such a cigarette smoke, perfumes, even artificial colors and preservatives in foods, and get stressed much more easily than others.

For almost my whole life, I’m been made to feel ‘something is wrong with me’, but now I see that it puts me at a higher alertness to pay attention to what goes on inside and outside of my body.

I wouldn’t have a clue of the dangers of most foods available at the grocery store today if not for this disorder. Artificial colors, hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, etc… – these severely attack my body. Research is now showing how these products are linked to many diseases, some more dangerous than others.

Hopefully, by being aware of these, my future health will be better, and my children will be spared many health complications that many aren’t even aware are going to hit them sooner or later – then it’ll be too late.

Yes, this pregnancy and it’s complications have put my mind back on the healthy track – now avoiding all those cravings that I knew weren’t good for me or the baby to start with!

It’s shown me that even as much as I try to be healthy, it’s God that is in ultimate control of my health. I have to learn to lean on Him and trust Him more during this time.

Not that I’m still not praying for complete healing, but in the mean time, it’s a little easier knowing that as long as I’m surrendering this baby and myself to Him, He’ll take the best care possible of us!

Little Mommy