Booya!

I'm TWELVE WEEKS!

Not only does that mean that my risk for a miscarriage is way down, it also means that I'm going to start getting my life back. I hope. Doctors say that in the second trimester, energy should return and nausea should subside.  No one knows the sure cause of morning sickness, but it's thought that the rise of the hCG hormone is the culprit because it peaks at the time morning sickness is said to be the worst.  Or surges in progesterone or estrogen. Or the newly acquired keen sense of smell. I'm sure these are all factors. None the less, I'm supposed to start feeling better soon and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Yesterday, I only puked once. Once. Yup. It was amazing. I felt good for about 50% of the day, okay for about 40% and really bad for only 10%! I'll take it!

My baby is the size of a lime. A lime! That's not that small anymore! This thing is in fine form! It doesn't get any less exciting to be growing a baby in my third pregnancy. People always say that you won't even know how many weeks you are come the third baby (or even the second), but I haven't found that to be true at all. Maybe because my pregnancy has been so rough this time around... but, I also think it's because I'm just excited!

I did that weird thing the other day where you put your wedding ring on a strand of your hair and see which way it spins or whatever, and it said that my next baby will be a girl. Who knowwws. But, it's fun to do. I don't really have a preference because I think having a boy is awesome and I also think having a girl is awesome. I slightly would prefer a girl because Frankie is so social and I think it would be cool for her to have a close in age sister, but baby boys are so fricken cute. There's just something about a tiny boy.  And plus, I'm dying to take out Joey's old baby clothes for nostalgia's sake. And Joey was a way better nurser than Frankie ever was, and I've been told by so many people that girls are bad nursers. And I don't want another bad nurser! It was so frustrating. But, I guess, for all the long term reasons, I kind of prefer a girl. But, shh. I'm not allowed to say that.

I have such a vivid memory of being at my Grandma's house while my Auntie Gloria was pregnant with Dallas (23).  We were sitting on a bed - my mom, my Grandma, and I, and my aunt was laying down with her shirt rolled up while we hovered her wedding ring attached to a strand of her hair over her belly button.  Could you imagine if someone had gotten a picture of that memory? It was a pretty beautiful one. All the women in the family, sitting on the bed with a pregnant woman doing something superstitious for pregnancy? It doesn't get much more beautiful than that. It seems so old school. And it is. When I did it, it was just me sitting by the computer because I was reading step by step directions on how to do it. hahaha Oh, how times have changed. What I wouldn't give to lay on a bed at my Grandma's old house with my aunt, mom, and Grandma and have everyone care, from close by, what gender my baby will be.  I know I know that everyone cares, but living far away, I don't get to have any of these moments with my family and up until now it hasn't made me sad, and now it's making me a little sad.

Living on our own in California is actually great. It's been the best thing for our marriage and even our independence as people and has forced us to branch out with friendships and I think it's made Stuart a more confident guy.  We're both the youngest and we're both go with the flow tag along kind of people (textbook youngest) so, living anywhere remotely near our families meant we saw them a whole heck of a lot more than the average bear.  And we both had steadfast 'old faithful' relationships with friends back home and didn't try to make any friends in the city we were living in.  I'm not saying that having reliable, familiar relationships is bad at all.  We are both so lucky to have so many close relationships with friends.  But, when those are your only friendships and you live an hour outside of the city they all live in, then you're just livin' in the past, man. It's important to have friends where you live.

And now, in California, we hang out together so much more.  It's so nice and so good for our marriage. And our family. We both have good friends that we see on a regular basis, and we finally have a church in our city. When we lived back in Vancouver, we were mostly going to Greendale Church because we stayed with our parents on most weekends. How crazy is that? Looking back, that's so crazy to me! We were so not independent yet. I'm sure our parents loved it. (I'm not being sarcastic. If my kid lived far away and wanted to come home with their spouse and stay with me on weekends, I'd be beyond thrilled.)

Not only are those bonuses a great part about living apart from family, I also feel that my relationship with my parents is better, and especially my relationship with my in-laws. Not that I didn't have a good relationship with them previously.  When my mother and father in law come out, we spend so much time together and I feel that I know them so well now and they know me so well. It's been a great experience.

I don't know if we'll live here forever, but I do know that it's been great for us in every way.