update

Well I just thought I would update. Baby and I are doing good, and we are still planning a homebirth. However, the insurance company is giving us the runaround, and therefore we haven't been able to find a midwife yet.  Jason is going to call them on Monday and let them know how it's going to be LOL.

On a more down side, we found out recently that Jason's grandmother, Helen, who I am very fond of, has throat cancer. She has refused to receive chemo or radiation. Jason['s father is taking her to a specialist in the near future, and I truly hope something can be done for her.  Helen is an amazing person, one of the strongest women I have ever known.  Out of six kids, one died from choking at a very young age, her daughter died at age ten from childhood lukemia, and her two daughters died from cancer when they were in their thirties.  She raised all her kids with no support from her husband, who deserted them when the kids were very young. Her second husband killed himself. After all this, after everything she's been through, after watching cancer kill every female in her family, she now suffers from the same diesease.  Yet her attitude is always upbeat, no regrets. A truly amazing woman!

On a lighter side, I have a job interview on Tuesday! I am interviewing for a part time position in Jason's company. It's perfect because the hours are such that Jason will be home when I'm working, so we won't have to put Brooke into daycare.  The extra money will help us a lot, and def help us get into our own house sooner.

Brooke is doing well, she's starting to talk more.  Jason and I went out to the movies with some friends last night and left her with another friend.  While there she started saying "Thanks" LOL. Now she says it whenever we give her something.  However, poor Brookie does have an awful rash all over her body! I took her to the ped and she told me it was viral and that it would go away in three or four days.....that was over a week ago@@. She also told me to give her Benadryl, which doesn't do anything to relieve the itch! On Monday I am going to call the pediatrician again, and she better take a closer look at the rash this time!  I've also decided to start potty training Brooke. I didn't think she was ready, but for the past two weeks she has come to me whenever she needed a diaper change and told me, through her unique baby-chinese language, that she needed a change.  The signs that she is ready just keep getting stronger, so I am going to dive in and see if she will pick up on it.

I'm so tired, we had such a long day. This morning, Brookie woke me up as usual and then turned to wake Jason up with her customary leap-on-Daddy's-stomache attack. POP! The water bed burst! WATER EVERYWHERE!! Needless to say, we were all very busy trying to save our stuff from the water.......all our laundry is soaked, I'm going to be washing clothes 24/7 for a month straight! It took all day to drain the bed. Now we just have a queen sized mattress thrown in the bed, and I like it soooo much better. To be honest, I wasn't crazy about the water bed, and we would have had to change anyway when the baby came since water beds are unsafe for co-sleeping.

Recent books I've read: A Midwife's Story, which I LOVED, not only b/c of it's insight into the life of a midwife, but also because it gave the reader a glimpse into the world of the Amish. The ways in which an Amish woman deal with labor and birth are amazing, I could only dream of being as strong as them! I also read Autobiography of a Geisha, which didn't thrill me too much. Finally, I re-read Birthing from Within, which really helped me to maintain my convictions about homebirth, since I've been getting a lot of criticism from some people.  I've convinced Jason to let me get my own copy of the book with my first paycheck, so that I can continue to re-read it throughout my pregnancy, take notes in it, and practice the pain-relieving techniques that she teaches in the books.  I'm so anxious to pick a midwife already, I can't wait to meet her!! I want someone who knows that I'm scared and can comfort me, who won't lie or sugar-coat anything, who will help me maintain my faith in myself and in my body, and who will understand that I am weak when it comes to pain and won't judge me if I scream during the labor or beg for drugs, etc. Basically, someone who understands.

Well, that is pretty much it for now. I'm sure there's other stuff, but in case you couldn't tell already, my mind keeps wondering (ah! the wonders of the preggo brain!). Ciao!