FAQs (ask a silly question, get a silly answer)

It would appear that expecting my 6th child (well, it will be 5 on earth) generates a lot of questions and comments from well meaning family, friends and nosey old ladies at the grocery store.

I figured it would be easier to just post them all here as an FAQ and in future when someone asks I will simply refer them to this page.



Was this an accident?

I can't imagine how that would even be possible...you did get that talk about the birds and bees, right? I'm thinking to conceive a child by accident would take a heck of a fall, that would have to involve us both and, really, well..my imagination is having to really strain to come up with a scenario. Perhaps if he had to clean the gutters and didn't have time to get dressed...and I was at the bottom pointing out a bit he missed, and I accidentally knocked over the ladder and..

No. This was not an accident. We did in fact intend to be doing what we were doing at the time conception took place. We did also want more kids, and I guess now turned out to be the right time for our next one.


Are you crazy?

Well yes, I would say so. Sanity is so over rated. I don't believe it is crazy for me to have another wonderful child though. But yes, in general, I am pretty crazy. How about you?

You know there's a cause for that, right?

Yes, we do know there is a cause for conception. And we happen to enjoy it. Thank you very much.

Don't you guys have a tv?

We do have a TV, but we don't have cable. We like to watch netflix on our tv, and dvds too. It hasn't helped with birth control or anything though, we both find the TV doesn't satisfy our needs for intimacy, no matter how much we enjoy LOST.

Are you quiverfull?

We certainly are blessed with a quiver full, but I am too much of a non-conformist to hold to any such movement.


Wow, you're going to have your hands full, aren't you?

Yuh-huh. And my heart. How observant of you.

Aren't you concerned about overpopulation?

Whilst we would be delighted if there are more little footsteps in our future, I seriously doubt we'd have so many more kids that there's no more space for them and they have to move to the moon or something. But I suppose anything is possible.

You must be so brave.

You obviously haven't seen me try to make a phone call.



That's all I can think of for now, but I might want to add more later.

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Sometimes the best things in life are the surprises

We spent $8 on this hanging strawberry planter. We were supposed to get $4 with a mail in rebate, but we never got round to mailing it in. *sigh*

I ordered strawberry crowns or whatever they're called for pretty cheap. They arrived looking like dead twigs, but as I planted them and watered them we watched them grow lots of beautiful green leaves. It was exciting.

I had liquid from the bottom of my tumbling composter, which I had heard was a good but weak fertilizer. So
I diluted it with water just in case it needed diluted, then I poured half a bottle in the strawberries. Apparently that was way too much. I think I have completely killed them. The next day the leaves were turning brown and soggy and falling off. It looks really pathetic.



Last year I tried to grow strawberries in some containers. I did a bunch of stuff wrong and basically killed them all too. I'm not so good at the whole growing strawberries thing apparently. However, those strawberries sent off a few daughters into the ground. I am not allowed to grow produce in my grass of my rented duplex, but these were escapees. I am allowed to grow flowers, so I went ahead and dug a flower bed around these 3 daughters when I discovered them this Spring. They had survived the Winter without being covered, I didn't even know they were there.

I didn't take care of them other than digging out the bed around them, which involved weeding around them. I let nature water them and decide their destiny. One day, Kaya came running in all excited, because she found flowers on the plants. They flowered beautifully and produced many little strawberries. These 3 little plants produced more strawberries that I've ever been able to grow on purpose.






Rene and I have planned a few of our babies and some of them came to us in their own time, or in God's timing. And they're all every bit as loved and cherished. As it turns out, I have a wee one growing in my womb at the moment, due to bless us with his/her presence sometime around Christmas 2010. We're all thrilled and excited. Turtle and Zoe kiss my tummy every night. The baby's nickname is Ally. Or Ally Cat. Just 'cause. Kaya is super excited and making sure I eat lots of healthy food and stay away from the bad stuff. Lana is always asking what size the baby is, what size are the hands, or the eyes etc. This is going to be the best Christmas present ever.

Surprised? Sometimes the best things in life are surprises.

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Happy due date to meeeee

I always anticipated seeing this day come and go, still with the Turtle in my tummy. I'm not really disappointed. I'm still enjoying this pregnancy, feeling the closeness and the kicks and feeling special knowing I'm growing my little baby.

Sure I'm getting tired, I can't sleep well at night or get comfortable, my pelvis hurts and walking around isn't so easy. I can't do as many fun things with the girls during the day, but we manage some activities. If Turtle decides to come today or tomorrow, I'd be thrilled. But if he/she holds out for another couple weeks or so, I'm happy enough with that too. I'd rather wait until he/she is good and ready.

It will be great to find out if we have a boy or girl baby, to see what they will look like, to put them in all these little darling clothes I've washed and folded, to use these little cute prefold diapers on their tiny little bottom. I'm excited about it all.

I'm the kind of person though who doesn't just love opening the Christmas present, but I love the days leading up to it, the anticipation, the excitement, knowing something special is going to happen soon. I want to just savor these last moments. Pregnancy is such a special time, and this one has gone by pretty quickly, and pretty painlessly. I've been quite lucky this time around. No huge health concerns, and the baby seems to be growing bang on target without issues. So no reason to rush. I'm not sending out an eviction notice quite just yet. :)

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Pica in Pregnancy

This is the third pregnancy where I have developed what I believe to be pica. I didn't seem to have the symptoms in my pregnancies with Heather or with Lana, but I did with Kaya and Zoe, and now again this time.

Pica is a craving for non food substances, like coal or dirt etc and can be due to an iron deficiency. Now I'm not craving to eat non food items, just to smell them. My iron levels were checked recently and are fine. I'm also eating nutritiously and balanced, so I don't really think I have a major lack in anything. But from the reading online I've done, the smell cravings I'm having can be related to pica. One thing's for certain, it's weird. Very weird.

With Kaya it was Shake 'n' vac. I NEEDED to smell that stuff. Escpecially the Glade Lilly of the Valley stuff. Oh gosh it was wonderful. I use to carry one aroudn with me, sniff it in the car. I'd pour it all over the carpet in the house and lie down on the floor and just inhale deeply. I'd stand in the aisle at tesco opening them and sniffing them and probably looking very strange.

With Zoe it was the vacuum.

I'd vacuum multiple times a day and I just loooooved smelling the dust inside getting all warm, and the electric smell. It would drive me crazy. I actually really craved dust, not really to eat, but to inhale. If I ever saw dust on the road, getting puffed around, or on tv or anything, I'd get all achy and frustrated, desperate to sort of roll around in it and breath it in. I know, I know, totally crazy.

I was also into cleaning products (not really the healthiest thing to sniff!) and air fresheners. I'd spray a thing of air freshener and just walk into the spray, breathing in as deep as I could.

This time around, it's pretty much all of the above. I love the vacuum, though not as obsessivly as I did with Zoe. I love the thought of dust again too. I use natural, homemade cleaning products now, and I do still enjoy the smell. And I have purchased a few extra air fresheners and carpet fresheners. I love the dusty musty smells of like the shoe and vacum closet, I usually HATE the smell of that closet. I do like getting close to the carpet or vacuum and breathing the natural dusty smells.

BUT, this time I have found something to really satisfy my cravings. Aromatherapy oils. I've always enjoyed them, but I'm enjoying them SO much this time around. I'm putting clary sage oil (mmm so fumey and so lovely and strong smelling) on a tissue and inhaling deeply and it smells glorious! (I didn't do it before being full term in pregnancy of course, as it can possibly stimulate contractions!). And I'm adding lavendar to baths and Rene's massaging me with jasmine. It all smells so wonderful, especially the clary sage. Everytime I get that craving to smell something strong, I just get my tissue and my little happy bottle of clary sage and mmmmm I'm in heaven.

I know when I'm not pregnant anymore I'll look back on this and think, woah, crazy. It's amazing how strong these cravings for smells can get. And I don't really know why I get them. I thought it was time to 'fess up about it publicly. I hope someone out there will still be my friend after reading it hehehe

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Note to self

101 degree weather, walking around Lincoln Children's zoo for a few hours and being 34 weeks pregnant don't mix together too good. I still can't cool down and it was yesterday!

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Sweet moment

Sitting here at the computer, listening to Plumb album - Blink (lots of lullaby type songs, soothing and sweet), Zoe sleeping in my arms with her hand rested on the bump. And Turtle keeps kicking her hand. I heart them.

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Beached Whale

I can't believe I'm already at the beached whale stage of pregnancy. I'm only 29 weeks pregnant, just started the third trimester but I'm already feeling huge and uncomfortable.

I guess it's partly because I'm older now than I was in my previous pregnancies...a few years closer to the big 3-0. (I'm still just 27 now though, still 3 years til I need to worry about that). And because this is the first time I've been pregnant and in Nebraska in the Summer at the same time!

I just can't get cold enough. I'm always hot and thirsty. My pelvis hurts so bad, I can hardly bend down to pick up all the toys and dirty laundry the girls (and Rene) keep dropping on the ground. I need one of those grabber things so I don't need to bend. I have to sit down to dress myself or else my pelvis feels like it's going to snap, and getting out of bed 5 times a night to pee hurts it so much. I'm not sleeping well, I'm getting headaches, I just want to lie in the air conditioning with a fan blowing on my face all day. I'm too old for this. And at least 11 more weeks to go, if not more.

I'm getting really broody now too. Looking forward to holding my Turtle and getting to know him or her. And taking photos of the little feet and giving them a bath and smelling their head and touching the folds and wrinkles. I'm so looking forward to it. Just gotta survive this Summer first.

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Belly Shot

I don't usually like taking or seeing or posting belly shots during my pregnancies, cause I mostly just look like I ate some more pizzas and don't really look pregnant. But Kaya took this one and I thought it was sweet.

So here I am at 27 weeks along with Turtle. And 27 weeks brought the third trimester with it big time. I'm feeling it for sure. My pelvis is sore, I get heartburn all night and can't get comfortable in bed. I'm crying at stupid things for no big reason (man I bawl at the Land Before Time, when his mother dies...oh my gosh! Floodgates).

But it's all good. I do enjoy the process of making life. And I'm very excited to meet this little Turtle.

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Ultrasound at 24 weeks

I had another appointment and ultrasound today. It all went well, everything looks good.

I have a few photos but I haven't bothered to get them on the computer yet. The photos didn't come out very clear but the actual u/s was one of the clearest I've had yet. Turtle was very active and swimming around and waving his/her hands all around and kicking feet. It was sooo sweet. His/her hands were up at his/her face, and feet were scrunched up pretty close too. Turtle is lying sideways, or transverse right now. Plenty of time for him/her to change position - multiple times before birth, so it's not a worry.

Anyway it was pleasant and I'm happy all is going well.

Here's Zoe with something to say

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Turtle from the outside

I felt Turtle kick from the outside this morning. Very sweet. I was resting my hand on my belly while snoozing next to Zoe. And it kicked my hand, like it wanted me to move it off or something. Took me by surprise!

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Ultrasound today

I had a midwife appointment today, but she was called off to deliver a baby. So I was seen by the nurse instead. Uneventful, nothing to report, everything seems well.

And we had the ultrasound. Of course we told her we don't want to know the gender, so she didn't tell us. But turtle looks great, healthy. Was moving and opening his/her mouth. Very cute. Kaya said it looks like a peanut. Lana kept asking if the baby and I were going to be ok. Sweetheart.

Here are some pics.
First the profile pic. Cute.



Then the face shot. Babies always look like skeletons at this stage, which is kind of creepy. But I love this shot, it looks like Turtle has a huge smile on his/her face!

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Baby movements

I'm feeling all the little flutters now (I'm 15 weeks along) and even some distinctive kicks. This is my favourite part of being pregnant.

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Introducing Turtle

I'd like to introduce you to our latest little Docherty, who is expected to arrive sometime around Sep 7th. (which means it'll be more like the 18th!)





On Christmas Eve I peed on one of these



And there were two lines! We've been keeping it secret until we got to a stage where it feels a little safer to share the good news.








I'm about 13 1/2 week along now. I got the u/s at 12 weeks. "Turtle" appears fine! Swimming, waving, using his/her hand as a pillow. Very sweet.

I was really sick and really tired in the first few weeks, and the kids watched a lot of TV! But now I have more energy and I'm feeling a lot better for the most part. My pelvis is already starting to get clicky and poppy, so I'm sure it'll bother me again this time. And my wrists have started aching a little too, but nothing too bad.

This was planned, and we're very thrilled. Everyone seems to think we want a boy, but we LOVE girls are would be more than thrilled with another princess. I'm sure we could handle a boy too, but don't go wishing it on us! hehe. Seriously though, either way I'm going to be thrilled. I just love being a part of the miracle of making a human and bringing them into the world. I love pregnancy, and (strangly enough!) childbirth and the buzz of it all. And I love raising the babies and children and watching the develop and grow personalities and getting to know their spirits. There's nothing I'd rather be doing in life.

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