Pages

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

BIG news on the anniversary of LITTOF

Well, hello there!

I did say that although I'm moving on from this blog to what's next that I would post news and updates here, didn't I? Well, today is definitely a big news day announcement.

Today, January 6, happens to be the one-year anniversary of the creation of Love in the Time of Foreclosure. One whole year. It's amazing to me. A year ago we were living in our house in L.A. fighting foreclosure and now we live rent-free in a 1910 farmhouse on San Juan Island - an island I had never actually heard of before. A lot has transpired. To be sure.

I didn't realize that today was the anniversary of my first LITTOF post until very late in the day. We had our mind on other things. Bigger life things. And we felt that having shared the grittiest details of our lives on LITTOF over the last year, it just makes sense to share the latest and biggest news of all.

Our big news:




Yep. We're pregnant!

That is the stick I peed on back in November. On the 26th, to be exact. (Yes, I saved the pregnancy test.) Bob has more intuition than I do, apparently, because he knew I was pregnant. Days before I took the test he was saying, "I think you're pregnant." I thought I was having indigestion.

I peed on the stick and saw the two lines almost immediately. Then questioned.

Wait, is that second line really there or am I seeing things? What? Seriously. It's there, isn't it?! Bob!!! Bob, come in here! You have to see this!

The next day I went to the clinic on the island to be sure. They had me pee in a cup. The news was the same. I'm pregnant. Wow. Whoa. Shit. Wow. Oh my... Okay. Okay.

We've had some time for it to sink in. I'm now eleven and a half weeks along and today for the first time, we heard our baby's heart beat! I cried. Actually, I first laughed. Then cried. "Wow," I said to Bob and our midwife, "There really is something in there!"

My symptoms have included:

Extreme exhaustion
Nausea
Aversion to foods
Extreme exhaustion
Depression
Super power sense of smell
Nausea
Mood swings
Nausea
Inability to focus

I never knew the first trimester was so hard. I'd heard of the morning sickness that lasts all day (which I thankfully don't have) but was not prepared for the biological sluggishness and nausea.

This does explain my difficult December. And according to anyone who has ever been pregnant, I should expect a burst of energy very soon. I'm SO looking forward to that.

The knowledge of our pregnancy definitely played a hand in my choice to "retire" LITTOF. Our life has gone from being all about a house to all about a baby. And that is a wonderful thing.

When we discovered that I was indeed pregnant, Bob kept saying, "The island is special." We figure we were here for only a week or two before it happened. Much faster than we'd ever imagined. The island is special.

It's a strange thing having a baby here on San Juan Island. For one thing, there's no hospital. There's a clinic, but no hospital. There are doctors but no Obstetricians. There is one that makes monthly visits from Anacortes and there is a midwife on Orcas that makes visits to Friday Harbor. I spoke to a few women in the "Run Ladies Run" group who raved about the Midwife. I ultimately chose her. She delivers at Island Hospital in Anacortes so we won't be doing a home birth. They don't do that here because it's too risky being so far away from a hospital.

One of the first things we were told to do was purchase Life Flight Insurance. It cost us $75 for the entire year for the whole family. So we have that in case I need to be flown to the hospital. But July is apparently a good time to have a baby here because there are more ferries running.

The news of our pregnancy also contributed to my feeling unhappy about being here. I was immediately concerned about having a baby so far away from our entire family. On an island! It fueled my anxiety.

But now I'm choosing to look at it as though we were meant to be here. That this is the perfect place to be to have a baby. And how wonderful that we have a house with enough rooms to reserve one for a nursery! And still have room for guests. My mom is planning on staying for a month when the baby arrives. Bob's mom is already planning her visit. So we won't be alone. Far from it.

So, in answer to the question "What's Next?" Well, parenthood is next.

We've said goodbye to foreclosure and hello to parenthood.

And that's our big news!

Now, please excuse me but I must change into a looser pair of pants.

17 Comments:

Tami Sagher said...

Woohoo!! I was hoping this was it, but I didn't dare guess! COngratulations and Mazel tov and looking forward to the updates!

Jo in NZ said...

Well, congratulations! How very exciting and what a difference a year can make. All the very best to you both..

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! Midwifery care is wonderful - so affirming. Later in your pregnancy have your midwife help you listen to baby's heartbeat while you speak directly to him/her. That was one of the most amazing moments of my pregnancy :) A great book to remind you that birth is natural and normally problem-free is Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth. And Birthing from Within is a lovely creative way to explore fears around labor/birth etc. Okay - I'll stop. Best of luck to you as you make the biggest transition of your lives. :)

Jillayne Schlicke said...

Look for the best book of all at one of the used book stores: What to Expect When You're Expecting. Takes you there step by step.
Mine are both teenagers now and time flies but the special time of being pregnant and having an infant goes in slow motion. Enjoy and keep us posted..! I'm in Edmonds if you ever decide to come up this way.

hub of the house said...

OMG!!!! such fabulous news! congratulations to you and Bob! very very exciting!!!!!

Holly said...

Awww, how exciting! A plot twist :-) Congratulations--and all the best on your new adventure.

Anonymous said...

How Wonderful!!! Soon, the three of you on the island. Pam must be over the moon. Much happiness to you and Bob.

AprilMay said...

Congrats! Oh, you are about to embark on the most wonderful of adventures! Love your blog...I am from the Seattle area and I HATE the early dark in the winters too!

Now, as for writing. I am a former teacher. I now write from home so I can be with my toddler. I make more money writing half-time than I did teaching. I write for an educational research company (EBSCO publishing), a curriculum company and a company called Demand Studios. The writing is not anything remotely creative, but it is flexible and I can do it from home/any time I want...here is one blog post I made about it. I did not find the jobs in time to save our home, (happy foreclosure to me!) but I am grateful for them nonetheless.

http://shmoo2.blogspot.com/2009/01/for-art-or-money.html

Love in the Time of Foreclosure said...

Thanks for all the lovely comments, everyone! We're very excited. A plot twist, indeed.

megan said...

what great news!! so happy for you two. big conrats!!

Shawna S said...

Wow - how special. Please don't stop blogging - not now! Maybe you should start a new blog "love in the time of pregnancy" or "love, one day at a time." Just don't stop!!!

Love in the Time of Foreclosure said...

Well, I feel a little foolish. I just realized that my first official post on the blog was not January 6th, but January 9th. Making Saturday the real anniversary of the blog. Oops! Oh well. Does it really even matter? I hope not. Sorry for the error!

-Steph

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Steph and Bob! Wonderful and exciting news! Wow, that island really IS special! I think you should keep blogging though. Having a child at this particular time, and in this economy is a very popular and much discussed topic! I know SO many moms wanting tips on green/holistic parenting, who are opting to go outside and have a picnic and makinig fresh baby food instead of going out or buying the pre-packaged food in the stores, or taking walks, instead of going to a mommy and me class. Maybe your journey from the entertaining, exciting, fast paced LA lifestyle to your "living in the present" days on the island are just what we all want to hear about when it comes to parenting! It sounds like your real journey is just begining... don't stop sharing!
~ oh and this is Courtney K by the way...
I didin't know how to post without any of the accounts they offered!

EM Lewis said...

Sending you hugs, love and congratulations!!!!

~Ellen

Theodore M. Seeber said...

Ok, now is the time to start a new blog- HavingABabyOnAnIsland....and congrats.

Anonymous said...

so many congrats stephanie... and bob!!!!

much love to you from ashland!!!

xoxo david desantos.

StickyCook said...

Love your blog and so excited for your pregnancy! Hope the nausea tones down a little bit so that you can pig out - this is the time to do it! :)

Post a Comment

You're about to leave a comment. Thank you! When leaving your comment, please keep in mind that Love in the Time of Foreclosure is about love, positivity and helping people experiencing financial crisis. So, keep it constructive, please. Comments will be moderated and any comment that is clearly and intentionally mean-spirited will be deleted.

Share

Widgets

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...