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Lori B
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| Posted: Oct 04 2007 at 7:41am | IP Logged
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Praying, Nina!
When I was expecting my youngest, I had sky-high blood pressure and was on bed rest for the last month. My MIL helped me get over the guilt by reminding me that one of the reasons we homeschool is so that the kids can really know what it takes to keep a family and home together, and not be separated form that for hours every day.
For this season, helping Mom and contributing to running the home should be the most important part of the "curriculum" (with some good books thrown in when possible  ). Can you rough out a very basic schedule with your older ones that would be easy for them to enact with minimal input from you? Can they help with the 'work' involved with the younger ones so that you can save your energy for other things? I'm thinking reading aloud, listening together to books on CD (or the free ones at Librivox), doing puzzles together, playing board games, playing with clay- things that are fun but need minimal planning or clean-up? One of my 12yod's favourite memories of that month are the afternoons that we curled up in my bed and listened to my oldest reading aloud to us, or to a book on CD.
My husband also packed away about half of the kids' toys so that I wasn't stressed by seeing too much strewn about that I was unable to clean up 
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22yod, 16yod (Asperger's), 14yos (dyslexia, APD, ADHD), and 11yod (JXG, glaucoma, legally blind)
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Patty LeVasseur
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| Posted: Oct 04 2007 at 11:00am | IP Logged
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Nina,
Praying for you and your whole family.
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Patty
mom to four blessings
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Chari
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| Posted: Oct 04 2007 at 4:46pm | IP Logged
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Great advice, Lori!
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Chari...Take Up & Read
Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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hylabrook1
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| Posted: Oct 04 2007 at 6:34pm | IP Logged
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Nina -
So happy you have made it this far and that you are still feeling sick (that's a good sign, isn't it?) Praying for you and your family.
Peace,
Nancy
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Nina Murphy
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| Posted: Oct 06 2007 at 12:44pm | IP Logged
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Many hugs to you, too, Lori, Patty, and Nancy. (And thanks for the wonderful words of wisdom, Lori.) I have definitely felt the prayers.
So much gratitude to all of you who have been kind enough to pray and post.
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God bless,
~~Nina
mother of 9 on earth,
and 2 yet-to-be-met
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helene
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| Posted: Oct 06 2007 at 4:21pm | IP Logged
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Nina,
I have 8 children and I'm expecting my ninth at the end of March. Every time I think I might be feeling better I get walloped with another headache or day on the couch. Just making dinner is SO, SO difficult at times! I get overwhelmed when I think of all the things I am trying to do at once......teaching K, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 8th and 9th grade, managing to drive to two groups of ballet, two girls clubs, one boys club, homeschool football and scouts....and doing all the little things that comes with all that territory. To make it worse my husband would like to move and put our house on the market soon and my 3 1/2 year old NEEDS potty training. Sometimes I feel like the house is literally coming down around me. I know what you mean about craving peace. Peace is a great gift. I will be praying for both of us to find it....that's another thing....guilt about not praying enough! A lot of days I can barely bang out a morning offering.
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Happy Mom to five girls (20,17,13,11and 4) and five boys (19, 15, 10, 8 and 6)
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Tina P.
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| Posted: Oct 06 2007 at 5:01pm | IP Logged
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Nina and Helene:
I have been there so many times between moving every 2 to 3 years and pregnancies every other year that this is the first homeschooling year that I feel that we're getting somewhere! And guess what? I've borrowed some textbooks that my kids are bored to tears reading  because they've already learned all this stuff in a more fun, more real, more palpable way. Somehow, just living, relating, and sharing our interests teaches the children more than any formal lessons can.
We'll pray for you! God bless,
__________________
Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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Nina Murphy
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| Posted: Oct 08 2007 at 2:49pm | IP Logged
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I haven't been able to log in for some reason.
Helene, you are angel for sharing. I feel so much better thinking of the two of us carrying our cross together. We are definitely walking the same road! I will pray for YOU, too.
Tina, god bless you. Thanks for the reminders.
I am just so up and down. Gagging hits at any moment throughout the day, if I go even an hour or two without eating. It's crazy!
Thank you again, all. I hope the baby is thriving!
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God bless,
~~Nina
mother of 9 on earth,
and 2 yet-to-be-met
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Tina P.
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| Posted: Oct 08 2007 at 3:07pm | IP Logged
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Nina:
The only times I felt good during the first few months of my pregnancy, the babies weren't alive. This is good news for you!
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Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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Wendy
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Prayers headed your way, Nina. Like Tina, the only times I felt good during the first trimester, I miscarried. In fact, my doc told me that the worse I felt, the better the baby was doing. I don't know how true that is, but it made me feel better emotionally, anyway. Hang in there! 
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God bless,
Wendy
Wife to Chris
Momma to Grace, Sam, Ben, Maggie, Mary Cate, and Jamie
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kingvozzo
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More prayers for you, Nina...always!
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Noreen
Wife to Ed
Mom to 4 great kids and 10 sweet ones in Our Lady's arms
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Nina Murphy
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| Posted: Oct 10 2007 at 11:16am | IP Logged
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Tina, Wendy and Noreen....thank you again. Profoundly.
------------------------------------------------------
After 20 years of pregnancy (11 pregnancies) I thought I "understood" this beautiful process for myself and my particular body.
But boy have things thrown me for a loop! 
Does anyone know the *reason* I am so sick this time? I have read Marilyn Shannon's articles and I am aware of the connection to blood sugar levels.
But here is what is happening: I eat and not 1-2 hours later the nausea and gagging starts. I am simply eating too much now for my system and I think, backing things up. If I don't eat, I'm sick. But I am eating constantly and gaining weight rapidly, and still: the problem is not abating at 14 1/2 weeks; in fact, it has increased in frequency. I am also eating high protein foods, taking good vitamins, resting when I need to, etc.
It just seems strange that I didn't have these problems with my first 7 pregnancies. My last pregnancy was the beginning but NOT like this!
Anyone sick throughout their ENTIRE pregnancy and what did you DO? 
Hugs to everyone, again!
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God bless,
~~Nina
mother of 9 on earth,
and 2 yet-to-be-met
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Lori B
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| Posted: Oct 10 2007 at 11:33am | IP Logged
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My sister-in-law was sick throughout both of her pregnancies. She swears by popcorn She would eat some graham crackers first thing in the morning, then would eat reasonably the rest of the day (avoiding greasy, heavy food) and snack almost constantly on popcorn. If she didn't eat the popcorn, she was much sicker- she really noticed a difference.
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22yod, 16yod (Asperger's), 14yos (dyslexia, APD, ADHD), and 11yod (JXG, glaucoma, legally blind)
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Oct 10 2007 at 4:43pm | IP Logged
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Nina-
I *just* crawled out of the worst of my sickness. I will likely experience what I lovingly refer to as "functional nausea" for the rest of the pregnancy. This is our 6th pregnancy, and its been bad (hospitalization for all, and a central line to feed me and the baby for 2 of the pregnancies) for all of them, so I've been looking for reasons why for the last 12 years. Here is the long and short of it. They just don't know exactly why, but the best guess is that we lucky moms overproduce estrogen and HCG in early pregnancy. The liver just can't keep up in getting rid of all of those hormones. There's no easy fix (I'm sorry  I know how bad you didn't want to hear that!) All that's left is to try to protect the pregnancy and you by staying hydrated and nourished, and when that can't happen, be grateful that in 2007 we have recourse to IV hydration and nutrition.
My advice after living through it over and over again?? Lower your expectations to the absolute BARE MINIMUM! Safety concerns - my dh spends a weekend and goes through the house with a fine tooth comb removing excess toys and any object that could potentially cause harm making it unnecessary for me to move from the couch.
Convenience food is your friend - lunchables and fast food are now survival food - a homemade meal is only going to come from outside the home for awhile. It's ugly, but it's the only way you'll survive unless you have a mom or sister that can drop everything and come help take care of you for awhile.
School consists of read-alouds on the couch until a little of your strength returns. Make use of animal planet and other nature shows when they are appropriate for your kids. Invest in a few great, educational toy-type things if you can afford it - ones that don't make a mess all over the floor. Do some online shopping.
And here's another blow that I might as well tell you about now - your strength may not return as fast I'm finding out. Another sad reality of age I'm guessing.
The rest of the chores you used to keep up with will now have to be done on the weekend by your dh and older kids. Scale those waaaaay back until you can get involved.
The good news - your estrogen and HCG generally peak around 10 weeks and taper down from there. How slow or fast depends on your specific body chemistry, but you can look for functionality around 12-16 weeks. I'm not sure how far along you are now. The reason your nausea pattern changes from morn to night and seems to fluctuate all over is just a function of when your hormones go up and down.
I hope some of this is helpful Nina! I'll be praying for you - from one (very grateful to be pregnant ) pukey mom to another!
ETA: Sorry Nina! I see after re-reading your earlier post that you're 14 1/2 weeks along - thanks be to God! Hang in there! I'm 18 1/2 weeks, and still fighting! It's just going to be a slow climb out of it for us I guess. We have much to offer up for though don't we?
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Nina Murphy
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| Posted: Oct 10 2007 at 5:29pm | IP Logged
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Jennifer, your post saved me today. God bless you for taking the time to write. I am really cruddy today and feeling major mom and wife guilt (well, until I read your post, and seriously, I am already giving myself a break in just these few moments----am I suggestible, or what? ). I appreciate your advice sooooo much. I am praying for you back! Let me know how you are doing.....
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God bless,
~~Nina
mother of 9 on earth,
and 2 yet-to-be-met
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4Real Forums : We Pray to the Lord
Topic: Morninng Sickness and Headaches
