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(01/17/2001) Three Trimesters with Cade

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I was sitting at the dining room table when Hank came home from work. The first thing he did was head straight for the Les Paul guitar to try out a new song he had been working on. He was standing next to the table playing very softly as we talked about our day. I was beside myself waiting for him to get home. I had big news, news that shouldn’t be told over the phone. I have never been good at keeping secrets from hank so it didn’t take me long to hand him a present wrapped in newspaper. The present itself made my news obvious, a single pacifier. Being the clever man he is it didn’t take him to long to reply “you’re pregnant!” Earlier I had taken a home pregnancy test that came out positive. Over the last few months I had spent plenty of money on pregnancy tests. Unlike the other ones this one was positive. Hank being Hank said he would believe it when he heard it from the doctor. So the appointment came and went and in fact I was pregnant. So this was the end of caffeine, and alcohol for me, but I didn’t care. Your mind swims with thoughts first of just the amazing fact that a small baby growing inside of you. You never get over the fact that two small cells joined together to form this perfect baby that was growing inside of you.

I called my parents at work to tell them the news. They had been wondering were the grandchildren were seeing how we had been married for five years already. I told my dad “I know you were told once you were going to be a grandfather, but I thought I would say it again.” They were ecstatic about it.

It is strange feeling to tell people you are pregnant. Their immediate response is either one of happiness or concern. “Are you feeling o.k.?” “Sit down it looks like you need a glass of water”. Either way it is the beginning of a new life. People treat you different not that they necessarily were not previously nice, but all of a sudden you are waited upon. No longer was I aloud to put the Chianti box up on the shelf at work. Hazardous fumes were all of a sudden an issue to be concerned about. Prompting Hank to pump my gas, and mow the lawn to keep these dangerous fumes away from me. Everyone is genuinely concerned about your health in a way they were not before. This intensity of kindness would only increase through out the pregnancy not only with friends and family, but strangers as well.

***First Trimester***

Most people during the first three months are not so blessed with morning sickness. Somehow I didn’t have to endure that part of it. Instead I got hives that lasted the same amount of time. They seemed to go away during the day, but as evening neared so did the hives covering my legs and arms. Having the hives made for very uncomfortable nights in the early summer months. The doctor had never seen anything like it, but assured me it was just my body making the adjustment to be pregnant. He gave me some Clairton that did work. But I decided it was so powerful it had to be bad for this little one now growing inside of me. So I stuck with the creams and let it run its course. During the first three months you feel your belly every morning in hopes your stomach would have grown just a little bit. But when you realize this baby is only the size of a pea you know you have plenty of time to grow. But everyday now and through out the pregnancy my hand would caress my stomach as I thought about the life that was growing inside of me.

This was also the time in which Hank and I heard the heartbeat for the first time at Dr. Ferguson’s office. That etched it in stone, ah so there really is a life that has started. We recorded it onto a small tape recorder thus starting the chronicles of this child soon to come. When we got home Hank turned that recording into a wave file so we could email it to family.

***Second Trimester***

During the second trimester it was time to remodel the house. My parents and brother along with their friend Joel came down for a few weekends to help with the project of turning this one bedroom home into two bedrooms. As with any undertaking of home improvement it took longer than anticipated. The first step was to take out the old walls and bring in the framed walls. To sheetrock, tape, paint, trim, as well as add new carpet and countertops, and Walla you have yourself a two bedroom home. During the painting period I left town and stayed up in Bigfork for two days and at Cindy for 1 while Jimmy and Hank painted the inside of the house. For quite a few nights Hank and I slept in the middle of the living room with plastic covering everything. Ty sure didn’t care for type of living. He is a very routine orientated dog, and with the house in disarray it made him edgy.

But soon the house was done and I liked it even more than I thought I would. When you only have 900 square feet to work with you kind of get what room will allow. But I really liked the finished product.

***Third Trimester***

Here we are entering the third trimester; this is when the weight begins to climb. I gained 30 pounds through out the whole pregnancy. For work purposes that was plenty of weight. The out stretched stomach was beginning to be a problem. I could no longer fit in between my tables. The kitchen however got plenty of laughs at my awkwardness. I would hear what they thought to be humorous comments when I would get into tight spots. “Hey Amy do we need the Jaws of Life to get you out?” During this time I was working four nights a week at Zims. By 37 weeks it was time to call it quits.

During these last few months is when it starts to get fun. I kept a stash of Tums in my car, coat, work, bedside, bathroom for the just incase heartburn that was guaranteed to happen. I swelled up with so much water retention I had to buy a size larger shoe. My body by now was so tired it just ached all the time, but we were nearing the end.

During the early part of the pregnancy you know you are pregnant, but you don’t look the part. Now you defiantly look like a mom to be. You know there is a little person in there because you feel a soccer tournament going on. I would feel them while in line at the grocery store, shopping, walking anywhere anytime I would feel these special kicks. I think I enjoyed that part the best. We felt the first hick-up during our Lamaze class Hank put his hand on my stomach and we just looked at each other and smiled.

I loved every moment of being pregnant.