19 Weeks

We're still here, plugging away. March was a ridiculous month at work, with 30 IEP meetings scheduled in 20 days, so many evenings were spent working on reports after Noah was in bed. Thus, no blogging. I am so glad it's over, and I am fully enjoying a well-deserved Spring Break! My mom's break coincided with mine, so she is here visiting through Wednesday. It's fun to see her, since the last time we saw each other was when I first found out I was pregnant. I was a nervous mess and not much fun to be around. Now I'm excited and hopeful! Much more pleasant for all. 

The last few weeks have mostly been uneventful in this pregnancy. I had a doctor appointment at 16w4d. They did the quad screening at that time, and everything thankfully came back negative. Baby's heartbeat was measuring 152bpm. Still faster than Noah ever was past the first trimester, but only time will tell if this means anything. I have made the firm decision to keep the surprise of boy or girl for the delivery room, and Brian has accepted that even though he's not happy. With Noah, I so strongly suspected he was a boy and since I was expecting to have a shower or two, I really wanted to know so I could prepare. This time I don't feel like there's a whole lot I need to buy, and if it turns out to be a girl, I have no doubt that grandmas will do some power shopping for outfits shortly after birth. I really have no gut feeling, and I also feel like I'm in no rush to find out. This is definitely my last pregnancy, and I want to savor everything about it including the big reveal. Does that make sense? 

How Far Along: 19w0d

How Big Is Baby: This week's fruit comparison is a mango. About 8oz and 6.5" long.

Sex: I have had one boy dream and one girl dream. Anytime I talk about the baby I want to refer to her as a girl, but like I said above, I really have no gut feeling. Noah named the baby "Leafy" for now, which seems pretty gender neutral.

Symptoms: More frequent trips to the bathroom, I get full pretty fast when eating, the two little stretch marks above my belly button reappeared this week, I might be developing the faintest of linea nigras (I don't know when it showed up with Noah), random shooting pains in my lower back/butt, and my growing bump!

Food Cravings/Aversions: Nothing I can think of.

Belly Button: It's basically an outie now. 

Sleep: No problems there! I am usually in bed by ten, if not earlier. I usually wake up around the time of my alarm (5:00am) to pee, and on the weekends I can often hold it til closer to 7:00.

Stretch Marks: Nothing new.

Weight Gain: When I went to the OB, I realized that my scale at home is pretty darn accurate. The other day I weighed myself and I was at 117.5, which puts me up about 8.5 total.

Maternity Clothes: I am wearing mostly all maternity. I do have a pair of cords that I love so I still use the belly band for those. This week I plan to buy some more maternity tops to get me through Spring and Summer. All of my current maternity tops are long sleeve or 3/4 length since Noah was primarily a winter pregnancy. I am so looking forward to cute summer maternity clothes!!

Movement: Movement began during the 16th week, just like with Noah. By 17 weeks I could feel it with my hand, just like with Noah. My kids are consistent! But this baby is definitely less active than Noah was by this time. I kind of wonder if maybe my placenta is in more of an anterior position this time, which I've heard can dull the sensation of early movement. This is by far my favorite part of pregnancy!!

What I Miss: Nothing!

What I’m Looking Forward To: The anatomy scan on April 7th. Even though we won't be finding out if we have a boy or girl, I can't wait to take an updated peek at the little one!

Best Moment This Week: Spring Break beginning, and my mom coming to visit!

Milestones: I think I say this every time, but every day of this pregnancy feels like a milestone. The depth of my gratitude for this miracle is never-ending.

The Bump:

19 Weeks!

                                      19 weeks Baby #2     vs     18 weeks with Noah                                  

I feel like the whole "you get bigger faster with your second pregnancy" thing just doesn't apply to me. Not that I'm complaining. :)

16 Weeks

How Far Along: 16w1d

How Big Is Baby: About the size of an avocado (4.5", 3.5oz)

Sex: I still have no idea. I dreamt about taking Noah for a haircut and then suddenly I had two little boys with me at the salon. I never saw the other boy's face (and for whatever reason he was the older of the two), but when I woke up I loved the idea of another little boy.

Symptoms: I still get completely winded walking up stairs at home, I'm constantly hungry but can't a lot before I feel full, more frequent trips to the bathroom, growing stomach, stretching/pulling sensations (especially bad when constipated), that uncomfortable feeling of my chest resting on my belly when sitting down

Food Cravings/Aversions: Nothing really, although Brian might want to argue. We currently have mini drumsticks, a pint of Ben and Jerry's new Peanut Butter Fudge Core, and Snickers ice cream bars in our freezer. :)

Belly Button: Much to my surprise, it's trying to stick out already. Sheesh.

Sleep: So far, so good. Last night wasn't great, but that's because my idiot dog decided he needed to go outside at 2:30am, the first night before work after "springing forward." Thanks Gilbert.

Stretch Marks: Nothing new, but the old ones are clearly visible.

Weight Gain: I weighed myself at 116 the other morning, which would put me up about 7 pounds, but I never weighed myself on our scale before so I don't know how much different it reads from the OB's scale. I'll find out later this week.

Maternity Clothes: I am definitely moving towards all maternity. The only problem is that all of the work pants I bought 4 years ago are super wide leg. I don't know if fashion has changed significantly in that time or if my style just changed significantly, but I have no desire to wear any of them. I bought one pair of skinny leg black pants but most other days I'm using the be band to keep my regular pants on. I hesitate to buy much because what I'm really going to need is summer maternity wear which I currently have none of.

Movement: I am anxiously waiting for this to start! It was during my 16th week with Noah that movement started to become obvious. Every once in a while I think I might feel something, but so far nothing consistent or convincing.

What I Miss: Nothing really.

What I’m Looking Forward To: Movement! Hearing the heartbeat at my OB appointment this week.

Best Moment This Week: This weekend was gorgeous. Despite almost a foot of snow on Friday, Saturday warmed up into the 40s and we hit the local sledding hill. I didn't participate, but it was still fun watching Noah and Brian live it up.

Yes, he wore his hockey helmet. Pick your battles. :)

Milestones: Every day I'm pregnant feels like a milestone! I really wasn't sure this would ever happen for us.

The Bump:

Apparently my shirt really holds things together! It looks so much bigger unleashed!

15 Weeks!

Last Sunday I officially entered the 2nd Trimester! Wow, time is flying! I have been extremely lazy about posting which kind of bums me out because this is definitely the last baby for us and I really want to remember this pregnancy. So, this is my effort to be better.

The last three weeks have been somewhat eventful. Back on February 20th, at 13w4d, I had a dreaded episode of spotting. I was at work and when I used the restroom, I noticed brown discharge in my underwear. My heart sank as I robotically told myself, "Spotting is normal, this will be okay." I'm so glad it was only brown and not bright red, because that would have really sent me spiraling. I called the OB and they got me in two hours later. Thankfully everything looked fine. By that point the spotting had tapered off to a light tan color. We used both a vaginal and abdominal ultrasound to try to see where the placenta was in relation to the cervix, but it was inconclusive. I haven't seen even a hint of spotting since, and I haven't had any cramping, so it seems that it was just a fluke. A very nerve-wracking fluke. The silver lining was that the baby put on quite a cute show during that ultrasound, and I really fell in love with the little one that day. Here's my favorite shot!

Baby has an arm across the chest with a reassuring thumbs up. The other hand is resting against the left cheek. Legs firmly crossed!

We also all came down with a miserable cold and Noah got an ear infection the same day that I had my scare, so February was just a whole lot of fun. I have been such a lazy pile of poop as a result and the house pretty much turned into a garbage dump. So much for that second trimester energy I remember from last time! But thank God for my mother-in-law Wendy. She visited this weekend, and left us with a clean house. Thank you Grandma Wendy! We love you and miss you already!!

And now for a pregnancy update!

How Far Along: 15w1d

How Big Is Baby: About the size of an apple, orange, or baseball (approximately 4 inches, 2.5 oz)

Sex: I have no idea. For whatever reason I often want to say "she" or "her," but I really have no gut feeling yet. I'm carrying lower than I did with Noah at this point, which makes me think boy. The heart rate has been consistently over 150 which is higher than Noah ever was, which makes me think girl. Who knows! (We might find out April 7th, unless we decide to stay team green til the end!)

Symptoms: Growing belly, huge chest, itchy and dry skin, occasionally sensitive gag reflex, utter exhaustion when walking up stairs (being pregnant at 9000ft is much harder than it was at 6000ft!), fatigue, increased hunger, more frequent trips to pee, constipation and bloating. I am happy to say that all nausea disappeared between 13-14 weeks. Woohoo!

Food Cravings/Aversions: No cravings, and the aversions have diminished, although green smoothies still sound disgusting. I'm not sure that's pregnancy related anymore though.

Belly Button: It's becoming more flush with the rest of my stomach. The top of it wants to pop out a little depending on how bloated/constipated I am.

Sleep: I'm still sleeping pretty well. I have given up on stomach sleeping so I shift between my left and right sides. I do wake up to pee most nights, but usually fall right back to sleep.

Stretch Marks: I can see the shimmer from my old ones, but nothing new yet.

Weight Gain: I haven't been keeping track. My 12 week appointment had me at +4lbs, but at my emergency appointment I was completely even with my starting weight (but I wasn't wearing the boots I wore to the other appointments). I think the 4 pound reading has to be more accurate. Maybe I'm at +5 or so by now?

Maternity Clothes: I have been incorporating more and more maternity wear into my day-to-day wardrobe. Wearing regular pants with a band is just not as comfortable as maternity pants. Most maternity shirts are still a little big, but sometimes I'll wear one for fun.

Movement: Not yet.

What I Miss: Having energy after work!

What I’m Looking Forward To: My OB appointment next week. The anatomy scan on April 7th.

Best Moment This Week: Well, I'll go back a couple of weeks for this. On Valentine's Day, we finally told Noah that he would be a big brother. I was marveling at my stomach (which was quite large due to some bloating) and Brian asked Noah what he thought was in there. Noah replied, "A baby." I was dumbstruck. We told him that he was right, and then he asked us all kinds of cute questions about it. That night he asked to kiss the baby and then lifted my shirt and kissed my tummy. Aww, so cute! Do you have any idea how long I have wished for that moment?! He has since asked many funny questions such as "Is the baby wearing a shirt?" and "When can we give the baby a bath?" I know it's still kind of an abstract concept for him, but he definitely has moments where he seems excited about it.

Milestones: Making it to the 2nd Trimester!

And now the bump:

I love it!