Last week I underwent an external version to try to turn Juliet from breech to head down. As I explained, it wasn't successful. That same night she did a lot of twisting and turning, and we were hoping that she had finished turning herself the rest of the way all on her own. I had my weekly OB/GYN appointment on Thursday, and the doctor I saw wasn't able to determine whether or not she was breech. Juliet likes to keep everyone guessing! Unfortunately, an ultrasound on Friday morning showed that she was indeed still breech. What a tremendous letdown.
I am now scheduled for a planned c-section this coming Monday morning. In six days (or less, if I happen to go into labor before then), Juliet will finally be here! I'm still attempting all the at-home methods to try to get her to turn, but I have mostly resigned myself to the fact that she's going to enter the world the exact opposite of how I was hoping. Some babies do turn last minute, but the percentage of babies that turn on their own after a failed external version is extremely low. I'm not holding out much hope.
I'm struggling with a mixture of bitterness and disappointment with the whole ordeal right now. Yes, a healthy baby is the most important thing. Yes, a c-section may not be the end of the world. No, not every pregnancy ends exactly how we want it to. Maybe it's just my hormones, but I am incredibly sick of hearing cliches such as these, even if they are meant to be encouraging and well-meaning. I get that people don't always know what to say, but implying that I don't want what's best for my baby or that I'm overreacting is incredibly offensive. I'm entitled to my feelings.
I think the biggest reason the idea of a c-section is so hard for me is because I set my sights on trying for an all-natural labor and delivery. I was induced and had an epidural with Evie, and it was the best thing for the both of us at the time. But since this is my last pregnancy, I really wanted to experience the whole process the way nature intended, without any medical interventions. Or at least give it my best effort. See what I was capable of. A c-section is the exact opposite of all of that. And that's a hard thing to accept, knowing I'll never have that experience to look back on.
However, I am trying to focus on the positive as much as possible, and trying not to let how Juliet enters the world completely taint the excitement of her birth. I can't wait to see who she looks like, how much she weighs, if she has any hair. I'm looking forward to that sweet baby smell, bonding during breastfeeding, seeing Evie as a big sister. After a journey that began almost two years ago, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally drawing near. I can't wait!
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
External Version Experience
Last week I mentioned that Juliet was breech. We were hoping she would turn on her own again, as she had been routinely doing so off and on for a few weeks, but otherwise I had an appointment lined up to discuss trying to turn her manually. On Monday morning she was still breech so I went to see a Maternal Fetal Specialist for a consultation. A lot of women have a choice to make when finding out their babies are breech, and I want to share my experience and my thoughts about it all.
The ultrasound and consultation showed that I was a good candidate for an external version, and even though the chances of her turning from breech were only 50/50, I was willing to give it a shot. If it wasn't successful, then at least I had been proactive in trying to avoid a c-section. The procedure has to be done at a hospital in case there are complications, and although it felt like everything was moving so fast, they were able to fit me into the schedule that same evening.
Michael and I arrived at the hospital a couple of hours before the procedure was going to take place. It was a bit of a whirlwind with what felt like a million people asking me for my medical history and all this activity going on around me. Because a version can be painful and the best chances of success occur when a mom is completely relaxed, I had an epidural put in. Let me just say the experience is a lot different when you aren't distracted by the pain of labor. I barely even remember getting my epidural with Evie, and the whole process felt pretty easy and painless--this time around, I was a ball of nerves and it seemed like it took FOREVER. I was also given a shot of Terbutaline to relax my uterine muscles.
Once I was numb, the doctor started the version. Basically, he used the images on an ultrasound screen to help him try to manually manipulate Juliet into turning. It's a lot of careful pushing and prodding, and I'm told by Michael that it looks very weird. I just stared at the ceiling the entire time, chanting "turn, turn" over and over in my head. I didn't feel any pain, but I could feel the pressure of her being moved around--it's a very odd sensation.
In order to get the best angles to try to manipulate her, the doctor occasionally had me roll slightly onto either my left or right side and finally onto my back. Within a minute or two of that position, all hell pretty much broke loose. Suddenly the ten plus people in my room (that is not even an exaggeration) were scrambling around, and the doctor was explaining to me that Juliet's heart rate had dropped really low and we needed to get to the operating room as a precaution. He was almost positive her heart rate would jump back up before we even got there, but he didn't want to take any chances.
Thankfully the doctor was right and the approximately three minutes it took to get me wheeled into the next room was enough time for Juliet's heart rate to come back up to normal. It was such a relief, and I'm just glad I didn't have enough time to process it all. However, although her heart rate was up, my blood pressure had dropped drastically. They had to pump a few doses of ephedrine into me before it came back up--it felt like it took forever though it probably only took a few minutes. Michael was finally in the room at this point, decked out in his paper scrubs, and I can only imagine what was going through his head.
Once both Juliet and I were stable, the doctor attempted the version once again. We stayed in the operating room for the remainder of the procedure as a precaution, but no more theatrics occurred. Unfortunately, Juliet was being completely stubborn and would not get past laying horizontally. The doctor was able to get her butt up out of my pelvis which is a huge plus, but she just wouldn't turn that last little bit to get head down. The doctor was only willing to try so long before calling it quits. No one wanted a repeat of the earlier drama.
I was wheeled back to my room shortly afterwards, and was ready to wait out the two hours of observation required to make sure both Juliet and I stayed stable after the procedure. The two hours turned into almost six as Juliet wasn't quite ready to stop being a drama queen. Apparently she's an adrenaline junkie, and the three shots of Ephedrine on top of the Terbutaline were enough to keep her heart rate high for a few hours. Poor baby went from low heart rate to high heart rate all in the same day. Thankfully after a few hours of monitoring, her heart rate finally started to slow down and eventually got back to her normal range. After nine hours in the hospital, we were finally able to go home.
It was quite an experience, and not one I'd be willing to go through again during this pregnancy. Every person on the medical staff was awesome and through all the drama and craziness of the evening, I never once lost my cool because I felt completely safe in their hands. I had one moment of pure panic on the way to the potential emergency c-section, but otherwise my nerves were steady. It's amazing what you can learn about yourself in moments of such intensity.
Although I wouldn't attempt another version this pregnancy, if I were ever to become pregnant again and was faced with this option due to a breech baby, I would consider trying it again. I'm just not willing to put my body or Juliet through that stress again so soon after going through this. Even with the heavy disappointment of going through it all and the procedure not being successful, I don't regret doing it. Especially because I am almost certain Juliet turned the rest of the way that night while I was asleep! I'll find out today at my doctor appointment for certain, but either way the whole process was quite a learning experience.
The ultrasound and consultation showed that I was a good candidate for an external version, and even though the chances of her turning from breech were only 50/50, I was willing to give it a shot. If it wasn't successful, then at least I had been proactive in trying to avoid a c-section. The procedure has to be done at a hospital in case there are complications, and although it felt like everything was moving so fast, they were able to fit me into the schedule that same evening.
Michael and I arrived at the hospital a couple of hours before the procedure was going to take place. It was a bit of a whirlwind with what felt like a million people asking me for my medical history and all this activity going on around me. Because a version can be painful and the best chances of success occur when a mom is completely relaxed, I had an epidural put in. Let me just say the experience is a lot different when you aren't distracted by the pain of labor. I barely even remember getting my epidural with Evie, and the whole process felt pretty easy and painless--this time around, I was a ball of nerves and it seemed like it took FOREVER. I was also given a shot of Terbutaline to relax my uterine muscles.
Once I was numb, the doctor started the version. Basically, he used the images on an ultrasound screen to help him try to manually manipulate Juliet into turning. It's a lot of careful pushing and prodding, and I'm told by Michael that it looks very weird. I just stared at the ceiling the entire time, chanting "turn, turn" over and over in my head. I didn't feel any pain, but I could feel the pressure of her being moved around--it's a very odd sensation.
In order to get the best angles to try to manipulate her, the doctor occasionally had me roll slightly onto either my left or right side and finally onto my back. Within a minute or two of that position, all hell pretty much broke loose. Suddenly the ten plus people in my room (that is not even an exaggeration) were scrambling around, and the doctor was explaining to me that Juliet's heart rate had dropped really low and we needed to get to the operating room as a precaution. He was almost positive her heart rate would jump back up before we even got there, but he didn't want to take any chances.
Thankfully the doctor was right and the approximately three minutes it took to get me wheeled into the next room was enough time for Juliet's heart rate to come back up to normal. It was such a relief, and I'm just glad I didn't have enough time to process it all. However, although her heart rate was up, my blood pressure had dropped drastically. They had to pump a few doses of ephedrine into me before it came back up--it felt like it took forever though it probably only took a few minutes. Michael was finally in the room at this point, decked out in his paper scrubs, and I can only imagine what was going through his head.
Once both Juliet and I were stable, the doctor attempted the version once again. We stayed in the operating room for the remainder of the procedure as a precaution, but no more theatrics occurred. Unfortunately, Juliet was being completely stubborn and would not get past laying horizontally. The doctor was able to get her butt up out of my pelvis which is a huge plus, but she just wouldn't turn that last little bit to get head down. The doctor was only willing to try so long before calling it quits. No one wanted a repeat of the earlier drama.
I was wheeled back to my room shortly afterwards, and was ready to wait out the two hours of observation required to make sure both Juliet and I stayed stable after the procedure. The two hours turned into almost six as Juliet wasn't quite ready to stop being a drama queen. Apparently she's an adrenaline junkie, and the three shots of Ephedrine on top of the Terbutaline were enough to keep her heart rate high for a few hours. Poor baby went from low heart rate to high heart rate all in the same day. Thankfully after a few hours of monitoring, her heart rate finally started to slow down and eventually got back to her normal range. After nine hours in the hospital, we were finally able to go home.
It was quite an experience, and not one I'd be willing to go through again during this pregnancy. Every person on the medical staff was awesome and through all the drama and craziness of the evening, I never once lost my cool because I felt completely safe in their hands. I had one moment of pure panic on the way to the potential emergency c-section, but otherwise my nerves were steady. It's amazing what you can learn about yourself in moments of such intensity.
Although I wouldn't attempt another version this pregnancy, if I were ever to become pregnant again and was faced with this option due to a breech baby, I would consider trying it again. I'm just not willing to put my body or Juliet through that stress again so soon after going through this. Even with the heavy disappointment of going through it all and the procedure not being successful, I don't regret doing it. Especially because I am almost certain Juliet turned the rest of the way that night while I was asleep! I'll find out today at my doctor appointment for certain, but either way the whole process was quite a learning experience.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Maternity Pictures
Over the weekend, one of my good friends on Base took some maternity pictures for us. I didn't take maternity pictures while pregnant with Evie and regret it. I somehow lost all my belly bump pictures from that time and have nothing to look back on to remember those months. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the session!
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Thursday, October 25, 2012
Turn, Baby, Turn!
The end is near!
I'm a couple days shy of 37 weeks. and I'm so happy every time I think about it. No matter what, I will be a mother of two within the month! I'm elated and scared out of my mind at the same time. That's normal, right? I'm really only nervous for the adjustment part though. We've been a family of three for almost five years. It's going to be hard on everyone involved to adjust to a new family member. Everything else--even the poopy diapers and impossibly long nights--is actually a bit of a thrill. I am so ready to have a newborn in the house again.
Everything pregnancy-wise is still going well. My body is slowly starting to progress, which I am thankful for. I want my body to have a head start on dilating, etc so when labor finally happens, it hopefully won't be one million hours long. I'm managing all the usual pregnancy complaints pretty well. I won't miss the swollen feet or the inability to move because of this huge basketball stuffed under my shirt, but I'm trying to cherish these last moments of pregnancy. I'm never going to be pregnant again, and it's all a little bittersweet.
I received the best compliment ever while shopping at the Commissary yesterday. A lady shopping behind me stopped to tell me she couldn't even tell I was pregnant until I turned to the side, and the belly was revealed. With only a few weeks of my pregnancy to go, I find that to be quite a compliment. I'm so thankful I'm carrying this pregnancy so well--hopefully that means the pounds will just melt off afterwards!
The one complaint I have pregnancy-wise is that Juliet is breech! It really is just my luck. The entire pregnancy up until about 31 weeks, she was always nestled very low in my pelvis. I rarely felt movement above my belly button, and her hiccups were always extremely low. When I hit 31 weeks, she decided torturing Mommy would be super fun. She'll be head down for about seven to ten days, and then flip to breech. She tends to stay in that position for about a day, and is usually extremely active during that period. And then she flips back to head down. Because I am carrying so compactly and the placement of her hiccups are so discernible, it is very easy for me to tell her position.
At my appointment last week, I mentioned to my doctor that I was pretty sure she had turned to breech the day before. She sent me for an ultrasound for confirmation, and low and behold, Juliet's butt was nestled right down in my pelvis! We talked about my options, and were planning on scheduling a procedure where the doctor manually tries to turn the baby using external manipulation for this week. And then that night, like I figured she would, Juliet turned back to head down. Disaster evaded...or so we thought.
Of course the little stinker stayed in the right position until Tuesday morning. I woke up to hiccups right at my ribcage, and my doctor appointment the next morning confirmed it. She's breech again! Obviously she has enough room to move around yet, but she's been in this position for a few days now--the longest she's stayed breech. I have the external version appointment set for next week, but really hope she turns on her own. I've been trying all the "tricks" to get her to move--a cold pack to make her mad, music and a flashlight to catch her attention, pelvic tilts and sticking my booty up in the air to shift her center of gravity.
Obviously. I'll try anything that has even an inkling of working because I will do anything in my power to avoid a c-section! I know it's not the end of the world if that's the route I end up having to take, but it won't be an option I'll take lightly. I want what's best for the health of Juliet and myself, but I don't necessarily believe having a c-section is the best thing for our health in every situation. Thankfully my doctor is willing to try to manually move her up until my water breaks so we aren't even discussing a scheduled c-section.
So keep your fingers crossed that she turns to head down, and stays!
I'm a couple days shy of 37 weeks. and I'm so happy every time I think about it. No matter what, I will be a mother of two within the month! I'm elated and scared out of my mind at the same time. That's normal, right? I'm really only nervous for the adjustment part though. We've been a family of three for almost five years. It's going to be hard on everyone involved to adjust to a new family member. Everything else--even the poopy diapers and impossibly long nights--is actually a bit of a thrill. I am so ready to have a newborn in the house again.
Everything pregnancy-wise is still going well. My body is slowly starting to progress, which I am thankful for. I want my body to have a head start on dilating, etc so when labor finally happens, it hopefully won't be one million hours long. I'm managing all the usual pregnancy complaints pretty well. I won't miss the swollen feet or the inability to move because of this huge basketball stuffed under my shirt, but I'm trying to cherish these last moments of pregnancy. I'm never going to be pregnant again, and it's all a little bittersweet.
I received the best compliment ever while shopping at the Commissary yesterday. A lady shopping behind me stopped to tell me she couldn't even tell I was pregnant until I turned to the side, and the belly was revealed. With only a few weeks of my pregnancy to go, I find that to be quite a compliment. I'm so thankful I'm carrying this pregnancy so well--hopefully that means the pounds will just melt off afterwards!
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| 36 Week Picture |
At my appointment last week, I mentioned to my doctor that I was pretty sure she had turned to breech the day before. She sent me for an ultrasound for confirmation, and low and behold, Juliet's butt was nestled right down in my pelvis! We talked about my options, and were planning on scheduling a procedure where the doctor manually tries to turn the baby using external manipulation for this week. And then that night, like I figured she would, Juliet turned back to head down. Disaster evaded...or so we thought.
Of course the little stinker stayed in the right position until Tuesday morning. I woke up to hiccups right at my ribcage, and my doctor appointment the next morning confirmed it. She's breech again! Obviously she has enough room to move around yet, but she's been in this position for a few days now--the longest she's stayed breech. I have the external version appointment set for next week, but really hope she turns on her own. I've been trying all the "tricks" to get her to move--a cold pack to make her mad, music and a flashlight to catch her attention, pelvic tilts and sticking my booty up in the air to shift her center of gravity.
Obviously. I'll try anything that has even an inkling of working because I will do anything in my power to avoid a c-section! I know it's not the end of the world if that's the route I end up having to take, but it won't be an option I'll take lightly. I want what's best for the health of Juliet and myself, but I don't necessarily believe having a c-section is the best thing for our health in every situation. Thankfully my doctor is willing to try to manually move her up until my water breaks so we aren't even discussing a scheduled c-section.
So keep your fingers crossed that she turns to head down, and stays!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Pink & Grey Nursery Reveal
Before we knew if Baby 2.0 was a boy or girl, I started planning the nursery. By the time of the "big reveal" ultrasound, I had a basic plan for the nursery--one for girl, one for boy. The ink had barely dried on the ultrasound pictures before I started making lists and gathering supplies to make my vision of Juliet's nursery a reality.
For the past fifteen week or so, Michael and I have been hard at work getting our little projects done. He was in charge of painting anything that needed painting, and I was in charge of pretty much everything else. After all, it was my vision. Not to mention I loved it!
So here it is. Juliet's pink and grey nursery in all it's glory.
And there you have it! We are very pleased with the end result, and I can't wait to bring Juliet home to it. It's probably my favorite room in the house! It's a very small space with an even smaller closet, but I think I did my vision justice. I'm a little sick of my sewing machine at the moment though so I'm glad it's finally done!
For the past fifteen week or so, Michael and I have been hard at work getting our little projects done. He was in charge of painting anything that needed painting, and I was in charge of pretty much everything else. After all, it was my vision. Not to mention I loved it!
So here it is. Juliet's pink and grey nursery in all it's glory.
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| Don't you just love the stripe? |
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| Used the bones of Evie's old mobile & attached homemade felt creations to add a unique flair |
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| Felt mobile up close |
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| Chevron fabric over a canvas frame, with a handmade felt flower to add a pop |
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| Love the lamp--a gem found at Hobby Lobby |
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| My first attempt at making my own printables turned out well |
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| Handmade "boppy". A tad smaller than the original, but don't you just love the fabric? |
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| Michael painted the crib & I made both the crib skirt & crib sheet |
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| Cloth diaper storage |
And there you have it! We are very pleased with the end result, and I can't wait to bring Juliet home to it. It's probably my favorite room in the house! It's a very small space with an even smaller closet, but I think I did my vision justice. I'm a little sick of my sewing machine at the moment though so I'm glad it's finally done!
Monday, October 1, 2012
The Final Stretch
I'm here for my monthly update! Ha, whoops. This blogging thing doesn't seem to be top of my list these days. Maybe when Juliet finally makes her arrival, I'll be bursting to share every single one of her milestones with all of you, and I'll overwhelm you with posts. More likely I'll be staring off into space like a zombie for a few months, and I'll be lucky if I can remember to take a shower, let alone blog often.
I'm a few days into my 33rd week of pregnancy, and getting very anxious to meet little lady. Apparently, Juliet is just as excited to meet us because she put me through my first round of preterm labor over the weekend. Thankfully it stopped on it's own, but not before keeping me up half of the night. They don't try to stop labor once you hit 34 weeks so since I'm so close to that magic number, my doctor didn't even have me go into Labor & Delivery because the contractions were still 10 minutes apart. Even though we're excited for her to arrive, that night made us nervous enough to be content with her waiting it out at least another month.
Other than that, things have been going well. We finally finished up her nursery, and I will post a nursery reveal very soon. I love how it turned out! And I'm really proud that Michael and I did so much of it ourselves. The only things that weren't repurrposed or homemade were things that would have been pretty difficult to do ourselves--such as making the lamp or cube organizer.
We have everything else ready for Juliet's arrival as well. All we need is her. I'm glad we got everything taken care of in case she comes early, but now I have to scramble for things to keep me occupied. Maybe I'll get a lot of Christmas presents taken care of so I don't have to worry about making or buying anything those first few weeks after her birth.
I'm feeling pretty good for being 33 weeks pregnant. My back pain is barely a nuisance anymore, and all the regular pregnancy symptoms are pretty minor at the moment. My biggest complaint is not being able to move as easily or roll over without a concentrated effort. I'm up almost every hour or two at night because I either need to pee (AGAIN!) or the side I'm currently sleeping on is going numb, and I need to heave myself over to the other side. I'm ready for pregnancy to be over, but mostly just because I'm ready to meet my newest little princess.
I'll leave you with my latest belly picture, and a promise to be back very soon with the nursery reveal!
I'm a few days into my 33rd week of pregnancy, and getting very anxious to meet little lady. Apparently, Juliet is just as excited to meet us because she put me through my first round of preterm labor over the weekend. Thankfully it stopped on it's own, but not before keeping me up half of the night. They don't try to stop labor once you hit 34 weeks so since I'm so close to that magic number, my doctor didn't even have me go into Labor & Delivery because the contractions were still 10 minutes apart. Even though we're excited for her to arrive, that night made us nervous enough to be content with her waiting it out at least another month.
Other than that, things have been going well. We finally finished up her nursery, and I will post a nursery reveal very soon. I love how it turned out! And I'm really proud that Michael and I did so much of it ourselves. The only things that weren't repurrposed or homemade were things that would have been pretty difficult to do ourselves--such as making the lamp or cube organizer.
We have everything else ready for Juliet's arrival as well. All we need is her. I'm glad we got everything taken care of in case she comes early, but now I have to scramble for things to keep me occupied. Maybe I'll get a lot of Christmas presents taken care of so I don't have to worry about making or buying anything those first few weeks after her birth.
I'm feeling pretty good for being 33 weeks pregnant. My back pain is barely a nuisance anymore, and all the regular pregnancy symptoms are pretty minor at the moment. My biggest complaint is not being able to move as easily or roll over without a concentrated effort. I'm up almost every hour or two at night because I either need to pee (AGAIN!) or the side I'm currently sleeping on is going numb, and I need to heave myself over to the other side. I'm ready for pregnancy to be over, but mostly just because I'm ready to meet my newest little princess.
I'll leave you with my latest belly picture, and a promise to be back very soon with the nursery reveal!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
3rd Trimester!
Why hello again strangers!
I'm 28 weeks pregnant as of this last Saturday, and am finally in my 3rd trimester. Two-thirds of the way done, finally! Nine months is far too long to be pregnant. I'm ready to meet this little princess!
Things have been going well thus far. Although I had some really bad back pain for a couple of weeks, after seeing a physical therapist I have seen an immense amount of relief. My sacrum bone and hips are both misaligned so I now do corrective stretches during the day, and try to avoid the big things that tend to cause the bones to keep misaligning. The pain isn't gone all the way, but it's not as sharp or intense as it was at it's worst. I think having the therapist do a deep tissue massage to get the huge knot out did wonders. Guess there is a lot to be said for massages!
Everything else in pregnancy has been going very smoothly. I still battle with feeling woozy almost every morning, and have to be very careful not to overheat as I've come close to fainting many times. But otherwise, I'm pretty lucky. All the little aches and pains and annoying side effects that come with pregnancy are easy to deal with although I know this last trimester is usually the worst.
Belly pictures are always one of the funnest parts of pregnancy, I think. I'm pretty faithful about taking them at least every couple of weeks, but will probably be more diligent about taking them every week in the third trimester since the belly grows so rapidly during this stage. Weird enough, I seemed to have shrunk between weeks 26 and 28. I know that's not really possible, and I've been measuring right on target at all my appointments so I'm not worried. It boggles my mind though because Juliet has been positioned very low in my pelvis basically the entire time I've been able to feel fetal movement. She finally moved up a couple inches (which I love because I can really feel those rolls and such now!) last week so you would think my belly would seem larger not smaller. I'll let you be the judge.
Regardless, there's no mistaking my pregnant bump. I actually adore it, and know I'll miss it a little when Juliet arrives. Even if it does get in the way most of the time. And makes me go red in the face if I attempt to reach my toes. Good thing Evie likes helping Mommy put her shoes and socks on!
We've accomplished a lot in the nursery this last month. The crib is all painted and set up, and I finished the crib skirt. We tackled a huge chunk this weekend, figuring out a way to make her tiny 3 feet by 3 feet closet (that doesn't have floor space because it's right about the stairway) workable. It's all coming together, and I'm excited to do a big nursery reveal in a few weeks.
Hopefully I remember to blog a few times between now and then. This pregnancy brain is killer, let me tell you...
I'm 28 weeks pregnant as of this last Saturday, and am finally in my 3rd trimester. Two-thirds of the way done, finally! Nine months is far too long to be pregnant. I'm ready to meet this little princess!
Things have been going well thus far. Although I had some really bad back pain for a couple of weeks, after seeing a physical therapist I have seen an immense amount of relief. My sacrum bone and hips are both misaligned so I now do corrective stretches during the day, and try to avoid the big things that tend to cause the bones to keep misaligning. The pain isn't gone all the way, but it's not as sharp or intense as it was at it's worst. I think having the therapist do a deep tissue massage to get the huge knot out did wonders. Guess there is a lot to be said for massages!
Everything else in pregnancy has been going very smoothly. I still battle with feeling woozy almost every morning, and have to be very careful not to overheat as I've come close to fainting many times. But otherwise, I'm pretty lucky. All the little aches and pains and annoying side effects that come with pregnancy are easy to deal with although I know this last trimester is usually the worst.
Belly pictures are always one of the funnest parts of pregnancy, I think. I'm pretty faithful about taking them at least every couple of weeks, but will probably be more diligent about taking them every week in the third trimester since the belly grows so rapidly during this stage. Weird enough, I seemed to have shrunk between weeks 26 and 28. I know that's not really possible, and I've been measuring right on target at all my appointments so I'm not worried. It boggles my mind though because Juliet has been positioned very low in my pelvis basically the entire time I've been able to feel fetal movement. She finally moved up a couple inches (which I love because I can really feel those rolls and such now!) last week so you would think my belly would seem larger not smaller. I'll let you be the judge.
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| 26 Weeks |
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| 28 Weeks |
We've accomplished a lot in the nursery this last month. The crib is all painted and set up, and I finished the crib skirt. We tackled a huge chunk this weekend, figuring out a way to make her tiny 3 feet by 3 feet closet (that doesn't have floor space because it's right about the stairway) workable. It's all coming together, and I'm excited to do a big nursery reveal in a few weeks.
Hopefully I remember to blog a few times between now and then. This pregnancy brain is killer, let me tell you...
Thursday, July 26, 2012
This and That
(I'm not even going to mention that it's been almost a month since I posted. I am such a sucky blogger!)
Things in my neck of the woods are going well. We went to visit family in Wisconsin the first week of July, and the vacation was much needed. We spent time with family and friends, and went camping for a few days. Evie has never been camping, and she absolutely loved it. Especially going to the beach--another first for her. Evie loves visiting Wisconsin, and has been tearing at our heart strings asking when we can move back. Low blow, little girl. Low blow.
I'm a few days shy of 24 weeks pregnant, and I'm about ready to be done. Ha! Last week was a rough one for me with constant stomach aches, Braxton Hicks contractions, and a horrible pinched nerve in my back that sometimes causes my entire right leg to go numb. This week has been much better, and if it weren't for the constant fatigue, I'd be set. I really do love being pregnant because fetal movement is still the coolest thing ever, but I'm not in love with the not-so-fun side effects. The nerve pain is probably causing most of my crankiness--I know it's not going to get better until I deliver Juliet, and the thought of this pain for four more months is kind of depressing. But hey, at least there's an end in sight...someday!
Juliet's nursery is coming along, slowly but surely. Michael painted the dresser, and I made the curtains. I also sewed up some awesome (if I do say so myself) burb cloths, as well as two wet bags for cloth diapers. I'm ready to tackle the crib skirt next which kind of frightens me, but I'm sure I'll manage.
My life hasn't been all that exciting lately which is probably the reason for the lack of posts. This stinking HEAT forces me to stay inside most of the time since I start to swell within minutes of being outdoors. I can't believe we've had 100+ degrees for most of the last six weeks. Of course I'm pregnant the hottest summer in the history of EVER. Silver lining? At least we have air conditioning!
Things in my neck of the woods are going well. We went to visit family in Wisconsin the first week of July, and the vacation was much needed. We spent time with family and friends, and went camping for a few days. Evie has never been camping, and she absolutely loved it. Especially going to the beach--another first for her. Evie loves visiting Wisconsin, and has been tearing at our heart strings asking when we can move back. Low blow, little girl. Low blow.
I'm a few days shy of 24 weeks pregnant, and I'm about ready to be done. Ha! Last week was a rough one for me with constant stomach aches, Braxton Hicks contractions, and a horrible pinched nerve in my back that sometimes causes my entire right leg to go numb. This week has been much better, and if it weren't for the constant fatigue, I'd be set. I really do love being pregnant because fetal movement is still the coolest thing ever, but I'm not in love with the not-so-fun side effects. The nerve pain is probably causing most of my crankiness--I know it's not going to get better until I deliver Juliet, and the thought of this pain for four more months is kind of depressing. But hey, at least there's an end in sight...someday!
Juliet's nursery is coming along, slowly but surely. Michael painted the dresser, and I made the curtains. I also sewed up some awesome (if I do say so myself) burb cloths, as well as two wet bags for cloth diapers. I'm ready to tackle the crib skirt next which kind of frightens me, but I'm sure I'll manage.
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| Dresser, complete with new knobs! |
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| Curtains |
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| Burp Cloths |
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| Travel-size Wet Bag |
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| Hanging Wet Bag |
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Feeling a Little Crunchy
I mentioned in my post the other day regarding preparing for Juliet that I've been feeling like a "crunchy" momma lately. It's a newer term for me too, so don't feel bad if you're shaking your head in confusion. According to Urban Dictionary, a crunchy mama is a mom "who supports homebirth, breastfeeding, baby wearing, cloth diapering,
co-sleeping, gentle discipline, etc." So basically, a hippy! :)
I'm not into home births personally and I prefer a bassinet next to the bed to actual co-sleeping, but everything else applies. Or at least will, when Juliet arrives. I've been feeling extra crunchy because Michael and I have decided we're going to cloth diaper!
Before you wrinkle your nose at me and tell me that's disgusting or say "good luck with that" in a snotty voice, ask yourself if you really know what it means to cloth diaper babies in the here and now. Gone are the days of pins and plastic pants and dunking poopy diapers in the toilet. Cloth diapers have come a long way from generations past. And thank goodness for that.
When I was pregnant with Evie, we considered cloth diapering. I already knew I was going to breastfeed and make as much of my own baby food as possible--why wouldn't I consider cloth diapering as well? Sure, it wouldn't be as simple as throwing a disposable diaper in the trash can after every use, but I'm not a fan of doing something just because it's simpler. If I were, I'd eat at McDonald's every day. In the end, we went with disposables because we didn't have a washer and dryer in our house, and didn't know when that would change. Cloth diapering didn't fit into our life at that point in time, and I'm okay with that.
But this time around is different. We have our own washer and dryer. I'm not juggling being a first time mom and college. And I remember how guilty I felt after buying each box of disposables, knowing I'd just be filling the landfills up with more and more waste. I'm ready to tackle cloth diapering head on.
I'm not going to get into all the reasons why I think cloth diapering is awesome, mainly because it's one of those hot topics people love to argue about. I've never really understood why people can't just choose to disagree and move on with their lives. Whether you choose bottle or breast, cloth or disposable, daycare or staying home--it's your choice, and I respect that. Please have the courtesy to do the same.
But what I will say is, cloth diapers are freaking adorable! Seriously, I can't wait to put Juliet in them.
Aren't they fabulous? These are Best Bottoms hybrid diapers, the diapers I'm hoping we'll love the most!
We contemplated starting Juliet in disposables until she fit into the one-size diapers (which could be anywhere from birth to three months), but we decided to go with a newborn cloth diaper rental program instead. It will allow us to start her in cloth diapers right away without making a large investment in newborn diapers that fit for such a brief time, with the added bonus of allowing us to try a few different kinds to see what we like. And we'll only spend a maximum of $80 to rent the diapers for three months! You really can't beat that.
With the newborn rental program, we're going to try Little Joey's AIOs, bumGenius AIOs and Fuzzibunz Pocket diapers. We're also going to buy a few Best Bottoms at the recommendations of a few friends who use them. For all you moms out there that cloth diaper, please feel free to chime in with your favorite kinds and brands! I'm a research fanatic so I think these will be the best fit for us to start with, but I'm always open to hearing first hand experience.
I could go on and on about cloth diapers, but I think I'll just say this: don't knock something until you've tried it. I'm hoping we'll love cloth diapering (and thankfully Michael is just as on board with the idea as me), but we also know it's going to be a struggle. Just like anything to do with parenting is. Heck, I had a lot of people tell me breastfeeding was way too hard, and they had no doubt I'd quit within a few weeks. I breastfed Evie for over twelve months. I'm not a quitter, and I hold fast to my convictions.
I'm not into home births personally and I prefer a bassinet next to the bed to actual co-sleeping, but everything else applies. Or at least will, when Juliet arrives. I've been feeling extra crunchy because Michael and I have decided we're going to cloth diaper!
Before you wrinkle your nose at me and tell me that's disgusting or say "good luck with that" in a snotty voice, ask yourself if you really know what it means to cloth diaper babies in the here and now. Gone are the days of pins and plastic pants and dunking poopy diapers in the toilet. Cloth diapers have come a long way from generations past. And thank goodness for that.
When I was pregnant with Evie, we considered cloth diapering. I already knew I was going to breastfeed and make as much of my own baby food as possible--why wouldn't I consider cloth diapering as well? Sure, it wouldn't be as simple as throwing a disposable diaper in the trash can after every use, but I'm not a fan of doing something just because it's simpler. If I were, I'd eat at McDonald's every day. In the end, we went with disposables because we didn't have a washer and dryer in our house, and didn't know when that would change. Cloth diapering didn't fit into our life at that point in time, and I'm okay with that.
But this time around is different. We have our own washer and dryer. I'm not juggling being a first time mom and college. And I remember how guilty I felt after buying each box of disposables, knowing I'd just be filling the landfills up with more and more waste. I'm ready to tackle cloth diapering head on.
I'm not going to get into all the reasons why I think cloth diapering is awesome, mainly because it's one of those hot topics people love to argue about. I've never really understood why people can't just choose to disagree and move on with their lives. Whether you choose bottle or breast, cloth or disposable, daycare or staying home--it's your choice, and I respect that. Please have the courtesy to do the same.
But what I will say is, cloth diapers are freaking adorable! Seriously, I can't wait to put Juliet in them.
Aren't they fabulous? These are Best Bottoms hybrid diapers, the diapers I'm hoping we'll love the most!
We contemplated starting Juliet in disposables until she fit into the one-size diapers (which could be anywhere from birth to three months), but we decided to go with a newborn cloth diaper rental program instead. It will allow us to start her in cloth diapers right away without making a large investment in newborn diapers that fit for such a brief time, with the added bonus of allowing us to try a few different kinds to see what we like. And we'll only spend a maximum of $80 to rent the diapers for three months! You really can't beat that.
With the newborn rental program, we're going to try Little Joey's AIOs, bumGenius AIOs and Fuzzibunz Pocket diapers. We're also going to buy a few Best Bottoms at the recommendations of a few friends who use them. For all you moms out there that cloth diaper, please feel free to chime in with your favorite kinds and brands! I'm a research fanatic so I think these will be the best fit for us to start with, but I'm always open to hearing first hand experience.
I could go on and on about cloth diapers, but I think I'll just say this: don't knock something until you've tried it. I'm hoping we'll love cloth diapering (and thankfully Michael is just as on board with the idea as me), but we also know it's going to be a struggle. Just like anything to do with parenting is. Heck, I had a lot of people tell me breastfeeding was way too hard, and they had no doubt I'd quit within a few weeks. I breastfed Evie for over twelve months. I'm not a quitter, and I hold fast to my convictions.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Juliet's Nursery Inspiration
As soon as I knew I was pregnant, I started looking at ideas for what to do with the nursery. Evie's nursery was very simple, with a homemade bedding set by my mother-in-law and a few stencils on the wall. Her room was so tiny and we were on such a tight budget, it was the best we could do.
Fast forward five years, and we have a little more to work with. The nursery in this house is still pretty small though, and the closet is ridiculous that I can't even think about it without cringing. But it's definitely a step up from what Evie came home to.
Between Pinterest and Google, I came up with quite a few different nursery themes and color schemes. My absolute favorite was our choice for a boy's nursery (turquoise and orange), but since that didn't work out, I had something else pretty awesome in mind.
We finally decided on pink and grey! I'm not really a fan of super cutesy for a nursery--or for anything baby, really--and wanted whatever we chose to be able to grow with her for a few years. I also think the price of bedding sets is a complete ripoff so Juliet will be getting a homemade one like her sister. But this time around, I'm making it! I hope I don't live to regret that decision.
Pink and grey doesn't seem to be a super popular color scheme yet, but I was able to find a few different pictures online for inspiration. Never underestimate the power of Pinterest--you can find everything on that site!
These pictures were some of the inspiration that made me fall in love with this color scheme.
I love how the grey is a great background to make the pink really pop. It's not overwhelming, and it's always easy to find girly things in the color pink. I really like the chevron stripes, and the use of both light and hot pinks. I have quite a few more inspiration pictures on my Pinterest board so head on over there if you want to see what else we're considering.
We decided we're going to just paint one accent wall in a light grey because a) Michael will do the painting and he's not a big fan and b) I hate the idea of having to repaint walls when we move out of this house. Michael is also sanding down and repainting the crib (white) and dresser (grey) we used in Evie's nursery. Most of the fabric used will be a dark/hot pink with possibly a few accents of grey. Grey fabric at a reasonable price is hard to find though!
We're going to Wisconsin to visit family next week, but once we're back we're diving head first into this room! I don't want to leave everything for the last minute, and let's face it, I'm just too excited to wait. I'll update with progress pictures as things move along.
Fast forward five years, and we have a little more to work with. The nursery in this house is still pretty small though, and the closet is ridiculous that I can't even think about it without cringing. But it's definitely a step up from what Evie came home to.
Between Pinterest and Google, I came up with quite a few different nursery themes and color schemes. My absolute favorite was our choice for a boy's nursery (turquoise and orange), but since that didn't work out, I had something else pretty awesome in mind.
We finally decided on pink and grey! I'm not really a fan of super cutesy for a nursery--or for anything baby, really--and wanted whatever we chose to be able to grow with her for a few years. I also think the price of bedding sets is a complete ripoff so Juliet will be getting a homemade one like her sister. But this time around, I'm making it! I hope I don't live to regret that decision.
Pink and grey doesn't seem to be a super popular color scheme yet, but I was able to find a few different pictures online for inspiration. Never underestimate the power of Pinterest--you can find everything on that site!
These pictures were some of the inspiration that made me fall in love with this color scheme.
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| Credit Here |
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| Credit |
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| Credit |
We decided we're going to just paint one accent wall in a light grey because a) Michael will do the painting and he's not a big fan and b) I hate the idea of having to repaint walls when we move out of this house. Michael is also sanding down and repainting the crib (white) and dresser (grey) we used in Evie's nursery. Most of the fabric used will be a dark/hot pink with possibly a few accents of grey. Grey fabric at a reasonable price is hard to find though!
We're going to Wisconsin to visit family next week, but once we're back we're diving head first into this room! I don't want to leave everything for the last minute, and let's face it, I'm just too excited to wait. I'll update with progress pictures as things move along.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Checking Things Off the List
I'm only 19 weeks pregnant and already getting antsy for Baby Girl to get here! I'm a planner, and I like to get details hammered out well ahead of time so that everything runs smoothly. Not always the easiest thing to do as a parent, but I try my best. I've checked a lot off my list this past week though, and it's making me so giddy in anticipation. I can't wait for November!
One of the things we've accomplished is deciding on her name. Baby Girl 2.0 is now officially Juliet Elizabeth! Romantic, isn't it? Juliet has been on my list for a long time, but Michael never loved it. But after finding out Baby 2.0 was in fact a girl, he didn't have a choice but to really give all the names I liked some real consideration. He changed his mind about a half dozen times until we both finally decided Juliet was the perfect name.
We chose Elizabeth because three of my bridesmaids--two of which are cousins and the other my best friend since childhood--have either Elizabeth or Eliza as their middle names. We wanted the middle name to have meaning, and what better way than to honor three of my favorite ladies? We also really love the name Elizabeth, and had given it serious consideration as a first name. If it wasn't so ridiculously high on the popularity list, it would have been a done deal. Thankfully, we were still able to use it, and if someday Juliet wants more options for nicknames, Elizabeth gives her plenty.
I've also been organizing baby stuff! When we moved into our new house a few weeks ago, we left all the totes of toys and clothes outgrown by Evie in the garage. If Baby 2.0 was a boy, we would have sold all the clothes and gone through the toys to take out all the girly ones without having to bring everything in the house. But since Baby is in fact a girl (Yay! I still get so excited when I think about it!), we were able to finally put everything away. We tucked a lot of it in a storage closet, but everything that will be used within the first year was left out. You can imagine all the fun I've been having, going through baby clothes and toys!
I don't know how many of you have opened boxes or totes of used baby clothes years later and found horrible yellow stains all over previously clean clothes, but unfortunately this was the case for us. Not so unfortunately, I had already pinned a link on my Pinterest board (the most addicting site in the world!) on how to get rid of those horrible stains. And the tips worked!
Basically, you just add two scoops of Oxiclean and a little detergent to your washing machine, let the soiled clothes agitate in the wash for about five minutes, and then let them soak overnight. In the morning I added about a half cup of white vinegar to the liquid fabric softener part of my washing machine, and then ran the wash. Almost every stain vanished! What few clothes hadn't come clean, I just re-wet so they were quite damp and set out in the sun for a couple of hours. If you didn't already know this, sun is about the best stain remover there is. Every last stain was gone after only two hours! A-freaking-mazing. All those previously awful looking clothes look brand new. And I am not exaggerating when I say that some of them were so awful I had considered just throwing them away. Evie spit up a lot those first few months.
I've accomplished quiet a bit these past few days! And that isn't even all of it. We've gotten Juliet's nursery almost all planned out, but that's a whole post in and of itself. And I've been researching something that's making me feel like a very "crunchy" momma, but that's another whole post too. Make sure to check back soon--I have so much to share!
One of the things we've accomplished is deciding on her name. Baby Girl 2.0 is now officially Juliet Elizabeth! Romantic, isn't it? Juliet has been on my list for a long time, but Michael never loved it. But after finding out Baby 2.0 was in fact a girl, he didn't have a choice but to really give all the names I liked some real consideration. He changed his mind about a half dozen times until we both finally decided Juliet was the perfect name.
We chose Elizabeth because three of my bridesmaids--two of which are cousins and the other my best friend since childhood--have either Elizabeth or Eliza as their middle names. We wanted the middle name to have meaning, and what better way than to honor three of my favorite ladies? We also really love the name Elizabeth, and had given it serious consideration as a first name. If it wasn't so ridiculously high on the popularity list, it would have been a done deal. Thankfully, we were still able to use it, and if someday Juliet wants more options for nicknames, Elizabeth gives her plenty.
I've also been organizing baby stuff! When we moved into our new house a few weeks ago, we left all the totes of toys and clothes outgrown by Evie in the garage. If Baby 2.0 was a boy, we would have sold all the clothes and gone through the toys to take out all the girly ones without having to bring everything in the house. But since Baby is in fact a girl (Yay! I still get so excited when I think about it!), we were able to finally put everything away. We tucked a lot of it in a storage closet, but everything that will be used within the first year was left out. You can imagine all the fun I've been having, going through baby clothes and toys!
I don't know how many of you have opened boxes or totes of used baby clothes years later and found horrible yellow stains all over previously clean clothes, but unfortunately this was the case for us. Not so unfortunately, I had already pinned a link on my Pinterest board (the most addicting site in the world!) on how to get rid of those horrible stains. And the tips worked!
Basically, you just add two scoops of Oxiclean and a little detergent to your washing machine, let the soiled clothes agitate in the wash for about five minutes, and then let them soak overnight. In the morning I added about a half cup of white vinegar to the liquid fabric softener part of my washing machine, and then ran the wash. Almost every stain vanished! What few clothes hadn't come clean, I just re-wet so they were quite damp and set out in the sun for a couple of hours. If you didn't already know this, sun is about the best stain remover there is. Every last stain was gone after only two hours! A-freaking-mazing. All those previously awful looking clothes look brand new. And I am not exaggerating when I say that some of them were so awful I had considered just throwing them away. Evie spit up a lot those first few months.
I've accomplished quiet a bit these past few days! And that isn't even all of it. We've gotten Juliet's nursery almost all planned out, but that's a whole post in and of itself. And I've been researching something that's making me feel like a very "crunchy" momma, but that's another whole post too. Make sure to check back soon--I have so much to share!
Monday, June 18, 2012
Baby 2.0 is a...
We had the anatomy ultrasound on Baby 2.0 this morning, and I am happy to announce....
Baby 2.0 is now Baby Girl 2.0!
I have to admit that I was partial to having another little girl, but am a touch sad that I'll never be the mother to a son. We aren't planning on anymore children after this little princess is born so the news of another girl was bittersweet. I'm ecstatic, but a little forlorn at the same time.
Everything looked great at the ultrasound. Baby Girl was moving around like crazy so it was hard for the sonographer to get great pictures of anything. As soon as she'd go to click the perfect image, Baby Girl would bounce away. It was pretty cool to feel her kicking the ultrasound wand though, and wiggling to get out of the way. She was measuring 19 weeks, 4 days which is 9 days ahead of schedule. Every ultrasound she measures just a little bit more ahead which is a tiny bit frightening. Evie weighed a perfect 7lb, 6.5oz at birth. I'm hoping Baby Girl just comes a week or two early rather than being a nine pound newborn!
Now that we know the sex of the baby, I am ready to get working on the nursery! I plan on making as much of her decor, bedding, etc as I possibly can so the sooner I get started the better. I'm excited to get to plan the nursery down to the tiniest details rather than buy a prefabricated bedding set with matching decor. There's nothing wrong with buying a nursery set from the local department store, but I want something a little more original than that.
For some reason it seems harder to make decisions on baby girl stuff than boy stuff this time around. If Baby Girl had been a boy, he would have been named already and his nursery was planned months ago. I like a lot of ideas I've found for girls in both departments, but it's taking a lot more effort to love something. Thankfully I've finally found a nursery color palette that I love. I'll have to write a post soon with the different pictures that have given me inspiration.
Baby Girl doesn't have a name yet. I thought she did, but then Michael changed his mind. It's taking him longer to come around to a name than it does for me. I'm a name connoisseur--I love them and covet them in little lists ever since I was a child. We do have a short list though so hopefully she will have a name soon!
Baby 2.0 is now Baby Girl 2.0!
I have to admit that I was partial to having another little girl, but am a touch sad that I'll never be the mother to a son. We aren't planning on anymore children after this little princess is born so the news of another girl was bittersweet. I'm ecstatic, but a little forlorn at the same time.
Everything looked great at the ultrasound. Baby Girl was moving around like crazy so it was hard for the sonographer to get great pictures of anything. As soon as she'd go to click the perfect image, Baby Girl would bounce away. It was pretty cool to feel her kicking the ultrasound wand though, and wiggling to get out of the way. She was measuring 19 weeks, 4 days which is 9 days ahead of schedule. Every ultrasound she measures just a little bit more ahead which is a tiny bit frightening. Evie weighed a perfect 7lb, 6.5oz at birth. I'm hoping Baby Girl just comes a week or two early rather than being a nine pound newborn!
Now that we know the sex of the baby, I am ready to get working on the nursery! I plan on making as much of her decor, bedding, etc as I possibly can so the sooner I get started the better. I'm excited to get to plan the nursery down to the tiniest details rather than buy a prefabricated bedding set with matching decor. There's nothing wrong with buying a nursery set from the local department store, but I want something a little more original than that.
For some reason it seems harder to make decisions on baby girl stuff than boy stuff this time around. If Baby Girl had been a boy, he would have been named already and his nursery was planned months ago. I like a lot of ideas I've found for girls in both departments, but it's taking a lot more effort to love something. Thankfully I've finally found a nursery color palette that I love. I'll have to write a post soon with the different pictures that have given me inspiration.
Baby Girl doesn't have a name yet. I thought she did, but then Michael changed his mind. It's taking him longer to come around to a name than it does for me. I'm a name connoisseur--I love them and covet them in little lists ever since I was a child. We do have a short list though so hopefully she will have a name soon!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Baby Kicks
I've finally felt Baby 2.0 moving and grooving in there!
I personally think feeling fetal movement is one of the coolest experiences in the world, and the absolute best thing about pregnancy (except for the end result of course). Everyone says that once you've had your first child, you feel fetal movement sooner with subsequent pregnancies. So I've been anxiously awaiting that moment when I first felt Baby 2.0 punching or kicking away.
Unfortunately fetal movement and gas bubbles feel very similar in the beginning. Yeah, I'm not afraid to say it. And those first few times you feel movement, you really aren't sure if it's the baby or it's just a prelude to clearing the room.
When I was pregnant with Evie, I always described those early movements as feeling like popcorn popping just under my skin. This time around, not all the movement feels quite like that. I feel a lot more nudges, like the baby is just bumping up against my skin rather than kicking it.
All I can really say is, it's the coolest feeling. For the past week or so, I kept thinking "maybe that was movement" but it was so infrequent it was so hard to tell. But starting this week, Baby 2.0 has upped the ante. The last few days, I have felt movement multiple times throughout the day. Yesterday, I kept feeling nudges in the exact same place every thirty seconds or so for about five minutes.
There's just something about feeling the baby that makes the pregnancy crystal clear. I've still been holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop, and for someone to come along and tell me this was all just a big joke. I think I'm going to feel that way until I hold this baby in my arms. But I can already feel the connection and bond between Baby 2.0 and I deepening with every little nudge and pop.
Only six more days until the "big reveal", and I'm looking forward to the possibility of seeing and feeling Baby 2.0's movements at the same time. I didn't feel movement with Evie until after our "big reveal" ultrasound so I never had that experience. Until then, I'll leave you with my most recent belly bump picture, taken this past weekend at 17 weeks. I feel huge for being only 17 weeks, though I've only gained a few pounds so far. It's a little scary to think of what I'll look like at 40 weeks!
I personally think feeling fetal movement is one of the coolest experiences in the world, and the absolute best thing about pregnancy (except for the end result of course). Everyone says that once you've had your first child, you feel fetal movement sooner with subsequent pregnancies. So I've been anxiously awaiting that moment when I first felt Baby 2.0 punching or kicking away.
Unfortunately fetal movement and gas bubbles feel very similar in the beginning. Yeah, I'm not afraid to say it. And those first few times you feel movement, you really aren't sure if it's the baby or it's just a prelude to clearing the room.
When I was pregnant with Evie, I always described those early movements as feeling like popcorn popping just under my skin. This time around, not all the movement feels quite like that. I feel a lot more nudges, like the baby is just bumping up against my skin rather than kicking it.
All I can really say is, it's the coolest feeling. For the past week or so, I kept thinking "maybe that was movement" but it was so infrequent it was so hard to tell. But starting this week, Baby 2.0 has upped the ante. The last few days, I have felt movement multiple times throughout the day. Yesterday, I kept feeling nudges in the exact same place every thirty seconds or so for about five minutes.
There's just something about feeling the baby that makes the pregnancy crystal clear. I've still been holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop, and for someone to come along and tell me this was all just a big joke. I think I'm going to feel that way until I hold this baby in my arms. But I can already feel the connection and bond between Baby 2.0 and I deepening with every little nudge and pop.
Only six more days until the "big reveal", and I'm looking forward to the possibility of seeing and feeling Baby 2.0's movements at the same time. I didn't feel movement with Evie until after our "big reveal" ultrasound so I never had that experience. Until then, I'll leave you with my most recent belly bump picture, taken this past weekend at 17 weeks. I feel huge for being only 17 weeks, though I've only gained a few pounds so far. It's a little scary to think of what I'll look like at 40 weeks!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
When Did June Get Here?
Wow, it's been a busy few weeks! I can't even begin to describe to you how tired I am. And how tired I'm going to continue to be for a little while. But while I'm sitting here with my feet up, refusing to do anything that involves getting off the couch for the rest of the evening, I thought I should end yet another mini-hiatus.
I'm about sixteen and a half weeks pregnant now, and getting very excited to start feeling baby movement. I've thought once or twice that I may have felt something, but since it's so far and few between it's hard to tell. I should start feeling movement for sure within the next few weeks, and I can't wait. It's by far the best part of pregnancy.
I'm definitely starting to look pregnant which I have mixed feelings about. I love that people can tell I'm pregnant, not just chubby--but gaining weight after working so hard to lose it this past year is tough. I know it's for the baby, and I am gaining weight at the appropriate rate. But it's harder to accept this time around.
The "big reveal" is two weeks from yesterday, and I am very excited to find out whether Evie is getting a brother or a sister! Thankfully she's come around and seems excited for it to be either. I "feel" like Baby 2.0 is a girl, but I'm not sure if that's mother's instinct or just wishful thinking. I'm ready to know one way or the other, and to begin the nursery!
There's another reason I've been so exhausted the last few weeks. We've been battling with Base Housing and it's commanding office here at McConnell for the past four months to either get a new house on Base or have ours thoroughly fixed. Our house is from the 1950s and leaks horrendously in the basement when it rains. From the amount of water that was accumulating, mold started to grow. One thing led to another, we found out Michael is allergic to mold, and when they refused to do anything but the very bare minimum to make the house livable for our family, we finally gave up. We moved off base.
The day we found out once and for all that the Base wasn't going to do the right thing to the day we signed the lease on our new home, was a whopping seven days. We toured apartments and townhouses, looked at rundown homes, and finally found a diamond in the rough with our new single family rental home. The housing allowance at McConnell for an Airman does not allow many choices when it comes to adequate housing. You either live in the ghetto or you live in a two bedroom apartment. Neither of those options were very appealing so we were very lucky with our find.
For the past week and a half I've either been packing or unpacking or cleaning. I spent seven hours cleaning the old house today, and I'm not even finished! The final inspection in Base Housing is no joke. I'm still disgusted that they are going to put some poor unsuspecting family into our should-be-condemned old house, but I can't say I'm really surprised at this point. I'll be glad when we finally wash our hands of it all, and walk away with the knowledge that we will probably never live in Base Housing again.
I'll post pictures of the new house soon, once I finally finish unpacking it all. And if I can stand still long enough, I'll have Michael take an updated baby bump picture!
I'm about sixteen and a half weeks pregnant now, and getting very excited to start feeling baby movement. I've thought once or twice that I may have felt something, but since it's so far and few between it's hard to tell. I should start feeling movement for sure within the next few weeks, and I can't wait. It's by far the best part of pregnancy.
I'm definitely starting to look pregnant which I have mixed feelings about. I love that people can tell I'm pregnant, not just chubby--but gaining weight after working so hard to lose it this past year is tough. I know it's for the baby, and I am gaining weight at the appropriate rate. But it's harder to accept this time around.
The "big reveal" is two weeks from yesterday, and I am very excited to find out whether Evie is getting a brother or a sister! Thankfully she's come around and seems excited for it to be either. I "feel" like Baby 2.0 is a girl, but I'm not sure if that's mother's instinct or just wishful thinking. I'm ready to know one way or the other, and to begin the nursery!
There's another reason I've been so exhausted the last few weeks. We've been battling with Base Housing and it's commanding office here at McConnell for the past four months to either get a new house on Base or have ours thoroughly fixed. Our house is from the 1950s and leaks horrendously in the basement when it rains. From the amount of water that was accumulating, mold started to grow. One thing led to another, we found out Michael is allergic to mold, and when they refused to do anything but the very bare minimum to make the house livable for our family, we finally gave up. We moved off base.
The day we found out once and for all that the Base wasn't going to do the right thing to the day we signed the lease on our new home, was a whopping seven days. We toured apartments and townhouses, looked at rundown homes, and finally found a diamond in the rough with our new single family rental home. The housing allowance at McConnell for an Airman does not allow many choices when it comes to adequate housing. You either live in the ghetto or you live in a two bedroom apartment. Neither of those options were very appealing so we were very lucky with our find.
For the past week and a half I've either been packing or unpacking or cleaning. I spent seven hours cleaning the old house today, and I'm not even finished! The final inspection in Base Housing is no joke. I'm still disgusted that they are going to put some poor unsuspecting family into our should-be-condemned old house, but I can't say I'm really surprised at this point. I'll be glad when we finally wash our hands of it all, and walk away with the knowledge that we will probably never live in Base Housing again.
I'll post pictures of the new house soon, once I finally finish unpacking it all. And if I can stand still long enough, I'll have Michael take an updated baby bump picture!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
A Sight For Sore Eyes
This first trimester is majorly kicking my butt which is seriously impeding with my computer time. I promise I want to blog more, but Baby 2.0 seems to have other plans for me at the moment. Thankfully the morning sickness is starting to taper slightly so hopefully I'll start feeling more like a human being and less like a zombie sometime soon.
Today was a big milestone for us though so I had to find time to write a post. We had our nuchal screening today which consisted of an ultrasound and a little blood work. It tests for Downs Syndrome as well as few others, but we mostly went through with the test so we could have another look at Baby 2.0.
What a beautiful sight!
It is so cool to see how much the baby has changed in just a short time. Our last ultrasound was about six weeks ago and the baby was barely a blob on the screen. Today we got to see Baby 2.0 looking like a baby, and wiggling around like crazy. She/he kept stretching out and arching it's back, barely sitting still long enough for the ultrasound technician to take the measurements. Baby was measuring 13 weeks, 3 days which is exactly a week ahead of my due date. We're hoping my doctor will change the due date this time around since both ultrasounds have shown the baby further along than my LMP date, but we'll see how that works out.
If the equipment is of good quality and the technician has enough experience, sometimes she will make an educated guess on the sex of the baby. The technician today said she thought girl, but we aren't painting any nursery colors just yet. If she had say boy I would have been more inclined to trust what she saw--after all, it's a lot easier to miss seeing parts than it is for those parts to disappear. We'll find out for sure in about another five or six weeks!
After hearing the heartbeat two weeks ago, I felt a lot more confident that this pregnancy was going to stick around. Seeing Baby 2.0 on the screen today completely confirmed that. I couldn't stop smiling during the entire ultrasound. I think seeing an actual baby-like image also helped make things seem more real. Since the moment I found out I was pregnant, I was scared of losing this baby too. I think I was really just going through the motions, but unable to let myself really feel like this would all turn out okay. But seeing Baby 2.0 wiggling around...it cemented it all for me.
I'm almost to the second trimester so hopefully I'll be feeling well enough to start blogging more regularly. I'll definitely have lots to talk about!
Today was a big milestone for us though so I had to find time to write a post. We had our nuchal screening today which consisted of an ultrasound and a little blood work. It tests for Downs Syndrome as well as few others, but we mostly went through with the test so we could have another look at Baby 2.0.
What a beautiful sight!
It is so cool to see how much the baby has changed in just a short time. Our last ultrasound was about six weeks ago and the baby was barely a blob on the screen. Today we got to see Baby 2.0 looking like a baby, and wiggling around like crazy. She/he kept stretching out and arching it's back, barely sitting still long enough for the ultrasound technician to take the measurements. Baby was measuring 13 weeks, 3 days which is exactly a week ahead of my due date. We're hoping my doctor will change the due date this time around since both ultrasounds have shown the baby further along than my LMP date, but we'll see how that works out.
If the equipment is of good quality and the technician has enough experience, sometimes she will make an educated guess on the sex of the baby. The technician today said she thought girl, but we aren't painting any nursery colors just yet. If she had say boy I would have been more inclined to trust what she saw--after all, it's a lot easier to miss seeing parts than it is for those parts to disappear. We'll find out for sure in about another five or six weeks!
After hearing the heartbeat two weeks ago, I felt a lot more confident that this pregnancy was going to stick around. Seeing Baby 2.0 on the screen today completely confirmed that. I couldn't stop smiling during the entire ultrasound. I think seeing an actual baby-like image also helped make things seem more real. Since the moment I found out I was pregnant, I was scared of losing this baby too. I think I was really just going through the motions, but unable to let myself really feel like this would all turn out okay. But seeing Baby 2.0 wiggling around...it cemented it all for me.
I'm almost to the second trimester so hopefully I'll be feeling well enough to start blogging more regularly. I'll definitely have lots to talk about!
Monday, April 23, 2012
The Most Precious Sound
Today we heard the most beautiful sound in the world. The sound of Baby 2.0's heartbeat!
I'm officially 10 weeks, 2 days pregnant, and so happy to have made it to this point in the pregnancy. Hearing the heartbeat is such a pivotal moment because the chance of miscarriage has now dropped dramatically. I finally feel like this baby is really going to be a part of our family in a few months. The year of heartache and repeated disappointment finally has taken a turn for the better.
My pregnancy has been going well. I can definitely attest to the fact that morning sickness is a serious misnomer. All-day sickness would be a better term. I cannot wait to stop taking my progesterone supplement and for the first trimester to be over so I can finally find some relief. It's worth it--but I am not a fan of feeling like a zombie every day.
We're having a Nuchal Scan in a couple of weeks. Basically it's an ultrasound coupled with blood work that pre-screens for Down Syndrome and other genetic defects. We're having the test done mainly because insurance pays for it, and for a bonus ultrasound. I can't wait to see Baby 2.0 actually looks like a baby instead of the small fetal pole and gestational sac we saw at the last ultrasound. It's amazing the difference six weeks will make.
So we're excited. Not so scared anymore, though I'm sure I'll feel even more reassured after we have the ultrasound!
I'm officially 10 weeks, 2 days pregnant, and so happy to have made it to this point in the pregnancy. Hearing the heartbeat is such a pivotal moment because the chance of miscarriage has now dropped dramatically. I finally feel like this baby is really going to be a part of our family in a few months. The year of heartache and repeated disappointment finally has taken a turn for the better.
My pregnancy has been going well. I can definitely attest to the fact that morning sickness is a serious misnomer. All-day sickness would be a better term. I cannot wait to stop taking my progesterone supplement and for the first trimester to be over so I can finally find some relief. It's worth it--but I am not a fan of feeling like a zombie every day.
We're having a Nuchal Scan in a couple of weeks. Basically it's an ultrasound coupled with blood work that pre-screens for Down Syndrome and other genetic defects. We're having the test done mainly because insurance pays for it, and for a bonus ultrasound. I can't wait to see Baby 2.0 actually looks like a baby instead of the small fetal pole and gestational sac we saw at the last ultrasound. It's amazing the difference six weeks will make.
So we're excited. Not so scared anymore, though I'm sure I'll feel even more reassured after we have the ultrasound!
Monday, April 9, 2012
The Sex Debate
You have no idea how glad I am that the sex of Baby 2.0 is decided by a little tiny sperm, and not by me.
One of the most exciting parts about having a baby is finding out whether it will be a boy or girl. For the weeks leading up to the big ultrasound, everyone chimes in with their opinions one way or another. They weigh in with old wives tales or just personal feelings. I love daydreaming about having another little girl to dress up in pretty clothes or a boy that looks just like Michael. I don't have the patience nor feel the moment would be more special if we waited for the birth of the baby to find out the sex.
But I almost wish I did.
Michael and I aren't planning on having more than two children. Back before we had Evie, I always said I wanted at least three but probably four children, and Michael was always pretty firm on two. Once I became a parent, I realized that if I wanted to keep my sanity and any semblance of organization in my life, two children were probably my limit too. I love kids, but I rank my sanity pretty high up there too.
So since we are planning on Baby 2.0 being our last child, I have very mixed feelings about the sex of the baby. Of course what I want most is a healthy baby. But beyond that, I would love to have another little girl. I love dresses and girly things. And girls are familiar to me. When I think about having a son and him becoming a teenager someday, I can't help but shudder in fear. I can handle menstruation and birth control and shrilly female moments of drama because I've lived those moments. Not so sure about wet dreams and all those fun male things. Oh my god, that's so scary. But I know having a son would open up a whole new world to me, and would brighten my life so much. So although I'd choose girl over boy if it were up to me, I'll be happy either way.
What really makes me nervous about finding out the sex of Baby 2.0 is the rest of my little family. I'm sure if you asked Michael, he'd say the same as me but in reverse. He wants a healthy baby above all, but would really love a son. Of course he'd be okay with another girl--it wouldn't be his first rodeo. But what guy doesn't want a son? I'll be so disappointed for him if Baby 2.0 is a girl.
Evie, on the other hand, will not be happy with either boy or girl. She still refuses to even consider the fact that Baby 2.0 could be a boy. This is how a typical conversation goes with her involving the baby:
Evie: What's my baby sister doing now, Mommy?
Me: She's growing super fast so she can meet you. But you know the baby might be a brother, right?
Evie: But it might be a sister.
Me: Yes, I know. But the baby might be a boy.
Evie: I think it's a girl.
Me: Yes, I realize this. But what if the baby is a boy?
Evie: I think it's a girl.
It goes on and on and on. She absolutely will not budge. I asked Evie if she will still love the baby if it's a brother, and she said no. This honestly worries me because she is stubborn like both her parents, and I could see her being so mad if Baby 2.0 is a boy that she really will refuse to acknowledge it. Yes, I'm sure eventually she would get over it. She loves our friends' little son. But she wants a sister to share all her stuff with so badly that I think she will be deeply disappointed.
And therein lies my dilemma.
I'll be disappointed for Michael if Baby 2.0 is a girl because this is his last shot at having a boy. I know how badly it would have hurt me if we hadn't ever had a girl so I would feel so sad for all that could have been. But I know that Evie will be so disappointed if Baby 2.0 is a boy. She wants a sister so badly that she won't even think about the alternative. I know that eventually she would love him regardless, but the loss of a sister bond would break my heart a little too.
At this point, I almost wish I were pregnant with twins--one boy and one girl. I can't even believe I just said that. But it would solve this little dilemma. Too bad I've already had two ultrasounds and they double checked extra carefully both times to make sure only one baby was present.
So many thanks to that tiny sperm that took on this burden. I am so glad I am not you.
One of the most exciting parts about having a baby is finding out whether it will be a boy or girl. For the weeks leading up to the big ultrasound, everyone chimes in with their opinions one way or another. They weigh in with old wives tales or just personal feelings. I love daydreaming about having another little girl to dress up in pretty clothes or a boy that looks just like Michael. I don't have the patience nor feel the moment would be more special if we waited for the birth of the baby to find out the sex.
But I almost wish I did.
Michael and I aren't planning on having more than two children. Back before we had Evie, I always said I wanted at least three but probably four children, and Michael was always pretty firm on two. Once I became a parent, I realized that if I wanted to keep my sanity and any semblance of organization in my life, two children were probably my limit too. I love kids, but I rank my sanity pretty high up there too.
So since we are planning on Baby 2.0 being our last child, I have very mixed feelings about the sex of the baby. Of course what I want most is a healthy baby. But beyond that, I would love to have another little girl. I love dresses and girly things. And girls are familiar to me. When I think about having a son and him becoming a teenager someday, I can't help but shudder in fear. I can handle menstruation and birth control and shrilly female moments of drama because I've lived those moments. Not so sure about wet dreams and all those fun male things. Oh my god, that's so scary. But I know having a son would open up a whole new world to me, and would brighten my life so much. So although I'd choose girl over boy if it were up to me, I'll be happy either way.
What really makes me nervous about finding out the sex of Baby 2.0 is the rest of my little family. I'm sure if you asked Michael, he'd say the same as me but in reverse. He wants a healthy baby above all, but would really love a son. Of course he'd be okay with another girl--it wouldn't be his first rodeo. But what guy doesn't want a son? I'll be so disappointed for him if Baby 2.0 is a girl.
Evie, on the other hand, will not be happy with either boy or girl. She still refuses to even consider the fact that Baby 2.0 could be a boy. This is how a typical conversation goes with her involving the baby:
Evie: What's my baby sister doing now, Mommy?
Me: She's growing super fast so she can meet you. But you know the baby might be a brother, right?
Evie: But it might be a sister.
Me: Yes, I know. But the baby might be a boy.
Evie: I think it's a girl.
Me: Yes, I realize this. But what if the baby is a boy?
Evie: I think it's a girl.
It goes on and on and on. She absolutely will not budge. I asked Evie if she will still love the baby if it's a brother, and she said no. This honestly worries me because she is stubborn like both her parents, and I could see her being so mad if Baby 2.0 is a boy that she really will refuse to acknowledge it. Yes, I'm sure eventually she would get over it. She loves our friends' little son. But she wants a sister to share all her stuff with so badly that I think she will be deeply disappointed.
And therein lies my dilemma.
I'll be disappointed for Michael if Baby 2.0 is a girl because this is his last shot at having a boy. I know how badly it would have hurt me if we hadn't ever had a girl so I would feel so sad for all that could have been. But I know that Evie will be so disappointed if Baby 2.0 is a boy. She wants a sister so badly that she won't even think about the alternative. I know that eventually she would love him regardless, but the loss of a sister bond would break my heart a little too.
At this point, I almost wish I were pregnant with twins--one boy and one girl. I can't even believe I just said that. But it would solve this little dilemma. Too bad I've already had two ultrasounds and they double checked extra carefully both times to make sure only one baby was present.
So many thanks to that tiny sperm that took on this burden. I am so glad I am not you.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
A Week Without Sleep
Pregnant women should always be allowed as much sleep as they want. Anyone want to inform Evie of this?
What a week. Poor Evie came down with a stomach bug on Sunday night, and was up vomiting for a few hours. I had only fallen asleep about four hours before she woke up, and was awake for about the next four so by the time morning finally rolled around, I was so exhausted. Thankfully Michael took over for awhile so I could catch another couple hours of sleep.
Although she got over the bug pretty quickly, Evie still felt a little crummy at bed time. After listening to her cry in her sleep, I let her slip into bed with me for awhile since Michael is working the night shift this week. Since infancy, she hasn't slept with me outside of vacations or hotel stays. And I remember why.
She kicks when she sleeps. A lot. Ouch.
After being woken up about fifty times in what felt like five minutes from her kicking me, I finally carried her sleeping butt back to bed. Only a few hours later, I woke up with chest pains that lasted a few hours. Another sleeping fail.
It was smooth sailing on Tuesday night. I probably got close to eleven hours of sleep. I still felt sleep deprived yesterday, but didn't feel as much like a zombie as I had the two previous days.
And then last night happened. If I didn't love Evie so much, I would have ran out into the streets, screaming, never to return.
For some random reason, the power went out around 4:30 in the morning. We run small fans in our room for white noise so as soon as the power went out Evie woke up. And of course started yelling because her nightlight was also off.
Every time I started to doze off, Evie would yell to me about something. First, it was that she couldn't sleep with just her flashlight on and no fan. That problem was easily fixed after the power finally came back on. Then she thought she saw a bug on her ceiling. I checked--nothing. Then she came out yelling because the bug was on her. Again, nothing. Then she wanted a drink of water. Lastly, she yelled because the bug was in her bed. Oh. My. God. I finally just let her come sleep in my bed, knowing that she would probably kick me every five minutes, but five minutes of sleep was better than none.
I didn't have to worry about Evie kicking me though. Because she never fell asleep! I kept dozing off, and she kept waking me up to talk. "Want to hear a story, Mommy" or "Let me tell you a joke". The last time she woke me up yelling "Daddy is home!" Yep, she was up until Michael got home shortly after seven.
I cannot believe she didn't fall back asleep. Especially because by the time Michael put her back to bed and he came to bed himself (not after Evie came out telling him there was a roly poly in her room!), it was almost eight o'clock. And I had to get up at 8:30 to get ready for my first ob/gyn appointment.
It wasn't without a little satisfaction that I woke her snoring butt up a little while later. At least I wasn't the only one with bags under my eyes. I hope we both sleep like rocks tonight. Thankfully Michael is suppose to come home early so if she decides to wake up again, at least he can deal with her!
What a week. Poor Evie came down with a stomach bug on Sunday night, and was up vomiting for a few hours. I had only fallen asleep about four hours before she woke up, and was awake for about the next four so by the time morning finally rolled around, I was so exhausted. Thankfully Michael took over for awhile so I could catch another couple hours of sleep.
Although she got over the bug pretty quickly, Evie still felt a little crummy at bed time. After listening to her cry in her sleep, I let her slip into bed with me for awhile since Michael is working the night shift this week. Since infancy, she hasn't slept with me outside of vacations or hotel stays. And I remember why.
She kicks when she sleeps. A lot. Ouch.
After being woken up about fifty times in what felt like five minutes from her kicking me, I finally carried her sleeping butt back to bed. Only a few hours later, I woke up with chest pains that lasted a few hours. Another sleeping fail.
It was smooth sailing on Tuesday night. I probably got close to eleven hours of sleep. I still felt sleep deprived yesterday, but didn't feel as much like a zombie as I had the two previous days.
And then last night happened. If I didn't love Evie so much, I would have ran out into the streets, screaming, never to return.
For some random reason, the power went out around 4:30 in the morning. We run small fans in our room for white noise so as soon as the power went out Evie woke up. And of course started yelling because her nightlight was also off.
Every time I started to doze off, Evie would yell to me about something. First, it was that she couldn't sleep with just her flashlight on and no fan. That problem was easily fixed after the power finally came back on. Then she thought she saw a bug on her ceiling. I checked--nothing. Then she came out yelling because the bug was on her. Again, nothing. Then she wanted a drink of water. Lastly, she yelled because the bug was in her bed. Oh. My. God. I finally just let her come sleep in my bed, knowing that she would probably kick me every five minutes, but five minutes of sleep was better than none.
I didn't have to worry about Evie kicking me though. Because she never fell asleep! I kept dozing off, and she kept waking me up to talk. "Want to hear a story, Mommy" or "Let me tell you a joke". The last time she woke me up yelling "Daddy is home!" Yep, she was up until Michael got home shortly after seven.
I cannot believe she didn't fall back asleep. Especially because by the time Michael put her back to bed and he came to bed himself (not after Evie came out telling him there was a roly poly in her room!), it was almost eight o'clock. And I had to get up at 8:30 to get ready for my first ob/gyn appointment.
It wasn't without a little satisfaction that I woke her snoring butt up a little while later. At least I wasn't the only one with bags under my eyes. I hope we both sleep like rocks tonight. Thankfully Michael is suppose to come home early so if she decides to wake up again, at least he can deal with her!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Baby 2.0
I think the title of this post probably spells it all out pretty nicely, but in case you are confused? We're expecting again!
Right now, I'm somewhere between 6-7 weeks along. The doctors say 6 weeks, 3 days while the ultrasound suggests 7 weeks. But regardless, Baby 2.0 is due to arrive in the middle of November.
At this stage in the game, ultrasounds don't show all that much. Baby was measuring 6 weeks, 6 days, and really all you can see at this point is the yolk sac (which supplies nutrients for the baby) and the tiny little fetus. This was actually our second ultrasound, and at the first you could barely see the yolk sak. It's amazing just how fast they grow. It is said that at 7 weeks, baby is about the size of a blueberry.
A very large part of my absence on this blog over the past few months is due to trying for this miracle. After our miscarriage last April, we had a little difficulty getting pregnant. After a couple rounds of fertility drugs and some progesterone cream to help my low progesterone levels, I ended up getting pregnant during a month when I had no fertility drugs or aids in my system. Figures, right?
Right now, our feelings on the pregnancy run pretty frequently between elation and being petrified. We were able to see a strong heartbeat at the ultrasound which is always a very positive sign, but after suffering a loss and then disappointment month after month while trying again to conceive, it is hard to not let the past color the present.
One of the toughest things about this pregnancy is that Baby 2.0's due date is literally the day before the baby we lost last year. If it hadn't been Leap Year, the due dates would have been the same. The coincidence and deja vu of it all can be a little unnerving at times. But we are trying to hold on to the fact that our chances of another miscarriage are low, and that the doctors seem to be monitoring it all as best they can.
Symptom wise, I'm definitely feeling pregnant. Because I already get motion sickness very easily, I always seem to get nauseous pretty immediately in pregnancy. This time around is a little different in that I literally feel carsick from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. Eating helps, but only for a brief period of time. Zofran, an anti-nausea medicine, doesn't seem to help much either. Thankfully I have a huge aversion to vomiting so I will do anything and everything to keep that particular symptom at bay. Eating is a chore since I have non-stop nausea, but I've been forcing myself to at least get a predetermined amount of calories in per day. My workout regime has been pretty much halted due to the nausea as well, but I hope to pick it up again as soon as I feel able.
On a happy note, Evie is absolutely thrilled that she is finally going to be a big sister. We started prepping her for the idea of a sibling last year when we got pregnant (thankfully, we hadn't told her about the pregnancy) so she has been talking about having a baby sister constantly ever since. She refuses to even consider the fact that she may have a baby brother. She is going to be one mad little four year old if Baby 2.0 ends up being a boy.
Doesn't she look excited? When we told her of the pregnancy, she just giggled and demanded to see my belly. We debated when to tell her about the baby since we aren't out of the woods yet for miscarriage, but after seeing a strong heartbeat we just decided to go for it. We want to give this baby all the positive juju we can!
Evie's been talking and singing to the baby already, and gives it kisses at bedtime. Since she's been around other pregnant women I think she grasps the concept that it will be awhile before the baby actually arrives. But that hasn't stopped her from asking once or twice if it's time for the baby to come out yet. This could be a long 7.5 months!
Right now, I'm somewhere between 6-7 weeks along. The doctors say 6 weeks, 3 days while the ultrasound suggests 7 weeks. But regardless, Baby 2.0 is due to arrive in the middle of November.
At this stage in the game, ultrasounds don't show all that much. Baby was measuring 6 weeks, 6 days, and really all you can see at this point is the yolk sac (which supplies nutrients for the baby) and the tiny little fetus. This was actually our second ultrasound, and at the first you could barely see the yolk sak. It's amazing just how fast they grow. It is said that at 7 weeks, baby is about the size of a blueberry.
A very large part of my absence on this blog over the past few months is due to trying for this miracle. After our miscarriage last April, we had a little difficulty getting pregnant. After a couple rounds of fertility drugs and some progesterone cream to help my low progesterone levels, I ended up getting pregnant during a month when I had no fertility drugs or aids in my system. Figures, right?
Right now, our feelings on the pregnancy run pretty frequently between elation and being petrified. We were able to see a strong heartbeat at the ultrasound which is always a very positive sign, but after suffering a loss and then disappointment month after month while trying again to conceive, it is hard to not let the past color the present.
One of the toughest things about this pregnancy is that Baby 2.0's due date is literally the day before the baby we lost last year. If it hadn't been Leap Year, the due dates would have been the same. The coincidence and deja vu of it all can be a little unnerving at times. But we are trying to hold on to the fact that our chances of another miscarriage are low, and that the doctors seem to be monitoring it all as best they can.
Symptom wise, I'm definitely feeling pregnant. Because I already get motion sickness very easily, I always seem to get nauseous pretty immediately in pregnancy. This time around is a little different in that I literally feel carsick from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. Eating helps, but only for a brief period of time. Zofran, an anti-nausea medicine, doesn't seem to help much either. Thankfully I have a huge aversion to vomiting so I will do anything and everything to keep that particular symptom at bay. Eating is a chore since I have non-stop nausea, but I've been forcing myself to at least get a predetermined amount of calories in per day. My workout regime has been pretty much halted due to the nausea as well, but I hope to pick it up again as soon as I feel able.
On a happy note, Evie is absolutely thrilled that she is finally going to be a big sister. We started prepping her for the idea of a sibling last year when we got pregnant (thankfully, we hadn't told her about the pregnancy) so she has been talking about having a baby sister constantly ever since. She refuses to even consider the fact that she may have a baby brother. She is going to be one mad little four year old if Baby 2.0 ends up being a boy.
Doesn't she look excited? When we told her of the pregnancy, she just giggled and demanded to see my belly. We debated when to tell her about the baby since we aren't out of the woods yet for miscarriage, but after seeing a strong heartbeat we just decided to go for it. We want to give this baby all the positive juju we can!
Evie's been talking and singing to the baby already, and gives it kisses at bedtime. Since she's been around other pregnant women I think she grasps the concept that it will be awhile before the baby actually arrives. But that hasn't stopped her from asking once or twice if it's time for the baby to come out yet. This could be a long 7.5 months!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Devastation
We lost the baby.
Thankfully Michael was able to stick around a few weeks more deploying so we can grieve together.
Obviously I won't be blogging for a little while.
Thank you for your support
Thankfully Michael was able to stick around a few weeks more deploying so we can grieve together.
Obviously I won't be blogging for a little while.
Thank you for your support
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