Pregnancy: 19 Weeks

Another week has come and gone. Here's what's happening right now....

What's going on with the baby right now?
-She is about 6" from crown to rump (10" head to toe) and weighs about 8.5oz
-Hair is starting to grow on her head, which I can believe because the heartburn has already started.  I imagine that she will be born with a full head of hair just like Hannah.
-She is pretty much fully formed now and just have some growing and fattening up to do.  She will weigh more than 15 times her current weight by birth!  WOW!

What's going on with me?
-Yep, still nauseous all day!  It does seem to get slightly better throughout the day, but still have some days that are worse than others.
-I'm peeing all the time, which really this development is happening later than normal.  Normally by the second trimester the uterus has moved up higher in your abdomen, therefore making the urge to pee less frequent.  However, because of all the weight loss in the first trimester, I feel like most of the normal first trimester things are happening now.  So yeah for frequent bathroom breaks in the middle of the night.
-My appetite is definitely growing.  It's still not huge and I still have a lot of food issues (many things I can't stand the thought of and moments where nothing sounds good), but when I do find something I like I eat a good amount of it.  For example, last night I made a Blueberry Cornmeal Cake and ate two large pieces.  So good!
-I now only have 9 pounds to gain back before I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight. So that means I gained 1 pound in the last week.  I did break out a few maternity shirts this week, although not because I needed to, more because I wanted to.  Man they are comfy! :-)
-I finally have a baby bump!  (But of course no belly pic to show for it yet!)  It's still small in the morning and progressively gets bigger throughout the day, but it's there!  YEAH!
-Next appointment: February 8 for another ultrasound! (We had to move it back one day because of Brian's schedule)

Good news!  We have sold several things on Craigslist and Ebay that were taking up space in the new nursery.  We've even made several hundred dollars on it!  Yeah!  There is still a lot of stuff in that room, but we are weeding through it.  Unfortunately a lot of it will end up in the guest room, making that room very crowded.  Maybe it is time for us to actually use the attic.

Pregnancy: 18 Weeks

18 weeks....almost halfway there!  Here's what's happening this week...

What's going on with the baby right now?-She is the size of a baked potato...5.5" from crown to rump.  She weighs about 7oz.
-Her ears have developed enough to allow her to hear sounds!  I always loves this point in the pregnancy!  Now she can learn our voices!
-She is moving all the time, but they are still light movements.  Every once in a while I can feel her little foot pushing but it doesn't last long.  Brian has yet to feel any kicks from the outside.  Looking forward to that!

What's going on with me?
-I am still dealing with all day nausea, but I do think I have seen some improvement in the last week.  It seems to come and go more often now instead of being constant.  Loving that!
-I now only have 10 pounds to gain back before I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  So that means I gained 2 pounds in the last week.  Not bad!  Still wearing my normal clothes and even some I borrowed from a friend that are size smaller than I normally wear.  Some day the maternity clothes will make an appearance.
-The results from the AFP test came back completely normal, so that was great news.  We are so thankful that the Lord has protected our baby despite all the trouble the beginning of this pregnancy had!
-Next appointment: February 7 for another ultrasound!
This past weekend we ended up buying the crib for the baby's room.  We hadn't planned on buying it yet, but while we were looking at the one we wanted we noticed that the price was mis-marked.  When we asked about it, the sales associate told us that it was a mistake but they would honor it for us before removing the sign.  YEAH!  So we ended up ordering it right then and saving over $80!  Can't beat that.  It is the same exact crib we have for Hannah (Bonavita Hudson Collection), except in white this time (Hannah's is dark brown).  We love Hannah's furniture and did a ton of research before picking it so we knew we would want the same thing for baby #2.  Thankfully it will take 8-10 weeks before it's ready for pick up because her room is no where near ready for furniture!  We have so much junk in there right now.  We have used it as an office/storage room for the past 3 years and now have to figure out where all the stuff in there is going to go.  I am trying to sell a lot of the bigger pieces of furniture on craigslist, but so far, no luck.   :-(   This is another time that I REALLY wish we had a basement to store all the extra stuff in.  The main thing that is taking up space in that room are 8 gigantic tubs of Hannah's outgrown clothes.  Yes, 8!!  And that's only newborn to 18 months!!!  Oh my!  Good thing we are having another girl that will get to use all those clothes!

Hopefully I will have a belly picture to post soon.  With my last pregnancy I was so good about taking a weekly belly shot, but this time around I have yet to take one.  Yikes!  I blame it on the intense sickness in the beginning, but now that I am feeling better I blame it on not being in the habit like I was last time.  And for some reason, every time I remember to do it I am already in my pajamas and look awful.  Who wants to remember that?!  Maybe I will take one tonight, before I get into my 'comfy' clothes. ;-)

Pregnancy: 17 Weeks....IT'S A GIRL!

 

This is my second pregnancy update since finding out we are expecting #2....not what I had planned, but I am just thankful that I am feeling well enough to write this post!

For those that don't already know, we are expecting another GIRL!  We had an early ultrasound last week that gave us the great news.  We were definitely surprised, as we truly thought this was a boy (since the pregnancy has been so different from Hannah's), but we are thrilled.  Hannah can't wait to have her little sister here with her! 

Also, for those that might be wondering, this will be our last pregnancy.  After spending two months flat on my back and in and out of the hospital with severe hyperemesis, I cannot put my body through that again.  I lost 16% of my body weight (23 pounds!) in less than two months and was connected to an IV pole for the majority of that time.  There were days when I truly didn't know if I would make it.  But by the grace of God, I did!  As soon as I hit the second trimester, there was a marked improvement and I have been disconnected from the IV ever since.  I am still constantly nauseous and throw up a few times per week, but that is nothing compared to where I was!  Now time for the weekly update....

What's going on with the baby right now?
-She is over 6 in long from head to toe and weighs over 6 oz (according to our last ultrasound)
-She has started to develop her baby fat....can't wait to snuggle with that cuddly baby!
-Her skeleton is transforming from soft cartilage into solid bone

What's going on with me?
-Nausea is ever present.  I am now taking Reglan orally (instead of the pump being attached to me 24/7)
-I have gained back 11 pounds of the 23 I lost since the beginning of the pregnancy...progress!  Only 12 more pounds until I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  Maybe I won't gain 50 pounds during this pregnancy like I did with Hannah!
-I had my monthly obgyn appointment today and everything was great.  The heartbeat was strong and they drew some blood for the AFP test, which will test for possible chromosomal problems with the baby such as down syndrome.
-I have started to feel the baby moving, which is so fun!  It's still too light for anyone to feel from the outside, which makes it feel like a little secret between me and my little baby girl!  Love! :-)
-I am exhausted all the time....VERY exhausted!  This should have ended with the first trimester, which makes me a little concerned since at my last check my thyroid level was extremely low (indicated hyperthyroidism).  They will retest my levels at my next appointment (at 20 weeks) and we will go from there.  Unfortunately there isn't much they can do for it during pregnancy.
-Next appointment: February 7 for another ultrasound!


And now for a little pregnancy survey fun....
~when is your due date: June 22, 2012
~what are your fears: That I won't love this baby as much as Hannah....silly, I know, because deep down I KNOW I will!
~what are you most happy about: Having another baby...completing our family!
~do you want a boy or girl: Originally I wanted a boy, but know that we know it's a girl, I am thrilled!
~does the father want a boy or girl: He didn't care at all!
~have you felt the baby move: Yes!  Best feeling in the world!
~do you have names picked out: Yes!  We will announce soon!
~are you scared about labor: A little, but this time I will be getting an epidural which makes me less scared in some ways and more scared in others.
~who will be in the delivery room: Brian, midwife and nurse(s)....possibly my mom and mother-in-law....we'll see
~are you having the birth videotaped: I definitely didn't want to with Hannah, but this time I think I do.  Not of the actual birth, but a side view would be nice.  I wish we had more videos of Hannah's birth and since this will be my last birth, I would love to document it better.

22 Months

Hannah "Baby",

You don't know how good it feels to be able to write this letter to you!  After so much sickness (Mommy lost 23 pounds in less than two months!!) it feels amazing to be able to do anything more than lay on the couch!  I wish you knew how happy it makes me to be able to play with you again!  Even though I am still not feeling good, I am much better than I was before.  We were even able to send MeMaw and PaPaw home and Daddy back to work.  So now Mommy is taking care of you all alone!  I still have to take lots of breaks and fight off the constant feeling of needing to throw up, but it's progress and I'll take it!

So what are you up to these days....SO much!  Your vocabulary has literally exploded!  You say full sentences now - "Elmo sleep with me", "Sorry Mommy", "Help please" - sing lots of different songs - "I love you, You love me" (Barney song), "Oh Christmas Tree", "Twinkle Twinkle" - and say all kinds of words!  You can easily count to ten now and can name a few colors (pink is a favorite).  You are obsessed with little people toys and play with them for hours on end!  You love to line them up on the table and then make them all lay down ("night night") and then put them all back in a row again.  You also love to make-believe with them in their house and you call them all your babies.  Precious!  You have also started walking down the stairs all by yourself, although you still want me to carry you from time to time "old me" (hold me). 

You have started sleeping a little later in the mornings which I am so grateful for!  You typically wake up between 7:30 and 7:40am.  You are still my alarm clock and I roll out of bed as soon as I hear you talking.  Oh and can we stop right there and highlight the work "talking".  You no longer scream when you wake up, but instead wake up happy and well rested.  Amazing!  I now know that if you wake up crying it's because you are still tired and need to go back to sleep.  When I come into your room you often greet me with a "morning Mommy" which just makes me smile!  I always ask you what you dreamed about and you almost always reply "yayas" (lovies) and when I ask you what they were doing in your dream you always reply "night night" (sleeping).  Precious!  Then you show me each thing in your crib - lovies, teddy, blankie, water, etc.  Usually the only way I can convince you to let me get you up is to ask you if you want to eat breakfast, to which you always reply "YES"!  You are one hungry girl!

Bedtime is our favorite part of the day.  You are so silly while we are trying to get you ready for bed (which can be exhausting) but you are so happy.  You LOVE to be a naked baby and run around with no clothes on.  This has often resulted in your peeing on the floor, but lately we have been working on having you sit on the potty again (after a few month hiatus where you refused to sit on it).  You still haven't actually peed in it, but at least you are starting to sit again.  Our nighttime routine consists of eating dinner around 6pm, followed by playtime with daddy until 7pm.  Then we head upstairs to do the naked baby routine, brush your teeth, put on a clean diaper and pjs, read two stories, say prayers, and give hugs and kisses.  Lately you have been pretty stingy with your kisses though, especially for Daddy.  But as I put you down for the night and Daddy walks out of the room, you call out "Night Daddy" over and over as he calls  back to you, "Night Hannah".  I sing you your song "Good Night Sweetheart" and tuck you in.  You say, "Night Night Mommy" and/or "Yuv You Mommy" (Love you Mommy) which just melts my heart.  Love!!

Napping is a whole different story.  You have almost completely stopped now.  I still put you down for a full hour, but you rarely fall asleep and if you do it is usually for only 30 minutes...brutal.  I aim to put you down by 1pm and get you up around 2pm.  I try to use this time to rest but when youa are talking or whining the whole time, that makes it pretty difficult.  I sure hope this is just a phase and that you will begin to nap again very soon!  I know you still need a nap because just yesterday, when we were driving home from playgroup around 5pm, you fell asleep in the car!  Talk about brutal.

Eating is still your favorite activity!  You are obsessed!  If you aren't eating, you are asking to eat.  It's constant!  Just today I bought you some vanilla almond milk in hopes that giving you something other than water to drink would help fill you up.  So far you love it, but you still ask for something to eat every five seconds.  You'd think that I was starving you.  But then you'd see your growing belly and realize that I'm not!  You are off the charts girl....nearly 30 pounds now!  Yikes!  Your favorite foods right now are bunnie crackers (similar to goldfish, but the organic variety), blueberries (still), apples, daddy's grilled chicken, and yogi (yogurt).

You have become obsessed with our iPhones lately.  You can't get enough of looking at pictures of yourself ("Hannah pickies"), watching video clips of babies on youtube, or playing with the 'Elmo Calls' app.  You also love to hear "the man" on Daddy's phone, which is a James Taylor song that you love...'You Can Close Your Eyes'.  It's really precious.  You listen to it with Daddy and sway back and forth with him while you sing, "gonna be ayight" (You can close your eyes, its alright).

Other 22 Month Stats:
- You still wear size 5 diapers day and night (overnight diapers at night)
- You wear a size 7 shoe
- You wear mostly 2T clothes, with a few 24 month and 3T things mixed in

When I look at you now I don't see that tiny little baby we brought home from the hospital, I see a beautiful little girl! You have grown into an adorable toddler, full of joy and spunk. I could just stare at you all day....you are breathtaking!