Pregnancy: 23 Weeks

It was a great week!! Here's what's going on this week....

What's going on with the baby right now?
-Baby is working hard on lung development this week
-She is a foot long and a little over a pound
-Baby's hearing is well developed now, so all the sounds she is hearing now will be familiar when she is born
-She is the size of a large mango (but last week she was the size of a spaghetti squash, which I think is bigger!?)

What's going on with me?
-I can see Emma moving from the outside all the time now. She is very active! Uh oh!
-My sweet MIL took me shopping for maternity clothes this past weekend and we got some cute things. We have two weddings coming up, so I got a couple outfits for those, as well as a few shirts and a really cute and comfy maxi dress. Can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can wear some of my cute maternity stuff! I am still wearing a mix of maternity and non-maternity clothes, but more and more of my normal clothes are getting too tight.
-No real food cravings because food is still not very appetizing to me. I do manage to eat a decent amount every day (because I know if I don't I will feel worse), but I don't always want to eat or crave any specific things. I still can't drink plain water, but in order to get some more fluids in I have been adding stevia to my water to sweeten it and make it more palatable.
-I am officially back to my pre-pregnancy weight! That means I gained 3 pounds in the past week...yikes!
-Still dealing with all day nausea and heartburn, but this week was better than the last few for sure! Still taking Reglan dailyand started taking Tums as needed. I also managed to take a few Flinstone multivitamins for the first time this week.
-My parents are in town for the next two weeks (as Brian is travelling for work) so there will be a lot of progress on the nursery, which I am very excited about! Gotta love a dad who is SUPER handy!!
-Next appointment: March 5th for the diabetes screening

A little chat....

Today I had a chat with Hannah before nap time (well actually we chatted yesterday after nap time and several times throughout the day today about this) about what she should do when she wakes up from a nap.  For those that don't know, my child is not a sleeper!  She has been a horrible napper since the beginning and I've basically just learned to deal with it.  I started with the one hour rule, where I would leave her for one hour, no matter what.  She would normally sleep for just 30-45 minutes and then scream the remaining 15-30 minutes.  Oh the joy.  She finally started stretching her nap out to closer to one hour, so I extended the time I left her in her crib to one and a half hours.  I know that this extra 30 minutes will be crucial once Emma arrives.  So now I leave her for a full hour and a half, no matter what.  For the first month or so of doing this, things were GREAT!  She slept for 1.5-2 hours everyday....unheard of for Hannah!  But in the last week, things have changed.  She is starting to go back to the 45 minute naps (1 hour tops) and then screaming bloody murder for the rest of the time.  So frustrating!  The hardest part was knowing that if she would just sleep for the full hour and a half, she would wake up happy and well rested, instead of cranky and screaming!  What was the deal?  So I knew it was time to have a chat.  Have you ever tried having a civilized conversation with a two year old?  Not the easiest thing!  I have no idea what she understood of our conversation, but I tried to use the simplest language I could to explain to her that mommy always comes and never forgets her.  She doesn't need to scream or cry, but can instead play quietly with her toys until mommy comes.  She said "ok mommy" as if this idea had never occurred to her and said, "night night mommy" as I put her down for her nap.  Hmmm....we'll see.

It's been just over an hour now since I put her down and she just started fussing a few minutes ago....at almost exactly the one hour mark.  BUT....she stopped!  It is now silent in her room and I am praying that our chat worked.  I will listen even more closely in another 30 minutes to see if she is awake and if so I will get her up, feeling very successful!  Ultimately, I don't care if she sleeps, I just want her to rest her body and give herself (and ME!) a break. 

Thank you Lord for a few extra moments of silence today!  May this continue for many months to come! :-)

Eating after Hyperemesis

For those that have been reading my blog for any length of time, you already know about my battle with severe hyperemesis during the first trimester of this pregnancy.  If not, check out this post for more info - 17 Weeks Pregnant

After losing so much weight in such a short amount of time and being severely dehydrated, requiring constant IV drips and several trips to the hospital, I have finally gained back all the weight I lost (23 pounds).  Well, technically I have 2 pounds to go, but you get the point.  After constantly throwing up and not being able to eat anything or even drink water, I have been slowly starting to eat a more normal diet, which is great.  However, food is still very unappetizing to me, even at 22 weeks pregnant.  :-(  I don't know if I will ever regain my normal appetite while pregnant.

Someone asked me the other day what cravings I have had during this pregnancy and it made me think.  There really hasn't been much that I've wanted to eat on a regular basis.  The main foods that are staples for me right now are orange juice (first thing in the morning only), dill pickles (from time to time), and ice cream (at night).  But even those things aren't very appetizing.....it's hard to explain.  Not having a normal appetite can be very draining.  Trying to decide what to eat for each meal is exhausting.  While, yes, things have gotten a lot better, I am by no means back to my normal self, and that is hard.  While I don't want to wish the time away, I wouldn't mind if the remaining 18 weeks went by a little faster!  I'm just ready to feel like myself again (of course there are the post-partum hormones to deal with, but I am not going to let myself worry about that right now!)

So while you enjoy your dinner tonight, think of me, and be thankful for the desire to eat!  Seems silly, but unless you have gone through hyperemesis, you just can't relate.  Oh, and if you are going through it, please let me know!  I would LOVE to offer encouragement and support, as I know just how lonely this time in your life can feel!

Pregnancy: 22 Weeks

After a rough start to the week (nausea and vomitting), things got a little better and we made it through. 

Here's what's going on this week....

What's going on with the baby right now?
-She is about one pound and 11" head to toe...nearly the size of a ruler!
-She is the size of a spaghetti squash

What's going on with me?
-At this point I should be gaining about 1 pound per week.  At the beginning of the week, I lost a couple pounds, but quickly gained them back. I have three pounds to go before I'm back to my prepregnancy weight, meaning I gained one pound in the past week.
-Have I mentioned how much I hate being pregnant? I know this seems awful to say and may even be upsetting to some. A few years ago I would have given anything to be pregnant! And yes, in the end, it is all very worth it! However, it is miserable for me. I hate most every part of it. So I am literally counting down the days until it's over! I would raise several children if I could, but carrying them in my belly is just not an option. Two and through!! Down the road we will reevaluate to see if the Lord would want us to adopt, but this body is done! Knowing that is one of the things that is getting me through each day.
-Still throwing up and dealing with all day nausea! Threw up on Monday and Tuesday and spent most of the day on the couch on Monday. Very rough day!
-I am definitely feeling very pregnant this week! My belly seems huge to me and I'm finding it harder to do normal things like bending over and sleeping comfortably.
-Still wearing a mix of non-maternity and maternity clothes. So much of my maternity wardrobe is too big, but some of my normal clothes are getting tight. I ended up buying several maternity shirts and bottoms at a local consignment sale this past week. It's nice to have some "new" things to wear, but even nicer that I didn't spend much on them.
-Nausea and heartburn is still a constant problem. Still taking Reglan daily and need to remember to buy some tums next time I'm out and about!
-I was able to see my belly move on the outside for the first time this week.  Always so fun!
-Next appointment: March 5th for the diabetes screening

23 Months

Little Peanut,

This has been possibly your best month yet!  This is your last month as a one year old and I am trying to cherish every moment we have left!  Things have been going really well this month and I am feeling extremely blessed.  Mommy is feeling a lot better (still nauseous and throwing up from time to time, but much better), your little sister is growing perfectly (already half way through the pregnancy), and you have become a champion sleeper!  You are sleeping 12-13 hours at night and 1.5-2.5 hours for naps.  AMAZING!  You have never been a good napper, so this is truly a miracle, especially after last month where you had all but given up on napping.  I am trying to enjoy every second, as I know it most likely won't last.  But all that sleeping has made you so pleasant to be around!  Instead of being cranky in the evenings, you are smiley and energetic.  What a wonderful change of pace!

Your schedule right now:
7:30 or 8am - Wake up, Breakfast
10am - Snack
12pm - Lunch
1:15pm - Nap
2:45ish - Wake up (I always leave you for a full 1.5 hours no matter what, but lately you have been sleeping for close to 2 hours! Thank you!)
3:30pm - Snack
6pm - Family Dinner
6:30pm - Playtime with Daddy
7pm - Bedtime routine
7:30pm - In bed 

There are two major transitions that are fast approaching that are making Mommy very nervous.  At some point we are going to have to move you into a toddler bed and eventually you will have to be potty trained!  AHHHH!  I am so worried about those two major changes!  Part of me just wants to put them both off for another year, but another part of me wants to just get them both over with.  What to do, what to do?

You are a still a champion eater, although I do think you might be slowing down a bit.  The other day I took you out to lunch to Honey Baked Ham and one of the workers there couldn't believe how well you did.  She asked me how old you were and when I told her, she was shocked.  She said she has a child the same age and they are always forced to eat at fast food restaurants where they have a playground.  She couldn't believe that you would sit so nicely and not whine once.  It was a good reminder for Mommy of how blessed we are to have such a well behaved little girl!

You are saying the funniest things these days and have learned that saying, "Please Mommy/Daddy?" will get you anything you want!  It's just irresistible!  You have started saying "I love you Mommy/Daddy" without any prompting, which just melts our hearts!  When did you get so incredibly sweet?  A few other precious sayings - "Come wit (with) me Mommy" (as she grabs my hand), "Watch me Mommy", "Thank you Mommy", "Play all day", "Read this pease (please)", "Daddy, in the tent" (when she wants daddy to play in her tent), "I see baby Emma?" or "Morning Emma" (to my tummy).  You are still singing all kinds of songs (or at least trying to).   You can sing the Barney theme song word for word and your latest is the Alphabet Song, which you sing out of order ("ABC, ABC, QRS" etc.)  Precious!

You have recently started wanting me to hold you like a baby and sing to you.  It's the most precious thing!  We rock in the chair in your room and you just let me hold you while you request different songs - "Lullaby and Goodnight", "Rock-a-bye Baby", "Hush Little Baby".  Sometimes you let me hold you for several minutes, which is amazing.  You also went through a couple weeks of wanting to listen to lullaby music while we rocked you in your chair.  "Moosic" (music) you would say and then we would rock you for several minutes.  At one point we started doing this in the middle of night when you were waking up, hysterical.  This was probably not the best decision, as it wasn't an easy habit to break, but it was totally worth it!  Those were some of the best cuddling moments ever!

For the latter part of the month you were sick with a never-ending cold.  It started with a runny nose and slight fever and turned into an ear infection and croup.  Thankfully after a 10 day dose of amoxycillian, your nose has finally stopped running!   I sure do hate when you are sick, but I can't say that I don't love the extra cuddles.

Other 23 Month Stats:
- You still wear size 5 diapers day and night (overnight diapers at night)
- You still wear a size 7 shoe
- You still wear mostly 2T clothes, with a few 24 month and 3T things mixed in.  But it won't be long before all you can wear are 3T clothes.
- You weigh 29 pounds and are 34.5" inches

How can you possibly be one month away from 2 years old? Impossible! I love you more and more everyday!

Pregnancy: 21 Weeks and THE NAME!

It was a very exciting week!  We had the big 20 week ultrasound (anatomy scan) and everything looked perfect.  We feel very blessed!  We also announced her name (we have known it for several weeks now, but wanted to wait to be 100% sure she was a SHE!)  Her name is Emma Rose.  Emma was my great-grandmother's name (on my mom's side) and Rose was Brian's great-grandmother's name (on his dad's side).  So not only do we love the name, but it also has significance! :-)

Here's what's going on this week....

What's going on with the baby right now?
-She is the size of a large banana or carrot.
-According to our ultrasound she weighs 12oz right now (definitely on the bigger side).  This just proves that you have absolutely no control over how big your baby will be.  My body was starving for months (23 pounds lost, remember?), yet the baby didn't suffer at all.  It truly is amazing!
-She is about 10.5" head to toe

What's going on with me?
-I am very close to my pre-pregnancy weight!  Only 4 pounds to go.  So that means I gained 2 pounds in the last week.  I seriously need to slow this weight gain down now!!  But it makes me feel better to know that at this point with Hannah I was 10 pounds heavier.  Maybe I can avoid gaining nearly 50 pounds like I did with her!  YIKES!
-This week I was very uncomfortable.  It is hard to find a comfy position to sit or lay in and I am already struggling to breath at times.  I feel huge already! 
-Nausea and heartburn are still ever present.  The nausea tapers off throughout the day (thankfully!) but then the heartburn starts at night.  No rest for the weary. ;-)  Still taking reglan every morning for the nausea, but nothing for the heartburn yet.  I threw up at least 2 times this week, which was not fun.  And spent the entire day Sunday on the couch.  I felt awful.  It scared me that I might be slipping back into the severe hyperemesis days.  But thankfully I felt a lot better on Monday!
-I wore my first pair of maternity jeans this week.  They are still HUGE, but I'm in that in between stage where my pants are starting to get too tight and maternity pants are too big.  So today I did the old hair tire around the button trick on my normal jeans.  We'll see how long that lasts.
-I had a lot more energy this week, despite not being able to sleep well.  I toss and turn all night and struggle to fall asleep in the first place. 
-Still lots of movement from the baby!  Still mostly at night and Brian is feeling her a lot more now. 
-Next appointment: March 5th for the diabetes screening

A little more info about the ultrasound this week...it was great.  It was so incredibly detailed.  I loved every second of seeing our little Emma dance around on the screen.  She was moving a ton and had her little hands up by her face for most of the time.  She was rubbing her eyes and even sucking her thumb at one point.  Adorable!  She had her little legs crossed at the ankles and at one point was stretching out her little toes.  We were able to see all the parts of the brain and heart, as well as the umbilical cord and diaphragm.  It was amazing.  Everything looked just as it should and we were so thankful.  After recently finding out about so many unborn babies with medical problems, I was feeling so blessed to have a healthy baby growing inside of me.  It really is a miracle!

We also booked a hospital tour for April.  It seemed a little silly booking one, but they have a family tour, so I thought that would be good for Hannah.  However, we are all so familiar with the hospital (after Hannah's birth and my two stays earlier in this pregnancy) that it still seems silly.  But hopefully it won't be a complete waste of time.

Pregnancy: 20 Weeks!!

HALF WAY!  Brian seems to think time is going fast, but I seem to have the opposite feeling.  It seems to me like I should have had this baby already!  Those first two months of extreme sickness (severe hyperemesis) took a lot out of me, which made it seem like much longer.  But I will admit that the weeks are going faster now that I am feeling better.  So that's good!  Here's what's going on this week....

What's going on with the baby right now?
-She is the size of a small cantaloupe, butternut squash, or banana (depending on which food you prefer) ;-)
-She is about 10" head to toe and weighs about 10.5oz

What's going on with me?
-Heartburn is in full force.  Thankfully it usually waits until nighttime to appear, but that makes sleeping a bit uncomfortable.  I sleep propped up with several pillows, which isn't the most comfortable position.  Thankfully I haven't had to take any zantac for it yet, but I'm sure that won't be far off.
-This week was exciting because I finally got to wear some maternity clothes!  I'm only wearing the tops at this point, as most of my regular pants are still too big.  But I know those elastic waistbands are in my near future....yeah!!  (I know, I'm weird, but I love maternity clothes!  So comfy!)
-Lots of movement from the baby.  She is most active at night, when we are relaxing on the couch.  Brian has felt her move a few times now, which is exciting.
-My dill pickle craving has returned.  I was reading my journal from Hannah's pregnancy and found out that my dill pickle craving with her started around the same time.  Too funny!  This just confirms 100% that we are having another girl. :)  I've also been on a sushi kick for the last couple weeks.  I'm sticking to mostly the cooked variety, but I won't lie, I eat the raw sometimes too.  So good!
-Still nauseous for the majority of the day, but definitely worse in the morning.  But I no longer have to lay on the couch for any length of time because of it, so I take that as a win!  But I do end up laying down a lot in the morning if we don't have an activity planned.  I am just SO tired all the time...still!
-I only have 6 pounds to gain back before I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  That means I gained 3 pounds in the last week.  WOW!  I better slow down with this rapid weight gain or I am going to be huge by the time this baby arrives.
-I took my first belly pic last week!!!  YEAH!  I promise to post it very soon!
-My belly button has started to flatten out, which happened with Hannah too. 
-I am starting to get a little sad that Hannah will no longer be the baby of the family.  It's going to be so hard to have to share my time with Hannah and the new baby.  I know I will love them equally, no question, but to have to take time away from Hannah and for her to have to share me and Brian with someone else is going to be tough.  I am enjoying that she has been more cuddly than normal lately (thanks to a cold) and trying to cherish every moment we have left as just the three of us.
-Next appointment: February 8 for another ultrasound!