Week 13:
Well little one, we have made it to the next trimester. Amazingly it seems all of your organs are in place and doing what they should be doing which is pretty darn impressive! Now you grow and grow and grow! For my part in the whole process, I am still a bit sick depending on the day and so so tired still. I've been able to be a bit more productive in getting life more organized after that first trimester but it is still proving to be a challenge with how tired I am or how sick I still feel in the evenings. But I can't complain because I'm just so happy that we've hung in there together through trimester one and onward through the next. I'm hoping this next trimester will be smooth and we can avoid any of the issues I encountered with your big sister. I guess only time will tell! So lets keep doing what we are doing, growing bigger and bigger!
Week 14:
How's it going in there Smalls? You are really starting to make your presence known, now the size of a peach and I'm growing bigger and bigger. I think I might be noticeably showing now. I am also for sure starting to feel little thumps from you which will eventually be my favorite part of this whole experience. You seem to be as active in there as your big sister as opposed to your big brother who I barely felt move. Your Daddy was able to feel your big sister kick by 18 weeks so he is eagerly waiting to feel you move too. But for now, we just wait for you to grow a little bit bigger and stronger! I can very easily find your heartbeat now with the at home doppler as you've settled right at about 150 bpm. This doesn't help me try to guess your gender! Otherwise we are starting to prepare for your arrival, we've planned out the nursery, are scouring the baby name books, and even ordered your car seat this week as there is so much we need to get this time around so no better time than now to start preparing! We can't wait to meet you in November (hopefully)!
Week 15:
This week we had another doctors appointment. All seems to be going great and your heart beat was super easy to find now, still right around 150! The only issue continues to be high blood pressure, it was higher this time than last time. I am concerned but doctor said it still wasn't too bad. I just don't want to have any blood pressure issues near the end of this thing like I had with your sister. I was able to borrow my parents blood pressure monitor for home use though and at home it ranges pretty low and is ideal so maybe it just has something to do with going to the doctor, and I am grateful that maybe it isn't as big of an issue as I've thought it was. We have also started test driving two names for you, a boy and a girl name to see how we really feel. The boy name is one that we have always loved but because it didn't follow ALL of the silly rules we've come up with for naming our kids we haven't used it yet. Your daddy finally looked at me because we do love the name and said, "we make the rules, we can break the rules." So right now it is the front runner. Our girl name was not the girl name we thought we had picked out for you. But it was a name when we went through the baby book that we both really liked and so we are testing it out too. I hope you like whatever we come up with!
Week 16:
Hello my busy little baby! You have definitely picked up the movement this week and I am loving it! From feeling well enough to be a productive member of society again, to feeling you jab and kick, this is the best part of pregnancy. When we feel you kick we can't help but try to see if we can feel it from the outside yet because we can't wait for Daddy to feel you too. It is an exciting time for sure! This week I was able to get the nursery cleaned up and cleaned out, it had become a catch all and extra toy room for the other kids over the last couple years. We also picked out paint and are ready to get moving on your room. I feel a lot of nesting instinct already, maybe because while I don't PLAN on going on bedrest for the 3rd trimester again, I want to be prepared in case it does happen. So that means getting ready for you in the 2nd trimester. And I guess the bonus of that is, even if we don't have complications this time I know that once your siblings start soccer and fall baseball and school again that time is going to fly and it will be time to meet you before we know it! It still feels soooo long before we get to see you face to face but I am enjoying the process, savoring the special gift that you are to us, knowing that a lot of these moments will be "lasts" for me and wanting to enjoy every second that I have with you inside me because I know once you are born you are going to grow up far faster than I want you to. So we enjoy where we are in the journey at this moment.
Week 17:
How's it going in there Smalls? You seem to have a lot of energy and that makes me happy as you kick and wiggle all the time! The best part of this week is that your Daddy was already able to feel you thump and wiggle around in there! You little overachiever you! We are just enjoying almost every part of pregnancy this time, from that growing bump to all the wiggles and movements, I know these moments will pass by and that I will miss it! Your anatomy scan seems so far away still and I am so eager to see you again, it feels so long since that last ultrasound at 7 weeks. We have fallen completely head over heels in love with you already!
Week 18:
Another week slowly passes. It seems the days are just dragging at this point because I am so eager for that anatomy scan to see you and make sure you are doing well in there. The most exciting part of this week is that over the long 4th of July weekend your Daddy was able to get your nursery painted, it is an exciting time to really start prepping for you! You've been a bit quieter this week which made me a bit nervous, fortunately I still have that at home doppler when I go all night and all morning without feeling you. Your heartbeat has dropped down into "boy" range now in the 130's to 140's. Fortunately by the very end of this week you were back to your crazy antics of kick kick kicking it! You must have just changed position in there for a couple of days to where it was harder to find you but I just love feeling you wiggle and move and kick and punch and I will try my best to not complain once those feet are reaching up under my ribs!
Week 19:
This has been a really good week, I have had more days where I've felt great as opposed to feeling a bit yucky. I'm hoping the yucky days are behind us! You are definitely a busy little bee this week as you kick and wiggle and move what feels like constantly, but I love it so it's good! I feel huge already but I'm trying to be okay with it and embrace the journey. I think my favorite part is that your strong movements make it super easy to bond with you and maybe get a little glimpse of who you are! I can't wait to meet you but lets keep on kicking on for now!
Week 20:
The week I have been waiting for! This week I finally got to see you. It is also hopefully the week we passed the halfway mark, but I don't want you to come too early okay? I already feel so bonded to you that the ultrasound was just icing on the cake! I finally caught a little glimpse of who you are. You had all of us laughing as you were so stubborn. You had kicked hard all morning and I thought for sure you were napping as we went in for the ultrasound but the images said otherwise. The tech said you were one of the busiest baby's she had ever worked with. That explains all that movement I'm already feeling! You did not cooperate at all and we weren't able to get great images of your heart or face, but she eventually got you to move so she could see your face but then you stuck your thumb in your mouth and kept it there until the very end where we got a very brief look at your face. From what we could tell, you look like your daddy or big brother. I don't think that necessarily means anything about gender though because your sister looked like your daddy too! So even though I didn't get the best look at you, everything looks great, you are measuring a week ahead at 14 ounces! I seriously can't wait to meet you and snuggle you!
Week 21:
Another week cruised by! Things are going well. We laughed this week as you were making my belly bounce all over from the outside. It is crazy how much earlier your high activity level is making things happen! But this is the best part in my opinion so I am happy! In slightly more worrisome news, the braxton hicks contractions are definitely picking up. I am probably averaging 3-4 a day and I know they can be very normal especially the more pregnancies I have but it still makes me nervous as the contractions were often enough to start creating issues at 28 weeks last time. So I am remaining optimistic but cautious. I want to avoid bed rest but I will obviously do whatever it takes to keep you healthy and get you to full term. But let's put that aside for now and just enjoy where we are!
Week 22:
Hello my little coconut! That is what my app says you are this week! And you should have broken the 1 pound mark this week! But if your 14 ounce estimate was correct 2 weeks ago, you probably broke that before now. This week I felt you hiccup for the first time which is so cute and sweet and I also felt you do a full on rollover in there - ouch! You clearly still have plenty of room for all these antics so enjoy it while you got it, because the day is coming where it's gonna get a little more tight in there!
Week 23:
Well little one, this has been a tough week! This week I had a really bad cold and was tired and miserable making it hard to rest or get any sleep at night. Summer colds or pregnant colds should not be a thing! My ribs which are already sore as they spread out to make room for organs hurt extra bad from all the coughing I was doing! Fortunately I am on the mend now and you are just as strong and it seems happy as ever in there! Have I told you just how insanely loved you are?!? We are right on the cusp of viability this week, meaning if you didn't stay put (you better stay put) some hospitals would be able to save your life! That's pretty darn remarkable. Every week from here the rate of survival just gets better and better so lets keep on keeping on together and show those big siblings that came early or needed bed rest how impressive you are and that we won't need either option to make it to full term this time ;)
Week 24:
This week we had our last second trimester check up! Wow! Here I am now getting all nostalgic because this is very likely the last time I get to experience all this and it feels like the end is getting near! We did a lot more work in your nursery this week and added the rocking chair, I can't wait for all the bedtime snuggles we will soon be sharing in there! The doctor appointment went well and we talked over the gestational diabetes test and some alternatives I am going to try (like taking the a1c test and checking my blood sugar numbers at home) before they make me fast for 12 hours and take the 2 hour test. My tummy still doesn't feel great most mornings so I am hoping my at home test numbers save me from having to take a test that will likely make me sick. We also discussed the increasing amount of contractions I am getting, it scares me because I feel like I am on a very similar trajectory to last time and I really don't want to have to worry about you and go on bedrest to keep you in there! Fortunately for now, we are still going strong and as long as they don't become regular or increase in intensity I will just try to rest and drink water when they hit! You are now the size of a canteloupe and I feel like I feel every flip, wiggle punch and kick! I love it!
Week 25:
This week was full of highs and lows. The low is that I agreed to test my blood sugars and it took less than a day for me to realize that my body was not cooperating with these sugars and I am pretty darn sure I have gestational diabetes like I did with your big brother (but not with your sister). I still remember a lot of the knowledge I gained and what I didn't know, I quickly was able to research online. It is hard to feel like I am failing you, even though I know it is a part of pregnancy hormones and I would never blame someone else if they had it. I just hate knowing my body is not taking care of you as well as it should. If it's not a cervix that is shortening, apparently it is overloading you with sugar. But I am working my tail off and researching like crazy to get this all under control. The good news is that my daytime numbers easily aligned as I lowered carbs, unfortunately the one number I can't necessarily control, my fasting numbers are not cooperating at all. I am going to do everything I can to try and get that number down without meds but if for some reason I need meds for this time period to protect you and keep you safe, I will. On a high note, your daddy and I got away for a little "baby moon". Our last hurrah before we settle into fall and anticipate your arrival! We went to one of our favorite places, did a little bit of hiking and sightseeing, I was able to take the most fabulous quiet naps. We ate some yummy food but the timing of figuring out all this sugar stuff definitely cut into how much we could enjoy the food! Regardless, we had a great time and are more ready than ever to get through these next few months and meet you!
Week 26:
Hi Sweet baby! Here we go another week behind us. As usual, it feels like the 20 weeks seem to just drag on and on. I'm still figuring out a lot with my blood sugars and what works and what doesn't. Trying to figure out the right compromise between moving and walking to help keep my sugars down, but not walking so much as to cause a bunch of contractions and pressure. It's a balancing act and honestly I am so paranoid about keeping you as safe as possible that I'm constantly stressing. Your brother spending time in the NICU certainly scared me straight into not being able to have a blissfully unaware pregnancy. I knew the third trimester would be one full of anxiety for me, but I just remind myself that a lot is out of my control and I pray a lot. I remind myself that as much as I love you, you have a heavenly Father who loves you even more than I do, and I have to trust that He has this, no matter the outcome. I am already counting down every week and know that prematurity outcomes get better at 28 weeks and 32 weeks and 34 weeks and 36 weeks. We just countdown every milestone. At this point, I just can't wait until you are born and healthy and I can take that sigh of relief with you when you cry out into this world. Ah pregnancy hormones at their finest! You are still the most active baby and we love watching you and feeling you kick and bounce and roll and hiccup. You are one strong feisty baby so I know we got this last trimester!
So here we go! The countdown begins as we enter the third trimester! Less than 13 weeks to go! I am starting to see all the signs that the 3rd trimester is here. Lots of back pain, pressure in my pelvis, ready for bed by 9:00, swelling in my hands is beginning, harder to breathe as my organs get pressed farther into my chest. It really is all downhill from here! But on the plus side, baby is now 2 to 2 1/2 lbs, growing bigger and stronger and I can tell! Every week the risks associated with premature delivery go down more. I have contractions here and there but so far they aren't as bad as they were last time when I was already getting FFN tests so I am optimistic for now that bed rest will not be a part of the protocol. We are definitely entering into the stage where I worry more because there are so many unknowns as we approach these last stages, but we are doing about as good as can be expected and I have no complaints. Even if there are twists and turns in this journey, I know that you are worth every single second of hardship! You are a long awaited blessing to our family and we could not be any more excited to watch the weather turn from summer into fall and know that it won't be long now until we meet you face to face. I look forward to every single snuggle coming my way!
