Welcome to Nine Months. I will be blogging here for
the next nine months about what it is like to be pregnant and take care of a young child!
I have one daughter who was born in January of 2002. Now I am expecting our
second (and final!) child the first week in December 2003.
Everything has been going great so far! I'm really surprised that it seems so much easier the second time around. I guess it's different when you know what to expect! I had a chance to write down the list of events for the day Carson was born. Since my nine months is over, I will probably not blog here often. When I do blog, it will be at my other site, Sharon's Random Thoughts.
Here's how the day unfolded:
November 21, 2003
6:00 AM – I wake up after a terrible night’s sleep. The day before, I was checked at the doctor’s and was told that I was 4 centimeters dilated. I wasn’t having any signs of labor until I tried to go to sleep that night. I was having contractions when I tried to go to sleep, but my husband convinced me to try to get some rest. I managed to sleep off and on until 6:00.
6:30 AM – I decide to call my mom before she heads off to work. I still wasn’t sure if I was in labor so I didn’t want her to waste a vacation day and come out. After talking to her for a bit, the contractions started coming every 5 minutes apart. She insists on coming out and getting my husband's parents on her way. My mom is thrilled because she has predicted since the day we announced the pregnancy that the baby would be born on her mother’s birthday, November 21.
7:45 AM – The grandparents arrive and I am still having regular contractions, so we wake our daughter up and give her breakfast. Everyone gets to witness me have many painful contractions.
8:45 AM – The contractions are coming 3 minutes apart so we start loading the car and call the doctors. They tell me it’s okay to go to the hospital.
9:19 AM – We arrive at the hospital and I am wheeled to the maternity ward. The contractions are almost unbearable at this point. Luckily, I remembered the Lamaze breathing technique. It doesn’t take the pain away but it helps distract me from the pain. I get checked and I am 5 centimeters and about 90% effaced. Everyone heads for the waiting room.
10:10 AM - They start the IV, after poking at my rolling veins many times. I have to wait an hour before I can get the epidural. I am in terrible pain for this hour.
11:00 AM – I am now 6 centimeters and the anesthesiologist arrives to give me my epidural!
12:10 PM – I am still at 6 centimeters. My contractions slowed down and weakened from the epidural, so they broke my water and started a small dose of Pitosin.
12:26 PM – Made it to 8 centimeters!
12:31 PM – I feel this intense urge to push! The nurse called for the doctor, who was on her was to take care of another patient. I didn’t expect her to stay and get ready to deliver since it took an hour and 18 minutes of pushing to deliver my daughter. My husband calls the waiting room to have my mom come in for the birth. Even though I had the epidural, I can still feel intense pain. I screamed through the entire pushing process. I was almost wishing for an episotomiy, but luckily she didn’t give me one. At one point, I gained enough composure to take a peek and see if I could see the baby’s head. To my amazement, there it was! I just needed a few good pushes and this would be all over! So, I push with all of my might and out comes the head! I cannot explain the relief that I felt at that moment!
12:42 PM – It’s a beautiful baby boy!!! We have Carson! (A name that my husband came up with before we were pregnant with our first. He came up with it by using 3 letters of his name and three letters of my name) What an exciting moment! We now have a little boy and a little girl! And now we have someone to carry on our last name!
After that, my husband cuts the cord and they clean Carson and measure him. After spending a few moments with him, my husband and my mom head for the waiting room to tell everyone that we had a boy. Carson's cousin was also able to make it to the hospital to be one of the first to see him.
I went to the doctor's today only to find out that I am 4 centimeters dilated and 50% effaced! I could hardly believe it. The doctor seemed surprised that I haven't had any cramps or anything. Just the regular old braxton-hicks. I'm not complaining though! Only 6 more to go and I push the baby out! OMG!! I can't believe this is going to happen soon... :)
Monday, November 17, 2003 Duplicating History (36 Weeks 6 Days)
The photo that you see as part of my logo was taken 6 days before my daughter was born. We decided to dress me up in the same dress and take another picture of my pregnant belly. I had some issues with my new camera, so I didn't get it exactly the same. I also didn't think about the fact that I was facing the other way! But for the most part, I think I look similar.
I had my daughter 18 days before my expected due date. If that history were to repeat itself, I have about 3 hours left to have this baby! I don't think it's going to happen! I get examined at my doctor's appointment this Thursday, so I am very curious to see if there is any indication of labor soon!
My prenatal exercise class was cancelled due to lack of enrollment. Luckily, I hit if off with one of the girls in the class and we are still meeting to exercise together. It's so much more fun to exercise with someone , especially when they are going through exactly what you are.
I'm starting to feel like a human time bomb, not knowing when exactly when this baby is going to come. With my last pregnancy, I just expected to go to my due date. From that experience, I have learned that due dates pretty much mean nothing. I have actually been feeling pretty good the past few days. I only have minor complaints, like a sore back and not being able to sleep comfortably. We are trying to cover all of our grounds and make sure we have a plan for when I do go into labor. The last time was fairly simple, but this time we have a little one who needs to be watched. I think we have it all worked out as long as a scenario that we didn't think of arises.
So, is it going to be one more week or four more? Tick, tock.....
Wednesday, November 05, 2003 Epidural Class (35 Weeks 1 Day)
The hospital that I am delivering at requires that you attend an epidural class. That's what I did today. What you do is watch a 20 minute video all about your drug choices for pain relief, then an anesthesiologist answers questions and then you sign a waiver saying that they aren't responsible for anything horrible that happens to you. Including death! Yikes! I had to attend this same class when I was pregnant with my daughter, but I didn't feel the anxiety then that I did today. The video shows a mom in labor getting her epidural. It also explained how they will first inject something between your spine to numb the area then a catheter is inserted into the spine in a place called the epidural space. It's located right in front of the area where the spinal fluid is located. If the anesthesiologist is just a little bit off and hits the area where the spinal fluid is, it will cause a severe headache that could last a week. Ouch! But he says not to worry, it only happens to 1 in 100 to 200 women or so. Then in the video, we get to witness a birth. To see that mom pushing with all of her might to get that baby out just freaked me out for a minute. It's all coming back to me now. What am I doing?! I have to go through all of this all over again! Oh my goodness, I must be crazy! My palms where so sweaty being in that hospital knowing that in a few short weeks, I will be there in labor!
Ok, time to calm down... The epidural isn't really what I am stressing about. Really, you cannot even feel much of what they are doing because the contractions hurt so much more. But just the thought of what they are doing back there kind of freaks me out. But, the relief is wonderful. It doesn't take all of the pain away, it just takes a lot of the edge off. So, I more than likely will have one again. I'm just not looking forward to the whole labor and delivery process. And being in the hospital. I have to stop dwelling on it right now...
Anyway, I know everything will be fine and that I will survive and all. And the best part of all is, I AM NEVER GOING TO DO THIS AGAIN! :)
Tuesday, November 04, 2003 My Daughter's Birth Story (35 Weeks - 2nd Post)
I thought it would be fun to post the story that wrote about the day my daughter was born since I am so close to having another birth story to share!
January 26, 2002
4:30 AM – I wake up with one of the most painful contractions that I have ever felt during the entire pregnancy. I found it kind of strange that it woke me up. I tried to go back to sleep and as soon as I would start to drift, I would be awakened by another uncomfortable contraction. After a while of laying there trying to go back to sleep, I decided to go to the couch and watch television, since I couldn’t sleep. I noticed that I kept getting contractions and they felt like they were happening regularly, so I decided to write the time down every time I got one. That’s when I realized they were coming about every ten minutes. I didn’t think anything of it since the pain was tolerable.
7:45 AM – My husband wakes up to find me not in bed. When he finds me on the couch, he is puzzled as to why I am not in bed. I explain that I have been having contractions and I wrote the times down. He looks at the sheet of paper and gets a funny look on his face. He says, “We’re going to have a baby today!” I, in total denial, said “Oh, no. This is just false labor. Read the ‘What To Expect When You Are Expecting’ book.” He reads the description and agrees. It sounds like false labor.
8:30 AM – We are on our way to Lamaze class. I am still having regular contractions.
9:00 AM – The teacher asks us if we have anything new to report. We tell her about losing my mucus plug on Thursday and the doctor telling us that I am 2-1/2 centimeters dilated on Friday. We also mentioned the contractions. She laughs and says that maybe we will have show and tell in class today!
2:00 PM – My husband has been writing down every contraction that I have had. They are coming closer and closer. By the time class is over, they are about every three minutes. We decide that maybe we should ask the teacher what she thinks. She says that it could be false labor, but since they were taking a tour of the maternity ward, we should go along. She offered to talk to the nurses about it.
3:00 PM – We take the tour first. I am hit by one of the most painful contractions yet. Terri, the Lamaze instructor, talks to one of the nurses. They told me to get into a hospital gown and they would hook me up to the monitors and give me an exam. I am now 3-4 centimeters dilated and the contractions are still coming regularly. We still think that I am going to go back home. Nobody has told me yet that I am staying. I am also very hungry. All I had to eat the entire day was a bowl of cereal and a banana. They tell me that I cannot eat incase I would need a c-section.
4:00 PM – My husband starts calling the family. He first calls our friends since we are supposed to be at their house at 4:30. Looks like we aren’t going to make it! The nurses want to hook me up to an IV incase I get the epidural. I don’t want to be hooked up to anything yet since I want to walk and take a shower. I never did get one that morning. After showering, we go for a walk up and down the hall several times. The contractions are getting extremely painful. When I get one, I stop and put my head on the wall while my husband rubs my belly. When the contraction is over, I’m joking and laughing, I can’t believe how much of a difference I feel when the contraction is over. The intensity of the contractions is making me sure that I want an epidural. Even in all of my pain, I am still hungry. The only thing that I am allowed to eat is ice chips.
5:00 PM – We get back to the room and they do another check. They say that I am now 5-1/2 centimeters dilated. The pain of the contractions is getting hard to bear. I tell the nurse that I am sure that I want an epidural as soon as possible. They have to run an IV for an hour before I can get it. Our friends that we were supposed to go out with arrive and they get to witness me having a contraction. (not a pretty sight, I’m sure!)
6:45 PM – The doctor does another check and I am up to 7 centimeters. They finally track down the anesthesiologist. Finally, I am going to get the epidural! They make my husband leave the room. I sit on the edge of the bed while the two nurses hold me and instruct me to breathe. The anesthesiologist tells me that I will feel a little bee sting when he places the needle between two vertebrae in my lower back. I feel the pinch but the contractions are much more painful. After several minutes, I feel like a new person. The contractions aren’t coming as often and when they do, I can barely feel them.
My mother is the next to arrive at the hospital. She is amazed at how relaxed I am for being in labor. She never had the pleasure of an epidural when she had me! Mom signs some papers and is okayed by the hospital to stay for the birth.
7:45 PM – I am now 9 centimeters dilated, only one more to go! The doctor attempts to break my water a second before it broke on it’s own. My in-laws are the next to arrive.
8:10 PM – After another check, I am told it is now time to push! I cannot believe how fast this is all happening. Not too long ago, I thought that I was going home, now I am ready to push a baby out! Pushing was one of the hardest parts of labor and delivery for me. Since the epidural started to wear off, I started to feel a lot of pain. They had to bring the anesthesiologist back to administer more medication. The nurses had me lay on my side to do some pushing, which was extremely uncomfortable. At this point, I am not even thinking about whether the baby is going to be a boy or a girl. I’m so caught up in the moment, I cannot think about anything other than the discomfort. My husband and my mom keep telling me that the baby is right there. They bring me a mirror and I expect to see a head ready to come out. Instead, I can barely see a thing! The baby is so far inside, I can’t believe that they are telling me that it’s right there! I continue pushing as each contraction comes. Finally, the baby really is right there. My mom informs me that the doctor has his episiotomy tools out. I originally wanted to avoid it if possible, and this particular doctor told me at one of my appointments that he only had to perform three episiotomies on the past year. Looks like I’m going to be the first one of this year. At this point, I don’t even care. He could chop my right arm off, if it meant that I could no longer feel this pain!
9:29 PM – What seemed like seconds after the incision, the baby was here! I couldn’t believe the relief that I felt. I have never felt anything like it in my life. That’s all I could think about until I heard the Dr. say, “It’s a girl!” We couldn’t believe it! My mom says, “You got Maleena!” Now it’s all coming back to me, all of this pain was for the baby! Oh yeah, that’s right I just had a baby! And the pain is gone!
Next, my husband cut the umbilical cord. They put Maleena on my tummy while we wiped her off with a towel. I couldn’t believe how beautiful she was and that she was really here! And that she was a girl!! We were convinced that we were going to have a boy, for some reason. But we couldn’t be happier! We have a perfect, beautiful baby girl.
10:15 PM – Everyone comes in to see the new addition and take pictures.
10:30 PM – The nurses told everyone that it was time to leave, since I had to breastfeed Maleena for the first time.
12:00 AM – My husband and I finally get to eat dinner.
The baby finally has a room! The turtles are now in their mansion of an aquarium out in the family room. It's strange walking past the baby's room and thinking that there will be another human residing in our home. I can't believe how fast our family is growing! Two years ago, it was just the two of us! Now, in a couple of weeks it will be the four of us! But this is as big as it gets. I'm not as brave as a lot of women out there who want four or more. I think two children, two cats and two turtles is challenging enough!
My braxton-hicks contractions have been picking up. I have had them for so long, but I have been noticing that they come more often and last a little longer. I can hardly believe that I am now 35 weeks along. If I go when I did with my daughter, I will have a baby in 2 and 1/2 weeks!
Friday, October 31, 2003 The Latest (34 Weeks 3 Days)
God bless you women out there who love pregnancy. I know that I have complained about not being a big fan of it here before, but I am going to do it again! Aside from all of the third trimester discomforts, I seemed to have developed some type of sinus issue this week. I am not sick. I just have lots of phlegm for some reason. Perhaps allergies? Maybe it's another one of those pregnancy related things? Who knows. But it's rather disgusting. Right after breakfast this morning, I started gagging because of it. And then, I actually lost my breakfast. I feel like I am in the first trimester all over again. And of course the old back pain is starting. I feel like an old lady. You know the ones that do nothing but complain that this hurts and that hurts. Geez, I hope I'm not like that when I get old!
On a more positive note, I finally got my 55 gallon tank and stand so I can move the turtles out of the baby's room. I got quite a deal! It came with a lighted hood and a cabinet stand for $50! I found it in the Pennysaver ads online. So, now I just need to get a super-duper filter that will let me go months without emptying it. This thing is a monster and it's going to take two people to clean it.
Sunday, October 26, 2003 Getting Nervous And Hating Maternity Clothes (33 Weeks 5 Days)
I feel so close. Close to those horrible contractions, the epidural, the pushing and the healing. I make my palms sweaty with the thoughts of what's to come. It won't be long now. All I have left is November. And the way October flew by, it will be gone in the blink of an eye. It's a little more nerve-wracking this time. Now, I know what to expect. The first time was all hypothetical. I knew it would hurt but now I know just how bad it will. I know that I should stop thinking about it. What's scaring me is that I could go as early as 3 more weeks! Yikes!
Towards the end of my pregnancy with my daughter, I felt good. I never complained that I hoped that it was over soon. I felt healthy and energetic. This time I am tired, exhausted and uncomfortable. I'm ready. I want my body back. (although it won't completely be mine until the baby is done breastfeeding!)
On another note, I have a tip for any of you pregnant moms that are going to be buying maternity clothes soon. You know those cute hip hugger style maternity jeans that places like Motherhood Maternity sell for $34? DON'T BUY THEM! They don't stay up!! I don't know what they were thinking when they invented these jeans other than a pregnant girl could still feel a little in style. I don't know how you are supposed to feel that you are dressed cool when the crotch of your jeans is hanging towards your knees! Even a belt doesn't help much. It's a joke, don't waste your money!
Wednesday, October 22, 2003 No Sleep Again?! (33 Weeks 1 Day)
I really believe that life is preparing me for a newborn. I was sleeping so well up until a few weeks ago. Other than not sleeping well due to discomfort, our motion sensor light was activated in out backyard last night at 2:00 am. As far as I know, that's never happened before. It went out and came back on again a few minutes later. My husband looked outside, but couldn't see anything. It was more than likely an animal that set it off. Even though I am sure that was the case, I couldn't get back to sleep for the longest time. And when I finally did, my daughter wakes up at 6:30 (she always sleeps until 9:30) screaming "more shopping" and "more baby sock". So I went into her room for a minute and explained to her that it was still night time. She laid down, I covered her and everything was fine. I think she may have had a dream and was cold. But, of course I am not going to go back to bed this late in the game! So, here I am...
Saturday, October 18, 2003 Sleepless Nights (32 Weeks 4 Days)
It's starting already...the sleepless nights. I remember this happening to me a few weeks before my daughter was born. I have to get up so many times to use the bathroom and I am just simply uncomfortable when I sleep. There is no comfortable position for an 8 month pregnant woman to sleep in. (or at least I haven't found it yet) I often wake up and my hands are asleep. Sometimes after I get up to empty my bladder, the baby wakes up too and kicks me like crazy when I am trying to get back to sleep. That's what happened this morning. I never get up before 7:30 but this morning at 6:30, I just couldn't go back to sleep. I am actually up before my husband which is rare. It's really a bummer that this happens to me in late pregnancy since I will be getting no sleep after the baby gets here! Oh well, I guess I should just go with it and enjoy this sleepless time as time by myself.
Tuesday, October 14, 2003 Still Hungry... (32 Weeks)
Even though I am gaining more weight this time, I haven't seemed to have the severe hunger that I had the first time I was pregnant. Until recently... Since I have started to be a little more strict about my eating, due to the sudden weight gain and water retention, I have been hungry like a beast! With my first pregnancy, I was very careful with the way that I ate. This time, I tend to be a bit more relaxed about it. And I guess it shows... Since I am supposed to avoid salt and I am trying to avoid sweets, I snack mostly on fruit. Well, fruit does nothing for hunger! It tastes wonderful, but 10 minutes later I am starving again! And what's really tough is that we took our daughter trick-or-treating at our friend's camp and now we have all of this yummy candy sitting around the house!!! Ahh! I better go to my exercise class now and get my mind off of food!
I went to the doctors on Friday and according to their scale, I have gained 5 pounds in 2 weeks. I'm not too thrilled about this but as it turns out, it's actually water that I am retaining. Apparently this is common in pregnancy. This did not happen to me with my first. My ankles are slightly swollen and my socks leave a big imprint on my legs when I take them off. It's quite gross, actually. My blood pressure is and has been good so the doctor was not concerned about it. She just advised me to drink lots of water, try to sit with my feet up often (yeah, try doing that with a 20 months-old around!) and consume less sodium. The last one is a bummer for me. I LOVE salt. If you put a plate of nachos and cheese and a slice of chocolate cake in front of me, I'm going for the nachos!
Monday, October 06, 2003 Bogus Scale (30 Weeks 6 Days)
I don't know why I always step on my in-laws scale every Sunday night when we are there. I really should start avoiding it now. Usually when I do step on it, it's late in the evening after a big meal and after a weekend of pigging out. (I usually let myself eat more junk food on weekends) Well, last night their scale told me that I weighed 7 pounds more than I did at the doctors a week ago!!! How can that be?! And not to mention that the weight that it said I was is a pound heavier than I was when I delivered my daughter...
I feel bigger this time. When I was pregnant with my daughter, not a soul asked me if I was expecting. This time, many strangers have approached me to find out when I am due. I guess they aren't kidding when they say that you get bigger with your second?
I had a dream last night that I was in the hospital delivering the baby. I was in so much pain that I was out of my mind. I think the doctors gave me drugs because I remember feeling out of it. I also remember screaming a lot and getting the epidural. The dream was strange though, I never got to see my baby. I just remember laying there being thankful that it was all over.
Wednesday, October 01, 2003 Fourth Quartermester (30 Weeks 1 Day)
Okay, I know that there is no such thing as a quartermester, but if there was, I am now in it! I feel like I am in the homestretch now and the pressure is on! I still have no turtle aquarium. I have a feeling that I am going to break down and buy one new. My mom doesn't think that there would be a problem with the turtles sharing the room with the baby for a while, but she's never heard them when they start getting rambunctious! Other than that, we are pretty much ready.
I bought a white shirt and some paints for my daughter today. We are going to make a "I'm a Big Sister" shirt for her to wear to the hospital. I want to prepare her as much as I can prepare a 20 month-old. We have all the story books about new babies. There is a newborn that comes to the gym that I take her to. She just loves him. I think that she'll be okay with it. She also has five baby dolls that all have names and she likes to drag them around everywhere. I wanted to take her to a siblings class, which helps prepare children for the arrival of a new sibling, but the hospital having it said that it was for 2-1/2 year olds and up. We talk about the baby all the time. She'll even kiss my belly and tell the baby that she loves him/her.
My belly seems to be changing lately. It almost looks as though it has dropped, or just got bigger out front. I started dropping with my daughter around 32 weeks and I delivered her when I was 37 weeks. I wonder if this one will come a little early too? I have a heart shaped uterus and from what I have read about it on the internet, it is common to deliver earlier since the uterus cannot grow as well. I have a feeling that I will be expecting to go early again and that isn't going to happen. Then I'll be sitting around wondering every day from 37 weeks on if it's ever going to happen!
I had a doctor's appointment on Friday. I have gained 22 pounds since my first visit. I'm pretty happy with that. I started to feel a bit panicky in the doctor's office while I was waiting for him to come in. It won't be long before they start examining me on these visits! In fact, I already start going every two weeks for visits now!
Sunday, September 28, 2003 My Life Revolves Around The Toilet (29 Weeks 5 Days)
I am getting to that point where my bladder is really being squished! I took my daughter out to run a few errands the other day when I realized that I had to go...again. I was trying to decided whether to stop at a store and go, but after thinking about it I would have to get my daughter out of the car seat. And that would take too much time. Time is precious when you have to go! So, I decided to go home and pull in the garage and let her continue to listen to her Barney CD while I ran in to pee. Then we continued our trip.
The worst feeling is when I get a braxton-hicks contraction on top of a full bladder. It feels as though my full bladder is being squeezed and I have to do everything in my power to hold it in!
I realized that I was getting to this point when I started taking mental note of where the bathroom was, every where I go. Oh, and not to mention the numerous trips that have to be made in the middle of the night. Sometimes I think this is the body's way of preparing you for waking up to take care of a newborn. Although, I have mastered the trick of going to the bathroom in the middle of the night without waking up!
Wednesday, September 24, 2003 Comparing Bellies (29 Weeks 1 Day)
When I was pregnant with my daughter, my dad and I decided to take a picture comparing our belly sizes. So we took another one this time. He's still bigger than me! Ha ha! :)
Friday, September 19, 2003 Hiccups (28 Weeks 3 Days)
One thing that I remembered clearly from my first pregnancy is the feeling of when the baby had hiccups in my belly. Over the past few days, I have been having that feeling again. It's quite an interesting feeling, but annoying when I am trying to sleep. It's like a rhythmic movement. And since this baby is so low, and head down, I was even feeling them on my tailbone last night!
I am really into photography, so I decided to take some artsy photos of my belly today. I have one posted on the side towards the bottom. I can't believe how much I am showing now. Strangers have actually asked me about my pregnancy. I don't think that ever happened with my daughter.
Thursday, September 18, 2003 Sick And Tired (28 Weeks 2 Days)
It's been a rough week. This cold is affecting my sinuses so bad that I couldn't sleep well the past few nights. It's making me remember how it feels waking up several times to take care of a newborn! I think I am starting to get the jitters. I should stop watching "A Baby Story" because it's reminding me of how painful labor and delivery was. For some reason, I felt depressed yesterday. There really was no reason for it other than feeling sick. I think a lot of these feelings are a mixture of hormones and cold virus. Not a good combination!
Sunday, September 14, 2003 Updates (27 Weeks 5 Days)
Congratulations to Steph and Cat on the births of their sons Matthew and Chance! Best of luck with your new little ones! (Hopefully you'll both still have time to blog!)
One thing you can count on when you have little ones is getting sick. I swear that if there is any little cold bug floating around out there, my daughter finds it. We just started our first week of Kid's Gym at the YMCA and of course she picked up a cold. Usually her dad is the one who gets it next, but for some reason I got it this time. As if I didn't have enough complaints about how pregnancy makes me feel! My daughter seems to be better, which makes me happy. (it's never fun to have a sick and miserable kid around)
I started my prenatal exercise class. It is so much better than the regular water class. I actually feel like I get a work out. It's also a little strange because it's the same instructor from when I was pregnant with my daughter. It really hasn't been that long since I was in her class! It's good though, she's a great instructor and she keeps us entertained while we work out.
We got about 80% of out Christmas shopping the other day! I can't believe how much that we are getting done way ahead of time. I am really glad that we are because there is so much to do. I still can't believe that we are going to have another child this Christmas! It's hard trying to shop for little gifts for the baby since we have everything that we need from out first. This will be the second year in a row that we celebrate baby's 1st Christmas!
Monday, September 08, 2003 Third Trimester (26 Weeks 6 Days)
Wow, I can hardly believe that I am just about to enter the third trimester already. Two months and change to go! I feel like this kid is already here. We're just about ready anyway! We got the carpet down, the crib up and the border up! The room no longer looks like a junk room/turtle room. I still need an aquarium! But I feel good since that is the last major thing to be taken care of before the baby comes home. Oh, and we are starting to Christmas shop on Friday!
I had my glucose stress test done on Friday. They make you drink a 12 ounce bottle of this nasty orange soda stuff that is packed with sugar, then they make you sit around for and hour and then they draw blood. Apparently, women late in pregnancy are prone to gestational diabetes (which is diabetes caused by pregnancy). I don't expect that I have a problem with that.
Thursday, September 04, 2003 Lots Of Visitors (26 Weeks 2 Days)
I am amazed by all of the traffic that I get to this site. I have another blogger and a regular website that doesn't get nearly as many hits as this one does. I guess a lot of us pregnant women sit around all day searching for pregnancy information on the net. Most of the hits that I get have keywords looking for pregnant belly pictures or how to guess the gender or information about implantation bleeding. But today, I got one of the oddest set of keywords that brought someone to this site, "I am pregnant and I want nice color baby." What the heck do you suppose they were looking for? Does this person think that there may be a way to change the color of your baby? I don't know?! But, it sure gave me a chuckle.
Wednesday, September 03, 2003 Irritable (26 Weeks 1 Day)
I must be a real pain to live with these days. I am so easily irritated. I don't like the way I feel. I don't know if it's hormones or what. My husband is awesome, I don't know how he puts up with me so well. I'm feeling so uncomfortable already.
I was a big fan of the 80's hair metal bands. I just found out that Bret Michaels and Stryper are coming to town both on week nights. It just so happens that Stryper is playing the day after Bret. I really want to go to these shows, but my hubby wouldn't be able to since we couldn't get a sitter on a weeknight. Not to mention that I'll be 8 months pregnant and I can't stand that long. My husband is encouraging me to go to both, but I don't think I can. I hate making decisions... I don't have a clue what to do. Why couldn't these bands come a year ago?!?
I hope this feeling just passes by. I miss my old self. Pregnancy changes me. I talk to so many women who say that they never felt better than they did while they were pregnant. I don't know why it does the opposite to me. I guess it's better to feel good the rest of my life and poopy while I'm pregnant. :) I will survive...maybe some food will make me feel better!
Tuesday, September 02, 2003 Maternity Clothes And More (26 Weeks)
The other day, I wore maternity clothes for the first time during this pregnancy. I didn't like it. I'm just not a big fan of them. I have no problem showing off my pregnant belly in tighter shirts, so my problem is that they make the shirts tent-like. It seemed like everyone made comments that day on how I am looking pregnant. Luckily, I still have a few bigger things that still fit, but it's a matter of time before I have no choice but to wear them all of the time. But the shocking thing is that I only have 3 more months of pregnancy left!! Wow! This is going so fast!
In other news, I recently found out that a friend of mine is expecting! She is due four months after me. It will be nice to have another friend with a child the same age. It's really nice for my daughter because our other friends have a son who is a year and a half older than her. They are both at the age where they enjoy playing now.
My doctor's appointment went fine. I saw the doctor who delivered my daughter. He is my favorite out of the 5 in the practice. He never makes me feel like he doesn't have time for my questions. I hope that he delivers this baby too. When I asked about the out of breath feeling that I have been having, he said that sometimes it is due to the extra progesterone hormone in the body. It could also be due to the position of the baby or even acid reflux. There really isn't anything that I can do about it, just make sure that my lips never turn blue when I am having this feeling. That is a sign of not getting enough oxygen.
Tuesday, August 26, 2003 Making Progress (25 Weeks)
I've been trying to hustle with the baby's room. There are only 15 weeks (or less) until the baby arrives. Since I am due December 5th, we are going to have to get our Christmas shopping done in October or November. So, I figured that now is the best time to get the baby's room as ready as possible. I finally found some border for the room. It has ABC's and 123's on it. It's really cute and will add some color to the room. I bought off-white curtains since I thought they would go well with the carpet. The carpet is not ready yet, but once we get it, we will assemble the crib. It's going to seem strange to actually use that room for something other than turtles and to hide junk!
Since my water aerobics class is over, I registered for a new one. This is an actual prenatal water aerobics class. The teacher is actually the same girl who ran the class that I took when I was pregnant with my first. She's really good and I remember feeling like I got a good workout. The class that I just took wasn't as good. Plus it's always fun to be around other pregnant women since you have so much in common. I feel like I am really out of shape this time. I am really trying though. I am still walking with my friend at the mall (who I am losing since she will be starting a job next week ). But, I get so short of breath after every little thing that I do.
Other than that, there's isn't too much else to report. I have a doctor's appointment on Friday. I don't have many questions for him, so it should be a quick one!
Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Where Is The Time Going? (24 Weeks)
I can hardly believe that I am 6 months pregnant already. Since I have been feeling better, the time is going really fast. I am so preoccupied with my little one and my hobby (photography), that the time is melting away. We finally picked out some carpet yesterday. The baby's room has hardwood floors that we want to preserve so we are having a piece cut and bound. I had wanted to go with a primary colors theme, but after we got looking I just couldn't picture any of those colored carpets in the room. We settled for a tan carpet that will go with anything. We still have a lot to do and only 16 more weekends before the baby gets here! (or less!!)
I'm starting to feel big, although I have not worn maternity clothes yet. It's only a matter of time. I keep going to the local thrift store and picking up bigger sized shorts. I am starting to feel the pressure on my lungs from the baby taking up room in my body. It makes me feel as though I am always short of breath.
I had a dream that the baby was born last night. What amazes me is that the labor is always easy and painless in my dreams. I wish it were so easy. Labor and delivery are really no fun. I'm not looking forward to it, or the healing part. Oh well, once I see that beautiful baby, everything will be alright. Oh, also in the dream it was a girl. I think that almost every time I've had a dream about delivery it was a girl. While I was pregnant with my daughter, I always dreamed that I had a boy.
I've added a 24 week belly picture to my collection. Scroll down, if you would like to see it.
Thursday, August 14, 2003 Pregnancy Heat (23 Weeks 2 Days)
I am usually a cold person. It has to be about 78 degrees outside before I even think about putting shorts on. I die in the winter time, because I am always so cold. Not when I am pregnant! It's totally different. When I was pregnant with my daughter, the pregnancy heat didn't start to happen until about October. And that was great! I would go out in the winter with the thinnest jacket on and be totally comfortable. I loved it! It was the first time I didn't feel overwhelmed by the cold winter. With this pregnancy, the internal is starting as summer is at it's hottest! I have the air conditioning running constantly. I'll go outside and think to myself that it must be at least 90 outside, only to go in and find out it's actually 79. It is absolutely crazy the things that your body does to you while you are pregnant. I think this is the first time in my life that I am not dreading winter!
Monday, August 11, 2003 Preparing For Baby (22 Weeks 6 Days)
Even though I still have a couple of months to prepare, it keeps hitting me that we have yet a lot to do! So far, we have acquired a crib and I have cleaned out a few thing from the baby's room, but there are still tons of things to do. I have yet to find an aquarium, filter and stand for the turtles. I need to sell the weight bench in the basement so I can move my art desk and photography supplies down there. We are currently shopping for carpet, border, blinds and curtains. Last night, we were looking for border. I think that I want to go for a primary colors theme and have the borders have crayons or rainbows on it. We paid .99 cents a roll for my daughter's border, but this time the only stuff I can find is $10.99 a roll and none of it even looks like what I want. Looks like I'll be keeping my eye on eBay since there were over 600 listings for wall border there.
Oh yeah, and another thing that we need is a girl's name! We have a boys name that we picked out with the first pregnancy, Carson. My husband has come up with several names that I like, but none have hit me yet as the one. His favorites are Corissa, Patience and Julianne. My daughter's name is Maleena so we want another not-so-common name that sounds nice with it. We still have time though. It just feels like it is flying so fast!
I found this silly website that tells you what your chances are of having which gender based on old wives tales. Here are my results:
You have a 31% chance of having a boy.
And you have a 68% chance of having a girl.
And Here's Why...
You are carrying the extra weight out front, so it's a boy.
The hair on your legs is not growing any faster during your preganacy, so it's a girl.
Girls are carried high. You are going to have a girl.
Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the north indicates that you will be having a boy.
Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.
You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a girl.
Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl.
The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.
You had morning sickness early in pregnancy, so you are expecting a girl.
You are not looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a girl, because girls steal their mother's looks.
Your chest development has not been very dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a boy.
Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is an odd number, it will be a girl.
Your urine is a dull yellow color, so you will have a girl.
You have a craving for salty or sour foods, which means that it is a boy.
Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.
You have been craving fruits, so it is a girl.
Your baby's heart rate is 140 or more beats per minute, so it's a girl.
You must have orange juice every day, so it's a girl.
You are not having headaches, so it's a girl.
Your belly looks like a basketball, so it's a boy.
You show the back of your hand, so it's a boy.
You use the handle, so it's a boy.
Wednesday, August 06, 2003 Summersaults (22 Weeks)
Starting at around 2:30 today, I was having a cramping feeling. It felt like interstitial pains, but I don't think that's what it was. After while, the pains moved to my back. It was quite uncomfortable so I decided to lay down for a little while. As I am relaxing on the bed, I can feel the baby moving around like crazy! My husband even saw my belly jump. After while, the pain was less intense. My pregnancy book didn't provide any real good reasons why the pain was occurring, but I came to my own conclusion...the baby was doing summersaults. When I had my last ultrasound done, the baby's head was down. I would feel movement only on the lower right side of my abdomen. Today, it was at the very top of my stomach. Since I feel back to normal, I am guessing that the baby is back into the normal position. I sure hope so! And I hope that he/she stays in place, because I don't care to go through that again!
Monday, August 04, 2003 The Appointment (21 Weeks 6 Days)
The appointment went quick as usual. The doctor listened to the heartbeat, asked if I had any questions and that was pretty much it. She couldn't explain the electrical shock to the belly feeling. She just advised me to keep my eye on it. Surprisingly, it hasn't happened for a while. It could have been ligaments stretching, I suppose. I gained 8 pounds in 4 weeks! Wow, I hope I don't continue at this rate! I asked the doctor if I am on track with the weight gain, so she checked my chart from the last pregnancy and I am only one pound heavier at this stage that I was then. That made me feel better. I ate so terribly this weekend. I was so health conscious with my first pregnancy. I'm trying to be good this time, but I'm finding my self in a lot of situations where there is junk food. And I am having a hard time restraining myself. I am going to the grocery store today and plan to stock up on healthy foods. I have been feeling tons of movement everyday. It's probably from all the sugar this poor baby is getting from me!
Monday, July 28, 2003 How Will I Ever Keep Up? (20 Weeks 6 Days)
Last night, my husband, 18-month-old daughter and I attended a 40th anniversary party. My daughter is at that age where she has to investigate and get into everything and try to go everywhere we tell her not to. Verbal instructions do not work, only physical removal from the potential dangerous situation will. So basically, we took turns running behind her all around the party hall, making sure she doesn't hurt herself or get into something yucky. Also attending this party were our friends/cousins who have a 3 year old son. Our two little ones were having a blast running all over this place together. Each one was feeding off of the other's energy. It was really cute, but highly exhausting. After catching my breath, it hit me that when the baby I am carrying is 18 months, my daughter will almost be 3! It's really hard to keep an eye on two that are within this age group! How the heck am I going to do it?! I joked with my husband that the two of us will probably lose so much weight, you won't be able to see us anymore. I can't imagine that there is time to do anything except chase children around all day at that stage!
I have a doctor's appointment tonight. It's just one of those routine every 4 weeks, do you have any questions type of visit. I do want to ask the doctor about this strange pain that I get on the right side of my abdomen. When I reach or turn a certain way, it almost feels like I am getting an electrical shock in the belly! It's not real pleasant and it always takes my breath away. I am also going to mention that I am taking an exercise class, but I am sure there will be no concerns about that. I feel so much better now that I am working out a bit.
I made it halfway so far! Only 20 more weeks to go! Or less, if I follow the pattern of my first pregnancy where I delivered 2 1/2 weeks early. It was actually nice to deliver a bit early because I was in denial that I was in labor until about 6 hours before I delivered.
I had quite a long and drawn out ultrasound yesterday. This baby was on the move! Every time the technician would focus on the spot that she needed to, the baby would move. She was pressing so hard on my belly to try to get to the baby's head. It got quite a bit uncomfortable. She finally gave up and decided that she had to do the ultrasound internally just to get the measurements that she needed. The good news is that everything looks like it is supposed to! We even got to see the baby yawn. It was the cutest thing! Here's a profile picture:
I have been feeling quite a lot of movement now. My husband even got to feel the movement for the first time on Saturday. It was really odd to see the baby moving on the ultrasound screen and feel him/her move in my belly. The technician also showed me my full bladder on the screen and I was amazed at how close the baby is to it. Now I understand why I have to urinate all the time!
Friday, July 18, 2003 Exercise And More (19 Weeks 3 Days)
When I was pregnant with my daughter, exercise was so important to me. This time, it's just hard to make time for it. Luckily, I have a friend who is a stay-at-home mom with a 20-month-old who enjoys walking the mall with me a couple times a week. We walk about 2 miles each time we meet. It's refreshing to get moving again. I have also signed up for a water aerobics class that runs twice a week for five weeks. Each class is an hour long. I know that it will help me along. I took a prenatal exercise class from 17 weeks until birth with my daughter. I really believe that it made the labor and delivery more tolerable than it could have been. It was by no means easy, but I feel that I had gained a lot of strength from exercising.
As I have mentioned, I am getting bigger! I posted a picture of my belly, just below the ultrasound picture. I also have to share this cute one of my daughter reaching up to touch my belly. I know that she is going to be a great big sister. She just loves babies and other kids. I just hope the adjustment phase goes smoothly!
I'm feeling bigger today. I guess it could be the fact that my shirt is too short and my shorts are too loose. The shirt rides up, the shorts fall down and the belly pops out. Quite a funny sight... I have also been getting my share of braxton-hicks contractions. I remember them starting around this time with my last pregnancy. It's a really strange feeling. My belly gets real hard and if I have to pee, it feels like an emergency until the contraction stops. Braxton-hicks contractions are a good thing though. It means that the uterus is getting itself in shape so it's nice and strong for delivery!
The party was a lot of fun despite how exhausting it was to put it together and entertain tons of people! The clowns were a bad idea. The little ones were terrified and the older ones could care less. My poor daughter was so upset. She just didn't understand why this scary looking clown sounded like her grandma! After my mom took of the make-up my daughter embraced her and was much happier. My husband and his friends jam in a band and they played in our garage for a little bit. Luckily, two neighbors joined the party instead of calling the cops!
Saturday, July 12, 2003 Better Week (18 Weeks 5 Days)
For some reason, this week was a little better. I have been pretty busy so I am sure that helped. I still can't shake the gaggy feeling, but it is calming down a bit. My emotions are getting crazy too. I can now cry at the smallest thing. I had the TV on the other morning and there was a little baby who need a heart transplant. To see her lying in that hospital bed hooked up to all those tubes just broke my heart. I couldn't watch it because it upset me so much.
I go for my 20 week ultrasound on July 21st. This is the ultrasound that you have the option to find out the gender. We are not going to go that route though. It was too much fun wondering with the first pregnancy whether it was a boy or girl.
We have a busy day today. We are throwing our annual backyard bash for about 30 of our friends. It's always a lot of fun and I think that my daughter will appreciate it a lot this year since she is more interactive. There's going to be lots of kids here for her to play with . Every year we throw this thing, there are more and more kids. (and we are adding to them!) In fact, this thing started out as a party for the adults and now it's slowly becoming more focused on the kids! This year we are having clowns for the kids. No, we aren't rich and can throw money away on clowns for parties...my mom and aunt do clowning on side! So, hopefully all of the events of the day will help me forget all about my pregnancy complaints!
Monday, July 07, 2003 Ups and Downs (17 Weeks 6 Days)
This pregnancy has been very rough on me. I still have been queasy and couldn't hold lunch down the other day. My doctor said I should be out of this by now but she couldn't give me anything to help. She suggested vitamin B6, which actually made it worse. I'm still very low on energy and I have a really hard time keeping up with my daughter. It scares me to think about having two! Hopefully I will have some energy back by then. The other thing is that I have been feeling depressed throughout this pregnancy. It comes and goes but when it's here, it's not a good feeling. I'm typically not a depressed person, so this is pretty weird for me. I now have a new understanding of what some of my friends and family members, who suffer from depression, are going through. The good news for me is that I at least know the cause of the depression, pregnancy hormones and just feeling sad about not feeling good. For some reason when I am feeling particularly depressed, I cannot cry. But I had a meltdown over something the other day that actually allowed me to cry and rid of some of that negative energy. The problem was that once it started, it was hard to stop! But I feel better mentally at the moment, so I think I just needed to get it out. It's amazing what pregnancy does to a person! I don't feel like myself at all! And I really haven't since I got pregnant.
I'm sorry if I sound negative in any way, but this place is just here for me to get some of this stuff out!
Tuesday, July 01, 2003 Are You Going To Eat That? (17 Weeks)
Even though I am still queasy, my appetite is really starting to kick in. I am craving mostly fruit, which does nothing for my hunger. But at least it's healthy! In a 24 hour period, I consumed an entire cantaloupe. I just finished a pound of cherries that I purchased on Sunday. Also, I ate an entire cucumber earlier. I just can't get enough to eat! I have starting asking my husband for his leftover scraps from dinner. I go to the doctor tomorrow so I get to see what kind of damage I've done weight wise. According to my in-laws digital scale, I have put on about 10 pounds since I got pregnant. But, I'd rather go by the doctor's scale! It seems like a lot of weight to me, but I can't complain. I was about 8 pounds lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight with my daughter. It's true what they say about nursing, it helps you to lose weight. Well, I have to keep this short. I need to go find something to eat! :)
Thursday, June 26, 2003 Getting A Belly (16 Weeks 2 Days)
I'm still not visibly pregnant to the rest of the world, but my belly is starting to pop out. I had a bathing suit on yesterday and I realized that it looked like I had a spare tire around my waist. I'm still having bad days here and there when I am feeling sick and exhausted. It seems as though the morning sickness is dragging on longer this time. There were a couple of times when I am pretty sure that I felt the baby move. It never lasts long though. I'm sure that in the next couple of weeks, I will really be able to feel him/her.
There's not too much new to report about the pregnancy. I have a doctor's appointment next week. It's just a routine listen to the heart and ask any questions visit.
It's nice to feel better. I am still queasy here and there but it's not an all day thing like it was. I have been wanting to clean, so I know that's a sign of feeling better. I'm starting to get anxious about cleaning out the turtle room for the baby. I have to find a new aquarium for my 2 red-eared slider turtles first. They are going to be moving out to the living room. I'm thinking about a 55 or 75 gallon glass tank with a stand that will hide the massive pump that I will need. I'm waiting to find a deal in the Pennysaver or a flea market. I hope I find something soon. Also, the turtle room has kind of become the "I don't know where else to put this so I'll put it in the turtle room" room. I can feel our house getting smaller every day.
Also, since I have been feeling better, I have been thinking more about the baby. (I've been too wrapped up in myself until now...) I was picturing holding a little baby again and it got me excited. They are a lot of hard work, but they are so precious too. I also started thinking about the fact that there is a person living inside of my body. That's a pretty amazing thing! I should be able to feel the baby move soon. Both my husband and I felt our daughter at 17 weeks. Sept 11, 2001 to be exact. It is just the craziest thing to feel!
Thursday, June 12, 2003 I Can Eat Cheese Sandwiches Again (14 Weeks 2 Days)
Shortly after discovering that I was pregnant, I couldn't eat or drink a lot of the things that I would normally have on a daily basis. They just made me sick. These are things that I love too! For lunch everyday, I would have a cheese sandwich. Yes, a boring little piece of cheese on two pieces of bread with a little Miracle Whip. And I loved it. It was good, even though I had it every day. Once the morning sickness kicked in, I couldn't even picture eating one without gagging. The same went for fruit juice. I can now only drink Kool-Aid. The more the percentage of real fruit juice in it the more I gag. It's really strange the things that your body does to you when you are pregnant.
Over the past several days, I have been able to start eating cheese sandwiches again. I can feel that the morning sickness is starting to lighten up. I am still queasy and I still do the lovely sneeze/gag thing, but I can tell it's getting better. I was this far along with my daughter when I started to feel better. Hopefully this is it. I'm never going to experience morning sickness again!!
Monday, June 09, 2003 A Prophetic Dream? (13 Weeks 6 Days)
I had a dream back in January that I have been meaning to post here. Since I am thinking about it, I will do that now. It was January 12, 2003. We were not trying to get pregnant. In fact, I was still breastfeeding and my fertility had not returned, so it wasn't even something that we could do if we wanted to. I woke up that morning still in a dream state. I was standing in the turtle room (which will be the new baby's room) and I was holding a baby. I heard a voice that said, "She will be born in December and she will have lighter and less hair than your daughter." I got up and wrote this down immediately. But, I did not tell my husband about it. After we took the pregnancy test in April and I realized that I would be due in December, I scrambled to find that piece of paper with the dream written on it. I showed it to my husband and both of our jaws dropped.
I had tons of dreams when I was pregnant with my daughter, and they all indicated that she would be a boy. So, of course I was in shock when the doctor announced, "It's a girl!" I'm not sure what to make of the January dream, but I find it quite strange that it mentioned December and that's when the baby is due!
Tuesday, June 03, 2003 Second Trimester (13 Weeks)
Today officially starts my second trimester. I am still feeling quite ill, but have my hopes up that it is almost over. The second trimester is usually the best of the three since you are usually over the morning sickness and you aren't uncomfortable since your not huge yet. I have my fingers crossed...
Sunday, June 01, 2003 The Latest (12 Weeks 5 Days)
It's been a rough day. I was physically sick again today. It came upon me while I was preparing lunch. I tried to talk myself out of it, but it just wouldn't work. I am about to enter the 2nd trimester, so HOPEFULLY this will be all over very, very soon.
I had a doctor's appointment on Friday. He told me that I am not anemic and that he wishes his blood counts were as good as mine. Then he sarcastically (in a joking way) reminds me that I have a toddler to keep up with this time. I can't get all of the rest that I was able to obtain when I was pregnant with her. He also advised me that I am Group B Strep positive. This is a bacteria that some women (and men) carry naturally. It is harmless to the carrier but can be life-treating to the baby when the baby is born. This basically means that they will treat me with penicillin when I go into labor. The baby can only contract it during birth. I was unaware of this when I was pregnant with my daughter. I tested for it the day before she was born and they did not have the test results back yet, so they treated me as if I did have it. Luckily, everything turned out fine with her.
There are five doctor's in my practice and last week I saw the one who thinks nothing is a big deal. I swear that every question and concern that I had, his reply was, "Oh, that's okay don't worry about it." He told me that my ultrasound looked fine and tried to blame the bleeding on implantation. I was under the impression that implantation bleeding happens around 4-6 weeks not 11. Oh well, everything is fine, so I should be concerned about it. Maybe he's right to just not worry about this or that. I guess that is just a mother's instinct though!
Tuesday, May 27, 2003 AAAHHH-CHOOO Heave!! (12 Weeks)
As if morning sickness (make that all-day sickness) isn't enough, my allergies have started acting up. I just started getting springtime allergies a few years ago. They aren't fun. I can sneeze up to 10 times or more in a row, my eyes water, my nose runs and it feels like there is a bug living up there. That bug moves around and makes me sneeze! What fun! But here's the interesting part...my sneezes sometimes trigger my gag reflex (since it is so sensitive from morning sickness) and I will do this sneeze/gag thing. I imagine it is pretty funny to an onlooker. I know that my husband gets a chuckle out of it. Oh, the things we women have to endure to bring a life into this world... Go hug your mother!
I finally got to have an ultrasound done this morning. Everything looks good. I got to see the baby's heart beating. It actually looks like a baby now. The last ultrasound picture that I posted was rather strange looking. They could not see why I would have bleeding. Luckily, that has pretty much cleared up. I hope it doesn't happen again because it was quite scary. I made me feel so much better to see that little heart beating. Here's our little peanut:
Sunday, May 18, 2003 Another Scare (10 Weeks 5 Days)
On Friday about 5:30, I discovered that I was bleeding rather heavily. It was such a scary moment to see this. I called the doctor immediately. Of course, he didn't seem as concerned as I was. He told me that he's seen women bleed gallons and continue with a healthy pregnancy and he's seen women who had the smallest drop of blood miscarry. Well, that didn't really make me feel any better. I told him about the small amount of bleeding that I had at 6 weeks and that the ultrasound showed that everything was okay. He said that the only way to make sure the baby was okay was with an ultrasound and that there are no technicians available over the weekend. I could go to the ER but they would only call in a technician in if it was a life threatening situation. He told me that I am more than welcome to go to the ER if I feel it's necessary. After an hour, I was still bleeding. Just for a piece of mind, we decided to go. The ER doctor checked me out and said that the cervix is closed tight and that is a good sign. If I was going to miscarry, I would have been dilated. That was relieving, however, I want to know why I was bleeding! So, tomorrow I have to call the doctor and try to get an emergency ultrasound done to make sure that the baby is alright. I'll be thinking my positive thoughts and keeping my fingers crossed...
Thursday, May 15, 2003 "I Will Feel Good Tomorrow!" (10 Weeks 2 Days)
I am a believer in the power of the mind. I feel that our thoughts produce many of our daily outcomes. I've had a hard time with this over the past few weeks since I have been feeling so bad. How can you possibly be positive when you feel like you're going to croak? Over the past few nights before going to bed, I say several times in my head, "I will feel good tomorrow." I really didn't expect it to work, but it was worth a shot. To my surprise, I have started to feel just slightly better over the past couple of days. And believe me, slightly is a good thing! It could also have to do with the fact that I have been a little bit busier and am not focusing on the way I am feeling. Either way, I'll take it. And I will continue to tell myself every night that I will feel better tomorrow!
Just for fun, I added a "Guess The Gender" Pool to this page. It's over there on the left, under the pregnancy picture. I thought it would be fun to see what gender people guess that I am going to have. Of all the family and friends we have only two guessed a girl when I was pregnant with my daughter. I was totally convinced that I was having a boy. I don't know why, it was just a feeling I had. So far, this pregnancy is very similar to the last, so I am thinking that it would be another girl. I still have a lot of time to guess though! I don't know if I mentioned it or not, but we will not be finding out the gender before the baby is born. It's much more exciting that way!
Friday, May 09, 2003 Tossing Cookies (9 Weeks 3 Days)
Yesterday was my worst day yet. The nausea got to me so bad that I just couldn't keep breakfast down. Then in the afternoon, I got some kind of intestinal issues. I hope that was the worst and now I will start feeling better! I can dream. I slept for 10 hours and then took an hour and a half nap in the afternoon. I'm going to get some blood work done today and I am praying that they discover that I am anemic. That would explain why I feel so horrible and some good iron pills should take care of the problem.
Monday, May 05, 2003 What A Great Hubby (8 Weeks 6 Days)
I am so lucky to have a great, understanding and extremely helpful husband. Luckily, he works part-time at home so when I am feeling particular bad, he will watch our daughter and give me a chance to rest. I don't know what I would do without him. He is so wonderful. He puts up with my whining about being sick and crying about being tired. He listens to me and tells me that everything will be okay. He's such a great person. Our children are so lucky to have him for a father. And I am so lucky to have him for a husband.
Friday, May 02, 2003 A Good Day! And Now It's Gone (8 Weeks 3 Days)
I felt so good yesterday! It was unbelievable. I did so much. I took my daughter for the park where we played for over an hour. I took her for an afternoon walk in the stroller. I mowed the grass while she slept. (I know it's not the best thing for a pregnant gal to do, but it kept me from sitting around feeling sick!) I did some laundry, swept a floor... It was awesome to just feel decent. I knew that it was too good to be true, though. I've been nauseated all day today and extremely tired. But I am making myself do something other than lay around tonight. I am finally going to use a gift certificate for a manicure that my husband bought me shortly after our daughter was born (15 months ago!). Tonight we have plans with friends for a parents night out. Hopefully, I'll be too busy to notice how I feel.
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 The First Appointment and More (8 Weeks 1 Day)
I had my first appointment on Monday. The office that I go to is always busy. I had an appointment for 3:30 and they didn't see me until 4:30. Thank goodness that they didn't take my blood pressure because I am sure that it was soaring after that long wait. Of course the first visit isn't even with a doctor, it's the Physician's Assistant. She asks a few questions, does a brief exam and sends you on your way. I feel like this stuff is so fresh in my mind, since my daughter is only 15 months old, that I don't even need to go to the doctors! :) I feel like a pro at this!
I am having a difficult time keeping up with day to day life. The exhaustion of this pregnancy is killing me. I don't even feel like the same person anymore. I had a passion for photography that seemed to fizzle out with the plus sign on the pregnancy test stick. I have hardly picked up my camera. And when I do, the results are terrible. I just feel as though someone took over my body and I don't know who this person is.
I hate to sound so negative in all of these posts that I put here. But, this is just how I feel, right now. And that was my plan when I started this thing, to have a place to vent all of my feelings. A place to help me through the difficult and allow me to brag through the greatness. So, please bear with me. It will get happier around here, I just need some time for the second trimester to get here. :)
Thursday, April 24, 2003 7 AM Already? (7 Weeks 2 Days)
I love to sleep. Now more than ever. Despite having to get up three to four times to empty my bladder, I still enjoy sleep. I feel the best when I lay down in bed at night and pull the covers up and know that I have 8 or so hours of relaxation to look forward to. But, when 7 AM rolls around, I start to feel sad. I don't want to get up yet. It's not that I have to get up at that time. But, if I want to have breakfast, a little internet time and a shower before my little one gets up, then I must. I can't wait to get into the second trimester. I have a way to go yet. I remember that once the first trimester passed, I felt so good. And I really want to feel good and energetic right now. I guess I have about 7 more weeks of this to go...
Sunday, April 20, 2003 It's Starting... (6 Weeks 5 Days)
I knew that it was too good to be true. I had been feeling good up until a couple of days ago. We went to Canada this weekend to visit relatives and when they started cooking yesterday, the smell made me want to vomit. I had to go outside for some fresh air. I had some queasy moments this morning while making lunch. Before we got pregnant, I blocked all of these memories out of my mind so I would be brave enough to go through this again. Now that I have no choice but to face the truth of pregnancy, I just feel icky. There is nothing quite like feeling that your last meal is right there in your throat, ready to come out. Thank goodness that we are only having two children, because I don't want to go through this again. I remember saying that I didn't think I wanted to do this again with my first pregnancy! That's why I had to block it all out. Otherwise, my daughter would be an only child like me. And I didn't like being a lonely only. I know that one day I will look back at all of this and will know that it was all worth it. And that I would do it all again to have my precious child. When I look at my daughter and I know all that I went through to bring her to this world, I feel elated that I made it through it all and she is here now. That's what keeps me going!
Thursday, April 17, 2003 Here's Our Little Peanut (6 Weeks 2 Days)
I got a moment to scan the ultrasound picture from yesterday. The baby is still considered an embryo is extremely small. I labeled the picture so you can tell what is what. The little dot that you see next to where I typed "baby" is the baby and the big round circle is the yolk sac. The yolk sac is what feeds the baby until the placenta forms.
Wednesday, April 16, 2003 A Beating Heart! (6 Weeks 1 Day)
We had a little scare. I had some bleeding last night that alarmed me enough to call the doctor this morning. I had spotting early in my first pregnancy, so at first I thought nothing of it. But when I saw bright red blood, I got frightened. I was sent for an emergency ultrasound today and to our relief, we go to see the teeny, tiny little embryo growing in my tummy. We also got to see a beating heart! What a great feeling to see that heart and to know that everything is okay.
I've heard many women say that being pregnant was the best nine months of their lives. Unfortunately, I am not one of those women. I'm starting to have flashbacks to my first pregnancy and am remembering that I really wasn't a big fan of being pregnant. Sure, it's awesome when you start to feel the baby move, but that doesn't come for a while. I especially disliked the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. My energy is gone, I am limited on the things I can do. I feel like my body is no longer mine and it won't be again for several months! I don't mean to sound so negative about pregnancy, but if I could just decide to have a baby and get one instantly, I would surely go that route! I was going to mow the lawn today and my husband talked me out of it. He's afraid I might fall, or strain something. I know he is right, but I just miss my freedom right now. I know that this will pass and these feelings will soon turn more blissful. I just had to write about it here to help get it out of my system.
Monday, April 14, 2003 Where Has My Energy Gone? (5 Weeks 6 Days)
Lately, I haven't been able to get enough sleep. I forgot how early pregnancy zaps me of my energy. It scares me to think about having to get up in the middle of the night to feed a baby when I am feeling this tired. But this too shall pass. I'd rather feel tired than sick. I better not speak too soon because that is more than likely on the way. I remember during the first few weeks of my pregnancy with my daughter, I bragged about how good I felt. Then I hit somewhere around 6.5 weeks and I was ready to die. There is nothing quite like morning sickness. And morning sickness is a false description. It's more like all day sickness. Imagine getting off a really fast spinning ride and feeling extremely nauseous. Now picture feeling that way every second of the day for about 7 weeks or so. Nope, not fun! So I am just going to enjoy the way I feel, tired or not, because I know what could be up ahead for me.
This is my first post here! I am expecting my 2nd child sometime around December 9, 2003. I know that I cannot rely on due dates since my first baby came 2 1/2 weeks early! I am 5 weeks and 2 days along. So, I am still very early into this pregnancy. We just broke the news to our family this past Sunday. They didn't seem as surprised as they were when we announced our first pregnancy. I guess they kind of figured we would be telling them sooner or later, since they knew that we always wanted two children! We were actually quite surprised by how quickly we conceived since it took a year to get pregnant with our first. This time it happened with our first try! Our first baby is a girl and she is 14 months old. Our children will be 22 months apart in age. I always wanted my children to be close in age.
Nobody knows about this blogger yet. We haven't told any of our friends yet, so I will be selective on where I post the link to this site until the news is officially out!
