The latest and not so greatest

This whole pregnancy my doctor has had me on close watch, seeing as I developed preeclampsia w/Jovi and was diagnosed w/hypertension after delivery.

Because I had high blood pressure w/Jovi, this pregnancy has been a high risk pregnancy, and my doctor has had me on careful watch. Sometimes my blood pressure is higher than others, but bottom line whenever it jumps (even in the slightest), I've been on careful watch. 

I'm grateful to have such a great team of doctors & nurses behind me, but man is it nerve wracking!
We've been playing this game of "Oh you have high blood pressure," and "Oh you don't have high blood pressure now." It's been a matter of ups and downs, highs and lows.

I've been high risk this entire time, and unlike others, I go quite often to the doctor's office. Thank goodness I love my OBGYN and all his staff! Seriously :)

Normally one's doctor's visits are 6 weeks apart (in the beginning). Mine were days apart (in the beginning) and then I eventually got to 3-4 weeks apart. Which was nice. Mine were getting further & further spaced out, while other's were getting closer & closer together. 

And then my blood pressure kinda spiked again.

And I've been seeing my doctor at least every two weeks since.
I saw my doctor last Monday (03/23) NOT for a normal OB visit. It was to check my blood pressure. It ended up being recorded as 163/91, by the nurse…. Except when my visit w/Dr. Allen was all said & done, my doctor re-took my blood pressure TWICE, and it was a lot lower... Happens all the time. 

After last week's visit, my doctor recommended we do the ever so dreaded 24 hour urine analysis. I had to do this before w/Jovi (twice actually), and it's just not fun. It's the most annoying 24 hours of your life, and you really can't leave your house while doing this, because you have to urinate in a huge jug every time you use the restroom. You also have to keep said jug on cold ice, or in a refrigerated area at all times. Soooo it makes things impossible for leaving the house. Nuff said about that. 

Yesterday, (Monday, March 30th, 2015) my doctor wanted to visit w/me again, and have me drop off 24 hour urine analysis and have blood work done. My blood pressure was only recorded as 142/80, so that was better! And after visiting w/my doctor, he felt things were looking up... So did I. Except I always knew of the major possibility of preeclampsia sneaking back up on me. It has it's way of doing that, as we have seen before w/my previous pregnancy w/Jovi.

Side note: When I was pregnant w/Jovi, they thought I had preeclampsia in my 2nd trimester, so they had me do a 24 hour urine analysis at like 20-22 weeks. They didn't find anything. My blood pressure kept increasing though, little by little, and they had me do another 24 hour urine analysis right at 37 weeks, and that's when I received the phone call that I had preeclampsia and that we'd be induced that night.

At the close of my doctor's visit yesterday, Dr. Allen said that if things kept going the way they were (meaning my blood pressure staying in the range that it was recorded, as of late), then I'd be okay to carry baby #2 through 39 weeks and NOT be diagnosed w/preeclampsia. I was hopeful that'd be the case, and that nothing would show up in my urine analysis. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

BTW any doctor won't let you carry past 39 weeks, having have had a C-Section prior. They want to avoid uterine rupture, so that's why I say carry through 39 weeks :)

I received a very upsetting phone call this afternoon. Anything above 300 is considered to be preeclampsia. My levels were only at 315, but still- Over 300. I was told at last week's appointment, that a severe case of preeclampsia, would mean your levels are at 5,000 (so it's a bit extreme). Mine have yet to be that high, but I was reminded again today, over the phone, that a severe case of preeclampsia, can put you at having your baby as early as 33 weeks. If that were to happen, they would give steroid injection shots to help make baby's lungs stronger, to avoid less NICU time. Yeah- scary. And not fun. 

When my doctor told me that last week, I mildly freaked out (one) because Jake wasn't w/me to hear that news. My mom and sister were w/me instead. And (two) we are no where near ready. Now, there isn't AS much to do for this baby, as there was w/Jovi. She already has plenty of baby soaps, lotions, towels, clothes, etc. We just need to get Jovi's toddler converter car seat, and that's a bit of an expense that we're just not financially ready for right now. Once we purchase that, we'll be able to wash and get Jovi's infant car seat ready for Miss P to use, once she's finally here. We still need to purchase baby detergent & wash all the newborn clothes, blankets, etc. So there's a bit of a to-do list, and all can definitely be done in the next couple of weeks IF needed, but I still was not ready to hear that news alone w/o my spouse by my side. It was a lot to swallow, knowing I was just 2-3 weeks away from that, if I was diagnosed w/severe preeclampsia. 

Now, my doctor doesn't think my levels will ever reach that high (5,000) BUT he also didn't think anything would show up in my 24 hour urine analysis over the weekend, either, so this has me a little worried & thinking that this pregnancy can throw us for a loop at any time. Hello- read previous post about my ups & downs during the first trimester. 

Back to today's phone call: I was asked to be on bed rest until further instruction from my doctor. (He was off today, so I had another doctor reading my results.) I will meet w/my doctor again on Monday, and every week after that, as well as have an ultrasound done weekly, and NSTs twice a week. (Which is sucky, because during yesterday's appointment, my doctor was thinking I'd be okay to only see him every OTHER week, and have NSTs done every OTHER week, as well). 

Welcome to high risk pregnancy- I will see Dr. Allen every Monday (until delivery), have NSTs done every Tuesday & Wednesday, as well as an ultrasound. I'm excited to see our baby girl on TV every week, and to see/hear her sweet little movements on the NST charts, but I know all these expenses add up. It's so important to have all these tests done though. And I know it. After being on the phone w/the nurse for so long today (asking question after question), I realize my health and Miss P's health is at risk, if this is not done & monitored properly. When one has high blood pressure, it effects your kidneys. If my kidneys aren't functioning properly (or at all), then that effects me going to the bathroom and the amniotic fluid. It can also effect baby's kidneys and she can end up w/kidney failure upon birth. I also can end up w/kidney failure and that just aint good. If I don't get this whole blood pressure thing under control, it can have long term effects on my body later, and it'll all go back to previous pregnancies. Not that I (or anyone else) has any control of BP but it definitely has me worried and being on bed rest doesn't help. It just makes me sit here and think. A lot. 

The NSTs help Dr. Allen see baby's heart rate (a wide range), and it also helps track her movement. Because I'm 31.5 weeks, they realize there won't be a ton of movement from baby, but there should be a certain amount at this point in time, and that's what they're trying to track, as well as her heart rate. Her heart rate has always been in a good range (140s), and my doctor has never once been worried, but he just wants to monitor it closely, especially if/when my blood pressure rises. My BP has a lot of effect on baby. It makes me so nervous.

I'm also measuring about a week ahead, due to the amount of amniotic fluid I have. Doctor said it's normal to be about a week off schedule. If I start to measure closer to 3 weeks ahead, he'll look at a few different things, but for now, he doesn't count my measurement- He's still going off calendar date and basically ignoring the fact that I'm measuring about a week ahead. (Fun fact: At my 20 week ultrasound, I was measuring about 18 oz. of amniotic fluid, when normally you should be measuring about 11 oz. of amniotic fluid. I have almost double, so that makes me look and feel even further along than I actually am. Fun, right?!?!)

For now, I remain on bed rest until I meet w/my doctor on Monday. He will then decide to what extend I can/can't do things. I'm anxious this pregnancy and have now come to terms that it is preeclampsia (something I always thought would come back, regardless what I did to try to prevent it from returning). We now know for sure Miss P will be here as early as 37 weeks (mid May), and possibly sooner, depending on the severity of my preeclampsia. We'll be doing 24 hour urine analysis every week, to help determine my range of preeclampsia. 

Let's hope & pray it stays in the 315 range it's in :) 

Ups and Downs

This whole pregnancy has been full of ups and downs. I've realized (several times) that I've never fully blogged about baby #2 and that baby #2 will probably always be known as baby #2.
I was so good about taking belly pictures and posting bi-weekly updates on here, when I was pregnant w/Jovi (AKA Thumper). I don't know what happened w/this one. It doesn't mean I wasn't excited about baby #2. It's just different. It's not a first, so the unexpected isn't as scary. Also, we got pregnant w/baby #2 pretty quick, so a part of me felt like people would've been annoyed w/belly diaries? I dunno. Then again- I reminded myself this was mainly for me anyway, and that anyone who wanted to read my preggo eggo updates could, but that this was solely for MY journaling purposes. 
A lot of you may not know the whole story on baby #2. Allow me to rewind and back track a little.
Jovi was only 6 months old when the possibilities of conception existed. I thought to myself, "No way. No no no no no." Jake just kept saying "TWO!" and again I thought to myself "No no no no no." There was just no way. No possibility. My ovulation schedule was so crazy when trying to conceive w/Jovi. I thought for sure we'd need fertility help again. We waited and just kinda laughed it off. Jake would ask Jovi, "Jovi, do you want another baaaaaaaby in the family?" And Jovi would just look at Jake and smile. It was almost like she knew. Not to mention when I would change her on her changing table, she would pat my stomach- Something she had never done before. She definitely knew before we did.
Fast forward a little >>>>> 
Saturday, Septemeber 27th, 2014 Jake leaves for 2 week bus. trip.
Jovi and I drove him to the airport and said goodbye while he flew to South Carolina for work. This would be the first time Jake spent over-night away from Jovi, and this would be BY FAR the longest we'd ever been apart, since dating.
Monday, September 29th, 2014 Expected period no-showed
Tuesday, September 30th, 2014  Found out I was pregnant w/baby #2.
I called my good friend (Cari), and asked if she had any ovulation tests on hand. I knew she'd ask, and I didn't want her to know/suspect anything, so I asked for those, rather than just the pregnancy tests. I told her we were wanting to AVOID being pregnant, and that I needed ovulation tests to know when I was ovulation, so we knew when to avoid those dates. Plan worked perfect. Cari bought it & met up w/me to give me a huge bag of ovulation tests, and pregnancy tests. I knew I could take an ovulation test that day, to see if I was ovulating.  If I was ovulating, it would've meant we couldn't have pregnant & that we missed the window of opportunity. I was hopeful that was the case, since we were NOT planning a baby again this soon. I went home that afternoon, took an ovulation test, and it said I wasn't ovulating. Great. That would mean the chances were pretty high that I was ovulating earlier, when we thought we might've conceived. Soooooo I decided to take a pregnancy test. Why not. My monthly friend was already a tad late anyway, so what the heck. Sure enough, two little pink lines showed up, indicating positive pregnancy. Sooooo I called my doctor's office letting them know I was pregnant. Boy did I have concerns, as I had to be on a lot of hormonal medications w/Jovi, to maintain the pregnancy. 

Wednesday, October 1st, 2014 Visited Dr. Allen and was congratulated.
My OBGYN was very surprised to see me back so soon after just having Jovi. He congratulated me on not needing to be on hormonal medications in order to conceive this time. I was relieved myself, but still, very shocked. My Dr. (Dr. Allen) knew my HCG levels were really low w/Jovi, and that I was an at-risk pregnancy the first trimester, due to the high possibility of miscarrying (because of the low hormones), so he wanted to check my hormonal level w/this pregnancy, just to verify. Boy am I glad he did!
Thursday, October 2nd, 2014 Received vitals of low hormones.
Doctor Allen insisted I come into the office immediately for blood work and more HCG testing, to see exactly how much hormonal medication I'd need. While I had a hard time conceiving w/Jovi, this time I didn't have a hard time at all. I just had a hard time maintaining the pregnancy. My doctor was afraid that I'd be starting the hormonal medication too late and that I'd miscarry anyway, but that he wanted to at least try and was putting me on a very high dose of Progesterone to help boost my hormones. I started taking the Progesterone that night and was told to come back the following day for more blood work. Apparently you can see your hormones doubling that quick.
Friday, October 3rd, 2014 Received vitals of higher hormones.
Just not high enough. So this was a good thing that the medication was working, but that my doctor wanted my hormones to triple, instead of double. They'd be fine to just double, if I wasn't already pregnant, but since I was, he wanted to triple everything within 48 hrs. to make sure everything would be 100% okay w/this pregnancy, and to ensure that I wouldn't miscarry. Sooo… Not only did he up my MG but he increased my dosage as well. If I wasn't super sick before (from the Progesterone being forced into my body), I was definitely super sick now. I doubled up on my dosages, in hopes my body would do what it needed to do, over the weekend.
Monday, October 6th, 2014 Hormones tripled over the weekend.
This was my doctor's hope & plan, and it worked! I had never felt so sick and tired in my entire life, as I had over the weekend (all while chasing a rolling baby around the house, who was trying to begin the early stages of mobility). Need I remind you I'm completely alone this whole time, not telling ANYONE my ups & downs. I didn't want to tell Jake any of this. Not only because he was away and I felt this was a conversation to have in person, but because he was already home sick and having a hard time concentrating on work. I didn't want to distract him w/the possibility of worry. I just kept all this to myself, and boy was it hard to keep it inside. I was on a hormonal high and very very sick. I needed help, and needed to talk this all through w/someone, but couldn't. I had to wait until Jake got back. 
On a scale of 1-20, they like your hormones to be at least at a 20. Mine were at like a 6 when I first tested my HCG levels. They went up to 11 over night, and over the weekend (just 48 hours later), and were just over 20 when I was seen that Monday (the 6th). Everything was going as planned.
>>> I anxiously awaited the rest of the week to pass, while I still went in for blood work (to make sure everything was still okay w/my hormones).
Friday, October 10th, 2014 Jake comes home & finds out we're expecting.

I had Jovi wearing a onesie that said "Best Sister Ever." When Jake first got off the escelator, he didn't say anything. So I knew he didn't notice Jovi's shirt. I said, "Did you see Jovi's shirt?" He said, "Yeah, she looks cute!" I said, "No, did you read it?" He took one look at Jovi, one look at me (with huge bug eyes) and said, "Are you serious?!?" I told him it was no joke and then he started freaking out, saying how I needed to call my doctor and make sure everything was okay. Little did he know, I had been in touch w/my doctor this entire time, and I found out right at 4 weeks. He was shocked at my web of lies I had been spinning. I was shocked at my amazing secrecy! 

Monday, October 13th 2014 Saw and heard heartbeat on ultrasound. 

Officially confirmed 6 weeks 4 days pregnant and doing well w/hormonal drugs. YIPPEE! We called our families that night, and tricked them into face timing us because "Jovi was crawling." We called our families and just held up the ultrasound.

That's the end of the details, of the beginning of the pregnancy. We have a couple names picked out and feel really drawn to one, like we did w/Jovi, so we'll see what she is. We know this baby is coming for a reason, we just don't know what that reason is quite yet. 

We've always said we wanted 2-3 kids, so depending on how this pregnancy goes, that'll depend on how many kids we have. I hate that it depends on my health, and my doctor, rather than just a decision between Jake and myself, but hey- Those were the cards I was dealt with I guess.

We're very excited to meet this new baby girl. We found out 

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 that I was wrong (yet again), and that baby #2 would be another spoiled little princess. We couldn't be happier to have these two girls so close together in age. They'll end up being exactly 14 months apart! 

We can't wait to meet you Miss P!

Preggo Eggo Update- Week 32

Hi guys, I'm still alive. Sorry I haven't blogged/updated anyone in awhile. We just moved into our new house & have been busy settling in, so forgive me for not doing an update sooner :) 

How many weeks?: 32 exactly, today! (Still measuring a bit ahead)

Size of Baby: Head of lettuce, 19 inches long, 3.9 pounds.

Countdown: 9 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Not sure about the total, but I know I lost weight between my last appointment and the one after that.

I've been seeing my doctor every week, for the last three weeks, due to some possible complications. My last appointment (last Monday 01/27) my doctor said I lost weight (7 lbs. to be exact) in seven days. He said he normally likes to see his OB patients gain more weight in the third trimester, and that he's never seen someone lose so much weight so fast, in the third trimester. Oops? I promise it won't happen again :) 

Maternity Clothes?: Surprisingly, I'm getting sick of them. I'm currently wearing whatever's comfortable, and not fashionable/warm. Maxi skirts and flip flops have been the usual. Yes, even in the snow. Sometimes I'll wear a maternity shirt, but other times I just wear some of Jake's old Calle shirts, because they're big & comfortable, but don't look too frumpy. They're just snug enough to look cute w/a little zip up hoodie. 

Energy Levels: I was feeling pretty great last week. When I saw my doctor at my last OB appointment (last Monday 01/27) my energy levels were a lot higher than they were the week prior, but they're kinda coming back down again. 

Exercise Habits: Lately I've probably been getting a lot more exercise because we've been running a lot of errands, but other than that, you won't see me coin laps around the neighborhood. 

Sleeping?: Last week they were pretty good, and my doctor was really impressed! The last few days, I've started the insomnia again though. I seem to be up between 2-4am starving. I'll often find myself wandering around our house, but I usually just end up in bed after a drink of water, and a piece of bread. That seems to do it. 

Worst Moment in the past 2 weeks: Lower back problems & realizing they're only going to get worse. Much worse. Bad dreams can be added to that list too. My dreams are so vivid & seem so real. They always have been, in my pregnancy, but they've been getting worse lately. A lot of them have to do w/labor and delivery. I hope none of these dreams/nightmares come true. 

Best Moment in the past 2 weeks: Passing my glucose test, getting settled in our newly bought home together, purchasing a few necessities for the baby (crib, diaper bag, her going home outfit), and getting RSVPs for the upcoming baby shower. 

There's definitely more good moments, than bad. 

Miss anything?: A full 8 hours of sleep (but let's be honest- I haven't had one of those nights since before we got pregnant), getting dressed by myself, feeling like an elderly woman w/how often I have to use the facilities, and being able to move freely w/o this tight basketball in my way. Even brushing my teeth is difficult! Leaning over the counter is NOT fun! Ouch.

Movement: Still, all the time. People have been asking me if she's flipped and I'm pretty sure she has 'cuz I can constantly see her little bumskee sticking out, but I wouldn't know. She's such an active baby, that even if she did flip, I wouldn't know the difference. This active jumping bean finds a way to move, weather there's room or not. I wonder when she'll realize...

I can always feel her little bum sticking out

Photo taken on my iPhone

Morning Sickness?: I'm definitely getting more food sensitive, like how I was in the first trimester. I find myself having to eat more & more often, and get nauseous if I don't. I had to borrow a couple Zofran pills from a co-worther this week, so I figured it was just time to refill my own prescription, just in case. I haven't actually thrown up, but I did catch myself dry heaving in the bathroom at work. I'm trying to stay on top of my water intake 'cuz that seems to help, but other than that, I'm just trying to be real careful & carry more snacks w/me again. 

Food Cravings: Oreo McFlurrys from McDees. Extra oreo :) 

Food Aversions: Anything spicy and or greasy. This is mainly to avoid heartburn, although that has gone down A LOT since she's dropped. 

Showing yet?: I'm just straight out in front. I swear people think I was due yesterday. And I still have two months to go. Oh my. 

Stretch Marks?: They're actually going away and getting lighter in color. I was surprised. I haven't had any real thick, painful ones, and they seem to stick around just on my legs and stomach. Feeling grateful. 

I swear it's because of this awesome cream though:

Photo taken on my iPhone

Gender: GIRL!!! As far as we know :)

Labor signs: Braxton Hicks & they're happening more & more often. I try to just breathe through them, but from my understanding, they shouldn't be THIS painful. Either I'm having pre-term labor signs and don't know it, or I'm just a sissy. 

Moods: I've seen those hormones kick in this last week. I'm getting more & more tired, and my nesting has kicked in full swing. We've been in this house almost a month, so I've been going organize crazy, and have just been wanting to do EVERYTHING right now for the baby. I realize some things CAN wait, and will wait (until after the shower, to see what we get/don't get), but it's so hard to put things off like that, when I'm in nesting mode. 

See- There go those hormones again. Crazy!

Not Looking Forward to: Gaining more water weight. I'm curious to see how much amniotic fluid I have, because my stomach just feels like a giant swimming pool. I had a lot of water weight recently, but I also recently changed my diet & noticed a lot of that went away (ie- foot swelling). I can control my diet and what goes into by body, so if that prevents me carrying water weight, I'll say goodbye to the DP and salt/soy/sodium. If the baby is getting bigger (which I know she will) and I'm just carrying more amniotic fluid- Ugh. That's all I have to say about that. 

Looking Forward To: Painting the nursery next weekend 'cuz that means I get to unpack all her stuff & arrange all her furniture. I haven't been able to do that yet!!!! Hello decorating! Hobby Lobby and I are about to renew our vows and I couldn't be more anxious. 

I go every 2 weeks to the doctor now and at 36 weeks will start going every week. I love my doctor and the staff in the office, but it's nice to go every two weeks, and not every week anymore… Even though I know I'll be going every week soon hahaha It was just a nice break & to know my health is in good standing. Never been so thankful. 

Eek! We're getting close. I'll be going every week at 36 weeks. It's nice to hear her heartbeat every time, and just have confirmation that I'm doing well (health wise) and that Thumper seems to be healthy & active. 

Photo taken on my iPhone

Photo taken on my iPhone

This is the new diaper bag I got. It's Petunia Picklebottom and I've always wanted one.

Photo taken on my iPhone

Preggo Eggo Update- Week 29

How many weeks?: Since we're still measuring two weeks ahead, we're goin with 29 weeks.

Size of Baby: Butternut squash. Weighs around 2 1/2 pounds and is just over 15 inches long. 

Maternity Clothes?: Still mainly wearing boots, leggings, and sweaters. I don't have maternity pajamas, so I mainly wear Jake's pajama bottoms, since they're bigger & looser on my hips. 

Energy Levels: None. This last week has been horrible. All I've wanted to do is sleep and eat. Mainly sleep. I am so exhausted and cannot stand for very long, without my hips feeling like they're going to pop out of my body. 

Exercise Habits: None, other than walking around at the office. 

Sleeping?: Next to very little or none. I'm miserable. The pregnancy pillow helps, but only to a certain extent. I now have insomnia really really bad.   

Worst Moment in the past 2 weeks: Feeling so exhausted that I can't even make it through a full eight hour day at work. I feel bad for not (financially) contributing as much), but it hurts to sit for long periods of time, and all I want to do is sleep!

Best Moment in the past 2 weeks: Coming into the new year 'cuz that means our baby girl will be here in just three more months (exactly) as of tomorrow, and finding out our loan already went through on our house. Now, if we can just get this builder of ours to finish everything, so we can stop living in boxes & move! 

Miss anything?: Where do I even begin?… Um, being able to get dressed by myself. I will never ever take for granted again, being able to dress and undress the bottom half of me. Jake has been so helpful and assists me every morning/night, but it'd be nice to not have this pelvic pain, so I can take my own pants on/off. Also, in case you couldn't tell from previous responses, I really miss sleep. Anything more than two consecutive hours would be nice. And to be able to roll over w/o bumping my stomach and having it hurt. That'd be nice too :)

Movement: She's slowed down. Major. I had a mild panic attack this week when her movement (literally) changed over night. Needless to say, I went in for an ever-so-random doctor's appointment and boy am I glad I did. I got peace of mind & assurance, knowing she's just growing and probably running out of move to kick around as much. She's also going through longer sleep patterns & doesn't have as much energy/time to move as much as she did. 

Morning Sickness?: No siree. I'm not so sensitive to any foods at all, really, other than greasy, spicy, and acidic foods. They all cause heartburn. 

Food Cravings: Uh… This last week I'm afraid to say it's been desserts. I still crave proteins (mainly burgers), but desserts have been #1 in our house. I'm talking cake, pie, and cookies. All in one week. 

Food Aversions: I try to avoid greasy foods, if possible. They cause really bad heart burn, which lead to acid reflux. 

Showing yet?: Duh. I started showing between 10-12 weeks, and have only been showing more & more every day. Thumper wanted her presence to be known at a very early stage, and boy has she done just that! I swear, people think I'm due like yesterday.  Our little Thumper is in the 87th percentile from her abdomen down. She has some long 'ol legs. 

Stretch Marks?: I've been having a lot of hip and lower back pain lately. I woke up one morning to a significant amount of stretch marks on my hips, and to find that Thumper has dropped. Makes sense. My hips are widening & preparing for labor.  

Gender: She's still a she.

Labor signs: Just Braxton Hicks and baby dropping lower. We're one step closer to D-day with those signs! Doctor says to be careful though, so that I don't go into pre-term labor. 

Moods: I've been in the "nesting" stage for awhile now, but I don't think it helps that we're in the middle of packing/moving everything. I think I'm just really sick of being in boxes, to be honest. I'm naturally a really clean/organize person (so is Jake), so this is driving me nuts! I just wanna get settled in to the new house already, so I can start on the nursery :) 

Not Looking Forward to: Still… The glucose test. I'm hearing more & more often now that it's not that bad, but I fear I'm going to fail it, or that something strange will pop up. Better study! 

Looking Forward To: Getting the results of the glucose test over with and done! That appointment is next Monday (a week from tomorrow) and I'm just trying to make sure I do everything possible to pass. 

Preggo Eggo Update- Week 24… or 26 :)

How many weeks?: Well, we had what was supposed to be our 24 week appointment this last Tuesday (12/17), but my doctor told me I was closer to 26 weeks, than 24, so at this point I'm 26 weeks and 6 days. We're just gonna skip over to 26 weeks now :)

Size of Baby: A head of lettuce, 13-15 inches, 1.5-2 pounds.

Maternity Clothes?: Still mainly wearing boots, leggings, and sweaters. I don't have maternity pajamas, so I mainly wear Jake's pajama bottoms, since they're bigger & looser on my hips. 

Energy Levels: I go through spurts. Right now (at this exact moment),I feel pretty great. I'm drinking lots of water, and have my feet elevated to reduce swollen ankles. 

Exercise Habits: None, other than walking around at the office. 

Sleeping?: I'm sleeping about 2-3 hours at a time, throughout the night, so not that much sleep goin on here. Jake and I recently ordered a pregnancy body pillow, and that helps align my hips & back, so it relieves pressure/pain on my lower back/sciatic nerve. Other than that, I still get up to use the restroom and stretch/walk around, throughout the night.  

Worst Moment in the past 2 weeks: Pinched sciatic nerve.

Best Moment in the past 2 weeks: Finding out I'm measuring almost a two full weeks ahead! This baby girl is long, so I'll take whatever I can to speed up this process. 

Miss anything?: Eating cake batter. I know that may sound silly, but I've done a lot of baking lately (for the holidays) and there's nothing better than raw cake better. Mmmmm

Movement: All the time. Thumper is a very active baby & lives up to her name more & more every day. I love love love feeling her movements, but often wonder what she's doing in there. She must have a big to-do list. The other day (when Jake and I were driving home from our doctor's appointment), I told Jake the best way to describe what I was feeling at that time, was that it felt like she was playing the piano right where my pelvic bone is, and  then thrown in some side kicks every once in awhile. I always see her on my right side, so it's like she was laying on her side, playing the piano, thumping around down low (as always). 

Morning Sickness?: No siree. I'm not so sensitive to any foods at all, really, other than really. 

Food Cravings: Protein. I'm constantly craving meat. A hamburger always sounds good, or steak and potatoes. I'm always down for a delicious dessert too. Cookies are a must in our house!

Food Aversions: I try to avoid greasy foods, if possible. They cause really bad heart burn, which lead to acid reflux. 

Showing yet?: Duh. I started showing between 10-12 weeks, and have only been showing more & more every day. Thumper wanted her presence to be known at a very early stage, and boy has she done just that! I swear, people think I'm due like yesterday. Here's how an awkward conversation went (recently) while at work: 

Lady in the hallway: "When's that baby comin out?" 

Me: "Probably not until the end of March slash early April." 

Lady in the hallway: "Oh." 

I think she thought I was a lot further along than I really was. If she only knew my thumper was in the 87th percentile from her abdomen down. She has some long 'ol legs. 

Stretch Marks?: Just a few. They don't seem to be increasing/getting darker, which is good. I use Tia & Tamera's "Stretchy" cream right after every shower. It smells delicious and does wonders! It's a great moisturizer too, which is especially nice during these dry winters we have up here. The marks that I do have, appeared right at about 15 weeks when Thumper got significantly bigger, and I could feel her flutters/kicks. They seem darker after a shower, but they fade throughout the day. 

Gender: She's still a she.

Labor signs: This last week my stomach got really tight & uncomfortable. I was telling Jake it was like this weird pressure  & tightness that I'd never experienced before. Now that I'm actually sitting here and thinking about it, it might've been Braxton Hicks. 

Moods: I'd say I'm doing pretty good! Maybe it's the holidays?

Not Looking Forward to: My glucose test. The nurse gave me the drink to take home (from our appointment the other day), so I have the pure joy of looking at it every time I open our fridge. I've had most friends tell me it's not that bad, and I've had other people tell me it's the worst thing I'll ever encounter. Great.

Looking Forward To: Getting the results of the glucose test over with and done! That appointment isn't until January 13th though, so it's still a few weeks away, and then (as my doctor reminded me) my appointments will get down to every three weeks, rather than four. Yikaroo. 

I'm six months pregnant and still wearing my wedding ring!

I'm so thankful my hands are not swelling, so I can still wear this beaut.

Photo taken on my iPhone

For some reason, I feel like I look a lot smaller here…

Photo taken on my iPhone

And then the picture is taken from a different angle and it's like wow! Bam!

Photo taken on my iPhone

And we're back to not lookin so much like a huge whale again

This is my favorite maternity sweater BTW

Photo taken on my iPhone

And this is how Thumper and I sleep at night.

This pregnancy pillow helps so much w/my lower back. 

Photo taken on my iPhone

Photo taken on my iPhone

Preggo Eggo Update- Week 20

How many weeks?: 20 weeks and 2 days today. 

Size of Baby: A banana (6.5 inches).  

Maternity Clothes?: I can wear some of my pre-maternity shirts, and they fit comfortably, but I'm afraid they'll be permanently stretched out afterwards hahaha Oops? Needless to say, I don't wear pre-maternity shirts too often for that reason. I stick to stretchy and flow-y. 

Energy Levels: I always thought I'd be feeling worse than I am, for being 20 weeks into my pregnancy, but I'm feeling pretty good.  I kinda started getting tired again this week. Tired as in first trimester sleep coma tired. Uh oh. 

Exercise Habits: Seriously? It's way too cold now. I know I know- Excuses excuses. 

Sleeping?: I've given up on that dream. I still wake up 2-3 times a night, and use the restroom. I usually have tingly arms/legs too. I'm normally a side sleeper, but I think now that I'm pregnant, I toss & turn in my sleep (now) more than ever, and I catch myself waking up in the middle of the night ON MY BACK! (gasp). Queue the tingly arms/legs. Between all that, the Tums, and random urges to drink H20 like it's going out of style.... I do not feel rested at all when I wake up. I figure hey- It's just prepping me for parenthood right? I hear babies are on a rough sleep schedule (wink wink). 

Worst Moment in the past 2 weeks: This might sound really bad, but I was really bummed when we had our last appointment two weeks ago. I thought it would be our anatomy ultrasound, so I was pretty bummed to only hear the heartbeat. Like I said- that might sound really bad, but I was bummed to only hear her heartbeat and not see her little face on the screen. 

Best Moment in the past 2 weeks:  Having Jake feel the baby kick (last Wednesday), and me feeling the baby kick on my hand, other than internally. It's times like this that I always always want to be pregnant. I love it and will miss it when she's not inside swimmin around anymore. 

Miss anything?: Sleep and comfort. Oh the good 'ol days. 

Movement: Oh yeah. I feel her fluttering and kicking around most, when I either lay down flat on my back, or on my side. Other people can feel it too. 

Morning Sickness?: No, I'm just super food sensitive and have to eat every so often. Certain foods still bother me too. That's just all part of the package though, right? (wink wink)

Food Cravings: Everything. Either she's going through a huge growth spirt right now, or I am hahaha Seriously guys. It's bad. 

Food Aversions: Spices and anything spicy. Can't do it= heartburn. 

Showing yet?: I actually had someone ask me the other day, if I was expecting. Like- really? I had to go stand in the mirror and question myself if my bump was questionable. It's definitely not. 

Gender: I'm pretty sure she's still a girl. Guess we'll find out soon at our 20 week anatomy ultrasound (wink wink). 

Labor signs: None, thankfully.

Moods: Oh yeah hi. Bring on the sensitivity this week. Shshsh don't tell Jake I admit that. 

Not Looking Forward to: Child birth. I think about it more and more every day and I fear it. Like the black plague. 

Looking Forward To: Seeing our little babe on the big screen AKA the ultrasound. Oh- And the progress we're making w/our house. Am I allowed to say that? Does my excitement just have to be strictly about my pregnancy?

20 week ultrasound

Yesterday we had our 20 week anatomy ultrasound.

It was supposed to be on Tuesday, but the ultrasound technician was sick.

I was a little bummed they asked us to reschedule, but of course we understood.

And hey- it was only a day's difference right?

I was just so excited to see our little one on the big screen.

The last time we saw her on TV was five weeks ago, when we did our 15 week gender check.

We met w/our doctor two weeks ago, for my 18 week appointment, but no ultrasound then.

At this point, we've had three ultrasounds total and I've loved every one of them.

We had one at 7 weeks.

We had one at 15 weeks.

And now we have one for 20 weeks.

I'm buildin a collection here folks!

I realize others may have more, but we're not talking about anyone but us right now.

Back to our ultrasound appointment…

I was really excited to get in there, to make sure she was still a she.

It might sound weird, I know, but I know of a few people who have found out the gender early, and have been proven wrong later.

15 weeks was pretty early to find out, so I was still hesitant. 

She's definitely still a she. She was a little shy, but we got in there.

My kid? Shy?!?! She can't be mine. There's no way.

If you recall our last ultrasound (at 15 weeks), our little girl had her legs crossed.

Same thing yesterday. She had one leg crossed over the other. 

Just sittin' in there. Chillin.

We had the same, sweet ultrasound technician as last time and she was great. Again.

She looked at the brain at all different angles, and it looked normal.

She looked at the heart chambers at all different angles, and it looked normal.

She looked at any facial features that could be deformed (nose, cleft lip, etc.) and they all looked normal.

I was relived to say the least.

I was happy to see I was doing my part as a mother, and that taking my prenatal every day has helped w/my child's development. 

Every parent wants to hear their child is looking healthy & normal. Every parent.

In the womb or not.

Our little girl was confirmed breach. That is all subject to change though.

Our doctor didn't seem too worried about it & said she'd probably change positions before delivery.

Gosh I hope so. Please don't cut me open and put my insides on my outside. Please!

Our little girl was also confirmed to be completely folded in half!

She was pulling her legs all the way over her head. That crazy!

This top picture shows her doing a toe touch type thing:

(The top picture is her head on the left of the ultrasound & her leg coming up & over almost)

And of course the last picture she has a gang sign she's thrown' us. 

She is very much so an active baby, and the lower part of her body was in the 87th percentile.

Meaning she's very tall and long legged.

Would I expect anything less? My husband is over 6 ft. and I'm 5'8''

I'm just glad I have a long torso to carry her. This will be fun!

We ordered a video of the entire ultrasound we got.

I posted a clip of it on my Instagram and added one of my favorite songs to it as well.
I hope you all are able to see it. It's the cutest thing. 
Her little toe touch in action is the best!

My doctor told me I was measuring ahead.
He's still keeping my due date the same (April 6th), but he said I'm probably close to 22 weeks at this point.
Wahoo! This pregnancy is just flying' by! Two weeks just came & went like nothin' (wink wink)