Category: Pregnancy Updates

Baby 2, Pregnancy Updates

Baby #2 22 Weeks

peanutsmiles

Dear Baby,

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Today is our last day in Hawaii. It was a great trip and we saw a ton but I’m ready to get back home and see that sweet sister of yours. I missed her more than I imagined and have never been more excited for a trip to be complete. This last week was eventful! Your Daddy and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary by taking a helicopter ride to the top of a volcano. It was cool to see, but we weren’t able to see any lava as it was slowly impeding a town and they didn’t want helicopters hoovering over their homes as they’re preparing for disaster. We also spent some more time relaxing by the pool and enjoying some beautiful scenery and sunsets on the Big Island. The second half of the week was spent in beautiful Maui where we swam in the ocean, drove the treacherous Hana highway, went for an exhausting hike to a waterfall that was absolutely spectacular, snorkeled and saw sea turtles and visited the historic pearl harbor.

Our flight leaves tonight at 10:00 pm and I’m a little nervous for 7 hours on an uncomfortable plane where I’m expected to sleep but know I won’t be able to. Things with you continue to move with ease. Your movements continue to grow in frequency and strength everyday. I continue to feel most of your movements internally, verses externally towards my belly, which is somewhat uncomfortable as you continue to kick my organs.

It is almost impossible to sleep on my stomach now as you’re just too big and a little painful. With that said, I can’t complain too much about sleep as I feel like I’m sleeping well. I fall asleep quickly and stay asleep. Food is also good for the most part. I’ve eaten a lot of fish in Hawaii (I heard that eating fish while pregnant can help make baby smarter 🙂 and haven’t had any heartburn as of yet. Overall, I feel like I have a hard time making a decision on what to eat as most food just doesn’t sound that appetizing, even through I’m hungry. No major cravings, although I did crave a beer here and there while other’s were enjoying by overall, feeling that things are pretty mellow.

We have our doctor’s appointment and big ultra sound next week and are very excited to see how you are doing and hear your heartbeat–it has been too long. Still feeling strongly that you’re a boy, but are officially waiting to find out until you are born.

Love,

Mama

Baby 2, Pregnancy Updates

Baby #2 21 Weeks

peanutsmiles

Dear Baby,

Aloha! Welcome to Hawaii! To begin your 21st week of gestation, you’ve joined myself and Daddy in Hawaii. We began our journey last Saturday and will be here through your 22nd week. So far, everything everyone has said about the beauty and serenity of the island is true. Originally, we were very nervous about our travel plans as a hurricane was headed to the island and was scheduled to hit the night we were arriving. Luckily, it changed directions and missed the island and the outer rings of the storm hit the island the day before we arrived.

We’ve been staying with Daddy’s cousin, Kris and John and they have been great hosts. Today we went for a helicopter ride and it was spectacular. Naturally, I was very nervous about something happening, but all was good and the water and waterfalls were amazing. I had seen pictures of this area before, but it was so different to see it in person and from the vantage point of a helicopter verses being on the ground.

I’ll do another post around our trip, but other things to note, the sun is SUPER strong. Much stronger than I anticipated and can literally feel myself burning with sunscreen on within 20 minutes. Daddy and I went snorkeling for the first time and it was pretty cool to see the coral and all the fish swimming around. I would love to see some sea turtles at some point but we’ll see. Also, the plane rides weren’t too terrible. We had three separate flights which helped break up the potential longness of some and was thankful to have the compression socks. They were slightly uncomfortable, but I could feel them working as they would get tighter if I was just sitting for a long period of time. The moment I got up and began moving around, I felt some relief.

I feel like a broken record with updates on your behalf in that everything is very mellow and everything seems to be going fine. I have seen a couple belly movements from the outside, but Daddy still hasn’t been able to feel them. Whenever either of us put a hand on the belly, you seem to stop moving all together. Once difference between you and Lexi is that almost all of Lexi’s kicks or movement was felt on the outside of my belly. Almost all of your movement is internal. It feels like you are constantly kicking my stomach, liver and other internal organs. It isn’t painful, but I wouldn’t say it is comfortable either.

Continue to be good to your mama!

Love,

Mama

Baby 2, Pregnancy Updates

Baby #2 20 Weeks

peanutsmiles

Little Babes,

Half way there (hopefully)! Typically this is the week we do a big ultrasound to check on your heart, lungs, brain and other organs to make sure everything is growing and developing they way it should. This is also the time when we are able to find out if you’re a girl or a boy. However, with the way insurance worked out, we’re waiting a couple of weeks so it is a little less expensive.

This week has been a little crazy and I forgot to take a belly picture. Mom and Dad are getting ready to go on a big trip to Hawaii. Mom has been busy getting everything wrapped up at work and everyone packed up. Overall, we’re very excited for the trip as we’ve both wanted to go to Hawaii for a long time. With that said, I’m pretty anxious in general. When we went on a trip to Colorado while I was pregnant with Lexi, I ended up in the hospital and we had to cut the trip short, so I’m a little worried something like that will happen again. I’m also worried about leaving Lexi for such a long period of time. I know she’ll be in great hands with Grandma and Auntie She-She but I’m worried about how much I’m going to miss her. Finally, I’m the most nervous about something happening to Daddy and I and leaving Lexi with no parents. It is a terrible and frightening thought but one that I just can’t escape. There have been many many prayers that everything goes smoothly.

Other than that, everything with you continues to move along without any thought. You and my belly continue to grow. I had gained 10 lbs last I weighed myself. You continue to move and jab around, but still no luck on feeling you from the outside or even seeing my belly move. I’m still very thirsty but in general have been feeling really great. Sleeping is going well. I usually start out on my stomach with a leg to the side for weight distribution so it isn’t all on the belly and usually end up on my side or back by morning.

I think that is it for now. Be good to your mama in Hawaii sweet babes.

Love,

Mama

Baby 2, Pregnancy Updates

Baby #2 19 Weeks

peanutsmiles

Dear Little Nugs,

Today is the first day that I’ve looked in the mirror and felt that I truly look pregnant and not just fat. It is also the first official maternity shift I’ve worn this pregnancy. The belly is starting to stick out more and is getting rounder. Wahoo!! Photo note: notice the difference between the size of the belly with my hand and without… looks way better with the hand.

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Overall, things are going pretty good. I’m feeling a little better. I still have days where I just feel a little off, but generally speaking I feel pretty good. Movement is still here and there but is getting stronger and more frequent everyday. It is most noticeable in the evening when I’m laying on the couch. I’ve tried to watch my belly to see if you can see movements from the outside yet but not such luck. I do remember this was the week I felt your sister move for the first time and her kicks were very noticeable from the outside so I’m sure it isn’t too far away. Stomach sleeping is still going OK, a little uncomfortable but I still think I have another couple weeks in me.

In other news, it has been a pretty quiet week as far as events go. Saturday we celebrated your great-grandma’s 84th birthday and it was fun to see aunts, uncles and cousins. We also got a lot done around the house in preparing for winter.

We have your next ultra-sound on Tuesday Nov 4th and can’t wait to see you again. Still feeling very confident that you are a boy, but I think we have officially decided to wait until you arrive to find out your gender.

Also, only 10 days until Hawaii! Be good to your mama while we’re there sweet little nugs.

Love,

Mama

Baby 2, Pregnancy Updates

Baby #2 18 Weeks

peanutsmiles

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Dear Baby,

This week went by extremely fast! You’re about 5 1/2 inches long and about 7 oz right now. I continue to feel your little movements from time to time, mostly while I’m laying down and not distracted by anything. They’re always fast and very sporadic little jabs but they always make me smile and feel confident that things are going well in your little cocoon.

The past few weeks have been interesting for me. Throughout the 2nd trimester I’ve had several moments where is just feel off. I don’t feel dizzy and that I’m going to pass out, but just get on overwhelming sense that I need to sit down and rest for a moment or two. Typically this happens in the morning while I’m getting ready for work. I had been blaming it on the fact that I hadn’t eaten in 12 hours but I’m not so sure that is the case anymore. I’ve also noticed that I’m always very thirsty or like I don’t feel like I can get hydrated. I’ll chug 8 oz of water and still feel thirsty like I hadn’t drank anything. Then this past week or so, I’ve just felt off. The only way I feel like I can describe it is I feel like my body is missing some kind of nutrient or vitamin. I even went and drank some naked juice on a couple of occasions to see if that would make me feel better and give my body some nutrients that I felt I was missing. Finally, Saturday morning, I was drinking some juice and ate a muffin and felt worse than I did before and was just like, this isn’t right. Maybe my body had the nutrients I needed, but wasn’t processing sugar right? Maybe I have gestational diabetes??? I did a little reading on good old ‘Google’ and learned that being thirsty is a ‘symptom’ of gestational diabetes and drinking juice and eating muffins are some of the worst things for you. So, I’m working on controlling my carbs for a couple of days to see if I feel any better but will call the Dr. too just to see if she thinks I should come in and get anything checked out.

In other news, I’ve had a few flickering moments of heartburn and feel I’m just rounding the corner of beginning that experience again. I also weighed myself  this morning and I don’t remember what it was last time, but I’m up 8.5 lbs since I first found out…not to bad, I just hope I can maintain that slow gain.  I also felt the hardness of a belly for the first time this week and am noticing sleeping on my stomach is getting a little more uncomfortable. When I lay flat on my tummy, I can feel your little bump producing into the mattress, but if move my legs just a little, my body adjusts just enough where I can’t feel you and can soundly snooze away. I’m really hoping I can make it to 20 weeks of stomach sleeping so I’ll only have 20 weeks of uncomfortable sleeping.

I don’t think I’ve talked about gender at all to you yet. I’m 98% confident you are a boy. From the moment I knew I was pregnant, I had a very strong intuition that you were a boy and I haven’t had any wavering moments. When I go to the store or am shopping for clothes for your sister, I look at little boy clothes for you or blankets etc… In my opinion, this is a somewhat scary mental state because I am always wrong in my predictions. I just can’t comprehend the possibility of you being a little girl. Don’t get me wrong, I would love it if you were a little girl because I would love for Lexi to have a little sister and if you are a little girl, to have a big sister to look up to that you’re also close in age to, but at this point it seems comical that you could possibly be a girl. Daddy thinks you’re a girl, but I think that he just thinks that because it is important to him to have a boy to pass his name along to and have a little boy to enjoy fun boy things, even though Lexi enjoys more stereotypical boy things like airplanes, trains, cars, motorcycles etc… In the end we just pray that you are healthy, boy or girl.

Love,

Mama

Baby 2, Pregnancy Updates

Baby #2 17 Weeks

peanutsmiles

Dear Baby,

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Picture: Hard to see the bump given the dirty mirror and lighting, but I assure it is there.

17 weeks! Wow time is flying by, yet still so much time to go. This past week was good. We had our 16 week appointment on Friday and everything looks good. You have a nice strong heartbeat at 145. Dr. G is also back from her maternity leave so it was good to see her and catch up a little bit.  I have been questioning feeling your movements for a couple weeks, but last night while watching TV, I was confident enough to say that is official movement and not just a gas bubble in my stomach. It is such an exciting milestone to reach and good confirmation moving forward that things are good in your little cocoon.
According to the doctor’s office, I’m up 4 lbs, but according to the scale at home I’m up 8-9 lbs since I took the pregnancy test. Overall, I feel really good, but am just mentally struggling with the current growth and clothing stage that I’m in. My belly is getting to the point that many of my regular shirts are too short, but maternity shirts are way too big. I don’t really look pregnant or have a round hard belly, I just look fat. Particularly above my belly button. I feel the mid-section of my stomach is sticking out way further than it should considering your location and it just looks like I’ve put on 15-20 lbs. Not fun. I’m definitely looking forward to having a hard round belly verses a soft and pudgy one. I’m still hungry all the time but no major cravings or aversions at this point.
On the home front, we are continuing to get Lexi’s ‘Big Girl Bedroom’ ready for her to move into it so we can be all ready for your arrival. So far, she loves it and asks to sleep in there all the time. However, I just don’t think she is ready to leave the confinement of her crib. We need to work with her on going to sleep better and who knows, she may be in a crib when you arrive. Right now, she cries a lot (especially for me) when she goes down for bed and puts a death grip around my neck and waist with her little legs. If she wasn’t ‘trapped’ in there, I’m not sure she would ever go down. Next up for her room is getting some curtains hung, and Grandma B is making some pillows and a book shelf for her and then we’ll need to get some photos on the wall and have Daddy paint some hearts and frogs to match. Other than that, Daddy and I photographed our last wedding of the year and it feel good to be done with that! He still has a lot of work to do, but the physical part is done.
According to the app, your 5 ounces and 5 inches long now and your cartilage is starting to turn into bone. We’ll also be making an appointment for another ultrasound for the first week of November and we’re excited to see you! We haven’t decided if we’re going to find out if you’re a boy or a girl yet, but are leaning towards being surprised when you arrive!
Love,
Mama
Baby 2, Pregnancy Updates

Baby #2 15 Weeks

peanutsmiles

Dear little Rookie,

We’ve hit a fairly uneventful point of the journey. I’m feeling good and your busy growing! There have been a couple of moments where I question feeling your move. I haven’t definitively said, “Yes, that is the baby moving,” but there have been lots of flutter-type movement. Other than that, the only other thing to report on this week is some strange cramping or almost Braxton Hicks feeling contractions. There are times where my belly just hurts and I don’t remember that with Lexi so I’ll ask the doctor next week. My belly is definitely growing, but it doesn’t look like a cute round belly, yet. It just looks fat, particularly the area above my belly button. I’m in maternity pants so I’m ready for the belly to grow and to look pregnant and not just that I’ve eaten way too many donuts. Not much else going on in the word around us.

Love,

Mama

Baby 2, Pregnancy Updates

Baby #2 13/14 Weeks

peanutsmiles

Dear Baby,

This week went by in a flash! We had your first trimester prenatal screening and although you were a little un-cooperative, so far you are looking to be a healthy little bug. You continue to measure a little big, but your guess date of arrival continues to be March 3rd. During our first attempt you were cozy as could be in your little position in my belly and just didn’t want to move for the nurse to get the correct measurements. They were doing all sorts of tricks to get you to move like having me roll from one side to another, tipping me backwards so I was almost upside down, drinking water, doing jumping jacks, going to the  bathroom and nothing seemed to do the trick. So, I had to go back again the next day, which actually worked out really well. Due to a variety of reasons, Daddy wasn’t able to make it to the first two ultra-sounds, but he was able to make it to the second one, so he finally got to see you. We were even able to bring Lexi with us so she could see you.

This week, I also celebrated my 29th birthday, took you to the fair and enjoyed some quality time with Daddy and Lexi. We’ve been busy working on the basement and Lexi’s new room so by the time you arrive, the house should be in good working order, at least that is the my hope!

In other news, this week I think I jumped pass the sickness nauseous stage. I don’t seem to have too many issues when I wake up in the morning or in the evening. I also don’t feel as hungary as I was and thankfully don’t need to eat every hour anymore. I’m still pretty tired on work days and would prefer to take a 20 minute nap/rest when I get home, but I don’t need them like I did in previous weeks. I haven’t been weighing myself regularly, but still fluctuating between 2 and 4 lbs., although I feel like it looks like I’ve gained 10. I’m mostly in maternity pants, but have one pair of shorts and found a pair of regular jeans I can wear (although they weren’t very comfortable).

I think most family and friends know about your impending arrival and are very excited to meet you. We’re also officially into the 2nd trimester! You’re about 3 1/2 inches long, can suck your thumb, frown, squint, pee and your liver is producing  bile and kidneys making urine.

I’m also going to start taking weekly belly pictures next week. Although I’m no longer able to fit into my regular pants, it doesn’t feel like my belly is growing at rapid paces so it will be interesting to watch and compare from week to week.

Love, Mama

 

Baby 2, Pregnancy Updates

Baby #2 12 Weeks

peanutsmiles

Dear Baby,

We’ve hit 12 weeks little babe. Daddy and I visited the doctor and all is good. You have a strong and steady little ticker, beating at 155-160 times a minutes and all else is status quo. I continue to feel up and down with the biggest symptom being fatigue. I’ve made a much better effort to get to bed earlier and it seems to help me a lot in the morning, but continue to be pretty tired in the evenings and need a quick 20 minute rest when I get home from work. I put away all my non-maternity pants last weekend and received a few new things from Gap. Still working through them to figure out what I want to keep and what I want to return. It feels trickier this time around as I don’t think pants that fit me now will fit me in Jan and Feb. The news of your impeding arrival continues to slowly get dispersed among family and friends.  I didn’t gain any weight, which was great and surprising especially considering I eat every hour! (not exaggerating).  That is all little one, at this point, it is a good thing there isn’t more to report!

Love,

Mama

Baby 2, Pregnancy Updates

Baby #2–11 Weeks

peanutsmiles

Dear lil’ nugget,

There has been so much change over the last couple weeks. For starters, you’re continuing to grow as fast as a race car. You’re approximately 2 inches long, are growing hair, fingernails and have distinct human characteristics including hands, feet, fingers, toes (non-webbed), ears, nose and a mouth. I can also feel my body starting to grow. I think I’m definitely starting to show and can feel a little hard belly and the discomfort that comes with that when I bend over. I wore a maternity skirt for the first time last week and could not button my pants at work yesterday. This is so much different than with your big sister. I don’t remember needing to wear maternity pants until I was 16+ weeks and wasn’t really showing until after 20 weeks. I feel large already and am nervous what that means for the rest of pregnancy.

Other notables: I’ve gained 4 lbs. so far, meat isn’t appetizing, pop doesn’t sit well and am blown away at how much plaque my teeth develop each day (it’s disgusting really).

I also started a new job last week. I was really nervous starting a new job and being pregnant, but I really like it so far and think I made a good decision in making the change. We’ve also started to share the news of your impeding arrival with many more people, which is also a deviation from the first time. I have a feeling you are going to be so different from your sister and you’ll want everything, including this pregnancy to be different and distinctly you.

Love, Mama